Adoption Update

Steve and I meet with our Social worker on Friday to get our medcial check list signed off on for the Waiting Child Program. We are still requesting a little girl but but we are adding our name to the list of children with special needs.

When I originally felt led to adopt again I had ordered the paperwork in the early Spring 07 and Steve was ready to add to the family. I could not wait to get started and shared this someone but was talked out of a second adoption. I stopped persuing the adoption. I never shared this with Steve why I really stopped the process until the Fall of 2007 when it layed so heavy on my heart that I felt we had a second daughter in China and I told him why I changed my mind about adopting and immediately we began the paperwork. Since this I have learned so much to trust my heart so....

Fast forward to now we have talked for months and prayed about where our daughter might be and felt that the WC program is where we feel we need to be in line also. I know God will bring our family the perfect baby girl.

I want to thank Sara from our Yahoo group for her advice which gave me the shove I needed and of course CCAI they make things so easy. CCAI state 10-12 months for a referral and then 3-5 months for travel. Current referral times approx 10 months she told me and it all depends on what you check on th medical form. Steve and I were quite conservative in some ways we thought but actually according to statistic last year (2007) we picked the needs that were referred the most so I guess that could be a good sign.

Hold on Kinsey we all are praying for you daily! Mommy, Daddy, Maddie, Audrey, Aunt Beth and Great Aunt Rosalene and Uncle Gary and Lucy are all coming to get you.

Babies Everywhere

Four of my girlfriends are pregnant and due within 6 weeks of each other. God is good each one of them have a great story with there pregnancy. We are so excited for them but are keeping all in daily prayer as some are experincing complications. Hoping Kinsey will be somewhat close in age because now there will be 4 new playmates.

10 Months

Another month has gone by and not much activity in the area of referrals. Based on the trends of past referrals we are looking at another 3 years UGH! Some say attrition will play in but how much who know but all I now at this rate there will only be maybe 3 or 4 months referred in 2008 if were lucky. Hold on for another long year.

Gatlinburg Getaway

After Christmas we had decided to get away for a few days to our favorite place Gatlinburg area in Tennessee. We took the girls tubing with Maddie being only 31/2 we had thought she would have to go on the kiddie slopes. Well do the warmish like temperatures (50's) there was a lack of snow and they were unable to make the snow therefore there was no kiddie area but the big slopes were open. Audrey was very excited and could not wait and Maddie said I want to go. I knew they would never let her she was to young. Ha Ha silly me age has nothing to do with it it is all about height. We went up to the counter and Steve and Audrey went to buy tickets and Maddie was begging to go and the cashier said she may go if you want to buy her a ticket I said she is only 31/2 she said she is so tall and they measured her, well she went over the 42" mark so off she went. The girls had a blast after almost 2 hours of tubing they still wanted to keep going. Picnics in the park, rock hoping, driving through the parks and of course we had to do a little shopping a the outlet malls.

For me it was not enough days for relaxation before we were back to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I knew coming home meant having to clean and take down Christmas decorations and start with my New Years resolutions:)

Christmas Day 2007!!!!!

The firt picture is the girls getting a letter from Santa boy were they surprised when they arrived two days before christmas.

It was up early 4:00am I could not sleep I was so excited I am worse than a kid. Of course I knew I could not wake the girls so I started packing for our trip but by 5:45 I could not stand it anymore. I turned on the Christmas music and Steve woke the girls and I video taped. Maddie was so surprised what Santa left. Ok he went a little overboard but it had been a rough last part of the year for our family.

The girls open gifts and and then we had breakfast. We had such a great day but it went bye way to fast. Since this was our first year to not be traveling for Christmas we had numerous invites from friends to spend holiday dinner with their family at first we were going to stay at home but when people kept asking we decided to spend the day with one of my girlfriends and her family. We had a Chinese, German and an American Christmas celebration. It was so much fun. Christmas dinner was great since most of my friends family is Chinese and German we had a very special/unique feast of all types of food (Chinese, German and Steve cooked several American dishes).

I am going to miss her family when they return to China we have had such a great time with all of them even though there is a language difference. When we travel for Kinsey we are going to visit them and my girlfriend hopefully will be on part of the trip also if not all of it. We feel so "Blessed" to have such great friends to celebrate with.

Madeline favorite part of Christmas is the Mary and Joseph set-ups aka Nativity. She talks about them so much and wants to be told the story over and over we ended up buying her her own nativity set for her room.

What a wonderful way to celebrates Jesus's birthday with family and friends. We are truly blessed our family has so much to be thankful for.

Christmas in the Park Maddie and her girlfriend exchanged their gifts at an enchanted event.