Waiting for Micalee...

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

2012-01-27T13:57:00.001-06:00

September 2011

2011-10-19T11:18:00.008-05:00

Well, September was an interesting month! David had a successful colon resection & spent just four days in the hospital. Micalee had to stay at Daycare for most of the day of his surgery (she usually only goes for half a day) & did great with naptime there (although she WILL NOT take a nap at home; peer pressure!?!?) We had lots of family time with David being out of work until mid-October, and when we started feeling better, we got to do more than we would normally be doing. Here are some of September's highlights:

Autumn Moon Festival!!! We love celebrating this Chinese holiday with Micalee! We usually have the traditional mooncakes, then drive to the school in the neighborhood to get a good look at the full moon. We tell the moon what we are thankful for, then send our secret wish to the moon. We then read Micalee her Moon Festival book before bedtime. Here is Micalee eating mooncakes.

And yes, we drive to the school in our jammies! This year, Micalee got a new paper lantern to take with her. She has slept with on (has a small LED light inside) hanging on her bedrail every night since!

Micalee got this car for her birthday last year and she's gotten so good at driving it that we've removed the screw that makes it only go 2.5mph. Now she can go 5mph & she's still doing great! She loves driving it all around the yard!!!

With the weather FINALLY cooling down some, we decided to head out to Gator & Friends again to feed the animals. We always have a good time there! Here we are stopping for a pose.

Here is one of the newest additions to Gator & Friends. He may look sweet, but we did take a nice bite at Micalee's arm. It just left a little mark on her arm, but it did scare her a bit!!!

Luckily, this little guy's mouth is taped shut! I think he would do a little more damage than the zebra! Micalee isn't afraid of a thing. We took this picture while she was trying to convince a much older child to pet the alligator. I wish I had thought to video it. I was just too funny!

Late in September, we took Micalee to the Shrine circus (along with some friends of ours). Before the show, they had all sorts of activities for the kiddos! Here is Micalee on the pony ride.

And my favorite, the elephant ride! I've always wanted to ride an elephant, but was always a little nervous after seeing crazed elephants trampling the crowds. After a little thought, I figured being on top of the elephant would probably be the safest place if he decided to go on a rampage!!!

And here is Miclaee sharing (or more like hogging it all) popcorn with her friends, Lillianne & Isabella. All the girls were going to get their faces painted, but Micalee backed out at the last minute...

August 2011

2011-09-10T13:25:00.008-05:00

Well, apparently I took only one picture in August! So what did we do this month?!? Well, Micalee got all her 4 year-old shots the first part of the month. We were SO very proud of her! On previous visits, it took both of us to hold her down while she got her shots screaming at the top of her lungs. This time was a TOTALLY different story! She had been watching the Blue's Clues episode where Blue has to go to the doctor to get a check up & has to get a shot. So she took her puppy (just like Blue did) & sat quietly while she got her vaccinations! This time she got them in the arms (3 total!), and smiled for each one. She did say "oops" on the last one! We couldn't believe her control! She is an amazing little thing! The day of her vaccinations, she learned to snap her fingers! So, I took this video the day after. Her arms were very sore the next day, by the way, so we did get some tears afterall. Also, this month, Micalee moved up to the 4 year old class at preschool. We had kept her going to daycare the same hours as she was in preschool so she would transition well. She loves her new teacher & is learning so much already!

Micalee learns to snap her fingers!!!

July 2011

2011-09-09T21:42:00.004-05:00

July is a very special month to me. It's the month my sweet little Micalee was born & the month that we became a family two years later! I think about her birthmother alot in July. If she only knew how much this little girl was loved & how much she meant to this family, maybe it would help her come to peace with the most difficult decision I'm sure she ever had to make. Each day I thank her for her courage & love she showed my little girl in her early days, but even more so this month. As we've done the last couple of years, on the evening before Micalee's birthday, we released a single red balloon to honor her birthmother & thank her for the wonderful gift she has given us....

Micalee & Jace with their Swimming Lessons Certificate on the last day of class.
Forth of July celebration at First Baptist Blanchard. Micalee ate three, yes, three hotdogs!!!

Giving Mommy a good luck kiss before we got in the hot air balloon for a very short ride up & down. We still couldn't convince Daddy to join us!

Checking out the Life Air Rescue helicopter. How cool!!!

Holding hands with Jace during the fireworks display. So sweet!!!

Celebrating her birthday at Build-a-Bear Workshop! This is her new friend, Panda! Now to get her all dressed up!

They are so cute dressed alike!

Getting ready for her birthday party at home! She helped blow up most of the balloons with that cool little gadget!!!

End of July fun at Brownlee Park with Isabella & Lillianne!!! This spray park is so much fun!!!

June 2011

2011-09-09T21:18:00.006-05:00

June was just pure fun! Micalee got to see the ocean for the very first time! She started swimming lessons (along with her cousins). She started gymnastics at a new location (and loves it!). Here are a few shots of the month:

Every Wednesday at SciPort (during the summer months), they have a "Itty Bitty Scientists" program for 2-5 year-olds. They start with a story & then have some type of craft for the kids to do (usually related to the story). Micalee loves the program and just hanging out at SciPort. There is just so much to do! Here she is coloring a full sized tracing of herself (after hearing a story about shadows).

And posing with some of the creatures they have at SciPort.

My little brave girl! We actually started swimming lessons AFTER our beach trip. During the trip, Micalee was swimming with floaties in the pool, jumping in, and putting her face in the water! I think she forgot she didn't have her floaties on and jumped right in the pool the first day. Luckily, her instructor was close by & pulled her out immediately! It didn't seem to bother her too much, because she stuck with the lessons! She will definitely need to take more lessons (just too many kids for one instructor, so not alot of one-on-one time), but at least it got her started...

It's so hard to get a good shot of her at gymnastics because we are on the other side of window with just too much glare! She is loving it, though! She laughs & smiles the entire time! I have really noticed improvement in her balance, too!

The beach trip was just so relaxing & so much fun! I wasn't sure how she would like the open water. I knew she's like the sand (she loves to play in dirt/sand)! I loved the look on her face when she took off running to the surf! She never looked back! I believe we may just have to move to the coast!!!

This is the face I was talking about.....I took this the moment she ran into the surf!

I have to comment on this one! We had a board in the pool with us & Micalee took it upon herself to climb up & stand! It's like she was a natural born surfer! So we started pulling her around....

May 2011

2011-09-09T21:02:00.003-05:00

Images from May:

Micalee's new Earth sprinkler! She has been fascinated with Earth & the moon. I found this on Ebay & she loves it! It's also good for watering the grass!

Micalee had her Preschool graduation in May. Here she is on stage singing with her classmates!

And here she is with her "diploma"!!! I can't believe how far she's come since those first tearful days (or weeks) of preschool!

Micalee finally got to experience her first parade at the Poke Salad Festival. It is such a nice small town festival & it just perfect for her first experience! And boy, did she rack up! So much candy, toys, beads, etc! Just plain 'ole fun!

Followed by good 'ole carnival fun! Even better because she got to share it with her cousins, Jacob & Jace!

Cooling down at Brownlee Park.

So proud of herself for climbing to the top of the rock in the sand pit!!!

And most importantly, May marked the 2nd anniversary of our referral day. And here's a look at the how much this beautiful, amazing little girl has changed in just two years!

April 2011

2011-09-08T20:42:00.006-05:00

April was a busy month.....here are some highlights:

Our annual fishing/camping trip at Lake Murval (courtesy of Tracy & Mike!). Micalee learning some fishing tips from Papaw.

We found this little critter under the tent when we were packing up after the weekend. Micalee named him Tuck (after the Wonder Pet's Turtle Tuck), and we brought him home to live in our small pond. Five months later (because it's taking me this long to post), he's still there & growing!

April was also the last month of soccer! Micalee would still play, but seemed less interested at each game, but I really believe it was because she had such a small team, she never really got a break during the games like the other teams' kids did!

Micalee's preschool held a Trike-a-thon to raise money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. She had so much fun riding around the parking lot with all the other kiddos!

Mid-April, we went to Brayden & Pressley's 2nd birthday party! Micalee loved the Mickey Mouse jumpy house!

And of course, dying Easter eggs is always fun!

And so is finding your filled Easter basket on Easter morning!!!

Getting ready to head out to the Easter egg hunt at First Baptist Blanchard (such a diva)....

Last year, Micalee only found a few eggs. This year? She filled that basket up!!!

Posing for a picture Downtown at the Asian Festival.

And the month wouldn't be complete without a trip to ArtBreak! This is the best place to take any child you loves crafts (and Micalee is one of those kids!)! There is SO much to do, that even with two trips there, we still didn't see it all. Best of all, it's FREE!!!

And I had to post a few of these! We finally decided to get some "professional" pictures done of Micalee! I had such a hard time narrowing down the seventy plus shots to about thirteen! Here are just a few of my favorites! For those of you who are on Facebook, you can see even more of them there!

March 2011

2011-09-08T20:32:00.003-05:00

Spring is back......Here are some pictures of some of how we spent our time....

Back to the Alligator Park to feed the animals & enjoy the nice weather!
Micalee loves this place! And I love watching her with the animals.

I love her profile....

That's right! She is holding that baby alligator all by herself!

Digging for treasure at our favorite park...

Most Saturday mornings (and Wed afternoons) were spent playing soccer. And many times, Micalee was the only kid on her team willing to play, so it was all up to her. Eventually, she got tired of that & decided she could just sit out some, too!

Spending time at the park with friends, Isabella & Lillianne......

February 2011

2011-09-08T20:10:00.004-05:00

Highlights from the month of February:

Don't laugh, but yes, we waited until Micalee was home almost 18 months before we got her hair cut for the first time. It as just SO short when she joined our family & I just wasn't sure how she would do. So I took her with me when I got mine cut & let her get a little trim. She did great (as usual!)! I love her hair long, so it may stay that way a while.....until she asks for it to be shorter.

On the actual day of Chinese New Year, we put up a few decorations & made a little Chinese dinner (with dumplings , of course, but not homemade....)! We want her to always be proud of being Chinese. That's why we love her so much! She is just her!!!

We got a little more snow in February, so we got to play a little more! This time, there was enough for a snowball fight! It was a little too soft pack & build a snowman, though.

My little artist! If she's not drawing, coloring or cutting (her absolute favorite thing to do!), she asking for the paint! She's getting pretty good, too!

Micalee started her first organized activity.....soccer!!! The uniform swallowed her! She put so much effort forth & laughed the whole time she played! And she is NOT afraid to get all up in there with all the kids! She was sick for her first game, but didn't miss too many more.

Jace chose glow-in-the-dark bowling for his birthday this year. Micalee was the only girl, but held her own against the guys! It was alot of fun!

I just LOVE this picture of Micalee! She looks like a little model! We were just leaving for a birthday party & a Chinese New Year party.

And here's a shot of Micalee at Lillianne's birthday party. It was at Acrosport (gymnastics), and Micalee had so much fun, we decided to sign her up for gymnastics a few months later!

At the Chinese New Year party put on by the Chinese Mission at First Baptist Church. This is our second year to attend & Micalee remember how to make the dumplings! This year, we brought Jacob. He really had a great time & learned he liked Chinese food!!!

My little dumpling maker! She's just a natural. Look at that concentration!

January 2011

2011-09-08T10:58:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

Micalee reading books to her babies in her reading nook...

What is this white stuff falling from the sky?!?! We hardly EVER see snow, but since Micalee has been home, it has snowed, at least a little, both winters she's been with us!!! I knew she must be good luck!!! Here she is trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue....

And now trying REALLY hard to catch snowflakes on her tongue!!!

Trying out her car on the ice & snow! How fun!!!

And checking out the ice on the trees.....so pretty....

Now this was the funnest thing I think we've done in a while! A little nature park close to home had a nighttime owl trail walk. It was SO cool! They had a different owl at the end of each trail with a guide to tell you all about it! Micalee had a blast!!! So did I!!!

As much as I wasn't sure if I was ready, we decided it was time to convert Micalee's toddler bed to a full size bed. She loved it & has slept in it every night without a single problem. We did have to put fold down rails on because the bed is so high...

December 2010

2011-09-08T10:17:00.008-05:00

December just speeds by, with all the shopping, planning, cooking, activities, parties.... Here are some images from our December:

I somehow got some of these out of order, but this is actually New Year's Eve at Sci Port. They have all kinds of activities for the kids, a Chinese dragon dance and a balloon drop at noon! So much fun...

I just love this picture. This was at the Boardwalk. Micalee was checking out the decorations around the light pole and I loved how you can see her reflection in the ornament!

Early December brought Disney on Ice Princess Wishes to town. This was Micalee's first time to see ice skating & she loved the show!

One of my favorite December activities is to go to Christmas in Roseland & see all the lights & giant Christmas cards made by all the local schools! It's cold, but so much fun & we always get hot chocolate to help keep us warm.

Each year, we make Turtles for our family & friends. It's fun & makes the house smell so good, too! Micalee got to help this year!

Ok, I walked into the kitchen to find Micalee with a gardening hat on & hanging on to the leg of the island. I swear this girl has pole dancing potential! I will have to redirect her natural talents to something a little more sophisticated!

Aunt Jeanie gave Micalee this elf costume & she loves to put it on & watch The Polar Express! This time, she had her "little" Teddy Bear friend watch with her!

Getting ready to go to her Preschool Christmas Program. She did so good!

Making a gingerbread train (or eating the candy while Mama tries to get it all together!!!)....

Christmas Eve at Aunt Jeanie's. I love seeing the kiddos in their matching jammies!!! The grown ups had some matching ones, too!!!

A look at the what Santa left before the fun begins.....

And after Micalee got to get into it all......

This was my favorite Christmas photo shoot picture, especially after I got done playing with it some!!!

This year, Santa left the little ones a very special gift....tickets to the Polar Express!!! So we all jumped in the car the day after Christmas, to take a drive a few hours away to catch the train...

Here we are on the train.....

Oooooh we got it.......Hot, hot, hot, hot chocolate!!!

November 2010

2011-09-08T10:00:00.003-05:00

And then it was November....Did I say October was my favorite?! I think it's November!!! Even cooler temps, Thanksgiving, getting ready for Christmas......I just love it! Now for some November pics:

No, she's not it pain....she is just feeling her music! I love this picture of her! She is just full of personality & this just catches a glimpse of her silliness!!!

We love spending time outside in the cool weather! And one of our favorite fall destinations is the Alligator Park. Here, Micalee can get close & feed alot of different animals & just run around & be "one with nature". This is my new best friend, a baby camel! I just loved him! He kept giving me the sweetest (and slightly slobbery) nibbles on my neck.

I love Micalee's expression here. They give everyone a chance to hold a baby alligator, and she just wasn't too sure about it this time. As you can see, the alligator's mouth is taped, but she still gave the handler a "yeah, right!" look!!!

On Thanksgiving at Jeanie's house, Micalee came out of Jace's room all dressed up in his cowboy outfit, riding his rocking horse! Giddy-up!

This HAS to be my favorite moment of the month. Last year, Micalee wouldn't get near Santa! This year, up in his lap & giving up the sweetest little kiss on the cheek! My goodness, she's come a long way.....

October 2010

2011-09-08T09:17:00.002-05:00

October! I LOVE October! That's when it really starts looking & feeling like fall (my favorite time of the year)! Here are a few snapshots of the fun of October....

We have been building this same 'ole scarecrow for years. It's so much more fun having Micalee help us with it! This is her second year to help us build him & she always ends up in his lap!

I probably look forward to the Revel more than anything! And Micalee seems to enjoy it, too! Good food, music, artwork & even a few amusement park rides. Our little fearless Micalee wants to try it all! I can't wait to get her to Disney World one day! She's gonna freak out with all the stuff to do & ride there!!!

This is also the time for the State Fair! And of course, Micalee wants to ride everything here, too! There's nothing she doesn't want to try, and we have to break her heart & tell her there are some things she's just too little for. As you can see, she fell again & this time hit her head on the edge of a step! This nasty bruise on her forehead ended up with two black eyes for weeks!!! I expected CPS to show up at my house any day! Two ugly bruises in a matter of a couple of months! Luckily, she hasn't fallen since! I even had her evaluated at Shriner's. They seemed to think it was just her body catching up with her that was causing her to fall and she would grow out of it. She does seem less clumsy now....

You can see the black eyes here.... Kinda made her 50's poodle skirt costume seem a little creepy (like a ghost of a 50's girl), but was appropriate for Halloween!!!

On another trip to the State Fair, Micalee decided she would try the pony ride. She attempted it last year, but only got into the saddle for a second before she decided she's had enough. This year, she rode the entire time & was so proud of herself!

This was taken at Aunt Tracy & Uncle Michael's hayride. We missed this last year, but really enjoyed the fresh, crisp Fall night air this year!

And finally.......Flinstones, meet the Flinstones.....at least our version of them! My niece, Jessica, always has a Halloween costume birthday party for two of her kiddos with early November birthdays. It was so fun to come up with a family themed costume for all of us. Thanks, Melissa, for letting us borrow your Fred & Wilma costumes. And Micalee mad such a cute little Pebbles!!!

September 2010

2011-09-07T19:17:00.001-05:00

So I've decided to try to bring this blog up to date while sitting in this hospital room with my David (Sept 2011)...... I'm sure I won't remember details of the past year, but I thought a few pictures from each month would be a good way to catch up. Besides, let's be honest; all you really want to see are pictures of Micalee anyway!!! So here you are.....

This is just before Jacob's birthday party. We got this cute little outfit in China & I just love it!!! If you look close, you can see a very ugly bruise on Micalee's chin! She fell at daycare (just her 2nd week there) and no one knew about it! She told me on the way home & then it just started getting ugly!!! But it didn't take away from her beauty!

Micalee's first bike & she did great! She learned how to brake & turn around the very first time she rode!!!

Oh, the Moon Festival!!! And the Moon Cakes!!! Such fun!!! We love teaching Micalee all we can about her heritage & we love to celebrate these holidays. This year, we found Moon Cakes at a local Asian Market. Micalee loved trying the different flavors. The best part was getting in the truck in our jammies & driving to the school around the corner to get a good view of the moon & to send our wishes to it!

Our little Coastie! Micalee loves the water & we just don't get out on it enough! But on this beautiful fall day, we went out early on the lake & let her drive! She had the BEST time & thought she was such a big girl!

Micalee had her first Fall Program for Preschool at the end of the month. I love this dress Aunt Jeanie bought her! I was SO nervous and had NO idea how she would do. She surprised me by doing incredibly well! She walked right on that stage & sang & danced & just smiled at us! She was SO proud of herself!!!

See my precious little girl dancing!!! Oh, and the funny expressions she made! She is a natural!!! I LOVE this little girl!!!

Micalee's 1st Day of Preschool

2010-08-24T10:58:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was Micalee's 1st day of preschool! I was excited, but had been dreading this day for a long time! We had let her visit the preschool a few times so she could meet her teacher & get a feel for the place. Also, this is were her cousins go & she had been there for a few programs they had been in. She's only going 1/2 days for three days a week for now. We had talked to her about going to school for a while now, so she seemed pretty excited herself! This is Micalee getting ready to leave for school.
She did great & walked her cute little self in (holding Mommy's hand of course!), stopped to check out the playground & did amazingly well for the drop-off (me, not so much!)!

She put her backpack away & sat right in her chair (after a huge kiss & hug for Mommy!).

I snapped this as I was leaving the room! I couldn't believe I was seeing smiles & no tears (well not her tears anyway!)!

It turned out that she did have a little meltdown when all the classes went into a larger room for snacktime. Her teacher said it only took her a few minutes to settle right back in! When I picked her up, she was all smiles & eating lunch (food always makes her happy!)!

Well, today was a totally different story! She wanted to be carried as soon as we got to the door & when I put her down to put her backpack away, she started climbing me! I carried her into her room & tried to sit her in her chair & get her started on a puzzle, but she climbed me again. So her teacher took her & all hell broke lose! The loudest screams & biggest tears I've seen in a while! She pulled my shirt & kept screaming Mama, mama! It was breaking.my.heart. I tried to be strong & left the room, but stood out in the hallway where she couldn't see me & just cried while I waited for her to calm down. After about 5-10 minutes, the screams turned to faint crying & I felt okay (well sort of, not really) to leave. I called a while later & the director said she hadn't cried anymore. I wish I could have said the same for myself! I knew to expect that, but I was hoping yesterday was an indication that she would not exhibit too much separation anxiety. I guess I was wrong! I just hope the crying doesn't last long! And I'm glad it didn't happen the first day or I might have taken her right back home & I know that's not what she really needs! We will work through this! She knows (especially after the first day) that MOMMY ALWAYS COMES BACK! It's just SO HARD to see & hear her so upset!

2010-07-26T11:18:00.001-05:00

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A year ago today....

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Exactly one year ago today, a complete stranger placed a beautiful, confused & terrified little girl into my arms. At that moment, she lost everything she had ever known. Through days, weeks & months of being with her new family, she finally learned to trust us & let us into her heart. It wasn't always easy, but it was worth every moment. It's a hard day to "celebrate" because of the pain that was caused to Micalee that day, but I can't go without acknowledging it, because it was the happiest (and yes, the saddest) day of my life. It was the day our family was completed. That confused & terrified little girl is now happy & knows who her family is, and that she is loved beyond measure!

Birthday Pictures...

2010-07-13T13:45:00.008-05:00

The first group of pictures is from Micalee's actual birthday (on July4th). We took her to Build-a-Bear Workshop at the Boardwalk for the first time. She had so much fun picking out which animal to build (a monkey!) & pick out an outfit for her. We had a small birthday cake for her before going to 4th of July festivities. She got to watch her cousin, Jacob, sing in his first concert (go Jacob!), ride in a tethered hot air balloon, see a rodeo & pet one of the horses, then watch a great fireworks show! She even got to use her first port-a-potty (you go Micalee!)! We had such a wonderful day! The second group is from her party this past Saturday. I'm only posting a few pictures here (blogger is super slow today!), but there are a few more on our Facebook page (if you're not already my "friend" on facebook, send me an email & I'll add you).

*All smiles at the Boardwalk*

*At Build-a-Bear Workshop* *Giving her Monkey an airbath*

*The hot air balloon Little Miss Fearless & I rode*

*Micalee's Fairy Birthday cake*

*Just a sample of all of her gifts (cool guitar, Papaw!)*

*What a pretty little ballerina she makes*

*Not sure if this gift was really for Micalee or more for Daddy*

Happy Birthday, Micalee!!!!

2010-07-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Wow! My little girl is 3 today!!! And how much she has changed over the past year!!! She "officially" came into our family just 3 weeks after her 2nd birthday, and she has been leaving her mark ever since! She's a beautiful (inside & out) funny, sweet, spunky little girl with just enough rough & tumble TomBoyish nature to fit absolutely perfectly in this family! As I do most everyday, I will be thinking about her birthmother in China today. I can't imagine what this day does to her! I wish I could let her know that the little baby she couldn't care for, for whatever reason, is happy, healthy & loved more than she could ever imagine!
We're having Micalee's birthday party next Saturday, so I'll try to post more pictures then!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICALEE! WE LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!

First time ever I saw your face....

2010-05-21T14:17:00.002-05:00

A year ago today, about this time of day, our phone rang & our adoption agency congratulated us on our new daughter! We were excited, nervous, shaking! This was finally happening! Within a couple of hours, our agency had emailed us with pictures of our little girl! She looked sad & empty, but with a hint of attitude! Well, today she is mostly happy (unless she can't have chocolate!) & full of love & laughter; and yes, there was a hint of attitude & it's still there! And I wouldn't change one thing about this amazing little girl! I would be lying if I said it was an easy transition or that it's complete. It's an ongoing thing & we've had alot of tears, but it has truly been worth every second! I can't wait to see how much more Micalee changes over the years (but not too soon; she's growing up way too fast!). I love you so much, Micalee!!! You can always make me smile & I hope I do the same for you! I'm so glad YOU are my daughter! I am amazed at how perfectly matched to this family you are. It is truly the magic of CCAA & the wonderful work of God. He knew where you belonged (maybe that's why we all had to wait a little longer than expected!). Here is Micalee holding her referral picture; what a difference a year makes!

Random Pictures...

2010-05-14T18:08:00.004-05:00

Here are a few updated pictures of Micalee (all in the past month or so). She's growing way too fast & is such a sweet little girl. We're working on potty training right now & she's doing pretty good! She's getting to be such a big girl!!! I was so happy to finally have a real Mother's Day! Micalee (with the help of her Daddy) got me pretty flowers & a sweet card. We spent the day at the circus & had a great time! So, on with the pictures......

My pretty girl & her beautiful smile:
Lookin' all too cool in her purple sunglasses!
Ok, my little girl is FEARLESS!!! We took her to Holiday in Dixie & she wanted to ride everything! And she did ride everything she was tall enough to ride! Here she is in front of the ferris wheel we rode!

Micalee was "Dorothy" for her Aunt Jeanie's wedding in April. She did SO good & sprinkled her flower petals on the yellow brick road just like we had practiced over & over. She did hold my hand the whole time & got a little nervous when she saw all the people, but she did great!

This has got to be the BIGGEST smile we've ever caught on camera from our little sweetie! She was helping with laundry! I guess she loves doing laundry! When she's older, that's a job she can have!!!

We had our annual camping/fishing trip at Aunt Tracy's last weekend & I've been waiting four years to have our little girl join the fun. I was nervous about how she's handle all the excitement, but she did great being out of her routine. I was so proud of her! Here she is in the boat. This is her first time & she loved it, but then again, she is fearless!

Micalee at her favorite place in town, the Boardwalk. She loves the merry-g0-round!

We've started riding the trolley every time we go & she loves the "choo choo"! And it's free! You just don't get better entertainment than that!

This was just a shot I took of her lying on our backyard swing! She loves to play with the leaves! I just thought it was pretty.

Micalee "graduated" from her first Kindermusik class the end of April! She loved the classes so much, we've already enrolled her for Summer classes!

Another shot from the camping/fishing trip. Micalee was a pretty good fisherman, although not patient enough to leave the bait in the water long enough to catch anything, but she knows how to use the reel!

Lately, Micalee wants to sit in the driver's seat of everything! She heads for the driver's seat as soon as you let her out of her car seat! Daddy better keep an eye on his truck! I think she likes it!

Fearless little girl holding on to a fish on a line! She wasn't the slightest bit squeamish! That's my girl!!!

Once again, trying to drive! She loves the boat & has been sitting in it anytime Daddy had it out in the yard! This was the first time in the water!

Breaker, breaker! Maybe she's calling the Coast Guard! Good thing Daddy is a Coast Guard veteran!

Updates & Pictures...

2010-04-09T15:52:00.004-05:00

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Things have been a little stressful in last few weeks. For those who don't already know, David was diagnosed with Kidney Cancer last month & had his right kidney removed a couple of weeks ago. Luckily, it was caught in the earliest stage & hopefully having his kidney removed will be the only treatment he will need (other than frequent follow-ups). He had to spend a few days in the hospital & that was tough on all of us. I was able to spend the first night with him, but needed to be home with Micalee as much as possible. She didn't quite understand why Daddy couldn't come home & still doesn't quite understand why he can't pick her up. She did regress a bit, but seems to be back to her regular self now (almost!). She is doing much better with the whole thing now & will say "Daddy belly hurts" over & over again. David is feeling better, although still very sore. It should be about a 6 to 8 week recovery period. I'm just glad to have him back home where I can look over both him & Micalee at the same time. Thank you to everyone who kept us in your thoughts & prayers & to those of you that called, visited, sat with me at the hospital & helped take care of Micalee. We couldn't have done it without you!

And now.......a few pictures of Micalee over the last couple of months! I am amazed how much she's changed since the day she was placed in our arms a little over 8 months ago. She's really blossoming even more & becoming even more goofy & fun to be around. She's a sweet, compassionate, beautiful little girl & everyday I thank God for bringing her into our lives. I couldn't imagine my life without her. I love her more than I could have ever imagined. It's been a crazy, emotional ride, but SO worth every tear!

Micalee hunting Easter eggs at home. Millie helped sniff them all out for her!
Micalee's Easter basket (the Easter Bunny went a little overboard!). That morning, she woke up yelling "Mama" as usual, but when I walked in her room, she pointed to her basket & said, "mama, bunny!". She was SO excited!

Micalee at the Easter Egg hunt at Blanchard First Baptist. There were alot of kids, so Micalee didn't find an aweful lot, but had fun. And her sweet cousin, Jacob, gave her some his eggs! Thank you Jacob!
Micalee playing in the backyard. This is favorite thing to do & now that the weather is so nice, we spend ALOT of time here! Look at that beautiful smile! I love that we get to see that so much now! I think over the last few months, she finally really feels like she's at home!
Goofy girl trying to sit on her Mickey Mouse ball! She fell off a few times, but didn't care! She would just lie down where ever she fell and pick flowers.
I was trying to get her pose for me. This was supposed to be her "cute" look, but she sorta combined it with a pout! I thought it was cute anyway! One day, I'll get her to pose for the camera!
This is at one of the parks. She had so much fun playing the Xylophone! I couldn't get her off of it to try another one, but when I did, she liked all of them just the same. She was pretty good, too! I think she may be musically inclined!
She was supposed to be in time-out, but she always tries to charm us with a goofy smile. I admit, it sometime works! It's hard to be serious with her sometimes! She is very smart & knows just how to work us!
Playing on her slide....I guess she decided she needed a little rest!
My pretty little girl playing at the park at a Birthday party. Thank you, Sydney, for the invitation. We had so much fun!
This was taken at the Tyler Zoo. We were feeding birds & some would sit on our fingers. Micalee was fascinated by them.

Micalee's First Snow

2010-02-14T16:02:00.000-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

CNY 2010 - Year of the Tiger

2010-02-14T15:11:00.002-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Pics of Micalee...

2010-02-14T14:17:00.002-06:00

Here are a few random pictures of Micalee over the last month or so. I'm gonna try to post a couple of Smilebox Slideshows on here from our amazing (because we never get any!) snowfall & from Chinese New Year. But until then, here you are...

This is Micalee trying to give her first snowman a kiss (or she may be trying to eat the carrot; it was close to lunchtime!)!

Here a picture of my beautiful little snow baby! She looks so pretty in red! She watching the snow fall.

Okay, we have been letting Micalee ride on our backs like we're her horse; well, now she thinks Millie should ride her around, too! My sweet little Millie just sits there & takes it! Poor, baby! She's getting too old for this!

Just a glimpse of Micalee playing dress up with her necklaces and collection of sunglasses! She is truly a little Diva!

Here's my pretty little girl in her traditional Chinese dress at her first Chinese New Year's celebration since being home.

Six months ago today....

2010-01-26T15:04:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it has been six months since Micalee was placed in our arms! And what a time we've had since! It is so cool to look back on pictures of Micalee while we were in China and see how much she has changed! That afternoon six months ago had to be the scariest day of her life! To be handed over to complete strangers who didn't look like anyone she'd ever seen before, who smelled different and spoke some strange language she'd never heard! No wonder she was so scared! I would've screamed & kicked & bit, too, and probably alot longer than she did! It's amazing that we ever saw her not crying (which wasn't too often in China!)! What an amazing little girl to be able to adjust to such a major change in everything she ever knew! She didn't ask for us & I'm sure she pretty much held it all against us for a while, but that has all changed now. She still has the occasional "bad day" (or more like a moment of sorrow & grief), but they are so few and far between now! Back then, I never thought I'd see the day when she would see me from a distance & run to me smiling & laughing, with her arms stretched out, waiting for me to pick her up! It just makes me melt inside! Her smiles and laughter are so genuine now! She gives the prettiest smiles just with those beautiful eyes of hers! I only wish I could capture it on camera! She sees the camera & forces herself not to smile (little stinker!). I just have to steal a shot when she doesn't notice I have the camera. And she was come such a long way physically! She could hardly take a couple of steps by herself in China! Now she's running and shimmying up the stairs (with me right behind!). She is so loving and caring! I love watching her play with her babies; she gives them kisses & hugs and talks softly to them & feeds them. She has such a sweet, caring soul. And she is so smart & has picked up so many new words! She's just wonderful!!! We love you, Micalee! I am so very glad that YOU are my little girl! I know it was traumatic for you, but I will always hold the 26th of July in a very special place in my heart, because that is when I first held you!

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-01T18:27:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year, Everybody!!! Wow, what a year it has been for us! I can't believe what a change over last year! No more moping around, wishing I had my little girl here; she IS here!!! And I'm having so much fun getting to stay home with her and watch her grow & blossom more and more every day! I now feel so lucky to have waited so long, so that we were matched with THIS beautiful little girl! I love you, Micalee! You have brought such joy to us! I hope this year brings even more joy! Here are a few updated pictures of little Miss Micalee Mei!!!
Micalee with her New Year's Eve tiara!

Here is Santa leaving Micalee way too many toys! We ate at a Chinese Buffet on Christmas Eve & Micalee's fortune cookie said "a visitor will soon delight you"! Wow cool was that!?

Here is Micalee opening one of her MANY gifts from our family! I guess they thought they had some catching up to do, although they have been buying gifts for her for years now!

I love this picture of Micalee in her hat & scarf her Aunt Jeanie had made for her! (Thanks for sending me the picture, too!)

And this is just a collage of some of the many faces of Micalee over the last few months!

Micalee's Christmas Photo Shoot....

2009-12-04T17:32:00.002-06:00

I can't believe I can finally take pictures of my little girl for Christmas! I've waited for this for over four years! And yes, she was just as beautiful as I imagined she would be! I think I've had this dress for a few years, just waiting for her to wear it & it fit perfectly! We thought taking pictures ourselves would be less traumatic than doing professional photos. She's still a little unsure around strangers at times, and she is getting closer to Santa each time she sees him, but is not ready to have her picture made with him. Anyway, I love the way these came out! These are just a few of the many I took. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Some more fall pictures....

2009-11-12T14:49:00.007-06:00

Here are a few more pictures of Micalee enjoying the fall weather. This is her on Halloween Night! The picture is a little blurry, but it's my favorite one of her in her Ladybug costume. She had so much fun Trick-or-Treating, then at Aunt Jeanie's house for a bonfire!!!

This is Micalee at the State Fair! She got to "hold" this little chick (with a little help)!She got to pet the little chick & then gave it a kiss (this was after she grabbed the little thing by the neck; kinda reminds me of me when I as little!). She loved the animals most of all! I think we have a little farm girl on our hands! She even loved this cute little pig, but she wasn't so sure about feeding him! Look how excited she is to see the Zebra! She is getting so much more expressive these days! She was a little scared of first (mostly of the "carnies"), but she did eventually pick up her duckies & "won" two little hand puppets (Mommy helped pick them out!)! She had so much fun just walking (and running!) around. No, she didn't drink that big drink all by herself (we all shared), but she wanted to be in control (see, she is fitting in just perfectly!).

Here is little Micalee at her favorite place in the whole world - The Boardwalk. She loves to just walk around & play in the shrubs. She is truly nature's child!

This is the petting zoo at the Carnival in Blanchard. She was fascinated by the donkey!

Maybe too much! I was so scared he was going to back-kick her when she grabbed his tail!
This is Micalee dancing with her very favorite cousin, Jacob! There was no music! Just the music in her head!

Another Micalee Dance Video

2009-10-19T20:29:00.002-05:00

This one was at the Boardwalk. She LOVES that place, because she can just run around, and she loves the fountain! Most of the dancing was before we got the video going (of course), but check out her moves after she stops the stroller!

Some Fall Photos....

2009-10-19T14:48:00.001-05:00

Here are some recent pictures of Micalee enjoying the fall weather (except the one of her wanting outside, even though it was pouring down rain....for days....)! We took her to the pumpkin patch this past weekend & she had fun picking out pumpkins; she just didn't' want to pose for pictures! We built a scarecrow in the front yard (like always, but this time had our little helper we have been waiting for years for!). I thought she might be scared of him, but as you can see, she even tried to give him a kiss (or eat his carrot nose!)! She wants to sit on the hay next to him every time she goes in the front yard, and she wants his arm around her shoulder! She even waves hi & bye to him when we're coming or leaving home. I will post another video of her after I get it uploaded. Some more of her fancy dance moves! We're just having fun at home (except for when I work an occasional shift!) and enjoying this beautiful fall weather! I hope it lasts!

Micalee gettin' down at the Revel...

2009-10-18T17:17:00.000-05:00

Two months ago today.....

2009-09-26T13:59:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it has been two months since Micalee was placed in my arms! In a way, it seems like she's been here forever, although she has certainly not been here long enough! I'm still sad sometimes about missing her first two years of life, but whatever she went through has made her what she is right now, and if we had gotten our referral sooner, or she had been place sooner, we wouldn't be together. We missed so many first, but we are creating alot of our own. When I look back over the pictures from the night we got her and our time we spent in China, I realize how much she has blossomed! Our little two-year-old could hardly walk (not much at all without support), and now look at her running to her Mommy! She would have run away from her Mommy if she could have a couple of months ago! I can't even think about the night we got her or those days in China without tearing up. It was the most heart-wrenching time of my life! Now, this little girl, who wanted nothing to do with me, wants me to hold her as much as possible. And she is so full of smiles and laughter, although, she does still have those far away serious looks that makes me wonder what she's thinking. I'm sure she's still processing everything that has happened to her in her short life. I hope she knows how much she was wanted and how much she is loved. She has filled a void that I never even realized existed. Happy two-months-a-family, Micalee!!! Mommy & Daddy love you so very much!!!

A Day in the Life of Micalee....

2009-09-18T14:59:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess I've been too busy having fun with Micalee to post lately, but here are some pictures from the last few weeks! Micalee is getting more & more comfortable around the house. She is truly fitting in around here! She is getting funnier & goofier as she gets more settled in. Sometimes she walks around the house just laughing to herself (maybe a psych consult is in order!)! She loves to play outside & she really liked her tent/house we set up for her. She was scared at first, but once Mommy got in with her, she didn't want to come out. She is still loving her kitty cat & he is being SO tolerant with her that I'm still amazed (he has a history of biting when he's bothered)! And now, she even loves Millie! Millie loves her, too (Micalee is always dropping her snacks!). The one picture I posted was a "stare down" sparked by a piece of cheese. You don't mess with Micalee's food! She is still loving bath time & still goes to sleep so easily (at night & for naps). It's the complete opposite as it was while in China! She got to enjoy her first birthday party last weekend when my nephew, Jacob, had his 7th birthday party. He had been asking since his 4th if Micalee was going to be there & FINALLY she was! It was SO good to see her there playing with her cousins! She is so easy-going (most of the time!). I'm having the time of my life staying home with her! She is finally starting to speak a little more. She tries to copy most everything we say now (David is trying not to use his usual language!)! She now tells Millie to sit, she is finally saying juice, she says night-night, bath, pee-you (stinky diaper), shoes, Mama, Daddy, and today, starting saying "rock on", when David said it to her when she was singing & dancing in her car seat. The girl was got some moves! I may try to put some video on if I can figure it out! Her arms start flailing in the air as soon as she hears music!!! It's too cute! She's just busy being a 2-year old & still learning the language! I think her vocabulary is about to burst! She's trying harder & harder. She had her first set of vaccinations a couple of weeks ago, and I was traumatized! She screamed like the day we got her & it broke my heart! She had to have FOUR injections! Poor baby! I can't stand to see her crying! I did, however, cause the biggest near-fatal incident! A couple of nights ago, I fell down the stairs when I was carrying her! I think I missed the step above the landing & just stumbled right on down. I clutched her & screamed for David before we hit. Amazingly, she only had a scratch on the back of her neck (we hit a meta candle holder), but she was shaking when David took her from me. I would have never forgiven myself if something worse had happened to her. I'm still shook up from the ordeal. I also have a few scratches & bruises & very sore muscles (like a truck hit me!) to remind me of it. We are both very lucky not to have broken something! Someone was definitely looking out for us! I'll try to post more often. I know the pictures are what you want to see anyway!

More pictures....

2009-08-27T15:25:00.001-05:00

While Micalee is napping, I thought I'd post a few more pictures from this week. There are a couple more of the pool (2nd time in!). She wouldn't let me stay out for long, so I got to enjoy the water, too! As you can see, she is letting Millie get closer to her without a problem. In the one picture, Micalee is trying to drink water from the pool, just like Millie had done. Then she poured a stacking cup full of water on Millie's head! We went to the park one day this week & had a picnic. Of course she liked it; there was food (she now likes french fries!)! She played on some of the equipment, but I think I'll need to go back when David can go with us, so she can have one of us on each end of the slide to feel more comfortable! She did get to feed the ducks some crackers, but wanted to get dangerously close to the water. The girl is fearless! She chased the geese, but we were out of crackers & didn't get to feed them. She ran from them when they started heading in our direction. We also planted some flowers in pots, but she was mostly interested in shoveling the dirt in & out. She could care less if the flowers ever got in the pots! But, she did want to water them this morning! She is still letting us know what she wants & needs (mostly food!) by leading us around & pointing, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before some good English comes from her lips. She understands what words are for things, but chooses not to try to say too much for now. She imitates some things, but nothing to help us know what she wants or needs. She certainly has her ways of letting us know for now! She is still sleeping very well through the night & goes to sleep without much trouble. Nap time is pretty good, too! She likes to go outside & sit on the front steps (& eat her snacks)! She loves riding in her stroller every night after dinner. She LOVES her bath & quiet playtime in her room before bed. She loves riding in her car seat & going shopping (she loves the carts now!). She loves waking up in the morning & waving at her tree above her crib & the butterfly & bird in the tree. I think she even loves her Mommy & Daddy! I know we love her!

Pool Time!!!

2009-08-23T14:55:00.001-05:00

Well, last weekend we tried to get Micalee in the kiddie pool, but it was nothing but tears. We thought she would love it, because she loves her bath SO much. This time we got in with her and she LOVED it! Here are some of the pictures of her playing in her pool. The one with her mouth wide open isn't crying; it's her getting squirted in the face with one of her toys! She loves it & squeals in delight! She did want out once I got out, but I think that will change quickly (it did with the bath!). Right now, she is taking her "right on time" nap. I'm starting to love nap time, and not because I get a break from her, but because I love the quiet time before she goes to sleep, when I'm rocking her & head is on my shoulder & her arm around mine. Then I miss her & can't wait 'til she wakes up! Tomorrow David goes to back to work & then it's just the two of us. I hope she doesn't miss her Daddy too much & does okay with only me at home. We'll keep you posted!

More Pictures of Micalee at home!

2009-08-22T15:29:00.003-05:00

Well, we've been home 2 weeks today & things are really getting tons better! At first, Micalee was getting up in the middle of the night, but now, she sleeps almost 12 hours every night (with maybe one cry in the middle of the night that just requires a little pat on the belly for reassurance, then it's back to sleep!). She is getting used to having Millie around, although they are not yet best of friends. Millie is just so big compared to Micalee & she's still getting used to her size! She does share some of her snacks with her & now doesn't mind so much if Millie camps out underneath the high chair to catch a crumb (or entire sandwich!) or two! She tries to give the cat kisses, and the cat is being extremely tolerant considering his history of biting when too stimulated! He actually likes the attention Micalee gives him & sometimes follows her around for more! She is smiling & laughing so much more! She is now loving her Mommy & wants me to carry her or hold her hand & walk around the house. She is still exploring her surroundings, but is definitely starting to feel at home! Her personality is blossoming more & more. She is funny & makes the cutest faces! She is so animated! She copies everything we do & is starting to speak some English. She says: hi (& waves, for hi & good-bye), uh-oh, ouch, mama & dada (although she still doesn't always associate those with me & David!). I think her language will blossom over the next few months! She is very smart & inquisitive! I think we are all finally adjusting to being a family & finding a new schedule to fall into! I am enjoying her more & more each day! She is even allowing me to put her down for naps & sleep at night (which was once
a Daddy-only job!). What started out pretty rocky is becoming such a wonderful, beautiful thing! I love her to pieces & can't image life without her now! Enjoy the pictures of live with Micalee! And check out her 1st fishing hat! She loved the Bass Pro Shops & looking at all the fish in the big tank! And of course, eating out is one of her favorite things! She is so patient & good in the restaurants! And such a good eater! The girl can put it away for sure! I'll leave you with the pictures & will try to post some more soon!

Pictures from home...

2009-08-11T20:23:00.001-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted any pics lately! We've only been home a couple of days & are trying to get adjusted to the time change & get some type of routine going! It hasn't been the easiest few days, but it's definitely getting MUCH better! Micalee is finally letting Millie & Harmony in the same room as her without screeching to the top of her lungs! Bless her heart; if she only knew how sweet & gentle Millie is! She finally slept most of the night last night (until 8AM!!!!), instead of getting up at 1 or 3 in the morning to play. Hopefully that was the start of something beautiful! She's still exploring the house, but wants me to carry her most of time, which beats a couple of weeks ago when she wanted nothing to do with me! She is starting to feel more comfortable & is showing her true personality more & more. She is a sweet, smart little girl with a fiery temper! She is playing more & more & was found a special bond with her cousin Jacob. She even hugged him when they met us the airport!! I've attached a few pictures of her trip home (love the big girl in the airplane pic!). I'll try to update more often & I'm sorry if I haven't returned any emails or phone calls, but I will get to it. There's a little girl taking up most of my time that I need to give my attention to right now.

2009-08-09T05:01:00.002-05:00

Well, I've been up since 1am!!! Micalee is apparently still on China time & just want to get some sleep! I guess that may come later! She woke up crying & wouldn't go back to sleep & just wanted to walk around & play, so here I am, now watching her play & trying to play with her best I can without falling asleep. David is still sleeping, so maybe when he gets up, I can have a little nap! Hopefully, we can get her adjusted to the time change sometime soon, or we'll all end up sick! I need some sleep & she does, too! Until then, I guess it's back to the Choo-choo train!
(pictures later; if & when I find time!)

2009-08-06T05:46:00.001-05:00

Well we are getting things together and packed for the trip. Our luggage will be picked up at 4:30 am, and we will leave the hotel at 5:30. Our American consulate appointment went well, little Cha Cha (we are throwing Micalee in there every chance we get) is allowed to enter the United States ( they apparently have never heard her scream). Been raining alot, typhoon close to Hong Kong. We will fly to Beijing and then head to Newark, over the North Pole again ( Jacob and Jace we will wave to Santa for you) Probably the last post from China, hopefully the flight will go well, cause you are not allowed to open the door once the plane is in the air!!!!! Our little girl will either be a flying angel or the scourge of the skies, she really has no middle ground. All prayers will be greatly appreciated. For our family and friends that may meet us at the airport please know that screaming and crying hysterically is Chinese for "I love you".

David, Linda, and Micalee over and out from Guangzhou, China

Last Full Day in Guangzhou

2009-08-05T23:36:00.001-05:00

Well, it's our last full day in Guangzhou & we're just sitting in the hotel room waiting for the rain to clear so we can do some last minute souvenir shopping. Micalee is playing & eating (she constantly has a cracker or cookie in her hand!). Our US Consulate appointment is this afternoon & we leave EARLY in the morning to fly to Beijing so we can start our long flight home! We are hoping the typhoon sitting off the coast will not delay our travel too much! We are so ready to be home, but are seriously dreading the long flight home. I hope Micalee is able to get some sleep. She did fine on her first flight (to Guangzhou), but this will be SO MUCH LONGER! If I get everything packed quickly tonight, I will try to post some more pictures. We'll see ya'll soon in the good ole USA!!!

Rainy day in Guangzhou

2009-08-05T04:44:00.001-05:00

It was a good thing that we had to hang out in the hotel room today, because it was raining most of the day anyway. Micalee spent most of the morning playing with her dolls & imitating how we care for her. It was too cute!!! She would mix "food" in her stacking cups & feed her babies. She brushed their hair. She patted her baby on the belly (the way David does to help her go to sleep). She would tickle their bellies & put her shoes on their feet. Just TOO cute!!! She is still favoring David, especially in the mornings, but as the day goes on, she lets mommy do everything for her. I was even the one who put her to sleep last night when David wasn't able (she was just too cranky!). Last night, while she was in the tub, I handed her toothbrush to her & brushed my teeth in front of her, and she started brushing hers! It was our first try; I've been too afraid to push her too much with things that could wait a while! She loved it & kept playing with the toothbrush long after the toothpaste was gone! She washes her stacking cups while she's bathing & then washes the sides of the bathtub with the washcloth! We finally had a break in the rain, long enough to go out to get some lunch (more watermelon juice for her - she can't get enough of it!) & do some shopping. Then we spent the last 2 hours playing & together & eating Ritz crackers & cookies, until she fell asleep in my arms with a half-eaten cracker in her hand! She is coming out of her shell more & more everyday & has the sweetest personality (when she wants to!)! She is still a strong-willed little girl, but is letting her Mommy & Daddy squeeze into her heart a little more each day!

Things are getting even better....

2009-08-04T01:19:00.001-05:00

Here are more pictures from yesterday afternoon & this morning (it's easiest to post when Micalee is taking a nap!). We spent a while in the playroom yesterday afternoon. You can see Micalee playing with some of the toys, her friends (Noah in one of the pics) & having the most fun walking to Daddy! She is loving the walking! She is either wanting to be carried (most of the time!) or walking back & forth between me & David or in the room from the door (knocks & says "hello") & the window. But mostly, she is still wanting to be carried, which for me is wonderful for now! I think it will help her the most with attachment. She is opening up more & more to me, but still favors her Daddy! We found her new favorite drink - watermelon juice! She drank a HUGE glass at dinner so quickly, we had to order another one! She is still eating very well, but not wanting her bottle anymore. We think she's getting enough nutrition in everything else she eats. She eats a variety!!! I wish she still wanted her bottle at night, but so far, it makes her mad when you try to give it to her. I'm sure she is associating it with going to sleep, which she also hates to do! We have been spending most of our mornings & afternoons walking around the island & shopping. She had her first Starbuck's yesterday morning (just fruit for her)! As long as she's in the carrier, you can take her anywhere! We had to wake her up from her nap yesterday to walk to the clinic to get her TB skin test read (negative! No chest Xray!), and she didn't mind a bit, as long as she was being carried! We still haven't been to the pool, but plan on trying later today! I think she'll love it! We walked by today & she loved looking at the waterfall. Her sleep was a little better last night! She only woke up once crying & it was so short-lived, that David didn't even remember it this morning! I hope that keeps improving! We're all pretty tired! Tomorrow, our guide is going to the US Consulate on our behalf, so we have to be in the room to answer the phone if he has any questions. The next day is our "ceremony", then Friday, finally heading for home! We can't wait to get back & slip into our own routine, without appointments & hotels! We are dreading the long flight home, though. I hope she does okay! That will be a long flight if she goes back to her screaming episodes! Hopefully, our later flight will help her sleep! I'm sure the time change & jet lag will have a huge effect on her, too, but hopefully, she'll adjust quickly to our home!

2009-08-03T07:12:00.001-05:00

Another quick post from David. Micalee let her mom carry her home from lunch today (a pretty fair distance) about a 20 minute walk. After that she played by the fish pond in the lobby with her for quite a while.....without reaching for me, at one point actually ignoring me...walking right past me with Linda, that wouldn't have happened even a day or two ago. Tonight Linda carried her to dinner, in the Ergo carrier, with no problems and sat with Linda all through dinner eating together. Finally a little crack in the Iron Princess of China. The girl knows what she wants. Still having problems at night with some sort of what we think may be night terrors. Makes for a very rocky night, but we are trying to press on. On the up side, there may not be a food group this child does not like, you name it and she will try it! Well gonna try to get things settled for the night, more pictures and posts probably tomorrow.

More from Guangzhou...

2009-08-02T21:09:00.001-05:00

These are pictures from our 2nd night & 3rd day (2nd full day) in Guangzhou. You can see that Micalee is happiest in the bathtub. I think we're gonna try the pool later today. Hopefully, that will go as well as the bath! Yesterday, she was even more a Daddy's girl, well, until David didn't let her feed her watermelon to herself, then she thought she'd give me a try. I let her feed some to herself, just so I could hold her a bit longer. Right now, I'm taking whatever I can get. The later in the day it is, the more she comes to me, even reaching out for me at times. She is getting a little easier to calm down now (even letting me be the one to comfort her at times!), although when it's one of her just plain ole two-year-old temper tantrums, it still takes a while, but distraction with cookies seems to help! That's the hardest part...determining when it's just a tantrum & when she needs us. We're still struggling with that one. We pretty much try to hold her & comfort her through whenever she has any kind of breakdown. Bed time is still an issue. She HATES going to sleep! I think she thinks she's gonna miss something! Last night was better, but she still wakes up a few times a night screaming. Not sure if it's night terrors or something else. She never looks fully awake. We are trying to just pat her belly until she calms down (which seems to work the best) so that we don't fully wake her. But when she is asleep, she will sleep through anything! We're still all trying to figure each other out, but I think we're working in the right direction. This is definately harder than I ever thought possible, even though I thought I was prepared by reading all I could before hand. I knew we could be in trouble when our guide was giving a little talk before we all got our babies, and he said "for those of you who have less than 2 year old, you may have an easy baby...". He never really addressed the "over 2 year old range". I guess he didn't want to scare us off!!! Anyway, although she has been the greatest challenge we have ever or will ever face, I think she is totally worth it! Just one smile with that cute little right sided dimple or a big belly laugh takes all the problems away, if only for a moment!

Pictures from Guangzhou (take two...)

2009-08-02T00:18:00.001-05:00

Oops! I must've forgotten to hit the "attach" button! Here are yesterday's pics. I'll try to add some later from today! Today is one step forward, ten steps back! I'm still trying to be as patient as possilbe, but I think my little girl hates me! Oh well, time will tell! I'm not giving up, so hopefully things will change soon! Gotta run & try to get her to nap!

Pictures from Guangzhou

2009-08-01T01:18:00.001-05:00

David had already posted an update, so here are some pictures for you to enjoy! It's about 2:00 pm Saturday in Guangzhou, and Micalee had her Medical Exam today. She did a little better than I thought she would, especially with the dreaded TB skin test. David & had a plan to help strengthen the slow-growing bond between Micalee & me. He held her for the exams or handed her over to the nurses, and I was the "rescuer". It seemed to work, because she came to me each time. I held her more today than in the last few days combined. She slowly opening up to me, but it's improving. She catches herself rubbing my hand & then quickly pulls it away. It's kinda funny; it's like she wants to like me, but thinks she shouldn't. At the airport yesterday, David had to hand her to the security officer & she freaked, but quickly reached for me when she saw me (mommy rescued her again!!), so maybe she'll finally see I'm not so bad after all! David is feeling better, now that there is a Starbuck's close by (although we haven't gone yet) & found quesadillas today (in China!!! & not bad!!!) I hope you enjoy the pictures. I've included Micalee's first plane ride, the view from our hotel & pictures of us today on the island. Enjoy.....

2009-07-31T23:55:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post this morning. Micalee's first plane trip went amazingly well (they served dinner) she only had a very small problem with the descent and her ears. We landed in Guangzhou and made it to the White Swan...got in bed around 10:30 pm. Very nice hotel, great staff. We are still waiting for the Crown Princess of China to awake so we got unpacked. Today the dreaded medical exam and for our lucky little girl the extra added tragedy of a TB skin test. More pictures and posts to come, hopefully tonight!!!!

Still in Nanchang...

2009-07-30T00:55:00.001-05:00

Sorry to miss a day or two of pictures! It's been kinda crazy here! Micalee (still calling her Cha Cha) is still having quite a time with things & so are we! But we are seeing little improvements day by day! She is one little stubborn girl when she doesn't get what she wants & because she can't always let her needs be known, she gets very frustrated & every last person in this hotel has problem heard the wrath of Micalee!!! The girls has got some lungs! It's not all tears, though, as the pictures show. She has a lot of fun with her toys & loves to play! She cracks her self up with the noise she makes! She has got an amazing personality!!! She is still just struggling & will be for some time! We're seeing improvement everyday! She is definately a Daddy's girl & doesn't want David out of her sight! I'm still struggling with that, but that's a whole different story! It's not about me, or David, it's about Micalee & she needs us to put any feelings aside & just be there for her if & when (or finally!) she needs us! For those of you who have been through this know what I'm talking about & we are very open to any suggestions any of you have. She is letting me feed her and change her and play with her (she loves that!), but when it comes to being held or comforted, it's Daddy only! (David thinks she's nuts! HA HA) I thought I was prepared for that, but it's a little tougher than I had expected! Anyway, enough about poor pitiful me, enjoy the pictures of our beautiful, mysterious little girl!

2009-07-28T05:21:00.001-05:00

SORRY YALL MESSED UP.....PLEASE CONTINUE READING

Hello all, I will leave the high tech picture posts to Linda. I just wanted to post a few thoughts. The traffic here is unbelievable, the Chinese must be better drivers than us, with all of the driving craziness we have seen no one run over yet, they drive with a vengeance, NASCAR wouldn't have a chance here. Also it is like Africa hot here, like Death Valley hot only with humidity out the wazoo, most buildings without A/C. At the government office yesterday I was more drenched than mowing on a 103 degree Louisiana day, and I was just sitting there. Walmart today was a culture shock, although the prices here at the stores are much cheaper than in the U.S., got 4 bottles of water, 2 bottles of Coke for 14 yuan (about 2.00). Most people seem nice, today an older lady was angrily yelling at one of the adoptive families, the Walmart staff quickly moved in to remove the lady, sorta sad. We had KFC today....pretty good normal stuff. Now for the more serious, you would think after 4 years of waiting that you would be prepared for this, nothing in 46 years of my life could have prepared me for all of the emotions I feel, the sadness, the happiness, total up and down, seeing this little girl torn from the only life she has known( however bad by our standards) was the most heartbreaking thing that I think either of us has ever seen. To all of you who are home with your babies, and to anyone reading this that is in the process.....God bless you, for this journey is not for the faint of heart.

Love to all of you

Keep us in your prayers

David

2009-07-28T04:20:00.001-05:00

First Full Day in Nanchang

2009-07-27T06:45:00.001-05:00

More ups & downs, but getting better! Micalee slept through the entire night last night!!! Almost 11 hours!!! Unfortunately, I didn't sleep a wink (and with all that opportunity!!). I kept peeking at her to make sure she was okay & with the time change & different bed, etc., I just didn't get alot of rest. I'm hoping tonight, she'll do just as well & I will, too! As I expected, she freaked out waking up in a new place, but she did calm down much quicker this morning than she did last night, so about 15 minutes of high-pitched, blood-curdling, glass-shattering screaming as opposed to the 1 1/2 hours last night! So, it's better! She seems to be accepting both of us, although today, after trying out the carrier (bad idea!), she didn't want anything to do with me for a while! She was attached to David for most of our adoption paperwork today. But by the time we got back to the hotel, I was okay again. She is still having periods of total emotional breakdown, but who wouldn't after all she's been through! It just breaks our hearts to see her so deeply upset & scared. We are just waiting (we should be good at that!), and just hoping it will get easier each day for her! She appears to be very healthy & is fitting well in the size 18 month clothes we brought. The size 6 shoes are a little too big (plenty of 5's at home!). She LOVES to eat!! You almost have to make her stop; her stomach gets so distended! She ate 1 1/2 banana & over a cup of cheerios last night! And for breakfast today (after a bottle of formula/cereal) she ate watermelon, egg, rice & noodles! She is good at letting you know what she wants & even better at what she doesn't want!! She had fun with her toys today & I got alot of true belly laughter out of her when playing! She has even called me mama a few times (I know, melts your heart!). Her personality is really beginning to emerge! She is going to be a strong-willed little girl! Enjoy the pictures! Because I can't see the blog from China, I hope they are coming out okay (not too big or too small to see - Jeanie, feedback please!).

Micalee Day!!!

2009-07-26T07:57:00.001-05:00

Don't let these pictures fool you!!! It looks like it went smoothly (no documentation of the other extreme!), but as expected, Micalee had a pretty hard time with the day! But, as you can see, she did finally settle in & start letting us in her heart. We expect more hard times, but the good ones make it much better! We actually got kisses from her!!! We're dead beat from the extremely emotionally exhausting day, so just a quick note & a few pictures. We're scheduled for paperwork tomorrow, and hopefully Micalee will go with the flow! Keep us in your thoughts & prayers. Micalee is needing them right now (and us, too!).

Countdown to Micalee!

2009-07-25T23:22:00.001-05:00

We just got to our hotel in Nanchang & we have less than 4 HOURS before we see Micalee! I'm actually a little calmer than I thought I would be (but still pretty nervous!) & David is more nervous than I thought he'd be!!! When we walked in our room, the first thing David saw was a crib; I think it freaked him out a bit!!! It is a little strange to think in just a few hours we'll be holding her! I hope she isn't too sad & has an easy transition! David is with our guide right now, going to the store to get water. I told him to try to get some milk or juice for Micalee, too; I think that freaked him out, too! So, I'm trying to "repost" from last night & give a quick update for now! I'll try to post pictures as soon as I can!

Pictures from Beijing....

2009-07-25T23:17:00.001-05:00

I(I had actually attempted to post this before we went to sleep last night, but my pictures files were too big, so I'm trying again after saving the pics at smaller size; here's the original post.)

Well, we started the day with the breakfast buffet at our hotel. They had "traditional" breakfast foods (bacon, eggs, pancakes, cereal) along with alot of Chinese food. It was interesting, but good. We then started our very long day of site seeing! First, it was Tienanmen Square (very hot & crowded!!!!), then the Forbidden City (also hot & crowded, but awesome to see; it was HUGE!!!). We crammed those two places into about 3 hours! Alot to see in such a little amount of time! We then went to a silk factory, and the to a Cloisonne factory (very cool!) were we also ate lunch (yummy traditional Chinese food served family style). Next was my favorite: The Great Wall!!! Luckily, it was cloudy by the time we got there, which made for a slightly cooler experience! We did pretty good (better than some in our group, but not as good as alot!)!!! You can see the section we climbed in the pictures. We made it to the 2nd tower of that section! It was VERY steep! There was a sweaty bunch of adoptive parents on the bus after that trip! We also got to see the Olympic park (the water cube & the bird's nest)! We finally got back to the hotel around 7:30 pm, and David & I walked to the McDonald's just up the very busy street (the traffic & driving are horrendous here!). It pretty much tasted like McDonald's! Now we're all packed & ready to leave early in the morning to fly to Micalee's province. We should get to the hotel around 11:00 AM & should be getting Micalee around 4:00 PM! That should give us enough time to wash some of these very stinky clothes! We'll try to post tomorrow night with pictures of Micalee (if we have time)!!! (Check out the Squatty Potty! Yes, I did actually use that!)

We made it to China!!!

2009-07-24T03:21:00.001-05:00

After 7000+ miles and over 24 hours, we are finally here!!! Totally exhausted & ready for a hot bath & some sleep! I don't even think we can manage to eat dinner or check out the neighborhood! We sightsee tomorrow, so hopefully I can post some pictures then! Only 48 hours 'til we see Micalee!!! (I couln't access blogger, so I've posting by email, so I hope it's there!)

We're off to China!!!

2009-07-22T13:05:00.003-05:00

In just a few hours, we'll be on our first flight in our journey to bring home our little girl!!! We are SO excited & SO very nervous!!! This time tomorrow, we'll be on the "long flight" from Newark to Beijing! We'll try to post when we get to China, so everyone knows we made it there in one piece! See ya later!!!!

Two more days!

2009-07-20T14:36:00.001-05:00

In just two days we will be heading for the airport to begin a journey of a lifetime!!! We are so excited & so very nervous!!! It's like waiting for Christmas morning when I was a kid (a kid?!, okay, I still get excited for Christmas!)!!! I can't wait to get this long journey started & to finally be able to hold Micalee! I still can't believe it's finally happening! Be sure to follow along with this blog as we will be trying to update as often as possible while in China. (If this post makes it on the blog, then we should be able to post using email. This post is a "test". Although we won't be able to view our blog or read the comments, please leave them anyway, so we can read them when we get home!!)

We're going to China!!!!

2009-07-12T15:02:00.006-05:00

And now we have 2 day less to wait to meet this little cutie pie!!! (Check out our little girl able to hold her fork in one hand & her plate of cake in the other! Looks like we have an eater; will fit perfectly in this family!!!) We are still leaving July 22 (10 days from now!!! OMG!!!) & will be landing in Beijing on July 24th! But now instead to July 28, we meet Micalee on Sunday, July 26 (exactly 2 weeks from today!!!)!!!! We are excited & nervous & busy packing, weighing luggage, packing some more, going over lists, paperwork, etc. We got our revised intinerary from GWCA last week. It was so exciting to see we are now getting to meet her 2 days earlier than we had thought! We will get her shortly after getting to her province on that Sunday! Remember, in China, we will be about 12 or 13 hours ahead of ya'll here, so that would be about 4:00am your time! I hope she has smooth transition! Here's our new intinerary:

7/22: Leave Shreveport (we're having to spend the night in Houston the first night of travel)
7/23: Leave USA for long trip to China (by way of Houston to Newark, then to Beijing!)
7/24: Land in Beijing (Staying at Ploy Plaza)
7/25: Sightseeing Tour to the Great Wall, Forbinnen City & Tian An Men Square
7/26: Leave Beijing & fly to Nanchang (Jiangxi Province - where Micalee is), get to new hotel (Nanchang Jinfeng Hotel) around 10:30 am & meet Micalee at 4:00 pm!!!!
7/27: Do paperwork (I believe this is where Micalee is considered legally ours in the eyes of the Chinese government!
7/28: Shopping for Micalee
7/29: Sightseeing to XiangHu Park
7/30: Sightseeing to Teng Wang Ge
7/31: Get Micalee's passport & leave Micalee's province & fly to Guangzhou (staying at White Swan Hotel)
8/1: Micalee's get TB skin test (I'm still not happy about this!!!)
8/2: Sightseeing tour to Chen Family Temple
8/3: Sightseeing tour to Yantai Park
8/4: Micalee's medical exam (poor baby!) & visa photo day (& probably chest xray since TB skin test will most likely be positive since she has had BCG vaccine - nope, still not happy about this!!!)
8/5: All documents go to American Consulate (I guess free day for us - shopping, sightseeing, bonding, etc!)
8/6: American Consulate Interview & pick up Micalee's visa
8/7: Leave Guangzhou & fly to Beijing to get flight back to USA!!! (again, thru Newark to Houston)
8/8: Should be back to Shreveport around noon (spending 8/7 night in Houston before flying home)!!!

We have birthday pictures!!!

2009-07-06T18:38:00.002-05:00

We were so excited to receive 18 pictures from Micalee's birthday party in China!!!! We used Ann with redthreadchina.com to send Micalee a birthday care package which included this enormous birthday cake!!! If you look closely, you can see her Chinese name written on the cake (the top line is says Fu Na Cha). It looks like she has no problem shoveling the cake in (just like her Daddy!). We have one picture with her holding the fork in one hand & the plate loaded with cake in the other! She looks so big! She's growing up without us. I can't wait to scoop her up & give her a big kiss on those cute chubby cheeks! Slow down on that growing up, Micalee, until we can get there!

2009-07-04T07:55:00.003-05:00

Today is Micalee's 2nd Birthday, and although we had hoped to be in China to share it with her, we know we will all be together soon! She should've received her birthday care package last night (our time), along with a huge birthday cake! We hope to have pictures of that to share with all of you! David & I had a birthday cake for her last night & released a single red balloon with an attached note to her birthmother in China. We hope to continue that tradition each year & allow Micalee to write a note, as well, when she is old enough to understand. This mysterious woman has given us the most precious gift imaginable. Without her, we would not have our Micalee! We can't wait to finally get the chance to hold this sweet little girl! Happy Birthday, Micalee!!! Mommy & Daddy will soon be on their way to bring you home!!!

We have confirmed travel dates!!!!

2009-06-26T13:13:00.002-05:00

Well, it's not as soon as we wanted, but we finally have our travel dates!!! We are leaving for China on July 23rd & will FINALLY meet Micalee on July 28th (hey, Janea, that's your birthday!)!!! We can finally start making travel arrangements & book our flights! How exciting!!! Below is our "tentative" schedule while in China:

7/23 - Depart US
7/24 - Arrive in Beijing
7/25 - Beijing Tour
7/26 - Fly to Jiangxi Province (where Micalee is!)
7/28 - Meet Micalee Day!!!
7/31 - Fly to Guangzhou
8/4 - American Consulate Appt
8/5 - Oath Ceremony at American Consulate
8/7 - Leaving China & coming home with Micalee!!!

All the "in between" days will be filled with touring, shopping & bonding with our new little girl!!! We are so excited & don't know where to start first! We still have paperwork to collect, baby-proofing to do, packing to do, getting more organized.........

We Have TA!!!!

2009-06-18T18:50:00.001-05:00

Our agency received a "surprise package" today - our long awaited Travel Approvals!!!! They will spend the next couple of days trying to arrange for our Consulate Appointment & checking on guide availability, then, hopefully by next week, we will have our travel dates & be able to buy our tickets!!!! Unreal!!!! I'll keep everyone posted!!!

Our Baby Shower!

2009-06-15T13:24:00.007-05:00

Wow! We had the BEST baby shower!!! My sisters put together a very fun & memorable day! I don't have room to post all of the pictures here, but you can get an idea from these few! One of my sister had purchased these little Chinese rubber duckies a long time back, and as soon as saw one of them, I recognized the symbol on its chest. It was "Fu", which is Micalee's last name given to her by her orphanage. What an awesome "red thread" experience! They had thought of everything! They had a banner of our picture linked with Micalee's referral picture by a red thread. They had her Chinese name (along with the meaning)

posted at the door! They had a special seating area for us marked with "Micalee's Mommy" and "Micalee's Daddy", along with a sash for me to wear & a ball cap for David to wear. The food was wonderful, the cake was beautiful, the games were fun. But, I couldn't believe how many friends & family members made it to the shower! (And thank you for tolerating the heat!) I am truly grateful for such wonderful people in my life! It means more to be than they will ever know! They all showed such love & support for our new family! I can't wait for Micalee to meet each & every one of them! She will be blessed to have such a wonderful extended family! You can see the little lady bugs in some of the pictures. My sister & nephews made those from rocks! Too cute!!! They provided a matted photo of Micalee for everyone to write a message to her! We will treasure that forever! Oh, and the gifts! I don't think I have a picture of everything together, but let me tell you, we shouldn't need much else for a long time! Everyone was so incredible generous & creative! Thank you to each & everyone of you! You will never know how much this meant to us! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! We just need our Travel Approval (which we are still not-so-patiently awaiting, and then we can go get our little girl & bring her home!

More about Micalee....

2009-05-27T17:20:00.002-05:00

We've received Micalee's translated Medical & Growth reports, and all is well! She is healthy! Her name translated: Fu=happiness, Na=elegant, Cha=tea. Fu is the last name given to all children in her orphanage. She is called by her middle name, Cha, and from what I've seen, most children are given their nickname by "doubling" the middle name, so she is probably called "Cha Cha"! Here are a few details in her report: she is a good eater (her favorite food is egg!) & she sleeps well (through the night!) - sounds like a good match already (we love to eat & sleep, too!)!!! She is shy & timid, likes to imitate people's actions, listen to music (yeah!), likes bath time, can sometimes be impatient (boy, do we know how that feels!). And the best thing she likes it playing outside (she should like her "outdoor" bedroom!)! Her favorite toy is ring-bell.

We can't wait to go get her! We should be hearing more from our agency about travel, but don't expect to travel until about 5 to 8 weeks from now! The sooner the better! We would love to be there for her 2nd birthday! We have already missed so much! But the best is yet to come!

And here she is......

2009-05-21T15:19:00.003-05:00

Micalee Mei (Na Cha)

We cannot believe we are actually looking at pictures of our little girl! We're not sure when these were taken (forgot to ask when we got the call, and not sure if they knew anyway!). We are so excited & still shaking! We should have our original referral documents hopefully tomorrow. Her history is being translated & should be coming by email next week! She looks like she's a little sad, like she's waiting for her mommy & daddy to come get her! Hopefully, it won't be too long!

OMG! WE JUST GOT THE CALL!!!!

2009-05-21T14:07:00.003-05:00

It's all a blur, but we just got the call! Here's what we know: Her Chinese name is Fu Na Cha. She was born on 7/4/07 (the 4th of July - Miss Independent!) so she's 22 months old! And she is in an orphanage in Jianxi Province (I think it's Fu Zhou SWI, but I can't read my writing & don't know if I even wrote it down right!). We should have pictures later today & will post them here as soon as we get them!

Millie's out of surgery!

2009-05-21T12:10:00.002-05:00

Raymond (0ur vet) just called, & Millie is waking up & trying to stand. She had a pyometria (infected uterus) & had to have an emergency hysterectomy. If she didn't have surgery, it would quickly lead to sepsis & death (I covered her ears when Raymond said that in front of her). She will have to stay at the vet for 2 to 3 days for IV antibiotics. It's awfully quiet at home without her! We will be able to visit her tomorrow! But now that I know she is okay, I can concentrate on our pending referral!!!! It should be very, very soon! We keep checking the email for word from our agency that they have received them (phone calls should begin shortly after getting the email!).

It's finally happening!!!!

2009-05-21T09:37:00.002-05:00

OMG!!!! Our agency has confirmed referrals are on the way & that we should be getting our phone call this afternoon! We are finally going to see a piture of our little girl!! We SO needed this today! I didn't sleep at all last night! With all of the rumors of possible referrals & having to take Millie to the vet for emergency surgery, I'm a nervous wreck!!!! I think I need to throw up! Stay tuned to see a picture of our long awaited Micalee!!!!

Mother's Day & Our 38 Month LID-Anniversary....

2009-05-10T17:20:00.002-05:00

Wow! Could it get any better! We've hit another month LID Anniversary (although we thought we wouldn't) without our referral, and to make it worse, it's another Mother's Day without knowing who Micalee is & seeing her picture (which we thought we would have by now!). Thanks to this wonderful Swine Flu (here piggy, piggy), we don't know when we'll finally see our little girl's face for the first time! I'm hoping with less media coverage, and reports that it seems to be leveling off, that China will resume matching, and we will get our referral soon! I still can't believe the luck! After this excruciating long wait, to finally be so incredibly close to seeing her for the first time & then to be placed in absolute limbo! I still can't believe it! We have NO IDEA when we will get our referral. Our agency has no idea. They just keep checking everyday with the CCAA to see if matching has resumed. I don't know what to expect. Even if they do finally match & send referrals, will they allow us to travel? Right now, some provinces are not making Civil Affairs appointments (which means no adoption or travel). There are families with our agency that received their referrals last month who are still waiting for Travel Approval. Everything is so up in the air, and I just can't stand that! I could handle the waiting better if I had SOME idea of what to expect!!! This is so sad & so frustrating! And I can't stop eating (stress eater here!) & I'm too tied to the computer looking for any positive rumors to go exercise, so by the time we do get our referral, I should have gained at least 50 pounds (here piggy, piggy!)!!!

Un-friggin-believable!!!

2009-04-29T18:02:00.002-05:00

I really thought this would be the day I would be posting here that referrals where on the way, but instead, here's the latest rumor! Apparently, the CCAA will be holding off on sending referrals due to the Swine Flu outbreak! We haven't heard it officially from our agency yet, but the Rumor Queen is reporting that CCAA has informed a European & a Canadian agency that they will postpone sending referrals or travel approval for 20 - 30 days and then reevaluate the situation. I certainly hope this is merely a rumor, with little to no truth, but I have feeling we have just been bumped by the Swine Flu! I'm in shock & numb! I hope to give an update soon!

37 Months (should be our last!)...

2009-04-10T08:15:00.002-05:00

I didn't think we would need it, but I found a "37"! This should be our last LID anniversary without a referral! All indications are we should be in the next referral group! To think in about 3 weeks we'll know who are daughter is & finally be able to hold her picture is too cool! I'll finally be able to buy more clothes, some that are more likely to be her correct size! We'll know when she was born, where she is living, how much she weighs (at her last check-up). I can finally tell Jeanie she can give us a baby shower! And everyone will know we weren't crazy and made this whole adoption thing up! It really is happening & we're still excited & scared too death at the same time! I hope she likes us! Be on the lookout for a picture of Micalee in less than a month! OMG! How cool is that!

Missed it by that much.....

2009-04-06T15:40:00.002-05:00

Well, our agency has received its referrals today, and they only received them for their 3/8/06 families, so we almost made it in! There have actually been a couple of reports of 3/9/06 families from other agencies getting referrals (but most likely a mistake in reported LID). So, anyway, we are 99.9% sure we are NEXT!!!!! And that should mean a late April or early May (most likely early May) referral!!!! This time next month, we should be holding a picture of Micalee and begin planning for travel to China to bring her home! FINALLY!!!!! We'll keep everyone posted! I'm sure I'll be a nervous wreck until then. You never know what could happen! There are some 3/7/09 folks still waiting to hear about their referrals (either lost, mis-reported LID, or something!). I won't be completely calm until we're holding her in China! Calm?!?! No, maybe not calm, but relieved! Stay tuned.........

3 YEARS!!!

2009-03-10T19:08:00.002-05:00

Today is our 3 year LID Anniversary! I really never thought we would go past 3 years, but here we are! We have only 4 LID days between the last group of referrals and our LID. It would seem as though we would be next, but as luck would have it March 7th is supposedly a very large day for LIDs, so instead of being next (which David still thinks we will be, and I'm hoping he's right!), we should almost certainly be next-next! If David is right, then we would get our referral somewhere near April Fool's Day (appropriately so!), and if I'm right, it would be May Day (also appropriate, since we're now scared to death!). And we will finally get to travel to China to get her about 6-8 weeks after we get her referral picture! Either way, we are just months away from seeing a picture of Micalee, knowing how old she is, where she is living & approximately when we'll be able to hold her for the first time! We're excited, scared, anxious, and ready to finally be a family! I never thought it would take so long, but I know it has all been for a reason, and as soon as we do get to hold her, I'm sure it will make perfect since!

2009-02-22T13:04:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was Jace's 3rd Birthday party & he wanted a Pirate Party, so of course, Aunt Linda & Uncle David took that literally, which gave us an opportunity to play dresss up! Here we are as pirates! When we got out of the truck, Jace looked out the window, and said, "Mommy, there are pirates here!" When Jacob told him it was us, he didn't believe him at first. I heard him say, "That's not David; that's a pirate!" I guess he was pretty convincing! Sometimes, it's just fun for even grown ups to play dress up!

2009-02-09T18:06:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is our 35 Month LID Anniversary, and we are getting so very nervous by the fact we're just 8 LID's behind the last referral group! I'm not sure what to think about the upcoming referrals; will it be more days, since last month was only 2 days, and if so, will we be included, or will it be another small batch & we'll be waiting a month or two more!? I guess we'll see closer to the end of this month. There haven't been any rumors, yet, so I'm not sure how far away we are from the next batch of referrals, but I'm getting very antsy! I'm scared, but ready! Bring on the referrals, let's get to China, and let's bring Micalee home! I wanted to share just how special my 6 year old nephew, Jacob, is. We were having a yard sale this past weekend & my sister was ready to get rid of Jacob's toddler car bed. Jacob told her he wanted us to keep the money we made from selling the bed to help bring Micalee home from China! How sweet is he?!?! He's going to be the best cousin ever!

34 Months....

2009-01-11T08:42:00.003-06:00

I missed our 34 month LID anniversary by one day! I was too busy raking leaves all day to notice the date! We've made through another month of waiting....and I think the end is near. CCAA is still doing an average of 5 to 6 days of LID dates per month. We are 10 days past the latest referral group, so that would mean a referral in about 2 months. I'm not sure how the Chinese New Year holiday will effect us. CCAA will be closed the end of January, but hopefully will get referrals out before they close. If so, we'll see how that group looks, and may be able to determine if we feel safe in saying we're next! That means possibly a referral late Feb/early March. That would put us traveling to China around April/May. We are both getting nervous now that we really feel this is going to happen! I'm sure that's normal. We're scared & excited at the same time! I can't believe it's going to finally happen. I feel like alot of people have thought we were crazy & have made up this entire story of adopting from China! But, soon everyone will get to see a picture of Micalee!

33 Months...

2008-12-13T07:47:00.002-06:00

Dec 10th was our 33 month LID anniversary. 33 months since we were logged in. CCAA just matched through 2/23/06. Our LID is just 15 days behind that, but still, according to predictions, it could take another 6 months to get to us. Maybe I'm just hopelessly optimistic, but I just can't see it taking THAT long. They have averaged 6 days per month, so that would put us 3 months away. There are a few LID days that are supposedly huge, but there have been in the past, too. I guess we'll have to wait & see. I'm thinking more March instead of February, but still, better than six months away! I'm been doing pretty good with the whole Christmas thing. It's hard at times to think how many Christmases I thought would be the last without Micalee, but this one has to be! I think she's already here on this earth, waiting, just like we are, but not sure for what. In a way it's harder to know she's born, because I wonder how she is being cared for and if she is safe, warm and happy. This has been such a long, emotional journey, and I'm ready to get to the destination! It's depressing to see the poll I had going so long ago with predictions of when we will be getting our referral. Maybe it's time to start a new one!

2008-11-17T16:41:00.002-06:00

Well, we missed making an entry on our 32 month LID anniversary, because we were busy visiting Mickey Mouse! It was a much needed break for both of us! However, it was very strange the number of run-ins we had with little Asian children. It seemed that no matter where we were sitting for a show, parade, or dinner, that a least one, if not more, small Asian child would end up seated next to us! We even had dinner with a two little girls (Asian) from Canada! We were either being tested or it was a continuous sign that things we going to be okay, and we, too, would eventually get to take our little Asian girl to Disney World! Whatever it was, it was near scary how often it occurred! Anyway, it's been officially 32 months since we were LID & now we're trying desperately to get our current 171-H renewed, but I think we're in the home stretch now (at least I hope so!). This last month didn't look too good for numbers of days referred, so hopefully the next months will be better. I'm still hoping for a February referral, but March or April may be more realistic! Only time will tell!

2008-10-10T16:58:00.002-05:00

Yep, we're officially at 31 months of waiting! Again, this month, I realized at the end of the work day, it was our LID anniversary, and again, I had a rotten day. Coincidence? I don't think so! I guess even my subconscious can count! It was even more rotten today, because besides having issues at work, I was trying to get in touch with our region's USCIS office to get clarification on a letter we received yesterday wanting a FULL home study report instead of the update we sent in with our renewal request (like we did the last time without a problem). Well, obviously, the phone number I used over a year ago isn't good anymore, or no one was there today, because the phone just rang and rang, and there was no voice mail or messaging at all. And to top it all off, when I called the National Service Center number to attempt to get a local number, they said they didn't have one! Right! I'm sure they have no way to get in touch with the regional offices! So anyway, we're having our Social Worker write up a full home study report, AND re-run our Child Abuse and Criminal Background clearances. Hopefully, this will suffice! And hopefully, we'll be done with this paperwork! The free fingerprinting went smoothly, so I thought we were home free until we got that darn letter! I'm still predicting a referral in February & travel in April! And the way the referrals have been going, that's still very possible. We're on the downhill stretch, but it still feels like the closer we get, the further we are away!

We've reached 2 1/2 years of waiting!

2008-09-10T05:41:00.000-05:00

Well, it's officially been 2 1/2 years (30 months!) since we were LID (and over 3 years since we first started this process)!!! There was a small glimpse of a possible speed up with the last batch coming earlier than usual & including more days than usual (lately, anyway!). If CCAA were to miraculously refer an entire months worth of LID's, we could potentially have a referral next month. Of course that won't be the case, but to think if things were like they were way back then, we would be next! As it stands now, I still think we'll get our referral in February & travel in April. Maybe I'll be surprised again by a larger batch! How awesome would that be!?! We just sent off our renewal for our 171-H & are waiting to hear back about being refingerprinted (3rd time, and we still have the same fingers!) and if the US still approves us to adopt (wouldn't that just be the icing on this incredibly long wait of a cake!). This should be the last time we have to do that paperwork! I'm just ready to buy plane tickets to China!

29 Months and counting....

2008-08-12T15:21:00.002-05:00

Sunday marked our 29th month of our LID. As of today, we are officially 38 LID's away from our referral. So close, yet so far! We've been enjoying watching the Olympics and hope they don't cause a big slow down. The CCAA referred 6 days worth of LID's this past month, so if they stay at that rate we are 7 months away from our referral, which would put us March 2009. That would be an official 3 year wait. Let hope it doesn't go longer and pray it gets even shorter!

LID Anniversay...

2008-07-10T14:27:00.002-05:00

Today is our 28 month Anniversary of being logged in for Micalee. 28 long months behind us! We've started making reservations for our November 10th Wedding Anniversary Vacation. It's good to have something to occupy some of the wait. November is only 4 months away, and then maybe, just maybe, we'll have our referral a few months after that! That would be SO cool! And very conceivable! Keep your fingers crossed! I wouldn't mind having to cancel reservations in November to go to China instead!

2008-07-05T14:10:00.002-05:00

Well, our 2008 Family Edition Biggest Loser competition has come to and end, and the winner is.........ME! Way to go, me! I've lost 44 pounds since January 1st! Our group total weight loss was 185.6 pounds (seven participants over 6 months!). That's an entire person! I'm so proud of everybody for all their hard work in making themselves healthier! I'd still like to loss another 20-25 pounds! Maybe before I can get the rest off before I climb the Great Wall of China!

27 Months and counting.....

2008-06-12T14:02:00.002-05:00

Hey! I know, I'm a couple of days late for our LID-anniversary post! We've hit the 27 month mark! Crazy, huh?!? We've decided to go ahead and plan our 10th wedding anniversary/vacation for mid-November, thinking there is no threat of getting our referral before then, or even then. Maybe it will be like washing you car then having it rain! That'll be okay; we can always change our plans! This last month's batch of referral covered 8 days (through 1/20/06), so at 49 days between the last LID referred and our LID of 3/10/06. If that stays the average, and CCAA doesn't skip a month of referral during the Olympics, we could POTENTIALLY have our referral in January 2009. A speed up, of course, would mean sooner, and a slow down would mean later! I have a gut feeling our referral will be in Feb 2009 (around my birthday!) with travel in Apr 2009 (around David's birthday!). And while I'm predicting, I think Micalee has already been born, probably in May (around Mother's day; maybe because of the poem Jeanie wrote for me "from Micalee") . We'll just have to wait & see! So, I hate to say it, but for some reason I have a renewed excitement about this whole thing. I know I shouldn't, because still, anything can happen. We still have to renew our fingerprints, have our homestudy updated and renew our Immigration approval (171-H expires in November). We'll probably do that late Summer or early Fall before we go on vacation. At least we should qualify for the free extension this time!

A very special Mother's Day gift...

2008-05-12T13:07:00.006-05:00

I wanted to share a poem my sister, Jeanie, wrote for me for Mother's Day. Maybe other waiting mothers will find comfort in it, as I did.

A Million Stars

A Mother's Day Poem from Micalee

26 months ago the Angels started singing your name,

God told me I would be going home to you;

25 million stars light the way of the path,

That lets me see my new dream come true.

24 hours a day I watch you as you go,

You think of me so often, and each time, I know.

Too many times I have watched as you cried,

Not knowing when I will com home;

But, Mommy, I am swinging on the moon humming a song,

So the time doesn't seem to me so long.

15 giggles I have laughed out loud,

And I thought you heard me, although I wouldn't know how.

So many stories I have heard about you,

From those who once held you so dear;

They met me first, but can't wait to send me off,

Though the say they'll miss me up here.

10 times I have whispered to you,

And though you may not have heard me, I think that you knew.

You see, God made me special and especially for you,

And this is all a part of his plan;

And when we're together and meet that first day,

You'll think back and then understand.

3 Mother's Days I have sent down my love,

In the sunshine, the starlight and dew;

And though I'm not there, you're still Mommy to me,

And I am waiting for you, too.

Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!

I Love You from a Million Stars,

Micalee

***Thank you SO much, Jeanie!****I have read this poem over and over again, and I still cry! Blogger is not letting me put space in between segments of the poem! Sorry; it makes it harder to read!!!

Mother's Day Eve....

2008-05-10T10:30:00.002-05:00

Well, here I am on the day before Mother's Day, 26 months since being logged in to get Micalee, and feeling very sorry for myself! And what's even more depressing is I can't be certain that this will be the last Mother's Day that I'm not a mommy! I'm hoping so, but not really convinced yet! The last month only covered 3 days of LID's (not good!) and the effect the Olympics may have is still unknown. I've been an emotional wreck this week! I watched P.S. I Love You last night and sobbed during the entire movie! My eyes are still red! It was probably good to let it all out, though. David has been super understanding and even left me roses and a Mother's Day ("to be") card this morning. Of course, I cried again! There's not much to say on when I think we'll get our referral, because I'm just not sure. I keep saying "this time next year", and it eventually has to be true. Only 57 days worth of LID behind the last referral group, but the end seems to be nowhere in sight! Happy Mother's Day to those who already have children at home and those whose children are only in their dreams and hearts!

25th LID Anniversary...

2008-04-12T13:16:00.002-05:00

Well, nothing new to report. Still waiting and will be for a while longer! CCAA only referred 5 days worth of LID's this past month; not good! So, no speed up this month! Someone in our LID Forum on the RQ site calculated when referrals might potentially be, based on average days referred per month. Here are the potential referral dates based on our LID. If CCAA starts averaging 15 days per month (yeah, right!) then we would get our referral in July 2008; for 13 days/month, in August 2008; for 11 days/month, in Sept 2008; for 9 days/month, in Oct 2008; for 7 days/month (the average trend right now), in Dec 2008; for 5 days/month (like this month was!), in March 2009; and if only 3 days/month, in Nov 2009 (you get the idea)!!! We are only 60 days past the date that referrals have been made through. Sounds like we'd be getting SO close, but as you can see, every little day counts! I just keep waiting for some kind of speed up, but it hasn't happened! And no one is really sure how the Olympics (in Aug 2008) may affect things! Just more waiting to see what happens! On a good note, our Biggest Loser Family competition is going very well!!! In the first 3 months we (7 participants) have lost a combined weight of 155 pounds!!! That's a whole person! And so far, I'm in the lead!!! I'm hoping I can keep of losing and hold on to the lead (the competition is close!). I'm proud of all we've done, and we are all getting so much healthier! That's truly the best part of this competition! I'll keep everyone posted!

Happy (?!) 2-Year LID Anniversary to us!

2008-03-10T05:26:00.001-05:00

Well, this is a milestone (see picture....pun intended!)! Our Dossier was officially logged in 2 years ago! WOW! We've been waiting a loooooong time! Four times as long as we originally thought this process would take (and still a good while is ahead of us). Alot has happened in the past 2 years; friends and family have had babies that are now toddlers, debts have been paid off and we've managed to build up a little savings(that's a good thing!), we're finally getting in shape (waited 'til the last minute!) and of course older (not so good!), and we have started and finished a wonderful nursery that just needs a little girl in it to make it really complete. But at the same time, everything seems to have been on hold for us. We're just waiting! Not sure what to do next. Are we actually close enough now to start checking out Day Care options and Pediatricians? Should we not schedule a 10th Anniversary Vacation because of the chance we may be getting our referral around that time? So we still just wait. Wait to see what the next batch of referral looks like; and then the next, and then to see how, if any, the Olympic will affect us, to see if we can judge when we may be getting our referral. When we can start actually planning and enjoying this process again. When we can finally have an idea to tell family and friends when they might be able to finally give us a baby shower. When we can get all the little last minute things we want to get for the Nursery. When we can start worrying about luggage and what we need to pack for a child who doesn't know us. When we can look at airline tickets and hotels in China. I'm so looking forward to being overwhelmed again, with all that we will need to do! I'm tired of just waiting! I want to be preparing again! I need to be preparing again! And I think that time is getting close. Even if we don't have Micalee home by Christmas (which of course would be the most wonderful thing ever if she was here!) , I think we'll know who she is and have picture of her by then! I think this is our year! I could be wrong, but I just feel it. So Happy LID Anniversary to us for all that we've endured in the past 2 years of waiting. All the questions we've tried to answer, when we really didn't know the answers (and still don't)!
Hopefully, we have alot less waiting ahead of us!

2008-02-10T17:13:00.000-06:00

23 down.......? more to go! I just couldn't let the day go by without acknowledging our 23 month LID anniversary. Not something really to celebrate, other than the fact that we've kept our sanity for this long (or maybe not!). But that is 23 months behind us, and for every month behind us, that's one less in front of us! So, I guess it's not that bad of a thing! So for everyone else waiting along with us, we ARE getting closer and although it's very hard to even imagine anymore, this WILL happen!

2008-02-03T15:18:00.000-06:00

As of the first of the year, David & I, along with 5 other family members are in a little friendly family "Biggest Loser" competition to see who can lose the biggest percentage of their body weight by the 4th of July. Our first month's numbers are in, and I am SO proud of all of us! We lost a combined weight of 86.6 pounds (between 7 participants)! Tracy & I lost the most (16 pounds each in only one month!), but Tracy had the biggest percentage ('cause I weigh alot more than she does!). Watch out, Tracy! I'll be working extra hard this month to take over the lead! Our reward, besides being healthier and thinner, is $700 (we each contributed $100 to the reward)! At this rate, we will all need the money to buy a new wardrobe!!! Keep it up, everybody!

22 months of waiting behind us!

2008-01-11T12:25:00.000-06:00

Wow! I almost forgot to post our LIDiversary! Yesterday was officially our 22 month mark. That explains the funk I was in yesterday (that has continued into today)! I just thought I was hormonal, but I must have remembered way back in my brain what the 10th of the month symbolized; another month of waiting. Oh well, that's one month closer to finally seeing Micalee! It will happen, it will happen, IT WILL HAPPEN!!!! And we will continue to wait, as patiently as possible, until we do finally get the call and get to see a picture of the little girl we have been waiting for for so long! We've decided this will be the year to get ourselves in shape (finally!), so we can climb the Great Wall without needing a paramedic when we're done! We're doing pretty good so far, losing weight by eating healthier and exercising. Of coarse, it has helped by making it into a competition, our own version of the "Biggest Loser"! Watch out, Jeanie, you know how competitive I can be!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2008-01-01T09:25:00.000-06:00

Happy 2008, everybody! We hope everyone has a wonderful, happy and healthy new year. We hope all of your hopes are fulfilled and all of your New Year's resolutions are realized. We hope those of you still waiting have their children home this year. Come on 2008, bring us Micalee!!!

2007-12-27T18:17:00.000-06:00

This Christmas, I found myself with a new unexpected challenge. I "fostered" this cute little puppy for an entire month so that my nephew would have a big surprise from Santa on Christmas morning. I thought the challenge would be to feed, house train, and clean up after this little guy, but the real challenge was letting him go! It's amazing how attached I got in such a short time. I think he helped me get through most of the holiday season without thinking too much about not having Micalee here; he just kept me too busy and helped fill that empty space in my heart. But now that he's gone from our home, that emptiness is back, stronger than ever before! It also made me realize what Micalee's birth mother will be going through, and yes I know there's a big difference between a puppy and a baby, and maybe I shouldn't compare the two, but it did make me think of the pain she will be experiencing (and on such a larger scale). I have never cried so hard as when I had to leave this little guy on at my sister's doorstep. My heart was breaking. Maybe I'm just too emotional! At least I can see this puppy grow, and I know he's happy and loved in his new home. She'll always just wonder, but never know for sure. I know I'll always be grateful to her for her ultimate sacrifice.

21 Months and counting...

2007-12-11T16:39:00.000-06:00

Blackjack?! Well, it is now officially (as of yesterday) 21 months since our LID for Micalee! How many more to go?! Well, if I knew that, things would be alot easier! Will she be home, or will we at least have a picture of her, by NEXT Christmas!? The way things are looking now, the answer is no, but I'm still holding on to hope that things in China will speed up, and we'll have her home in 2008! If you look at numbers, only, it doesn't look to hopeful. But the thing is, there was a time when the wait got up to 18 months (and yes, we're way beyond that now!), and then things starting speeding up and got back down to 6 months, so anything is possible. So for now, we're just concentrating on having the best Christmas possible, knowing that it's another one without our little girl home with us. But we have the best, most supportive family, and we know we'll have a very special Christmas, and we know that we will eventually have our little girl here to help us celebrate the holidays and enjoy all the little things that go along with them!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T07:19:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Today, and everyday, I am thankful for my family: from the family I was born into, to the family I chose. I am thankful for getting the opportunity to complete my family through adoption. I am thankful for the love and support we have received from family and friends during this unexpected growing wait. I am thankful for how open everyone has been to accept Micalee into our family, with no reservations. (You'd be surprised by what some folk's family members say to them!) I'm thankful for my Millie and Harmo, who show such unconditional love. I am truly thankful the most wonderful, loving husband that anyone could have ever asked for! I never doubt that I am loved! Especially with all the little things he does for me: warming up my truck and leaving a mug of hot chocolate on cold days; washing my hair for me after I had a wreck and was too sore to lift my arms; holding my hair back when I throw up; coming home early from an always sacred fishing trip, just because I felt sad that day! The list goes on and on...and will never be forgotten!

Anniversary Vacation...

2007-11-20T15:36:00.000-06:00

Well, it took us until the very last minute to decide what to do on our Anniversary (9th year!) off this year. We thought we'd just end up staying at home and working on projects around the house, but after I won a little friendly fishing competition (I'm sure David will eventually post the huge, nearly 6 pound bass I caught!), I chose to go to Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas. We spent two nights in two different cabins because we made last minute reservations (the day before we left!) for one night, and then were lucky to have a cancellation and get to stay a 2nd night! It was SO beautiful! We love the Arkansas State Park system, and I've always wanted to check out Petit Jean! WOW! We had the best time hiking! This picture is from the most "strenuous" trail. It was only 2 miles, but the beginning took us down 200 feet into the canyon. That wasn't too bad, but coming back up?!?! OMG!!! It just reminded us how out of shape we are! But it was all worth it! Even though Cedar Falls was down to a "trickle", it was still unbelievable! I can't imagine it when it's in full force! It must be deafening in that canyon! The water fall is pictured behind us (it's about 90 feet high). Pictures don't to it, or the rest of the park, justice. The trip, overall, was somewhat rejuvenating and helped to restore my spirit! The Cedar Falls hike, to me, reflected our adoption. It seemed to take forever to reach to Falls, and the climb back up was painful to say the least, but it all so very much worth it! And to top it all off, we were sitting on a bench, trying to catch our breath after the climb back out of the canyon, just enjoying the amazing view, and suddenly a family with two little Asian girls walked onto the bluff. It was as if God himself was trying to tell us something. Just hang on, it will happen! The next night, I unfolded a blanket from the cabin and found a red thread. Just more verification that this will eventually happen. I can't wait to be able to share these kind of places with Micalee. These mountains and streams just fill me with a peace and calm! Kinda like my latest mantra I've been reciting in my head anytime I start feeling overwhelmed by this slowing adoption process, or anything else in my life: Courage, Faith, Patience, Peace.

2007-11-10T07:36:00.000-06:00

Another month of waiting is behind us...
Happy 20th month LIDversary to us! It's totally unbelievable how long this wait has grown! I can't believe I've lasted this long, and in someways, maybe I haven't! But, we've come WAY too far to give up now. There's nothing to do but wait, and we are becoming the world's foremost expert in that! I'm trying to remain positive and say these will be the last holidays without Micalee, but honestly, I'm not so sure! I would have never dreamed she wouldn't be home by Christmas 2008, but here we are! Who knows what the future holds!?! I do know that we will be digging deep inside to keep up the Christmas spirit this year. I want to be able to enjoy the holidays, but I know Micalee will be on my mind. Just how many more Thanksgivings, Christmases, New Years, Easters, Mother's & Father's Days.....you get the idea....without our little girl?! Will 2008 be our year!? The number 8 in considered lucky in China, and Jeanie, that's your lucky number, too, so maybe so! Come on 2008....bring Micalee home! Hurry before we get any older, and she has to change our diapers as soon as she is out of them herself!

2007-10-31T09:06:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!!!

Check out our pumpkin! We carved the Chinese symbol for "good fortune", called Fu. Hopefully, it will help bring a huge group of referrals this month! Anything we can do to help! We are exactly 100 days of LID's from ours, but I calculated that at a rate of 10 days of LID's per month (and at this point, that is wishful thinking!), we are 10 months away from a referral (August 2008). If only CCAA would speed up! We could be closer; of course, we could also (and most people believe) be further away. If the 15 day per month some have been predicting would only come to be, then we would be 7 months away (June 2008)! That, I could handle! I could probably handle just about anything that is definite! It's the not knowing that drives me crazy! That's why we carved a "good fortune" pumpkin; I've really been feeling like we need some!

2007-10-10T05:30:00.000-05:00

It was been called to my attention (you know who you are!) that I am falling down on my "posting duties". So, here it is! Well, we've now been "officially" waiting for 19 months. That's 19 month since the Chinese officials logged in our paperwork. How much longer? Well, no one can seem to answer that. There's still speculation of a speed up, but when and how much of a speed up? No one knows! All we can do is wait, and we've had alot of practice with that, so we should be able to that without any problem. Then why is it getting harder!? Practice makes perfect, right?! Well, not in this case! Hopefully, it won't be another 19 months of waiting, but I guess we know what that feels like already, right?! I'm still hanging my hopes, dreams and prayers on a early Summer 2008 referral. I just want to be back with our little girl before the Olympics starts (August 8th). I'm afraid if we're not, that will be another slow-down. The song "Slow Boat to China" comes to mind! I wonder why!
Well, on a happier note, we have finished the nursery! I posted a couple of before and after pictures on the "Micalee's Room" blog, so if you get a chance, check them out. Pictures don't quite do it justice (can you tell we're proud!?), so all you "local folks" need to come by and check it out! There are plenty of toys you can play with while you're here!