GOING TO BOSTON !!!!!

Well ... I've taken another wild hair .... this time ... I'm going to BOSTON !!!

Mom's older brother, John, lives in Maine. His grandson is getting married in New Bedford, MA on August 31.
She hasn't seen Uncle John since Granny's funeral in May 1996. We decided that we would "surprise" them. We called them up and told them we were coming to the wedding.

Mom, Dad, and I are going to fly to Boston ... we'll get there about 1:30 pm. We'll have the rest of the day Thursday to piddle around. We'll have all day Friday. On Saturday, we'll spend part of the day in Boston, then we'll head down to Cape Cod to watch my cousin Johnny play in a baseball tournament. He's over 40, and we've never seen him play.

We'll go from there to Fairhaven, which is about a mile from New Bedford.

We are so excited ... we can't stand it. Now, if I can just manage the traffic in Boston in a rental car ... life will be grand.

WISH US LUCK !!!!!!!!!

God Said, "No" (author unknown)

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No.
It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you..

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh,
finally you have the idea.

22 MONTHS !!!!

It's hard to believe that I have waited 22 months for Mari-Grace. I think I'll change her name to Ellie ... short for elEphant. (NOT)

Yes 22 months of being paper pregant....and more to go.
It is so worth the wait.

I stepped out into the adoption process based on faith in God. I prayed that he would open doors for me ... and he did. He provided the way for this OVERWEIGHT ... SINGLE chick to send a dossier to China...and get it logged in before the rule change in May 2007. If I'd waited ... I'd be excluded because of the fact that I am overweight and single.

God keeps his promises ... and I believe he is creating a child specifically for me and my family. What a truly remarkable gift from God. Faith got me into this ... Faith will carry me thru.

Kammy

Have you looked at the BOTTOM of the blog page recently????

I just wanted to do a short post to remind everyone that at the end of this blog page, I have a list of the books I have read in the last 22 months relating to China and adoption.

These books have been a great source of information about Chinese customs and cultures.

Yet another new hair-do !!!!

Yep ... I went short again. I just can't handle letting my hair grow out. It gets to a point where I can't do anything with it. It sticks out where it shouldn't and lays flat where I don't want it to.

I should've taken my picture this morning when I got home from Jenifer's shop, but I didn't. This is after hanging out wht Reaghan and Riley W. for a couple of hours...after shopping at the new Walmart down the street from my house AND wrestling the punching bag into my car at sports academy ... unloading it .... assembling it and finding a place to put it.

If my hair looks cute after all of that ... IT'S THE STYLE FOR ME !!!!!!!!!

WHAT ???????

Yes ... this is boxing equipment. Why you may ask .... well .... I enjoy punching a punching bag.
It is the ONLY exercise that I can say that I miss. I trained a few years ago with a personal trainer that used boxing as part of my cardio workout. My shape improved tremendously, as well as my cardio state. NOT TO MENTION IT WAS FUN !!!! Great stress relief. When I changed gyms, I bought my own gloves .... and yes ... they are pink ... just like the ones in the picture. So.... I have decided that I am going to by an at home punching bag. No ... it won't be a pink one like in the picture ... I don't have a place to put one that size .... I think I'm going to get one of those free-standing bags. I've thought about it for a long time ... and it is something that is both good for me and fun. WALMART ..... HERE I COME !!!!!!!!!!!!

OOPS ... False Alarm

Well... I got the official e-mail from the agency today ... the CCAA only did referrals from Jan 13 thru Jan 20 ... that is 8 days. I'll take 8 days over 3 anyday !!!!

DUH ... my agency made a good point today. Rumor had it that referrals went thru Jan 22.
Jan 21 and 22 probably showed NO LID because it was a Saturday and Sunday.

What does that mean... I haven't accounted for weekends anywhere.
Does the CCAA work on Sat and Sun ???

Hmmm...If there is no work on Sat and Sun .. then I'm closer than I thought !!!! NOT counting Saturdays and Sundays ... CCAA is 150 days away from my LID. So .. here is my rough estimates (solely based on my calculations):

If we get: I'll wait: referral will come:

3 LID per month ..... roughly 50 more months ... sometime 2012.
5 LID per month ..... roughly 30 more months ... 2.5 more years...sometime 2011.
7 LID per month ..... roughly 21 more months ... March 2010.
10 LID per month ...roughly 15 more months .... August 2009
15 LID per month ... roughly 10 more months ... April 2009
30 LID per month ... WISHFUL THINKING !!!!!!!!!!! ... roughly 5 months ...

IT IS MORE THAN A RUMOR !!!!

WHOO HOO !!!!!!!!!! HOORAY

CCAA covered 10 days worth of log-ins this month.
Referrals have now been done thru Jan 22, 2006 .... every day is a step closer !!!!!

CROSS YOUR FINGERS !!!!

OK ... well ... RUMOR has it that referrals for the month of June are going to
be thru Jan 22, 2006. CROSS YOUR FINGERS AND PRAY IT IS MORE THAN
A RUMOR !!!!!

I'll keep you posted !!!!

WELCOME HOME BOB, MEREDITH, AND ALLISON GRACE

After about 4 years of waiting, my friends Bob and Meredith arrived at the airport today with their 10 month old daughter in their arms. Just another reminder that God answers prayers. Sometimes it is yes immediately. Sometimes it is no immediately. Sometimes the answer to the prayer is yes, but not now ... wait patiently.

Sometimes, it grows difficult to be patient .. but "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1)

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23)

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, Faithful in prayer."

Faith in God is what gets me thru this wait. Bob and Meredith are great reminders that faith and perserverance (did I spell that right???) is the key to seeing God's answer when He says the answer is yes, but not now ... you must wait.

Welcome Home !!! and GOD BLESS YOU !!!!