Hello friends! I am sorry I have not posted in so long! We have been busy working on adopting paperwork and getting ready for CHRISTMAS! How is "Christmas-ing" going at your house? Do you celebrate Hanukkah? I hope it was a very nice celebration this year :)
Well, Brik and I went in and got our medical paperwork filled out by our doctor. Then, we went to the hospital and had our blood drawn. Once those results were back to the doc. we recruited our (dear, sweet, wonderful!) notary to come to the doctor's office to notarize the paperwork. She waited with us for about 45 mins before our doctor got a chance to meet with us. We signed and notarized and the next day, the doctor's office sent them paperwork off! YAY! We were so excited!
However, two days ago the adoption agency called to let us know the dates were not done correctly on the paperwork. So, we have to go BACK and do the whole thing over again. Pretty disappointing. But it's not a big deal, so we were still feeling pretty okay.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Next step: DONE!
HELLO, FRIENDS! :)
I am SO EXCITED to post that we TURNED IN OUR HOMESTUDY PAPERWORK!!!!!! WOOOO HOOOOO! This is VERY big and VERY exciting! The homestudy is PILES of paperwork, and I am SO excited we are ALMOST done with it! :) Turning in this first clump of paperwork is really exciting. (I bet you never thought you would read the word, "PAPERWORK" so many times in one blog post! Well, this is only the beginning! The homestudy step might include piles of paperwork, but I hear the "Dossier" step requires MOUNTAINS of it!)
We had to submit a bunch of blood tests, too. The other night, Brik and I went in to get the blood drawn. You all probably know what I WHIMP I am about getting my blood drawn. So, I made Brik go first. He donates blood every month or so, so it is no big deal to him. He sat down in the chair and the phlebotomist just TALKED about drawing his blood, and my head started buzzing and I felt light-headed! Well, as soon as the fourth vial was full, Mr. Gets-His-Blood-Drawn-Every-Month turned a ghastly whiteish yellow and nearly fainted! The nurse had to get him some orange juice and he sat there trying not to pass out for a few minutes! NO WAY! And SO funny...to me ;)
Then, it was my turn. Brik had to HOLD MY HAND (no, LITERALLY! He really was HOLDING MY HAND!) It hurt SO BADLY! He tried to distract me by talking about China and my most recent trip there, and I winced and cringed and held his hand so tightly mine turned all red and white...and the whole thing was rather pathetic.
In the end, we stumbled out of there like two war heroes, leaning on one another for support, heads high like we had overcome by great personal strength and will-power. We disgust me.
And as soon as we stepped outside, I whined, "Brrrr! It is SO COLD!"
I am SO tough.
I am SO EXCITED to post that we TURNED IN OUR HOMESTUDY PAPERWORK!!!!!! WOOOO HOOOOO! This is VERY big and VERY exciting! The homestudy is PILES of paperwork, and I am SO excited we are ALMOST done with it! :) Turning in this first clump of paperwork is really exciting. (I bet you never thought you would read the word, "PAPERWORK" so many times in one blog post! Well, this is only the beginning! The homestudy step might include piles of paperwork, but I hear the "Dossier" step requires MOUNTAINS of it!)
We had to submit a bunch of blood tests, too. The other night, Brik and I went in to get the blood drawn. You all probably know what I WHIMP I am about getting my blood drawn. So, I made Brik go first. He donates blood every month or so, so it is no big deal to him. He sat down in the chair and the phlebotomist just TALKED about drawing his blood, and my head started buzzing and I felt light-headed! Well, as soon as the fourth vial was full, Mr. Gets-His-Blood-Drawn-Every-Month turned a ghastly whiteish yellow and nearly fainted! The nurse had to get him some orange juice and he sat there trying not to pass out for a few minutes! NO WAY! And SO funny...to me ;)
Then, it was my turn. Brik had to HOLD MY HAND (no, LITERALLY! He really was HOLDING MY HAND!) It hurt SO BADLY! He tried to distract me by talking about China and my most recent trip there, and I winced and cringed and held his hand so tightly mine turned all red and white...and the whole thing was rather pathetic.
In the end, we stumbled out of there like two war heroes, leaning on one another for support, heads high like we had overcome by great personal strength and will-power. We disgust me.
And as soon as we stepped outside, I whined, "Brrrr! It is SO COLD!"
I am SO tough.
Friday, November 20, 2015
THANK YOU!!
The auction was a SUCCESS!
Thank you to everyone who donated items to auction, who came and bid, who shared the link...we are just SO THANKFUL! This little girl could not be coming home without the help of so many people. It is humbling. I am so, so thankful.
Okay, enough about MONEY. Let's talk about the ADOPTION! What is happening? EVERYONE wants to know! It's high time I post an update about that aspect!
* So, the last we heard from our agency, we are looking at 9-12 months to get little munchkin home. My personal goal is to have her home before next fall. So, like, Sept. 2016.
* We only have about $15,000.00 left to raise. I am SO THANKFUL for that! In fact, I have a hard time even expressing how thankful we are. I am in awe of the kindness others have shown. Thank you to everyone who has donated. (Did I just say that, like, three paragraphs ago? Well, get used to it, because I am going to be saying it a LOT! I AM SO THANKFUL!)
* I FINISHED MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY for the home study! It was, like, 32 pages of essay questions. I thought I would DIE. But I finished it! WOOO HOOO! My goal is to turn in our first set of paperwork and our first check to the home study agency (different than the adoption agency, FYI) on Tuesday! Wish me luck! :D
* We are still undecided about Taiger coming to China with us. Lots of pros, lots of cons. Taiger himself goes back and forth about it. (I think this topic is going to end up having it's own full blog post at some point, so stay tuned...)
* A VERY GOOD friend of mine asked me randomly if we needed clothes for LongLong. This was ANOTHER of those "tender mercies"/ "miracle" moments. I have been so stressed about getting my little girl clothes. Yet I couldn't tell anyone because it really does sound SO petty to be worried about CLOTHES! I mean, not that she would go naked! But I was going to give her hand-me-downs from Taiger and the other boys. Really, SO not a big deal!!!!! Only....SO a big deal to a mommy who can't do anything for this little girl a billion miles away, and all I can do is shop for her and give her clothes when she arrives and find things that will be comfy and cozy and soft for her and I have wanted a girl for a thousand years to dress in cute floofy dresses, and yes, this DOES make me shallow, but it is really how I was feeling! (PHEW! That feels good to just get it out!) So, deep down in my shallow, ridiculous heart...I wanted my little girl to have some nice clothes. Something other than handed down clothes from her big brother. Well, this sweet friend out of the blue told me her little girl had grown out of her 4t sized clothes and she was going to get rid of them and did I want them. I almost started crying. (Yes, over CLOTHES.) Well, this sweet friend gave me a bag of clothes for my little girl. And guess what size I think she will be when she arrives here? 4t. Of course. And can I just tell you, in that bag was the floofiest, poofiest, PRETTIEST dress I have ever seen?! And, once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has done something for our adoption! From donated money to donated clothes and everything in between. THANK YOU!
Well, that is all for the update. I think the theme of this post is definitely THANK YOU! I think that better be the post title :).
Thank you to everyone who donated items to auction, who came and bid, who shared the link...we are just SO THANKFUL! This little girl could not be coming home without the help of so many people. It is humbling. I am so, so thankful.
Okay, enough about MONEY. Let's talk about the ADOPTION! What is happening? EVERYONE wants to know! It's high time I post an update about that aspect!
* So, the last we heard from our agency, we are looking at 9-12 months to get little munchkin home. My personal goal is to have her home before next fall. So, like, Sept. 2016.
* We only have about $15,000.00 left to raise. I am SO THANKFUL for that! In fact, I have a hard time even expressing how thankful we are. I am in awe of the kindness others have shown. Thank you to everyone who has donated. (Did I just say that, like, three paragraphs ago? Well, get used to it, because I am going to be saying it a LOT! I AM SO THANKFUL!)
* I FINISHED MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY for the home study! It was, like, 32 pages of essay questions. I thought I would DIE. But I finished it! WOOO HOOO! My goal is to turn in our first set of paperwork and our first check to the home study agency (different than the adoption agency, FYI) on Tuesday! Wish me luck! :D
* We are still undecided about Taiger coming to China with us. Lots of pros, lots of cons. Taiger himself goes back and forth about it. (I think this topic is going to end up having it's own full blog post at some point, so stay tuned...)
* A VERY GOOD friend of mine asked me randomly if we needed clothes for LongLong. This was ANOTHER of those "tender mercies"/ "miracle" moments. I have been so stressed about getting my little girl clothes. Yet I couldn't tell anyone because it really does sound SO petty to be worried about CLOTHES! I mean, not that she would go naked! But I was going to give her hand-me-downs from Taiger and the other boys. Really, SO not a big deal!!!!! Only....SO a big deal to a mommy who can't do anything for this little girl a billion miles away, and all I can do is shop for her and give her clothes when she arrives and find things that will be comfy and cozy and soft for her and I have wanted a girl for a thousand years to dress in cute floofy dresses, and yes, this DOES make me shallow, but it is really how I was feeling! (PHEW! That feels good to just get it out!) So, deep down in my shallow, ridiculous heart...I wanted my little girl to have some nice clothes. Something other than handed down clothes from her big brother. Well, this sweet friend out of the blue told me her little girl had grown out of her 4t sized clothes and she was going to get rid of them and did I want them. I almost started crying. (Yes, over CLOTHES.) Well, this sweet friend gave me a bag of clothes for my little girl. And guess what size I think she will be when she arrives here? 4t. Of course. And can I just tell you, in that bag was the floofiest, poofiest, PRETTIEST dress I have ever seen?! And, once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has done something for our adoption! From donated money to donated clothes and everything in between. THANK YOU!
Well, that is all for the update. I think the theme of this post is definitely THANK YOU! I think that better be the post title :).
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Our Adoption Auction begins in FIFTEEN MINUTES!
FIFTEEN MINUTES! Only FIFTEEN MINUTES until bidding opens! Put on some comfy clothes, grab a mug of hot chocolate and come SHOP WITH A CAUSE!
We have some AH-MAZING items for auction. You won't want to miss this! So CLICK HERE to go to our ADOPTION AUCTION facebook page! The fun is about to begin!
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Some Auction Advice from Michel Gerard
Tomorrow is the BIG DAY! AUCTION day! YAHOO! I am SO excited! We have some AMAZING pieces for auction, and I really cannot wait to share them with all of you! PLEASE "LIKE" our Adoption Auction page to join in the fun.
You may not know what to expect from an auction. You may think:
But you are DEAD WRONG!
In fact, some people say:
They can be kind of fun! There are many exciting aspects to an auction, such as:
That might make you think:
But don't worry!:
Oh, Michel Gerard! We do!
So, here are three tips from Michel:
First, you mustn't be too eager.
Well, Michel, eager is the name of the game in THIS auction! Get that item you want and get it NOW! We only have 48 hours to do this thing!
You must always be extremely careful of your paddle movement.
Hmmm...no paddles at this auction! But please remember NOT to bid unless you MEAN it! No deleting bids once made!
How is your arm raise?
You may not know what to expect from an auction. You may think:
But you are DEAD WRONG!
In fact, some people say:
They can be kind of fun! There are many exciting aspects to an auction, such as:
That might make you think:
But don't worry!:
Oh, Michel Gerard! We do!
So, here are three tips from Michel:
First, you mustn't be too eager.
Well, Michel, eager is the name of the game in THIS auction! Get that item you want and get it NOW! We only have 48 hours to do this thing!
You must always be extremely careful of your paddle movement.
Hmmm...no paddles at this auction! But please remember NOT to bid unless you MEAN it! No deleting bids once made!
How is your arm raise?
This is a great question, Michel! Because we all need our arms to be good and strong for the FIST PUMP when we get that amazing item we were bidding on!!
So, thank you, Michel Gerard, and thank YOU for LIKING our Adoption Auction page!
Monday, November 9, 2015
AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY!
FOUR DAYS until bidding opens for our Adoption Auction!!
We are having a drawing for a $15.00 gift card! All you have to do is invite your friends to "LIKE" our Adoption Auction page! If 5 of your friends "LIKE" our page, your name goes in to the drawing! Pretty easy!! So, go LIKE our page and INVITE YOUR FRIENDS! If 5 of your friends "LIKE" us, post your name on our page so I can put you in the drawing! I mean, who DOESN'T want $15.00 to spend on Amazon?!
Find our Adoption Auction page HERE!
We are having a drawing for a $15.00 gift card! All you have to do is invite your friends to "LIKE" our Adoption Auction page! If 5 of your friends "LIKE" our page, your name goes in to the drawing! Pretty easy!! So, go LIKE our page and INVITE YOUR FRIENDS! If 5 of your friends "LIKE" us, post your name on our page so I can put you in the drawing! I mean, who DOESN'T want $15.00 to spend on Amazon?!
Find our Adoption Auction page HERE!
Saturday, November 7, 2015
We had a wonderful phone call with our adoption agency today. (Our case worker is the BOMB, by the way. :) She is always so patient with my insentient questions, and she has a fantastic sense of humor!) (No, she doesn't read this blog, and she didn't pay me to say any of this! HA HA!)
Anyway, you know how I had thought our adoption would take between 7 and 14 months (probably closer to 14)? Well, I was wrong! We are looking at 9-12 months! YES! The "longest" it will most likely take is 12 months!
I have a goal. My goal is to have LongLong home by her birthday next year. For security reasons, I won't share the date, but it is in the fall. With this new possible timeline, that goal doesn't seem so unrealistic.
(Oh, how I want my little girl home!)
The auction is only 5 days away! If you haven't "liked" our facebook page, you are MISSING. OUT! I have already posted a few "sneak peeks" of auction items, so some people are already preparing their bids and planning their course of attack to get the items they want! Don't be beat! Join the facebook page today to plan what you want to bid on! (Don't forget, in a few days I am going to post how you can win something before the auction even begins! But you have to "LIKE" the page to know how to win!)
Click HERE to go to our "Adoption Auction" facebook page! :D
Lots of love to you all!
Anyway, you know how I had thought our adoption would take between 7 and 14 months (probably closer to 14)? Well, I was wrong! We are looking at 9-12 months! YES! The "longest" it will most likely take is 12 months!
I have a goal. My goal is to have LongLong home by her birthday next year. For security reasons, I won't share the date, but it is in the fall. With this new possible timeline, that goal doesn't seem so unrealistic.
(Oh, how I want my little girl home!)
The auction is only 5 days away! If you haven't "liked" our facebook page, you are MISSING. OUT! I have already posted a few "sneak peeks" of auction items, so some people are already preparing their bids and planning their course of attack to get the items they want! Don't be beat! Join the facebook page today to plan what you want to bid on! (Don't forget, in a few days I am going to post how you can win something before the auction even begins! But you have to "LIKE" the page to know how to win!)
Click HERE to go to our "Adoption Auction" facebook page! :D
Lots of love to you all!
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
What have we here?
Do you know Braille? Do you know what this says? It is just two little letters...
Can you hear me screaming from Utah?
. . . . . . . .
YES! We received PA today!
We are so excited. I am so excited I almost can't stand it!!
Thank you all for the love and prayers and support.
And HEY! Don't forget to "like" our auction page on facebook! I already posted our first "sneak peek"! Don't miss tomorrow's! (No, really. Do NOT miss tomorrow's.) Click HERE.
Thank you, all!
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
AMAZING ADOPTION AUCTION!
ONLY 8 MORE DAYS!
Wait, you don't know? You haven't heard?
WE ARE HAVING A HUGE AUCTION!
Yes, OF COURSE it is online! Yes, OF COURSE you are invited!
The auction will be on FACEBOOK! So you don't even have to leave your house!
You can do all of your Christmas shopping IN YOUR LIVING ROOM! IN YOUR JAMMIES! And guess what?! ALL items have been DONATED so EVERY PENNY you spend will go to our adoption fund!
Friends, I kid you not. This has been a MIRACLE. People have SO GENEROUSLY donated items to be auctioned. The outpouring of love and support have brought me to tears.
If you would like to donate ANYTHING to be auctioned, please let me know ASAP! It is a great way to support our adoption, and we are SO VERY appreciative! I am desperately trying to gather more things for the auction, so PLEASE HELP by donating!
Okay, so are you ready for the good part? Sure you are! Here is the LINK to our AUCTION:
CLICK HERE!!!!!!
You may share it by copying and pasting this link: https://www.facebook.com/longlongadoptionauction/?fref=ts
Or, once you are on the page, you can "INVITE" your own friends right from the page!
It is going to be really fun, and there are going to be some AMAZING items for auction.
BE SURE AND LIKE OUR PAGE EARLY TO SEE TEASERS OF WHAT ITEMS WILL BE AUCTIONED!
Also, we might just have a fun give-away early, so make sure you have "liked" the page early for a chance to WIN!
EEEEK! So excited! See you all on facebook!
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Peace, Be Still
I keep procrastinating writing a blog post. I don't want to see the words on the page. I want to wait until there is good news. Until things are moving. Until everything is just the way I want it to be. Then, I will write. Then, I will come here all cheerful and bubbly, with wise words of "hanging on when it is tough" and how "the wait is worth it" and everything else a little too perfect for the real world. But I am not going to say anything like that. I am going to say instead that we are STILL waiting on PA. A process that is supposed to take days is taking weeks. And it isn't that I am impatient. I mean, I probably am, but that isn't really the problem. The "problem" with it taking so long is that each day that passes now at this step means a day longer that LongLong is in an orphanage. Another day that she isn't tested to see if her Cancer has relapsed (Heaven forbid). Another day without the love of a family. It isn't that I want it to be done now. It is just that each day is a day that she...well, that she remains an ORPHAN. And everything that means.
I am trying to be humble. I am trying to have faith that everything will happen in God's time. I am trying to believe He has a plan.
It is hard. Limbo.
I said something on facebook along these lines. I feel like I am a sailor, waiting in the middle of the ocean for a wind to come. For a breeze to pick up and billow the sails and set us back in motion, moving forward. Instead of waiting. Waiting. Still. So very still. Not a breath of wind. No donations have come. No word about PA. No paperwork to complete (if we don't receive PA, it could be years before we qualify to adopt, and after that long our home study will have expired, so we are holding off doing the homestudy until we know we will be able to move forward).
"Be still and know that I am God."
Maybe He is creating the perfect situation to practice this.
Be still.
So, we are STILL waiting. And in STILLness, I will wait. Peaceful. Faithful. Trusting. Be still.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Update! And a little hint of "Say Yes to the Dress"!
Weeeeeell, already we have changed our minds about LongLong's English name! HA HA HA!!!!!! Who knows?! We LOVE her Chinese name, so for now, she is staying our Little LongLong! Little Dragon :)
I have a VERY exciting announcement! I opened an Etsy shop to sell all of our handmade fundraiser items!!!!!! Right now, the Shop boasts our handmade necklaces and our handmade Princess Puppets. (OH MY GOSH they are so cute!) AAAAND....by the first part of next week, we will have Star Wars finger puppets! SERIOUSLY! And more are coming soon! (Can I just say Super Heroes? Hmmmmm...) So PLEASE, please, please check our our Etsy store HERE and SHARE THE LINK WITH ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS! :D Thank you!
Something happened today. I have to confess. Taiger had completely grown out of his church pants. As in, he has to "suck in" to button them up and the hem is at LEAST an inch too short. So, we ran to Old Navy to hit their 75% Clearance sale. We found him some pants on the clearance rack! WOO HOO! Then...Oh, then. Then, I made a total mistake and walked my little self over to the little girl's section. And there, where I couldn't look away, was the 75% off rack for the little girl's section. I found a dress for my girl for under $5.00! I know, I know...I don't have money to blow right now! BUT...$5.00 now or $15.00 later. Girl is gonna NEED clothes, and we have NOTHING in this house except BOY clothes!...For TALL boys. A petite little girl will have NOTHING! Well, she will now! Two dresses are patiently awaiting her arrival. :) (That being said, if anyone has girl clothes they are just itching to hand down to someone, we are MORE than thankful!)
Well, that is all the update for today. I wish we had PA (pre approval), but we don't yet. But stay tuned! I have faith it will come any day now! :D
I have a VERY exciting announcement! I opened an Etsy shop to sell all of our handmade fundraiser items!!!!!! Right now, the Shop boasts our handmade necklaces and our handmade Princess Puppets. (OH MY GOSH they are so cute!) AAAAND....by the first part of next week, we will have Star Wars finger puppets! SERIOUSLY! And more are coming soon! (Can I just say Super Heroes? Hmmmmm...) So PLEASE, please, please check our our Etsy store HERE and SHARE THE LINK WITH ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS! :D Thank you!
Something happened today. I have to confess. Taiger had completely grown out of his church pants. As in, he has to "suck in" to button them up and the hem is at LEAST an inch too short. So, we ran to Old Navy to hit their 75% Clearance sale. We found him some pants on the clearance rack! WOO HOO! Then...Oh, then. Then, I made a total mistake and walked my little self over to the little girl's section. And there, where I couldn't look away, was the 75% off rack for the little girl's section. I found a dress for my girl for under $5.00! I know, I know...I don't have money to blow right now! BUT...$5.00 now or $15.00 later. Girl is gonna NEED clothes, and we have NOTHING in this house except BOY clothes!...For TALL boys. A petite little girl will have NOTHING! Well, she will now! Two dresses are patiently awaiting her arrival. :) (That being said, if anyone has girl clothes they are just itching to hand down to someone, we are MORE than thankful!)
Well, that is all the update for today. I wish we had PA (pre approval), but we don't yet. But stay tuned! I have faith it will come any day now! :D
Monday, October 19, 2015
PA Wait Day 13. AND...do we have ideas for a name??
Good morning! It is raining and cold here, but I like the rain, so I feel happy. Okay, okay...I know you didn't come here to talk about the weather! So, here is an update on LongLong's adoption!
.........
Yep....waiting. That is the update. THIRTEEN DAYS since we sent in our paperwork for PA (that stands for Pre Approval, in case you forgot).
In the meantime, however, I have not been idle! We have started the paperwork for our homestudy. The homestudy is a long time, money, energy (soul??) consuming step in adoption. But I plan to meet it head-on and at a RUN! Let's get it done and over with. Perseverance is the name of the game in homestudy. (Actually, we STARTED the homestudy long before now, with things like Letters of Reference being handed out, and all of the addresses gathered for where Brik and I have lived since the age of 18. That was a challenge, since during that time he lived in South America and I lived in China...several times!)
We also had a BIG breakthrough with coming up with some name ideas for LongLong's English name! Yahoo! We plan to call her LongLong, and we wanted to just keep her Chinese name as her name! But we decided that having an English name to fall back on would be wise, as her Chinese name really is difficult to pronounce. Also, we want her to be able to choose to go by an English name if she wishes. The naming her part has been a bit of a struggle. But I think we came up with two good candidates for names. YAY! (I am not going to post them here, but I am happy to share privately if anyone is dying to know :D)
Also this week, we received answers to four of our questions, including when her last round of chemotherapy was and the outcome from it. It sounds like, for now, she is doing well in that area. They believe she is now in remission!! That news was music to this Mama's ears, let me tell you!! Because of the kind of cancer she had, she has a 50% chance of developing a different kind of cancer at any time. So, she will need to be checked every couple of months for the rest of her life. However, after the age of 5 she is less likely to contract the same kind of cancer, so that is good news! One more year and she will be less likely to develop this kind of cancer again! Granted, she has a fifty-fifty chance of contracting a different kind, but if there is one kind of cancer we can put on the back burner of worrying about, that is good news in my opinion!
Our girl is a FIGHTER. She is so brave and strong and I am so proud of her strong spirit! I can't wait to bring this little warrior home!!
.........
Yep....waiting. That is the update. THIRTEEN DAYS since we sent in our paperwork for PA (that stands for Pre Approval, in case you forgot).
In the meantime, however, I have not been idle! We have started the paperwork for our homestudy. The homestudy is a long time, money, energy (soul??) consuming step in adoption. But I plan to meet it head-on and at a RUN! Let's get it done and over with. Perseverance is the name of the game in homestudy. (Actually, we STARTED the homestudy long before now, with things like Letters of Reference being handed out, and all of the addresses gathered for where Brik and I have lived since the age of 18. That was a challenge, since during that time he lived in South America and I lived in China...several times!)
We also had a BIG breakthrough with coming up with some name ideas for LongLong's English name! Yahoo! We plan to call her LongLong, and we wanted to just keep her Chinese name as her name! But we decided that having an English name to fall back on would be wise, as her Chinese name really is difficult to pronounce. Also, we want her to be able to choose to go by an English name if she wishes. The naming her part has been a bit of a struggle. But I think we came up with two good candidates for names. YAY! (I am not going to post them here, but I am happy to share privately if anyone is dying to know :D)
Also this week, we received answers to four of our questions, including when her last round of chemotherapy was and the outcome from it. It sounds like, for now, she is doing well in that area. They believe she is now in remission!! That news was music to this Mama's ears, let me tell you!! Because of the kind of cancer she had, she has a 50% chance of developing a different kind of cancer at any time. So, she will need to be checked every couple of months for the rest of her life. However, after the age of 5 she is less likely to contract the same kind of cancer, so that is good news! One more year and she will be less likely to develop this kind of cancer again! Granted, she has a fifty-fifty chance of contracting a different kind, but if there is one kind of cancer we can put on the back burner of worrying about, that is good news in my opinion!
Our girl is a FIGHTER. She is so brave and strong and I am so proud of her strong spirit! I can't wait to bring this little warrior home!!
Friday, October 16, 2015
Quick Update
Here is an update about how things are going!
Our adoption agent is sending in TODAY our PA application AND our application to have the marriage requirement waived! Any good thoughts and/or prayers would be greatly (GREATLY!) appreciated.
Don't forget to donate on the right side of your screen :)
Love,
B
Our adoption agent is sending in TODAY our PA application AND our application to have the marriage requirement waived! Any good thoughts and/or prayers would be greatly (GREATLY!) appreciated.
Don't forget to donate on the right side of your screen :)
Love,
B
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Necklaces For Sale!!
Our packet of paperwork made it to our agency! WOO HOO! So, this is Day 8 waiting for PA...but I kind of think I should count it as Day 2, since the packet only arrived yesterday. What do you think?
I am pretty anxious about raising the money we need bring our daughter home. Please consider making a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation at the link to the right of your screen. :) Thank you!
Also, I am selling homemade necklaces. Totally unique and very beautiful! They are $15.00 each, $20.00 for some styles. Please comment here, email me, or find us on facebook HERE and let me know if you want to order!
BeQin necklace
$15.00
Dia de los Muertos necklace -- Pink
$15.00
$20.00
I am pretty anxious about raising the money we need bring our daughter home. Please consider making a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation at the link to the right of your screen. :) Thank you!
Also, I am selling homemade necklaces. Totally unique and very beautiful! They are $15.00 each, $20.00 for some styles. Please comment here, email me, or find us on facebook HERE and let me know if you want to order!
Beach Days necklace
$15.00
Dreams of India necklace
$15.00
$15.00
$15.00
Dia de los Muertos necklace -- blue
$15.00
Sunny Days necklace
$20.00
Monday, October 12, 2015
The Real World
I got an email from our agency. Our packet hasn't reached them yet. I am pretty stressed. Where is it? What happened? I just hope, hope, HOPE it shows up there tomorrow. (=CROSSES FINGERS=)
Today, things kind of got real for a few minutes. I have talked to another mama who adopted a little one with the same medical condition as our LongLong. I have heard what her story was like. I shared it with my husband. We talked about it, a LOT, and we decided to move forward with adopting LongLong. Well, today this mom had posted a blog post with their child's full story. It had more detail, but also just having it brought up again at this point in the game was different than when we first heard the story when we had just begun considering LongLong for adoption. Now, we are in it. We are committed. We are IN LOVE with this little girl. And hearing their story again was a good (HORRIFYING!) reminder of what it COULD be like when we bring home LongLong. I had Brik read the post, too, when he got home from work. Even though he had heard it before, and I had heard it before, it was different. Brik immediately started researching LongLong's medical condition again. And that was all different, too! I swear, between the time we first "found" LongLong and now, the entire medical world must have undergone major shifts, because I SWEAR most of that stuff wasn't there a month ago. Scary things. Percentages. Possibilities. I was getting dinner cleaned up, getting Taig ready for bed, etc. and Brik kept coming out of the room to tell me some new thing he learned. I promise, we really did research her condition before we decided to adopt her! But...it's all different now! And the BIGGEST difference? We aren't talking about "people", we are talking about "LongLong". MY DAUGHTER.
By the way, that little gray dress I bought LongLong last week? It SOMEHOW is migrating around the house. It is almost like SOMEONE is CARRYING it around! (Who would do that?!) AND...it was even found in MY BED! How DOES that happen? (I may or may not have slept with it one night. Please don't call...er...anyone. Im not crazy!)
Today, things kind of got real for a few minutes. I have talked to another mama who adopted a little one with the same medical condition as our LongLong. I have heard what her story was like. I shared it with my husband. We talked about it, a LOT, and we decided to move forward with adopting LongLong. Well, today this mom had posted a blog post with their child's full story. It had more detail, but also just having it brought up again at this point in the game was different than when we first heard the story when we had just begun considering LongLong for adoption. Now, we are in it. We are committed. We are IN LOVE with this little girl. And hearing their story again was a good (HORRIFYING!) reminder of what it COULD be like when we bring home LongLong. I had Brik read the post, too, when he got home from work. Even though he had heard it before, and I had heard it before, it was different. Brik immediately started researching LongLong's medical condition again. And that was all different, too! I swear, between the time we first "found" LongLong and now, the entire medical world must have undergone major shifts, because I SWEAR most of that stuff wasn't there a month ago. Scary things. Percentages. Possibilities. I was getting dinner cleaned up, getting Taig ready for bed, etc. and Brik kept coming out of the room to tell me some new thing he learned. I promise, we really did research her condition before we decided to adopt her! But...it's all different now! And the BIGGEST difference? We aren't talking about "people", we are talking about "LongLong". MY DAUGHTER.
By the way, that little gray dress I bought LongLong last week? It SOMEHOW is migrating around the house. It is almost like SOMEONE is CARRYING it around! (Who would do that?!) AND...it was even found in MY BED! How DOES that happen? (I may or may not have slept with it one night. Please don't call...er...anyone. Im not crazy!)
Lead, Kindly Light
So, I lead the music in the women's class in church (Relief Society). Weeks ago, I picked out the songs for the coming weeks based on the topics for each lesson. Today's lesson was about leadership and I had picked two songs, one for opening and one for closing. The opening hymn was, "Lead Kindly Light". I don't remember why I picked that hymn. Actually, when I was getting ready to write the page numbers on the board right before the lesson started, I thought, "Golly, Breclyn! That hymn isnt really about LEADERSHIP! Yeah, it has the word 'lead'...is that really all the farther I looked to pick this hymn?!" I was a little surprised, because I usually put quite a bit of thought in to picking the hymns. I kind of reprimanded myself for not spending more time and finding a "better" hymn.
As the song began, however, I realized that was just the song I needed.
I have been the chorister in Relief Society once before. Many years ago. I think back on that time with so much gratitude. Each week when I picked out the hymns, I really put a lot of thought in to what hymn we would sing. I even would pray and ask God to help me know what songs would most add to the spirit of the lesson, and help touch the hearts of those in class. It was a difficult time in my life as I was dealing with some personal struggles. Looking back, I realized that those songs are really when helped me through the dark time. Something about not just showing up and singing made them more impactful in my life, in my heart. I NEEDED them.
Music touches me. It is a way for me to access parts of my heart and soul that nothing else can. When I sing (or even play some dinky little tune on the piano) there is so much that goes on emotionally. Singing is so private. And so not private. There is nothing "out there" about it. It is all inside. A violin's sting can break, a piano key can get stuck. Things beyond the control of the musician. And all things that can be seen, manipulated, fixed from the outside. Singing is not like that. The instrument is your own body. The music comes from inside. I lay on a piano and feel the warmth of once living wood. I embrace a violin when I play it, pressing it near my heart, resting my cheek on the vibrating well. But singing...it is all inside. It is YOU.
Today, as I was leading the music in Relief Society, as the words came, they left me and returned right back to me. Out of my mouth and into my heart. This adoption process, it is has been hard. It is so, so frightening. What if we are making a bad decision? What if we can't help her? What is her health problems are more than we knew about and she... I can't even say it. But it is a possibility. What if it is so hard that it strains our marriage. I know we can hold it together, I am not worried about that. But do we need to be going out and LOOKING for something to strain it? And what about our "other" kids? What if they don't like her, or she doesn't like them? They are SO excited to have a little sister! I try and prepare them for what it may be like. But what if it is more hurt and trauma and sorrow than we prepared for? What if, what if, what if...? And yes, I believe many of those "what ifs" could and probably will happen. So, what about it? Knowing that means every. single. step. of. this. adoption. is a step of FAITH. And not the kind of faith where we are following in God's path, and we can see the path. This is, like, in the pitch dark...like a cave...underground...a million miles down...on a moonless night...on Pluto. I can see nothing! BUT...I know God is there. He's holding my quaking hand. He is speaking reassurance. If I am still, if I can push past the "what if"s in my head, then I hear it. The still, small, calm voice telling me it is all going to be okay. That God is taking care of it. And just to keep walking because a beautiful, bright, amazing future is ahead. I cannot see it, but it is there. God knows where it is. And I believe that. So, I continue to take my nervous, tentative steps. Not stopping. Never stopping. And never turning back. Lead on, kindly light. One, small light in the darkness. The light of Christ. I will follow it.
So, HERE is a link if you want to listen to the song. Or, here are the words if you just want to read it:
Lead, kindly Light, amid th' encircling gloom,
Lead thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene--one step enough for me.
Lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene--one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor pray'd that thou
Shouldst lead me on.
Shouldst lead me on.
I laved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and spite of fears,
I loved the garish day, and spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years.
So long thy pow'r hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent,
till
The night is gone.
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!
(Copyrighted material)
With music,
B
Saturday, October 10, 2015
PA Wait Day 3
I am not sure how long this part of the adoption is supposed to take. I have heard anywhere from 2 to 20 days (I just love that part of adoption. Never knowing EXACTLY how long it will take. When you are pregnant, you know you have a nine month wait. It might go a little over, but for the most part you can plan on a solid 9 months. Adoption is not like that.) Already it feels like it has taken too long. :) We are waiting for our pre approval (commonly referred to as "PA". That is another fascinating things about the adoption world. It has its own "language". I am still learning it, but I know we sent in our "LOI" and are now waiting on "PA". Listen to me, talking like a native! LOL!) I have learned about patience and grace by following other people's adoption journeys. I only hope I can exhibit the same patience I have seen from them. These seasoned adoptive parents know waiting, patience, and grace are the name of the game in adoption. It is a labor of love to get your adopted child home. Lots of work and a lot of waiting patiently.
Three days in and the "patient" part is waning.
Three days in and the "patient" part is waning.
Friday, October 9, 2015
THANK YOU!!!!! And here are the links to make a donation :)
I would like to THANK everyone who has clicked our "You Caring" link to donate to LongLong's adoption fund! I just found out that for some reason, the link isn't working :( (Thank you to everyone who contacted me or Expressions Vinyl to let us know the link wasn't working!) If you would like to donate, you may donate to our Go Fund Me account HERE.
OR, if you would like to make a tax deductible donation, please go to LongLong's You Caring account HERE.
Thank you all so much for your love and support!
With gratitude,
B
OR, if you would like to make a tax deductible donation, please go to LongLong's You Caring account HERE.
Thank you all so much for your love and support!
With gratitude,
B
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Welcome! and MEET LONGLONG!
Welcome to our blog!
This is a place where we will keep everyone posted as we travel this adoption journey to bring home our daughter, LongLong.
So, let me introduce you to LongLong!
LongLong is 3 years old. In the video we have seen of her, she seems pretty mellow and calm...but we know that under that peaceful exterior is a fighter! LongLong has undergone SIX rounds of chemotherapy. She also has had both eyeballs removed due to cancer. (So, yes, that means she is blind.)
But her blindness, her cancer, those are not all she is. We know LongLong is so much more than the two words "blind" and "cancer". Unfortunately, not much more information is available about her. BUT...we HAVE seen several pictures and have watched a video of her, and I can tell you, that girl is BRAVE. In the video, she is playing, going down the slide at the playground, climbing the stairs. She cannot see, but that doesn't keep her from enjoying life and bravely trying new things. It was apparent she had never played on that play set before, and yet she was willing to try everything. When I think of the struggles she has faced at such a young age, and without the support of family, I know she must have a lot of courage to keep fighting, to pull herself through it, and to come out smiling. LongLong is a strong, brave, incredible little girl. We are so blessed that we get to be her parents!
Well, that is all for now! Thanks for checking out our blog!
Love and best wishes,
B
This is a place where we will keep everyone posted as we travel this adoption journey to bring home our daughter, LongLong.
So, let me introduce you to LongLong!
LongLong is 3 years old. In the video we have seen of her, she seems pretty mellow and calm...but we know that under that peaceful exterior is a fighter! LongLong has undergone SIX rounds of chemotherapy. She also has had both eyeballs removed due to cancer. (So, yes, that means she is blind.)
But her blindness, her cancer, those are not all she is. We know LongLong is so much more than the two words "blind" and "cancer". Unfortunately, not much more information is available about her. BUT...we HAVE seen several pictures and have watched a video of her, and I can tell you, that girl is BRAVE. In the video, she is playing, going down the slide at the playground, climbing the stairs. She cannot see, but that doesn't keep her from enjoying life and bravely trying new things. It was apparent she had never played on that play set before, and yet she was willing to try everything. When I think of the struggles she has faced at such a young age, and without the support of family, I know she must have a lot of courage to keep fighting, to pull herself through it, and to come out smiling. LongLong is a strong, brave, incredible little girl. We are so blessed that we get to be her parents!
Well, that is all for now! Thanks for checking out our blog!
Love and best wishes,
B
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