Countdown

2006 ~ Wow!
52 weeks
365 days
8,760 hours
525,600 minutes

What did you do with all that time?

I could spend pages listing off all of the 'tasks' I accomplished:
meals I cooked
loads of laundry I washed
rooms I cleaned
times I vacuumed (and the carpets don't look any better today that 364 days ago).

Or rather movies I saw
hours I watched TV
books I read
letters I wrote
calls I made
lunches I had with friends
trips I took
dollars I spent
quilts I made and gave away.

But you know, none of it compares to the number of days we've spent waiting for our daughter; afterall, that is what this blog is all about right? We had a great year, 2006. And we look forward to welcoming the new 2007 where we are extremely hopeful will be the year we get our daughter!

Many blessings and Happy New Year!

11 Months and counting

Today marks our 11 month anniversary of being logged in with the CCAA for our daughter from China.

It is a bittersweet day as we celebrate one more month closer to receiving our daughter...and yet we feel sad as when we began this process we never imagined our "adoption pregnancy" taking longer than a year ~ Yikes! Fortunately, I don't have to contend with stretch marks and swollen ankles as a result of an incredibly 'overdue' delivery!

So...for today, we celebrate!

How does one rate a week?

7 days
168 hours
10,080 minutes

Any way you look at it, that's how many days, hours, minutes we were without electricity at home. Thursday, December 14th, 2006 ~ an incredible wind storm blew into Western Washington, leaving 1,000,000+ homes without power. Temperatures over the days following the storms dropped into the 20's; Tragic deaths as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

We huddled around the wood burning stove to keep warm, we heated cans of soup, chili, stew to a semi-warm state in a matter of 45 minutes-1 hour. showers become a luxury item ~ one that we could't afford much.

With mixed blessing, our hearts go out to those who are still without power until after the Christmas holiday, as well as we feel joyful to finally be "in the light" again.

God bless to you all ~ Merry Christmas!

Blustery Day!

Greetings from another "blustery" day here in Washington!

11 more days until Christmas... and

• No, the stockings aren't hung by the chimney with care (considering we don't have one)
  
• The children aren't nestled snug in their bed either
• Sugar-plums ~ are those plums that are sugared or sugar that is plummed~ anyways, they aren't dancing in their heads or anyone elses for that matter
• And the only thing close to a 'clatter' I hear is the sound of "ginormous" raindrops raining horizontally against my windows.

Okay, okay so I haven't yet marched up to the attic to haul down all the boxes marked "Christmas", and I haven't yet begun to think about holiday baking or christmas cards or shopping - what' s the rush right? I have at least 10 more days.

But I have enjoyed practically every radio station playing "continuous Christmas favorites" and every house with twinkly lights and every holiday themed movie we have in our DVD collection, so that's got to count for something!

Well, I've been a little pre-0ccupied with a Christmas dinner party for 30 I catered last weekend and a quilt project (3 lap size quilts) due before Christmas ~ did I mention I just started 2 weeks ago - again, what's the rush right? Goody for me I work great under pressure.

So, for now...Merry Christmas to all and to all a good-night!