Welcome to the Saturday Morning Chat Group! It's been pretty warm up here in Michigan. The lake is thawing and we're supposed to have a lot of rain today. I'm planning on getting together Sophia's package for us to send to her orphanage this weekend. I am also nesting big time. I have been sending bags to Goodwill and Spring Cleaning. It's really sinking in that my girl is coming.
Amy and Michael are leaving for China to bring home LynnMarie this week. You are going to want to follow their journey and give them all of the support you can. Their adoption blog is 'When Love Takes You In'.
Robin is still in China bringing home Mia Hope and it seems like things are really going well. Mia Hope was grieving quite a bit for the first couple of days which is to be expected, but she has been smiling and opening up to her new family more and more each day.
Thank you so much for supporting the auction to raise funds for Sophia Jane. I am receiving some amazing donations. Quite a few items are going to come off this week though, so if you have anything hiding in a closet that you would like to donate, please let me know. Also, if you would like to place the sidebar graphic on your blog, that would be wonderful too!
**THE SAT CHAT HAS NOW CLOSED, HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Good Morning and Welcome to the Saturday Morning Chat Group!
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282 comments:
1 – 200 of 282 Newer› Newest»Good morning, Kimberley! How are you today?
Hi there!
I'm trying to get all of my typos out of my post. How you all today? How is Chloe?
good morning ladies..what pretty ladies on your blog today!!!
I'm good! I'm the only one awake! Chloe is snoring away in her bed, and Tom's still asleep too. That NEVER happens around here!
Good morning Kimberley, Kelley & Amy!
Hi, Amy! I'm so thrilled for you two this week! I can't wait until you have your baby girl in your arms.
Good morning, Kelly!
Hello Mama cuk and everyone!! I cant believe its just days away
Good Morning Everybody!
Amy, how are you doing? Are you nervous? excited?
Wow!! This is such a huge week for you!
Not long at all now, Amy. I'm so happy for you!
Kelley, what's your LID for Holly?
Amy, your gotcha day is my oldest son's 18th birthday, I'll never forget it!
Amy, on your blog you were asking about clothing sizes. I'll bet you have it all figured out by now. Chloe weighed exactly 15 pounds when we got her, and she wore size 6-9 months. :)
Our LID for Holly is 1-10-08. So as of this week, we will have waited as long for Holly as we waited for Chloe, which is something that I can't believe!
Kimberley, I'll send you my packing list and tips for shopping (that I worked up for Lisa, Ava's mom-to-be) if you'd like.
We had to go buy more clothes.We are taking 9 and 12 and a few 6 months. We will go to walmart in China and get what we want. Yeah things are crazy.
Friends have helped me organize things.All of her outfits are packed..Each outfit is packed in a ziplock bag with matching socks and a bib
You'll find lots of things in China. We had such terrific guides who helped us with whatever we needed. I know you'll have a wonderful time. I am so excited for you!
Wow, Kelley, that's amazing. Truly amazing. We only waited 13 months, 5 days for Katie's referral too.
I can only imagine that the log jam is going to burst the river wide open again. Just wish it were known when it would happen.
Did you receive our gift Amy?
One of our shower gifts was a day of shopping with Anne and we are making our list of things we want to look for
I just keep telling myself that everything will happen in God's time. The strange thing to me is that we haven't even gotten to the review room yet. We have to start renewing all of the paperwork this summer--ugh. But it's OK.
What a cool gift that is! I would never have thought of that!
Amy, where will you be staying in Guangzhou?
Kelly,
We're going to have to have meetings over lunch to make sure I have everything I need and don't hyperventilate or anything while I'm getting ready :)
Kimberley,
That's a great idea. You know I'm always up for lunch!
Things are coming along well with your shower, too. Hey, what kind of cake would you think your guest would prefer?
We are staying at White Swan and we are staying a day later than anyone else since we are using frequent flier miles and thats what they told us to do
....or "Kimberley, what kind of cake do YOU prefer?"
I've totally forgotten, Amy, is LynnMarie a Guangdong girl?
LM is in the Henan province. On Monday she will leave her foster home and go back to the orphanage to get ready..So sad, we cant wait to see her
RMJ, how are you doing??
Well, I love chocolate, but I think most people prefer white.
So what is the city you'll be staying in in Henan province?
I'm doing great Amy! Did you guys get our shower gift? I'm just trying to get everything ready.
Can someone tell me the steps for PA, LOA, TA...is there any other acronym I am missing here?
CA- consulate appt
I did RMJ, you have a great taste and I will get your thank you card asap
Kelley,
Are you all considering SN or are you going to wait for a non-SN referral?
Kimberley, it's your shower, so have the kind of cake you want. :)
Amy, be sure to find Jordan's when you're at the White Swan. If you walk down the street towards Lucy's and walk up the street that is across from Lucy's, you'll see the sign. Jordan is really nice, and you can shop there without anyone hovering right by you. (Although the other shops are fun too.)
Oh, don't worry about a card Amy. You guys have enough going on right now. I am so excited for you. Now, are you going to blog on your main blog from China?
Right now we're still NSN. Our agency wasn't Hague accredited until just a couple of months ago, so they couldn't view any waiting children. Just this week we received emails that they will be able to handle SN adoptions for people who want to change/update their files.
Zhengzhou is where we will get her
Yes, Amy, Jordan will write LM's name in chinese calligraphy (free) and Sherry's Place (near A Gift from China - an awesome charity store) will make a chinese zodiac card with LM's name on it free - they're VERY cute. Sherry's Place has the cutest shoes on the island, 2nd best place for shoes is Jordan's place. IMO, of course.
I think we will get in trouble if we dont blog..hahah
Today I am cleaning out, cleaning car, getting skype account ready, collecting new and clean money..
My friend found us a 400 dollar glider for 25 dollars at a consignment sale so we are excited
Where do you get the locks Kelly?
I agree with Kelly. Those were my favorite shops too. And there is a great little convenience store right near the White Swan, where you can buy water, baby supplies, and good snack foods. I can't remember the name of it though...it's not the corner 7-11, it's up one of the side streets...
Oh I wish I could go this week too!
come on, there is room in the suitcase
Amy, one last piece of advice:
DON'T BUY ANYTHING YOUR FIRST DAY ON THE ISLAND.
The only exceptions to that rule are if you're going to have LM's picture painted in a snuff bottle or if you're going to have the granite etching done of her.
Other than that, REFRAIN!!!!
Most of the shops have very similar, if not identical merchandise. Shop the shops first, note the prices and then go back to buy. Trust me, there is nothing more frustrating than hearing "I give you good price" thinking you GOT a good price then walking into a shop two doors down and seeing the exact same thing quite a bit cheaper. I know this to be true, I learned my lesson the hard way!
You are doing great Amy!
It seems like all of a sudden so many families are being matched and traveling.
Good Morning Ladies..
So exciting to see all the ladies going to China , being in China and getting referrals..getting to be a little bit more surreal...
I am sooo happy to be able to be part of this Sat. morning chat.. don't get over here often..
Kelley, Beatrice's (the store you mentioned) is closed and has been for some time.
the two 7-11s are the only place on the island to get things like that now.
Oh, Kimberley, I found my lock at the True Value hardware store on 28th st. near Cascade road. I had it engraved at the place in Woodland mall.
Good morning Kim!
Lots of noise coming from the girls' room - must make it stop!
Back soon!
Yep, yep...I agree with Kelly's shopping advice 100%. I had the best time each afternoon when Chloe was napping. I'd leave her in the hotel room with Tom, visit the shops around the island (Tom's not much for shopping), get a massage--they're so cheap, how can you resist?? And then I'd be back before Chloe woke up for her bottle and more cuddle time. Then later, we'd take an evening stroll, and I'd show Tom and Chloe things that I'd found to buy...that's when we'd make our decisions about what to get.
I forgot how to do the comment section...
Amy how exciting.... I know you are sooo overwhelmed..
Kimberley~ I know you are just organizing and cleaning like crazy...
Has it sunk in yet...
Hi Kim!
Hi there Kim, how are you? Do you work today?
Good Morning Kelley..
I have to 2nd Kelley on the massage - it was an awesome experience! One hour of torture and bliss (is that really possible?) but it was SO great!
No work till Tues.. I have to work 1 Monday a month so I have today off ..have a 2 hour meeting on Sunday night and that is it till Tues..
YEA
It still very surreal..Very dreamlike..Glad I have friends who are helping me..
If you guys would ask for prayer on your blogs Wed that would be awesome
I figured out the comments finally
Of course we'll pray for you Amy.
Speaking of prayer, is everyone remembering to pray for April, Patrick and Eliana? Today is the last day of their 3 day intensive therapy session. Tomorrow Kurt flies home.
Well, I think my chatting time is wrapping up for this morning...Chloe and her daddy are stirring upstairs. Have a great day everyone! Amy, you will all definitely be in my prayers this week. Have a wonderful time meeting and bonding with your baby girl! Treasure every single second!
Dont know them but I will pray
Good bye Kelley, have a wonderful day!
Great talking with you Kelley, have a wonderful weekend!
Have you heard from April regarding how things are going?
Amy, April has several blogs (their "at home" one is private) but you might know her from "The Road to SIJI"
Kimberley, she wrote that the first day went really well, that Eliana was charming and only had a couple of bad episodes (which is wonderful, but not what Kurt needed to see) and they were hoping that yesterday would be a little "worse" so Kurt could see some of the real rages they described. I didn't hear from them last night.
Have a great day Kelley..
Sorry..John is getting ready to take Delilah to get a haircut and we had to find a new groomer after 3 years.. so was printing a picture for him to take..
Don't laugh..lol
Hey, I have some GREAT news!
My son got his acceptance letter from the University of Michigan yesterday!!
Woo hoo!!
oh thats awesome, tell him congrats!!
Good Morning all.
Sorry don't have time to read through everything right now, as I have to get to work again this morning. I did get 2 errands run, and a 3 mile run done already this morning.
I'll try to post from the trenches.
How exciting Kelly...
Great job...
Doesn't seem real that the kids are going to be graduating..
I can't believe Nick is going to be gone come Aug..
We found out yesterday that Big Surf -where the kids lifeguard is not hiring 15 year olds this year.. so KyLee is not going to be able to lifeguard with her brothers..
Good morning Nancy!
How's the view from up on that cloud?
Oh Kelly,
That is absolutely tremendous!! WOO HOO! That is huge!
Good Morning Miss Nancy!
How are you doing? Shopping for pink?
Kim, that's too bad about KyLee's job, I know she was looking forward to it. Times are just so hard right now. I hope she's able to get a different job.
She will probably just go back to her Dad's one more summer..
Then come home with us when we are out there for my 20 year reunion..
Oh, poor KyLee. I tell you, it's really getting hard forthe teens to find jobs right now with the economy and everything.
Oh have to tell you ladies..
The blog is almost done..
AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL..
The view is beautiful from up here. We are looking at a high of 77 today.
Went shopping last night, but it wasn't for me...
Reall gotta get out the door now. Hopefully will be able to check back in an hour or so.
sorry.. if you don't know..
BABY SHOWER BLOG..
Diana is sooo AMAZING
Thanks all. He's pretty stoked about it. Of course, UofM was his 3rd choice and he still hasn't heard from #1 or #2 -- but at least he's got one definite for next year. We're really proud of him!
Kim, I tried to sneak a peek but was shut down. Poor me!
Can't wait to see it!!
Kim, I am really excited! Thank you for all of your work for me. I really appreciate it. You too Kelly.
How warm are we supposed to get today Kelly? I don't think we're going to hit 77, that sure would feel nice though.
It is on private...lol.. Diana said don't show anyone till done..
So she was getting my approval on things last night..
but LOVE IT..
Oh, and Kim? I've gotten three phone calls from the ladies you've given the list to, standing in stores asking me about Sophia's sizes or other questions -- it's been pretty funny.
I figured they must have called 411 for my phone number since it wasn't on that letter. It's been pretty funny!
so glad to the chat so actve this morning
I really can wait, but I'm excited to see it.
Kimberley ~ I have sent out 21 emails.. with the wish list..
IT is AMAZING.. but wouldn't think of it any other way.. since you are sooo AMAZING...
Thanks Kelly too.. we work well together..LOL
Kimberley, I think today is the the thunderstorm day. It's foggy outside my house right now, that means it's warmish.
yesterday was gorgeous. I got all of my Christmas lights down finally!!
uh oh i need the list asap. I wont be able to be a part as we will be in China but I must send a gift
Nancy,
Did you register somewhere? I'd love to know where, if you know what I mean!!
It is only going to be 69 here today... BURR...
COLD for us...
Any plans for anyone this weekend..
Kimberley.. have you decided on Sophia's room..I know once you said you were going to put her in with Eli..
Are you painting,etc...
Can't wait...
Wow Kim, that's a lot of e-mails :)
I am really having a lot of fun.
I have so much to do though. I have to get the carpets cleaned and the house organized.
I've been purging, sent 4 huge bags to Goodwill last week.
Amy~ will you send me an email...
chinadoll_bella@yahoo.com
I will send it to you..
I love purging...our house is so small I like getting rid of things..
i have lots of stuff to do today as well
Sophia and Eli will be sharing a room for the first year or so. I have not been painting. I don't know what I want to do with it. It's Tyler's old room and truly the 'homely' room in the house.
Im soooo excited for you rMJ! You rock
I just wanted to say "hi". I've got to take Emma to lip sync practice this morning.
Kimberely - I spent the day in Greenville with my mom yesterday. We worked on something extra special for shower. She's even more crafty than me...hee hee.
Amy...OUR GIRLS ROCK!
yes they do
Good Morning Kim!
Kelly has been telling me about the special things you have been doing for me and I want to say thank you.
It is so nice of you, truly.
I am so excited!
Kim~ can't wait..
I sooo hope you guys take LOTS Of photos at these showers since I can't make it..
I soooo would love to be there...
WHY CAN"T I WIN THE LOTTERY>>>LOL
I'm so thrilled for you. I just can't wait to celebrate at your shower. It's been a long time coming.
I will be taking a lot of photos. I think it's going to be a lot of fun.
you THINK.. it WILL..
You SOOOO Deserve this..
You all have really gone above and beyond anything I ever thought. So I want you to know how very touched I am by everything you have been doing.
Hi Everyone! It's been a while - looks like lots of exciting days ahead!!! Lucy
Amy,
Which wall quote did you choose?
Kimberley~ what do you think of a siggy that says..
Friends of Sophia Jane.. or do you have something else..
Good Morning Lucy!
How are you??
Kelly- I just sent you an email. I need to get Emma moving for her practice.
Enjoy the weekend. It's going to be rainy in West Michigan, but at least its not snow.
Hugs!!
Have a great day Kim K
Good thanks -- It's so exciting that several of you are getting ready for the big trip!
Good morning all!
Good Morning Marla,
How are you?
Good Morning Marla..
Lucy,
It looks like Alaina transitioned wonderfully.
RMJ, a friend sells UpperCase living and she is giving me one as a gift.
We have yellow walls so we are doing When Love Takes You In in a wave pattern in dark purple with LynnMaries name underneath it. She will put it up when we are in China
We're great, just getting ready for the girls' first soccer games of the season today.
Kim,
You guys can do whatever siggy you want. I think friends of Sophia is wonderful.
Wow Amy,
That sounds beautiful! That is really neat that it will be customized for LynnMarie :)
You must be getting so excited for your shower, Kimberley!
Soccer starts today in our area too - but not until 6:30 tonight!
Alaina has been amazing - she is starting to put phrases together -- home less than 2 months!
Just LOVE that your little girl is wearing RMJs... how cool is that?
I am really starting to get excited and to believe that our girl is coming home.
She's really become a part of our everyday conversations. The boys are talking about her. Eli is very excited, but doesn't want to share his bathtub toys.
It's like a wonderful whirlwind around here.
Eli is tooo cute..
bathtime is special..
Kimberley~ are all the kids going to China with you..
Soooo much to do today. I need to go start exchanging money and get some belt bags!
morning all....
I understand the whirlwind. things start going very fast..It feels like it was yesterday that I saw LM's face for the first time.
We got some great photos of her laughing the other day
The red maryjanes are truly a God thing. I will tell you that I was just struggling with our adoption and begging God to show me what I was supposed to do and to show me which child was mine.
We had reviewed some referrals before Sophia's and I had no peace with them and it was a very difficult experience for us.
When I opened Sophia's referral and saw her shoes, I just knew. Every door opened as far as our doctor reports and it became very clear that she was our child.
Lucy, I was just checking out your blog, your girls are adorable! I can't imagine having 4 girls, LOL.
Good morning Dannye..
My hubby is sooo sweet.. he just brought me a Starbucks..Chai
Good morning, all. Just a quickie drive-by comment asking you to remember us as we run out the door to participate in a panel discussion on international adoption sponsored by our agency. We're hoping that Joanna Mei is on her good behavior and will encourage prospective parents to consider SN adoption. We will speak for about 20 minutes.
Have great chat session and a wonderful weekend!
Okay, off to start my day,
Bye all!
I think it is wonderful that you receive so many photos of LynnMarie. I wish we were able to have that.
Good morning dannye, we will be in Orlando in msy if not sooner
AMAZING story...
Sophia was soo meant to be...
Hi there Dannye! How is your little man doing?
morning amy, wow, just a few more days....how very cool....
Have a great weekend Kelly!
LOL @ Eli and his bath toys, that's cute. She'll probably have him wrapped around her little finger before he even knew what hit him. :)
Have a Great Day Kelly.
Good Luck Don and Be.
That is fantastic that you are able to do that today. I hope that everything goes well and I know that you will be inspiring.
he's doing well Kim, starting to stir a bit in his room right now, but not yet awake so I have a little time....
amy, be sure and let us know when you are in Orlando, we've got to get together!!
Don, be sure to let us know how it goes...and we need to get together soon...we miss you guys!
Wow, Amy, you're leaving in 4 days!!! How exciting!!
Marla,
I sure hope so. I hope that are wonderful playmates. I told Eli not to worry and that I would make sure that Sophia has her own bath toys.
He's happy to share a room with her as long as she doesn't touch his bathtub squid that squirts water.
Kim I can't wait to see your little girl's face...and those shoes are amazing, gave me goose bumps when I saw it...
Eli will be a great big brother...
4 girls - - I never thought that would be our family, but it has been pretty easy actually. Having the 2 big girls (15 and almost 12) has helped SO much with the littles!
well my little man is crying so I better go....amy looking forward to hearing all about your adventures so post as often as you can!! and safe travels, we love you guys!!
this is a very chatty group today. I still cant believe LM will be in our arms a week from Monday..
Check this out..We just did a series at church called 3:16 based on verses in the bible and we are getting LM on 3/16!!
Have a great weekend Dannye!
Kimberely~
Is all the kids going to China..
and how long will you get to be off with Sophia..when you get home..
Hey Amy -- do you need money belts? I am seeing Donna S tonight and could send them to you thru her! Let me know! We sure don't have anything to put in them these days!
What is the age difference between them Kimberley?
Lucy, I bet your big girls do help. I do find my life getting easier as my older ones get older (if that makes sense). When they were 7, 6, 3 and newborn, I was a raving lunatic. :)
No, we can't afford to take everyone to China. Plus the boys will still be in school and really can't miss 3 weeks. We are taking Eli because we think he will help Sophia adjust and he is too young to be away from us for 3 weeks. Our agency is saying because Sophia is in Beijing that we will have to stay 3 instead of 2 weeks.
WOW Amy, that just gave me the chills! Talk about red threads!!
we do actually..Michael will probably feel better with a money belt, i am going to see what I feel better with and will also look for one that hangs off my neck. we would love to borrow them. we saw Donna last night. we are borrowing a walker from her..You need to come to adoption option sometime
Sophia is 8 months younger than Eli.
We have never had to pay a "real" babysitter since we got Ally! We don't leave them too often, but it comes in handy for a quick run to the store!
Remember that the time changes tonight!
in the next few days, we will post the Finding LM on the blog. I cry when I think or talk about it so I will just blog about it!!! God is good!!
Wow, 3 weeks. I can't imagine, our longest trip was 16 days.
WOW.. soo many red thread moments.. in adoption..
I am soooo excited for you both ~ Amy and Kimberley..
Hey cupcakes (forgot your real name) where in Atlanta do you live??
Can't wait Amy, I'm following you now!
3 weeks is a long time.. is your dad staying with the boys at the house..
YOu will have a great time..
Soak it all in..
Eli will be great for Sophia
I wish we had frequent flyer miles, but we don't really fly very much. If I had the miles, I'd try to take the older boys, but there is still the school issue.
Ahhh, OK, I couldn't remember how old Eli was. (terrible memory here) My Jakob and Jacey are 7 months apart.
Lawrenceville - a pretty far distance from you... aren't you in the Marietta area? We are having a "digit" party! (four families that found our girls on the same SN list about 2 years ago)...
RMJ, you may want to ask for donations of skymiles..Lots of people offered them to us but we just used our MILs. we were told we would need over 250,000 a seat. We booked both our flights with 140,000. Very easy to book btw!
My two oldest sons are from my first marriage,so they will be staying with their Dad while we are away. We're going to put a skype camera into their house so we can talk with them every day.
Amy,
You were able to book your own travel?
We have to go through our agency's travel agent.
Do you really think people would give us their frequent flier miles?
Coo, Donna talks about her digit friends but I always thought it was a group that had missing fingers. I always wondered how donna got in the group. hahaha. I live very close to Donna
I hear Skype is the way to go. We didn't use it either trip since our girls went each time, but hey, Oprah likes it!
We'll see.
We're going to try to use Skype so the boys and Sophia can get to see each other and talk until we are home with her.
RMJ, yes!!!!! Add it to all your lists. Most of the time, people dont miss their miles and want to bring SJ home....
talk to your agency and when the time comes, ask what you can do to use the miles. Find out what day you need to be there and stuff like that
Marla,
How do Jakob and Jacey get along? Are they close siblings?
we want to use Skype as well
Each of the 4 girls in our digit group had a single number as their ID with our agency... One actually is missing a thumb, but that isn't why they are the digits! We have fun! I'll try to post a digit pic tonight!
IS that Frannie?? I love that family
I think that is cool Lucy. Are you all in the same area?
Skype is great.. we have been playing with it here..
I hope that we are able to meet our travel group before we leave for China.
Have you met anyone in your group Amy?
YES! Frannie and Ally were in the same O in China! Do you want the money belt?
I had met 2 families but we got split into 2 groups so the atlanta families were split up but i have been emailing the families we will travel with
Would love to borrow the money belt
Kimberley~ just got this cool little thing called SHOUTMIX.. and it is on teh baby shower blog.. and it is live IM.. so you will have the messages forever and can keep it on teh blog or take it off.. and print it..Diana did it on her party thing she had.. really neat..
Amy and I are in metro Altanta but are about an hour + driving time apart (depending on traffic). Maybe we will meet at some point!
They get along well Kimberley, but are both very laid back easy going kids anyway. And they were 6 and 5 when they met, so we didn't really have to go through toddlerhood with them in such close proximity. That will probably be a bit more challenging. ;)
I gotta get running but wanted to say goodbye and thanks for all your prayers..the blog is about to get pretty active and we cant wait for Lynnmarie to meet some of you!
OK -- Will send with Donna!
Both of our travel groups introduced us to great families that have become friends! It's such a wonderful trip...
Have a wonderful weekend Amy! I will be following your journey my friend :)
Have a great day AMY.. send me an email.. I can't wait to see Lynnmarie in your arms..
sooo soon..
Bye Amy, best of luck!!!!
Shoutmix sounds really cool. So, will Kelly and I join that from my house?
everyone can right on it at all times.. really easy.. it is actually on teh blog now..and will keep it on ..i just tested it.. I will show you the blog in a sec..it is almost done
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