Happy 2008

If you could be bothered sitting through the whole video... I found this on You Tube... it is in Sydney (if you couldn't guess)... though it is a little shaky... it is funny cause you see all the people with their Digital Cameras and Camcorders... lol... Funny when people get SO excited about the fireworks going off... oh well, it is fun! Mike and I will be in Sydney for the 'Festival Of Sydney' and on the 26th Jan is Australia Day (like the US 4th July)... the company we are going with is hiring a boat (a big one at that) and we are going to be on Sydney Harbour itself and right in front of the Harbour Bridge as the fireworks go off... cannot wait... well, since I wasn't going to post anything... just had to put this... You can always trust Sydney to go off in a big BANG!!!! Happy 2008 again!!!

PART ONE


PART TWO

Happy New Year for 2008

I hope that everyone has the Happiest 2008 - my New Years Resolution is well, I don't have one cause I know that when I make them... I end up breaking them... though as for my one wish for 2008 (among other things) is that I finally get my call for Shauna... all good things come to those who wait... Have a very happy and safe New Year for 2008...

oh... one thing I did decide (for 2009) that for my 40th I am going to make a trip to Prince Edward Island in Canada... a place I have always wanted to go - yes, I loved the book 'Anne of Green Gables'...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

My main squeeze

I just took this and was trying to get Mike to talk but it was hard... I was cracking up trying to get him to talk... that comment about me marrying him at the end - I was just joking... lol... he will KILL me if he sees I have put this on here... lol

*UPDATE* - Mike saw the video... I had to promise him not to get cranky and had to have him tell me he loved me unconditionally - regardless. It was then he knew I had done something!!!! So, once seeing the clip he said "Now people will want to meet me!". The proceeded to say "Where is the clip of you?" and my reply was "You are to scared to use the digital camera" - so in closing... I am safe and still have a place to live... lol...

Xmas Day...

Hi Mum and everyone else... Yep, here I am sitting here at home and no one visiting... actually it is nice... after the last few days at work... you would swear that people had no food in their houses and always complaining... I slept in... Made pancakes (the Aussie way - not thick like over here in the US). The funny thing was that I was trying to make the pancakes and Irene came over to see what I was doing... I had to tell her to go away cause they would flip in half, at one stage I was about to flick the pancake and my hand slipped and the thing flipped off the pan and onto the stove top... lol... I have been playing with my toys that I got this morning... I have even packed my big port that I am taking with the kids presents in etc need to know if Billy got any 'Ben 10' figurines as I have 2 here already... so here is a little slide show of what I got... Also there are some photos that I took at work yesterday... we had taken a plate or two into our department for a Christmas dinner... the truck had come in at 6am and everyone got together and put all the Produce out as soon as we could and got the cooler as empty as we could and before eating went out one more time to 'fluff' the department and make it look pretty... then it was time for us to eat and give presents... oh my... the food... I didn't eat dinner last night... we were all so full... it was a fun time though... then again people from other departments heard we had all this food and came over and asked for some and the Assistant Store Manager... he came back and there we were all scratching 'Scratch Tickets' (our boss gave us them) while on store hours... he didn't care... he just wanted food... lol... There is the photo of Diane, Tiff and I... we had a similar photo taken at Halloween last year... these are 2 very dear friends of mine... Diane is somewhat like an old mother hen to me... not that I listen to her... lol... we talk on the phone every night regardless of whether or not we worked together that day... we haven't eaten lunch yet and I am not really up for it... at least not yet... so, hope that it was a good one for you all... Merry Christmas... oh... I got a few more things but they were basically stocking stuffers... ho, ho, ho...

Our Secret Santa

In our April DTC group I had decided that I would join the Secret Santa... well, we got our gift today... our Secret Santa was Kelli in Colorado... we got chocolates, a 'Baby' photo album, a bigger photo album - seems everyone knows I like taking photos and need some where to put them... then a snowbaby to put on our Christmas Tree... then there was the red jacket for Shauna... thank you Kelli we really loved our gifts and the fun of opening them...
Then today I got back today 8 quilts that I had made for my nieces/nephews... they are going to be in my suitcase when we go back home to Australia... I met a lady at work - who always stops to chat to me and found out she has a quilting company... well, I mentioned the 100 square quilt and she said that she would be more then happy to make that quilt for me as a gift... oh my... that was so nice of her - so, I will wait until I see her again and get her number and get the squares together to get it done... ummm... hope that the kids don't see these photos of the Christmas presents... the solid pattern on the back is the blanket material... (can't think of the name of the material - I am not a sewer)
The photo of the cow/bull... well, Mike and I had been driving out to Holopaw, FL when we came across some of the 'Beef' Ranches. I had happened to have my camera and got Mike to pull over... all the cows were near the fence and once they saw me walking toward them they came trotting over to greet me... I was even patting a few... it was funny... so here is 2 photos of the cows... doesn't take much to make me happy... lol

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

(Though I am still in the US - still it is from home...)

I started this site for my family back home in Australia... never in my life thinking that it would become the 'monster' that it is today... anyway... I never thought that I would end up with as many friends that I have had since moving to the US... especially since starting this whole adoption process... I have made even more friends through that and even through my site... I know there are some people that I will stay friends with for years and years down the track and (as it happens in life) there are some 'friends' in my life now that I know that friendship will fade - for whatever reason but I have always believed that people come into your life for all matter of reasons and that you learn some little lesson from that person... So... having said all this... I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas... Happy Holidays... Happy Easter... whatever you want to name it... though right now I am feeling a little Grinch like - missing the craziness of a Christmas back home... have the nicest time with your family and friends... though not just today but everyday... for those who are waiting to adopt (whether it be domestic or international) - our turn will come... maybe this wait is a lesson??? That is what I like to think 99.9% of the time... for those who have been to their respective countries... have a great Christmas with your new family members... take care all and I say I am not going to add anything until after Christmas but - if you know me I will most likely break that promise... hehe... so have a safe one and HO, HO, HO...

Free Glitter Graphics

Greetings to Miss Adia Lin...

This is a little late in the coming but a HUGE congrats to Rowan and Lorraine of Canada for the referral on little Miss Adia Lin of the Jiangxi Province... what a gorgeous little bundle of joy... I am so happy for you both... they are off to get her January 2008... whooo hooo!!!

Brrrrr...

(You really need a life when taking a pic of the temp & slippers... lol)

You know you need a life when you get SO excited about a cold snap in the morning... nothing nicer then a cold morning... and that you are able to wear your slippers for the first time this Winter season... I even dragged out a jacket this morning... though having said that it is meant to heat up today... I do miss the chilly Winters... having said that - I look what is going on up North - that is 100% brrrr... lol... welcome to my life in sunny Florida... and you know you need a life when you have to write about this... Just killing time until I have to go Christmas Shopping... just a few other piccis I took while I was Downtown the other day and ended up taking these few pics whilst talking on the phone to my friend and waiting for Mike... I would have loved to have taken more but the fun of 'night time shopping' hadn't started... I am 'very slowly' learning all the things I can do on the camera...

'Adopted The Movie'

Boston Bruins

Well Mum, it is official... we are off to the Ice Hockey (or as I have been told that over here it is just called Hockey) in February and we will go to see Tampa Bay Lightening play Boston Bruins... should be fun. As much as I wouldn't watch it on TV... it is fun (as you know) to go and watch it live... instead of getting each other gifts for Christmas we decided that we would go to the game and maybe (if I can talk Mike into it) we can go to the Florida Aquarium - that should be fun!!!

Kiddies Galore *UPDATE*

Just a few people I know have gotten their bundles of joy... Heather... well, I have been 'following' her journey on and off since she got their first daughter Sydney...

Click here for Claire

I first met Caroline when she not long got their daughter Emily and she was in the supermarket where I work and since then we have become friends and I have done many Wiggles and ballet dances for her daughter in the aisles at work... so, this is the much anticipated 'Uncle' Baby David - long story but that is what Emily calls him... *UPDATE* - this is the latest pics of one happy family... what a little cherub...

Click here for 'Uncle' Baby David

Last but not least we have Matt and Kathy getting Chani...

Click here for Chani

Congrats to all and congrats to all those little bundles of joy who have finally found their 'Forever Family'...

Thanks for joining my Pity Party

Well, just want to thank everyone who stopped in to join my Pity Party... I can't believe how many people had commented... seems I am not the only one going through this pity thing... Like I had said... I am usually pretty good about the whole thing but this time... who knows whether it will speed up or what??? I am in it for the long haul but still it can be a downer at times... now that I have stomped my feet, pouted etc I am feeling alot better... the one thing that did come out of this was that I bought myself a present... I could have waited until getting to China but hey... I needed to cheer myself up and what better then some 'retail therapy'... I bought myself this Jade Bracelet through National Geographic holiday catalog - not a great book for me to look through as I want so much stuff from there... though, I don't really need it... I got the green bracelet... it is called 'Stone of Heaven'... it is handmade and is from Hunan... the carving is of two dragons chasing a flaming pearl. A traditional Chinese folktale (have to find out about this). It is thought to have healing powers. Hint #1 though... soap your whole hand up to get it on - now, it is on my wrist for good. The only way off is for it to break off. My other dilemma is what Mike and I are going to do for Christmas... there was 2 things... #1 Go to Tampa Bay and watch the Bruins play Ice Hockey in Feb '08 or go to see Jerry Sienfeld playing in Feb here in Melbourne, FL... it can only be one thing or another... ummm... decisions, decisions... once again thanks everyone for cheering me up... a nice piece of news is CONGRATULATIONS to Lorraine and Rowan (in Canada) on the referral of their daughter Adia Lin... born March 23, 2007... I will ask if I can put a picture on here...

My Pity Party

Well, I always thought of myself as somewhat of a 'rock' when it came to the whole adoption thing... I try to not complain to much or whine about the wait but damm it... I am going to be 600 years old by the time we get there. I wish I were more like Mike and so 'Oh we have to wait... ok'... I try to be tough but I am afraid I had my melt down today... he asks me what I want for Christmas... "NOTHING"... I want to go to China... I do, I do, I do... now where are those bloody ruby slippers. Oh well, so, I will sit here and drown my sorrows in 'Publix Low Fat Chocolate Milk' (truly love this stuff)... I want to go home... I want to go now... I miss my mum... I miss the shouting, noise of the house at Christmas... the Christmas Pudding, the pork mum makes and the whole baked dinner thing in the middle of Summer and it is hot... I miss the Christmas Bush mum buys from the lady on Excelsior Parade for the last however many years... she sells it on the side of the road in buckets... (Same lady she buys a bunch of Chrysanthemums on Mother's Day to take to my Great Grandmother and Grandmother's grave - an annual thing we did)... I know that right now I am just being what my mum would call 'A big boob'... I can hear her now... "Don't be a big boob!"... yep, that is my mum... pulls no punches and says it how it is... well ma... I am being a big boob... and it honestly doesn't feel so great... maybe I should have gone to work with Mike today... but later today... I am getting those Banana Boxes from work... getting all the 'things' I have for Shauna and they are getting packed away. I refuse to buy anything more... soon they will be so old I will be able to 'E-bay' them as Antiques... Having said all this... I am not dropping out of the adoption thing... to much emotion, money and time has been put into it - an truthfully... I want this so bad I can taste it... so, I am going to pretend that it isn't happening (I say this now... I will cave in I know) and just live like I did before hand and when Shauna does come along (and I forget the wait) and she misbehaves... I can't remind how I was in Labour for 14 hours to give birth to her so she had best be grateful but I will say "I waited 5 years for you to come along... if you don't behave you will be on the next boat to China - and it will be a slow one..." ok... So I won't really say that... just thought it sounds funny... though, if she is old enough - it is a good comeback... Ok... cheered myself up somewhat... as much of a pity party I am having right now... I am in it for the long haul... Gee, I just thought of something... this whole site of mine is like a journal... I am bad at keeping those things... it felt good to get all that out of my system...

Feeling melancholy or something?

Ok... mum... I maybe feeling a little melancholy or something but I thought I would show you this clip... I just love this song... when I listen to it, it reminds me of something I would play for the Maddie, Liv, Jami, Bridie, Billy and Blake... this is how I feel about the kids... though I don't see them for a long time I love them with all my heart and soul... I guess it is time for me to come home...

Christmas Shoes

I do love this movie... this is one of mine and Mike's fave movies... this is a must to watch at Christmas time... though I am feeling Grinch and don't really feel like celebrating it this year... still... just wanted to put this on here... Enjoy!!!