Happy Birthday Miss Jaycee

Happy Birthday Jaycee Elaine

My friend Angela ask me if I would take Jaycee's 1 year photos. I was more than honored. We had so much fun. She and Vivi are going to be great friends some day. I can't wait until I can take their picture together.

Coffee and Kashi

Although, I am a night owl, morning is my favorite time of the day. Here's the routine. Paul gets up and turns off the fan, goes to the kitchen to start the coffee. Am I blessed with an amazing husband or what!! I love lying in bed listening to the coffee gurgle while it is making. That is the best!! When it's finished gurgling I get up and enjoy a cup or 2 or 4. I like my coffee black and HOT, along with a Kashi bar (chewy trail). It's coffee and Kashi every single day. I love my mornings so much that when I wake up in the middle of the night, I am wishing it were time for the alarm to go off. Especially this time of year when it's warm enough to open the windows, it is so peaceful to listen to the birds sing and hear the water trickle from the bird bath, while I enjoy my coffee and Kashi. Thank you Lord for my morning blessings!!

Post Number 100

I cannot believe that this is my 100th post. I really enjoy my blog. It makes me feel close to my Vivi. When she is older, she can read about our life as we anxiously waited for her and how much we loved her, long before she became apart of our family.

This WILL Be Me!!!

I love this!! Kim, Jill, Rebecca, & Tricia can you relate? There are some things more important than cleaning the house, laundry, cooking, and running errands, watching Vivi Jo will be one of them. I long for that day!!!

Vivi Jo

Hayden's Senior Pictures

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I can't believe that Hayden is a senior and fixing to graduate. Hayden and I went out today to

take his senior pictures. They take the formal pictures at school but I wanted informal ones made into wallet size to put in his graduation invitations. The day was overcast and I think we may try another photo session on a day when the sun is out and is brighter, although I think they turned out pretty good, but I did have a great subject. Yes, Meme you can have a 5x7 for your grand kid wall. Just pick out the one you want.

Praying Scripture

You promise to tend your flock like a shepard. Gather Vivi like a lamb in your arms and carry her close to your heart. And, just as you promised to gently lead those that have young, teach us, as parents, how to lead, guide, and care for Vivi Jo.

Isaiah 40:11

We Love You Vivi Jo

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Driving in China

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Can you believe this?? I have heard the driving in China is CRAZY!!! It looks like you pretty much risk your life once you step onto the streets.....enjoy!!!

Congratulations Rick and Jill

Beautiful!!!

Annie Grace WenFei

Rick and Jill are a family in our travel group to China, they received a referral for Annie Grace WenFei, a waiting child, back in December. They just received their LOA - Letter of Acceptance. After 120 long hard days of waiting, they received their letter. What a happy day that was!!! Many people have been praying, and praise God for that answered prayer. I share their joy and excitement. They should be getting their TA - Travel Approval within 2 to 5 weeks. What a blessed little girl Miss Annie is to have such a wonderful family!! She and Vivi Jo will be friends forever!! We have got the most amazing travel group. God has placed us with this group of people and we will be friends for a lifetime. They already feel more like family to me than just friends. Even though Rick and Jill will not be traveling with us, they will always be apart of our "family".

I'm A Little Fruity

I told Paul that I was going to post about my fruit and he said FRUIT? I said, "I have eaten all but 2 apples in less than a week I think it deserves a post". I LOVE fruit, but I am real picky about my apples they have to be Pink Lady apples, if you have not tried them then rush to your produce section and buy a bag, you won't be disappointed. They are very crisp, tart and sweet at the same time. My favorite fruits are plums, grapefruit, and Pink Lady apples, and in that order. The plums and grapefruit must be eaten with salt on them, sea salt without iodide. Sea salt keeps me from having water retention, and it's just a healthier salt. Notice the grapefruit is eaten clean, even the inside skins. The other day I ate 3 grapefruits in 1 sitting. I guess you can say that I am addicted to my fruits.

My Nephew Chad

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This is my nephew Chad, Kristi's son. He is such a sweetheart!! His prom was last weekend and Kristi sent me these pictures. I thought I would surprise her by posting them. Kristi scolds me if I don't post daily. I think she will love this one. What a handsome young man he is!! It's like looking at my sister, they look just alike. Auntie Kim loves you Chad!!!

City Music Hall Performance

An old church in town that was converted into the Music Hall.

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Today at our City Music Hall we had a harp soloist. She was amazing!! Paul and I decided last night that we would go and I am so glad we did. I love the harp and we have talked about someday purchasing one and letting Vivi take harp lessons, after today I definitely want to. I brought my camera just in case I might get a picture. When it was over, I told Paul I was going to ask her if we can have a picture with her. My motto is, all she can say is no and it won't kill me. I'll ask anyone just about anything. When I ask her she was glad to and even ask me if I would like to sit on her stool. I jumped at the chance, I think Paul was afraid I was fixing to grab the harp and go to town performing my own little concert. I exercised self control and just sat there looking like I was the one in the picture that was the harpist.

IT"S ALL ABOUT.....

TTITUDE

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you....we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

--Charles R. Swindoll

I have to say that lately my attitude has not been the best toward China, dealing with the long long wait that has developed. Paul and I so desperately want our daughter home with us. We dream of her, we talk about her, I sit in her nursery and yearn for the day she is in my arms, I long to look into her eyes and tell her how much I love her, we love her so deeply and dearly. Paul and I are very passionate about the calling God has placed on our lives to parent our daughter that is waiting for us in China. It is easy to get down and develop a poor attitude when the wait seems endless. As Swindoll says, "we are in charge of our Attitudes." we make the choice. Right now I am choosing to have a positive attitude!! My friend Patti called me tonight, while we were talking she ask me to explain my post about the 2 days of referrals that China gave out for the month. I was sharing with her how the wait time has increased, that when we started our adoption journey we had no doubt that we would have her long before Hayden left for college and now it could be months and months later. She said something to me that sparked all of this. She said Kim, you and Paul need to enjoy the time you will have together, just the two of you. The Lord used her by sharing those words with me because it opened a flood gate of things that God wanted to show me. God is in control. He will be giving Paul and I time alone without any children at home, this will be hard for me because I love having my kids with me, it's all I know, they have been my job for nearly 24 years, and oh how I love that job, but I am choosing to take charge of my attitude. God will be giving Paul and I time alone to grow closer to each other and grow closer to Him. Which in return will make us better parents. God wants me to embrace this time, enjoy it, look forward to it, see and receive His blessings in this season of waiting. He is not going to save all His blessings just for when we get Vivi, he has blessings for us to feast upon right now and through the entire wait. If everyday I have a poor attitude because China is taking so long, and I sit and ponder on the negatives of not having our daughter right now, and get down because all of our kids have gone off to college, I am going to miss out on what God has for me. Wouldn't the enemy love to steal my blessings and my joy. Well it's not going to happen because I am strapping that "A" on my back and I am going to carry around a Good Attitude....because.....ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!!! ....and then before you know it the stork (Mr. FedEx) will be delivering Miss Vivi Jo's referral. I am going to embrace and enjoy each day that God gives me!!

Chinese Water Balls

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When we travel to get Vivi, if we are in this area, I have got to try this. Does this look like fun or what!! It's says it's a childs ball, but I want to play too!!!

CCAA

CCAA stands for - China Center of Adoption Affairs

ONLY 2 DAYS

Please someone wake me up and tell me I am having a bad dream. I can not believe that the CCAA only gave out 2 days worth of referrals for the month. It has been slow but this month takes the cake. Lets look back since the first of the year.

Jan. - referrals were given out through Sept. 27, 2005

Feb. - through Oct. 13, 2005 (16 days worth)

March - through Oct. 24, 2005 (11 days worth)

April - through Oct. 26, 2005 (2 days worth)

Our LID is June 6, 2006, do the math. I really try to stay positive and upbeat but this 2 days worth of referrals really hit me hard. I know that it is in God's perfect timing. I have to keep reminding myself of that. Please pray the CCAA will pick up speed.

HAPPY EASTER

I couldn't resist. I thought this was to cute.

DOUBLE DIGITS

TEN MONTHSIt is hard to believe that yesterday has been 10 months since our dossier has been logged in to China. The current wait is at 17 months right now. If it continues at this pace the wait time will only increase. It all depends on what China does....will they speed up or will they continue the slow slow pace that they are going? PLEASE pray for China to pick up speed, we are so ready to go and get our girl!!!

Ty Pluffies

My new discovery....Ty Pluffies, they are super soft, small enough for a toddler to carry around comfortably, big enough to hug, and the best feature yet, and the reason I am starting to get them for Vivi is - they are machine washable! You can just throw them in with a load of clothes, and they emerge from the washer and dryer clean, fresh, fluffy and good as new! You can't ask for more in a stuffed animal that will be taken everywhere (which means dropped everywhere), slept with, chewed on, and "fed" real food!....I can't wait for that day!!!!

(for only $4.99)

Canton Fun

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Paul and I woke up Saturday and decided to go to Canton. While I was getting ready to go I thought about calling my baby sister to see if they might want to meet us there. They couldn't pass up a day of Canton fun. It was a gorgeous day, the weather was perfect. We had so much fun together. We found some good bargains but this trip was more about enjoying one another and the FOOD!!