4 Referrals in November!

We weren't expecting referrals until December but they came in November. 4 referrals have been matched so we're another step closer to Mia.

Just when I think I figured out the process, it's different. The wonderful uncertainty of international adoption. Oddly enough, I'm getting used to not knowing and not to be corny, but it's kind of cool that the phone will just ring and there will be a baby for us - kind of like labor.

That said - I'd like to know a ballpark... LOL I've emailed our SW to find out where we are on the list but I would say we're #12 or better. I guess we'll find out next week.

And my heart aches for all those June referral families who were still hoping for December travel. I thought you would go too.

My Lucky Day - Sort Of

When I woke up at 5:00 AM thinking of all the reasons I had to work today I didn't feel so lucky especially since I didn't need to wake up until 6:30. In fact, I was quite disgusted with the reasons I wouldn't be able to take my planned vacation day. None the less, I started my routine after laying there for an hour attempting to sleep.

My routine? When I work from my home office, the primary goal is to get to Starbucks before Chris needs to leave for work so I'm sitting down working by 7:00 with a Latte. Sometimes I make coffee but not often. Today I decided I'd get 3 Venti Skinny Vanilla Lattes 160 calories - one for him and two for me. I know I'll be all jacked up on caffeine but Lattes are a form of comfort food to the coffee addict much like a Hershey Bar is to a chocolate junkie.

As I'm paying for my Lattes, my usual Starbucks chicadee asks me if I want an extra drink. HMMM - three before noon? That would be scary. I'm about to decline but she then tells me it's a Venti White Mocha. OMG - Can you say zillions of calories??? But in a previous life, my drink was Venti Nonfat No-Whip White Mocha which was 350ish calories so I have to have it and take one drink just to take me back...I do and it's like syrup. I can't imagine how I ever drank anything that sweet. Thanks again Jenn to introducing me to my SVL.

So that was a nice break from the dreaded working from home on my vacation day torment as I try not to cuss people for not filling out forms properly. They know their phone numbers and addresses right? SO PUT IT ON THE FORMS. I don't know where you people live - if I did, I'd pay a teen to TP your house right now... LOL just had to get that off my chest.

Bell Tech Junkies

We were at our Bell Family Dinner tonight - which is Bell party of 17-18 people half of them kids when we got a text from our Sis in Cali that said our nephew Nick had heard back one of the college apps. We were all very excited for him. YEAH NICK!!! Chris saw the message and announced it to the fam. We all pulled out our techie phones and immediately started texting back. Here's a pic of the adult nerds minus the adult nerd who took the picture.

Here's Mark and my nephew Jackson waiting their turn to play pool. It's sweet. I'm not sure why he still has his hood on. What can I say it's cold here. This is a family friendly pizza place which has a pool table not a pool hall/bar type place. Well ok it has a bar which you can see in the background but we went early. LOL I will say that tonight our server realized that she has a different calling in life. She had a very difficult time and we're not that high-maintenance for a large party but just saying, I think she'll likely go back to college or maybe try Target. By the time the bill came, she just disappeared and never came back. She was not having a good day.

Waiting Sibling Group

I glance at the waiting children occassionally. I don't know why I do this but I do. I'm still banking my travel money so I can't go now and I already fell in love with my child. Mia is probably a couple months old and living with a foster family. We should be in Thailand in 12 months picking her up and that makes me feel great!

For those who are not familiar with adoption terminology - Waiting children are children who may be older healthy children or have minor medical or physical conditions - some correctible.

I blog this in hopes that someone will see them and be able to take on a sibling group.

This adorable sibling group 9 year old girl and 3 year old boy are healthy and were relinguished for adoption from the mother who is financially unable to care for them anymore. Reading that a mom gave up her children due to money after keeping them for almost 10 years is troubling to me. I can't fathom the agony that all 3 of these people faced with that decision. You can see it in the children's faces. I felt like I should pass this along in case you guys don't watch the waiting children photolisting.

http://www.holtintl.org/cgi/photolisting/display.cgi?ID=GB08_77&Index_re=7

Here's a link with details on the waiting child program and FAQs.

Cold Weather Stinks

Palm Trees don't grow in KY even if they sell them in KY...


The temps are out of control. What is this all about??? I mean, I know winter comes every year but is it necessary that it make its appearance in November. We had temps in the teens here in the Bluegrass this week and it snowed a foot and a half north of us. That garbage is for Jan/Feb.

Had a conversation with a friend today - he's obviously a little more serious than me - went a little something like this:

Friend - How are you coping with this cold weather?

Me - thinking this will be funny - I am considering a move to California.

Friend - You know Cali is only 2.5 miles "deep" and then it is water and will definitely fall into the ocean when the big one hits.

Me - Great - I always wanted to live on an island.

Friend - No, it will sink.

Me - Well - I guess I'll die in my rag-top car with a sun-kissed face and a giant smile thinking thank goodness I didn't wait until retirement. Are you telling me you recommended oceanfront property in Vegas?

Friend - No - can you imagine the tidal wave that will follow the breaking off and sinking of the enormous state?

Me - laughing - Well, if you are telling me I'll drown anyway, I better start packing. Would be rather pidazzled if I was sitting in these temps when the wave comes through.

My nephew once told me that I'd get sick of the sunny weather. I told him he was crazy but after living through 36 cold winters and seeing the Cali weather on my iPhone (which I love) everyday, I think I'd like to see if it's possible.


Here are my boys on a cool day at Destin Beach, FL. I love this picture. You can just see the warmth soaking into them. I remember how great the sun felt that day everytime I look at it.

U of L Rainout

We have been very fortunate in our weather on football game days. So it was bound to happen, right? Last night we walked to the stadium and the weather was clear and cool but we knew it wasn't going to last. Sometime in the 2nd quarter, Chris showed me the weather on his iPhone (which is the coolest) and we were about to get hit with a downpour. The game was very close too. So I put my rain gear on (the rain pants were great). It continued a steady downpour for 3 hours. Oh yeah - we lost again. More than once during the evening I thought - next year, I'll have a valid reason not to be out in the rain all night. I won't take my little girl to a bad weather game.

The boys didn't seem to mind. They put on their ponchos eventually but here they are before ponchos. And talk about polar opposites - Mark ate ice cream while Matt sipped hot chocolate.

9 Months Since We Pushed The Button

It's truly hard to believe 9 months have already passed since we applied to adopt. We've come so far and learned so much in 9 months. I feel educated and prepared on adoption related issues and the Bangkok adoption process. Adopting Mia feels real and is part of our daily conversation.

I'm still on Lesson 4 of Pimsleurs Thai but I'm getting better. I took a break from it and remembered most of it when I went back so that's good. I'd rather go slow and actually learn it. Plus - I'm still banking on an electronic device to assist in translating.

So the next 9 months will be focused on preparing a list of things to buy, things to take, things to do, places to visit, decorating a room, learning the procedures to finalize citizenship and all that biz.

Mia will be here before we know it.

Breaking Dawn

Stephenie Meyer is a great author. She is so descriptive that I felt like I was in the book at times. Once again - there are slow parts in this book but the narrative hook is there so you know where the book is going and can't wait for it to get there. It's gripping. Several characters, who were less involved in the first 3 books, have larger roles at the end of this book, which left me wanting an outline at one point - there's one in the back of the book. I don't like to post a bunch of stuff that happens in the book as I want you to experience that yourself.

But I will say that I am soooo looking forward to what could possibly happen in Book 5... Where will she go from here? I have some ideas but I won't elaborate. These are long books and I could have read this one from start to finish if I had that amount of time to dedicate to reading.

Happy 15 years Susan & Marc

My great friends Susan and Marc are celebrating 15 years of pure wedded bliss today! Well - not sure about the pure bliss part but hey - they've been "wedded" 15 years and are as pure-blissed as the rest of us! LOL

For our 10 year anniversaries, Marc, Susan, Chris and I went on a Caribbean cruise and I thought we should relive those fabulous memories since we're not taking one now :) We would be taking a 15 year cruise but instead, we're doing grown-up things like paying down mortgages, saving for college, adopting children from the other side of the world...although after looking at the pictures, I may not be able to continue with this whole responsible grown-up thing much longer - I'm craving the Caribbean.

Dunns River Falls, Jamaica is one of the most amazing things I've ever done.


Here's a great formal pic of us - I can only imagine what we were laughing about


Toga night - Lots of Miami Vice drinks = Big Smiles and Laughs

Might call this our favorite spot - and the stairs I fell down (before drinking) It didn't take long to ditch those heels for flip flops.

Aren't they the happy couple?

The night Susan and I left dinner to have our bodies painted... Somehow there's no picture of her... The better picture is the one which only exists in our minds eye. We sat at a table with a bunch of older people who looked at us like we were completely nuts when we were gone for 20 minutes to the "restroom" and came back with body paint. Just jealous!

The sunset off the back of the ship is always fabulous!

I was so excited to spot a Starbucks in Key West - a week without it is kind of painful. Although, on this particular day, I opted for Rum Punch. LOL

The other happy couple!

And all good things must come to an end - we swore we would do it for our 15 year... I think if we swear, we have to do it, right?

Oh My - I did it!

I swore I wouldn't do it. But I did.

I wasn't going to step foot in Babies R Us until after March... BUT I DID!

I had an hour to spare and was at the light at Babies R Us so I made the turn.

I went up and down every aisle of the store gawking for one hour. I couldn't believe some of the things that they sell. Ok - keep in mind I really haven't been in Babies R Us since Matt was born - 10 years ago.

I mean, there's a little spongy thing that you hold over baby boys to soak up their pee as they spring a leak during diaper changes. What is that about? I mean - I know what it's about - we called Matt our little squirt for more than one reason - he was born 6lbs 2oz and he peed every time we changed him for a long time. But then what? Do you wash it out in the sink or buy 10 or what...

They sell infant seats which cost over $280... Umbrella stroller for $150... I don't know what my infant carrier cost but I think I got one of the nicest ones and it was like 50-60 at the time. We had a $15 umbrella stroller which had as many miles as our car - it was fine. Needless to say - I was in sticker shock. Sure they sell the less expensive ones too. And I'm sure they'll do just fine.

I did find that I love the cribs of the 21st century - those life crib things are pretty cool. I can't wait to burn the pavement up looking for a bed.

I also discovered plenty of extremely cute clothes. Here's a couple pics. Girls clothes are so cute year in, year out so I haven't had an issue not buying things at this point. But occasionally I'll see something that I wish I could buy but not knowing the age is kind of an issue there.

This Week in Pictures

UofL wins and actually looks like a football team

Pretend Nose Pickers @ Family Night Wicks

Great Pizza - MMM missed u Lo and B fams

Mark's Flag Football Wraps Up

Odd Dog

Only in KY - Man with a Horse and Buggy on a Main Road

Matt as St. Joseph

Mark as a Mummy

Matt as a Businessman & Mark as Jason

Mario's Skeleton
It was a busy and fun week - and then, on Saturday - Christmas Music is played at the restaurants and offices set up their Christmas trees. That's CRAZY! Give us a week please!

5 Months Since Dossier

5 Down and 7-10 To Go

Wow - when I say it like that, it will be here before we know it. We're all very excited as we read other people's blogs and know that this time next year - it could be us.

In the meantime, I've been unbelievably busy with work but I managed to re-read our Thailand adoption guidebook and decided to check out the flights just for fun...again. One flight was actually 36 hours long with an 11 hour layover in London. Of course, I LOVE to travel so I was thinking, "That's kind of cool! - 3 continents in a day and a half" but we'll most likely go with the much shorter flight of 24 hours!

Next month we get an update on our timing but basically, we're praying for a combination of little girls and little boys every quarter as 4 couples in front of us have requested little girls. That could significantly impact our wait time.