21!

Yep, we've been logged in at CCAA for 21 looong months! Now that CCAA is finally working on December of '05, maybe we'll see some real progress this month with referrals. There is a rumor over on RQ that CCAA has matched through the 10th! I'm not even going to get excited about this one! But I am crossing everything I can possibly cross that this is the case! There is also a thread over on RQ that talks about January '06 already being matched. If this is true, then how sad is it that our dossier could have a photo of our daughter attached to it and it is just sitting on somebody's desk collecting dust! Even more disturbing is to think that whether we've been matched or not, our daughter could possibly be sitting in a crib (with no mattress) cold, hungry, or wet with no one to tend to her! While we are here just dying to hold her, feed her, comfort her, play with her, keep her warm, and most importantly, LOVE her! I try not to think about that so much as we pray every day for the opposite: That she is being well cared for in her SWI or, even better, in a loving foster care home. Every night we pray that her guardian angel will whisper in her little ear, "Mama and baba are coming, just hold on a little longer."

It's Been a While....

I love this picture of my mom and dad (taken last year)! I know it's been a while since my last post, but my focus has been on my mom this last month. She is now out of the hospital and in a nursing home. I go there every day to see her and make sure she is getting what she needs. Even though, she appears to be getting good care, it is still such a depressing and sobering place. Nothing makes you think about your own mortality like a visit to a nursing home. It is so hard to see my mom in this condition. This is not the mom I once knew. I wish her doctors and nurses could have known her before she became this way! I wish they could know what a wonderful, intelligent, and talented woman she was/is! At least she is still so beautiful ! So many times her nurses comment on what a beautiful woman she is! The good thing is that she still recognizes her family and we are so thankful for that! But, she has lost her ability to walk or even sit up, and only stays awake for short periods. One thing she has not lost is her ability to hear! Yesterday, I said something funny to her nurse and mom laughed right out loud! We thought she was asleep! That brought such joy to my heart! No one really knows, except God, how much time my mom has, but she sure is fighting to hang on and we are so glad for that!

On another note, I turned 46 last week! It really didn't even phase me, either. I don't feel any different than when I turned 40! Except that my feet have been hurting when I get out of bed in the morning! Maybe I just need new tennies, I hope! Age is just a number, anyway, right?

Prayers for my Mom

Sorry that I have not posted in a while. My mom is very sick. She has a weak heart along with serious liver and thyroid problems too. I have been spending most of my time sitting by her hospital bed. We are hopeful that the treatments her doctors are trying will help. We are praying that she will come out of this and survive, but we just don't know and neither do the doctors, really. Only time will tell.

My mom is a very wonderful and talented woman. She is also a very gifted seamstress and quilter. Above is a photo of one of her masterpieces! This quilt is my most cherished possesion and I will treasure it always! It is called "Heritage Medallion" and it is all hand quilted by my beautiful mom!

It is our prayer that my mom will be able to meet her 17th grandchild! Please pray for my mom.

Today is our 20th LID anniversary.

Grouchy Red Pepper!

Sarah planted a pepper plant last spring and this is what it produced; just this one little grouchy red pepper! Sometimes I know just how he feels!

649 Down! 119 to Go!

Back in May of 2006 I started a paperclip chain. Each paperclip represented a family with an LID before ours waiting for referral with our adoption agency. My chain has now gone from 649 paperclips/families down to only 119 paperclips! We are definitely getting there! Since our agency received 22 referrals, I was able to take off that many paperclips this month!

I wish I had started this chain when we first became LID, then there would have been even more paperclips to start with!

Referrals!

Yesterday, (I'm a little behind posting) our agency received 22 referrals, all girls! This time CCAA made it to November 25, '05! Considering Nov 22 and 23 were big LID days this is sort of good! December of '05 is said to be smaller than November so, hopefully, things will move a little faster once they are completely out of November. Here is my prediction or WAG:
Finish November and up to December 5th in October '07
December 6-20 in November'07

December 21-31 in December '07

January 1-12 in January '08

January 13-23 in February '08 (US!)

So now, since Chinese New Year is on February 7, '08 and CCAA will be closed that whole week, I am thinking that we should get our referral the week of mine and Gary's 26th Wedding Anniversary which is Feb 11! Wouldn't that be the most amazing gift?!

Or, even better, CCAA mails referrals before Chinese New Year and we see Kaelin's sweet little face in the end of January! It feels so good to finally see a light at the end of this loooooooong tunnel!

Introducing Charlotte!

Our daughter, Marie, adopted this adorable kitty a couple of weeks ago! She is such a sweet little furball and so full of boundless energy! I guess this kind of makes me a grandma! He He!

Also, referrals are due to arrive next week, I strongly doubt that CCAA will make it out of November! But who knows, it could happen! And these are the days of our lives. Sighhhhhh.

Gifts From My Precious Panda Secret Pal!

Yesterday, I found a big box of goodies on my front porch from my secret pal! Inside there were so many cute things: 3 adorable rompers, a book called "I Love You Through and Through", a soft little "Peek-a-Boo Panda book, a starfish teething blanky, and two colorful sets of abc123 refrigerator magnets! I have know idea who my secret pal is, but I really appreciate her thoughtfulness and generosity! It won't be long now before all of these wonderful gifts will be put to good use. Thank you, secret pal!

Almost Forgot!

Wow! I just realized it is our LID anniversary today! We've been so busy lately that this time it almost got away from us! We truly think that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, finally. We are hoping that CCAA finishes November LIDs in October, then December LIDs in January, and finally JanuaryLIDs (US!) in February. So I am predicting that we get our referral on February 5! But don't hold me to that, it's just a very hopeful prediction.

I got back from visiting my mom tonight and her kidneys are starting to function again. She's not out of the woods, yet, but it was good to hear the doctor say she was responding to the medication. Thank God! She still has a long way to go and will be in the hospital for a while longer. The doctors and nurses never tell you anything is for sure, they always just say, "We'll just take it one day at a time!" I told her she has to get better because she has a granddaughter that is still waiting to meet her! Hurry up CCAA!!!!

Catching up!

Sorry, that I haven't posted anything in a while, but life sure can keep us busy! We just moved Sarah down to Memphis TN so she could start grad school at University of Memphis! We left on Thursday afternoon and drove as far as we could (packed to the hilt and towing her car!) Wow, was it hot! When we finally got there on Friday, it was 105 degrees, ugh! Mind you it was in the 70's when we left Michigan, so it was quite a shock! Moving was horrendous, but we managed to survive it and get Sarah all settled in. I think we all lost about 10 lbs in sweat! We didn't do too much in the way of sightseeing because of the heat and we were totally exhausted from moving. How can one little girl have so much "stuff"?! We did go down to Beal Street and have dinner on Friday night, the BBQ was really amazing! Then after we finished moving her on Saturday we went over and walked around the campus at U of M. It is such a beautiful campus. Sarah really thinks that she will like it there. We wish we could have stayed a bit longer but Gary had work bright and early Monday morning so we had to get home on Sunday. BTW it was a whopping 59 degrees when we arrived home! I just turned the air conditioning back on yesterday because it got up to 90! Good grief!

On the day we got home we found out that my mom had to go into the hospital because her kidneys are failing. We are waiting to find out if she has to go on dialysis. The doctors are giving her medicine to improve her kidney function, but it isn't working the way they would like. I have been spending a lot of time up at the hospital to stay with my mom. Her nurses are always so busy they can't always get to her so my sister, and dad, and me all take turns staying with her to tend to her needs. I will have more to report when I get back from the hospital this evening.