A sign from God?

Several weeks ago, I begrudgingly submitted my application to substitute teach at the school on the military base. Anyone that has ever filled out an application to work for the federal government knows that this is no small task...it's really more of a booklet than an application. I spent days filling out the application trying to remember dates, names, addresses and details of all the places I have lived and worked in my adult life. It was very time consuming and I complained the entire time that I had no idea WHY I was even applying to substitute teach. But, I eventually completed the application booklet and submitted it to the school. The secretary told me that it would take several weeks for me to get an effective date to begin work, but assured me that I would be hired since I am a certified teacher. Several weeks have passed, so I finally called the school to find out the status of my application. After being on hold for over 5 minutes, the secretary comes back on the phone and tells me that they cannot find any record of my application. They have, in fact, lost it.

I suppose I should have been angry about this considering the amount of time I invested in my decision to even apply for the job, not to mention the time spent actually filling out the tedious forms. But I'm not angry, I'm overjoyed!!! I took this as a sure sign from God that I am not suppose to work outside my home. OK, so this wasn't one of those lightening bolt moments when you know for a fact that God is speaking to your heart, but it was all the sign I needed to not continue on my quest for a job (at least while we live in Italy)!!

Bring on our baby...she has a stay-at-home mommy waiting for her!!!

Pictures from Italy

On September 1, we rented a boat for the day and went out on the Mediterranean Sea. It was absolutely beautiful and one of the best days we have had in Italy. We went swimming, snorkeling, and enjoyed the crystal clear blue water and the warm sunshine. We stopped on the island of Procida and had some pizza and pasta. It was surreal and one of those times I needed the pictures to prove I didn't just dream the entire event. It was definitely one of those days we will always remember.

Tara joins the ladybug craze

Alex is 12 years old! (August 31)

I'm a little late posting the picture, but I suppose it's better late than never. Alex opted for an Oreo Ice Cream dessert rather than the traditional birthday cake. It was yummy!

Ho Hum

Ever feel like you're just waiting for the next big thing to happen...like you are just going through the motions but your heart is set on something else? That's kind of how I feel. Just waiting. I'm in this colossal waiting room, waiting, on something, anything. And I have that feeling in my stomach. You know the feeling, that butterfly feeling, that nervousness, that excitement, that anticipation of what's to come. Except, I wake up every day with the reality that I must wait some more. It's coming, I can feel it, but it's just not time...yet.

Did you know?

The term "oriental" should not be used when describing a person. It is not the politically correct term when referring to a person and is considered offensive in some instances and outdated (like referring to an African American as colored). Oriental should only be used when referring to objects: oriental furniture, oriental rug, oriental art, etc. When describing or referring to a person one should use the term Asian. Remember, things are oriental, people are not.

I feel a little "uneducated" for not being aware of this, but it's not something that comes up in every day conversation (especially in rural Oklahoma). Thankfully, I didn't make the mistake, instead I came across this discussion on one of my online adoption websites and thought it was interesting and certainly something we all need to know.

I can't take any credit for this one....

Not only did I NOT write the poem, but I have to admit that I "stole" it from my friend Lynsey's blog. It speaks volumes about what is really important in life.

Some would gather money
Along the path of life,
Some would gather roses,
And rest from worldly strife;
But, I would gather children
From among the thorns of sin,
I would seek a golden curl,
And a freckled, toothless grin.
For money cannot enter
In that land of endless day,
And roses that are gathered
Soon will wilt along the way.
But, Oh, the laughing children,
As I cross the sunset sea,
And the gates swing wide to heaven
I can take them in with me.
-unknown

LADYBUGS and the crib

Ladybugs are considered a lucky charm and a sign of good fortune. They have become a symbol of good luck for families adopting from China. It is common to see pictures of ladybugs on literature, blogs, and books related to Chinese adoption. At first I thought the whole ladybug idea was a little corny and I didn't really buy into it. Now, 2 years later, I have decided to embrace the whole ladybug belief. Hey, anything to bring a little "luck" to speed up our referral.

Tara is going to share a room with the baby, at least while we live in Italy. Several months ago I found a really cute bedspread that was yellow with ladybugs and butterflies, so I bought it for Tara's bed. An added bonus was that it matched the red furniture that use to be in Alex's room that we moved into Tara's room. So now I have decided to stick with the ladybug theme for the baby's crib....which by the way we put up last week! We have had the crib for several months and I just decided I wanted to put it up, so we did. Anyway, I have been searching online for ladybug bedding, and there are several to choose from. Once I get it all done I will post a picture.

People say that when it's time for the CCAA to match you with your child, an indication will be that you will start to see ladybugs on certain days, usually many of them. So start looking for those ladybugs and let me know when you see them!!!

Making SLOW progress

The monthly referrals just arrived from China and the CCAA matched families with LID's through 11-25-05. That means this past month they only matched 4 days worth of LID's since last month's cut off was 11-21-05. I'm trying to stay positive about it though...at least we are 4 days closer than last month (our LID is 1-12-06).

I have joined just about every internet group I can find related to China adoptions. My personal favorite is one called Rumor Queen, where I really find lots of valuable information to help me determine when we might get our referral. Based on all of the info. from that site and various others it still seems very likely that our referral will come in February or March with travel 6 weeks after referral!