Yea

So we got an email from the agency asking if we want to come into the agency this month. (meaning Jan. I guess.) It is exciting. We are not exactly sure what this means. Does this means we are on an active list or waiting list? Are we moving through the steps on the Powerpoint or zooming through at top speed. She told me that they placed 7 families in one month. Meaning they matched them, not necessarily handed them babies. Our agency contact was out with bronchitis for a month and then went on vacation for the holidays, so we have not yet spoken to her to see what this all means and what we should be doing on our end. So far Sam and I are just cleaning out the garage and generally trying to look less like an episode of Hoarders. I have been reading Baby Bargains which was given to me as a gift. It has been super helpful. I was going to get creative and design the nursery myself, but then I decided that was insane. So I like this bedding/design: http://www.kidslineinc.com/products/infant/bunny_meadows.php
I also like the is furniture: http://www.babysdream.com/ProductBrochures/Serenity%2009.pdf
I am still deciding whether I will do cloth diapers or not. It does not look as hard as I thought it would be, but you never know until the baby is in front of you. If I did, I think I would go for the all in ones. It seems there are less steps too worry about. There will be constant washing, but isn't there anyway? Hmm. I am still thinking on that and not sure which brand I would use.

cute ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M6cFmY79w9g

Dec 1 Page complete

Here is my completed page for Dec. 1:

Dec. Daily

I am going to try Ali Edward's Dec.Daily project
For my album I am using: Making Memories Mistole albulm.
The papers I added were from Stampin Up! Designer Series Paper: Deck the Halls collection and DSP: Christmas Cocoa collection. I also used My Mind's Eye: Snowed In collection and Basic Grey's Fruitcake collection. I may add bits and scraps later on, but I wanted a base to start with.
The other concept I wanted to do with this albulm is to have all my photos be iphone photos. I wanted the pictures to have a on-the-go graniy feel to represent the on-the-go crazy of Dec. I am going for a snapshot travel albulm feel. That is why I am keeping the albulm small at 8X8 (that is my fave scrap size anyway.)
So here are are few pictures of the albulm before I put anything in it:

Rad!

http://www.novica.com/

Found this link from the Do They Have Salsa in China blog. (see link under blogs I read to the right)

Friday Fave

http://www.pier1.com/Catalog/Furniture/Furniture/tabid/519/CategoryID/155/List/0/Level/a/ProductID/28398/ProductName/Dana-Embroidered-Slipcover/Default.aspx

Holiday Card Time

My favorites:

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/top-ten-moments-christmas-card-5x7-flat


http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/?p=4376

Two Things

1.) We sent the preliminary application for our adoption to the agency. They have 60 days to review it and then will call us about whether they will let us go with thier agency or not.

2.) Love this!
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nookcolor/kids/index.asp?cds2Pid=35583

Disney

Walt Disney World is full of magic! They are serious about it and I bought right into it gleefully.

We have picked an agency

Sam and I have decided that we are going to use The Methodist Mission Home as our adoption agency. Really it came down to we liked what we saw in person. They seemed pretty straight forward, which was refreshing. Also, the gal in charge of domestic adoptions answers my questions right away on email, even if they make no sense.

We have to fill out an initial application to see if we can move forward to the actual contractual stuff. The initial application takes about 60 days to assess. We are planning to fill this out once we get back from out Fl trip (extend stay at World Disney World after Sharis' conference ends)One of the things we have to do is give them a family picture. We wanted to do one with the dogs, but mostly it went awry. Evidently dogs don't sit still for pictures, hate flashes are generally looked too big or kujo-like in the finished picture. If you know our heelers they are very cute and friendly. Any kid would *heart* them. Anyway, we have decided to send a separate picture of just Sam and I and a separate picture of the dogs looking at treats. Hopefully, this will work out well.

raining crazily

It's raining horizontal. My dogs are living it up inside. I am drenched because I went home to let them outside to go to the bathroom. The dogs immediately got drenched, so I am sure the house smells like wet dog. Sweet!. The wind is gusting, so even though I had a raincoat, umbrella and rain boots I am soaked. Luckily my hair is naturally curly and actually looks good.

babies

I see babies everywhere and I really want one.

Agencies

Sam and I have narrowed it down to two agencies:


http://www.mmhome.org/


http://www.lsss.org/

We are looking at domestic adoption, perferably a wee baby. I know folks that were adopted from MMH back in the day (70s) and a couple that adopted a baby from LSS. So I know that both are good. I feel comfortable with both agencies. One "fits" with us better, but we will be on a "waitlist" for the waitlist. (kinda crazy) The other we could start showing our profile in Jan 2011. Do I go with one that will get us showing quicker or one that feels more right? Oh, the decisions. Sam's vote.. MMH. We went to an info. meeting and he liked their straight forwardness. Also, he thought they seemed more about the families; meaning all of us: birthparents, adoptive parents and kid.

Deep Thoughts

"There is only one good reason to adopt, just as there is only one good reason to bear a child: Your desire to be a parent is greater than your fear."
-----You Can Adopt: An Adoptive Families Guide

stroms and contacts

Two things:

#1: So did y'all experience the storm with high winds on Wed night? Evidently there were 65 to 85 mile an hour winds. In fact the wind ripped a tree from our backyard and threw it into the adjourning neighbors fence. Luckily our neighbors were once in APO, which I advised briefly. Rock and roll.
After the storm when trees were all jacked upall over Oxbow and debris was all over the street and no electricity I decided grandma might be in trouble. So I ventured out to find her. Sam pointed out she survived the dust bowl and depression and regular twister activity in KS and she was probably fine. When I arrived she was kicking it on the front porch talking about how everything smelled so fresh and new. She was totally fine. In fact she drove through the storm coming home from choir practice. Hard core.

#2: I met a women on the internet through one of the adoption forums I joined and she is adopting and is from San Antonio. She is more organized than me and has been to some local agency orientations already. She liked Gladney as well and is attending their orientation soon. She is looking at the ABC program, too. I am excited to have this person to talk to through this journey.

Inspirations

Sandra: I "borrowed" this issue from the dentist office and read it and then became very inspired by her story and also her baby is super cute. Love him....
http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20364464_20364639,00.html

Rooms: This is a dreamy room. Maybe one day if I have a little girl...
http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/nursery-tours/nursery-tour-josephines-lovely-lost-and-found-031082

Shirt: just cute and I love narwhals...
http://shanalogic.com/item.php?item_id=2901

new plan

So Sam and I have decided not to adopt from Ethiopia. The travel rules have changed and Sam can not get enough time off to travel and be home (while earning income.) So we are looking at domestic adoption. In the begining, I think we were afraid of this choice, thinking it would be too complicated and worried about birthparents changing thier minds, etc. I think as we read more we realized that open adoption is a good thing and that we can move forward even if folks should change thier mind. I realize knowing your birthfamily could be a positive thing as far as idenity development. I guess Sam and I are just more open now. Seeing a friend's adoption and how sucessful it was is also encouraging to us. So we are now on a new journey to adopt from this program through Gladney:

http://adoptionsbygladney.com/html/abc/index.php

Hair

Today someone thought my hair was naturally red. Cool.

people are good

http://www.giveallforlove.com/

*hearts*

I've re-discovered the public library and am in love. Last time I had a library card was easily 10 years or more. A LOT has changed. Self check out is awesome! Anyway, I *heart* you library.

http://www.mysapl.org/location.aspx?id=igo

Changing lives

These people are cool:

http://thepeppereater.wordpress.com/

Ethiopian blogs I like

Sam and I are looking into adopting from Ethiopia. These are some of the blogs I have been reading on the expereince:


http://aroundtheworldand2kids.wordpress.com/

http://happysagers.blogspot.com/

http://endsofthenile.wordpress.com/

cute kid

Follow the link to the bottom to see the very excited girl with books. I just love her joy. This is genrally a cool blog, too.

http://karenrussell.typepad.com/my_lifejust_not_on_the_ro/2009/08/library-cards.html

trains

The Brackenridge train is still fun even when you are 35!

Waiting Child Webinar

So Sam and I attended a Waiting Child webinar on Tuesday evening. After going through it we decided it was not for us. This means the plans for China are officially over. (Waiting Children are kids with special needs or healthy kids over six.)
Ethopia is looking to be the best bet as international adoption requirements become stricter and stricter. The adoption process moves quickly, so we need to save the money up front. My estimate is that it will take 2 and a half years. This includes saving the money and then the waiting. We are also able to request an infant and travel once. We are now looking at two agencies Gladney in Dallas and Great Wall in Austin for the adoption. Both seems organized and cool. One has 4 years expereince the other just started Ethopia adoptions. Both have been doing other types of adoption for decades. So at this point its wait and save....

I love this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdpQ8B1j3Vo&feature=player_embedded#

Awesome

http://www.weezer.com/raditude/

The Oscars

Get Ready....

http://oscar.go.com/nominations/nominees

Adoption agencies

So it turns out that Holt is not accepting an application for Korea unless you have adopted through them before, have Korean heritage,or will take a special needs kid.

It also turns out that if you take a special needs kid from China you can go over there in a year and a half versus the 4 years for the regular adoption. Evidently, special needs in China are things small or fixable in the US. I still would want an infant so we will see what the waiting child list is like. Sam and I have signed up for a webinar next week through this group http://www.gwca.org/wc_webinar

If we go with Ethiopia this agency looks promising: http://adoptionsbygladney.com/html/ethiopia/index.php
They are in Dallas.

Really?

Overheard from student up front regarding add forms:

"You mean I have to do this all by myself?"

Yes, that is what being an adult means, especially when you wait until the last mintue and end up doing add forms.

Rain Boots

These boots are entirely cute and fun!

http://www.dsw.com/dsw_shoes/catalog/product.jsp?index=1&sort=&category=dsw10cat70019&prodId=189856&brand=

Sweet Maggie

Narrowing Things Down...

So far Ethipoia and Korea are looking promising for adoptions:
http://www.holtinternational.org/ethiopia/

http://www.holtinternational.org/korea/


I think I need to make a chart with all the countries and then mark things off according to our preference and what the countries offer. This might helps make things seem less overwhleming.

China is a 4 year wait

So Sam and I attended a webinar on adoption from China what we found is that the wait is 4 years...so we are beginning to re-think things. I kinda had my heart set on China, so it has been hard for me to turn this corner, Maybe it is for the best. Not even sure I want to pass on China, but the idea of 4 years seems so long. Of course if I have to wait 2 and a half years for Africa is two more years for China that big a deal? (1 year to save $ 1 and a half to get kid) I will be 41 with my first (probably only child) if I go with China and 37 if I don't. Does that matter? These are all questions I need to think on. Sam is all for going to Ethiopia or really anywhere. He is kinda thinking China is ridiculous now with all their rules. He did point out that things are ever changing with countries and who knows what could happen by July or in a years time. I am pretty luck that Sam is flexible because a lot of men are not. Still not really sure where I am going or what I am doing. I kinda always thought I would go with China and had never looked at other places until now.

waiting to start

So we are going to have to wait on starting the application for the adoption. Evidently, there is now a net worth requirement. Sam and I currently do not meet it. We should by July.

Word

I am taking Ali's lead and doing a word for the year. My word is growth.

http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/2009/12/my-one-little-word-story.html