Congratulations ...

To the Comeau family... They came home 2 weeks ago with their daughter Hannah. They were logged-in on 10/28/05 and received their referral on 5/7/07, a wait of 19 months. Best wishes as you all settle into your new life together :O)

Fire Rainbow...

The rarest of all naturally occurring atmospheric phenomena. The picture was captured on the Idaho/Washington border, the event lasted about one hour.

This phenomenon is called a circumhorizon arc. Clouds have to be cirrus, at least 20k feet in altitude, with just the right amount of ice crystals and the sun has to hit the clouds at precisely 58 degrees.

What an awesome sight!

Cool Pictures...

Today I received an e-mail from a friend titled "The Best Photos of the Year." Below I have copied a few that I really liked. Enjoy!

TGIF!!! He's got the right idea...

What timing!

How do you do that?

Check out that little foot!

So true..

Oops, almost let it pass by...

This month marks our 10th month since we were LID for our daughter. To say that it didn't occur to me previously wouldn't be quite true, to say that this "anniversary" isn't quite as momentous as I'd hoped it would be is more accurate. This year has flown by, can you believe it is the middle of July?!?! That being said we are 10 months into the wait and if I am completely honest it hasn't been too bad. Yes, there are moments of frustration but it has been a busy year for us so far meaning dwelling on the wait hasn't been horrible. Since we are not completely settled into our new house I anticipate being busy for the next few months at least and then the holidays will be upon us. So, this month I can count my blessings. We are one more month closer to bringing our baby home and busy enough not to get too antsy over the wait. Hang in there everyone, we really are on our way ;o)

Our Vacation

We recently returned from our annual 4th of July vacation with our friend Brian in MN. The week was spent out on Prior Lake swimming, kneeboarding, wake surfing and hanging out with friends. Thanks Brian, we had a great time!

Thank you...

I received a gift today from my Aug/Sept secret pal. This months theme was summer fun. My pal sent the cutest little pink and white Polo bathing suit and a colorful butterfly crib toy. I loved them both, thank you so much ;o)

Kitchen Before and After

I know many of you have been waiting to see the before and after pictures of my kitchen. Unfortunately most if the pictures don't really show things to clearly but I think these two show the changes best.

Here is what we did -

Removed the flourescent lighting box
Added 6 recessed can lights
Added 4 pendulum lights over the big island and breakfast nook table
Installed granite counter tops
Changed cabinet knobs to stainless steel
Painted

Oh, one more thing I've got to share. See the wine glasses on top of the cabinet? My friend, hand-painted those with lady bugs especially for me. Aren't they great?!?! Thanks Lynn, I love them!

What does your latte say about you?

What Your Latte Says About You

You are easygoing and pretty simple to please. You don't put up a fuss... ever. You can be quite silly at times, but you know when to buckle down and be serious. Intense and energetic, you aren't completely happy unless you are bouncing off the walls. You're addicted to caffeine. There's no denying it. You are responsible, mature, and truly an adult. You're occasionally playful, but you find it hard to be carefree. You are complex and philosophical, but you are never arrogant.

What Does Your Latte Say About You?

The Adoption Cycle...

It’s already been 9 months…

Our 9 month LID anniversary was 6/5. It came and went unnoticed as went about living our lives. We should be about 7 months away from our referral. However, reality is that we may be 15 months or more away from our referral due to current wait times. I know, as you read this your wondering why? What has happened to cause this dramatic increase in the wait time? Can it be fixed? Honestly, we just don’t know all the reasons why or if it will be fixed. I do know in the blink of an eye it is already half way through June, where have the last 5 months gone? For us the time has flown by because we were looking for a new house, selling our old house or moving into our new house. We have dealt with death, sickness and thankfully healing of family and friends. We just spent our first weekend hosting out of town friends in our new house!

Yet, even as we keep busy our adoption is not far from our thoughts. Yes, the wait it difficult. Yes, it can be depressing. No, I cannot let it consume my life. Many of my “adoption friends” are asked the same questions. How do we cope? We cope by talking to each other, family, and friends. Occasionally, we have a good pity party. For most of us “moms to be” we are emotionally connected to a child we do not know and have yet to see. But in our hearts this connection, thread if you will, binds us to this child regardless of time and space. We are emotionally connected to this distant child. Odd as it may sound to some, that connection cannot be broken. We wonder, worry and love this unknown child. We ache to hold it and smell that fresh baby smell, see her laugh, and protect her from the world. Then there is the dreaded wait. It crashes upon us at the oddest times. It can sap our energy, our ability to function. It can, if we let it, consume every waking moment. The “wait” has become our faceless enemy – time slipping away, feeling like it has been lost.

I think our husbands, at least most of them, have this waiting thing down. They know what we want, they know the wait is long and yet they have the ability to carry on. They go about their business as if nothing has changed. I know for my husband it so far away it’s not on his “radar” right now. This does not mean he doesn’t have his “moments” or is not connected to this process but for the most part he carries on with the business of living life. For him, the wait is different. I need to learn from him. I need to live in the now. Yes, the bad days will come and go. Yes, this child will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers. No, I cannot allow myself to let the next months pass me by without taking advantage of all this time has to offer. Every day is a reason to celebrate the good things, mourn the losses, and build relationships. In short to live the life that is unfolding before my eyes! In the future, regardless of how near or far, the quality and amount of time we spend with others will change. So let’s live it, let’s cherish the time with each other, our families, our friends. In short, let’s get about the business of living!

Happy 9 months LID anniversary! We are on our way, I’m not sure exactly to where, but we’re definitely on our way ;o)

Move Update

We are slowly but surely making progress in getting settled in and things unpacked. We are having granite counter tops installed in two weeks and once that is done I can completely finish organizing my new kitchen. I have to say it is my favorite room. In my condo the kitchen was tiny. I now have two islands a whole lot of storage space, yeah! We have a whole lot painting to do because the walls are all white. We need to get some color in here! Once the counter tops are in we will begin selecting colors. I will post before and after pictures once some of our "projects" are done.

The good thing about getting the house now is that it will keep me busy for the next few months. The second big plus is that we won't have to do it after we bring the baby home this avoiding yet another big change for her. We had outgrown our condo quite some time ago and it would have been really tight for space once she was home. Thanks for asking about our progress, I will keep you posted...

May Ladybug Cybershower

I received my secret pal gift today. This months theme was "Mealtime." Angie was my secret pal and she really spoiled me. Here is what she sent for the kiddo -

4 pc. dish set with spoon
Sassy High Chair Toy
No Spill Cup
Set of 3 Snack Cups w/ Lids
Snackin Cheerios Cellphone (my favorite!!)
Catch-a-Mess Mat
Ladybugs and Heart Coverall Bib
Sectioned Feeding Dish w/ Knife and Fork
A really sweet card and a CD -

all in a really cute pink baby bag. It was really nice to unpack a "fun" box ;o)
Thanks Angie, I love all of my goodies and can't wait to listen to the CD on my way to work tomorrow.

Today has me thinking...

about all of the men and women who are fighting for our country. Politics aside, I think that we, as a nation and individuals, should support our troops. They are fighting for us, to keep our country safe from the tyranny of those who would oppress us. It is a thankless job, one that requires much sacrifice not only their part but of those they love.

For my part I want to say that I'm grateful. Grateful for the fact that there are men and women who have sacrificed their lives for mine and those of my family. Grateful that there are those who felt the call to protect and serve others who either cannot or will not do so. Grateful for your patriotism. I am also grateful to the families of the soldiers who serve this country. They too make sacrifices simply by having a loved one serving and away from home.

THANK YOU... to those who serve and their families. A heart felt thank you is being sent your way today and every day. May God bless and keep you always.

Honor Them...

As we enjoy our holiday today, let's remember to be thankful for those who gave their lives in service to our country and for their families who live their lives without a loved one so that we might be with ours.

Thank you for your sacrifice.

Moving on up...

to a bigger house. We have sold our two bedroom condo and bought a 3 bedroom house. The truth is we had out grown the condo a long time ago. With the wait time from LID to referral increasing it seemed like the right time to move. That way when we are finally able to bring the baby home we won't have to uproot her again anytime soon. The great move (as I like to call it) is happening this weekend.

Off to pack some more... Have a great weekend!

8 Months and Counting...

May 5th marked our 8th month on this long journey. I wish that I had some kind of meaningful update about the estimated wait times but I don't. The truth is the length of time from LID to referral has steadily been increasing. Rumor has it if the CCAA can get through November '05 referrals things will start to speed up. The truth is whatever the wait time turns out to be it will definitely be a lesson in patience and faith.

Referrals are in...

To the all those who have received their referrals this week. Wishing you safe travels and a wonderful "gotcha" day.

Friends...

To all my friends, cracked or not, thanks for all you are and all you do. Your the best...

Love ya!

April Aug/Sept DTC Secret Pal

I just wanted to take a minute to say thanks to my Aug/Sept group secret pal. I received my gift a couple of weeks ago but was having a hard time posting pictures until now. My pal sent me the cute little duck bath set shown above. Thanks again!!