New Years Resolution

Ok, so I'm a little late, but hey, better late than never right? So, I've decided today, I will NOT be overweight when I turn 40 next year. I've been doing the on again off again exercising thing for a while now. Not working too well! I've been doing alot of work in the yard but it's really not the same thing. I've been trying not to eat crap "most" of the time. I'm doing a real good job of maintaining my current weight...BIG! LOL Anyway, I once again started getting on the treadmill this past Monday, walked a mile. Then again yesterday I did 1.75 miles. Today, I was just thinking this morning how I am going to turn 40 in less than a year. I will NOT start off my 40's overwieght. I just won't do it. That's what my 30's were for.. been there done that. And now that I've put all my business out there, I'm going to have to stick to it, make it happen. Not sure why it hit me today, but it did and that is the goal.

Another reason for the new found determination is for the adoption. #1 - I don't want to be an overweight mom if I can help it. I want to be able to keep up with a toddler.. lol #2 - I don't want to be squished on the plane for 15 hours approx. each way to and from China. #3 - In about a year or so, our Dossier will hit the Review Room in China. This is where they review all of your paperwork and will ask questions if they have any or request updated medical forms or whatever it is they are questioning. I didn't have to provided a separate letter from my doctor in addition to the medical form because I'm not on any meds, but hubby had to and from what I understand they will most likey require and update from him. But just in case, I want to be in better shape than when we did the Dossier. Hubby really needs to get on board with this goal as well but that's another post..LOL. #4 Should we decide to adopt a second child in the future, we'd like to go back to China, but with our weights right now, we won't be eligible.

So those are my key reasons for wanting to loose the weight, finally. As if I really need reasons to loose weight. LOL Those are just the reasons for doing it NOW!

July's Secret Pal Gift!

My CCAI March/April 2007 LID Secret Pal went all out this month!! I got a big box in the mail today from my secret pal and opened it immediately! First, the card was a very encouraging card with the Chinese proverb "Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it" with a great note inside from her. Then inside was a beautiful decorative box that looks like a little suitcase with different Asian tea labels on it. I LOVE decorative boxes! I love to put all sorts of keepsakes in them to save and look through them from time to time, like a memory box. Definetly something I want to share with my daughter so she can have her own little memory box to put her keepsakes and memories in. This is perfect for that! Then more goodies inside. A cute rattle that I really wanted to take out of the package and play with, but I restrained myself...LOL. A little 9-12mos white t-shirt with a firecracker on it and a beautiful bracelet of Chinese beads with a "red thread" thru it with a little ladybug at the end of the red thread.. very symbolic, very thoughtful. I love it! Also there is a red thread saying with a picture of what I think are Chinese firecrackers (I've never actually seen one so I'm not sure).

"Chinese folklore says that there are invisible red threads that connect a newborn child's spirit to all the people that will be important in her life. As the child grows, the threads shorten to bring these people closer together."

I love it all! Thank you Secret Pal!

To All My Infertility/Adoption Homies...

Need a good cry? Well this video (Kellie Coffey) was posted on one of the message boards I frequent and it's not the kind of music I listen to, but get out the tissues people.



You can also just click on this link to go to YouTube to watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqfGqOx2iDQ

I'm not posting this to be depressing...actually the opposite. At the end of the video she is actually holding her bio son (I read her website), so by either pregnancy (not likely) or adoption (already on the path) it will happen one day. Sometimes thinking that the wait time could take 3 years is frustrating. I never wanted to be an "older" parent. But there are plenty of people on the groups I'm in that say you'll forget about the wait time once you hold your child (maybe like you forget about the pain once you give birth), so I am looking forward to that day. The video was touching to me because many of the signs they were holding up apply to me.

3 Month LID Anniversary!!

Three months down... how many more to go??? LOL MANY! But at least I am still in excited mode! Glass is half full and all of that. People who just received referrals in July I believe have waited 20 months and I am sure the wait time is going to increase. Everything is pointing to a 36 month wait time. Anyway, nothing much new here, as usual.

We bought a freezer which we put in the basement to store meat and frozen goods. Trying to buy in bulk and save a little money. Of course in order to do that we had to spend money on the freezer.. the first bulk shopping run and then of course we needed one of those Food Saver machines that packs the meat in air tight baggies. So EVENTUALLY we'll start to see the savings from this! LOL

I've updated the counter because it wasn't counting anymore.. you'd get a random number everytime the page is refreshed.. interesting. Plus, it took me a while to make this post. I don't know if it's Blogger or the graphic I was using, but hopefully it will work now!

Happy Early 4th!

Ok so I know I haven't been posting much and I'm a little early with the Happy 4th pic..lol I just figured I'd post something now while I am thinking of it, although I don't really have anything much to post about. Some of the things I've been up to... I'm still working on one section of the garden I am putting alongside our new fence. The other sections will have to get done in the coming years, since I #1 don't have that kind of money to do it all at once and #2 I don't have that kind of energy! I've also been trying to spend more time training the dog. He needs all the training he can get! Here's a updated pic of Pyscho Puppy.

I try to practice with him a little each day. He's in an intermediate training class, once a week for 8 weeks. He's learning to "heel", "stay" (with distractions) and "on your bed". He does ok as long as he knows you have treats to give him! LOL

Let's see, not much else happening. I read alot of other blogs, especially the ones of other families who are currently in China meeting their children, or waiting to get their referral and some people just have so much to say and it's very interesting to take a glimpse into their lives. Kinda makes me feel like I have nothing to say compared to some of these blogs I've read.. LOL but that's OK, I'll continue to just journal from time to time to keep a record of this very long journey!

I don't know if I've posted before about this but there is a rumor that the wait time could reach 3 years. That's just crazy! The China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) was here in the US recently visiting some of the agencies and I believe they actually said that the can see the wait time getting to 2.5-3 years. Hopefully it won't go any longer than that! I'll be 42 by the time we get our child! We'll see what happens in the next year. Still, China adoption is a pretty reliable program (except for the wait time!), which is why we chose China in the first place. For those of you who are not familiar with the program, the costs are pretty much spelled out, the program is the same for everyone requesting a non-special needs child, the travel is relatively short (about 2 weeks), there isn't too many unknowns with Chinese adoption, except for the wait now. CCAA says there are just way more dossiers than there are paper-ready babies available for International Adoption. If in a year or so it looks like it's going to go longer than 3 years, tehn I guess we might have to look into other countries again. I've briefly looked at some others already and either we don't qualify because we haven't been married long enough or we weigh too much or the length of travel is just too long or multiple trips are required or it's just way to much money. We might have to just stick it out with China now that we are about $9000 down. I really hope we don't have to change countries because I already feel as though our daughter will be born in China.