Monday, December 31, 2007

Photo of the Week


I almost forgot my photo this week! This photo makes me smile. How do I describe my son, Keaton? HE is enthusiasm extraordinaire. He is also the sweetest little guy who cares and feels deeply. He has more energy in his pinky finger than most people (myself included) have in their whole being. He is gentle and he is loving. He is emotional! He is a wonderful son. He is also 7 ...which I cannot believe and he is growing up.

This photo about sums K up. Riding his scooter, even on the grass, and he loves to run like the speed of light and dive toward this swing and glide in the air. He always says he wishes he could fly and he is very resourceful about finding ways to do just that.

Hard to resist

Buying something as simple as a baby sleeper (see previous post) and giving myself "permission" to start buying for her has opened the floodgates, perhaps. I was shopping for Chloe this morning on my favourite online site and found these 2 things for Baby girl, I love Baby Lulu on baby girls.

http://www.forgetmenotkids.com/Baby-Lulu-Florentine-Paisley-Tiered-Dress_p_0-5461.html

























http://www.forgetmenotkids.com/Baby-Lulu-Hyacinth-Garden-Elizabeth-LS-Dress_p_0-6342.html
























...and just so Chloe doesn't feel left out (honestly, she could care less!), I've had my eye on this Trish Scully set and it went on for 40% off so I had to get it for her for Spring (or maybe Easter - it is usually still pretty chilly here at Easter time). Sales & Free Shipping got the better of me today.


http://www.forgetmenotkids.com/Trish-Scully-Moulon-Rouge-Pleated-A-Line-and-Sweater-Set_p_0-6148.html



Sunday, December 30, 2007

A few things for Baby Girl

I have not bought many things at all for Baby Girl. I think the fact that our age range is wide and we aren't sure if we will be referred an infant or a toddler has stopped me from making clothing purchases... simply because we aren't sure what size she will be and what we will need.

We gave away EVERYTHING after Chloe grew out of it, the clothing went to my neice Adah & the furniture was given away. So, we will be starting fresh. We are holding off on buying another crib til we know for sure her age and if we will need one. Same with picking out an appropriate stroller, etc.

I see so many clothes that I want to start getting for her. Did I mention I love buying kids clothes... boy or girl, doesn't matter - they look so cute I can't resist.

The sleeper is the one and only purchase so far I've made (clothing wise) so far for Baby Girl. Since we are slowly getting closer to where we will know who our daughter is, I want to start to celebrate each month closer we get to her. I told Shaune that we would buy her one new outfit or 'necessity' each month on our DTV anniversary to start celebrating each month closer, instead of thinking of the waiting we are doing. It can be something I look forward to doing each month and a fun way to count through the months until she is in our arms. I'm buying everything in 18 months or larger so that it will fit her eventually whatever her age :)

























We got her this cute Elephant at Old Navy... I loved the color (it matches her bedding colors) & Elephants are good luck, right?
























Shaune's parents got her this pretty teddy bear, it is so soft and sweet - I'm really thankful they celebrated her this Christmas with us :) It was a nice gift to find on Christmas day.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

A few photos til I can get more organized










We leave in the morning for toronto for Disney's Highschool Musical on Ice. The kids are excited. I'm exhausted. I need to get to bed. I have a bazillion Christmas photos to sort through but here are a few I got off my one memory card, I will post maybe a few more when we get back home and settled in for New Years Eve! Wow this past week has been crazy.




Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Good news

Our agency sent out an update today - it was so nice to see some news and know somewhat where we are in our wait. Over the past few weeks they have referred 7 boys and 4 girls and in the next week they expect to add another 2 boys and 2 girls to that. October and November were slower with proposals but December appears to be much better. There is a glimmer of hope in my heart for that Spring referral after all :) They also have a few families over in Vietnam right now being united with their children - how wonderful!
Ok... I needed to post some good news at christmas time and this is good news for the families in our agency.

Also, regarding the house fire in our neighbourhood, it is staring me in the face everytime I look out the window. As tragic as it is I found some good in it... their pet cat somehow escaped the house and lived to tell about it and after the fire was out, firemen found the pet goldfish, intact and swimming in his bowl. Can you imagine?! The house was big and it appears from our view that the one side is completely gone as well as the top floor but the family room adjoining the inground pool area 'survived' although it must have incredible amounts of smoke damage, etc. The family is safe and material possessions can be replaced (as hard as that still must be) and I know they must take some much needed happiness in the fact that their family pets survived.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

No words

We had a wonderful Christmas. I will post more on that at a later time.

Sadly our neighbours did not. We got a frantic phone call tonight as we were about to sit down for Christmas dinner, our neighbours house was burning down. I just cannot believe it. It was a beautiful home and I am full of sadness for the family. Thank God no one was hurt but the beautiful house is pretty much destroyed (as far as I can tell - it is pitch dark on our country road right now other than all the flashing fire trucks lining the street). I cannot stop thinking of all they've lost and on Christmas day of all days.

Tonight I feel so lucky that it was not our home and I also feel so helpless and sad for Amy and her family, that do not have a home tonight to celebrate Christmas in.

Downer post I know. I will post some happy stuff tomorrow. Pray for this family as I know they are in shock and feeling really sad on a day that they should feel such happiness.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Photo of the Week

Keaton scored a goal in his Hockey Tournament over the weekend. His coach affectionately calls him "Wheels" - he is one speedy little boy on skates. We were over the moon proud of him and so happy because we knew how thrilled he'd be to score. My photo this week is of my little man in his hockey gear. Go Keaton Go!












Thursday, December 20, 2007

Christmas is coming

Wow, how did we get to the 20th of December already. The kids have one more day of school tomorrow and then they are off for a while. I'm looking forward to some time as a family, Shaune is off too and doesn't go back until January 2nd... I feel so lucky that we get this time together.
Shaune and I are going to finish our Christmas shopping tomorrow because we will have busy weekend at the arena. Keaton has a hockey tournament for the Tikes and it is going to be so cute :) He is excited to go and play. Last year they lost every game but Keaton tried his best and won a trophy for 'digger of the game' - he really does give it his all!

On the adoption front, I just saw an email that another referral came in. She is an infant girl and she is precious, I saw her photos. What a wonderful Christmas gift for her new parents to recieve their proposal today. Congrats to all of them! This also means I guess that we are now approximately #12 of those in our agency awaiting a girl referral. We are now 5 months DTV. What a journey we are on!

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Photo of the Week

Okay, it seems Fridays always zoom past and I'm forgetting to do my Friday Photo - so I guess I'll call it photo of the week instead, surely i can remember once a week if i don't have to do it on a specific day. :)

I found this photo this morning and although it is kinda blurry I love it. Love how excited Shaune is and encouraging. Chloe's first day walking. We wondered if she'd ever bother. She was just shy of 16 months old, she certainly took her time about it. But she was so proud of herself when she finally gave it a try and succeeded. This seems like a century ago, but was really not THAT long ago - October 10, 2004.

Now I can't get her to stay still :)

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Where we are...

...so a couple weeks ago I got some new information from our agency. Anyone waiting for a referral knows that information is GOLD... anything new you can hold on to means something!

I'm finding the waiting difficult, for the most part because I feel how uncertain things in International Adoption can be and I've invested my heart. With adoption in Vietnam it is not centralized and there are so many uncertainties along the way, I'm finding I feel lost in it all at times.

We are approximately the 13th family on the 'list' with our agency awaiting a girl referral. That sounds so good to me. 13 is not that many, and unlike many 13 is a good number to me - my husband and my son's birthdays both fall on the 13th of a month. So, we wait. We hope and we pray. We think of her a lot but do not talk about her much at the moment, there is too much time still ahead and for some reason I find myself distancing myself a bit, even though I don't want to. I suppose it is a protective measure while we wait what we've been told is likely to be another 5-8 months for a referral. In the grand scheme of things, that is not so long away, is it? I think my uneasiness comes from the good chance of that wait time extending past 5-8 months. Whoever said that 'the only certain thing about IA is how uncertain it can feel' knew what they were talking about. I'm going to have to learn to cope better. Patience was never my strong point.

Monday, December 10, 2007

A video

...more than 1/2 million orphans in Vietnam.
...on average 3 in every 100 babies born is taken to an Orphanage.
...moms unable to keep their children due to poverty, amongst other things.

This video makes my heart sad. It also makes me frustrated with the 'process' and the wait. I want to be the mom to one of these children. Waiting is hard when I see this, but also so worth it. SO WORTH IT in the end.

Playing catch up...

I missed my 2nd week of FPF. (Favourite Photo Friday).

Here is one I love.... I miss this Chloe with this thumb. It was permanently in her mouth from almost birth (I think she discovered it at around 5 wks old) until she was about 3 1/2 yrs old. She gave it up surprisingly easily once SHE decided it was time. That was some love affair though, while it lasted. She is 3 in this photo. :)


In other news, the wait is killing us at times but with such a long wait still ahead we are trying to stay positive but live each day at the same time, not obsessing on how our family WILL be but how it is now... and how blessed we truly are.

This week we celebrate Keaton's 7th birthday, how crazy is that? I cannot believe that boy of mine is 7 years old, it seems like just yesterday he came into the world and turned everything golden. I can still remember his newborn smells, grunts and coo's. He is a ray of sunshine and the past 7 years have flown past. I still see him as my baby but I am so proud of the little boy he has become. His birthday party was yesterday and it was fun seeing him as he is... a friendly and excitable little guy that loves to have fun. Happy Birthday Keaton.


Shaune and I drove to the US (Watertown NY) for some shopping on Friday. We got some great deals on things and it was nice to go shopping without the kiddies (so much more productive and 'enjoyable'). We hit Red Lobster for an easy but yummy seafood supper and the drive was fast (it is about a 2 hr drive) and easy.

We also decided (I think) on a name for baby girl Lightfoot on the drive home. Meg. I love this name. Always have. Shaune suggested it. It is not 100% for sure that will be her name but it is probably the top contender at the moment. I will call her Meggy - I'm a Thornbirds mini-series fan from WAY back. This has always been a favourite name of mine. Maya and Isabel are still in the running though. Her Vietnamese name will be her middle name so we will decide for sure once we have our referral!!


That's it - I'm caught up again. Everyone ready for Christmas? I'm not.

Monday, December 3, 2007

A video feel-good



I saw this video made by a mom growing her family like we are... and it picked me up today when I needed something to pick me up and smile. The wait ahead seems very daunting and so unpredictable at times, sometimes I let it get to me. This video was a nice reminder as to why we started down this amazing journey and what is waiting for us at the end of a very winding road - and that is worth it all now, isn't it?!

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Annual Christmas Card

I have been doing our Christmas Cards digitally now for 3 years. It makes for super quick cards to send out to family and friends. I just have them printed at 4x6" and send them out inside our regular Christmas cards, where I can write longer messages to our loved ones.
Getting a photo of K & C together is next to impossible, Keaton is always smiling and Chloe is always making a funny face or pushing her brother away. lol. I don't have to tell you which one loves the camera and which one does not!

So... I just used 2 photos I love - one of each of them. Side by side it struck me how much they are starting to look alike. The eyes, I guess. Anyhow, the digital kits are all from 2peas and a mish-mash of several of my favourites.


Next year there will be 3 beautiful children on our Christmas card photo, and even more reason for the happiest of holidays. I hope and pray that she will be home with us long before Christmas 2008.

Friday, November 30, 2007

FPF's are starting now


FPF you ask?
Well, all this waiting has me with very little to talk about on here. The wait is sure to last MANY more months so for when I run out of things today, I'll throw a photo at you.

FPF = Favourite/Funny/or Fab Photo Fridays. Now, lots of other bloggers are doing this and I like seeing peices of them and their photos - so I'm copying them. Simple as that. And... heaven knows I have enough photos to last me every friday til eternity.


So... here is my first ever FPF. It is an oldie... Keaton on October 31st, 2004 - enjoying the leaves. Fall is my most favourite time of the year. Here in Ontario it is so beautiful! Side note: my adorable boy got himself on the cover of Scrapbooks Etc Magazine with this photo. He has grown sooooooooo much since this photo, I barely recognize him here. I love this kids enthusiasm for life, that has not changed over the years one bit :) Behind his back in this photo is a hand full of leaves... and he threw them at me too!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

We had a fantastic vacation!

... we needed to get away for a bit. 10 days was the perfect amount of time, although I could of easily stayed longer ;)

The kids had a blast and now official Disney fanatics. What a well-oiled machine Disney is :) Everything was top-notch and service on the ship was beyond amazing. We enjoyed both Disney World and the Cruise but if I had to say what we all preferred it was definetly the cruise. It combined the magic of Disney (characters, theme nights, fireworks, musical performances, etc) with great food and a happy atmosphere. The word Magic keeps coming to mind - how fitting that that is the ship we were on... "The Disney Magic".

7 days at sea and on tropical islands... it just doesn't get much better. I really enjoyed cruising and can see us doing that again sometime. Disney is building 2 more ships so perhaps in 3-4 yrs we will go try it again as a family of five :)

Highlights and all kinds of photos are posted on our family blog, for anyone interested.
http://www.leslielightfoot.typepad.com/ - Direct links to 2 albums will be in the post from Nov. 22nd.

I purchased Rosetta Stone's Vietnamese language lessons and am looking forward to getting started on that. We have a long wait ahead of us so I'm trying to stay positive and use all this time in a positive way. I think traveling in VN and having a small grasp on the language will be really helpful and it is something I'd like to retain a bit after travel is through also. Wish me luck, I suck at languages. I live in a bilingual country and can't say more than 5 sentences in French... pathetic and on my list of things to do some day.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Kukunest Bedding

Hey, I know alot of you liked the bedding I got for Chloe and baby Lightfoot with the Lanterns and little girls on it. Thought I'd pass a long this coupon code for anyone interested:

KukuNest is having a holiday sale. 25% off any order. Coupon code is HOLIDAY

Have fun shopping! I'm tempted to get the underwater one for my son.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Ah, vacation time is a good time!

Enjoying our holiday.
Seen so many Disney characters my head is spinning. Floating in the ocean is a bit surreal, especially with the magic of Disney tossed in.
We were in St Thomas today and did St Maarten's yesterday - had a fabulous time both days.
Tomorrow we are at sea again and looking forward to relaxing.

That's all, online access is pricey in the Caribbean Sea ;)

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

On our way

to Disney!!! Hard to believe we are finally taking the kids to Disney. If our packing tendencies are any indication of what we will pack for Vietnam, we are in trouble. 4 big suitcases for 2 big people and 2 little people. plus 4 carry-ons. How crazy is that?
By the time we packed princess costumes, pirate costumes, formal wear, casual wear, etc., the amt of luggage we had was overwhelming. Oh well, at least we shouldnt' have to do laundry ;)

We are flying out of Rochester. It is a lot cheaper to fly out of NY than to fly out of Toronto... so we endured a bit longer drive (and snow!) to get here. I saw a Target on the way so we are headed there now (yahoo - no Targets in Ontario!)

I hope I come home to many more bloggy friends referrals and good news. I remember when we first started the adoption I secretly hoped we might even have our referral (wishful thinking mostly) by our trip but that is not going to be the case. Now I'm hopeful for spring maybe.

I can't wait to see the kids at Walt Disney World for the first time and then I am so anxious to kick back and float around the Caribbean with a fruity alcohol concoction and lots of fun along the way.

Chow~Leslie

Saturday, November 3, 2007

A song...

(i listen to at least 3x a day.)

The Promise - Tracy Chapman

If you wait for me
then I'll come for you
Although I've traveled far
I always hold a place for you in my heart

If you think of me,
if you miss me once in awhile
Then I'll return to you
I'll return and fill that space in your heart

Remembering
Your touch
Your kiss
Your warm embrace
I'll find my way back to you
If you'll be waiting

If you dream of me,
like I dream of you
In a place thats warm and dark
In a place where I can feel
the beating of your heart

Remembering
Your touch
Your kiss
Your warm embrace
Ill find my way back to you
If you'll be waiting

I've longed for you
and I have desired
To see your face
your smile
To be with you
wherever you are

It would feel so good to be
In your arms
Where all my journeys end
If you can make a promise
if its one that you can keep,
I vow to come for you
If you wait for me
and say you'll hold
A place for me in your heart.

======================================

The wait is getting harder. and harder, and we have so far to go still. Our dossier is 3.5 months in Vietnam. I miss her and think of her all the time... and I want to know this little girl I long for and think of so often. The kids ask about her often, they don't understand the wait and I wish we had been able to not tell them as soon as we did. I've come to realize that my children will be 7 & 5 by the time they have baby sister home... Keaton may even be 8 by then although I hope the wait does not come to be that long. She has a place in our family's heart already, we will wait and pray she joins our family when the time is right. Until then I will continue to think of her and hope she is healthy and being loved until we can hold her in our arms.

Friday, November 2, 2007

Any of you scrapbookers?

If you are... so am I. This weekend (today) starts the launch of Better Homes and Gardens "Scrapbooks Etc Magazine' Scrap-a-faire. It is basically a huge on-line scrapfest with a TON of on-line classes by many of the top scrapbookers who work with Scrapbooks Etc magazine.
I am hosting a chat in a 1/2 hr if anyone scrapbooks and wants to say hello - you will need to register first. Check out this link: http://www.scrapafaire.com/ and you can look over all the classes available and only pay for the ones you are interested in.
My class is part of the Seven-in-one class, 7 of the creative team members of past and present each teach a class in this series. Mine is showing how to create decorative glass slides with clear label paper and some imagination... super easy stuff and really cool looking!

Anyhow, I figured I may have some readers that are scrapbookers, if not - you may be soon - I started after my first son came along and have been doing it ever since (6 yrs).

Thursday, November 1, 2007

It was a happy halloween








What fun, we had a busy night and took the kids to a small village down the road where they got to trick or treat with their buddies. It was a mild night and the kids had a great time. Keaton was Boba Fett from Star Wars and Chloe was Island princess from the Barbie movie.


What a fun night!


Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Saigon Restaurant

Ah, my favourite restaurant. I eat there at least 1x a week. I love it and my children really love it. (They choose it over McDonalds any day.)

Last night I met up with a new on-line friend adopting from the same agency as we are. Jacqueline lives in Kingston which is only an hour away and it was so great finally getting together and meeting over some yummy Vietnamese food. We seem to have a lot in common and I 'm excited to have someone close by that will have a similar family to ours. We are both basically DTV at the same time and we are hoping we will travel together, although who knows at this point.

J - it was great meeting you and your friend. Lets do it again soon!

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Orphanage life...










I think a lot about the orphanages and where our daughter will live until we receive our referral and travel to bring her home. There are many orphanages in vietnam and they all seem to be a little different than the rest. I really like the website Adoptionbuzz and seeing the photos, to give me a peek into what my girl's life may be like. Truthfully it causes me some anxiety and sadness but all I have heard of the orphanage care tells me that the children are loved. They may be in conditions that are not very desirable, but the care givers in the orphanages seem to geniunely care for the children they take care of.
I gathered some photos (all credited to Adoptionbuzz website) from different orphanages above. The one of the babies that are able to crawl being gently harnessed to the bed is sad to me.

On my side bar you can also see a video of an example of some orphanage care from Vietnam.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

It was a success

...our halloween party, that is. I posted a bunch of photos on our family blog for anyone interested in the mayhem we call Halloween kiddie party! There were a ton of children there, they all got a long and were happy. I say that is a success!

(ps: our family blog is listed on the right, it is the top link called "Live it".)

Also, we collected so many beautiful clothing sets for the babies in the orphanages. I looked through them all when we got home and there was a good mix of boy and girl outfits and all of them were really cute! Thank you to all my friends!

A really fun party that reminded me of her and how I hope she can be a part of this annual tradition by next year. Something she will grow to look forward to year after year, just as her brother and sister do.

Scary!




Today is our annual Halloween party. We invite all our children's little friends & all our friends and kids and we are expecting about 60 + this year. We rent a hall. We dress up (well, the kids do - and Shaune and I may be the only adults dressed up) & it is fun. This year we are having a clothing drive for the orphanages in Vietnam.

Us, along with another family that is adopting from Vietnam are collecting new and some gently used clothing (as well as bottles, etc) and will begin to send a big box over in the coming months. When we travel we will take a lot of it over and if anyone reading this in my area (Toronto to Ottawa, Ontario) that would like to help in taking a box over when you travel to adopt, please contact me. My email is llightfoot@frontierwireless.ca

The more we get sent over with families traveling before us, the more we can continue to collect things the orphanages need.

The scary witch in the photo is ME. Cute, aren't I? LOL!

This photo was from last years party. I will star as the same witch again this year - My son said to me today "Mom, how come you always have to be a witch?" I laughed!

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Somewhere out there

I have heard this song a million times and yet today was the first day it really struck a cord with me. The song is many moons old but I needed to hear this song today. Truth be told, I've been feeling a bit down about the process and all the uncertainties that come along with it. But somewhere out there... is our daughter. The path to her may be very windy and emotional and uncertain at times, but she is there and she is worth it all.
Sometimes it takes hearing an old sappy song to turn your mood around, and bring back the hope required in this journey called international adoption.

Somewhere Out There by Linda Ronsdadt

Somewhere out there
Beneath the pale moonlight
Someones thinking of me
And loving me tonight

Somewhere out there
Someones saying a prayer
That we'll find one another
In that big somewhere out there

And even though I know
How very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing
On the same bright star

And when the night wind
Starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping
Underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there
If love can see us through
Then we'll be together
Somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true...

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

I love Halloween



It is the 'child'ish side in me coming out. I love dressing up, and I love dressing the kids up. This photo I just stumbled across on my old computer... Keaton (our oldest) and his first Halloween, as a Tom Arma Skunk. Man, I loved that costume. He was 10 months old and crawling like crazy by then and he looked so cute crawling around with the skunk tail behind him. Chloe was a sweet pea for her first Halloween but i don't have a photo of her on my computer wearing it... too lazy to scan. Trust me - she was so adorable in it!

If you have kidlets at home, what are they wearing this year for Halloween? Better yet, give me some suggestions for easy and fun adult costumes - since I need to dress up for our party this year but don't have any creative thoughts on what to be.

Monday, October 8, 2007

Countdown to disney

We are so looking forward to this trip. We booked it forever ago and so much has transpired since then, most importantly this adoption. We have been so busy with home studies and paper work that anticipation of our trip has kind of gone by the wayside. But... now we are stoked. The countdown begins...



I need a formal dress (ugh)... Keaton needs some fancy duds, Shaune is set with a suit & Chloe of course has more than her fairshare of pretty dresses to take along. We are doing Walt Disney world for a few days and then off we will head for a 7 day Disney Cruise. Looking forward to seeing some new Caribbean islands (St. Maartens' & St. Thomas/St. John, Disney's Castaway Cay) and just having a fun time with the family. It will be a good distraction from this long wait that lies ahead for us, and a trip to remember.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving Day

to everyone. Yes, here in Canada we get turkey NOW. Yesterday we went to my Uncle Milton and Aunt Judy's up in the county for a great day - we had a 2-3 hr haywagon ride with over 50 people and 2 haywagon-fulls. I think we finally ate supper (and a good one!) at 7:30pm. The kids had a blast.
I kept thinking of all I have to be thankful for. And I kept hoping that next year our little girl will be home for Thanksgiving too.

Today, another feast. Yum.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

A Louis Vuitton Bag?

I tape "the VIEW" everyday. I love watching the first segments called "Hot Topics" where the 4 (or 5 when Barbara is there) women debate and comment on all things from fashion, celebrities, diet to politics, war & sex. The girls make me chuckle but today I was watching an episode (I think it was a few days old) and the topic turned from Paris Hilton to International Adoption and comments began about how people used to always want a chinese baby and now the African babies are popular and then out of one of the women's mouth came a comment that likened an adopted child to collecting Louis Vuitton bags.

UMMM, What the hell? Then just a minute ago I read on the internet that Sharon Osborne made a similar comment. Chris Rock has made inappropriate comments on Oprah once too.

Do they really believe or know what they are saying? They are talking about CHILDREN. Children... not fashion accessories. It made me want to vomit and it saddened me to think that some people think that couples/families chose to adopt because it is 'becoming trendy' or 'the thing to do'. Every families story is different as to why they adopt but I don't know of anyone who would go through the trials, waits, uncertainties & emotional highs and lows of adoption because they wanted to be trendy.
I hear dumb stuff almost every day regarding adoption but this one takes the cake.

Why is adoption such a mystery to many? Why can they not see these children and know. Why is loving a child that is not biological linked to you so difficult to understand? Why do we have to label it and judge it and question it? Why can't it just be what it is... a way to form a loving family, to bring a child and a family together? Why?

Vent over.

Dragonfly for Halloween?




Anyone looking for a dragonfly costume for your little one - I found this and can't buy it this year (maybe next?) so I thought I'd pass the link on - it is precious!



My children are getting older and want a say in what they are for Halloween now... can you imagine? ;) Chloe is Barbie Island Princess obsessed at the moment so that is her costume, Keaton continues to be in love with all things Star Wars and chose a Boba Fett costume - he wants his Dad to dress up as Han Solo! Ha.


Does anyone know what the symbolism and importance of the dragonfly is for Vietnam (I know it is similar to the ladybug in China, but I don't know more about it)... would love to know - post if you know.


Sunday, September 30, 2007

A place I go...

when the wait ahead seems daunting or I just want to think about the path we are following and the child that will someday be a part of us, of our family.
This site: http://www.childviet.blogspot.com/ is a favourite of mine. To see how others are helping the children of Vietnam, to just see all their beautiful faces sometimes, to feel in touch with a place I am quickly falling in love with and learning more about every day. Sitting here in comfy Canada, I feel so far removed from her and from her country. I feel helpless to make a difference when all I really want to do is swoop down and hug all the kids and make it all good. A friend I have met online that is adopting from the same Ontario agency as I am came up with a wonderful idea - something small we can do to help the children. We have been collecting clothing donations from family and friends for a month or so. I have 5 big boxes of new and some gently used clothing that we are going to start having sent over to Vietnam and the orphanages. I know Leah has collected a bunch too. I am also hosting our annual Halloween children's costume party again this year and this year we are having families donate new clothing towards the cause. People can be so giving and I thank everyone that has shown us that you do care. You mean a lot to us and our family. It isn't a lot but it is a little and it makes me feel a bit more connected to Vietnam and the child that may already be there, the child we are waiting to bring home.

Another thing I'm spending a lot of time doing: I love visiting family blogs and reading thier journey towards adopting from Vietnam and how similar we are and how different we are all too. I've learned so much in the process. It is helping me pass the time, especially in the evenings when my mind begins to obsess :)

Today




...we paint.


Shaune is just getting started. I'm letting him handle most of this. The bunk beds almost did me in (yes, I hate painting and am complaining about painting a simple little bunk bed). The colour is bok choy. You can 't really tell in this photo - the yellow walls behind it were the original colour of Chloe's room that gosh-darn-it did not match her & baby girl's new bedding. The colour is actually pretty mellow and groovy, I am liking it with the stark white furniture. It's definetly going to need 2 coats - darn it!

I am enjoying watching the room transform, even if it isn't THAT different from the original yellow. Paint is a wonderful thing - as long as I'm not the one painting.

I don't think Shaune enjoys it much more than me :)

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Airline Miles/Points/Etc

I have been thinking it would be wise of us to figure out some sort of system that earns us travel/airline miles so we can start earning toward our flights to Vietnam. I am in Canada so there probably are different options for different countries, but for anyone that has a system in place, I'd love to hear it. I need suggestions of what will work best for us.
I am assuming I do not want to go with one airline specifically since we have no idea who we will fly with, etc.

Flying to Vietnam will be myself, my husband, my mother and our 2 children (age 5 & 7 by then). So, that is a lot of $ and a lot of miles to save up for. I know we won't be able to earn much before we travel (which now looks like it could be another 11 months away) but even buying the 5 tickets will earn us a lot of air miles, right? Perhaps toward a future trip as a family, if nothing else.

Advice - please :)

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Longer wait than we thought...

This wait. Yuck. I was in touch with our agency today and they let me know I was mistaken on expected time frame... I was thinking late spring to travel when they actually meant late spring, early summer until REFERRAL (then another few months before we travel.)
So, it looks like our wait is now likely bumped up again for an early fall 2008 travel time. Wahhh, I had my heart all set in us waiting out the time and having our baby girl home by Spring - that is not likely to be the case.
I do appreciate my agency's honestly and I'm just going to keep crossing my fingers that they are over-shooting their estimates. :)
Shaune, my husband, always the optimist reminded me that 9-10 months til referral is about the same as a pregnancy. It really isn't THAT long. I'll continue keeping busy and it looks like I'll continue traveling for work as needed. I had secretly hoped that my trip to Memory Trends in Las Vegas last week would be my last one for a while. I plan on taking a year off from any work-related travel once our referral is here.
Maybe I'll start a list of 1000 things to do to pass the time. Maybe I should finally learn to knit?

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Where have I been?




Sigh. I have nothing to report. This waiting around stuff is just getting started and I'm struggling already. Luckily I have been very busy with 2 trips to the States in the past 3 wks. I went to Minnesota to the Mall of America Scrapfest 2 wks ago and I just got home from Las Vegas where I was working the Memory Trends Scrapbooking Tradeshow. Every where I go I am now thinking of my 3 children, is that ok? I know we do not even have a referral yet and have a long wait until we will - but I can't help but think of her in all my plans, in all my shopping, in all my travels. I miss a little girl that hasn't even become part of us yet.
When I got home from Vegas, Chloe asked me if her sister came home with me. Bless her heart, she is being so patient and is going on faith since she understands so little about all this. I told her it wasn't time yet and she replied: "Will it be time tomor-noooo" (that is how Chloe pronounces tomorrow - ever the cutie pie!) I have no answers - just that we have to be patient and we can think of her even though we do not know her yet.

We are about 90% sure that her name will be Maya but Isabel is still a close second. The funny thing was when I went away to Las Vegas, Chloe started at a new babysitter. It was her and 3 other girls... guess what their names were.... 2 Maya's and 1 Isabel. For some reason that makes me smile so big :)
Side note: do you all use bloglines? I follow a lot of adoption blogs right now, to learn and to connect with other families like ours and to pass the time...the wait. Bloglines notifies me with a little icon at the bottom of my screen when ever one of the blogs I subscribed to posts. I love it.

Also, Shaune and I would like to take a moment to thank his Graduating class for doing something very special for us this weekend. I am speechless and so thankful to each of you. I will remember your kindness and encouragement each and every time we stumble over a bump in this special road we are following. Thank you doesn't seem enough.


Leslie

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Fun vibrant colours!



Chloe and baby Lightfoots bunk bed bedding came in the mail today... it is awesome. I am so glad I got it. I think we will have to repaint Chloe's room but oh well... something to keep us busy and our minds off the wait, right?!


If anyone likes this bedding, I have to tell you that Teri at Kukunest was really helpful and nice to deal with. Great customer service and it got to me quickly even though it was coming from West Coast USA to Ontario Canada :) She even threw in some really cute felt hair barrettes for the baby - they are so adorable! The funny thing is I did not realize she owned this hair accessory online store... I remember my friend Tara posting a link to it over a year ago and I picked a bunch of favourites I liked but then never got around to buying them. Fast forward many months and I order bedding from her and find out she is the same gal/owner. I love that! Thanks Teri for the Giddy Giddy hair barrettes, they are so fantastically cute, I will definetly be ordering some more!!

I cannot wait to put the bedding all on tonight and for Chloe to try it out :) Maybe it will keep her in her bed all night?




Sunday, September 2, 2007

I need reference and resource book recommends...

Which books have you read dealing with international and/or transracial and transcultural adoption? I have a lot of them bookmarked at Amazon.ca (free shipping over $39...can't beat that) and want to start reading up more. Problem is I don't want to buy them ALL and I don't want to buy any that aren't helpful. Our library isn't the best and I owe them money - ha. I'd like to buy the books new or used so I can take my time reading them & then Shaune can read them as well.
If anyone has read any you think would be helpful to me (or have read some you think are 'duds') please let me know which ones. If anyone has any they'd like to sell used, let me know too.

Friday, August 31, 2007

A few questions for the more knowledgable :)

I have all these questions floating around in my head. I think that is why my insomnia is still lingering... I go to bed thinking about all the things I don't know or cannot predict... etc. I know you all know what i'm talking about.

Anyhow, I am wondering:
1) What immunization/vaccines are we supposed to get and are recommended to get before traveling to VN? Is it all in one shot or several. How soon before travel should we start this process? And for my Canadian bloggers - is there a cost or is it all covered by OHIP? I need to start preparing my son in the event that we decide for sure the kids are coming (we are still wavering back and forth on that topic)... he is VERY afraid of needles and told me he thinks he'll skip VN just b/c of this. :)

2) Traveling out of country once your child is home from VN? How does this work or is it not a possibility - and for how long? If, we happen to have a referral by Spring we would likely rent our fav beach house in Florida for late August ... but then I got thinking that I don't know if we can travel internationally before a certain date after she comes home. May seem like a silly question - but i don't know the answer so I thought I'd ask.

3) We have started shopping for strollers. I would like a stroller that an infant seat fits into (incase we get a young referral) but also has the seat/stand position behind it for when my 4 yr old daughter is shopping with us... she can be a 'handfull' at the Mall. :) Any recommends?

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Shopping in Minnesota (Mall of America)

I'm headed to Minnesota next week for the MOA Scrapfest. I'm working the show and love that we shop every night in this fantastic mall. I am wondering if there are readers out there from this area and if there is a place in the mall where they'd sell Paper lanterns. I really want to get them bought and 'finish' the room in the next few weeks. I hate half-finished projects (although they are the story of my life). I also plan on hitting the Oilily store (I missed it last time) and Hanna Andersson... I only wish I knew a ball park size so I could start buying cute little baby clothes. That will have to wait though... so I'll hopefully find some fun stuff for their room.

Give me a shout if you know of anywhere in that area or that mall ...
thanks!

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Good news for some fellow Canadian bloggers

Referrals (I'm not sure how many) came in for some long-awaiting families with the other agency here in Ontario. I am beyond thrilled for them, it has been a long and uncertain road and they deserve such happiness. I must admit, reading of their referrals makes my heart beat a bit faster. Our day will come and this is just another reminder of that. I will continue to wait 'patiently' and celebrate for these new families in the making!
Congrats (you know who you are!)

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Home decorating...









My background is Interior Design. I haven't practiced as a designer in MANY years but you would think I could be more 'with it' when it comes to decorating a simple little bedroom. I have put so much thought and internet research into Chloe's (and baby girl Lightfoots) new bedroom that I will be glad when it is just all finished.
My mom (my lifesaver) watched the kids friday night and all day saturday for us. We took advantage of it and got up early Saturday to head to Toronto (a 2+ hr drive) for some shopping - and to make a final decision on bunk bed quilts, etc.
The decision was made for us (it saved me having to decide) when we got to Yorkdale and Pottery Barn Kids was CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS. Lol! That is just our luck. We actually had stopped at IKEA on the way to Yorkdale and had pretty much decided on this bedding: http://www.kukunest.com/browse_lantern.php ...mentioned in a previous post and shown above. Chloe loves it and after reading more about Vietnamese lantern festivals, I thought it would be a perfect blend of Asian culture and Chloe funky :) I ordered the sets today and can't wait for them to come.
Chloe's room is almost finished now and we are waiting for the bedding now to come so we can see if the yellow walls will have to be repainted to match better. I'm secretly hoping it all looks great without painting the walls. So is Shaune ;)
At Ikea we got the cutest pink storage boxes for under the bunk beds and some funky pink flower lights for the walls, as well as duvets for her new bedding. I finished painting the bunk beds (whew!) & my dad came down today and put together her other furniture that matches the white beds (a beautiful armoire with mirror that Lynn & Larry gave us). When the room is totally finished I will take some photos. I think I'm going to like the new bright colours.
Excited that we are almost finished it. I also saw a nice white cot/crib at IKEA for only $119 if we end up with a referral for a young baby - I gave our crib away earlier this year to my cousin :)
Things keeping me busy like this are good. Helps the time go by... sorta faster.
PS: If anyone in Canada knows of a site (or a store) that has colorful paper lanterns (globes) I want to buy 3 to hang from the ceiling (i'm thinking pink, red & orange) but don't know where to find them. All my internet searches take me to the USA and buying in bulk.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Ministry Approval - CHECK :)

I got word from our agency that we received our Ontario Ministry approval (to adopt) on August 7th. Our dossier was sent to Vietnam several weeks ago to begin translation. Our agency says now that we have Ministry approval we are "officially awaiting child proposal/match".

One step closer. I am smiling this morning.

On other news, I am knee deep in white paint. Chloe now has bunk beds (given generously to us by our friends Kerri & Matt) in her room. She is very excited that she will be someday sharing these beds with her sister. They were wood so I am painting them white to go with all her other furniture in her room. They are looking good and now I am even more anxious to get her bedding ordered (I'm still not 100% decided and may take a drive up to Pottery Barn Kids tomorrow just to be sure I want the kukunest bedding). I love the Kukunest bedding and Chloe loves it too (she picked the top link - see below post - the red lantern set with the 2 girls on the pillowcase). The only thing is... with both sets - they do not match what is in her room already - including very expensive Pottery Barn drapery & sheers, pillows, etc. Also, her room is butter yellow and that is not going to match the bright reds/pinks/teals. So, if I get her the Kukunest bedding, I am no doubt going to have to paint her room (nightmare - did i mention i hate painting?) a soft teal colour, and find a home for her lovely Pottery Barn butterfly stuff. So, this is why we are still undecided. Shaune is game for whatever I decide I think ;)

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

These two...



























...think about their sister every day. Talk about "baby sister" to each other and to other friends and family. These 2 little people want a sister so badly to love. I know they will be wonderful with her & it makes me (all of us) anxious. We tell them it is going to be a bit of a wait and they say "that is okay" --- and then they go on asking me questions about her country and about babies in general.

This little guy is going to be an awesome big brother. He was only 2.5 when his sister Chloe came along. He was very excited, then very unhappy and confused and then back to excited and happy again. For the most part he is wonderful (and patient) with his sister. I think he is ready for her to finally get out of his room and into her own bunkbed! He told me the other day he'd even help with the 'pee-pee diapers'.

This little girl talks about being a big sister constantly. Instead of saying she is growing to be a big girl she says: "I'm growing into a big sister"... it is so cute. She is beyond excited. She likes to go to Toys R Us and look at highchairs and strollers ... planning for the day we will need to finally purchase these things. She is full of 'advice' on these matters. Whenever she grows out of a dress or jeans she tells me "Now its for baby sister". Some days she calls her Maya and some days she calls her Isabel... she is as undecided as we are on names.

I hope the wait isn't any longer than they've told us because these 2 little people are anxiously awaiting news. (They aren't the only ones).

{ Photos taken today of Keaton and Chloe - ages 6 & 4 }

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Looking for bedding

So, Chloe now has bunk beds in her room. We are painting them white and I'm buying the mattresses tomorrow for them. She is excited and keeps talking about her baby sister who will some day reside in the bottom bunk. I need to buy bedding and so I've been scouring the internet looking for something that screams YES to me. So far I've found two options and they are both so adorable. Of course her wall colour doesn't match either so I'd have to repaint her room and I won't tell you just how much I hate to paint.

So far, its between these two bedding sets and I will have to buy 2 of everything for the bunk beds.

http://www.kukunest.com/browse_lantern.php
and
http://www.kukunest.com/browse_aroundworld.php

if anyone has other suggestions of cute little girl quilts/duvets/comforter sets I'd love suggestions. I'd like to buy them in the coming week or so. Chloe needs to get back in her own bed :)

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Books

My new friend Leah (who I met through Facebook of all places) is adopting from Vietnam with the same agency as we are. She is a lovely woman and so helpful with lots of information - a lot of fun to 'talk' to.

About a month back she gave me a list of book recommends and I looked through and added many to my Amazon.ca wishlist. Tomorrow I think I will take the time to order a couple and start the collection early.

For those interested here is my list (taken from Leah's and then I've added a few to it also):



Children books:



http://www.amazon.ca/Mother-Choco-Keiko-Kasza/dp/0698113640/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1PIKGZDMRRD53&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/When-You-Were-Born-Vietnam/dp/0963847252/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2C4VQ0YN88K7I&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/I-Dont-Have-Your-Eyes/dp/0972624422/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1DQSVQUX2DAVT&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2





http://www.amazon.ca/Were-Different-Same-Bobbi-Kates/dp/0679832270/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2ER758S8BX02Q&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/Family-Book-Todd-Parr/dp/0316155632/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=IZZL44FUBXERL&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/Its-Okay-Different-Todd-Parr/dp/0316155624/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1K51WNIWQO3PC&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/Mice-Pegi-Weill-Cynthia-Deitz-Shea/dp/0811834964/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=IPTXUCZO8OOLA&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/Seeds-Love-Brothers-Internationally-Children/dp/0965575314/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I11Q4ID6L3GTAP&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/Bein-You-This-Nikola-Lisa-Bryant/dp/1880000261/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2QM6FBT7AJ7V6&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/Tell-Again-about-Night-Born/dp/0613301528/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186883813&sr=8-1



http://www.amazon.ca/How-Was-Adopted-Samanthas-Story/dp/0613228723/ref=pd_sim_b_5_img/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&qid=1186883813&sr=8-1



http://www.amazon.ca/Little-Miss-Spider-David-Kirk/dp/0439543150/ref=sr_1_4/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186884023&sr=1-4





Fiction books/novels:

http://www.amazon.ca/Over-Moat-Among-Imperial-Vietnam/dp/0312422377/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I33KGWO1ROJVL&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/Sorrow-War-Bao-Ninh/dp/074939711X/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3V35VV8751XX3&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



Non-fiction/help books:

http://www.amazon.ca/Are-Those-Kids-Yours-Countries/dp/0029257506/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=IWRPGN6GD3ZTP&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/Does-Anybody-Else-Look-Like/dp/0738209503/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I4QXZKGVIVQI0&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/Cross-Cultural-Adoption-How-Answer-Questions/dp/0895260921/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I166VUQPOKMUQ7&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/Inside-Transracial-Adoption-Gail-Steinberg/dp/0944934242/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2TVTZ4SUYFK77&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/Attaching-Adoption-Practical-Todays-Parents/dp/0944934293/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2C22Y4UVF7B3E&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/Why-Chose-You-Gregory-Lang/dp/1581824335/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=IFNMCLSOZF59W&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2



http://www.amazon.ca/Lonely-Planet-Vietnam-Nick-Ray/dp/1740596773/ref=wl_it_dp/701-1647430-1617119?ie=UTF8&coliid=I9D2SB9NYDOLN&colid=A6U2P3QWNQS2

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Homestudy complete, Paperwork collected













We've reached a special spot in this journey. On Friday evening we finished our homestudy. Yahoo. On Monday our social worker will forward our homestudy with his recommends to our agency, who will in turn send it to the Ministry. Then we wait for Ministry approval before forwarding our dossier on to Vietnam.

On Thursday I mailed our paperwork for our dossier to our agency. So... now all the waiting begins. It seems weird that we accomplished so much so quickly. We made our final decision on adopting from Vietnam in April and completed all 4 homestudy appointments from May - beginning of July. The dossier was pretty easy to compile and hopefully everything will continue to roll along.

I find I'm thinking of our daughter in Vietnam more and more now, it is consuming my thoughts at times. Is she already born? So many things to think about. I'm suffering from a bad case of insomnia lately and I think alot of it is due to all these things racing through my mind in the quiet times of night.

Our family has lots to keep us busy while we wait including family reunions, holidays, a trip to DisneyWorld and a Disney cruise, etc. I think it is best to keep as busy as possible. And we are very good at keeping busy around here.


The photo above is a snapshot of our Vietnam applications, etc before I put them in our envelope to mail off on Thursday. :)


Friday, July 6, 2007

Some Thoughts

I've kept our blog fairly positive up 'til this point but lets face it, at times during this process we have been faced with opinions and stereotyped views that have been very disheartening.

I'm at a loss with how to deal with these things but realize that this is only the beginning of what we will face as we become a family that is 'transracial' and 'different'.

The excitement, love and support we've received has been wonderful. I thank all those that have been there for us and continue to be positive and understand our decisions. You know who you are and we appreciate it more than you'll ever know.

For those who feel concerned that we are not sure what we are 'getting into' by adopting a child from another country...

Yes, we are sure. We would not be doing this if we were not.

Yes, we know it won't be easy at times. We also know it will be wonderful. It will be rewarding, challenging, and a joyful experience - just as parenting both our other children has been and continues to be.

Yes, we want to do this.

Yes, we have thought this through (for over 10 years to be exact including research, long conversations, our homestudy, meetings with social workers and a whole lot of soul searching)

Yes, we are doing this and we are very excited about it. This is our journey to our 3rd child, like a long pregnancy and every bit as important, anticipated and thought out as our other 2 children we've been blessed with. Those that share our excitement - we appreciate you and your thoughts.

To those that do not - if you have any concerns as to whether we are sure what we are doing, call us or talk to us. Understand that we are we and that you are you. This is OUR decision. This is our choice. When we hear negative and questioning comments about the plans we have to expand our loving family, it not only hurts... it makes us feel that you do not recognize that this child will be OURS and she deserves the same love and excited anticipation that any biological child would recieve.

There is no room in this for negativeness.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Some important translations

Run your mouse over each word and you will see its meaning below (ie: grandmotherinvn - grandmother in vietnamese)





































...............................................................................................................................
Ba - grandmother/nana
Ong - grandfather/poppa
dep - beautiful
chi - sister
anh - brother
me - mommy
Bo - daddy
Be - baby :)
...............................................................................................
I have about a year (hopefully less!) to start figuring out some basic Vietnamese words and language. I have never been good with learning other languages so I need to get started soon. When we travel to VN I would like to have a decent grasp on some basic phrases and words to get us through. Perhaps as time goes on we can learn more, we will see.

I found this site at CafePress that has Vietnamese words on clothing. Here are some words that are going to be important to learn :)