HOME STUDY IS APPROVED!!

Can you see me turning back flips?!?! Now that World Child has approved our updated home study, we should be able to get the federal paperwork filed later this week or early next week...depends on when we get the actual notarized copies in our hot little hands!! Now, we just pray, pray, pray that the federal paperwork gets back quickly. In March, it only took 13 calendar days to get our approval. Amazing! It was so surprising to get it that quickly. So, I know they can work fast!!

On a completely unrelated note...check out the music of Randall Goodgame. Thanks to the Mattson boys from church, I've discovered a fabulous singer/songwriter. His music is like the soundtrack of O Brother Where Art Thou, Ben Folds Five, Hem, and your bluegrass faves all rolled into one. Excellent piano, great melodies.

By the way, Little Buddy and Pierre Clovis wanted me to post these photos to remind everyone that they are the original babies in our family!

Cribz

We spent part of yesterday checking out baby furniture...mainly cribs. Who knew there were SO MANY designs?!?! It's really overwhelming! We noticed that the convetible cribs are very popular. Basically, they can change into a toddler bed and finally become the headboard and footboard for a full size adult bed.

We also looked at baby carrying devices. They are very popular with the international adoption set and come highly recommended by adoptive parents who've gone to China and Vietnam. There's actually a whole "movement" of people who advocate "baby wearing." I just thought it seemed like a logical choice if you're traveling light and don't want to bring a stroller (most adoptive parents who have been to Vietnam strongly recommend against taking a stroller as sidewalks are packed and traffic is crazy). We're just starting to really look at all this baby stuff. Once we begin actually making some purchases, we'll post photos!

Hope you've had a great weekend!

Good Morning Vietnam!!

We have some big news! After much prayer and discussion, Brad and I have decided to adopt a baby boy from Vietnam!! YAY!! We are SOOOO excited!!

Some FAQs:
Q. Does this mean you won't be adopting Lily from China?
A. No!! That's the really great thing. We can "stay in line" for Lily through the China adoption process while moving forward with an adoption from Vietnam. Lily will be our second baby instead of our first.

Q. Did I read that right? You're getting a boy?
A. Yes! We are requesting a boy. The situation in Vietnam is the exact opposite of the situation in China. China has an abundance of abandoned baby girls and Vietnam has an abundance of abandoned baby boys.

Q. So, when do you get your little guy?
A. We hope and pray that we get to travel to Vietnam in December or January. We are compiling our dossier right now. It's not nearly as extensive as China's so we hope to be done in a few weeks.

Q. When will you get a photo and info on your baby boy?
A. Our agency said that we should get a baby referred to us within 60 days of sending our dossier to Vietnam. I'm hoping the timing will work out so that we get to see our little guy for the first time in October, close to Brad's birthday...of course, sooner than that would be fine too!

Q. How old will the baby be?
A. The baby could be as young as 3-4 months old. We won't know til we get our referral.

Q. How long will you be in Vietnam?
A. Our agency is telling us to prepare to be there for three weeks. That sounds like a long time but you get your baby right away and then spend MOST of the rest of the trip sightseeing (cool!). There are various appointments you have that are spread out over a couple of week to finalize the paperwork. The entire process (from Giving and Receiving--the official ceremony where you get your baby to flying home) should be three weeks.

I hope that helps answer some of your questions. Let me know what other questions you might have. While Lily's name came to us easily, we are having a lot of discussion about names for our baby boy. So stay tuned for a "Name Game" post.

It's the heat...the humidity (said with a "Deep South" accent)

Yes, it's still oppressively hot where we are. I spent yesterday evening staining a bookcase that I got in college. We've had it and used it but I had never gotten around to painting or staining it. I thought I was going to pass out from the fumes!! Gag! But in the end, it turned out very well! I'm letting it air out in the garage before moving it into the house. I did this while Brad was at rehearsal, even though it turned out, he didn't need to be there.

Can I just say that there's NOTHING on TV in the summer? At least a couple of summers ago, you had the premiere of Dancing With the Stars with Peterman from Seinfeld (or am I just imagining that that show was a summer program?). The episode of Last Comic Standing was kind of amusing last night. But maybe it only seemed funny because I was still high on the fumes from the bookcase.

We did go see Bourne Ultimatum this weekend. A most excellent suspense movie! Brad and I like to make fun of Matt Damon (think Team America) but you have to hand it to the guy...He's really, really good in the Bourne series. We are a couple of "Johnny Come Latelys" when it comes to Jason Bourne but we're definite converts. These are fun movies with good twists and turns. Highly recommended if you like international intrigue, espionage, etc.

Hot, hot, hot!

It's hot!! How are you beating the heat where you live? I'm basically doing very little outside. I went for a brisk walk in a park near work yesterday with one of my co-workers. We were drenched by the time we got back to the locker room. I know my sister is beating the Thailand heat by waking up at 4AM to run. Good for her! I couldn't do that. Just not got the motivation to get up early...especially when an air conditioned gym is at my beck and call every day of the week.

Hope your week is going well!

By the way, I got to hold little Garrett for the first time last night. He's an absolute CUTIE!! Misty's sister-in-law had a time capsule shower...we all brought letters to Garrett that will go in a time capsule that he will open when he's 16 or 18. What a wonderful idea...Misty, I think I'm going to have to steal that one! Thanks to our hostesses Robin and Sarah for a fabulous evening!

Run, freedom, run

My sister just ran her first 10K (read the fine print and you'll see she actually ran more than that)!! Check our her blog for some rockin' photos and all the details.

(Bonus points if anyone knows the name of the musical referenced in the title of this post.)

And now, on a more serious note...

A passage from a book written by an adult adoptee, "Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew"...She imagines God writing a letter to her adoptive parents:

Dear Retha and Mike,
One of My children needs a home--a mother and father who will love her and provide for her. I know how much you wanted to have children. I know the tears and anguish you have experienced. But the only way I could make a place for this child in your home was through the open door of your infertility. I am loaning her to you for a while to take care of. Do the best you know how to do, for she is precious to Me. Someday, when you are gone, I will be her mother and father. She will learn to trust Me and depend on Me as she did on you. Thank you for being willing to love My daughter and give her a home on earth.
Love,
God

Spider Pig...

If you've seen the Simpson's Movie, you know the Spider Pig reference. We got in to a free showing of the movie last Thursday. It was a solid film but I would opt for a rental rather than paying to see it in the theatre. On the other hand, some folks will get a kick out of seeing Marge and Homer on the big screen (finally!), so go for it. We did pay to see Spiderman 3 at the cheap theatre this weekend. Very much worth seeing on the big screen. Excellent CGI effects. But the plot and characters were a mish-mash...they took the "kitchen sink" approach and tried to cram in a lot of stuff. Still, a good popcorn movie and worth seeing.

The best part of the weekend was seeing Garrett in the arms of Misty and Joel. First, this is the cutest baby with shiny, silky black hair. He's a little guy and he spent the entire church service snuggled up to Misty. I couldn't look at them without tearing up.

I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend!

Everybody's Working for the Weekend

Well, keep working because it's almost here! I hope to do some tidying up around the house, workout and just generally chill this weekend. Brad's going to make some bread puddin' that he's been craving for weeks now.

I finally got around to uploading some photos I've been meaning to share with you for some time. First, the darling shirt I bought for Lily in Paris. Then, the other pics show our photo pages we sent to China with our dossier. We were given free reign to be as creative as we wanted. I'm not very creative when it comes to this kind of artistic expression...but I did my best. Also, they don't translate any words on your photos so you have to keep the captions very simple.

They (finally!) got their baby!!

Garrett was placed in Misty and Joel's arms yesterday afternoon. They are heading toward home though there's still some paperwork to be processed along the way. We are so relieved and happy for them!! We can't wait to meet the little guy but we think they'll need some time to rest and recoup. *smile*

One heckuva ride...

Our dear friends Misty and Joel have been on one terrible roller coaster ride. From absolute euphoria when their little guy was born Friday to extreme uncertainty as the birthparents were unsure they could go forward with the adoption. We think our friends are incredibly courageous and patient to endure all this. The latest news is that they are hoping to pick up their baby this afternoon!! We pray that everything will go off without a hitch.

As easy as 1, 2, 3

That's the Chinese symbol for the number 3. Today is our 3 month LID anniversary. We've now been officially logged in for 3 months. Only 33 more months to go! Well, we don't really know that for sure. It could be fewer than 33 months (though that seems unlikely) or more (please, not more!).

Please say a pray for Joel and Misty. They've been on one heck of a roller coaster ride this weekend. First, the birthmother had second thoughts about the adoption. Now, she is back on board and the biological father is unsure of whether or not he wants to proceed. Check out their blog for the latest. We've just been sick over the whole situation as we had hoped this would be nothing but a joyful experience for them.

Our weekend got off to a good start...We had "date night." Hairspray was a blast. You should definitely check it out!! It's so good, even my mom would like it!!

Misty and Joel are PARENTS!!

We are so thrilled to report that Misty and Joel's son, Garrett Anthony was born yesterday evening!! We are ecstatic for them!! Garrett is absolutely gorgeous! Misty is going to post photos and details on their blog. Head over there and give them a shout. We're so happy to get to share in their amazing journey and we can't wait to welcome Garrett when they bring him home!!

Reflections on a 10K and other miscellany

Here are some thoughts I had while running the 10K last week (I did complete the race by the way...when Brad said in the previous post that I ran 99% of the race, he meant that's how much I ran...I did walk just a tiny bit when I got to the top of the last monster hill toward the very end...then I picked back up with my running):

*In some races, finishing is winning.

*Pace is a very important thing, perhaps the most important thing. You can't sprint out of the gate when you've got 6.2 miles ahead of you. Steady progress is what's important, not speed.

*You are racing yourself, not anyone else.

*Shake and Bake.

On a different subject...Are you wild about Harry? Brad just re-read all the Harry Potter books in anticipation of the final book being released. As much as I love those kinds of books, I've been slow to read Harry. I hope to pick up the first one later this year...maybe around the holidays.

Hairspray! We are going to see the new movie tonight for "date night." I can't wait since I'm a huge fan of the music from the Broadway show.

I hope all of you have a fabulous weekend!!

Til the Cows Come Home!!

Introducing...MOO!!!

Moo partied for Court's birthday til the cows came home!!

My sister's having a COW!

Maybe not a cow, but a MOO!! Wendy and her roommate, Courtney adopted a little chihuahua and named it Moo. It's so named because it's said to resemble a miniature Holstein. Welcome home, Moo! I'm so happy to be an aunt! Littly Buddy and Pierre Clovis are excited to have a cousin. By the way, this dog is apparently very small. The guy who sold Moo to Wendy and Courtney said not to let it outside by itself as a bird could carry it away or a cat might mistake it for a rat. They also can't bathe it in the tub as Moo might slip down the drain.

Oh, rats!

If you're hungry, check this out!

Lost in Translation?

Nah. We're not LOST in translation but our agency informs us that our dossier is now in translation. After that is complete, our dossier will wait to enter the Review Room. That's where the Chinese officials make sure all of our information meets their regulations. The Review Room has finished processing dossiers that were logged in before May 31, 2006. They are really behind...but that doesn't seem to matter since the matching room is working on November, 2005. I expect we'll be waiting for quite some time to get into the Review Room. We will keep you posted!

Down the Stretch She Comes!

Brad & Missy Complete their first 10K!

This is Missy.. just seconds after she crossed the finish line at the Price Cutter Y Not Run 10K Saturday morning. She finished in 1 hour, 8 minutes and jogged 99% of the way. Brad finished in 1 hour, 2 minutes, and had just enough time to run to the car, grab the camera, get something to eat and snap these photos. Missy is well on her way toward that half-marathon in September.

Alternate

After several weeks of nail-biting and wondering what the heck was going on, I finally called to find out if I had received the Hong Kong fellowship. I figured in this case, no news was probably bad news and I was right. The lady with whom I spoke was very kind and apologized that I did not receive the email notification indicating that I had not been selected. But she said I had a strong application and was actually an alternate for the program. So far, she said no one has dropped out but who knows what could happen! Even being an alternate is a big honor since they only select 6-7 journalists from across the country for this fellowship. Will definitely let you know if there are any developments! I told her I wasn't discouraged at all and that I would re-apply for another fellowship. We'll see what happens!

We're back home after a wonderful visit with our families. I had a great time at Myrtle Beach, even though my stomach got SCALDED by the sun and wind. I hope your week is off to a great start!

Country Roads

We made it to Tennessee yesterday afternoon. We had a pleasant drive, only ran into one little snag in traffic outside Knoxville. Speaking of which...we listened to about 20 minutes of a Knoxville radio talk show host expound on the reasons for the UFO cover-up in Roswell. Most amusing!

Rumors are flying like they always do right before China releases its referrals for the next batch of families. At this point, they've referred children to families whose paperwork was registered in China through November 7, 2005. Looks like this month, they will refer babies for families with LIDs (log in dates) through November 14, 2005. That's the latest rumor anyway. At this pace, everyone expects the wait to reach the two year mark by December. My constant prayer is that China will refer more babies faster. There are lots of complicating factors: not enough babies whose documents are "ready" for international adoption (plenty of babies, mind you, just not enough "paper ready" babies), a desire to show a DECREASE in international adoption during next summer's Olympics (read: "We don't have a baby abandonment problem in China"), a possible quota that limits the number of babies referred, more domestic adoptions (a good thing for sure but I can't believe there are THAT many domestic adoptions that they would so drastically impact the international adoption rate)...This is why I pray. I pray constantly that this process will speed up. Yes, I have my own selfish reasons for this prayer...I want a baby to love! But most importantly, I want these children to know that there are families on the other side of the world whose arms ache to hold them. They are loved! We will get an email update in the middle of this month showing where our dossier is in the process. I hope our dossier is in translation, the very first step after getting logged in. There are actually just three steps: translation, review (to make sure all your documents are good and you meet standards), and matching (where they put you with your baby!). Sounds simple, right? They have reviewed dossiers received in April, 2006. So, they are more than a year behind in that department. I would like for us at least to get translated...then we can join the stacks and stacks of dossiers waiting for review. *sigh* I will continue to keep you posted.

On a positive note...we leave for the beach tomorrow. That will be awesome! I'm very excited about that. A trip to Myrtle Beach will include meals at the Captain's House, a trip to the Gay Dolphin, and plenty of quality time on the beach. We'll be back in a few days...until then, Happy July 4th and stay cool!

A load of babies...

You may have heard about the recent births of sextuplets. I always shake my head when I hear about this happening. It's so dangerous for the babies and the mom. Here's more from a recent article on CNN.com:

Four of the six babies born June 10 to a Minnesota mother have died, and the others are in critical condition. In Arizona, the mother was treated for acute heart failure after giving birth.

"I think that these instances give the whole question of fertility treatment a black eye because the results are so tragic, and the costs are so enormous," said Dr. Theodore Nagel, a reproductive endocrinologist at the University of Minnesota.

Having a high number of fetuses can be prevented if the treatments are done carefully, he said.

The doctor who did our IVF is so careful about multiples that he doesn't even want his procedures to result in twins. He's only ever had one case of triplets and his rate of twins is very low. That's the kind of conservative approach that is best for moms and babies. I wish other doctors were more conservative (though it's hard to fault someone who is doing his/her best to give a couple the baby they have longed for)...the cases of large multiples are dangerous and promote misconceptions about assisted reproductive technology, which can be done safely and effectively. (I'm now stepping down from my soapbox.)

Off to visit the fam...

We'll be heading out this weekend (late Sunday) to visit our families for the next week. It will be a fun time and we're looking forward to getting away. I'm glad I'll get to be with my dad on his birthday (July 5) and even better, we may be at "the beach" to celebrate. I put it in quotes only because when we were growing up, Myrtle Beach was THE beach so referencing "the beach" in my family can only mean one thing. Don't know if Brad will come with to the beach us since he doesn't like the idea of spending another 16 hours in the car (8 to the beach and 8 back). I don't care. It's worth it to get to dig my toes into the sand!!

100 ways to pass the time

Brad and I were talking this weekend about how we're keeping ourselves distracted from thinking too much about the wait for Lily (now estimated to reach three years...34 months now for us). Here are some of our favorite distractions. I'd love to hear some of your suggestions:

*Train for a half marathon (Missy plans to run one in September)

*Train for a marathon (wouldn't it be cool to run the Boston Marathon before we get her?)

*Go see some great movies (We're wearing out the library's great collection of DVD's...we watched "The Squid and the Whale" this weekend. Excellent indie flick!)

*Apply for fellowships (Missy should hear this week about a fellowship that would take her to CHINA in September!! Next year, she'll apply to go to Germany again.)

*Create a quilt (more to come on this one so stay tuned...let's just say it's a way for all of us to show our love for Lily)

*SLOWLY begin assembling the nursery. We've only bought her clothes, toys and books so far and in very limited quantities so there's lots to do!

*Plan a big trip. Brad's brother Travis turns 30 next year and plans are already in the making for a fabulous outdoor adventure (Brad's mom and I will spend our nights in a nearby B&B...everyone else can rough it!). I love to plan trips!

*Take some classes. As you know, this fall, Brad and I begin our Chinese language classes at the university. Very exciting!

*Do some theatre! We plan to audition like mad before we get Lily. It will be much harder to make time to be in shows once she's hear so we'll enjoy it while we can.

*Enjoy some quality television. There are very few TV shows we like but the ones we like, we like a lot: Scrubs, Survivor, SNL, and Lost. Too bad they're all on hiatus this summer.

Ok, there's ten. Hope you'll give us some more ideas!

TWO Month LID anniversary tomorrow!

Because I probably won't be on the computer tomorrow, I wanted to go ahead and post a big WHOOPEE! because tomorrow is the two month anniversary of our LID (Log In Date). That means we've officially been in line in China for two months. Our dossier is waiting to be translated. Our agency sends a status report every month to show us where our dossier is in the process. Getting translated is the very first step. So, you can tell how far behind they are when we've been logged in for two months but our paperwork hasn't gone anywhere. Still, we're two months closer to Lily and that's something to celebrate!

"We read to know we're not alone."

So said C.S. Lewis. When I meet people who have struggled with fertility issues, one of the first things I notice is their sense of relief that they are not alone. It can be such a lonely journey because few people feel comfortable discussing it. I hope that reading this blog helps you feel connected to at least one other couple going through this process. I am so thankful to have all of you to share in our journey. Lily will be one blessed little girl to have so many people in her life who have loved her years before she got here.

It was so good to hear from my friend Laura from the endo group who posted a comment on the blog. This is a yahoo group of gals with endometriosis. They are a super, sweet, wonderful, supportive group! Laura, if you and your DH ever have any questions about adoption (or anyone else), I've set up a new email address. It's lilysmom2b@gmail.com If anyone wants to drop me a line and say hello, ask about IVF or adoption, I'd love to hear from you. (For those of you who use other email addresses for me, please continue to use those. I'm using them all!)

Thanks to our friends Laura and Greg for posting more adoption etiquette. You'll find their helpful guide by clicking here. We've already encountered some rude comments...mainly from people who ask in a judgemental way why we're adopting from China when there are children in the states who need homes. First, as Christians, we believe God has led us to China. We have had confirming circumstances that have told us that this is absolutely the right path for us. Second, we believe God calls some couples to adopt domestically and some to adopt internationally and some to do both. Any adoption requires special people who have a heart for these children. If you ever wonder about whether there are couples willing to adopt children in this country, take a look at some of the couples who are waiting to be matched with a child in the states. You'll find 13 pages of couples...and that's just one agency's list! We applaud anyone who adopts a child, whether from the states or from the other side of the world. God has different paths for each of us and we should celebrate that!

Carrie taking a picture of Todd taking a picture of Missy taking a picture of Joy

This photo is courtesy of one of the world's great photographers Carrie Chesnik! She was THE photographer for our trip and she totally rocks! This is me taking a photo of Joy (of the Minneapolis Star) outside one of the cathedrals in Krakow. That's Todd (of the University of Illinois) behind me taking a picture of me. And Carrie is taking a picture of all of us. What fun!

CONGRATS to the PARENTS-TO-BE!!

Ok...I've been waiting for the RIGHT moment to give a HUGE, MEGA-SHOUT out to Katie, my bestest friend in the whole world and her sweet husband Justin. Katie is expecting and when I got the news, I had to keep it quiet until she had a chance to tell some others. So, then I wasn't sure when to officially post something here bceause I didn't want to spill the beans before she could give the big news herself! Well, now that everyone knows and they JUST FOUND OUT IT'S A GIRL, I wanted to say super duper congratulations! I'm thrilled that I will get to be an "auntie" to her darling baby girl. You can follow all of their exciting news here on their blog. We love you guys and are so happy for you!!!

Medical info on baby girls adopted from China

Click here for an interesting story about new parents adopting their baby (named Lili!) from China. I found this to be a fascinating read. It's also consistent with what we've heard from some parents who have adopted babies from China.

Awards

I received first place for Special Programs radio and TV and second place for Feature Reporting radio. I appreciate the recognition but more importantly, it was fun to go to the awards dinner and visit with friends. We had a great time though the evening is always a LONG one. We did get some good shopping in and some good cheesecake eating (ok, we didn't technically eat any cheesecake because we were too full). My search for some French "biscuits" at World Market in suburban St Louis was for naught but I'll keep looking.

On the Road Again!

Yes, Willy said it best. I'm on the road again this weekend. We're headed to St Louis for an awards banquet. I have a couple of radio stories and two TV programs that are up for awards. I know I will win one of the TV awards because my two programs are the only finalists in that category! It's a fun weekend since we get to stay at the lovely Ritz-Carlton. We also get to see some of our colleagues from other radio and TV stations across the state. That's always fun. Plus, there's the requisite visit to the Galleria Mall for Cheesecake Factory goodness and a whirl through Anthropologie.

Hey, if anyone sees any good summer movies, please email me or comment on the blog. We have yet to see Spiderman 3. I know Ocean's Thirteen opens this weekend (to lukewarm reviews) and there are others coming up this summer. I'm looking forward to the next Harry Potter. I haven't read the books (Shame on me, I know!) but the films are GREAT! I'm also always on the prowl for some good indie or arthouse films.

Will post here Sunday or Monday to let you know how the awards ceremony goes!

Back to reality

I'm back at work today, catching up on email and other things. Seems everything went fine without me. That's great! I didn't want to come back to hear about any operational disasters!

Brad and I were both off yesterday. It was nice to have a day off in the middle of the week. I unpacked, did laundry and ran some errands. We saw the new Pirates (we pronounce it Pee-RAH-tehz) movie yesterday afternoon. What a great adventure flick! Loved it! Speaking of good movies...I saw The Namesake on the plane coming back to the states. An excellent film about a family from India assimilating/adapting to US culture.

We want to give a special shout out to Misty and Joel as they prepare to meet with the birthmother of their little boy Garrett. We pray that all goes well. We can't wait to hear all about it!

Another shout out to Greg and Laura. Thanks for the EXCELLENT post on your blog about adoption language. I hope you guys check this out. An adult adoptee who is a dear friend of ours says people used to ask if her mom and dad were "her real parents." "Of course they're real. They're not fakes!" she would reply. Then she would follow up by asking, "Do you mean to ask if they are my biological parents? They're not. My biological parents are Korean."

A photo!

Here is a photo of me holding Clement Sunday afternoon. He's so sweet!!

Back to Springfield!

Thank you all for following my adventures on this trip. I had a most excellent time. It was very satisifying both personally and professionally. I produced 4 stories that aired on my station last week. I hope to post them on the internet when I return. I'll provide a link here so you can give them a listen.

My Sunday visit with Benedicte, Aurelien and Clement was amazing! Clement IS the cutest child you've ever seen! We had a lovely time visiting the town of Aulememe (sp?) and their lovely home in the country. I told them their home is exactly what Americans imagine when they think of life in provencial France. I hope to post photos and video from our visit when I'm back stateside. (Benedicte! I was in such a rush at the train station, I think I left my candy purchases in your car. I hope you will simply eat them and enjoy them. And merci beaucoup encore une fois pour la nourriture et la hospitalite!)

I did end up purchasing a shirt for Lily yesterday at the Galleries Lafayette. I took some photos of the shirt but it's not easy to load them up here in the airport. I think it's quite darling!

The hotel in Paris for my last two nights was sumptuous. I did take a dip in the pool last night before going to bed. They left some outstanding chocolate on my pillow each night (this was some substantial chocolate...not just a little piece).

For my last day in Paris, I started by taking the metro to Montmarte. I had breakfast in a little cafe. Then, I hiked up the hill to see Sacre Coeur. Magnifique! I walked around inside the church, sat down for a prayer and enjoyed the view from the top of the hill. Then, I worked my way back toward Boulevard Haussmann for shopping. I visited the big department stores and some smaller boutiques. I traversed the Champs-Elysee and the Tuilleries. I made a brief excursion to the left bank for Pierre Marcolini chocolate. I went back to the Champs-Elysee for dinner and then back to my hotel. It was just a lovely day all the way around. It's nearly time to board the plane. More to come in the following days.

The official program has ended...

Bonjour everyone from Paris! It's been an amazing and exhausting week. It's hard to believe we are all parting ways tomorrow. As for me, I'm off to Angouleme (Francoise! Thank you for the correction. I have no idea where I came up with Chartres!! I suppose that's what happens with a sleep deprived brain. I chcked and I have my tickets for Angouleme so I should be all set. It was so very nice to see your comment and know that you are keeping up with my adventures. I hope you and Alaine are both doing very well.) I am very, very excited about seeing Benedicte, her husband Aurelien and their son Clement. It will be so much fun! I have told everyone in our group about my excursion to see them tomorrow. We had a lovely farewell dinner tonight. It is sad to say goodbye to these new friends and colleagues but I feel confident we will stay in touch at least from time to time. On a side note, I'm reading Abundance, a novel about Marie Antoinette by Sena Jeter Naslund...It's a most excellent read and I highly recommend it. She wrote the equally excellent Ahab's Wife. Both would be great additions to your summer reading list. Off to bed for an early morning. More to come tomorrow evening...I'll see about doing a video from Angouleme!

Four Hour Dinner

We had an 8 or 9 course dinner last night at our BEAUTIFUL hotel in Provins. It was delicious! There was escargot, white fish, steak, and on and on. We had a wonderful time. We could hardly believe it when someone said it was midnight! My room is off in a side building from the main lodge. It's like a converted barn. There are exposed beams, stone floors and an upstairs in my room! It's too bad that we only get to spend one night here. We have a few appointments today and then it's back to Paris for our final night together as a group. Sunday morning, I'm taking the train to Chartres to see my friend Benedicte! I'm looking forward to it. I am short on time now so sorry that I'm not posting any photos. More to come...

Dutch Madness

Here are some photos from the Flower Auction outside Amsterdam. We ventured to the Hague where I'm spending tonight. We spent the evening on a dairy farm out in the lowlands. Very beautiful houses and animals and amazing land. There's water everywhere! We were two meters below sea level! Anyway, here's my short second video...this was in the marketing area of the Flower Auction today:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4946118004893960327

Space Cake in Amsterdam

This is what our cabbie told us to order at a cafe. He was teasing (I think) since Space Cake is chocolate cake with weed in it! It's really quite a beautiful place. The buildings are stunning. We are here less than 12 hours...only about 6 hours of sleep tonight. Then it's off to the flower auction in the morning, the Hague in the afternoon and overnight there too. I hope to produce another Miss Vid tomorrow. Have a good night!

Off to Holland

We wrap up in Brussels today and then it's off to Holland by train. Should be wonderful. Hope you all are doing well. I'm getting ready for breakfast...I suppose all of you are already in bed! Have a good night!

Breakfast in Poland, Lunch in Paris, Dinner in Brussels

That gives you an idea of how much we've traveled since this morning! It's been a wonderful day. I had my reunion with the wonderful chocolate of Pierre Marcolini as you saw in the video. The recorder ran out of batteries as I was entering the Grande Place here in Brussels so I didn't get that on tape...maybe in the morning. Here are some photos to tide you over til then. (Note: They are not in chronological order!) Photo 1: Missy sips a Coke with grenadine (cherry syrup) in a cozy little cafe on the Grand Place in Brussels. Photo 2: Missy in the Grand Place. Photo 3: My Brussels hotel room....ahhhh! Photo 4: Missy outside Gare du Nord train station in Paris this morning. Photo 5: Missy at the Paris cafe where she had lunch.

Video from Brussels

Click here.

Could this hint at a new career as a travel journalist?!?! One can dream, right?

Here are the photos for today!

Photo 1: Missy at dinner on the agri-tourism farm of Mrs. Anna Gas. That's Kristina, one of the organizers of the trip beside her. Photo 2: Missy, Jack Thurston (German Marshall Fund Fellow and a Brit), and Joy, a fellow journalist. This was lunch today at Leopold's place. Photo 3: The mountains of rural Poland...or is it really just Northeast Tennessee?!?! I didn't know if I was in Europe or Kingsport this morning! Photo 4: Missy hard at work filing her first story...from the hillside of a Polish dairy farm that recevied start-up assistance from Heifer International! Photo 4: This is Leopold.

On the Farm

We met a farmer today named Leopold Grabowski. He entertained us at lunch at his agri-tourism operation outside Krakow. He's 70 years old. He was very charming and invited us to have a look around. We had chicken and pork tenderloin at his place...delicious! Despite having wonderful food at every meal, I haven't been very hungry. Oh, I'm eating alright but not as much as usual. I'm chalking it up to the time change/jet lag because I normally have no problem packing it away! We are off to Paris early in the morning but we will take a train from Paris to Brussels. That's where we'll spend the rest of the day and tomorrow night. I LOVE Brussels. Many of us in the group are already conspiring to visit Pierre Marcolini, the BEST chocolatier in the world. One gal said it was like "Tiffany's" but with chocolate. I couldn't agree more! We concluded our day with a visit to an agri-tourism farm where we had dinner, a bonfire and accordian music. The old guy playing the accordian was great! At the end of the evening, he had us follow him out to the front. We applauded when he finished. As he walked down the steps to the parking lot, he struck up another tune. His wife kept going. He kept playing. I figured she went to get "the hook." I thought "This guy really believes all the world's a stage!" More observations:

*Having a conversation that requires a translator takes a LONG time. And by the time you ask the question, it gets translated, the person answers and the answer gets translated, you have forgotten the question you asked!

*Don't ask what kind of meat is in a Polish dish. If it tastes good, just smile and gobble it down.

*Brits will eat anything "between the nose and tail."

*Polish people give their children names that the children can't pronounce until they're 10 years old.

*Polish people name their dogs "Lucky."

*It's cute that Polish people call their homeland "Polsky" and they applaud on airplanes when they land on Polish soil.

I will try to upload some photos in a few minutes...or maybe tomorrow. Have a good one!

I'm here!!

After a long delay in Springfield, barely making my flight to Munich in Chicago, then having only about 10 minutes to spare before boarding my flight to Krakow...I'm here!! Praise the Lord...I made it and my luggage made it! And I've got the photos to prove it! The first photo is me in the main square of Krakow. The second photo is my hotel room here. The third photo...well, you can insert your own caption (hahaha!).

When I got to my hotel room, I showered and then hit the town with three other journalists in my group. They are super nice folks and really easy going. We just tooled around for several hours, split a dough-y pretzel, soaked up the sights and saw more catholic cathederals than you can shake a stick at! It's probably no surprise that my first purchase in Europe (in Munich) was a Coke Light!! I'm running on the caffeine from that delightful beverage. We'll be having dinner in a bit and I'll have to re-fuel with another dose of C.L. I feel like I already have a gazillion stories to tell...I'll just give you some highlights:

*I thought I had scored when we took off from Chicago and I was in a row of three seats by myself! Then, a lady came up and asked if anyone was sitting in the aisle seat. Wah-wah.

*On the plus side, the seat usurper asked me if I was an athlete. I had on a tank top so I'm hoping she was impressed by the "gun show!" HAHAHA!

*Polish spelling is funny: Alkohole, wegetarianiski (vegitarian)

*You have to be vewy, vewy quiet in cathedrals.

*It's hot here! And they don't believe in AC!! I will just have to sweat it out tonight.

That's it for now. Here are a couple more shots from today. More to come!

Missy Gets a French Welcome

Seinfeld in da House

Some quotes from one of our faves, Jerry Seinfeld:

*According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.

*Did you ever notice, when you are sitting at a red light, that when the person in front of you pulls up a couple of inches, you are compelled to move up too? Do we really think we are making progress toward our destination? "Whew, I thought we would be late, but now that I am nine inches closer, I can stop for coffee and a danish!"

*I was the best man at the wedding. If I'm the best man, why is she marrying him?

*Isn't it weird that we drink milk, stuff designed to nourish baby cows? How did that happen? Did some cattleman once say, "Oh, man, I can't wait till them calves are done so I can get me a hit of that stuff."

*It's amazing that the amount of news that happens in the world every day always just exactly fits the newspaper.

*My parents didn't want to move to Florida, but they turned sixty, and that's the law.

*Now they show you how detergents take out bloodstains, a pretty violent image there. I think if you've got a T-shirt with a bloodstain all over it, maybe laundry isn't your biggest problem.
Maybe you should get rid of the body before you do the wash.

*The Swiss have an interesting army. Five hundred years without a war. Pretty impressive. Also pretty lucky for them. Ever see that little Swiss Army knife they have to fight with? Not much of a weapon there. Corkscrews. Bottle openers. "Come on, buddy, let's go. You get past me, the guy in back of me, he's got a spoon. Back off. I've got the toe clippers right here."

*Where lipstick is concerned, the important thing is not color, but to accept God's final word on where your lips end.

*Why do they call it a "building"? It looks like they're finished.
Why isn't it a "built"?

*Would somebody please explain to me those signs that say, "No animals allowed except for Seeing Eye Dogs?" Who is that sign for? Is it for the dog, or the blind person?

*Men don't care what's on TV. They only care what else is on TV.

Oilily for Lily

Many of you know of my love for the clothing line from Oilily. It's based in the Netherlands but there are some boutiques in the states. It's mainly a children's line but they have really fun women's clothing too. I'm planning to raid the Oilily stores in Amsterdam and Paris. I'll have a hard time resisting if I find something lovely for Lily!! Check out the beach-themed website by clicking the logo. I can't wait for my trip...Please pray that I have a safe, smooth, on time travel experience. I have a tight connection in Munich where I'll catch a plane to Krakow. It's too bad I won't have more time to wander around the Munich airport. It's supposed to be one of the best airports in the EU. I just got my full itinerary today. It's going to be a whirlwind trip. We're going to travel some by train. I love going by train in Europe because you get to see so much of the beautiful countryside. I loved going around Germany by train...I saw some beautiful little villages perched on the sides of mountains. Most people sleep or read on the train. I was like a little kid, glued to the window, watching all the little towns slip by...ahhhh.

ONE MONTH ANNIVERSARY!

Today is the one month anniversary of our LID. YAY!! One month down, who knows how many more to go on this journey. The consensus among the rumor community is that the wait will extend to 3 years. Some people have asked if that means we will get a 3 year old child. The simple answer is no. You are not matched with a baby as soon as you are logged in and then wait to get to the front of the line and go get her. It means our baby hasn't been born yet. When our dossier gets to the front of the line, the CCAA looks at the babies they have available at that time and matches us with one of them. So, when our child is referred to us, she'll probably be 9-10 months old. We'll get her a couple of months later, making her about 1 year old when she's placed in our arms. So, that's how it works. Thanks for traveling this road with us.

Reunited!

During my Euro-excursion, I will get to visit a friend of mine from high school. Benedicte was an exchange student from France who stayed with my family in Tennessee for a couple of months when she and I were in high school. We have kept in touch over the years. Brad and I visited her and her parents during our Paris trip in 2000. Now, she's married and has the cutest little boy in the world (Exhibit A: the photo of Clemente and Benedicte). I am so excited to get to visit them while I'm abroad! They live a couple of hours outside Paris and have graciously agreed to make arrangements for me to take the train to their town. How cool!!

Paris, Take 1

Here's a photo of us in a Paris cafe in 2000. It was near the Louvre, I believe. It was September but still cool enough to require a sweater. Brad is giving me his camcorder toy to take with me. I hope to post video and blog entries while I'm abroad.

Ahhhh, Paris

The details are coming together for my upcoming trip. It's looking better and better all the time. I've got interviews set up with some local farm people here. I will take my sound from them and use it with the sound I gather in Europe to produce some cool stories! All the farmers/farm experts I've talked to so far say this is a very timely trip because the head of Ag for the EU was just in the state last week! I'm so excited...it's going to be great on so many levels. I've decided to stay on a couple of days in Paris after the official itinerary concludes. Thank goodness for Marriott points...I'm staying at this swankified hotel and it will cost me nothing!

In case you didn't hear...There was an earthquake near the city where my sister lives. She felt the building sway but there was no damage where she was. We're so thankful that she's doing well. Please continue to pray for her. Pray for those who sustained injury and damage to property during the quake.

MISSY IS GOING TO EUROPE!!!

This is SO wild!! I got an email last Friday from my editor at NPR. He only sent it to a few reporters in his region who he felt would be good candidates for a fellowship that would involve a one-week study tour of Europe. The fellowship focuses on agriculture issues and is put on by the German Marshall Fund. I found out today that I've been selected to go! The preliminary itinerary is amazing! Leave the states on Saturday May 26th and fly into Krakow, Poland on May 27th. Stay there for a couple of days, then it's on to Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris!! I'm so pumped about this!! I only wish I had known about it further in advance so I could savor the build up and anticipation (does that sound weird?!?!). We had a garage sale this weekend and we were going through some old stuff. We found this tiny hair dryer I bought in Steinheim, Germany when I was staying at a B&B there in 2003 that didn't provide hair dryers (heck, the toilet wasn't even in the room...as you can tell, it doesn't take much for me to feel like I'm "roughing" it). I told Brad we shouldn't sell the dryer because I might need it if I got selected for this fellowship...so, whip out the hair dryer, baby, cause here I come!!

Please pray I have a safe, educational, productive, wonderful trip. I'm so thankful God has given me this amazing opportunity!!

Happy Mother's Day

I hope all of you have a Happy Mother's Day! That includes mothers who already have their children and mothers-to-be who are still dreaming about their children. Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

It's a BOY for Misty and Joel!!

All the details are at their blog. We are so thrilled that our dear friends will be the proud parents of a baby boy come August!! God is so good and the timing is perfect. What a wonderful Mother's Day gift for Misty! This reaffirms our belief and hope that our baby is out there too. We're just basking in the joy of this moment!! Join with us in prayer as they prepare to welcome this special baby into their lives this summer!!

Thai Your Shoes

The only shoes my sister wears in Thailand are flip-flops. Although, she's training for a half marathon (like me!) and probably doesn't run in flops. Just a guess. She's doing well and thanks to everyone who asks about her and keeps up with her blog. This is a photo of her in the back of the little red trucks they use for taxis. Hope you're all having a great Tuesday!

More awards!

I found out today that two of my public TV programs and two of my public radio stories are finalists in a statewide competition! This is excellent news, especially since it means my station will pick up the tab for a night at the Ritz Carlton for the awards ceremony in June! That's when we'll find out if we're "just a finalist" or if we won. My two TV programs are probably the only finalists in the special programs category so one of my programs likely will win there. It's always exciting to get this kind of recognition!

Crazy Friday

I suppose that's the opposite of Lazy Sunday (see SNL digital sketch). It was a crazy day and I'm so glad it's the weekend! No big plans here, save battling the crowds to see Spidey 3. We were planning to go to KC this evening for me to pick up my regional Murrow award tomorrow at a luncheon but now have decided not to go since I have to be back here by 6PM Saturday. Not worth the drive. Take care and have a safe one!

Are you LOST?!?!

The writers and actors on TV's best drama: LOST gave us a great episode last night. Even Brad, a reluctant fan couldn't deny the cliff-hanger goodness of the program after the latest episode. For the uninitiated, it's the ongoing story of a group of people who survived a plane crash and are now living on a bizarre island in the middle of nowhere (literally!). In addition to the general island weirdness (polar bears on a tropical island?), there's another group of people who live on the island. They're a mysterious bunch known as "The Others." If you haven't been following the show, jumping in now may be a little difficult. But if you've got a rainy weekend, I definitely recommend renting the first two seasons on DVD. It's reminiscent of the "Twilight Zone" or the short-lived NBC series "Amazing Stories"...cool twists and turns...more questions than answers.

On a different note...If you missed the Colbert Report last night, he had this funny segment on NPR. Click here and enjoy a good laugh.

Look what she did to the cat!

Missy decided to have a little fun at LB's expense.

Watch how he liked it.

We are LID!!

Despite the bad news about possibly delays in getting a child referred to us, we got some excellent news today. Our Log In Date (LID) is April 23, 2007!!! This is the date our paperwork officially got logged in by the Chinese officials. It's a relief to (finally!) be in line...like for real...like actually with a number...like we're ready for our child...like anytime now, ok? :-)

Have a super weekend!

No Lily til 2011?!?!

Say it isn't so!! The latest calculations by Rumor Queen show that with an April, 2007 LID, it's firmly within the realm of possibility that we won't get Lily until 2011. This breaks my heart. Obviously, this wasn't the scenario when we made the decision to pursue China adoption back in November. We have learned that we can pursue an "interim adoption" from another country. We spoke with a woman Sunday evening from an agency that does Vietnam adoptions. They are working with a number of families waiting in line for China. Please pray as we consider all our options. We are NOT giving up on China. But we also want to become parents and if we can do that while keeping our place in line, it's a very appealing possibility. Remember, this journey didn't begin in November or last summer. It began in the summer of 2003...*sigh*

A dirty secret of some journalists...

Faced with the harsh realities of news, many of us journalists like to read what I call "trash mags" in our free time. It's true! One of the big treats I allow myself when we go on vacation is the latest issue of Us or People or Star. When I go to the gym and hop on the treadmill, many miles get whiled away reading one of these rags. At a wedding for fellow journalists this weekend, I was talking to some of my colleagues about this. They too were ashamed (tongue-in-cheek) of their indulgences but felt it was necessary to relieve their brains of stress by reading about the latest antics of Brittney (did I even spell her name right?) and Paris or the fashion faux pas of Jennifer Lopez. One journalist even admitted to using code when talking about buying the trash mags. She called it "getting the papers." How funny! I tell Brad that I feel like my IQ temporarily drops after reading some of these really obnoxious articles. But hey, it's fun!! Hope you take time to indulge once in a while!

Doors

God is always opening doors so we can peek through. We are peeking through some doors right now as we wait for Lily. We always ask God to lead our hearts. Please pray for us as we look to the future and the opportunities God lays before us.

We hope you've had a good week, despite the awful start. We continue to pray for Virginia Tech.

We're excited about having dinner tonight with a family that has adopted two girls from China. We think it will be a blast getting to know them and sharing a meal together. We're so thankful to have a community of adoptive families in the area because we're able to learn a lot from them!

Pictures from Vegas

Virginia Tech

As Brad and I watched the events unfolding yesterday morning from our Vegas hotel room, we immediately tried to call his brother who teaches at Tech. Thankfully, he was fine. It seems he was on campus when it happened but arrived home safely yesterday afternoon. Our hearts grieve for those who never got the reassurance that their loved one was fine. We are so sad about this and are praying for the entire campus and community. We got to visit Blacksburg/Christiansburg several Christmases ago. We thought it was a charming area. It's so awful what has happened. It puts everything in perspective.

Vegas

Vegas has been wild. I'm actually glad I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm sure it would be more enjoyable if we were here on vacation. But we have lots of meetings to attend. Plus, every time you go somewhere, you and your clothes get coated in smoke. YUCK! That's all for now. I'm on a hoopty computer at the hotel that will hardly type...more to come once we're back home. Pray for our safe travels.

And I am telling you...I'm not going...

We got news today from our agency that they are very sympathetic to all the cyber hand-wringing about the SLOW referral process. They say it's a lack of "paper-ready" babies...In other words, not all orphanges participate in the international adoption program so among the ones that do, they're getting babies "processed" as quickly as possible. But that's not keeping pace with the number of families applying for babies. The Chinese officials apparently are out in the country trying to convince more orphanages to participate. They have a financial incentive since all families donate $3000 to the orphanage that cared for their child. Our agency also did not deny the possibility that the wait could extend to three years. Their sensitivity to the waiting families was touching:

"We understand that each person in this process has a very personal story that led them here and with that, a unique past. Sometimes that past may be filled with disappointment, loss, or frustration. When faced with the challenges that can arise when adopting internationally, those feelings may return stronger than ever. We often encourage families to find a positive source of support to turn to in this process. But when you are constantly faced with the questions of When? Why? or Why not? the stress of not having an exact answer to those questions can really take its toll. In order to reduce anxiety and frustration, it is important that we educate ourselves and those around us to help strengthen that line of support. I feel that it is also important to be able to discuss your feelings in a manner that benefits you."

It's so great that we have all of you to share this journey with us. We are not giving up (think Effie from Dreamgirls: "And I am telling you...I'm not going!"). I've read comments from other adopting parents who say their friends and families give up on the idea or forget about it while they continue to wait. They get comments like, "Oh yeah. We thought you gave up on that adoption thing a long time ago." So, I invite you to dig in your heels with us as we pray and wait during what Brad calls the Lily Advent. And when we vent our frustrations, we just ask that you love us and listen to us. There isn't always an easy answer or an answer at all, something I made peace with a long time ago. So, keep the faith...We sure are.

We're approved!!!!

Just got word that our dossier has passed scrutiny at Great Wall! This means our dossier will go to China on Friday!! WHOO-HOO!! (Can you see me turning back flips?!?!) We will then get info about the referral process. I'll let you know what news comes from that later in the week/early next week. Thank you for your prayers on this journey. Remember, we've still got a long way to go before we hold Lily in our arms so prayers for patience, endurance, and strength are needed. One other note...We were assured by our regional reps today that once our dossier passes Great Wall scrutiny, we can be assured it meets China's standards and should not encounter any difficulties along the way. WE ARE GOING TO GET OUR BABY GIRL!!

Happy Easter!

We hope you have a blessed Easter Day! It's cold here but sunny.

We're gearing up for a trip to Vegas on Friday. We can't wait! The temps there are in the upper 70's/lower 80's! We'll be lounging by the pool for hours!

Chinese 101

In an effort to broaden our horizons, Brad and I have enrolled in Chinese 101 at the local university. We will begin classes this fall. In Spring,2008, we'll take the second level and in Fall, 2008, we'll take the third level. We plan to continue on this language journey until we get news that Lily has been referred to us. Maybe by then, we'll be able to ask her nannies at the orphanage what she likes to eat and what her favorite toys are.

This afternoon, we took a jaunt to a town about 1.5 hours away. We just wanted to get out of town, do a little shopping, eat at P.F. Chang's. While at the restaurant, a family came in with an Asian baby. She was so cute and the entire family seemed to be in love with the little thing. It was so sweet to watch. That will be us someday!

Please pray that God will intervene and speed up referrals (the process of matching babies to families). Right now, it's as slow as molasses. I feel optimistic that things will get better. But I'm specifically praying that God will work in very tangible ways to allow the CCAA to refer more babies to more families. I was reading a post from a waiting family recently about how heartbreaking it is for the babies and children who want a mom and dad more than anything. And here are all of us, wanting a child more than anything. And yet, the process is so slow, these children go to bed night after night without a parent to tuck them in. Pray for this situation on behalf of these blessed children. Some people have told us they are already praying for little Lily. We thank you for that. It means so much to us!

Dossier SENT to GWCA!!

This afternoon, we put our completed dossier in the mail to Great Wall. They will get it Monday, review it and if everything's in order, they will send it to China next Friday!! A few weeks later, we will get our LID (Log In Date). That's officially when our wait begins. Right now, it's easily looking like we'll wait 2 years from our LID. There's always buzz on the internet that the wait will shorten or lengthen. We had a prayer vigil at church today. I stopped by and prayed over the dossier, for our child, for her birth family, for the Chinese officials who will match us with her, for all of you, for our church and our community. I hope you have a blessed Good Friday.

Dancing in the street!

Brad's passport arrived today!!!! I had told my dad earlier today that if it was in the mailbox when I got home, I'd literally dance in the street. So, when I saw it there, I did a jig in the street...I hope the neighbors weren't watching! This means we can get our dossier to Great Wall in time for them to review it and mail it to China a week from TOMORROW!! This is so far ahead of our original timeline. It's very, very exciting. We can only say PRAISE GOD!

Speaking of God...

This is Maundy Thursday and our church is so great at providing us with a meaningful service to commemorate the last supper. The service always ends in total darkness and silence as we file out of the sanctuary. Brad will be a participant in the service tonight. We will have a prayer vigil tomorrow for Good Friday and then I'll sing tomorrow night as the youth in our church begin their vigil around a large wooden cross in the field next to the church. They sit out by the cross from Friday night to Sunday morning. They are highly visible from the nearby busy road. It's such a wonderful testimony to everyone who drives by! We hope you have a blessed holy weekend culminating in a joyful Easter celebration!

Not the Four Letter "S" Word!!

SNOW?!?! (What word were you thinking of?!?! *wink*) It seems snow is in the cards for tomorrow night and Friday. ARGH! I'm actually wearing a sweater today!

I love that several of you "outed" our SNL sketch playing in the background of the video clip. I hope it didn't distract you from our rock star kitty Little Buddy. Our SNL fan level is quite intense given that we have our own "middle school mix tape" of our favorite SNL sketches from recent years. A recent fave is Peyton Manning in the spot where he's a volunteer coaching some little kids playing football...With all the kids gathered around, he says, "Alright, I'll KILL a snitch! I'm not saying I have, I'm not saying I haven't. You know what I mean. Whatever."

We should get all our documents back from being authenticated Friday. YAY! Pray that Brad's passport arrives this week!!

An Easter Miracle!

We got our federal form in the mail TODAY! This is a full two weeks ahead of schedule!! If all goes well, we could have our dossier on its way to China the end of next week! This new development makes it very hard to justify holding our dossier for the entire month to see the May 1 waiting child list at the other agency. So, we're thinking we'll move right along. Very exciting to see things ahead of schedule. On the other hand...

News about the referrals of children is very disheartening. The Chinese officials (CCAA) have only referred children for families who completed dossiers in October, 2005. Yes, that's 2005. Some agencies are telling clients the wait will be at least two years...the dreaded three year possibility is being mentioned as well. I know God is in control. It's just hard to realize that after all we've been through, we could still wait THREE MORE YEARS for our child. I know it will be worth the wait. It's just hard...

Anyone interested in wallowing in the rumor mill with us should check out this website: http://chinaadopttalk.com/ The rumor forum is especially addictive.

Brad plays with his new toy