Birthdays and Summer Fun

My sweet mama at my surprise party!

Anna Grace, Ramsey and Bryant

Bryant and Me Birthday '09





Anna Grace, Leah and Me


Tam and me :D


Tawny, Taylor and me (Sophisticated Ladies!)

Haley and Anna Grace

Kim and Me at the surprise party!

I have been lax about posting over the past month, so it is time to say "hello" and update on what's been going on with the Whites. We have been very busy since Easter. It seems theatre has been the focal point of the White family life over the past months. It truly has been fun. I finished my run with Sweeney Todd in May, and almost immediately, Geoff and Anna Grace began rehearsals for Beauty and the Beast which will open in July. And, currently I'm teaching theatre workshops to children all summer long with two different theatre companies. I finished my first full workshop week this past week-----whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can tell you I haven't exerted that much energy for that length of time in a LONG time! And, I sit here this weekend with laryngitis, body aches and a sore throat. I think it is a combination of pure exhaustion and maybe a cold on top of it! Haha!!! I'm recovering. . . . QUICKLY. . . because I get to do it all over again Monday morning! :-) I LOVE it!!!!

A few shots of me in Sweeney Todd as Lucy, the Beggar Woman

And, I have to include something extra special about my sweet husband in this post. I believe I have the most thoughtful husband ever!!! My birthday (we won't say which one!!! ;D), was June 3rd. Geoff planned a surprise party at one of our new favorite restaurants in town. Anna Grace helped him and even kept it a secret!!!! I can't believe my little girl (who never keeps a secret! ;-) was such a big girl in helping to host my surprise birthday party! I am lucky, indeed, to have such special people as Geoff and Anna Grace in my life! It was the best birthday I can remember! I was amazed at the wonderful friends who showed up and took time to come out and honor my day. It felt great!

Now, about our adoption process. . . There were a couple of referrals about a month ago with Journeys, but nothing since. The wait times have increased dramatically over the past 6 months. Families are now waiting over a year from waitlist to referral. Only 6 months ago, people were waiting 7-8 months. It is anticipated that wait times could go to 18 months. So, we are hanging in there with the wait, preparing to update our homestudy and FBI check in the next couple of months (as they will expire before our process is completed), and we are choosing to live, fully, every day and not dwell on the things we can't control. I'm enjoying working with the theatre. . . performing on stage, writing, and teaching. Geoff is pursuing his photography. Anna Grace is enjoying participating in theatre, and will begin piano this summer. And, I am beginning the process of recording an album---a dream I've had for a long time. We are making the most of every day, and when the time is right the phone will ring and we will see our daughter's face.

In the meantime, I'm sharing a few pics from my surprise birthday, put together by my wonderful husband and sweet daughter! Enjoy!!

Special Easter Memories

Our Alabama family--Easter 2009

Our little Easter chicks. . .

Geoff and Me (making hamburger patties for the cookout!)

Sassy girls! (notice Anna Grace's doll :-)

My two special girls!

It has taken me a few days to get around to posting our Easter weekend photos. It was a wonderful time with family. We spent Saturday at Scott and Emmalie's doing an Easter egg hunt and cookout. Lots of friends and family were there. Big fun!!! And, Anna Grace was asked to spend the night with her cousin Ramsey after the Easter party--so she actually awoke on Easter morning at Ramsey's house and the Easter bunney had visited her there! It was a magical time for them to spend together! Geoff and I came in and we all went to church and mom made the most delectable roast for lunch---slow roasted all night on a low temp. It literally melted in your mouth--no need to even chew. It was heaven!! Hope you enjoy some pics from our beautiful Easter weekend.

No adoption news.

But, I'm in full swing rehearsals for Sweeney Todd and they are going very well. I'm thankful to be able to do what I love to do!

Sweet Distractions. . .

Since there has been no new news on the adoption front in the past week, I have been silent on the blog. There simply has been nothing more to say. When the time is right, the phone will ring and we'll finally see our baby girl's face---in the meantime, patience. . .

So, I'm once again thankful for sweet distractions. I just finished reading all of the Twilight series books, and I'm truly embarrassed to admit how emotionally involved I got with the characters. It's not so much incredible writing, when compared to the classic legends---just great enthralling story telling. And, let me tell you, I was swept. It was fun to touch base with that young love romance part of myself that I haven't experienced in a few years.

Simultaneously, I am working on preparing for Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, that I am cast as the Beggar Woman with Red Mountain Theatre Company. It's been great to be able to sink my teeth into that difficult piece while there is nothing happening with Journeys of the Heart. We begin the actual rehearsal process this week and will put the show on its feet in 3 weeks at the Cabaret Theatre downtown. Chan Harris and Kevin Finn, both from New York, are being brought in to direct the show and music. The cast is superb in every way. It will be an amazing opportunity to work with some of the finest actors around. I'm thrilled!!! The story is a dark one, for sure. But, I've learned a great deal studying the themes and social, political and historical statements the story and musical makes. Each day, I am more excited to tackle it. I'll keep you posted on how it progesses!

Additionally, I finished writing the script for the one woman show of Alice in Wonderland to go into the Birmingham City Schools (30 schools total) as well as the curriculum to accompany it. It was a lot of work, but I loved every minute of it. It stretched me in a whole new way. It builds my resume too. I hope to write more soon!

And, it looks like this summer is going to be very busy as I've been asked to teach theatre workshops at the Children's Theatre and at Red Mountain Theatre Co. That is going to be perfect!! I'm so thankful paid jobs continue to come my way while we wait and scrimp and save for our adoption. God is very good!!!

To top it off, I received a phone call from the production manager at the Birmingham Children's Theatre that they want to cast me in their Christmas production. Once again, a professional paid gig with people I love and admire. . . They are aware that we are awaiting our referral sometime in the next few months and still wanted to offer me the part and will hold it for me until the fall when I will have a better idea of when we will travel to Taiwan. How about that????

So, even though the adoption news is nonexistent currently---and a bit discouraging, I absolutely cannot complain about the wonderful performing and writing opportunities coming my way. I love growing as an actor, vocalist and writer too---and it seems now is my time to do that. So, I absolutely will embrace it!

Thanks for reading, everyone! I will update again soon. I continue to hope that referrals will begin pouring down on our Journeys of the Heart families. Suzy and Victoria have waited entirely too long!!
Have a great upcoming week!

Finally!!!! JOH receives a baby girl referral!!!!

I am VERY happy to report that a JOH family finally received a baby girl referral on Thursday!!! I hope more are to follow. We are now, as far as we know, #9 on the wait list!!!!!! Single digits, at last :-)

Have a great weekend!

I've been thinking. . .

There was finally a baby boy referral for JOH last week! That's good news---still no baby girl referrals---not so good news. We patiently wait for good news to come in and in the meantime, we are enjoying our days, making family memories and working on creating a beautiful nursery for our sweet baby girl in Taiwan---for when she finally comes home.

I try not to watch too much on the news as it is pretty discouraging in our world, right now. But, I couldn't help but make a poignant connection. . . after listening to all the AIG hubub. There are an estimated 143 million orphans in our world. Each child a beautiful individual soul in need of a loving family. . . Have you ever considered "how much" 143 million is? It is staggering. These are our children, our world's future.

Anyway, connecting the AIG "hubub" to the orphan crisis. . . Can you imagine how many children could be brought into loving families with "just 1" of those million dollar bonuses? And, to take it even further.. . Now they are trying to pass a bill to make each of those receiving the bonus pay a 90% tax on it---so essentially the government will get most of the money back. 10% of 1 million dollars is $100,000.00. When I consider that the greatest obstacle standing between adoptive families and the children who need to be placed in their loving arms is the prohibitive costs of the adoption process (ranging from $20K-$50K or more depending on the country and program), I am blown away to think that someone's "bonus check" (even after being taxed at 90%) could complete 3-5 adoptions. 3-5 children's lives could be changed forever, going from hopeless and helpless alone in an orphanage to "a hope and a future" with a loving family, with just 1 person's 90% taxed "bonus check".

We look at what we pay our celebrities and our athletes and our CEO's, and then we take a look at the millions of helpless, innocent children who have been placed in our care who are sitting in unthinkable, unsanitary and unloving environments--hoping that the grown-ups "in charge" of our world will finally "see" their invisible faces. . . and instead eyes are closed and greed is fed.

"Only 1" of those bonus checks, 90% taxed, would bring 3 children home. . . poignant, isn't it?

My prayer is that one day, we will open our eyes to the invisible voiceless children of our world and realize they are the world's hidden treasures and it is up to us to love them and provide them families---and I believe the greatest blessing will come from these children who finally would be given a voice, a name, a face and a forever family. . . .

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!