The Stork Had Made More Deliveries!!

I'd like to start letting everyone know monthly, when the CCAA (China Center For Adoption Affairs) sends out referrals. Well I'm happy to report that the stork made some "special deliveries" this week. I check the CCAA's website daily, and the box to the left was updated with new dates. Note also that they have finished reviewing dossiers up to September 30th 2005 and just finished placing babies with families whose Log In Dates were June 7th through the 15th 2005. How wonderful for all of these families. John and I are so excited for them. The pictures of their babies are just beautiful. I'd like to try to put some links to their blog sites on this blog so you to can see these beautiful babies. Although I've learned alot in the "blogging" process, I haven't figured out the fine tuning parts, so bear with me. I think the easiest thing to do would be to visit a fellow blogger that I visit often who helps me to keep abreast of what's happening in the China Adoption world.
This is Mary Mia's site ! www.salsainchina.blogspot.com
Copy and paste to visit this site and then go to the individual links and you'll see many of those families who just received their referrals. Enjoy!
John and I can't wait for the day when it will be our turn to post the picture of our precious Renee. We know it will take longer than first expected, but we also know it is all in God's plan.

"Be assured that if God takes longer than you wish, it is only to make the blessing more precious."- Unknown

16.2

16.2 is the number of pounds I have lost since April 3rd! I neglected to mention that I joined LA Weight Loss right after the Women's Retreat I attended the last weekend in March. I just got tired of failing everytime I tried to lose weight on my own. And I couldn't believe how much weight had crept it's way on to this body in just a couple of years.
My goal is not only to be physically fit and trim so I can run after a toddler :-), but also to try to make it to the top of the Great Wall of China. Lofty goal for someone who is not big into excercise, but I've got time to work on it before we get to China and I'm very dedicated.
The ladies at LA Weight Loss are really impressed with this goal (and I intend to reach 160 pounds by or before September 2006), they are all excited about the adoption. I've got 27.4 pounds left to lose (you do the math).
Another interesting tidbit, related to losing weight. I saw an email today on my March DTC yahoo group that said the CCAA refused to match to someone who was overweight. Now I never heard that before and I've noted a lot of overweight people receiving referrals, so I'm taking this as an unsubstantiated rumor, but geesh, if that's the case a lot of Americans could be turned away. I'm guess I'm glad I'm losing weight, now I have to work on John....

The Brown Envelope!!!!!!!

Wow there was a big stack of mail in the mail box yesterday. I started going through it and then all of a sudden I noticed...the big brown envelope!!! I screamed!, I laughed!! I called John immediately!! I said honey guess what???
The brown envelope has arrived!!!! OK, you may be wondering, what is all the excitement about getting a big brown envelope in the mail. Well, this isn't just any brown envelope, this is "THE" brown envelope from the American Consulate in Guangzhou, China...Yes, I said China!! This envelope contains the forms necessary to make Renee our "immediate relative". It includes the physical form for the medical exam she will have in Guangzho before we head back to the United States. It has a lot of what I am assuming to be Mandarin Chinese writing on it. How surreal!!
Why is this a big deal?? Well in the big scheme of things, we still have months to wait, but this is just another mile stone (just like our Log In Date), reminding us that we are firmly in the process, that we have a case # with the American Consulate, and that this journey of hope, will truly lead us to our daughter.

Kisses In The Wind

So sorry for the lack of posting over this past week. Have traveled much for work. I was in Philadelphia and Boston this past week. I'm hoping to be pretty close to home till I leave for Henderson, Nevada in 2 weeks, then Minneapolis, Minnesota at the end of June.
Meant to post for Mother's Day last week, but the day, and then the week :-)got away from me. Mother's Day has always been a hard day for me, as it reminded me of what I wasn't and couldn't achieve. I would try to be cheerful for all the other Mom's in my life, but deep inside I ached so.
Well this year was so different from the first moment I got up in the morning. John had 2 cards for me (he always gives me more than one card !!) and a box. One card was to the "Mother to Be" and the other was from Renee!! In the box was a beautiful frame that said on the top "I LOVE MOMMY". Oh to realize that one day soon Renee will be here and will one day say that she loves me and call me Mommy. That will be a dream come true.
Well we went to church, visited John's Mom and then we met my sister Karen, brother in law Anthony and my niece and nephew, Dana and Anthony Jr. for a late "brunch" buffet at the 56th Fighter Group (weird name but great restaurant!) in Farmingdale, NY. It was absolutely delicious, we had a great time and Anthony and Dana gave me a beautiful frame and a pink impatient plant that believe it or not is still alive and thriving :-).
After that, Anthony and Dana came home with me and we watched The Chronicles of Narnia, The Witch, The Lion and the Wardrobe (sorry if they are out of order!!).
Just think, hopefully this time next year, Renee will be celebrating with us!!

This week, I received an email from La Vida with an attached document "While You Wait Activities". Things to do before we travel to bring Renee home. It's 5 pages long!!!!! The first on the list is..."Deep clean and organize!! Clean the garage and every closet in your home...organize everything..." Well that was my plan, lot's to do in the next 6 months. We started today by shampooing the living room, dining room, and hall way rug. Wow, what a difference and it only cost $34.00 (rental from Home Depot!!), way to go John, great job sweetie!!

If you note the title of today's posting, I want to finish by including a poem that was sent to me with one of the quilt pieces and wishes I have received. (And I've received many!!) It brought tears to my eyes and still does everytime I read it. It captures the essence of our wait for Renee. Here it is...

Kisses In The Wind

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.

You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.

I know you wonder were we are...what's taking us so long.

But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...

Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.

I promise darling, I'm doing all that I can do.

Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.

But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.

And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.

---Unknown--

"Where In The World is Matt Lauer, no I mean Susan Guschel!!!!

Well everyone, I have entered into my busy season at work. I left home Monday morning at 5:45am and won't see home again till tomorrow night at about 9:00pm.
Where have I been you may ask? Well OK here goes...
Monday flew into Baltimore and drove to Bethesda for meeting. Then drove that evening to Phildelphia.
Tuesday spent day in Philadelphia and NJ.
Wednesday flew to Charlottesville, VA early that morning.
Did presentation that evening till almost 10pm.
Thursday (today) I drove from Charlottesville to Columbia, MD.
So right now I am in my hotel room and It's time to get ready for my presentation this evening.
Tomorrow, I will be able to go visit with my Dad and Colleen in Catonsville because they live close by,and that's great because I haven't seen them since I think December because they spend the winter in Florida. After our brief visit (but I'll be back!), then I fly home to good ole Islip, NY and my wonderful hubby will pick me up!!!
Phewww!

I Just Love Spring in NY!

Other than Summer which is my ultimate favorite season (I think that's because I was born at the end of July!), Spring is my next favorite season. It's wonderful to see how the trees, bushes and shrubbery have bloomed.
I should have taken this picture sooner, because the light pink azalea bush has already past its peak, but I think you get the gist. John admires his handiwork here, as he should considering the hard work it took putting in all the plants and building the stone wall. He's also especially proud now on how green the lawn is getting! Good work Honey!, now it's time to start on the backyard :-). The back yard is how should I say, in a state of flux at the moment. John is about three quarters finished with our deck, then we need to finish the shed in the corner and make the area completely child safe for Renee (with a swing set of course!). I'll take a picture of the backyard once John finishes the deck, I promise! We definitely have a few projects to finish before Renee comes home.

Later today John and I will be going to our first FCC (Families With Children From China) Long Island Waiting Families meeting in Sayville, Long Island.
I am just so excited to be going, there will be families there that have just gotten home from China. I'll take my camera and tell you all about it!

It's A Small World After All...

Those of you who have followed this blog, will notice that I've again posted above the "Chinese Legend Of The Red Thread". I was just thinking about how I've come to start this blog and how that has lead me to the FCC (Families With Children From China) Long Island Group, to the two Yahoo chat groups I now belong to: March06DTC (Dossier To China) and the FCC LI Waiting groups. How this lead me to the secret pal swap and 100 Good Wish Quilt swap (I'll explain on another posting). And if you might ask me how this all began, I'd have to say again that "It's the Legend Of the Red Thread!"
You see if you go back to the very first posting I made back in March, I mentioned that I learned about "blogging" from a new friend that I met. I've been remiss in that I've never told the story. Well here it is:
In the beginning of March (just after our dossier had left for China, I traveled to Virginia Beach to assist a work colleague at a nursing conference. I was helping her work our exhibit booth. Yes I'm a nurse and I'm in sales, what a combination :-).
Well, while standing at our booth, I eyed across the room a woman carrying an absolutely gorgeous little Asian baby. Well without even thinking, I left the booth and rushed over and said..." I hope you don't think I'm being forward, but did you adopt your daughter from China?" Her reply was "No I don't think you are being forward and yes I did, this is Amy and we just got back from China 2 weeks ago!!"
On further conversations with Janet (Amy's Mom), I found out that she also used La Vida International as her adoption agency.
I can't describe how wonderful it was to meet them both, and to be able to hold and play with Amy. She is the sweetest baby!! Janet's blog is listed under my favorite blogs. Go take a look and you'll see how beautiful she is!
I truly believe that the Lord had it in his infinite plan for Janet and I to meet.
It is thanks to her that this blog even exists. Meeting them helped me realize that this precious dream of adopting a baby will actually come true. I got to see what it will be like (for a brief moment in time), when we bring our baby Renee home.
So remember, there is a red thread that connects those who are destined to meet, just as I was destined to meet Janet and Amy, so are John and I destined to meet our precious little girl Renee.