Summer Fades to Fall

Summer is at the tail end of its life cycle for 2008! It has been an interesting, stressful, relaxing, busy, boring, eventful summer all rolled into one. That might sound a bit contradictory but it is true...this summer has had elements of all those things!

I actually can't believe September is here...I remember when our dossier was sent to E in November how far away 12 months felt...now one year of waiting is almost upon us. I say every year after summer is over "now we will get to catch up with all the people we didn't see over summer because summer is so crazy" . Yet, somehow, every fall seems to whip by and before you know it Christmas is a few days away and we really haven't had a chance to see anyone we wanted to see.

We always seem to have a fall wedding to attend and this year is no exception. Our lovely friends Eric and Sarah are getting married in two weeks....their wedding will be a fun-filled weekend celebration starting with a wiener roast on the Friday night, wedding ceremony and reception on the Saturday and a waffle brunch on the Sunday :) I can't think of a better way to pass a weekend then celebrating our friend's marriage with a group of people we love!

Thanksgiving will arrive so quickly, really only 6 weeks after September long, then Halloween which we will celebrate in Vancouver - hope my mom hands out candies to the kiddies...I love doing that!

Then the big surge to Christmas happens....we are always busy wrapping things up at work and always have the big push to meet deadlines, there are Christmas parties of all shapes and sizes to attend, baking to be done, gifts to be bought...it feels sometimes like we can't breathe and then a big sigh of relief when we make it to a week of relaxation with family and friends during the Christmas break.

Somewhere in there we hope to get our much anticipated referral for a wee one. Our agency update came this week and time lines indicate that referrals for infants under 3 years are taking 8-14 months (one month less than last update). I am hoping and praying we see something before Christmas but if it takes the 14 months...well, we'll manage.

While summer is ending, I feel like something new is beginning...it is starting to feel like we are in the homestretch...and can see a tiny glimpse of the bright light ahead. I think being busy this fall will make the time pass even quicker.

Happy Labour Day Long Weekend to All

Much love

Madonna

I remember the very first time I ever heard a Madonna song. It was 1985 and I was in my living room. My uncle and his new girlfriend were over for a visit and she put a tape in the cassette player. It was Madonna singing "Lucky Star". As a teenage girl I was blown away and became an instant fan.

Who was this girl who wore loads of bracelets, necklaces with crosses, tulle, leggings and sneakers? I needed to know more and so I bought her album "Like a Virgin".

Over the years I have listened to Madonna as she has evolved...some of her music I have loved, some not so much, some of her crazy antics I have thought "hmmmm" while other times I have thought "You go girl". I have always thought I would love to see her in concert.

Yvan and I are big music fans - and love to see live shows - so when the opportunity to go see Madonna in concert came up - well we jumped at it! We are flying out to Vancouver at the end of October where we will get to hang with my Momma and go see Madonna in concert! Yeow! I am so excited and best of all - my Momma Joe is coming to the concert with us!!!! Seriously my mom rocks!

As a way to keep my mind off the ever-climbing ticker to our baby - I have added a ticker counting in reverse to Madonna - thanks to Ricki for the idea :)

ABBA - Makes a Girl Feel Good

Friday night I went to see "Mama Mia" with some girls! It was just what I needed...to go see a girly movie full of ABBA music.

I haven't enjoyed a silly musical movie that much since "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and I kept wanting to get up and dance. Sadly, I have not yet seen the touring musical where I hear the audience does just that. How fun would be it if they had the same concept of "Rocky Horror" with the audience participation - I used to be able to recite all the lines and know exactly what to bring for props at Rocky back in the day - "Mamma Mia" could be the same - you could dress up in fun '70's costumes and do the dances and say some of the key lines - F.U.N spells FUN!

I used to listen to ABBA when I was growing up - my mom had a few of their albums and so there many days spent listening to "Dancing Queen" or "Take a Chance on Me" and dancing around the living room :)

The only time I had a teary moment during the movie was at the end when they played "I Have A Dream" and not because of the movie but because I do have a dream - to be a mom, to see Yvan as the wonderful father I know he will be, to be a family!

So, here you, go a little ABBA for your viewing and listening pleasure on the last Monday of August 2008!



P.S. Pierce Brosnan should not sing and be romantic - blech! Colin Firth - he was awesome!

I Heart Julie At The Eyes of My Eyes Are Opened

As I have mentioned before the lovely Julie has started up an on-line book club at Eyes on Books.

The books we are reading this month are:

1. Notes from the Hyena's Belly

2. Attaching in Adoption

3. Trouble

I am an avid reader so I was super excited to join this on-line book club and read books related to Ethiopia and adoption and then have the opportunity to discuss the reading with others who are also on the road to Ethiopia to bring a wee one home.

I already had Attaching in Adoption but had yet to read it so this was the perfect reason to get my butt in gear and read it.

Off to Amazon I went to find the other two books that I didn't have.

"Notes from the Hyena's Belly" was easy to find and I think one of the reasons is that the author now lives in Canada.

I tried in vain to find Trouble but alas was not successful. I let Julie know that I couldn't find it and apparently a few of the other Canadians in the book club and had let her know as well.

Rather than just saying "Oh well, I guess you won't be able to read it along with us" Julie, the fantastic, amazing, creative person she is (I have found so far even though we haven't met yet) tracked down the Author, Jane Kurtz, and asked her where we might find copies for us to read. Jane told her that the book was not in print anymore and that she should feel free to scan the book and email it to us up in Canada! You can read the whole story here as Julie tells it much better.

Yeah Jane Kurtz!

Yeah Julie! for taking the time to do this so that we too could read the book!

Julie emailed me a copy today and being the geek I am I instantly printed it off...and since I am at work I was able to print it off in color (shush! don't tell my boss ;) and for those of you who don't know - I am married to my boss)

Anyways, I have my copy and I am excited to read it this weekend!

Yoda The Four Eared Cat

Yup, you heard right a four eared cat. Click here to read the full story (if you want).

Habitat For Humanity - Women's Build

About 2 weeks ago I volunteered thru work with Habitat for Humanity on a Women's Build that is happening here in our city. It is sponsored by Cameco and the idea is that women build a house over a month period for a family in need thru Habitat for Humanity. I say a month because that is how long Cameco sponsors the build - after the month is up Habit completes the house from the stage the women left it at.

This was such a fantastic experience. The site supervisor for the event (who also co-ordinates all site builds for Habit) wasn't shy about putting us to work. I volunteered for a day the first week of August along with my co-worker Kristie. When we arrived at the site we were to be wearing jeans, t-shirts, steel-toed boots if we had them, hard hats, protective glasses, gloves the works. They then gave us tool belts, hammers, etc...all the essentials.

They quickly put us to work building the exterior outside wall of the main floor. There were several different groups working...at times we were building the wall, moving dirt around for fill around the house, moving wood, cutting wood etc. Everything a normal trade would do we were doing.

Now I am a little - ummmmm no a lot afraid - of power tools and by this I mean table saws, skills saws, airnailers...I am seriously afraid. Yvan has years, and years of experience working with power tools but I can't not even be in the same area as him when he uses his table saw.

So, every time a woman from our group would use the table saw I would high tail it to the other end of the job site...someone would ask...do you want to try and I would yell "Nooooooooooooo", as I was running across the site....o.k. I didn't run but I did slowly back away and position myself as far away as possible. There were a couple of ladies that made me very nervous and I am still not sure how they didn't cut a limb off.

The weather was hot, 30 above hot, wicked hot, and I moved about 25 barrels of dirt by wheel barrow, not to mention all the stacks of wood we moved and then moved again....I kid you not! It was brutally hot and I drank so much water that I was in the port-a-potty every half hour. I was certainly glad when the work day was done.

Even though I was glad to be done...I would do it all over again! It was an amazing experience working side by side with all those women. Construction is typically a male dominated field and to know that women can build something just as good and just as sound as a man...well...it felt pretty good.

Then there was the knowledge that you are helping to a build a home for a family in desperate need of affordable housing. This is the first home for the families approved by Habit and they are also required to contribute 500 hours of work to the project. They are happy and grateful for the opportunity to raise their family in a house with yard and extremely deserving.

I highly encourage everyone to go out and spend a day helping out with Habit!

The above group of ladies that I volunteered with organized to get pink hard hats for the build. Sweet hey! I had one trades guy say "Hey, I like your hard hats!"

This is our entire group for the day our group and another couple of groups...they were all envious of our pink hard hats ;)

Nine Months Waiting

Need I say anymore!

What I Know For Sure

If you watch Oprah (I do, can't help myself) then you know she often asks her guests the following question:

"What do you know for sure" and by this she means in life...What do you know for sure about life?

What I know for sure is this:

The people I have met thru this adoption journey are incredible. The support, friendship and love we have received is phenomenal. The people who are truly our friends have stepped up and showed us why we love them so much.

I have "met" people from my city, province, neighbouring provinces, the other side of the country, and the United States. Many I have met in person - Ricki, Rhonda, Sandi, Shannon, Natasha and relationships have blossomed into friendship...others I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting because of geography - Dianne, Cinnamon, Julie, Danielle, Hazel...and many more but I know that if and when we do meet it would be like we have been friends forever.

*EDIT* - I forgot to thank someone today in this post. CHERYL! Yvan has known Clay and Cheryl for quite some time and in fact built a house for them ( all is good except for the damn doorbell hey!) but I have only had the immense pleasure of getting to know them well this past year when we found out we were both on the path to adopt a child/children from Ethiopia. We have since become much closer and are getting to know each other more all the time. Cheryl (& Clay) have been so kind as to share with me (& Yvan) their journey so far. They have included us in all of their emails (including the ones from Ethiopia and since they have been home), invited us over for tea and dessert, come to our house and in general made us feel welcome and loved. Thanks and we can't wait to meet Tag and Messa :)

My friends who have been with me from the start of this journey and in my life for years...to them I am also grateful...they help create the back bone which supports me as I move forward...my family...I have no words...they have been exceptional...patient... and loving!

Without this support, the difficult days would be far more difficult, the sad days would be a lot sadder.

So, to all who reached out to me this week - Thank You! You take me in your arms and give me hugs...when I feel I need to vent...you listen....when I ask for help....you give it.

I am back feeling much better today...it was inevitable that I had a crash I think...especially in light of the recent referrals which got me all excited with the anticipation of ours...which would be nice to have NOW but I will be patient and wait - as Ricki told me - the wait will ensure the child that is meant for our family will come to us.

Much love

Today I Feel....

Today I feel....
sad,
anxious,
angry,
and frustrated.
like hiding under a rock.
as though our quest to have a family will never happen.
that the next 3 - 6 months are going to take forever.
unsure if I can bear this wait for even one more day!
glad that tomorrow will come and I might not feel like this anymore.....right?!?!?

Cheers to Ricki and Bruce!

Finally, after 16 1/2 long months of waiting Ricki and Bruce got the call yesterday!!!

CONGRATULATIONS! ITS A BOY :)

Yonnas is his name and if you go on over to Ricki's blog you can hear all about it! Be sure to give them your congrats!

Ricki, it was an honour to hear from you so soon after you got the call...we were both wrong..I thought Thursday, you thought Friday or Monday....it is so awesome to be so wrong!!!

I will be sending all the positive energy I can out into the universe so that when court opens again in October all the paper work, medicals, and visas go thru without a hitch. Then you can bring your bouncing, baby boy home!

Lots of love to you, Bruce and baby Yonnas!

Congrats And A Dream

First - the congrats!!

Congratulations!!!! to Dianne and hubby on the referral of an oh-so-sweet little lady named Hana! I have to give Kudos to Dianne for being patient this past long weekend while knowing her referral was in Edmonton yet having to wait until Tuesday to actually get it - I would have been a raving maniac! Her patience paid off yesterday when she got to see her lovely baby girl for the first time.

Here is to bringing your beautiful babe home very quickly! O.k so now go on over and give her your congrats!

Second - a dream!

My girlfriend Rachel sent me a link yesterday to a guy who is a writer for the Globe and Mail. You can click here to read the specific article she intended for me to read.

After reading this, I immediately sent it on to Yvan.....hmmmm..do you think that was too forward of me?!?

Nah! A girl can always dream right?!

Back to Work

So, we are back to work after our week off...sigh!

We started the week off with a visit from my momma who was here to spend some time with Grandma D after her surgery. She drove all the way from Vancouver with my cousin H.

We had a family BBQ on the Saturday night and it was delightful.



My Momma Joe and snuggly Leroy (Joe is not her name but I have called her this for as long as I can remember - I don't know why!)



My Auntie B and cuddly Grissom

My Grandma D, Cousin H, and Great Auntie R hanging on the swing!

After the family visit, we spent the rest of the week doing some serious landscaping. O.k not so serious, each day we leisurely got ready, had breakfast and then headed outside to work in the yard. It was awesome!



Our new flower bed - now the Hostas were already there..we just finally made it look pretty with the stack stones.



My favourite part is the deck, we were finally able to stain it this year and put up the white picket rail...it is cozy and we get to sit out on the front porch and watch the neighbourhood go by...with cold beer and clam in hand or tea and book...whatever :)



Finished product - well, not quite finished...notice that we are missing one set of shutters...these have been missing for almost a year and I thought we would get this done this week...we did not...a slight irritation to say the least...better not be next year! However, we did get the yard mulched with the big bark mulch which we love...it look alot of mulch though...we didn't realize how long our side yard was!

I can honestly say that after our fabulous week of holidays I was not looking forward to going back to work. Yvan said this "Next year we will take the same week off, but maybe two!"

I said this," I better bloody well be off on my 35 weeks paternity leave next summer or you will have one cranky wife! 2 weeks, bah! better not be only two weeks, better have a baby home by then..2 weeks, bah..." I mumbled on for a while and Yvan finally told me to be quiet :)

Here is to being off with our wee one for the entire summer in 2009!!!