Dottie the Spotless Ladybug

Well, we had a good weekend at the White House--in spite of Geoff being sick with bronchitis and injuring his back in a coughing fit. Poor fella---he's feeling much better now.

We went to Sloss Furnaces on Sunday to take some interesting photographs and Anna Grace found her first ladybug of spring! She named this spotless ladybug "Dottie"! How cute is that???Unfortunately, she accidentally dropped Dottie through a metal grate with water running below and I've never seen my little girl cry so hard. Dottie was her new friend and pet----plus AG knows that ladybugs are good luck for adoptioin. Dropping Dottie, for AG, was more serious than dropping a ladybug. It was almost like she had dropped her sister she's waited for for so long. It broke my heart to see her so upset---who would have thought a bug could cause so much emotional turmoil???

I told Anna Grace that all ladybugs can fly and that I believe Dottie flew away.

Anyway, I found the cutest outfit for AG at a consignment sale this weekend and it was red with black polka-dots and ladybug buttons down the front. So, in honor of Dottie---and the sister she's been waiting for--Anna Grace was dressed in ladybug couture today!!!

Here's hoping for a wonderful March!

A Weekend of Adventure!!!

Well, when there is absolutely no adoption news to post, it is good to know we have other exciting things going on at the White House :-) We had an incredible weekend. Temperatures went from 70 degrees on Friday down to the 20's last night. We had tornado warnings on Friday and 2-3 inches of snow on Sunday morning!!! How about that for a change of climate?

We also had an amazing time Saturday night at the fundraiser gala for the Chidren's Theatre "A Night in Oz" . We took MANY pictures this weekend, but I've condensed some of the best into a couple of mosaics capturing our adventure in Oz and our Winter Wonderland fun. Hope you enjoy!

NOW, let's hope for 4 leaf clovers for March---and that adoption news (aka REFERRALS) will come pouring in!

Fun with Daddy this weekend!

A Great Weekend!!

This weekend was definitely a highlight after a frustrating time of sickness and no adoption news last week. It all began with a girl's day on Friday. I kept Anna Grace home from Kindergarten to take her to see 2 live performances at the Children's Theater. Oh, my goodness. . . it was a wonderful experience!!! We saw a Russian folktale directed by one of my most admired directors in town. It was absolutely exquisite! Anna Grace was enthralled and told me her teacher had read the story to her class just a few weeks before!!! How perfect is that????

Then, we went to one of their smaller theatres and saw an adaptation of Goldiocks and the Three Bears. Again. . . fabulous!!! So, we had a day full of culture. Then Anna Grace came with me to my rehearsal for the George Washington Carver show I am currently in. We did lunch together and just had a great time.

Then, on Saturday, Geoff and Anna Grace went on a photo shoot together and then went to my sweet neice's 4th birthday party. They had a grand time!!! I was at the theatre helping instruct the Youth Showcase which opened and closed this weekend with 4 performances. I'm telling you, I have never been so amazed by what these young performers are capable of doing. There are no better performances at Disney. . . and that is not an exaggeration!!! I was honored to be able to instruct and coach them. And, the end result was nothing short of WOW!!!!! I was left in a puddle---just absolutely earth-moving!

It feels great to do what I love to do. . . sing/theatre and work with young people. It is beyond rewarding. I also cherish these moments with my daughter. She is growing up before my very eyes, and I want to be sure I embrace every single moment with her.

Hopefully, the next couple of weeks will bring some referral news to our anxious JOH families. I will certainly share when I hear!!

Have a wonderful week, and thank you for reading.

Just One of those Days. . .

Well, friends. . . I believe I am being seriously tested. In fact, Geoff and I both are being tested, but yesterday was a little more personal. Sit back and be ready to be amused and a little grossed-out.

Louie (culprit #1)

Milo (culprit #2)



I decided to take a day to rest on the couch under a blanket yesterday (after I got my daughter off to school) as I am battling a nasty head and chest cold. The rest of this week, I have 9 and 12 hour rehearsal days for 2 shows I'm currently working on through Sunday. So, yesterday was my only chance for a "down day". I planned to take full advantage of it.


WELLLL. . . Once my daughter was off to school, I let all the animals out for a potty break before I snuggled down under a blanket for a few hours. Louie, my little dachshund, doesn't do rain----and it was raining out. So, when he asks to be let back in, I see he has left me a present directly beside the door mat on the back porch. I exclaim, "Louie!!!" and go to get tissue to clean up his present. On the way to flush the "present", I hear the unmistakable washing machine sound of an animal about to toss its cookies. I frantically follow the sound and find my cat sitting under my bed throwing up his breakfast (which he had just eaten 15 minutes prior)---and right next to my brand new suede shoes!!!! "MILO!!!!", I exclaim. And, I rush back to the bathroom to grab more tissue to clean up Milo's "present" and to inspect my shoes (thankfully they escaped by only a millimeter or so). I am carrying handfuls of cat vomit to the toilet to add to Louie's "present", my eyes watering, and holding back my own gag reflex (I don't do throw up very well)--flush, wash my hands thoroughly and stumble back to the couch DARING anyone mess with me again.


Later that morning, nature calls and I run to the restroom. I flush. Strange sound. Not the normal "flush" sound. So, I lift the lid to see what the problem is------the toilet is clogged and the water is all the way to the brim of the commode. There is not even enough space to put a plunger down in it without sending waves of dirty toilet water with Louie poop, cat barf and tinkle over the sides and onto the floor. So, I work to dislodge the obstruction and thankfully perform a successful toilet surgery. Then, I have to clean the floor and then Lysol everything heavily---and wash my hands thoroughly AGAIN!!!


It seems the day had a recurring theme. . . . I'll let you fill in that blank.





Then, later yesterday afternoon, my husband arrived home from work and checked the mail to find a letter from Shaohannah's Hope (whom we applied for an adoption grant with). It was a sweetly worded rejection letter sent with blessings and fair wishes. They do a great service for many adoptive families. Unfortunately, our family will not be one of them.


I then check my email, and a message is in my inbox from Journeys of the Heart stating that there is a $2000 increase in the fees that will be applied to all adoptions in our program.





I don't even know what to say at this point. The events of yesterday pretty much speak for themselves. I just can't decide if "someone" is trying to tell me something. How about that for an interesting day??

It's Been a While. . .

I haven't posted in some time because there has been absolutely nothing to report on the adoption front. Journeys of the Heart seems to be stuck in a desert wasteland currently with no referral news at all. Of course, even though we are 10th on the list, any news is great news. Each referral brings us one step closer to our baby girl. So, we still eagerly await good news for our waiting families. Those at the top of the wait list are experiencing a pretty excruciating wait. They've been watching the phone daily since the end of November full of hope---but each passing day another disappointment. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

The GOOD news is, thankfully, I am very busy, right now. I am blessed to be able to do the thing I love the most and that is theatre. I have the wonderful opportunity to be on both sides of the stage, currently. I'm in a fabulous production of George Washington Carver (celebrating the life and accomplishments of that fine man), and I am having the great opportunity to serve as an instructor with the Youth Program of a local professional performing arts group----ABSOLUTELY amazingly talented kids. That allows me to tap back into my "teacher" mode. I haven't taught since my daughter was born 6 years ago. So, working with these kids---singing and dancing---what more could I want??? :-) And, thirdly, I have been commissioned to write a show to go into the schools for "Alice in Wonderland". I have to write the curriculum and the one-woman show. Very challenging (especially the show part), but I am LOVING it!! This work is challenging me to grow in the areas I love the most---and very importantly---it is taking my mind off of the SLOW period in this adoption journey. I'm thankful for that. Otherwise, I'm the type of person who would sit at my email hitting "refresh" over and over hoping for good news to be posted.
I believe in God's timing. And, right now must be the time for me to work and grow in other areas. I will embrace this time to grow while I wait for our daughter to come home.
I'll keep you posted as new news develops. Have a great week.

No news is no news

I have been waiting to post because we have been eagerly awaiting wonderful news that many of our JOH friends have received their referrals after our facilitator's trip home from Taiwan. Well, it has been a full week, now, since she arrived back in the U.S. and there has been one referral. And, for Holly and Rich---she is absolutely beautiful beyond measure!!!! For the rest of the waiting families, the news hasn't been so great. For Program III, there has been no more word of referrals. And, for Program II (which is the St. Lucy's orphanage program)--they received very disappointing news this week. Apparantly, JOH is not as high on the priority list as some other agencies, and those families waiting (some for 19 months already) may not see a referral for a very long time more. Our facilitator learned that JOH has been getting skipped all-together for referrals in that program unless there are more than 4 referrals in a given month. My heart goes out to those families who are hurting from this.

Hopefully, soon, there will be happy news to post! One wonderful bit of news is that Michelle and Byron, indeed, have a very beautiful, healthy and happy baby girl who loves her new family--and I got the opportunity to witness it with my own two eyes. That gives me great hope!!!

One day, our time will come. . . and in the meantime, we will be about our business, staying busy, living life and trying not to think too much about "when" the phone will ring. One day, our sweet girl will be home---and she will be worth the wait.

To the rest of my waiting friends----you are in my heart and prayers, right now. Thank you for reading.