Oh the Difference a Week Makes

Oh the difference a week makes. We went to Indiana last Tuesday and our son was a civilian attending university. We came back last night and in the week we were gone he was sworn in as an officer cadet and voila this is who we came home to. He's so serious! We truly are so proud of him. Please remember him in your prayers. He will be in basic training until Christmas. He will be in the best shape of his life assuming he doesn't eat like crazy. He is definitely my son because his big excitement was the food they fed him where his training takes place! This year while he is in university and while he works his way through basic training and moving forward with his pilots licenses his schedule will be very very full. He can't go to church until December. So all you out there that know him and can contact him through Facebook do this Mama a favor and encourage him every so often and ask him the hard spiritual questions. He has a couple of accountability partners he has put in place so he understands the importance of having people like that in your life. Podcasts are awesome because now you don't necessarily have to be in the building to hear the message and go to church but fellowship with other like minded people of faith is so important. God is at work in his life and I'm excited to see how he will grow over this next year. My kid rocks...but I'm biased. This is a great time in his life. He's driven and loves God and wants to serve his country how awesome is that. Mama...very proud...out!

I....Son #1

... do Solemnly swear I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors according to law, forever. So help me God."

Well he finally did it. Son #1 is officially an officer candidate for the Canadian Armed forces. We are so proud of him. Truly we are. As freaked out as I was about the whole thing the reality is that our son wants to serve and protect his country. What an incredible calling. What better place for a young man who loves Jesus. What an incredible opportunity to live out his faith. What an incredible opportunity to serve. We are overjoyed for him. He has wanted to be a pilot since he could talk and now he is one step closer to living his dream. I love that he has never wavered from what he believed God called him to do. Here is what sucks about this though we were not able to be there. He has been waiting forever for this call and of course we are in Indiana when it happens...grrrrrr....oh well I'm guessing the last thing he needed was his Mama blubbering in the background but I wish I was there. It was kind of like the big award he got in Grade Twelve and we walked through the door just after her received it! Ah well he knows we are crazy about him. Pray for him y'all as he begins boot camp on the weekend. I won't see him for three months because he will be in training until December and with university, flying and that well he has enough to do. We love you Matt and think you will make an incredible officer. Proud Mama out.

Traveling without the kids

It has been years since DH and I traveled without the kids and here I am with my nose stuck in front of a computer. It's awesome how Emily is adjusting without us. She has settled in with childcare and still has big brother to attend to her every need! I think that it is healthy for her to know when we leave we will be coming back so that she can keep that sense of security in knowing that every time we walk out the door we are not leaving forever. It's good to know that she is adjusting and adjusting well. DH's niece is being a surrogate Mom and doing a fine job. All on the home front is good and all here in the beautiful United States of America is just fine too. I love it when things go well. Enjoy it I say because I know all too well in an instant it could all change! Mama out.

Referral Dates Change

China Centre of Adoption Affairs is the organization that facilitates all adoptions within China. The process is such that when you want to adopt from China you send all of your paperwork to this office. This office then reviews your information and gives you a log in date. Our log in date for Emily was August 25, 2005. We received a referral package with Emily's picture in November of 2006. Each month the CCAA releases the dates of the dossiers that they have approved for adoption and have successfully matched children with. It's pretty exciting. This process has been at a snails pace since we came home with Emily. Just to give you a sense of how things have slowed. In November of 2006 they approved dossiers for families including our date of August 25th,2005. It is now September 2008 and they have approved this month the dossiers registered from February 1st - 9th, 2006. It has moved only 5 1/2 months in almost two years. If that rate continues it will be another six years before we return to China for a sister for Emily because we registered again last August. Do I believe it will be that long. No way! Things slowed because of the Beijing Olympics. Now that the Olympics are over it isn't any coincidence that the dates moved 9 days in one month this includes more days than what they have usually approved. It will be interesting to see if next month it moves even more. All you adoptive people waiting and reading this out there do not despair it will get better and before you know it you will be there with your heart child in your arms. Mama out.

Energy Drinks

I have always loved to drive. I think it was a control thing but if I wasn't driving I wasn't going. I say was because the older I get the more I hate it. In keeping with the whole well kept woman thing I've become very very comfortable with being chauffeured from place to place. I sit in my passenger seat and instruct whoever is driving, I help choose the music and point out any unforeseen obstacles. I'm into the "Driving Miss Julie" thing. I really rather enjoy my new role. Therefore, when I realized that I had to drive back from Ingonish yesterday I wasn't looking forward to a five hour drive. Son #2 and Baby girl kept me company. Now I forgot to mention the whole sleeping in the car thing. I could never sleep but seems the older I get I just can't stay awake. Are you starting to get the picture? Can't stay awake - doesn't like to drive. Let's just say after only an hour all I wanted was a nap. I struggled big time just to make it to the Irving station and hoped that a bathroom break and walking around would help. I thought that I would have to pull over and nap. It didn't help that the rain teemed down. So I send Son#2 into the lady at the Irving and told him to get me an energy drink. I know I know...me on an energy drink. It's like giving a squirrel an upper. DH just giggled and said good luck. How bad could it be? Son #2 after some threats went and got it for me. After I downed the bottle about the size of the shampoo bottles in hotels I thought I should read the side effects. Problem is though the bottle was so small it could have said your teeth would fall out I wasn't reading it. I guess middle aged people don't drink these things. Son #2 warned me of the redness and hot skin. So what else is new this is menopause in a little teeny tiny bottle. After about an hour my pupils were the size of dimes and there was no way I was going to nod off. At hour number 8 after we were home the little bottle wore off. I crawled into bed and woke up at 9:00 this morning. It is kind of like liquid happy pills. Pills to calm me and liquids to keep me awake...yeah baby this being on the ragged edge thing isn't so bad as long as I keep this stuff around! MMMMAAAAAMMMMA....a little jittery out!