Mountains!!!

As I've mentioned before I absolutely LOVE the mountains! This is a piece of God's handiwork that I never, ever tire of.

When Sharon and I flew out of Vancouver Sunday morning it was cloudy and overcast but within seconds of leaving the ground our plane broke through the low cloud ceiling and we were blessed with this beauty! WOW!!! Some of the areas look like little rivers of water but it's all clouds!

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.

Psalm 94:1-7a

You Were a Girl In the 70's if...

these things are familiar to you. Sit back, relax and enjoy! What great (and sometimes embarassing) memories!

My favourite memories of the 70's are: Grease (the first 'real' movie I remember seeing), watching The Brady Bunch, and 'Angel's Wing' jeans.

What are yours?

Visiting the US and China Town

Dawn and I have been having a great time together! First thing yesterday morning we hopped across the border and our shopping trip began. Always fun! We headed to Bellingham, WA which had lots of fun shops.

First stop was JoAnn fabrics where I was able to pick up ribbons to make more tag toys. Since beautiful Miss Tess has taken to her tag toy, I've had a few more orders come in. It's been fun making these cute little toys and even more fun knowing that babies are enjoying them. I made Tess' original blanket as a gift more than a year ago and now she's able to use it. How neat!

Our next stop was at the Bellingham mall. I'd received an email from a friend asking if I could pick up a few pump soaps for her from Bath and Body Works if I found a store. No problem! One for her...one for me...one for her....one for me. It wasn't until later that I laughed realizing I now have 6 pump soaps to carry home on the plane. With the amount of shoppy I've been doing my suitcase is sure to get a 'heavy' tag attached to it on my way home! :o)

Dawn and I took the opportunity to visit Target which is a store we don't have in Canada. Hopefully someday though. I found a wonderful ladybug canvas picture in soft pinks, green and white with daisies on it but decided I'd really be pushing my luggage limit (it was probably 2' x 3') if I tried to bring that home. Oh well, maybe I'll pick it up in Detroit someday.

After lunch we stopped at KMart where we got some really good deals on some kids clothing. We bought cute little dresses for the girls that we on sale for $1.69(!) and also adorable 'Cars' outfits for my nephew Keenan and Dawn's son.

By this point it was time to head home as we weren't sure how long it would take me to get home allowing for Vancouver traffic. We went our separate ways in Langley as Dawn had an evening of fun before her as she was meeting some of her travel group for dinner!

Earlier today Dawn and I took the LRT and headed into the city to China Town. As we were waiting for the train to arrive I was once again overwhelmed by the beauty that surrounded us. WOW!!! I've ridden the local subway system near my home many times and trust me, there's nothing like this to look at while you wait! :o)

We arrived in China Town after only 1 scary wrong turn. Let's just say we were both doing a lot of praying and not looking anyone in the eye. Just one block away from China town is a street where many of Vancouver's homeless live. So sad to see people hurting so much. As we were making our way through this area I commented to Dawn that I was glad Sharon didn't know where I was at the moment! Thank you Lord for the safety you granted.

Once we were back on track we made our way to China Town. It was fun looking in the stores. We each picked up some Chinese lullaby CD's....we think! Guess we'll find out when we listen to them. It was so interesting to be in China Town and think that soon Debbie and Karen will be in China for real! Have a wonderful trip friends! Can't wait to see you meet Olivia and Samara!

After China Town we climbed 10 blocks....yup climbed. Man am I out of shape for the Vancouver hills. I bought some tea at Murchie's and then we had lunch. We made our way back to the hotel and to be honest I was bushed. Between early (4:30-5:00am) wakings each morning and busy days I was ready for a quiet afternoon. Dawn headed home, able to avoid rush hour traffic, and I set to listening to Focus on the Family (see previous post) and blogging.

Tomorrow is another day of fun! I'm so thankful Dawn and I have had this wonderful opportunity to get to know one another!

Focus on the Family - China Adoption Story

Yesterday as Dawn and I were travelling to the United States we were listening to a local Christian radio station. It was so neat to listen as the couple, John and Lisa Bentley were being interviewed. Originally from Washington State (the state Dawn and I were driving to!) they now work with children in orphanages in China. God has done some amazing things in their lives and they now have 2 beautiful children from China who they are proud to call their son and daughter. The story of Levi is 100% miracle. A miracle only God could perform. When you have some time, take an opportunity to listen to these amazing stories of God at work.

The Bentley's: A Radical Journey of Faith, Part 1
The Bentley's: A Radical Journey of Faith, Part 2

Lisa also wrote a beautiful book of their story of Levi, Saving Levi: Left to Die. Destined to Live. Shortly after John and Lisa arrived in China 4 years ago, a 6 week old baby boy was found in a field with burns over 70% of his little body. It took a series of amazing miracles for this little boy to survive, including surgery at Shriener's Hospital in the US but survive he did and now he is a happy little boy with a loving family.

As we listened captivated by Levi's story yesterday I couldn't help but think that some day soon, God will perform similar miracles in sweet Hannah's life as someone will find her in a place where her birth mother will carefully leave her and our journey to one another will be one step closer. She will not have burns covering her tiny body but God has just as important a plan for her as He does for little Levi. I am so thankful that while she and I are not yet together, God is putting people in place to work out His perfect plan to bring she and I together in His time.

The Party Has Begun!

Yeah! Dawn arrived at the Vancouver airport just after noon today and I was able to surprise her by being there. What fun!

We decided to grab lunch at a huge mall close to my hotel and see what damage we could do there. No problem finding ways to spend our $. Uh oh...hope Dale isn't watching our spending online or I may be removed as one of Dawn's friends. :o)

The first thing we purchased were these cute matching outfits for Hannah and Annaliese. They probably won't be in the same place when they wear them as we live 1/2 a country apart but maybe someday we'll dress them alike and blog about it just for fun!

We also registered with Babies R Us/Toys R Us in Canada. I'd done this in the US more than a year ago but this time it was fun to set up a Canadian registry. We spotted lots of fun and also some practical things and scanned away adding them to our registries.

We called it a day around 5:00 tonight but will get together again first thing tomorrow morning. They're calling for more rain so we've decided to make tomorrow the day we cross into the states and do some shopping. Dawn has some outlet malls lined up and I've found a city that has a Target and JoAnn's Fabrics so that I can buy ribbons for the blankets in bulk. The tag toys have been popular lately so it will be easier to have the ribbon on hand rather than having to head to Wal-Mart every few weeks.

Until tomorrow we leave you with our version of the 'Red Couch' photo. We asked a guy at the front desk of my hotel to take a picture of us and this is where he led ut to sit. Fun!

Breathtaking!!!

Oh what a beautiful sight to wake up to! After the 2 days of rain it seemed like we were in a totally different place when we woke up this morning and saw this beauty around us. Sharon and I both love the mountains. I love this amazing display of God's handiwork!

Not sure what events today holds. I'm going to surprise Dawn by meeting her at the airport rather than waiting until she arrives at the hotel. Now that she's on her way I can type that as I know she won't have an opportunity to read this before boarding her plane in an hour or so.

We'll keep you posted on the Amazing Adventures of D and C! Until then, sharing the majesty of these beautiful mountains with you. Sorry for the blurry pics. That's what happens when you're taking pics driving down the road. ;o)

10 Month LIDiversary!

Celebrating my 10 month LIDiversary today! I may be on the other side of the country but still bought beautiful flowers to celebrate this wonderful occassion! 10 months closer to my sweet Hannah!

I love you baby. Mommy's coming!

10 Month LIDiversary!

Celebrating my 10 month LIDiversary today! I may be on the other side of the country but still bought beautiful flowers to celebrate this wonderful occassion! 10 months closer to my sweet Hannah!

I love you baby. Mommy's coming!

Greetings from Vancouver!

Greetings from sunny (yah right...are you kidding?) rainy Vancouver. Oh boy can it rain here! :o) We've been here for almost 48 hours and without exaggeration it has rained the entire time! Where does it all come from...and where is it going? Good news is that the sun is supposed to come out tomorrow! (Hey...that could be a song.) Yeah for the sun! The really nice thing though is that for us, it's warm. 10oC tomorrow. Ahhhh. I even ventured out without a coat today although most normal people would at least wear a jacket. Errr...not always accused of being 'normal.' I realized today that I haven't seen the mountains yet. What's up with that? It's been so cloudy that I'd forgotten Vancouver is graced with beautiful mountains. Oooo...something to look forward to tomorrow for sure!

Our flight was smooth and pleasantly uneventful. I was originally seated in the last row of the plane, in front of the bathroom. Yuck! Not fun for 5 hours. Thankfully they moved me to the front at an exit row. Sat with a great guy and we chatted much of the trip. Uh oh...'Buddy' better watch out! LOL! Watched the movie 'The Queen'. Great movie and an interesting spin on what happened the week of Princess Diana's death.

We've rented a car this trip which is always fun as I have so much more freedom. I've ventured out in buses and using the LRT (light rapid transit) in the past but when I have wheels it's much better.

Yesterday I took Sharon to work then got my feet wet (literally...see pic above) snooping around the hotel and the area. We're staying at a great hotel and have a suite which is really nice. Picked up some groceries and thought about going to the fitness centre in the hotel. Watched TV until that feeling went away!

Grabbed a salad at Boston Pizza for lunch then headed to Starbucks with Sharon's laptop to try and hook up to the internet. Finally found out it's available at one table in the Starbuck's if you sit in the corner, point it towards another building, cross your fingers (which makes it hard to type!) and sometimes stand on your head. After that experience decided it was worth putting out the $55 for a week's worth of internet in the hotel room. Can't stand to be away from my blogging friends or email that long!

Last night we met up with one of Sharon's school friends and her Mom. (L to R - Japhia, Sharon and Ruth) We've gotten together with them the 3 times that we've been in Vancouver in the past 6 years so I've gotten to know them a little bit too. It was great to see them again and get caught up on one another's lives. The last time we'd been together it was just days before I'd begun my adoption journey and they had no idea that it was even happening until last night. It was a fun visit.

Today after dropping Sharon off at work I hit the fitness centre for a bit then headed to the Metrotown Mall. 470 stores just waiting to be explored! Last time we were here we stayed in a hotel right next to the mall so I spent a lot of time there. Boy have they improved it! It's beautiful! There is a large Asian population in this area so they had some neat Asian stores in the mall. I was able to pick up some Chinese New Year treats for my March DTC Secret Pal as January's theme is CNY.

Tonight we headed back to Boston Pizza for supper and are now having a quiet evening in the room. Sharon's working and I'm catching up on some blog writing and reading.

Have spoken to Dawn a couple of times and we're both excited that she'll be flying in tomorrow! Yeah! So far we have plans to visit Chinatown one day and head down into the states to visit a couple of outlet malls and Target on Friday. Not sure what else we'll do during our 4 days together, just know we're both really looking forward to it!

I'll write more and post pics of Dawn and I together. Bloggy friends unite!

On The Road Again...

As many of you have picked up on (and commented on) I'm not one to sit still for long. I realized years ago that being single offered me great opportunities to do lots of different things. I'm not one to sit home and pine about being single. Nope...that's just not going to get anyone anywhere. So...my busy life began.

This year it feels a little different though. I often find myself doing things and realizing how different life will be in a year or so. Am I ready for the change? OH BABY (literally!) YES!!! But, while I'm still footloose and fancy free I'm enjoying myself.

Later today I'll join my friend Sharon who is traveling for business and she and I will take to the sky once more. Destination...beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia! I love traveling with Sharon and am very sorry that these little trips will soon end but for Miss Hannah, no problem. Sharon and I have had the amazing privilege of going to Vancouver (3x), Calgary, Edmonton, a small tour of Saskatchewan and also various places within Ontario. Who knows though, if referrals continue to lengthen we may sneak in one more January trip next year. I'd prefer to be in China or home with Hannah but no one really knows what will happen. Only God knows and I'm trusting Him completely with the timing and the whole entire adoption.

This trip also holds a very special place in my heart for 2 other reasons.

1) It was in January of 2005 when we were in Vancouver that the Lord laid it on my heart to begin my adoption journey. I remember it as if it were yesterday. I'd been thinking about it for 5 days after reading about Julie on a scrapbooking board and her being able to start her paperchase. After that, it was in my heart.

It was a beautiful, sunny day and I was having my quiet time with the Lord, sitting in the hotel room in Burnaby, BC, looking out at the majestic mountains He had created and I just knew. I knew that this was what God wanted me to do. I was excited, scared, thrilled and overwhelmed that this might come to be. I'd considered adopting from China a couple of years before that and done a tiny bit of research but allowed the financial aspects to deter me.

Not this time. I just knew it was God. I remember going next door to the hotel to a divey, dark little internet cafe and starting my research. Just a few weeks later I would be on a waiting list.

When Sharon came back to the room that night I think I about knocked the socks off her with my announcement! She was reserved in her reaction but I now understand why and love her all the more for wanting to protect me from possible hurt. Now, she's excited about Hannah's arrival too.

I called my parents the following day and my Mom and Dad were thrilled! Mom actually said she had wondered about this and prayed about it for me but didn't want to say anything just incase I misinterpreted her and felt she thought I wouldn't get married and have a child with my husband. Ya know what, there's probably a lot of truth in what she said. Some days I would have understood her but other days I would totally have gone where she feared. So, she silently prayed and God answered her prayers. Thank you for praying Mom, and continuing to lift Hannah and I daily before the Lord and I know you do. I love you Mom!...and Dad too!

2) The second exciting part about this trip is that my wonderful friend Dawn is flying in from northern BC so that we can spend time together! How cool is that?!! She and I have become amazing friends through our adoption journeys and God is giving us an opportunity to meet in person next week! Can't wait Dawn!!

Hmmm...what started to be a quick post about traveling to Vancouver has ended up being a wonderful journey down memory lane. I love it when that happens!

For the first time ever, we're bringing Sharon's laptop so will have email and internet in the room. Yeah!! I'll be keeping in touch from the other side of our beautiful country of Canada.

Thanks for house sitting for me Carol! The dust bunnies will love the company! :o)

Waiting Mommies Dinner #2

Last night I had the fun of getting together with 9 other waiting mommies who live in and around the city! What fun we had!! We are with 2 different agencies and share a variety of LID's but all have the commonality of waiting for our sweet babies. From l to r (back) are Jill, myself, Lea, Chris and Andrea. Front row l to r are Michelle, Laurie, Debbie and Paula. 'D' was there too and offered to take pics for us as she has yet to tell some people of her journey to a family. It was great to see everyone from last time as well as have many new faces join the group!

Debbie is leaving in just 9 (now 8) more sleeps to bring sweet Olivia home! She is sooo excited and we had fun sharing the excitement with her. Her little one is an absolute doll and it was fun to walk into the restaurant and see her wearing a picture of Olivia on a lanyard around her neck. :o) The rest of us are behind her, the first having a LID of October 2005 (and hoping for a March referral) right up to Lea who is still waiting to find out her LID as she was DTC in December.

We shared a great evening of fun, laughter and lots and...lots of talking! Can't imagine what the volume level must have been in our room at times!

Gotta stick in a story here. Part way through the evening Paula started teasing Jill about the guy behind us that was enjoying our group. Ya know the kinda guy I mean, he was well dressed, handsome and let's just say quite enjoying the entertainment at the table next to him. We looked over and he was smiling away at us, relaxing in his chair, one arm casually over the back of it, his leg crossed and swinging away, smiling at us and yup...just enjoying the fun. When we turned to look (as only 10 women can do at the same time!) his smile got even brighter and he said to us, 'Some days it's just your lucky day!' We all laughed and then got that ummm...uncomfortable quiet...for a few seconds anyway. We were quickly back to chatting when he approached our table and handed us his fortune and asked us to pass it around. He handed it to Michelle who chuckled and handed it to me. By now we were all curious to hear what it said so I was encouraged to read it out loud. It said, 'You've a strong appeal for your opposite sex.' We laughed and I quickly said to my 9 married friends...Back off...he's mine! :o) Man did we laugh! By this time he was long gone, but only after telling us he'd be back again tonight if we wanted to join him! We quickly nicknamed him 'Buddy' and I let the girls know that I was not looking to share Buddy. He was mine! Oh yah....you probably need to know at this point that Buddy was 85 if he was a day and as adorable as they come! So, if you're looking for a dinner date tonight, hit the Mandarin restaurant, ask for Buddy and tell him Catherine sent you!!

Oh yes...A great time was has by all! After supper, the gift exchange began. Have you ever been to a baby shower for 10 people all at the same time??? It's fun and can get a little confusing as gifts are handed around and across the table. Here's a quick snipit of the gift exchange chaos!



What little treats did Hannah receive last night? An adorable book from Andrea with all sorts of fun flaps that crinkle and move. Chopsticks from Laurie. (Still have lots of work to do on my chopstick skills before China. Hey, maybe if I went on a chopstick diet I'd lose weight? Ummm...no. I'd probably master picking up chocolate with chopsticks first!) Paula found some adorable Chinese New Year items that even have Disney characters on them! Debbie made each of us a lanyard to put our referral pictures in once we receive them. What a great idea. Lastly, Jill found great scrapbooking paper with an Asian theme. It will be fun to make a page for Hannah using that!

Thanks for the wonderful gifts everyone!

Once again it was a perfect eveing full of fun, dreams and chatter. Looking forward to doing it again in March! Also, if anyone else is in the area and would like to be included next time please email me or leave a note in my comments area. The more the merrier and you are welcome to come along!

Congratulations Debbie...you leave a week from tomorrow! Yeah!! We'll all be watching and reading excitedly as Olivia joins your family.

PS - Went to the site we were talking about last night and it worked perfectly! Thanks for the tip friends! Information is a wonderful thing.

Creativity

Went for a walk with a friend early yesterday morning and laughed myself silly when she got out of her van! She has a coat that is great for our early morning chilly (read: downright cold!) walks as the coat light and yet warm at the same time. The problem is the buttons. Or more specifically, lack of them.

She sews them on, they fall off. She sews them on again...they fall off. It's a neverending battle to keep buttons on this thing! I would long ago have given up but not my friend...she takes things up a notch!

See why she had me laughing? Yup...that silly coat was held closed using clothes pins yesterday morning! Ahhh...what better way to start your day then a good 'ole belly laugh with a friend? :o)

Happy Birthday Julie!!!

A little 'birdzee' flew into my mailbox last night and told me it's Julie's birthday today!

Happy Birthday Julie!!!

Sorry to miss it but we'll celebrate in style when we get together in 2 weeks. Yeah...only 2 weeks until we meet! Wahoo!! So excited to finally be meeting you in person and sweet Tess too.

Hope today is extra special for you as you celebrate your birthday for the very first time with your daughter in your arms. Can't imagine how amazing that must feel! Have a great one!

Childhood Friendship

Friday night I had the amazing privilige of reconnecting with a childhood friend! Theresa and I were great friends for the 6 years that we lived in the same town. My dad's job caused us to move a few times while I was growing up and from Grade 4 - 9, Theresa and I were inseperable! I realized Friday when we talked together that she was the only friend I had during those years that was in the same class with me every single year. We shared more good times growing up than I can ever recount and we were also one another's biggest support during the rough, rough years of Grades 7 & 8. Those 2 years are the ones neither of us want to remember!

We had the very best time together on Friday night! It was fun recounting the times we'd shared together so many years ago as well as catching up on some of the things that have happened in each of our lives since we last saw one another over 25 years ago! She's married to a great guy and is the proud mom of a beautiful little girl! It was fun to hear how her sister, brother and parents are doing as I knew them all so well too. Our families had siblings that were similar ages and we both have 'baby brothers' named Kenny who are 8 years younger than us.

Theresa has stayed in touch with many of the girls that we hung out with together. What fun to hear how they're doing and catch up on where they're at too. A group of them still get together on a fairly regular basis so I can't wait to join them on one of these evenings out and catch up with some more old friends. Ahhh childhood friendships...there's nothing like them!

Theresa and I met at 6:30 and didn't end up leaving the restaurant until almost 11:00! We laughed when we realized that not only had the tables around us changed more than once, they were now empty waiting for the following day's crowds. Oops! (I seem to be doing a lot of that lately and this evening was just the tip of the iceberg for the next month of activities. Stay tuned for the life and travels of Chatty Cathy! Yup...living the single life to the fullest while I can.)

Theresa, THANK YOU for such a great evening! It was so good to see you and spend time catching up! I know it will be the first of more such evenings and I'm looking forward to those too. You're a great friend and I appreciate YOU! Love ya!

PS: Want to hear the really cool way Theresa and I reconnected? Last year I attended a great adoption seminar hosted by Sofie Stergianis. During the morning session I was seated at a table with 3 couples and another single gal who is adopting. When Julie introduced her and said her name I immediately asked, 'Are you related to Theresa K______?' And then proceeded to spell out her last name (as it's unusual) and I still remember it well from childhood. She said, 'Yes. She's my cousin!' What a small world! Before the day was over I'd written a note to Theresa and shortly after that she emailed me and we got back in touch with one another via email and phone.

So, not only has this wonderful adoption journey led me to many, many new friends it has also reconnected me to one of my very best childhood friends! What a treat!

I can't wait for the day when I can share some of these stories with Hannah and tell her how she was brightening my life even before she was born!

The Evidence....

...of a fun time can be found in the smiles...and the treat bowls!

Wednesday night Jen and I invaded Joy-Lynn's place after her girls were asleep. (At least they were for a while.) The 3 of us had a great time visiting, chatting, laughing and sharing stories of school girl crushes and the like. The 3 of us grew up in different places in the province so it was fun to share childhood stories and learn more about one another.

Joy-Lynn and I try to do this about once a month. (You may remember our !chocolate fountain/movie night in December!) The funny thing is that even though we try our hardest to be quiet Rachel still seems to know something is up and she comes down to enjoy (doesn't that cute little face look like she's enjoying?) the party! She just likes to make her presence known, cuddle with mom and twirl mommy's hair. It really is too cute!

As we were taking 'the evidence' back to the kitchen we started to laugh! Look at the bowls! You'd never guess that there were only 3 of us at this soiree!

Oh yes, Jen you were right! It took me less than 24 hours to pick up chips and cheese sauce. That stuff is yummy!

Tonight I'm off for another fun evening (yes...living the single life to the fullest while I can!) and am meeting a girlfriend that I went to grade school with and haven't seen in 25 years! Can you imagine? Too cool! I was at an adoption seminar last February and when we were introducing ourselves one of the girls at our tables said her last name and I immediately asked if she was related to my friend and believe it not, they're cousins! Small world! I'm so excited to get together with Theresa tonight! Speaking of which, I'd better head out or I'm going to be late!

Yeah...A New Book for Hannah (and Mommy's) Wish List!

I just saw this posted on Christi's blog and wanted to share the good news here too! Rose Lewis has a new book coming out in May which I'm sure will be great! It's called, 'Every Year on Your Birthday.' (It's not available yet but I'm sure it will be wonderful based on her other book.) I quickly added it to Hannah's Wish List at Chapters. I haven't bought a lot of things for Hannah but I have purchased quite a few books and received many as gifts and donations from friends as their children have outgrown them. I enjoy reading and reading with children is even more special! Hannah's little library is growing and Rebecca spends hours reading the books that we've collected so far. It's such a treat to listen to her read. I can't believe how much she has learned in one short year! Way to go Boo!

Rose Lewis is the author of, 'I Love You Like Crazy Cakes' which is a really popular book about a single Mom adopting a baby girl in China. In fact, it was the very first book I purchased for Hannah when I decided to adopt! Later on a special friend gave me a large version board book that measures about 10x10. What fun! Thanks Kit

There are still many nights when I pour myself a cup of tea, pull out, 'I Love You Like Crazy Cakes' and enjoy reading it, often crying as I do and then praying for my precious baby girl who God is creating in China.

Pssst Hannah....Mommy loves you like crazycakes already!

Hugs and kisses baby girl. Love, Mommy xoxo

Paula Zahn Interview....Take 2! - Updated below

Tonight at 8pm (EDT)Paula Zahn's segment will once again focus on the changes announced by CCAA. (This information is not reflected on the CNN website but is based upon information obtained elsewhere.) I believe the source to be reliable so am choosing to post it here.

Based on the number of blogs and yahoo group entries I've read, I'm guessing her 'In Box' was more than full of notes from disappointed and often angry responses to Friday night's show. (Transcript can be read here. You'll need to scroll down quite a bit.)

I'm looking forward to watching tonight's show as reportedly she has done what was asked of her by the adoption community; she is bringing in an 'educated panel' as opposed to the 'panel' she had on Friday night. Tonight's panel is reportedly going to be made up of the following:

- someone from the Great Wall Adoption Agency
- the president of the Organization of Chinese Americans
- a Chinese journalist
- someone from either Families with Children from China (FCC) or another adoptive family organization.

Thank you CNN for listening to those of us who wrote to express our disappointment and anger. I for one am looking forward to watching tonight's show. I'm hoping to learn what I didn't on Friday. Possibly learn something new about the changes being made but also hear about those changes from a variety of knowledgeable participants at the round table.

Update:
I watched the interview and would say that I'm happy with most everything. Some people are just set in their ways whether I like it I cannot set out to change their thought process. I still did not agree with much of what Roland Martin said. I was happier with Paula Zahn and felt she did a much better job of the interview and CNN had people on the show who knew what they were talking about. I liked what Cenk Uygur said and was pleased that he admitted some of what he said had been incorrect.

Thank you CNN for listening to the 'thousands of people who wrote in' to express their disappointment and anger. You gained credibility in my eyes when you chose to address this program and correct some of the misconceptions that were portrayed Friday night.

For a transcript of last night's show please click here.

Photo Shoot Fun!

Sharon and I are on the Women of Grace (WoG) commitee at Muskoka Baptist Conference (MBC). As they're preparing to update the WoG website we were asked to go to WalMart and have pictures done that they can load on their website along with some info about us. Ummm...we were asked to do this last September! Can ya tell we're busy and have dragged our feet on this one?

This weekend Sharon and I decided it was finally time to get this done and over with and head to WalMart.

After hours of primping, makeup, hair and prayer, this was the best we could do. We carefully went through the book of backgrounds available and chose a few each but then...we found a tacky orange background with music and birthday candles on it. Now that was calling our names!

After posing, sitting up straight, smiling and smiling again we got laughing when the orange background was put in place. I was acting goofy (quell shock) and said, 'Hey, I should do one like this...' when *poof* she snapped the pic! We laughed so hard and knew that it was a keeper! Yup...now those are memorable pics!

Being the good blogger I am I had my camera in tow so took a pic of Sharon and the picture girl reviewing our choices. If you look closely, you'll see that our silliness wore off on her too!

A great time was had by all. Now...all we have to worry about is that we sent those orange pics to Betty and they're here too! Oye vei!!!

Sadly Disappointed with Paula Zhan Interview

It seemed to start off well but then once the 'panel' got involved the focus moved away from the changes being made by CCAA and moved more to 'why aren't these people adopting from the US?' They also insinuated that all people adopting from China are doing so because they want perfect, smart, beautiful children who will all grow up to be doctors. Ugh....why must people judge one another's decisions rather than accept them? I can't say that the interview made me 'angry' (it takes quite a bit to make me angry) I was more disappointed then anything.

I chose to write Paula Zhan and offer my opinion. Please note this is my opinion only.

My comment:

Paula,
I watched with great anticipation tonight the story you were sharing about the changes being made my CCAA with regards to those people who may/may not qualify in the future to adopt a precious baby from China. I was disappointed that rather than stay with the facts and discuss the changes, the panel chose to voice their opinions that people adopting from China are looking for intelligent China dolls. Sadly the panel totally missed the original point of the segment - to discuss the changes being made by CCAA.

There are so many reasons I chose to adopt from China, most importantly being that is where my daughter is! China has a very predictable adoption process which is much more than I can say about either Canada or the United States. In China, when you follow the proper channels there is a child for you at the end of the process. A child that will not be taken away because the mother changes her mind.

As a single person I (currently) have the ability to adopt a baby, not a 3+ year old who has already had to endure more in their short little life than I will ever know.

Are China's babies healthy? Yes. Not perfect and they can definitely have health issues but as a parent the chances of my precious daughter having to live a life altered due to drug and/or alcohol abuse by her birth mother are much lower that with NA babies.

I would much appreciate it if you would consider doing a follow-up segment that features 'people in the know.' An adoption agency. A parent who has adopted from China and possibly one who is currently in the process.

I must admit that even though I would no longer qualify to adopt from China due to my single status I cannot fault the country for making the changes that they are. They want the very best for their children and I believe that is their aim. A parent who adopts internationally has to go through more tests, interviews and police checks than most biological parents ever do. If every 16yo pushing a stroller around these days had to go through the process that we do I believe there would be a lot less children having children. Trust me, international adoption is not for the faint of heart and you'll find it's a most amazing group of loving people who are excited to share their lives with one born half way round the world.

Please use the air time you have to do good for these children rather than bad. These are precious, innocent babies who deserve a home and I am so thankful that one day I will have the privilege of calling one of these baby girls, ‘Daughter!’

CNN Discusses New CCAA Adoption Rules Tonight

Thought some of you might be interested in watching this so wanted to post the info here. The show is being hosted by Paula Zhan and is on at 8:00 here in Ontario.

It will be interesting to see what is discussed. Once again I am so thankful to be 'grandfathered' in due to my LID of March 23, 2006.

Preparing to Tidy my Blog

This is just a heads up to those of you who enjoy visiting other people's blogs from the links I have listed on the right under the 'Recently Returned' heading. As you can tell some are not so 'recent' any more. I'm going to take some time and begin removing some of the links that I may not use too often and also those who have not updated their blogs in a while.

Just wanted you to know so that you have the opportunity to save them under your personal 'favourites' before they disappear.

Happy blogging!

December's Secret Pal Gifts!

Thank you so much for December's fun gifts! I laughed as I picked up the package the mailman had left and the envelope lit up and began to play music. I knew there were some fun things in store for Hannah!

The singing, light up Pooh is adorable as is the little lamb that says the Lord's prayer. I'm guessing you read my blog as you also chose a cute little Disney foam Princess puzzle for Hannah. The little terrycloth frog is cute and will make a fun little toy for Hannah to play with!

My SP also remembered Mommy with a fun Christmas scrapbooking kit!

On top of all these wonderful gifts, my SP sent something so special that it brought tears to my eyes. This month my SP made an absolutely beautiful blessing for Hannah's book and it was a HUGE surprise!!!

THANK YOU SECRET PAL!!! YOU'RE THE BEST!!!

An Overdue Thank you

In December when Rebecca and I were driving home from the airport we stopped at a restaurant along the way and met some wonderful new friends! Trisha and I are both part of the 'Canadians Adopting from China' yahoo group and got to know one another there. When she realized I'd be in her neck of the woods she emailed me and we set up this great lunch on our way home. It was such fun to me Trisha, her husband and youngest son. We had a wonderful lunch and before we knew it it was time to head home and get my tired little munchkin to bed.

When we were at the restaurant, Trisha gave me a number of thoughtful gifts for Hannah...and mommy too! A Christmas CD, a little doll dress, a cute little outfit, lotion and also 2 blessings that she made for Hannah's book. The most precious gift though was an afghan that she had crocheted herself for little Hannah! It's the perfect size for her crib or to take along in the stroller. Thank you so much Trisha for your beautiful gifts (and for Rebecca's too!) and more importantly, thank you for your friendship. I look forward to getting together with you again!

A Great Friend...With a Nasty Husband! :o)

Carol and I are great friends and I love all the stuff we do together! She and David often call and invite me over to their place just to hang out. I love that!! Sometimes it's a call to join them for supper as David's famous Nachos are hitting the oven and other time's it's to watch (but NOT talk during) Survivor or Amazing Race. I can't count the number of finales we've watched together. Fun times!

After arriving at the New Year's Day party (see previous post) David mentioned he might want a ride back to the city. No problem. Becca enjoyed her movies on the way there so I was figuring it would be a quiet trip home too so the company would be nice.

Just before I left David decided to stay one more day and drive himself home the following day. But...first he provided us with this wonderful bit of information about my car and the 'added safety feature' it has!



3 air bags? Ouch! See...I have a great friend but she has a 'nasty' husband! LOL! Love ya too David! You'd better be careful or I'll come over Sunday night to watch the beginning of this season's Apprentice and talk through the whole thing!

PS - Want be to bring the nacho supplies? ;o)

New Year's 2007 Recap

Rebecca and I had a great time celebrating New Year's 2007! Sunday night we got together with friends and rang in the new year watching Mission Impossible 3. Errr...the adults watched it while the kids slept!

The evening began with a delicious meal of Chinese food. Yumm! After supper we all headed to the basement to try out the new Wii system by Nintendo. What fun! We played numerous rounds of bowling and had a blast cheering one another on! What a great game although we quickly learned to wear the wrist straps as the first dent in the ceiling had happened the night before we arrive when a controller went flying. I can sure see how that would happen!

It's the 2nd year that Becca and I have been together with these friends and it's quickly become and annual tradition. Looking forward to adding Hannah to the party in 2008!

Rebecca stayed at my place overnight and I introduced her to the fun of watching the parades on New Year's Day. We both thought the Rose Bowl parade was great! I'd love to go to it in person someday! What a treat that would be! Did anyone watch it? Wasn't that flying guy amazing? Felt like something out of the Jetson's!

Monday afternoon Becca and I hopped into the car and headed to my friend Carol's Mom and Dad's for another tradition - New Year's Day potluck supper after the Belleville Bull's game. The night before Carol had emailed me the direction's to her Mom's place. I'd been there twice before but the last time was almost a year ago. I printed out the directions then promplty left them sitting on the printer. No problem...I could find my way...I thought!

After getting stuck in traffic in Belleville???? (post hockey game so everyone was out! :o) I attempted to find my way to her parent's place. Let's just say I was close but a set of railway tracks with a huge freight train parked on them stood between me and my destination. As we drove down a dead-end street and turned around Rebecca questioned my knowledge of where we were going. I assured her we were just taking the 'scenic route' which she'll quickly learn Auntie Cathy does freqently!

As we were driving back into town my cell phone rang and Carol came to my rescue by giving me directions. You would think that would be enough but noooo...this is what welcomed me as I turned the final corner! :o)



Thanks Carol and Paul! It's great to know that friends are always there to help you out! LOL!!!

CCAA Site Updated with Jan 3, 2007 Referrals!

Once again it's an exciting time in the China adoption world! The latest referrals, covering people logged in September 9, 2005 to September 27, 2005 are receiving their referrals this week! Congrats to all the new mommies and daddies!

This referral batch moves me 19 log in days closer to Hannah! Yeah! There are a ton of stats people keep and you know I'm one of those people. The fact that CCAA referred 19 days worth of log in dates is great! It's the largest number of days that they've referred since September of 2005 so I'm choosing to see that as a positive thing!

The other date on the picture above is in relation to files that have been reviewed by the CCAA. The last time that date changed was 2 months ago today so I'm hoping that means it's soon going to change again. I anticipate that March is in the review room and even wonder if we're already out but we won't know until that date changes...if it changes. :o(

Unfortunately, one of the changes announced by CCAA on December 8, 2006 is that the box pictured here is soon to be removed from the CCAA site as they will be changing the way they provide information. In the future (not sure when) the information contained in this box will be provided to agencies for a fee. I'm not sure if my agency will choose to pay that fee or not but I have a feeling that with information so freely flowing in the adoption world (sometimes it feels like we know things before CCAA does! :o) I'm guessing the information will be easily available. At least I can hope it will be!

Congratulations to all those receiving their referrals! What a blessed day for you!!!

Blessings Update #1 - Long Overdue!

With all the busyness before Christmas I got behind in posting the wonderful blessings that have been sent by family and friends for Hannah's Blessings book. Yes, you read that right! Hannah's first blessing from a family member was made by my wonderful cousin Bridget! Thanks Bridge! She and I (plus her kids and Rebecca) all have a deep love for everything Disney so the fact that she chose a Cinderella theme for my little princess is perfect! Now....to get planning that Dream Disney weekend for you and I this fall...ahhhhhhh! Sure hope it works out!!!

This next blessing (the 32nd for Hannah's book!) is from a bloggy friend Kim who lives in Saskatchewan. She lives in a small town outside of Regina and we've quickly realized what a small world it is that we live in! When I was on vacation in June 2003 I stayed at the hotel where Kim worked at the spa and, I even visited the spa twice for a pedicure and massage during that vacation! Even though we didn't realize it, there is a very good change that she and I met in person back in 2003 little knowing the similar path we would each be following in the future! How amazing is that!? Thank you Kim!



This pretty blessing is from the Carmody family who are leaving this month to meet their precious daughter Samara! Congratulations friends...it won't be long now! Thank you so much for your contribution to Hannah's Blessings Book!

It's Feeling A Bit Like a Time Warp!

As I sat here thinking back over 2006 and pondering the possibilities and opportunities that 2007 may offer, I wondered what I had written as a New Year's post for January 1, 2006? Wow!!! A whole year has passed yet if you replaced 2006 with 2007 each time a year is mentioned then it is just the same this year....

Still waiting, still praying and still trusting God for His perfect timing! So many unknowns to me. Yet each of those are known and planned by God. What peace and comfort that offers. A peace only God can offer.

'For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'

Jeremiah 29:11

Yes...this is Who provides peace...God .

2007 - A Year Filled with Anticipation!

Happy New Year to my bloggy family and friends! May 2007 be extra special for you.

Tonight I'm in awe and have 'Godbumps' thinking that my precious Hannah will be born this year! Sometime in 2007 she will come into this world and in God's perfect timing we'll be brought together as mother and daughter. Oh how I pray that is in 2007 but my heart is prepared (at least on good days :o) to wait until 2008.

Blessings to all. May 2007 be a year of amazing things for you!