Thank you to our New Secret Pals

We decided to continue with the Secret Pal exchange with the Marching Pandas to pass the time and we just received our first gift from our new pals. As you can see from the photo we have received an adorable outfit, a really neat Fisher Price Snap'n Style Linh doll, an animal activity play doh bucket, a Cinderella colour wonder book, a book called "The Jade Dragon" and a lovely letter. Thank you for these thoughtful gifts, it really put a smile on our faces, especially with the referral rumours floating around!!!! Looking forward to next month...

The last of the renos...

This past year, to take up the time during the wait, we have renovated our condo. New floors throughout, new baseboards, new kitchen counter top, new appliances, a few pieces of new furniture, new paint and new wooden blinds. Tomorrow we are entering the last phase, we are painting our bedroom, walk in closet and en suite bathroom. We are also rearranging our bedroom so that Isabel's crib will fit beside our bed and my Grandma S's rocking chair/ancient lazyboy, will have room. My Grandma rocked all of us in that chair and I hope to someday, rock my little girl to sleep there too. My friend Kathy gave me the most beautiful ivory fabric that has the pattern of roses all over it and the chair is out being recovered in this as I write this. I will post a picture of our room when we are done.

I decided to post this update because this blog is a record of our wait for Isabel and all of the things that we are doing to prepare for her. When the last referral batch came out, it shocked me to the core and I just couldn't bear to write about or contemplate our life with our daughter. As many people are writing right now, the wait is indescribable unless you are in the thick of it. I am a very patient person and I do believe that things happen for a reason and because of that, I do wonder if having our own children is something that will happen for Shawn and I. In saying this, I am not looking for empathy but wondering if the program is going to end before we get to China and if it does, do we have the emotional strength to follow a path to another country. So hard to know. Oh well, we continue on and hope that the referrals next month will be good news. Cheers, and thanks for all of your kind words and emails.

A brief post to say THANK YOU!!!

to my Marching Panda secret pal Maryellen over at
TBG Happenings . She revealed herself in this, the last of her gifts and I COMPLETELY understand why she has dropped out of the exchange, she has her Sophie home!!!!!!! I was sad to hear that my pal was dropping out but Maryellen, you have the best reason EVER!!!!

Maryellen, I do think that we are kindred spirits!! Those UTube selections that you posted brought back so many memories!!! I can't tell you how happy I was to find that you were our pals as I feel as though I already kind of know you all!! It has been a wonderful exchange, you have been incredibly generous and we adore each and every gift that you have chosen for us and for Isabel.

So, onto the final gifts. HOLY S**T is all I can say. I can't believe that you found the"Free to Be You and Me" DVD!!!!!!!!!!!! That made my day. You didn't have to send ANYTHING else!!! But of course, you sent a wonderful ladybug plate set, kitty cat apron, "lovebug" bibs, adorable little white shoes and sunshine baby toys for Isabel. I love the little Cabbage Patch doll as well as the beautiful doll that came from China!! The little Panda wall hanging and the book "Somewhere in China a Mother Remembers" also came from the same store I believe. The store is called "A Gift from China" and the sticker says that the sale of these products will help support many disadvantaged children throughout China. Okay, these gifts brought a tear to my eye, especially the book!!! Now, the squeaky shoes are already driving Shawn mad!! Can't wait until Isabel is wearing them!! Thank you so much for the books, I love my books and you always seem to send such good ones!!! Oh, and I really appreciate the photo of your family. I want to be able to show Isabel who you all are!!! Who knows, you may not be blogging by the time we get a referral!!

So Maryellen, thank you for being such a great pal and even though I don't feel like posting much these days, I had to say THANK YOU for all of your kind words and your generous heart. We wish you all the very best and maybe someday we will meet!! You are all welcome here in Victoria, a lovely city to visit!!!!!

Crying in my red wine...

I can't believe the referral news. Five days... This is sooo sad. We are packing up all of our daughters things in boxes and I am not going to post for awhile. I need to focus on something else. At this rate, we won't see a referral for another year and although I am usually upbeat and positive, I just can't do that right now. So thanks Dolores for the nominations for the Nice Matters and Smile Awards. I really appreciate your kind words, you are always so very sweet. See you all sometime in the future when I feel like a human being again. Right now, I am going to pour myself a second glass of wine and break out the chocolate, I just can't believe it...

19 months, whoo eeeeeeee!!!!!!

Yep, 19 months in the long line. Can't wait to see the referrals this month, hope that our daughter is ever closer to coming home. According to the CCAA, we will have at least 5 more months to wait for our referral. Here's hoping that things speed up and we see her face sooner that that. It all seems so unreal and so very far away... Happy October!!!