I love this...and had to share...

Dear Julie,

Don't you think it should work like this?

You have a desire, you dwell upon it, move with it, and presto, it manifests!

Or, you fall in love at the right time, with the right person, they fall in love, the timing is perfect, and bingo, the earth moves...

Or, you have a huge question, you turn it over to me, forget about it, and ta-da, you JUST KNOW.

Me, too! Which, actually, is exactly how it does work...in the absence of fear.

Cool, huh?

Signed,

The Universe

Thoughts become things... choose the good ones! ® http://www.tut.com/

Gymboree Sale Alert!

FYI Ladies and Gents...Gymboree has all their "Panda" line (from last fall) on their clearance rack now! I got all of the items below for $35 - (roughly $6/piece!) whoo hooo! There has to be SOME benefit of waiting 2+ years to meet your child, right? Well, one of those benefits is being able to wait until things you want go on clearance (with no worries that your child will outgrow them in the meantime!) :)


I know - SHUT UP - huh? So cute... The little black overalls have a tiny stuffed panda that pops out of the front pocket - LOVE IT (and he's attached by a string so you can't lose him!) - If you go shopping - make sure to search the boy and girl sides of the store - because there are Panda items on both sides in sizes 3 mos to 24 mos.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Am Ahhhh-mazingly Great Day...

Steve and I had the most amazing day today. Actually, it's been a pretty great week...but more on that later...

We didn't do anything extraordinary for Valentine's Day on Thursday. I suggested to Steve several weeks ago that instead of buying each other cards, flowers, candy and the like, I'd much rather we spent our money to do something fun together. We considered a trip to our favorite little mountain cabin, but decided to wait until the weather gets a little better at 8,000+ ft. It's just too cold and snowy up there right now.

So my next suggestion was for us to get a couples massage. I hadn't had a massage in over a year, and Steve was totally up for it. But to my dismay, my fave massage therapist that I went to for several years ago is no longer in business. Bummer. So I started doing research on the internet. I finally found a great place that seemed to have a lot of rave reviews AND actually had some open appointments - so I booked it and today was the big day!

So after church we went out for a great seafood lunch and then had a few minutes to shop and let our food settle before our spa appointment. We went all out and got their "90 minute Soulmates Warm Stone Massage" - oh. my. god. - let me tell you - it was amazing! The spa has a lot of asian-inspired decor and is dimly lit, complete with an indoor waterfall. We started with a warm footbath while we enjoyed champagne and chocolate truffles (insert angel choir singing HERE)...then we got on side-by-side tables and had the most zen massages EVER! If you have never had a warm stone massage - I HIGHLY recommend it! The therapists use warm (almost hot!), smooth, river rocks in their palms as they rub you down. They also place the stones on specific spots along your spine, back and shoulders to loosen up your muscles - it's Aaaaah-mazing.

As mentioned earlier - some other things seems to be coming together for us as well, but I will wait to share those things until the time is right - stay posted everybody! Enjoy the holiday tomorrow (at least those who get the day off - like I actually do - hooray!)

Happy V-Day Friends!

Valentines Day Comments - DazzleJunction.com

10 months!

...Mmmmmm - grilled cheese! I love grilled cheese - especially in the winter. My office used to be one block from a place in Denver called Chedd's - a grilled cheese restaurant. All different types of grilled cheese. My favorite is their "California Coast" sandwich. So yummy...Steve and I actually drove over there last weekend just so I could indulge my craving for one of those sandwiches. Their tomato bisque soup is also quite awesome...and what's better than grilled cheese and tomato soup?

On to the topic at hand...yes, folks - it's been 10 months since my LID for Lia. Time flies, eh? (or not). Last year on Feb. 10 I went to my local USCIS office to get myself fingerprinted for my dossier - I was in a hurried race to complete my adoption dossier prior to May 1. So the good news is, I'm not involved in THAT particular stress this year...even if I am involved in a long, drawn-out wait for god knows how long. The CCAA referred 8 days worth of LID dates this month, which is better than the 2-3 days worth they had been referring the past several months. Perhaps this is indicative of a gradual speed up in the process? I will choose to believe - YES. That's all I can do. As I've written here many times before - this entire process is out of my control at this point - so I must go on with my life in the meantime and look forward to Lia joining our home when the time is right...whenever the Universe decides that may be.

As for today, I am just happy that I ended up NOT having to work today! The hospital is hosting a family/community rally around increasing access to health insurance for children in our state (a great cause) BUT I have not really been involved in the planning of the event (for once!) so my boss told me I didn't need to come in on a Sunday to deal with it - which is a relief.

In other news, I went to my aqua class Thursday and yesterday - and now I am feeling it. In general, aqua is a very low "impact" workout (which is why I like it) - but we did a lot of upper body/weight work yesterday and I'm seriously feeling it in my upper back and shoulders. Yikes. At least I have a couple of days before the next class on Tuesday to recover! The hospital has all it's employees enrolled in a "Wellness" program, complete with coaches and journals, etc. You have to "check-in" with your wellness coach every three months. You set goals and enter your "well miles" in your weekly journal online (which your coach monitors also). It's kind of the Big Brother approach to employee wellness, but it's OK. Plus I save $8/month on my health insurance premium by participating. In general I don't mind the program, or the coach they assigned to me. She's a very "gung-ho" fitness freak for sure, but most of the time she is nice. She told me at our last meeting that she just doesn't feel right if her BMI gets above 18. Seriously -EIGHTEEN! Are you freakin kidding me??? Geez - I'm just trying to keep mine below 30. I'm not sure, but I think that was her attempt at "motivating" me. Honestly? It kind of backfired...lol.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend... :)

Updates!

First of all, thanks to everyone who has kept the children of China in your prayers and/or donated funds to help them thru the terrible cold weather they are enduring. For an update on how the orphanages are doing, click HERE.

Also - several of you have asked for an update on my dad. He is doing well, and truly appreciates everyone's thoughts and prayers of the past several weeks. He had additional stints put into one of his arteries two weeks ago. He has now gone back to work on a (very) limited basis, and has also started cardiac rehab. He and my mom are adjusting to his new diet restrictions and new routine. We are all very thankful that his heart attack was caught early and for all the wonderful medical staff - from the paramedics to the ER staff, and the nurses to the cardiac specialists who have contributed to his care and rehabilitation during this time.

...onto to topics that are of much LESS importance...

1. The Superbowl. Does anyone west of the Mississippi really give a rat's heiny who wins this game? I sure as heck don't! Of course, Steve and I aren't really sports people (yes girls, I found myself a man who doesn't watch sports - AWESOME). Better yet, I'm not going to be forced to ACT like I know or care about football by attending a Superbowl party this year...nope, we are staying home, watching DVDs and HGTV on Superbowl Sunday. Simply perfect if you ask me! (we are of course TiVo'ing the pre-game and game for the music acts and commercials to be viewed later with the convenience of fast forwarding thru the actual game - lol!)

2. Be sure to check out Lia's 100 Wishes Quilt Page and see all the new squares I've receive lately from family and friends! I am hoping to wrap up the "collection" portion of the project soon and get those squares sent off to my mom in Seattle so she can start on the actual assembly of the quilt!

3. Shopping Alert! I hit Target yesterday and found this...

...super sweet, size 2T ladybug hoodie on sale! Love it.

Yes, I know, buying a toddler a white hoodie is kind of a joke, I mean it's like ASKING for grape juice or kool aid or some other brightly colored food to be spilled down the front of it, isn't it? But it was cute and really cheap...






Here is what the fabric looks like close up...

Many folks refuse to buy clothes or toys or decorate a nursery/room for their children until they get their referrals. I guess they are superstitious or worried about getting too excited too soon. I guess I can kind of understand that - in a way. But for me, buying the occasional item of clothing, or toy is cathartic. It makes Lia more "real" to me, even though I know I still have a long wait ahead. Besides - it's fun!

...and finally, I can't believe it's Monday again tomorrow - blah.

Chinese Weather Disaster - How U Can Help!

As you have probably seen and read, China is undergoing the worst winter storms in 20 years. Especially hard hit have been the Central and Southern regions that are usually mild this time of year. Many people there live without heat in their homes and do not have access to drinking water. This includes some of the orphanages in those regions! Please pray for the safety of all the little ones in orphanages and foster homes in the hardest hit regions. There are reputable American charities that are headed there right this moment to bring aid. Please visit: www.HalftheSky.org to find out more about how the orphanages are faring - and what you can do to help!