Taiwan Olympic Flag

I found it interesting during the Olympic opening ceremonies to see that the Taiwan delegation was not allowed to carry their own flag. Instead they were carrying the Olympic flag.
Here is a news article about the Taiwan delegation receiving a warm welcome at the Olympics.

Parker Makes the Move to a Big Boy Bed.

We decided it was time for Parker to move out of his crib. He is 2 1/2 years old now. We wanted him to have some transition time before we get the baby and before he moves into Ian's room. So, we spent Saturday afternoon taking down the crib. We also decided to take down the guest day bed in Parker's room. He is sleeping in the car bed (reluctantly). We tried to make a big deal out him being a big boy now. However, Saturday night when I was putting him to bed he begged for the crib. In the middle of the night he fell onto the floor. Luckily it was only about a 12 inch fall. Last night Gerry found Parker in our bedroom sleeping on the floor. He got up to go to the bathroom and almost stepped on him. Poor Kid! We hope he gets used to it soon! Lots of changes are coming his way. I really want to get him potty trained before we get the baby, but that will have to wait until the kids go back to school.

Shopping at Target & Coupon

I own a couple of websites. One is for tall clothing and one is for Hawaiian furnishings. These are my two favorite hobbies - clothes shopping and turning my home into a tropical haven. I am using these websites to help fund our adoption. I come across some really great coupons and I thought I'd pass this one on to anyone that's interested.
With the price of gas, why not stay home and save money by shopping online? Here is a coupon to help you out. Take $7 Off orders of $70 or more at Target.com - 8/1-8/15 Only by clicking on this link. Discount is automatic when you click on the link. Only good at Target.com and does not apply when checking out throught Amazon.com.

Renewed Finger Prints

Did you know that fingerprints expire? Well, according to the goverment they do. They make you get your fingerprints redone every 15 months. Yesterday we drove to Grand Junction - about a 2 hour drive to get our fingerprints redone. Last time we went it was a disaster. The lady was so crabby. Yesterday when we walked into the office, the same lady remembered us, I was a bit worried as the comment card I had filled out was a little bit harsh. However, this time she was very pleasant and chit chatted with us. Hopefully last time she was just having a bad day.
So now I believe everything is good to go - now if I could just quit staring at the phone. I can't wait to get our referral.

Happy Anniversary!!!

Today is our 14th Anniversary. Where did the time go? In some ways it seems like it has flown by and when I think of all we've been through it seems as if I've known Gerry forever. What an amazing journey it has been! This past weekend I pulled off a great surprise. I booked a room - through Priceline at the Vail Cascade Resort. If anyone needs to know how to get great deals on Priceline visit this wonderful forum - http://www.biddingfortravel.com/ (It's my secret weapon.)
Gerry thought we were just going out to dinner, but I surprised him with a night away. I had my nephew babysit and we had a romantic dinner at the hotel restaurant. Then we strolled around Vail, and watched an in-room movie. What a fun time! We celebrated it early as Gerry has high council meeting tonight for our church. Thanks "Handsome Prince" for such a great journey! Love you forever!

A Hermit Crab Funeral

A couple of days ago we came home from camping to find that JJ, Jeremiah's hermit crab, had died. It was a very tragic event. Jeremiah cried for a couple of hours. This is Jeremiah's first pet and he received it for his birthday.
So tonight we held the funeral. This is how it went.
Ian- age 6 "We are gathered here today for JJ's funeral. Now it's Christian's turn."
Christian age 11 " JJ was a good crab who always got scared when we came to look at him."
Mom "JJ was the biggest crab I have ever seen."
Dad "I gave him water every night."
Jeremiah age 9- pretty silent finally said "I loved him very much."
With that JJ was buried in the ground under an aspen tree. It was short but meaningful.

Within the 90 Day Period for a Referral

Great news! This afternoon I got a phone call from FEC that said we are now within the 90 day period of getting our referral. I am so excited! What a long journey this has been. I called Gerry and told him and then I called Glenda and my mom. The boys are excited, but not overly as it still seems so far away for them. We went out to celebrate at our favorite Chinese restaurant. My fortune cookie said, " Happiness is around the next corner, wealth down the street." Bring it on!

Earlier this week, my cousin Glenda got matched up with a 4 year old boy to adopt. She has one snag in that the father has to sign the paper to relinquish his parental rights. We are praying that it all works. She switched over to a US adoption after she encountered some huge snags with her Kazikstan adoption. It was a nightmare! Glenda's car is all packed and she is sitting by her phone ready to make the trip from the Midwest to the South to pick up her child. She can get the call any minute. This is her first child and she can't wait to become a mother.

We have enjoyed doing this adoption journey together and we are both elated.