A Day At The Vanderbilt

This was our first view of the Vanderbilt Musuem as we walked towards it.

Have you ever seen "Crocodile Dundee II"? Remember the mansion on Long Island where is girl friend was held captive? Remember when the crowd walks into the walkway of the mansion?? It was the Vanderbilt!! I just learned that today!

The court yard and clock tower.

Today was a beautiful day in New York. Our first day this spring, above 80 degrees. Ahhh, shorts and flip flops, love it!!

We decided to find something to do that would keep us out of doors as much as possible. Well we decided to visit the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium.

We so enjoyed walking the grounds. What a beautiful view of the Northport Harbor and the Long Island Sound. It was such a beautifully sunny and clear day that we could see all the way to Connecticut!

We decided to take in the planetarium show about our solar system. The last time I visited a planetarium was a long time ago when I was a young girl. My Dad had taken us to the New York Planetarium in NYC. I remember that after the show, we visited the gift shop and he bought me a book all about the solar system. I remember reading that book over and over for many years to come. I thought of my Dad so much today, I know he was with me.

We also took a tour of the Vanderbilt Mansion. All I can say about the tour is.....wow!! William K. Vanderbilt built the mansion between 1910 and 1936. I'm a history buff and loved the tour. I think John really had a good time too.

What a great day!

37 Month LID Anniversary

Wow, today is our 37 month LID anniversary. We have been logged in with the CCAA for 3 years and one month today. This is not an anniversary for wine and roses, LOL!, but the one thing I know for sure, is that we are one month closer to meeting our daughter and that is what is really worth celebrating.

Just visited RQ, and latest news is that the CCAA has begun matching. Hopefully we'll hear some rumors soon as to what the next cut off date will be.

Fourteen (14) days and counting!!!!!

Happy Easter

Wishing you all a very happy and blessed Easter!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." -John 3:17

He Is Risen!!!!

Hallelujah!!!!

April Referral Update

Referrals began arriving this past Friday for log in dates, 3/7 and 3/8. Trying to look at things with a positive spin, for although the CCAA referred only 2 days (I think**), 3/7/06 was a big day (lot's of dossiers were logged in that day). Congratulations to all the March families that received their referrals!!

My heart goes out to my good friends Kim and Mike as their referral (their LID is 3/7) was not received on Friday. Their agency did not receive referrals for 3/7, but they were received for 3/8. Hopefully this was an oversight and will be rectified as soon as possible, but I can only imagine the angst and pain my friends are experiencing. John and I are sending our prayers, hugs and positive vibes their way.

** RQ posted today that possibly some agencies also received 3/9 referrals as well. Well, I've changed the LID countdown to 14 days. I'll wait and see if I should change it further.

Time Marches On and Love Remains

We are marking two sad anniversaries in my family. March 24th was 21 years ago that we lost my dear mother Dolores to lung cancer at the young age of 54.
My sister and I visit her grave often and bring lots of flowers, especially purple ones, as purple was her favorite color.
Although it's been a long time since mom passed, her memory is very much alive for us both.
If not for this wonderful, caring woman, we would not be who we are today.

This Friday, April 10th will be one year since my dear father Martin passed away. It is so hard to fathom that it's been a whole year already. I miss him so much. I still find myself thinking that I have to call him and tell him about this or that, about things that are happening in my life, only to be snapped back to reality. I still talk to him, all the time, but sadly cannot hear his wonderful voice in return. How I miss his soothing voice.

Today my sister and I visited our parents graves and brought them both colorful bouquets of flowers. We looked up to the beautiful blue sky and again let them know how much they are missed and of course loved.

Happy 36 Month "3 Year" LID Anniversary

Note the date above and the date in the header at the top of my blog and you'll notice that today is our "3 Year" log in date anniversary. Wow, now this is an anniversary that we never thought or expected to celebrate. Are we actually celebrating?? Well yes, we'll be having dinner with my sister, brother-in-law and my nephew and niece. Cornbeef and cabbage, a belated St. Patty's Day dinner where we can also celebrate this date as well.
So... how much more of a wait do we have? Ever hear of the saying "so close, yet so far...."?, well that sort of sums it up. There are 16 LID's left till it's our turn.
We are hopeful that we will receive "MR's" referral very soon, very soon, very soon....my mantra very soon, very soon!!!!!
Have a great day!!!!

Log In Date Update

Just a quick post to update where we are in regards to our log in date. As of March 2nd of this month, the Chinese Center For Adoption Affairs (CCAA) has completed matching referrals for log in dates up to March 6th, 2006 . As our log in date is March 22nd, 2006, there are now only 16 LID's left till it's our turn to receive our referral. How much longer?? That depends upon how long it takes for the CCAA to match referrals for those 16 days. If they match 4 days a month, then we are looking at a referral in June, if they do more than 4 than we could see Marissa Renee's face sooner. If they do less than 3 days.... well we'll deal with that as it comes.

A Difficult Time

I have tried to post many times, but have found it too difficult. The last several weeks have been so hard both emotionally and physically. My work load at my job multiplied in a very short period time, with project deadlines looming. I take my job very personally, and often times find myself lying awake at night, unable to sleep, worrying about one thing or another.
During this time, I also found out that a dear, childhood friend was very ill. She ultimately lost her valiant battle with cancer and passed away last week. I have been so sad, trying to come to terms with many things. Losing my friend so young (she was only 48 and with young children) is a tragedy in it's self. My heart goes out to my friend's husband and family, my thoughts and prayers are with them constantly.
I'm also dealing with guilt. I had not seen my friend for almost a year. How I wish that I had called and been in contact with her. I did not know she was ill again, I should have known, a good friend would have known.
A lesson to be learned....if you have a family member or friend that you have not called, written, or had contact with in a while, get in contact with them. Let them know how much they mean to you, let them know how much you love them and care for them. Don't let so much time pass, that one day you just run out of time.

Yippee!!!!!!!!

John checked the mail this morning and......our I-171H extension has arrived!!
Phewww! I was getting nervous, as we were fingerprinted over two weeks ago, and
our current I-171H was due to expire in the next 3 weeks.
The I-171H is essentially the first step of the approval given to us by the USCIS (US Immigration) to bring Marissa Renee home from China. We complete the process at the American Embassy in Guangzhou, China.

The latest rumors are that the next batch of referrals will get to March 6th, 2006. That would leave 16 more days, till our LID. Watching and waiting!

Next week we attend our travel meeting with La Vida, looking forward to it!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope your day is filled with love, friendship and many blessings!
Oh....and some chocolate too! ;)

Our Travel Hand Book Has Arrived!!!

I'm cautiously starting to get excited. John and I will finally after over three years of waiting, be attending La Vida's travel meeting in March. At that meeting we will learn all we need to know about preparing for and traveling to China to bring Marissa Renee home. Along with attending this very important meeting, La Vida has sent us our travel hand book, as well as other important information we'll need. Just getting to this point is surreal. When you wait as long as we have, and you finally see some light at the end of the tunnel, it's just mind boggling. That's really the only way I can describe it.
I'm still again cautiously optimistic that we'll receive Marissa's referral within the next 3 months or so, with travel to China this summer.

And as always, all praise and glory goes to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who without Him, none of this would be possible. We continue to wait in His perfect timing for our daughter Marissa Renee.

Fingerprinted again!!

Today John and I were fingerprinted by the USCIS for the third time! Fingerprints are only valid for 15 months at a time. Ours actually expired this past July, but we knew that we would have to renew the immigration approval (our I-171H) we need to bring Marissa Renee home to the USA, again, so it made sense to wait till we were in the renewal process. Our fingerprinting today is hopefully the last step in renewing that approval (hopefully for the last time!). The fingerprinting process is not how you may think, no black ink involved (yippee!), it's all computerized. They spray your hands with water and you place your hands on a glass panel that reads your print. It takes all of about 5 minutes. I thought it was really cool!

We're Hitching Flights to China!!!....Not!!!

John, I and my friends from the FCCLI "waiting group" went to brunch this morning at the 56th Fighter Group. We had a blast, the ladies sat on one side of the table, while the guys did their thing on the other end!! 56th Fighter Group is a restaurant right off of a small airport in Farmingdale, Long Island. The brunch items available were vast and delicious: salads, seafood, pasta, breakfast foods such as omelets, pancakes, waffles, lunch items such as ribs, chicken, steak, and I haven't even gotten to the desserts!! Everything was delicious. I paced myself and was able to try a little of everything. I also enjoyed a Mimosa!! which I had been thinking about for several days :)
After brunch we wanted to take pictures by the planes in the back of the restaurant.
We asked the guys to gather first...and the result is the picture where the guys are all faced forward toward the planes with their backs to us...we ladies laughed so hard that we cried!! The guys turned around, not understanding what we found so funny, and then we got the face front picture!!! Then it was the ladies turn!!
I have to say how much I value the friendships of these fine ladies...Pat, Kim, and Lori. We are sharing this journey of adventure together while we wait for our referrals. Lori has a unique view as she is waiting for her second child from China, and offers understanding and advice that is priceless.

Ladybugs In My New Office!

I work in a huge hospital that is undergoing new construction and major renovations. My colleague and I are going to be moving to a new office very soon. We will be sharing the office with two other people as well. One of these colleagues saw me today (who is fully aware of the adoption and the significance of ladybugs!), and proceeded to tell me that our office is filled with ladybugs!!
Think about this for a moment, this office is on the 18th floor, as well as the fact that it's the middle of winter and the average temperature lately has been about 29 degrees. Wow!! Can't wait to see them for myself!!
ChinaAdoptionForecast.com updated their website today, and based upon our LID of 3/22/06, they are predicting that we are still on target for a May referral. If that's the case, we'll be traveling to China in July. What a birthday present that will be!

Gong Hay Fat Choy!!!

Happy Chinese New Year, The Year of the Ox. I just happen to have been born in the year of the ox! If you get a chance, visit my friend Kim's blog, she's posted an awesome explanation of the personality of the "Ox".

34 Months And Counting....

Yesterday, January 22, 2009 was our 34 month LID anniversary. 34 months ago the CCAA logged in our adoption dossier. Two more months and we'll reach our three year anniversary.
Wow, that's one anniversary I never thought we'd celebrate.

Yesterday, some of the members of our Marching Panda yahoo group began receiving their referrals. I am so happy for them, congratulations!!!! To the Marching Panda's that missed the cut off this month, just remember, next month is your turn!!!

A Let Down

Latest rumors say this months's batch of referrals may be pretty small.
Maybe including only 2 days worth.... maybe only up to March 2, 06.
I admit it's a let down after riding the high of a rumor that appeared to include our LID.
But as always, we trust in our Lord's perfect timing. It is all in His capable hands.

To my dear daughter, my dear baby girl, where ever you may be, know that you are and have been in my heart for a very long time. I long for the day when you are placed in my arms forever. Until that day comes, I am patiently waiting for you. Dear Marissa Renee, mommy loves you, now and forever.

The Rumor's Have Begun!

I'm an avid reader of the Rumor Queen. Her site is really the only place to find out information about what is happening in the China adoption world. I think that I really would have lost my mind over the last 3 1/2 years if I didn't have her site to go to. With that being said, Rumor Queen (RQ) is very clear concerning the rumors she reports. She rates them R1 -R5 depending upon how much information backs the rumor up. R1 is a weak rumor, where by an R5 is just about fact. Once a rumor becomes an R5, you can bet it will be a reality within a short period of time.
RQ reported last week an R1 that said there was a possiblity that the CCAA may get much farther into March 06' when they next send out the next batch of referrals. Maybe as far as March 23rd 06!! Well, that would mean that with our LID of March 22, 06, that we would be included!!! I have to be honest, when I read that, my jaw dropped to the floor! I then started to giggle profusely and all the thoughts and dreams that I had put on a shelf for the last 2 years, came roaring back into my mind! I have to be honest, it felt good, really good to think that we may be that close. I tempered my enthusiasm knowing this is an R1 rumor and could very possibly be false. Oh but what a wonderful couple of hours I had thinking what if?..........

Oh Boy Am I Behind!!

I should have blogged several times already, I am so behind.
First I hope that everyone had a very merry and blessed Christmas and I wish you all a very happy New Year!!!! I hope and pray that 2009 will be a year filled with peace, love and joy for everyone.
Well it's official.....the CCAA has completed February of 2006!!! On December 29th, the latest batch of referrals was received which covered LID's Feb 24th through to the 28th! That means there are now only 22 log in dates till we receive Marissa Renee's referral. I think I am finally letting the realization in, that next year at this time, I will finally be a mother. Wow, mind boggling after this long wait. 33 months and counting!

Referral Update

Last week the CCAA referred children for those with log in dates of February 18th through February 23th. That's 6 more days closer to Marissa Renee's (MR) referral. I've changed the counter on the right to reflect that their are now 27 LID's left till we see our daughter's face.
We are under 30 days!! There are now less than a months worth of LID's before us. I can't believe it. According to China Adoption Forecast.com if China continues at the pace they have been, we should receive MR's referral in May. That's 5 months from now. That's finally under 6 months!!!!!!! March 06 is a large month of referrals, but after waiting 32+ months I've got to hang on the thought that we are so close!!
Someone asked me recently how John and I can handle such as long wait. Our faith is what has gotten us this far, and is what will see us through. I totally trust in our Lords perfect timing.
What also came to mind was a scene from one of my most favorite movies, The Princess Bride, when Miracle Max is asked to hurry up is miracle. His reply was that you can't hurry a miracle, cause if you do you get a "rotten miracle" :-). Well, we are not rushing our miracle, and we believe she will be perfect!!

So This Is Christmas!

John and I finally finished decorating the Christmas tree yesterday. We started last Sunday, putting on the lights and garland, but didn't get to put on all the ornaments till yesterday. We did the garland a bit different this year. We got the idea from a tree we saw decorated at Sears and decided to try it. We used sheer gold ribbon going in one direction, then a more sparkly gold garland going in the opposite direction. Let me know if you like it.
I think I'm finally getting into the Christmas spirit. I've been listening to as much Christmas music as I can to get into the "mood". Josh Groban's "Noel" has to be my most favorite Christmas CD.
Still Christmas shopping, and haven't even started to wrap yet :-(, but most important, to remember that "Jesus is the reason for the season!!"

May your Christmas be joyful, peaceful and bright, And filled with the love of that first holy night. John 3:16

Happy Thanksgiving!

John and I would like to wish everyone a blessed, happy and healthy Thanksgiving. We are truly thankful for all our blessings.
Dad, for your first Thanksgiving in Heaven, we love you and miss you today and always.

Only Two Days

Well it appears that the CCAA only referred two days worth of referrals this month.
No one really understands why. This actually pushes my estimate of when we'll receive MR's referral back a month. Although I'm disappointed, I still must trust in my Lord and Saviour's perfect timing. So again, we wait.

Weekend Catch Up

I wish that I had the time to blog everyday. My job is extremely tiring both physically and emotionally. I get home from work with an ambitious list of "to do's", but I'm usually lucky if I can accomplish even one thing on the list. (Let's see how I do once MR is home!!!)
With that being said, I love my weekends! They go quick, but I try to catch up on all the things I can't do during the week. I'm going to try to blog at least once every weekend, and if I get a chance to blog during the week, well, then that's serendipity!!

I still have lots of pictures to post, from Bermuda, our anniversary, autumn flowers, etc.
I'll catch up eventually ;-)

Well, the 31 above signifies that on October 22 we reached our 31 month LID anniversary. We have been "logged in" in China now for 31 months. We await with "baited breath" to see how many LID's the CCAA will be able to match next. We should begin to hear about the next "batch" of referrals within the next week or so. No real rumors yet on Rumor Queen.
If things proceed as they have, with China averaging to match approximately 6 days worth of LID's per month, we are on track to receive our referral in about 5-6 months. We would then travel to China in the next 7-8 months. Oh my gosh!! To be able to actually type this with an end in site is an awesome feeling.
More to come....

Let Me Post About The Cruise Before Winter Sets In!

During the last week of August John and I took a 5 night Royal Caribbean cruise to Bermuda. We were blessed with calm seas and beautiful weather. The name of the ship is the "Explorer of the Seas". We left from Port Liberty in Bayonnne, New Jersey, which is only about an hours drive from home.

The Verrazano bridge.
Me during the Muster Drill! The Statue of Liberty!

On the way out of the Bayonne harbor, we sailed right under the Verrazano bridge (the bridge that connects Brooklyn with Staten Island). The Captain informed us that from the very top of the ship to the bottom of the bridge is a total clearance of only 7 feet. Yes, I said 7 feet! I'm actually glad he provided this information after the fact! (But it was still really cool!)

Wow that's close!!
The Captain's Champagne Welcome reception

My favorite picture of us Captain's Night, on the deck .

Our first glimpse of Bermuda.

The cruise left port on a Saturday afternoon and we arrived in Bermuda early Monday morning. We went to the very front of the ship to watch as the ship arrived. It was amazing how the crew so easily brought the ship in to port. More to come.....

What A Ride!!!!!!!

The last three years have been a constant rollercoaster ride. Every month waiting to see how many LID's the CCAA would be able to complete. Some months I felt as if I was soaring high when it seemed that things were moving more quickly, where as many times I felt as if I was heading straight down that first steep slope of the rollercoast when things kept slowing down further and further with no end in sight.
I've included a count down in the right sidebar, which shows how many LID's (Log In Dates) left till we receive our referral. The CCAA had, as of last week, referred up to 2/15/06 which leaves 35 LID's till our referral. Well....I checked the Rumor Queen last night (as I do frequently), only to see that it appears that families with the LID of 2/16/06 have been notified that there referral is on the way. Wow !!! That caught me by complete surprise. I don't believe in the 3 years I've been following referrals since starting the adoption journey that I've seen something like this happen, with referrals arriving again, just a week later. I also don't want to speculate as to a reason why. I'm just going to change the LID count down to 34, send my congratulation out to all those who are receiving their referral today, and just make sure that my safety belt is securely fastened as this rollercoaster ride continues.

Autumn Moon Picnic and Walk-a-thon

Yesterday was the annual FCC-LI Autumn Moon Family Picnic at Belmont Lake State Park. In addition to the picnic, we walked in the First Annual FCCLI Walk-a-Thon around Belmont Lake. The monies raised will be sent to charities that assist China's orphans as well as all those effected by the earthquake that hit Sichuan province.
Originally, the festivities were due to be held on Saturday, but the weather did not oblige us, as it rained all day. Although the weather continued to look threatening on Sunday, the rain held off till later in the evening. And aside from the ground being a bit "moist and muddy", we had a great time.
I've noticed that I'm more of a "scenery" photo taker, as the majority of the pictures above are the views around Belmont Lake. But I did take one of "Maya and Maya", as I walked with their Mom's "Barbara and Tina". I took the pictures with my new IPhone 3G. Boy I love my new "toy". I can take pretty good pictures if I do say so myself, as well as listen to music, etc. But, I digress. The walk around the lake was beautiful, and Autumn arrived when I wasn't looking, hence the beginning falling leaves as well as the beautiful fall colors just beginning to show in the trees.
Oh and Lori , I'll blog about the cruise next!!:-)

Happy First Day of Autumn!

At exactly 11:44am, Summer officially ended and Autumn officially arrived.
Although I had to work today, yesterday John and I visited a favorite Nursery and bought Mums and some ornamental grass plants. I replanted the backyard planters with Mums and ornamental peppers. The peppers are all different colors: purple, orange, yellow and green. I'll take some pictures and post soon, they look awesome. Our impatients still look good, so we'll wait to plant cabbages in their place in a couple of weeks. Our Montalk Daisies are almost ready to bloom.
Only mishap of the day yesterday was that while at the nursery, I was stung by a yellow jacket. Ouch, did that sting, just about all day. Today I feel as if I have a mosquitoe bit.

Happy 30 Month LID Anniversary!

Today is 30 months (or two and a half years) that we have been logged in with the CCAA. We started our "paper chase" just after Labor Day 2005. Our dossier was mailed to China on March 6, 2005, and was officially logged in to the CCAA on March 22, 2006. Wow, how can time seem to go so slowly, but at the same time just slip away. We are hopeful that we are finally in the home stretch.

One Step At A Time

I thought this might be a good time to give an update as to where we are in our wait to adopt Marissa Renee. We are "waiting in line" for China to get to our LID (Log In Date), the date our adoption application was officially logged in by the Chinese Center For Adoption Affairs (CCAA).

As noted above, our LID is 3/22/06. As of the beginning of this month, the CCAA had completed assigning children up to and including the LID 2/09/06. This means there are 41 LID's left till the CCAA gets to our date. How long will that take?? Well I'm hoping that I can finally say that we are in the home stretch and we expect to receive our referral in about 6 months. How do I know? Well I don't know for sure, but I base it upon information I can gather from the websites of others who keep close track of what China has done in the past.

One website I frequent monthly is China Adoption Forecast. This site attempts to forecast when we may receive MR's referral based upon their statistical analysis of what China has done in the past.

The website that really keeps me going is that of the Rumor Queen. I visit her site daily, multiple times a day, to keep abreast of what's going on in the Chinese adoption world. News can travel slowly from our agencies, so this is a place of support and sharing. I probably would have gone crazy a while ago if I hadn't found this site.

Our immigration approval will expire at the end of March 09. That means we will probably have to renew it again, not to mention we will have to be refingerprinted, and have our home study updated as well.

Last but not least, I named this post "One Step At A Time", the new release by Jordin Sparks. The minute I heard it, I fell in love with it. It is my self proclaimed "theme song". I am taking this wait one step and one day at a time. I continue to trust in my Lord's perfect timing. And as the song says ...." It'll happen when it's supposed to happen". Listen and enjoy!!

Our Blog Make Over Is Complete!!

I'm am just so excited! Our new blog design is complete and I just love it. Hope you like it. Thank you Diana of Custom Blog Designs for creating our beautiful blog design. If you look to the right below the side bar is the name of the kit Diana used. When I saw the color scheme and lady bugs, I new that's what I wanted. The picture of John and I comes from our recent Bermuda trip.
So now that our blog has a brand new look, it's time for me to kick it into high gear and start blogging seriously.
So.....here goes.

Complete Blog Overhaul in Progress!

I am having my blog professionally redesigned. So far the template looks great.
Can't wait!!

We're Still Here!

Haven't "blogged" in a long time. I feel as if I'm driving through a long
underground tunnel, and am starting to see the light ahead.
I still miss my Dad so much sometimes that I can't breath.
I don't know about other people, but I find writing my thoughts down to be
very difficult. That's another reason I haven't blogged in a while.
Well.... John and I will be leaving in about 2 hours for our first away, away vacation in almost 6 years (does are honeymoon count??).
We will be taking a cruise to Bermuda!!
Not taking the computer with us, but will take lots of pictures and blog about it when we return.
I'm also planning a major blog overhaul. I'm determined to master blogging.
See you when we get back!!
Sue

I Love You Dad!!!!!!

I haven't blogged in a while for several reasons.
The most important reason, is that my dear and beloved father, Martin,
passed away about two and a half weeks ago.
The last 9 months since my dad became ill, have been filled with pain, anxiety and worry. They have also been filled with many blessings.
I miss my dear dad more than words could ever say, and I am so proud not only of the
life he lived and the legacy he has left behind , but that I was blessed to be his daughter.
Although I am at peace knowing he is with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, I am full of grief over losing him. That grief is eased somewhat by the many wonderful memories that comfort me and my family.

Dad I love you now and forever!!!

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.- Psalm 91.1

Happy Chinese New Year! The Year Of The Rat!!

It's Ground Hog's Day!

Can't believe it's February already. On one side of the fence, I'm glad, because that means that winter is almost over (depending upon which ground hog you listen to :-) ), on the other side, it just feels as time is speeding by.

Rumors are abound that another batch of referrals are imminent. Also that the this batch will include December 27th and may even finish off 2005!! That would be so great!! If the CCAA makes it to the 27th, that leaves 85 log in dates to March 22, which is our LID.

More to come...

Happy New Year!!

Last Wednesday, (the day after Christmas), John and I took the LIRR into Manhattan to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. I usually see the tree on TV every morning as I watch the Today Show while I get ready for work. The view of tree on TV is awesome, it's from above and that makes the tree look huge. Funny thing is that when I was standing in front of the tree, my thoughts were that although it was beautiful, that it wasn't as large as it looks on TV. It was still beautiful, and as soon as I download the pictures from my phone, I'll post them here.

We walked to Rockefeller Center from Penn Station, which is a nice walk! We exited Penn Station at 34th St. and 7th Avenue, right near Macy's Herald Square (where you see the parade on TV!). We actually stood right in front of Macy's where all the Broadway show dance numbers happen. Wish I would have thought to get a picture of that :-(.

We walked along 7th Avenue right through Times Square. If you enlarge the picture above you should be able to make out where the New Years Ball is placed, and which made it's historic yearly trek last night!!

Last night my family came over to celebrate the New Year. We had a great time! I was a bit under the weather as I came down with a cold on Sunday, but it was a night to remember!! About 9PM, LIPA (Long Island Power Authority, our electric company), turned off the power for about 45 minutes to cut down a tree in our neighbors backyard, as it was cracked and precariously ready to take down power lines. Only problem was, that we had no advance notice and suddenly found ourselves in the dark!!
Good thing was, that I keep rechargeable flashlights all over the house, so we sat around talking in the semidarkness.

My Dad is still in rehabilitation, but making strides everyday. I call him "Our Christmas Miracle" as he as surpassed all we had thought he'd be able to do. I'll post new pictures of him and give a further update really soon.

Lastly, it looks as if the CCAA has referred another batch for January, but not sure of the cut off date. We are March 22, 2006 (LID) and we are hoping that this will be our year to bring Renee home!!!!

We thank our Lord for the many blessings He has bestowed on our family this year, and continue to trust in His perfect timing.

We wish you all a very Happy and Healthy and Blessed 2008!!

Love,
Sue and John

Still Here....And Still Waiting

Haven't blogged for some time.
My plan is to resume full-force after the New Year.
My father is in a Sub-Acute Rehab Facility and happily surprising us every day with what he can do!
We are in month 20 of our wait for Renee, with probably months to go, but we're in it for the long haul.
Have a wonderful holiday.
Love,
Sue

I'm Back!

Haven't posted for a while. It's been so long, that mid summer has now turned to almost fall. The air is crisp and cool, it feels wonderful.

Here's an update on my father:
He's in what is called "acute rehab", which means he's in a nursing facility getting very agressive rehabilitation. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy every day. Last week, my dad took his first steps since this all happened. I was there to see it and cried!!! He can't talk yet, but is mouthing words.
Dad has a ways to go, but we are so thankful to our Lord for bring him this far.

Things have been rough over the last month and a half. Waiting for our referral in an every slowing process has not helped matters. But again, we continue to trust in our Lord for all our needs.

A Very Difficult Post

I've tried several times to post, but couldn't.
My Dad Martin, had a severe heart attack on Tuesday that stopped his heart.
I got the call on Tuesday while at work. Dad was just sitting in a chair
talking and then just slumped. Colleen called 911 and the EMS found him
in cardiac arrest. They with the help of the Lord were able to revive him
and get his heart beating again. He was rushed to St. Agnus hospital in Baltimore.
There they found one of his main arteries blocked and put in a stent.
He's been in intensive care since. The doctors have said that his heart is beating well, but could not predict how long he went without oxygen to his brain, so the first 72 hours would be critical to see if there was any damage.
Dad opened his eyes a little yesterday when I leaned over him and told him that I loved him, but that's about it.
We are praying so hard. My Dad is 81 years old and just a couple of months ago walked 6 miles for a marathon to support the Seeing Eye Dogs. So this is such a shock and my heart is just so full of sorrow and pain.
We are looking to our Lord for peace and comfort, but hope for prayers for my Dad to "wake up" from his sleep.
So, please, please say a prayer for my Dad Martin that he will wake up and come back to us.

"Be not anxious, but in all things with prayer and petitions, present your requests to the Lord, and the peace of God which transends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds throught Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:6-7

First Things First, Happy Birthday To Me!!!!!!!!!!

I've been taking a lot of pictures lately, and have tons of things to blog about, so I'll be catching the blog up as soon as I can, but....first things first!!! Today is my birthday!!!! Yippeeeee!!

It's a bit cloudy today, with a good chance for thunderstorms. Would have loved to be at the beach, but this way I"ll get my housework done without guilt. Yes, even though it's my birthday, I'll be doing housework!!

John has to work today :-(, he tried to get the day off, but someone else was on vacation.

So...he was able to take yesterday off, which worked out perfectly!! I took the day off too!!

We started the day early at the beach, it was beautiful, John fished, I sat and read. I fished too!!

John caught a small fluke and threw it back. All in all it was a wonderful first part of the day.

For my birthday, John got us tickets to last nights Mets vs Nationals game at Shea stadium,

so when we got home we showered and changed, and got to Shea Stadium early. The Mets are building a new stadium "Citi Stadium" which will be ready in 2009. It's being constructed right next door to Shea, and construction has taken up a lot of the parking spaces, so we got to the stadium early and got a great spot.

Construction of the new Citi Stadium

Getting ready to take our seats

Well, the Mets lost :-(, 6 to 2. That's' OK, we had a blast!!!!
Tonight we'll go to dinner, hopefully for Sushi!! Yum

Sorry For Not Posting

Sorry for not posting over the last 2 months. Multitude of reasons.
Nothing bad though. Time does fly though, just not fast enough till we
"fly" to China. Thanks to those who have kept a watchful eye. I'll catch you up asap!!

Hope That Shark's Not Hungry!!

John and I spent a fun weekend in Maryland, visiting my Dad and Colleen.
We drove down Friday night and arrived about Midnight. We stayed at a Marriott SpringHill Suites about 15 minutes from where Dad and Colleen live. It was perfect, beautifully furnished and immaculately clean.
When we woke up early Saturday morning, I looked out the window of our hotel room and noticed across the street in the mall.....OutDoor World (Bass Pro Shop). This is absolute heaven for anyone who loves to hunt, boat, fish.... John heard that... did I say fish??? My husband is a true beliver of the old adage, "A bad day fishing is still better than a good day at work", only my husband will tell you there is no such thing a bad day fishing, ever!!!!
When John saw OutDoor World his eyes got as big and round as saucers and he grinned from ear to ear. I knew exactly where we were going immediately after breakfast :-).
The picture above was taken there, and luckily the Shark wasn't hungry!!!

On Saturday afternoon, Dad and Colleen took us to "Dimitri's" a wonderful Greek, Italian restaurant. It was explained to me that the family that owns the restarant is Greek and the chef is Italian. John and I shared an awesome Greek salad followed by Beef Gyro's (not Veal). Deeeelicious!! I was real bad and then had a Peanut Butter and Chocolate Ice cream dessert. John had Baklava. Boy were we full.
On top of that, Collen took pictures and I got the giggles (maybe outright guffaws is a better word), when my father kept saying "Feta" everytime we would ask him to say cheese:-). I think they were glad to see this rowdy crew leave!!!


On Sunday we went to church with Dad and Colleen, and then had a belated Mother's Day barbque. Colleens family came and we had a great time.
Before you knew it it was time to head back up to New York.
The drive up took 6 hours, 2 hours longer than usual due to lot's of traffic in Delaware and New Jersey. We pulled in last night about 11 PM.

Hopefully Dad and Colleen will be heading up here to visit early this summer.
I'll post more pictures when I get them.

Some Scriptures That Have Helped Me

As you can see from the title of our blog, "Our Journey of Hope", hope is the mainstay of what John and I are holding on to in what has become a really loooooong journey, much longer than we ever anticipated. John and I are Christians and although I don't quote scripture often, I have collected many scriptures over the last year and a half that have touched me and have helped me cope along the way.

My dream is to share them all with everyone at Renee's dedication ceremony.
Well last month, when referrals only arrived for 2 days worth of log in dates, I couldn't help it, but the despair creeped in. I didn't blog for a long while, because I just felt so "blah", I guess depressed is a better word! I just couldn't bring myself to write about what I was feeling.
During that time, I receive in the mail, a small card from my good friend Dee (who also happens to be the wife of our Pastor). On the front of the card was the following scripture:

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope..." Romans 15:13

Inside the card, Dee wrote another scripture that she said helped her through a difficult time in her life, when it was unclear whether she would be able to carry her last pregnancy to term.

"Lord when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer." Psalm 94:19

Oh how these scriptures helped "quiet and renew" me. Yes, as I've said before, there are days that I get very frustrated. The longing for my daughter just dosen't go away. But I am just keeping my eyes fixed on the Lord and doing my best day by day to keep the hope flowing.
Thanks Dee!!!

The CCAA Site Has Been Updated!

The CCAA must be back from vacation, as their site is now updated.

Thank you Rumour Queen for posting it first on your site.
I pray for my April 06 friends that the review date changes very soon as well!

Getting Closer Step By Step

Although the CCAA website still hasn't been updated yet, we know that referrals have gone out as of last week up to the LID of 11/1/05. We're finally through October!! Phew!!!!!!
If you visit the Rumour Queen's web site, you can find a link to the blogs of those who have received their referrals. Lot's of adorable babies!!!!!!
What does this mean to us?? Well, now there is only 142 LID's till 3/22/06.
How long will it take for the CCAA to get there? That's hard to say.
Right now it's at least an 18 month from LID wait. So the earliest we could receive Renee's referral would be September, but, if things continue at the same slow pace, that they have been, then we may not receive Renee's referral till 2008.
Yes the wait is long, it's frustrating, upsetting, etc, etc. but the bottom line is that we are in this for the long haul, no matter how long it takes. At the end of our journey will be our daughter Renee, so no matter how long the journey takes, she will be worth the wait!!!

Thank You Secret Pal!!!!!

Do we have an awesome secret pal or what??? For those who don't know what that means... I have a secret pal who every month sends me the most awesome gifts. Each month is a different theme that has been predetermined by the Yahoo "Marching Pandas" group I belong to. All of us are either DTC (Dossier To China) in March of 2006, or we are LID (Log In Date) in March of 2006. I happened to be both DTC (3/6/06) as well as LID (3/22/06)in March of 06. I've been part of the secret pal swap now since last year, and I have an awesome secret pal, who always out does herself!!
See above at the awesome gifts she has sent me this month. The theme was lady bugs and pandas. Note first on top are lady bug and panda bibs. Between the bibs is the most beautiful skirt for Renee. I giggle every time I hold it up, thinking how wonderful it will be to one day dress Renee in it. Below are a stuffed lady bug, stuffed panda, lady bug toy, and a mesh bag with lady bug suction cups that you use in the bathtub to hold all of Renee's bath toys. Way too cool!! Wait but there's more!!! There's a silverware set in the green plastic package with the panda on it, and I didn't notice this at first, but inside is a child size pair of chop sticks, wow wee!!!! There's also a panda wash cloth and last but never least, my secret pal always sends me a beautiful home made card. This one has lady bugs on it (of course).
I am so lucky. I look forward to the day that my secret pal reveals herself to me. I hope to remain in touch with her for years to come as we finally receive our daughters and can one day tell them about how we met and the wonderful gifts we shared.

Oh Boy!!!!!

Well I said I'd update where we are in regards to when we'll receive Renee's referral. Things have continued to slow down in China. Last month, well actually the beginning of this month (I'm loosing count) the CCAA only referred 2 days worth of referrals. I cried when I saw that. It seemed that for every month that passes, we have been getting no where fast.
I will say, that we both are totally at peace write now about the entire adoption (that's the subject of another post, so stay tuned :)).

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him: and he shall bring it to pass"
Psalm 37: 4-5

Spring is Here in NY, Finally!!

April has been an absolutely horrible weather month, here in NY. We had maybe one or two spring days early in the month, then it stayed cold and rainy, not to mention the "Nor' Easter" that came through about 2 weeks ago. My continued prayers go out to those in New York, Conneticut and New Jersey who are still trying to recover from the flooding.
About a week ago, I believe spring finally arrived. The temperature finally reached 60 degrees and above. With that, the trees and flowers started to bud and bloom.
When I see our Wheeping Cherry tree blossom, then I know spring is finally here.
The sad thing is, that I thought Renee would be here to see this with us this year, but that was not to be, we are still waiting, and probably will for months to come.
I'll talk more about that in future posts.
At any rate, we are so glad that spring is finally here!!!!

Hi, I'm Back!!

I have lot's to post, I have to try to remember it all. so here we go!!