Referrals

For everyone thats ask all the time about how much longer do you have to wait. Here is the cold hard facts for the rate of referrals from Jan 2008 to Dec 2008. The CCAA has made it though Dec 19, 2005 to Feb 23, 2006 and has taken a whole year to do that. I know the facts are startling . and without a major speed up we are looking at another 5 to 6 years, at this rate. We are hoping that all the people that are going to the special needs children that It will cut our wait time down.

Its been 2 years

It was Dec 8th, 2006 when our dossier ( Our Paper work) Left for China. Now 2 years later we still have atleast a year and a half to 2 years wait before we recieve our referral.. We are just praying that China's Center of Adoption Affairs starts to speed up the process. Until then we are waiting patiently.

Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful for my Friends and Family, and all that God has graced us with. I hope that this next year brings us closer to our Daughter that is waiting for us in China.

Questions

Every week I have people at work ask me , " So how is the adoption coming? Or Any new news"
And they always say " It has been soo long" Well yes it has been long, and you should be on this end of the wait.. To me the biggest part of the wait is over, the part were you sit on pins and needles waiting to find out if you are approve to get a child. That part took 17 months.. So we know we are getting a baby , and to me that was the worst part of the wait. Now its all down hill from here. I can handle the rest with no problem. Now I just need to keep the rest of my adoption buddies calm.. Because girls we will get there in due time . And hang in there through the Holidays because those of us that have no children on the Holidays knows how hard it is.

New Picture of Baby Landon

This is my Dad and Landon. He looks more like a toddler. He will be 6 months old later this month, and already weighs a whopping 20 pounds. I think they are feeding him miracle grow.

Happy Halloween

Today we got to hand out candy for Halloween, And we got to see all the cute costumes. I was shocked at some of the ages of some of the people that were trick or treating . One instants was a mother and her son and the grandmother dressed up and they all had a candy bucket.. I just had to sake my head and laugh.. I really wanted to tell them that they are kind of old for trick or treating .. Hopefully we will not have to wait to many more years to take Nicole out.

Another Month Down

Today it has been 21 months since we were logged into the CCAA.. Each month that goes by and referrals come out the wait grows by one month..The current wait time from Logged in to referral is 33 months.. I have been asked many times how I could be so calm through this whole wait. Well the only thing I can say is I have no control over the wait, and life is stressfull enough without worrying about things that I can not change.. I am also not a person that follows all the rumors that fly around the adoption world.. In the China adoption world there is a blog called the Rumor Queen. That blog is not my cup of tea .I am a cold hard facts person. I see to many people get there feathers all in a ruffle over rumors ..

One thing that helps me cope is I say to myself , Am I ready for my life to turn upside down yet? and the answer is NO.. Our day will come when it is suppose to.. So we are waiting patiently for the time being.

Home Study Update

Today we had our home study update . We finally got to meet our new social worker. When Children's Hope closed there Cleveland office , we had to get a new home study agency. It has been 2 years since we had our first home study finished so our dossier could go to china.

We finished off the day with a visit to Olive garden , were my husband took me for dinner for my Birthday.

New Doll

This is Nicole's new Mulan Doll . Her daddy found it on e-bay and just had to order it. I looked everywhere for this doll . No store had her but they had all the other disney Princess's . So when you can not find it at any stores , you can always find it on e-bay.

Another month down

Today makes 20 months that we have waited to Bring Nicole Home from China. They are saying it could be another 1 1/2 to 2 years wait. Oct 4th our New Social Worker will come to update our home study, Your home study has to be updated every 2 years until your adoption is completed.. Lets hope she is home before another 2 years pass.

Hurricane Ike in Ohio

On Sunday Sept 14th , What was left of Hurricane Ike came blowing into Ohio. With winds gusting up to 60 mph. It took trees and power lines down all over the state , leaving Millions of residents in the dark. Almost a week later and there are still thosands of people throughout the state with no power. We lost power sunday night and was restored by tuesday. I had never experienced a hurricane before , but I now have one under my belt. I hope I never see another one. They are saying that next to Texas , Ohio was the second worst hit by hurricane Ike.

19 Months

It has been 19 long months since we have been logged into the CCAA. I just hope it does not take 19 more months. The only good thing about the long wait is that it gives us time to get all the money we need to complete our adoption , saved so we do not have to take out a loan.

Updating Home Study

We are in the process of updating our home study, We went last week for our local finger printing and the only problem we had was getting my father's finger prints again. Nic and I had no problems , they took our finger prints and was able to electonically send them, but when it came to my father the computer would not let them send them , so they had to do the old fashion way , they had to use Ink.. When we started the process we had no problem getting his finger prints , but as the years go by they wear away more and more . And its not that he is working and wearing them off , it must be from the remote control..LOL

More of Nicole's Wardrobe

I 171H Renewal

Today we recieved our I 171H . We sent our application in on May 15th , and was finger printed on June 25th. Then we had to go back on July 15th because the FBI could not read my father's finger prints. He is 77 and almost all his finger prints are wore off. Now we are good till 1/23/2010. All this for a piece of paper that says we have permission to bring a child in to the Country.

18 months of waiting

Today it has been 18th months since we have been logged into the CCAA.. We have no clue how much longer the wait will be before we recieve our referral . But we are waiting Patiently.

New nephew

4th of July

Nicole's Wardrobe so far

Sadie

Our Anniversary

It was 10 years today that we were Married. It was June 27th , 1998. After 10 Years of Marriage we are still waiting on our first Child. Hopefully we don't have to wait to many more years.

USCIS

Today we went to Cleveland to USCIS to be refinger printed. Lets all hope and pray that things speed up so we don't have to go back a 3rd time. This time was our one time free extention so next time we will have to pay.

17 months

Today we have been logged into the CCAA for 17 months. But atleast now we know we will be getting a baby. Last week we were informed that we moved from Review Room 1 to the Matching room.

Two years

It was 2 years ago today that we were accepted into Children's Hope Internationals China Program.

We Passed Review

Today we were notified that our dossier moved from Room 1 to the matching room. This is where they will match us with our daughter. We are so happy to know that we have passed review. Now we are begining to see the light at the end of a very long emotional Tunnel.

Long wait in line

Today is our 15 month log in anniversary. I have no clue how much longer the wait will be . but My feet is killing from standing in line so long ..LOL

An unexpected Valentine

Today I received an unexpected valentine in the mail. It was from a Little girl named Josie. She is 3 , and was adopted from china. Her Mom was My Secret Buddy . Her Mom and Dad are in the adoption process, so they can give her a little sister. They are logged in the same month as us.
The back of the dragon said: Tammy, This Chinese New Years Dragon is coming your way to wish you Happy Valentines Day! Love Josie

Thank You So Much Josie

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

The Lunar New Year dates from 2600 BC, when the Emperor Huang Ti introduced the first cycle of the Chinese zodiac.

Because of cyclical lunar dating, the first day of the year can fall anywhere between late January and the middle of February. On the Chinese calendar, 2008 is Lunar Year 4705-4706.
On the Western calendar, the start of the New Year falls on February 7, 2008 — The Year of the Rat. If you were born in 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996 - you were born under the sign of the rat.

Like the rat, you are always busily pursuing a personal goal or ambition, and are thus known as one of the hardest-working signs in the Chinese zodiac. For rats in 2008, any recent setbacks or obstacles can be overcome, so look forward to a year in which to really shine, either personally or professionally.

January Secret Buddy Exchange

January secret buddy exchange theme was "Welcome Home Baby". This is our last buddy exchange gift. My secret buddy sent Nicole her first pair of shoes. They are the cutiest pair of Pink shoes with little kitty heads on them. My secret buddy also sent me cards that she made that I can use once Nicole gets home.. Thank you Mary

Log in Anniversary

Today is the 1 year anniversary since we were Logged into The CCAA.. One year down and we have no clue how much longer the awit is going to get. But atleast we have 1 year down.