Thought it was about time to give updates.

First and foremost, my Mom's cancer treatment has been unremarkable. She has completed her 6 weeks of chemo & radiation (worked everyday through it all might I add!), and has been an inspiration to her doctors. She never lost her hair nor was too terribly sick. She started getting a little sore from the radiation towards the end of treatment, and continues to hurt in that area. When she went for her visit to her surgeon, he was amazed! In his words, " he has never seen anything like it in all his years of practice". Her large tumor has shrunk to the size of a small ulcer!!! She's scheduled for surgery on July 11th and they will know then if her colostomy bag will be permanent or temporary. Either way, the cancer soon will be gone!

Rock Farms is growing everyday. Our ol' 49ers (chickens) are no longer babies and soon will need to separate the roosters from the hens. The young roosters are so cute in developing their crow! The pigs are now hogs! Two of them are so big they just enjoy rolling in the mud. Our rooster, Mr. Sunshine, is no more. Something (fox, hawk, stray cat) obviously got him while we were away camping. To be honest, it's been kind of hard to wake up each morning without hearing him crow. And Zoe is just the cutest and friendliest puppy!! She is already loving the farming life.

Our fruit trees are growing! Maybe in a couple of years we'll have apples, peaches, plums, cherries, apricots, nectarines, pears, and pecans! We've also just set out some blueberry bushes, blackberry vines (the thornless, tame variety), and muscadine vines. We're hoping to add grape vines in the Fall. Last week we planted our pumpkin patch. I really hope they turn out well.

The kids are now on their 3rd week of the new daycare and seem to be adjusting very well!! It is so much easier on me too! We get home a 1/2 hour earlier and I'm saving 30 miles a day!! We're off to the lake again for a few days of camping next week - yippee!! Then, my new little niece should make her arrival on 07/07/07 and Mama's surgery on 07/11/07 - should be 2 lucky days, huh?

BTW - I'm trying to stick with song titles for my posts. We'll see how many I can come up with!

Hope everyone is having a great Summer!!

But it's a beatiful ride. I just couldn't help to think of the whole adoption process when I heard this song on the radio. It must be Moon phase or something because Kate and Lauren both posted along the same lines this week.

Adoption is hard - no sugar coating it. In no way, shape, or form can anyone compare it to pregnancy. Yes, I know - I've never got to experience that wonderful world of pregnancy - glowing, happy, hair and nails growing long, everyone oohing and ahhing over you, getting monthly updates of how you are progressing, and KNOWING THAT IN 9 MONTHS YOUR CHILD WILL ACTUALLY BE IN YOUR ARMS!!! Uggh!!

In the Adoption World, many of us have already been down the fertility world of poking and proding and money pit before someone hits us over the head and tells us of the wonderful world of adoption. Then we attend a seminar, fall in love with the idea that there IS A CHILD FOR US somewhere out there! We're ready to leave on a jet plane soon after the seminar is over to find our child, only to realize that we first have to be APPROVED!! Now, how many people in this world become pregnant every day without an approval? Just isn't fair. Then we have to be fingerprinted and APPROVED by the government of not one country, but two countries if we are adopting internationally. But oh no, it does not dare end there. Then we fill out countless stacks of paper work (sometimes the same ones over and over and over). Then we wait.

If we are lucky enough, the stork arrives and delivers us our referral. Yes, that wonderful phone call or email with unbelievable news of a baby, toddler, child that is waiting for us. Then a picture/video arrives along with scary medicals to make a decision - yes or no. For us, it was no question. We knew that God had his hand in this, and we would let him guide us down this blind road ahead.

Next, we're off on a flight around the world to a far away land to meet our little prince and princess. Now, you might consider this the "beautiful ride" of this journey - if you were not the ones to have to hand your babies back over to the "Big House" caretakers (and your princess saying, "Daddy" for the first time as you are handing her over doesn't help the tears from falling) then practically be shoved back onto a crop duster of a plane and fly back home, not know or having any idea of when you would be returning. Yes, my friend, this would be the biggest "Life Ain't Always Beautiful" part of the story!!

Needless to say 7 months of waiting, crying, redoing paperwork, and writting down daily notes to my kids on the other side of the world was not therapy enough. Looking back I think I was just in survival mode.

Fast forward through the 2nd trip, court, flying home with 2 toddlers, and 18 months later - the whole journey was a BEAUTIFUL RIDE! I could not have even imagined that I would have ever taken this ride 10 years ago when I was first going through my infertility tests. Yet, Life has a funny way of knocking you down and picking you back up.

To ALL of those in this journey or thinking about starting this journey:
It is not easy, but it is ohh so well worth the ride. I know of several dear friends that are waiting, and have been waiting for a long time. Please know that your journey will have a happy ending!!!

______________________

I wanted to write this yesterday since it was 20 years ago yesterday that a great man said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,". I truly believe that Ronald Reagan played a great role in opening the world of Russian adoption by trying to bring peace to this fighting world with these words.

_____________

As a side note, did anyone read the report on MSN yesterday about how women are flying to South Africa to seek fertility treatments? Does anyone else see a crock as to why doctors here in the USA are charging $12K for 1 IVF treatment (just the treatment), and for $6400 you can buy your airfare, hotel, and IVF treatment in South Africa??? Just ain't right!!!

I've been asked how one can order Loop~D~Loop hair bows. Right now, I have been selling more than I can make - so I haven't quite made it to Ebay yet. And, I'm so not savvy enough to create my own website, so I'm working with what I know.

If you look at the Flickr box to the right, you will see a collection of bows that I have made for Rhyne and others. I'm trying to keep that box updated, but I did forget to snap a picture of the cupcake/birthday bows. If you'd like to see one, check out Cupcake's bow. This is a medium bow.

Medium bows/Piggies measure approx. 3" +/-

Double loop bows measure approx. 4" +/-

Starburst bows (dbl bows w/extra ribbon in X shape) measures appx 4 1/2" - 5" +/-

How To Order

• Please

e-mail me with your order.

• Indicate the name of the bow(s) that you wish to order or the corresponding letter. Bows can be placed on medium (2") or large (2 3/4" - recommended for Starburst bows) French clips. Piggies are attached to small clips (1 1/2") unless otherwise specified. Clippies are on alligator clips.

Ribbon colors and button centers may differ from the pictures depending on availability.

• If you do not see the color bow that you would like, please let me know the color (s) that you are looking for. I do have a color chart of the solid color grosgrain ribbons that I can e-mail you.

• If you are looking to match a particular outfit, it helps if you will e-mail me a picture of the outfit.

• All bows can be made with or without button centers. If the bows are not pictured with a button center, please add $1.00 to the price.

• Birthday bows are available to coordinate with that special birthday outfit, with a cupcake button center.


Payment/Shipping

• Payment is due when the order is placed. Once you place an order, I will send you a PayPal Invoice. Money orders are accepted as well.

• Bows are shipped via USPS. Please contact me to determine the shipping/handling fee.