My new favorite picture

Redneck Special Forces

REDNECKS GOING TO IRAQ:

The Pentagon announced today the formation of a new 500-man elite fighting unit called the United States Redneck Special Forces. These Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and TEXAS boys will be dropped off into Iraq and have been given only the following facts about terrorists:

1. The season opened today.
2. There is no limit.
3. They taste just like chicken.
4. They don't like beer, pickups, country music or Jesus.
5. They are DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for the death of Dale Earnhart

We expect the problem in Iraq to be over by Friday.
___________________________

(Please note this is not intended to take anything away from our troops (whom I love and respect) I just found this too funny not to share.)

CNY Party 01/29/06

Special Gifts

Uncle Doug and Aunt Amy sent Emilia these great gifts for Christmas.





Our friends Bill and Alice got her this Noah's Ark bank (nursery decor).

And....

Grandma and Grandpa Hill got her this adorable bear "Sugarcane".

Why China???

Because that's where our daughter is.

Bundle or Bumble ???

This one needs a little explaining....JJ and I text message throughout the day (he from his cell phone and me through my computer) and one day we were talking about our new insurance policy, and his message went like this: "Insurance will go down till we get our little bumble of joy".

Well now, you can see why it was necessary at Christmas to get a......Bumble. LOL :)

I'm in love

I so love this lil' guy. I just want to hug him.
















This is Tai Shan ("Peaceful Mountain"). He is a Giant Panda and lives at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. He was born on 7/9/05.

When Tai turns 2-years old, he will go live in China.


Emily has her own little Tai Shan waiting for her in Kansas.

Day 28

Today is #28 of being smoke free!!

Happy New Year - Chinese New Year That Is

The Year Of The Dog

Tomorrow (1/29/05) is the first day of the Chinese New Year. 2006 is the year of generosity and justice.

The Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first day of the First Moon of the lunar calendar. The date in the solar calendar varies from as early as January 21st to as late as February 19th.

The Chinese calendar is continuous, and there are 12 animal mascots that represent a different year. These mascot names re-cycle every 12-years. Most Chinese people will tell you the name of the year they were born, not the actual number of the year. (By the name, they are able to figure out the year).

An example of this would be: in America, if you asked me when I was born, I would say 1969...in China if you asked the same question, I would say I was born in the Year of the Rooster.

Chinese New Year, as with the Western New Year, signifies the turning over of a new leaf. Socially, it is a time for family reunions, and for visiting friends and relatives. This Chinese tradition, more so than any other, stresses the importance of family ties. The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner gathering is among the most important family occasions of the year.

Shooting off firecrackers on New Year's Eve is the Chinese way of sending out the old year and welcoming in the New Year.

I'm learning Chinese...really I am

Today was my first Chinese class. Yup, that's right - I'm officially a student in a Chinese language school. It's not going to be easy, but I had a total blast.

The class is for 2-hours every Saturday for 12-weeks, and our instructors are actually from China. They now live in Kansas/Missouri, but they were born and raised in China. They are going to attempt to teach us (the students) how to speak and write Chinese.

I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to take this class. I can at least make an effort to converse with the people while we are in China, and most importantly, I want to be able to reassure Emily in a language she is familiar with when we first receive her.

Oh, and remember those cd's I purchased awhile back??....Let's just say they make a lot more sense to me now, even after only one class. :)

One more down

Today marks another month in the history books that our paperwork has been logged in at the CCAA.

No word yet on when we will be receiving our info about Emily....but many families will be blessed this week with news of their little ones, because word on the street (the cyber street that is) is that the Stork Is Flying!!! That means by the end of the week, many families that have been waiting for approximately 4 months longer than us will have their baby's information. This is definately an exciting time in the adoption community...the week referrals come in. :)

Congratulations families!!!

The house is almost ready

Just wanted to let you all know that move-in day is almost here. The house is almost done, and we believe that Emily will have plenty of room to run and play in the new place. Truth be known, I'm afraid that if she runs too far too fast - we may not see her for a week.

So, if you're in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by. We may have some extra space for you to crash for a few days.





P.S. - the above comment is just a joke. This house is actually Garth Brooks' new home that is under construction in Oklahoma. Have you ever seen anything like it???? And to think, I contributed to one of those rooms (LOL - Garth is one of my favorites, so he has gotten plenty of my money). Wonder if he'd let us stay in one of those rooms some time. :)

I'm going to teach Emily how to do this...right!?!?!?

I love this kid!!!