Merry Christmas to all.
I am taking the time now to reflect on all that the last year has brought us.
We are in a new home; one with lots of bedrooms and sunshine and space for active playing children who's laughter we hope to hear.
I am driving a mini-van with room for 7. Yes Vicki-- me in a mini-van!
I am excercising and taking a dance class- which I LOVE.
I now have enough fabric for 2 OHGWQ (quilts)(read about in previous posts) plus one for Kaitlin representing her African heritage.
I have a space fenced out for a garden next Spring.
Kaitlin is engaged to Joey Morris and planning a late summer 09 wedding.
God has taken wonderfully good care of us all.
Blessings to all of you and your families.

Posting to this blog has been neglected. I admit it. Its just that there is nothing happening with our China adoption and probably won't for at least another 2 years. We never thought we would get 24 months post log in date and still not have a child. It is difficult but we keep praying that Gods plan is for us to have children and experience that joy together. We keep hope in the joy of other families bringing their children home and in being with each other and talking and planning for that wonderful day when we see our childs face. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Reminiscing
Its been almost a year since the family went to Makinaw Island for moms birthday. Today the weather felt a bit like fall. The maples leaves are beginning to change and I could smell the fresh apples at the Cherry street market and I felt like wearing my white turtleneck this morning.

Wow- I havn't posted since June.
Summer has moved by so quickly. We had a wonderful time hosting the agency picnic and have voluntered to help at the pumkin potluck next month- should be fun. We made a lot of new friends who are in the process or have been through the adoption process and I hope to keep in contact with them. Two families ( ours included) have LID's only one month apart so we will have that in common some day when we bring our children home. I have added a new tracker to the top left of the blog. It states how far referrals are. Currently, referrals have been made through Feb. 9, 2006. Check back monthly for updates. I will try to get some current photos posted soon.

Summer Picnic
We will be hosting the FAC summer picnic for waiting families on July 19th. We are planning burgers and dogs with other food items brought pot-luck style. I hope this will be a chance to meet some other families in the same slow boat were in as well as some adopting from other countries (not so slow). Either way it wil be a good time for fellowship with others.

Yesterday marked our 20th month LID! WOW, I never thought we would be waiting this long- and longer. We received our renewal Immigration pre- approval and now simply continue to wait. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and all things wil happen in the right time.

NPR correspondants Melissa Block and Robert Siegel are in China and covering the earthquake that devastated Sichuan Province. Follow their blog at this sight:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/chengdu/

Here is a link to a map of China, the epicenter of the quake and the location of the orphanages:
http://redthreadmaps.com/sichuan_earthquake.html

Oops, sorry, forgot to list websight to donate to earthquake relief fund. Here it is:
http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/2100/proj2086a.html

As I am sure you must have read or heard of the devastating earthquake to Hit China earlier this week, Half the Sky Foundation has been able to establish the above sight for contributions to help provide aid to the orphanages in need. Please consider a donation of any amount.
Thank-you.

Received I- 171h yesterday. So, we are still good for China until next renewal comes up (April 2009).

OK - I havn't posted in awhile but work has been very busy with a lot of extra hours doing home care. Not much new on our adoption process from China. We are just waiting for our renewal I-171h to come back from immigration so that we can renew it again in another 15 months. Oh-well! I have faith that Gods plan is perfect and we must continue to trust in Him.
I think I have enough squishes to start the 100 wishes quilts and have taken a beginning machine quilting class so I will be able to quilt the top. Stay posted - I will post pictures. Dave gave me his older camera and I hope he will teach me to use it before he goes to Florida for the 4-Winns boat shoot on May 2nd. He assures me that it is a gruelling trip which he doesn't really look forward to.
Weather this weekend may not be so nice so I hope to get some things done around the house.
Dave is away at a Tennis tournament tomorrow so I have a Kari day. Daves high school girls soccer team he assistant coaches has a 4-0 record and they have beaten the regional district champs (Charlevoix) Way to Go Dave and Liberty soccer!!
Kaitlin is finishing up the semester at NMC and looks forward to no school for a few months and making lots of money at Poppycocks.

Concerned!
We all finally completed our fingerprints on March 5th, 2008 but we have not received our I-171h approval back yet. That is the pre-approval from US immigration to adopt a child from China. Right now that approval is the only link we have to our daughter in China. Hoping it comes soon.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR
Year of the Rat

STARTING A NEW JOURNEY
check out our new blog www.lovesjourneytoKazakhstan.blogspot.com We have started the adoption process to adopt Alla from Kazakhstan and we invite you to join us on on our journey to her. We continue our wait in China which may continue several years yet.

TaDaa!!!
Our latest family portrait!
We hope the next one will have a new family member!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE !!! enjoy your day

Happy Sunday
Tomorrow is Daves birthday. He has wanted to take a family picture for some time now but it is difficult to get the three of us together to have picture time. Today we were able to do that- so look back soon for the finished product... Dave has to get us beautified (photoshopped) first. Tonight we are going to Old Mission Tavern for birthday dinner. YUMM!!

A sign from the Lady-bug!?
Last night I was looking at a beautiful book from a charitable organization called Love without Bounderies. the websight is www.lovewithoutboundaries.com The book features families and their adopted Chinese children, stories, pictures,etc. Anyway, while I was looking at this book dreaming of our someday referral, a lady-bug landed on the page I was reading. Now, if you don't know the lady-bug story it goes like this... a lady-bug is the Chinese adoption sign of good luck and when you see one it means a referral is coming. I know our referral is still a long way off, so what could I make of this sign.? I counted the spots on the lady-bug and (after 3 countings) came up with 17 each time. Now, I am not a superstitious person but I am willing to consider crazy things like a lady-bug landing on a book I'm looking at relating to Chinese adoption. As a result, I have decided to add a counter to the blog with 17 months as a hopeful time frame. Pray and keep your fingers (and toes) crossed.
Love to all

Last friday we made a roadtrip to Grand Rapids for re-fingerprinting. Did you know that fingerprints expire?! Explain that one to me!! The immigration employee told me that the records are destroyed every 15 months. Yeh right! The FBI destroying their own records, sure but citizen identification records -I don't think so. Anyway, the re-printing is complete and we will likely be doing it again in another 15 months. The wait continues.
Because of the excessive wait times we are exploring doing a special needs adoption if that would be possible. It would mean starting over with another agency because our agency does not have a special needs program with most countries. We would hope to do an interim adoption and maintain our dossier with China.
Stay warm- the temp here is in the single digits expected to last several days with lots of snow on the way.
all my best,
Kari