Heading back to Springpatch

We leave Tennessee to make the 14 hour journey back to Springpatch. We hope to make it to Jonesboro, Arkansas tonight. We'll drive the rest of the way tomorrow. Please pray for our safe travels.

It's always sad to say goodbye to family after staying with them for so long. We're blessed to have the opportunity to take such a long break from work at Christmas and New Years.

Well, we movin' on up!

We're now NUMBER 3 on the unofficial wait list for a baby girl. It's really, really hard to know how excited to be about this because it's an unofficial list so there are surely families ahead of us who are not on this list. Second, based on current projections, the earliest I would expect to get our referral is May. I realize that is not so very far away.

One thing that will clue us in on how much longer we have to wait is the timing of our "on deck" email. The "on deck" email means we are within three months (or less) of getting our referral. We are not yet on deck...but you better believe we will post on here as soon as we get that email!!

Be-Be arrived safely in Bangkok and is having a great time. Read more about her adventures here.

Following Be-Be

If you're interested in my sister's journey to Thailand, she'll be blogging here. It's worth heading over to her blog just to see her darling pug, Maybelle. But you'll find plenty of other stuff there of interest too!

Ode to Aunt Odie

My (Missy's) great aunt passed away December 26th. We called her Aunt Odie (her real name was Leola). She was a regular presence in my life growing up. She didn't have kids but my mom spent a lot of time with her: visiting with her, helping her, caring for her. Our hearts are heavy because of this loss. Even though Aunt Odie had slipped into a coma, I'm thankful that my mom, my sister and I got the chance to spend time with her just hours before she passed away. That's really remarkable when you consider I'm only in Kingsport once or twice a year and my sister lives 6 hours away. Aunt Odie was a wise, strong woman. We will miss her greatly.

My sister is really sad that she won't be here for the funeral tomorrow. However, she's doing something that Aunt Odie would definitely approve of: she's leaving today for Thailand for a 3 week trip. Aunt Odie gave Weedy a "great commissioning" before she left to live overseas in 2007. We pray for Weedy to have safe travels and a productive trip.

Merry Christmas!

Sent from my iPhone

We're Here!

We made it to Tennessee Sunday afternoon. We delayed our trip by one day because of an epic snowstorm. Thankfully, we didn't encounter any icy roads. We didn't even see significant amounts of snow on the ground until about 30 miles outside Kingsport. It's wonderful to be home with our parents. Zeke slept in until 9:10 yesterday morning, a true Christmas miracle!!

Brad and I had some time to ourselves yesterday to do some running around. We enjoyed that and in fact, it made me feel like a stupid teenager in love, all over again! It's good for the grandparents to have some time with Zeke and for me and Brad to have some together time.

We're thinking we might try taking Zeke to see Santa again...we'll see.

Snow...Boo!

Well, our plans to leave for Tennessee tonight have been scratched thanks to what some are calling an historic snow event in the eastern US. Just got off the phone with my parents. They report having 8 inches of snow already in Kingsport and had just lost their electricity. Brad's parents were barely able to get cell phone service earlier this evening. It's so weird because all is calm on the home front here. It's not even THAT cold in our neck of the woods. Oh well...Since there's no rush to hit the road tonight, Brad is still at work. Not exactly sure what our plans will be. Pray that the snow will move through quickly so we can get home safely. I'm ready to head to Tennessee!

Christmas Cards

I love getting Christmas cards. Got one from my beloved co-worker this morning with this sentiment:

In an unlikely place...unimaginable hope was born.

It goes along with a Harry Connick, Jr. Christmas song I was listening to driving to Jeff City yesterday. Here are some of the lyrics:

People with hope have a special prayer
a louder drum, a brighter flare
This is a song for the hopeful
May God hear it sung

Amen.

A story on a grandmother with AIDS

I'm proud of how this story turned out. It aired on my station this morning as part of a series on local people who have demonstrated courage.

Christmas and Quilla

Quilla is always present in our hearts and in our prayers. But it's nice to have a visual representation of our daughter-to-be on our Christmas tree. I found a beautiful ornament at Target a few weeks ago: a little dark-skinned angel girl holding music and singing. How perfect! This ornament is a particular favorite of Zeke. We don't talk to him much yet about the adoption (for a variety of reasons) but when he picks up that ornament, looks it over and then looks up at me with his big eyes, I say, "That's your sister, Quilla." He smiles. We will definitely spend more time talking to him about Quilla after we get our referral. At that point, we will have photos, which will make it more real for him.

Something else to consider: It's possible Quilla has already been born. We're requesting a baby 0-12 months and we expect to get matched to a baby in May, June or July. So, even if she's not yet born, she is certainly "here" in the sense that she is in the womb. Wherever she is, please pray for her and her birth family. Ask God to prepare the way for Quilla, to ensure her health, safety and happiness as she waits for us to come. Pray for comfort for her dear birth family as they make a very difficult decision to place her in care.

Not that anyone wants to see photos of us anymore...

Since I'm very hard to photograph, I was thrilled with how these turned out. A photo/graphic design student who is working for our station this semester took these photos at one of my favorite restaurants downtown: a breakfast diner called Gailey's.

Zeke: Just Say No to Santa, Yes to Trains

I took Zeke to see Santa at our little town's city hall yesterday morning. I should've known things were going to be rough when he cried upon our arrival for Daddy. I finally convinced him it would be fun to go inside and see Santa. Once through the door, he was transfixed by a train set. He watched as the train ran around its table-top tracks. It only took about 3 minutes for him to start shouting, "Mine!" And the line to see Santa was right there next to the darn train so we couldn't very easily get away from it. I explained several times that the train was not ours. I told him he could tell Santa that he wanted a train of his own. So, once we got to the head of the line to see Santa, Zeke was none too happy. When I put him on Santa's lap, he melted into tears. There was no photo. I hastily picked him up and we retreated into the room where kids were coloring. This only prompted a reprise of "my train" chants. So, we went into the cafeteria where we donated our canned food items and got a plate of pancakes and sausages in return. By then, he had calmed down and the sweet syrup and greasy sausage took his mind off trains for a few minutes. Even though Santa had encouraged us to bring him back once he calmed down, the line was longer than it had been before so we just left. There is no photo of Zeke with Santa...not yet anyway.

Merry Christmas from our TV selves!

Movie Guide

It's been a while since I recommended some flicks that you might enjoy. Here are some not so recent movies you might check out if you haven't seen them:
*Michael Clayton-There's a reason this film was nominated for best picture: Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilinson are great!
*The Bourne Movies-I'm not a big fan of Matt Damon. But we became big fans of these movies when we watched them on DVD a couple of years ago.
*Something's Got to Give-Directed by Nancy Meyers, the same director who has "It's Complicated" coming out this month...a fun and enjoyable movie that's above the rom com genre
*Lars and the Real Girl-Lots of heart...Just watch it!
*About a Boy-Fun with Hugh Grant and Toni Collette. Need I say more?
*Muriel's Wedding-Speaking of Toni Collette...this movie is lovely and fun, especially for anyone who ever felt they weren't cool enough.

Update...

We are actually now FIFTH on the overall list and FOURTH for a baby girl. We were so happy to see a family with our agency was matched with a baby girl this week. How wonderful! Remember, don't get too excited...we still have months of waiting ahead of us...but I do enjoy celebrating these little milestones!

Number 6

We've had a flurry of referrals with our agency in the last week or so. We are sixth on the unofficial waiting list for our agency. We are number 5 for a girl. Keep in mind this is an unofficial list and I know there are other families out there who are ahead of us. Still, it's fun to see our names moving up the list!

I have to give some big props to my friend Kel who posted a brilliant suggestion for dealing with Zeke's "Go away, Mommy" comments. When he says that, I will say to him, "My job, Mommy" because most of the time, that's what he's trying to say. A wonderful way to re-direct the comment in a positive way. Thanks, Kel!

Milestone

Zeke took off his pants by himself last night. That may sound like a small, silly thing to note but it's not. When our Parents As Teachers educator evaluated Zeke a few weeks ago, one of the big developments to watch for was undressing and dressing himself. At that time, he didn't do anything related to dressing or undressing except occasionally kicking his shoes off in the car. Last night, I told him was time to put on his PJs. He was bouncing on the bed and I asked him to take off his pants. He stood up and put his hands on the waistband and started to pull them down. Well, Daddy and I cheered him on until he had taken them off completely! Woo-Hoo! He definitely "helps" get dressed but he doesn't seem ready to do it himself. So, that will be the next big thing.

This weekend, Zeke told me to "go away" when I was helping him eat. What he really meant was "I'm done eating and I want out of my chair." I told him that it's not nice to tell someone to go away. I left it at that. Later, we were playing. He was trying to crawl onto the chair where I was sitting. He said "go away" and what he really meant was "I'm trying to get up on this chair and you're in my way. Would you move?" I put him on my lap and I told him that when he told Mommy to go away that it made me very sad, in fact, it made me want to cry. I told him that it was not a nice thing to say to people. Later, when we were playing again and he didn't want me to take him out of the clothes hamper, he said, "Go...Mommy." So, at least he softened his words. I know that he has just heard a kid at school say "go away" and that he doesn't understand the tone of the language. I'm sure this is the first of many unpleasant things he'll pick up from other kids.

Peace

Today is the second Sunday in Advent. Today's focus is peace. Ponder in your heart the reason that we celebrate peace this season. Do not give in to those who try to make this a season of controversy and "war." We are called to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. It's not about the words displayed on a marquee or spoken hastily by an over-worked cashier that define this season. It's the words of love, hope and peace that are written on our hearts by the same hand that made the universe. It is from here that we begin to understand what this season is all about and what our response should be to the greatest gift ever given.

I was reminded of the beauty of different cultures today at church where we had a display of nativity sets brought in by families in our congregation. There were sets from all over the world. There was a set made of wood, designed especially for children to hold and play with. There were fragile sets of stained glass and porcelain. It was beautiful to see so many interpretations of the same blessed event.

A Sinfully Delicious Treat

This week, we'll do our annual holiday potluck lunch at work. A few years ago, a co-worker brought these awesome treats. I'm going to share the recipe with you because they're quick, easy and DELICIOUS! (Oh yes and they're very fattening...please enjoy responsibly.)

1 18 oz. package of Oreo cookies
1 8 oz. brick of cream cheese
1 12 oz. bag of white chocolate chips

Crush Oreos.

Mix Oreos with cream cheese.

Roll mixture into small balls.

Melt white chocolate (while you are melting refrigerate or freeze the balls).

Dip balls into chocolate.

Place balls back into the fridge or freezer until chocolate hardens.

Enjoy!

Heading to K-Town Two Weeks from Today

Bays Mountain...near Kingsport.

It's hard to believe we'll be on our way home to Tennessee two weeks from today. That means Christmas is THREE weeks from today. Yikes! I've got a lot to do between now and then.

I MET AND INTERVIEWED KATHLEEN TURNER!!!

What a nice lady! She was a really fun interview. Afterward, we talked about the local theatre scene and how important the arts are. I told her about my theatre background and how important it was in preparing me to be a radio journalist. She was kind, gracious and totally down to earth!

Coupon for T Shirt

If you want to buy one of our Adopt Africa T-Shirts here, use the coupon code 10OFFTSHIRTS to receive a discount!

My Story on NPR

It aired this morning. If you missed it, click here. The story's about two different restaurants that are sharing a physical building.

T SHIRTS! Take 2

Let's try this again. I've improved the design. To buy the shirt, CLICK HERE. You can buy the design on about any color or style of shirt you want. We'll get about $10 for every shirt sold. Right now, Zazzle is offering free shipping...Thanks!

Holiday Flicks

What are your favorite holiday movies? While my sister was here, we watched The Holiday. That's a great one, for sure. I love White Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas (I get teary-eyed every time!), and The Snowman (yes, the animated short set to music). When I was little, I loved the Christmas cartoon Nester, about the donkey who carried Mary. Talk about getting teary-eyed. Poor Nester. I also still get a kick out of Home Alone. If you didn't see Nativity Story, which came out a few years ago, I highly recommend it. It's very well done. What are you watching these days to get you in the Christmas spirit?

Scrubs Last Night

It only had a few mildly funny moments. The show has definitely jumped the shark. It's too bad...

Adopt Africa

We designed this shirt to show our love for Africa. Buy it and we get a portion of the proceeds. It's that simple.

Prayers for Babies/Kids Coming Home

I've blogged about this before...but please pray for the children as they make their transition to the states. A while back, a group of families came home and almost all the kids were sick. Another family that recently got home has their baby in the hospital. Please pray for healing for these children and for strength for their families. Even now, please pray for our Quilla (and her birth mom because she's probably in the womb...isn't that wild to consider?!?!) that God will keep her healthy and protect her from illness and harm.

I Gotta Feeling

Fun Times from Be-Be's Visit

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Pray for Families with Referrals

Since we waited so long after our referral to get Zeke, I really feel for families who are just waiting for court dates, passing court, travel date assignments, etc. Just say a special prayer for those families.

We're excited that our agency has opened a second Transitional Home. We're hopeful this might have a positive impact on the wait time for referrals. It's exciting to think that Quilla will be with us next Christmas. Wow! That's almost hard to believe!

The Blind Side

Zeke and Auntie Be-Be play Guitar Hero!


Definitely see this movie. I just went and saw it with my sister. Another adoptive mom with our Ethiopia agency saw it and described it this way: the hand of God is written all over it. Amen. It's great. Not even the running commentary from the oldies sitting in the row below us could detract from this awesome story. (This includes the comment more than half way through the movie at a rather quiet, emotional moment when the old woman in the next row asked loudly: "Is that Tim McGraw?") It's a beautiful story of love. You will like it.

Zeke is enjoying having his Auntie We-We in for a visit. Since he can't quite say "We-We," he calls her "Be-Be." This works just as well. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for.

Meet the Newest Jedi

Zekbe Shlan

Auntie We-We, Getting ready for Turkey Day, and Missy on NPR

Auntie We-We is coming today!! Hooray!!! I've been telling Zeke that Auntie We-We is coming for a visit. Last night, I asked him who was coming to see Zeke and he said, "We-We." Precious! I'm so happy she'll be here for Thanksgiving. We'll have a blast!

Zeke and I braved Target and WalMart yesterday to buy stuff for our Thanksgiving meal. At Target, we bought a tree skirt for our Christmas tree which we put up last weekend. I'm glad Brad suggested we put it up. I love sitting in the living room at night with just the tree lit up. Zeke cuddled up next to me for about 10 minutes last night and we just looked at the tree. He kept pointing at it and saying, "Lights!" I tried to sing some Christmas songs but I was too hoarse. I'm getting better...slowly. Zeke seems better. He has a doctor's appointment today, mainly because I'm concerned about his coughing. But even his coughing sounded less congested last night. We'll see how he's doing when he gets up this morning.

Finally, I have a story that only ended up on npr.org. They decided not to air it on the radio because it was too hard to explain the concept of a "diverging diamond interchange" on the radio. So, I was disappointed but I found out yesterday that my story was the 3rd most popular story of the day on npr.org. Cool! Click here to see the story. If you want something fun to listen to tomorrow morning while you cook, tune in to your local NPR station. I have another story that IS supposed to air tomorrow during Morning Edition. If I find out exactly what time it will be on, I'll let you know!

New Moon!

We're going to see New Moon tonight. I have looked forward to this since I first saw Twilight in the theater last year. The Twi book series/movies is one of only a few guilty pleasures I have these days...but it's a GREAT one.

I have to confess that every time we set up a date night, I feel a little twinge of guilt. How could I hand Zeke over to someone else while I go out and have fun? What kind of mommy am I?!?!? But...I've come to realize that occasional date nights are a must for maintaining a sane mommy and daddy. Being able to eat in a restaurant without the tension of getting Zeke to eat, sit quietly and not throw food is an amazing luxury. I do enjoy eating out with Zeke and most of the time, he behaves beautifully. But there's something relaxing about being at a restaurant, just you and your husband.

The sitter usually comes over between 5 and 6. Considering that Zeke goes to bed around 7:30, this means we're missing, at most, 2 and a half hours with him. Am I the only one who obsesses over this? I should also say that Zeke really seems to enjoy being with his babysitters. He creates some drama when we they arrive and we leave but when I call to check on him 30 minutes later, he's always fine. We rotate between three great gals who sit for us. Two are in high school and one is my sister's age. I think having trustworthy, reliable sitters makes it easier to do this too...still...the guilt!!

You've Got to Be Kidding Me!

So, I (Missy) went to the doctor yesterday because I was once again dealing with nasal drainage and a sore throat. I also just felt really tired. The doc said she had seen several cases of strep throat recently...people who had the same symptoms I had. So, she did a culture and we'll get the results Monday. In the meantime, she told me to go ahead and start on the penicillin. Well, I was just looking at the side effects and saw this. WHAT?!?! Is it really worth taking this medicine if this is a possible side effect?!?!

This Is What We Do on Friday Nights Now

Brad was on the phone with his brother so Missy made a new compilation of some lesser-seen photos of the Zekester. Enjoy!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

3!

As of today, we've been waiting three months since our DTE (Dossier To Ethiopia) for a referral. The months are ticking by! I know the next two months will go quickly...Two months from today is my birthday!

So, as of now, we have 6 to 8 more months to go until we get our referral. So exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What Does That Mean?

Our youth pastor sent this to me today...love it!

Malachi 3:3 says:

"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities...

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse:

"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered,
"Oh, that's easy -
- when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

No Nap?

Zeke has not napped at daycare this week. I'm a little concerned because he's clearly tired when I pick him up. Monday, he fell asleep on the ride home and took a late afternoon nap for an hour and a half. Yesterday, he only snoozed about 10 minutes in the car and then was awake until after 8PM. He's usually in bed asleep between 7:30 and 8. He's not sick...any idea what's going on with my little man?!?!

Back on Track and Longing for Warmer Weather

Remembering this summer when days were warmer and the fruit was sweeter...

We have a slight chance of flurries this morning...*sigh*...

Looks like everyone at our house is better, though Brad's ear is still stopped up. He says he's starting some new meds soon.

Brad's grandparents are planning to stop by our house for a visit tomorrow! They'll spend the night with us before heading on to visit Pappy's sister in Texas. We're so happy that their trip will include a stop to see us! Pray for their safety as they drive many miles across the country.

Back from Dallas

I am back. I had a very fun and productive trip to Dallas. I was only gone two days but I missed Zeke and Brad so much. Still, I was there with a gal from my radio station. She has two girls who are in elementary school. Admittedly, we really enjoyed two quiet dinners at Olive Garden. Brad totally made fun of us because he said that sounded like something two moms in their 30's would do on a business trip. Well, it's the small things that make life enjoyable, you know? I found some cute clothes for Zeke, including a super hip, home-skillet tobogan at Gap. I also found two Christmas shirts for Quilla at Old Navy. They're super cute. They are 18-24 months so she'll probably wear them TWO years from now. Oh well. That's fine. Ahhhh, it's so good to be home!

We Know Why You Come Here

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Better

I think we're all doing much better now. I didn't even need nose spray to sleep last night. Thank you, Lord!

There was a flurry of referrals with our agency this week. We're thankful for that. Even though things are moving along, we still have to stay with our original time frame, which puts us getting a referral next May at the earliest. Pray for the families moving through this process. It's an amazing, exciting journey but many families face frustrations along the way.

Dial-A-Nurse

We are fortunate that my mom is a nurse and is only a phone call away. I stayed home from work yesterday and rested. But my fever never returned and my head is clearer. My mom and I concluded I must have had a sinus infection. At any rate, I'm back at work today, feeling better but still tired. Zeke slept all the way through the night. What a blessing! We've got him on antibiotics for his runny nose. We all just need to get better. Brad's also doing better.

Pretty Much in Denial

I may have swine flu but I'm in denial. I had a fever over 101 last night so just to be safe, I'm home from work today. I work with a couple of people who try to avoid getting sick at all costs because of some past medical issues and I sure don't want to expose them to my germs. As long as I keep up on the ibuprofen, I don't feel too horrible. More tired than anything. All three of us slept well last night. Zeke made it through the night in his crib and only required attention one time. That's a huge improvement and a sure sign he's getting better. He still has some wicked congestion in his nose and a junky-sounding cough. He is not wheezing when he breathes. I've asked his doctor's nurse to call us this morning to see what she advises. He had this congestion before he got the flu. Now that the flu is gone, we need to get this other stuff taken care of. Let's hope this is the only time we all get sick this winter. Wishful thinking, right? Brad's on meds for his ear, which he says still feels stopped up.

On the plus side, I feel confident that even if this is the flu, I will be much better by mid-week since the fever seems to only last a few days. I'm heading to Dallas on Friday for a conference. I'll be back Sunday. Pray that I'll be completely better by then. And also pray that Brad does not get this junk. So far, it seems he has not had the flu and we hope it stays that way!

Is Z's Mom sick now?

Ugg...I have felt bad on and off this weekend. I thought it was allergies. My usual cadre of allergy meds combined with some ibuprofen kept me feeling well enough to go to church this morning to sing for Adoption Sunday. But by mid-afternoon, I was feeling pretty yuck. I can't believe this is the flu because I expected to feel much, much worse. On the other hand, Zeke played and was mostly cheerful through his flu ordeal...who knows. Prayers will be appreciated.

We had Adoption Sunday at church today and it was such a blessing to be a part of it. I heard that two families who were just starting to think about adopting signed up for our new adoption support network. How exciting! I had the privilege of sharing my adoption testimony in the contemporary service. Well, naturally, I choked up when I talked about seeing Zeke's photo for the first time and how perfect he is for our family. I tried to drive home one point: If God is calling you and your family to adopt a child, God will make clear the path, remove all obstacles, and will open doors for you. It was so great to talk about how all these doors miraculously opened once we started to pursue an adoption from Vietnam. Amazing! I could give you example after example of God confirming our path and meeting our every need on the journey. And the Ethiopia adoption has been "easy" (so far) compared to Vietnam. That's been a real blessing. And you know what? If it does get hard, God will be there in those times too.

Can't. Wait. For. New. Moon.

If you haven't seen the latest trailer, here it is.

"Red, Bulging and Angry"

So the doctor looked inside Brad's left ear and saw this. Thankfully, Brad has not experienced any pain with this condition, just a fluid-filled ear.

Top 10 Lessons on Swine Flu

10. It's contagious. Even your gourds can catch it. And read here about a house cat that got it.
9. If your child has a history of wheezing/pneumonia, start breathing treatments right away. It's made a HUGE difference for Zeke.
8. If your kid has a runny nose, a little cough and a fever, chances are good that it's swine flu. I thought it might just be a cold because Zeke had identical systems when we went to Philly this summer. Go figure.
7. Just because your two-year-old has swine flu, doesn't mean he doesn't want to dance his booty off. Moms, you must say no! Exercise and jumping around can cause coughing fits.
6. Even if it's early November and the high is in the 70's, don't take the baby outside. He'll just get worked up and start coughing.
5. Invest in those antibacterial wipes and clean everything. Snot will get everywhere. Clean everything constantly.
4. Just assume the baby will not sleep through the night. Even when the fever is gone, it's hard to sleep through the night when you're coming off of swine flu.
3. Catch it early so your kid can get on Tamiflu. It's shortens it and decreases the severity.
2. Excessive jumping/exercise can lead to episodes of pook. Avoid at all costs...unless you want a few more things to clean.
1. Do NOT under any circumstances get swine flu.

If there's a silver lining to all this, it's that we can now move into the colder months and the holiday season without fear that Zeke will get swine flu. And he's already gotten his seasonal flu shot. So, we can breathe a little easier knowing we've BTDT (been there, done that).

On a completely separate note, I'm considering a little splurge. It looks like one of our beloved babysitters is available to watch Zeke Saturday, November 21st. The new Twilight movie opens that weekend. So, I really am jonesing for a cool Twi shirt to wear that night. Among the finalists are shirts bearing these slogans: La Push Cliff Diving Team, Ciao Volturi, and Black Swan Motorcycles: Reckless Distractions Guaranteed. If you've read the book and have a favorite among these, let me know. I'm leaning toward the La Push one.

We're here...sorry for the long absence

If you haven't heard, Zeke has swine flu, aka novel H1N1 flu. They did not do the specific test for swine flu but he tested positive for type A flu. Given that no other type A has shown up here EXCEPT swine flu, the docs are pretty certain that's what he has. Blah. He's actually doing very well. He's been home since Tuesday...Brad and I have taken turns going to work and staying home with him. So far, no pneumonia. Praise the Lord for that! I think his cough sounds better today. WOOT! We caught it early enough that we got him on tamiflu and I'm sure that's helping. We also started breathing treatments right away. Those make a big difference in his congestion. He absolutely hates the breathing treatments but he has no choice but to suffer through them.

Please keep us all in your prayers. We want Zeke to get better and to get through this without pneumonia. Brad is also fighting something...probably just a head cold but it's a vicious one. And I'm fighting lack of sleep and praying that I don't get sick.

A Picture is Worth a Million Dollars

In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle, the Lion Sleeps Tonight

Here's a sample of the lion in the jungle...more to come!

Happy Halloween-y!!

We have had a fun day so far. We went to the zoo, which puts out quite a spread for All Hallow's Eve. Zeke got to feed a cracker-thingy to a giraffe (no kidding!) and we saw lions. We told him those were lions, like he was pretending to be for Halloween. He wasn't too interested...after all, the lions were pretty uninterested in us. We saw 4 or 5 kangaroos lying in the grass and honestly, they were lying there the same way Little Buddy does when he sprawls out. Too funny. We had lunch at Maria's (Mexican). Now we're back home so Z can take a little rest before the trick-or-treating. This will be round 3 of trick-or-treating for Zeke. Want to hear a fun story about what's meant by trick-or-treat in the Ozarks? Click here.

We Intrerupt This Blog to Bring You Some Exciting News...

I'm so HAPPY to tell you that our dear friends Greg and Laura have been matched to a BEAUTIFUL baby girl in China!! I can hardly type this without tearing up. They have a series of formalities to go through but expect to bring her home in January or February. We pray it's sooner!! Pray for them as they prepare for Anna's arrival and pray for Anna as she waits for her mom and dad. You can follow their journey here. Praise God for His faithfulness to Greg, Laura and this precious child!!

The Pa-pa

That's what Zeke calls the potty. We had a major potty victory last night. Don't want to go into the details here but any of you who have gone through the potty training stage with your kid know all about the major and minor victories. We celebrated by letting Zeke enjoy half of a little bag of M&Ms. (I hear many parents use M&Ms as the potty reward...maybe there's a new marketing campaign in there for the candy?)

I took Zeke trick-or-treating last night in one of the dorms on campus where I work. It was the annual "Halloween in the Halls" event. Zeke happily wore his lion costume. He seemed very intrigued by all the costumes he saw on the little kids and college kids. He even got to meet Batman and the Joker who were handing out candy on one of the floors. Zeke acted pretty stunned to see Batman in person! That was the real treat! It was also fun to hear all the female students oogling over Zeke and his cute costume. Zeke started to get the hang of things after the second floor. He would march up to the candy bowls and reach right in. He did really well when I said, "Only pick one please." He seemed to pick out mostly suckers, which I won't allow him to eat yet. He got some other candies though that are ok by me. His favorite was a little piece of chocolate in a foil wrapper with a football printed on the foil.

Moving Up the List

We are now 6th for a baby girl on the unofficial list of waiting families with our agency. Let me reiterate...this is an UNOFFICIAL list so there are definitely families waiting ahead of us who are not on this list. Still, it's fun to see our name move up the list as families at the top get matched to their babies. We love rejoicing with them as they see their baby's face for the first time. I still expect to wait the full 9-11 months for a referral. That puts us at next May, June, and July. Before we know it, we'll be MATCHED to OUR GIRL!! WOOT!

Pook

A few days ago, Zeke was with me in my bedroom but was calling out for Da-Da. I told him daddy was busy at that moment cleaning up some "cat puke." Yeah, not a very ceremonious way to describe it. So, Zeke, who is now repeating everything started saying "cat pook." It was quite funny! Cut to last night...

Zeke woke up crying around 11:30. Even after Da-Da went in to check on him, he was still howling. I got up and went in. He was a little sweaty and very upset. I took him from Da-Da and brought him into our bed. More crying. I wiped away his tears and asked him what was wrong. Well, it wasn't long before Zeke's dinner re-appeared. After the drama of the moment and after the elaborate clean-up which involved a bath for me and Zeke, we were sitting in bed. Poor Da-Da was cleaning up residue from the carpet. Zeke pointed and said "cat pook." I said, "No. That is Zeke pook."

Happy Birthday Brad/Da-da!!

Happy Birthday to the love of my life!! Zeke stayed up "late" last night so he could give Da-da his birthday cards. Brad's got a really busy week at work and I wasn't sure when he'd be home tonight so Zeke and I gave him our cards last night. He's got a surprise coming at work today...should be fun!

Fair-Trade Coffee=Adoption $$

We signed up for an adoption fundraiser recommended by our adoption agency and at last, the program is up and running! Basically, if you buy coffee from the grocery store or coffee shop, we'd ask you to consider buying fair trade coffee through our online store: http://www.justlovecoffee.com/BradandMissy

It's a great deal for us because we don't buy any coffee or pay anything to participate. We just had to sign up for our store. The creator of this program adopted children from Ethiopia through our agency. We're thankful to have this opportunity to raise money for our adoption. And hey, you're going to get some great coffee...what's better than that??

Going Whole Hog

Yep...we now have a mini-van. We are now full-fledged members of the Parents Club. I confess that I really didn't want a mini-van. When we went to look at vehicles at a car lot last weekend, I said, "No mini-vans." God put a mini-van in front of us this week and it was just too good of a deal to pass up. In buying it, we were able to meet our need for a vehicle that will be reliable on long road trips and the need of another family that needed to sell it. As my sister said, "God has a reason for giving you guys a mini-van. Just wait and see!"

Contagious Revelation

A few notes on what we're doing at our church...

Our pastor is wrapping up a series on being a Contagious Christian. Yes, the theme comes out of all the attention being paid to H1N1 flu...While we don't want to spread illness and germs, we DO want to spread the love of God. It's really focused on equipping people with ways to witness. It's been an excellent series of sermons.

I led a 5-week study of The Shack in our Sunday School class, which concluded last Sunday. So today was the first day for our class to study the book of Revelation. The guy who is leading our class is a scholar who once taught at a Christian university. I love what his handout said across the top:
Revelation-The book of encouragement for Christians. (God has everything under control.)
I have never looked at this book that way. To me, it contains all the wild imagery that struck fear in my heart as a young child. So, I am really looking forward to learning more about a book that God intentionally included in the canon. By the way, if you've never studied the canon--how we got the books of the Bible that we have today, you are really missing out. We did a big canonical study earlier this year in our Sunday School class. It's one of the best and most eye-opening studies I've ever done. It gave me a new and fresh way of looking at the entire Bible. We explored why we have these books and not others. We started with the Old Testament and examined the early Jewish texts and how they were used. And finally, we looked at how we got the New Testament, who wrote the books, for whom and why. Eye-opening, indeed. Which brings me back to Revelation. We will be studying the book, as best we can, from the perspective of the early Christians in an attempt to better understand the book. I have no doubt that in hearing God speak to the early Christians through this text, we will also hear God speaking to us.

Vegas Pics!

Photo credits: Thank to Kel for taking these and sending them to me!!
Hot mamas and cute babes!

Zeke and Mom in the gondola at The Venetian.

Yummy times at P.F. Chang's.

Baby Love!

Waiting to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at Paris Casino.

The Letter Two

We have now been waiting two months for a referral. Two down, 7-9 more to go. I really hope and pray our referral comes sooner than that but I'm fully prepared to wait 9 more months, if necessary. Thanks for your continued support during the wait. Quilla is going to be the best dressed girl in town...it's hard to resist buying A FEW cute things for her as I come upon sale items. I did the same thing for Zeke and he's still wearing clothes bought by me and others before he came home!

Note: "The Letter Two" is a reference to an SNL sketch in which David Duchovny plays Jeff Goldblum on an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy.

Doodle Baby

Thanks to a recommendation from my dear friend Kelley, we got Zeke one of those magnetic doodle boards for his birthday. It's got little "stamps" in different shapes and a "pen" that he can use for drawing. While he enjoys doodling himself, he also likes to have me and Brad draw things for him and then he guesses what we've drawn. This requires considerable talent on Zeke's part, considering I can hardle draw a stick figure.

Another Zeke anecdote...about 3 months ago, I took him to a playground near our house. He was playing on the little kids jungle gym. There are two slides. He saw a small bug on the yellow slide and yelled, "Bug!" Well, he has not forgotten that incident and even this weekend at his birthday party, he refused to go down the yellow slide because of "Bug!" We tried to explain that there was no bug but he still wouldn't go down the slide. Oh well...

Happy Birthday Zeke!!!

Zeke had a wonderful birthday yesterday!! He basically just played his little heart out with some of his buddies from church at the playground. He got to eat more sugar than normal (not a lot but still more than usual). He conked out early last night and then woke up at 9PM wanting milk (it sounds like "mirk" when he says it...adorable!) and a bite of his cake. Too sweet! After that, he slept the rest of the night.

Today is a big day because he moves up to the 2 year old class at school. I think he will do just fine with the transition. He knows most all of the teachers at his school and seems to like all of them. And some of the kids in the 2's used to be in his 1-2 year class. I think it will be so good for him to be around older kids who are talking more.

Missy Decided to Mad Men Herself

Car Shopping

We're looking for a new-to-us car. We found a 2008 Equinox we liked but when we brought the price quote home, we found it was about $2000 too high. We're going to keep looking.

Update

Sounds like the statement from the US State Department isn't going to cause any drastic changes. I'm rejoicing at this news! I know God is going before us on this adoption journey and will move mountains for us and our child. God's done it before! Please continue to pray. We're nearly two months into the wait for Quilla...only 9-6 more months left to wait for our referral! Praise the Lord!

*sigh* Here We Go Again?

The US State Department issued a statement that sounds eerily like the one it issued for Vietnam. Basically, it sounds like the US is going to start conducting "field investigations" on Ethiopia adoptions. I am angry, sad, and frustrated because Ethiopia has a more rigorous investigation process than Vietnam had. At the very least, this could delay bringing Quilla home. Now, I just hope we can bring her home before next Christmas (2010). I don't have any answers yet. We're supposed to have a conference call soon with our adoption agency. I'm hopeful we'll learn more about the implications of all this during the call. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, PRAY that God will clear the way for us to bring home our baby girl. After this adoption, I'M DONE.

Zeke Photos!

Nerdy Zeke...just like his Dad! *smile*

An early birthday gift arrived recently...

Zeke enjoys his new goldfish container.

Because we just can't get enough of the "first haircut" cuteness!

Waking Up in Vegas

"Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes now
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas."
-"Waking Up in Vegas", Katy Perry

Zeke and I had a wonderful time in Vegas!! It was a great chance to bond and spend time with an amazing friend who has been such a support during both adoption journeys. And her daughter is so smart and communicative. Zeke really started to step up his game in terms of communicating after seeing how much my friend's daughter was talking. I have also increased the amount of signing I'm doing with Zeke. That's helped a lot.

Because we had to be at the airport around 4AM yesterday, Zeke and I both took long naps once we were home. Still, he slept through the night and didn't make a peep! It's hard to go back to work after spending so much time with my baby.

My friend took photos during our trip (my bags were packed to the gills so I didn't bring a camera). As soon as I get some photos from her, I'll post them here.

Viva Las Vegas!

Zeke and I are heading out at 2 this afternoon for VEGAS! We are really looking forward to this mini vacation. Don't know how much blogging I'll be able to do while we're away but if I can, I'll post and let you know how it's going!

Good Breakfast Eats

Have you tried Panera's egg and cheese sandwich? The white cheddar cheese is fantastic! Delicious! One of my guilty pleasures that I rarely indulge in is the Cinna-melt from McD's. I tried it for the first time when Brad and I were in Vegas one year. We always stay at Circus Circus, which is practically next door to a McD's. Those Cinna-melts are out of this world. If you haven't tried one, don't because they're TOO GOOD and TOO FATTENING and you will have a hard time staying away from these babies!

While Zeke and I are in Vegas, we'll get breakfast at our hotel, included in our room price (sweet!). It looks like we're going to get rain tomorrow of biblical proportions. At this point, the rain should move out by Friday afternoon, when we fly out to Vegas. Please pray that we will have clear, smooth skies for our trip. I'm really hoping for an easy flight. I'm even considering buying a new portable DVD player. The one we have is no longer portable. The battery dies after 3 minutes. We've tried TWICE to order a new battery but no dice. While cold is supposed to settle in here on Friday, it's going to be in the mid to upper 80's in Vegas. WOOT! Can't wait!!!

Crazy Busy

Things are crazy busy for us right now. Lots of things are going on for me and Brad at work. I'm also getting ready for our trip this Friday to Vegas. Looks like we're going to have excellent weather for lazing by the pool. Can't wait!

First Professional Haircut

Zeke received his first professional haircut Saturday. We had previously trimmed him up in the kitchen, but with a big trip next weekend, we wanted to spruce him up. The highlights:

Let the Fasting Begin

I'm going to start fasting weekly, like I did when we were waiting to bring Zeke home. Truthfully, I didn't succeed every week but I did most of the time. I fast Thursday night 8PM to Friday 3PM...I'd love to have you join me. Why am I fasting? To focus on my prayers that God will match us with the baby girl who is meant fo rus, that God will watch over Quilla and will keep her safe and healthy before we get there, while we're there and after we get her home. There are some other things I'll be praying for too but for now, the main thing is Miss Quilla.

By the way, we are rejoicing with other families who have recently gotten referrals!! On the unofficial list (let me stress...this is unofficial), we are ninth for a baby girl. We are hopeful that things will move along. Another thing I'm focusing my prayers on is that we might get matched and pass court before the court closures next year in August/September. I admire the families who have waited through the closure with such patience and grace these last weeks...Once the courts re-open, they'll get their court date and after they pass, they can go get their baby. I know they are eager to get it done. We pray for them too.

On a much lighter note...Zeke and I will be in VEGAS next weekend! Yes! The very first time I went to Vegas with Brad (pre-Zeke), I said, "I will NEVER bring our children here." Since then, we have come to appreciate some things about Vegas (the weather, the shopping, the food) but mostly, it lives up to its reputation as Sin City. Zeke is still little enough that he won't "get" all the adult junk that goes on. In a couple of years, I definitely WON'T be bringing him. So, why am I going? We're going to meet up with my amazing friend and her daughter...She has been a super support through our first adoption and now is cheering me on as we are waiting for number 2. She adopted her daughter from the same orphanage where we got Zeke. So, it will be the moms and the kids. What FUN! Pray for safe travels for all four of us and that we'll all have a BLAST!

Tonight is the Mid Autumn Festival. We're looking forward to that. Zeke had his first "big boy" haircut today. He's cute with his new 'do. We took him to a place called "Cookie Cutters" where he got to sit in a CAR while the gal cut his hair. And he had his very own TV screen where they showed Disney's Cars so he could focus on that and sit quasi-still for the trim. He did an excellent job! Pictures are forthcoming!

Mid-Autumn Festival=Moon Cakes!

It's time to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Click here for a wiki entry on the holiday that's celebrated by the people of China, Korea and Vietnam. Our local international adoption group will hold a celebration Saturday evening. It will involve a potluck dinner, eating "moon cakes", and having the kids participate in a paper lantern parade by moonlight. We will dress Zeke in one of embroidered Vietnam t-shirts and a dark blue Vietnam-style jacket we got him in Hanoi. We will definitely take pictures! And if you'd like to join us in celebrating this festival American-style, we invite you to eat some moon pies in the moonlight!

Now add in some music...maestro, something with a little octane...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What You're Really Here For...

Click here to view these pictures larger

Ethiopia Conference Call!

I'm on my first conference call for families waiting for a referral from Ethiopia with our agency. It just makes it all seem more REAL! Exciting, exciting!

Prayers for Sick Babies!

Several of the Ethiopia babies who came home with families from our agency within the last week or so are very sick. Please pray for them to be healed, for the families, and the medical staff that's working with them. I remember how scared I was when Zeke went through his bad illnesses last winter. Just pray for their quick healing.

Moon River and Me

I got to meet Andy Williams yesterday. I went backstage at his theater and waited for him in his dressing room/apartment. He actually lives in this swanky little space right off stage. His apartment is tastefully decorated with wall art and sculptures. He and his wife have a really nice home on a nearby lake but he has the option to stay at the theater when necessary. Anyway, he was super nice and very charming. An NPR reporter interviewed Andy about his new memoir "Moon River and Me." He told some really great stories during the interview. He would give me a sly smile when he told some of the amusing tales as I sat there recording him. I'll post a link when the story airs and is posted online.

Why You Can't Adopt from Vietnam Right Now

    HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - A Vietnamese court official says six people have been sentenced to up to 4 1/2 years in prison for
arranging more than 300 fraudulent adoptions.

    Among those sentenced were the heads of two welfare centers who helped persuade unwed pregnant mothers to give up their babies in exchange for free food and shelter.

    Chief judge Dang Viet Hung of Nam Dinh provincial court says the six were convicted of "abuse of power and authority." Ten others were given suspended sentences in the scam, which involved filing false paperwork for 323 babies.

    Many of the babies are believed to have been adopted by parents in the United States and Italy.
   
    (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

All About Hair

One of the fun parts of being Quilla's mom will be doing her hair. What mom doesn't look forward to playing with her daughter's hair?!?! Well, it is a little intimidating considering I can't even seem to get my own hair to look decent half the time...and that's why I'm glad I found this website where an adoptive mom demonstrates hair techniques on her daughter. Check it out by clicking here. It's great!

Zeke is such a squirrel. He woke up at 11PM last night, crying, didn't want his "didi" (pacifier) and just wanted me to pick him up. So, I did and I turned on the lamp to see what was wrong. I asked him what he wanted and, looking as pitiful as possible, he pointed to the hallway. I set his feet on the ground and asked him to show mommy what he wanted. He led me down the hallway to the guest bedroom and stood by the bed. Yep, he wanted mommy and Zeke to lie down in the big bed. So, I did for a little while. Once he was asleep, I moved him back to the crib and he slept the rest of the night. We will have to figure out a way to wean him off this because he needs to go back to sleeping all night in his crib, which he did most of the summer without any problems.

Pumpkins!

We went to the Rutledge-Wilson Harvest Days Saturday with Zeke. We have some fabulous photos of him in the pumpkin patch and sitting on a big old tractor (his favorite part of the day!)...but as usual, we are slow uploading them. I'll try to get them posted today or tomorrow. We also took Zeke to his first college football game. He almost lasted an entire quarter. I don't blame him for being fidgety...he was sleepy and feel asleep once we got him in the car. That allowed me and Brad to have a quiet, late lunch at a favorite restaurant while Zeke snoozed in his stroller. All in all, it was a great weekend.

It feels like fall here and I'm loving it!

I'm working on an NPR story this week...Will let you know when it's going to air...Maybe Friday or early next week.

T Shirts

So, for Mother's Day this year, we got the grandmothers these hip t-shirts. Missy's mom (Lolo) got a cool beach-y tee from Old Navy and Brad's mom (TT) got this cool Paul Frank shirt:

I really wanted to get one of these tees for myself but when I ordered TT's, it was the last one in the size I needed. So imagine my pleasant surprise when some internet roaming led me to discover this very tee, in my size on sale!! Woot! So, it's on its way to me now. Sweet! It's the little things, ya know?

Anyone else watching Survivor? On the first episode, we laughed so hard at the woman who goes by the name "Shambo." Does it get any better than that?!?! And how about that evil Russell? Burning the socks of another player and dumping their clean water...what a mean guy!

Happy for Two Families!

Two families with our agency got THE call yesterday. One family was matched to a baby girl and the other family was matched to a young girl. I'm so happy for them! The first moment you see that beautiful face looking back at you through the glow of the computer screen is amazing...the only thing that tops it is the first time you see your child in person and hold your child for the first time!

Know someone who needs help with cover letters, resumes or papers for class?

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Here are my qualifications: I've worked more than 10 years writing and editing in professional newsrooms. I taught journalism/writing courses for a state university for more than 5 years. I've reviewed resumes and cover letters for students and professionals for more than 10 years.

Just some thoughts on when-Quilla

While I hope that we get our referral by next July or earlier, it's possible it could be more like August. That would mean we'd likely get caught in the court closure. Courts in Ethiopia close for August and September. That would add some time to our wait to bring her home. So, when anyone asks when we expect to have her home, here's the way to say it...Quilla should be home in time for Christmas next year. I think that allows time for a little bit later referral and also for the possibility of not getting a court date until October. All that being said, I know the timing, whatever it is, will be perfect!

Like a Hungry Person Coming to a Feast

That's how I slept last night. Thank goodness! Zeke slept through the night. He was stirring a little this morning when I was getting ready for work but he was quiet when I left the house.

We booked the pavilion at a local park yesterday afternoon for Zeke's birthday party. It was well timed because apparently, another family had expressed interest in reserving it for the same day and time. But since I was there in person, ready to pay for the reservation, I got it! I felt kind of bad but I had no idea anyone else wanted that same day and time. I already have the invitations for Zeke's party...Halloween-themed of course. I think we will once again encourage guests to wear costumes or Halloween-y clothes. FUN!

The package I sent Zeke's birthmom is in Vietnam and has cleared customs. I'm hopeful it will get delivered to her soon!

Sleep Troubles

It seems Zeke will have several weeks of good sleep, where he won't wake up in the middle of the night and require parental attention. I think these are times of bliss for him as well as us. He seems well rested and is happy during the day. I expect he'll be grumpy today...like his mom who was on duty last night. Zeke woke up multiple times with prolonged crying fits. I think that antibiotic he's on for his sinus infection is causing him to have an upset tummy. Poor baby! We only have 3-4 more days left of medicine so I hope this gets better soon. We're feeding him a meal plus yogurt with the medicine, per our pediatrician's suggestion to help with the upset stomach. Any other ideas?

Happy Forever Family Day!

Scenes from One Year Ago...Outside the orphanage in Lang Son...

Meeting Zeke

Nanny holds Zeke at the Giving and Receiving Ceremony
Zeke's getting tired.
Our first family photo!!
Zeke giving Mom a once-over.
Two women who love this baby very much! Nanny and Mom
Getting ready to leave Lang Son...We had a Baby Einstein Touch and Feel Animals Book.
Mom can't help staring at the baby!
Baby starts to conk out...

Halloweeny Pajamas

Just in time for the UT-Florida game, Zeke's Big Orange Pajamas.







We think he looks like Tim Burton's Oompa Loompa..