An Odd Year...

Literally. It's 2009. And I turn 39 today. I turn 39 on 5-5-09. That's a LOT of odd numbers! Call it a bit "OCD", but I have always had an aversion to odd numbers. If I have the choice, I will always set the temperature in my home or car to an even number. I tend to count out and eat food or candies (like M&M's or Tic Tacs) in groups of two (or four, or six!) I did a quick Google search on odd numbers vs. even numbers, and found out that studies have proven that most people in western culture actually prefer odd numbers. Though I did learn that - with a few exceptions - Chinese culture does tend to prefer even numbers as well. So I'm in good company with over a billion folks there! :)

Steve flew to Denver this past weekend for his Great Aunt's 90th birthday. He picked up his mom and brother in Denver and then they drove four hours (each way) to a farm town in Nebraska, where most of their extended family still lives. So I hung out at home with the dogs and watched chick flicks like "Baby Boom" and "Twilight" and cheated on my diet by eating pizza and making chocolate chip cookies. I also treated myself to a pedicure and haircut - here's a pic of the new "do":

Steve's mom sent him home with all sort of Avon goodies for me including several pairs of slippers (the hardwood floors in our house are cold!) and all sorts of new makeup and fragrance samples to try. Steve brought me a couple of "gifts". First of all, he brought me rolls from Texas Roadhouse (oh how I miss TR!), complete with cinnamon butter which he snuck into his carry-on. He also brought an adorable ladybug hat for Lia (complete with a daisy - my fave flower!):

Anyway - back to the topic at hand - my birthday. I was a bit dismayed to receive a direct mail letter (addressed specifically to me) from a cremation service yesterday. Seriously? I'm not planning my demise yet... I believe people are only as old as they feel - and I still feel 26. I'm certainly not thrilled with the number this year, but not in a "boo hoo I'm getting older" way - just in terms of the actual number being so odd. 39 just sort of seems like hanging onto the edge of a cliff before tumbling over into the 40s. I'm actually looking forward to my 40s. Lots of good stuff ahead (and lots of even numbers!)

BIG NEWS - April 2007 Out of Review!!!

4/28/2009
The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before April 30, 2007.

It is almost insane to think that I am so excited about officially completing the first half of the journey, more than two years after being logged in...BUT...being out of "Review" is a big deal. That means the Chinese government has reviewed MY file...and it has been approved to move on to the matching department...and regardless of how long it takes - I have been approved to be matched with a child eventually - WAAAAAHOOOO!!!! Thank you Universe...you obviously heard HOW much I needed this news today...

Another Fun Weekend...

My cousin K.C. came to visit Spokane this weekend and we had SO much fun! Steve's station was hosting a spring concert/fundraiser benefitting a terrific children's charity in town. Several "up and coming" artists made their way to Spokane for the two-day event. By far, my favorite of the weekend was Serena Ryder, who I first had the chance to see on our trip to San Diego in February. She is already a multi award-winning singer in Canada. Her album is just now being released in the States - and I think she is going to be HUGE here too. If you have the chance to see her live in your area...DO IT! Her style reminds me somewhat of a mixture of Melissa Etheridge and Alanis Morisette She is a tiny little thing with a huge voice - and she was nice enough to pose for a photo with me backstage:

Earlier in the day, she and Paulo Nutini played a short set for a private audience of contest winners at the studio. That was also really cool:

On Sunday, we took K.C. to lunch at a restaurant on Spokane Falls, then walked around Riverfront Park, before taking a drive over to Coeur d'Alene so she could get a quick glimpse of Idaho.

All in all, a very fun couple of days... Our dogs even loved spending time with their Aunt K.C. !

Your Help is Needed!

The federal adoption tax credit has helped thousands of families adopt children. Now - more than ever - it is vital that this financial support stay in place to help families (LIKE ME!!!) offset the costs and fees associated with adopting a child. Unfortunately, the tax credit is set to expire in December 2010 unless Congress votes to continue it. It's time for individual community members to take action!

The Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009, H.R. 213, will keep the adoption tax credit from being repealed, and *could* make the tax relief measure permanent. It only takes a few minutes to email or call your senators and congressmen it's important for them to hear from families and friends of those impacted by the tax credit.

Currently, there are 76 State Senators and Representatives cosponsoring H.R. 213. However, there are 16 states that currently have no sponsors of this bill, including eight on the East Coast* (one of the largest areas of the US with internationally adopted children). H.R. 213 is currently in committee, where most bills die. It imperative that adoptive families, and all friends of children waiting for families, act now. To Find out which of your congress members support the bill check out this link. It only takes a few minutes to write, call, or email your representatives and ask them to support H.R. 213. If they are already a cosponsor, please take this opportunity to THANK them for supporting this important piece of legislation. Please help today!

Email Your Representative

Email Your Senator

Currently, the following states have no cosponsors or commitments of support for H.R. 213 - so if you live in one of these states, it's ESPECIALLY important that you write your congress members!!!

Arkansas - Connecticut - Delaware - Hawaii - Idaho - Maine - Massachusetts - Montana - Nevada - New Hampshire - New Mexico - Oregon - Rhode Island - South Dakota - West Virginia...

The two states offering the greatest support are Texas & Georgia with 6 cosponsors each, closely followed by Pennsylvania with 5. Honorable mentions: Florida , Indiana , Illinois each with 4 sponsorships each.

Finally - please pass this on to your friends and family, and ask for their help in writing, calling, and posting on blogs, Facebook, and other social networking sites. To gain momentum, we have to produce a ground swell of concerned citizens lifting their voices together for the well-being of children worldwide. Thank you so much for your support!

20 Years...the Anatomy of a Friendship

My best friend from high school, Linda, has lived in Philadelphia for 12 years. This week, she was back in the Northwest visiting friends, and made a quick trip over to Spokane to see me and meet Steve. We hadn't seen each other in person since 2002.

We email often, and have stayed in touch with occasional phone calls over the years.

She was only in town for about 24 hours, but we had the BEST time catching up!

Lots of girl talk, career talk, life talk...it was awesome.

A few blasts from the past 20 years:

High School Seniors, 1988

At the Iowa Botanical Gardens in '96

Visiting her in Philly, 2000

Today in my backyard!

Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from "Under the Tuscan Sun"

I recently saw "Under the Tuscan Sun" on cable. It had been several years since I watched the movie (released in 2003) and even longer since I had read the book. For most people, it is a movie about a woman moving to Italy, and experiencing Italian culture. I've never been to Italy, (although I'd love to go someday). But more importantly, to me, the story represents a woman taking some risks and following her dreams. This most recent viewing of it really struck home for me on so many levels...from "surviving" divorce, to following my dream of adoption from China...so many of the lines in the movie spoke to my heart this time around. I found myself with tears streaming down my face as the closing credits rolled.

I recently attended an online spirituality seminar. The teacher used the analogy of our spirits being like a lantern within in us. As things happen to us in life, there are times where the lantern gets shaded with soot and our light dims. Then we will learn something, or hear, or see something that cleans that soot away bit by bit...until our inner light is shining brightly again.

Watching this movie had that effect on me this time around so I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes from the movie - here we go:

Frances: Ladybugs, Katherine. Lots and lots of ladybugs...

German Woman: You greedy Americans. You think you're so entitled. You ruin everything. Frances: A lot of us feel really badly about that.

Frances: Do you know the most surprising thing about divorce? It doesn't actually kill you. Like a bullet to the heart or a head-on car wreck. It should. When someone you've promised to cherish till death do you part says "I never loved you," it should kill you instantly. You shouldn't have to wake up day after day after that, trying to understand how in the world you didn't know. The light just never went on, you know. I must have known, of course, but I was too scared to see the truth. Then fear just makes you so stupid.
Martini: No, it's not stupid, Signora Mayes. L'amore e cieco.
Frances: Oh, “love is blind”. Yeah, we have that saying too.
Martini: Everybody has that saying - because it's true everywhere.

Frances: What are four walls, anyway? They are what they contain. The house protects the dreamer.

Frances: I'd like to make an offer on the house. This is what I can pay, minus the work on the place, and a rental car to drive off a cliff when this all turns out to have been a terrible mistake.

Katherine: Regrets are a waste of time. They're the past crippling you in the present.

Katherine: Never lose your childish innocence. It's the most important thing.

Martini: Signora, between Austria and Italy, there is a section of the Alps called the Semmering. It is an impossibly steep, very high part of the mountains. They built a train track over these Alps to connect Vienna and Venice. They built these tracks even before there was a train in existence that could make the trip. They built it because they knew some day, the train would come.

Frances: Any arbitrary turning along the way and I would be elsewhere, I would be different. Unthinkably good things can happen even late in the game… It's such a surprise!

Two Years....TWO YEARS!!!

ImageChef.com Poetry Blender

Yes, today is my two year LID-versary…in other words, two years since my adoption dossier was received by the Chinese government. How do I feel about that? Hmmm…I’ve got mixed emotions. Happy that these two years of waiting are now behind me, but also wondering how many more are ahead…(check out last month’s post for more on that).

I also noticed that my blog reached the "30,000 hits" mark this week…WOW. Thanks to everyone who has...and continues to...share this journey with me.

Happy Easter to all those celebrating this weekend!