Good Morning Everyone and welcome to the Saturday Morning Chat Group! Please continue to support Daleea's auction for the Starfish Foster Home. If you would like an auction link graphic, please let me know and I will get one over to you.
Also, remember that Margaret from Journey to Baby Miracle is still in China to bring home Graeme. He is just darling!
If you would like to support Kelly/Truly Blessed's 100 Wishes Quilt Shower, let me know and I will get her address and graphic over to you.
NEXT SATURDAY IS APRIL'S SHOWER FOR BABY ELIANA HERE AT THE SEVENTH DIAMOND. Her graphic is also available.
Today is the shower for Crystal and Savannah-Hope. IT IS NOT ON THIS BLOG, IT IS ON 'NIPPER FAMILY OF 4'. Please go there and support the shower. It's going to be a lot of fun. I can't wait!
The chat room is now closed so that everyone can attend Savannah-Hope's shower!
179 comments:
Good Morning girly...
How have you been...
Looks like a busy day..
Is the weather okay there today...
Been a lot of rain around..
Except good ole Az.
Weird weather..
Good Morning Kim, how are you? Working today?
Hey Kims! How are both of you today!
It looks gorgeous outside right now, so I'm hoping it stays that way :)
Good Morning Kelly, how are you?
I have to work today... Then it is coming home and trying to get our house finished to put on the market...
All's fine here -- the sun is shining, it's Katie's "half birthday", Ella turns 19 months old today, and I got updated measurements (though sadly no pictures) of her this morning!!
Good Morning Kelly... I am sooo excited for you..
This will be my first time actually watching someone that I have talked to go to CHINA..
I am soooo excited.. it helps me on this wait sooo much..
Are you getting nervous yet???
Yes, are you moving to a different city or a different home?
Kim,
Do you have plans to move away from the area, to another house in the area, or are you just putting your house up to see if it sells?
Thanks so much, Kim. I know how exciting it is to follow a specific person's journey - you feel like part of the family...well, you ARE part of my family and I am thrilled that you want to be part of it with us.
We are very excited. No stress (but a lot of mess!), but I've got lots of lists and lots of suitcases to store stuff in!
We are hoping it sales QUICK.. and then just moving to the west side... We can get a 3000 sq. ft home for the price of our 1700.. and a back yard. and garage.. So we are hoping that we can also bid on this one house that is up for auction on July 23 .. it has a pool and built in grill and firepit already. nice yard.. no neighbor behind you.. 5 bedroom.. So we will see.. not getting hopes up..due tothe economy. but we will see..
You're in Phoenix, right?
Wow Kim,
Those sound like gorgeous homes!
We are in Tempe, so that is really prime area.. right by ASU.. we really like our Townhouse.. but I we would LOVE to have more room and John would love to have a garage.. and a backyard for the dogs and Isabella..
You guys would be laughing right now.. I write and then I go curl some of my hair and then I come back and write.. I never get to talk on Sat.. so I try. hard...LOL..I am making myself laugh
With the number of people in your home, and all of them teenagers to boot, you'd love having the extra space -- I sure hope you're able to sell quickly and get one of those houses (the one with the private back yard sounds scrumptious!)
Garages are VERY important! I think I'd go a bit nuts without ours!
Yes, I wish our house was bigger, I'd like to add a bedroom over the garage with a bathroom with a giant tub for Tim and I. : )
Boy yall are early. GOod morning friends!
Good Morning Amy!
Michael's new blog is cool!
We got updated measurements of our sweetie girl this morning!!!!!
She sounds healthy from the measurements, and she already has 12 teeth (that made me sad -- we missed out on a whole lot of her life, Katie only had two - and barely two -- on Katie Day).
I suppose I should look on the bright side and think that that's 12 weeks of teething troubles I didn't have to endure, right?
Verna did a great job working with him!
Glad to hear you got new measurements... Is she small for her age..
Well looks like it is time..
WIsh I could talk longer..
Kelly ~ have a wonderful trip.. I will be following and waiting every day to see how things are going..
Kim~ Have a Great Weekend..
And everyone Have a WONDERFUL FATHER"S DAY..
HUGS
So what size is she wearing Kelly?
Have a great day Kim!
SO FYI, I am organizing another card exchange. For those of you whose emails I have, I sent you an invite.If not, there is a button on both of my blogs
Sorry, my internet died (well, the wireless, anyway).
I'm down in the basement on the boys' computer now and it seems to be working fine.
Thanks for the good wishes, Kim, have a wonderful week!
I don't know sizes, Kimberley, they just sent metric measurements and I converted them to standard -- she's 19.8 lbs. so I'm guessing 12-18 month clothes (good thing I have a lot of those sizes!)
exchanges are fun, I love them.
Amy, what's a card exchange? I'm so out of the loop!
i did this a couple of months ago. YOu sign up your info and then I give you a list of people to send post cards to. Its a way of getting to know new people and get cool postcards from around the country. Its not expensive and its usually fun. You dont have to do too many either!
Kimberley, did you have The Most Bizarre rainstorm come through yesterday between 7 - 7:30PM?
Katie and Toby played outside and were SOAKED to the skin and dripping wet in about 30 seconds -- they had a ball (and then nice warm baths!)
Amy, that sounds fun!
Do the postcards have to be from your state, or can they be from anywhere?
Kelly,
Yes, it started to sprinkle and looked like we were really going to get a storm and then it just bloew over.
Amy,
I went to your blogs and don't see the swap. I played the word game though : )
on our adoption blog, its right under the love without boundaries button
I love the word game. Im having fun with blogs this week. It can be any kind of card, there are no rules
Kimberley, I know you said you're sticking close to home this weekend for Father's Day -- that sounds lovely.
How about you, Amy? You and Michael have big plans for the weekend?
Katie and I are going to head up to the cottage with DH's sister (she drives me nuts, to put it bluntly, but she adores Katie and vice versa, so they can keep each other busy while I deep clean the cottage and get it ready for all of the out-of-state relatives that will be converging on it while we are in China).
DH and the boys are hanging around today and will be going to the Tiger's game tomorrow in Dee-troit City.
NO we are both off. My dad is in Florida and I doubt we will see his dad.
I hope this is our last Fathers Day without LynnMarie!!!
Amy,
I'll hop over to your blog and sign up. I think I'll try to find postcards in China -- wouldn't that be fun?
I'll post some of the rainstorm video on the blog later -- if I can remember to do so -- I swear I'm losing my mind without my lists!
I have a feeling, Amy, that it will be...just as it will be Tim's last FD without Sophia Jane!
I cant wait to read your story.
head over to babyhoffman.com
Tymm and Laura should have landed in Ethiopia to get baby Meron. Pray for them. They have had a year!
I don't know ladies.
Our agency is truly horrid.
Even though I am sure we have made it through the review room, they will not call the CCAA to confirm it. They don't call.
So, if the portal doesn't change by the end of the month, we will miss out on the July list and be held back until October or until they get their act together with the shared list.
I was in tears yesterday.
I dont even know whats going on. I have lots to learn.
A friend emailed me a pic of her "new daughter" and she does not even have her dossier completed. How did she get locked in?
Amy,
I'm a dork. Could you please edit my entry on the database of the postcard exchange and delete my last name? Please?
Thanks!
Bethany is the only agency I know of that requires you to be through the review room.
You can move along quickly with anyone else.
We have to wait 20 months just to see a list.
Kimberley,
I know you've spoken to your case manager, but have you spoken to someone higher up than that person? Have you gone to talk to them IN PERSON?
I know someone who took a day off of work and drove to the main office and had a stand off until they allowed her to see the COP list. Maybe that's what it takes?
My heart breaks for you. But there is no such thing as a "perfect" agency, so don't think yours is the only one who seems to be working against you. This is adoption #2 for us, and we've had issues both times.
done
Kimberley,
With the new SN shared list program, it's not just Bethany that requires you to be through review, it's a new CC*AA requirement.
They want to get these kids home FAST after they're placed -- and that is a wonderful thing.
Thanks, Amy!
Oh I hope there is no problem with our dossier!!!
Not to belabor the point, but if we were interested in adopting another baby at this point, we couldn't do what we did for Elizabeth...that is, find her on a list, apply for her, get our dossier together...
Now, you have to be in the CC*AA system with an LID or some agencies still allow families to be ready to go with their dossier and it gets sent to China with the LOI. Very few, do that, though, from what I've read.
These are new CC*AA requirements.
Hey Kimberley,
You asked me for adoption related book recommendations and I left mine on the comments on the new blog. You've gotten LOTS of great book recommendations already through the comments. Sorry, but you'll have to cull through them to get that info.
Who knew that creating a blog could turn into a full time job?
Hey Kimberley, there's a local family in China right now -- they'll get their little girl, Jade, tomorrow!
In case you're interested:
http://www.babysites.com/sites/jadecarroll/
Good morning, all.!
just wanted to pop in and say Hi!
Good morning, Carla!
I'm TB (aka Kelly), and I love your blog and your story! Your new daughter is absolutely the sweetest! I hope you're able to bring her home soon!
Oops, got a little exclamation point happy -- will try to contain that...
I think Kimberley is refreshing her coffee, or got caught up in reading a blog somewhere. She'll be back. For now, though, I think it's you and me. Amy was here, too, but she has also disappeared.
Cool, a whole post without an exclamation point...I CAN do this.;^)
Hi Kelly,
Thank you! We are hoping to bring her home soon, but more than likely it will be Sept!
That is funny. I use way to many !!! ,too! lol
Sorry ladies,
I was replying to my agencies lame e-mail that they sent trying to explain why they are completely incapable.
Good Morning Carla!
How are you?
September because of the Olympics, or because you're waiting on a document that will allow you to go?
I hate that kids have to wait because of GAMES -- that's just wrong.
We're leaving next Friday to bring home our 2nd daughter from China (5th and final child).
Oh I am still here, just reading!!!
Can you believe it is almost 8am and all my kids are still asleep?? Except for the one that I had to take to school for JROTC???
I have really enjoyed Margarets blog. She was logged in the same time as us!
Oh, I'd hate to work in an IA office these days -- the employees must dread answering the phones or opening their emails! (<-- that one was on purpose and it needed to be there)
Sept because of all the new procedures in VN.
They are requiring birth mothers to have mandatory DNA testing and then sign release papers. Then you have to file you I-600 and have approval before you can travel. That alone takes about 60-90 days!
Congrats on leaving next week!! That is soo exciting!!
Carla,
All four of mine are still asleep -- the house is deliciously quiet and I could be doing so many things, but here I sit with my cup of coffee, chatting with you.
What a great morning.
Oh yes, the Director is now corresponding with me because my SW can't take the pounding anymore.
All of my boys are awake. My hubs is still asleep. It's Father's Day weekend, so it's all about him.
Oh RMJ, I am so sad for you. Sophia will come home and I wish she was playing with LynnMarie now
LOL The pounding?!?!
I decided a long time ago that people who work for adoption agencies should be required to be adoptive parents. That way they know first hand what the process is like and they would be more empathetic and understanding!
I cant wait to do something special for Michael
Well, as much as I hate to, I really need to get some things together to head up north. This won't be a fun, relaxing weekend for me (mostly because I'll be working, but also because my SIL NEVER.STOPS.TALKING.
But, it has to be done.
Have a great weekend!
Nice chatting ;-)
Well, Kimberley, that's a good thing, that the Director is communicating with you, right?
Is he/she being any more reasonable than your case manager?
Well, from the way it looks now Amy, LynnMarie will be Sophia's babysitter.
No way RMJ, you need some happy thoughts. I have no idea how the waiting child program works and I guess I will learn next week but I will keep m joy and so will you.
You rock! Say it out loud. I rock and my Sophia will come home!
The Director is a piece of work. I tell you, they all have been drinking their own Kool-Aid for so long...the arrogance is overwhelming.
They try to tell me that information that does not come from them is completely untrue. They are the flagship agency and other agencies are not following CCAA policy. They know what is best despite the fact that it will take us 18 more months to adopt a baby from them than anywhere else.
2 weeks ago I spoke with my social worker about the shared list..she had never heard of it, she had to take notes.
Then she called me back and said that they say the shared list isn't Hague compliant and they won't be using it.
Now, just a few weeks later they are re-vamping their adoption process around the shared list.
I will tell you, this isn't a good week. I was in tears most of last night. My daughter is a million years away. We are in completely the wrong place with an agency that is so high on itself that it is completely out of touch with what it's supposed to be an expert in.
Wow, did I say that? Yes I did and I feel so much better for it.
Ok now,
I think Savannah Hope's shower is in an hour...so please go everybody.
WOW!!! They need to refund some money to you since you have given them such vital info. They sound very frustrating to work with! I have never gone the NSN route, so I don't know exactly how it works. It does seem to me that each agency has their *own* rules and they claim to be the agency following what CCAA stipulates!
I want to give you a hug my fried!
Bless your heart!
Carla,
We are going SN, this is how Bethany works their SN families.
I'm doing better today. I have a lot of projects to focus on. 2 baby showers this month and I have a new project that will be launched for July!
Speaking of that, Daleea's auction needs some new items donated. Can any of you please look around your home and donate something...anything????
Oh, and another baby shower for July.
Poor Verna, she doesn't know yet and she's my graphics lady!!
oooookkkkkk...... hmmmm.....
I have never heard of that. I thought maybe you were switching over to s/n!
That lady rocks!!!!! and her family is beautiful
I emailed Daleea for the graphics for her auction to add to my blog, but haven't heard back! I have some items I can donate!
Good Morning Ladies!
I just stopped by for a minute this morning to say HI. I have a very busy day of yard work. Lots of flowers to get planted, wood to split for the campfire and our pool is in desperate need of cleaning. So since the weather is beautiful here today we are going to try and get everything done early and then relax a bit this afternoon.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend and Happy Father's Day to all the Daddy's and Daddy's-in-waiting.
Kimberley, I will be thinking of you today. I hope you can get the Director to help you out. My heart breaks to hear you so down. ((HUGS)) to you my friend!
Smiles! :o)
Nikki
Ladies,
I must go. We have to be at the high school in less than an hour for JROTC awards! Did I mention the kids are all still asleep? lol Guess they'll get breakfast later!
Have a wonderful weekend!!
there are some wonderful things over at the auction
Carla,
I can send them to you. She is having problems with her e-mail and she doesn't receive some of the messages being sent to her. What is your e-mail and I'll get the auction link to you.
Also, if you have photos of what you want to donate, you can send them to me and I'll get them to her.
Bless you Carla!!
Have a great weekend Nikki, wow you are going to be busy this weekend.
that would be great!
lamberts8 @ mac. com
Thanks!!
LOL
She just emailed them to me! Thanks, though.
Ill have to see if we have anything.. That would be fun!
Ok, Carla it should be in your mailbox.
Have a great day!
Thanks Amy,
Amanda let me know that she is working on surgeries for 7 new babies, so hopefully we can keep helping.
Very cool. I so wish I could go with my First Friday group to help the Starfish with some updating
Sorry I disappeared there, Katie is now up, dressed, and eating breakfast. We'll take off in a little bit and pick up Ayi then head north.
Everyone have a wonderful weekend.
Happy Father's Day to all of the Dads and the Dads-to-be!
Well Amy,
You never know. I may have a future project that will take us there. I have been thinking about it. It would be out in the future, but I am thinking about it.
Kelly,
You will have to e-mail about what lake you are on up north.
Ok, gotta go to bed. I am falling asleep. Dont forget about the post card exchanage, its posted on my blog.
YOu guys rock. Im falling asleep so I have to go!
Sleep well Amy!
Good morning Ladies!! Just dropping in to say HI! If you get a chance go to my blog and look at the tshirt I bought myself!! lolol I think we all need one!
Kristy
ok I really want to add you guys to the Christopher family email updates..EMail me at amyschristopher@comcast.net if you are interested.
Have a much longer China story related to work but it will have to wait until I am half awake
Hi there Kristy, I'll go and check it out.
Kimberly how exactly does a blog shower work?
Well,
The shower today is at Nipper Family of 4 and I'm not sure how they are going to do it. It starts in 10 minutes though.
With my showers, you just drop by on the day of the shower and let me know by leaving a comment that you want to rsvp. Then I'll get you her shower list and you can send a gift.
Good morning everyone!
Hi there Marla,
How are you?
I am sorry Kim I had a phone call. Thank you for the information, now I know.
It was busy on here this morning, but it is quieting down now.
Doing well, Kimberley! Just waiting for all my kiddos to get up.
Kimberly and Marla I need to go and get my day started , have a great weekend!!
Love, Kristy
Bye Kristy!
Man on the floor
Hey there Michael, how are you? Love the new blog
Have a great day Kristy!
Marla,
Your blog looks so cute!
Thanks! I really wish I could get a little fancier with it, but I'm just not as talented as those blog-makeover ladies. :)
I can't make anything, I have to always ask for help.
You did yours on your own? I think it looks great.
How am I? I am conscious, so that's a plus. I tried to get up at 7 to do something for breakfast for us. I woke up again at 8 and Amy was already home, and then I fell asleep again dowstairs while she was typing
I push too hard on light sleep during the week and have to make up for it on days off.
Thanks for the comment about the blog redo.
Yeah, I got the papers and such from one of those free scrapping sites. I made the header on Photoshop. I haven't quite learned how to manipulate the HTML on blogger to make it do all I want it to do, but I'm working on learning more.
Michael,
I hear you. I really don't get a good night's sleep much during the week due to staying up too late and our 3 year old waking up in the middle of the night.
I try to catch up on the weekends too.
Verna was excited about your new blog and wouldn't tell me whose she was doing. She kept it a secret.
Finally, my little ones are starting to stir around up there. LOL, I thought they were all going to sleep all day. My daughter just asked (by yelling from upstairs) if she can have lemon pie for breakfast. It is definitely summer around here.
morning all, just dropping in before heading out with Mom for our Saturday shopping
Shopping sounds fun!
i'm a little confused, went to say hey on the shower and nothing there yet....but the post saying it will be today...
Good Morning Dannye!
You always have such fun on the weekends.
Morning...
dont know if I'd call it fun, expensive is more the word, lol
is amy gone already? and is michael still here?
Hmm...let me go over there and take a look at the shower.
today is our 23rd LID-versary, who woulda thunk it....this wait is soooooo long
Ok, Crystal's blog says it starts at 10am central time, so I am thinking that is in another half hour.
Yesterday was our 21st...tell me about it.
Amy had to go sleep, but I believe Michael is still on.
Hi there Rhonda, how are you?
A friend just asked me last night about the possibility of starting an adoption from China. I told her about the wait and she was so disappointed. I hate that it's so long now.
Congrats on being 21 months closer.
Not bad, yourself?
the shower is not on crystal's blog though right?
congrats on 21 Rhonda
marla, I know....I feel like everytime someone asks it's like we are still standing in the same place in line with lots of people in front of us (and we are 7/14/06 LID)
Same to you on 23...
Kim, I still havent' heard from our agency about whose out of review, but once I hear I promise to shout it out to you
Amy has gone to bed. She worked the past two nights and has a shift tonight as well.
I have today and tomorrow off, I have a little work to do around the house, primarily cleaning the kitchen and tonight I may have time to finish repainting the shutters I can reach (two over the garage I cannot).
thank you....i am trying to find a cool graphic for my blog for the 23rd...no luck yet
I worked with Verna very quietly. Not even Amy knew I was getting an update.
Her best thing (in my opinion) was working the pirate photo from dinner on the Disney cruise into the header.
I've stopped doing the graphics, we 'celebrate' each month with a cake and I add a charm to a charm bracelet I'm building for our daughter. Right now we're working on our second bracelet.
By the time she comes along we'll have a third one done...or enough charms to have a double dutch skipping rope. ;)
Michael!! Hey!!! I understand another trip to O-town is in the future....around August??? we definitely have to get the gang together again...
and tell Amy that we appreciate her taking care of Kristin Garlock, I've been following her story on APC and China Dads, so sad, and hopefully they will find out what is causing the seizures and help her get on track to rehab, definitely in our thoughts and prayers
Thank you Dannye,
I appreciate any info I can get.
I have a friend who is LID in Sept 06 and I don't even ask her anymore how it is going. I know it sucks, I figure I don't need to remind her how bad by asking about it.
We adopted 2 from China and had a bio baby in less time than it is taking to adopt one these days. That is ridiculous!
How the heck can you follow it on China Dads? What happens on China Dad's stays on China Dad's (it's a guy rule). :)
And what's APC?
The charm bracelets are a great idea!
I hear you Rhonda. I'm having a tough week with it myself.
Rhonda does have a really cool charm bracelet that documents her journey.
I love Verna...she does such an amazing job, and so reasonably priced too...
and Michael your blog looks fabulous darling, just fabulous, lol
Rhonda, what a cool idea, and I am so with you on the 3rd bracelet, it's quite disappointing but I know it will be so worth it when we have our children....
i have the "inside track"....ray hardly reads the emails anymore, lol
APC is "A-Parents China" another group....
alright all I better get going before my mom calls wondering where I am....hugs to all
Have a great weekend Dannye!
catch you at the shower later...
kim if you have crystal's mailing address, can you email it to me so I can mail out my shower pressie?
I don't have her address, but I'm sure I'll get it at the shower and I'll forward it to you.
Everyone who's been important to us (and we've met - otherwise I'd have too many) during the journey, I've asked to pick a charm for the second bracelet. The third bracelet is going to be a 'family' bracelet.
When I first started the charm bracelet idea, I thought I'd just need one...since there were 19 slots I figured that was enough. ;)
I figure with 3 bracelets and 19 slots on each, 57 should be enough...
And I know that there are so many babies waiting. I don't get it. You would think they would want to free themselves of having to care for them all and feed them all. Why won't they let them go?
I don't know Kimberley, I don't understand it either. In a country of millions and millions of people, you'd think they could find the manpower to get these dossiers processed and get the babies home.
I am a woman of faith and I just have to hang in there.
Most of the time I'm fine but this was a bad week.
I'm sorry Kimberley, I will pray that next week is much better for you!
Well, much laundry awaits. The kids are going to a birthday party later and the girls are already stressing over what to wear. Guess I'd better go!
Have a great weekend!
Thank you, I appreciate everyone's support
Ok. I am going to close down the chat room early today so as not to conflict with Savannah Hope's shower.
Have a great day everybody!!
Good morning ladies!! RMJ thanks forthe comment and yes you can absolutely use us on your new blog!
I am about to head over to the shower SO Excited!!
Okay, the westcoast sleepyheads are awake and ready for the blog shower. Please join up now for Crystal's shower at nipperfamilyof4@blogspot.com.
Thanks!
Well, not all west coast sleepy heads were awake. I'm awake now and headed to the shower. Sorry Kimberley.
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