Finally, Summer!

Still here and still waiting! The twins graduated from 8th grade, Tyler is home from his freshman year of college and we've just passed our 30th month of waiting. That is so crazy to me, as we were originally told to expect a 14-16 month wait. There must be a reason, and we will wait another 30 if that is what it takes. We have lots of fun things planned for summer...I'll update with pictures as we go.

Hope everyone has happy and sunny days ahead.

Taking a Break.....

In six days, we will have been LID for 29 months. There are currently 251 LID days in front of ours (11/14/06). I have no idea if we are even half way there. When I'm feeling hopeful, I think maybe. But when I think about how slowly we are getting there, my heart breaks. I have so much to be thankful for and I need to focus on what is here. The twins graduate from 8th grade next month. Tyler comes home from college in early May. We have a trip abroad and family vacations planned for this summer. We have high school and freshman football to look forward to next fall. I want to redecorate the boys rooms, and do some more outside activities. I want to be present for all of it and I need to take a break from this.

I so want to be excited again. I have endless love in my heart for Lilly. I'm holding onto hope and my faith. My prayers will continue......

Happy Easter

I love Easter week. We have lots of special things to look forward to over the next several days. The twins are in a Passion play tonight, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday. I feel very blessed!

Spring Break

Spring break is this week, although it does not feel very much like spring! We did ski earlier in the week. The boys have been enjoying sleeping late, very late. Yesterday, I had the great pleasure to meet my friend Laura, her husband Dan, and her adorable son Dominic for lunch. It brought me so much joy to get together with this awesome family! They are proof that dreams do come true! Today we are under a Blizzard warning. It really is just getting started, but here are a few photos.

Backyard....

Frontyard.....

What a pug does on a snow day......

Happy Spring!!

LID Day

A friend of mine sent me the following in a letter....."Waiting on God can be a challenging task. It tries our patience! We know what we want, and we generally want it now. God's timing and God's plan seem sometimes like nothing but an exercise in patience. The promise, however, is that our waiting (our faithfulness) will ALWAYS be rewarded in the most extraordinary ways...."

You Know You Are Adopting From China When:

This has been floating around blogland, and I just had to add it to my blog. If this wait wasn't so heartbreaking, I'd be laughing.

* You know that I-600 & I-171 aren't highways
* You've been expecting a baby for over 3 years
* You understand that it's 2006 in some parts of the world
*You've "paid for" 3 citizenships, but never brought anyone into the U.S
*You know that waiting for China has nothing to do with Dillards or dishes
*Your homestudy is followed by a number (i.e. #3 or #4)
*You never know how many days next month will have
*You know that babies come in batches
*You've been fingerprinted four times, but never committed a crime
*You automatically assume everyone who is expecting is having a girl
*You own new clothing in 3 little sizes for all 4 seasons (because you don't know when or how big).
*You look twice when you see a lady bug
*You're more interested in what will happen in March 2006 than in March 2009
*You know people who understand when you talk about 2 day months & 5 day months
*Your due date hasn't changed by days, but by years
*You know who the Rumor Queen is ... AND ... you don't know who she is
*You know that forecast doesn't have anything to do with the weather
*You've waited so long, they re-checked your fingerprints to see if they changed. Trying to understand why they're printing you again, you study your own fingerprints and wonder if fingerprints grow wrinkles
*When you speak of "that time of month" you're talking about CCAA updates & referrals

And finally...You might be adopting from China if you love someone you've never met with all your heart.

Girly Stuff

My sweet friend, Gail, sent me these beautiful bows for Lilly. I love the colors. I am very much a pink and purple kind of gal! In a house full of boys, someone has to be.....hopefully, Lilly will be too :)