One Month until Referral????

Autumn (my niece) enjoying Vern's bed!!

Well, we have good news for once!! We are very close to a referral. We think we may get a referral the first week in April. CCAA has matched up to Jan 4th. 2006. We are Jan. 11th, so if CCAA continues the trend of matching 7 to 8 days for the last 2 months then we are in. But they have been known to only match 3 to 5 days so we are cautious about getting too excited. We had our home study visit today so we are almost done with the paperwork to start filing for a new I-171H (which we need to travel to China), Our adoption agency has no parents logged in with China until Jan. 11th so we are hoping this is good sign that China will make it up to the 11th. If we get a match in April than we may possibly travel by May 10th!! After 2 1/2 years of waiting we are not ready??? Can you believe that? We have just been too nervous to get the baby's room ready too soon..we didn't want to put a jinx on anything. I guess the rush is on now! Please say prayers that we will be in the group of referrals!!
Hugs!!
Terri

Getting Closer

Vern..Dog-tired after opening Christmas Presents
Rich and Vern at grandma Sarah's

So, sorry it has been awhile since you heard from us. CCAA matched 8 days this month!! So now we are up to December 27, 2008. We have been busy updating our homestudy. Our adoption agency called to let us know that our I171H will expire May 29th, 2008 and they are thinking that we will not be in China by then so we must update our homestudy and refile with Homeland security. SOOOOOO fustrating as this is the THIRD time!!. Our social worker is just awesome and so understanding of our long Journey. We know it will be worth it but being put under a microscope again to renew the homestudy is challenging. New financial statements, medical updates, background checks and another home visit. If only every parent had to do this in order to have a baby, we may no longer have any neglect or abuse of our children? You know weed out the "bad" parents? There are rumors flying around out there that we may possibly get a referral in April and then it is 6 to 8 weeks until we travel. We finally started buying some baby stuff. It really seem to make things more real to be buying stuff for our baby. To all of my family and friends in Spokane, I hope you survived the largest snow totals in 20 years! I know I am very tired of shoveling! I think we will try and buy a snow blower this spring (when the prices come down) and I am sure that will mean no snow next year. Well, we will try and keep you all updated. We are soooo close!
Love to you all,
Terri

Referrals Made again

I am sad to say that China only referred 4 days this month. This is just getting so fustrating. Now there is a rumor that they may only match 2 days next month as Dec. 20th, 2005 is a very large Log-in-date (many people are Logged-in on this day), I pray that it doesn't happen this way. If it continues to be small amount of days we will never get to China until after the Olympics!! It looks like we will have to renew our fingerprints (which we already knew) and now for the 3rd time a new homestudy update and federal background check. All I can say is ugghhhhh..........

That Time of the Month Again

Well, there were another group of matches. It didn't go as far as I had hope. They only did 1 week again. Oh, Man this is torture. I just wish they would do more days. At this rate it is looking like a April referral for us. Christmas is coming so quick and I seem to be very bah hum buggy. We just thought we would have our child by this Christmas. Oh, well..when I am off at Christmas time we are finally going to start the process of making the extra bedroom into a baby room. We have held off for so long just afraid to do it and then maybe have the adoption fall through. Now that they are so close to Jan. 2006 we feel finally ok to start buying baby "things'. Well, hope everyone is doing well and thanks for all of your support during this loooong waiting period. We love you all!
Terri and Rich

Referral for December 2005 Families

Well, we are getting closer. CCAA have matched families thru December 8th, 2005. Keep in mind our LID date is Jan. 11th, 2006. So we are getting closer. We spoke with our adoption agency last week and they are still hoping we will get a Feb. referral. We are not keeping our hopes up. Right now, CCAA is doing about 1 week a month which would put us with a April or May 2008 match. However, our agency says December has a lot less families waiting so they may get through it faster. Say prayers for us that it comes sooner than later. Two years ago, November 8th was when my dad had passed away. When he was sick in the hospital, he couldn't really talk but wrote down on a piece of paper.."your baby?" He had a brain tumor so this was a big deal for him to remember this. I had to explain to him that he really hadn't been "out of it" for longer than a few days and we have not got our baby yet but soon. Little did we know we would still be waiting 2 years later. My heart aches to hear my dad's voice and to have him be here when we bring our daughter or son home but I know he will with us on our journey. I have to say I am very thankful to still have my mom here to be "grandma"!
Terri

Football Season

So, sorry it has been awhile since I have done a journal entry. Life has been busy which is good. The wait has sometimes been very difficult so we try and keep our days full. Thank God for football!! We both love it! Rich is more into College football and I am an NFL fan. I sometimes hate to admit it but I am a true die hard Seahawk fan. We both enjoy spending our Sunday's at home watching NFL football and getting household chores done. Fantasy football has made it even more fun. We do realize that these lazy Sunday's will come to end and after 23 years together we are looking forward to a "crazy and noisey" Sunday as a family. GO SEAHAWKS!!

Another Group of Matches

It is that time of month that CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) matches families to babies (referrals). I was very disappointed that they only matched through Nov. 30th. 2005. Everyone had hoped that it would at least go through December 5, 2005. However, I was told by our adoption agency CCAI (Chinese Children Charities Agency) that they don't have any families with LID (Log-In-Date) between Dec. 1st through Dec 5th. So, hopefully we are still ok. So, Rich and I are just "patiently" waiting......

My goal was to have our child before I turned 40 but I guess God had another plan as I am turning 40 on Oct. 9th. The ultimate optismist that I am I just figure this is how it was meant to be and when it is right our child will come.