How much do you know about Christmas?

You Know a Lot About Christmas

You got 7/10 correct You know tons about the history and traditions surrounding Christmas. When you celebrate the holidays, you never forget their true meaning - or all the little fun details. Random Christmas fact: Most Christmas trees are edible. The needles are a good source of Vitamin C.

How Much Do You Know About Christmas?

Happy Birthday Jeremy!

WOW!

I cannot believe that my baby is seven years old today! It's just amazing how fast they grow up! Oh, I miss the baby years, but I'm looking forward to what lies ahead as well.

We celebrated with Jeremy at the All-American Fun Park. Since it was pouring down rain, we couldn't play golf or bumper boats, but we all enjoyed two rounds of Laser Tag. In the first game, it was parents against children, and the kids won. Even my mom played!

After pizza, presents, and cake, we headed to the game room. David played Glaxia (if you're a child of the '80's, you know what I mean!) and I played DDR and pinball. The kids all roamed around trying to get a sample of everything. Shelby and I rode the Max Flight (thanks to a buy one get one free coupon!).

Jeremy said that it was his best birthday ever! Happy Birthday, sweet man!

Jeremy's Christmas List

Here is Jeremy's Christmas list:

"I wunt for crismes is a durt bick and moon sand and I wunt for crismes ol (all) is Kailee That's ol I wunt"

Under his letter is a picture of a Christmas tree with a baby riding a dirt bike. There is also a present with a baby drawn on the side and a big bow on the top. It is so cute!

What Crappy Christmas Gift Are You?

This totally suits my mood!

You Are a Christmas Sweater!

Over the top, colorful, and totally flashy. You're not afraid to be a little tacky.

What Crappy Christmas Gift Are You?

December Referrals are Here!

Hi Everyone!

Congratulations to all the families who will be receiving their referrals in the next few days! Hooray for Mike and Jen who were LID 12/12/05 and will be seeing their daughter Mei's face for the first time...what a great Christmas present!

What does this mean for us? More waiting. This batch was for 6 days' worth of LID's. Currently we have 2 months and 5 days, basically 9 weeks, of LID's ahead of us. Will the CCAA continue at this snail's pace? In all probability, yes. If they do, we can expect to receive our referral in September, 2008.

This is not good for a couple of reasons: 1. Our 171-H expires in December, 2008. This paperwork has to be in place and current for Kaelie's visa to the US to be approved. 2. Additionally, our FBI fingerprints expire in September, 2008. These also have to be current for the visa. 3. We will definitely have to update our homestudy again, it expires in March, 2008. 4. My passport expires in January, 2009. This will most likely have to be renewed as well. More paperwork, more money, and still no Kaelie.

OK, I'm sorry to gripe, but the waiting is so hard! I have a co-worker at work who is due any day now. I'm thrilled for her, but sad for me. It's hard to talk about how much you love a child that you've never met, maybe a child who hasn't even been born yet. Sometimes people outside of the adoption community just don't get it or don't know how to discuss adoption.

A good example of this was when we learned of the attacks on 9/11. David and I were to make our travel arrangements to Russia on this day for our September 24 court date to adopt Jeremy. A day after the attacks, a co-worker told me that there was absolutely no way that she would get on a plane and go overseas. She just didn't understand that MY BABY was over there and that nothing was going to stop me from bringing him home.

Jumping off my soapbox now....