When we started this site over a
year ago our goal was to document
every little detail of our journey
to our daughter. I considered a
“letter” format but at that time I
really felt more of a journal format
was what we wanted. Now that a year
has passed we have decided to change
to a “letter” format and our hopes
are that we can document this time
of waiting, but also document our
hopes and dreams and love for our
daughter.
Dear Ellie Lu,
We are one year closer to you, but
at times it seems time is standing
still. We don’t know if you are born
yet or where you are. We just know
that we already have a love for you
like no other love. We talk about
you daily and there are reminders
and signs in all corners of the
house…that you are on your way.
We started the month of January with
the CCAA updating their website on
January 3rd with:
The CCAA has finished the review of
the adoption application documents
registered with our office before
January 31, 2006.
The CCAA has finished the placement
of children for families whose
adoption application documents were
registered with our office before
September 27, 2005.
That means there are 106 days of
paperwork between us and depending
on how many days the CCAA processes
we may be united this fall. I also
received the 2nd set of
immunizations that are needed to
travel to China for Hep A and B and
later on the 4th I
attended my first Elan meeting. Our
Chinese language classes started
back up on the 7th and we
enjoyed seeing all our classmates
after a short holiday break. Later
this month my Chinese exercise class
will start again and I am so looking
forward to it. Your Dad is taking
Tai Chi from the same teacher and
really enjoys it too.
We attended some local basketball
games on the 5th we had a
true blast from the past and
attended a ballgame at Loudon High
school. I had not been to a game in
20 years. Then on the 12th
Cleveland High school boys played
and our neighbors son had a really
good game and it was enjoyable to
watch.
We signed up for an exercise class
at the YMCA and we have been
exercising a lot and walking quiet a
bit. On the 19th we had
our FCC waiting families meeting and
a local family came and we here
their new daughter and watched their
video, it was very encouraging to
share in their story. The following
Sunday on the 21st the
Colts beat the Patriots and will be
going to the Super Bowl.
On the 25th my friend and
decorator Jimmy took me to see a
nursery she had done. It had dark
painted walls, we then looked at
some pictures of nurseries with
green walls and found a nice green a
bit darker than the one I had
picked, I went to Sherwin Williams
to pick it up and it was awful, I
asked the guy to suggest something
else and he said this is one of my
favorites, “rice paddy”. You should
have seen my face, perfect in more
ways than one. I bought the sample
of “rice paddy” and brought it home
and it is lovely on the walls. Your
room will be a light green and your
bathroom will be a bright pink
called “autumn red”.
On the 27th I was invited
to my first “trunk show” for kidlet
clothes and bought you a beautiful
bright pink gingham smocked dress
with a matching bib. My hope was
that it would be your Easter dress
in 2008. We attended our first body
makeover meeting at the YMCA and
were measured and weighed and then
went to Provinos to celebrate a
birthday with the Bradneys.
On the 28th your Dad went
to Chinese class and I grocery
shopped and began to prepare all the
food for our new program “body
makeover”. I also had to make
several dozen cookies for church…of
which I could not eat and
didn’t. The next day I dropped off
the cookies at church and the lack
of sugar in our new diet made us
both a little grumpy, I also got a
headache.
As we close January we are reminded
that we are another 30 days closer
to you and we count the days until
we are united. We love you!
Your Mom and Dad
