That's right! 14 months since our file was logged in at the China Centre of Adoption Affairs...how much longer? I wish I knew. Hopefully at the end of November we will be seeing Kennedy's picture...

Happy Halloween everyone!

Just our luck...........

This post was on Rumor Queen

An “Internal Issue” at the CCAA
October 30th, 2006
There is supposedly an “Internal Issue” at the CCAA that is preventing referrals from being mailed.

This means there is apparently something holding up the referrals that should have been sent out for the end of October....I have no idea what this means for our referral at the end of November but it's making me nervous.

I'll keep you posted.

The Countdown: Day 26 and good news

We are at day 26 of the countdown. That's 26 more days until we should know that our file is on it's way to us. I decided to e-mail our agency today to see if I could get any little bit of info at all regarding our referral. This is what I received back:

Carolyn, Marvin;

All should be clear this coming week when we expect to receive the 'next' set of referrals. Rumour has it that CCAA will have issued child proposals to dossiers with LIDs up to August 24, 2005. With a August 31 LID, you are virtually assured that you will receive a referral at the end of November.

Bob

How about that folks?
I've got a ton of school work to get done tonight and I can't get myself away from RQ, e-mailing friends, blogging, etc.

On another note, we went to a get-together last night for our PEI/China group. It's always fun to see everyone and for the kids to all get together.

Natalie and Daniel are getting ready to head to China to bring Mei Lin home. It's such an exciting time. There are also many families that are in the early stages of this long wait. I know how hard it is for them...

I'll keep you all posted on the official cut off for this month.

Remembering Kayo

It's been three years today since Marvin's father passed away suddenly in his sleep. It's so hard to believe it's been that long. We are quietly remembering Kayo today. He didn't know he was going to have a granddaughter from China. I'm sure he knows now and is watching over her while she waits for us. We will be sure to tell her all about her Grampie Kayo.

The Countdown: Day 30

Well, it seems like I'm saying a lot of the same thing these days...As it sits right now, we are still waiting to hear the cut-off date for this month. We are confident that it is atleast to August 23rd, but possibly August 24th. Beyond that? I don't think so but anything is possible. If they complete August 24, which was a day with tons of files logged in, I'm confident we will get our referral at the end of November. Breathe in...breathe out.

I started looking at a "packing list" tonight. That should be interesting. That's where my mother is going to come in very handy. I pile everything up and she'll neatly pack it for me. That's her thing. I was quickly overwhelmed by how much "stuff" we need to take, how much "stuff" we need to buy and how much I still have to figure out about looking after our baby on the other side of the world, for two weeks, when my mama is not a phone call away. Yikes!

Initially, we thought we'd be travelling spring/summer 2006. So we bought lots of summer clothes. Nope. We need winter clothes and we have NONE! So once we find out her size/age we will need to go shopping.

Thanks to all those people who keep patting us on the back and cheering us on. We're at the point now where we love every little question and every bit of encouragement. It feels close and exciting. It's so good to share it with everyone.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Natalie and Daniel! Go over and check out their web site for all the details! We are so happy for you guys. Ofcourse we'll be looking for tips from you when you get back.

What I know...What I don't know...What I wish I knew...The Countdown: Day 33

Wow! It's been an interesting few days in Rumorville. I have the following info to share with you:

What I know:
-Referrals will be arriving the week of October 23rd.
-We will not be receiving our referral this month (never expected to, so that's okay)

What I don't know
-how late into August/05 referrals will go
-if we will definitely get our referral in November
-when we will travel

What I wish I knew
-All of the above :o)

It's very much crunch time now. Conversation at our house is pretty much focused on China. I'm wondering how I'll get through the next month...mainly with work. It's hard to stay focused now and with parent/teacher interviews approaching, I have a ton of work to do.

For all my friends waiting with me, here's a question for you:
They couldn't possibly take 4 months to get out of August, could they? Last month, they did to the 9th, this month possibly the 23/24, and next month into September, right? If they cut us off at August 30th in November...I just am not prepared for that. And what would that mean for everyone else, like the 2006 LIDers? I want to hear what you're all thinking...

Rumor Queen

Did I mention I LOVE Rumor Queen ? For those of you who don't know, Rumor Queen runs a website totally dedicated to reporting rumors she hears about adoption from China. She has loads of visitors from all over the world who are waiting to hear about the latest rumors on referrals. It's a difficult site to follow if you don't know all the adoption "lingo". My sister has told me she can't really follow what is being talked about...so, fear not! I will report to you anything relevant to our referral.

The present rumors are that referrals will arrive early next week. It is being reported that August 23/05 (remember we are August 31/05) will receive their referral this month. What is unknown at this point is whether any days after that are included. We know that August 24th, 30th and 31st/05 all have many files logged in so we can only pray that they can include August 31st at the end of November.

We are beside ourselves with anticipation. It is sooooo close now. God help us get through the next month.

Special hugs to our friends Natalie and Daniel who have suffered another setback in their journey to MeiLin. We are thinking of you guys and praying for all three of you! xo

40 days to go!

We're down to 40 days...that's the countdown to when I think we will receive Kennedy's file or at least know it's on it's way. Realizing that it will pass through many hands here in Canada before it gets to us, it may be a bit after November 24th, but in 40 days we should know that it's on it's way. When it lands in Canada, it needs to be approved by the PEI Child and Family authorities, then on to our agency where it needs to be translated and finally sent to us. I have no idea how long that will all take but hopefully they will not keep us waiting too long.

I had munchies with a couple of friends last night and spilled my guts to them about just how anxious I'm getting about all of this. We're both excited beyond belief but I'm almost crazy just knowing how close it's getting. It's so many different emotions all at once...it's kind of overwhelming. I hope I can get through report cards and parent/teacher interviews in November. That's the 15/16th of November. Can you imagine? The parents will probably be wondering what's wrong with me as I'm sure I'll be completely frazzled by day 8 of our official countdown. Note to all my teacher friends: Keep an eye on me that week!

We're off to my mom and dad's to celebrate dad's 68th birthday! Picking up my very special Aunt Rose on the way. And yes, ofcourse, I'll take pictures. Have a great Sunday everyone.

Paige Veronica

This is my neice, Paige. She started kindergarten just a few weeks ago and is loving every minute of it. Tomorrow is a big day for her. Not only does she get her "school" pictures taken, she starts hockey...and she cannot wait! Her daddy went out and bought her a new pink stick, pink laces and pink tape! Afterall, it's not just about the sport. Fashion is very high on her priority list. She's so funny because she such a girly girl, but yet she has two older brothers so she can keep pace with the best of them.

Paige is a very special little girl to me. She is the only girl grandchild on my side of the family. She cannot wait for her cousin Kennedy to get here. I just know they will be so close. If Amy's baby is a girl, then we can even up the boy/girl ratio in a hurry! Hope you have a great day tomorrow, Paige! xo

Cole and his cousin Brooke

Ringbearer

Beautiful Gift!

Wow! I received a beautiful gift from my friend Angela. It's a cushion with the "red thread" verse stitched onto it. It is absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much Angela. By the way, if you are interested in purchasing one of these, visit Angela's site. She has the link to these handmade treasures!

The Countdown: Day 44

Progress. We're on our way down...day 44. It will be interesting to see how many referrals they do this month. Recap: They have completed up to August 9, 2005. We are August 31, 2005. I suspect they will do up to about August 21/22 this month and then in November they will get to us. Anyone getting tired of all these predictions yet? It's just a little sample of what has been going on in my head for ummmmm....about the last year.

My brother, Doug, arrived home from B.C. last Tuesday and is here until the 23rd. I'm going to try to get some pics this weekend, because we will be celebrating...

My dad's birthday! He turns 68 on Saturday. It's nice that everyone will be together and dad will not be in the hospital. He's awaiting his call to go back in for his knee replacement. Should be around the end of the month.

Are y'all wondering if I've taken a picture lately? I'm so lazy with uploading my pics. I do have some to share, though. Stay tuned.

Random Thoughts

Marv worked the night shift last night so I'm waiting for him to rise and shine and we will head over to Nancy's (his sister) for Thanksgiving dinner. In the meantime, I thought I'd write down some very random thoughts.

-48 days to Kennedy's picture (we hope...I hope we're not disappointed...again)
-Sad days for Bev, Randolph and Asia (Marv's sis, BIL and niece) in Ontario. They put Chili, their beloved Portuguese Water Dog, to her rest last week. Chili had his last visit to PEI this past summer. Hugs to you guys.
-Congratulations to Anne and Tylan (Cole's aunt and uncle on his dad's side) on their wedding yesterday.
-Happy anniversary to Amy and Trent who celebrated 5 years married last week.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for...

-my wonderful parents and family
-my awesome husband
-a great job (I couldn't imagine doing anything else)
-a cozy home
-great neighbours
-supportive friends
-best friends from childhood
-siblings
-pepsi
-my baby, Yaz

I have a very good life. I consider myself very fortunate. During our homestudy, when we met with our social worker and basically went back through our histories, I realized that I have a lot to be thankful for. Ofcourse we all have our burdens of one sort or another, but life is good. And I know it will keep getting better.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Hockey Night in Canada

I vividly remember Saturday evenings as a child. Have a bath and get ready for Hockey Night in Canada. Dad and Doug cheered for the Leafs, somehow, us girls became Montreal fans. We have all grown up to be huge hockey fans. Can't wait for the season to start tomorrow night. Something else to help pass the time away...I wonder if Kennedy will be a sports fan like her mom and dad? Go Habs Go!

Tragic Events

I am in complete shock over the recent school shootings in Montreal, Wisconsin, Colorado and Pennsylvania. I cannot imagine what this does to a school community, being a teacher myself. When I came home and turned on CNN today, I was in tears, watching the police officer talk about the details of the latest crime in an Amish community in Pennsylvania. I hope the children critically wounded make full recoveries and that the families who have lost loved ones will recover from these horrible events.

55 days! The countdown begins...

I didn't know whether or not to say this out loud, never mind put it on my blog. But, heck, I'm thinking it so I might as well say it. Our hearts are firmly set on seeing Kennedy's picture at the end of November. Our goal date is Friday, November 24th. That's 55 days from today. And we're counting down. We've been wrong before and stranger things have happened, but as we get closer, we are feeling more confident that November will be our month. Fingers crossed everyone, fingers crossed.