Post Christmas Mei-Mei Party

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Our extended "Village" of Single Adoptive Parents in Oregon got together on 12/30/06 for a Post Christmas party, complete with a Secret Mei Mei Gift Exchange. It was so great to get together with the other Moms and to see all the girls that had come home within the past year.

The support, knowledge, and experience of the Moms who have had their children come home is so valuable to the Waiting Moms of our Village (myself, Heidi, Cindy, and Kelli).
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Favorite Foto Friday

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On vacation in New York April 2005. I love it there!
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MARCH 2006 DTC Secret Pal is Debbie Roberts!!!

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I received a package in the mail 12/28/06. My MARCH 2006 DTC Secret Pal was revealed to be Debbie Roberts!!! Thank You so much Debbie for this month's gifts (the Cheerios Play Book, Hush Little Baby Board Book, 2 Rattles, and a teething soother), and for all the wonderful gifts from August through November!!!
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DECEMBER
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NOVEMBER
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OCTOBER
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SEPTEMBER
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AUGUST
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Thank You February 2006 DTC Secret Pal!!!

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My February 2006 DTC Secret Pal sent some really awesome gifts!!! I received a big box, in the mail, on 12/27/06. You have been such a fantastic Secret Pal that I will be sorry to see the February 2006 DTC Secret Pal exchange end in January 2007.

Poopsie went absolutely crazy for the Flutter Balls cat toys!! She played with them for 2 hours straight tonight! At first, she wouldn't even let me take them off of the cardboard packaging. They are the perfect gift. I think it really fulfills a cat's need to "hunt". She had seemed especially bored lately, so this was just the right "pick me up".

Thank You also for the doll (I love the fact that the doll has Asian features), the stocking with the Ladybug clothes pin, the pen with the Ladybug, the bib, and the pink fleece blanket!
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Two years ago today...

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Two years ago today, on December 26, 2004, was the Tsunami that hit Indonesia, Thailand, India, etc. As mentioned in my post from April 8, 2006, it was the Tsunami aftermath, and the plight of all the Indonesian orphans, that first got me thinking about International Adoption. I guess something good can come out of something so bad.

Here is an excerpt from my April 8, 2006 post, that explains about the Tsunami leading me to International Adoption:
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Saturday, April 08, 2006

Why China?

I had always dreamed of having a biological child, but fate had other ideas. It was the Tsunami in December of 2004 that first put the idea of international adoption into my head.

Indonesia was one of the countries that were heavily devastated by the Tsunami. The news reports talked about the many children orphaned by the Tsunami. I had never considered adoption before, but I thought, “I long for a child, and they need a parent. Plus, my Indonesian heritage might be a benefit to raising an Indonesian child”.

One of the adoption agencies on the news reports was Holt International. They are large and very well respected. Their headquarters are in Eugene, Oregon.

The news reports said NOT to contact Holt right away, because they were being overwhelmed with phone calls. They wouldn’t know for months if the orphans in Indonesia would even be available for adoption. Most likely, they would be placed with relatives.

I waited until the frenzy died down, and on February 28, 2005, I contacted Holt International. Holt told me that Indonesia doesn’t do international adoptions, but here are SOME of the countries that do adoptions to SINGLE WOMEN (some on a CASE-BY-CASE basis): China, Guatemala, India, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Haiti, Mongolia, Philippines, and Thailand. (Around October 2005, Vietnam re-opened to International Adoption.)

The lady at Holt told me the Pro’s and Con’s of adopting from some of the countries. For some of the countries, the children available were older and with a lot of medical issues. Their medical reports didn’t always disclose all of their issues and the paperwork and the adoption process was not always smooth.

CHINA seemed to have the adoption process down pat and the children available were more likely to be healthy and younger. So, I decided to go through the CHINA PROGRAM.
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New Purchases

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Here are some of my latest purchases for McKenna.
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Merry Christmas

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There's a little girl trembling on a cold December morn
Crying for mama's arms
At an orphanage just outside a little China town
Where the forgotten are

But half a world away I hang the stockings by the fire
And dream about the day when I can finally call you mine

It's Christmas time again but you're not home
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone
So tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in His arms
And tell you from my heart
I wish you Merry Christmas

As I hang the tinsel on the tree and watch the twinkling lights
I'm warmed by the fire's glow
Outside the children tumble in a wonderland of white,
And make angels in the snow

But half a world away you try your best to fight the tears
And hope that Heaven's Angels come to carry you here

It's Christmas time again but you're not home
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone
And so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in his arms
And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas

Christmas is the time we celebrate the Holy Child
and we celebrate His perfect gift of love
He came to Earth to give His life and prepare a place for us
so we could have a home with Him above

It's Christmas time again and now you're home
Your family is here so you will never be alone
So tonight before you go to sleep, I'll hold you in my arms
And tell you from my heart
I'll tell you from my heart
I wish you Merry Christmas


"Merry Christmas" by Third Day
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Thanks again Chris B!!!

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Chris B. has again been so generous to our Single Adoptive Parent group! Here are the latest clothes that her kids have outgrown, and she has passed on to us:
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THANK YOU CHRIS B!!!!!!!!!!
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