Tis the Season....

...to loosen your belt buckle a notch! I baked cookies this weekend with my good friend Lori, her niece Kayla, and my sister-in-law Stephanie. This is the third year we have done this and it's always a lot of fun. We actually scaled back the amount of baking this year, you wouldn't know it by the pictures. They call me taz because I am always flinging stuff, missing the bowls, etc. I don't do it on purpose, but my "station" is always the most messy. I wish I could have gotten a picture of that.

Even my niece Cassidy, AKA Cassafrass, helped out. She turns 7 months old tomorrow. Isn't she just the cutest little peanut? I kept imagining what fun it will be in a couple of years when she and her cousin will be helping together!

I've Been Photo Tagged

Another blogger buddy has photo tagged me. So I am to take the 4th picture in the 4th file on my computer and explain it. These are some of my best friends' daughters playing on the water trampoline during our summer vacation stay up north on Long Lake. Haley on the left, and Sidney in the middle are sisters, and that's Morgen on the right. She has a little brother, but I think he had enough of the "girls" for that day.

So now I need to "tag" 4 other people. I am tagging Kris, Stacey, Cindy, and Becker25.

We have heard from our agency that a few referrals have gone out this past week which is great news. We have only moved up two more spots on the unofficial list, but we have been reminded that not all waiting families are on this list, which means there may have been more movement that what we have actually seen. We are now out of the 40's and we are currently number 39.

Surprises

Sunday, November 9 marked 7th months of officially waiting for our referral. When I say it like that it just doesn't sound right, as we started this process well over a year ago. There was a very interesting discussion on our adoption forum that asked what surprises we have encountered throughout the process. There are several that came to mind immediately:

1. How much I love this little person that I haven't even met yet. I cannot believe how often I think about him/her and what our life will be like when he/she joins Randy and I.

2. The absolute peace I feel that we made the right decision to adopt.

3. The amazing outpouring of support we have received from family and friends. Randy and I are truly blessed.

4. The complexity of it all.... ethically, culturally, spiritually, politically.

5. The diversity of the adoption community.

So as another month passed without any referrals, we are doing our best to take it all in stride. I keep reminding myself that everything happens for a reason, and I know what those reasons are. I hope that others who have been struggling with their wait can find peace in knowing their reasons as well.

History in the Making

To my child I have not yet met,

History was made last night in the United States. America elected it's first African American president. I am excited, optimistic, and very hopeful for the future of this country. I am even more hopeful for what this means to you. Your opportunities are endless. Although you are too young to understand, you will one day learn what all this means.

Love,
Mama

Still 41

Well, not much new to report on the adoption front. We are still holding steady at 41 on the unofficial list which means we have not seen any referrals in about a month. It now seems like the trend is leaning more towards batches of referrals at one time. Lot's of families who have referrals have finally received court dates around the middle of December. This is great news for them and I hope they all make it through court their first time around. What a joyous holiday season that would bring all of them.

My Mom seems to be holding her own with her ongoing battle with breast cancer. She has had two rounds of chemotherapy and for the most part has tolerated it well. She is a very strong woman with a very up beat and positive attitude. She still has a long way to go and Randy and I pray for her everyday.

I am going to sign off as I want to watch more of the election coverage. It looks like change is on it's way!!!!!