AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Email recieved today from AWAA:

"Many of you have inquired about the referral process and current wait time. Unfortunately, it appears that the wait time has increased to 11-12 months from the time a Dossier is logged into the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) until a referral. This information is based upon the CCAA's recent posting on their website (http://www.china-ccaa.org/frames/index_unlogin_en.jsp) regarding the referrals processed for March. According to their website, families with Dossiers logged in from May 26, 2005 through May 30, 2005 will be receiving referrals this month. As mentioned in the February Monthly Update, America World's only May log in dates were May 10th and May 12th, so we will not be receiving referrals again this month which we know is very disappointing news."

Translated: "You won't get a referral in March or April, probably late May or late June."


Yes this is disappointing, very disappointing, but we know that God's timing is better than ours and He has a plan better than our plan.

Translated: We're pretty tired of bad news. This has been a VERY long, emotionally draining, faith challenging journey and we just want to reach our destination. Enough of the tests!

If you think this BLOG was gonna be alot of feel good, everything goes right posts, well life just doesn't work that way and I like dealing with real life. People go through stuff! Brandi and I go through stuff! We don't think there is anything wrong with expressing disappointment or frustration.

Our disappointment and frustration does not mean God isn't in control. It just means our teeny tiny minds can't comprehend or see the Almighty God's bigger, better plan and it's frustrating sometimes. I believe it's healthy to say that out loud sometimes. Might as well say it out loud, He knows our thoughts and ways anyway, right? I think He can handle it.

I feel better already.

More to come....

Precious Little One!

It's getting pretty intense nowadays at mi casa. We can taste it! I know before we realize it, we'll be touching down in N.O. Airport returning with Jada. This is better than Christmas morning when I was a kid!!

Brandi told me we'd get a phone call from AWAA first, then they'll next day the referral packet to the house. What if we're not home? With Brandi working and me working/going to school, chances are we won't be home! I really want to get the call, don't tell Brandi and surprise her with the packet at work. Hope she doesn't read this! Don't tell her, it's our secret!

This video has been removed, sorry!

Our Last Vacation...

without children that is. When the Hurricanes came, we had to cancel our September wedding anniversary white water rafting trip with HPC eXcursions . So, when I got some time off of school for Mardi Gras, we couldn't pass it up!
















The Lodge & Spa at Breckenridge. Beautiful place. Skiing Monday & Tuesday and a day at the Spa Wednesday!
















This is a shot of the slopes from The Lodge & Spa in Breckenridge.
















Brandi & Gered on top of the mountain in Breckenridge, CO. Beautiful!

















Brandi wanted to pass this along to her co-workers in HPC's Finance Department.
This was taken Tuesday.... What were ya'll doing then?

















Nice view! Bad mugshot.....

The Nest

The welcoming committee! Lucy, our Jack Russell Terrier is waiting too. She's gonna be so jealous!






This is the print Brandi selected for the bedding, before we decided to adopt, before we decided to adopt a girl from China. See the Dragonflies & Lady Bugs? Lady Bugs are a symbol of "Good Luck" in Chinese Culture!







Bed & Rocking Chair.

Big "Thank You" to Glen & Brenda White, Brandi's mom & dad. He installed the chair rail for us, great carpenter!








Bed and Dresser. More of Laurie (see below) and Glen's work.




A friend from Household of Faith referred Laurie Brumfield to paint our baby room. She has such a great gift and as you can see, was such a blessing! If you are interested in her work, please contact her: laudav@eatel.net We highly recommend her!






We found the Chinese Characters for the words: Faith, Hope, Love, Mercy, Truth, Peace, Joy, Grace. Laurie did such a great job of using soft colors. It won't be too busy for Jada's little eyes.









And of the greatest of these is love!

Can you imagine?

Gered says, "Sure sweetheart, you can have anything you want!"

Meet, Ella Grace from www.passkids.com. This is one of the family sites from AWAA's "Family Links". These pages are so fun to look at. They give us pictures of what we can expect, in just a few months!












I'm gonna go broke.....

This is Megan from http://www.meganquest.blogspot.com/

Please send donations to: Gered Can't Say "No" To His Daughter Fund

Meet Aly from http://www.alysadoption.com/ , another Family Site from AWAA.

The Beginning: A quick update on Jada!

Here's the scoop!

In January 2005, Brandi and I began the process of an international adoption. We decided to adopt a little girl from China, then we decided on an adoption agency, America World Adoption Agency or AWAA.

With the help of a great friend Shanna Forestall, Brandi decided to name our little girl 'Jada.' I agreed wholeheartedly. We hope to keep some part of her Chinese name as her middle name, but that really depends on if we can pronounce it!

We got started with some great starting information from Tommy & Aimee' Poche, the leaders of our church's adoption ministry, His Heart for Orphans. What a great ministry. Please visit the website for more information on adoption!

After a lot of hard work by Brandi, who is a meticulous record keeper, we were able to get all our information together in what's called a 'dossier' and sent it to China. They logged in our dossier on June 28, 2005. This is a very important date because it starts the clock. We were told that they were processing adoptions 6-7 months after log in date.

Well, after some end of the year holidays and changing offices in China, they informed us the process would take about 9 months. So, we are hoping for a referral (when they match us with a little girl) this month!

When that happens, we accept or decline the referral. (Yeah, right! ACCEPT!!) then we travel to China about 2 months later! So, we're just waiting for our referral.

More to come later. Thanks for visiting!!