REFERRAL!!!

I can't believe that this morning I was just so excited about our dossier being delivered to Addis today - when the real news came at 4pm today that we have been matched with a beautiful 10 week old baby boy!!!

R.I.P.

We lost Umbrella (alias Brella, Brell,Bella and B) yesterday. I came home and she was panting and breathing hard; saving us was our wonderful vet - who was closing in 15 minutes, but took us anyway (we are definitely regulars). As I suspected when we left it was bad. Her lungs were filled with fluid and most likely had cancer. It wasn't a tough decision, albeit a very sad decision, she was my companion for almost 11 years - she flew from Boston to Arizona and then up to Denver. Then a year later drove with us back to Arizona and then a few month later drove back with James and I (and Cordell) back to Denver - from the Sherman Street apartment to the loft downtown and 3 years ago to this house - where she seemed the happiest!
I MISS HER SO MUCH!!!

Ethiopia Here We Come - UPDATE!

I am so happy to say that our dossier for Ethiopia is leaving the US tomorrow!!! The official wait time is 4-6 months - but it can happen at any time since they match the best family for each child. The current match time for infants under 12 months is about 2-3 months. So the excitement in the house is growing!!

Ok I guess I need to go to the gym - need to be in decent shape for travel!!!

ETHIOPIA HERE WE COME!

I've been so lame with this site in 2008 - but nobody really reads it much so I have gotten lazy. Not to mention very busy. Paperwork, work, sleep, paperwork - too tired to care about anything, becoming to depressed waiting for the I-171H that took 10 weeks to get here...then more work and sleep...WHINE WHINE WHINE

On the brighter side:

Our dossier has been received by our agency today - if nothing has to be redone it should be off to be authenticated at the Ethiopian Embassy very soon and then translated. I think I have the order right??? Either way with any luck in the world it will be off to Ethiopia before the end of the month...hope...hope...I'm still not entirely ready to say we will travel before the end of the year - but it would be great if we could. Referral times are still 3-6 months for infants and we have requested a boy or girl since we can see either fitting well into our family. I need to get a poll up to find out what people think - James thinks girl and I think it will be a boy - so we are a house divided...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Isn't he handsome!! He is off to the kennel for the week. We already miss the guy! But he gets to play all day for 10 days, how can he complain?
We are off to Arizona tomorrow am - VERY EARLY I MIGHT ADD. We might actually be there long enough to go do something fun.







We are also starting the Ethiopia paperwork this week, although I think this week will be limited to ordering birth and marriage certificates and prepping some of the letters that need to be retyped. The update process of the homestudy and renewal/country change of the I-171H have begun since there is a looming deadline and hopefully everything can be finished (except the I171H) by the end of January. It will definitely be a challenging month!

Happy New Year to everybody!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

What are you thankful for this year???

We have more space!!!

The giant table is now in storage (well, the garage at least). It worked so well in the loft - but it took over the entire dining room here... Someday the wood floor will be in, but not this year - we say it again...and again...an yes, again. Oh yeah and we finally got rid of the coffee table I constantly bumped my foot on - something soft with storage is much better... Although wish us luck with the cats and scratching (the reason we bought faux leather this time) - maybe they will do well and we can buy leather next time!!!

14 MONTH LID ANNIVESARY

Not too much to say - we were at 14 months officially waiting 2 days ago. It is what it is, right?

October Secret Pal

THANKS AGAIN TO MY WONDERFUL SECRET PAL - IT'S ALWAYS SO MUCH FUN TO GET A PACKAGE FROM HER... i think she is in Florida....hmmm who could she be??? The cats went a little crazy for the big mouse, must have tons of catnip...and since I just got my teeth cleaned for the first time in WAY too long and it went well - i deserve the candy...all the candy....all to myself!!! THANK YOU!!

Rethink Recycling!!!

I have really missed this thing - for a month!!! Who would steal one?? So happy to have a new one and in 2 hours it is 1/4 full. You never know what you've got - UNTIL IT'S GONE!!!

Time to celebrate

Sept 18, 2004
Time to celebrate tonight!!!

12 MONTH LID ANNIVERSARY

Come celebrate with me!!!
yeah right....

November 25, 2005

What can be said!! There is nothing good about the statement below from the CCAA website. 4 days were referred this month and it has taken 1 year to refer 4 months worth of LIDs. We are STILL in a 10 month line at this point. The rumor is they will go back to referring 2 weeks every month - but that still puts us at 20 more months. Maybe we will get a referral by January 2010!

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before November 25, 2005

August Secret Pal

A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY SECRET PAL!!! You are absolutely my new best friend, not just for the cute summer clothes (which we don't have any of) but maybe even more so because gift cards for books and starbucks are highly valued in our house (i don't drink coffee - but i have an ice tea or iced chai at least once a day at work)! The journal was absolutely wonderful, with a great quote; Happiness comes from within. If you choose to be happy, no one and no thing can ever take that happiness from you. What a great thought!!!

11 month LID anniversary

ONLY 20 MORE MONTHS TO GO!!!!
so much progress - ugh - can you read the sarcasm???

DO SOMETHING!!!!

Ranger's almost 2!!!!

Feast for the senses

Ugh - only 7 days AGAIN!!

ok, at this rate we won't ever get to China. Referrals came out for LID dates between 11.15.05 - 11.21.05. This is the 3rd month in November. I know this is a big month, but this is crazy!! We are almost to our 11 month LID anniversary and there are still 10 months of people in front of us; this line might be more than I can take!!!

More catching up!

Ok, so I finally started back to work. I am so thankful that I did - for so many reasons. To name a few, not thinking about China as much has been wonderful. Starting to think about Ethiopia, since it is now possible has been interesting. Paying off debt is always nice. But more than anything, to use my brain again - or at least what's left of it, has been the best part! The hardest part, on the other hand is my inability to balance everything. Stuff at home, exercise and work - it seems like time would be there, but my energy level isn't quite there yet. Which brings me to my need to get back to my trainer. My goal in December was to lose 20 pounds. Well I am almost there!!! I am for the most part within a pound. The biggest part of my goal was to make food and exercise a part of my life; since I don't believe in diets of any sort!!! And I mean that with passion!!! So, I do better on food - although I need to make my lunches - I am spoiled. Trying to eat balanced food 5 times a day isn't easy anymore. I am still working on fruit and yogurt as snacks during the week - but I forget them. And although I get cardio (walks or elliptical) almost everyday - my strength training is taking a beating! So, tomorrow I am vowing to get up at 6am and go for a half hour walk without the dog and try to do that 2 days a week....WISH ME LUCK!! Oh yeah, I had to add this picture from Ranger when he was roughly 4 months old - he spent most of his early months here with me on the couch while my 2 ankle surgeries healed - lots of painkillers with that one!