skubellaredthreadjourney

Spring Updates

2009-04-23T08:46:00.007-06:00

Easter Breakfast

Touching a dinosaur footprint in Canon City, CO

Snowshoeing Bunny

Daddy's BD Cake

Daddy and Ruby wood working on the house together!

A gal that knows how to handle a power tool.

I can't believe how long it's been since the last post! Time can sure fly by!

We have seen so much happen in the past few months. We are gearing up for summer, Ruby is starting to read at a lower second grade reading level, the princess items in her room have been pushed aside and Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana collages have popped up on her doors. Her conversational English is super and even though we come across words she still doesn't know, Ruby is able to develop the understanding of many new words on how they are used in a sentence. It is hard to see her maturing because it seems to be happening so fast. We are very lucky that she still trusts us and that she is still very open about what happens at school. We are now struggling with the pre-teen attitude. Even though we are just seeing the beginning stages it is hard for Mike and I to accept that she is becoming of this age.

I won't be posting on the blog so much anymore. Maybe quarterly....If you are on facebook, request to be our friend and we'll see you there.

A bragging Mother

2009-01-24T15:33:00.004-07:00

This post is more or less a bragging post, but we are so proud of our daughter that I need to share :) Ruby was on the honor roll again this quarter and was also nominated for one of the local Optimist Club's youth awards. The award was nominated through the school, but also considers the strength of the child to overcome challenges and to be an inspiration and role model for others. Way cool!

All is well in other news - haven't posted for awhile. I'm back to work full time. I'll miss the part time days for sure, but it was worth every dollar not coming in. There is no way possible that my bond with Ruby would be as strong as it is working full time. All you mothers out there that work full time jobs and have children - I give you so much credit! My mother - even more amazing...four kids, full time job and going to college! I'm still learning to balance everything and of course my personal time is put on the back burner. I hope to learn to make time for myself soon :) Yet, I love my new job as the Assistant Operations Director/Family PLUS Coordinator. Mike's log furniture store is still doing well, despite the economy. Hopefully, it will continue to last. Luckily, there are still homes being built in our community and lots of retired people looking to update their homes.

Christmas was a blast and Ruby did well. I think the first week was an adjustment, but by the last week she was a pro at long term care travel in the Midwest. Ruby has the overall picture and connection of the family. This has really been a positive experience and I think it is comforting for her to know there are so many people that love her.

FYI (especially for other adoptive families).
Some differences we have seen in Ruby....

her self-esteem has improved. Not that she had low self-esteem before, but there were many things she was unsure of in the past and also just trying to fit in. She accepts compliments more now and says thank you when people give them to her. This is something we worked on over the holidays. On the other hand, Ruby is questioning her skin tone. Some kids at school mentioned that she is a brown or black person. She has expressed this has made her sad, but she also said that she thinks her skin is special. I pointed out that everyone has different colors of skin...even birth families. We looked at various photos of family and other random people on the computer and in books. It was very comforting for her to realize that America has so many different people of color.....unlike rural China (Ruby has mentioned that only Chinese people were seen in her community). As we were talking, Ruby even brought up the President and I was able to show a photo of his mother and father....she was surprised of the differences in them! It was a learning moment and hope she feels more confident in her own skin :) We are trying to let her know that being yourself is very cool!

Ruby is also starting to play a little more by herself. This was a big issue until after Christmas. She went through this phase of not wanting to do things by herself - homework, playing or even taking a shower. I think she played more by herself during the first month home...but then she bonded with us and hated to even be in a different room. Ruby is doing a lot better now and takes showers without me in the room ....last week she even played for two hours alone...the longest so far!!! I think this is improving because ...a) she knows we aren't leaving her b) we will help her if needed c) Mom and Dad need to work around the house sometimes and have lives too d) she realizes if she doesn't play by herself, she'll get bored e) she is becoming more comfortable with herself

all for today - not sure how often I'll be posting for awhile...just very busy! sorry to all my blogger friends...I'll catch up on your blogs this upcoming month :)

Holiday Photos

2009-01-24T14:06:00.011-07:00

Happy New Years!!! 2009!!!

The gang for New Years

Grandma and Grandpa Johnson and Ruby

Ruby, Counsins Jaque and Elisabeth

Counsin Kyle, Ruby and Counsins Jessica and Cassidy

Ruby made around 100 cookies almost by her self - pretty amazing
I just love countertop space!

Grandma and Grandpa Skubella and Ruby

Counsin Elisabeth, Uncle Luke and Ruby

Me and Mike

Great Grandma, Ruby and Me

6 Months and Book List

2008-12-20T13:13:00.002-07:00

First, I would like to say thank you for all the nice comments on the past post :) They are appreciated! Today is our 6th month Family Day anniversary. This Christmas has a much more different and positive feeling than last. This time last year we were looking at a second adoption in hopes to be matched with a second child while we were waiting for our Chinese adoption to go through (knowing it would be at least another 1 - 2 years). In the end, we found Ruby and doors were opened where we didn't think would be possible. As I reflect back on the past 6 months, I realize how much faster time passes by when you have a child. Ruby has grown a couple of inches, her English is up to conversation and she is thriving in school. Of course we have our struggles, but our little girl (as Daddy calls her), is progressing fast. We are very fortunate that she is expressive and will communicate her feelings to us. For example, she let us know in the car that today she is struggling being nice to us (which we already knew!). How awesome that she feels so comfortable to express her feelings with us. We are in Chicago visiting family for the holidays and this is the first time Ruby is away from home. I must say that she did AMAZING in the two day car ride from Colorado to Chicago. Very impressed!

Here is the list of books I mentioned in the last post. There are many more out there and we have read some others, but these are books Ruby has connected with and have brought up great conversation. Hope this helps with adoptive families or those wanting to buy books for loved ones.

Family are Forever by Greg Shemin
Mama's Wish/Daughter's Wish by Debbie Blackington - Ruby did a book report on this book (English and Chinese) This is one of Ruby's favorites!
How I was Adopted by Joanna Cole
When You Were Born in China by Sara Dorow
At Home In This World by Jean MacLeod
Motherbridge of Love by Xinran

Sweet and OMG Moments

2008-12-08T20:46:00.003-07:00

Our house is very quiet this evening. The snow is falling, the TV is off, Ruby is sleeping, the Christmas lights inside and out are glowing and our wood burning stove is so hot that it's not making much noise but a slight hissing sound. I love evenings like this.

Ruby's reading choice tonight was the book "Forever Family", which is about a little girl, named Rain, who was adopted from China. Again, Ruby had questions about adoption. Her key question of the night was ..... what was a forever family? This took me off guard because Ruby and I have read and processed (or at least I thought) this book at least twice before AND Mike and I have told her several times (beginning in China) that we are her Forever Parents and that we will never leave. Yet, until tonight she still thought that she would go back to her Chinese orphanage at some point in her life and get another new set of parents. Oh my gosh! My heart nearly broke when she told me this. I really thought she knew we were together forever. Yet, I can understand where she is coming from .....her birth mother left her, then she went to the orphanage for a few weeks, then she was placed with her foster family for 9 years (knowing all along that around age of 10 she would be placed back at the orphanage - how awful to NOT to want to turn 9 or 10!), then moved back to the orphanage at almost age 10 and lastly receiving new parents and moving to a different country on the other side of the world.

My dear daughter - I feel awful that we didn't make it clear to you that we are a FOREVER family and that you will never every have any other parents again.

After explaining to Ruby what forever really means, she had a big grin on her face and kept saying "you are kidding" and "really?". I'm not even sure if it has sunk into her head yet, but at least she now knows that nobody will take her away and she won't have to change parents ever again. One thing is for sure......we will be talking about forever families much more often!

On my next post, I'll list the adoption books we have read together and single out the ones that have sparked good conversation about adoption.

To other adoptive families: Please use our story to make triple sure your children (especially older children that have had a foster family) understand what a forever family really is. It saddens me that we assumed Ruby understood this. 5 months is 5 months too long for such an assumption.

The big 11

2008-12-08T07:55:00.007-07:00

Ready to open gifts..

Ruby's BD had a peacock theme...this was my poor attempt at a peacock cake

At least Ruby loved it :)

Ruby felt like a new woman with her ears pierced!

Dressed up for a Christmas Party

Ruby said hello to age 11 on December 5th. It was her first birthday party and she had a blast. All the kids were wonderful and so well behaved. Mike and I were impressed! This was a day Ruby has been counting down to since she first arrived home because birthdays aren't really celebrated in China. Ruby mentioned that her foster family celebrated her 9th birthday the last winter she was with them. They celebrated with a special dinner (no friends, party or gifts).

Now that Ruby is 11 it is amazing to see how fast she has grown. She has grown over an inch in the past 5 months. Her 6x and 7 size clothing don't fit her anymore. She can just barely wear 8's and fits best into 10's now. Ruby is becoming more socially mature and has phased out of several of her small child habits. She loves to talk on the phone with Mom and Dad and sometimes with relatives. This is a good sign that she is more confident about her English skills. We attended a Christmas party last night and Ruby had no problem starting conversations with people and introducing herself. She is using more and more complete sentences every day and is doing really well at sounding out words when reading. I'm so happy she loves books because this has really helped her interest in English. Another cool thing...Ruby really enjoys her adoption related books and is starting to ask more questions concerning her experience. I'm really glad we have many of these books because she chooses to read them at night with us and enjoys hearing other children's stories. It has made adoption seem much more common. It has also opened communication on other topics .....like... how babies are born, ideas on why birth mothers can't keep their babies, why are so many girls adopted from China, why people choose to adopt from China and why some countries don't have international adoption. I just love when she has so many questions about adoption. She is such a smart little girl!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-11-30T11:35:00.007-07:00

Mom decorating the tree.

Ruby chillin w/Grandpa

Mike getting ready to cut down the Christmas tree.

Thanks for finding the perfect tree Katie!!

Thanksgiving Dinner (Grandpa, Me, Katie and brother Larry)

Mimi likes the Christmas Village too.

She found a spot w/o knocking down anything! Amazing cat-

It was so nice to be with family during the Thanksgiving weekend. We stuffed ourselves, cut down the Christmas tree, played football and watched some holiday movies. Mike also took my Dad, brother and Katie to shoot off some rounds. It was a good time! It was Ruby's first Thanksgiving and first time having to share Mom and Dad with several other people. That part was a little difficult for her. We noticed a change in her personality and respect towards Mike and I. We talked about it after everyone left and luckily she was very open about her feelings and what was hard for her while we had company. Another step forward :)

Ruby keeping warm in her new pink scarf!

Gobble Gobble

2008-11-26T07:51:00.004-07:00

I sure hope my Turkey turns out this nice!

Our house is really looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. Not only is this Ruby's first Thanksgiving, but my Dad, brother and his girlfriend are leaving their homes today to celebrate with us. Ruby has met Grandpa the first day she came home, but it will be her first time to meet Uncle Larry and Auntie Katie.

Our family connection is finding its niche. We are to the point where we click more often, know each others reaction before it will happen and just feel closer overall. A few nights ago Mike mentioned that it seems like we've been a family for much longer than we really have...I will agree. It feels so good to be at this point after almost 5 months. Considering Ruby is an older child, this is a huge accomplishment. Today Ruby said "I love you bigger than mother earth." My heart just melted!

Last night we played Monopoly for the first time. Ruby caught on fast and LOVES the game. I personally thinks she likes the power of the money :) She always has very good fu (luck) while playing games. Last night was not an exception. Her first time around the board she landed on Boardwalk (bought it of course!) and her second time around the board she landed on Park Place (another important purchase as well!). Mike and I couldn't believe it. Besides card games, her two favorite games are now Rumikube and Monoploy. To the family in IL and Michigan: watch out because Ruby will dominate over the Christmas holidays!

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

Adoption Yahoo Groups

2008-11-13T21:48:00.002-07:00

This post is for all the people I've met on the adoption related Yahoo Groups. I have deleted my yahoo account because it was business related and I have changed jobs. Please contact me through my e-mail listed on this blog. I will re-join the groups sometime in future.

Moving Along...

2008-11-13T20:49:00.003-07:00

First, I have to comment on the election. Although not everyone shares the same view, I am so happy that Obama was elected. It was very exciting to watch the results as a family and was easy for Ruby to follow. We made it a very big deal - how cool for Ruby to experience such a historical election year her first year in America. I hope it is something she will always remember. Now I'm just kicking myself in the butt (BIG time!!!!) that we didn't attend any of the Obama rallies in Colorado...*I'm sooo stupid!*

Ruby loves second hand stores like her mommy. We came across this steal for $2.50. She has already decided that it is her Christmas dress - she looks so beautiful.

Halloween Photos

2008-11-03T22:01:00.006-07:00

Ruby in the school Halloween costume parade on Friday

Our black Halloween cat, Mimi

Ruby and her fav dog, Simba

Family pumpkins (Mike's, Ruby's and Tara's)

Daddy cutting is spooktacular pumpking

The girls digging out the pumpkin brains...

We took Ruby trick or treating on Friday evening. She was a bit shy at first, but

realized how fast she can rack up the candy...then got really into trick or treating.

The dogs joined us, the weather was fabulous (50s) and we will all

be enjoying candy for awhile.

WE look forward to CHANGE tomorrow!

Honor Roll, colorful teeth and that cold white stuff...

2008-10-26T13:22:00.012-06:00

Loving the first snow fall...I don't think she

quite understands how much we actually get up here!

Ruby made the honor roll. Pretty amazing kid. We are so

proud of our hard working daughter! Of course the English part of school has

been adapted to her level...but she's catching up fast!

Yes, we know that Ruby should brush her teeth more often, but the colors are starting to grow on us.

Ruby attended her first Halloween party yesterday and had a blast. Afterwards she told me that she really likes Halloween now. She was also amazed by all the candy.

Our daughter is picking up English at a faster pace now. She has used 20 - 25 new words in sentences the past few days. Ruby gets so excited when she uses a new word. When she uses a new word she let's us know that it is a first time word. Very cool and we share her excitement! She is starting to forget a little Chinese already, which makes us all sad, including Ruby. Luckily she is trying to keep up with her Chinese by listening to Chinese music CD's and moive/videos. My mom sent her several animal Chinese videos (a Chinese version of animal planet shows). All these things have helped......the library is also hooking us up with an order of simple reading books in Chinese and English so Ruby can retain some of her 1st grade level in reading and writing the Chinese characters.

Pumpkin Patch Fun & Photos

2008-10-20T00:04:00.009-06:00

Ruby riding a mini horse.... she told me later that day it was her first time on a horse, even though she grew up with them.
Ruby and her friend Seth.

Mom and Ruby on a hay ride....

I love that Ruby is in the tween stage because she still has a lot of little girl left in her. It makes days like going to a pumpkin patch so much fun. Right now she believes in Santa...I hope it lasts until after Christmas. How fun to play Santa for her first Christmas! She has some pre-teen behaviors too....like not knowing what to wear to school and if it looks nice, asking me to buy more training bras (boo hoo....puberty is coming) and wanting to wear make-up.

4 months as a family

2008-10-18T16:36:00.003-06:00

Ruby and Daddy chill'n with Macea...aka Mimi
The parents.....it's nice to have someone in the house that
can take photos of us!

Daddy with Ruby

Mike and I can't believe we've been a family for four months already. Fall is here and we are already looking forward to Halloween, Thanksgiving, Rubys' BD, Christmas and the New Year!

We reached a couple of milestones this week. Ruby's behavior and emotions have finally become more consistently positive. We only had two small behavior issues this week. This is amazing! Usually she has a couple of good days mixed in with some OK and 3 -4 challenging days. Mike and I have been praising her left and right for doing such a good job at expressing her emotions appropriately. We are so proud of her. This is a huge accomplishment and I we can tell she is trying hard. Ruby even went so far this week to admit that she hasn't been very nice sometimes to us and that she can do better. Another milestone includes Ruby saying sorry to me. She has only said sorry after poor behavior because Mike has asked her to. ...maybe one or two times before. Because it was the first time she said sorry on her own I broke down and cried (of course!). I let her know that it made me happy. She gave me a big smile and kiss on the cheek after I told her how proud I was of her. I hope it happens again :) Since that incident, our relationship seems to have taken a little step further. Our third milestone happened today. She wanted to know about the adoption process and hear our story of why, how and when we adopted. I was quite open and honest. She also shared some more of her story with me. Her younger foster sister entered the orphanage the same time. I hope to find where her sister was adopted...if yet. Ruby knew she was going to be adopted about 60 days before she came home...this is good because I thought they gave her less time. She didn't receive the care package though until the day before she came home....not a lot of time to process the photos we sent.

On another note - Ruby is starting to read basic level 1 and 2 books like "I am Sam". She also starts full school days maybe next week or the next.

Visiting with Grandpa and Grandma Skubella

2008-10-05T21:42:00.005-06:00

Celebrating my big 35 with family...at a Chinese restaurant of course!

Ruby w/ Grandma and Grandpa Skubella

Me sleeping...for some reason my family loves to take photos of me sleeping.

Ruby at the football game. She cheered with the Jr. Cheerleaders and had a blast!

We are so proud that she was able to memorize most of the cheers - Ruby practiced so hard!

These past two weeks have flown by! At lot has happened. My last day w/Boys & Girls Club of South Park was last Tuesday. I am sad, but am happy with the choice I made. Mike works and Ruby goes to school south of where we live and my previous employement was north. We were almost an hour apart. Now I am looking for work in Buena Vista, the town that we mostly conduct our lives - wish me luck.

We celebrated my 35th BD. I can't believe I'm already 35. I've read somewhere the new middle age is 40 and not 35 anymore...so I'm sticking with that. This will be good news for my siblings ;)

Ruby is learning so much more English. She was able to communicate with Mike's parents pretty easily. Her vocab is still taking off. It's amazing how fast a 10 year old can learn.

Our visit with Grandma and Grandpa Skubella was great. They were able to see Ruby cheer at the local football game, watch the aspen leaves turn gold and orange (it was a fantastic year for leaves and reminds me of the year Mike and I married on Sept 21st). Grandma and Grandpa also got to see a few of Ruby's special performances. Ruby loves to act and perform for Mike and I, but we learned that she'll sing and dance for other family members too. She is so funny when she performs little acts - sometimes it is acting, singing dancing or all three!

Late photos and football

2008-09-21T20:26:00.003-06:00

Ruby in front of Ruby Mountain. We did hike to the top, but I forgot my phone :(

Ruby picking apples at the Turner Apple Farm Last Week -

Our dear daughter is really into physical activity and absolutely has the energy to participate often. I think she is enjoying trying few new things to see where her interests are. I'm sure she would want to try everything offered in town if given the chance, but we must limit it to a few things at a time so she doesn't get too overwhelmed with the possibilities. She started Taekwondo last week and loved it! We'll give it a few more week until we buy her uniform, just in case it is short lived. Ruby is also trying a mini three day cheer camp this week. The cheer camp will perform at the high school football game this Friday. She is excited and understands she will be in front of 100's of people for the game. I am amazed that she is ready to take on such a task. She likes to be loud when possible and enjoys being the center of attention...so this might be a great experience for her. Mike is also teaching her how to throw a football and even watches a little TV football with Daddy. She asked us last week why girls don't play football. We told her that she can play if she wants and if she wants to play in High School she might be the only girl. She replyed that she is strong (you go girl!).

Today is our 5th year anniversary!!! Happy anniversary Bebe :)

Go CUBS!!!

Apples & Moon Cakes

2008-09-17T07:26:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, we visited the Turner Farm in Buena Vista for an old fashioned apple picking festival. This event was small, but so much fun. We won a cake at the cake walk, Ruby made a corn husk doll, we picked veggies from the community garden, pet goats, picked a bag of apples, sewed on a foot peddle sewing machine, helped make butter and more. Ruby just had a ball. The event and activities were free...very amazing in this day and age! Afterwards, we hiked Ruby Mountain. A little mountain near Buena Vista. They call it Ruby Mountain because you can find tiny garnets embedded in the rocks. To top it off the weather was PERFECT! It was a day for the books!

On Sunday we celebrated the Moon Festival, even though it really was Monday. We used the veggies from the Turner farm for our dinner and then broke in the highly anticipated moon cake box. It was very hard for Ruby not to eat any the previous day. The metal Chinese decorated tin contained four different flavored moon cakes; red bean paste (Ruby's favorite), lotus flower, nuts and melon. My favorite was a toss up between the lotus and melon. The red bean paste was really good too. Ruby told us that typically everyone stays up until mid-night on the moon festival, we weren't able to stay up that late because she had school the next day. Maybe next year. I'll post some photos soon :)

Leaps and Bounds

2008-09-10T19:59:00.005-06:00

This is Ruby on her school hiking fieldtrip.

This is the only photo I got of her, but she had a blast.

I tagged along and just loved it. I also found out a boy has a crush on her - or at least that is what I over heard a group of boys saying. Those school secrets don't stay secrets for long :)

Things are starting to fall in place more and more each week. I've decided that the challenges are needed in order jump leaps and bounds. Ruby is becoming more open to communicating about when she gets mad. She has also been opening up to us more about her life in China and a few thoughts about her birth mother every couple of weeks. Many times it comes up as we talk about behavior or why she might act a certain way. We feel honored that she trusts us enough to talk about these deep issues. School is also going better for her. I'm not attending school with her as much. She is learning cursive writing and she is completing her academic testing next week. So, hopefully we'll have an English Title 1 or ESL class lined up and she can attend school in the morning or until the end of the day. Now she attends school from 9:45-2.

In other news: I visited the hospital yesterday, but I'm OK. I had severe stomach cramping. At one point it hurt so much I passed out as I was throwing up. Luckily a co-worker was there to drive me to the doctor. I must say it was one of my most glamorous moments. It turns out I might have gastric acid reflux disease. Anyone out there has this? I would love to hear your experiences. I need more testing done before they can determine if this is really it or not. At least I didn't need surgery for anything exploding in my abdomen.

Top 10 Signs Ruby Has Bonded To Our Family

2008-09-07T20:38:00.006-06:00

The 'Sign' and when we noticed it -

10. Calls us Mommy/Daddy - at first it was Mother/Father in China
9. Sleeps w/pets - started this the first night were home
8. Wants to help out with tasks on her own - first few days home
7. Accepting of Dad's tattoos - third week home
6. Gives us hugs on her own - second to third week home
5. Likes to see family photos and extended family -second to third week home
4. Doesn't like us to leave -even if you are in the next room - this occured our second week home at Boys & Girls Club (I was working in the next room even) - doesn't even like to be in school w/o parent, but this is starting to fade
3. Would rather spend time with us (Mike and I) instead of going to work - started immediately when we went back to work - Mike first week home and Tara end of second week home. Sometimes she gets upset if it is not a work day and we have to work even a little at home. Keep in mind I only work 15 - 25 hours per week. It makes me sad because I know her days dreams of a family in China didn't include work.
2. Hops on our laps or sits next to us closely - maybe end of the first week or early second week
1. Says "I Love You" on her own....sometime in week 5 or 6. She only says it when we are saying good-bye or time for bed, although she did say it once in a conversation about family. She tells our dog Simba "I Love You" much more often - yet Simba will do anything she says :)

Enjoying the last days of summer

2008-09-03T22:35:00.006-06:00

Ruby and Simba: Ruby told us on Monday that she was

going to marry Simba. She loves the pets dearly and likes to sleep

with at least one of them in her bedroom.....but she's also afraid of the dark still. She is very thankful for her ladybug nightlight :)

Mike's Magnificent Deck. We are excited to finish it and

use it more next summer.

Eating Lunch Outside - one of my favorite things to do!

The weather has been amazing during the day at our house this past week. Thought I would sneak in some photos from the weekend that I forgot

on my phone. BTW - Ruby has been entertaining herself a little more the past few days. Until recently she wanted to do something with us every minute of the day - which is/was a good thing, but that takes alot of energy! Whew! I know she was just so happy to have a forever family. I'm sure she imagined us always being together in her day dreams. At least we were able to provide as much as possible these past two months. I take this as another sign that the honeymoon is over and she is settling down into family life.

Autumn Moon Festival

2008-09-02T22:54:00.002-06:00

I've always wanted to celebrate the Autumn Moon Festival and now it is finally going to happen. Ruby is totally excited and we are counting down the days to Sept 14th (which also happens to be my Mei Mei's BD). After looking at mooncake recipes, I decided that purchasing them might be a better choice. The best deal I found on the internet is from www.chinasprout.com Hopefully, they taste OK because Ruby had told me how much she loves to eat mooncakes!

First week of school

2008-09-01T08:28:00.009-06:00

Miss Ruby on her first day of school

Ruby and I getting ready for a cold summer's walk. I love this photo, but I look 40 not 34!

I can't believe it is already September! Time has flown by so fast! Ruby's first day of school was last Tuesday. She was quite nervous, but did good overall. Ruby has had some ups and downs concerning school since her first day. This is expected due to a new adjustment, new friends and environment. I've been attending school with her to help out with the translation part. Even though I am far from speaking Chinese, we are still able to communicate in our own way. I am starting to ween myself off of school so Ruby can become a little more independent. I think I'm just more of a distraction to her now, instead of help. We tested this on Friday because I had to work and missing so much work has put me behind. I was sad to leave her too, but know it is the right thing because I can't go to school with her every day. She was upset that I wasn't going to be there, but did just fine after I left.

We have adjusted a few things for Ruby until the school has completed her testing and program design. Ruby goes to school at 9:30 and leaves at 2. She feels a little awkward coming in late and leaving early, but is OK with it. We've done this because Ruby wants so badly to be doing what the other kids are doing in Spelling/English, but her communication/vocabulary just isn't there yet. She doesn't understand what the kids are doing and it makes her very frustrated. So, instead of feeding the frustration we have decided to skip those classes until she is able to attend a title 1 English class and other options. I think it is a relief for her now :)

Ruby will not lack motivation to catch up. She is all about being at the same level as the other kids. We knew she was competitive, but we are finding out her expectations are too high. One night she spent over 2 hours just trying to do homework. Her teacher is very flexible with the assignments and anything that is out of her reach does not have to be completed. Ruby has a hard time understanding this. From what she has told us, her school in China was very very strict and she feels she can not do anything wrong or different from the other students. I think school may have been traumatic for her in China after hearing her stories. I hope she has a more positive experience here. American schools are so different. Ruby made the comments to me on the first day of school that her teacher walks around the room too much and letting the students drink water during class out of water bottles is bad.

Socially, Ruby is like a movie star. It is a little overwhelming at times because children say hello to her in the halls and she doesn't know them. All the kids want to play with her at recess. Everywhere we go in town, kids and parents are saying "hi". Ruby says that people like her because she is from China. Mike and I tell her yes because it is the truth. We also add in that China is a great country and Americans like China because they were able to see Beijing during the Olympics. This makes her happy and proud.

I look forward to seeing what the second week of school brings. Ruby also has a hiking field trip (I'm going of course!) and her first birthday party on Friday.

I think this might be her first birthday party.

Smiles and the 4th grade!

2008-08-24T13:47:00.007-06:00

A self photo of our beautiful daughter

Ruby likes to build things like Daddy!

Pampering a hurt foot

Hurt foot...what hurt foot?

Orange "peaces"

So many I can't believes these past two weeks.

I can't believe we've been a family for 2 months. It makes us so happy inside :)

I can't believe Ruby is going into the 4th grade. She will be a year behind other kids her age, but that is OK. She is still a little girl at times and the 4th grade just seems so old to me. I know she'll catch up and do well. We were thinking 3rd grade at first, but after our assessment w/Children's Intl. Hospital Adoption Center, we decided that 4th grade will be more appropriate for her since she is learning English very quickly and has many "older" child like skills. Ruby is anxious to start school this upcoming Tuesday.

I can't believe her honeymoon is finally over. We've seen a different (and a little more mature) Ruby. She is still doing amazingly well, but does show an attitude every now and then. She is learning more and more English every day. She is so smart and we use the dictionary a little less than the first 8 weeks. As mentioned before, she is very expressive. Now that she can express her fashion a little more here in the states, she has bought a pink wig (just for play), wears the colors brown and dark blue now (wouldn't touch them before because they were 'boy' colors) and even bought play tattoos. The tattoos were a huge step because she was scared of Mike at first because of all of his tattoos. She's catching on that being different is acceptable here in America.

I can't believe that Ruby is eating cheese now (still doesn't like hot cheese yet).

I can't believe that she gives us hugs and kisses now. We went to a friend's BD party last night. Mike wasn't able to come. This made Ruby sad. When we got home she ran into Daddy's arms.

I can't believe I'm leaving Boys & Girls Club of South Park :( This was a difficult choice, but I'm looking forward to a more 40 hour work week, not traveling for work, less stress and being here for my family. Ruby is sad too (she likes the Club), but is VERY happy because she understands that means I'll have more time to spend with her and Daddy.

I can't believe that we've only had to use an interpreter three times since we've been home. I think we'll use one on a weekly basis once school starts at first, just to keep communication open.

I can't believe how busy it is to have one child. I give props to those of you who have more than one :)

Olympics

2008-08-11T17:35:00.002-06:00

The Olympics have been a favorite in our house hold the past couple of days. Ruby loves to see China compete and is excited when either the USA or China wins a competition. She's also had fun keeping up on how many medals each country has won. We are so glad that she is home and able to watch this. What perfect timing. Her favorite Olympic mascot is Jingjing the Panda. Mine is Bebe ...although Nini is very cute too. I love how the elements are tied into the Mascots - very fung shui! Ruby also gave us a wonderful performance of her version of the floor gymnastics. Very cute! Ruby has also shown an interest in our politics when she saw our President during an interview. She had a few very good questions on our government relations with China.

Tips for families adopting older children

2008-08-04T16:22:00.004-06:00

Ruby and her fine catch of trout.

Daddy and Ruby hauling wood for winter.

Tips for families adopting older children.

I've come up with some tips for families adopting older children...especially since many families are making the "switch" to this age group. These suggestions have worked for us...of course I can not say that they will work for every family.

1. Read this book before you adopt and bring it along while you travel to China. It was so nice to refer back to this book when we needed to. This has been our most valuable book so far. There are many others that we read, but liked the simplicity that this one offered: Attaching in Adoption by Deborah D. Gray.

2. Make sure you have family time in China, even if it is swimming, taking walks, eating ice cream, playing cards or watching TV together. Don't be afraid to say "no" to missing out on the tourist trips. It is more important to start the bonding process. Your guide will understand.

3. Buy English learning DVD/CD's while in China. They are so much cheaper there and your child will appreciate it much more than the US ones offered. Also, buy movies in Chinese. Some won't play on the DVD player, even though it says, but you can play it on your computer. We bought several including a new US release movie "BEE" for under $4! Ruby also LOVES her traditional Chinese music CD's. She listens to them all the time and is of great comfort - music might be really good for kids under the age of 5 too!

4. Once you come home, don't have guests over or travel much. It is so nice and comforting for Ruby to know that our home is a safe fun place where she can relax and be herself. While we are home, we try to spend a lot of time together because it is a family place. We've been home one month and still haven't had people over. Although my Dad was here for a few hours the day after we came home.

5. We started Ruby on easy chores after day 3 or 4 at home. We use a chore chart with plastic tags and photos of each chore. It has given her responsibility in an easy way. We don't use the award system because these items are expected of her to do to help out with the family. She has responded very well to this and every day she wakes up she looks at her tags so she knows what is expected of her. I printed out photos of items that we do as chores that were not included in the kit. I bought ours for under $10 through Collections Etc or www.lakeside.com I can't seem to find it on either site now...so I'm not sure if they sell them anymore, but would be easy to make a homemade version.

6. We also keep a monthly calendar with photos, symbols and words that Ruby knows. She likes to be involved and updated on any changes. We go over each day together the night before.

7. We started to do 30 to 60 minutes a day of language workbook activities after week 1. Most of the workbooks were bought through Wal-mart. We started off with Pre-K and are now up to 1st grade. She flew through the pre-K/K and needs my help with 1st on maybe 50%. No matter, I always sit next to her and watch so she knows that I'm here for support. After she completes each book, we post her finished certificate on the fridge.

8. We posted a map in the office that has pins located where all of her adoptive relatives live. We are in the process of connecting each pin with a string to a photo of the relatives. Our family lives so far away that this gives her a better idea of how many relatives she has and who loves her.

9. We've also explained all the holidays coming up and that we are going to see relatives for Christmas. I know it seems far away, but it is important to us that she knows we travel far sometimes and that seeing family is a holiday tradition.

10. Ruby and I always pack her lunch together for the next day for Boys & Girls Club (my place of employment). She loves food and likes to be a part of the food choices. Luckily she likes healthy food, so we haven't had any power struggles with junk food yet.

11. Even though we are still working through the bonding process, we've found positive bonding activities like fishing, playing card games and Sorry, nail painting (even with Daddy!), baking/cooking together, taking photos of each other, looking through photos of when Mike and I where children and our wedding photos, looking at bugs and birds outside, reading books together at night (very simple books) and doing hair. High fives worked well during the first few weeks when she wasn't into hugging. Now she hugs all the time.

12. We eat together at least twice a day (difficult on working days, but we manage) and we always clear off the table as a family and clean the kitchen as a family. This is good for Ruby to see that Daddy can take on a motherly role too - which isn't common in China. She's even see Daddy cook and I think she was impressed!

13. We've also found it helpful for Ruby to play on www.funbrain.com There are great simple educational games for all grade levels.

14. We've had toys available for Ruby to play with that are for much younger children. This has been helpful and she's actually played with all of them. She even has a doll that she named after her Chinese name and sometimes strolls this doll in a doll stroller our friend gave us. Wang Mingnu has offered some good role-playing opportunities for Ruby. Sometimes adoptive children missed out on playing with these items and it's good to relive or regress through these stages if needed.

15. We always have one home movie family night a week and we pick out the movie as a family. Ruby is into fantasy. She loved the Spiderwick movie that just came out on DVD. Not recommended for children much younger than 9.

Hope this helps. I'll post some more tips as time goes on.

For the person trying to get a hold of me. My e-mail can be reached if you click on the profile section on this blog (right hand side). We are members on the BCWI yahoo group as well.

Trampolines, cup cakes and dragon boats

2008-07-27T22:11:00.005-06:00

Last week we visited our friends - Ken, Jamie and their daughter Kyra. After dinner we all jumped on their trampoline. It was so much fun. Ruby just loved the trampoline. I think we may buy her one eventually because she enjoyed it so much. It was also a positive outlet for her high energy :)

Yesterday we made cupcakes. It was the first time Ruby had a cupcake. She really thought it was good. We also rented and watched the movie Spiderwick Chronicles. She loved the movie so much she has already watched it 2 1/2 times in 24 hours. I'm not sure if she realizes we are only renting it. The movie needs to be returned tomorrow, so we'll see how she reacts. The good thing is that she'll also realize there are 1oo's of movies to rent in the future! I think she'll really like movies that have magic because she has shown interest in these types of things since we were in China.

Today we visited the Dragon Boat Festival in Denver. It was a good time, but very hot. Ruby became moody and complained about the heat often. We were hot too. We enjoyed the dancing and entertainment. Unfortunately, we only caught 2 boat races. After leaving the Dragon Boat Festival, we drove to Costco to become members, but didn't realize they only took American Express. We don't use American Express, so we drove across the street and joined Sam's Club instead. Ruby was amazed at all the huge bulk items. We were amazed too! Someone can drop some serious dough shopping at one of these places. I realize you ultimately save money, but there are many temptations.

And the beat goes on...

2008-07-21T19:50:00.004-06:00

Ruby the fashion Diva
Relaxing on the couch

This past week has been amazing. We have a couple of challenging days, but most have been just wonderful. Ruby is adjusting well. She has a very high spirit. Today we looked at the photo book we sent to Ruby while she was in the orphanage. This is the third time I've looked at it with her, but the this was the first time we looked at it as a family. She expressed how we looked different in person on the first day we met her compared to the first photos she saw of us in the photo book. Mommy's hair was much shorter and Daddy's hair was long (it was pulled back in the photos). She also mentioned how Daddy's tattoos scared her. This was such a wonderful moment for Ruby to open up like this to us. Ruby is starting to be more open about her feelings and how she felt on certain days while we were in China.

A quick cute story: As we were shopping for food this past weekend and a boy came up to us and said "Hola". It was so cute. I told him he can say Ni Hao because Ruby is from China. We didn't have time to talk because his mother called him over right away. Today we visited the Boys & Girls Club of Buena Vista (this is the town she will attend school) and we saw the little boy at the Club. I asked him if it was him at the store and he said yes. Come to find out he is learning Spanish at Club program. How cute!

Home Safe & Sound

2008-07-13T15:29:00.006-06:00

My favorite family photo in China

At home w/Mommy, Ruby and Grandpa

Ruby with her Asian doll from Grandma. My mother bought my
sister the same doll when she went to China in the 80's - too cool!!!!

Ruby and Mommy taking a cat nap with Mimi

We are home safe and sound. The plane ride was long but Ruby did very well, even with her high energy. Ruby loves home, the dogs and cat. She and Dad went fishing and she caught four fish, but two got away. It seemed like she was the only person catching fish at the lake. She also loves to catch bugs in her bug farm- she even caught a hummingbird....with her bare hands!!!! Mom made her let the bird go ...poor bird - it lost many of its tail feathers. Ruby went swimming for the first time. It was a new experience for her and she liked it a lot until she slipped under the water, but Mommy was next to her and grabbed her right away. Her English is coming along. She completed her first ABC workbook this week. She catches on fast and completed most of it on her own. We are trying not to push learning too much right now because she has only been home for one week. We found out fast that she likes to learn on her own terms - and accomplishes much more this way too. Sometimes her skills are beyond her age of 10. I think she helped a lot with the cooking and planting with her foster family. I really look forward to her being able to open up about her past.

It is so amazing to finally be parents!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Post in China

2008-07-02T20:55:00.003-06:00

I am using the hotel computer, so I won't be able to post any photos.

We made it to Guanzhou safely. It is much more hot and humid here, but the city is very nice. We are staying at the Victory Hotel, not the White Swan. The White Swan is more popular with adopting families. We are staying at the Victory because the rooms are bigger, there is a very nice computer in each room and it is less expensive. We really like the Victory. There are still many adoptive families staying here too and the free breakfast is very good. It is also very close the White Swan, so if you want the Red Couch photo - it is within walking distance.

Yesterday we had the good news of receiving Ruby's visa one day early. So, we went to the US consulate and had our oath taking ceremony with only a few other families. The adoptive family numbers were low yesterday so they bumped a few families up a day. Two guides said that adoptive family numbers are low now because of the low numbers of visas they are issuing due to the Olympics. I'm glad we were able to travel when we did because tourist visas are almost non-existent as well. This makes sight seeing destinations less busy :)

We were on a mission to find Ruby new shoes yesterday as well. Her sandals are too small and she has been very reluctant in letting us buy her new ones. While on our mission, we walked through a huge food market. I've never seen so many starfish, sea horses, rose buds, mushrooms and roots for sale in my life. All of these items were dehydrated, so there were 100's of these bags everywhere.

China in review - Logistically everything has gone very smoothly and in some cases much faster than expected. We couldn't have asked for anything better. Our guides have been terrific and so accommodating. Ruby is doing well and has taken to us more than the first week. Mike and Ruby joke around quite a bit now. Ruby is competitive just like her BaBa (father) and they have more in common than they realize! I look forward to seeing their relationship grow even more back home. Ruby looks to me for reassurance mentally and physically. Her English is also improving every day. I think she knows more than initially she led on. This morning she named almost all the body parts on her face and arms. We haven't taught her all these parts yet. Maybe she was holding back because she was embarrassed to speak or just didn't have an interest...or maybe even denial? We play Go Fish almost every night and it is great to see that she can just name the cards now and we don't have to show cards when asking for them. Ruby also says "Go Fitch" instead of "Fish" ....too cute! Her pronunciation will improve over time, but we just love her accent.

We'll post again after we are home.....USA - look out, here comes Ruby!

Happy July 4th!

Off to Guanzhou

2008-06-30T07:25:00.005-06:00

Photo of the Bird's Nest 2008 Olympic stadium. It looks foggy, but

it is actually the pollution of the city. The Olympic village is now

closed off to the public because it is so close to the Olympics,

but we were able to get even closer than this at one point. The village

is truly amazing and everything is new.

Family photo at summer palace yesterday.

A photo on top of the great wall with people from our adoption

agency - A Helping Hand. Legend has it that fathers who hike to the

top are very friendly men. Go Mike! Ruby is in the center with her

favorite dress. I think we'll need to get another because she wants

to wear it almost every day!

This evening we ate at a restaurant that Ruby liked a few nights ago. It is called Brazilian BBQ, but was really more like Chinese food. They BBQ a variety of meats, so of course Mike likes it too! Another first for Ruby last night she received her first professional hair cut. Until now her mother and the orphanage cut her hair. I'm not sure if I posted this yet, but we found out a few days after meeting her that she grew up in a rural community two hours north of Beijing. So, she will fit right into her new community! She also loves cats and dogs. We hope this will make her transition easier...yippee!!! Tomorrow we leave for Guanzhou. This will be her first plane ride. She gets motion sickness extremely easy, so we are hoping the child's Dramamine will help her like it did on the train ride. We are so proud of our daughter and love her so much!

Week one in review

2008-06-28T20:42:00.007-06:00

Ruby watching TV and eating dried apricot
Ruby next to a statue she really liked at a furniture store

Mike, our guide - Peter, and Ruby enjoying tea at a tea store. The tea expert
is the man behind the beautiful wood table. The table is what attracted Mike
to the store :)

Mommy, Ruby and Daddy at the Zoo

First, thank you everyone for the wonderful posts. It is nice to hear from you all back home!

Ni Hao. This has been a very busy week. It's hard to believe that nine days have already passed! During those nine days we have learned much more about Ruby, traveled to the city of Xian, saw the Beijing Zoo, visited the Terra Cotta Warriors, rode bikes eight miles around the city wall of Xian, watched a traditional Chinese dinner performance, Climbed the Great Wall and much more!!!! Everything, including the food, has been wonderful. Ruby is doing well. We have our good moments and challenges, but overall she is a trooper. Besides, the language barrier, our main challenge is the television. She wants to watch it constantly. We understand why, but she gets very upset when we ask her to turn it off to eat breakfast or go to bed. Today, we hope to communicate with some Love & Logic on the issue when we meet with our guide/translator. Hopefully this will ease the problem. Ruby has also been working on saying "thank you" and holding Mommy's hand in public. She is doing much better with these two things. We are keeping things simple at this point because we don't want to overwhelm her. We are still in the trust building stage. Everything else will come with time and baby steps.

Ruby is also much smaller than her measurements from a month ago. I think they measured her in a snowsuit because she fits best in size 7/8. I'm glad I brought two things in this size just in case. She is almost swimming in size 10, unless is is a small size 10. I don't think she cares though because the dress she wore when we met her was very big on her as well. She may not even know the difference? At least she'll be set for clothing for the next two summers because most of her summer clothing is size 10 thru 12 :)

Yesterday was the only day we saw our travel group from A Helping Hand. Ruby made friends with another family's daughter. Both girls enjoyed each other's company even though they don't speak the same language. We hope they are able to keep in contact in the future. Yesterday was also the day we climbed the Great Wall. Ruby has so much energy! She likes to race and climbed it very fast and again on the way back down. She also entertained the group with singing some traditional children's songs.

Ruby has so much energy.....this is an understatement! Mike and I haven't met anyone like her before. I can only think of one child similar to Ruby in my career of 10 years working with children. She is truly one of a kind! I have decided that Ruby is a cross between Anne of Green Gables , Buttercup from the Powerpuff Girls and a pinch of Cinderella. A very interesting combination to say the least!

Family Photos!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-22T14:31:00.007-06:00

Here are two photos taken moments after we became a family. We met at the BCWI. The second was maybe a minute or two after we were together. The first was taken about 10 minutes after. Ruby was given a Barbie Doll by an administrative orphanage official that she was very close to. The meeting moment wasn't exactly what I expected, but still amazing. Mike had went with our guide, Peter, to take care of the donation fee. While I was alone, Ruby came into the room. She was wearing a pretty very new looking dress and carrying a little Lion King backpack. I was taken off guard and it was slightly weird because Mike wasn't there. But it was very nice because she ran up to me, hugged me and told me that she loved me - in Chinese of course. This is one of the few phrases I've memorized so I actually new what she was saying! About one minute later, Mike came into the room. Ming hugged him and said the same thing :) She later told us this was something that she wanted to say to us as soon as she saw us to express how happy she was to be adopted. Overall she was a little stand-offish, but she knew this was a proud moment for her.

Ming has decided to officially go by Ruby so her name will be Ruby Ming Catherine Skubella.

Ruby is still doing well on her second day. Today we went to the Beijing Zoo. She had never been to the zoo before and loves the Pandas and Lions. We are learning there will be many more firsts in the next few months than we imagined. This is OK because she is highly adaptable and solid. When talking through our guide, we learned that she lived with her foster family in a rural setting two hours north of Beijing, instead of in Beijing like we had originally thought. For this we are glad because our home is VERY rural. Ruby also learned that she was born in Beijing. She didn't know where she was born and abandoned - at the hospital. She seemed open and "a matter of fact" about everything.

We also went shopping for a couple of things yesterday and today. Yesterday, at Wal-mart, we bought an umbrella (which broke before we even used it, but it was only a dollar), lots of snacks, 2 cases of water, swim suit and blow up tube for Ruby (she has never been swimming) and a nice cool shirt for Mike. The total was just under $30 - way cool! After the zoo, we went to the Youhi Shopping Center near our hotel. The center was huge!!! Most items were very expensive - some prices more than in the states, but we found some Children's Chinese DVDs, as well as Disney in Chinese, for $2 each. What a great price!

Ruby is so funny. I don't think anyone has really bought her items before. It makes her feel a little uncomfortable. Funny story: She saw a really pretty dress today at the shopping center. It was in one of the upscale department stores. When she found out it was $20 US dollars, she let out a laughing moan and bent over. When she is in disbelief, she will do this. Then she said that our money doesn't blow in the wind and declined the dress. We love our thrifty girl! I'm glad I didn't leave any price tags on her clothes back home! Ruby is very animated and makes us laugh.

The language is a barrier - obviously! Overall we are doing well and using the translation dictionary and non-verbal communication often. She received straight A's while in school, but was behind in her English. I think this is because she lived in a rural community most of her life instead of Beijing - like we thought. She also attended public schools. Yet, she is really trying hard and is very open to learning English. She points out items constantly for us to say the English name. She repeats words and phrases many times until we say she is pronouncing it correctly. She is very smart and a fast learner. The pre-adoption paperwork was right about that! She has a lot of energy and loves to run around. She has already put a few grey hairs on our heads because once she ran across the street w/o looking. Even though EVERYBODY does this constantly in China due to the huge amounts of people and slow driving cars (too many cars on the narrow streets)....it still freaked us out. She is also a very curious little girl. I say little because her social skills are comparable to an American 9 year old, which is way OK with us because this will give us at least a little time before she hits her pre-teen stage. She is also very competitive and a total gamer. I saw this as we playing this morning - a memory game with the ABC's and on http://www.funbrain.com/ BTW - she is very good at math! Funbrain is a cool website for kids. I learned about this site from the kids at the Boys & Girls Club. Ruby loves this site too! I liked that she had to master the learning games before she would move onto the next level. If she was slow or didn't quite get it, she didn't give up. Mike likes that she is a gamer and competitor, as he is a gamer too! I'm looking forward to playing family games at home...this will be interesting...as long as Mike doesn't teach Ruby how to play poker......on the other hand.... she could be the next world champion with her competitive edge.......and we could use the extra money........(just kidding!).

Below are a few messages for special groups of people back home

Concerning adoptive parents from Beijing - we did not receive a tour. I think if we pressed, they would have said yes, but they were very accommodating in other ways - above and beyond our imagination. Yet, the officials said they would give us or send us photos of the orphanage. I am sure they will follow through with this. We also have photos that Ruby took with the camera we sent her in the care package a month ago. I will share these after we return on the yahoo group. Also, I recall reading about someone asking if the photo of their boy was still in the meeting room. I think the one you were talking about is behind us in photo number two?

AHH hand group - Our guide is the best guide we could have ever imagined. His name is Peter - as I think many former families have had as well. His guidance is meant to be! We look forward to meeting our travel group soon, even if it will only be for a day or two. AHH has been more than accommodating and Peter does all the work and we are able to not worry about a logistical thing - just bonding with our family. We are more than satisfied!

Concerning BGCSP Members - I say "hello" or "Ni Hao" to all of you! China is way cool and very different. I know that Ruby is looking forward to meeting you all and she is very friendly. She will be ready to race anyone in the run/walk Club! BGCSP staff - please e-mail my personal hotmail e-mail if you need to get a hold of me. I've decided to not even look at my work yahoo e-mail. Hope all is well!

With love, from China!

Family Day

2008-06-21T06:30:00.002-06:00

First I want to say that we'll post photos in a few days - very tired.

We arrived in Beijing safe last night and actually got some sleep. We went to the orphanage to
pick up Ming this morning. Today has been amazing and no words can describe how we feel.
Ming is beautiful, smart, funny, has energy and is already attaching. She has also shown some healthy emotion (sad - which is good because it shows she cared about the people at the orphanage). The day has gone perfect. It feels so right and our parental instincts have come alive. I knew we had it in us all along :) Today is just number of many more to come - we will write more later. I just want to add that our guide is truly amazing and more accomodating than we ever imagined! We are so lucky to have one to ourselves these first few days. Go Peter!

Ready To Go

2008-06-16T22:43:00.002-06:00

Our plane leaves at 9:10 on Thursday!!!! Woo hoo!!!!! We are jumping out of our skin!!!!! It is so real and we get happy butterflies thinking about hugging Ming when we meet her.

Our bags are packed, but the toiletries. I've never traveled overseas with a suitecase before. It will feel weird w/o a backpack. I'm much more hightech than my single days in Europe. I would e-mail my family once a week or two from a new country to let them know I was still alive. They turned grey during those three months. This time we have the temporary international plan blackberry and laptop. Funny how things change!

The pets are starting to pick up on us leaving because the packed suitcases are out. Mimi (Aka Macea the princess cat) is clinging to me like glue. When a particular suitecase is floating around, she knows I leave for at least a couple days...little does she know we will be gone for over 2 weeks. Poor Mimi.

I will try to post once more -

Sorry for no photos - the bandwith is still slowing us down.

New photos!

2008-06-12T22:30:00.003-06:00

How sweet!

We asked A Helping Hand for a second request on updated photos for Ming yesterday and received new ones today! We didn't think we'd have any new photos at all and would have to go by the year old photos we currently have. Isn't Ming beautiful? I want to upload more photos but this one took 20 minutes - still having uploading issues. We can't believe how much older she looks compared to her photos last year! She is growing so fast. I'm really glad we are leaving next week, because we don't want to miss out on even a single day mroe of her life.
Jill-too cool that Ming and Cassidy have the same bedding! I don't recall, but maybe it stuck in my head subliminally! I will consider that a red thread link between Cassidy and Ming :)

Getting Ready To Go

2008-06-09T20:10:00.004-06:00

Everything is falling into place. There are more ups than downs at this point. It feels a little weird..., but we are taking it in and are all smiles. My brother's girlfriend's brother and my father will be house sitting. The dogs, house and Mike's business will all be taken care of. My mother has been taking Chinese classes and all of our families have open arms for Ming. We couldn't ask for anything more. She will have the best grandparents, cousins (3 that are near Ming's age! Go Jess, Cassidy and Kyle!) , aunts and uncles. This we celebrate!

Today I received an e-mail from an adoption family who recently came home with their daughter Lily. We were connected through a mutual friend and have been following each other's story ever since. BTW - I am certain this is a red thread connection! I am so happy that they are finally together :) Knowing Lily is home makes our travel seem even closer!

Last week I couldn't help but buy some bedding for Ming. I saw it at Wal-Mart and fell in love. We were going to wait until she came home. That way she could pick out something she would like. Instead, I was just way to excited about the cutest bedspread ever. It is very girly - so unlike me! It is pink, blue purple, sage, white, yellow with ribbons and flowers. The letters
"M I N G" that Ming's cousins made/decorated were the inspiration! Above is a photo I downloaded from the WalMart website.

Mike and I are able to fit all of our travel items into one suitcase. We haven't weighed it yet. Hopefully it will weigh under the maximum amount of 44 pounds. All of our gifts are in zip lock bags and ready to go. I've been collecting them over the past 2 years so they all have been chosen very carefully. For those family traveling in the future and are interested. Here is our packing list:

Ming: Pretty brown flowered sundress, brown skort, black Capri stretch pants, pink shorts, yellow flowered top, yellow flowered tank top, green strawberry top, Red US flag shirt, PJ's, purple fleece (this will come in handy for the train and plane ride!) few undergarments, few socks and personal hygiene/hair items. We'll buy her a swimsuit, shoes, a couple of pieces of nice jewelry, a few sizes of the traditional Chinese dress and anything else she needs in China. I hear the weather is very humid and high 90's. This will be a challenge for us. We melt in 80 degree weather w/o the humidity. Poor Ming will adapt even more when she comes home to barely swimsuit weather in the mountains!

Mike/Tara: We are packing very light ourselves. Four outfits, swimsuits, PJ's, light jacket, Chaco Sandals for Tara, Tennis shoes and sandals for Mike, general medications, laptop, translation dictionary, loads of adoption paperwork, light comfort food, personal hygiene items, UNO (can't forget this!) and a few other small items that I can't recall right now.

We will purchase a small suitcase for Ming in China. We hear they are very cheap - $10 - $20.00. Hopefully with the extra suitcase and giving away the gifts to the orphanage contacts and guides we will have enough space in the large suitcase to fit small gifts.

I've been gone overseas for much longer before - three months and didn't have a worry in the world.....or at least that's how I remember it. Of course it was a vacation and not an ADOPTION! This time is much different. My responsibilities are greater now (funny how getting older can do that to ya!) and we are bringing home our daughter! If we forget a piece of adoption paperwork, it could throw a huge kink into the matter. Those of you who know me well...understand that Mike is much better than me in this department :)

Hope to post more before the weekend -

The Olympics Don't Scare Me!

2008-05-31T23:10:00.002-06:00

I am so thankful that we are not traveling during or too close to the Olymipcs! This was a
concern for so long. Below is our travel schedule.

June 19 - Leave for China (we are traveling ahead of our travel group by one week because we have to stay longer in Beijing than what is required of other provinces.)
June 20th - arrive in china
June 21st - FamilyDay!
June 22nd - Spend time at hotel or tour
June 23rd - Adoption Registration
June 24th - Travel on train to Xi'an to tour terra cotta soldiers
June 25th - Xi'an
June 26th - Return from Xi'an
June 27th - Beijing
June 28th - Great Wall
June 29th - Tour
June 30th - Tour
July 1st - Tara and Ming travel to Guanghzou, Mike stays in Beijing
July 2nd - Tara and Ming consulate appt. Mike picks up Ming's passport and flys to Guanghzou
July 3rd - Adoption Oath 3:45
July 4th - Pick up papers
July 5th or July 6th - fly home

The news gets better!!!!

2008-05-29T22:46:00.002-06:00

We received our TA today!!!!! AND.....looks like we are leaving on June 19th instead of June 26th!!!!!! I'll post details this weekend :)

Updates Received!!!

2008-05-28T22:22:00.002-06:00

I finally got around to checking my personal e-mail about 9:30 tonight and saw an e-mail from our agency. I asked a few general ?'s concerning the adoption yesterday so I didn't think too much of it. Yet, when I opened the e-mail Mike and I were smiling ear to ear because it contained Ming's updates!!!! We don't have photos yet, but here are a few things we learned....

She can read and understand Pinyin (this is really good news!!!)
She is taking English through a local college student
She knows she is being adopted and is happy about it :)
She likes to dance, listen to music and sports
She also goes by the name "Baobei" this means precious one! (we love this!)
The orphanage is looking for photos of Ming as a baby to give us
According to her updated measurements we think that Ming wears a size 9/10ish in clothing and size woman's 4 1/2 or 5 in shoes.

We are soooo thrilled for this good news today! What an adoption/parent high! We are totally on cloud 9.

Spring is here!

2008-05-27T21:14:00.005-06:00

The above words are common words used in our blog. I got this idea from the Waiting for Pumpkin blog. Way cool!

Spring is finally here! Our Aspen leaves opened on Sunday and the temperature has been in the 40's - 60's the past few weeks kind of consistently. I also potted some wonderful plants (still bringing them in at night) and hope to produce some strawberries, peppers and tomatoes this year. One of our strawberry plants had fruit on it last week, but a squirrel (I think) ate them! Bad squirrel!

BTW - It feels really good to our travel ticker today! It says 30 days to travel!!! Woo hoo!

BEST NEWS!!!!

2008-05-22T22:57:00.004-06:00

The Skubella journey is on its way back up the rollercoaster today! We received an e-mail from our agency stating that our travel group LOA's were FOUND! They have been at the CCAA all along. So it looks like this was Fed Ex's mistake. We are soooooooooooooo happy and couldn't have asked for any better news concerning this situation. The travel group is still on track for a possible JUne 26th travel date :)

bad news, good news....

2008-05-20T22:21:00.005-06:00

Now that we've thought about the situation for 24 hours, it is becoming more difficult. At this point I just get angry. We have a travel group on yahoo which is really helping because so many of us are going through the same emotions. I like sharing thoughts, feelings, etc... Our agency, who is trying really hard to resolve this issue in a timely manner, e-mailed us again with not such good news today. Fed Ex and our agency must send an apology letter to the CCAA before they will re-issue new LOA's. Just another step before we can receive them. Fed Ex better get their letter out by tomorrow!!! This is just awful. In reality the real people that are affected by this are our children! As adults we will get over the bad news, but we think of all of our children in China and what the country is experiencing with the earthquake. We want to bring our children home ASAP. I also worry about Ming being in Beijing during the Olympics. From what I understand her institute isn't too far from the Olympic Village. If anything happens to her due to the extended wait, I will quickly turn into a very nasty person. Also, Fed Ex really needs to compensate all 14 families and our agency in resending the packages. If this holds us back to the Olympics...Fed Ex should also be responsible for all the increased flight, food, hotel and etc... costs that go along w/the extended wait...that is if we are even able to travel during the Olympics.

The good news is that we receive our 171H today. I was hoping to be more excited, but to be honest, our happy bubble has been deflated.

Sad News Today

2008-05-19T21:22:00.002-06:00

Our agency called to inform us today that Fed Ex LOST our travel group's LOA's!!!! Can you believe it? Now we are set back at least another 2 - 3 weeks. If we travel by mid July, I'll consider our travel group LUCKY! This is really hard to take in and makes us so sad. We also had some pretty personal information in the there like copies of our passports. I hope the package didn't fall into sour hands. We might be traveling close to the Olympics...who knows what that will bring...hopefully just more $ (because all prices are expected to rise) and not an even longer waiting period. Our LOA's were tracked and were lost somewhere in Alaska. This is such a bummer. I've never heard of this happening before. We try to roll w/the punches, but the punches are wearing us down after 2 1/2 years wait. We are so ready to bring Ming home. At least she is safe - for that we are happy. Please keep our travel group (14 families) in your thoughts...maybe a miracle will happen and Fed Ex will find the package before we have to wait for China to resend the LOA's, complete them again and send them back to China. Our Reeses ice cream is ready to eat (slightly soft) so I must go indulge! Sorry for a jumpy posting...my thoughts are blurred.

Ming's Room

2008-05-18T21:34:00.004-06:00

Here are some photos of Ming's room. I just love the photo with her painted name. The letters were made by her cousins. Aren't they fabulous! We are keeping her room plain at first. I would love to load up her room with items and paint the walls a bright color, but it's recommended not to over stimulate the room. Since Ming is older, it is also important that she makes the room her own - so this will happen after time. I just hope the room feels cozy and safe :) Mike made the dresser. Is is so pretty and is made out of Aspen. I'm so lucky to have such a talented hubby! The desk was my great grandmother's desk on my mother's side. I used this desk while in high school and think it is so cool that my daughter can use it too!

More updates

2008-05-14T20:45:00.003-06:00

We are sending off the Visa Applications tomorrow and starting to think about packing and other travel arrangements. It's weird that we don't have TONS of paperwork like we've had off and on over the past two years. To be honest the word "paperwork" gives us the chills to this day.

We are STILL waiting for our 171H, but it was expedited (thank you CAI!) so we should be getting it soon. We've been assured we'll have it in time for our agency to request a consulate date, but it will always be a concern until we have it in our hands.

Everyday I check my e-mail hoping to have updates on Ming. I'm sure it will come in the next week or two.

In other news...it snowed about 4 inches yesterday and still on the ground. More is expected tonight! I would rather have rain, but any precip is good because we haven't had much in the past few weeks. I hope our wildflowers will be beautiful again this year. Even though we have snow - it is finally spring. I saw three pasque flowers on our lot this weekend and the Aspen are pollin"mating" (hee, hee - I love that term!), which means they'll leaf in a couple of weeks....oh how nice to have leaves again!!!

Tentative Travel Dates and Package Photo

2008-05-12T22:10:00.002-06:00

Pictured above is a care package we sent to Beijing Children's Welfare Institute for Ming, Caretakers, Director and other children. We really hope she got the package. I just love the stuffed moose. It was a gift from a secret buddy of the Oct 2006 DTC group. So cute! The red box in the photo didn't make it because it was too bulky for the UPS box. We also included two short letters translated in Chinese - one for the Director/Caretakers and one for Ming.

Today we had our pre-travel meeting w/the A Helping Hand travel group. The meeting lasted a little over 2 hours - whew!, but it was very informative. We are travel group #93. 14 other families are in our travel group. It looks like we'll be possibly traveling June 26th - July 12/16th. Wow! We have possible dates now! We won't actually know the confirmed dates until about 2 weeks before we travel. Because Ming is from Beijing we are required to stay 8 business days in Beijing instead of the typical 5.

Please take a minute to send positive thoughts to all those living near China's southwest earthquake today. We are very thankful Ming is in Beijing and wasn't directly effected by the quake. We hope her safety continues. We also think of all the people in Myanmar Cyclone as well - and hope that they can receive increased aid.

Package to China

2008-05-09T22:52:00.003-06:00

A quick up date - we tracked Ming's package to day and it arrived 11:04am May 9th! Yippee! We sure hope she is able to receive her items......I can picture her carrying around the little small moose and photo book.

Updates

2008-05-07T22:53:00.002-06:00

We sent our LOA paperwork on Monday, as well as a care package to Ming. I'll try to post a photo this weekend of what we sent - too tired now, as I have to download the photo from the cell phone. It was more expensive to send a package to China than I thought, but well worth it. It's so wonderful to think she'll open her package soon and see photos of us! Hopefully she won't be too scared! Ha!

Our first travel group meeting is this Monday at 5pm via phone. How exciting! Mike and I are looking forward to hearing the voices of the other families we might travel with from A Helping Hand. The group seems to be fun, nice and very supportive. Most of the group keeps connected through a yahoo group.

Also, we would like to say thank you to Mike's sister's family and my Mother, Rob & Luke. Ming received some more wonderful gifts yesterday and today. My Mom, Rob & Luke gave Ming a Rice Paddy Doll (Asian version of the Cabbage Patch - my sister got one when my parents visited Hong Kong in the 1980's). Too cute of a doll! Ming's cousins (Jessica, Cassidy and Kyle) picked out some pretty outfits and toys for Ming. We also received the letter's "MING" which already has a place in her bedroom! Which reminds me...I need to post photos of her room soon! More updates to come on Sunday

Adoption Shower!!!

2008-05-04T19:03:00.004-06:00

Today my friend, Jamie, threw Ming an adoption shower. It was a lot of fun and is another reinforcement that the community is welcoming her into their arms. We thank everyone so much for their support and for wonderful gifts that will help Ming grow, learn, look fabulous and have fun! Also, a big thanks to Jamie for putting everything together!

We also received our travel and LOA packet on Friday. To be honest, I wasn't sure if we were going to get the package as expected because it arrived late. I was on the phone with our agency, letting them know it didn't arrive yet, when the Fed Ex truck arrived at work! It was so neat to finally see the official papers and complete our travel, visa and LOA paperwork. It gave me goosebumps to see the paperwork so many families before us have described. A Helping Hand Agency (the parent agency to our initial agency, Commonwealth) had also enclosed a travel preparation DVD. Watching this really makes everything feel so much more real and CLOSER!

Ming is constantly on our minds now. I don't think 60 minutes go by w/o thinking of her at least a couple of times. It is amazing at how much being LOA makes a difference in how you think about your child. Reality Rocks!

Today is a great day!

2008-05-01T20:54:00.008-06:00

Introducing Ming!!!

This is our beautiful daughter. I'm so happy that we finally can share her photo.

Today we received our LOA. We have waited over the average wait (90 days) for this day to arrive. It is another huge step closer to bringing home our daughter! I was at work and our agency called a little after 11:30am MT to fill us in. I think 9 other families from A Helping Hand received LOA's today too. It seemed like this day would never come. It looks like there is a good chance we'll travel to China at the end of June/early July. We can't wait - that day can't come soon enough! It feels so good that everything is finally falling into place and Ming WILL be coming home soon. I think we'll be able to get updated information and updated photos in the next few - several weeks. The best part is that we can send Ming our care package we put together months ago and she'll know that she has a family waiting for her! I hope she is happy when she finds this out.

This is a such a cool week because my friend, Jamie, is hosting an adoption shower this Sunday for Ming. How fun! We also received Ming's first gifts from Ashley (another Chinese adoptive parent - link on right side) and Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa George. Ming received some really cute clothing, toys, hair accessories, jewelry and educational toys. Thank you so much. Ming will be the most stylish gal in South Park!

LOA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-01T16:01:00.001-06:00

I haven't posted 4EVER! I didn't realize how long it has been until just now. We got the call today and we are LOA!!!!! I'll post more tonight as well as some photos. It won't be long now Ming!

HAPPY EASTER

2008-03-23T18:21:00.003-06:00

Easter brings back so many fun memories...hunting down the baskets and eggs in the morning before attending church, getting sick on candy and cracking red eggs (a Greek Orthodox tradition). I even recall one year the Easter Bunny had fooled me quite well and put my basket in the dryer! I remember that it took me FOREVER to find it. One tradition that became more of a high school/college event was buying Peeps. My friends and I,would buy a box of yellow Peeps for 99 cents at the local K-mart. This was something we could afford and have enough to still share. These days you can find Peeps in all colors, flavors and during various holidays. I came across the Peeps website: pretty cute! Check it out!

http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/

I didn't buy any Peeps this year....didn't feel like having sweater teeth this time around, BUT if I were to buy a box...it would've been green hands down :)

I would also like to say HAPPY BIRTH DAY to my Mom! She is the best Mom ever and I'm so glad to have her in my life!

Loved This Book

2008-03-17T10:36:00.002-06:00

China Ghosts by: Jeff Gammage

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, but still think of it often. It is about a father's journey to adopt his daughter. His point of view is very eye opening and his experience and thoughts are alive in his writing. I liked that this wasn't a glorified experience and encompasses both the good and the bad. I highly recommend this book to any adoptive parent or relative.

Colorful Hallway at BWCI

2008-03-14T15:23:00.003-06:00

I just love this photo. What a fun hallway! It was taken at the Beijing Children's Welfare Institute. I wonder if Ming walks this hallway often? Mike and I were finally able to settle on a final Adoption Parenting Class at the end of the month. We were really beginning to worry that it might be difficult to find a session so late. We shouldn't have waiting so long....heck we've had 2 years to complete them. At least now we know we don't have to take additional classes due to things changing over time. We are excited to finish the remaining classes at the end of the month and look forward to sharing what we've learned.

I other news..... we are coming to a settlement with the car accident. It has taken soooo long. I never imagined it would take over one month. At least the accident is (hopefully) coming to an end. Besides a sore left knee, but only when I kneel, I feel better. Only time will tell. All those freaky stories of back problems years later still haunt me though.

Yes, it snowed again today..about 7 inches. *sigh*

Beijing Children's Welfare Institute

2008-03-08T23:52:00.004-07:00

Above is a photo of the front entrance to the Beijing Children's Welfare Institute. This is where Ming calls home. I found this wonderful photo, with many others, on the BCWI yahoo group site. Very informative group! The institute looks a little more upbeat and colorful compated to other photos of other ones. I hope that Ming is happy there. I wonder how cold she got this winter and if she had enough warm clothing.

In other news - Mike completed a dresser for Ming. It is really beautiful. We skipped the logs and went with a more simple look. We'll post photos as we get closer to finishing her room. Although, it won't be completely finished until Ming is home because we aren't sure of her interests/tastes. I must say that it feels more like Ming is coming home because we put her clothes in the drawers...until now any clothing that we've had, even when we were originally planning on an infant/toddler, has been in storage containers in the attic.

It is snowing again right now and we are ready for spring. My trip to AZ can't come soon enough!

More and more snow...

2008-03-02T17:49:00.006-07:00

This is a photo of the back of our house. As you can see it is on the north side. I can't believe how much snow has built up over the winter and our heaviest snow fall month is March! The snow doesn't look that tall, but the drop off is several feet. If you look in the lower left corner of the photo, you can see the top of the door to our crawl space....this is a good comparison. I wonder if the snow on this side of the house will eventually touch the roof? Also, notice the mini dog porch Our black lab, Boo, has literally broken through this on many occasions, even with a roof!

He has separation anxiety....we now call him boodini :)

Photo of our dining room doors with snow about 2 feet above the window.

7 Things about me that most people probably don't know

2008-02-24T20:56:00.002-07:00

I got this from Ashley's blog and am finally remembered to do it!

Here are seven things about me that most people probably don't know:

1. I've lived in 5 different states. Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Florida and now Colorado. My favorite is by far Colorado!

2. In my mid 20's I, visited Greece and Turkey during the Kosovo War. I was so close that I could actually see the lights of the bombs going off. My parents grew a few extra grey hairs during that trip!

3. I hiked half of the Colorado Trail. Most of it by myself. Way cool experience :) I love sleeping outside and being in natures elements. I have well over 300 nights in the woods (Most of those nights are credited towards being employed in wilderness therapy). To this day there is nothing more peaceful than being in the backcountry.

4. I lived in my car for 3 months. Yes, I was technically homeless, but was by choice. It was a summer full of road trips and car camping after putting my items into storage. I don't think my cat liked it so much though.....seriously!

5. At the age of 17, I entered the Miss Teen All American Illinois pageant. I hated it until I found out that Halle Barry won a few years before. I didn't place, but decided it was in the end.

6. Mike and I met on www.match.com I never really thought I would fall in love with someone that I met on line. The first time we met in person, he gave me a CD and I wore purple pants and an orange shirt. Kind of funny, but love found a way.

7. I don't down hill ski. Too freaky and fast for me. Snowshoeing and cross country skiing is much more my pace. I think I'm one of few in the state that actually lives near Breckenridge and doesn't ski....oh well.

Ming Ruby Catherine Skubella

2008-02-24T20:19:00.003-07:00

We decided on a name for Ming. Her full name will be Ming Ruby Catherine Skubella and she can choose if she would like to go by Ming, Ruby or Catherine. I hope she sticks with Ming because it is an easy name to pronounce and is part of her heritage, but who knows...maybe she'll want a more "American" name and will choose to be called Ruby or Catherine. Mike and I decided to stay with Ruby as one of her middle names because that name has been in our hearts for well over a year now. Catherine was added to carry on the Greek tradition of naming the first daughter after the Mother's Mother. Catherine is my Mother's name :)

Since we have seen Ming's photo, I don't think a day has gone by that I haven't thought of her. Mike as well. I wonder how she is doing, if she is keeping warm, how her studies in English are coming along and think about how she will react when she is told that she will be adopted. Sometimes I just get emotional thinking of her. She is our dreams come true. Preparations we are doing is learning Mandarin (Mike is doing a much better job than me), trying to find a translator (this is more difficult than I thought...we are quite rural), buying a few basic clothes, purchasing some English learning materials and putting together her Life Book. Her Life Book is mandatory by the state of Colorado (I think?) and pieces together her history into a book. This will give her a better sense of who she is. Any information we gather on her past will be put into the Life Book. It might be very tricky to put together her history, but after time we can fill in some of the missing spots as Ming opens up about her history.

Stay warm and safe no matter where you may be...

Washington DC

2008-02-15T20:31:00.002-07:00

Youth member, me, Kathy and youth member

In DC with our Drug Free Community Coalition for a DFC training

Alive in the Year of the Rat

2008-02-08T20:22:00.001-07:00

Happy Chinese New Year - Year of the Rat!

I am very thankful to see the Year of the Rat.

I was in a car accident this past snowy Monday night. A vehicle traveling in the opposite direction on the other side of the highway lost control of their car and crossed the median and hit me head on. My Jeep Cherokee saved my life. If a larger vehicle hit me, my car could've rolled off the cliff on my right side. The other driver and I were lucky to walk away from the accident. I am thankful to be alive and come home to a loving husband.

Ming - our family is meant to be together!

Beijing City Children's Welfare Institute

2008-02-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to find photos of Ming's institute, but I have been unsuccessful. If anyone finds one, please let me know. Pictured above is a typical bed for older children living in a social welfare institute. It doesn't look to comfortable, but at least looks clean. I wonder if the kids are really cold with all the cold weather they've been having? A map of China is above as well. Beijing is market by one of the dark pink dots.

We love Ming!

2008-01-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days we realize how Ming was meant to be with us from the beginnning. Our chance was very slim to be matched with her because so many people are switching to Special Needs due to the long wait for an infant. Our caseworker mentioned that we are the only one of her families that have been matched with a SN child because it is so competitive. So many people have applied for several SN children and have never been matched. We only tried once and found our daughter. We love Ming so much already and eagerly await her arrival.

Today Mike and I took 1/2 day off to work on the adoption paperwork. It was pretty cool to see Ming's letter of intent because half of it was in Chinese. Ming has no idea that she has parents and this point and won't for another 2 months or so. Once we have our offical letter of approval, we can sent photos and a few items to Ming at the Beijing City Children's Welfare Institute. I'm sure she'll be sooo happy to see photos of her parents, pets and new home! I can't wait!

It's a girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-01-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

We have been matched with a beautiful 10 year old girl named MING!!!!!!

She is from China and now we start to process to bring her home. We hope to travel in 4 - 6 months. WE ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOO happy!

Why Ming? After learning that there is no end to the long wait for a healthy baby AND may not receive a referral for another 2 1/2 years from now AND experiencing heartaches with the domestic adoption, we decided to look into older Chinese adoptions. We found Ming on A Helping Hand's website (A Helping Hand is our parent agency) on 1/13/08. We turned in our application on 1/22 and received the good news on 1/24!!!! We are truly meant to be together and are so happy things turned out the way they did. It was worth all the tears and anxiety. Now it is a mad dash to finish paperwork, update everything and get our ducks in a row ASAP!

Ming is so precious and is absolutely beautiful. She is absolutely perfect! We will not post a photo of her on our blog until she is legally in our family. More information will be posted as it comes........

2007 in review

2008-01-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

LOCKS OF LOVE -

Before Mike cut the hair....quite long, eh?

Holding the ponytail of 12 inches!

Finished product - not too bad

Mt. Elbert with Boys & Girls Club Backpacking Club

San Luis Peak - we took the photo just below because it was too cold!

2007 turned out to be a fairly good year. We kept very busy building and moving into the new house, Mike opening his log furniture store, expanding the store to a new location, visiting with family, traveling to Chicago for the holidays, waiting for the Chinese adoption, getting ready for the domestic adoption and Tara making sure the Boys & Girls Club grew in a very positive direction. I know life will be even more busy with kids, but I must say that this has been one of the busiest years yet!

Updates on domestic adoption: We've been referred a couple of times now, but have had to decline for various reasons. At first we felt really bad, but we need to make sure that we provide a safe environment for our infant Chinese adoption. Our social worker has been very supportive and we've learned this is common. We are currently waiting our third referral. If something happens - we'll post it here.

I am looking at my 2007 goals and decided that I did not do a very good job.

Donating hair to locks of love: Completed 12/31 see photos above

Hiking 2 14ers - Completed San Luis Peak and was only 1/2 to the top of Mt. Elbert, but bad weather came in and we had to decend :( Next time! Photos above

Hiking/snowshoeing at least 250 miles - did not complete. I completed over 160 miles in hiking and walking in 2007, but lost track after Oct...

Visit 3 museums - didn't go to one. I did have plans to go Denver Nature & Science museum twice with the Club, but the trip was canceled due to various reasons.

Get another tatoo - I didn't, but Mike did. I decided that I won't get another until each adoption is complete

Spa day - I stayed at a lovely JW Marriott Spa in AZ this summer, but it was for work and all the times were booked. I did go to a couple of hot springs, but that doesn't count. At least this March my mom and sister(s) are getting together for a spa girls weekend.

Autumn Moom Festival - educated myself a little about it, but didn't celebrated it

Find the perfect pair of jeans and buy 2 - I completed this twice. I bought two early winter of 2007, but then lost a little weight so I found another two during this Christmas Holiday.

I'm not sure what my goals will be this year because there are so many variables!

Only time will tell!

Christmas Couple

2007-12-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

I just love this photo of Mike and I. We are holding two beautfiul bird ornaments from Aunt Sue. The birds will be a favorite :)

Holiday Photos

2007-12-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

Luckily we beat the snow and made it to Chicago this year. We had a lovely visit and had a Very Merry Christmas. Enjoy the photos!

Mike and God daughter, Abby. Isn't she too cute?

Simba and boo - all clean from their first visit to the PetSMART grooming department. They really like the candycane chew!

Mike W., Jill, Mike S. and Tara. Mike and Jill hosted the annual Family Christmas Party

this year AND did a fabulous job.

Kyle and Mike (Godson and Godfather)

Cassidy, Jessica and Kyle

More Thanksgiving Photos

2007-11-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

The Family.........

I snagged some awesome photos from Katie's Facebook.....

Brother Larry and Tara at the homestead

Tara, Mr. Hanky and Larry at

South Park Pottery in Fairplay

Another Year & More Waiting.....

2007-11-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

Englemann Spruce Christmas Tree: Decorated with old time family favorites

Larry and Katie at our house for Thanksgiving weekend.....me and Mike and on right

We can't believe a year has come and gone since we were logged in. Time has truly flown by! Yet, it is difficult to think the wait continues to grow. It seems each month that goes by the wait becomes longer by several days or longer. We recall thinking that we would be matched by now and making preparations to travel to China...now it looks like we'll travel in 2009. If we are lucky!

As you may have read in a previous post, we are adopting domestically during the extended wait. This too has been a little disappointing, as we thought we would have a child before the holidays. Yet, we've been fortunate to have been matched a couple of times, but we've had to say "no". The first time was difficult, but our social worker has been very supportive. Linda - you are the best! We must put the safety our our Chinese child first and he/she is already part of our family. We know there is a good domestic match out there...until then...we wait.

Spooky Night

2007-11-02T19:23:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween!

Mike carved the pumpkin on the left. You can tell he has much more talent compared to mine on the right!

Now that Halloween is over......here come the Christmas commericals!!!! I think I've seen five in just the past 8 minutes of watching TV.

In other news....we are starting to receive information on children. Now it is just a matter of being chosen and and choosing a match. We'll keep everyone posted :)

There is always next year....

2007-10-13T17:02:00.000-06:00

There is always next year....boo hoo for the Cubs. As a result of the Cubs being swept, I've decided to root for our local team, the Rockies.

Putting aside baseball, the weather is setting cold here in South Park. I'm sitting by the wood burning stove in the leather recliner watching the Gambler V and snow lightly falling outside our window. I just love fall. It's my favorite time of year. Even though the leaves are 90% off the trees, we still have one Aspen tree half full of gold leaves outside our living room window. It's so pretty. I doubt the leaves will be there tomorrow after weather coming in.

The only updates I have for the Chinese adoption is that the wait increases everytime we receive word. If we travel to China before 2009, we'll feel very lucky :)

Our paper work has been sent off to various agencies for our domestic adoption... and all we do now is wait (which we have a lot of practice!). Hopefully we'll be matched with a child by November and have him/her/them in our home before 2008.

Go Cubs go....Go Cubs go....Hey Chicago whatcha say, Cubs are gonna WIN today!!!

2007-09-30T17:52:00.000-06:00

There is hope for all you Cub fans out there!!! Mike is taking off Tuesday to catch the Wed game in AZ with my brother. Should be a blast. Also looks like there is a chance the Cubs will be playing the Rockies....how cool would that be????

And then there were more....

2007-09-25T22:11:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted for some time, but there is a good excuse!! We are preparing for a second adoption! We have decided to adopt domestic during the long wait for our baby from China. Mike and I have decided to adopt 1 - 2 children between the ages 5 - 12. We will keep the blog updated as we get closer. It looks like it might be as soon as Thanksgiving!

Photos: Left - a fabulous experience hiking Mt. Elbert (highest peak in CO) with the club's Triple Play Wilderness backpacking team. Me and Boo Dog on the right.

Right - Mike added our bridge to the front of the home. Way cool! I can't wait to plant a bunch of wildflowers under the bridge for next summer. Note the sunflower - my pride a joy :)

Arizona

2007-08-06T21:28:00.000-06:00

I was in Tucson this past week for a drug free community grant grant training. We were able to take two youth with us for the youth institute training. Very worth the time. I think I learned more working with the teens than I would've with just listening to adults speaking. Pictured is the gang L-R: Jane, Me, Lacey and Samantha. The training was at a beautiful J.W. Marriott Spa/Resort. Too bad we weren't able to spend more time at the spa/pool area :) Next time!

My brother and his longtime girlfriend moved to Phoenix this past week as well. My dad picked me up Thursday evening for a long time needed visit with everyone. Larry is going to be a student at Thunderbird College - looks like someone will finally receive a masters in our family after all! Way to go Larry, we are so proud of you! I don't have a photo of us...sorry mom..I forgot.

In other news: 1 1/2 weeks ago the Boys & Girls Club backpacking team almost made the summit of Mt. Elbert. Mt. Elbert is the highest Mt. in Colorado. We were so close, but weather came in and we had an hour late start. Maybe next year we'll bag it. Hopefully I'll be able to post a photo soon. It's on my phone and my phone is currently MIA. Mike's sister and her family also came for a visit. Jill and her husband, also Mike, have three wonderful kids. It was a fabulous visit and it looks like there might be a future geologist in the group. Rocks R Fun! Again - photos missing :(

Pets R Family 2

2007-07-23T20:37:00.000-06:00

Aren't these handsome dogs and one pretty kitty? Besides an occasional hampster, hermit crab and more hamsters, I never really grew up with pets. I got my first cat in my mid twenties and got Macea in 2000. Mike brought the two "boys" into the relationship. The dogs took me fast and I love them both. Simba, our yellow lab, is almost 12. Macea, the princess cat, is around 9 or 10 and Boo, Black Lab, just turned 8. Despite becoming older pets, all are doing really well. Simba looks still looks young and has that puppy spirit. Macea is slowing down a hair, but still loves to chase her shadows....and makes really weird noises when she looks at a corner. Funny cat. Boo, still going strong. (some of you may laugh at this if you have seen our utility door). He is a very solid dog and loves to go on hikes. He'll be hiking his second 14er, Mt. Elbert - the highest peak in Colorado, this week. Go Boo!

We're back

2007-07-20T13:52:00.000-06:00

We bought a laptop this past weekend and I'm now able to post again *smile*. Our out of date computer just won't let me upload or even save on blogger anymore - this is why it's been so long since our last post. It feels good to be back!

A lot has happened since April. We moved into our new home at the end of April. We still have a few things to do with the house, but plan to finish them in stages. The picture on the right shows the outside of our home. We just love it and feel very cozy.

Mike opened a log furniture store in Buena Vista. Over time it has proven to be a positive move. He's been wanting to do this for some time now and this summer was the right timing. I'm so proud of him!

I also want to thank our SB for all the wonderful gifts they sent. The SB gift exchange was experiencing a transition stage, so several of us were lucky to have our SB revealed. John and Julie from our DTC group made a fantastic match. Thank you both again so much! The left posted photo shows one of the gifts they sent in April.

We also would like to thank all the family and friends who have sent us the beautiful fabric for the 100 wishes quilt. I hope to start on it soon, but we still need 40(something) more.

Our small South Park community has experienced two more losses. It has been very tragic. An outstanding, loving and caring person, Rama, lost her life in early July due to an auto accident. We will miss her dearly. I will miss her positive outlook on life and working with her on a professional level as well. Jason, a wonderful and active young local, recently lost his life due to the hanta virus. He was such a hardworking and well loved young man. The community is left in disbelief with these two recent deaths. It is a reminder to us all that life is so precious and to appreciate each day.

On a more positive note...although we still stand in line to wait to adopt with the many many other parents, we did receive our group #. We are #359 and I believe they are on #305/6. How exciting. It still doesn't give us a time frame, but at least it is good news :)

We had the pleasure of having our first home guests last month. Mike's parents, George and Bonnie, came to visit. It was so nice to have them. We also look forward to seeing Mike's sister's family and my father in the next couple of weeks.

More news to come soon.....

Happy Easter

2007-04-08T09:05:00.000-06:00

EASTER DANCE

Mike's Coming Home Tomorrow!!!

2007-04-02T21:42:00.000-06:00

Mike comes back tomorrow. I can't wait for him to come home! I missed him so much.

Since he's been gone, I've pretty much buried myself in work all weekend. Saturday night I did some spring cleaning at the club until almost mid-night....pretty crazy. At least it got done. I've been wanting to organize our awful storage/outdoor gear room ever since we moved into a new building this past Sept, but never really had the extra 10 hours to do so.

Yesterday I took a few hours to go to the hot springs with a friend. I just love the hot springs. This is one of my favorite things to do when the temperature is around 35 - 55. Cottonwood Hot Springs is only a 20 minute drive....how lucky we are! I can't wait until my October goal!!!

Speaking of goals, I did great this past month in not drinking coffee. I get a 94%, which is very successful! I did drink two cups of coffee at the beginning of the month because I forgot my goal. Since then, I've had ZERO!!!! and I still haven't had a cup. I thought for sure on April 1st, I would buy a nice cup of steamy hazelnut latte....soon. I've already been out to eat once....because once again I didn't look to see what my goals were until today.....this lateness is going to have to stop :) Does buying a cup of coffee count as eating out????? Humm.......to me liquid really isn't food.

Baby Dreams

2007-03-29T16:28:00.000-06:00

I had a dream last night that the Chinese adoption process changed and babies were brought to the US instead of parents traveling to China. The wait time also sped up to about a year instead of two years. Fast forward in the dream.......... we met our baby for the first time at some random hotel near an airport. We were handed a cute chubby girl with a really round face and thick lashes. She was so beautiful and was just learning to walk. She was happy, laughing and smiling all the time. Right before I woke up, Mike and I were laying in bed watching her sleep. This is the first dream I've had about the adoption. I've had many dreams in the past about having a biological child, but never our adoptive child. Because I dream often and have very vivid dreams, it makes me happy to finally see our child in my dreams.

Late Thank Yous..

2007-03-26T20:39:00.000-06:00

I want to post a quick thank you to our Secret Buddy. We received a gift a couple of weeks ago. They sent the CUTEST ladybug nightlight. I know our little one will truly enjoy it someday.

Also thank you to Bonnie/George, Linda K. and Linda J. for the beautiful squishes. We just love all the fabrics and thoughtfulness that went into each one. Our squishes have reached 31...almost a 1/3 of the way there!

4 months...

2007-03-26T20:37:00.000-06:00

I just realized that we missed our 4 month mark by 5 days. I just can't believe it. Time is flying by!!!! Yippeeeeeee

Updates...

2007-03-26T20:23:00.000-06:00

Tonight we are just relaxing watching the Festival Express...a movie made in 2003 about the 1970 train ride shows with Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead and other company.

I'm proud of myself because I'm reaching this month's goal easily. I've only had two cups of coffee, which were at the beginning of the month because I forgot what my goals were - duh! It's been easy because I only started drinking coffee a few times a week about 1 - 2 months ago. Hey, I'm saving about $5.00 - $9.00 a week!

My hubby is taking off this Friday to fly back to Chicago. It will be the first time that he's been away from home w/o me. Until now, it's always been me. I'm so glad he's taking some time off. He has some down time with the house and could sure use a break. I haven't been able to help him like the last two homes....it might have something to do with a 45 - 60 hour work week :( I miss not being able to help him, but know that I'm contributing by being able to live off of my income.

I have much more to post and will do so later this week when I have more time.

Favorite Commercial Series

2007-03-17T16:06:00.000-06:00

We just love the cavemen Geico commericals. Just came across one I haven't seen yet. Our favorite is the airport one.

Beautiful Blue

2007-03-12T21:30:00.000-06:00

Today the weather was so amazing. It hasn't been this nice since late Oct/early Nov. The temperature was near 50 degrees and the kids were able to play outside at the club today. Who wouldn't love a game of football and bouchi ball. It was great to see blue skies all day and not a cloud in the sky. Today really put a perk in the week and reminds me of how much I love living in the mountains.

Our new home is coming along. The drywall guy started to hang the drywall today. Once that's complete and the walls are painted, the cabinets will be installed and the floor will go in. We will be in heaven soon. I can't wait. I just love the smell and feel of a new home.

We're eager to move out of the rental. It has been a warm (not really) place to stay, but is getting on our nerves. If we have water, it is rusty sometimes and the house smells funny upstairs. The previous renters had dogs that peed on the green shag carpet. It's pretty gross. So gross that if anything is on the carpet near the pee spots it soaks up the urine smell. Yuck!

Our new home will be welcomed way beyond our imaginations.......until then, we eat, work, eat, sleep and try to spend the weekends away from the rental!

Unexpected Snow and Confessions...

2007-03-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

I couldn't sleep this morning...too much on my mind. I peeked out the little A Frame rental window in the bedroom this morning to find a light dusting of snow. This has come very unexpected because the weather should be sunny this week and in the 40's - 50's. Hopefully it will clear and warm up :)

As I review my goals for the month of Feb....I didn't do so hot. I failed. After calculating my flossing, I stand at 41% for the month. A little shameful??? Yes, but onward for March. Actually, I forgot to check and see what my March goals were until today....COFFEE....I've already had coffee twice...bummer. Hopefully it will only be two :) Have no clue what this is about? Scroll to the bottom of the blog.

This one is for you Carlee

2007-02-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

Our small community lost a 15 year old female teen Monday night. She was struck by a semi and pronounced dead at the scene. It is such a tragedy. Our hearts and thoughts go out to the family and friends that surrounded her life. I knew her, but not well. Carlee started to take private etiquette lessons from me a couple of years ago, but didn't continue. Yet, I was fortunate enough to get a glimpse of her thoughts and eagerness to become a poised young lady. She will always have a special place in my heart.

I could go on and get into some deep thoughts, but I think this is enough. Just want to dedicate this entry to Carlee.

MANY PHOTOS BELOW

2007-02-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Several posts below contain photos the past couple of months!!! I'm so happy I took some time at work today to catch up. Don't tell my boss (hee hee).

Family Photos

2007-02-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken during my trip to Florida for my Grandfather, Ernie's, Birthday. L - R. Ernie, myself and my cousin Paul. Paul and I were representing all the grand kids from the youngest (Paul) to the oldest (me). Ernie was so happy to be with his two sons, daughter and two grandchildren. Doesn't he look fabulous?

This is one of the famous turtles that live in the pond behind Ernie's house. They get fed every night :)

What beautiful women! I'm so glad I come from good genes. I just love generation photos. They should be taken every time a family gets together. L-R. Me, Grandmother - Agnes, and Mother - Catherine. I just realized that my mom and I have the same tilt to our heads. Genetics???

Squish Photos

2007-02-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

These are a few of the squishes we've have received from our DTC yahoo group. Aren't the fabrics beautiful? We have many various colors that the quilt will be very cheerful and bright. Every wish (card in photos) has been personal and heart warming too. I can't wait to get started on it this summer! Thank you everyone for taking the time and sending such wonderful squishes!

If anyone is interested in sending a squish for our child's traditional Chinese quilt, (we need 100) please read the 100 Good Wishes Quilt posted in January. You can find the link on the left hand side of our blog.

Happy Heads, Hands and Feet

2007-02-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

Our DTC yahoo group has a secret buddy gift exchange. This month's theme was Happy Heads, Hands and Feet. My wonderful S.B. surprised us with 10 of the cutest finger puppets we've ever seen and 2 Dr. Seuss books about Hands and Feet. I just love these fun AND educational gifts. My sister, Alexa, and sister in-law, Jill, know from experience that learning toys have been a popular gift theme with Mike and I for our nieces and nephews. Our S.B. also included a traditional Chinese New Year Good Luck Money Envelope. This is the year of the GOLDEN pig, this special golden year only comes around every 60 years. In the envelope is a dollar bill. The bill begins with the serial number 8888. Eight is considered the luckiest number of all. As you can imagine anything with the number 8 can sometimes be a rare find in China. Maybe our lucky money will bring us good fortune this year :) That would be nice because Mike is thinking about opening a log furniture store since he has been making and selling log furniture for a few years now.

House Photos

2007-02-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of our new home. The lot is so beautiful. It's full of great trees, character and during the winter we have great views. Hopefully it will be completed in April. As you can see, the exterior is almost finished. We're thinking about adding a walkway/bridge from the down slope to the porch. The log railing along the porch still needs to be added as well. The wood shop and future master bedroom is located on the right side where the two windows are located. The great room is in the middle of the house and the two bedrooms, baths, and office are on the left side.

Mike is making the cabinets (he's just so talented!). The photo on the left shows part of the under cabinets in the bar area. I've never had custom cabinets before and Mike is so good about working in everything I would like :) I'm soooo lucky!

3 months LID

2007-02-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

Everytime we see the month flip it puts big smiles on our faces. It also happens to be a special day. Mike's father, George, is celebrating his birthday today too. These past 2 months have flown by. We can't believe it's already been three months! Yes, we still have a long to time go, but three down feels great baby!

My car is in the dumps. It's been at the car shop for over a week now. Things take a long time to get fixed up here. It was suppose to be ready today, but wasn't of course. Tomorrow I'm getting a ride with a friend early so I'll have an hour to try and post some photos. I'm e-mailing myself several, so be sure to tune in soon.

We also received our third secret buddy gift - hopefully I can get some photos up and show the details.

Happy Chinese New Year

2007-02-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! This is the Golden year of the Pig which only comes around every 60 years. All those born this year are considered extra lucky and easy going. Although Chinese New Year is in our thoughts, Mike and I really aren't going to celebrate. I was able to catch an early glimpse of the New Year while in DC China Town last week. Pretty cool place!

My first trip to DC was quite interesting. I didn't have much time to site see, but was able to take a night tour of the city my last night. Part of the sites were having an electric black out. So, I was unable to see the Lincoln Memorial and a few others. Otherwise, I enjoyed seeing our nations capital.

On the flight to DC we were on the same plane as Senator Salazar. It was neat to see him in person. It was surprising to see that he was seated in the middle of the plane like everyone else. I wanted to meet him, but many people had the same idea. He's quite the down to earth Senator and am pleased with what he has done. He'll always have my vote!

Ruby

2007-02-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Mike and I came up with another name that we both really like, Ruby. It goes well with our last name, Skubella, and represents the color red. Red is a very important color in China. It also reminds us of our favorite character in Cold Mountain. It isn't official because we want to see a photo of our child before we settle on a name. Now to think about boy names.....

I have many photos I would love to post, but our computer STILL won't let me upload anything on blogspot. It's weird because I can upload on other websites. Hopefully, I'll have time at the end of the month to take some time from work to post some photos from the club.

I'm off to the east coast for the week. It will be my first time in Washington DC. Most of my time will be spent at a conference so there won't be much sightseeing. I'll post again in a week - until then.....

Squishes

2007-02-08T23:21:00.000-07:00

What is a squish? A square of fabric and a written wish for the traditional 100 good wishes quilt. Don't you just love that word? It sounds so cozy. We received more squishes from our DTC group this past week. Our favorite is the blue and orange coi fish fabric. Mike loves coi fish and even has one tattooed on his arm. A few families also sent some cool vintage looking fabric. All the wishes and fabric will all have a warm place in our child's heart. Thank you DTC group families for making our child's quilt so special.

Bears & Ring

2007-02-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

The Super Bowl was a bit disappointing. The Bears did well during the first 15 seconds of the game, then things seemed to go down hill. At least they were able to play and Mike was in his glory for 60 seconds or so -

A couple of weeks ago I lost my wedding ring. I was looking through several large trash bags full of jewelry and toys that were donated to the club. It was never found in any of the toy bags or on the 4H Fairbarn, the place I was diving into bags of toys. Of course I've been sad, but it didn't really hit me until last night. I can't believe it's gone. It makes me so so so sad. I'm known to lose things, but this is the first time in a long time that I've lost something that means so much to me. My mom was able to send a ring she bought for me twenty some years ago. It also has a sapphire and is very very nice. Still, I hope my wedding ring shows up some how.

DTC Second Gift Exchange

2007-01-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

Last week we received a second Secret Buddy gift from our DTC group. The theme was 'Tubby Time'. Our buddy gave us the cutest frog towel and bath squirters. The green towel has a hood with the frog face on the corner of the hood. I actually saw one while I was in Florida and thought about getting it. So neat that our S.B. shares our taste!

Ladybug sighting: Mike just handed me a ladybug chocolate that his mom gave us for Christmas. I have a smile on my face :)

Updates.....

2007-01-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

We've received so many squishes (quilt squares and wishes) from our DTC group exchange. Several of the fabrics have ladybugs, others are bright and cheerful, some have pretty Chinese prints and some relate to the families heritage or their wish. All the fabrics will make a beautiful quilt. Thank you everyone for adding your love and wishes to our child's quilt! I wish I could post some photos, but I'm still unable to post pictures from home.

My first monthly goal of drinking water is coming to an end. I'm going to give myself a B. I didn't drink my minimum of two nalgenes for a total of 6 days. I had set back days at the beginning of the month, during my trip to Florida, and yesterday. This gives me an 81% - assuming I drink two bottles tomorrow :) I'm not satisfied with my first goal because it was an easy one. At least a B is better than an F! We'll see how well I do next month this flossing. It's kind of a weird goal, but I really need to improve. Yes, I know I should floss everyday. It's a bad habit that I don't do. I'm lucky if I floss 1 - 2x's a week. Wish me luck!

Our black lab, boo, is recovering from a cut on his foot pad. He cut it Sunday at the new house. We think he somehow sliced it on ice or a nail. It's healing much better today. Mike is keeping Boo's foot wrapped in white gauze. Because Boo is black his white "sock" really looks cute :) We decided to call him white sock and club foot for now.

The new home is coming along well. The insulation was completed today and the siding is almost finished. Mike will start on the cabinets next week. I can't believe how fast things are going. If you finish a house in under a year out here, it's considered fast. So our five (or so) month building process is fast!

Fabulous Florida

2007-01-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

My trip to sunny warm Florida was marvelous. My family is so much fun and Ernie's (Grandfather) Birthday was a blast. I was even able to see my cousin, Paul, whom I hadn't seen in over 20 some years! Hope to post photos later this week. The week also ended on two other wonderful notes. GO! BEARS!!! and GO! HILLARY!!! I was wishing for both and can't believe my dreams came true! I was able to catch the game at Atlanta Airport and share the experience with my hubby on the phone - he is estactic! Now if the Cubs can only show some meat this summer.....

FLORIDA

2007-01-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving for Florida tomorrow. Can't wait. My grandfather, Ernie, is turning a young 85. It will be great to see the many family members that are traveling for the bash....not to mention a break from the bitter air!

100 Good Wishes Quilt

2007-01-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

Dear family and friends:

Mike and I would like to continue a Chinese tradition with our adopted child. This tradition is called "Bai Jia Bei" or 100 Good Wishes Quilt. Family and friends each donate a piece of fabric and wish or blessing to the expecting mother. It is then sewn into quilt for her newborn. Positive thoughts and energy are given to the baby through the quilt and is handed down from generation to generation. The written wish will be added to a Wish Book so our child can match the person and wish to the fabric on the quilt. If you would like to participate in this wonderful tradition, please read the directions below. Please help us network in spreading the word to other family members and friends. 100 pieces of fabric is a lot to find!

1. Chose a piece of 100% cotton fabric that you like or represents your wish. There is no color or theme. The more colorful the better. Your fabric can be new or used.
2. Cut your fabric into two 8 X 8 pieces (one for each side of the quilt). Prewash is not needed.
3. Include a small sample piece of fabric for your wish/blessing.
4. Write or type a wish onto a note card or card stock. The blessing can be a poem, quote or any words that have a special place in your heart. Don't forget to include a sample of the fabric mounted to your wish.
5. Please sign your wish and include your state, city and your relationship to our child.
6. All wishes and fabrics can be mailed to: Skubella's, PO BOX 754, Fairplay, CO 80440

Here are a few links of other quilts:

aquiltforsunshine.blogspot.com
http://www.cd2alicyn.com/web/do/site/folder?ID=144685&parent_id=144685
http://www.handsful.com/?page_id=46
If more than one person in your family would like to participate, each person may submit his/her own fabric and wish.

All fabric and wishes will be greatly appreciated for us to complete this unique and special gift.