Author: Courtney
•Tuesday, December 15, 2009
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Greetings, loyal fans!

Have you been keeping your eyes on the bestseller list lately?? In case you haven't, I'd like to introduce you to my new bestselling book - Keeping Your Sanity While Adopting From China. :)

It's a groundbreaking book that takes a look at the nervous, parnaoid, highly analytical, extremely concerned, and very unusual behavior that those adopting from a Communist country exhibit during the extremely stressful process. If you're thinking of adopting from China, you might want to pick up a copy of this new book at your local bookstore. No, wait - I forgot. It's only available at my website: http://www.ithinkimlosingmymind.com/ Or call I-800-LOSINGIT.
:)

One of the most valuable sections of this new book is the chapter entitled: What Not To Do If You Want To Retain Your Sanity.

Of course, I have never done any of the things on this list. I have been perfectly calm, reasonable, and patient during the past year.

I've never stayed up until midnight to wait for an email from the consulate.

I've never dashed into the computer room every 5 minutes to hit the refresh button on the email inbox.

I certainly wouldn't consume large amounts of chocolate as a means of consoling myself during the process.

I've never inflicted bruises on myself or crashed into various household furniture while trying to grab for the ringing phone.

I certainly would never call various government offices on a daily basis to inquire about the status of our paperwork.

I positively wouldn't hit refresh on Rumor Queen every 15 minutes while waiting for LOA.

I would never post constantly on my blog about adoption related topics.

Is this list getting too long for you??????????????

But, seriously though - if I was really to write a book, I'd write about how many orphans are still in China. Yes, we'll be helping one of them. But when we get on the plane to come home with our little guy, it will be hard not to think of all the ones still left behind. The ones who aren't getting mommies and daddies of their own. Who will stay in the orphanages until they're 14 and are too old to be adopted. And who will then be left to live what life they can while always living under the stigma of being an orphan.


Disclaimer: I have, in reality, written no such book as the aforementioned and all reference to websites, phone numbers, or publishing names is purely fictional and for entertainment purposes only. And I'm sure you already knew that. :)

Author: Courtney
•Thursday, December 10, 2009
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We're still waiting for our Article 5.......could you lift up a prayer if you have a chance?
Author: Courtney
•Monday, December 07, 2009
It's really doesn't look all that Christmas-y around here......just brown!!! :) No snow - it's just chilly).

Enjoy these photos of the past few weeks (including Thanksgiving)
David bundles up.....it's a freezing 50* F!!!!!

Dad also seems to be feeling the chill....but if you look closely, you can see Jonathan wearing a t-shirt in the background!

Our delicious Thanksgiving turkey.....
Such a handsome boy!

Intense discussion right before Thanksgiving dinner.....

....and intense discussion during Thanksgiving dinner! Sorry for the glare behind Jonathan's head.....no matter which way I point the camera, there's a window!

David practicing being a big brother.

Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs, since the payment is pure love. ~Mildred B. Vermont

Profile.........

A happy group right after changing shocks on the truck. :)

Always read something that will make you look good
if you die in the middle of it.
~P.J. O'Rourke

That's all for now! I hope you're having a wonderful, warm week! And, if you think of it, could you please pray that our Article 5 would be signed quickly?

Author: Courtney
•Thursday, December 03, 2009

When are we going to China? When will we get Travel Approval?


Well, good question.

I wish I knew.

We have only two steps left: Article 5 and Travel Approval.


Article 5 could take anywhere from 1-6 weeks. Yeah, pretty big range.

TA could take 1-4 weeks.

So we could be really close! Or we could be not so close.



We want to go in January. That might work out.

And it might not. We might go in late February if things take too long.
It's frustrating to have no control over these situations.

Would you mind sending up a quick prayer when you think of it? Pray that our Article 5 won't take 6 weeks. We waited long enough for LOA. Don't really want to repeat that.

We've been looking at this sweet face since March.


It's hard not to get impatient.

It's hard not to borrow trouble about what's ahead.




We just want to go get this little guy. Like, NOW.


But, we can't.
And, as Avery D. Miller once said:

"Hope is patiently waiting expectantly for the intangible to become reality."

So for now, we wait.



And, one day soon, the perfect time will come for us to go. We'll travel the long miles to the other side of the world. And the moment we've been waiting for will come. We'll see Isaac walking across the room towards us.


And it will be perfect.


God knew it all along.


And it will have been worth the wait.

Author: Courtney
•Wednesday, December 02, 2009
This is the last Christmas without Isaac........REALLY!

David is excited about this fact.

Well, we all are, actually.
Sorry about the string hanging right in front of my face! Now this is where Photoshop would be helpful...........:)
Jonathan wants to wish you a Merry and Comfy Christmas, as evidenced by his fleece bathrobe.
I always look so pale and washed out in photos!!! Maybe I need to get some sun.....
Reflection
In our family, the youngest child always gets to put the star on top. We thought Isaac would be here by now, but he's missing Christmas by a month or two...so David got one more year! But this IS the last!!!!!

A random photo



Jesus IS The REASON for the season!!!

Merry Christmas!
Author: Courtney
•Tuesday, December 01, 2009

WARNING: Do NOT watch the video below if any of the following statements apply to you:

1. You are completely satisfied with the current Presidential administration.

2. You love to pay income taxes and believe that they should be increased.

3. You think that Nancy Pelosi is the greatest speaker of the house in American history.

4. Karl Marx is your personal hero.

5. You think that the Constitution is flawed and should be dispensed with.

6. You think that the current administration has not spent enough money to help us out of this terrible recession and that they should increase the federal spending budget.

7. You have read The Communist Manifesto and try to live by its precepts.

8. You have also read Rules for Radicals and keep it on your bedside table.

9. You are a member of Acorn, the Communist Party, the Nazi Party, or any other such organization.

10. If you are on welfare or other government assistance programs because you don't want to have to go to work.

11. You worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign last year.

12. You send regular correspondence to Harry Reid to thank him for his wonderful contributions to this country.

If these statements do NOT apply to you, then you are probably a conservative patriot and will really enjoy this video.

If these statements DO apply to you, then you should probably watch this video anyway and perhaps you will gain a new perspective.

Enjoy this humorous video (watch it several times - it gets funnier each time you watch it!)



Author: Courtney
•Monday, November 30, 2009
Some people may wonder 'why adopt'? With millions of orphans in the world, how can you hope to make a difference? There's so many. This is the answer. . .

"An old man was walking down the beach just before dawn. In the distance he saw a young man picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea. As the old man approached the young man, he asked, "Why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?"
.
The young man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun.
.
"But there must be thousands of beaches and millions of starfish," exclaimed the old man. "How can your efforts make any difference?"
.
The young man looked down at the small starfish in his hand and as he threw it to safety in the sea, he said,
.

"It made all the difference to that one."