Rumors ...

Rumor has it that matching has begun. Hopefully we'll hear something more by Monday morning. It appears that travel approvals will be affected by the earthquake and the Olympics, but not the actual referrals.

Memorial Day

Although it's traditionally a day reserved to honor those that fought and died in the service of our country, many of us also observe Memorial Day to honor all of our loved ones who have crossed over. I remember my Mom & Dad planting flowers on the family graves every Memorial Day weekend. This year, my husband, daughter & I resurrected that tradition (so to speak).

We drove the hour and a half to my hometown, drove past the house I grew up in, then drove to the 2 cemeteries where my family members (ancestors even) are buried. We planted pretty pink flowers (Elizabeth's choice) and tidied up the plots. We waved and smiled at others doing the same. The weather held until the very last flower was planted and then, as we started to drive away, a gentle rain began to fall. It was just what the flowers needed ... right on cue. Thanks, Mom.

"Life is eternal;
and love is immortal;
And death is only a horizon;
And a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight."
-Rossiter Worthington Raymond

Take a walk down the sunny dirt road ...

The Strong National Museum of Play has a new permanent exhibit - The Berenstain Bears - and Elizabeth loves it! There are so many things for a 4-year-old to see, do, and be in Bear Country, that when she went there on a play date with her friend, April, they spent the entire time in that one exhibit. We pretty much had to drag 'em out of there when it was time to leave!

The journey down the sunny dirt road starts with life-size sculptures of the Bear family. After first stopping by The Bear Country Bank ATM to receive Bear Bucks (the official Bear Country currency), we walked down Bear Country Main Street and explored the stores and businesses inspired by Stan & Jan Berenstain's Bear books. There's Farmer Ben’s Farm, Sister and Brother Bear’s Club Houses, and the Bear Country School. Kids can design and sell quilts at Mama Bear’s Quilt Shop or put on an apron and tackle a project in Papa Bear’s Woodworking Shop. Hungry bears can head to Bear Family Restaurant, a kid-sized diner where you can play customer or be part of the staff. Dr. Bearson’s Dentist Office provides an opportunity to play dentist with a giant set of (removable) teeth, a giant toothbrush, floss, and a dentist’s mirror. It's a great way to spend an afternoon, just ask Elizabeth!

Lilac Festival 2008

We went to the Lilac Festival last week and walked through the beautiful gardens at Highland Park. Although it's not my favorite festival here in Rochester (I prefer the Cornhill and Clothesline Art Festivals), it was nice to walk hand-in-hand in the sun with my daughter and watch her enjoy an Abbott's Frozen Custard. She rode on a pretty little black pony named Peanut, and fearlessly walked up on stage to dance with other children while a man named Mike played a ukulele and sang silly songs. When we got home, she drew a picture of our family with 2 of her friends alongside (all of us wearing glasses), saying that it is a picture of everything she likes. She then wrote her name very carefully along the bottom of it and we hung it on the refrigerator. That night, as we got ready for bed, I told her I loved her and then kissed the top of her head. She said, "I love you, too, Mama," then quietly added, "with all of my heart." It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

China's Earthquake

On Monday, May 12, at 2:28 pm. Beijing time, a major earthquake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, jolted southwestern China's Sichuan Province. Earlier today, sirens wailed across China, from tent cities in Sichuan province to Beijing's Tiananmen Square, and millions of Chinese stood for three minutes to mourn the dead exactly 1 week after the quake struck. A 3-day period of national mourning has begun.

There are 69,107 people confirmed dead, with 18,230 still missing. Five million are now homeless. Parents lost children when schools crumbled. Many children are newly orphaned. Others still search. It's a tragedy of such magnitude that most of us can't even begin to comprehend. Thank God.

Half The Sky Foundation (HTS) has been wonderful about keeping the IA community up-to-date. They've been posting daily news and progress reports on their website as well as pictures and stories that showcase human beings at their best. Although we have not received a referral and have no way of knowing where our daughter may be, we will be donating through our adoption agency to the Red Cross Society of China. For those of you out there who also wish to help, HTS offers a couple of ways to do so. Please check out their website, and just try not cry.

(http://halfthesky.org/work/earthquake08.php/)

It's National Nurses Week!

In honor of nurses and nurse educators everywhere ...