Sad news.....

This is not the post I had originally planned.  But as we all know God sometimes has other plans for us.  It is very hard to type this, write this  and even say the words, but I have to vent (of sorts) and I felt like this was a good place to start.  It hurts very much to tell people that my Mom, by best friend, passed away recently. Heavy Sigh.  Those that have followed along (Thank you for being patient and understanding for my absence!) might remember that Mom meant so much to me and we tried to do almost everything together. Man, she is missed sooooooo MUCH!!!  I love you Mom!!

She had been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and emphysema several years ago and recently she was admitted to the hospital because she was having a hard time breathing.  Her heart and lungs were not playing nice together and the medicines were not helping.  The doctors recommended hospice care.  That was hard to hear.  This was unexpected.  We thought she was doing pretty good, all things considered.  She recently had appointments with her doctors and things were good.  Apparently God and Mom had other plans.  Looking back, I know now that she was tired of struggling to breathe.

She would always talk about how she was looking forward to another grandbaby (this would be her 11th grandchild) and was so excited we were adopting from Taiwan. She wouldn't wait to see a picture, just like the rest of us are!! (Keep your fingers crossed)  She wanted to travel with me to Taiwan like she did when Emily came home from China. Now she can still travel with me as my guardian angel.

My brothers and their families have all gone home (they live in GA & FL) and our Home Hotel, is oddly quiet.  I had ten people here, so cleaning and feeding them kept me busy.  But now I have other things to keep me busy, because my dining room table that I call my staging  area is now covered with flowers, cards and so many memories of all Mom, her life, her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids, three of those too!  I can't bring my self to put anything away and since we don't have any school projects going on, what's the rush, right? She trusted me with all her last thoughts and wishes.  So much love and support sitting here and occasionally I stop and re-read them with the tissue box in my hand.  I will do my best to make her proud.

On a happier note, I recently found out that we have moved up on the list and are a bit closer now, so that was  wonderful to hear.  I was able to tell Mom about it, because we found out about a week before she went into the hospital.  I often wonder if it wasn't a tidbit of news she may have been waiting to hear, knowing she could pass in peace then........   I try to think that she will have a hand in sending us the perfect little baby for our family, a blessing sent right from Heaven!

I am sorry that I haven't stopped by to visit my favorite families in blog world, but I will catch up soon.  Plus I have a lot of happenings I'd like to share from our home.  Thanks for stopping by and listening.  It felt good to "talk" about it.  Please keep her wish going with lots of prayers for a blessing from Heaven.    
I'm going to get more tissues!   :-)

Still here but not Online Often

I haven't updated the blog since the holidays and I thought it was time to post a quick note.  I received a couple of emails from other blogger friends asking about my absence and was everything OK.  Honestly, I haven't had much enthusiasm to update. I've kinda withdrawn and been a bit out of sorts about our adoption.  I'm usually a pretty upbeat person but the lack of adoption news, and movement as gotten me very down.  I haven't checked in much, but I have left a few comments here and there.  I really do enjoy reading about the fun happenings with the families I have "met" in blog world.  And I  LOVE to see the pictures!! I apologize if I have neglected someone in my absence.  It wasn't intentional to be mean.

Our adoption has been the opposite of an adventure. An adventure would mean that something was happening.  In our case, nothing has happened.  We have updated our fingerprints in the fall, (not that they have changed, but rules are rules) extended our USICS paperwork, we were approved and recently updated/renewed our home study.  We look great on paper and I have some good pictures too.  We have hit the official two year waiting (for a referral) milestone in April, so as I type this we are going into 26 months waiting for the referral of a precious boy.  I never in my wildest night mare thought we would be at this point.  It has been so frustrating and worrisome. Will it EVER happen for us???  Some days I am good, focus on the kids, their projects & activities, my great husband Chris, the laundry (that never stops) and my Mom.  And other days, I think Ooo, that's a great picture for the blog, or here's a funny happening from our weekend, but then I wonder if I'll ever get to post - It's a referral! Some days I feel like we are the only family still waiting for a referral.  :-(  So I wind up not posting anything.

This blog was to be about our Taiwan adoption and I feel like I have nothing to contribute.  Nothing has happened.  Please understand that I don't intend to be sad or absent, the wait is HARD!!  I know some other moms have been there and gotten through, so I try to be strong and keep hoping that it will be our turn some day, SOON!

Until that day happens I will try to update the blog with more pictures of the kids.  Lately alot has been going on with them and as school winds down (thankfully so does the homework) I can share what they have been doing.  My dining room table, our normal staging area for projects and such, has been very busy, as usual, and it's latest project, I am VERY proud of.  Our adoption file is still there waiting to be mailed, copied, and put to use, but the kids have kept it full too.

Until then, if you have stopped by, please understand my absence and frustration.
Still trying to be patient.....and hopeful

Happy Holidays!!

Happy Holidays !!!!

I haven't forgotten my friends and families! I would like to apologize for not leaving a note more often. I have peeked in on alot of my favorite families over the past few months, and I give ALOT of credit to those moms who can squeeze in the time to post a note, and add a comment. Especially those who add the pictures - I always love the pictures! I've seen so many cute pictures in their scariest to the best dressed, or even just the big smiles.

As the holiday season comes to a close and the New Year begins.....I am finally making the time to update our blog. To recap the past few months, our Halloween was frightful, with many ghouls and goblins and way tooo much candy! Fortunately I work with a bunch of great people that don't mind the leftovers. Here's a peek at the girls "group".....the boys weren't waiting for anything. Sorry, no picture.Our Thanksgiving holiday starting off with hosting my niece's baby shower... there were little baby ducks and the color blue everywhere......

Everyone had a great time, Meg received some wonderful gifts and I got some great baby ideas, (now I just need the baby to put them to use, sigh). This will be her first child and we are expecting baby Colin after the first of the year. There weren't as many leftovers from this party, and I was able to clear off the dining room table to get started on Thanksgiving. For Thanksgiving we had the entire family over again. Fed about 20 people. I think I cooked 10-12 lbs of potatoes, this group loves 'em mashed! Our turkey was every bit of 20 lbs, and Chris had enough for his annual week of turkey sandwiches. Two pumpkin pies, gone. My mom was able to be here and that made my day. She doesn't get out and about alot these days, so it was really nice to have her here.

After cleaning off the dining room table again, on to Christmas. It then became the staging area for the gifts to be wrapped, mailed, and cards to be sent. While we were out and about preparing for the special day we received another blessing. One that last for several days. We were blessed to have a White Christmas here in our neck of the woods for the first time, in many, many, years. SNOW, and a lot of it. This was Saturday evening.......

This is our back deck, just before turning in for the night. Chris cleaned it off twice before this picture, and you would never know it!!!

These are taken first thing in the morning.......

The snow was as deep as the swings, almost covered and our pool looked like a giant marshmallow!

Here is an example of the rewards by feeding your leftovers to your co-workers.......

I try to think of it as a perk for working for a construction company! He was a wonderful sight coming up the street, Adam was very happy! He could retire his shovel!! :-)

A week later we STILL had all 27" of snow, making our Christmas the whitest one this area has seen in a long while!

Santa finally arrives filling the space under the tree bringing his bounty of gifts for the house to enjoy for the children have been very good.

I didn't take many pictures of the unwrapping, but no one was disappointed. (except me for not having the camera ready) Adam was blessed with a new sound system as this was a gift that will keep on giving......me a headache! :-) (Mom received a full bottle of Tylenol) The volume wars have already begun! He received a few new video games and many clothes to keep him at this fashion best. Santa was very fashion minded this year as Emily finally was able to wear the coat she spotted several weeks earlier. Santa's elves are the cleverest helpers picking things up when the Big Guy was unavailable. (Thanks to my very special elf named C !)

I tried to capture a few pictures of their gifts in motion, since I missed them that morning...Emily is always ready to smile, and she put on all of her fav's to model....the beret, the scarf, the coat and of course the matching boots.......

Adam was not so willing so, please don't mind the clutter of our basement, it's a "catch all" of things......do I hear a note for spring cleaning?

Christmas Day we had the family over again but the crowd was a bit lighter, Mom wasn't feeling her best and the weather had gotten very cold, so my requests for mashed potatoes was a little lighter. It was a fun day with the little ones running around. My youngest niece discovered that a few of Auntie Terry's stuffed animals sing! She just kept playing with them and didn't have any desire to open any gifts -

she is so cute!!

Our New Year's Eve was a very quiet day and evening. We both had to work part of the day, so we just enjoyed dinner out with my brother and sister in law and their children. As of tomorrow morning, it's back to the normal routine.....school, work, dance, bowling, homework and the busyiness that our house thrives on.

On our adoption story, we are still in wait mode. Ugg. Our I-600A renewal will be sent out tomorrow to the new address in Texas. In another couple of months, I will be updating all of our documents. In April it will be the two year mark waiting for a referral of a precious baby for our family. I am wishing and praying that we do not hit that anniversary date and we hear some wonderful news sooner!!! I have all these new baby ideas I'd like to try! Please keep us in your thoughts and maybe the new year will bring us some good news! I will be doing all of the spring cleaning earlier this year to help pass the time.

I'd like to wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year! Wishing and praying that good things come to everyone, from our house to yours!!!