Leaving Monday October 29th

This is my favorite time of the year & what better news than knowing we're going to meet this little boy somewhere across the world...i have a feeling that after this trip i might know a bit more about how other people live..i've never been outside of USA before. So it's 1:50am...couldn't sleep of course..so i'm working on stuff & cleaning & doing the little things that are hard to get done with thomas around. I'll have 2 boys in the coming months if all goes well & it's a strange thought that it will be instant. This child that we've thought of, dreamed of & have done so much to achieve our goals will (God willing) finally show up here & then it will be a new kind of life - i'll be having my second baby too like so many of my wonderful friends, but he'll already be 2 years old probably!

We rent this house in Saratoga built in 1928...it's got that old country feel to it & it makes me want to have lots of babies for some reason. There's a good spirit here & all around..it's near the mountains, trees all around...a big field across the street to run around in & play. It smells wonderful & i enjoy spending each season here. It's a wonderful place for Thomas & I to be during the day when Greg's at work. Lots to do, lots of neighbors to play with - especially the Hess family next door. There's a little path connecing our front yards that THomas & his buddy Ryan use to get to each other's houses. I look forward to having another little boy join us so he can enjoy the things that we do. I've come to see how adults have the power to change a childs life by giving him a meaningful childhood full of love & exploration & guidance. Looking forward to the new little guy.

VISA'S & FLIGHTS

I've had heart palpultations for the last 2 days..i think it all started when i stopped breathing when i found out the travel dates I've been working on getting visa applications completed & fed ex'd & booking flights all while taking care of thomas (who has been real difficult of all weeks!) I have my admin, my sister, Maryann at the help desk doing my managerial work for me :) I couldn't have done it without her...even my previous 6 years in social work couldn't prepare me for the confusion & blankness i felt when all the information came from the adoption agency...good info. on what to expect, who to contact, tips on travel, etc., but overwhelming at the same time. I just found my voice to be too weak to talk on the phone so my sis was my voice for a few phone calls. The good news is that she was able to get the visa apps. out today & she just confirmed that our flights are booked & she's writing up the itinerary. I feel a thousand times better which is good cause i'll need a strong heart for the next 14,000 things to do. Greg has been in training again ths week. I keep looking at the pic of our new little guy @ try to focus on meeting him. We'll get 2 hours 2 days in a row with him. Due to confidentiality i cannot post pics.

We're off to MOSCOW- travel dates!!!

Travel Dates just in - 10/30-11/3.....gotta run & do the visa applications!!!!!

ITS AN 18 MONTH OLD BOY - Got the call!!!!

On Wednesday, (Greg was & still is in Sacramento for a police training) I was shopping at the dollar store. I saw the adoption agency phone number come up on my cell phone & thought nothing of it & for a second almost didn't answer. Our family coordinator started to talk & i thought she might have news of more delays, etc. Next thing I knew she said she had a referral for us of an 18 month old boy. I couldn't comprehend this as we had not been registered yet at any orphanages. She said that as of today we were registered & this was our referral. She said that he looked like Thomas which almost made me cry - she said that i'd come home to find an e-mail of 7 pictures of him & some medical information!!!! So i called Greg & he was on a break & i told him & he was shocked! I rushed home, got the e-mail pictures & couldn't believe how much he resembled our little thomas. We have decided to accept the referral which means we'll go to meet him within the next few weeks! Ok, so i thought we had about 6 more months to a year before all this would take place. What a difference a phone call can make!!

Greg got us on the Radio

Garage sale this last weekend at my parents house was ok. It was lots of work. We didn't have the big ticket items that we usually have like couches, furniture, etc. Set up took about 2 hours & my brother Lou helped unpack many many boxes...we were out there all day & had lots of shoppers & met some good folks. Thomas was running around like a crazy little boy with too much energy - i was afraid he was going to run over a shopper ..so Aunty Mary took care of him at her house around the block. Here's a picture of thomas sprinting up & down my parents driveway!

Greg was calling a radio show to try & win something & the DJ asked him how he was spending his Saturday & he told her that we were having a garage sale fundraiser for the the adoption of a orphan, etc.. a few minutes later she played their conversation on the air! We turned the volume up so everyone could here...the DJ asked where the sale was going on & she wished us well... it was great.

Small News

I e-mailed our family coordinator at the adoption agency yesterday because i wanted to see if we'd still be registered in our region in an orphanage in Oct/Nov. It appears that there are a few families ahead of us now that weren't ahead of us before. (Due to other regions not having children in their requested age range). These families have had an agonizing wait period as they got caught up in the delay of reaccrediation so I'm happy for them that they're getting closer. So don't know when we'll be registered...the thing about being registered is that 2-3 months after registration is when we can anticipate a referral of a little boy between 10-18 months old. I figure this gives us longer to save up money. And this gives us some more time to learn some Russian & read some books on Russian culture & adoption related issues, etc.

This is a picture of me with my Russian apron on & thomas helping me bake.
However, Greg has suggested to me that if what I'm reading makes me more worried than i should stop. Do i really need to read that you shouldn't bring any children under 4? (due to complicated travel). Thomas is coming with us so that's that....do i really need to know that there's a lot of pushing & no lines in the Russian airport experience? & do i really want to know the temperature of Siberia in the winter...i keep imagining myself freezing to death... So we're on the eve of the city wide Campbell garage sale tomorrow. This marks 1 year of garage sales...we made $900 last year at this event. It's raining right now but I'm sure the clouds will part & the sun will come out if only over my parents house so we can sell some stuff!

Ladies Spa Event

On Saturday, September 29th a few ladies came together for a wonderful spa treatment morning at my friend Kathy's house. I met Kathy at church and she sells BeautyControl Spa Products for the home. She offered to do a spa morning for us & donate half of her profit to the Dini Adoption Fund. So I took her up on her offer & it turned out to be a relaxing time of socializing & trying out spa products (Hands, feet & facial)...We ate some scones & croissants & I made Mimosa's(champagne & OJ) for the 1st time. I was a bit anxious at first as I seem to always be before any event. After being irritated at myself for my uptight ways, I decided that it's just because I want everyone to enjoy themselves. I'm aware that time is valuable especially Saturday morning!

One of my favorite people is Tony Robbins (the motivational speaker)...I've learned so much from him over the years. He taught me thru his books that if you want to grow that you have to intentionally do things that are new, different, out of your comfort zone, etc. This adoption is a huge huge challenge in all aspects for me & during the process I can already see where i've become stronger, more confident & better for it. It kind of makes me wonder what else i'm capable of doing but i stop there cause lets not get crazy!

Happy 4 Years!

On September 27, Greg & I will be married 4 years...congrats to us :) It's been a peaceful & productive four years. We met in January, married in September & had Thomas in January 2005. Then we got the calling to adopt in 2006 & here we are celebrating our 4th anniversary & expecting to meet that little boy soon. I am grateful to Greg for the marriage bliss we experience. He's just an easy going,
non-moody, peace making kind of guy...this is why the public is blessed to have him as a peace officer. I on the other hand would be giving tickets out & clubbing people on my bad days - just kidding of course.


Adoption speaking, we are hoping to be officially registered in our region in OCT/NOV. We are in the process of updating lots of our documents that will expire in the next few months. Just when you think you don't have to look at the paperwork anymore, it turns out you do. This time around though it's easier because we know what we're doing. As we update documents & continue to ride out this "wait" period, I've been reading books that are helping me to be more couragous ...Pastor John Ortberg's "If you want to walk on water you have to get out of the boat," & Father Flanagan's Boys Town. I love to read books about ordinary people who are called by God to do extraordinary things. There's a common journey a person takes when having a heavenly task at hand..they start out swimming in the unknown & end up marveling at what God's done thru them...they get past the fear, the unanswered questions, the financial concerns, etc. So i'm learning from those who've been there done that & it's given me a real sense that we'll be just fine.

Did you dance with the Dini's?

Are you one of the people dancing the electric slide?

I think I see my neighbors & neice Gennean in there & Greg's mom! This was our Spring Dance Adoption Fundraiser evening on March 24, 2007 from 6:30-10pm. Due to the serious generousity of family, friends & friends of friends, this event was a success! I had a serious headache for several weeks after from all the labor that was involved but it was well worth it. Who knew that putting on parties took so much effort and work; thank God for other people who are more talented than me. I've learned that it's good that we are all differently talented...if we weren't we would have had 10 Dj's, 10 decorators, 16 cooks, etc...instead...we had my co-chair & dad, Sal Scrivano who helped with creating the invitations & raffle tickets to selling raffle tickets at the dance (it was the one time i could boss my dad around).& my mom who stuffed envelopes & stuck stamps & then there was my sister Maryann who organized & decorated our raffle prizes by putting them in attractive bags with themes. Then there was the infamous Sue Dini (greg's mom) who did a little of everything for me including cutting up a watermelon in little balls for the snack table shortly before the dance started!! There was Greg's dad who arranged for us to use the high school & who filled in for Greg DJing. And of course there was Greg Dini himself leading us in a night of dancing & fun. We were especially grateful for the people who showed up & danced - without dancers it would have been embarrassing! A special thank you to those who donated money to the planning of the dance so we could decorate nicely & have good food. Thanks to the people who helped set up & stayed late to tear down. A special thanks to my brother Lou for lugging a huge popcorn machine to the dance. We're grateful too for the non-dancers who just came & chatted with others.

Many memories were made that night -my favorite was seeing my Thomas & his little friend Ryan on the dance floor chasing the lights on the floor from the dance ball above. This event was for a child in need & what better way to remind ourselves of the joy that children should have by seeing little ones laughing & running.