Like mother, like daughter

Lindsey can use the computer! She can play some Reader Rabbit and likes to do the activities on the Teletubbies and Sesame Street websites. She can't do everything, still needs my help for much of it, but she can control the mouse, click the right mouse button, even drag and drop. It's so cute to watch her on my laptop, moving the mouse around and clicking, and sometimes giggling at what she is doing.



(Side note: forgive my lack of writing lately - I seem to have "bloggers block"! I can't think of anything interesting to write. Most of the adoption news (not that there is much) is well covered on all the other adoption blogs, and I really hate to whine and complain which seems to be all there is to do regarding this slow adoption process! Really I am doing okay with the wait and the summer is just flying by.)

9 Months!

So here we are at the 9 month point. The rumors are looking good for a possible October referral (that's only 3 more months!) but I'm not getting my hopes up. Can this be compared to my pregnancy with Ben in a way - I went into premature labor at 25 weeks. Complete bedrest for 12 weeks and 3 hospital stays during that time. At 37 weeks I went off my medication and bedrest. Walked around for almost 3 more weeks with contractions but no baby. I finally had to be induced due to pre-eclampsia (or whatever that is, that was almost 16 years ago!). So the slowdown is like the bedrest, the rumors are like the 3 weeks I walked around expecting something to happen any minute, but it didn't. Dumb analogy maybe, but since I'm at the 9 month wait point it reminded me of a pregnancy, my one and only pregnancy. That's the best I could come up with! :-)

So when I was on bedrest, I thought that time would *never* end. I was blessed in that my sister came over every day and did a little housework, watched TV and played games with me, so that helped pass the time. We played a lot of Yahtzee and watched a lot of The Price is Right. ("Full house, be there!" - that's for you Ginny.) Now it's been almost SIXTEEN YEARS since that ended. Then walking onto the Lifest grounds for the first time this year, I said to my sister "Weren't we just here, like yesterday?" but it had been a whole year. My point is time flies. My referral will be here before I know it (I think!). We're almost getting to the fun part of the wait, where our referral is coming into sight (if the rumors are true). I won't be taking too many computer breaks if we get too much closer, but I'm off now for a few days.

And now for a photo. Lindsey was mad about something here, well she *was* mad, she was over it here but she refused to smile. She was looking like this on purpose.

Lifest 2006!

I just spent a wonderful but exhausting few days at Lifest, a Christian music festival near my home. The best thing is I got to see one of my absolute favorite Christian artists, 4 Him (second only to Steven Curtis Chapman, and even then it's almost a toss up). http://www.4him.net/ It was one of their last concerts as a group after 16 years together. They are so awesome! It was the second best concert I've ever been to, the best one being when I saw them 2 years ago at Lifest. :-) They sang one of my favorites, Fill the Earth. I've always felt the power of God through His creation and this song captures that so well.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Psalm 19:1

Besides 4 Him, we saw Chris Rice, Salvador, Jars of Clay, Mark Schultz, Relient K, The Afters, Kutless, MxPx, a comedian, an improv act, and parts of other concerts/acts. My first Lifest was in 2002 when I just went to see SCC. I didn't think the rest of Lifest would be my cup of tea (thinking it was more for teenagers) but when we got there and I felt the awesome atmosphere and realized there were other artists I would like to listen to, I bought a full 4 day ticket for the following year. That year was a BLAST. I had so much fun. The next year I didn't get to go as much since we were newly home with Lindsey, but I did manage to get there for awhile. Last year I went every day, and this year 3 out of 5 days.

Three years ago during Lifest we were paperchasing for Lindsey. Two years ago we were newly home with Lindsey. One year ago we were paperchasing again. This year we are, well of course, we're waiting. Next year will we be paperchasing again? Uh, no, I don't think so. :-) We are almost 100% sure this will be our last child. I know enough never to say never, but I am pretty sure.

Last year at Lifest I was trying to get some pictures for our dossier too (didn't get one that turned out good enough, we were always so hot and sweaty). This year I didn't take a single picture, but here's one of SCC from last year if you don't mind. :-)



If you listen to Christian music, who is your favorite singer/group/band?

Good things happen....

...when I take a computer break! So I'm off again! Well soon, anyway. I want to log on tomorrow morning to hopefully read about a fellow AWAA family's Gotcha Day. I probably won't be blogging for another week. I doubt the CCAA website is going to change this time like it did the other week when I was gone, but I'm sure hoping for TAs for Krista, Erin, Heather, Valerie (blogs linked in my links section) and also 2 families from my original agency DTC group who have found children in the waiting child program. I'm praying for them to come this week for all of you!

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you; May He send you help from the sanctuary and strengthen you out of Zion; May He grant you according to your heart's desire, and fulfill all your purpose. Psalm 20:1-2, 4