Panic Time??

The Caller ID said Great Wall China Adoption -- I thought about having a panic attack, but decided not to. It was our referral counselor verifying contact information in case we did get our referral next week. I knew it was not THE CALL, but still it threw me off balance for a moment.

The rumor mill is unusually quiet for the end of the month. Normally at this time, rumors of all kinds are flying around, but it's very thin. What little is out there seems to focus around a cutoff date of Jan. 10 to Jan. 13 of 2005. With our Jan 12 LID date, we are "on the bubble", and it's a delicate balancing act. I have the suspicion we may miss it by 1 or 2 days, but that would pretty much guarantee a May referral. Whatever the case, we will get some life changing news in a few days.

Things are very hectic, the adoption countdown, getting our stuff moved to the new place, and making plans for the disposition of the last of the farm business. We have been busy packing and have moved some things, but have a long way to go. At least it's only 7 miles this time, not 400 like the last time.

Will We? Or, Won't We?

In about 10 days or so, we will find out if our turn has come! I think we will fall short a little, but there is the chance we could get our referral in early April. If we only miss it by less than four days, then we can be pretty certain of May!

We have so many other things going on right now that we are not obsessing, but still it's right there all the time. The little girl who will be Miaya is waiting for us right now, even though she does not know it.

Please help us hold her in our hearts until we can hold her in our arms.

A Little Trip - Pt.2

The business part of the trip was educational, we learned a lot about policy issues in agriculture, and how the lobbying process works. Along the say, we met both of Iowa's senators, and a number of other top officials. We got the security process down pretty well, but it's always a kind of roulette game, you never know what each metal detector will trigger on.


On our free afternoon, we visited the Air and Space Museum, the American History Museum was closed for renovation. Seeing so many pieces of aviation and space history was a bit awe inspiring, especially looking at the primitive aircraft, and contemplating the courage it took to fly them. Of course, those machines were cutting edge technology at the time. It was interesting the see the number of international visitors there.

Although the fabric was replaced some years ago, this IS the original Wright Flyer, 105 years old. The engine is not the original, and the propellers are from a later Flyer, but it is the ONE that all of todays aircraft are derived from.

Later, we took the Metro out to Arlington Cemetery and visited the Kennedy grave site.

What would our world be like if events had unfolded differently on that day in Dallas?

I remember well the day it happened, the shock felt throughout the nation. The feeling that the world had turned upside down for a moment. That this sort of thing was supposed to happen elsewhere, not here, not in our land.

There were a number of school groups there, and we were a bit disturbed by the lack of respect exhibited by some of the students. Surrounded the graves of those who in some cases sacrificed all for our freedom is a sobering experience.

A Little Trip

We took a little trip to Washington D.C. last week with the Iowa Farm Bureau. It was a legislative/policy trip, so it was part fun and part very serious. I had been to DC before, but it was in 1969 - 39 years ago! I feel very old when I say that.

But, to back up a little, on the night before we flew out of Des Moines, we had supper with another waiting family in Des Moines. Both they, and their neighbors have daughters from China, so we got our "Baby Fix" that night. Supper was Chinese Hot Pot, a new and interesting experience for us, and one I would be more than willing to repeat. They also had two house guests from Tajikistan who were on an exchange visit. We had excellent conversation, and one of the men made a very good flatbread that served as part of the desert. We learned a lot about what to expect, and for while, felt a little less alone as we shared in their experiences.

The flight to Washington was smooth, and arrived on time. We were supposed to tour the Capitol, but due to some mix ups at the hotel, we were left behind with no idea where to go. It all worked out well, we joined up with another lady and braved the Metro (subway), and toured most of the monuments and memorials on the National Mall. It's kind of neat, up the escalator from the Metro station, walk about 50 feet, and your e there, right in the middle of the Mall, not far from the Smithsonian. We were able to see most of the monuments and memorials in the area.

Hopefully this boy's reflection is the only way he will ever appear on a wall.

We spent a while listening to the volunteer at the Vietnam Memorial, he knows his stories and tells them very well.

A Good Chance

There is a good chance, probably 50-60% that we will see a picture of the girl who will be Miaya next month. If that doesn't happen, then it is probably better than 90% likely that we will get the referral notice in May.

With an April referral, we would likely be traveling in the last half of May, and the May referral would have us in China in the last half of June.

Either way, we are getting close. We are happy, scared, worried, a bit impatient, and wearing a lot of goofy grins!

Back In The Deep Freeze!

Last weekend, mild temperatures and lots of sunshine pretty much got rid of the snow we have had for so long. Oh, it was not a lot of snow, but a nuisance none the less. However, the thaw, and the rain Sunday night turned our lane into a mud bog! It's a good thing we traded the minivan for the all wheel drive Mountaineer a couple of years ago. But, the rain changed to snow, and now we have snow and mud filled frozen ruts to deal with - depending on the time of day.

It looks like Canada is kind enough to send us another blast of frigid air this weekend, but luckily only a few flakes are expected.

We are so ready for spring!

Babies!! March Referrals Arrive

The referral batch for March started arriving in the US today, so far no official word on the official cutoff date, but it appears to be January 4, 2006.

We want to say congratulations to Cris and Brian Catlett from Arkansas who got the call today! We met Cris and Brian in Des Moines for lunch last winter, a very nice couple. It makes the process a little more real when someone we've met is seeing their child's face for the first time.