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!