While I worked on curtains yesterday, Phillip started baby proofing the house. It is a little strange. We have cats and the only thing we worry about them getting into is the house plants. We have had baby gates up since we moved to this house, but their sole purpose was to keep the cats out of certain rooms. We have crystal vases on bottom shelves and cleaning liquids on top of the counter in the laundry room. Our entire storage plan has to be re-thought. Which is driving the cats crazy because we keep changing their house.

I'm still working on the room. It is almost done. I finished the curtains today and now only have the bedskirt for the crib left. I've started working on a packing list in earnest. I had started one, on a 4x6 notepad, small print, one and a half columns. Then I found one on the internet, Excel file, 3 and a quarter pages. Whoa. I seriously underestimated the potential meticulous detail of packing lists. Anyone know how to use Excel?

Today we worked on the paperwork for the next part of this adventure. Paperwork seems to define everything about adoption. We have a tentative travel date. Our agency stresses that it is tentative, with bold type and underlining, just in case we weren't paying attention. I think they have also said it about six times. Hopefully we will get confirmation of our consulate appointment early next week and can have a definite travel date.

Lamentations 3:31-33: For man is not cast off by the LORD forever, though he brings grief, He will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love. For He does not willing bring grief or affliction to the sons of men.

I wore this sock to work today. Wore the pair, actually. Phillip says my sock looks dingy. Notice the ladybug, which is the symbol of good luck in China, and has been become the symbol of the China Adoption Community. One of the nurses pointed it out to me right after I got found out that our TA had arrived!! Yes, it has arrived and we can finally see the end of the road, we can start our preparations in earnest for going to China to adopt our precious Julianna Claire. To celebrate we ate Chinese and bought three new outfits.

This is my favorite photograph of Julianna.

I have been dragging my feet about posting again, hoping that I could post exciting news about our TA arriving and us frantically making arrangements to travel to China, but no, just more waiting. I may break the fabric moratorium and buy more. My favorite fabric store has new spring fabrics.

I am reading through Luke and read the story of the woman with the issue of blood who touches the hem of Jesus' cloak. I find that story amusing because the account in Matthew says "she suffered under the care of many doctors". Ouch.

Looking out the window.

Sometime in the last year our associate pastor gave a sermon on Genesis 22, which is the story of Abraham taking Isaac to offer him as a sacrifice. He pointed out a part of the story that I had not realized--the journey to the place of sacrifice was three days. So, for three days, Abraham walked on, with all his doubts and concerns. Three days to think, this can't be right, God cannot want me to sacrifice the child of promise, surely I misunderstood. Yet he walked on. When it seemed wrong, when hope seemed lost, he got up everyday and walked on.

Wednesday was the official one year anniversary of our adoption journey--one year since we did the first part of the paperchase. Looking back, I've spent more time on the side of the road whining and complaining than I have walking on, but I have never forgotten this sermon and it has given me great encouragement. Walking on.

We continue to wait for the TA. The room is almost complete and the clothes are all washed. We have diapers and sippy cups and pretty much everything else a toddler could need. I have put travel wipes into the diaper bag and have started a pile of "this needs to go with us to China". The wait, however, is exhausting. Every day we awaken with the hope that, maybe today, the TA will come and every day we are disappointed. I was reminded this morning of the father in the parable of the prodigal son, how every day he looked out his window for his son. And waited, and waited. Did he ever want to skip a day? Did he want to give up completely? Did he plan the party he eventually gave when his son did return? What amazing faith and perseverance. What amazing love.

We continue to wait for our TA. We had another shower and now are pretty much set for the baby. It was great fun and the hostess did a fantastic job. Her two year old helped me open my gifts and I think that may have been the best part. She was so excited about tearing into the packages. We could barely get the gifts out before she was pulling out the tissue paper of another one. She is very close in age to our little one and we hope they will be great friends. Her parents certainly are.

We had a guest preacher two weeks ago and part of his sermon was about the timing of God. He used Psalms 84 as his text "Blessed are those whose strength is in you; who have set their hearts on a pilgramage. As they pass through the valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs. The autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength til each appears before God in Zion". His sermon was about going through difficult times (Baca), yet finding water in the desert to get you through (springs, pools). It was a good reminder that God has not left us alone on this pilgramage, even though it seems like a barren desert.

Happy Chinese New Year. We went to a CNY parade today and this is some of our loot. Yes, it is a week late and yes the cups do say Mardi Gras on them. One of the intriguing things of the Gulf Coast is that every little town between Texas and Florida celebrates Mardi Gras. The public schools are out. There are parades. Thus, last week the dragons were for Carnival and today they were for CNY. And like every parade in this region, there were throws--beads, cups, candy and moon pies.

The parade is sponsored by a local adoption agency that does international adoption, including China. The "floats" are mostly strollers and wagons, with a few families making elaborate rides, including a very pretty pagoda. The children wear native dress and all of the countries this agency works in come, so there are children from Russia wishing you happy new year.

We are quickly approaching the end of the waiting journey. We received our LOA last week. The travel approval will be next. We are hoping that March will see us in China.

Yesterday my co-workers had a shower for us. It was lady-bugs everywhere. I had a great time.

I made this dress for my friend Mary's daughter (don't tell Mary). I love it for three reasons. First, it is pink with butterfiles and what could be better than that? Second, the pattern is one I made myself. I saw a dress with similar pleats in a magazine and I translated that photograph into finished dress. Third, I did it literally between the morning and evening church services, but it looks like it took much longer. I am very proud.

The 2007 Australian Open is over. Roger Federer beat Fernando Gonzalez in straight sets. Federer has now won 10 Grand Slams and currently holds 3 of the 4 titles. Only the French eludes him.

This fabric came from one of our nurses. I think it is beautiful fabric and, as always, am pleased with the outcome.

Federer is into the semi-finals. Nadal is playing his quarterfinal match today. Still hoping for a Federer-Nadal final.

We got exciting thngs in the mail today—tax forms, a medical journal and new pictures of Julianna. They were taking in June and August of 2006 by a very nice lady in the Gaoming Yahoo Group. Phillip is firing up the scanner right now so we can send them out. We are very excited about them because it gives us a look at her every day life in the orphanage. Hooray for Beth.

The Australian Open is heading in to week two with Federer and Nadal still on course to meet in the finals. Lots of tough matches ahead for Nadal, though.

Yesterday we selected paint colors for the room. Not sure which ones we will use from this selection or how we will use them, but at least getting chips we agree on is progress. I have not yet been motivated to do the room because most days it still does not seem real. It is not completely empty. It has a crib (with one crib sheet), a big girl bed, a rocking chair, a rocking horse, enough toys for two kids and, of course, a closet full of clothes. But it does not have a cohesive style. At this rate, I may end up scrambling to finish it while packing my bags for China.

From the closet today is something different. This blanket was started when my sister was pregnant with her second child. The bears are all cross stiched, then the blanket is quilted. I love the colors and am very proud of the finished project, even if it did take seven years to complete.

As I pointed out yesterday, five set matches can change quickly. In the time it took me to get ready for work, the two aussies had taken two sets from the americans. By the time I left for work, both matches had entered a fifth set, and by the time I settled in at the office, one match had gone to the American qualifer Kuznetsov and one to the Australian favorite Hewitt. The other exciting news from the open was the departure of last years surprise finalist Baghdatis via a four-set loss to Monfils.

I have finally finished a dress. This one has been a long time in progress, but well worth the effort. It was an adventure in adaptation. The smocking plate is from AS&E. It was meant to be a boys bubble, but I made it into a girls dress. I thought the white border at the bottom would make it more interesting, as well as the white sleeve cuff and white around the collar. It even has white covered buttons. The borders have hemstiching, which allowed me to use the heirloom dress stiches on my machine.

I suppose the only thing I dislike about the Australian Open is the time difference. It's 10:30 at night there and fourteen matches are in progress, of course, none on the telly. At least we have radio Australia. There are two Americans on court, both up a set and a break on Australians, but in five set matches, that can reverse quickly. Nadal and Federer are both through the first round, so there is still hope for a Nadal-Federer final. Nalbandian squeaked through a five-setter in the 105 degree heat.

Yesterday I decided to sort and wash the baby clothes and found this tucked away in the closet. I made it for my friend's baby, who is now four. I don't even remember what size it is. It has cute buttons on the back.


Well, in the time I sat here blogging, the Aussie favorite Hewitt gained and lost a break on the American Russell, who now serves for a two set lead. All from a qualifier. I love tennis.

11 pm in Australia

The first day is almost complete in Australia. The men's number 30, number 27 and number 4 seeds went down to Americans. The American women took out the 27 seed. Tennis has become a worldwide sport. While there are 43 participants from the United States, there are also 7 participants from Isreal, one from Tunisia, one from Cyprus, one from Puerto Rico and ten from China. There are an additional six participants from Chinese Tiapei. During last years season, Zi Yan and Jie Zheng captured the Women's Doubles title at both the Australian Open and the Championships at Wimbledon. As for successful Chinese-Americans, there is Micheal Te Pei Chang, who was the youngest man to win a Grand Slam title when he won the French Open in 1989. We've got to find Julianna a racquet.

It is late Sunday afternoon here on the sunny gulf coast and early Monday Morning in Melbourne, Australia. In a couple of hours, the first ball will be tossed and the 2007 open season will begin. I love tennis. I love playing it. I love watching it. I love talking about it. I've gotten up at 4 am to watch live finals and I've stayed up to 2 am to watch captivating matches. For the Wimbledon final last year, my best friend came over and we ate fish and chips, followed by a desert of strawberries and cream. One of the fantastic things about the gulf coast is we can play tennis essentially year round. There are courts about four blocks from our house that are currently being resurfaced, promising a great summer of tennis. And of course, Julianna's closet already has a tennis outfit. Now she just needs a racquet.

It's hard to believe I still have not finished a new outfit. I am plodding along on a bishop dress and also a basic square yoke dress. I went to the fabric store to get narrow elastic for the bishop sleeves and found these cute buttons. I'm going to incorporate them into a dress somehow. I love that they are Americana ladybugs. What could be better?

Monday will be eight weeks since our final paperwork went to China. Monday is also the start of the 2007 Australian Open (tennis). At least the next two weeks will have lots to keep my mind occupied. Hoping for a Federer-Nadal final!!