I received this today from my Father-in-Law and thought I should share it. The message certainly gives us peace in our adoption journey.

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that He had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that He not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"
He smiled at her and answered,
"Oh, that's easy," "When I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

This is Matt. I came home from work today and had a large package waiting for me from Lucasfilm. They sent me a resin statue of Darth Maul, my favorite new character from the Star Wars prequel trilogy. I had mentioned in the interview that I loved the look and presence of Maul and they sent me this beautiful work of art in the pictures here. Very cool. This whole experience the last few weeks has been pretty amazing!

Referral Update:

We recently received news that CCAA (Chinese Center Adoption Affairs) referral cutoff date for this month is January 4, 2006. (Finally in OUR LID year!!)

of the referrals our agency received, they were all girls and one set of twins! The children ranged in age from 6 1/2 month to 8 1/2 months. Also, the children in this referral group are from the following Provinces: Jiangxi and Hunan. Congratulations to these families!

http://www.starwars.com/community/news/family/f20080303/index.html

The official fan site interview is up... check M out!

March First
============

march v. To proceed directly and purposefully. To progress steadily onward;
advance. To be arranged in an orderly fashion that suggests steady,
rhythmical progression.


Giving advice is easy. Giving really good advice is harder.
Providing an example is hardest but is usually the most effective way of
influencing both youth and adults. After all, adults are simply older
youths who were influenced by someone's example early in life.

Our walk or march through life is the greatest teacher that we will provide
for others. Even Paul in the Bible said, "Follow my example, as I follow
the example of Christ."
(1 Cor 11:1 NIV)

Today is the beginning of the month of March.

Perhaps today should also be the beginning of a new walk.
A walk of direction and purpose. A walk worthy to follow.

March first.

Then advise.

Check out Matt's profile on this blog regarding his book:

http://blogs.amctv.com/scifi-scanner/2008/02/jedimasterquizb.php

Matt has been in high demand recently for the fans of the movie series! He has been interviewed by several fan sites. Check back with us and we will link his interviews on our blog.

May The Force by we you!!

Set your TIVO...
TLC show - a must see

Connie recently watched this show on TLC and so I did a little digging to find out when it would be on again. Sounds like an interesting show about a family who "Brings home baby" from China. Set your TIVO!! :)

Feb 27, 10:00 am Eastern Time (check the time in your area), The Learning Channel (ch 183 on Dish Network)
(30 minutes)
Bringing Home Baby
Sara Comes Home
TV-G, CC
Pamela and Alan have waited a long time to become parents and finally get their wish when they adopt a toddler from China. Bringing home Sara is filled with much anticipation and excitement, but also has its challenges.

I hope you all get to watch it.

http://akapayton.blogspot.com/2008/02/in-search-of-rusty-miller.html

'Yall check out this link! Apparently I am married to a "Missing" man! :) Too cool!!!!

"M.I.A"

I just got the giggles because Matt is being "hunted"! There is another HUGE star wars fan at CDC who knows of his past with Star Wars and follows the message boards at starwars.com This person ran across a thread where people are searching for my husband... How KEWEL!!!

1. Homie Bear Says:I’ve often wondered what became of him, too. Also I wonder what became of my copy of Jedi Master’s Quizbook.
2. Somepetow Says:That would be interesting to find out what he’s doing now
3. Nate Says:…I think I have this book.
   
4. Pabawan Says:

   There’s a couple that stick out in my mind — one about Snaggletooth and one about the number of engines on the back of the blockade runner. Yes, I remember that from childhood because of the discussion it sparked.

5. Lee Thomas Says: I know where Rusty is; he is a co-worker. But I won’t give him up for anything less than a firkin of good juma. Or a wax job for my leeku.
6. Rusty Says:
   Lee let me know that I am being hunted. Hello!
7. Mark Says: Hooray! Rusty has been found! Good to see you here mate, that book is on many a fans bookshelf.Hey, once you’ve been interviewed by the official site, how do you fancy an interview with www.lightsabre.co.uk? Ahhh, how cool is this!

Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus

The GREATEST Show on earth!

http://www.ringling.com/

It has been YEARS since either of us went to the circus! We couldn't pass up the opportunity to feel like kids again ~ we suggest everyone give it a try as often as possible! :)

We made the trip down to Phillips Arena with our good friends Connie and Daniel (otherwise known as Figgy & D). Check out our group photo with the lion statue. The photographer said she has been able to get as many as 11 people in one photo! Matt and I got a kick out of straddling the lions back. Our seats during the show were pretty high up so most of our show pictures didn't turn out so well. The show was full of acrobatics, lion tamers, dog trainers, elephant maneuvering, horse demonstrations, etc... and of course CLOWNS a plenty! To our dismay cotton candy was $12! So, our only souvenir was our cute group photo.

After the circus we went to check out the CNN center. During our short jaunt Matt and I ran into our favorite CNN personalities. Matt was glowing as he stood next to Glenn Beck and...

...Julia couldn't keep herself from blowing kisses (and whispering sweet nothings) into Anderson Coopers ear. ;P

RUN THE REAGAN
Race Date: Saturday, February 16th
http://www.runthereagan.com/home.php

"Runners can choose between the half-marathon, 10k, 5k or 1-mile fun run. All of the races start at the corner of Ronald Reagan Parkway and Presidential Circle in Snellville, GA. "

Julia ran her first 1 mile fun run and Matt ran his first 10K!! Also, this was the first group event for "Team 3M". Who is "Team 3M", you ask?? Matt and I make up 2/3 of The Magnificent Miller Milers! Our other 1/3 is Matt's father Ed.

The race was run on the Ronald Reagan Parkway which connects Snellville to the Gwinnett Place Mall Area. The entire Parkway is 6.5 miles long- the 1/2 marathon runners ran from one end to the other and back.

Matt's portion of the course was at times rolling and a bit hilly. Matt paced himself for awhile by trying to stay ahead of two little older ladies. They played cat and mouse until Matt grew embarrassed and moved on.

Ed and Julia's course was relatively flat and Ed set a blistering pace with his long stride. Quite literally, Julia is nursing a blister on the back of her heel! Julia spoke to a pro runner after the race and received guidance on tying her shoe! Yes, everyone, there is a proper way to tie your shoe to avoid blisters! Who knew?! If you need directions, just let me know! :)

Having energy left Matt & Julia headed to the gym where Julia ran three more miles, Matt worked on strength training and Ed returned home to walk another mile and a half at his local community park with his beloved bitch- Border Collie Charlie. Also, Team 3M has plans to participate in the Memorial Day 5K and fun run in Dacula! Watch this space for announcements of appearances by Team 3M in a city near you... BE THERE! ;P

Team "3M"
The Magnificent Miller Milers

Before Race Picture of Matt and his father Ed.
Race numbers 1-500 ran the 1/2 Marathon
Race numbers 500-1300 ran the 10K
Race numbers above 1300 ran the 5K or 1 mile fun run

Before the race picture of the "milers" Julia and Ed.
2 hours to go before the fun run would start.

The 10K race has begun, "GO MATT, GO!!"
"I eat lightning and cr*p thunder"

Matt sees the finish line and pushes forward. Time: 1:05

Julia and Ed Walking towards the finish line, completing their first 1 mile fun run.
Time 15:10

Happy Valentine's Day!!

YEAR of the RAT

February 7th, 2008

Here's an article we ran across on Yahoo news... interesting...

"As the Year of the Pig ends tonight, followers of Chinese superstition will be scurrying to consult fortune-tellers, astrologers and feng shui geomancers to guide their year ahead.

Chinese fortunes are based on a belief that events are dictated by the different balances in the elements that make up the earth -- gold, wood, water, fire and earth.

...Lo added that the Chinese calendar follows a 60-year cycle, so 2008 will be similar historically to 1948, when Israel was established and the blockade of Berlin started, both events part of the build-up to long-standing conflict.

The lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon and associates each of the 12 years forming a partial cycle with an animal. Fortune-tellers base their predictions on the relationship between the zodiac animals and the characteristics of each.

The Rat is the first of the 12 animal signs, so marks new beginnings, which Lo said will be reflected in changes of leadership in the United States, Russia and Taiwan. The rodent is also seen as a "flower of romance" which means the year will stimulate romance, but also sex scandals.More worryingly, it provokes a clash between water and fire which could mean heavy flooding or a tsunami, Lo added.

"The most famous water disasters in history, such as the south Asian tsunami in 2004 and the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, both incidents happened on a date with prominent appearance of the Rat," Lo said.He also said that the previous Year of the Rat, 1996, witnessed more than 20 plane crashes including the Trans World Airlines Boeing aircraft which exploded over the Atlantic, killing 230 people.Lee Sing-tong, a third-generation feng shui master, said China may suffer a water shortage in the next 12 months. "

LOST
The Beginning of the end
Season Four Premiere, January 31st 8/7c on ABC
2 hour premiere event!! Here's some interesting theories that made us go Hmmm...

Another theory on the location of the Island:
Hurley said he saw Charlie materialize by the Ho-hos. Then when he and Jack were playing Horse Jack only made it to H-O before calling it quits. That's three hos. Who says "Ho ho ho?" That's right Santa Claus. Where does Santa live? The North Pole.

You think I'm wacked right?

Well I may not be. There are alot of people and several websites devoted to a hollow earth theory -- that an opening exists at the North Pole, leading into a "hollow earth" or perhaps another dimmension of earth that we are unaware of. What made me consider this is I remember reading that Hitler, being obsessed with the occult, sent an expidition to the North Pole to find the opening and/or the ancient civilization theorized to exist there.

Here's a snippet I found while dooing a Google search:

Quote:
• In 1939, the Americans and Germans were in a race to explore and claim lands in Antarctica. President Roosevelt sent Admiral Byrd to the frozen continent to thwart any German claims to Antarctic lands in the Western Hemisphere. Hollow Earthers have proclaimed that this was actually a secret mission to beat the Nazis in the exploration of "the land beyond the poles."
That actually says South Pole but accoprding to legend expeditions were sent to both.

What if Oceanic 815 accidentally found a portal into this lost island? What if portals exist all over the world which lead there? Think Bermuda or Devil's triangle.

What if the Lost island IS in a magnetic snowglobe at the north pole?

A few more clues that may back this idea is that Polar Bears were housed at the Hydra station once. Polar Bears are found at the North Pole while Penguins are found at the South Pole.

Also, there was the Swan hatch and the incident. Obviously an electromagnetic anamoly occurred. The North Pole is obviously a strong source for EM activity and it is even believed that the earth has shifted on it axis thus changing the polarity of the planet -- think Magnetic North vs True North.

Lastly, the had to travel to the island via submarine perhaps becasue the magnetic snowglobe/island/dimmension is surrounded by vast fields of ice.

Just riffing but I think the pieces are starting to fit.

More on this theory:
Are the writers that clever? If so, many props. Anyway, awesome idea. Another clue is the painting Hurley was working on was of an Inuit (or whatever) pulling a sled away from an igloo. One more is the fact that Penny had a research team working out of the Arctic. If your idea is correct, ten bucks says the "Freighter" is actually an icebreaker.....

Hurley is drawing a picture of an Eskimo by an igloo. Penny's team seems to be in the Arctic. The Swan password is the joke about what one snowman says to the other. There are many hints like that. You may well be onto something.

Snow Storm 08: find your lip balm!
Northerners, and Coloradans, don't you laugh! We got two whole inches of snow and a little sleet last night. No bread or milk left on any grocery shelf in our county, maybe even in the state ;P. It's beautiful and it will be gone by this afternoon. In our defense, there was sleet and some freezing rain mixed in so the roads were a little slick. We usually have horrible, damaging ice storms instead of snow so this was a treat for us!

It's cold this morning! We woke up to temperatures in the teens! Factor in the wind and temperatures are in the single digits (7 degrees)! I don't care if you are in CO, 7 degrees is freakin cold! LOL!! The air is DRY and we find ourselves searching for lotion and lip-balm! Just like the dry air zapped a lot of the moisture off the roads, it is doing the same to our skin.

A recap of Saturdays snow day: Snow started falling in our area at 10 A.M. And, it was coming down fast and furious~ we expected a real-live bona-fide snow day! We had high hopes of creating a snowman by end of the day. Those hopes were squashed around 2 P.M. the snow slowed down and did not pile up on the ground. Snow melted on anywhere without grass and the roads were wet!

The Chihuahuas did not enjoy the cold ground and would not venture out into the yard, staying close to the sides of the house to "do their business" as quick as possible. Last night as the frigid air came in, icy streets were a concern. But, this morning we wake up and the streets are dry, just like our skin! Imagine that!

Snow storm 08 was beautiful to watch, gave us hopes and made us giddy. We didn't take many photos... but, we hope you enjoy the ones we did take.

Staying warm as possible today~ check out the pic of the Chi's!

Hello all. We have snow falling here in Atlanta (pics and video to come). The mail just came and, surprise of surprises, we actually got our I-797 form back already. So, we are now good to go through July 2009, which, God willing and the creek don't rise, should get us to China and back. Next step is doing the pre-adoption education on the web that the Hague Convention has mandated. Onward and upward.

Inspired

I have a very good online friend who continuously inspires me through her creativity. (Shout out to the pink-butterfly) We have never met in person, but we communicate frequently through our love of scrap booking! We met online at my fave hangout spot (scrapbook.com). Reading her blog this evening I felt inspired - a little excerpt:

"i've seem to have picked my word for 2008........
BALANCE
vb. compute the balance , equalize , bring into harmony or proportion.
Balance is a key component to any with a family, job, friends, hobbies, lifestyle.....i always think about how i would love to have everything balanced out and fine tuned. especially when all 7 kiddos are hanging in tow at the grocery store or we have a 2 week break and lots of fun things planned. Or how i really love my clean house but am lacking in me time.....BALANCE. My one word for the year. I decided to finally get that art journal going....now i have something to kick it off!
Have you picked your one word for 2008?"
If you have a chance you should stop by and say "Hello" to Charygirl. She is one of the most creative (and friendly) Internet person I know!~ http://www.creativegirlz.blogspot.com/ and, tell her "MKJulia2000" sent you :)

Okay, so back to the word I will focus on through 2008: Patience.
Maybe it seems a little too obvious. BUT, possibly I just haven't learned the lesson yet. Really?! Yes, I'll be glad when our lesson in patience is over~ "To every thing,.. there is a season...and a time for every purpose under heaven." ~ Name THAT Tune! Anyone? Bueller?!

for all things have a time and a place! I truly believe this. So, Patience, Julia, Patience!

patience/n. 1. The capacity, habit, or fact of being patient, 2. solitaire
patient/ adj. 1. bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint 2. manifesting for bearance under provocation or strain. 3. not hasty or impetuous 4. steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity. 5. able or willing to bear.
patiently-adv.
Okay, already I know that patient as an adjective is where I should focus my efforts (#1 & #5the willing part gets me every time)!!

Ni Hao
"Hi"

Check this out! A new Children's Show will be premiering on Nick Jr. Thursday, February 7th, 11AM!

Ni Hao, Kai-lan is a play-along, think-along series that weaves together Chinese language and culture, preschool-relatable stories, and interactivity, with Kai-lan as your intimate friend and playmate!

What the Show's About
"Ni hao!" That means "hi" in Chinese--and that's how Kai-lan greets you every day! Kai-lan Chow is an exuberant Chinese-American preschooler, almost 6, who wants you to come play with her and her best friends.

Kai-lan's world is infused with Chinese culture and is brimming with magical sights and sounds, and everywhere you turn there's something amazing and beautiful to see. Along the way, she and her bilingual buddies speak in English and Chinese, but they always need kids' help to find creative solutions to the daily dilemmas that come their way!

Meet the Characters
Kai-lan Chow is a playful, adventurous preschooler with a big heart. She is almost 6, speaks both English and Mandarin Chinese, and is super excited to share her language, her culture, and her playtime--with her animal friends and children at home!

YeYe is Kai-lan's grandpa. He lovingly passes on his rich and colorful world full of Chinese customs and traditions to his granddaughter. YeYe provides Kai-lan with gentle guidance, leading her to find her own answers, at her own pace.

Tolee is a 5-year-old panda-loving koala who puts his friends first. He's the thinker of the group, and Kai-lan and her friends can always rely on him for good ideas and to think before he acts.

At 3-years-old, Hoho the monkey is the youngest of Kai-lan's friends. He's full of boundless energy, he's super good at jumping, and loves to DJ. Nothing makes Hoho happier than being the center of attention.

Rintoo is a rambunctious 5-year-old tiger who's best friends with Kai-lan. Rintoo has a thirst for adventure and thrills, but beneath the bravado he's a sweet and caring tiger who looks out for his friends.

Kai-Lan's Curriculum
Ni Hao, Kai-lan is the next generation of preschool television programming that introduces the psychology of biculturalism. If Dora and Diego popularized bilingualism, Kai-lan will weave together being bilingual and bicultural. Ni Hao, Kai-lan reinforces the idea that being bicultural and bilingual is being American.

The show will familiarize the viewing audience with elements of Chinese and Chinese American cultures to promote multicultural understanding in the next generation and goes beyond featuring "culture" as only ethnic food and festivals. Instead, it celebrates growing up in an intergenerational family, having friends from diverse backgrounds, and "habits of the heart" that are Chinese American. These values include:

Mind-body connection typically, television portrays excitement as the good emotion to feel. In many Chinese-American communities, the good thing to feel is often calmness and contentment. Feeling excited and feeling calm can both be happy feelings, but they differ in how aroused the body is.

Perspective-taking in many Chinese and other East Asian families, children are encouraged to take the perspective of others to maintain harmony in relationships with other people

Being a good member of the group Ni Hao, Kai-lan also emphasizes the Chinese and Chinese American value of being a good member of a group.

Social & Emotional Goals Highlight cause-and-effect thinking about social and emotional issues germane to preschoolers and to support preschooler's social and emotional development.

UPDATE ON REFERRAL TIMEFRAME

As you all know we are anxiously waiting to hear of our referral or information on time lines for receiving the referral. Some days we are more patient than others. The waiting time has been a major topic and issue, for waiting families and perspective families, surrounding this entire adoption program. Of course, rumors spread like wild fire! Theories and predictions spread quickly - even those that can not be validated or confirmed. Thus it is hard to truly know what our time frame will be. We cling to any news that comes in and wonder if it is truth or rumor.

No surprise to us, it has been recently confirmed that CCAA expects things to
"look up in 2009"! What that means for us- we do not know. We just wanted to share this itty-tiny little bit of information because it sounds as if the incoming dossiers each month has decreased dramatically (since around Spring 07) and that will definitely help decrease this long wait. When we will see the speed up us still unknown. This information does not change our expectations for our time frame however it does confirm it for us!!

For a Child to be considered eligible for adoption there is a lot of medical and paperwork from the orphanage on each referral that is necessary. As you can imagine, that is most likely a BIG undertaking for the orphanages. They continue to streamline the process to make it simpler for the orphanages. There are quite a few orphans waiting for families, but, a lot of them are not abandoned, they became orphans because their parents have died. Their government is looking into making those children available for international adoptions.

Also, we have recently learned that CCAA will be issuing travel approval in June 2008 (during the Olympics)! Which is exciting news for those families!! What an experience that will be for those families that travel during that time!

Xin Nian Kuai Le!
Happy New Year!

Chinese New Year formally commences at the beginning of Spring. Hence, it is known as the Spring Festival. It is a time to cast away the bad blood of the previous year and wish for good fortune in the coming year. Unlike the western calendar, the Chinese have their own lunar calendar which revolves around the moon.

The Chinese zodiac is too old to be traced. Fable has it that all the animals were asked to report to the emperor on Chinese New Year day. Only the first twelve to reach the palace were to be rewarded with a year named after them. Since then, each year has been represented by an animal with its own distinctive characteristic and fate. This year is the Year of the Rat, and it begins on Feb 7, 2008.

The Year of the Rat? What can we possibly have to look forward to in 2008? Nowadays rats are considered dirty, nasty animals; yet some before us saw abundance and hope in the rodents. What does the Rat symbolize, you ask?

▶ Diligence and fecundity: Rats have long whiskers and well-developed sensory organs. They adapt to a new environment and breed rapidly. Their ability to overcome difficulties and survive in any environment makes them a symbol of diligence, wealth and affluence.

▶ Foreboding dangers: According to the “Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms”, it did not snow in the fifth year of King Hyegong (A.D. 763) in Shilla, and just before that, the unusual migration of some 8,000 rats had been observed in Chiak Prefecture. This is an example of rats’ capability to anticipate dangers. Those before us predicted dangers or prepared for accidents by observing the migration of rats.

▶ Shrewd and clever: Rats are the first among 12 animals in the Zodiac. According to a fable, the king of Heaven wanted to give ranks to animals. The Lord decided to rank animals in the order of their arrival at the gates of Heaven on the first day of the year. Upon the delightful news, animals trained to get there faster than the others. Among them, the cow worked hardest to win the race. Watching other animals, the mouse realized that winning the race would be impossible for such a little animal like him, so he got on the back of the cow. On the day of the race, the diligent cow was first to reach the goal. However, on arrival, the mouse jumped off the back of the cow and entered the gates of Heaven before all others.

▶ Traditions: The 15th day of the first month of the Lunar calendar is the day of jwibulnori, a traditional folk game to kill the mice leaving their holes and exterminate insects that infest the dry paddy fields with fire. In old times, women chanted, “Burn out the mouth of rats” while parching beans, in the belief that they could eradicate rats that way. In the Chosun dynasty era, there were many paintings depicting the life of rats. In a work by the leading female artist Shin Saimdang, a rat nibbles at a watermelon in a field. Our ancestors clearly saw rats as common animals easily understood in everyday life.

Our Fingerprint Update is complete!

Thanks to the Holiday Season, the drive into Atlanta was not as bad as expected, the traffic on the roads was less than usual. AND the crowd at immigration was non-existent! We were in and out with in an hour!

Our next goal is to tackle the adoption training that the Hague Convention (for Intercountry Adoptions) requires. This training curriculum, provided mostly by an outside third party, provides families with the entire 10 hours of training. These courses are well known in the international adoption community. The Hague is very specific in the designation on what topics need to be covered and participated in by families and we have to document that all of the topics have been appropriately covered and are approved as Hague accredited training hours. Luckily we have a "jump" on this stage because we already have a few hours under our belt which were required from the first homestudy approval. From our experience the 10 hours really means 20 hours of reading, studying and discussing each topic. It really is pretty interesting to both of us and the topics certainly help our understanding.

Mom and her Chi's. The Children are getting exhausted from picture taking... "enough already, let's open presents!"

Matt and the kids posing for their Christmas Photo.
Nacho always has to be the center of attention!!

Sierra can hardly wait to open her gifts of Vitamin "B" (dog bacon) and noise maker toys!! "Let's open presents N.O.W.!!"

"We shouldn't have let Sierra eat the entire bag!!"
Check out her Buddha Belly!!

Christmas 2007 was full of surprises. We visited with friends and family, ate lots of food and relaxed our full bellies. The year 2007 has been good to us and we look forward to 2008!! Blessings to each of YOU!

One Step Closer...

Home study Update -check
Mail Update to immigration- check
Fingerprint update appointment- check
Immigration approval-
Matching Room-
Referral-

We received our appointment date for our fingerprinting update today! We are relieved to have received notice that our home study update package was received by immigration and our appointment date is set! January 2nd we will be fighting Atlanta traffic to make it to the immigration office. That will be an experience! Matt reminded me that it is the day after New Years and a lot of people will still be off for vacation. So, hopefully that will be the case and our morning drive will be easier than expected!

To be fingerprinted you have to be "invited" and show up with your appointment document. Also, to enter the building you MUST have proof of the government document in hand. And, you can only enter the building at the time listed on your document. The office is full of adoptive parents and potential foreign immigrants. I have to say that immigration has a well oiled system in place and it runs smoothly.

I have got to share this. We made a total elf of our Chihuahua's! Not sure how long this link will be active, but it is so cute we have to share it. Check it out by clicking the link below.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1221134750

This elfin' greeting brought to you by OfficeMax

Merry Christmas. Our tree is up. At night it appears to glow. People have asked us why we have a white tree and decorate it heavily in shades of blue, which are nontraditional Christmas colors. It all began with Matt putting a blue light in the window, which is a tradition among public safety personnel, paying tribute to fallen police officers, firefighters, paramedics, etc. during the holiday season. The tree is meant to reflect that, as well as to pay tribute to the state of Israel, since our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was a Jew and we wanted our tree to reflect the heritage of our beliefs.

Below, we would like to share some of our favorite ornaments. Enjoy!

This is another ornament Matt's parents gave us the year we were compiling our dossier. It is a tiger, which has dual significance. First it references the possibility of a male child. Second, traditionally a tiger is a good luck symbol for babies in China. The tiger is said to protect them from bad spirits and bring good luck. Also, babies are given tiger related gifts on their first birthday.

This Yuan Hong porcelain ornament was given to us by Matt's parents. The white wings accent this Chinese angel's traditional red outfit with tiny white rams on the jacket. She wears a plum blossom headband and holds an open fan. She was given to us the year we were assembling our dossier. We love her so much that we keep her out all year long.

This is one of the new Hallmark 2007 ornaments. This is one of our favorites. It is from the "Joy To The World" collection. The ornament shows cultural details, happy young faces, and homes decorated for the season. Ornaments that show how Christmas unites us around the world. We hung her prominently in the center of our tree to remind us of our hope for future Christmases with our child.

Feliz Navidad from our Chihuahua's
to You and Your Loved ones!!

We received notice that our Dossier is out of review!!! YEA!!! Here's the note from our agency:

"Hello September LID families,

I wanted to let you know that we received word from our Beijing office that the CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with their office before September 30, 2006. Yeah September 2006 is out of review!!!!!! Congratulations to all of you"

This month, the CCAA completed the matching process for families with dossiers registered through December 8, 2005. They experienced a 23 month referral wait. Using this as a guideline we should be expecting to hear our matching August 2008- Travel October/November 2008!!! OMG!!! Why all of a sudden does that seem JUST AROUND THE CORNER??

An Adoption Poem

From Tom Fisher

Until Forever

This morning in China a mother cries
She’ll never forget her daughter’s eyes
Her heart is broken and filled with pain
The tears run down like the falling rain.
She has no choice but to leave her there
The cost of keeping is too much to bear
She hopes her daughter will one day know
True love can be found in letting her go.

This morning in China a baby cries
Hungry and scared as tears fill her eyes
Her mother has left her in this public place
Another lost daughter of the Chinese race.
Someone passing by has heard her soft moan
She’s soon quickly taken to a foster home
It’s here she’ll reside in the care of another
Until she’s adopted by a brand new mother.

That very same moment, in the U.S.A.
A woman cries as she starts to pray
Her heart is heavy but filled with much love
She prays for a daughter she thinks the world of.
“Dear Jesus I ask that your arms would be
Wrapped tightly around the one picked for me
Guard her in China ‘till I make my way
And then in my arms forever she’ll stay.”

Adoption Update, August 07

This month, the CCAA completed the matching process for families with dossiers registered through November 21, 2005... (our LID is 9/18/06) it has been confirmed that the CCAA has completed the review of dossiers registered through June 30, 2006.....The families from the last referral group, experienced a 21 month referral time frame. Based on the CCAA’s referral process over the last several months we expect that referral time frames will continue to lengthen. We do know that CCAA is taking steps to address the growing referral time frame, but when we will begin to feel that impact is, at this time, undetermined.

Based on this information our dossier may be reviewed with in the next 3-5 months and Possibly matched June 08, travel Fall 08. Of course, this is all just a guesstimate, it could be sooner, it could be later. We will keep everyone posted on any updates we receive. We appreciate everyone's prayers!

Julia

Today I (Julia) met my Mother and Grandparents at the Georgia Aquarium (This was my first visit to the GA Aquarium). Unfortunately Matt had to work and was unable to go with us.

We had a fabulous time! Despite the 1,000+ children on their final summer camp field trip! The highlight for me was seeing the infamous GA Beluga Whales. They were very active! The picture here in the front is the male. He swims with 3 other Beluga's (all female). You can tell this is the male by the upturned front flippers. Females have straight front flippers.

Also, the petting station... there were 20 or so small sting ray and 3 small hammer head sharks~ all waiting to be "petted". We arrived at the petting station during the 15 minute "no-pet" break. I patiently waited while Mom and Oma/Opa walked onward. Once the petting began I chickened out! YES!!! 100's of kids all had their full hands in the water and I could barely contain my fear with just one finger in the water! I managed to keep all my fingers but did not manage to "pet" a single animal.

This is the first of several Layouts I created today of Matt's accomplishment in running the 5K. 36 minutes, 44 seconds. You ROCK!! I am SO VERY proud of YOU!!

Day #304 and counting

Today we began the paper chase for the home study update (for immigration). We sat in our Dr.'s office for 1-1/2 hours waiting to do another physical. We were told to arrive with fasting blood. However, once there we were told we would have to go down the street to LabCorp because our insurance does not allow the Dr. office to pull blood. Once at LabCorp we found out they close for lunch. With growling stomachs and attitudes of "why us" we waited...impatiently.

Also, today we spoke with our home study agency to confirm dates and expirations. We found out we can wait until November 07 to turn in the documents to CIS (immigration). Our current paperwork expires Feb 1, 2008. We are attempting to get as close to that date as possible~ in hopes of not having to re-do everything for a 3rd time.

Both our agencies are projecting a 24 month wait from LID (log in date) to referral (matching w/ child). According to our LID (9/18/06) we are looking at referral (9/18/08) and travel early 2009. Thus our paperwork needs to be good thru Summer 09~ for filing adoption paperwork when back in USA.

This is Matt. Today, I ran in my first 5K. The race was run at Tribble Mill Park in Grayson. It was called the 5-Alarm 5K and was run to benefit the Gwinnett County Fire Department Benevolent Association. I had been wanting to run a 5K for awhile and this sounded like a good one to start with in terms of the course description. Also, Fire/Rescue is a cause that is near and dear to our hearts.
I had heard about the race last week and told Julia about it. She heavily encouraged me to register for it, so I did. In order to get over the "mental" portion of it, last Sunday (7/8), I went to the gym with Julia and did the distance on a treadmill. For those of you who may not know, a 5K is 3.1 miles. Last Sunday, I did the distance in 38:41. This was doing a combination of slow-running and fast-walking. The couple of days after the "dry run", my right knee bothered me a little and the muscles in my legs were definitely sore. For several months, I have been going to the fitness center at the CDC a few mornings a week, walking on the treadmills there. In my walks there, I had been doing an average of 1.5 miles at a time. I had really not been doing any running, however. I was typically going at a 4mph pace on the treadmill.
This past week, I went to the fitness center on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, and just did some light walking/running, mostly to try to work out any soreness or kinks before this morning. I came to the conclusion that my primary goal for this was to finish and not come in last.
Well, this morning, we got up at 5:45 and arrived at the park around 7:30, with Penny. It was really great conditions for the run. The skies were overcast, and it looked like rain. I got signed in and ran into James Mason, an old friend of mine from Gwinnett Fire, who I later introduced Julia to.
The start point for the race was marked by Gwinnett Engine 8 (out of Grayson), and Gwinnett Truck 12 (out of Snellville). In a nice touch of patriotism, a huge American flag was suspended from the extended aerial of Truck 12. The participants gathered by the apparati, and shortly after 8:30, both trucks hit their sirens, signaling the start of the race.
The course itself was along a paved path, around a large lake and in and out of the woods. The first mile was the toughest portion, in that it was quite hilly. I quickly formulated a strategy, which was to run the downhill and flat portions of the course and fast-walk the uphill portions. Along the way, I befriended another participant who was at approximately the same level I was. He's in the top picture with me. It felt like it took forever to get to the 1 mile marker. After that, the mile 2 marker felt like it came along a bit quicker. A good portion of the 3rd mile was rather flat, but by that point, we were fairly tired. On the approach to the finish line, FF Doug Kalmbach (24-B) was standing by the side of the path. He let me know that it appeared I would finish in under 37 minutes and high-fived me. This was energizing and pushed me to pick up the pace a little bit. As I crossed the finish line, I grabbed my time card to fill out from a race worker. My final time was 36:44, which I was very pleased with. I met both my goals and will definitely do more 5Ks in the future. I am also considering attempting next year's Peachtree Road Race, which is a 10K (6.2 miles). We'll see if that actually happens.
It was a great experience and something I enjoyed getting to share with Julia and Penny.

Today we finally had an opportunity to sit down and talk with our homestudy agency regarding our options. We discussed having a concurrent adoption~ having 2 adoptions in process at the same time. Apparently because of the long wait (with China) many families are choosing to move forward with other countries~ while they wait for their China adoption to finalize. Vietnam, Korea & Thailand are some of the other countries most looked at. However, because China requires any child be in a home for a minimum of 1 year before another child is brought into the home we need to consider the real possibility of overlapping and missing our chance to continue with China.

Also, we inquired more about domestic adoptions. Our agency gave us some contact names and phone numbers and will be mailing us a reference list to review. The homestudy for domestic adoptions and international adoptions are completely different. Therefor, should we decide to continue with a domestic adoption we would have to do a homestudy all over again. Should we be interested in pursing a domestic adoption we were encouraged to look into open adoptions thru an attorney. However, a major concern with this type of adoption would be that if the birth Mother changed her mind at any point we would lose the money we put forward.

Our thoughts go back to China... Worse case "At this point" we will receive referral January-February 2009. Best Case "at this point" we will receive referral news June-July 2008. Most likely, we are expecting referral to arrive September-December 08.

We find comfort in God's promise in Isaiah 40: 31. A few days ago Matt, myself and Penny went on a short Geo-Caching jaunt- which are what the pics are of up top. Of course I played around a little with the bricks on my pic, lol... having a little fun.

Sierra "THE Incredible" Chihuahua Avenger!! She is able to make giant leaps in one bound when she hears her nightly "Vitamin B" call for bed time - BACON!!!!!!!!

As we approach late summer (hard to believe) we ponder our next step with the adoption process. Yesterday we spoke with our agency to confirm expiration dates of our immigration paperwork and to discuss time lines to update paperwork.

Our agency said there is a high possibility that the wait time for referral will reach 24 months from LID (Ours is Sept. 06). With this in mind we do not want to start too soon on updating our paperwork due to the possibility we will have to do it a THIRD time! The thought of this just sends us both into a mental breakdown!

Recently we received the necessary papers from our Homestudy agency to update our homestudy (which is nec for immigration). We plan to begin completing these and have them finished by the middle of July.

The USGovt did give a bit of "win" to all "waiting parents". As of July 31st the renewal fee (for the immigration paperwork) will be waived! Yea!!! However, should we have to re-new a 3rd time the fee will be re-instated. The only caveat here is that we have to re-new before our current paperwork expires (Sept 07). Thus we plan on waiting until August 01 to mail in our renewal paperwork (but no later than late August). Again, we find ourselves with our fingers crossed that this process will be over sooner rather than later.

Also, we asked our adoption agency what would happen if we received a referral before our paperwork was received from USGot.... luckily she said the agency would make calls for us in hopes of rushing the paperwork and if need be push back our travel dates until the paperwork arrived.

Another concern is what happens if we travel around the time of the Olympics (summer 08). She said the agency is already making plans to bypass Beijing and send adoptive families directly to their children's Provence's.

In the meantime we are starting to research other possibly quicker options. We are in the early stages of discussing ideas with our homestudy group. Likely at this point it may be just as well that we stick with the Chinesse adoption. We shall see and keep everyone posted.

Please keep us in your prayers as our journey to having our own family continues.

I have to share this quote, it pretty much sums it up...

"No, still waiting.
No, no news.
YES, make it a double!"

Hello everyone! I just wanted to share this information for anyone interested...

"China From The Inside" -- New PBS Documentary
Public television (PBS) will air a 4-part documentary beginning on
Wednesday, January 10, entitled "China from the Inside."

For details, see
http://www.pbs. org/kqed/ chinainside/

The preview notes said the documentary will delve into both China's
history and its current political landscape. It will, among other
things, examine China's treatment of women, its problems with air and
water pollution, religion in China, and the government's slow response
to the AIDS epidemic.

The documentary' s 4 parts will consist of the following:
* "Power and the People"
* "Women of the Country"
* "Shifting Nature"
* "Freedom and Justice"

www.wesselsworld.nl/ccaa.htm

I came across the link above from one of the yahoo groups we particpate with. It shows the actual matching room in the CCAA in China. It is pretty interesting to see the pictures.

Julia