Monday, December 31, 2007

Christmas Goody Box From Mr. and Mrs Secret Pal





Well, today I went out clothes shopping and found some REALLY good deals! Plus, it was fun to just be out of the house trying on clothes and not having to watch the clock. When I got home, THERE was a package from our Secret Pals from the March DTC Group. Doug got home at the same time so I didn't have to wait for him to get home (which always takes a LOT of patience on my part! hahahahahaha). I opened the box to find:
1. A stocking of red and green mice for the cats to play with (notice it's not in the photo because they are now all over the floor! hahahahaha)
2. A Hallmark photo album scrapbook ready for Christmas pictures (hopefully 2008 will be our year to get our baby girl!)
3. The Christmas Miracle: Shaoey and Dot (they ALWAYS find these for us and I LOVE THEM!) by Stephen Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman
4. Rose petals to sprinkle in the bath!
5. A $25 giftcard to OUTBACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT IN DANVILLE!!! THANK YOU!
6. A beautiful card FULL of encouraging and supportive sentiments. Thank you so much for being our friends through this HORRIBLE wait! What would we do without you?
7. An Amy Grant Christmas CD (I actually WANTED this but never bought it over the holidays! Thank you!)
8. A beautiful handmade bracelet about the Red Thread! Oh my gosh, I CRIED when I saw this and read the message that came with it! I can't WAIT to wear it as we wait for Rebekah in 2008. This was soooooooooooooooo touching!!!!!!!
9. Red fingernail polish! What a beautiful shade!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much Mr. and Mrs. Secret Pal. This waiting is getting harder and harder but knowing we have friends and support like you, make it a little more bearable! We truly love you guys so much and thank you for the thoughtfulness and love you put into our goody boxes each month! May God bless you and keep you hanging in there too! Let's all think positive thoughts as we head into a new year together! 2008 WILL be our year!!!!!!!!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

You Tube Videos

Well, you can tell I have time on my hand during this Christmas break. I've discovered You Tube videos and have created a blog just to put my favorites. Feel free to visit and look at videos that I like. There's everything from Elvis to Laverne and Shirley......hahahahahahahahaha
I've also been doing some cross stitch projects, cleaning and organizing the house, and relaxing. School starts back on Wednesday.

My You Tube Video Blog:
http://susansutube.blogspot.com/

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Lounging Around



Well, since we are out of school until January 2, 2008 I've been doing pretty much the same thing as my cat, Savannah........LOUNGING! hahahahahahahahahaha I had such big plans for the time off, but can't seem to get going on anything. I think that my body just needed time to chill out and rest my mind. I've been reading some of the Chicken Soup books Doug gave me and last night I started on a cross stitch project. I normally don't have time to do stuff like that so this has been nice. The break will speed by and we'll back in school shortly CRAMMING in stuff to get kids ready for Spring Testing. Oh the joys of teaching 5th grade! hahahahahahahahaha Meanwhile, doesn't little Savannah look precious and cozy in that new bed she got for Christmas?????

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Ladybug Visit On Christmas!
















Ok, yesterday was hard........I was really really missing not having our baby Rebekah with us and so when we went to visit my brother and his family on Christmas morning, I had to excuse myself a few times to go to the restroom and cry a little. I was sitting on the side of the tub, boohooing quietly when I suddenly felt something crawling on my arm.........imagine my surprise when I looked down and there was a little LADYBUG! Now, it was too cold for ladybugs to be out so this was quite a surprise! I dried my eyes, came out and got Doug to take a picture of the little ladybug. Yes, it does sound kind of silly, but who knows.......maybe Heavenly Father knew I needed a little reminder that HE is control of this whole process and our baby girl is going to come to us. I hope and pray that it will be during 2008 before our paperwork expires AGAIN. So, enjoy the ladybug's picture......I sure needed that little pick-me-up! I sounded like Meg Ryan and Rosie O'Donnel in Sleepless In Seattle saying, "It's a SIGN!" hahahahahahahahahahahaha

Monday, December 24, 2007

Looking At The Christmas Lights Display Tonight






















Near Danville, in a tiny community called Casville, NC there is a HUGE MEGA display of lights out in the middle of the country. We found out about it after moving to Danville and every year we drive down to look at and walk through this wonderful display! The Christmas music is blaring and people are just so friendly wishing each other Merry Christmas as they walk around. There are train set displays and it is just WONDERFUL! This year as we walked around, I couldn't help but wonder if our baby Rebekah will be with us next year all bundled up and enjoying all of the lights! Oh I do hope and pray with all of my heart that she will be!!!!! Here is a letter full of thoughts that I have for our baby Bekah tonight (I wrote much more in her journal that I keep for her. As you can probably guess, I'm pretty emotional tonight and really having a hard time not having our baby this year!):

My Dearest Rebekah,
Please know that wherever you are my angel, Mommy loves you and prays that special guardian angels will watch over you and protect and comfort you until you are placed in our arms! I love you so much baby girl with a love so deep that it even surprises me! I KNOW with every ounce of my being that you are my daughter and I am your mother; no your MOMMY! Your Daddy and I want you soooooooooooooooooooooooo much and there will never be another baby girl who will be loved and cherished as much as you will be. Today, I went in your nursery and held your toys and dolls. I sat in the rocker and thought about you and looked at your clothes in the closet and drawers. It is hard to do that, but it is also comforting to picture you being there soon; wearing those little things and playing in that room. Oh, I shed the tears but at the same time, I felt your little spirit nearby and my mommy's heart was somewhat comforted. It is my prayer that you are safe, taken care of, and protected. I worry about you laying in a crib crying and no one comes to comfort you. My heart aches to think of you needing to be held close and there are no hands there to pick you up. Please know that Mommy and Daddy are sending our love all the way around the world to you this night and every night until we have you right there with us always. Be strong my sweet baby and we will try to be too! I pray that Heavenly Father will intervene in this whole process and bring you home to us during this next year. You will NEVER lack for love or support once we have you in our lives!
Loving You For Eternity and Beyond,
Mommy

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Our 7th Wedding Anniversary!


Well seven years ago today, I married my very best friend, Doug! I remember every detail of the day because it was one of the happiest days of my life. What a joy to finally find the man of my dreams and then to go on to build a life with him! This journey hasn't always been easy, but then again, most things in life that are worth something have struggles too. As we prepare to be parents, I am so thankful to have him for my companion in life. I know that together we can do anything and I know that Doug is going to be a wonderful father to our baby girl. I love you honey!

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Hairbows For Rebekah!


Today one of my students, Diana, gave me some hairbows for Baby Rebekah! Her aunt sent them over from China! Is this sweet, or what? My students are so hoping that we get to go to China while I'm teaching them. I told them it might not be until next Fall and they refuse to believe it. We'll see, I guess. It's so sweet of them to ask about the adoption and to be so excited for us! Diana's family is Vietnamese. I think she said that the aunt that sent them lives in Japan. I just LOVE them!!!!! Notice the Chinese writing on them! How cute! Thanks Diana!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Becky's Name In Chinese Calligraphy!



Today, a dear friend of mine, Rebecca (the music teacher at my school) came by my room and surprised me! Back in October she had traveled to China with friends and brought me baby shoes and chopsticks and then today she came in and handed me a card made in China with the Chinese Calligraphy for Rebekah's name (Becky)! What a precious gift! Thank you so much! When I think about our daughter and the Rebeccas I have known, it makes me very proud to know that she will carry the name of some of the sweetest people I have been blessed to know! Our baby will spell her name REBEKAH but when we call her nicknames of that it will be Becky, Bekah, etc.

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs.

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpelnig was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs psas it on!!

Friday, December 07, 2007

Precious Baby Clothes From Our Secret Pals!




Well, this has been a hard hard hard week with this whole adoption thinggie and then today we get a box from our Secret Pals........I put it in the nursery for a few hours and then I broke down and opened it. WOW, our secret pals REALLY went wild with the theme for November (Dress Me Up). They sent TWO dresses that are so cute and frilly AND a cute little outfit with kitty cats on it! I love the pants that come with that! And the dresses are just soooooooooooooooooooooo cute! They got different sizes in each outfit so our baby will be able to go from one size to another. They also sent hairbows and baby tights! HOW CUTE! I couldn't help but picture little chubby legs in those tights! Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Secret Pal........I don't know how you managed to time it just when we needed a pick-me-up but God bless you for all the thought and love you put into each package you send! You will never know how much your friendship and thoughtfulness have meant to us!

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

SICK OF IT ALL!

Well the illustrious and almighty CCAA has updated their website and the cutoff date for referrals for this month is December 14, 2005........I am just sick of this WHOLE STINKING PROCESS! I know I said we were going to hang in there and all that crap, but at the moment I am just sick of it all! When is this proverbial "speed up" going to happen? WHEN? Back in the spring everyone said, "Oh the CCAA will speed up in May." Then we heard, "Oh the CCAA will speed up when they get the November 2005 referrals done." Guess what folks?? THEY AIN'T GOING TO SPEED UP! It just isn't going to happen. At this point I have had about all I think I can take. This is CRAZY! We have been waiting 20 freaking months! TWENTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No end in sight! Doug and I have seriously talked about just calling it quits. It breaks my heart, but my gosh at this rate, I think they are just going to shut the whole program down and we're not going to ever get a baby so why hang in there and do this to ourselves month after month after month after month after month after month!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our 20th LID-iversary!!!!!!!

Well, here we are at month 20......no baby yet! We have NO earthly clue when we will EVER get our baby girl. Nothing to do but go on with life and don't think about it too much. I was in line at Walmart tonight and happened to read, "Britney Spears Pregnant Again." Geez, that chick can't even take care of the children she has and here she is pregnant again. Life is NOT fair!
Oh well........we'll keep hanging in there and hopefully one day, something will happen for us!

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Awwww.......thanks Flissy For The Christmas Present!


Today, my dear friend Felicity sent me a Christmas present that I just LOVE! She sent me one of those precious Willow Tree statues with the mommy and baby! Oh Felicity, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!! I can't believe you sent me this! You're a thoughtful friend and I'm glad we share the same LID! Hang in there my friend! I'm here if you ever need to talk, complain, vent, spew, etc.........We'll get through this HORRIBLE wait and have our girls one day (hopefully before next Christmas!!!!) I put the little statue on my piano so I can look at it everytime I sit down to play.
Love ya girl!

This is the description of the statue that is found on the Willow Tree website. Felicity sent it to me by email. I love it!!!!

CHILD OF THE WORLD

Child of the world,
Into my heart you came —
Bringing sun into my life,
Making family our name.

Child of my Heart is a tall figurine of a woman holding a young child in her arms. The mother and child have different hair and skin color, subtly implying that they may not be related by blood. The piece was inspired by a friend of Susan’s who adopted an Asian child. However, the adoption reference does not prevent this piece from being meaningful for any parent and child.

As with all of Susan’s sculptures, the piece is open to interpretation… the woman could be the child’s birth mother, caregiver, godparent, aunt, etc. Regardless of relationship, the two share a strong love and bond. The sentiment for the piece is a love poem to a child. It may speak especially clearly to someone who has or is planning to adopt, as it refers to welcoming a long-awaited child into a family.