May Matches are Official

Well, I was just waiting for the official cut-off to be posted from our agency's website before I made the announcement. It was a disappointing 4-day month. I was hoping for  more days, but that's just the way things go with a Chinese adoption I guess... Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

We have 84 more referral days to go until we're matched with our daughter. Closer, but still so far to go...

Here's the official notice:

5/13/2010
CCAA

The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application  documents registered with our office before April 30, 2009.

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before April 21, 2006.

Happy Mother-To-Be Day!

I'm hoping that this will be the last Mother's Day that goes by without my daughter in my arms. Every year I think that next year will be the one. Well, almost 4 years later, I really think that next year is OUR year! Every year you are forced to sit on the sidelines as your friends and family get to celebrate with their children. I can't tell you how hard it is some days. I just want my WHOLE family already - me, my husband and my dear daughter.

As I said in my previous post, I seem to have a plethora of patience, but some days you just want them to hurry up and get on with the process of matching already. Part of this is that a new set of matches are coming up and I start to wonder how many days are they going to match this month? Will it be a good number of days or a bad number? It's enough to drive a person crazy! I know I shouldn't dwell on it, but on a holiday like today, it's hard not to. You just want your whole family to be together at last.

So, today I'd like to wish my mom, sister and sister-in-law a very Happy Mother's Day. Maybe next year, I'll get to celebrate it too with my daughter.

So, for me, this is a Happy Mother-To-Be Day! And in our family, it's all about the food... hence the photo...

Humor for the Day

Sometimes laughter is the best medicine. Today I was talking with a friend (who is also logged in on the same day we are and is using our agency) and we got to talking about the word "patience." This seems to be a topic we talk of often - as we seem to have an overabundance of it. How else could we have endured this wait?! We just laugh at others and what they think a long wait is - they just have no idea or no clue...

So, I decided to humor myself and create this t-shirt. Just makes me smile. Maybe it will give me some more of that patience that I'll need to endure the rest of this wait.
http://www.cafepress.com/learnpatience

Love Without Boundaries Art Auction

Love Without Boundaries is in the midst of their "Born In My Heart Art Auction." The proceeds from all listed items sold by Love Without Boundaries go to help orphaned children in China, by providing medical care, nutrition, education, and foster care to some of the world's most vulnerable children. (Love Without Boundaries is a registered 501(c)(3) organization in the US.)

This year, I decided to donate one of my original owl collages to help them raise money. I hope you will check out the auction to help save many more children who need our help.

http://stores.ebay.com/Love-Without-Boundaries-Store/Born-in-My-Heart-Art-Auction.html

Here is the artwork that I submitted. I hope you will check out not just my item, but the others as well. My owl can be found under "Handcrafted items".

Auction ends on Tuesday, so better get in there soon!

UPDATE:

Last month's "Born In My Heart" art auction raised a total of about $23,000! 361 items were auctioned and will  help provide hope and healing for children at their Heartbridge Pediatric Healing Unit and for those needing critical care which just can't wait. 

45 Months Waiting

It's hard to believe that today marks 45 months since we were logged-in for China. I can't exactly say that "time flies when you're having fun" because this has been anything BUT "fun"!

But, here we are 45 months later and things are starting to feel like we're on the downward trend towards our daughter. Keep your fingers and toes crossed that this positive momentum continues!

Zodiac Quilt

Well, today I went over to my friend Debbie's house so she could teach me how to pin the top of the quilt to the batting and back of the quilt. The next step will be to actually quilt it and then sew on the binding. That's going to have to wait until my parents get back from their vacation.

Here it is all pinned up! I just love it.

April Referrals

Well, the CCAA hasn't officially changed their internal box yet to reflect the official cut-off, but matches were made and it looks like referrals were made through April 17, 2006. A 6-day referral batch!! Only 88 more referral days to go until we're matched with our daughter. I can't believe an end is in sight!

I'm really hoping that by this time next year I will get to hold our daughter in our arms and give her the world's biggest hug and kiss.

UPDATE: It is official. The cut-off is April 17th, 2006.

Adoption Tax Credit

Well, some great news happened along with the signing of President Obama's healthcare reform bill. The Adoption Tax Credit was extended!

H.R.3590

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Engrossed Amendment as Agreed to by Senate)

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SEC. 10909. EXPANSION OF ADOPTION CREDIT AND ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.

 

This is a huge sigh of relief as the adoption tax credit was slated to end at the end of this year. It is now one less thing to worry about. Yeah! The timing couldn't be better! Bring out the champagne!

If you click on either part of the bill above, it will take you to the government website where it gives the complete descriptions of the main bill and the section.

Dear Grandma,

You were a major part of my life and I wish I was there to say "goodbye". I love you very much. You were supposed to hang on for another year or two so you could meet our daughter - your great grand daughter. This wasn't in the plan. You were supposed to live to be at least 100 - you only had a few more years to go.

While you weren't great on stature (I'll give her the benefit at 4 ft 10 inches), she made up for in personality. She was fiery and strong willed. She loved her daughters, grand kids and great grand kids with all her heart. I know we were the pride and joy in her life just as she was to us.

One photo my mom has hanging on her refrigerator is of me hanging on to my grandma's leg while she was trying to vacuum. I was probably only about 4 years old. I didn't want to let go.  I used to love going to grandma's house as she would spoil me rotten. We used to play Rummikub, Hearts and Gin Rummy.

She is and always be my "little grandma". I will miss you always.

Love,
Sue

This bottom photo is the last photo I have of me with my grandma. It was taken this past Thanksgiving.

Grandma: The Quilting Queen!

Well, as our wait to our daughter has extended, the urgency of working on her quilts had been put on the back burner. Well, all that has changed! I really feel like within the next year we'll be getting our referral. So, now is the time to start working on her quilts. I've already collected most of the needed squares and now it's just a matter of putting it all together which is NOT an easy task! Neither my mom or I have ever quilted before.

Thankfully, we had the assistance of a quilter friend of mine who has graciously donated her time (and the use of her amazing sewing machine) in teaching and guiding my mom and I in this little venture. I have no idea how we would have done this without her help.

So, last Monday, I got all the pieces trimmed so that when they came over today, the sewing began in earnest. It really came along fast. My mom, who had sewn, but never quilted before really did an amazing job. A proud grandma for sure! There was so much love put into this. I can't wait for our daughter to be able to snuggle up with this and carry it around the house.

The quilt is a representation of the 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig).

Here are a few photos from the day.