I've Been Tagged

I have been tagged by Chris at Mrs. Broccoli Guy to tell 5 interesting things about myself - so here it goes.

1. I am totally and completely obsessed with the TV show "Felicity". It comes on the WE channel everyday from 4:00 - 6:00. Even though I have seen every episode at least 10 times each - I will still watch it over and over. I try to make sure I am home by 4:00 everyday for it (oh, and it also comes on Saturday from 10:00 - 12:00). It reminds me of my college and career days.

2. I married my highschool sweetheart. We started dating when we were 16 - we got married at 27 (we had to make sure we were ready for the commitment).

3. I HATE rollercoasters! I am a big baby when it comes to amusement parks. I am the designated "stuff holder" while everyone else rides all the roller coasters.

4. I absolutely love and adore ice cream! It doesn't have to be real ice cream - I am fine with anything cold. Every night after dinner I usually have a low-fat ice cream sandwich called a "Skinny Cow". I can promise you that if you try one you will become addicted too.

5. I have a jewelry fettish. I love costume jewelry (and of course, the real thing too)!! I have jewery that matches almost every outfit in my closet. Before I buy a new outfit I think about what jewelry I have that will go with it. If I think it will be too hard to match - I usually won't buy the outfit!

Hum Drum

So, I have nothing new to report! Life here is pretty "hum drum". Work is keeping me from thinking about Brenden all day long! I must say that I have been much calmer now that we have received our referral. At least I see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, I am purposely keeping my calendar booked every weekend for the month of August and September. Hopefully we will here something in October for a travel date (but I have learned from my refferal wait not to get my hopes up!).

I am busy trying to get his room ready. We got the bedding in and it looks great! I got his name stitched into the toddler quilt. It is so cute! I just got a call that our glider is in - so we will pick that up this weekend. Still no double dresser - they are trying to figure out where it is!!! Hopefully we get it soon - I haven't been able to put his things away. I will post pictures on his website when his room is finished.

A couple of my friends got me a "name bracelet" for my birthday. It just came in yesterday and it is adorable!! They got it from a website called www.girlytwirly.com If you are looking for a nice gift for a new mom - the name bracelet is great. My bracelet is called "the poppy".

My MIL is coming into town this weekend. Hopefully it won't be so hot that it drains all of our energy out of us if we go outside - gotta love Florida summers!!!

Sorry I don't have much to talk about - but I guess that is a good thing!! Congratulations to all who have received referrals this week!!!!

Hi ho, Hi Ho, It's Back To Work I Go...

It has been a busy week!!! I started back to work on Monday and I haven't stopped!! The teachers come back this coming Monday and school starts to following Monday (August 21st). I am glad I am back at work. Summer was great - but now that we have our referral Iwant time to pass as quickly as possible until we get to travel to get him! I stay very busy at work - so I am hopeful that it will help to pass the time!!!! It has been great getting to show everyone the picture of Brenden! I get the same feelings all over again when I share the referral story with them. It is so much fun to watch them "ooh and ahh" over him!!

I have nothing new to report on the adoption front (not that I thought I would). We have requested Brenden's current weight, height, and head circumference (it was not in the medical report) but we haven't heard anything yet. I have tried not to buy too many clothes for him until we know how big he is. He looks big in the referral picture - but we were told that the babies just look bigger in the pictures because they get so close to them. However, in reality - they are usually pretty small. I guess we will just wait and see.

My friend finised Brenden's website and it is AMAZING!! Please stop by and take a look at it. Here is the address www.babybrenden.homestead.com I will be adding pictures of him (if we get anymore), pictures of the nursery, pictures from my baby shower, and other things soon! I am pretty sure that when we travel to VN, I will be journaling on that website - but we will see as time gets closer. However, I will not leave my blogger friends!!! I will continue to post here as well!!!!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!! I am praying for great news next week, especially for Christina at Mrs. Broccoli Guy, and for all those waiting for a referral or travel permission!

Brenden's Picture

I was going to wait until the website was finished to post Brenden's picture (for many reasons - but the main one is because I wasn't sure how to do it - but I finally figured it out). This picture was taken when he was 6 months old. He is 8 months now - we hope to get a recent picture of him before we go to get him. I am sure he has changed. I love everything about him - but I really love his hair! We will be going to my stylist as soon as we get him home!

I hope you enjoy looking at him. I can't seem to put the picture down. I have made so many copies - I think I have 1 in every room!!!

God Is So Faithful!

So, where to begin...
Last night (Monday) during my prayer time I asked the Lord to please let my time of waiting for the referral end (my normal prayer since hitting the 2 month mark of waiting). I asked Him to please intercede on my belhaf to God. I have tried to be faithfully patient (though I am not always great at this), and be open to learn through this wait time.

I woke up today (Tuesday) not feeling like this day would be any different from any other day during this wait time. I went to work and just got settled into my new office (not teaching anymore - but rather a curriculum coordinator). A friend came in and we started talking. A few minutes later my cell phone rang - I didn't recognize the number and almost didn't answer it (I figured it was a wrong number), but decided to anyway. This is how the conversation went...
me: Hello
B: Hi Stacey, this is B~ from FHSA
me: Oh my goodness, oh my goodness
B: Are you driving right now?
me: No - oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness. Do you have news for me???
B: Sure do!! Log onto your e-mail
me: (hysterically crying) I am at work here is my e-mail address - oh crap! Now I can't remember it!!!!! Hold on let me calm down and think...oh yes - here it is!!
Oh no my computer is on the fritz - send it to my friend's e-mail - wait is that legal?? oh my goodness, oh my goodness!!!!!!
B: Calm down (laughing)! It is fine - give me her e-mail address
me: OK here it is... Oh crap - her computer is unplugged (she just moved into a new classroom)!! Let me give you my boss' e-mail address. While we are waiting can you please tell me what is on the e-mail. At this point we may never see it!!!!! Oh my goodness, oh my goodness (hysterically crying)!
B: You have a SON!!!!! He was born November 28, 2005. He is adorable!! The orphanage wants you to know that he is the favorite and spoiled rotten. They took the picture of him right as he was falling asleep - so his eyes are almost closed. He is layed out in his crib.
me: Holy CRAP! We have a son (hysterically crying)! What do I do (as if I had lost total ability to think)?
B: (laughing) Open the e-mail and call your husband!! This is the day you have waited for for so long - Enjoy it!!!
me: Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I will! Oh by the way, sorry for stalking you the last month and a half with daily e-mails about how long and torturous the waiting is!!!
B: No problem!! Enjoy looking at your SON!!!

So, I FINALLY was able to open the e-mail and see him! She was right - he is adorable (of course I am not biased)!! He has lots of hair that sticks straight up and he has huge cheeks!!!

My friend is currently working on a website for him - as soon as it is up I will post the web address so you all can see him. I was going to wait to post this until I could show his picture - but I couldn't wait!!!!!! We hope we will get more pictures of him before we travel! I will post them on the website when I get them!

Oh (how could I forget this), his name is Brenden Douglas. Brenden - after my husband's uncle and Douglas - after my dad.

Thank you Lord for your unfailing love and perfect timing!!!!!!!!