Lake pictures

I promised some family & friends that I would post a picture of the new place at the lake.....so here it is!!!
These are some pictures that I sent to China with my dossier. My parents have had a cottage at the lake for 23 years which we could only use during the summer months. Last fall they bought the new house which we can use all year and now we are not sitting on top of eachother anymore. There is 1800 sq/ft to move around which is soooo nice & we now have our own bedrooms (what was mom & dad thinking....we will never leave now!!). They did a complete makeover on the inside and this fall the outside will get done plus a new BIG deck.



Here is me & my baby Saige on the boat. It is a terrible picture of us, well me... as the sun was in my eyes and a windy day out on the water.







And then of course here is sailor Hunter!! He just loves the boat!! This kid is going to be Auntie's little "water boy"!!! He went tubbing with me for the first time last weekend, which was about a 1.5 hour ride. Everytime we stopped the boat he would freak out & evertime the boat starting to pull us he would look at me and say FUN about 10 times. Eventually he fell asleep on the tube and had a good 30 minute sleep. I'll post pictures soon of his ride!!!

MY CHILDS LAST DAY ON EARTH

Oh my gosh!!! I got this email today from my friend.....title was "MY CHILDS LAST DAY ON EARTH".....I couldnt stop laughing at it!!! This is something I could see my nephew doing. Now how would you get the paint off the kids?? I guess that probably was the mothers last thing to worry about...look at the leather couch & TV!!!
Too funny!!!

CCAA in Beijing

Thought I would add a picture of CCAA in Beijing. This is where my dossier was sent. The CCAA has since moved to a new, bigger building, which I dont have pictures of yet.



The picture on the right is of dossiers waiting to be Logged Into the system. Once you have your LID you then move to the review room. I will post pictures of that when I make it there. Hopefully soon!!!

The GOOD NEWS is that it does seem CCAA is back up and running again since the big move. I did read on one yahoo group today that a family with a DTC of July 8 got their LID of July 22nd....so that is exciting!!!

What to call my Daughter

Alright......Now that I'm done with the first "trimester" of paperwork, I think it is time to refer to my daughter by a name. A year ago when I started this amazing journey I did have a name picked out......Kenzie!!! As time passed by I really started to not like it anymore. I love saying the name, writting the name, but dont like hearing it!!! Dont ask me why!!! So back to the baby name books I went!!!

.......that's what I requested. I did request a female between 6 months and 24 months, so its so hard to picture what my girl will look like. Will she have spiky hair or pony tails, chubby cheeks or dimples?? Like I said, its time to give her a name. I also want to order her Baby Book and have her name on it, and order her name in letters to hang in her room. But most of all I just want to say her name instead of my baby or my daughter.

So I want to have some fun here. I was going to do a baby poll, but since Connie had some problems after she posted a poll to her blog, I didnt want to take a risk of blog problems. Please leave me a comment of your favourite name I picked out, and also if you have any suggestions for me. These are my "TOP 3" names so far. I really wanted a different name as well one that sounds kind of Chinese.

Names: 1) Markie 2) Channing 3) Jetta

Her middle name will be her Chinese 1st name. I will also add YANG to her Chinese name after Kelly (who was like an Uncle to me). He lived & passed away in China. Kelly lived in China for a few years while designed the Sang YANG Golf Course... so in memory of him she will have YANG as part of her middle name. YANG also means "SUN" in Chinese. And of course her last name will be mine!!!!!

So let me know what you think and I will post her name in the next week once I decide 100%.

GIve this a try

My blog is worth $5,645.40.
How much is your blog worth?

Here's something fun to try!!!! Lets see who's blog is worth the most.....any predictions??? For a Canadian blog I bet Dawn's (Journey to Annaliese) and a US blog I predict Shana's (Journey to Sophie Lou).....Do you think we could really get the money??????? I only wish!!!!!

"10 reasons to date a single Mom"

"10 reasons to date a single Mom"

1. You already know they're strong because they have to handle the responsibilities of single parenthood.
2. There is nothing like a mother. She is a woman that is responsible and focused on life. She knows what she wants out of life and will not sacrifice the happiness of her child for just any man. So, if she decides to date you, feel lucky.
3. Single moms know what they are looking for and are independent. Any man or woman can appreciate dating someone who has confidence in themselves. Face it, great moms are sexy!
4. A single mom isn't just filling time dating - she's had to make a choice to do something for herself while fulfilling the full-time responsibility of being a mom. For a man seeking a real and lasting relationship, this is ideal.
5. They appreciate quality not quantity of time. It isn't always an option to see someone everyday, so making sure the time together is of value is important.
6. Single moms are more open to long-term relationships. For single dads that are also looking for a romantic relationship, it is ideal to date someone with the same end goals.
7. They're done being a "party girl" and tend to be more selective and thoughtful in their approach to dating. With single moms, we know our romantic relationship is valued and not just part of a series of meaningless dates or something that stems from the fear of being alone.
8. You get to see how they relate to their children and how they relate to people they love. And for single dads looking for their own "play date," this also provides insight on how she might interact with our kids and her attitude about important life issues.
9. Single moms enjoy their time out more and can appreciate a simpler evening of just spending time together. People with a fun, positive attitude and outlook are always more fun to date.
10. They realize what it costs to raise a family - and don't require flashy dates. They are impressed more by substance than a big price tag both in dating and in life.

Extra bonus reason: They make great Mac-n-Cheese!

DTC- Dossier To China

I'm Officially PAPER PREGNANT....oh what a great feeling!!!!

My Heart Is In China

I have been waiting so long to finally be able to say this.....my dossier was sent to China July 14th!!!! It feels so great that my paperwork is now gone to the CCAA in Beijing and is now on China soil!!! I just heard that the CCAA is moving to a bigger building so hopefully my dossier doesnt get lost in the move!!! It should take approx 2-3 weeks for my dossier to get logged into their system and then I'm back to the waiting game. My agency told me to expect a 4-9 month wait for referral, so lets hope its only 4 months!!!

How I survive the WAIT

If any of you wonder how I survive this wait, this is how........

"RETAIL THERAPY"

Since I have decided to adopt my poor closet has been neglected, due to the fact the baby's closet is getting spoiled rotten!! I cannot resist buying.....even though I have no idea how old my baby will be or what size of clothes she will wear. Since I have requested a daughter under 24 months I think I'm safe buying 12, 18 & 24 months clothes. Most Chinese babies are peanuts, so hopefully everything I have bought and have gotten as gifts will fit!!!


They day I signed my homestudy off in Regina I went shopping. I ended up buying 2 cute PJ's, these Robeez ladybug slippers and this toy for my girl. The slippers are 18-24 months, and look so big....one day I hope she will eventually burn around the house in them. The toy I bought is very fun and I will be taking it to China. It collapes down, so will take no room at all in the suitcase.


Now how cute is this......I actually bought the pants awhile ago with a tank top style shirt. Then yesterday I was shopping and LOOK, they now have a long sleeved shirt and a matching reversible vest!!! I couldnt resist!!!
I love these colors together..... brown and pinky/orange!!!!

The other outfit I got yesterday is a lilac color stretchy pant, long sleeved shirt with a great hoody to go with it!!! These outfits are all Baby Bum which I found in our Walmart.....they are great quality and will be so comfy to wear. Now only if I can get these clothes on my girl soon!!!!




So this is how I survive!!!! I will be broke before my daughter arrives, but at least she will have a dresser & closet full of clothes!! Just wait until I find out how old she will be and what size she is....I will really be in trouble, but its so much fun & worth it!!!

1st Baby Gift & 1st Card

Oh how fun it is to be a Mommy-to-Be...Last July I received my very first baby gift!!! My mom's good friend Carol went to Vancouver and brought me home this Chinese Cabbage Patch kid. I was in shock....it is so cute!!! When I was a little girl I had 4 Cabbage Patch kids and played with them all the time. I never owned a barbie it was only Cabbage Patch's that I played with. I wonder what my daughters favourite will be???
Yesterday I received a quilt square & wish from my cousin Jason & Cara. Along with the square was another envelope. I opened it and it was this card!!! Congratulations Mother-to-Be....my heart started racing......this is so cool!!! I have never really thought of me as a Mother-to-Be, just that I will have a daughter. So I guess this really does mean I will be a MOM!!! Thanks Carol, Jason & Cara for my 1st's....I will never forget them!!!

Lake pictures!!

Well not much to report lately on the adoption (I'll give you an update tomorrow) so I thought I would keep you entertained a bit with a few pictures of last weekend at the lake.

Every weekend I have filled the pool up with water for Hunter, but he had no interest in it at all. The only use it got was from the neighbours dog Kadi. All changed last sunday when Hunter finally discovered he could splash, and take his trains in it!!! Needless to say the water was almost gone by the end of his soak and we were all wet!!!




Hunter will play for hours in Grandpa's horse shoe pits. All that is in the pits right now is dirt, but Grandpa is re-building them this weekend and will put sand in them for him. Hunter will "hide" his trains in the dirt and have us try and find them.



And here is our entertainment lately at the lake. Kadi has grown so much and her and Saige have so much fun playing and giving eachother kisses. I think Kadi thinks Saige is her mom now...it is so cute watching them!! Notice who is on top??? Not my baby Saige!!





And we will close this post with pictures of Miss Kadi!! She is getting soo big and is very smart. She will be a bird dog fursure...her nose gets her into trouble and of course would eat 24/7. Here she is at 15 weeks old!! And puppy classes are going great. Her and her mom work really good together, only one more class before GRADUATION!!!

I've been TAGGED!!!

OKAY DAWN......I'LL GET EVEN ONE DAY WITH YOU!!!!

I've Been Tagged!!!

7 things I would like to do before I die
1. Travel the world
2. Be the best mother I can be to my daughter!!
3. Get a University degree
4. Build my dream house
5. Make a difference in the world
6. Take my nephew & daughter to Disney World in 5 years
7. Marry a wonderful man

7 things I cannot do
1. Be a handy woman around the house
2. Cook a gourmet meal
3. Roller blade
4. Save my money
5. Live without my dog & family
6. Imagine my life without my daughter
7. Drive by Tim Horton's in the morning

7 things I can do
1. Have fun
2. Love
3. Shop....retail therapy!!
4. Wakeboard
5. Dream of my little girl
6. Work 24/7
7. Sleep

7 things that attracted me to my husband (Dont have to do because I dont have one!!)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

7 things I say most often
1. Ola
2. Large Double Double please!!!
3. Is it "happy hour" yet???
4. For Pete's sake!!!
5. What the heck!!
6. Saige come!!!!!
7. Muck-a-hi

7 books I love
1. The Lost Daughters of China
2. Baby name books
3. Magazines
4. Adoption Books
5. I love you like Crazy Cakes
6. Dog books
7. Travel books

7 movies I love
1. Cocktail
2. Steel Magnolis
3. Fools Rush In
4. Top Gun
5. Gladiator
6. Cant By Me Love
7. Lion King

Now, I'm supposed to tag 7 people - Sorry, but I have too!!!!!!!
1. Connie.....Journey to Jadyn
2. Kristine.....Butterfly Kisses (FOI)
3. Sherry-Lou.....Journey to Olivia (FOI)
4. Tracey.......Little Red Thread (FOI)
5. Natalie.......Journey to Our Daughter (FOI)
6. Lorraine......Journey to China (FOI)
7. Andrea......Ladybug Journals (FOI)

Squares OFF in the MAIL

Well what fun would it be to build my quilt without my online blogger friends?? I have met so many great people since I have began my adoption journey and I'm not sure where I would be today without them. They are always there for me when I need questions answered, some encouraging words and most importantly they also share their amazing journey with me!!! So to my dear online blogger buds LIAM & SHERRY-LOU, SHANNON, LOUISE, DEBBIE & LISA I have now put your squares in the mail, so keep an eye on the mailbox!!! To the others that I'm swapping with, yours will be ready to go in the mail tomorrow, so I will send you a quick note once they are on the way!! Thank you to all who have sent me a square & good wish.....I love each and every one!!!

Dossier is ready for CHINA!!!

Lastnight I got an email from FOI saying that my dossier is now ready for China. I was surprised to read that it was done already, as I was told it wouldn't be done until July 10th. YIPPEE..... thank goodness all my paperwork was in order and that they didnt need anything else from me!! Now my dossier will be sent to the Sask Gov't and they will then forward it to China.

FOI also said that they will be sending me out a package of my next steps, some homework to complete in the next coming months such as Immigration/Sponsorship paperwork and a list of potential travel buddies!!

FOI is such an excellent, professional agency to work with. They only took 12 days to have my dossier through the notarization-authentication & translation process. I think they must work 24/7!!!! The email was sent to 21 families and it looks like there is only 2 of us single parents. I dont know yet of how many are adopting in the WC Program or are with the regular program.....so I will have to wait for my package to arrive!!!

Legacy Of An Adopted Child

LEGACY OF AN ADOPTED CHILD
Once there were two women who never knew each other
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother
Two different lives shaped to make you one
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun
The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it
The first gave you a need for love, the second was there to give it
One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name
One gave you a talent, the other gave you aim
One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears
One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried you tears
One made an adoption plan, that was all that she could do
The other prayed for a child, and God led her straight to you.
Now, which of these two women, Are you the product of?
Both, my darling, Both, Just two different types of love.
---- Unknown

I have came across this poem a number of times lately and just love it!! I thought I would share it will you. I wish I new who the author was.....she said it too perfect!!!

Canada Day!!

"Happy Birthday Canada"

Today we celebrate Canada's 139th birthday!!! Oh what a beautiful country!!! Today I'm heading out to the lake for the weekend. Tonight we will load up the boat with friends and sit on the lake and watch all the great fireworks. It is one of my favourite days at the lake. The fireworks go on & on for hours and we just cruz up and down the lake ohhhing and awwwwing!!

Today I also am thinking about my daughter and her beautiful country that she was born in. So today "China" I also think of you!!!