What a crazy December! :-)

Well, there is no exciting new adoption news for our family at this point this month. Our latest news is the crazy show schedule Anna Grace and I have. AG is in the Children's Theatre production with me (5 days a week--twice a day----oh. . . . and 2 Saturday matinees), and I am also in an opera"Amahl and the Night Visitors" as the role of the mother. It is an amazing story with beautiful music. It is a beautiful show--not flashy, but beautiful in the message, the story and the music. It runs 2 weekends. So, all in all, I'm performing 7 days a week--sometimes 3 times a day!!! Anna Grace is a little less (but not much). Whew, we are having a great time, but it is very tiring. We both realize that by this time next year, we won't be able to hold that kind of schedule (when we have a little new member of our family :-). But, in the meantime, it is a great way to pass the time as we wait for the phone to ring.

On the other hand, we have many friends from our agency who are now in Taiwan traveling to bring their babies home!!! Congratulations, Michelle! There are so many others too---it is wonderful that so many families are being brought together just in time for the holidays :-)

I will have some pictures from our performances and Christmas fun to post soon!

Thank you for continuing to follow along our journey! Hopefully, we will have more exciting news to report soon :-)

Have a great weekend!

A Jam-Packed December!!

Well, it is already December, and with it comes LOTS of excitement! Hopefully, there will be many more referrals this month for JOH families. We had such a slew last month, here's hoping for another one like that. If we keep going at that rate, we could have our referral by February!! How thrilling that would be.

In the meantime, Anna Grace and I are opening "Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever" this week, and I'm opening a second show at the same time, "Amahl and the Night Visitors". It's pretty grueling having two shows going at once. But, it has been a great deal of fun too!!! It is truly a blessing to be able to do what you love to do and use your gifts and talents in such an amazing community of professionals--continuing to grow on so many different levels. It's so important to continue to grow throughout life--and how awesome it is to be able to do it alongside my daughter!!!

Not only are we juggling two shows. . . Anna Grace turns 6 this month too!!!! Boy, does time fly. I can't believe little AG is already 6! Her actual birthday is Monday, but we are having her party on the 20th. Brace yourselves . . . we are having a Christmas Birthday Luau. Anna Grace wants to do the Limbo, the hula and have a coconut race. She has it all planned out :-) That's my girl!!

Of course, I haven't forgotten Christmas in the midst of all of these things. This Christmas we have so much to be thankful for. . . the family we have, the job Geoff has (while so many are without), the wonderful opportunities to use our gifts, our health-----and the hope and eagerness that the new year brings. We know that by the time our Christmas tree goes up next year, we will have another precious member of our family. So, this year we celebrate all that we are and all that we have right now and the beautiful changes to come. . .

Have a wonderful Christmas season, and I will post as I have pictures and news to share along the way! Thank you for reading :-)

Finally in the Top 10!!!!!

Wow! What a month November has been for Journeys of the Heart!!!! 5 baby girl referrals for Program III, and the month isn't over yet! That is just amazing! Now, after a whole year of waiting, painfully, I might add, for our homestudy to be completed in order to get on this wait list---we find ourselves (for the 1st time) experiencing a "RUSH" of movement in our adoption process. And, I must tell you----it feels great!!! We got on the waitlist in September as #19 on the list---and we (2 months later) are #10 on the list! You can do the math. . . if the pace keeps up (which is probably not likely) we could have our referral and see our sweet baby girl's face for the first time in January/February! I realize there are dry months with no referrals or only 1 or 2 referrals---but allow me to dream a little!!!! It could happen. . . :-)

This week has been a rough week at the White House. Anna Grace has been very sick with a bug/virus of some sort that has given her a high fever for 5 days straight (103!!) and a terrible respiratory issue with wheezing and barking coughs (violent coughs that lead her to gag). The Dr. couldn't seem to find what was wrong, but did hear the burbling in her lungs. So, this weekend, we have laid low and she has been taking a steriod to bring the inflamation down in her lungs. We're hoping she will continue to feel better soon. She has missed school and rehearsals--and most of all--she has felt just terrible.

We did go ahead and put up the Christmas tree today (since we were all here home-bound). That is the EARLIEST we have ever done that, but I realized with the schedule we have coming up--- 2 shows about to kick into full production mode--travel, etc.--- if we didn't do it today, I wasn't sure when we could. So, it is done, except for the outside. I don't want the neighbors to know we jumped the gun on Christmas decorations--so we'll wait for the outside until "after" Thanksgiving. Haha!!! It feels GREAT to have it done and not have to try to fit it in between a million other things.

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving, safe travel, and much to be thankful for. Thank you for following! I'll post some pictures soon.

And, "cheers!!!!" to more referrals while the ball is rolling!

November News

Well, the good news keeps rolling in on our Journeys of the Heart Yahoo group! There have been 4 baby girl referrals for the month of November and it's only the 18th!! That puts Geoff and me at 11th on the waitlist!! If the referrals keep rolling in, we will receive that call sooner than later!! How exciting. I hope the referrals keep rolling, and I'm so happy and proud for all the folks receiving their good news phone calls!!

I'll keep posting as news occurs! If you haven't been to our adoption bracelet blog, check it out. There's a link over to the right side "Children of the World adoption bracelets". They are really poplular and folks are purchasing them across the U.S. So far, they are adorning wrists in Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, Missouri, and Texas. I would love for them to reach every state and even go international as each one carries a message of "hope" and tells the story of the many orphans still awaiting their families. Not to mention---they are really cool and affordable!! Great stocking stuffers!

Hopefully, there will be more exciting news to report in the upcoming few months! Thank you for following! Have an awesome day!

Anna Grace's "Life Story" Necklace

I had a wonderful time, yesterday, designing this "Life Story" necklace/bracelet set with Anna Grace. I allowed her to choose the charms. I chose the blue stone and crystal beads (I chose the blue because her B'day is December). and I created this set that highlights "everything Anna Grace!" I'm so proud that I did it, and now I know how to design jewelry! Anna Grace loved being a part, and it was very interesting to see what she chose and how she views herself!

Just had to share our successful project!! Still no new adoption news to report on our end. We really don't expect to hear any "referral news" until the spring. So, until we hear about something adoption related, I'll keep sharing our family news and latest happenings!

Have a wonderful day! And, thanks for reading :-)

Happy Halloween 2008!!! The Year of "Bo Peep"

Fun Halloween Memories 2008!!

Farmer "White" and Goat girl (lovely costume, huh? :-)

Heading out for "Tricks or Treats!"

Anna Grace is ready for a big Halloween starting her day off with her kindergarten dress up day as "Little Bo Peep"!! Boy, are we looking forward to some fun today! After loads of fun at school, we met up with friends and had a "chili fest" and trick or treats. Another great Halloween!!

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Salsa Verde, Anyone????

Wow!!! Take a gander at that mother-load of green tomatoes that we pulled off the vine today!! 209 tomatoes on October 29th! We had our first freeze last night--so who knows if they'll be any good. But, fried green tomatoes and salsa verde are two things that come to mind. LOTS of salsa verde and a restaurant full of fried green tomatoes!!!!

We started by just getting the big green ones off the vine, but it turned into a rescue mission for even the tiniest baby green tomato. Each one deserved a right to survive the freeze forcasted for tonight. In Anna Grace's words. . . "No mama, get them all!!! Get that baby one too. It doesn't want to freeze its "toucas" off tonight!!" So, we rescued them all. . . all 209 tomatoes---some red, most green, some large some tiny. But each one important to a little girl named Anna Grace.