It's Official We're Expecting!!!!

Isn't this sonogram picture a hoot!!
If you take a look above at the "Ticker Counter" with the little lady bug counting the days through the tulips!, you'll notice that it dosen't say "since Dossier to China" anymore, but now says "since Log In Date"! Yes it's official we're paper pregnant!!!
We just received the official email from La Vida letting us know that our dossier was "logged in with the CCAA (China Center For Adoption Affairs) on 3/22/06!! ". Now we have an "LID". This is the date that are referrral is based on, so... we are already over one month into our wait!
We still have many months to go but........
It's Official, We're Expecting!!!

If This Is Tuesday It Must Be Vermont!!!!

I flew to Boston on Monday (for work), rented a car and on Tuesday drove 3 hours north to Randolph, Vermont. It's about an hour south of Burlington and Montpelier.
What a beautiful state! Not to mention they have great maple syrup too! This is the view from behind the "Three Stallion Inn" where I stayed. Believe it or not the pool is up and running but it's only in the 40's (dip anyone??) Notice the rock formations in the hill, awesome!

It had rained a bit on the way up, no major downpours or anything, but the sky got dark and dreary. I thought we may even have a thunder storm. I took this shot at the front of the inn. Also, the views on the way up to Vermont were breath taking, I only wish I could have photographed them too, but I was driving and needed both hands on the wheel LOL!


These are pictures of my room in the Three Stallion Inn, it was lovely, but after being spoiled by all the Courtyard Marriotts I've been in, I missed the TV and the blowdryer!! Still, it was lovely and I was blessed to be able to get the chance to visit Vermont while I'm working. Wish John was there too, but we'll go back again, now that I know how to get there :-)

How Could I Forget Precious Brayden!

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I had forgotten to post this adorable picture of Brayden. Here he is at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Baiting Hollow on Easter Sunday. We (Lynette, Karen, Dana and I) were going to take a walk before we ate dinner. Actually we walked and Brayden of course got to take the "stroll" in his "stroller". Believe it or not he was asleep before we got down to the end of the drive way, lucky boy!!!
After that we ate and ate and ate and ate...... And I was supposed to be on a diet!!
The next day I went right back on and have lost almost 10 pounds. My plan is to loose another 30 pounds by Christmas. I'd like to make it up to the top of the Great Wall of China, and be able to run after Renee too!!!

Out Came The Sun And Dried Up All The Rain.....

It has been raining the entire weekend!! I shouldn't complain because the NY Metropolitan area has been behind when it comes to rainfall this spring, and there was a bad brush fire in Dix Hills just last week. Ok, I'm happy it rained, we definitely needed it, but... I'm glad it's clearing up now, just in time for Monday and work, yuck!
Here's some landscape pictures as the front of the house proceeds to experience it's spring time bloom!!!

Here is our Japanese Maple last week.

Here is the Japanese Maple today!!

Here is how things looked last week.

Here is today!

And Here is our Home Sweet Home in Lindenhurst, Long Island!

If This Is Tuesday, It Must Be...

Sorry I haven't posted since April 11th! I've been so busy! I clocked 1000 miles this week. Maryland, Connecticut and New Jersey. Next week I'll be in Massachussets and Vermont. I'll bring my camera I promise! In May I'll be in 5 different states in 5 days, now that's got to be a record.
Well we're still waiting for our "LID". I guess being busy is a good thing because maybe I won't think about the adoption that much...WRONG!! It's always just a thought away from whatever I've been doing.
We got an email from LaVida this past week, basically letting us know that China has slowed in making referrals. What a bummer!! I know I've got to trust that my Lord knows the perfect time for Renee to join our family, and I pray for His peace in accepting the longer wait.
Well back to work, no rest for the weary!!

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength"- Philippians 4:13

Spring Has "Sprung" in Lindenhurst At Last!!!

This is our Weeping Cherry Tree. This first picture is Sunday, it was just starting to open.

This is today, just 2 days later. Wanted to catch it, because the blossoms don't last very long. Oh I almost forgot, Dana (my niece) took this picture, she's only 9, but an aspiring photographer in the making. Great job Dana!!!!
Next to bloom will be the Japanese Maple, I can't wait. I love spring!!!!!

Who Said You Can Never Go Home Again...

This Sunday I spent a wonderful afternoon with my "childhood" friends.
From left to right: Cathy, Katrina, "Me" and Michele. We all were friends back in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, when we were teenagers (and even younger!), which was only about a year ago (LOL). We had lost touch, and several months ago, I noticed I had an email waiting for me on Classmates.com, and it was Katrina!! We corresponded via email for the last several months, and everyone got together at Michele's home on Sunday. We had so much fun reminiscing, catching up and looking at photo albums, and pictures (I was actually skinny LOL). I got to meet all the kids (Michael, Dana, Casey, Colleen and Matthew), they are 11 and up all the way to 18! I also got to meet Cathy's husband Kin (who is Chinese!!) and Michele's boyfriend Mike. I already knew Katrina's husband Dave, but how cool to see everyone again!!!
Michele gave me my first 100 Good Wish Quilt square! Katrina gave me a pillow to the KoKo set that I'll be using for Renee's room. Oh forgot to mention, wonderful food as well! I'm so glad we're back in touch, and don't intend to let another 15 years pass before we see each other again!!!!!!

Would You Help Me With Renee's "100 Good Wishes Quilt"?

1. I had said in an earlier post that I had joined a yahoo group for families who's dossier's left for China in March, or who were "LID" in March. Well I've joined their "100 Good Wishes Quilt" group. This is a "swapping" group, so we can all collect enough quilt squares for a 100 Good Wishes Quilt.
   
   " This custom is from Northern China- called "Bai Jia Bei" to celebrate a new life in a family. Members and friends of the family would give the expecting mother squares to make a blanket. This blanket was thought to bring luck to the baby."
   
   So what would you have to do....?
   Send to me (or give me in person) 2 fabric blocks and a small card with a good wish, prayer, Psalm, etc. for Renee. The fabric squares will be made into a quilt and each of the cards will be placed in a scrapbook for when Renee is older. Please attach a small piece of your chosen fabric to the good wish, prayer, Psalm, etc. This way , when Renee is older, she will be able to look at the scrap book and match each fabric square on the quilt to the good wish card in her scrap book. Also, could you use "acid-free" supplies to make the little card?, so they will hold up in the scrap book well. If you're not sure what "acid-free" means ask me, or ask anyone at a craft store like Michael's, Joanne's or A.C. Moore.
   
   Some Specific Instructions:
   
   Each square needs to be a minimum of 7" X 7". The material should be cotton fabric, either print or solid... you choose. It can be a new piece of fabric or a used one that might have special meaning to you. You do not have to send/give me 2 squares of the same material, they can be different if you like. Please pre-wash (if you can). If you use a scissor vs. using a rotary cutter (for you experienced sewing machine sewers!), please make the squares a little bigger. Please remember, anything goes in regards to the fabric you choose- "life is an unexpected patchwork of happenings and events".

Would love it if my family and friends would help with this. Some of you know that I've just started to learn how to use the sewing machine John gave me for Christmas 2 years ago (at least I finally learned how to use it, thank you staff at Joanne's Crafts!). If I can't put this entire quilt together myself, I'm going to get help, but it will get done and I'm going to hang it in Renee's room!!!!!

If you have any questions, there is a link to my email at the bottom of this post.
Thanks so much!!!!!!!

Watch This Video

Adoption1
Video sent by ludo

I have been following blogs of other families who are traveling the same journey as John and myself. I intend to list my favorites to the left so you too can experience them for yourself. In visiting these blogs, I've come across this video several times, so I thought I would include it. John and I pray not only for Renee, but also for her birth mother every day. I know she has or will face the most difficult decision of her life, and at the same time, I realize with her sacrifice,comes the most awesome gift of our lives, our daughter Renee Grace.

Two Posts For Today

Since I've explained how John and I came to start this awesome journey, I thought I'd also explain what specifically has transpired from the time we started until now. I'll try to give an abbreviated version, as I'm catching you up on the last 6 months.
One thing I need to add which I believe I left out. How we came to use La Vida International as our adoption agency. Well you see there was this add on the bulletin board at church, and as they say... the rest is history!!!
We began the "dossier shuffle", putting together the dossier(adoption packet that tells China all about us, and is used by the CCAA to match us with a child), by applying to immigration (USCIS part of the Department of Home Land Security)and applying for the documents that we needed, like birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc. Also the birth certificates needed letters of authenticity. Other documents required a notary, others didn't, not to mention that we needed multiple copies.
We needed to be fingerprinted by the Suffolk County police, as well as applying for a "Good Conduct Letter" saying that we don't have criminal records.
Ya know how many times I thought doing this that biological parents should go through this???? too many to count. I'll bet there would be less incidents of child abuse if they did.
Anyway, the other major thing that had to get done was our home study. We had a local adoption agency do it because La Vida is in Pennsylvania and cannot. Family Focus Adoption Agency in Queens sent a wonderful social worker named Sandy. It took 2 months and 4 visits for her to write up a 5 page document that not only approves us to adopt a child, but tells all about us, from our childhoods to what are home is like and what hobbies we have. Those of you that know John, what do you think his hobby is.....fishing do ya think????
I was also described as "full figured", I'm going on weight watchers asap :-).
Once the home study was completed, one copy was sent to immigration, then they sent us an official appointment to be fingerprinted, which we were at the immigration office in Hempstead, the FBI checked those out, and in February we received immigration pre-approval on a form called the I-161H. Then that form needed to be authenticated (with multiple seals). The rest of our dossier had been authenticated as we had sent in the documents to La Vida.
So... are you dizzy yet??? The dossier was finally ready and was sent to China on 3/6/06, and we are anxiously awaiting our log in date (LID) as that is the true beginning of our wait.
So, consider yourself completely updated!!!!!!!!

A Wonderful Weekend!

What a blessed weekend! I attended the Calvary Chapel Women's Retreat with 23 ladies from my church, Calvary Chapel of Hope. The retreat took place at the Doral Center in Princeton, New Jersey. The speaker was awesome, the food (buffet style) was really good (some of us at breakfast above).

Some more of us at breakfast.

Saturday night 21 of us went to Bertucci's for dinner. I give the waiter and waitress a lot of credit. We had them running!!

We brought some "junk" food with us, well at least we have some bananas :-).