Two years ago today...

Two years ago today we left our house knowing that the next time we were home our lives would be completely changed.

Armed with two very packed suitcases, we were nervous, excited and very ready to leave for our trip to China. We had half a dozen pictures of the one person who had become the focus of our lives for months and months. We were about to become parents. It was a very long hard journey, so much so that it seemed like a little 27 hour trip wouldn't be that big of a deal at all.

I have such a hard time believing it's been two years and at the same time it feels like she's been a part of our family for a lifetime. She is the most special little girl in the world and I know how blessed I am to be her mama.

I hope we're raising our daughter this well...

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2008/08/30/the_point_of_return/?page=1

I hope and pray that one day our daughter will want to give back as well. She doesn't have to volunteer in an orphanage, but I do want her to give back to the community. Her Daddy and I try to do our part and I hope we're teaching her to do the same.

Their parents must be so proud. I know I would be.

An anniversary and a beginning...

Two years ago today, J and I sat in our living room awaiting the most important phone call of our lives. Every time the phone rang we'd jump. Finally, after lunch, the call came.

We were parents. To a daughter.

I'll never forget the anxiousness I felt awaiting that phone call. Horrible thoughts were running through my head. Maybe something was wrong and China didn't send our referral. Maybe we were wrong about our LID date. Maybe this, maybe that. I think somewhere in the back of my mind I was convinced we'd never be parents.

But the call came and we were/are parents. Parents to an amazing little girl.

An amazing little girl who started school today.

She started 2 year old preschool and did a great job. She already loves her teacher and talks about her a lot. There were tears this morning, but not from our baby, just her baby of a momma. I couldn't help it - she's growing up way too fast. It hit me on the way that this is just the first step of many.

A new book: Silent Tears

An American woman who volunteered in an orphanage in China has written a book about her time spent in China.

I have not read this book, so I can't comment on the contents. However, I have heard over and over that it is a realistic and eyes open wide view of orphanage life for children in China.

I'm about to order the book and hope to read it soon. I'm not good at reading these books, and I'm guessing E is going to get many extra hugs and kisses while I'm getting through it. It's hard to be thankful that I have one child home knowing that I'm waiting on another. It feels like we're only halfway there.

http://www.kaybratt.blogspot.com/

June 19, 2008

It was a good day. So good that our lives will revolve around that little day for quite some time. That is the day CCAA logged us in for a sister for little E. One day, she'll learn to share her Mommy and Daddy. It's going to be hard because the sun rises and sets with that little girl.

YEAH!

"She chose me" ***update

I just watched an interview with Cindy McCain talking about the adoption of her daughter. She was volunteering in an orphanage and said she'd be with her in the morning and at the end of the day. Something was just there. "She chose me."

I love stories about forever families. It really doesn't matter what side of the political aisle anyone is to a baby, they just need love.

She also said that it is only $286 to perform a surgery through Operation Smile. So...if you can swing it - go make a kid smile, okay? http://www.operationsmile.org/

per request - here's a link to the video http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5200823 It's three minutes into the video and the last 45 seconds.

We interrupt the photography talk to announce...

That our dossier is in the hands of CCAA. We should have our LID soon and LIDs are taking a day or so after receipt. I am very, very ready to just get in that massively long line.

Okay, back to photograpy.

I'm anxiously awaiting a new book!!!

It comes out on June 19th...of course it will be several more years (if ever) before I can read it without crying. Poor little E, she'll have to read these books to me one day because I'm still having a hard time reading them to her!!!

http://themommyorphanage.com/

I guess she'll have to read them to her sister too!

I completely forgot to mention one other FD gift...

Our dossier went into translation today. Fingers crossed that either at the end of this week or beginning of next our dossier will be mailed to China. The wait is so long that we really try not to talk about it, but it feels a little more real. And you never know what will happen in the world of International Adoption!

The picture I added is a "Red Couch Photo" taken our last day in China. We left later that evening to head towards Los Angeles. We spent the night in LA and headed home and landed in Texas November 4, 2006. There was nothing posed about those smiles, we were the happiest people on the planet! Can't you tell???

A blow to all women - and it's my fault!

Yep, there are women out there fighting for equal rights, to be President and fair pay for everyone. And you know what I did???

I asked for new pots and pans for our 11th wedding anniversary. Now, anyone who knows me knows that barefoot and pregnant is exactly how I'd love to spend life, but that's not in the cards. Nope, it's on to new pots and pans. And, technically we are expecting!!! Our dossier should go to China - so I guess I am paper pregnant and barefoot in the kitchen!!!

Sorry women everywhere, you've taken a step back, but I'll have a great sautee pan!

It's starting

Part of the reason I'm really interested in new software and cameras is that I have decided to move from paper scrapbooking to digital. It all hit me one day when I realized if something were to happen to a paper scrapbook, that was it, but a digital one could be reproduced. This is especially important to me since I'm working on DDs lifebook. That will be a product I hope she reads, peruses and looks at it so much she'll need another copy.

Thus, going digital.

So...I put my first two pages together, but haven't figured out how to upload them yet. It's 2am so it's probably not the best time to figure it out, but I will.

'Night night!

Perspective

This puts my pain into perspective. My thoughts and prayers are with this family. They have done so much good, it is hard to understand why things like this happen.

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/TUNEIN/80521174/1005/ENTERTAINMENT