DEFLATED

Deflated.....Pretty much sums up how I'm feeling today. Checked RQ this morning and saw the "First Rumor" out of the possible 5 day batch of referrals this month. Seriously, is this EVER going to end? If it holds true and they do process 5 days (and I pray that it's AT LEAST 5 days!)....That leaves 16 more LID days to go until they get to us. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited that we're finally this close. I'm BEYOND excited.....It's just that I soooooo badly want to have our referral by February. If our referral comes in March we're going to have to deal with travel delays because of the trade fair in China in April. That means our daughter is going to have to wait even longer to come home. It also means Easter will come and go without Ava here. Again. I PROMISED Ian that Ava would be here by Easter. I promised. I can deal with another Halloween, another Thanksgiving, another Christmas, another New Years Day, another CNY, another Valentines Day, another St. Patrick's Day, BUT NOT ANOTHER EASTER. I have my limits. Sigh.

UPDATED: After a long hot shower and a "cheer up email" from a friend I'm feeling a little better. I wanted to show you the first picture that came up on google images of the word....Deflated. heh. Funny when I first saw it.....Even funnier now that I'm feeling better.

WEEK IN REVIEW

• We met with our social worker on Saturday to do our LAST home study update. Our current immigration approval expires January 30, 2009 and I'm doubting VERY MUCH that we will be finished with our adoption by that date, so we're re-doing everything for a third time. The social worker changed all our ages on our new home study, changed what grade the kids are in school.....I in turn wrote out check for $400. I figured that if ever things are ever going to speed up with China adoptions, it would happen right after I handed her my check....I can see the CC*AA now begin to crank right through the remaining 21 days of LIDs before us and I wouldn't have needed to update my paperwork after all. If all that it costs me is $400 to get things moving for myself and everyone else....I'm MORE than happy to pay it. =)
  
  
• While Ian and I were driving in the car yesterday (on our way to buy his Halloween costume) we heard Christmas music playing! For crying out loud....IT'S OCTOBER!! Ian got excited and said, "Christmas is coming soon!!...I need to go home and make my list!" My gosh, who on earth enjoys listening to Christmas music this time of the year??
  
  
• The guys finally finished with all our flooring and trim, gave our bedroom and closet a fresh new color, wrapped aluminum around all our outside door trim so "we" (when I say "we" I mean Jeff) no longer has to paint them, fixed my kitchen faucet, caulked behind my kitchen sink and fixed our roof where our skylights have been leaking. They found that the reason the skylights have been leaking is because our "lovely" (just so you know...when I say "lovely" I'm being sarcastic) builder never installed flashing around two of the three skylights and several boards were not completely nailed down and have since rotted out. At least it's now finished (except for a few minor drywall repairs) and I'm back to being in luv with my home again.
  
  
• I only have a couple house projects left that I would like to have finished before Ava gets here. I need to order blinds for Ava's room and also would like to replace the curtains in the living room with blinds as well. Why I ever thought it was a good idea to have white curtains that dangle the ground with two black cats in the family...I'll never know.
  
  
• I was excited that I was able to fill up at the gas station for $75 last week instead of close to $100. I hope the price of gas continues to drop or my next car might just have to be a mini van!
  
  
• I was actually looking at airline information yesterday trying to figure out what airport to fly out of for our China trip. I think I've decided that driving to Detroit is probably going to be our best option and save the most time. It looks like if we flew out of Grand Rapids to Detroit we would have a lot of time waiting between flights and I so hate sitting and waiting in an airport. If anyone from Michigan has any other advice for me.....I'd love to hear it. I'd also be open to driving to Chicago and leaving from there.
  
  
• Just looked at the calendar this morning and noticed that I have three days this week that I have nothing written on.....I'm looking forward to a more relaxing week this week. I did notice on RQ that travel approvals were starting arrive for the end of September batch...I hope this means that referrals are just around the corner! We're getting sooooo close now....My stomach is doing flip flops just thinking about it.

UPDATE BULLET STYLE

• My gosh, half the month of October is almost gone.....Time is a flying. We're having some BEAUTIFUL Fall weather here in Michigan. We were all sad when we closed our pool down last month. However, I'll be thrilled to have a "normal" gas bill this month. I'm going to have to re-think keeping my pool at such high temperatures next year.....I about choked when I received a $1,380 gas bill in September and about a $900 one for October. ACK! Here are a few pictures from our last swim of 2008. Ian finally mastered the deep end about two weeks before we closed the pool. He had always been frightened of water, but now he is our little fish.
  

Dad and Ian enjoying the last swim. *sniff* What could that be on Dad's arm? All I can say is we better be getting referred a little girl or we will have no choice, but to name a little boy Ava.

Mom and her two boys.

• Ian started soccer last month. This is the first year he has ever played. We're so happy that he was placed on a team with a wonderful coach.....It sure does make a difference on who you get. At this age, I don't even think the kids even realize if they have won or lost....AND considering his team has yet to win a game.....I'm quite happy that they're just out there to have fun.
  
  
  

• Not sure what happened, but an agency received referrals for their 2/16 families last week. Everyone was super excited thinking that the CC*AA had sent out an extra batch this month. It appears that only one agency received the referrals.....That means we won't be taking another loop off the chain until next time. The best part of the surprise batch was that Shannon received her referral for ELLIE!!! Oh my word....What a cutie!! Those dimples!! Those chubby cheeks!! Click on her name to go see for yourself.....She is adorable!
  
  
• I read a "rumor" the other day that someone received an email from their agency that said the CC*AA was going to process at least 7 days next batch with a probability of 15. I've been in this process for a long time to know that rumors usually (especially if they're good ones) don't pan out, but this one made my stomach do flip flops. I know we're getting close, but that's REALLY close. I need to go clean SOMETHING!!!

• Saturday night was the Homecoming dance. I still can't believe that Hope is a Senior.....Although, my pocketbook can believe it. Man, I never realized how expensive kids were....I'm here to tell you that so far Senior year has been the most expensive of them all (I'll assume that next year will be even more costly with college expenses). Here is a picture of Hope & her boyfriend before the dance.
  
  
  

• I'm exhaused today. I've been getting into the habit of waking up (thanks to Bella who has to go outside to use the bathroom) about 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning and not being able to get back to sleep. If you notice that I'm commenting on your blog during the early morning hours....That is why.