18

Today marks 18 months of waiting for Grace.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a nice, peaceful and relaxing day for me and my family. It was just me, my mom and dad. The food was good, we talked, watched TV and went to see August Rush. It was a day that made me reflect on all of the things that I am thankful for. So, here goes...
I am thankful for

• My faith in God
• My family, especially my parents
• My grandparents
• Knowing that I will be a parent someday soon
• My dog Hope
• My friends, especially D and Shannon and Matt
• My fantastic job
• My house
• My car
• My ability to laugh at myself
• My tenacity
• laughter
• Hope (you know seeing things in a positive light)
• Loving and being loved
• Being able to get up and motivate and move around
• Good health
• Books
• Chocolate
• Italian food
• Bread
• Pumpkin pie
• Whoppers
• Muppets
• Disneyworld and Disneyland
• Beautiful art and buildings
• the Beach
• Beautiful weather
• Jeans that make you look good
• Beautiful and comfy shoes
• Purses
• Funky jewelry

Okay...I could go on and on, but I do have a lot to be thankful for this year. It helps when I can write it down and read it. I don't feel so bummed.

I actually dragged my butt out of bed this morning around 4ish to go to JCPenney's for the annual Black Friday sales. I am hoping this will be my last one for a while, not that I don't enjoy the hunt. I got some good deals. I only spent about an hour there and went back home and crashed. My family came over for leftovers, including my sister and my niece and nephews. We played Amazing Race game, WII and then went and saw Enchanted. Another great day to be thankful for. I'm praying for all of us still...we're thankful that we will have that chance to have a child from China and I'm praying it will come sooner than we all expect.

Ladybug sightings and Yellowjackets

Today, my mom called me and said that she had a ladybug in her lap. Then my best friend called me later to say that she had one in her car. Double yea! Last but not least, I found a penny heads up on the sidewalk on my daily walk with my dog and mom. Triple luck! Could this be a sign of good things to come? I certainly hope so.

Of course, my luck was briefly marred by my encounter with a yellow jacket in my bathroom. I am telling on myself big time. In fact it's embarassing but funny at the same time. I was in the bathroom, doing what we do in the bathroom, when I felt something on my ponytail. Well, what do you do when this thing keeps bugging you...you swat at it, which led me to realizing that it was a yellow jacket. It gave me a mini sting on my thumb and proceeded park itself on my chones (underwear in spanish) around my ankles. All I could think about was getting stung in personal places and I began to panic. So, when you panic, you try to flick it off your drawers. I thought I was successful and as I was pulling them up, an electric needle prick burned into my upper thigh. A high pitch strangled scream was reverberating off the bathroom walls...I realized it was coming from me. I knocked that yellow jacket to the floor with my magazine and boy did I squish it. I didn't once think about Bee Movie...I had to squish it. I have never shimmied out of my jeans so fast as I sprinted to put some comfrey leaf salve on it. I now have a small red spot that's a bit sore, courtesy of a yellow jacket. I'm sure it'll teach him to bother a person in the bathroom again.

So, here's hoping that the ladybugs bring us all luck! Happy Thanksgiving to all. May you have many blessings!

One More Week and then VACATION

I just got back from the Spurs game and they were killing the Bucks (poor Bucks...I didn't know they had a player from China). There was this cute little girl and her father sitting behind us (my friend got us seats in a superbox which was SUPER COOL) and it reminded me of when my dad used to take me to the Spurs game when I was little. It was a nice distraction.

Turkey Day aka Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday. I can't wait. I have dreams of turkey, stuffing, rolls, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and PUMPKIN PIE! My mom is hosting and I'm cooking. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE cooking this meal and I'm so excited that I get to. The sad thing is that my family is split so I probably won't get to see my grandparents (one of my aunt's is taking them to their friend's house) and my uncle is going somewhere else, and my other two aunts, who knows where they'll go (both are unmarried...one lives elsewhere). Frankly, because of all of the drama and things that have been revealed about them (i.e. my aunt putting my grandparents' stuff in storage only to take it out and sell it without permission from my grandparents!...being ugly to each other, etc., etc.) I'd rather they not come and I can share my favorite holiday with my parents, sister, her husband and their three kids and my dog Hope. It just makes it easier. I just hope that next year, which was the same wish I had last year, that my daughter will share my favorite holiday with me next year.

Gotta Love That Stork and Travel Training

The stork has landed yet again at my agency. For a supposedly small month, my agency had quite a few referrals for one LID date. What's good about it, is that the line has moved yet again. It's baby steps closer, but the key word is CLOSER! I'm very excited for everybody who received referrals. Yippee!

I went to travel training workshop this weekend. I took my parents (since my mom is going to travel). The one thing I learned that I honestly never knew was that not to wear religious jewelry because Christianity is illegal in China. I did a little research, being the information specialist that I am, and it's sort of true. Religion is controlled by the government and one must worship in approved government churches and no where else. I understand that they will not build more Christian churches even though Christianity is growing so people are gathering and worshipping in other places and thus getting in major trouble. Makes me happy that I am in a country where I can worship at home or at church and I won't get arrested. The other thing that I learned is that my agency hopes to still travel during the Olympics but will avoid Beijing.