Close to cut off date for 100 Good Wish Quilt Squares

This past weekend I spent a whole day sorting thru all the quilt squares and wishes that we have gotten from family and friends in the last few weeks.  Each one is so different - it was so fun sorting thru them and reading each wish.

I sorted all the quilt squares and wishes for each girl and gave them each their own box - to keep things straight.  Missy Moo help too she thought it was so fun.  We are so thankful for all our family and friends.  We really appreciate all of you taking the time to help us with this project.  I know it was probably an unusual request - or at least one you might not have gotten before.  Ha Ha.

The bad news is that we only have 30 squares for each quilt!!!  It really did seem like so much more - but I counted a couple of times and thats all there is so far.  I know of a lot of people that have said they are still working on them.  DH and I talked tonight about what we are going to do if we don't get enough.  We have a couple of ideas.  One is that we will make up the rest with all the wishes we have for our children.  And the other is there is a yahoo group that we can join and swap squares and wishes with other families that are adopting from China.  I am not 100% sure how I feel about using the group yet.  I would love it if all the wishes could come from people that know us and will know our girls.  But at the same time 100 squares is a lot.  And we are actually collecting 200 squares and wishes because we are making two quilts.  So I might have to break down and do the yahoo group.

Oh and today we Missy Moo and I met with Angela  - she is the angel that is helping me put the quilt together.  She is amazing and she is so excited about the project.  She is so full of life - we just love to be around her.  We were just touching base on what we still need to get and what we have.  We were hoping to start putting the first quilt together the first week of March - but now we are going to wait for another couple of weeks and try for the middle of March.

DH talked to his brother Neal tonight and they said they are going to participate and we got an email today from one of his sisters saying she was going to send hers by the end of the week.  Oh ya and I also got an email from my cousins wife Joc - they are sending theirs this week too.  So I am trying not to worry about it yet.

The last couple of weeks have been really busy for us.  We have been trying to get our play/craft room done.  So we stained the floors and then put three coats of poly on them.  Then the fun part was putting together all the IKEA furniture we got while we were in Seattle.  DH said I should get a job somewhere putting the furniture together - I just loved it!!!  Probably because there is no words in the directions.  Yahoo - just pictures.  Guess I can put stuff together when there are just pictures.  Forget real directions - that is when I get ADHD - I must read them 100 times over and over and still cant figure out what they are saying.  But this time once we had everything together I have to say I was so sad there was not more to build.

The good news is that the room is finally together and looks pretty good.  It is such a great space for Missy Moo and I.  This week we have been up here everyday for hours at a time. She has all her toys up here and then we have dual space for crafts and projects.  It is fabulous!!!  I have my sewing area all set up and ready to start the quilts.  It really is very exciting.

This past weekend we spent Friday night with the Wies and the Kru - we always have such a great time with them.  They made cedar plank salmon - yummy.  We are all so ready for grilling weather.  Come on spring - we are ready for you to arrive.  The winter has been long especially since we have had snow on the ground since Nov.!!!  Anyway it was a wonderful evening - a LATE evening but so fun.

Then Sat. we worked around the house and ran errands.  Missy Moo had a swimming birthday party to go to in the afternoon.   Then we had our next door neighbors over for dinner on Sat. night.  Again, we had a wonderful evening. 

Missy Moo started swimming lessons at the University a few weeks ago.  She is doing so great!!!  We are so proud of her.  She really seems to love the class and just cant wait to go.  It has been fun watching her over come some of her fears.  She really did not like putting her face in the water at first.  In fact the first night we had some tears and of course the comment - I don't want to go back to swimming.  But she did and every night has gone great!!!  She is taking swimming with a friend of hers Lauren - she is four also and adopted from China.  They are so cute together. They have to do everything together.  But the down side is that DH and I have decided that we are not to excited about night activities.  We just cant get over how quick the week goes when she has swimming on Tues. and Thurs. nights.  Plus spending time in a pool area and then going outside where it is 10 degrees below - is not fun.  Especially when the University Boys basketball team has a game.  Apparently they are doing really well - because when they have a game we have to park a mile away due to no parking.  And when it is cold out - ouch!!!!

W0W IT IS SO COLD

We are so ready for Spring!!!  It has been so cold here the last few days.  Plus our furnace in the addition is not working again.  Very frustrating especially since it is new!!!  Someone is suppose to come out today and look at it again.

On Friday we got a wonderful surprise in the mail from Sister Donna in Wisconsin.  We are thrilled she wanted to help us with our 100 Good Wish Quilts for the girls.  She sent us beautiful fabric and the nicest wishes for both girls.  It means so much to us that she was willing to help us with this very special project. 

China has been hit really hard with cold weather and snow this year.  The South has been hit hard which they normally dont have cold weather.  The whole South has been shut down.  Transportation has been crippled and travelers stranded all over the place.  The orphanages has also been hit very hard.  The whole thing is so sad and we worry about our daughter that we have not met yet.  Is she warm?  Is she hungry?  I have listed a link at the bottom of the site so you can read an amazing story of Half the Sky trying to get food to an orphanage that needs help.  It is a must read - the children are so beautiful and I am amazed at how the children just stay in their cribs.

Happy Chinese New Year (EVE)

Well it is Chinese New Year (Eve).  We were suppose to have some friends over for Chinese New Year for Hot Pot - but due to weather and sick kids DH's cousins decided not to come.  I think we got about 8" last night and this morning.  It is so pretty outside.  Today I had the Wies girl here for the morning while their mom had chemo treatment.  Right before their mom got here the plows came thru and I knew there was no way she could get in our driveway so I called her to tell her to use our neighbors driveway because he had been working on it all morning.  That is when she informed me that her car was stuck down the street.  Yikes!!!  She could not get out.  So I called some friends of ours they live right there - I was hoping the husband was still home and he might be able to give her a push.  But he was already gone.  The wife said she could see her stuck.  Then I looked out the window and my neighbor was still home and just getting in the car.  I opened the window and yelled over at him.  I explained that my friend was stuck just down the street and wondered if he had time to drive by and see if he could help push her out.  He said no problem he was going to load up the kids and then go.  As I was talking to him out the window I look next to me and there is Missy Moo eating the snow right off the window seal. Yikes.  Then Lisa called back and said she just got out.  Yahoo.

Once the girls were here I made breakfast.  It was so funny I had given the girls a few options of what I could make. The oldest said she wanted eggs.  Then I asked the youngest do you want eggs?  She said no I want French Toast!!!  I said okay - then I said to the older one do you want French Toast too?  She said no I will just order eggs!!!!  I thought that was so funny I could not stop laughing.  

Then the girls played for awhile all around the house.  Then the oldest one said lets go outside and play in the snow.  Seemed like everyone wanted to go outside so we all bundled up and headed out.  It was still snowing - and the girls were so cute they were really having a hard time walking thru the snow.  They all kept falling and then they would say I cant get up.  We finally made it to the front yard. They all picked a stop and pretty much just stayed in that area making snow angels, trying to make snowmen (but the snow was not really working for that) and of course eating it!!!  Every time I turned around they had a mouth full of snow.

We finally came inside and I gave them hot chocolate as they warmed up.  Then off to play again.  Wow I am amazed at how fast the days goes with three little ones.  Next thing I knew it was time for lunch so I had them each make their own pizza.  They had so much fun and I have to say I think they might all work at a pizza joint while in high school.  They all did a great job.

Not sure how we will celebrate tonight but I know we will do something. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Yahoo 8 DAYS!!!!

Well yesterday it was confirmed that Dec. 27, 2005 is the cut off for referrals.  That is eight days!!!  Yahoo!!!  I know it does not seem like a lot but that is more then what we have seen for months.  So now we are exactly 3o days away from our LID.   Of course we know each month the news tends to change - but for now we are excited!!!  Who knows what is going to happen in the next few months.  We are hoping to receive referral in the next 4-8 months. Earlier would be wonderful - but not sure if that is realistic.  We are a little concerned about the 2008 Olympics.  We have no idea what the impact of that might be.  We are hoping we would travel either a month or two before the Olympics or a month or two after.  We are concerned if we travel close to the Olympics that we might not be able to travel as a family due to expense.

Today it is snowing like crazy here.  I could not believe how fast it was coming down this morning - they are saying snow thru midnight tonight.  Madelin of course is pretty excited about the possibility of sledding.  But the bad news is that her first day of swimming was cancelled due to the snow.

We had a really busy weekend.  Friday night our friend Sandi came over for dinner and a movie.  She is also adopting and her LID is March 27th a couple of months past ours.  The wait has been hard on her and the rest of us too.  The whole waiting game has been very stressful and emotional for all of us.  Plus in her case because she is single she had to wait an additional year just to get a slot.  So she has really been waiting a long time.  I feel so bad for her - I wish there was something I could do for all of us to make the wait more bearable.   

Then Sat. was the Chinese Association of Iowa's Chinese New Year celebration.   It was such a fun day.  They did a really nice job this year with the performances.  They had lots of dancers, musicians and of course the traditional dragon dance.  The girls all had so much fun.  Then a few families went to lunch at Chopsticks - Jim and Kathy know the owner Winnie - she just bought the place a few months ago.  So had great food and great company.  It is so amazing to see all the girls and how much they have grown.

We hurried home and then Mary one of Madelin's friends came over for her first official sleep over.  Yikes!!!  The girls play so well together and its almost easier with two then just one.  Mary sticks to Madelin like glue and of course Madelin becomes a bit bossy.  At bed time I had told them it was important to go to bed, no talking. They were so quite for a long time and then the whispering started and giggling it was so cute.  We let it go on for about 1/2 hour then I went up.  When I opened the door I could see they were holding hands.  So cute.   I could tell that Mary thought she was in trouble and Madelin did not seem phased.  I stayed up there and talked to them for a few minutes but made sure they knew it was time for bed.  They were quite the rest of the night.  In the morning they were both so excited that they were still together.  They were jumping around giggling and goofing off - it was so funny.  

Madelin went off to Sunday school and Mary went home.  Greg had a few friends coming over for a Super Bowl party so we worked on the house and some of the food.  Then Madelin had a birthday party at Bella's.  It was a princess party so she had to dress up.  Wow was she ever excited.  I was curious what a princess party was.  Madelin had informed me a couple days before that she had decided what she wanted to be when she grows up.  I said what?  She said a princess.  Then she got really sad and with tears in her eyes she said but Mom I cant be a princess!  I said why?  She said because she had the wrong color hair!  Oh my gosh I was balling like a baby in the front seat of the car.  I turned to her and said if you want to be a princess you can be a princess.  She said no Mom I need to have blonde or yellow hair.  Talk about heartbreaking!  I explained to her that their were many princesses with black hair.  Just broke my heart.

But Bella's birthday party was perfect timing.  They had cinderella there who crowned each of them a princess.  It was so cute.  At the end of the party Madelin said Mom you were right I can be a princess!!!  Like I said it could not have been better timing.

That night Madelin and I went to Lisa and Bryans for half of the Super Bowl then at half time we drove home so we could spend some time with Greg and his friends.  They said the last part of the game was really good.  All in all a very busy weekend.