I've been tagged

Heather over at "Everything Olivia" tagged me. Basically I need to list 6 words that describe me.
For some reason I'm drawing a blank. That can't be a good sign :)

Ok. Here are 6 for me and how I feel/am today:

1. Hopeful
2. Busy
3. Happy
4. Mult-tasking
5. Appreciative
6. Unsure

Hmm, who to tag:
Bev, Kelly, Julie, Tara, Kerri, Amanda

Photo of the Week

I am loving my clematis!

This is the first year for it and it is climbing nicely on our pool fencing. I plan on planting a few more next spring. They are such pretty vines!

My strategy

My strategy during this never-ending wait is to keep busy. The more time I have on my hands, the more I think and obsess and worry and wonder. The less time I have on my hands - THE BETTER.

The kids being home for the summer has kept me hopping. I've also taken on more work and am learning how to juggle it all. I think I need to hire a sitter for a couple days a week.

Shaune has decided to quit saving all his holiday time (in the event we go to Vietnam) and has decided to take another week off sometime in August for some family vacation time. That will still leave him 4 wks and the farther we get into the summer, the less it looks like we will travel in 2008 anyhow (Gosh I hate to think it will be 2009 before we are home with baby girl).

We are thinking about camping (in tents - ack!) in one of the many provincial parks we have in Ontario. The kids would love it and other than the sleeping part, I think it would be fun. If there is anyone with suggestions on nice parks and campgrounds to visit in Ontario (Canada) let me know. Right now all I'm coming up with is Bonecho, Sandbanks or Algonquin Park.

Yesterday was a productive day around our house. We finally did a bunch of landscaping (moving soil and seeding for grass) and Shaune and his friends put together a new storage shed for the backyard... maybe I'll be able to park my truck in the garage sometime soon. The shed will hold our lawnmowers, snowblowers, kid 4 wheeler & jeep, etc. It will be nice to be able to reclaim our garage.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Chloe is sick with some kind of stomach bug - poor kid. She rarely ever feels sick so she slept all day today. We are having movie night tonight and just hanging out. I love it!

Interesting Video

For anyone interested, check out this video which discusses Intercountry adoption, including Vietnam.

Ontario Cottage rental recommends

Okay here is a post for any readers I have that live or have visited Ontario Canada. I am looking for a cottage to rent that holds up to 8 adults... we are planning a girlfriend get-away and want something peaceful, on the water and with enough room for 7-8 women. We want to keep it to within a 1-2 hr drive from home so as far as Kingston/Gananoque to the east or Toronto area to the west. I also thought Peterborough or Prince Edward Country would be nice. This will be for a weekend early September - just a place to go hang out, cook great food and watch girly movies.

I would love any recommends you may have.
I'm really excited that we are FINALLY having another girl's getaway weekend ... the last time was when Keaton was a baby if that tell's you anything!

You can post here or email me at llightfoot at xplornet dot com

Photo of the Week

... a little bit late but here it is.

My boy tonight by the pool. I love the green tree's behind him. I love photos of my kids looking off at something that has caught their eye.

He is beyond cute, pool hair and all :)

YES!

I woke up to good news that a family ahead of us on the wait list just got their referral - so we have finally (after 4.5 months of no movement) moved to #5 on the wait list. Still a long way to go but this is happy news so I had to share.

12 month ... 1 year ... 365 days

Wow. We've gotten to that point in the wait where we are a full year with our dossier (paperwork) over in Vietnam. I didn't think we'd get here without at least the referral... a photo and a little child to love and dream of meeting soon.

I know our time is coming. I feel it. I was busy the past week traveling for the trade show but I thought of our adoption often and the waiting. I'm not saying it isn't hard but I feel like everything in life, it will happen when it should. I also feel like at times I have spent a lot of (probably too much) time wanting to speed time along to the day when we are a family of 5. I have tried to enjoy every moment of life but when you are desperately waiting on that next amazing and wonderful thing - it is easy to miss what is happening in the here and now. I know I have from time to time done just that. Being away in Chicago and thinking and missing all my blessings waiting for me at home is just another reminder of all that is good in our family NOW. I am going to concentrate, during the remainder of our wait for little baby Lightfoot, on relishing the time that is now and not wishing that time would go by faster until we are not waiting any longer.

Since we have started this journey, I have learned so much. I have had friends bring their beautiful children home, I have learned so many things that I know will help me be a better mom to all my children, I believe that the wait has helped prepare our family in so many ways to be ready when we are blessed with another child. We are ready now though :) Anytime now would be GREAT ;)

So... Cheers to a year of emotions and learning and wishing and ups and downs. Here is to a year closer to our 3rd child who is already loved so much.

Home from Chicago

I got home late last night from working the CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) trade show for Creativity. 5 days is a long time for me to be away from my babies (yes, they are still my babies at ages 7 and 5)... I am not sure how I will do 3 wks in Vietnam without them. I try not to think about it but little trips like this remind me of just how difficult it will be - for me, for Shaune and for Keaton and Chloe also. When I got home Chloe kept hugging me and saying she missed me so much and then she would say "I'm going to miss you so much when you go to Vietnam".

Shaune and the kids were waiting outside the shuttle bus terminal when I got back home from the airport... what a welcome home I got. I am the luckiest woman alive. Today we are just hanging out and cuddling a lot.

The show was fun. I got to spend time with good friends that I only see when I travel for work and that is always the highlight of the event for me. Many good meals, tasty drinks and big laughs were had!

It was a great distraction from this thing called "waiting".

Dinner out

I drove up to Toronto on Friday night for our bi-monthly dinner out for adopting mom's in the area. It was a smaller group this time with 7 mom's adopting from Vietnam and 2 adopting from China. Summer time is busy so I guess a lot of the others couldn't make it this time.

It is a long drive but always well worth it to spend time learning more about the program, talking to those who understand how hard the wait can be and share good news such as photos of my one friends sweet baby boy referred a couple months ago.

I'm guessing at the next dinner (in September) there will be at least 2 more mommies with their baby referrals and then hopefully a few more the dinner after that (me included please, please, please).

I had the best pasta, some sort of angel hair pasta with jumbo shrimp and mass amounts of lobster - HEAVEN! We did a little bit of shopping beforehand but I was very good and only bought C a pair of pj's that were on sale at the Disney Store.

Yesterday my friend Melissa had a pool party at her place to celebrate Murray (her husband) and Savannah's (her daughter) birthday. It was a hot muggy day and the kids had a ball in the pool with all their friends.

Today it is looking dreary. I guess it is a clean the house and do laundry type day. Bleck.

Photo of the Week

My sweet boy, April 2005... so young here!

Sharing a video

(PAUSE MUSIC on right hand side bar before watching video)

I watched this video on another mom's blog and it left me wondering what my family can do to act on the need of others around the world. How do you help other's in need? Does anyone reading have a special way that they help those less fortunate - something simple and doable for people like me that want to make a difference and teach my children to love and help thy neighbour... whether they be in the same city as me or half way across the world.

I'd love suggestions. Video's like this leave me sorta speechless and sickened. We are so fortunate. We are not wealthy but look at the life we live in comparison to so many others. We have food, water, clothing, shelter and so much more. We are so blessed. I want to do more.

Photo of the Week

I guess I missed POTW while away on vacation... so here it is a little bit late.

Chloe yesterday - enjoying a float in the pool.

You know, why does every pool noodle we have have big bite marks out of it? I swear, I do feed my kids!

Muskoka Holiday

Well, I ended up loading a lot of my photos on our family blog. Here is a couple, if you want to see the rest they are at: http://www.leslielightfoot.typepad.com/
Cheers!

We had an amazing time

...in the Muskoka's. We got away for a little summer vacation to celebrate the end of school for the kids and the beginning of summer for all of us! We spent our time with good friends and it was so fun and laid back. We are all exhausted from the long drive (it is a 5 hr drive) but maybe I'll muster up some energy and post some photos today or tomorrow.