Wow, I got NUTHIN'!

I realize it has been a really long time, once again since my last post....and most of my posts start with an apology about that. Well, no more. When I have something to say, I will post it. Right now, I just don't' feel like talking about how long the wait is taking. Sure, I've got things going on here, but since this is not a work blog or necessarily a house renovation blog I just don't have a lot going on in the adoption world right now. Things are unfortunately quiet. Other than the fact that I don't think I have officially congratulated my friend Em yet on here about the referral of her beautiful Lulu recently. Yay, finally!! (Of course I have officially congratulated her in real life!!) She knows how thrilled I am for her! :)

Let's see, we moved our offices--so I guess I changed jobs, technically--even though I am still working with the same people doing the same thing (only it's just the 8 of us now)--just under our beloved company banner again. That is a good thing--no more cube world and much more conducive to bringing buttercup to the office if the need arises. I did actually talk them into converting the almost three weeks personal time I had built up for travel at the former company into a leave package so I wouldn't lose it--that is definitely good. I heart my little company. They are trying to do what they can to help and are truly interested in getting little buttercup home. Now I just have to see what I have to do about updating our home study for this little job change....

The house progress continues slowly.......I can't see the light at the end yet.......but hopefully we will turn the corner soon.

All the news I've got in the world of adoption is that we are hanging at #6 on the list at the moment with, as always, the promise of a group of impending referrals that may include buttercup. But I am trying to be guarded about that--even though my non-rational side is so excited at the thought!--I don't want to be disappointed. Things in IA do not seem to ever go as you think they will.

Well, I guess I did have a little to say :) Ta-ta for now!

The One Year Mark

Well, today we have been "officially" waiting for buttercup for one year. One year ago today, CIS received our I600A and our wait officially began. However, we were actually waiting to begin a long, long time before that, but that is when we could throw our hat into the ring and send in our first official paperwork. We hadn't even officially signed with an agency yet at that point. I had no idea at the time that we would still be waiting now. I feel like we are definitely closer.....but still have a ways to go. I have been having a wide range of emotions these past couple of weeks. One day I will feel so positive and that we are so close, and then I will come crashing down to reality that it is one year later and here we are still.....waiting. No referral. I know I am not alone in this wait, and actually it has allowed me to meet some really great friends that wait along with me. However, I do wish we all had our little ones and could be planning play dates already! (As you can see above, it is not keeping Bijou from resting comfortably. :) This cat knows how to relax. She knows not what's in store for her-she just likes to hang out in her room.)

To commemorate this momentous event, M & I went to an awesome Vietnamese restaurant for the first time last night. It's been open only about 9 months. I mean, OMG, it is my absolute fave restaurant now. It is a little pricey, but the kind of place where service is key and we are talking the fold-your-napkin-for-you-and-put-it-on-the-back-of-your-chair-while-you-are-in-the-ladies-room-and-pull-your-chair-out-and-hand-it-back-to-you-when-you-get-back kind of service. Nice. The food we had was so yummy and the presentation was lovely. I had the pho and it was the best I have ever had. Don't know if we will be able to go every week, but let me tell you the next few special occasions and we are there. Can you tell I liked it? It was a nice way to end the year of an ever growing wait. One year down........ let's hope we are on the homestretch and buttercup shows herself soon.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July Everyone!
We took some time out of more fun of cleaning out the basement and taking all the stuff to storage to make room for the AC contractor to do his magic. You know--day off of work--more time to get some house stuff done! :) But we did manage to make our yearly tradition of watching the fireworks with our friends and god-daughter. She is almost 5 now, so was into the sparklers, but not so into the loud booms. I got some cool pics of the fireworks.



No more news on referrals--we got some promising news about a week ago that made us think things might be moving along soon, but this has not happened yet. Still hoping we hear some news this week.......

Some interesting changes are coming at work soon--our department will be leaving our current firm at the end of the month and reopening the small firm that closed when we merged with this firm a little over a year ago. Opportunities have arisen and we are all excited to be making the move back to resurrect the company we loved so much. The new office is less than 5 mins from home in a converted 1920-30's old house which we have been having fun selecting all new finishes to give it a much needed face lift-- office first impressions are quite important when you are an architecture/ interiors firm so we are hoping we can get the look we want with what with what we have to work with. (The owner seems to be a little reluctant to give us free reign.) :) Just what we need--extra work! It is good news though and should be well worth it.

Hoping referral news comes soon for those waiting.....including us.

More May Recap in Show & Tell--Part Deux

See, I told you I'd be back! Man, I started this post and it has taken me three sittings--I can't ever get the pics to go where I want them to in blogger--perhaps that is why I don't post more often--I really have to block out some time! (that's my story and I'm sticking to it) Well, let's see, I have a few great pics of the family at J & B's wedding at the lake house--the weather that day was absolutely beautiful. It looks like a backdrop, huh?

Little D makes an adorable flower girl--(after she threw the petals down, she bent down and picked them all back up--ha, ha!)

And off they go to get ready to head off for the honeymoon.... (BTW, I made the sign!)

and Baby K-the mini flower-girl :)...

and this little flower girl is going down fast...Nap time! :) Notice the zoning out gaze.

....and little C is just plain tuckered out from the big day!

Then a couple days of some more fun on the boat and playing at the playground for D and then the Brother and Fam headed back to Cali......I always get teary, but this time, yes, I actually shed the tears when telling them bye--I miss them and wish we got to see them all more often.

And after all the fun of the weekend, we get back to what we usually are up to on the weekends-the darn house. Fun's over and back to......... PLUMBING! And the fun continues each weekend since.....We actually did get through most of the plumbing and are now framing the coffered ceilings in the powder room and kitchen. Next phase: Insulation. I will keep you updated on the progress. Now you are caught up!

Yes, that is my downstairs at the moment and M toiling away (I am fetch-it girl).........sad, isn't it? ;)



Oh, in adoption news--not much, but there is rumor that we may see a few referrals come through by the end of the month!! (Two more weeks-Yay, Emily!!) We could be leaving lucky #7 behind soon--yahoo! Wishing everyone speedy referrals (including us) and fast travel too!!

May Recap (Show and tell w/ Pictures!) Part One...

Yes, it's me. Wow, those bad blogger's anonymous meetings are going great (thanks for asking, Em!) I think I'm still working through from reading steps to actually doing the writing. :) May has been an unusually busy month, as I have mentioned before here, so I will just have to post extra pictures to illustrate what's been going on......kinda' like show & tell. Let's see.....


First, at the end of April/First of May, my girlfriends and I had a lovely time at our college friends wedding on the beach, and also celebrating all of our 40th's this year with a nice girl's weekend.
Us at the barefoot wedding ...... commemorating our b'days..... and being touristy goofy.

Then the next weekend, Cinco de Mayo, another wedding to attend--very small and touching (w/ Margaritas!)--the groom cried when he saw the bride and we saw lots of friends we hadn't seen in a long time and stayed up waaaaayyy too late & had to recuperate all day the next day because of it...

The weekend after, off to Charlotte for M's sister's college graduation. Congrats, L! And there was Mother's Day--Had lunch with M's mom and the "fur kids" gave me a box of my abosolute fave choc. truffles and cards--one from the dog and one from the cats (I think they had help from dad.) I also got a sweet Mother's To Be note from my friend, Em. Sweet!

This brings us to the next week, where I got to meet my new little nephew Caimin and visit with the family for a few days. I even got to have a "slumber party" with my niece at my mom's house (I slept in the trundle beneath her, until she ditched me to go sleep with her parents in the next room :)

You know I gotta share a couple more pics of the new cutest nephew ever! (Really bad pic of M and me, though-we look really tired!)

He is a very easy-going little guy-(but quite a big diaper-soiler!)-just goes with the flow, while his sister keeps everyone in line, like most 2 year olds try to do! More later...

Baby steps, baby steps! If you're still out there, thanks for hangin' around.... :) Oh, and speaking of baby steps, We MOVED UP a couple notches on the list! We are now #7!!!!! Let's hear it for more referrals for June!!!!