Photo(s) of the Week

Yesterday we visited a friends vacation trailer so the kids could enjoy one last summer dip in the cold outdoor waters (Lake Ontario). We originally had thought we might tent overnight but then decided to just make a day of it since it was only a short drive from home. The kids had a blast. They had 'Halloween' in the summer at the park and the kids all wore some dress up clothes. They had a full day of swimming, playing at the park, trick or treating and ended the night with a "Halloween Dance" in the main rec hall. It was a fun but exhausting day and we made it home at around 11pm.

Here are a few photos from the day of fun!

Safe and happy travels Leah!

I have made a great friend since starting our adoption last year. Leah and I met on facebook of all places and she lives a couple hours away - in Toronto. She has been a great support to me and someone to lend an ear whenever the process of waiting and waiting becomes almost impossible to bear.

Tomorrow I am glad to say she is leaving on a jet plane to bring home her beautiful SON. I couldn't be more happy for her and excited to get to hear all about Vietnam and her time there, once she is home and settled. I wish you all the best, Leah during your time in your son's birth country. May you drink in the culture and memorize all the special details of his life there. I will be here at home thinking of you and smiling.

Wishing you safe travels and all the happiness your family deserves! Bon Voyage. Love on all the babies in the orphanage for me. Who knows, one of them may be our daughter :)

Where we are in the wait

Well, our agency director came home from Vietnam a few weeks ago and word is out that referrals are beginning today. As far as I know we are #3 or #4...and I think there are a couple girl referrals coming - so perhaps we will move into the #1 spot in our wait. I can't imagine being so close suddenly. What a good feeling that would be. I'm not sure when I'll get confirmation on where we are for SURE on the list but now I know we are very close and I hope by late September that we are through with this part of our wait and on to the wait to travel part! Thing are starting to feel exciting around here!

This past week I cleaned out Chloe's closet (the girls will be sharing a room until we put on an addition to our home in a few years) because it is CRAMMED full of clothing. I bought a closet organizer and it made such a huge difference in her room for $60! I still am not sure how on earth we will fit 2 pampered princess's clothes in there but at least everything is organized there. I'm afraid we are going to have to get rid of Chloe's pretty vanity desk for now (it is an antique and so pretty) to make room for a dresser to hold more little girl clothes - I'll be on the look out for a nice big dresser to accomodate 2 little girls.

Please send positive thoughts our way... that our turn may come soon and that we will be able to start loving the child that has been meant to be in our family. Once we finally do recieve our child proposal/referral I will have a lot of frantic shopping to do. We have put off buying anything baby related other than some pretty dresses, etc. I gave away EVERYTHING after Chloe was a toddler and so we will be learning all about all the new gadgets on the market. It is crazy how things have changed so much since K & C were babies in 2001 and 2003. It should be interesting... and a lot of fun!

Brought me to tears

...watch it.

This is a video of the day a family met their new child in Ethiopia. Amazing photos that capture an amazing day. Different country but an experience I am ready for... yearning for - the day we meet our daughter and a sister for Keaton and Chloe.

Photo of the Week

Photo taken last weekend up at the Fabri's in Waterloo. Keaton got ahold of these Pirates of the Caribbean guns and didn't want to put them down!

#13

Yesterday we reached 13 months DTV.... and the beat goes on. Not sure when our turn will arrive - it has to be soon?! Stay tuned and hopefully one day I'll have some wonderful news to share. Please send all your positive vibes our way ;)

This weekend we got away again and spent the weekend with some great friends we met on our disney cruise last November. They have children around the same age as Keaton and Chloe so we clicked instantly on the cruise. Luckily they lived about 3 hrs from us, up in Kitchener/Waterloo area. They invited us up to spend the weekend with them and we had a blast. It was a nice distraction from all this WAITING. We finished the weekend off with a day at a waterpark near their home and it was so fun.

I cuddled a baby today

... and I loved it.

Sarah and Aaron came for supper tonight and I got a chance to photograph my little nephew. He is 2 months old and DARLING. I posted more photos on our family website for anyone interested.

Photo of the Week

I stumbled on to this photo I took of myself after returning from the hair stylist months and months agao... it reminded me that I need to get my hair cut and colour'd again. It has been a long time since this photo, and this hair took place.

I put off the color (yes, i know this is kinda bright in the photo but I'd just come from the hair dresser and red on my always starts out a little 'strong' b/c it fades so fast) because we spend so much time in the pool in the summer.

I put off the hair cut because I thought I'd try growing my hair long enough to put in a pony tail once I'm a new momma again. Also the thought of being able to pull my hair off my neck in the heat of Vietnam came to mind.

But I give up. I want fresh fun hair again so I'm going in for a dye job and snip! Wish me luck.

Nothing new to report

I had really hoped that when I returned from our back north getaway I would have heard something new regarding the status of upcoming referrals for our agency. The agency director is in VN and she was expected back a few days ago but is now there for another week due to the typhoon. Check out this news story for more information.

Can I admit that I feel like the adoption we were (and are) so excited about over a year ago is slowly draining me, it is so emotional and crazy at times... wondering what could and may happen next. I don't like feeling like this may not happen. Is it an irrational thought? Hopefully, considering Canada has not announced any intentions of pulling out of the VN program. But recently I have been thinking of all those in the US that had a dream of adoption from Vietnam and now are without that opportunity. The door for them is closing and I have to be honest with myself and understand that there is at least a small chance the same thing could happen for Canadians. I have been sitting in the low numbers of the wait list now for over half a year. I've gotten to the point where I wonder sometimes if this is really going to happen. I will be totally shocked if and when that phone rings with the news we've been thinking of for 1 1/2 yrs now. I'm ready for a SHOCK.

I secretly hope our agency director will return from Vietnam with wonderful news for many families (ours included God willing). I hope she comes home and knocks all our socks off with amazing news. I'm sending all positive thoughts her way and hoping for the very best for all of us waiting!

Lots of questions on how the adoption is going came up during our family reunion. Last year at the reunion I was sharing our expectations that we may be in Vietnam in August this year. Obviously that didn't turn out to be the case. Things change and I am certainly learning to roll with it. Now I hope for us to be home from Vietnam for Christmas. I dont' know if this is a realistic hope but I'm going to hope it none the less.

Surely the phone will ring one of these days?

Home sweet home...

Photo 1 - My Keaton and his cousin Joel.

Photo 2 - Shaune and many of my cousins playing Bocce Ball.

Photo 3 - My cousin Mike and his son Max.

Photo 4 - My cousin (from British Columbia, home to visit) Luke proposed to his girlfriend Kara - she said YES.

Photo 5 & 6 - My girl :)

After 4 nights sleeping in a tent I can honestly say There is no place like home. We went back to my family reunion. It was a 5 day event and we had a blast. I am glad to be home though and am looking forward to a solid sleep in my own bed... and indoor plumbing 10 steps from my bed ;)

I took a bazillion photos again. I edited a slew of them tonight and will probably put them on my family blog tomorrow (link is in my side bar). Here are a few - it rained everyday but we had bits of sunshine and a lot of happiness all weekend.