About our Blog Transformation

I searched out blog templates and chose free blogger, even though there are blog hosts that offer China adoption templates. Why? Their costs per year to have their blog was a commitment, b/c if I could not pay one year - my blog is gonskey. And I thought their templates were just OK, nothing fantastic.

I heard about Randa Clay b/c she designed websites for a friend, and they looked fabulous.

Later, I heard she would customize blogs for $40. No on going fees. We do not live near each other and we did everything by email!

All I have to say is: WOW! Our blog looks fantasitc and exceeded our ideas and requests!

February Referrals?

Our agency has on their web site that the CCAA is working on the next set of referrals. CCAA went back to work on Monday [I assume] from the Chinese New Year holiday (they take a week off).

There is some talk that referrals will arrive next week.

CCAA will need to send through Oct. 25th for us to stay on track for getting a picture of Mattie in the April/May batch (April referrals will arrive at the end of April or beginning of May).

I hope they cover far more LID's than the 25th though - there is a large group of people logged in on Oct. 27, 2005, and I very much hope that these folks are included in the next batch...

I am eager for a hint or even a rumor that the next batch is on the way, or how many LID's they covered...I'm starting to get those same stomach pains and heart palpitations I had last month about this time...

When The Person And Place Is Ready

Early 2006 our wait for Mattie, unexpectedly, increased into the unknown and I felt an overwhelming silence....and there was no answer. It had been quiet for months when our friend Rich gave me some words that I have pondered over daily, he said "either the Person or the Place is not ready".

"The Place" is not Mattie's Room...in the grand scheme of life that means so little (even if it was important to the folks who did our homestudy!). Every day I ask God to show me the areas where Alan and I are not ready. Over that last year God has revealed many areas that needed my attention.

"The Person"? That is Mattie and I only want the baby girl God intends for us.

It's interesting that I've pondered these words for a year, and now I am hanging on to them for dear life. We are so close...and at some point I deceived myself into thinking when we were closer it would be easier. Our families are eager, we have friends whose kids are excited, and some of their kids have been waiting half their life for this to happen. It seems that another slow down would be more disappointing than ever before.

There is not an answer right now to, "Is the person or the place ready?" and Alan and I are glad we have an Answerer.

We ask the Lord that our precious baby girl come when all of us are ready, and not a moment sooner.

Our Agency's Prediction Chart

This month has been particularly difficult. I was relieved when the January referrals came that we were still on track to be the April batch...a little worried that they arrived in February. It's only a few days but in the big picture it appears the CCAA could be extending families Waits, in a different and far less predictable fashion. It effects us little but for other families logged in, in 2006 and 2007 it brings more uncertainty than before.

Where we are on our agency prediction chart is what is most important to me as they chart every facet of the process down to nearly the minute families get their pictures.

Some years the CCAA has sent an extra batch right before Chinese New Year (CNY was yesterday so we can X that), and last year they sent one batch on February 28. The CCAA has this week off to celebrate their new year and our agency's, just published, chart says that the February referrals will arrive in March. Shoot.

Our wonderful agency puts out their chart of predictions with an Astrix at the end of every prediction sentence. And when I talk with them on the phone, they end or begin every sentence with 'there is no way to be certain'. I whole heartedly agree with them. It is my nature to seek out the pattern and quite frankly CCAA has only 2 identifiable patterns.
1. For 14 years CCAA has sent Chinese children to the USA nearly every month.
2. The CCAA has no pattern.

The CCAA had sent referrals, mostly, in the 3rd or 4th week of the month in 05 and most of 06. While CCAA has clearly increased the number of LID's they are covering compared to the first half of 2006 (see chart/# of days sent) they are sending the referrals so close to the end of the month that they are arriving in the US at the beginning of the next month. This began to emerge in July 2006, as you can see on the (chart/Referral date) and based off the last 4 batches our agency concludes the CCAA will start sending referrals at the beginning of the month (and yes, it had an Astrix).

I would not go psycho over a few days difference in receiving our referral (just in case you're not sure about my mental health hehe). However, I need to change my 'terminology' so that those that are adopting that are reading my blog do not conclude that I'm not too savvy about the China adoption process, or think that I'm overly optimistic, or worse leave with a false assumption.

Concluding: Nothing has changed for our time line (in fact the lady bug ticker at the bottom of the blog has always been set to May 1st), We are still as certain as we can be that we are the 'April batch', but the April batch may arrive in the states at the beginning of May.

Therefore, I will now say that the predictably, unpredictable CCAA may send our referral at the beginning of May. Therefore the new 'terminology' is we will receive our referral in April/May***************************.

Mattie's Dogs

Cleo and Jack will have a baby sister soon!

Max (my parents dog), Cleo and Jack.

Nefertiti (my sisters miniature Great Dane puppy ~ harhar) and Jack.

I'm in the market for a Saddle so Mattie can ride around on Neffy. Email if you know where I can get one of those!

Trying to get 4 dogs to lay down and look at the camera....NOT easy. If this picture could talk it would say 'Neffy, you're facing the wrong way, come over here....no here....oh forget it' 'no Jack staaay theerrree!' Maxie Lookie here! Oh no no nooo, staaay Max staayy...' 'Good doggie'...ahhhh staaaay Cleo'... 'Here, you take the camera and I'll keep them in stay' 'hurry up and take the picture that's the best we can do'.

Ey yi yi - does anyone have the Dog Whisperer's number?

Our I-171H form!

It came today! This is HUGE news for us!

We started refiling in October 2006; our first one expired due to the wait. This form means the USA Government determined from the information we were required to send them, and from our homestudy, that we will be good parents to an adopted child. It also allows us to bring an orphan into the US. They determined we were OK once before, but we had to ask them to say it again:o). I spent lots of time filing this form and lots of time trying to find out why we didn't have it yet! I was really worried.

Alan came into the room and said 'I have a surprise'. We had not left the house all day so, I wondered what in the world it could be. When he handed it to me I cried and cried. He said "I thought you would be happy..." and he had a big smile from ear to ear.

China would send our picture of Mattie on schedule but if we did not have this 'renewed' form by the time we travel to get her, we would have to wait for it, before we could leave. That would be awful and yes, that has happened to families.

We are both relieved beyond words.

So everything seems to be in order and on track! Wahoo!

Our Party

We had a get together here last night. We had SO much fun! We were friends with 2 of the couples that came, but they had not met each other; Denny & Lee Ann and Amy & Jeff.
Tina and her family just moved here and no one had met them, and she and her children came! I believe this is the start of some beautiful friendships!

Here are some pics from Friday evening...

From Left to Right is Denny and Lee Ann's daughter Mesa. The middle is Tina and Eric's daughter Anna, and their youngest on the Right Michaela. This is my favorite picture because Charlie, Amy and Jeff's son, is a bit out numbered by girls at this party ~ and was having a terrible time getting into the chair for the photo. It was hilarious to watch it transpire!

Ahhh - Charlie gave up on getting in the chair! His baby sister from China will come a few months after ours. Amy and I have spent several months waiting together for our little girls...

We had a terrific time and the kids had a blast!!