Do you think she wants a pool in the backyard??
She wears these goggles all the time, in the backyard, in the bath...

Oh, before I forget.........

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR HUBBY!!!

Today Lily and I sent out Hanlin's 1st care package!
It weighed 11.55 lbs!!!! LOL We are allowed 1 care package via our agency, (they'll pay for the shipping) . Any other packages that I send will be itty-bitty little envelopes!! LMAO


We sent a backpack, some toy trains and some cars, 2 first word board books, some Lindt and Ghirardelli chocolate, a water color of some flowers that I painted, Wiggles DVD, playdoh, little bouncy ball, a Roots base ball cap, and a Roots Canada T-shirt and the girls each painted a picture for him. I also sent a small album of photos of us, a little poem that I wrote for Hanlin and his foster mother and a little story that I wrote. I also sent another book-like album, that I did in Fotofusion.
No wonder it weighed so much!! Hee hee I kept adding things to it!

Lily has been so cute lately, everyday she asks about Hanlin she pretends to talk to him on her play phone everyday! Today at the UPS store she asked "Are we getting Hanlin here?" LOL

Well, CCAA has now asked for a copy of our "1st time around" Dossier. The English and Chinese copies. So in an absolute panic, I ran to the UPS store, got 58 pages copied, only to find out that they cannot get it there till Tuesday!!! ARRRGGGGHHHHHH

Well, as I'm sure most of you know, for every Canadian minute that goes by, it extends Chinese time by a week.
Let me give you an example:
I send Dossier to Ottawa (to our agency) - arrives on Tuesday...... May 20th and say they are actually able to turn it around the same day....
Our agency sends it to CCAA... it arrives ... god only knows.... say 10 days later..May 30th...
See, every minute we waste here... just adds a stupid amount of time in China. Heck, in those 10 days, maybe the reviewer gets caught up with another family's file, and our file sits on her (yes we know it is a her) desk for an extra week. Out of sight out of mind!!!!

Now.. CCAA has to process the new information... send everything to Department #2, where hopefully there will be NO MORE QUESTIONS, but apparently there often is...
we're looking at mid-June before receiving any more news let alone the Letters seeking confirmation and Approval that we need for travel! Well, that sucks if you ask me!!

So in my " I need to figure this out and get this stuff there TODAY!!!!" PANIC / OUTLOUD VENTING IN THE UPS STORE....
the wonderful UPS people had the best solution and it happened to be the cheapest!!! BONUS!!

They suggested that I e-mail the file to our agency, all 58 pages, they scanned it onto their computer, changed it into a .pdf file and sent me an extra copy via e-mail and made me an extra copy of the complete dossier for my files, all for 22.00$$$ AND all in about 15 mins!

Sooo Fantastic!!!!! At least I know that I did everything in my power get all the information they asked for within 5 days!

This week was so so crazy trying to get information, send it, etc.. You would NOT believe my week!

1st was the call from the agency on Monday, wanting a letter from the province with Hanlin's age on it. -DONE- on Monday morning, by the province.

Also they wanted a letter from my Doctor explaining an old surgery. (hysterectomy).
ok, I can't get in to see my doctor till May 22nd!! NOT GOOD.
OBGYN who did the surgery retired last year.. OH OH, NOT GOOD but
New next door neighbor is OBGYN who took over for retired Doc! VERY GOOD!
Have them over for wine on Thursday and Letter was faxed to agency on Friday!

Then on Friday, on a LONG WEEKEND, an e-mail from the agency asking for the old dossier because theirs is in storage!!????????
Copied and E-mailed on Friday!!!!

Whew, can you say efficient!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can only hope that the CCAA is working at full efficiency!!

FINALLY SOME NEWS!

Our agency called today, and told us that our file is now being reviewed in Department 1 of the CCAA.
They needed Hanlin's age added to our homestudy. (an exact age instead of a "guesstimate").
Our province was told, and before the agency had time to phone the province and make the request, the letter was done up and faxed off to the CCAA!
HOLY FREAKING EFFICIENT!
Stuff like that never happens that quickly within this province. All I can say is, "thank you new lady who is working there!"
Now the file makes its way to Department #2, where the 2 coveted letters are sent from. The Letter of Approval and the Letter Seeking Confirmation. Once these 2 babies arrive at our agency, we get a travel date!
They won't confirm, or deny a June travel date. They are still not sure what China is doing about the Olympics in regards to travel.

On another note, I have Hanlin's package all ready to be sent to him. Just adding some final touches. I have looked all over for a book, on adoption for an older boy, who is living with a foster family. There is nothing at all out there.
So I decided to write one myself!
Its an introduction to our family-his forever family- and each page has a bit about each family member, and I asked each person, what they would like to do with Linlin when he comes home, and I wrote it out. (lily said she wants to show him the train set)! Also it talks about traveling on a plane, having a new home, and about his foster family and how important they are to all of us.

I also wrote a little book to him, just from me, about his 1st mother, his foster mother and his forever mother.
I want to get the girls to illustrate it for me.


Boy, I did all that and got groceries today!!! It's a wonder what shot of Starbucks will do! LOL

My girl got herself some "Bling" !! Well, I got her some! LOL I have to say she looks darn cute with those braces!

I have very sneaky friends!!!!!!!!!!


On most Fridays, Lily and I go to a play group with a group of wonderful mom's and their daughters all adopted from China. This past Friday, I offered to host the playgroup at my house, but also extended the invitation to some moms and babes who have just arrived home.

People started showing up, and everyone had a gift bag in their hand.. hmmmm very strange..
I actually thought, "wow, these people are so nice bringing each other welcome home gifts!"
Then little Rachel came, and handed me a bunch of balloons that had "Happy 4th Birthday" on them! I look at them and said, "whose birthday???" Her mom said.. Hanlin's!! Aww, I said to Angela, your a much nicer mother than me!! I didn't even bake a cake for him!!"
She just laughed!

We all went inside and Angela put the cake she cake made on the table! I choked up when I read it! But I still didn't clue in!!!! It took me almost an hour to realize that they had organized an surprise birthday for Hanlin! As I opened the boy toys I started to get overwhelmed, it is so hard not having him here! But I know he is being well loved! His foster family took him to the zoo for his birthday and he liked the monkeys the best! LOL

I am so lucky to have the nicest bunch of friends! Your thoughtfulness was truly overwhelming!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

THE GREAT FLOOD OF 2008

Thankfully, we haven't been affected by the flooding, although it is about 4 blocks away. If you look at the end of my street, you can see the water over the roads.

We went out last night, to take a look around.
Here are some pics.

I had such a fun fun weekend! 2 girlfriends and I took off Thursday night for Bangor shopping. then Friday we were off to Freeport! We made off like bandits! Such great deals! At one point I started to refuse to buy anything that was over 6.99$ because it was too expensive!! LOL
We headed back to Bangor on Saturday night, and shopped Bangor again for any last minute things.
We got home last night around 9pm.
Of course I didn't come home with much for myself. I didn't see too much in clothing, but I did get myself a nice warm Gap hoodie, and a fitness fleece from LLBean, oh and lots of stuff from Bath and Body.
*** We found out that Bath and Body are opening 2 stores in the Maritimes. One in Halifax for sure and she wasn't sure where the other one was opening, we figured Moncton.

I'll post some pics of my finds and our trip when I get them loaded onto the computer. Lots of things for Lily and Hanlin.

What a wild weekend!!!!

First thing first.... Abigail did great, she placed 7th overall, and each of her 4 events were almost flawless. We are so proud of her!!
Since she was part of "Team NB", the whole team stays together at the hotel, and it is a "Hands off" parenting weekend!! We (their parents...who have raised them, cared for them, wiped their butts and fed them all their lives) now have no parental rights over the course of the weekend.

I am slightly......protective... when it comes to my kids, so when I "heard" that they were having their banquet in the same hotel as us, I decided that I needed to take a walk, maybe hit Starbucks for a coffee.... So as I was nonchalantly walking (aka scouring the place for my daughter) I happened to see great friends of mine, Shelia and XZ and Clarence, who were visiting for the weekend. They totally caught me red handed! LOL

Anyway, we all went back to the hotel where XZ and Lily had a swim! (bathing suits not needed!)
What a wonderful surprise, and after the kiddies were in bed, we all had a glass of wine in the hotel foyer. (where we were told by a 19 year old rent a cop, that "if there is alcohol in those glasses, we need to drink it, or go back to our rooms!") Can you imagine??
So we did the mature thing, and downed our wine!! LOL

The following morning, we picked Abigail up at 9:15am, and when I walked into their hotel, I was informed that she had been puking since 8:30am. Well, the "mothering instinct" came back real quick, my elbows went up and I ran through the halls, knocking kids and chaperons over! LOL
The poor little peanut has the flu, and was sick the whole 2 hours drive home... But.. she did give us a 20min reprieve so we could run into Costco!! LOL Fastest 240.00$ ever spent!

She is feeling much better today. She finally ate and had some water. Her chest is so sore and she says it feels like someone is sitting on it. Must be from the dry heaves~~~ cause boy did she heave!!

I'm off to pick up Lily "the Holy Terror" from preschool. I'll fill you in on the rest of the weekend when I get back.

****ok, I'm back, everyone's been fed, Abigail worked on her science project and is resting before it's time to pick up her sister. *****

So I bet your wondering what else could of made this weekend soo exciting....

WELL........ I know your all waiting for this news................................

Dieppe had the largest wine store in the province and we bought a whack of wine! yum yum
heee....heee.... ok, so here is the story that your really waiting for....

We got an update on Hanlin! (or Linlin as his forster mother calls him)!
Because we were in Moncton all weekend, I wasn't able to get too much information. I did get 2 photos and a little info to hold us over. But last night, I was able to msn with our friend in PEI, whose husband is in Beijing with business.
The visit with Hanlin went really well. He was able to webcam the whole thing, and they sent it to us last night, along with a few more pictures.
He looks the same, just more "mature". LOL He is soo sweet! You can really tell he is well loved and cared for, his skin is clear, he looks healthy, well dressed, active, curious... I sobbed and sobbed when I saw him, and then he spoke.. well.....I SOBBED....... what a beautiful voice!
We've been told that the foster mother loves him dearly, and is sad that he is leaving them, but is very happy that he is being adopted. When ever she thinks about him leaving she starts to cry. She would like to have more information on our family to help him adjust to leaving, and coming with us. She said she would like him to be familiar with us and she would like to work with us to help achieve this.
They said they have lots of stories to tell us about him, and that sometimes he says things that awe them! LOL They said he is very good and they love him dearly. The foster mother wanted to make sure I knew that he loves shrimp and fish! She wanted to know if and at what age he would go to daycare and to preschool. (no daycare for this kid!!) LOL
I'll post the 2 pics we received last night. The others all have the foster mom in them and I don't feel comfortable posting them.
These photos were taken on Saturday!
My glory he is cute!!Yes, his hand is in someone's purse...... He rummaged through that purse throughout the video. LOL

and here he is... checking out her visa card he found in the purse... he is memorizing the #'s !
Yup, Lily and Hanlin will get along great!!

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am in Moncton, on a computer at Crystal Palace... Abigail competes in 1 hour.

I just checked my e-mail...AND....

a wonderful man, living in Beijing, but whose wife and children live in PEI..... went to VISIT HANLIN yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am just waiting for an e-mail with updates etc... He contacted the SWI and they asked him, to ask us to provide more information about us, to help with the transistion. Our ages..personalities.. and the foster mother was very happy to give him little bits of info to gradually help him get ready.
We also sent numerous pictures. In the e-mail I just received, this wonderful fellow, wanted to know if we had a webcam, because he was going to set up his at the orpahnage for us to see him LIVE and IN PERSON!!
Unfortunatley we left for moncton last night and only got the e-mail this morning. But I've sent off an e-mail, saying we do own one, and if the foster mother wanted to use it, or e-mail us, we would be more than happy to correspond with her.
I can't tell you just how excited we are!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll post more AS SOON AS I HEAR MORE.

I'll be at the gym from now till at least 2pm, then we have to go to Speedy Glass, because on the way up here, a rock flew into our window and we ended up with a "ding" in the front windsheild. Oh well...

Wish Abigail luck!!!!!!!!