Tag you're IT...

I have been tagged by Dannye of Lay D Frog Thanks that was fun


FIVE THINGS I WAS DOING TEN YEARS AGO
1) I was married to my wonderful husband for 6 years
2) working at my current job for 5 years.
3) Weighing a lot less
4) Starting top freak out about turning 30 in three years
5) I can't think of anything else

FAVORITE SNACK FOOD
1) Pretzels (soft or hard)
2) Stacy's Pita Chips and hummus
3) Cheese sticks
4) Grape tomatoes
5) Grapes
I have to add a 6th if
6. coffee counts as a snack :)


FIVE SONGS I KNOW ALL THE LYRICS TO
1) Your the one that I want from the movie Grease
2) The theme song for Sesame Street
3) Tiny Dancer by Elton John
4) Forever Young by Rod Stewart
5) Devil went down to Gergia by Charlie Daniels (LOL LISA)
and I had to come back and add this one just for Cheri thanks for reminding me.
6. LADY from Kenny Rogers

FIVE THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WERE A MILLIONAIRE
1) Pay off the house and buy a new car
2) Open my own business
3) invest it in "sure things" (like they exist)... Dennye I liked that one so I copied
4) Go to China and wait for my baby
5) Take a trip somewhere we have never been and stay somewhere really nice like China and the Victory hotel LOL



FIVE BAD HABITS
1) not eating breakfast and eating bad in general
2) not exercising
3) shopping to much (not really)
4) Freaking out in the car when Riz is driving
5) speaking mind (sometimes at inappropriate times)... (Dennye I think we are alike in this way)

FIVE THINGS I LIKE TO DO
1) hang out with my friends
2) Organize anything
3) shop for baby things for Sophia :)
4) watch YouTube videos of "gotcha days"
5) read blogs about adoptions from China


FIVE THINGS I WILL NEVER WEAR AGAIN
1) Leg warmers
2) a Dorothy Hamill haircut (yup this was the style I was sporting as a young child)Me too Dennye... NEVER again
3) blue eye shadow (and I thought it made me look grown up when I was little)mine was blue eye mascara
4) sweat shirts with the arms cut off
5) Members only jacket

FIVE PEOPLE I TAG FOR THIS MEME:
1) Cheri H.
2) Diane A.
3) Susan L.
4) Stephe H.
5) Karen N.

Ni Hao Friends

One thing that Riz and I have been blessed with is good friends. Today we had visitors from far away. Our friends Bruce and Elsa along with their daughter Anya were here from Hong Kong. Bruce's mother Alice has been a close and long time friend of ours. We consider Alice to be Sophia's third Grandma (Grandma Alice). Bruce and Elsa live in Hong Kong. They only make it to the USA together as a family every few years (Bruce travels on business and is here more often). We always love visiting with them. They are so sweet and are very excited about us adopting from China. We have talked in the past about meeting with them in Guangzhou when we are there to adopt Sophia. We are really looking forward to spending time with friends while we are there and seeing China through the eyes of locals will be such a plus.

Sesame Street Brought to you by the letter H- H, is for HAPPY

This is my favorite and an all time Classic Children's Program. If you ask me it is really the pioneer to ALL children's programing. Sesame Street began airing the year I was born, 1969. It was born from the imagination of Joan Ganz Cooney and many other very creative people. I love the fact that since 1969 there has been a program that shows our countries diversity and the importance of acceptance. Sesame Street was the first multi cultural children's program on TV. It is the longest running Children's program in television history and has won numerous awards for it's excellent programing. It was always my favorite and I hope that it will be one of Sophia's too. Sesame Street has been vigilant at staying current. It has always had an emphisis on current events and now has even developed programs and multi media for the kids of this generation. I think Sesame Street will be around for a long time to come and that makes me H-A-P-P-Y!

My favorite Character was Grover. Who was yours?

An evening in Roma

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

When I did this earlier today it said I should live in Paris. I have no idea why because I am not stylish, my fashion sense, well leaves a lot to be desired. I do however love the cafe life and a good Park..... LOL

Really Rome is more "me". Riz and I have always talked about going one day. Now we talk about taking Sophia with us when we go.

You Belong in Paris

Stylish and expressive, you were meant for Paris. The art, the fashion, the wine! Whether you're enjoying the cafe life or a beautiful park... You'll love living in the most chic place on earth.

What City Do You Belong In?

Today this blog is brought to you by the letter S........................................

Saturday we had visitors in our house. Wendy and her two beauties stopped on their way home from the beach (Ft Myers). Riz and I love having them come for a visit. It is nice to get a glimpse of what our lives are going to be like when we finally get Sophia home.

Kate and Claire just LOVE! Riz and at any given time you can find them sitting in his lap. He loves it as much as they do and is always a willing participant.




This morning before they left for home I witnessed a conversation between Riz and four year old Claire. Riz was sitting at our dining room table with Claire in his lap. Kate was not far away and was drawing a picture for me. Wendy and I were sitting and talking about her new house and about our adoptions. Wendy said she can’t wait until we all get our babies home. She said it is going to be great when we can all get together with the kids. At this point this is what I heard

Claire: (out of the blue says) Susan and Riz, Cheri and Shane……… to Riz

Riz: Yeah what about us?
Claire: you all are going to have babies!
Riz: That's right, do you want to know a secret?

At this point 6 year old Kate comes into the conversation

C&K: What? What? tell us...
Riz: Do you know what Shane’s nick name is?
C&K NO What?
Riz: Shappy
C&K Now Laughing uncontrollably from the belly…
C&K: SHAPPY!!!!! That is funny… (again Laughing uncontrollably….)
Riz: Don’t tell him I told you that.
C&K Why not?
Riz: Because he only lets special little kids call him Shappy
C&K: laughing hysterically But Why?
Riz: because he does not like when adults call him that.
C&K: but why?
Riz: Well he just does not and he is a big guy and we want to keep him HAPPY!
C&K still laughing....that is silly
Riz: You can call him that the next time you see him.
C&K: When will that be?
Riz: I don’t know hopefully soon…


SO we had to do this






And guess who wanted to hold Shappy’s name?





Cheri, I know you can't hear it but, the Theme Song for Sesame Street is playing...

Very Important Information for ALL women

My friend Susan sent this to me and I felt it was important to share with as many women as possible. Please watch it and pass it on to all the women you know.

Crazy early rumor

This is from the Rumor Queen site...
I take everything I read over there with a grain of salt it is all speculation and rumors, after all that is why she is called the Rumor Queen....
I don't believe it... There is very little likely hood that this will happen. No one is getting there hopes up

"July 16th, 2007
An agency is saying that their early December LID families will be included in the August batch.

Everyone got your seatbelts fastened?"

Half The Sky

An overview of Half The Sky from their website

"Half the Sky offers the love and concern of family for thousands of orphaned children in China who have lost theirs.
Our goal is to ensure that every one of China's orphans has a caring adult in her life. We provide individual nurture and stimulation for babies, innovative preschools that encourage an early love of learning, personalized learning opportunities for older children, and loving — and most important, permanent — foster homes for children whose special needs will keep them from being adopted.

To learn more about our beginnings and how far we've come in our effort to reach the thousands of children who wait in China's welfare institutions."


Last year in November Riz and I decided we wanted to celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month. We began looking at charities that do work in China. There are several GREAT charities out there. Every Charity is doing FANTASTIC work to help the children living in China's orphanages. We chose Half The Sky because we liked how their focus is on all the children, The children waiting to be adopted and those who will never be adopted. We liked how they have programs related to education for the children and for the nannies who work with the children. Riz and I decided that we wanted to Sponsor a child for 1 year. The cost is $300 a year, we pay it monthly in $25 instalments. We decided that we spend at least that much eating out, on coffee or bottled water a month, so we can put that money to good use. We have been sponsoring a child from Nanning, China now for 8 months and have not missed that $25 each month one bit. We receive quarterly progress updates on this baby. We just received word that we have been assigned a new baby because this baby has been moved to one of their permanent foster care families. I have to say that we are sad that we wont know what happens to her from here but, we are happy that she will now be with a permanent family who will love her. The new baby we have been assigned is chunky, beautiful, and young we hope that she finds her permanent family soon too. We have seen the direct effects of the good work of Half the Sky when our friends Matt and Amy brought their beautiful daughter Lottie home. Lottie was in one of the Half the Sky programs. She is happy, healthy and adjusting well to her family. It touched our hearts to know that a family will be blessed in the same way Matt and Amy were with Lottie, with the child we have sponsored.

We would encourage you to research the charities that are helping children in China. To look and see if you can spare anything from you budget to help. It is one of the best things we have done since we have been waiting to bring our Sophia home. This is something we will continue to do even after we bring her home. We think it is important to teach Sophia the importance of giving to others who are in need. We want to teach her to be benevolent from the beginning. We feel that the best way to teach her something is to lead by example...

Check out the Half the Sky website for ways that you can help

I LOVE!!!!!!!!!! this show

again don't ask why because I am not sure I can even tell you. I have always been fascinated with this show. It is in Re-runs right now and I can't wait for the next season to start. I also love "Survivorman" and "Man Vs Wild" on The Discovery Channel. Oh yeah and "I shouldn't be Alive" also on The Discovery Channel.

I know it is weird but, summer time is a slow time for TV.... I think this may also be the after effects of growing up the only girl with three older brothers. That, and growing up on the beach in Florida (Ormond Beach)and watching the shrimp boats out on the ocean from our beach approach.

What are you watching?

Call me Crazy if you want to

So I know that we all have different taste. Many of my friends think I am crazy and frequently tell me so. That is OK because I know that we all have our own dirty little secrets LOL....

Now how can you say that he is not handsome, good looking, beautiful, sexy whatever you want to call it.... LOL



And yes Riz is aware of my admiration for Mr. Lee

So, who is your Secret or Not So Secret crush on?

Happy Birthday

We want to wish a very Happy Birthday to Claire.


Claire is the 4 year old daughter of our very good friend Wendy. Claire is a beautiful and smart little girl. She has a very sweet loving personality.She loves to play dress up with her big sister Kate. Riz describes Claire as a 4 year old little girl with a sole that has been around 100 years or as an old sole.......You have to know Claire to appreciate how accurately that describes her, right Wendy?



This is my favorite picture of Riz and Claire






This is one of Claire's favorite Noggin shows and quickly becoming one of ours too.

Eighteen months

Today marks 18 months that we have been waiting for our referral from china for Sophia. This wait is incredibly hard on all of us. We want to be parents more then anything, our family wants to be grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, our friends want to see us become parents and to have Sophia in their lives. We are so grateful for all of the support that we have around us it is what is getting us through this. We know that Sophia is going to be one loved little girl.
We hate to wish time away because you can never get it back but, in this case we are doing just that, wishing the summer away (not just because we live in Florida and it is HOT!). We hope that with Fall will come better news about referrals and when we may be going to China to get our little sweetheart. It looks like we may have 6 months or more to wait before we get our girl. That makes us sad but, we know it WILL happen (as our good friend Wendy always says you WILL get your baby. Thanks Wendy for being such wonderful support). We know that it is in Gods time and/or in China's time so, we will continue to wait as patiently as we can knowing one day this will be a memory and that our life will be filled with nothing but joy!

In the mean time I thought we should have something pretty to look at, enjoy!


"Sunrise over the Peaks of the 18 Buddhas"
Huangshau Mountains Anhui, China

On to happier things

Even though the CCAA only did 7 days worth of referrals this time those of us on Zhouskids (our agency board) are VERY excited because we have BABIES!

EAC has a group of nine families that have been waiting 20 months for their referrals. Those families are right now experiencing the joy that comes at the end of the wait, REFERRAL DAY!

CONGRATULATIONS to all of the families who received their referrals today. We are so happy for all of you and are thrilled that the wait is now over (well almost over) for you.

OK now details...

The babies are from Dianjiang, Chongqing China. Chongqing is the red circle in the middle, Beijing is the Blue on on the top and Gungzhou is the blue circle on the bottom. All of the EAC families will visit each of these cities while they are in China.





So far we have seen three of the babies and let me just say they are absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

The Geither family from Ohio have a blog http://www.violetcomeshome.blogspot.com/ and have posted the details of their referral there. Elise and I have been chatting on-line for nearly the entire time we have been waiting. Elise has two other girls that she adopted from China. I can't tell you how many times she has given me a peep talk Thanks Elise) in the last 18 months. Elise is also the one who picked the name for our book cub http://thepearlriverbookclub.blogspot.com/. Elise, Riz and I could not be happier for you. Thank you for sharing your journey to Violet with us.

The Rosa family (zhouskids family) were blessed tonight with Isabel born August 5,2006.

The Coats family (from zhouskids) were blessed tonight with little Anna Ruth born October 31, 2006 (my niece Breanna's birthday also, well 10/31/97).

The Ward family (also zhouskids) were blessed tonight with Jiang Ai Wei (still deciding on a name) she was born 8/25/06.

All four families have said that their girls are beautiful and have the sweetest chubby cheeks. I can tell you I have seen all three babies and their families are right they are BEAUTIFUL!

CONGRATULATIONS to all

Well it is official (7 days)

China Center of Adoption Affairs: "

The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before May 31, 2006.

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before November 14, 2005."


We want to congratulate all the families who are about to see their little ones for the first time. It is because of all of you we are able to get through this Long wait.

Happy (Belated) Birthday to our favorite God Son (our only god son LOL)

We can hardly believe that Ethan is 14 years old, WOW! Time has gone so quickly. Ethan is the son and first child of our best friends Matt and Lisa. Ethan is our first God Child (we have four). He is so sweet and funny and has been that way since day one. He has a great personality and is sensitive and caring. He is a GREAT big brother to his sisters Ashley and Allyson. Now, don't get me wrong he is ALL boy and this year started playing football for his high school team. We are so proud of him and could not love him more if her were our son.





Thank you Ethan for being part of our lives We love you.




Aren't those freakles to die for?

An Intermission

Please excuse this intermission of "Today's Music" for a History Lesson.

Riz calls me "Philadelphia Girl" because I love American History. I love to read all those historical plaques that are on monuments when we travel. I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia and still have family there. When I was a kid my parents and the school system of West Chester PA. would take me to Philadelphia on field trips. There in started my interest in American History. The following post is an article I found on the history of the Forth of July. I love the picnics and Fire Works as much as the next person but, I also like to reflect what the holiday is all about and on how we got here....

Susan

Beyond Burgers and Fire Works

History of the 4th of July

“Thus may the 4th of July, that glorious and ever memorable day, be celebrated through America, by the sons of freedom, from age to age till time shall be no more. Amen and Amen.”
Virginia Gazette on July 18th, 1777


Schoolchildren in America learn the basic history of the events surrounding the Fourth of July, but the details of this monumental occasion in American history somehow fall through the cracks.

Although July 4th is celebrated as America’s official split from Britain’s rule and the beginning of the American Revolution, the actual series of events show that the process took far longer than a single day.
Taxation without representation! That was the battle cry of the 13 colonies in America who were forced to pay taxes to England’s King George III with no representation in Parliament. As dissatisfaction grew, British troops were sent in to quell any signs of rebellion, and repeated attempts by the colonists to resolve the crisis without war proved fruitless.
The original resolution was introduced by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia on June 7, 1776, and called for the Continental Congress to declare the United States free from British rule.
On June 11, 1776, the colonies’ Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, formed a committee with the express purpose of drafting a document that would formally sever their ties with Great Britain. The committee included Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. The document was crafted by Jefferson, who was considered the strongest and most eloquent writer (nevertheless, a total of 86 changes were made to his draft!) The final version, the document that we know as the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, although the resolution that led to the writing of the Declaration was actually approved two days earlier.
The following days, copies of the Declaration of Independence were distributed and, on July 6, The Pennsylvania Evening Post became the first newspaper to print the extraordinary document.
On July 8, 1776, the first public readings of the Declaration were held in Philadelphia’s Independence Square to the ringing of bells and band music.
All of this had occurred with some of the delegates to the Congress not even present; New York, for example, did not even vote on the resolution until July 9th. (Did you know that not a single signature was appended to the Declaration on July 4th? Wile most of the fifty-six names were in place by early August, one signer, Thomas McKean, did not sign the Declaration until 1781)
One year later, on July 4, 1777, Philadelphia marked Independence Day by adjourning Congress and celebrating with bonfires, bells and fireworks.
The custom eventually spread to other towns both large and small, where the day was marked with processions, oratory, picnics, contests, games, military displays and fireworks. Observations throughout the nation became even more common at the end of the War of 1812 with Great Britain.
On June 24, 1826, Thomas Jefferson sent a letter to Roger C. Weightman, declining an invitation to come to Washington, D.C., to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It was the last letter, Jefferson, who was gravely ill, ever wrote. In it, Jefferson says of the document:
May it be to the world, what I believe it will be ... the signal of arousing men to burst the chains ... and to assume the blessings and security of self-government. That form, which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. ... For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.
In 1941, Congress declared July 4 a legal Federal holiday. Today, communities across the nation mark this major midsummer holiday with parades, fireworks, picnics and the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner" and marches by John Philip Sousa.

Today's Music

For your listing pleasure these are two of my favorite songs. They make me smile and think about Riz, our marriage,and of becoming parents together,and of course they make me think of Sophia.



Susan

A Poem from a friend

I was feeling a little down today about the length of this wait. Referrals are said to be on their way and it looks like the cut off date will be Nov. 14th (still a rumor at this point no conformation yet) That means Families with LID'S from Nov. 8th 2005 until Nov. 14th 2005 will receive their referrals. We know people who will be receiving their referral this time and we could not be happier for them.They have endured this long wait for their referral right along with us. I will write a post about them when they get their referral. Things are moving slowly but, they are moving and we are getting closer everyday to our LID of Jan 10th 2006.

The great thing about being connected to others who are going through this process or who have been through it before is that they all offer support when you are down.
a friend from our local "Families With children from China" (FCC) group sent me this poem to cheer me up.

Thank you Lisa H. it worked...




Aching Hearts
Your heart is aching for someone to hold you.
My heart is aching for someone to hold.
My empty arms are here to embrace you,
Soon we'll be together, Mother and child.


I hear your cries when you are hungry,
I hear you whimper when you are alone,
I hear you giggle when the nanny makes faces,
Soon we'll be together, Mother and child.

Hold on to your dreams of a family, of love
And I'll hold onto the hope of bringing you home.
Hold on to your dreams, we are coming to get you
And you'll be filling my arms, my heart, our home.

Give me your hand, I'll be there to protect you,
Give me your heart, and I'll cherish our love.
The love between Mother and child is precious,
Soon we'll be together, Mother and child.

I'll fly over an ocean to see and to meet you,
I'd dig straight through the earth to be where you are.
I'm waiting my turn; time is all that's between us.
Soon we'll be together, Mother and child.

Stay tuned

Well, I could not take it any more and removed the music that plays when you click on to our blog. I will add more music later but, I may make it so that you have to click on it to listen, I am not sure yet. In any case Stay Tuned

One Hand In my Pocket

I have added music to the blog. If you have not listened to this song in a while take just a moment to listen to the lyrics. This is kind of how I am feeling these days. Felling sort of betwixt and between but, knowing that it will all be OK.

I think many of you can relate....

Enjoy..

I will add more music later..

Susan