Reverisble Bird Seed Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Reverisble Bird Seed Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

We got it.. and a book review

The FedEx man came around noon today. I signed but Kerry will need to sign and then take it to work to have the health check list notarized. So, it should be on it's way back to the agency Tuesday afternoon.

I am very glad that I had to stay home today and wait for the FedEx man. It gave me a chance to rest up. Hope had a pretty rough night. She has always had night terrors but, last night was by far the worst yet. She was completely inconsolable. Nothing we did could get her to come out of it. She just kept writhing in pain and screaming and scratching at her legs. After about an hour of listening to her and trying to comfort her I ended up putting her into the car and driving to the ER. I was that scared. She came out of it about half way to the hospital. She looked at me and said where are we? I told her we were going to the doctors. She said " I don't want to go, that doctor, he hurt me and when I cried he hurt me more." She then told me he was a Chinese doctor like her and it was before Mama and Baba. I am constantly amazed at what she can remember. To give all of you background Hope was listed as special needs with club foot. We have the pictures, her feet were turned in. The SWI said they did some kind of therapy for her feet and we do have pictures of her feet through the process. I am not sure what they did but I know whatever it was was very painful for her. On family day I do remember looking at her ankles and seeing what looked like rope burns and major bruising around them and up her legs. She was also 19mths old and weighed only 17 pounds. It was very sad. I know they meant and did the best they could but it is still heart wrenching to know your child went through something terrible and you were not there to protect her.

Anyway, after turning around and coming home, I figured she would be up for a while so decided to start a book. It's called Daughter's of China. it's fictional but based on fact. Big mistake, I read it in one night but the descriptions of some of the orphanages made me ill. Then I had all sorts of nightmares about what Hope could have experienced and I couldn't sleep. Don't get me wrong it is a very good book as is the sequel, but I wish I had read it another time.

While I may never know what happened, I am extremely grateful that Hope is here and God looked out for her. Hope is an amazing daughter and I can't imagine my life without her.

Another bump in the road....

Well, we were supposed to get our LOA FedEx next day which would mean today. I waited around all day and they never came...

I sure hope they have our correct address.

Another parent on the Hanzhong yahoo board received an update today and Gracie is in the picture. The kids are typically kept in a family unit of five. The parents of one of the boys will be traveling soon and we should follow a couple weeks after. I hope, there is speculation that the CCAA will be closed during the Olympics and this could slow us down a two weeks. Regardless the timing is still good, the flights went from $2200 each during the Olympics to $1000 after.

She's the one in the orange, in case you were wondering.

Look what we got today!!!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

You guessed it LOA!!!! We now have the official approval from the CCAA to adopt Gracie. Our Agency coordinator said we will travel in 5-6 weeks. (well Kerry and Papa will while I hold down the fort)

China Week starts on Sunday!!

China Week on the Travel Channel

Here is the schedule...

Sunday, July 27
8 p.m. ET -- Wild China, episode 1
9 p.m. ET -- Wild China, episode 2
10 p.m. ET -- Wild China, episode 3
11 p.m. ET -- Seven Wonders of China Special

Monday, July 28
8 p.m. ET -- Samantha Brown: Passport to China -- Beijing
9 p.m. ET -- Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations -- China

Tuesday, July 29
8 p.m. ET -- Samantha Brown: Passport to China -- Sichuan
9 p.m. ET -- Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern: Beijing
10 p.m. ET -- Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern: Guanzhou
11 p.m. ET -- Samantha Brown: Passport to China -- Beijing

Wednesday, July 30
8 p.m. ET -- Samantha Brown: Passport to China -- Xian
9 p.m. ET -- Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations -- Shanghai
10 p.m. ET -- Seven Wonders of China Specia
l11 p.m. ET -- Samantha Brown: Passport to China -- Sichuan

Thursday, July 31
8 p.m. ET -- Samantha Brown: Passport to China -- Beijing
9 p.m. ET -- Samantha Brown: Passport to China -- Sichuan
10 p.m. ET -- Samantha Brown: Passport to China -- Xian
11 p.m. ET -- Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern: Beijing

Friday, Aug. 1
8 p.m. ET -- Asia Cruise Special

Sunday, Aug. 3
8 p.m. ET -- Wild China, episode 4
9 p.m. ET -- Wild China, episode 5
10 p.m. ET -- Wild China, episode 6
11 p.m. ET -- Wild China, episode 1

Surprise!!!

We received more pictures of Gracie last night. Misty has really come through for our family and I highly recommend her to anyone needing an update or pictures. She has gone above and beyond what I ever exepected.

Grace is so cute, I can't wait to get that LOA and TA!! Please let it be soon.

Something Different...

I thought that I would try a little something different with the sewing blog. Seems we should be getting our LOA soon. So, to make things easier I will be making things and listing them as they are finished, first person to leave a comment can buy the outfit.

The first two are listed now. Please check them out here.

Another day goes by....

with no news. Found out our agency did request expedition. However, usually the CCA* will turn people down unless you are Chinese or your parents are Chinese. So this means that we went through the regular waiting for LOA pile and then the expedited pile ,were turned down and went back into the waiting for LOA pile. Make sense?? Me either.

Anyway this means we will most likely wait over 100 days for our LOA. (we are now on day 78)
So what to do while waiting? I cleaned the girls room, (yes Hope and Grace are sharing) sorted through the piles of clothes and donated what will not fit Grace and then started sewing. I would like to make a couple matching outfits or pinafores for the girls. I am trying to find someone to embroider shirts with little Chinese girls and the words "Mei Mei" and "Jie Jie" on them.

Now, what I should be doing is getting all the doctors lined up and make sure everything is set but the doctor I am going to gave us a referral for the ENT and the surgeon but they won't see us until she is home. So, we wait and wait some more.

In the meantime, I took the kids here and they had loads of fun. Only cost me $15.00. Well worth it for two hours of running around and playing games.

This is what we left with. Nice frogs,plastic, thank goodness.

Getting ready to go.
running after mom said we have to leave.

tuckered out. Now excuse me while I go take a sanitizer bath, a must after visiting this place. (LOL)

New Designs...

Check out my new designs on the sewing site.

I really appreciate all of you who have ordered, without you we wouldn't have been able to bring our Gracie home.

Still no news...

I saw some LOA's posted today. Most had LOI of 5/16 and even 5/30. I think they must be off the new shared list and done electronically. Our agency still does the snail mail. Hopefully we are next.

To bide my time I am creating a new dress for Hope out of an old shirt of mine. I know, sounds strange but I found a great tutorial and I can't bare to get rid of the shirt since it cost way to much. I haven't worn it in three years but if I can recreate it to make something else...then hey why not.

Here is the before pic.

I will post final result soon.

I am not liking how this turned out, maybe I can try to tweak it a little. Oh, well. Better luck next time.

Nothing New Here...

Just waiting still, for our LOA. It's now day 70. Hopefully soon we will have it in our hands. Wasatch didn't get any this week with referrals. We are the next family waiting for LOA. There is also a family four weeks after us. Maybe they will come together. Kerry will be traveling with his dad to China. Another family might be helpful to them. I would love to go, but for reasons I am unable to address publicly, I just can't take the risk. I am going to miss out on so much but we will have her whole life to share once home and letting my father in law experience China, well that is an amazing thing. I hope he gets out of it what I did. I love the people and culture. The history there is just amazing. I have such a respect for China and will be forever grateful that they have given us two daughters. Some day, when they are older we will go back.

Ok, now on to the fun stuff.

We did spend time with family in Ohio during the 4th. The kids and Kerry went to a butterfly garden, I stayed behind, wasn't feeling well.

We also went to Cedar Point on the way home, stayed overnight in a hotel. (amazing that the kids loved this part) Then took the long way home and found a lighthouse and a cute little town by Lake Erie where we would love to buy a cottage some day.