99 red balloons

99 posts, actually. That's pretty cool, who knew I had it in me. Good thing it's been an eventful year, otherwise you'd likely be reading the web equivalent of crickets (cheep cheep cheep).

Speaking of this eventful year, I just got the email from Imagine saying that they've re-signed 246 families to the agency (with a couple more pending). I believe they said they needed 200 families in order to be able to continue operating, so that is GOOD NEWS indeed. Of course they have not come out & said without a shadow of a doubt that happy days are here again, but they have said that, "today is a big day for the new Imagine Adoption!" (punctuation theirs). The next step is that, "the board will be conducting an analysis to provide to (the bankruptcy trustee) to compare to the initial proposal", which they expect to occur by Friday so they can provide us with a more detailed communication next week. I'm hoping this email is just cautiously worded, and that we're in the clear now. What do my readers think (all 3 of you)? Does that sound positive to you? Will I ever be able to stop obsessively analysing everything from the agency? Please tell me this will all work out, I need this to work out. My nerves are SHOT.

And while I'm talking about adoption, can I just say that I hope that document that Rana & Yvan are waiting for is translated immediately so they can go get their beautiful boy? Just wanted to put those vibes out there. And while I'm talking about babies, I'd like to congratulate my BFF Vicki, she's officially 13 weeks along with her surprise first pregnancy. Oh how I wish I was able to spend the next 27 weeks with her. And away from the snow, not that we have any yet. I'd be happy if we didn't get any. Too messy.

Love to all!

Evie meets Santa

Wow, is she starting to look like a little girl or what?

Hey, did you happen to see the most cutest baby in the world?

My sister-in-law decided to see how Evie looked in her glasses. The answer - cute as a button!

Tenterhooks

So, it's come to this. November 30. That's the day we'll find out if enough people have paid their $2000.00 to allow the agency to re-start for reals. It would be a real shame for the agency to not be able to move forward with the remaining Ethiopian adoptions after all the hard work that everyone, but especially the steering committee, did. I go back & forth being optimistic & pessimistic and it's doing a number on my nerves. With all the enthusiasm I saw after Imagine came out of bankruptcy, I thought we'd see the money come in a lot quicker, that we'd be able to move forward before the Nov 30 deadline. I know we still have a week to go, but the wait is excruciating! Fingers crossed that this all works out.

In less life changing news, we went to see New Moon this weekend. It wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, but it wasn't the worst movie either. It really dragged in places, but I thought the acting was pretty darn good, even if some of it was annoying. I really enjoyed the books, so it's kind of neat to see it visually, instead of just in my head. Pretty cool. I think it will get better with repeated watchings (the first movie did, for me at least), though I won't go to see it at the theatre again. After we saw the movie we went to go to the BBQ store near my work to scope out Christmas gifts for my dad but alas they were closed (at 3pm - who closes at 3pm near Christmas? I mean, I know not a lot of people BBQ in the winter, but still). So we went to Ikea instead! We got some stocking stuffers and finally got drawer inserts for the Expedit bookcase in the baby's room. I can't wait to start working on the baby's room. Come on, good news!

Heh

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Lest we forget

Not much to say today, except thank you to those who have fought & given their lives to preserve our freedom & way of life, in the most recent wars and all the wars that have been fought in the last century or so. I can't imagine how it must have felt, going off to war, fighting in the trenches of World War 1, amongst horrying conditions, more likely to die from disease than from shrapnel or an enemy bullet. Or going off to war in World War 2, technologically more advanced but just as deadly, with the possibility of ending up in a prison camp, especially if you fought in the Pacific. I feel so blessed and thankful that in my lifetime, I have a choice to join the fight if I wish, and that my husband has the same choice. I cannot fathom having to say goodbye to him, knowing that he may never come home. My extended family has already lost someone to the Afghanistan conflict, just before Thanksgiving 2006. I'd rather we didn't lose any more.

It's been a while

Sorry about that, not much to say really. Had a great anniversary trip in Niagara Falls - stayed at the Hilton, walked around the casino the first afternoon, had a nice dinner, the next day we did a little shopping at the Canadian outlets, then went & toured some of the nearby wineries (bought some great wines), then had Brazilian churrasco at the restaurant in the Hilton (we ate ourselves stupid), then on the Monday we went shopping in NY. We went to Walden Galleria & some of the outlets, got some Christmas gifts & gifts for ourselves (mostly clothes). All in all, a nice long weekend. Then this past Friday we headed to my hometown to see the dentist (he's been my dentist for over 30 years, hopefully he doesn't retire any time soon!) and hang out at my parents' place (unfortunately they weren't there - they were doing their own cross-border shopping in Michigan). We rented Monsters vs Aliens (very cute) and ate the local pizza (awesome - has shredded ham instead of just chunks of ham like the pizza chains do - soooooo yummy). Then it was back home for 5 pin bowling with the adoption crew & Mexican food afterwards. Then yesterday my brother & his wife came to our place to go through some books & stuff they had stored at our place. Unfortunately they did not bring my niece - she spent the night with her grandma (Jenn's mom) so they were going to go there after our place. I'll probably see her next weekend as my parents will be at our place.