Without a doubt

It usually starts with "Have you herd anything?" Followed by me saying, "Nothing good." Then I tell them about how the wait time has continued to grow with no explanations given to us, ect, ect...... After their sympathies, disbelief, ect have been offered out it comes. "Why don't you change over to another country?" I then go on to say,"NEVER!" I know they mean well and have my best interests at heart, but changing countries is simply not an option for me. I have known for a long time that my daughter will come from China and I will wait for her as long as I have to. I will not give up on her..............

STOP THE MADNESS

My congratulations to everyone who finally received their referral. :D For the rest of us this is really not good news. This represents the placement of children who's families were logged in with the CCAA from dates June 6 through June 14. Factor in the weekend days and that's 7 measly days worth of referrals. (If I am reading the documents processing update correctly) A stork sighting has also been reported on several of my Adopt China Yahoo message boards. (Meaning families logged in within this time frame should expect to get "The Call" announcing their referral in the very near future. As always as these anticipated referrals approach rumors abound the boards. They are not good ones either. Evidently people out there now have reported that their agencies are telling them that the wait from log in date to referral may well extend to 18 months! Remember it was a 6 to 7 months wait when I started the process. My agency refuses to speculate as to how long the referral wait will be and will only admit to what the wait currently is. (Around 12 months!) This wait is certain to extend if the CCAA does in fact continue to issue referrals in week long increments. Just supposing that this is the way it will be. June 7 will mark the 6 month wait point for me. (I was logged in December 7, 2005) Assuming that it continues to take approximately 3 to 4 months for the CCAA to get through 1 months worth of referrals for people logged in within that month...... I may not receive Abbys referral for another 18 to 24 months! There are people out there who say the CCAA does not want the referral wait period to get that long. Things will need to really speed up in order for that not to happen. I am pretty sad about this situation. Again its the no information given as to explain why this is happening that is killing me. The glow that I had when I started this process has dimmed greatly. I have gained weight, become depressed and am terribly cranky as well. Just wishing the answer why would present itself. I am not alone though. Nobodies agency is really giving out any reasons and The CCAA has not issued any statements regarding the obvious delay either. Maybe if I stop buying the "Lucky Bamboo" plants that I just can't seem to keep alive things will get better? And so I wait...........................

Just in case you haven't seen this

It's nice. The government recently calculated the cost of raising achild from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family.Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But$160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,* $741.38 a month, or* $171.08 a week.* That's a mere $24.24 a day!* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have childrenif you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite. What do youget for your $160,140?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!* Glimpses of God every day.* Giggles under the covers every night.!* More love than your heart can hold.* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said orhow your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:* finger-paint,* play hide-and-seek,* catch lightning bugs, and* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,* watching Saturday morning cartoons,* going to Disney movies, and* wishing on stars.* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigeratormagnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, handprints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters forFather's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be ahero just for:

* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,* taking the training wheels off a bike,* removing a splinter,* filling a wading pool,* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team thatnever wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the:* first step,* first word,* first bra,* first date, and* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your familytree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary calledgrandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education inpsychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have allthe power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever,and love them without limits. So one day like you, love without counting the cost.

This just makes me smile

Click below (Borrowed from Kristies Blog) This is hilarious!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg

Happy Mothers Day Mom

Thanks Mom for all of the things you have done for me throughout my life, thanks for all of the sacrifices that I know you have made for me, thanks for being there for me when I need you whether it's for providing a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, or just for providing silent support. Thanks Mom for always being on my side even when I don't think that you are, for putting up with me and my mood swings, and for letting me vent when I need to. Thanks for being just as excited for me and my adoption journey as I am. Thanks for taking this adoption journey with me and for all the support you continue to provide me as we experience the frequent ups and downs with this process. And most of all..... Thank you Mom for just being you, for knowing how grateful I am for you, and for knowing how much I love you even If I don't say all the time. Happy Mothers Day Mom. Love, Jenny

I have a request

For the last two days I have had the surreal experience of caring for the loved one of someone I know. I have been an ICU nurse for twelve plus years and while it was always my biggest fear it had never happened. Two days ago I arrived at work and was given my assignment. I was told this teenager was really sick and I had been chosen to care for her because they knew I would be really good with the family. While in the room to assist with a procedure already in progress the secretary told me I had a phone call. I asked her to take a message and she returned to tell me it had been another friend calling to tell me who she was. It has been a rough couple of days. This patient is just so sick so I am asking of anyone who reads this...Please take a minute and say a prayer for this patient and their family that all turns out well. Please. They really need it.

Crystal Ball

Sometimes I really wish I had one........

5 Months Down

Well I have been logged in With the CCAA 5 months today! I still have to say that this 5 months has gone by pretty fast for me. Who knows how much longer I have to wait but based on the current rumors out there I have resolved myself to the fact that I will more than likely not get to meet Abby in person until next year. No I am not okay with that but I have accepted it . And truthfully that's 7 months left to save and finish all of my preAbby projects. That's really not that much time and I have been slack in both those areas........

Mexican Treasures

Pretty dresses Abby can wear when she is bigger.

This rattle makes the prettiest chime sounds. I think I will save it for gotcha day.

Found this ladybug at a little roadside stand. Does it count?????

Thank You Secret Pal!

My April secret pal swap theme was scrapbooking/journaling. My secret pal did a great job sending me a fun selection of her favorite things. I haven't started Abby's lifebook yet but this has motivated me to start. I have slowly been collecting and saving significant things as my journey to Abby has progressed but really need to start doing something with them before I have so many things tucked away that I become too overwhelmed to do anything with them . I linked todays blog entry title to a cool site for anyone that might like some ideas for making a lifebook.

New Bracelet

Yesterday my sister Laurie surprised me with this beautiful referral bracelet. It was made by a family awaiting the referral of their second daughter from China. When I get Abby's referral I can put her picture in the bracelet for all to see. I think it is a cool idea and can't wait to wear it with love and pride. Thank's Laurie not only for the bracelet but for also allowing me to be such a special part of Erin and Christopher's lives. They will always be my first babies :D

Virginia Update

As promised a belated picture of Virginia in (actually) a blue and pink cast. I believe this picture was taken the day she was discharged from the hospital. Poor thing but she is doing much better now. She goes to the doctor this week to get the cast and pins removed and finds out then if she has to wear another cast. Glad your feeling better Virginia! And hope you are all done with the casts. Can't wait to see ya this summer. Love, Aunt Jenny

Chichen Itza

While in Cancun we were able to visit some of the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. I'm so glad I did. The Maya people were simply amazing. It is believed that they built this city without the use of metal tools or beasts of burden. The Mayans also mapped out the heavens, developed calendrical systems, and developed hieroglyphic writing. Pictured below is El Castillo a pyramid that is based on a huge solar calendar. There are 91 steps on each side times 4 for each season plus one for the crowning platform equals 365 steps. 1 step for each day of the solar year.

Twice a year the sun hits the pyramid casting a shadow along the pyramids edge that appears to show a serpent climbing the pyramid in March and descending the pyramid in September.

Our guide also showed us that if you stand at the foot of the pyramid and clap the echo comes back to you as a piercing shriek. (believed by the Mayans to be an eagle) supposedly if a person were to stand at the top step of the pyramid and speak in a normal tone of voice it could be herd at ground level for some distance.

Iguanas also reside among the ruins.

Pictured below is believed to have been a throne.

Below is called El Caracol believed to be an Observatory. The observatory dome of windows aligned with major certain stars on specific dates.

Below is the Ball Field. Only very special people of honor were allowed to play on this field.

I'm not exactly sure how this game was played but our guide told us it involved passing a hard rubber ball through the scoring ring mounted on the wall. Supposedly once the game was won the winning team captain presented himself to the losing team captain and was decapitated by him. This was supposed to be a great honor and guaranteed him a place in heaven.

Below is a model of what the city may have looked like.