Colorado Trip Part 1

How I love Colorado and love staying in Georgetown which is about an hour out of Denver... this time around we stayed in a Bed & Breakfast for the first time... it is in Rose Street, Georgetown and will highly, highly recommend going there... the place was awesome... the people Paul and Sally who run the place are so incredibly nice. Mike and I plan on going back there one day for sure... hopefully next time we will have Shauna and can take her there. The B&B we stayed in was built in 1882 and it is so gorgeous (and so they say 'haunted') we were always on Florida time and we were awake at 4.30am... when it started to get light we would head out for a walk around town... I just adore the old buildings/houses there... most of them are built in the 1800's... a nice place to visit... we would drive out to Silver Plume to buy their Strawberry Loaf at a small Tea House called 'Silver Plume Tea House'... and you can go downstairs to where the owners sell some antiques... it is amazing... Silver Plume isn't a big town at all... you can walk the whole main street in minutes but it is a one of a kind town. Also those who come off the train there sometimes make their way over to the town... we went on a train ride on the Georgetown Loop... it was so nice... not very long but nice all the same... we did do the Mine Tour part of it all and go into a Silver Mine that went about 565ft into the tunnel... the history of the mine, the miners back in the 1800's and how they worked etc it was very interesting... we had went into Idaho Springs where we saw a restaurant on the Food Network and they raved about 'Mountain Pies' and how they put honey on the crust and so, we had to try it out... can't say that I was super crazy about the honey on there.. still, it was a good pizza... maybe I was 'dipping' wrong??? Still, it is fun to try stuff out of the norm... I adore the Hummingbirds there, the Wildflowers, Wildlife, Nature... at our B&B we would sit for hours and just rock back and forth on the chair... looking up into the mountain full of pine trees and the smell... oh my.. it was like a giant pine tree air freshner for your car... the Quaker Aspen Trees... I just adore those... when the wind blows the leaves they just shimmer... though they weren't gold at this time... they still looked like they were shimmering... how I wish they would grow here in Florida...
We went to Estes Park - we had planned on going to Wyoming but got stuck at the 'Stanley Hotel' on a Ghost Tour... the movie 'The Shining' was not filmed there but Stephen King was inspired by the hotel to write the book... the mini-series 'The Shining' was filmed there though... and yep, the place had all the ghosts... as you can see there is Room 213... at one stage I was looking at a guy... well, I was listening to the guide and the guy leaning against the wall was in my site... suddenly I hear something fall on the floor and thought it was his phone falling off his belt and the guy hadn't moved... but the look on his face said it all... he picked up what he had dropped and said that it was his wallet and it was in his back pocket (the wallet was in front of him)... maybe it was someone from Room 213... that room is booked all the time and they charge around $500 a night to stay there in that room... then we went up to the 4th floor where the 2 little girls in the movie are... now, there was no breeze blowing but the guide had the kids on the tour sit on the floor and hold their hands out and all the adults were on the outside and everyone started to sing 'Ring a Ring a Rosie' (this was suppose to bring the kids out to play) and no sooner had it happened... there was a breeze around my legs, I thought it was an AC but there was nothing there... whether you believe or not... that Ghost Tour was very interesting but if you ever want to go on it... you need to book in advance...
I nearly forgot... in Denver I got to met a friend I have met through the Adoption Community... Natalie and her family... well, two of her children were there... Isabella and Elliana came to meet us near our hotel we stayed in in Denver, for dinner... it was so nice to meet everyone... the girls just cracked me up... Isabella talked and talked and talked... she proceeded to tell me she was born in China... and that she had a present for my baby... oh that was so sweet when she said that... I got a gorgeous dress for Shauna... it was so nice to meet them and felt liek I had known them forever... hopefully they will get out here to Florida some day.
Now we are back to reality... back to waiting... back to the grind of daily life... I am ready for another vacation :) Though we won't be going anywhere for a while... I try to pop in and see people but life is crazy of now... which is a good thing I guess... I will put the rest of the photos on later...

Shauna's namesake

I just realized that on the 27th July would have been my sister (who was stillborn) birthday and her name was Shauna (our Shauna's namesake)... funny how things in life happen... still, I am sure that Shauna is watching over our Shauna right now until we get there... she would have been approx 37?

So, I thought that this yellow rose would be for my little sister's birthday...

Fly, fly away...

Not long to go now... only 40 + hours to go until we head off to Colorado... I cannot wait... just to get away from the whole adoption thing, work, home... just flying off to a fantasy bubble of not a care in the world and will be meeting up with Natalie and her family at some stage... looking forward to meeting them. We wanted to met other friends but they live over the mountains which is higher then Mike can handle and he gets dizzy etc maybe next time instead of staying in the Georgetown area we can go to the area on the other side of the mountain...

It was funny... the other day at work I am walking around (before the store opened) and I was listening to my iPod and the song

'Safe and Sound' by Matthew West came on... I was listening to the words (though I'm not religious I can appreciate the words) and for whatever reason it just reminds me of getting Shauna and all of a sudden the wind was taken out of me - I nearly started to cry at work... it wasn't over the wait, nor over the paperwork, stress at work or anything like that... it was cause I was thinking of Shauna, what it will be like with her in our lives and the huge amount of love I have for this child that we haven't even had the pleasure of meeting yet... I have people saying to me 'it is worth the wait'... I know it is - I hate hearing that statement all the time but still... I know it will be worth the wait... gee, if I am like this, what am I going to be like when it is finally our turn... on the other hand I try to remind myself that I have to be careful to remember the not so good part of it all, that she may push us away etc, and if that is the case - I will deal with it when it comes along... not going to get myself worked up about that though...

Mike and I went to the Warbird Museum the other day... I am not a aircraft expert but I can appreciate a fine piece of machinery... they are rebuilding a WW2 plane up there and it is ready and has been flying and they are going to take names to be able to go up for a ride in this plane... as soon as they get the go ahead they are taking names to go for a ride... the guide who was taking us around let us in the plane but made us promise to not touch the buttons up front... gee... I would have flown it away :) I took a photo of this plane below but stupid me forget to put the memory card back in the camera... lucky I had the other camera with me :)
TICO Belle

There are just a few of the photos I took when we were there... there is a museum there with lots of memorabilia from the wars etc then you walk out into a hanger where there are lots of other planes and the photo of the last plane - well, it is a NASA plane and one of them had just taken off before getting there... we just missed it but this one... the pilots were having an interview and we got to get up close to this plane also... it was amazing...

Last night we had a wicked storm here... we had just got home from being held up in traffic for an hour with a powerline across the road then when we got home the rain started to bucket down again... then Mike was looking out our window when he saw a big explosion and bolt of lightening hit the transformer across the road... turns out we had no power from about 7pm to 3am... the house was so hot but finally I woke up when I heard TV's going on, fans going and a few lights... the power workers certainly earn every cent they make...

So, this is my excitement for the week... next time you all hear from me I will be back from Colorado... if I haven't dropped by to visit... don't worry... I haven't forgotten you all... just super busy...

Thanks to Jen and Ebony and more babies

A quick post for today but wanted to say a big thank you to Jen and Ebony for the gifts they send for Shauna... one spoilt little girl and she doesn't even know it yet... I must say... I have made some great friends during this whole time... I do love the little beanie that is like a little 'Gumnut Baby' hat... and it does remind me of 'Snuggle Pot and Cuddle Pie'... for those who don't know... it is an Australian story that has been around forever about Gumnut Babies, Banksia Men, Mr Lizard etc...
Then she got lots of other 'ladybug' stuff... yep, Shauna is certainly a much looked forward to little girl and thank you for the gorgeous piece you wrote in the card... certainly made me shed a few tears...
thank you so much Jen and thank you also Ebony... hopefully that when I do come back to Australia that we can somewhere along the way catch up...
As for paperwork... I sent in the one piece I needed to today and hopefully they find it in their hearts to get it done ASAP...Also a huge congrats to Mary - who certainly has had a fun time in China, on finally getting Emily and The Sheltons on finally getting Olivia... congrats to you both... hugs to ya... and Mary... I am glad that fun you had is over :)

Slap my face hard!!!!

Should I decide to do this again... someone please slap me hard... just when you think that you are over all the paperwork - at least until you get the referral etc something comes along to throw a spanner into the works... we were told in the beginning that we would need to get the police clearances from each state my 'in-laws' (they live in the same house) that they lived in going back to 18 years old... ha!!! That would be 8 police clearances for 5 states... lovely!!! We had to redo their prints again... for the 2nd time... the 3rd time if they still don't take you need a clearance... this has been going on since the first lot of prints... anyway... the girls from Immitgration called me at 7.30am (who is that for service) to tell me to just do 5 years previous for Florida... ok... I can swing that... Mike can attest to the 'meltdown' that I had... I have just printed off the forms and will get them off tomorrow... I have until August to do that... I told one of the girls at Immigration that should she see any papers after this adoption on her table for another one... to tear them up... and slap my face really, really hard... she had a giggle... though I even got an apology phone call from them... someone had sent me a piece of paper and on the template of the letter forgot to mark off one of the boxes and it said I had to send all these different papers - which I know I didn't have to do the I800a... so meltdown number 2... I never got angry at the girls though... they have actually done nothing but bend backwards to help me... I have had many opinions about the doll... but I thought that I would buy it for Shauna and will keep it at home - some kids love the doll, some kids don't... well, if Shauna throws it on the floor then I will know to lose the doll :) I have had the high chair for about 2 years... it was actually at an auction and a lady had tried to outbid me... there was NO WAY she was going to outbid me... This is the toy box that we picked up yesterday... it was made for us... we don't like that plastic stuff... this will be good enough to take to college :) We are going to write a little message for Shauna on the bottom and the date and then I am going to put a clear lacquer on it... one thing missing from it that we want to do is put one of those latches on that holds the lid open but we will be able to do that ourselves...

Other then this... not a great deal going on... just working as usual... nothing has changed there either...

Happy 4th America...

My little Baraky wishing everyone a Happy 4th...

Happy 4th to all... regardless of race, colour, religion, political beliefs... may everyone be happy and just get along in life... and happy belated Canada Day for the Canadians... and happy whatever to anyone else...

(A sunrise from Hillsboro Beach, Florida - just thought I would throw this in. I took it last week when we were away for a little bit)

I know I am not around to visit people as much right now... but things are busy... not only with work but travelling when I can... still getting some paperwork done... getting things for Shauna together... I have decided to not stress about the 'lists' of what to and not to take to China... I figure that the country has been around long enough that if I don't have a certain medicine I could either get it there or I am sure that there is going to be someone over there who has something I need that they don't and I can buy it/trade it off them, and vice versa... I will split Mike's, Shauna's and my clothes into our carry on luggage (not sure if we will check it through or carry on) and so if one bag disappears, we will be good with the other. If we need to buy clothes for her there, then we will buy some for her there and get through our agency a backpack that has diapers, medicines etc in there and then when we get to Beijing it will be waiting for us in our hotel room...
Though having said all this... the Immigration Office has asked for my mother and father-in-law's police clearances from the ages of 18 years old... even though we are doing the I800a and of course I hit the roof... though the lady I deal with at the Immigration Office is nice and helps as much as she can - we were grandfathered in, the only thing I can think of is that they were using a 'template' of a letter that was meant for the I800a... we need to do these and a fingerprint statement for my mother and father-in-law as they need their fingerprints done all the time as they don't ever 'take' so that is an endless thing... of course I was beside myself - considering we are so incredibly close to getting our referral and so I am desperate to get this figured out but at the same time... I am sure things will fall into place... so, once everyone starts working again after this little holiday I will get hold of the Immigration Office and make sure that things are getting fixed... fingers crossed for that... I am trying to not stress over it.
The guy at work still hasn't spoken to me and to be honest... it is actually peaceful and I have that little bit less stressed :) So, I can live with the silence! Though I be the bigger person and say 'Good Morning' and 'Good Bye'... I am to old for this stuff and besides that I have got bigger things to deal with...
As you can see, the picture of Mama Bird on her nest in the rain... I had to admire her for sitting there on her egg protecting her baby... I go into Shauna's room every other day and look out the front window there to see if Mama Bird is doing ok... I was going to put a shelter there for her but I am sure she wouldn't know how to get to her nest or something... I will try to catch up when I can... If I am not around for a while... I still think of all the friends I have made along the way... cannot wait to the end of the month for our Colorado trip - have to find my happy place at work so Colorado it is :)