Schear Joy

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T21:25:00.002-05:00

We are the Truth!

2010-04-15T18:25:00.002-05:00

International Adoption Works!!!

She Can Write?

2010-03-18T19:51:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I was out of town with the girls. Don't get me wrong, I have such a blast and cannot wait until the next girls outing, but this was the first time I have gone away since Nev has been home. I missed her terribly. It was her and Daddy all weekend long and I think they had a really good time together. Somehow he taught her to write; this is what I saw when I pulled into the driveway:

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-17T19:43:00.003-05:00

Bling!

2010-02-21T19:09:00.008-06:00

So I broke down and took Little Miss Nev to get her ears pierced on Saturday. I had thought about it for quite sometime, going back and forth on whether or not to have it done. I weighed the pros and cons, listened to advice from girlfriends, and did some research online. Her Dad wasn't too keen on the idea, but in the end he said it was up to me. She did really well, only cried for a minute after each ear. No different than getting a shot. I think the hardest part for her, and me for that matter, was having to hold her head still. She is a very inquisitive little girl so when something is coming at her ear, naturally she tried to turn her head to see. They turned out great, and she got to have a treat afterwards. The hard part now will be keeping them clean and making sure they don't get infected. Here she is before and after:

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-17T19:55:00.002-06:00

For You Rand!

2010-01-29T19:30:00.007-06:00

Today is Randy's Birthday. We are not doing much, I cooked a nice dinner, we hung out with little miss Nevaeh, and tomorrow we are having "date night." Well, "date afternoon." We are going to the IMAX to see Avatar. Randy is a wonderful husband and he is a wonderful Daddy. I love wathching him with Nevaeh. It makes me realize how lucky I am and how it was worth every second of every minute that we waited for our beautiful daughter. This was meant to be. Happy Birthday Randy!

Picture Day!

2010-01-24T16:59:00.008-06:00

We had some photos taken of the beautiful Miss Nevaeh today. She did absolutely wonderful. I think she rather enjoyed herself. I wanted to photograph her in the traditional Ethiopian dress and scarf was wearing when she was placed in our arms forever. I also used some Ethiopian flags as props, but the pictures didn't turn out they way I envisioned them in my head. The dress is now almost too small, and the flags, well we got one or two good pics with them. Here is a sample:
We took some picures in a more casual outfit:

Afterwards we went out and had some ice cream, visited Great Grandma, and then home to watch some football. All in all, a great Sunday!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-20T21:25:00.002-06:00

I'm Still Here!

2010-01-17T10:20:00.007-06:00

OK, so I am not a very good blogger. I admit it. It has been almost a month since my last my post. I promise I will try to do better in the future. It's been a crazy month. I went back to work, Nevaeh started daycare, there were the holidays, and we celebrated Nevaeh's first birthday. There have been many firsts and a lot of changes.

Let's start with work and daycare. On December 21 I went back to work after being home with Nevaeh for 12 weeks. To be honest, I thought it was going to be harder than it was. It was a nice week to start again as it was a short week due to the holiday. The week after there was New Years so that was a short week as well. It was a nice time to get my feet wet again. It also helps that Nevaeh is doing so well at daycare. She is interacting great with all the other kids and her teachers just adore her. One day she came home with the cutest little puffs in her hair. It was so adorable and I don't know how they got her to sit still long enough to do it. I couldn't even get her to sit still long enough just to get a picture of her new "do".

The holidays were wonderful and it was nice to start some new traditions as a family. Nevaeh had so much fun opening gifts but as a typical almost one year old she was more interested in the paper and the cardboard than the actual gifts themselves. Here she is modeling one of her presents.

On January 9, 2010, Little Miss Nevaeh turned one. We celebrated with a birthday party and she was Princess for the day. Of course she is a princess every day but on this day she wore a crown, and of course she had her own birthday cake.

We have been home almost 4 months now and we are all adjusting quite well. Nevaeh is growing and her development is right on track. She is crawling really well now and she is walking around furniture. She is now beginning to use words such as hi, bye, mama, and dada and she is constantly waving.

I can't even imagine what life was like before she was with us. We are truly blessed!

Officially 3

2009-12-16T14:41:00.006-06:00

It's official! We readopted Nevaeh in our home state so now we are officially a family of three. Again, let me clarify, three humans that is. I cannot forget our beloved chocolate lab!!! (He has been with us for almost 12 years now.) Basically the hearing was just a formality, but we legally changed her name and we will now file for her certificate of citizenship. The judge was super easy going. As soon as we sat down, Nevaeh started grabbing for the microphone and she started blabbing loudly into it. The judge made a funny comment about her being shy so it really lightened things up for us. Not that this wasn't a happy occasion, but we were in court room, with a judge in a robe, a bailiff, and a court reporter. We had never been in a courtroom before. It all seemed so formal, until his comment. He said this hearing would be a snap after all we have gone through to bring her home. I told him she was worth every home visit, every piece of paperwork, every second of our wait, etc. The whole thing took about 15 minutes with the hearing, pictures, and paperwork. The judge even had three different stuffed animals Nevaeh could choose from. A moose, pig, and cow. She chose the pig.

Mother Nature Changed our Plans

2009-12-09T20:23:00.006-06:00

Nevaeh, today you turned 11 months old. We were going to celebrate by finalizing the adoption today in front of a judge. Mother Nature had other plans. We had our first HUGE snow storm of the season. 17 inches of snow fell upon us. Needless to say our court hearing was postponed. We spent most of the day digging out, but we were able to get you outside so you could see and touch snow for the very first time.

Two Months Home

2009-12-03T09:35:00.004-06:00

Yesterday marked two months being home with our beautiful daughter. We couldn't be more pleased with how things are going. She is happy and healthy and attachment seems to be going really well. I am just amazed at everything she has accomplished in the short time we have been home. She can sit up on her own, stand with some assistance, wave hello and goodbye, roll across an entire room, clap, play peekaboo, etc. She sleeps through the entire night and is now starting to eat "grown up" food such as toast, pancakes, waffles, cheese (a must for Wisconsin), pasta, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables. Her bottom front tooth just cut through last week with another one just about ready. She is genuinely a happy baby and she is just a joy to be around.

I am going back to work on December 21. This week she spent an afternoon at her daycare to help her with the transition once I do start working again. It was hard, and I would love to be a stay at home Mom, however, it's just not in the cards at this time. I think she will enjoy being around the other kids as she spent most of her life in a room full of noisy babies. They are going to put her in the "One Year Old" room so she won't have to transition to another room when she turns one in January.

Well, that's it for now. I am still trying to create a slide show detailing our trip but for some reason I am having trouble viewing certain video montages.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T09:53:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-18T21:11:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T20:23:00.002-06:00

We Made it Home!

2009-10-07T19:01:00.007-05:00

I don't even know where to begin. We had the most amazing trip and met some wonderful families. We returned home last Friday afternoon and since then we are adjusting to being a family of three (three humans that is). I don't have much time to write as our new duties as parents are keeping us extremely busy. In the coming days I will detail our trip and provide a slide show of pictures. Until then, here is our baby girl on her first walk around the neighborhood and another one of her chillin at home.

2009-09-23T09:34:00.002-05:00

Bags are packed and we are ready to go. There are 4 suitcases and two carry on bags. We are just about ready to head out. I can't believe it. We will soon be united with our daughter.

Where Was I???

2009-09-14T20:14:00.002-05:00

OK, breath. I have been going non-stop since we got the news that we are leaving on September 23 to pick up our daughter. Plane tickets are boughts, suitcases brought up from the basement, laundry getting done, packing has begun, and somewhere in all this chaos I was even able to try some Ethiopian food, although I have to say I am not a huge fan. We have been extremely busy getting everything ready for this trip of a lifetime, but I have to say I am lovin' every minute of it.

What Speed Bump?

2009-09-08T20:59:00.003-05:00

Just when I thought things were going to get delayed, they actually sped up. Today we received new travel dates. September 23. We are leaving to pick up our daughter in two weeks. TWO WEEKS!!!!

Turns out the blunder on our court decree really isn't that big of a deal, it was only a translation error and our agency is having it fixed. We were also notified of an earlier opening for travel and our specialist suggested we go for it!!!!! It all has to do with our expiration dates on paperwork at the US Embassy in Ethiopia and even though it seems tough pulling this trip together in two weeks, it could be more of an issue if we wait and go in October.

Needless to say, there are lists, lists, and more lists of things to do, errands to run, even a "honey do" list for Randy. My mind has been racing since we heard this news today.

Uh Oh...Speed Bump.

2009-09-07T17:10:00.002-05:00

We were moving right along in the right direction to finally pick up our daughter. Birth certificate received, medical exam at the embassy cleared, we even received tentative travel dates; then we hit a speed bump. Friday our specialist emailed me a copy of the court decree which was issued by the Ethiopian judge and much to my dismay I noticed it used words like "he" and "his". I immediately contacted my specialist to see what this all means. Unfortunately, at this point, no one seems to know. Worst case scenario, the judge will have to issue a new court decree. However, they are still on their holiday until October so that means a definite travel delay. Best case scenario, it doesn't matter and we can leave it as is. Of course this had to happen on a Friday afternoon of a holiday weekend so we won't know anything until sometime later this week. I have never been so anxious in my life for a weekend to finally be over.

Moving Right Along!

2009-08-24T21:02:00.002-05:00

YIPEE!!!! We received Nevaeh's birth certificate today. We are now waiting on her medical exam at the embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Should happen in the next couple weeks. Once she has cleared her exam, we should get tentative travel dates. Things are rolling right along. Here's one of my favorite pics of Little Nevee. I cannot wait to get a hold of this littly beauty.

Thank You!!!

2009-08-20T17:51:00.003-05:00

Thank you Kim for the wonderful message about our beautiful daughter. Kim and her family just returned home from Ethiopia and her baby boy shared a room with Nevaeh. They were able to play with her somewhat and she gave us a wonderful update. Someday soon I hope I can do the same for a family waiting to travel.

Thank you Kate and Stefani. Kate and Stefani have helped me keep my sanity during this crazy and wonderful journey like only others going through it can. It's amazing how close I feel to these women and I haven't even met them in person. Some day soon I hope that will all change.

And thank you to all our family and friends who have given us so much support, listened to me ramble on about things I probably repeated a million times, and for just being there.

Introducing....

2009-08-13T20:22:00.002-05:00

...Nevaeh Biruk. We got word today at 11:00 am that we passed court. Another step closer. Isn't she beautiful?

Court Date Tomorrow!!!!

2009-08-12T17:49:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is a huge day. Our case will go before the Ethiopian judge and if all goes well the judge will declare Randy and I the legal parents of Little Miss B. I'm not sure when we will hear the outcome, hopefully it will be sooner than later. I want to think that we may hear something tomorrow as by the time we will be getting up and heading to work, it will be the end of the day in Ethiopia. If not tomorrow, I hope Friday. I don't think I can make through the weekend not knowing.

We've Been Showered!

2009-08-10T17:37:00.016-05:00

My niece Cassidy.

Cassidy getting ready for the festivities.

Lots of good eats!

Cupcakes in the shape of a baby and rattles.

Ethiopia incorporated into the decorations.

I have such wonderful family and friends. It was really fun opening all the gifts. I can't wait for Little Miss B. to use them all.

One advantage of adopting, you can have a drink at your own baby shower.

An enormous thank you to these ladies, Lori, Sherri, Jody, Aunt Becky, and Stephanie for putting together such a wonderful shower.

Unexpected Surprise

2009-07-30T22:07:00.003-05:00

Next to holding her in my own arms, today we received the next best thing. Little Miss B's social report. It contained a ton of information about her including her latest measurements, temperament, sleeping and eating habits, etc., along with 20 plus photos. She has grown over 2 inches and gained 2 lbs since we received her referral. She is so beautiful, she has the biggest brown eyes and full pouty lips. I cannot wait to bring her home. Our court date is August 13, two weeks from today. I cannot post any pictures until the judge declares us as her legal parents, you will just have to take my word.

A Rollercoaster of Emotions

2009-07-15T21:47:00.002-05:00

Wow, it's been an up down last few weeks that's for sure. We were so happy to finally have received our referral, and even more thrilled to hear that it was pretty certain we would make it through courts before they closed for the rainy season. Then we hit a snafu, a really big snafu. Before we can get a court date, MOWA (Ministry of Women's Affairs) needs to issue a favorable opinion letter to the courts before a judge will even review our case. Last week we found out that MOWA decided to unexpectedly close for a couple of weeks to review some staffing issues. They are not expected to return until July 24. What this means is, we don't have a court date because we don't have a letter from MOWA. And once MOWA returns, then the judges will be going on their two month leave during the rainy season. I was devestated, I couldn't stand the thought of having to wait an extra two months because of the MOWA closure, and then because of the court closure.

Then I started to hear rumors. Rumors that maybe the judges would work through the rainy season. So I contacted our specialist, but she had heard nothing of the sorts. Again, my heart sank. For a few moments I thought there would be a chance.

Not three hours later my phone rang. I see it's our specialist. "Cheryl, it's Jill. I have some great news. You have a court date of August 13." As I was sitting at my desk and trying to listen to what Jill has to say, my feet are stomping, my arms are waving. Once again I am overjoyed and cannot believe it. One step closer. I guess the judges decided to stay on for a couple of extra weeks and there are several families from my agency that will also go before the judge on this day. Again, this is a tentative court date and things may change but it's step in the right direction. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that we all pass. After we pass, we wait for a Birth Certificate and then travel. Travel should be about 6-8 weeks after court. Hang on Little Miss B. We are getting closer!

You Are 6 Months Old Today!

2009-07-09T20:05:00.008-05:00

Dear Little Miss B,

Today you turn 6 months old. Although we are not yet together physically, know that we are together emotionally and spiritually. We are always thinking of you from the moment we wake up until the moment we go to sleep. We are amazed at how much we love you; how much we need you, even though we have not yet even met.

I Wish I Could Fit!!!

2009-07-06T17:22:00.003-05:00

Our agency allows us to send one care package to Little Miss B, however, it all has to fit into a one gallon size ziplock bag. We are sending a blanket, a small photo album, 5x7 pics of Randy and I, a small rattle, and a Brewers t-shirt. I wish there was someway I could fit into this small bag, I would send myself.

What's Next?

2009-07-01T19:35:00.005-05:00

Wow, what an overwhelming few weeks. I am still shocked and overjoyed by this news, I still cannot believe we received our referral for this beautiful, amazing, baby girl. I have to admit, I am struggling at work, it's been hard to focus on anything else but her. The support we have had from family, friends, and coworkers has been amazing.

The most common questions we have been receiving is what's next? When do you get to travel? Before we can get on that jet plane, a few things have to happen. First, our case needs to go before an Ethiopian judge. We are now waiting for our case to be scheduled in their court system. We are hoping and praying that we get scheduled prior to August 1. You see, as of August 1, the Ethiopian courts are closed for two months during the rainy season. If we don't get scheduled before then, it will be October before the courts re-open and just that much farther out our travel will be. We have been told by our agency that they are quite hopeful that we will make it. Once the judge declares us as her legal parents, then we wait for a birth certificate. Once that arrives, then we can schedule travel. If we make it before the court closure, I am hopeful we will travel in September.

People are also asking us about her circumstances that led her to be placed into the orphanage. This is something we are not going to share with anyone as this is her life, her story to tell if she so desires once she is old enough to understand.

For the sake of this blog, I will call her Little Miss B as I don't want to reveal her name until we pass court. As much as I want to show you all how beautiful she is, I also cannot post any pictures until then. You will just have to be patient and trust me when I say she is the most beautiful, precious, baby with a perfect pout and big brown eyes.

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!

2009-06-22T18:28:00.007-05:00

Last Friday, June 19, 2009, we received the call that we have been waiting to get for over 14 months. It was the call that changed our lives. At 3:30 pm I was at work when my cell phone started ringing. I noticed it was our social worker, but I just thought the call was something to do with our home study since it's about time to have it updated. I answered my phone and the first thing I heard was "It's a girl!" I for sure thought I was hearing things and I said "WHAT?" I think I said what a hundred times. Then after that, I think I said OMG a hundred times. Julie, she is our social worker, asked If I wanted to hear any more information. I said no, not without my husband. So I hung up with Julie, called Randy and tried to tell him the news, but I think I was crying at this point. I finally spit it out and said I was leaving work right then and there so we could speak with Julie together. I ran out the door like a crazy women and drove what seemed like the longest drive ever. I got home, hugged Randy, and then we sat down together and reviewed the referral as we spoke with Julie. She is a healthy and beautiful 5 month old baby girl. We cannot stop staring and studying her picture. What a wonderful Father's Day. Three days later and we are still in shock.

14 Months and then some....

2009-06-16T21:47:00.002-05:00

We hit our 14th month of waiting last week. 14 months. Never in a million years did I think we would still be waiting for our referral at this point. If we don't receive and accept a referral by the end of this week, we are quite certain our Ethiopian court hearing will not be scheduled until after the rainy season. During the rainy season, which runs from August - September, the courts are closed. What this means is we would have to wait an additional 2 months, already on top of the 12-16 weeks after referral, until we travel to pick up our son or daughter. I have been on edge all week as I am hoping and praying we hear some news. I spoke with our social worker today and she said she is very, very confident we will hear something soon. I am not sure what she meant by soon, as it seems we have been hearing this for some time now. Did she mean soon as in today, soon as in this week, soon as in this month? I jump every time my work or cell phone rings. My mind is constantly wandering, I am having a hard time focusing at work, I just want to know that this is really going to happen.

In Celebration of Mom

2009-05-28T21:10:00.008-05:00

As all you faithful readers, family and friends know, my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer this past year. In celebration of her, I decided to put a team together for our city's Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure which is being held this Saturday. I am excited to say we have 21 team participants including family and friends. We decided to do a play on words so our team name is "Creating Great Mammaries". So far we have raised about $1300. Just an update on my Mom, she had her last chemo treatment in March, and she is just about to finish her six weeks of radiation. As she says, she feels great from the waist up, however, she is struggling with tingling, numbness, and pain in her feet. She is having trouble walking and keeping her balance so she is currently using a cane. It's a common side effect from chemo, although her doctors have said it's rare to see it this bad. I love my mom of course, but I just want to say how much I admire her as a woman. She is so strong and I have never once heard her complain or ask "why me?" about this situation that has been dealt to her.

On the adoption front, referrals are very slow, in fact, we have a conference call with our agency next week to discuss the increased wait times. There have been a few referrals this month and we have now moved to number 6 on the unofficial list, however I am going to say 4 since two families in front of us are waiting for siblings. There was however, two long time waiting families that received sibling referrals this week. Great news for them since they have been waiting for almost 17 months.

No News

2009-05-11T21:09:00.004-05:00

Another Mother's day has come and gone and we still don't have any news. Last Saturday marked our 13th month of waiting. We are number 8 on the unofficial waiting list, but when people ask I say we are holding at number 5 since three families ahead of us our waiting for siblings.

We have been doing what we can to stay busy. I started a team to walk in our local Susan G. Komen Race for the cure on May 30. Recruiting teammates and pledges has kept my mind off of our referral somewhat. Last Saturday we built a small deck for the front of our house. Tomorrow is our 8th wedding anniversary so we are going to the Brewer game which is something we both love to do. I've said it before and I will say it again, we are blessed to have wonderful families and friends that have been there to support us during this time. The wait was fairly easy for us up until we hit our 10-11 month mark. Now it's getting downright difficult.

A Year and Counting....

2009-04-23T21:28:00.012-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we hit one year that we have been officially waiting for our referral. April 9, 2008 we got word from our agency that our all of our paper work was approved and we were officially put on the waiting list. At that time we thought our wait would be between 6-9 months. How things have changed. Our year "waitiversary" has passed, and it still seems like we have a ways to go. We are number 10 on the unofficial list, however, I say 7 as there are three families ahead of us waiting for siblings. Our social worker told us we are so close to our referral, it's just a matter of time before some infants come into care and are cleared for referral. Here is a great blog post called "The Weight of the Wait" written by another "waiting" mother. Please take the time to read it as she captures the essence of the "wait" so beautifully. http://www.mindful-mama.com/blogs/thrive/archive/2009/04/17/adoption-the-weight-of-the-wait.aspx

Some things NOT to Say.....

2009-04-05T20:20:00.003-05:00

...to adoptive parents. I have been wanting to post this for a while, not for the intentions of offending anyone, but just to make people aware of what they are saying.

Why do you have to pay so much for a baby?
Babies don't cost money, adoption costs money.
Your child is so lucky.
No, we are the lucky ones. How lucky is a child that is born into a situation where he/she cannot stay with his or her birth family?
There are so many kids needing homes here in the states, why another country?
Children all over the world need loving homes.
Now that you've adopted, you'll get pregnant.
Everyone has a story about how their co-worker's cousin's best friend got pregnant shortly after they adopted. The statistics show this really doesn't happen, and to me it implies that an adoptive child isn't as worthy as a biological child.

Golfing in March?????

2009-03-23T19:15:00.004-05:00

So yesterday Randy and I and another couple went golfing. Yes, golfing in Wisconsin on March 22. It was absolutely beautiful. The snow is completely gone, however, the grass is still brown. There are no leaves on the trees, and if your ball landed in the water, it would just sit atop of the ice. But days as nice as yesterday don't come around too often this time of year so it was wonderful to be able to swing the clubs. This weekend it's suppose to snow. The saying around here is "if you don't like the weather, stick around for five minutes."

Adoption news; we are now sitting at lucky number 13 on the "list". I know we are so close to getting our referral; it's driving me nuts. Since my last post we hit 11 months of officially waiting. I am doing what I can to keep busy. This weekend I am going out of town with the girls, we are heading up to the Dells for the weekend. There will be lots of food, drink, and a ton of laughs.

Your're So Vain

2009-03-05T20:39:00.003-06:00

Well, it has been a while. I don't really have a reason as to why I haven't posted in a while, I guess some of it may be because I am on a computer all day long at work, sometimes the last thing I want to do is come home and be on the computer. Another reason may be that I just don't think my blog is that good. I have been reading some really great blogs and mine is just, well, kind of boring. OK, really boring. For all I know, no one is reading this thing anyway. Well, I know I have some family and friends that read it, so I will continue on.

Since my last post, we had several families pass thru court. This means that in the eyes of the Ethiopian government, that child is legally theirs. The kiddos were absolutely adorable and I thank those families that have shared pictures. Also, some families had their court dates moved up from May to April so that is wonderful news as well. Not sure why, but all the sooner these families can be united. And on the referral front, we have moved up another three places on the "list" so we are sitting at 15. I heard from my specialist this week that more referrals are going out during the month of March, however, she doesn't know when or how many.

Today a great discussion was had on my agency's forum about using hair appliances such as a blow dryer or flat iron when at the guest house in Ethiopia. (The guest house is where we will stay while in country). I for one, cannot live without my blow dryer. I am just that vain. I heard stories about sparks flying out, adapters blowing up, losing all power in the building due to blow dryers, etc. I guess I'd better save some room in my luggage for bandannas, head bands, hats, you name it. Maybe I will try one of those travel blow dryers that has the duel voltage. Who knows, I will probably have more important things on my mind that week that I won't even think about my hair.

OK, It's Getting Tough

2009-02-17T21:47:00.003-06:00

Well, I have to admit, the wait is becoming more difficult by the day. It must be the closer we get to referral, the more excited and anxious we get. Today I damn near had a heart attack. I was in a meeting at work and when I got back to my desk, I saw an email from my specialist. My heart started pounding, she never emails me out of the blue...something must be up. Well, nothing was up, she was just checking in and wanted to go over the time lines with us once more. Nothing has changed, we were told to still expect 12 months give or take until referral, which for us will be the first part of April, and then another 16 weeks until travel, which will be sometime in August. I really appreciate her checking in, and I have to remember we still have several weeks before referral. I shouldn't jump every time she needs to contact us.

All in all, as I have said before, the wait has gone by pretty fast. A lot has happened to our family over this past year. We lost my Grandfather last February, our dog had surgery to remove a tumor, my niece was born in April, my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in August, I turned 40 in September, the holidays came and went, my Grandmother broke her hip a few weeks ago, and well, I guess that brings us up to date. I can just imagine what this year will bring us!!!!!!!

Finally Taking Shape

2009-02-15T10:17:00.009-06:00

Last week our baby furniture arrived and over the week we were able to put it together. I did most of it; believe it or not I am the more handy one when it comes to this kind of stuff. Randy did help a lot when it came to needing 4 hands, tightening screws, etc. You can also see our new carpeting we had installed last month. I know we have a long ways to go, but I don't think I am going to go much further until we know if we are having a boy or girl. I have looked and looked at gender neutral bedding and nursery decor, but I think I want to do girly girl if it's a girl, and boyish boy if it's a boy. Also, this will help pass the time between referral and travel, which by the way will probably be more stressful than waiting for referral.

Speaking of referral, we haven't heard much this past week. Still holding at number 18 on the unofficial list. This past week we hit the 10 month mark of officially waiting. We are still being told to expect right around a 12 month waiting mark but I have this feeling that it will be longer. I am solely basing this on the list activity and hopefully I am wrong. The closer we get, the more I day dream about getting that call. The call that will change our lives forever.

We Cracked the Top 20!

2009-02-05T19:18:00.004-06:00

I cannot believe it. Today we are number 18 on the "unofficial" list. Last April we started at number 103. I have talked with both our social worker and our CHS specialist and they are still advising us of a 12 month wait. That is only 2 months away. 2 months away from finally seeing that beautiful little face. We are getting so excited. We finally ordered our baby furniture and it should be here tomorrow. We are busy Friday and Saturday so hopefully Sunday we will be able to put it together and get them set up in the baby's room. Wow, to even say the "baby's" room is something special for us.

Can I Cook?

2009-01-29T20:20:00.002-06:00

Today is Randy's birthday. All he wanted to do tonight was stay home, relax, have a nice dinner, and a few cocktails. I really wanted to make him something special for dinner. So I asked him what I could cook for him. I told him I would make anything he wanted. Can you believe all he wanted was Tater Tot Casserole? Maybe I am not as good a cook as I think I am.

Nothing much new to report on the adoption front. Hopefully the next batch of referrals will be coming through in the next couple of weeks. I would like to offer my apologies for those families who did not pass court this week. I don't think it was anything to do with paperwork, it's just some of the government offices moved into different buildings so their appointments were rescheduled, however, most of them didn't get rescheduled until March. Hugs to those families and here's to praying they make it through court next time.

Proud to be an American

2009-01-20T17:45:00.001-06:00

No, No, I am not going into the song. However, I am extremely proud today. That's it, enough said.

Finally a Nursery?

2009-01-19T20:15:00.003-06:00

Well, we finally put new carpeting in what will be the baby's room. We picked it out a couple of weekends ago and they came and installed it last week. I just love it. Our next step is to buy some baby furniture. I think I know exactly what I want so it's just a matter of taking the next step and buying it. I cannot believe it's actually starting to happen. Once we get some furniture, it will really sink in. It's just so hard to believe that this is truly happening after so much heartache. I mean, I know we are still a few more months away from referral, and then a few more months after that, but it seems like no time at all when you consider how long we have been trying to add to our family.

Not much to report on this week regarding referrals. We are at number 25 on the "list" so we are inching our way to the top. I have heard the next batch probably won't be here until early February. I am however, hopeful that the families waiting for court dates will hear some news real soon.

9 Months and Counting

2009-01-11T22:15:00.003-06:00

Last Friday Randy and I hit the nine month waiting mark. When we started this process well over a year ago, I was certain we would at least have had our referral by now. But, if it's one thing we have learned through this whole process, it's to expect change and to be patient. I have to be honest, the wait for us is going by fast. I cannot believe it's been nine months. Not to mention we are not even close to being ready. I wonder though, maybe I am OK with it because I know we are in the home stretch. We should have less than three months to go before we can see our baby's face. Oh, we did do something constructive this weekend, we finally bought carpeting for the baby's room and it will be installed on Wednesday. I cannot wait. It's really starting to hit me that soon we will be parents.

Oh, that's me with my new hair color.

New Year, New Do!

2009-01-06T16:26:00.002-06:00

Well, I have been wanting to do this for a while now, but I finally decided it was time to change up my hair color. I have been wanting to go to a dark color so I took the plunge and I now have reddish brown hair. I would say it's kind of drastic since I was so blonde for so long. So far I just love it. I went to a new stylist and she did a wonderful job.

I have to give a big shout out to my blogger friend Cathy who received her referral today. I have been following her blog from the beginning and I am just so happy for her. Her and her husband also live somewhat close to us so someday I hope we can meet her and her family. There were other referrals this week as well so we have moved up the unofficial list to number 27. There are several families ahead of us waiting for siblings so really we are like number 19.

Just a quick update on my Mom, she is still tolerating treatment pretty well. She has ten weeks of chemo and six weeks of radiation left. She had a little rough spell over the holidays but is now feeling much better. Still hoping and planning on her taking the trip to Ethiopia with us.

It's Been a While

2008-12-28T15:31:00.002-06:00

Wow, what a busy couple of weeks. Last weekend we had my husband's family over to celebrate the holidays. It was a bit cramped in our home but I think everything turned out just great. We were concerned about the weather, which by the way ended our celebration early, but everyone made it to and from our house safely.

We spent Christmas Eve and day with my side of the family, my Grandma cooked the most delicious prime rib. That reminds me of a Christmas a few years ago, the last time we had prime rib on Christmas. My Grandpa was grilling the prime rib outside on a gas grill (even though we live in Wisconsin we grill outside all year long). He had it sort of slow cooking on very low heat so he wasn't' watching the grill at all times. He went outside to check on it, and he very calmly asks for my uncle. Low and behold, the grill was on fire and the garage was full of smoke. My uncle turned the gas off, put the fire out, and managed to miraculously save the prime rib. No one was hurt, well, except for the gas grill which was done for. We finished cooking the prime rib in the oven, and it was delicious.

I also was able to catch two movies over this past holiday weekend. My 16 year old niece and I went and saw the Benjamin Buttons movie which was pretty good. It's super long and kind of slow, but it was neat watching Brad Pitt go from a baby who was 80 back to an 80 year old baby. It was great spending the time with my niece as I don't get to see her as often as I would like as she lives a few hours away. We then saw Marley and Me, which is the saddest movie I have ever seen in my life. I read the book, I knew what was coming, but it just was unbearable. I was literally sobbing for the last half hour of the movie, and not to mention a couple parts in the middle as well. I always said Steel Magnolias was the saddest movie I have ever seen, but this takes the cake.

Cassidy, my 8 month old niece, celebrated her first Christmas this year. She was much more interested in wrapping paper and boxes than she was in opening her own presents. Next year she will be almost two and should really be into the present thing. She will also have a new cousin, and I was constantly daydreaming about how Christmas would be like next year. Oh, speaking of presents, I am writing this to you from one of our gifts we received this year, a new office chair that also has a massager. That's why this post is so long cuz I don't want to get up from this chair.

We are now number 32 on the unofficial list. One referral went out the 2nd half of December but we are hoping for a new batch of referrals the first part of January. Here's to hoping for quick referrals to the top of the list waiters.

Helpful Hubby!

2008-12-17T21:40:00.005-06:00

Whew, it's been a busy week for us. This weekend we are hosting Christmas for Randy's side of the family. We have been busy cleaning, grocery and Christmas shopping, and not to mention removing snow from our driveway, sidewalks, and front stoop. I have to mention what a wonderful hubby I have as he has been a huge help, doing all the laundry this week, and he even cleaned out our pantry, just started cleaning it without me even having to ask him. He'll even be more busy if we get the 9-12 inches of snow they are predicting for Friday. Hopefully the snow storm won't put a damper on our Christmas plans.

Congrats goes out to all the families that made it through the Ethiopian courts this week. Wow, what a beautiful group of kiddos. Here's to hoping their birth certificates and travel plans come quickly. We are still number 33 on the "list" and I don't expect any movement before the new year.

We made a little progress on what is to become the baby's room. We cleared everything out of the room, tore up the old carpeting and carpet pad, and filled in the nail holes that were in the wall. The next step is to paint and get new flooring. Then we can start thinking about getting some furniture set up. Once we get through the holidays I hope to really get going.

What a Day

2008-12-09T21:05:00.004-06:00

Today was quite a day. Of course I have to mention the snow storm that hit us. Every school in the area was closed, even Madison Public Schools, and they never close. Today was also chemo day for my Mom so we braved the weather and made it to her appointment. It was important to her, and me for that matter, that we made it as it was sort of a turning point in her treatment. She is officially half way through her chemotherapy, and today marked the last dose of what we call the red, evil, drug. Athough she still has 12 weeks to go, the chemo drugs she will now be taking have less serious side effects and should be more tolerable. I have really learned what a strong woman my Mom is. She has faced this disease and treatment head on, not once feeling sorry for herself, and always putting others before her.

So this brings me to the next interesting part of my day. As Mom and I were talking about our adoption, her oncologist asked where we are adopting from. Turns out, the oncology psychiatrist adopted a baby from Ethiopia as well so he sent her over to visit with Mom and I. Because of the snow storm, all her appointments canceled so she spent a lot of time with us, talking about her experiences and even showing us tons of pictures. She used the same agency we are using and could not say enough wonderful things about her whole experience. She adopted an infant and she is now a beautiful three year old toddler. After talking with her and seeing her pictures, it really does seem to be worth the wait.

Speaking of wait, today marks our 8 month anniversary of officially waiting. I have to say, the closer we get to referral, the more anxious I get. My mind is constantly wandering, could our future son or daughter already be born? I think about his or her birth family and wonder what they must be going through.

That Was Quick!

2008-12-08T19:30:00.002-06:00

Wow, our passports arrived in the mail last Friday. It took exactly one week. One more thing to cross off the "to do" list.

Last week a batch of referrals went out. We are now #33 on the "unofficial" list. Our case worker told me on Friday not to expect any news on our referral before the 12 month mark which is what we were expecting. I just hope it doesn't get any longer. I did some number crunching and with the average number of referrals per month versus the number of people I believe to be waiting, it seems our wait will go way past the one year mark. I really hope not. For some reason I am prepared to wait a year, but I don't think I could handle much longer than that.

World AIDS Day

2008-12-01T20:18:00.012-06:00

Today is World AIDS Day and I have to admit, it has much more meaning for me this year. Not only have I learned so much about Ethiopia and the culture, but I have also learned the devasting affects this pandemic has on this part of the world. If you have some time, please visit here to view this website. It's about an amazing woman in Ethiopia who opened her home to AIDs orphans. It also has some very interesting facts, photos, and links to other wonderful organizations.

Nothing much new to report on the adoption front. Randy and I finally applied for our passports, and we have an appointment in January with the travel clinic. We both have had our hepatitis vaccinations, but I am sure there will be more to come. We are currently number 38 on the "unofficial" list, but today I counted seven families ahead of us that are waiting for siblings, so really I guess you could say we are around 31.

Tis the Season....

2008-11-24T18:12:00.005-06:00

...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

2008-11-17T19:59:00.004-06:00

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

2008-11-11T18:52:00.002-06:00

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

2008-11-05T09:55:00.002-06:00

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

2008-11-04T21:25:00.003-06:00

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!!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2008-10-29T20:31:00.011-05:00

I love, or used to love, to dress up for Halloween. I haven't done so in the last couple of years but here are some past costumes.

My girlfriends and I dressing up like the Pink Ladies. That's me as Frenchie. Looks like we are all having a little sneaky peek to get the party started!

My husband and I another year. He dressed up like Ozzy Osborne, he looked great. I was just dressed up in a wig and make up. I think I even had leather pants on.
I have even added some "holiday" themed music for your listening pleasure. Hope everyone has a haunted, I mean, Happy Halloween!

Holding Steady at 41

2008-10-22T21:13:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month we saw quite a few referrals so now we are number 41 on the "unofficial" list. We have been holding steady here for a few weeks now and I am not sure when the next batch of referrals will be going out. We also heard from our agency that they have signed agreements with two additional orphanages in Ethiopia so in theory, it seems referrals will speed up. Our specialist told us she is not sure how this will impact referral wait times as this agreement was recently signed. I am torn as I am so anxiously waiting to finally meet our baby, however, I so desperately want my Mom to be able to travel with us, so if we have to wait the full 12 months, then we can wait.

We finally started the initial stages of getting the baby's room ready. We moved our office into the other bedroom so now we can paint, put in new carpeting, and even get some baby furniture. It's all so exciting. I have no idea how I am going to decorate it at this point, but I am positive things will fall into place.

I've Been Tagged!

2008-10-16T18:58:00.005-05:00

I have been tagged by a fellow blogger. Here are 7 things about me:

1. I don't like condiments. I always special order my food so it never contains ketchup, mayonnaise, tarter sauce, etc. My friends call me Plain Jane.

2. When I was young, I wanted to be a rock star. I even took bass guitar lessons because I was sure I was going to be in a rock band. Obviously, that didn't pan out.

3. I always wear "press-on" fingernails. I have a bad habit of biting my nails so if I have the fake ones on, I cannot bite them. I used to have them done professionally every other week but now I am on a budget.

4. Right now I have some pink hair extensions in my hair. My hair salon was doing a breast cancer fundraiser and I love pink so why not. It kind of goes with the wanting to be a rock star doesn't it?

5. I have 100 nicknames for my dog Zuko. It just kind of happens, one nickname leads to another, and I will holler one out randomly.

6. I have never lived more than 20 miles from where I grew up. I thought being a rock star would eventually allow me to live in other parts of the world.

7. I do not like other people's feet. Don't ever ask me to rub your feet, and don't touch my feet. Don't let your feet even touch my feet under a table, I totally freak out.

So there are 7 weird things about me. Now I am suppose to tag 7 other bloggers, however, I don't think I know that many so I will tag a few. Also, some of the blogs I read have already been tagged.

Kris http://kfredfamily.blogspot.com/

Mamasweetpea http://www.sweetpeasandsunshine.blogspot.com/

Stacey http://moobearsmom.blogspot.com/

Shelby http://inthebigwoo.blogspot.com/

Oh, here is a picture of me with my pink hair. Fun isn't it?

6 Months and Counting....

2008-10-09T21:33:00.002-05:00

Today Randy and I hit the 6 month waiting mark. I have to say, the wait has not been too bad on us. Referrals started going out this week and right now on the "unofficial" list, we are at 46. It's great to see them pick up since we only saw a few referrals trickle through over the summer. Last week we were at 51 so things have started to move again. I am so happy for all those families that have been waiting almost a year.

This weekend I am going out of town with "the girls." There will be about 10 of us. It's our annual weekend trip and I cannot wait to get done with work tomorrow and get on the road. I hope to leave around 1:00. Lots of laughs, food, and drink. We are staying in a really nice cabin on a lake about an hour north of here, and the weather is suppose to be unseasonably warm which will make this a perfect weekend. I am sure I will have some fun "blogging" material after this weekend.

Addition to my blog

2008-10-05T21:16:00.006-05:00

You may have noticed I added music to my blog. So far I have only added a few songs as it took me a while to figure out how to add the mixpod. I didn't pick these song for any particular reason except that I like them and they are some of the more "mellow" songs from my playlist. If you don't care to listen you can scroll down the page and hit the play/pause button just as you would for an iPod. I will continue to add songs in the coming weeks to add a little variety.

The Season is Over

2008-10-05T18:52:00.016-05:00

Well the Brewer season is over. Unfortunately we lost today to the Philadelphia Phillies so they took the series 3 games to 1. We were lucky enough to be able to attend the playoff game yesterday which they won. It was so exciting. The stadium was full to capacity and everyone was having such a great time. Even though we didn't win the series, we can at least say we played longer than our rivals, the Chicago Cubs, who were swept in 3 games. Here we are tailgating before the game with our good friends Robb and Sherri. They were the ones who had the tickets and they were so nice to ask us to go. And no, the guys didn't plan on wearing the same shirts, it just happened.

On the adoption front, it looks like the referrals will finally pick up. There were a couple last week and we have heard that our agency is getting ready for more referrals in the upcoming week. I am hoping the families that have hit the 11 month mark of waiting will finally be introduced to their children they have been long awaiting.

As you can see, I have changed the template of my blog. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I thought it would be only fitting to have the pink layout. I do this in honor of my Mother who is so bravely fighting this disease.

The Wait is Over!!!

2008-09-29T20:51:00.003-05:00

Ok, now that I have your attention, sorry for misleading you all. The wait I am talking about here is the long wait fans had to endure until our beloved Milwaukee Brewers made it to the post season for playoffs. Sunday they clinched a wild card berth and it's the first time they will play in the post season since 1982. Just to remind how you long ago that was, here are some things that were happening in 1982:

Cost of Living:
Average Cost of new house $82,200.00
Average Income per year $21,050.00
Average Monthly Rent $320.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas 91 cents
New Car Average price $7,983.00
US Postage Stamp 20 cents

Events:
The First Issue of USA Today is published
Disney Futuristic Park EPCOT ( Experimental Community Of Tomorrow )is opened
Tylenol capsules laced with potassium cyanide kill 7 in Chicago
Doctors performed the first implant of a permanent artificial heart designed by Robert Jarvik
Work begins on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC
Michael Jackson releases Thriller

Popular Films:
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Rocky III,
On Golden Pond
Porky's
An Officer and a Gentleman
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Poltergeist
Annie
Chariots of Fire
Gandhi

Popular Music:
Human League with " Don't You Want Me "
Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder with " Ebony and Ivory "
Olivia Newton-John
Steve Miller band With " Abracadabra "
Survivor with " Eye of The Tiger "
Chicago with " Hard to Say I'm Sorry "
Lionel Richie
Michael Jackson

Popular TV Shows:
Magnum, P.I.
Dynasty
Falcon Crest
Hill Street Blues
Knight Rider

Things sure have changed in the last 26 years. With all the bad news we seem to be hearing lately, it's nice to have this one bright spot to look forward too. And by the way, I am fortunate enough to be heading to the first ever playoff game at Miller Park!!!!!! Go BREWERS!!!

The BIG 4-0

2008-09-22T22:06:00.007-05:00

Last Friday I turned 40. Wow, that is hard to say. I am not sure why, I have been saying it for the last two years just trying to prepare myself. I don't feel 40, at least not on most days. I celebrated like I was in my twenties, staying out way to late!!!!! Maybe 40 IS the new 30. I read an article last week called "The Magic of Turning 40" which made me feel somewhat better. Here is an excerpt:

"It is true, certain things may never happen at 40. It is unlikely that Playboy will want you as their centrefold, just as the likelihood of ever being a grandma fades. While you cannot turn back time “turning 40” suggests something exciting! The simple phrase “turning” means you can turn into anything you want to be. You can turn to anything that you want to. It also means you can turn on your passion, turn on your greatness, turn the page, turn the corner and move on! You are halfway through life, but you still have the second half. No matter where you are in your life, there are no rules where you should be. It doesn’t matter whether you are happily married, single or divorced 5 times. It doesn’t matter if you have too many children, enough or none. It doesn’t even matter if you are highly educated; college educated or barely finished high school. At 40, the doors are wide open and you can still do anything you want. "

You can become a doctor or lawyer and still have time left to practice

You can fall in love like a teenager and still have the time to grow up

You can marry a younger man without first having a facelift

You can have your first wedding anniversary

You can have children and still have the time to raise them

You can shop at Victoria Secret without looking silly

You can move to another country and still have the time to make it your home

You can take up a new sport without worrying about arthritis

You lived long enough to be sure about some things

You can say what you want and others will listen

You can still have fun without being medicated

You can do something that you have never done in your life

This goes out to all the women who are facing 40. So far it hasn't been too bad. And remember this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ~ "WOO HOO, what a ride!"Author Unknown

Everything DOES happen for a reason

2008-09-15T21:41:00.006-05:00

Most of you by now know from reading my blog or from us talking about it, that our referral wait times have more than likely increased to 12 months. This means we are not likely get a referral until April of 2009, and then travel will occur around the months of July or August 2009. Athough this is something we didn't want to hear, it doesn't come much as a surprise as we were told up front from our adoption agency that the world of international adoption is constantly changing. And as it turns out, this may be a much better time for us to travel.

See in recent weeks, we learned that my mother has breast cancer. She has gone through two surgeries, and we just found out last week that her treatment will now include 6 months of chemotherapy and after that, six weeks of radiation. Depending on when she starts treatment, it will likely be June or July before it's completed. Because we are very close and she is one of my best friends, I always imagined her in the delivery room when I had a baby. I still imagine her being there, it's just in a different way now. It was a no brainer to ask her to come with us when we travel to Ethiopia. She has been preparing just as we have, getting shots, getting her passport, etc. So in the midst of learning about all she will have to endure in the next few months, she turns to me and says "See, this is why your referral has been pushed out. Now I will be able to travel with you!" So, I just want to say thank you Mom, for all that you do, all that you have done. For worrying about all of us, when you have so much on your plate. You are right, everything does happen for a reason.

5 Down......

2008-09-09T18:15:00.007-05:00

Today marks our 5 month anniversary of officially waiting for our referral. I'd like to say that we are half way through, but based on some communications we recevied from our agency, we are not quite there yet. Last Friday we received word that we can expect a 12 month wait for an infant referral. I am somewhat torn, I feel sad that we will have to wait longer for our baby, however, maybe this means that situations in Ethiopia are allowing children to remain with their birth families. We are not sure of the reasoning for the slow down, it actually could be a number of things. I am not going to dwell on it, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, so if this is how it's suppose to be, then so be it. We will use this time to continue to prepare and educate ourselves, and Randy and I are so blessed to have wonderful family and friends to help us stay busy as well.

In other news, it was great to see Aaron Rodgers lead the Packers to their first win in the post Favre era. Let's hope the Brewers can find a way to get their bats hot again so they can stay alive in the wild card race. Bowling has started, Randy and I belong in a couple's league. It's actually quite a fun way to spend an evening together with friends during the long, cold, Wisconsin winters. We both just wrapped up our golf leagues. It's too bad the golf season is so short, it would be nice if the seasons were flipped flopped and golf was as long as the bowling season, and bowling was as long as the golf season, but alas, that cannot happen in this climate. And of course, the Badger Football team is off to a 2-0 start, that reminds me, a year ago today we were in Las Vegas cheering the Badgers on as they played UNLV. Well, it was actually a year ago yesterday. Here is a picture of all of us at the tailgate party before the game, and then another picture of all the fans pouring into the UNLV stadium. Look at the long winding road of red!!! It's hard to believe this was an away game played 1500 miles away. I swear, every single Badger fan must have made the trip.

List Obsessed!

2008-09-04T20:56:00.004-05:00

Number 51. That's where we are on the "unofficial" list for those of us waiting for a referral from our agency. Not everyone participates in the list, I have been told that approximately 40% do. So in reality we are probably around 127. Keep in mind, some of the families ahead of us are not all waiting for infants like Randy and I. Some are waiting for slightly older children, some are waiting for twins or siblings, and we all have different requirements as far as what health conditions we are willing to accept. Keeping all this in mind, it's hard to know exactly where we stand. When we were first approved and officially waiting back in April, we started at 101 so we have had significant movement. Just not in the last few months due to court closure. I am obsessed with this list and I check it every day. We have been at 51 for some time now.

So far we have not seen any referrals in the month of September. Next week it's the Ethiopian New Year and I hear many folks go on holiday so I am not too optimistic about seeing any next week either. It may be closer to October. Good thing I have tons of stuff to keep me busy and hopefully take my mind off the "list" for a while.

Who Knew?

2008-09-02T20:52:00.014-05:00

Just got done working out on our Bowflex machine and it reminded me of an interesting fact our social worker told me last winter. We were giving her the grand tour of our home and she notices the machine. She instantly says, "Did you know an Ethiopian invented the Bowflex?" I had no idea. His name is Dosho Shifferaw and he is an Ethiopian immigrant who came to the United States 24 years ago. Click here to read more on this story. Hmm, I wonder why it wasn't until now, September, that I was reminded of this little known but very interesting fact. It hasn't been that long since I worked out has it????

Random Thoughts

2008-08-28T20:08:00.004-05:00

Things are finally starting to feel routine again after our vacation last week. I tell ya, I almost need to take a vacation from my vacation. Randy and I kept thinking that this was probably our last trip before we become parents. Every time we did something up north we imagined what it will be like next year when we will have our baby with us. We wondered how the drive would be with a little one. Instead of cranking up the tunes, singing along, and pretending we know how to play the guitar and drums instead will we be working hard to stay quiet in case of a napping baby? Will we have enough room in our vehicle to pack everything since the two of us seem to fill it plump full? And yes, the two of us had a plump full minivan. And yes, I drive a minivan already. Whose turn is it to get up early in the morning when baby is ready to get up? Who gets to go fishing while the other stays back? We talk about these things with huge smiles on our faces as it stirs up so much excitement and anticipation.

I promised myself after we got home from vacation I was going to start working on the baby's room, but I can't do anything until we can find someone to install some phone jacks and a cable outlet in our third bedroom. We are going to move our office into the spare bedroom because it's bigger, so the office will become the baby's room, and the spare bedroom will be, well, a spare bedroom and an office. Sounds like more work but at least this way we will be able to still have the extra bed set up. Also the smaller room (office) has a better closet that has organizers installed so that is another reason I think this will make for a better nursery. All this talk just makes me so nervous because all of a sudden I feel like we are so far behind. I know we have several more months of waiting, and then more until we travel, but so far the wait has gone rather quickly for us. Summer helped, and now fall is on the way and that means the holiday season will be upon us, and boom. Pretty soon we will be celebrating the new year. OK, I guess I am jumping the gun a bit here. But the holidays will be here before we know it.

I finally got caught up on my forum that I read. Not much seemed to happen while we were gone. Since I check the forum several times a day, and I wasn't able to while on vacation, I thought maybe I'd get home to see lots of referrals. No luck. Here's to hoping they will start up in September.

I'm Back!!!!

2008-08-24T22:02:00.004-05:00

Sorry, it has been over a week since my last post, but for very good reason. Randy and I were on vacation in the North Woods of Wisconsin and we didn't have access to the Internet. It was our annual vacation we take every year with some very good friends of ours and their kids. We stay in a cabin on a beautiful lake and spend our days boating, eating, fishing, eating, swimming, oh, did I mention eating? We even manage to sneak in a few cocktails as well. The week went by so fast and I am really depressed about going back to work tomorrow. We were anxious to get home to see Zuko however, as we missed him terribly. Unfortunately, we were not able to bring him due to cabin rental rules, which is totally understandable, so off to the boarding kennel he went. He received an A+ for great behavior and they said he played very well all day long with the other dogs. I think he was happy to get home as well.

PEEVED!

2008-08-15T21:45:00.006-05:00

My biggest pet peeves:

1. Not using a blinker when turning. Is it that tough?

2. People doing their entire banking through the drive through. If it's something that is going to take longer than five or ten minutes, please go in the lobby.

3. Bum wheel on a shopping cart. Why do I always get these carts?

4. People talking on their cell phone while driving. Please pay attention to the road!!!!! (I am guilty of this, but I make every effort not to.)

5. Never getting a live person on the phone anymore. I must have hit 37 options before a real live person came on the line when inquiring about my internet service.

Whew! Thanks for reading. I just needed to get some things off my chest. I had a long and stressful week so I am really glad the weekend is finally here. I can't wait to have an ice cold Bud Light!

I have been super busy this week so I haven't had a ton of time to read my adoption forum. Nothing knew on our end, just waiting for the referrals to pick up again in September. Good luck to all those on the top of the "list". Hopefully your referral is right around the corner.

Finally Some Action?

2008-08-13T22:14:00.005-05:00

Good news, we heard from our agency that referrals will start to pick up once again starting September 1 in anticipation of the Ethiopian courts reopening in early October. This is wonderful especially for those families that have been waiting nine plus months. I wish them speedy referrals and court dates so they can finally be united with their children.

I received a call last week that my books finally arrived so I headed back to the book store to pick them up. Unfortunately, only one was there, even though on the phone they said bookS. They were kind enough, after I complained slightly, to give me a 10% discount on the book yet to arrive. Today the second one arrived so I went back for the third time, and now I can finally say I have both books in hand. I have started There Is No Me Without You and can honestly say once I start reading, it's hard to put this book down.

I do know one thing for sure, I will from now on buy all my books from Amazon.

Half Way?

2008-08-10T21:01:00.002-05:00

Sunday night already. Where does the weekend go? Saturday was four months to the day that we have been officially waiting for our referral. I'd like to say that we have hit the half way mark but I have noticed there are some families that have hit the nine month mark. Referral activity has been quite slow, almost non-existant. This isn't a surprise to us as we were told that during the rainy season in Ethiopia, courts are closed and referrals are not usually made, and it's currently the rainy season. The reasoning behind this is so that families don't sit with a referral and wait extra months to get through court. If there is one thing that is more difficult than waiting for a referral, it's waiting to bring your child home once you know who that child is. At least that's what I have heard from families who have received their referrals. Court is usually closed from August through September and then re-opens again in October. So hopefully in September we will see some referral activity in anticipation of courts re-opening.

Happy Birthday!

2008-08-06T08:25:00.005-05:00

Today is Zuko's 10th birthday. I look at these pictures and I cannot believe he was ever this small. I have to say I do miss the days when I was able to pick him up and hold him in my lap, but I don't miss "puppyhood" behavior. I mean "puppyhood" is fine when they are small, but labs grow fast and although physically he was an adult, in his mind he was a puppy until he was about 3 years old. Sorry about the quality, these pcitures were taken before I owned a digital camera.

I think about the years we have had with Zuko and they have been wonderful. He has been very heathly and we have not had any problems besides an occassional ear infection. Oh, when we moved into our home, he decided to go check out the neighborhood and he did run into a chow that didn't like him much. That ended with a trip to the vet's office but nothing serious. This year he did have a tumor removed from his hind leg and thankfully it turned out to be a benign tumor. The hardest part about that was keeping him from licking his stitches. He ended up wearing a cone and still managed to rip them out. The vet decided to leave them out so his incision just took a bit longer to heal.

Later today we will celebrate with lots of treats, a walk around the neighborhood, and maybe a dip in his favorite swimming hole. Happy Birthday Zuko! Momma and Dad love you tons!

New or Used?

2008-08-03T12:59:00.004-05:00

I finally hit some garage sales this weekend thinking that maybe I would find some nice, slightly used, big ticket baby items. There was plenty to choose from, in fact, my mother bought some nice things to have at her house when the grandbabies visit. But for some reason I thought "I deserve to get new things for my baby." I am not sure why I feel this way, I guess because my husband and I have been wanting for this for so many years and I feel like everyone else bought new stuff, now it's finally our turn. I know this probably sounds ridiculous and it's hard getting my point across. I have had many people tell me how fast they will grow out of things and there is no need to spend so much money on new things, but I guess I will have to find this out on my own. Maybe in a few years I will be giving out the same advice.

On another note, Randy and I went to a wedding this weekend. Bought a card, put some cash in it, dropped it off in the card box at the wedding, and for some odd reason, I realized Sunday morning we forgot to sign the card. DUH!!!! I am not even sure why I remembered that we didn't sign it and why the heck didn't we sign it? Well, I got in touch with the best man and told him what happened. I told him if they got a card with $500.00 and it wasn't signed, it was from us. Just kidding, but I did call him and explained what happend, described the card, and what was in it.

What are the odds?

2008-07-30T22:18:00.002-05:00

I hate to say it, but I am not much of a reader. Don't get me wrong, I love to read the paper, I love to read celebrity magazines, but as far as sitting down to read a book, that just doesn't happen too often. The last book I read was Deanna Favre's book, Don't Bet Against Me, and before that, It was Marley and Me. Earlier this week, I decided to go buy two books, There is no me Without You, a story about an Ethiopian widow who opens her home to hundreds of AIDs orphans, and I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World: A Guide for Parents and Teachers, about, well the title explains it. I have really been wanting to read both these books and I am not sure why I waited so long. Anyway, as you probably figured, I don't know my way too well around a book store, a major chain I may add, so I asked the clerk to help me. He looked up the first book, and what do you know, out of stock. So I asked him to see if the 2nd book was available, and of course, it wasn't. That too was out of stock. I just thought it was kind of ironic that the one day a year I head into a book store with two choices, both of them are out of stock. Needless to say, I am waiting for a call as they are ordering both books for me. They should be here next week. I can't wait to start reading!!!!

Girls Night In

2008-07-27T16:38:00.004-05:00

Meet my niece, Cassidy Clare. Isn't she the most precious thing you've ever seen? I have never seen more perfect features. She was three months old on July 25. Saturday night her dad, who happens to be my brother, and my husband attended a bachelor party that headed to the Brewer game so I spent the evening with Cassidy and her mom Stephanie. It was nice to bond with her, and I am learning so much about babies. I cannot wait until she meets her little cousin. I am constantly day dreaming about they day when we can take our babies together to places like the zoo, the park, etc.

Check it out!

2008-07-25T20:52:00.006-05:00

My friend Stacee gave me this awesome hooded sweatshirt. Thanks a ton Stacee, I love it and cannot wait to wear it. The middle stands for Love or I love you in sign language.

Nothing new to report on our adoption front, but lots of families received birth certificates so soon they will be united with their children. Here's to safe and happy travels.

Way to go Brew Crew on a 4 game sweep over the 2nd place St. Louis Cardinals. The Brewers have now taken over 2nd place in the National League Central division and are right on the Chicago Cubs' trail!

OOPS!

2008-07-23T21:22:00.001-05:00

OK, so I was trying a different templates and in the process I deleted all my page elements. I will get them back in the next couple of days.

Waiting is...well waiting

2008-07-23T18:58:00.004-05:00

Although officially waiting means we are one step closer to being united with our child, I feel as though everything is out of my hands. At least when paper chasing, you feel like you are actually doing something and making some sort of progress. Waiting is just that, waiting. Today, however, I was actually able to accomplish one more task towards our adoption. Back in March, we filled out a the I600A form, which confirms the qualifications of prospective adoptive parents, and sent it to the USCIS (United States Citizens an Immigration Services). Next we received our appointment to get fingerprinted, and then about three weeks later, we received our Notice of Favorable Determination. We were told by our case worker that it would be a great idea to check on this approval to make sure it was forwarded to the appropriate offices in Ethiopia. So that's what I did today, and sure enough, it's there. What a relief. For one thing, I thought it would take forever to get through to a live person at the USCIS office. To my surprise, while shoveling in popcorn like they were going to run out or something, a very nice woman answered and she very kindly answered all my questions.

So now we wait some more. I shouldn't complain as we have only been waiting for 3 months. There are some families from our agency that have hit the 9 month mark. Here's to wishing them speedy referrals.

The Dog Days of Summer

2008-07-20T21:09:00.003-05:00

Webster defines “dog days” as the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere

What a perfect day. No alarms set, a big breakfast, the Sunday morning paper, a Brewer game, a Brewer win, playing with our dog, and of course, lounging by the doggie pool. After a game of fetch, we decided to get the pool out for Zuko. Zuko came into my life the fall before I started dating my husband when he was about 8 weeks old. I cannot believe he is going to be ten this August. He is the best dog and we are so lucky to have him. Sometimes I look at him and I see the puppy he once was. Other times I see the ten year old, especially when he cannot play as long as he used to. He is still very loveable and playful and loves people and other dogs. I cannot wait to introduce him to our son or daughter one of these days.

Summer Has Arrived!

2008-07-16T21:24:00.016-05:00

I guess you can say summer has finally arrived. It has been almost 90 degrees and humid here in Wisconsin for the last couple of days. I am not a fan of the high heat and humidity, but I guess it's better than this. This was just a mere five months ago. That's what my car looked like one morning after a snow storm and the other picture is the back of our home.

So much more has been revealed in the media regarding the Brett Favre saga. It's really sad, it's turning into a he said, she said sort of thing. Kind of like a messy divorce or breakup. As I have said before, I am a huge Brett Favre fan, but here's what I am thinking. If he wants to play as bad as he says he does, then he should just put his money where his mouth is and come to training camp with the Packers and compete for the starting QB position. I am starting to think this whole sharade of him flip flopping between retirement and staying is kind of a scheme to get the Packers to release him. Maybe he wanted to play all along, but just not for the Packers. It has been rumored that he is not fond of Ted Thompson, so maybe this is a ploy to get his release. A ploy that so far has not been good for anyone.

More on the process...

2008-07-14T20:26:00.001-05:00

As of April 9, 2008, Randy and I became officially waiting for the referral (match) of an infant twelve months or younger. We are anticipating a 8-10 month wait so that puts us any where between December and February, although our case worker said it could happen as early as November. Hopefully it will be shorter, but it may also be longer. Once we receive and accept our referral, our case will get put on the docket to go to court in Ethiopia. We do not have to be present, and once it goes through court, the Ethiopian government then recognizes that the child is legally ours. After this happens, a birth certificate will be mailed to us, and then we can schedule travel. From referral to travel is averaging about 12 weeks. There have been lots of court dates scheduled with other families using our agency so I would like to take a moment and wish them the very best and hope for speedy Birth Certs and travel.

I also want to say congratulations to a co-worker of mine who was united with her son from Korea last week!!! It has been an extremely long and difficult time for her and her husband but she has assured me it has been worth the wait.

Here We Go Again

2008-07-11T17:34:00.007-05:00

I'd like to start by thanking all the Brewer fans who came through and voted Corey Hart to the All-Star Team! The I "Hart" New York Campaign was a big success.

Now switching gears to football for a minute. Ok, all of us Packer fans have been following the Brett Favre saga for a few years now. Should he play, should he retire, it's kind of been an ongoing drama every time the season ends. So this year he made his mind up, or so we thought, that he would retire. A very emotional press conference was held announcing his retirement in March. I think anyone who is Packer fan, or football fan for that matter, could hardly watch it without having a few tears in their eyes. Let's face it, the guy is probably one of the best players to ever play the game, if not the best. Over the last few weeks there have been "rumors" that he has the itch to play again. ESPN is reporting today that he wants an unconditional release from the Packers, saying they showed no interest in him when he expressed his desire to come back. Brett is also saying he was forced into retirement, that the Packers wanted an answer, and retirement was the answer they wanted. The Packers on the other hand, are saying they would have welcomed him back and they didn't force him to retire.

As most of you know, I am a huge Brett Favre fan. If I could have had it my way, his press conference in March would have been the exact opposite, in that he would have stayed and played another year. Well, that was March, it's now July. The Packers have been grooming their backup QB due to Favre's announcement. The sting of his retirement has worn off. So he comes back this year, then do we have to go through all this again next year?

I do know one thing for sure. I couldn't stand it if I had to seem him play in another uniform. I would probably get the dry heaves. So my wish, if I could have it my way? Brett either plays another year in a green and gold uniform, or he retires to his farm in Mississippi and is satisfied mowing his lawn. I really just want Brett to be happy. Hopefully that can happen on the Frozen Tundra.

3 Months and Counting

2008-07-09T17:53:00.006-05:00

Today marks three months that we have been officially waiting for the referral for our son or daughter. It really has gone by faster than I have anticipated. Hopefully the next five or six will go just as fast. This is a great time for me to clear up the confusion of the Lilypie timeline on the top of this blog. Alot of you have thought that we only have three months to go, but if you notice, it is not a count down, but a count up.

Our adoption agency has a great forum that I read all the time. It's filled with great information from families that have already adopted and from families in different stages of their adoption journey. I have gained so much knowledge regarding all stages of this process so I just want to give a shout out to all the forum friends and say thank you! Without it I don't know how we would have gotten through thus far. I can't imagine what families did before this wonderful invention called the world wide web.

One last thing before I sign off, please vote for Corey Hart prior to 4:00 pm tomorrow. He has maintained a slight lead but anything could happen between now and then.

To Park or Not to Park

2008-07-08T22:02:00.016-05:00

I decided to go check out some baby furniture after work today so I pull into the parking lot at Babies R Us and I saw this sign. I wasn't quite sure if I was allowed to park there, or if it was meant to assist pregnant women. The parking stalls really weren't any closer to the door, so I pondered a moment. Technically, I am an expecting mother, but I thought, what if a woman who was eight or nine months pregnant really needed this stall? After a few moments I decided I would just park in an unmarked space.

Once I walked in, I immediately felt overwhelmed and had tears streaming down my face. I am not sure if it was because I have been waiting for this moment for so many years? Or was it because I had no clue what I was looking for? After thinking about it for a few hours, I am still not sure what came over me. I know next time I look for furniture I will be prepared and will definitely have my husband with me. Maybe that's why I felt the way I did, because I wanted him to be there with me, as he has been waiting for this moment for as long as I have.

Vote for Corey!!!!!

2008-07-06T16:33:00.005-05:00

Whew! What a busy weekend. It all started with a pool party and fireworks with our good friends on the 4th. Then Saturday we spent the day golfing, and today we went out for brunch and then to a baseball game. We watched Randy's former team, it's an amateur men's league and it was nice to see some of the other players, wives, girlfriends, and fans that I haven't seen much of the last couple of years. Then of course, we came home to watch the end of the Brewers game. Yeah Brewers, they swept the Pittsburgh Pirates and it was announced that Ryan Braun and Ben Sheets are on the all-star team! They are making one last push to add Corey Hart, my favorite player, as he is a nominee for the Monster Final Vote. Please vote above to get Corey into the All Star game. I have heard they are making t-shirts that says "I Hart NY". Get it?

Nothing new on the adoption front as we are still waiting for our referral and will be be for several months. I am seriously starting to get nervous as we have not done a single thing yet for the baby's room, well except pick it out. I really need to at least get the painting done, I really want white trim so I am going to attempt that job. I have never painted trim so I may be in for a bigger job than expected. I heard there may be some sanding involved. Sounds like a lot of work, but I know once I get started I will keep going until it's finished.

Well, that's it for today. Please practice your rights and VOTE FOR COREY HART!!!!!!!!

Why Ethiopia?

2008-07-04T08:59:00.008-05:00

Happy 4th Everybody!

So the most common question we get is why did we choose Ethiopia? After researching the many options available to us, logistically, Ethiopia was perfect. We met all the requirements, the program is stable and well run, the time frame is somewhat shorter than other countries, travel time is relatively short, and this is probably one of the biggest reasons for choosing Ethiopia, their children receive quality care while in the care centers. Also, there seems to be a greater need as there are more than 5 million orphans in Ethiopia. We then started researching the culture and history and that was it. In our hearts we just knew that our child was in Ethiopia.

If you noticed, I put our timeline on the sidebar. As you can see as of April 9, 2008, we were officially added to the waiting list to adopt an infant from Ethiopia. What this means is we have finished our home study requirements and dossier. This is a set of personal documents such as referral letters, birth certificates, income statements, doctor's letters, etc., which has now been sent to Ethiopia. Gathering these documents is what is called "paper chasing".

So now we wait for our referral for an infant. We have been told by our case worker that it could take anywhere from 6-9 months from the day we were added to the list, but this could change and it could be longer or shorter. We will use this time to prepare for our baby as well as educate ourselves on our baby's birth country and being a biracial family. It's flying by!! Last week our case worker told us we were about 5 months away from a referral which would put us around Thanksgiving. It will be here before we know it. I have prepared myself however, that our referral may not even be here by Christmas. Once we get a referral, it will still be about another 12 weeks before we would travel to meet our baby. I will explain that in another post.

So, in a nut shell, that's where we are at. Waiting for referral.

As we go about our day today with our picnics, BBQs, fireworks, etc., please take a moment to remember all the brave men and women that are serving our country. God Bless America.

Well Here it Goes...

2008-07-02T22:07:00.000-05:00

...my very first post on my brand new blog. I am writing this blog to keep family and friends updated on our adoption journey as well as the daily happenings in our lives.

As most of you know, becoming parents has not been an easy road for us. After many months of fertility treatments without success, we decided in May of 2006 that for at least one year we would just live our lives and not focus our whole existence on getting pregnant. It was during this time that we realized how much we wanted to be parents, and that somewhere out there was a child who needed us as much as we needed him/her. This is when we began to research international adoption.