I always take the day before Thanksgiving off so that I can start cooking and getting the house ready for Thanksgiving.
Since I've married my darling husband, I don't make one dinner for Thanksgiving, I make three dinners for Thanksgiving!! I am making a 20lbs Turkey with a sausage stuffing, a 10lb Ham and a large pan of lasagna and homemade meatballs and gravy (for all you non-Italians like me...the gravy is sauce...that's what I always called it anyway) and of course we will have all the fixings too.
Today I did a lot of pre-cooking so I won't have to worry to much tomorrow. I'm very excited this year...we are going to be eating early at 3:00 instead of 6:30!! You have to eat early for the holiday...I think that Michael will finally see the light this year!!
I have the kids for the night tomorrow and that will be nice...it's going to give my niece and her husband a chance to go shopping for all the early bird specials. Maybe when Alison comes home I'll be doing the black Friday shopping, but right now you couldn't pay me to go out and deal with the crowds that will be out on Friday.
I'm planning on having the kids help me pull out all the Christmas decorations to make sure they are all in working order. We usually look like the Griswold's at Christmas time, but I haven't decorated for the past two years...this year we are coming back full throttle baby...
Stay tuned for pictures!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The Numbers Speak Volumes...
*NOTE: All statistics given correspond with the U.S. Government fiscal year, which begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. For example: Adoption statistics for 2008 = Number of adoptions from October 1, 2007 – September 30, 2008.
Detailed Adoption Information From CHINA To The United State:
The Total Adoptions from CHINA from 1998 to 2008 is: 60236
Fiscal Year Total Adoptions
1998 4243
1999 4108
2000 5058
2001 4705
2002 4677
2003 6857
2004 7038
2005 7903
2006 6492
2007 5453
2008 3254
Detailed Adoption Information From CHINA To The United State:
The Total Adoptions from CHINA from 1998 to 2008 is: 60236
Fiscal Year Total Adoptions
1998 4243
1999 4108
2000 5058
2001 4705
2002 4677
2003 6857
2004 7038
2005 7903
2006 6492
2007 5453
2008 3254
Saturday, November 15, 2008
We had the "Talk"
It's been a weird week...nothing new except the never ending slowness of referrals and that really isn't new.
We had the "talk" about possibly switching out of China...that's a real hard talk to have when you picture your child almost every day in your minds eye.
There are so many questions that you ask yourself:
**are we going to miss our opportunity to become a family of three by waiting in this very slow moving line
**are we going to age out of the program
**should we try a concurrent adoption and if so, where
**do we take the chance domestically and have our heart's broken...I couldn't bear that and that is one of the reasons why we decided on China
**are we going to be to old...will we still be able to do EVERYTHING with Alison
**what if we get sick...this thought just never goes away
One thing that I have learned in our adoption process is Patience...it's hard to come by, but very necessary and that NOTHING is guaranteed.
Well..we have decided to sit tight and wait for our Alison. When I asked Michael if he was prepared to wait another two years, he immediately answered YES. When I asked him if he was ready to be a father at 50 for the first time, he immediately answered YES and then reminded me that he has quite a way to go before he turns 50...sorry husband!
I can just keep saying my prayers each night that things do speed up and we get our girl home with us sooner rather than later.
We are still waiting for you baby...and missing you every day.
We had the "talk" about possibly switching out of China...that's a real hard talk to have when you picture your child almost every day in your minds eye.
There are so many questions that you ask yourself:
**are we going to miss our opportunity to become a family of three by waiting in this very slow moving line
**are we going to age out of the program
**should we try a concurrent adoption and if so, where
**do we take the chance domestically and have our heart's broken...I couldn't bear that and that is one of the reasons why we decided on China
**are we going to be to old...will we still be able to do EVERYTHING with Alison
**what if we get sick...this thought just never goes away
One thing that I have learned in our adoption process is Patience...it's hard to come by, but very necessary and that NOTHING is guaranteed.
Well..we have decided to sit tight and wait for our Alison. When I asked Michael if he was prepared to wait another two years, he immediately answered YES. When I asked him if he was ready to be a father at 50 for the first time, he immediately answered YES and then reminded me that he has quite a way to go before he turns 50...sorry husband!
I can just keep saying my prayers each night that things do speed up and we get our girl home with us sooner rather than later.
We are still waiting for you baby...and missing you every day.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Staying Positive
So today I figured that it was about time that I started to actually do something in Alison's room...Michael was happy about that too. I have been holding off for the past 20 months because I didn't want to have a completed nursery and no Alison.
Today I needed to feel closer to my daughter and I needed to be able to go into her room and think about her and getting her home. I haven't done much, but it's better than the empty room with the supplies for fixing up the room that have been sitting there for months now.
It was very therapeutic today...I had a good cry and I talked to my girl.
My dad painted the walls over the summer a light purple. I got my rug at Walmart 1 1/2 years ago, and got the table and Chairs last year and the two bookcases and little hutch this year...I love that they all go together.
Next up for the nursery...I need to pick up some shelving for the walls and put up the curtains.
The room is still quite empty and it looks more like a play room than a nursery...I don't plan on buying a crib/bed until we get our referral and I have my sewing tables in front of the windows.
I went through a lot of my secret buddy presents and found a bunch of books that I put in the bookcase, purses of ladybugs and a ladybug wall hangings that I need to hang...I also pulled out my purple Hippopotamus that I named Ladybug on our first LID Anniversary...she is dressed just like Tinkerbell and she is sitting with all the Tinkerbell books.
We are still waiting Alison...now I can go into your room and see you all around. I wish you were home.
Here are a couple of pictures of the nursery...just wait until I get the shelves and curtains up...it's going to look fabulous!
Today I needed to feel closer to my daughter and I needed to be able to go into her room and think about her and getting her home. I haven't done much, but it's better than the empty room with the supplies for fixing up the room that have been sitting there for months now.
It was very therapeutic today...I had a good cry and I talked to my girl.
My dad painted the walls over the summer a light purple. I got my rug at Walmart 1 1/2 years ago, and got the table and Chairs last year and the two bookcases and little hutch this year...I love that they all go together.
Next up for the nursery...I need to pick up some shelving for the walls and put up the curtains.
The room is still quite empty and it looks more like a play room than a nursery...I don't plan on buying a crib/bed until we get our referral and I have my sewing tables in front of the windows.
I went through a lot of my secret buddy presents and found a bunch of books that I put in the bookcase, purses of ladybugs and a ladybug wall hangings that I need to hang...I also pulled out my purple Hippopotamus that I named Ladybug on our first LID Anniversary...she is dressed just like Tinkerbell and she is sitting with all the Tinkerbell books.
We are still waiting Alison...now I can go into your room and see you all around. I wish you were home.
Here are a couple of pictures of the nursery...just wait until I get the shelves and curtains up...it's going to look fabulous!
NEW RULES?!?!?!?!?
There are some rumors that China is/may be coming up with new rules to possibly get things to speed up for International Adoption...but they are just rumors and there was nothing specific said as far as what may change with these new rules and nothing specific as far as who these new rules would affect.
I read this the other day and boy, did it knock the wind out of my sails. I understand that we need to take rumors with a grain of salt and that they are only rumors, but the site where I read the rumor has been right on top of things and I've found in the 20+ months that we have been officially waiting for Alison to come home that this site is usually right if it's posted.
I just wonder how long we can wait and hope that we will still be safe to still be able to adopt Alison and bring her home. Are we going to wait 2-3-4 more years and then be told that we can't complete our adoption?
I'm trying very hard to stay positive and believe what the CCAA has been saying...if we stay in line we will have a child...they can't say when, just that we will have a child.
I think that my biggest fear is that I will age myself out...I'm now 44 years old and I'm asking myself now what is more important? To wait possibly another 3-4 years and be told that we are to old to adopt from China or look elsewhere to start our family sooner.
My whole heart is with China right now...I've always wanted to have more than one child, but if we continue to wait in China, if we get a referral for Alison...she will be our one and only child...but China isn't the safe bet for a successful adoption that it was just two short years ago.
I have a lot of soul searching to do...my Alison is real and the thought of pulling out of China is feeling like I'm abandoning my child, but what I would really be abandoning is my hope of Alison.
There are over 15,000 family's still waiting to adopt from China and people are dropping out every day. This is really so sad for both the children and the parents who have dreamed of starting their family. I've read of people who have lost their dreams of becoming parents and I wonder if this is going to be us some day! I've read of family's changing their adoption plan and have received referral already for their child.
So now the question is...do we wait...or do we make another plan...I don't have an answer yet.
I read this the other day and boy, did it knock the wind out of my sails. I understand that we need to take rumors with a grain of salt and that they are only rumors, but the site where I read the rumor has been right on top of things and I've found in the 20+ months that we have been officially waiting for Alison to come home that this site is usually right if it's posted.
I just wonder how long we can wait and hope that we will still be safe to still be able to adopt Alison and bring her home. Are we going to wait 2-3-4 more years and then be told that we can't complete our adoption?
I'm trying very hard to stay positive and believe what the CCAA has been saying...if we stay in line we will have a child...they can't say when, just that we will have a child.
I think that my biggest fear is that I will age myself out...I'm now 44 years old and I'm asking myself now what is more important? To wait possibly another 3-4 years and be told that we are to old to adopt from China or look elsewhere to start our family sooner.
My whole heart is with China right now...I've always wanted to have more than one child, but if we continue to wait in China, if we get a referral for Alison...she will be our one and only child...but China isn't the safe bet for a successful adoption that it was just two short years ago.
I have a lot of soul searching to do...my Alison is real and the thought of pulling out of China is feeling like I'm abandoning my child, but what I would really be abandoning is my hope of Alison.
There are over 15,000 family's still waiting to adopt from China and people are dropping out every day. This is really so sad for both the children and the parents who have dreamed of starting their family. I've read of people who have lost their dreams of becoming parents and I wonder if this is going to be us some day! I've read of family's changing their adoption plan and have received referral already for their child.
So now the question is...do we wait...or do we make another plan...I don't have an answer yet.
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