Updates...

So before I moved a few weeks ago, I had received several very cool gifts from friends and other waiting parents - and I never had the chance to photograph them and post about them on my blog. Now that I am finally feeling settled in the new house, I am starting to catch up on my posting!

First of all, be sure to visit Lia's 100 Wishes Quilt page to see all of the new squishes that have been posted. I will try to post some more tomorrow. I have actually received 82 Squishes thus far - WOW! They are so fun and creative. I am excited at the prospect of the beautiful keepsake quilt that Lia will have one day.

My friend Megan picked up an adorable leather ladybug keychain when she was in Italy in May. It now goes everywhere with me, on my keys, just like my Chinese "Love" symbol (which I bought when I was first accepted into the adoption program. I plan to keep both of these items on my keychain until I meet Lia one day. Megan also picked up a cute little porcelin ladybug which now sits on my kitchen window sill.

Meanwhile, a friend from my Yahoo CCAI March/April LID group made the coolest CD to send out to all of us other waiting parents. The first time I listened to it, I cried! The songs are so sweet and so fitting for all of us enduring this long wait. Thanks Shelby for this wonderful collection of songs - and one more memorable keepsake for Lia to have one day.

I have received several other beautiful gifts over the past couple of months, which I will try to photograph and post this week. Thank you so much to everyone for your generosity and positive energy surrounding my wait for Lia - it really does keep me encouraged!

Visit from an Old Friend...

I got a special treat a couple weeks ago when one of my oldest, dearest friends - Renee - was in Denver for her oldest daughter's softball tournament.

I met Renee when I was about 3 yrs old. We attended preschool through 12th grade together. When I first met her (in preschool) we lived only a couple of blocks away from one another. Renee was there for my first sleepover, my confirmation, my first babysitting job, my graduation, my first concert (Madonna Like A Virgin Tour 1985!), my prom, and my wedding. When we were young we played house, and school, and in the summer ran thru sprinklers and played "slip'n'slide" on the lawn. In Junior High we hit the roller rink, lip sync'd to the "Grease" soundtrack, rocked out to Def Leppard and prank-called the boys we liked, dreaming of driving our own cars one day... then came high school - where we loved Duran Duran and Wham! spent countless hours recording music off the radio with our "boomboxes", going to teen dance clubs, driving our moms' cars and generally acting like reckless teenage girls do...like all angsty, teenage girls, we had our falling outs, and many emotional ups and downs in our relationship, but in the end we are still the little girls who met at preschool in 1974.

It was so fun to catch up with her and talk with her daughters. Her daughter actually traveled to China last December with her softball team and visited an orphange while she was there and stayed at the White Swan! It was like no time had passed at all - much less 30 years! I found the following photo (our class photo from preschool - or a police lineup from 1974 - I wonder what Renee was so serious about???) LOL.

Leaving on a jet plane...

Well…okay...not yet... But in the meantime, if we could get some good competition going between airlines who fly from the U.S. to China, it would be beneficial to all of us waiting parents!

So if you have a moment, please go to www.flytochinaonaa.com and sign the online petition to support this bid. The more carriers there are serving China, the more competitive the fares…

Seriously?

Can you believe my three month LID-versary passed without me even noticing??? Time is flying by. I hope it continues to do so over the next couple of years...

I guess all this moving around and all the action going on at work make the wait seem less tedious. I am happy to stay busy!

All Moved In...

Sorry for the lack of communication over the past week or so...I've been in the hectic process of packing and moving back across town!

No, I didn't buy a home, but I found a great rental very close to the hospital where I work, which means a MUCH shorter commute and more time in my life to do things I enjoy! (Not to mention, saving on gas money, car maintenance, etc.)

As you can see from the picture, these are small, but new construction homes (built in '05). Very cute design, modeled after Victorian-era homes, with the garage in the back on the alley, and nice big front porches. The private yards are very small, but every six houses or so share a communal "greenspace" -like park area, which is right outside my front fence.

Anyway - I am very excited about this move. For the first time in my adult life - NO attached walls! Although these homes are very close together but they have designed them such that none of the windows line up to where you can see into your neightbor's house (or vice versa).

Okay...now back to unpacking...

Tagged! (trying this again...)

Not sure what happened, but my original post got screwed up - so trying this again!

I've been tagged by Kim over at Journey to Megan Jean! This is my first tag. The rules are simple…Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Ok, here goes....

My 8 facts/habits...Fact #1 – I am currently mom to the best mini schnauzer on the planet – Luna, the Wonder Schnauzer. She is all black, 4 yrs old and the most calm, loving, well-behaved terrier you will ever meet!

Fact #2 – I go out for Mexican food every Friday night. EVERY WEEK. I kid you not. I depend on it. I look forward to it. I’m not ashamed of it. It’s a standing date and I love it.

Fact #3 – I’m a west coast girl at heart. Colorado is beautiful, but I miss the water. I miss ferry boats. I miss the smells of seaweed and sandy beaches. I grew up in Seattle and I’ve been gone 12 years now, but I still miss it. Five of the best, most memorable days in my life have been spent at SEAFAIR. When I die, I want to be cremated and have my ashes sprinkled over Lake Washington so I am forever part of the Seafair tradition (not joking).

Fact #4 – I am a spelling, grammar, and trivia FREAK. My fave TV show currently is “Cash Cab” (Discovery Network). Steve is constantly amazed by the weird factoids that I somehow have retained from odd sources throughout my life.

Fact #5 – I love reading pretty much anything. Including (but not limited to) newspapers, magazines, chick lit, suspense novels, adoption research, assorted blogs, MySpace pages, personal ads, and junk mail (not always in that order).

Fact #6 – I love pedicures. I never had a professional one until I was 32 and now I am HOOKED. Aaaaah, the joys of having someone else massage your feet! I look forward to sharing this treat with my daughter once she is old enough (see why I needed a GIRL?)

Fact #7 – I love what I do for a living. Working at a pediatric hospital, I get to help with issues that affect the children and families that we serve. I realize I am lucky enough to feel like what I do actually helps change the world in a positive way.

Fact #8 – I am thrilled to be adopting my baby daughter, Lia. It is definitely a lesson in patience, but I am ready for the challenge and excited about the trip to China!

OK – so those who have been tagged – you know who you are…happy blogging and have a great weekend!