Happy New Year!

Rick and I are going to dinner with friends! Nara is at my moms and Devon is at work. Looking forward to 2010

LOA

We received our letter of acceptance yesterday. It was really fast we did not get our PA until December 14th. It has all happened much faster than our agency thought. It looks like we will travel sometime in February. It is all very exciting and a little overwhelming.

Caroline

She will be a year old January 29th

Care Package for Caroline

I just put together a care package for Caroline. I hope to mail it on Monday.

Next year!

I have wondered many times over the last few days what a difference 1 year will make. A year from now we will be celebrating Christmas with our daughter. I have been a step mother for 6 years but next year will be so different we will be celebrating Christmas with our daughter.
Caroline received many wonderful gifts from family members this Christmas. Everyone is so excited about her coming home.

Merry Christmas

PA arrived

We received pre-approval from the CCAA dated December 14, 2009 for our adoption application. Now we start the wait for LOA.

Trying to Get Ready!

I am really hoping for some updated photos of Caroline this week. I spent sometime this weekend looking at strollers and cribs. It really is hard to decide.

We worked this weekend on the downstairs room. Nara is going to move downstairs and Caroline will be upstairs with us. We really do have a lot to get done.
One week left and then we have Christmas break. We should get a lot of this done during Christmas Break.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

I really cannot look at this picture enough

Great News!

We got an update on Caroline’s health today. Her special need was a “large liver” My American doctor felt that it was really nothing. Today her doctor in China confirmed that her liver was fine and that she was very healthy and really had no medical concerns. I guess she is a special girl but not a special needs girl. We are so excited about this great news. We feel blessed to have her as a daughter.

Our Daughter!

Caroline Patricia

Birthdate 1/29/09

Going Shopping

Nara and I are going shopping with my mom. My mom is going to make Caroline a quilt.
Should be fun.

Thinking of Caroline!

This is the second night in a row that I cannot sleep. I wake up in the middle of the night and I wonder what Caroline is doing a world away. If this keeps going on I might be very sleepy when I get to China.
So let me tell you a little bit about her:

· She was born 1/29/09
· The year of the Ox
· She is in a foster home in Fengcheng City in Jiangxi Province
· She weighed 13 pounds at 7 months
· She has very little hair
· She likes to play with toys that make noise
· She likes Music
· She likes TV

We Have a Daughter!

We are so excited to announce that we have a daughter. She is ten months old and is waiting for us at the Social Welfare Institute of Fengcheng City in Jiangxi Province. As soon as I can post her picture I will. We are absolutely thrilled.

Shopping

Nara and I started our shopping adventure at 5 am on Friday morning. Rick joined us for lunch and a little more shopping later in the day. We are both hoping that Caroline is with us next year.
Overall it has been a great Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Blessings to you and yours.

Ready for the Holiday!

Our Thanksgiving holiday starts at 4 today. Rick and I are going to go home and exercise. We started the insanity work out a few weeks ago. Yes, it is insane. We hate doing it but we love how we feel after doing it. It is a serious cardio workout.
After the workout we are going to the grocery store and get ready for our Thanksgiving meal. We have no major plans this Thanksgiving. We are just having lunch, watching football and getting ready for the shopping on black Friday.

Thankful Thursday (a little late)

I am thankful for Thanksgiving approaching
I am thankful for vacation time approaching
I am thankful for my husband who is always so thoughtful

Dolphins Won!

Waiting for Caroline!

I feel in my heart that another special needs list will come out in the next month and we will find our daughter. I got so excited today about the prospect of meeting our daughter that I ran to Target and picked up a few things to put in her care package. (Once we know where she is)
Out of nowhere it hit me that she is over in China somewhere waiting for us. With an LID of 3/27/07 I have become used to telling people that she is not even born yet. If we find our daughter on the special needs list she is not only born but she is somewhere waiting for us.
I picked up blankets and socks so she can stay warm while she waits for us. Once I know her size I will also send clothes and some toys. It is very exciting thinking about it and planning for her.

Happy Birthday Violet

Weekend Wedding

Rick was best man in a wedding this weekend. Rick and Mark went to high school together. Rick was thrilled to be in the wedding. Nara and I came along for the wedding fun and we really enjoyed it.

My sister and I ended the weekend my volunteering at the Junior League’s Taste of the Town. It was a long day but we always enjoy our Junior League time together.

Weekend Wedding

Weekend Fun

Exploring the hotel before the wedding


Nara getting ready



Mark getting ready

Rick anf Nara

Veterans Day!

Thank you to all of of the Veterans,

Great Weekend Planned

Great weekend planned. Rick is best man in a wedding this weekend. We spent last night with the wedding party and today is the big day! It is going to be a beautiful wedding. Sunday and Monday we will be going away for a quick getaway. Rick is really great at planning weekends away. We go away often but this is even better because his class work is done and we have an extra day. No School on Monday.

Homestudy Again

We met with the social worker today. It is our 3rd homestudy. We hope it is our last one!

Happy Birthday

Rick brought home this Cold Stone cake.



Rick surprised me yesterday with some very nice gifts and the kids cleaned the house. It was a great afternoon
Rick is the best man in a wedding in a few weeks. Tonight was the bachelor party. So Nara and I went shopping and ate dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. I bought Caroline a dress and Nara a shock pen.
Rick and I will go out to dinner Saturday night.

Today was quite a day. It was not your average birthday. Some of you know that we are also on the special needs list. We received a phone call this morning from our agency (at 4 am) letting us know that they had found a possible match; a beautiful little girl with a heart problem. As the day went on we discovered that the heart problem was very complex and a little more than we thought we could handle. So around 4 this afternoon we made a very painful decision to not take the special needs referral. We know that we could be matched again next month but it still has left me sad tonight. This is a birthday that I will not forget and a little girl that has now become a part of our story just not our family.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for cooler weather, it is still hot but we can feel that October has made it to Florida
I am thankful for a wonderful husband that always remembers to do such nice things
I am thankful for a “hope” that we will soon see a picture of Caroline.
I am thankful that cheerleading is almost over for the year

Homecoming Queen 2009

Nara and her crown

The little girls in the HC Court

All of her friends

The girls going to the HV dance

Nara Won Homecoming Queen

Nara Cheering at the Homecoming Game

Fall 2009

Nara at her game

We have had a great and busy fall. Nara started cheerleading for a local little league team. She has really enjoyed it. Rick started his classes back and has been busy working and taking classes. Devon has continued to play for the high school marching band. I recently began a new position. No news on Caroline. The China adoption process continues to be slow.

NFL is Here

Go Dolphins!

Happy Birthday

We have had several birthdays in the last two weeks!

Rick celebrated his birthday on 8/25, my mom celebrated on 9/6/09 and Devon is celebrating today 9/9/09

Goodbye Summer!

Nara and Devon trying to hold on to summer.






We had a great weekend! We spent the weekend in Miami. Nara cheered/performed at the Miami Dolphins Football game. She got to attend and be a part of the game as a part of the summer camp experience; we are anticipating that she will get the chance to cheer one more time this fall at a regular season Miami Dolphin football game. We all had an unbelievable time. I will post pictures soon.

Tomorrow is the first day of school. So I guess we must say goodbye to summer. It has been a fantastic summer but we are looking forward to a great school year.

Last bit of Summer

Miam Dolphin Training Camp

Rick surprised me with a last minute tirp to Fort Lauderdale a few weeks ago. We drove over to see the Miami Dolphins practice and we decided to stay for two days. I have such a great husband. We had a great time and we ended up staying on Fort Lauderdale Beach. It was a great way to end the summer.

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to my parents, they have been married 46 years today!

The end of July

Nara and Sammy

Rick and Nara eating Chinese and watching a movie

Rick Studying

Rick spent the last two weeks of July studying for his final exams. On Saturday August 1st he went to class, took his finals and completed his EdS. He has two more years left before he completes his doctorate. Nara spent time with her friend Sammy and I enjoyed being off work for a few weeks. We were all glad when Rick was done with his classes for the summer and we are very proud of him.

Out of town for a few days

We are in Fort Lauderdale now for a few days. I will post photos soon

Summer Fun

J and Z with the Naples Players

Zach as one of the Guys. He had a very big part

Julia as Edwina

Zach and Nara at the Boat House

Nara and Julia at the Boat House

Hanging with the Cousins

For two weeks in a row we got the opportunity to hang out with the cousins. Two weeks ago Zach and Colleen came over and we ate pizza and the kids played on the slide and the trampoline Last week we had the privilege to see Zach and Julia in two different plays. Julia was Edwina in Dear Edwina and Zach was a guy in Guys and Dolls. They both did a fantastic job. We really enjoyed spending time with them.

July 4th Party

CC and Donatella eating cake

Nara on the slide

July 4th is one of our favorite family holidays. This year we had one of our biggest firework shows. We ended up having about 14 people over to our house to eat, watch fireworks and celebrate together. It was extra special because we had our dear friends Chris and Lynn come in from Georgia. It was great to see them. For some reason most of my pictures did not turn out. So I only have a few to share.

Happy 4th of July 2009

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain America! America! God shed your grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea.O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities glean Undimmed by human tears America! America! God shed your grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea.

Blessings from our family to yours!

Happy BIrthday EMMA

My sweet niece turns 15 today. It is hard to believe it has been 15 years. I remember the first time I held her, she took my breath away. I thought she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I still feel that way. Have a great Birthday EMMA. When you get home we will go shopping.

Miami Dolphin Camp

Nara, Julia and Zach enjoyed this week at Miami Dolphin Cheerleading and Football Camp. Colleen and I spent the week in Miami at Hard Rock Hotel so the kids could attend the camp. We had a great time. The girls learned about cheer leading, dancing and had daily etiquette lessons from the Miami Dolphin Cheerleaders.
We spent the evenings at the hotel. We loved the pool, slide and going to dinner in the many restaurants in the hotel. Colleen and I spent the mornings working out and even going to the hotel spa.
The kids ended the week with a football game and a cheerleading performance. The girls did great and Zach and his football team won so many games that they went to the super bowl. We spotted a few players and the kids got the chance to meet a few Dolphins.

The kids get to participate in a pre-season and a regular season Dolphin game. We are really looking forward to the Miami Dolphin football games.

Miami Dolphin Cheerleading Camp

Miami Dolphin Cheerleaders

Nara with one of her teachers

Julia and Nara and the teacher

Nara's Teacher