Saturday, December 30, 2006

Referrals, rumors, singles

No referrals yet this month. That is a bit disheartening. I'm sure it is even harder for folks who are expecting referrals now... mine is still a couple of months away. But I always get anxious this time of month because I'm also waiting to see what is going on over all.

The rumor is that referrals might not come until Jan 8!! Yikes.

And, then there are the Singles rules change coming in 2007. Supposedly, China is only going to allow married couples to adopt. OMG. That is just sad. They say I'm ok, 'cause I'm LID already... but, what if I want to go back and adopt a little sister or brother? I guess when/if that time comes, I'll have to go somewhere else. That makes me a bit sad. And makes me definitely sad for those other singles who want to adopt from China and can't now. I'm not sure if this means all single adoptions, or just non-special-needs.

I've been at my sister's house all week, on vacation. Her phone hasn't worked much all week, so I haven't had much internet access all week. Very odd feeling. Especially, when all I want to do is check to see if the referrals have come yet!

Peace.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day

I was going to post yesterday, but we couldn't keep a connection up for some reason. So, Happy, Merry Christmas a day late. Today is Boxing Day and we are planning to put some things together to take to a shelter.

Baby Mia-Mei isn't here, obviously... but I've certainly been thinking about her. Her name is really going to be Mia ElainaMae, but I've been thinking of her as Mia-Mei this week. :) I'm sure one of the names will stick by the time she gets here!!!! hahahaha.

Aunti Mimi got her a Dora doll set that has China, Russia and France dolls. I can't wait for her to play with those. :) I'm going to get her the matching stuff this week. I really missed having her here this year.

They are saying there are new CCAA rules and it has me a bit worried. But they also say it doesn't affect us that are already logged in. I pray that is right, because I just don't think I could handle it if something goes wrong at this point. I'm trying to be patient... but this news does worry me.

We did have a wonderful Christmas. Dad and I went to church Sunday night. It was nice. I think my nephew had a great day yesterday. He is six, and, thankfully, still does believe in Santa. We might only have another year for that!! But for now, it was cool. :)

I'm off this week. So glad to have a real vacation, even though I'm not going anywhere. I do need to get my paperwork updated for the adoption. I'll try to start that this week. I also want to start working on her room. Gotta get that cleaned out and better organized.

Today, though, is movie day. God bless you Jakob. We miss you and love you.

Peace.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

baby girl

I've been sitting here today wondering how baby girl is doing. There was a lot of time that I knew she might not even been born yet, but being at 13.5 months LID, she's certainly been born now! :)

So, I wonder... what does she look like? How is she doing? Is she being loved? Is her hair brown or black? Does she smile a lot? Does she have a reason to smile? Will she like yellow or pink or purple? Will she want to be a princess or a tom-boy? I wonder what month she was born... will she be a May baby like her mommy?

I just hope she is being taken care of and that she is healthy. Merry Christmas baby girl. I can't wait until we get to celebrate next year together! Won't that be fun!

Now, I've got to get my paperwork updated and her room finished.

Peace.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

What to say

Everyone has been very nice about the loss of the puppy. The breeder said I could have the first pick out of the next litter. Let's see what happens. It would be nice if it works out. I did look at the rescue website and that doesn't seem like a viable option right now. I also looked at other breeders, and didn't find another pup so far. So, I hope that this breeder comes through in the next couple of months.

I'm on vacation right now. Oh joy. My new boss is just difficult and it makes this not quite as relaxing as I'd like. And, I have a cold... thanks sis. :( Ugh. 2nd time in a month's time that I'm sick. I do not like that. So, I'm sitting here watching jewelry tv... again. LOL. Very, very bad. I will say, though, that I bought a watch a couple weeks back and one of the pins is loose and I have to send it back.

It is pretty early this month to see where we might be on the adoption wait. But, two things... sis bought the baby a Chinese doll that is just cute! It was actually a box set from Kohls of 3 little dolls, one Russian, Chinese and I forget the third right now. Very fun. I also get my bonus from work this week, and that will help toward the adoption, thank you God.

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Today sucks

Ok, some days life sucks.

Phoebe can't come to live with me. She has a level 5 heart murmur and cannot fly here. She did not pass her health check at the Vet today. The breeder said that she will not likely make it 4-5 months. OMG. How sad it that? I'm so sad.

waaaaaaaaaah.

No puppy for me (yet).

Peace.

Sunday, December 3, 2006

Phoebe Dec 2


Ok, how cute is she?! The breeder says she is 1lb 10oz right now. She *might* be 5-6 lbs when she is full grown! She gets here on THURSDAY!!!! OMG. I'm so excited! I've got to go get some unflavored Pedialite so she doesn't get dehydrated or hypoglycemic. She's so tiny, I wish I could just take her to work with me each day!!!

Saturday, December 2, 2006

13 months

Oh, I guess I need to mention... I've been LID for 13 months now. It is December, right? Well, my agency told me that I might not get a referral until March or April... that would be 17-18 month wait. But, it is getting closer, and for now, that is all that matters.

Peace.

Laptop

So, Black Friday I bought a laptop. I shouldn't have, I know. I don't really need it. But it is nice to have. My problem is that today, all of the sudden, it won't power on. :( I've submitted a question to the Acer company, which is the brand of my laptop. Ugh. Yes, it is plugged in. Yes, the plugs are all attached. I'm not an idiot (I do have a Computer Science degree for heaven's sake). I'm hoping it is just something I've overlooked with the battery or when the power went off yesterday, although, my Work laptop is just fine (has been plugged into the same outlets all week)... as I sit here typing away.

I guess it'll be time to decide if I'm going to take it back or go ahead with the rebates depending on whether this is just a minor setback or not.

**Update: I talked to someone where I bought the laptop, and they said it looks like a Power Adaptor problem. Oh joy. So, now I've got to see if I can take it back to get them to give me a new one, or send it in. I hope I can just go to the store and get one...

Peace.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

The after T-day sale - aftermath!

YIKES. Ok, sis and I literally shopped until we dropped. We had a blast! :) It was a little stressful at times, but a lot of fun still. I'd love to go into the whole list now... but suffice to say, I need to completely buckle down on saving again!! LOL I did, however, get all my Christmas shopping finished, I hope, anyway. I always end up buying more right before Christmas... but I'm hoping I won't do that this year. I've got to get the right amount in the bank to get ready for CHINA!!!

I'm wondering about referrals, as most people are in our situation.

I put my very first mechanical reindeer tonight, too. Boy, am I a do-it-yourselfer or what?! LOL hahaha.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. The day itself wasn't quite what I hoped, but my sis and I made up for it over the weekend, for sure. We had a great time. One I won't forget for a long time (how could I, she convinced me to sit outside on the freezing concrete for 3 HOURS to try to get her a great deal on a laptop... didn't quite work out as expected... but she did end up getting one later. We were SO bad. LOL) We did get some great things and I can't wait to give some of them as presents...and open the rest for myself! :)

One hysterical moment (for us, since we literally didn't sleep for over 42 hours), was when we went to Walgreens and they had this Singing Turkey dressed with a Santa cap and bell... he sings... and moves back and forth. We laughed SO HARD... people must have thought we were out of our minds. LOL. It was great. ...oh, and did I mention I bought it?! hehe. Can't wait to drive my co-worker's nuts! :)

Peace.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Christmas bags



Something I made today. Fabric Christmas bags to put gifts in.

Latest puppy pic....I got it today! :)

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Sis and I


Our latest pic together. It turned our pretty darn well, if I do say so!

Yes, we are twins. :) I'm on the right.

Phoebe videos

I'm still not feeling 100%, but I thought I'd post the little videos of Phoebe.

Here she is at 5 days old:


and 27 days old:
(not working yet)

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Sick of being sick

Ok. I've had the flu most of this week already, and I don't feel much better tonight than I did Tuesday! Right now, actually, I feel almost the same - except I think my fever is a little lower. UGH. I'm seriously sick of being sick. At this rate, I don't have much hope I'll feel better tomorrow. Which means, sick and all, I'll probably at least have to work from home, as I've got 2 deadlines to meet. :(

The flu sucks.

Oh, and I read my agency newsletter about the adoption wait... the predicted wait for me is 16-17 months now - with a referral possibly in March. I'm OK with that. But it is getting a bit long. The positive would be I might travel in May, which is a special month for our family. The wait is just starting to get long. Oh, I'm sure being sick (and whiney) doesn't help... so, back to bed I go.

Peace.

ps. Thanks for all the great comments about the puppy!

Friday, November 10, 2006

Phoebe - 27 days old!!


OMG. How cute is she?!!! ( and... i'm not biased in any way!)

Sunday, November 5, 2006

2 days running

I finally am getting back on track... running, that is. Sheesh. Got two good days in this weekend. It is about time! I think if I do well this week, my stress levels will go back down. Work has gotten me down lately. I have to get over that.

I treated myself to the cutest little 'baby' Jasmine doll last night at Walmart! hehe. I'm such a kid. ;-) (or, perhaps, I'm really feeling the effects of all this waiting for Mia! eek)

Really, though. I am blessed in so many ways. I thank God for each and every one of them.

Peace.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Phoebe - 18 days old

I'm in love...... :)

Happy Halloween and 1 YEAR LID

Not sure if this is a celebratory note or not... but... I've officially been Logged In to China for one whole year!!!!! Wooohoooohoooo! Ok, seriously, I kind of had a feeling early on that I wouldn't get a referral in the original 6-8 month timeframe. Now, it has moved to approx 14 months until referral. That would be, in theory, January (since my LID is at the End of the month and they've been doing the 2nd half or the last 3rd of the month as the next month... if that makes sense. so, it might be more like 15 months for me). I'm still thinking I might not get a referral until Feb at the earliest. Let's see.

The problem is, today is the last day of October and no Referrals have been sent yet for October. Boohoo. I'm not sure what this means. They keep saying things might speed up, or should stay status quo, but this seems odd with no referrals yet for October. What does this mean, I wonder???

Happy Halloween to all the kiddos out there. :) I'm going trick-or-treating with my nephew tonight! That is always fun. He LOVE love loves Halloween.

Peace.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

All in, or not in at all.

So, I did go ahead and decide to get the little Chinese Crested puppy. Even against some advice not to. I have heard they they aren't good alone all day every day... of course, I didn't read that part until after I had already made the decision, so I'm hoping I'm right and just going to move forward with my decision.

Little Phoebe will be ready December 8. I'm going to take a couple of days off that next week, and then the entire week of Christmas. I'm hoping that helps get her used to me and trained a bit.

Referrals are in the pipe, I'm thinking, but who knows when or to what date!

I also selected my insurance and such for next year. I wonder how fast I'll be able to update that when I find out who my daughter will be. They say 30 days... I re-upped my 401K investment, not quite back to what i used to do, but more than what I have been. I've been trying so hard to get some money saved. Oh, one good thing that happened was that my Director said I could roll over 10 days of vacation next year because it doesn't look like there will be any way for me to use it before the end of this year. That is GREAT news, because I'll be able to use part of it for the adoption time!! Very, very good. I do have to use one week of it in the first quarter... so, let's see when my referral comes. Maybe it'll come in Feb/Mar??

I haven't been sleeping so well again lately. I am hoping that changes soon. Work has been stressful, still, but we have hired 2 new people that start Monday and one of our India team members also comes in on Monday to work through our next test cycle. So, that will be pretty good, I hope! :)

I'm rambling, I know. I just had some kind of boring stuff to write about today...

Peace.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

No comments?

Wow, I thought for sure that I'd get some comments on my puppy acquisition... or at least from the pics I posted! No dog people here??? i thought for sure i'd get - No, get this or that kind of dog... it's a great family dog... or what in the heck is a Crested?! It's ok, I guess. I am a cat person...turning into a dog person (maybe!)...

I guess I just have to continue to sit here smiling silly all on my own. So there. ha. (my theory that this is a good time to get her is that i feel good about it. let's hope that continues and i don't start worrying about her size and health and stuff! thankfully, she will be here by early Dec.)

I'm also very interested in the rumors of the next batch of referrals! I've heard they'll come next week, and maybe go through Aug 23?? BIG IF. So, we shall see...


Updated: I got a couple of interesting comments today, but not online ones...

Dad and Brother - you're going to name her what? Why don't you name her Sha-quay-quay or Phillipia.... Uli, what's that? Sounds like a disease! Ok... Phoebe ShaQuaQuay it is! ROFL. Dad said that when i bring her over my stepmom won't want me to bring her home! haha.

One of my best friends gave me the most negative comments about my getting a puppy. I was so hurt. I am not sure if she thinks I haven't mourned enough for Rachel (which I continue to do, but just not quite as openly)... or if it is because I gave 2 of the kitties up because of the house problems... or if it is truly because of the baby. She said that she doesn't think this is the right time and that it will be too much with the baby. And if I couldn't deal with the mess of cats (mess? How about destroying the family room so that i couldn't even have guests over or have the baby crawl on the floor... that not just a 'mess'). ... then how could I deal with a Puppy, who will surely make messes!!! OMG. Does this mean that I'm a) irresponsible? b) not capable? c) bad kitty parent so I shouldn't have a puppy? d) i didn't mourn enough, so I'm have no feelings and can just move on like that? (which is SO not true) It REALLY hurt my feelings. REALLY.

I can't even believe she feels that way. I've been looking into getting a dog for 2 years or more! She knows that! I just thought that this seemed like a good time. I've been so sad. I thought a little puppy in the house would liven things up and I could get her potty trained before the baby gets here.

Oh well. This distraught me to the point that I *actually* told one of my co-worder friends about the adoption (swore him to secrecy, of course)!! He was SO nice about it and about the puppy (knowing, too, the problems i've had with the cats... even though i really do love them.)

So, between him and my dad/brother, I'm feeling much better. They are a riot! Thank you God.

Peace.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Look at the baby girl... pup

A bit blurry, but this is the little girl I've just put a deposit on... :) All black with little white paws. awwww. She is so tiny. She was born 5 days ago and this pic is from a couple of days ago.




Here she is at 5 days. She will have a bit of white on her chest, too, it looks like. But I've got to figure out how to add that little video. :) Here are the udpated pics, anyway. She looks pretty much the same to me, but I imagine that will change soon.





Peace.

Chinese Crested update...

The breeder (in MO) for the little girl I was looking at didn't want to give me references. She said that the references she had on her website were all she'd give out. I think not. So, I am continuing my search for a puppy.

I happened upon another breeder in a different state (VA) who had puppies born on 10/13 of this month! One is a little black haired powder puff girl with white socks. She looks cute. I wonder just how black her hair will stay. I'm seriously considering going ahead and putting a deposit on her. I could get her Dec 8 and that would be good timing for the end of the year and taking a little time off, if need be.

When I called one of the references for this puppy, I spoke with a lady who didn't buy a Crested from this breeder, but a Westie. She had lots of good things to say about them. Then I told her about my adopting...and she said her daughter was thinking of adopting from China! WOW. What a small world! So, I think I talked more than she did!! hahaha. It is so great who you get to meet on this journey. God definitely shows us those connections to each other.

Then, I spoke with one gentleman who was just as nice as could be. He also had great things to say about the breeder, which was nice. He's gotten 2 Cresteds from him, plus a Westie. So, that was nice. It did come out that he is good friends with the breeder, but he did seem very honest and told me that the breeder keeps the pups indoors with them and that they are very loving to the animals. That is a good thing. Socialization is very important, IMO. So, now the question is... do I go with the Powder Puff (likely) or the hairless? I think I'll start with the PP and then if I ever decide to get another, I'll go with the more exotic HL. :D

Oh, and her name will be Phoebe.

Peace.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Chinese Crested puppies... help

I'm looking at getting a puppy. Sis says it is good for the baby to have a puppy, hehe. Actually, I have read that it is good for children to have pets in the home. We have Manna, but she is 12 years old... so, since I am actually allergic to cats (bet you didn't remember that part), I am thinking of getting a puppy instead of a kitten...

I've been online looking up Chinese dogs... Pugs, Shi Tzu (sp?) and Sharpei puppies... and then I happened upon Chinese Crested puppies... some are hairless and some are little fluff balls (called power puffs). The one I found (and sort of fell in love with at first sight, hahaha) is a little black and white one, female. She would be just a bit smaller than sis' dog Max...and we all love him to death. He is a Min-Pin and I wouldn't be opposed to getting one of those either. This little one could travel with me if and when need be... of course, she won't be good to run with, unless I put her in a carriage!!! ROFL.

So, the question is... anyone out there have one of these? Do you like it? I read that they can be hard to house break... but can be crate trained (which is what I would have to do). She is just a cutey pie... and I'm trying to figure out if I should take the plunge now since I've got a little while longer to wait for the baby (like, 'til March?) Oh, and she's about 12 weeks old, so, she's a great age to get started...

(and just for the record... part of the reason why i didn't start looking for a puppy before now is because of the cost (i'm still saving for the adoption and have had other expenses come up, too)... and these little cuties are not cheap. i'm wondering if she is worth the cost or not... but she is So cute... decisions, decisions)

Peace.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Coffee and sis and dreams

Sis and I made our own version of 'fancy-schmancy' coffee house coffee this weekend. YUM. We had a great time this weekend, again, and didn't even go shopping or anything. Neither of us were feeling 100% and so it was nice to just hang out. I made us (me, sis and nephew) pillows out of this bright yellow fuzzy(soft) fabric this weekend. That was fun. Sis gave me one of those little water fountains that is supposed to help you relax. :) It is in my family room now and looks way cool.

Sis said that my odd dream this week was common among parents getting ready to have a child...so, that made me feel better. a little.

I'm starting my usual wondering of when referrals will come in this month and how far they will get! Relaxation is key, as I've been extremely stressed out lately. It is still odd only having one kitty in the house!!

Peace.

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Odd dream

I had the oddest dream of my daughter that I just can't seem to shake. This was a few days ago, but the image is still with me. We were in a restaurant and she was sitting/standing facing forward on a lady's lap (probably sis') and i was across from them standing talking to someone. I was looking over in admiration at my daughter who was beautiful... black wavy (almost curly) hair (odd) that was a little shorter than shoulder length.... she had a beautiful face with ONE EYE in the middle instead of 2 eyes. Ok, now I have NO idea what this means. She was smiling and happy and just cute as she could be, but freakish because of this ONE eye.

Odd.

Peace...

Tuesday, October 3, 2006

A happy birthday and a precious memory

First, Happy Birthday to my Brother-n-Law - Jake!!

That's about as happy as it gets today. Last night was one of the most difficult I've had to face with my little fur-family. Rachel, who was approximately 12 years old, had been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. I had the Vet do more than one blood work up to see if her numbers would come down any (creatnine was 16 and then 14, when it was supposed to be 1.5-2). Her numbers just wouldn't come down. They kept her on fluids since Saturday morning and had to eventually back off a little because it was going into and affecting her lungs (and breathing). I went to visit her twice yesterday and stayed with her as long as they'd let me. My vet said that he didn't expect her to live through the week, and most likely not through the night. :( OMG. I could't even begin to stand if she passed there all by herself in a cage. He had already suggested I put her to sleep (and I would only consider this as a final resort to the inevitable). So, finally, at about 7:30 pm last night, they injected her with the med that put her to sleep... she was asleep in less than 10 seconds. Seriously. She laid in my lap and cuddled my arm in her last couple of hours. She was so desperately weak and hadn't been able to eat because of the ulcerations/lesions on her tongue caused by the kidney failure. Apparently, signs of kidney failure go unnoticed until they have 30% or less of their functioning kidney and that is why it was SO SO SO fast. :( Unbelievable. I'm still quite in shock and I'm missing her terribly. She was and is definitely loved.

The vet's office gave me a little clay reminder with her name and her paw print that I baked today. They also cut a couple of tufts of her hair for me and I had her cremated. I couldn't even begin to sleep or do anything 'normal' last night...and am still just so very sad, depressed. I realize this was a cat, but she spent the last 10 years or so with me.

She was the sweetest cat I had. She would greet 'everyone'...and think that any guests I had were there to see HER. She was a hoot. She was my 'mommy' cat of the 4 and she took good care of Lancelot, especially. She will definitely be missed. I think Manna could even tell last night that something was wrong (perhaps 'cause I slept in the 2nd bedroom instead of my room)... I am definitely looking for God's comfort at this time. This was so quick and I hope Rachel is in heaven feeling much better today than she did last night.

Peace. Especially to all animal lovers out there. Give you cat or dog some love for me today.

Monday, October 2, 2006

A lesson in names

So, I went to my grandmother's Bible today and found some interesting stuff. First, I was wrong about her middle name being Maria. It was Margretta (meaning "Pearl"). Elizabeth means "dedicated to God", which is lovely, too. I did find, however, that her sister's name was Helen (which I did remember) and that has the same meaning as Ellen (my middle name), Elaine (sis' middle name) and the Baby's middle name of Elaina, all meaning "Light". So, she will be connected to her Aunt Mimi and her great, great Aunt Helen, and her mommy, of course!

On the name of Mia == Maria == Mary... (besides my other grandmother Marie), apparently, my Great, Great Grandmother's name was Mary Susan. So, it fits, afterall. Not that I was ready to give up on what I decided this weekend, but I just wanted to see what our family history had to say, too. And figure out if there was a reason I was drawn to it.

Especially, since I'm trying to keep my mind off how Rachel is feeling right now. :( I'm so sad for her.....

11 month +1day

So, I didn't write yesterday, but it was my 11 month LID anniversary. Getting there, getting there. The fact that I picked a name (and still have a couple just in case), was a great accomplishment this weekend.

Now for the BAD news. My sweet, sweet, sweet kitty RACHEL is dying. I found her Friday night looking like she was dehydrated and throwing up blood. (she was fine the day before...this was unbelievably quick) NOT GOOD. So, I force-fed her some water/tuna juice to see if that would help at all, and then first thing Saturday took her to her Vet. Well, apparently, she is in renal failure. They weren't sure if she was in acute or chronic, but now they think it is chronic and that she won't make it the week. Her blood work was super high and unless it comes down dramatically today (which isn't likely), this is it. I just can't even get over this. This is HORRIBLE. I went to see her this morning and she is just so weak/lethargic. They are going to do more blood work, but the vet wants me to put her to sleep. That just tears my heart out. Of course, I don't want her to suffer. So, I am praying about this and will do what is right (I hope!) when the time comes.

Prayers are welcome.

Peace.

Saturday, September 30, 2006

...and the consensus is....

Mia ElainaMae

Mia - from what I can tell, means "Mine" and I love that sentiment. Plus, it is short for Maria, my grandmother always said she wished her name was Maria instead of Marie. :) I also found that is is a form of "Michaela" (which I also like) with an Israeli name meaning - "Who is like God". WOW. (and Michael, my brother's first name, means the same thing, which is way cool.)

Elaine - is my sister's middle name and I like it...and I changed it to Elaina - it also means "Light", "Bright One" or "Torchlight". It is a form of Helen and Helen became popular because of the fame of "Helena", the subject of many legends and mother of Emporer Constantine. It was said she discovered the true cross of Jesus and was the daughter of the British king known in the nursery rhymes as "Old King Cole". (Coleman happens to be my other grandmother's middle name, all very similar.)

Mae or Mei - Means "Beautiful" in Chinese, and is not only our great-aunt's middle name, but it is a common Chinese name, as well. (ok, so the jury's still out on Mae vs. Mei, but I'm leaning toward Mae because it is a family name.) Mae(May) also means "Great" in Latin and "Discerning" in Arabic. A "time-of-birth" name! Love, love, love it.

So, there you have it. I "think" I have decided! :) Woohoo! It might change again, but for now, I'm liking the overall meaning and the many ways she can use her name. And the more I look at the meaning(s), the more I love it.

Sis said that she knows that I am feeling the way about baby girl as I would if I was 'bearing' her and that I need to feel confident in my 'mommy' decisions, such as her name. She even used the word 'having her', even though it isn't in the physical sense. I love that. 'Cause it is just how I feel. Plus, she really liked the name, too. :) Bonus.

I'm already thinking about the next round of referrals... as I'm sure most of the rest of the Chinese adopting families are.

I pray every day for "My Beautiful Light"...my little angel, she has surely been born in my heart. And my heart grows bigger each day in anticipation of how we will grow in each other's lives. (oh my goodness, i'm a sap tonight! lol)

Peace.

Monday, September 25, 2006

names...again

more options:

Mia Elaina-Mei **(Mia is apparently short for Maria and my grandmother's middle name was Maria and my other grandmother's name is Marie. Also, it means "Mine". awww) This way, it might be long, but it means "My, light, beautiful" Does it "flow" alright, though?

Naomi Mei

Naomi Elaine
Naomi Elaina-Mei (pleasant/beautiful, light, beautiful)

Looks like she might have a long name... still thinking, thinking. HELP!!! LOL.

Peace.

Latest batch of Referrals!!

CONGRATULATIONS to all the new parents! Referrals were 18 days long this month - 7/22 through 8/9. Woohoo! That was farther than I thought they'd get! As always, I'm trying to figure out what this might mean for me...

If it stays at 15-18 days per month, let's say, then at this point - my referral might be (complete guesstimate)

Sept - Aug 9-26
Oct - Aug 27-Sept 10
Nov - Sept 11 - 28
Dec - Sept 29 - Oct 10
Jan - Oct 11 - 28
Feb - Oct 29 - Nov 15

*** My LID is Oct 31 and so it currently looks like I might be Jan/Feb level at this point for my referral. Unless it slows down or speeds up again, of course. Still a slight potential to get a referral by the end of the year. Doesn't seem likely at this point, though.

Not sure what others are thinking... I'd love your feedback.

Peace.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Still don't know

So, I still haven't made a final decision on my daughter's name. I sure hope I can decide when I see her picture!! (I think I am supposed to make a decision before I actually go to China.)

Sis had to buy a new car... her old one's transmission went out! UGH. So, we went car shopping last weekend. That is always fun. I get to give a bunch of men a hard time about what we want and what we are going to pay! hehe. :) We played good cop / bad cop... you can guess I was the bad cop! LOL. Sis was definitely smoozing her way to getting a good deal. I was the hard nose. It worked out well, so far! She even got new tires and a pretty darn good deal, if I do say so. So, what kind of car did she get? Well, she got a 2003 Jeep Liberty! Very cool. It is fully loaded and BLUE. Now, this is a bonus, 'cause she's had TAN cars her whole driving life! It is very cool. She even got a V6. She's got an adult car now. :) (of course, I say that, and mine is very cool, too, but it isn't a V6...)

I had a minor victory at work this week, too!! WOOHOO. I've been worried about the testing schedule they've given us for this enormous project and we got it extended by 2 weeks (so far) and I'm going to continue to work my ways to get even more time! But 2 more weeks is definitely a start and I was very pleased.

On the adoption front, I washed all the clothes I've gotten so far from folks and buying... they are so TINY! haha. I've got to get more organized, but the process has begun, and it is kind of exciting. Now, to see what the next referrals bring...

Hope you all are hanging in there and life is good.

Peace.

Thursday, September 7, 2006

The name game

I'm still up in the air as to what my little girl's name will be. I have a short list these days... and feel like i need to go through and see if there are others I want to still consider. Any comments will be helpful.

Elaina Mei-Li or
Elaina Mae or
Mei-Li Elaina or something different,
Mia Ellen (as in Meea, not Mya)

My sister's vote is for Elaina Mei (but I do still like Elena). My brother's vote is for Mia Ellen. Elaine is my sister's middle name. Ellen is mine. MEH are both of our initials and I had hoped to go with that... but it might be EMH instead.

Peace.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

10 month

Today is 10 months LID for me! Wow, one minute it seems so slow and then the next it is just flying by! I can tell I've definitely gotten more nervous as time goes on...

Peace.

Current timeline

According to my agency, if the timeline stays similar to what it is now, I won't get a referral until Jan/Feb and will need to get my I171H redone. I'm so anxious to see how September's referrals will go....

Ok, so that was a duplication of what I said yesterday... but the outside referral time at this time could be up to 18 months, I guess. This would put my referral all the way up to March/April. It totally depends on what happens with the referrals in September and October, of course.

For some reason, I've got referrals on the brain today.

I also need to figure out if I'm going to do the full marathon at AF in a couple of weeks, or switch to the half. I'm seriously considering doing the half right now. Which would be the first time I've done that with the AF marathon.

Oh, and I looked at baby beds and linens in the JCPenney catalog last night. It was just a baby catalogue that was sent to me, and it was pretty cool. There were a couple cute beds. I'm still thinking of trying to find Raggedy Ann and Andy set. :)

I feel pretty boring these days. lol.

Peace.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Change

So, I've been assigned a new position at work. Officially a Lead Tester for our redesign project that is supposed to go into production next May. This is good and bad. Not sure if it is a blessing or a curse yet, haha. It is a HUGE challenge and today I've been feeling like they threw me under a bus. Please pray for me. The good thing is that if I can help this project succeed, it will be great for my career here. If not, then that's gonna bite. I've really got to get this work-stress under control.

The other thing on my mind right now is, I am wondering what is going on with referrals... of course. They only did from July 15-22, which is 7 days worth. If it keeps at this rate, I won't get a referral for quite awhile. I am guessing at this point that I won't get a referral for 13-14 months, or longer... which puts it at December-February timeframe, just for the referral. Then still 6-8 weeks to travel approval. Of course, it could speed up, but I'm guessing it might not at this point. We'll see. Part of me is still ok with this, and part of me is getting worried it is taking longer (just because of the rumors and stuff)... I'm sure it will be ok, though.

The family room looks great, if I do say so myself!! :) Now onto working on getting all my clothes organized and sorted. I also need to start on the baby's room, officially! Sis and I were thinking I could use Raggedy Ann and Andy for her room. How cute would that be! So, I'm going to start looking for a set like that. I did get a funky light for her room last weekend, but haven't really set anything up.

I got to go to the Circus De Soliel (sp?) last weekend. It was BIG fun!! Chase started 1st grade this week. He's growing up too fast!! haha. I can't believe it! He was just born yesterday.... ok, he wasn't... but it sure feels like it sometimes! My sis worries about him sometimes, but I think he is turning out to be a great kid, who has some of his mommies artistic skills! Boy, he can draw! :) (i'm not biased in any way...)

Peace.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Looks like

...the referrals are indeed to the 22nd, so far. Congratulations to all the new parents out there! I wonder what this means for my referral in the next few months. There are also rumors of singles not being able to adopt from China anymore. Good heavens, I hope that isn't true! Everyone, so far, says that those of use who are logged in will be OK, but you never know. I'm trying not to worry about that, but it is in the back of my mind.

My friend came over this week and hooked up my stereo, so now it goes through the VCR and the DVD player!!!! WOOOHOOOO! I have the best friends. :)

Sis and I sent garage saling this weekend, again, and had a great day. My nephew is adorable and wants me to fix his stuffed puppy, 'cause he is ripped. He starts FIRST grade this week!!! OMG. It is a very cool and scary time! haha.

I went to a Bible study on Friday night for the first time in years. It was wonderful. Great bunch of people. The amazing thing is that while I live fairly close to the city, my actual area is kind of 'country' and I wasn't sure how many people adopt on this side of the river. Since I didn't know anyone there, and we were giving a little background on ourselves, one of the couples said they are adopting from CHINA!!! OMG. I was just thrilled. Their LID is April '06, so we won't likely travel together, but I'm just so blessed to meet the people I get to meet in this process and I hope that we can continue to get to know each other.

Peace.

Peace.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Could it be true?! Referrals

So, the buzz today is that there are referrals being sent to folks! So far, these rumors say that the cutoff is July 22, '05. Let's see what happens. I am wondering if this is additional from last month's batch and if more will come before September? OR if it is the full batch they are sending for August... which would mean it *might* be from July 14-July 22, '05. That's not many days...8 days. Yikes.

Peace.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Not a problem!

The carpet guys came today!!! All I can say is WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!! The carpet is installed! *happy dance ensuing!!!*

Here is a pic. Now, it is on to moving things back into the room and taking care of the kitties. I might even get to relax on my couch, for the first time in weeks, tonight!



Sunday, August 20, 2006

Painting baseboards to the floor

So, my life has revolved around painting and removing carpet from my family room for over a month now. Yikes. This week was no different. The good news is that they are coming to put the new carpet in tomorrow morning! Yeah! :)

This week, I scraped the floor and then bleached it, and then painted it with Kilz. My only concern is that I might have made it difficult for the carpet people to get under the baseboards to put the new carpet in! UGH. In my zeal to get the floors completely cat-pee-free, I didn't realize I might be painting the baseboards to the floor! (I'm going to take a knife today and see if I can make a little room under the parts where looks like it is attached to the floor now.) Let's hope the carpet people don't ruin the baseboards. That would totally bite the big one. I have updated pics of what it looks like now, and I'll post one later. Then, when the new carpet is installed, I'll probably post one of my *new* room! :) I'm a goof, what can I say!

Onto the baby's room next!

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Adoption thoughts

So, in my quest for as much information as I can get, I read other adoptive parents blogs, as well as adoptees blogs (IA and otherwise). Some of these can be quite eye-opening. Some make me a bit sad, even. I am not one of those people who think that adopting from China is all ladybugs and red threads. I would love to believe that love will conquer all, and that will be all my daughter needs to feel good about herself, where she came from, where she is and where she is going. I am not naive enough to believe, however, that that is true! It isn't. And I need to know how to equip her with as much as I can to help her succeed. I'm trying to learn what that might be.

Some people who know me can appreciate the fact that I truly believe in relationship and family and that I want nothing more than for my daughter to feel like she "belongs" somewhere. I already mourn that for her and she isn't even here yet. I do think it is going to be a challenge. I worry about her and our white society. Is it fair of me to bring her her? In some people's eyes, no. There are so many things that go into making the decision to adopt and from where. And I don't feel like I owe it to anyone but her the reasons I choose to adopt from China. I will say, however, that I feel like it is my responsibility to be thoughtful in that decision (as I feel everyone who chooses this path, should be, IMO), not for my sake, but hers (the childrens). And I hope I have been.

I've met a lot of people lately who have either adopted or been adopted themselves. They say that she will be "lucky" to be here instead of China (well-meaning, for sure). I get these comments from other folks as well (along with lots of invasive questions). I don't know how to respond to that. Saying I'm the lucky one sounds trite to me. Am I am lucky to be able to help someone else along on their life journey, yes. To have a daughter? Yes. But it will be different for her, for sure. She will (would) have challenges either way. Sometimes it is more important for someone to feel like they fit in over the perceived benefits of education and career/money. Or at least, from what I've read, that is a part of themselves they struggle with because it is very real even if it isn't tangible. I completely respect that.

And I realize, that most would agree that having a home is better than an orphanage, but there is definitely a cost involved. I'm sure this is not only emotional, internal, but also of familiarity and generations of history. We can sometimes forget that because our 'history' a lot of times has been here in the US for a century or more. We all moved here from somewhere, even if it was a 100 years ago, and so we feel like others should go ahead and adapt like that. Forgetting all they leave behind (except, i can look at my dad and see parts of myself, IA's don't have that). Wow. That is a lot for someone to swallow. Go somewhere different. Look different. Feel different. Alone. Have no history whatsoever. Whoa. And somehow I'm supposed to think that my love will conquer all that? No way. I just hope that we can build a family together, though, and that someday she will want me as family as much as I want her as family. And that somehow I can give her some sense of being truly loved no matter what.

And don't get me wrong. I'm very excited to be doing all this. I worry (ask my sis). But I believe this is the path I'm supposed to be on. I realize that sounds selfish from my daughter's standpoint, probably. From what I've read, anyway. I mean, she has no choice in who her family will be (but do any of us, really?!). It is always decided by someone else (my opinion, God or this type of route).

Anyway, I really do want to honor where my daughter comes from and I hope that I can help her along her journey of finding herself. Because finding herself is most important. It takes even those of us who weren't adopted decades to start finding our 'own' self. Making peace with the past. It takes reflection of where we came from and where we are and where we are going, as I said before. I can't answer all those questions for her, but I hope I can help her, anyway.

peace.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Too tired to write, even

I've been go, go, go since last Thursday. Scraping the floor in the family room. Sweeping, removing more carpet and padding.

My sis and I held a sort-of impromptu garage sale of our own on Saturday, for 12 hours! (so, after working on the FR all day, I had to get the car loaded and drive to sis' house at midnight) We got up at 7am and held the garage sale until 7pm! We made our little goal, but it wasn't probably as good money-wise as if we had some bigger items. Of course every little bit helps! and we had fun, which is always good. My nephew even had his first-ever lemonade stand! Too cute. He did great (and made over 7 bucks of his own!) He's going to be like his mommy, an entrepreneur, when he grows up! :) We talked about trying another one next month. So, let's see what we can put together. So much more I want to write (bore you with) about the day, but I'll leave it at that for now...

We did take all the left-overs to Goodwill. At least we both got rid of a little bit of "stuff", right? Right. :)

I worked on the family room again yesterday, and mowed my lawn in the 93+ degree heat. It had to be done! I'm about 98% done scraping the floor, but I need to bleach it again, and then Kilz it... paint the red wall one more time and paint the baseboards.

And all I can think of right now is SLEEP. I feel like I ran a long run yesterday, as my arms, back and legs all hurt. But I didn't. Yawn.

Peace.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Scraping away...

I've been scraping the crap off the floor... here is a tiny bit of progress.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Nothing interesting...

I have nothing really interesting to report or talk about. I feel quite boring lately. I have been working a lot this past couple of weeks and am trying to get this family room project done! I haven't had time to sew as much this week, and my running isn't any better. It will be though. I'm determined to get back to my normal schedule of somesort. So, this is the week to do it all. That final push. Get 'er done, as they say.

On the adoption front, I am getting more and more nervous! I wonder how I will feel once I know who she will be and she gets here. I'm already anxiously awaiting August referrals so I can get a feel for when I might get mine... Oh, which reminds me, I've got to go get re-fingerprinted this month!

Not sure if I mentioned, but I had a full blood work-up last week and everything was great. My cholesterol is 189 (good 47 and bad 116). My sugar was 79 and my Thyroid is 2.08. My dr. put me back on Flonase, 'cause my allergies have just been out of control. She also gave me something to help me sleep, as I've been having an awful time of that the past few weeks. She wants to see me back in 6 weeks. Hopefully, my allergies will be under control and I'll be sleeping better.

One funny thing that happened to me last night when I was leaving the grocery... a young man approached me to buy magazines for his school project. I never know if this is legit or not, but he was very pleasant. In the midst of the conversation, he asked how old I was and if I was married/dating anyone... and I said, no. He said he thought I was 25!! I said, no... he said 27? I said, no... I said I was over 30 and he said NO YOU AREN'T! He thought I was lying. hahahahaha. ;-) Made my day. Then he asked for my phone number... now this kid was 22. Yikes. Can you say wet behind the ears?! ROFL.

Peace.

Monday, August 7, 2006

Had to know....

I am nerdier than 68% of all people. Are you nerdier? Click here to find out!

Sunday, August 6, 2006

Baby Stuff...

So, my sis and I went garage saling this weekend (wonder of all wonders!) ;-) And I got a great bunch of clothes and board books and a little bike/push toy for the baby. Very cool. Now, besides finishing that dad-blamed Family room of mine... I've got to start on the baby's room!! It's getting full and she's not even here yet!!! YIKES! :D

I also got a chance last week to go through the 2 BIG bags that my friends from church gave me. Awesome stuff!

....baby on the brain.... (which is best, 'cause men still suck)

Peace.

Tuesday, August 1, 2006

Looks like...

There was at least one confirmation today that the cutoff was indeed 7/13/05 for this batch of referrals.

Congratulations to all the new mommies and daddies!!!

I'm wondering now if there will be a batch in August (due to the move)? And how many will be in it. That makes a 13 month wait (obviously) for those with 7/14-7/31 LIDs. Wonder if that will continue....

On the home front, the guy who said he'd come pull up those tack strips for me, came today!!!! I can't tell you HOW HAPPY THAT MADE ME!!!!! WOOHOO. $35 bucks well spent, IMHO. And one more task done. Oh, and I got the 2nd coat of brown on the brown wall. 3 walls done. 1 to go! Going to concentrate on that tomrorow. And then the FLOOR. I might actually be able to have them come put the carpet in this week!! OMG. That would rock.

Peace.

Monday, July 31, 2006

9 months 'paper' pregnant

SO, I've been LID for exactly 9 months today!! WOW. Some days it seems to go so slow. Others, I can't believe it has been 9 whole months now!

Have only heard minimum information about referrals for July.

Bought some great Batik fabric yesterday and some blue fabric with poodles and some black fabric with purses on it... some pink flannel with little paw prints on it. Fun stuff.

I need to run.
I need to sew.
I need to paint. This one will win out, of course! I can't wait 'til this family room is done!!

Peace.

PS. I closed on my house 4 years ago TODAY!! What a day! I did get the brown wall's first coat painted... woohoo. Getting there, slowly but surely!

PPS. In honor of my relentless painting and the 2 anniversaries... here is an updated pic with the FIRST coat of brown. You can only see part of it...

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Saturday, July 29, 2006

2 down, 2 to go

Paint, Paint, Paint... this family room job is quite big. I've gotten 2 walls completely done and 2 partial done... Here is what it looks like in progress.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Oh, Oh, OH.... I heard that folks are starting to get their referrals today and Monday!! I'm SO excited!! I am wondering what the date goes through, and will definitely keep my eye on that... (my LID is 10/31/05, so I've still got time, but I'd like to keep an eye on what the trends are currently... plus, it is fun to see others get their referrals!!!)

Oh, and just for fun... here is a pic of the frog purse. :D

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Off to painting I go... no rest for the weary! ha. Update... I attempted to go ahead an paint the long red wall... but the rollers I bought are different than the ones I used before and I HATE it. Ugh. So... I need to work on some trim tonight before bed, but I can't finish painting until tomorrow. YAWN. Probably best.... lol.

Peace.

Friday, July 28, 2006

Feeling Froggy?

I've been anxiously awaiting news of referrals this week. I guess that they might not come until next week, since the week is pretty much over. I keep wondering what that means... if they are going to only go through July 13 (which is what I've heard, but other dates, too) or later. What does this mean for me? I have no idea.

Work has continued to be stressful. I'm trying to deal with it. I'm afraid I'm not doing a great job at that, though. Got a migraine last night and into today. Not good. I've got painting to do still.

I have continued to paint and sew this week. The tan I chose for the family room is lighter than I wanted. So, I'm not sure if I'll keep it or go get a darker one. My latest purse creation is green with Frogs all over it. I think it is quite cool. There are two options for this one... sis might steal (i mean, take) it, lol, or she'll sell it. I have a feeling one of her book board friends will love it. :) I also made two purses with US flags all over them this week. And I've cut out two DOG purses this week. Those are going to be fun.

Peace.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Pooh and Skirts

Ok. Now, I do realize that other people have more important things to do that to tell me how cute my purses(bags) are... but I thought for sure that someone would tell me they liked Pooh... or the skirt purses. (besides my sis and my friends joe and kat, of course!! LOL) I realize that selling them online is next to nil, but I don't just post pics for that. I truly enjoy making them and since I live alone, it is hard to get the CATS to tell me they are great! *wink*

I'm not impatient or anything. Ever. (ok, now that's the biggest lie ever! LOL)

Oh, and now if you do say something nice... hm, well, is it because I asked? Oh well. It was just a thought! I was, apparently, too pleased with myself over the POOH bag. ;-)

I'm having another one of those days... this work change is just messing with me. I think it might be because the adoption stuff is SO darned unpredictable (read: timeline) and I thought work would be consistent, not-changing for the time being. HA. Wrong. It really sucks when you actually like your boss and they leave. :( booh.

Oh... and it seems to me that I seem to read quite a few adoption blogs lately where people are going through a tough time like me... is it just us in the adoption world? Or do other bloggers have this problem, too?! I know we are particularly stressed about when, when, when will those referrals come... and I'm not even nearly as freaked out about the timeline as some folks are! (ok, I don't think I am. ha)

On the agenda today: RUN. PAINT. SEW. In that order. Let's see how that goes. Maybe I should come back and list 7 more happy thoughts like I did the other day, too.

Peace.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Are you sick of me yet?

I KNOW I should be in bed... I'm exhausted... BUT. I just HAD to show you all the purse I made tonight. Ok. I'm nuts. I admit it. You're bored. I'm sure of it. But isn't it just the funnest summer fabric?

Peace.

Skirt Purse

Inside SkirtPurse

Referral rumors

So... my agency says there is currently a 12-14 month wait to referrals. If it comes like they say currently, I won't get a referral until early next year (or closer to 15 months)... amazing. Right now, the rumors say that the current batch will be approx 13 more days of July 2005... and we don't know when that will be. Some say, it will be this week. Some say because of the move of the CCAA that it won't be until August.

I thought that the CCAA moved early this year, hence the slowdown back then. It is a bit confusing.

Meanwhile, I got two big bags of stuff from a family from church (bless their hearts) and have got to get started on the baby's room. And pick a name. And save more money. And, and, and...

I've been thinking I won't get a referral until the end of this year at least, but who knows! If it happens earlier... well, let's not think about that until we get this next batch of referrals, eh? Not that I don't want it to happen earlier, I just want to be prepared and right now I don't feel like I am. At the same time, I feel bad for people who have been hoping they'd get their referrals NOW.

Peace.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Sew...

I did more sewing this weekend, finally! I embellished four or five purses that needed something extra and I made a baby bag! :D It turned out SO cute, if I do say so myself! :) It is Winnie the Pooh print and I'm toying with keeping it myself... hehe, but my sister is going to take pics and list it for me. (if it doesn't sell, I'm keeping it) But it would make someone a great baby bag! I made it with 2 diaper pockets on the inside and 3 bottle size pockets on the inside. And 1 bottle, 1 diaper and 1 extra pocket on the outside. It is bigger than a purse and has batting to make it thicker and more sturdy than the spring purses** I've been making lately (not quite quilted, but along those lines.) Very cool (in my not-so-unbiased opinion!) :) If you are interested, please go to the HobbyHungry on Ebay link on the right or see the pics below and go to the link from there. :D

**The Spring purses I make don't have batting, but since I make everything out of cotton, they seem to hold up pretty well, anyway. I use mine for months at a time... whereas, sis, is spoiled and she switches every month or so!! haha. I haven't "bought" a purse in over a year now and get lots of compliments on them... but see below... they are hard to sell online for some reason. But I still share here 'cause it is something I'm doing toward the adoption....

She also listed those two LADYBUG purses, that I've mentioned before (sorry, if you are tired of hearing about these in particular... they are cute, and we've been toying with using them ourselves!) It is quite easy to love each one of them and want to keep them! HAHA. ;-) (my sis being the biggest culprit, i mean fan, hehe.) But I'm trying to find ways to make a little extra money, and this seems like a good outlet for me. My sister is a great seller and she's sold quite a few of my purses to friends and co-workers and friends of friends, and so forth... They are just so hard to show online. Oh, and I've also listed below the Angel Toile purse that I embellished today! What a difference some beads make.

Any and all proceeds go toward the trip to China. (quite nervous, but still very excited about all this...) I even had a family at church bring me two giant bags of baby stuff today!!! WOOHOO! I have so many great friends. Really. I do.

Anyway, this weekend made me feel a bit better. We didn't go see my cousin for her birthday, but neither of us were feeling 100% and I've just been exhausted this week. I think we both just needed some down time. And, I, personally, needed to get back to the things I love to get me out of my funk this week. So, thank you all again for putting up with my rantings... and Aunt Gay Gay, if you do see this HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! We'll make it up to you... might even have a purse with your name on it! :D

Oh, and I'm STILL working on the family room, but have made some good progress and tomorrow that is the main goal.... the carpet guy is going to kill me if I don't get a move on! LOL.

Peace.







Saturday, July 22, 2006

So encouraging...

You all are very encouraging and I thank you for putting up with my ranting this week! ;) I'm feeling better (so far, ha)... and I hope it continues!

One of the ladies at church is going to bring me some baby stuff tomorrow and I'm way excited about that! It is also my cousin's 50th birthday! Wow, how time flies!

I wonder if referrals will come this week.....?

Peace.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

This... well,

This has been a tough week. I'm not sure why exactly. There are lots of little things eating at me this week. (I'll not bore you with another man rant.)

1.My boss is leaving as of next week.

2.I'm moving to 'the other half' of our test team in the next month (it isn't nearly as good as the half i'm on now).

3.Ok, so the man thing has still got me down.

4.I don't know who my new boss will be, or what the outcome of my boss leaving is (this is beyond just the fact that he is leaving... that part is bothering me because he hired me and we get along and that his hard to come by. Plus he likes my work. Now, I've got to prove myself all over again!!)

5.I'm having one of those weeks where I don't feel so attractive.

6.I'm starting to freak out that if I feel this bad working overtime right now and being stressed out, how will I handle having a baby (by myself)?

7.Do I have cooties or something? I mean, seriously.

Ok... in order to combat the 7 bad thoughts... let's think of 7 good ones, shall we?

1.I am healthy. I need to run! (did i mention that running is a miracle drug?)

2.I am a damn good tester. (let's hope i can prove that to my next boss... or better yet, let them hire ME as the boss....not much chance there, but i can dream)

3.God has blessed me through this journey, so far, toward this adoption...

4.I got an "On the Spot Award" today, which was way cool.

5.Have I mentioned my love of Chocolate?!

6.My nephew told me today he LOVED my house... :D Way to a girl's heart.

7.I have a great life (and I don't have to mow my lawn today), different and all...

Peace.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Giving up

I'm grumpy today. Maybe it is because I overslept. Maybe it is because I had a very busy weekend and I'm still not done with the room that is going to be recarpeted**. Maybe it is because men suck. I don't know. Maybe it is because it seems like every time I go out with someone for some reason it doesn't seem to work out at all. I'm just pretty well fed up with it all today. This is maybe the 2nd time in my life that I've felt this way about giving up on ever meeting someone and having a relationship, but that is where I am right now.

(Oh, and don't get me wrong, I had a great time hanging out with my nephew this weekend. I think I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.)

So, people ask me why I'm adopting, and adopting alone. Why not wait for a MAN? UGH. Yeah right.... My answer...

Men. Who. Needs. Them. Really?! Seriously, if there is a single man out there who even knows what a relationship is about and who isn't freaking terrified of commitment or getting close to someone, I'd like to know it. I just don't think such a man exists anymore.

God, I'm crabby. Sorry.

**So, I have so much to do to get ready for the baby. I'm not quite half-way finished with my family room (re-doing due to cat and sanitation back-up issues), but am going to be thrilled when it is done. I got part of one wall painted yesterday, half the carpet pulled up so far (I WILL get the 2nd half of it pulled up tonight to go out with the garbage).... and half the baseboards Kilz'd yesterday.

Here again, wouldn't it be divine to have a man around who could actually do some of this for/with me? Good heavens it is a lot of work. BUT NO. No man around to help. For example, what the hell do I do with the tack strips? Can I pull them up and the carpet people will put new ones down? Or will they freak if I do this? Yes, I need to call them... but if I don't pull them up, then what if the wood retains the cat pee smell and the cats go back to that spot even though I've done EVERYTHING possible to get rid of it? (Ok, so, I might not let them in the room again without me, but it could happen and this being as much work as it is... I want to do everything in my power to prevent it happening again.)

And, you know, as usual, I WILL get this done. It will get done 99% alone. And a lot of times I'm ok with that (even though it doesn't sound that way right now)... sometimes I'll have a friend or my sis come help a little... but it can be depressing. Ok, enough of all that.

I think I need to re-focus. Maybe after the referrals this month... maybe in the next week? I'll have a *slightly* (ha) better idea when my referral might come and I might actually start working on the baby's room!!! Got to get focussed on that. It seems like it is so far off... and in the next instant is seems like it is way too close and I'm going to hyperventilate!! LOL.

As always, THIS TOO SHALL PASS. Right? Right... (until then, can I crawl back into bed?)

Peace.

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Yikes, it is HOT

So, bright idea me goes out and cuts the grass during the hottest part of the day today! Eek. It is hot out there! It didn't seem soooo bad until I came in and now I'm just wiped. Sheesh. My neighbors even commented that maybe I should wait. HA. Me, wait? God love 'em. My grass was about 10 feet tall (ok, slight exaggeration) and it just had to be done. So. It. Is. Done. :)

I'm getting ready to watch 'Betwitched' on my mini-dvd player here in my office as my nephew watches tv upstairs. :)

Stay cool cats.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

2 other movies... or 4 hehe

I forgot to mention FOUR other movies I LOVE... lest you all think I'm a total blonde in my choices, haha.

Rear Window - Alfred Hitchcock 1954 version
Breakfast at Tiffany's

While You Were Sleeping and
Two Weeks Notice

Perhaps this doesn't help my cause, after all! LOL

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

As promised...

I've been tagged and I'm tagging HobbyHungry, Trip to Emily, Mortimer's Mom, Alyzabeth An, and Journey to Kavanna! :)

7 Things I'd like to do before I die.
1. Be a mommy.
2. Go to Europe again.
3. Get the house organized! ha
4. Get a dog.
5. Go on another mission trip.
6. Learn to speak another language.
7. Run marathons in all 50 states.

7 things I cannot do (or do well?)
1. Play volleyball.
2. Run a boston qualifying time.
3. Cook like my sister and her hubby.
4. Understand narrowminded people.
5. Be patient when I'm hungry or tired. (or at all? ha)
6. Seem to finish a quilt for myself (I do for others)
7. Move heavy furniture (and I need to be able to!)

7 things I can do
1. Run marathons
2. Quilt and sew
3. Curl my toes (which freaks out my BIL, cause my sis can too)
4. Pick good color combinations for things (like purses and quilts)
5. Garage sale (though my sis seems to have the knack like my aunt in finding deals!)
6. Sing (hopefully not too off key! ha)
7. Encourage others (when I try)


7 things that attracted me to my Husband
1. uh,
2. i'm
3. not
4. married,
5. enough
6. said
7. !!

7 things I say often
1. Apparently
2. Whatever!
3. Did you get that list together yet?! :) (to my sis re: garage sales)
4. Venti Carmel Mocha and a Grande Chai Tea, please...
5. Chicken Saag #5 and Chicken Saag #4 and an extra rice
6. I'm running X race this weekend (to the question of what are you running this weekend, Melissa? from my coworkers)
7. Still waiting (to the question of when am I expecting my little one)


7 Books I Love
1. The Bible
2. Atlas Shrugged (love/hate, anyway)
3. Kite Runner
4. Memoirs of a Geisha
5. Marathon and Beyond (ok, it is technically a magazine)
6. Grapes of Wrath
7. Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night

7 Movies I Love
1. The Cutting Edge
2. Clueless
3. The Replacements
4. The Hoosiers
5. Save the Last Dance
6. Blue Crush
7. Legally Blonde

Working on the house

Besides going out of town this past weekend (spur of the moment trip to Colorado), I've been trying to get my family room re-carpeted. I've got part of the carpet up and most of the furniture out. I need to get the rest of the carpet up, paint, and then have them come put the new carpet in. I hope to get this done soon. No fun.

Next duty, start on the baby's room. It is a mess, and I need to get it started. Guess it is good that I am getting some stuff done before the baby comes, but it isn't the easiest thing. Guess that's what you get when you own a house, huh?!

Oh, and I'm keeping my nephew all weekend this weekend. Perhaps I'll find out how it is to have a kid in the house while trying to get things done. (That is, if we don't just stay at his house.) ha. Of course, I might take him to the acquarium and to get ice cream instead. :) hehe.

I need to respond to a tag, too. I will do that. :)

Tuesday, July 4, 2006

Ladybug purse

Monday, July 3, 2006

4th of July weekend

Happy 4th of July everyone! Very thankful to live in the good ol' USA!!

Tonight I got to hang out with a friend's little baby boy. He is a cutie... fell asleep on me. I have been starting to panic about how having a baby will be (been paper-pregnant for 8 months now, eek), and this was a nice feeling tonight. Helped calm my nerves a little.

I've been cutting out more purses. Pretty excited about that. I will likely start sewing on them tomorrow. Frog purses, butterfly purses and two different ones to honor the 4th of July- stars and stripes patterns. Fun. :)

Sunday, June 25, 2006

The Lake House

Well... I went to see the movie "The Lake House" last night. It was interesting... I agree with others that one of the oddest things was the time it is set in. And, the ending. I don't want to give away too much, but I did like the fact that it tied up the "waiting" idea and it was a happy ending. I always like that. But it was a little abrupt for me (and where did Jack go?)...

I wish my love life would work out. I'd say like the movie, but in reality I'd rather not love someone from a different time and go through all that drama...ha.

Yesterday we also had Chase's kid birthday party. There were 8 kids - Chase, McKenzie, Jeffrey, Sarah, Elizabeth, AnnaBelle and Brian's kids (Hannah... and I don't know the other's names, oops). It was at a place called King's Castle and was way better than Chuck E. Cheese. They had two nice young men who oversaw the party. They had a separate room for us with pizza and cake and soda. It was very orderly and organized. They even helped Chase open his gifts! Then we all went out and the kids played 18 holes of miniature golf! Too cute. :) All of the kids seemed to have a blast and they all behaved (no meltdowns amongst the kids, although, one adult did have one). Oh, I forgot to mention that they got tokens and got to play games while the pizza was ordered and after they played golf. Very full afternoon and a lot of fun.

I still can't believe Chase is 6 years old! Wow! He's growing up so fast!! (He'll be wearing my shoes in the next year, yikes!!)

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Referrals

CCAA has updated its web site with the news that this month's referrals will go from June 16 through (including) June 28, 2005. That's 13 days worth, which is 4 more days that they did last time! (March was 5 days, April was 7 days, May was 9 days, June is now 13 days.)

What this might mean for me... well, if they happened to start doing referrals one month at a time, my referral would likely be end of October or sometime in November. If they stay at 2 weeks at a time, it will be much longer than that. I am still hoping it doesn't come before the end of September, because if I can travel after October 24, then work will reimburse me some toward the adoption.

I did read somewhere that the CCAA might have gotten through their Review of October dossiers, though, which is pretty darn exciting!! (that would include ME!!!)

We shall see!

Congrats to all the new parents out there!! :)

Punkin

My nephew's birthday is today, he is 6 years old!!! Happy Birthday Punkin!! :)

Auntie M

Chase and Mommy:
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Monday, June 19, 2006

Ladybug purses

So, I made 2 ladybug purses this weekend. They are pink. My sister promised she'd take some pics for me so I can post them. I promise I will do that soon!! They turned out SO cute, if I do say so myself!! :) This goes to the finance thoughts I had last week... I have sold 12 purses so far, a drop in the bucket, but it is something I enjoy and hope I can do more of. Anything I make goes directly toward the trip to China (the flights aren't cheap) and it makes me feel like I'm making a little difference.

I have more ladybug fabric to get cut out this week, some that is green with red ladybugs and yellow with ladybugs... and then more pink. I also have frogs and horses and dogs to cut out. Seems like some of my sister's friends like more of this whimsical style than the more traditional flowered type, as those are the types of fabric people have requested. My step-mom really liked the Butter Yellow Asian print one I made and she also bought one for my step-sister that is a green repro-print. Woohoo!! (My sister has these listed on eBay, too, as I made more than one of each.)

I am also making a couple of baby-bags this week! I had one request for one (Pooh) and I would like to make one for myself (and anyone else who wants one).

My sister and I are going to set up a table at the flea market in the next few weeks to see if I can get any interest. Gotta get some 4th of July (stars and stripes) ones done soon, too!!

Sew, Sew, Sew...

In other news, I am going to look at carpet and re-paint my family room this week. Am I busy, or what? I'm trying to keep myself busy, or else I think way too much!! LOL. Ok, I think too much regardless.

Anxious to see what rumors pan out or don't this month as far as referrals, too.

So, here are a few I've made (and are available). These don't have embellishments, but I have started putting buttons and things on them to liven them up a little. And can put them on if you want!! I'll post ladybug ones when I get the pics! :)

This one has been one of the most popular fabrics I've chosen. I've made two for my sister, one for her friend, one for a friend of ours, and have one left to sell:Image and video hosting by TinyPic

My sister loves this print... and it is appropriate for those who love hunting dogs and hunting in general:
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

I love this fabric! Apparently, so does my step-mom, 'cause she wanted this one for herself!
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

This is a pretty simple green purse... my step-mom bought one for my step-sister.Image and video hosting by TinyPic

This would be such a great little purse to take to the pool or beach... If it doesn't sell, I'm going to keep it for myself!
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

This is a quilted purse. I am going to add two great blue buttons to the tab, but I haven't done that, yet.
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Friday, June 16, 2006

Timely Reminder

I was reading Motherhood Unscripted blog and her challenge was quite timely. What everyday things am I thankful for?

"...For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."
Philippians 4:11

I'm thankful that I have a home, a wonderful family, a good job, and the ability to adopt a little girl by myself (God will provide). I am also thankful that I can run, because it is a great stress reliever if there ever was one.

Freaking again

Ok. Well, I just sat down and looked at my finances *again*... Ugh.

Do you all freak out about money? How you are going to pay for your adoptions? I've paid almost $8,000 so far, but I still have approx $12,000 to come up with! Yikes. That seems alittle high, but since it isn't an exact number from my agency, I've taken their highest estimates. That doesn't include any extra for when I get home, just in case I need it. That's not good. (I would feel better with a 2-3K cushion, but have no idea if I can do 12K, let alone that much!) Right now, gulp, I'm not even half way where I need to be for the 12K, let alone any buffer!!! OMG. And I realize that I need to be thankful (sorry) that I am not going to China right now... 'cause that could have happened (7.5 mo since LID). Not that I wouldn't hop on a plane right now if they called... but finance-wise, I'm so not ready. :(

For what it's worth, I've been making purses (as some of you might remember) and things to sell. They haven't really sold online much, but my sister has been an angel and gotten friends to buy them! She's such the little saleswoman! :D But, I need to get cracking! I got a couple of great ideas from a friend today to make some other items...and now I just need to get to making them to see if anyone would even be interested.

I'm. freaking. out.

So, what do you do to make sure you can pay for your adoption, if you are adopting? As I've said before, adoption ain't cheep kiddos.

I realize I've posted a couple of times today... odd for me lately, but I just felt like sharing.

...deep breaths....

Happy father's day, Dad!!

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Not news...

Another fun tidbit about me:
You Have A Type A- Personality

You are one of the most balanced people around
Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want
You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you.

When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back
Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love!
You live life to the fullest - encorporating the best of both worlds


How about you?

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Adopting alone

So, I asked the question to another single-adopting-momma-blogger why she chose to adopt and to adopt alone... so, I thought I'd answer my own question.

I decided to adopt for several reasons. First and foremost, I want to have a family. I'm in my 30's now and ain't gettin' any younger! What to do, what to do?

So, since I'm single I thought through my options... birthing** a baby alone just didn't seem like the right answer. I know, I could try the procedures... or I could try to find someone to have a baby with. But, no. Then there is adoption. Since I'm single, adopting here in the States is a little tougher (if you want a baby). It could take years. And, maybe someday I will go through the homestudy process for my area and either foster or try to adopt a 2nd child that way, but for now, it just didn't seem like it fit me either.

Then there is international adoption. Some of the countries won't allow singles to adopt. Some won't let singles adopt babies. Others are cost prohibitive. Yet others have long trips (or undefined amount of time to their trips). Narrowing down the field... brought me to China. :) It does take quite awhile to get through the process for China, even. I started Jan 2005 and am now waiting for my referral. I won't likely bring my daughter home until the end of this year or beginning of next. I'm ok with that... but the wait is hard sometimes.

**Do you all say you are 'having' a child (when adopting)? I realize that most people use the word 'having' to mean they are bearing a child... But I will be having her... in my life... more of a currently active use of the word, I think. But that's just me. I'm weird like that.

So, I, currently, run and quilt (sew) to keep myself busy. I also hang out with my family and friends a lot. Sometimes I shop. :) Last week, I made 7 purses. I know... I didn't post pics. I will next time. :) My goal is 5 purses this week. Maybe more. I was supposed to run a marathon last weekend, but was sick. My running won't be as fun this summer 'cause of the heat and less racing, but I am hoping it prepares me well for the fall. :)

Ok, enough rambling...

Feel free to write and share why you decided to adopt alone... and from where. I'd love to hear your stories.

Friday, June 9, 2006

Family pics from when Joe was home.

Sis, little bro' and me:
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Nephew and bro':

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Adoption picnic

So, I went to a picnic that was being held by my Homestudy agency on Sunday. It was pretty nice. I got to talk to a family that I met while getting fingerprinted last August. That was a treat! I wasn't expecting to see them there. They had 2 daughters (adopted from China) when we met in August. They were in the process of deciding if they were going to adopt a third baby girl from China or from Guatemala. Apparently, the chose to adopt from China again! She is a beautiful little girl! They named her Mia, which is one of the names I've been considering. The mom said she gets called Maya, though... something to consider.

It was more fun than I thought it might be. I was a bit nervous about talking to families, especially since I haven't gotten my referral or traveled yet. (I wonder if other people feel the same way... or if anyone else would even go to such a picnic!) Everyone was so nice, though. Some folks were going back for their 2nd or 3rd child and were waiting, like me. That was great to hear/see.

A friend's referral

An online friend of mine, K, and her husband just received a referral for a baby boy to be named Levi Henry (what a COOL name!) yesterday! He is from Korea and was born 4/16/06 (not even 2 months old! WOW). I'm just SO THRILLED for them!!! :D She said he is a bit small, and the Dr. is a little concerned about that. But 'K' believes this is their son, and I'm very excited for them. They should hopefully travel in October. :) WOOHOO.

That'll be me ... sometime. ha.

It'd be great to hear about others referrals... please post about yours if you are inclined. :)

Saturday, June 3, 2006

Who new?!!

Your Linguistic Profile::
60% General American English
20% Dixie
10% Yankee
5% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern

Thursday, June 1, 2006

The wait

So, I've written about the wait for referral from China before. When I started the adoption process, it was taking 6-8 months from when your Dossier was Logged into China (LID - login date) to when you got a referral. As of right now it is taking 11-14 months. For June of '05 LIDs, there were some referrals up to 6/15/05 this May (an 11 month referral time). My agency is saying that this month they think there might be referrals up to June 23 of last year. That would be a 12 month wait. And so it goes...

Just for reference, I've been waiting 7 months, so far. My LID is 10/31/05.

I'm still not sure what all this means for me. Or if the referrals will speed up any time soon. My fingerprints expire on August 11, which means I will need to go to get my fingerprints done again. The I-171H expires next February... and, so if I don't get travel arrangements before then, I'll have to have that re-done, too. I need to figure out what this means for my homestudy, because somehow I'm remembering it might expire, too. Oh my. Potentially, lots of re-work.

I'm ok with most of this, though, because I can still use the extra time (I still have quite a bit of funds to come up with, let alone getting the house ready). I know the wait is frustrating; I totally understand. Some days it just seems like it might never happen. But they assure me it will. Let's see what happens. This is in God's hands, as far as I'm concerned.

Work is frustrating, too... but that is a topic for another day!

Monday, May 29, 2006

Memorial Day weekend

A big "Thank You" to the veterans out there.

I got to leave work a little early (my whole group did), thanks to my boss! Woohoo. So, I went to my sister's house and she and her hubbie and Chase and I went to a local race track to watch some cars do their thing... she had gotten 2 tickets from her boss and Chase was free, so we only had to buy one ticket. That was nice. My nephew loved the place, I think, 'cause he got to just be a kid and make noise and have fun. It was a good time.

My brother came into town this weekend and we got to have dinner with him and My dad and step-mom on Saturday to celebrate our birthdays. We shared a little wine and had a wonderful dinner that my step-mom cooked (she is great and we missed her while she was gone on her own family adventure for the past few weeks). It was a blast!! ;-) My brother is BIG FUN and I miss him being around. We were supposed to get together today (Monday) too, possibly, but didn't... I hope I didn't upset my brother with one flip comment I made about something my dad got him... 'cause I certainly didn't mean anything by it (in case you are reading this, Joe... I'm sorry... I hope I didn't offend you the other night). Otherwise, we had a GREAT time. I hope that my little Bro' runs a marathon with me this fall. That would just be awesome!

So, yesterday, we lazed around the house most of the day because a friend of my BIL's got hurt Saturday night. I won't go into the details, but he was hurt pretty bad and ended up in the hospital. We are all praying for his speedy recovery. We went to My BIL's friend's house last night for a cookout and then Jake (BIL) cooked for us tonight! He is a great cook and made some wonderful stuff tonight. We were SOOOO full!

Oh, and I got my sister to do a 5K race with me today! :D That was very cool, too! Actually, it was hotter than he!!.... We both did alright. She walked it, and I thought did just a great job... and I ran it, and wasn't as happy with my time. But we were both happy to be done! The heat was killer! I bribed her by buying her running socks. hehe. Just kidding. Ok, maybe not. ;-)

I'll post weekend pics tomorrow if I get a chance!!

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Dinner the night before the Cleveland Marathon

Chase, Min, Joey, Me, Kath - carbo loading, yes. :)

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Cleveland was an interesting place. Now let me first say, dinner was great. The restaurant was really nice, the people were nice. The food was terrific.

After dinner, however, my sis and nephew and I went to a store right next door. All I wanted was some PopTarts. Well, I thought I gave the cashier a $10 and when she gave me change back I said that. She immediately said that "She Don't give NO wrong Change!"... in a snooty, bitchy tone. I looked in my wallet and realized I had given her the $5 instead and I said so. No problem. But she went on to be really bitchy and so my sister said that she thought this girl should apologize to me, and that the customer is always right (not about the change, per se, but in practice). Well, the woman told my sis that "SHE is always right... not the customer".

Sis went to get the manager... who couldn't find said cashier for about 20 minutes. He told the girl to apologize (it was really a very simple misunderstanding) and she came to apologize, but then proceeded to make some other comment like "sorry, but....blah, blah, blah". WELL, that didn't go over very well. So, I told the manager that all we expected was some courtesy and an apology for her going off on us like that. She told him that "she said all she's had to say"... no apology. He said if she couldn't apologize, she'd have to leave. She wouldn't. So, he told her she would have to leave. We didn't stay to see if he actually followed through (though, I've had this great desire to call this week to find out) to make her leave. She was just downright rude and mean.

Meanwhile, there is a rent-a-cop on duty at the front door. Apparently, this must not be the greatest part of town, or maybe just all of Cleveland has security guards in their stores... I don't know. But at one point I even asked said rent-a-cop if we had entered the wrong side of town... she was nice, and basically said that all the stores around there had them.

The place - DRUG MART. The cashier - Joya... I told her she wasn't such the "Joy" now was she?

The rest of the trip was pretty good. The hotel was packed, and we couldn't seem to get a valet. The race had the oddest weather conditions (started rainy, then drizzle, then full rain, then full sun and gorgeous, then 25+ MPH winds and gusts for the last 7 miles). I had hoped to PR (make a personal record) at Cleveland, but that wasn't to be. I did push those last miles, even though it was full headwind, and I'm proud of myself for that. I'm glad I did it, but it definitely wasn't the trip I had hoped it might be.

Happy birthday to me (and sis).

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Too long...

I'm sorry I haven't posted in what seems like forever.... still waiting for baby!!! The wait time has gone from 6-8 month wait (from LID) to 10-14 month average... ugh.

I got a whole box of little baby clothes for ONE Dolla' at a garage sale last week. Way cool. Some won't fit, for sure, but even if one or two items fit, that'd be cool. :)

Running news... well, I've been a busy girl! I ran:

4/9 - St.Louis Marathon
4/23 - French Lick/West Baden Marathon
5/6 - Indianapolis Mini Marathon (13.1 miles)
5/7 - Flying Pig Half Marathon (also, the 13.1 miles)
5/21 - Cleveland Marathon.

The Cleveland Marathon was tough! I was hoping to do a personal best there as it was my Birthday!! But there was NO WAY. There was a horrible headwind from mile 19 almost solid to the finish... 20-32MPH gusts according to the weather people... and it was dreadful.

I am officially a Marathon Maniac. I registered today. (that just means I run too many marathons, haha). I can't wait to see what my number is!! I also have one more state to go before I can sign up for the 50 state marathon club.

My sister is AWESOME!! She went with me to Cleveland and we *tried* to have a good time, considering... more on that tomorrow if I can. For now, I'm off to bed!

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Indy Mini with friends

At dinner the night before the half marathon race.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Monday, May 1, 2006

the little buggers

Sometimes owning your own home can be a lot of work. Take yard work, for example. I really don't enjoy yard work. Mainly, I think, it is because I'm allergic to a lot of things... including my own grass! I learned today that it is called Tall Fescew. Great. I call it the itch-monster. OMG. As soon as I cut the grass I have to go take a shower and then I still itch for 2 days. :( Yuck. I really do need to find a lawn-boy... ha.

Ok, so I was cutting the grass a few days ago, when I notices that there were all these awful little wooly-worm looking bugs on my pin oak tree!! OMG. I also have some tent-woms on my weeping cherry. :( So, I called a couple tree guys to come give me estimates. I also want(ed) someone to trim a couple of the branches off the one pin oak becaus they hang very, very low and it is hard for me to mow under them. SO. the first guy comes out... wants $150 to spray all my trees/shrubs and they have a $250 minimum charge to trim trees. Oh joy. The 2nd guy comes out and says they'll charge $90 to spray, the front trees and bushes but not the back evergreens. Why? Well, apparently, the evergreens have some boaring bugs and it requires some other type of application to get rid of them. That will be $70 in June and $70 in July. Oh, and on top of it, to trim ONE tree will cost $280 but to do both trees will only be $350. Can you say Cha-Ching?

I do have to have one of them do the spraying. I have one more guy coming to give me an estimate. Let's see what he says.