Referrals are on the way!

Referrals are due to arrive today or tomorrow for families with LIDs between August 25, 2005 and September 8, 2005. Congratulations to those families who will be seeing the sweet face of their child this week.

And warm hugs going out to my friends with September LIDs who missed the cutoff as the rumor roller coaster bottoms out and starts to climb the next hill.

We are a little closer to receiving our own referral, though at this rate, it could be a while.

The Rumor Roller Coaster

Wheeeee!!!!! Roller coasters are fun. But I don't like to ride the rumor roller coaster. For those of you who are blissfully ignorant, there's a website, called In Search of Rumors, hosted by the Rumor Queen (RQ). RQ is an adoptive mom who monitors all manner of rumors related to China adoptions. Before you visit the site, I have to warn you. RQ, like the latest greatest roller coaster, is not for the faint of heart.

There appears to be a strong rumor that referrals will arrive later this week. Earlier this week the rumor was that this month's referrals would include all LIDs from September 2005. Over the weekend, the rumors turned pessimistic, saying that they would most likely not include September 12 or later. And the roller coaster is off and running again!

Obviously, how far they get each month will impact when we finally get our referral. The most recent batch of referrals came nearly 15 months after LID. If they don't refer entire months of LIDs, the wait time will necessarily increase. I monitor the rumors so we won't be surprised as the wait time fluctuates.

It's like when I was a kid. I loved to watch roller coasters, but I was terrified to actually get on the ride. (Ask my dad!) At this point in our journey, it's not too difficult to let the ride go by without getting caught up in the ups and downs of the rumors. As our time draws near, it will be more difficult to keep myself a spectator of the rumor roller coaster.

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving! On this day of gratitude, I want to pause to think about all the blessings in my life.

• I am truly blessed to be married to a loving, considerate, strong and handsome man. I am proud of him every day.
• I have the best parents I could have. You have made me who I am and I love you so much.
• I'm blessed to have my dog, Lady Byng, who is my constant companion through the ups and downs of life.
• I am grateful for my friends and family. I may not talk to all of you everyday, but you have enriched my life and I treasure you.
• I am thankful for my online friends - people I've never met who have blessed my life and opened my eyes.
• To our First Friday friends - thank you for your friendship, prayers and support.
• We deeply appreciate our church home; remembering that a church is not a building, it's the people inside.
• I want to say thank you to my birthmother, wherever you are. Without you, I wouldn't be.
• We are grateful for the opportunity we will have to adopt and pray we will be worthy of this challenge.

August DTC Cyber Shower

Thanks to C & J, our Cyber Shower buddies for November.
The present they sent was beautifully wrapped. And inside was a cute "taggie" book. Don't know what a taggie book is? Don't be ashamed, I just recently learned about taggies. They are bits of ribbon sewn into the seams of a blanket or, in this case, a book. The ribbons have different textures, like satiny or rough. Children really enjoy the different textures. The book itself is made out of the softest fleece.

Thank you, thank you!!!

Freedom Team Salute

How cool is this? Today I received a letter and certificate of appreciation for my support of B. I'm really touched. Here's what the certificate says:

For outstanding support to B, a Soldier of the United States Army. The Army greatly appreciates your support of Soldiers fighting the Global War on Terrorism and is proud to recognize your contributions and personal sacrifices in preserving freedom and the security of our Nation.

Veterans Day

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 marked the end of The Great War - World War I. In 1954, November 11 was declared a day to honor American veterans.

Take a minute to remember those who are serving or have served in the military.

Sending thoughts to my honey B, my dad, my step dad-in-law, my uncle, B's nephew R, multiple friends, and all the Soldiers and retired military I work with. Saying a prayer for B's dad, my uncle, and all those killed in action, particularly in the Global War on Terror.

3 Month Anniversary

By looking at our ticker (above), I see that today is the three month anniversary of our dossier being logged in by the CCAA.

This was the fortune in my cookie last night. Maybe there's good news around the corner that referrals will speed up.