Life: A Never-Ending Adventure!

2010-12-21T14:33:00.025-05:00

Happy Winter Solstice! Did you happen to catch the full lunar eclipse last night? Wow! What a sight. I was up for well over an hour watching in the freezing temps as the sky slowly turned dark and the moon a beautiful burnt orange. And the Ursid meteor shower was a bonus. Managed to get some photos, even captured one through the the telescope, but they just don't do it justice. (Picture to the

Help the families stuck in Nepal - Sign Petition

2010-10-12T09:14:00.001-04:00

Gotta love our government. They abruptly stop Nepal adoptions on August 6 without a setting a plan in place to ensure those who had already received their referral, those who were already in country completing their adoptions, or those mid flight on their way to Nepal to meet their child, could safely and quickly bring their children home to the U.S. There are many families stuck in Nepal in what

Anatomy of An Adoption Crisis

2010-09-14T08:21:00.002-04:00

Stumbled across this article yesterday posted on ForeignPolicy.com. A must read for anyone involved in international adoption: www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/09/07/anatomy_of_an_adoption_crisis "Like Vietnam, neither Ethiopia nor Nepal -- the two countries currently plagued by reports of corrupt adoptions -- have enacted the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. If there is indeed

Earl... how apropos

2010-08-31T09:21:00.014-04:00

Ironic I think... I've been waiting on the wind to change direction now numerous hurricanes are spinning in the Atlantic. Was kind of hoping for a more subtle sign... but it seems appropriate considering how I've been feeling lately! First there was Danielle, an impressive major storm which luckily stayed off shore and clear of any land, now Earl... a menacing category 4 storm taking aim on the

If you're waiting on the wind, don't forget to breath

2010-08-19T12:02:00.013-04:00

As I'm sitting here attempting some self-therapy by blogging, there is a song playing in the background: "All at once the world can overwhelm me. There is almost nothing you could tell me that could ease my mind. Which way will you run when it's always around you, and the feeling lost and found you again, a feeling that we have no control... There's a world we've never seen. There's hope

The end of the journey

2010-08-07T08:07:00.009-04:00

I feel like I've been hit by a freight train. Based on all the positive news and feverish activity the past couple of months in the Nepal program it seemed like things had turned for the best and finally moving in the right direction. The news yesterday that the US is all but closing the program caught me off guard. I'm angry, frustrated, worn out, but mainly sad. It's amazing how much your heart

inching closer . . . .

2010-07-13T07:59:00.008-04:00

Last night I learned someone received their referral this week of a little girl - their file was submitted to Nepal in early June 2009. Make that three June files that have been matched, I learned of two others today. Friends of mine! Our dossier was submitted July 2, 2009...which means...we're getting CLOSER! For the first time in a long time we feel excitement that this could actually really

Strike, Stress and Sunshine

2010-05-04T17:24:00.009-04:00

dly the political strife in Nepal continues. Monday, May 1 Maoists shut down the government in an attempt to overthrow the president and force gov't to resign. The headlines read, 'strike is indefinite'. And today the US State Dept issued a warning that the US Embassy in Kathmandu is closed. I hope for the sake of the people of Nepal, the children waiting to be adopted, those of us waiting to

E P A L...

2010-04-19T09:37:00.003-04:00

It's been a couple months since I've posted anything, actually it's been a couple months since I've visited my blog! For no other reason than there's been nothing new to report. Well, that's not true, a few things have happened in the last couple months, some positive things: New referrals/matches were sent out last month, I believe 40-60 but I'm not entirely sure, and those who received

Don't Suspend Inter-Country Adoption by Philip Holmes

2010-02-24T17:49:00.000-05:00

Here is a great article in it's entirety from MyRepublica.com Nepal news site. (http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=15541) Inter-country adoption is once again receiving a bad press. First we had the arrest of a group of Americans in Haiti who were allegedly trying to remove children from the country without the permission of the authorities. Then in this

Quandry.....

2010-02-12T18:20:00.018-05:00

First Canada, then Germany, now Sweden have basically closed their doors to Nepal adoptions in the last week or two. Some families from those countries have already received a referral last Sept, they've been waiting for Nepal to issue their travel approvals, holding onto one small photo and the medical records of their child whom they may never meet. We haven't heard anything from our

Privacy

2010-02-10T14:52:00.073-05:00

If you're reading this then you probably noticed I've taken my blog private, again. I'm not sure if this will be a temporary or permanent thing. I had always planned to go private at some point, particularly as we neared our referral/match. Unfortunately, I don't think that's the case here. As you probably know, there has been a lot of bad press recently on Nepal's adoption system. I've been

2010-02-09T12:27:00.012-05:00

UNICEF reiterates calls to halt Inter-country adoptions in Nepal From http://pearadoptinfo-nepal.blogspot.com February 8, 2010, Kathmandu: UNICEF has endorsed the findings by the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference - delivered to the Government of Nepal today - to suspend inter-country adoptions here. The report on Inter-country adoption in Nepal follows an invitation by the Government

2010-02-08T14:38:00.005-05:00

Children of the Night - February 7, 2010, Kathmandu Post (editorial) - The process of inter-country adoption of children from Nepal has never been free of controversy. In 2007, when it surfaced that many orphanages made lucrative business sending children out of the country, inter-country adoptions from Nepal were temporarily suspended; the orphanages that didn’t meet the minimum government

2010-02-07T07:49:00.016-05:00

You may recall me referring to this adoption process as an emotional roller coaster ride. Well, proof once again adoption is not for the faint of heart. This morning's headline, State sees no loopholes in adoption. February 6, 2010, Kathmandu Post - The government and representatives of organisations working for children have said that the survey report, which claims to have found loopholes

2010-02-05T15:20:00.018-05:00

Headlines yesterday read like a bad dream: Experts Urge Nepal to Ban International Adoption February 4, 2010 KATHMANDU (AFP) – Legal experts have called for international adoption of Nepalese children to be suspended after an investigation uncovered widespread abuse of the system. A team of adoption law experts who visited Nepal in November found documents were routinely falsified and children's

2010-01-18T12:17:00.008-05:00

Nothing new to report here on our adoption journey. Rumors are flying around that travel approvals and possibly new referrals will be sent out in a couple of weeks, but we've been hearing this since September... and it's starting to sound like a broken record. But, it is a new year, and with that brings a sense of renewal, of hope and motivation of sorts. So we remain optimistic - cautiously

2009-12-06T17:33:00.001-05:00

In part, the reason for the delay we are experiencing... KATHMANDU, Dec 7 - Embassies of 12 countries entertaining inter-country adoptions from Nepal have jointly asked the government to ensure transparency and meet international standards while processing inter-country adoption cases. Read the full article: www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=12613

2009-12-05T08:50:00.009-05:00

The Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone. Only 19 days until Christmas. Yikes! (I probably should be shopping or decorating or something other than blogging right now...) Earlier this year I actually thought we might be in Nepal right about now, or at least be preparing to travel, and decorating our son's room. This was a fleeting thought! It has been 11 months since Nepal re-opened its

2009-11-04T12:42:00.001-05:00

Protests started this past Sunday and are still going on, though from I read things have been peaceful so far. Fortunately, there has been enough international pressure on the Maoists party to call off the threatened closure of the country's main airport in Kathmandu on November 10. I see this as a very good sign. But honestly, trying to understand life and politics in a foreign land half a

"may invite disaster of Himalyan dimension..."

2009-10-29T15:04:00.005-04:00

I've been feeling relatively positive and hopeful recently that we would hear good news after the Nepal holiday season. I'm embarrassed to admit that I have not been keeping up on the brewing political situation in Nepal, and sadly I was blind-sided this morning by the headlines like the title of this post and 'Political Revolt Planned to Begin November 2', and 'U.S. Worry Over Nepal Maoists'

pā-shəns is a ˈvər-chü?

2009-10-27T09:43:00.003-04:00

Patience: the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay. Waiting for the correct moment in time for things to unfold the way they are meant to, well it sucks! It's said patience is a virtue, and in the general scope of life being patient is a very important quality, but I think who ever first came

2009-10-13T13:00:00.014-04:00

We recently received a gift for our little guy, an adorable onesie sleeper - brown, super soft and a 100% sweet. It's so cute!! After I oohed and awed several minutes over the cuteness factor of the outfit I immediately put it up to my nose and took a big inhale. Perhaps I thought it would have that sweet unique baby smell, or maybe it was because it reminded me of a Hershey chocolate bar (my

I'm back.... and nesting like a brooding hen

2009-09-22T17:18:00.004-04:00

Okay, I've given up on the whole private blog thing, for now. When the time comes and we finally meet our son perhaps then I will move on to a private blog. And for the record, I'm writing off a large part of my indecisiveness to hormones!Since things started moving a little over two weeks ago, several adoptions completed now, something has happened to me. I've been

Going private...

2009-09-11T16:29:00.016-04:00

To blog or not to blog has been the big question this week amongst the adoption community. I've been completely torn on this. But, begrudgingly, I'm going private today.Apparently Nepalese officials are monitoring them. Not entirely surprising. It is the internet afterall. We kind of knew they might be (we've seen hits coming in from Nepal for sometime now), but it was confirmed this week they

Godspeed

2009-09-05T08:21:00.009-04:00

This morning, more good news. Three more families, I believe all to be from France, received their travel approval and are on their way to Nepal. The other families I mentioned previously are already there. Fortunately they've been able to post daily on their blogs about their experience. Pretty cool.Spirits are high in the Nepal adoption community after this last week. I have a feeling though,

Wow! What a week.

2009-09-02T18:44:00.007-04:00

Today we learned a new minister, Sarba Devojhah, has been appointed at the Ministry of Women Children and Social Welfare. He was sworn in this afternoon. This has been a hell of a big week for the Nepal adoption program. Almost a little nervous to have all this good news in just 3 short days, after 3 long months of no news. ;) This is fantastic!

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step!

2009-08-31T21:09:00.008-04:00

Good news. Three families, so far, were officially notified today to pack their bags... they're going to K-k-k-kathmandu. Like this week!!Ahhhh, deep breathe....... I can't even begin to tell you how happy this makes me to hear this news. Though I am a teeny bit panic-stricken thinking of traveling more than 1/2 way around the world on two days notice. Better start working on that packing list

Could it be true?!

2009-08-28T19:29:00.017-04:00

Finally, some good news trickling in! Apparently there is movement on the Nepal adoption front. I say apparently because we've unfortunately grown a bit skeptical over the last few months, but I'll take this bone that has been thrown. Particularly since last week I had this overwhelming feeling something good was about to happen.Rumor has it Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister has put his stamp of

Contagious smiles :)

2009-08-17T18:53:00.013-04:00

Matt and I recently traveled to New Jersey to attend a Nepal adoption family reunion. Referred to as NAFR, it was a pool party gathering of families who have adopted from Nepal. A bit of momentous weekend for us, as this was our first encounter with adopted Nepalese children and families. We met about 11 children ranging in ages from 3 to 12. We may be a little biased, but the children might just

since you asked....

2009-08-09T18:48:00.016-04:00

Unfortunately, not much to report. Though things in Nepal are anything but quiet, politically speaking, here....well, things are as quiet as a mouse. There has yet to be a minster appointed to the ministry of the women children and social welfare, therefore, no movement on the adoption front. So, without much to blog about, I thought it would be a good time to do a little Q&A. Since embarking on

Support the Families for Orphans Act

2009-07-15T12:14:00.013-04:00

According to the Joint Council for International Adoption, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) estimates there are approximately 143 million orphans in the world today. Some have lost both parents; others are at risk of being orphaned. Millions more live outside the scope of available census data; on the streets, in temporary care or

Enjoy the Ride!?

2009-07-15T10:37:00.015-04:00

So appearantly we have embarked on an emotional roller coaster much to our dismay. There's ups there's downs, there's crazy unexpected turns and loops, you laugh you cry - and sometimes all at the same time. At some points you want to get off, other times you don't want the ride to end. This is the journey of adoption, and we are on it.Still no news out of Nepal. Things are quiet on all accounts.

"You take it on faith, you take it to heart, the waiting is the hardest part"

2009-07-02T21:23:00.014-04:00

(a little Tom Petty quote there...)On July 1 we got word from our agency that our dossier was in the hands of Nepal's Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare. This is great news!! Except for one small fact, there isn't an official "Minister" in place right now of the division of Women, Children and Social Welfare.It's been a bit of stressful few weeks here. Work has been crazy busy for us

We're in Paris!

2009-06-18T18:31:00.006-04:00

Okay, so we're not really in Paris, but our dossier is! Actually it arrived there this morning and departed a few minutes ago. You've gotta love modern technology... the fact that I can track a package across the globe. Wonder where it's next stop is? Hopefully Kathmandu. :))6-21-09: Touchdown! Package was received in Kathmandu today - Father's Day!!

And now, we wait.

2009-06-16T15:23:00.011-04:00

I haven't been posting much recently because there hasn't been much to tell. There is only so much you can write about paperwork processing ya know?! But I am happy to report that our dossier is done! Words can't even begin to describe how elated we feel right now.We finally received our background checks in the mail over the weekend. So our 100 page dossier (okay, so perhaps a hundred is an

You did something. You've made a difference!

2009-06-08T20:35:00.006-04:00

You might recall me mentioning, a couple times, a young girl who I feel is a true inspiration. Maggie Doyne, 22, started her own nonprofit company and assists the children of Nepal. Her foundation BlinkNow.org builds schools, provides food, education, supplies and most importantly love and compassion to many children.Last month she was one of five nominated by DoSomething.com, she and the 4 other

Endless runs to the PO Box...

2009-06-02T14:39:00.007-04:00

So, I used to check our post office box once a week, if I remembered, or if I knew a Netflix movie was waiting for me. I mean what was the point, nothing ever in there but bills and junk mail, and most of our bills are set up for online automatic payment so they are really just statements. But now, I'm there at least once day. Waiting on that one last piece of the puzzle for our dossier. It

Do Something. Vote!

2009-05-29T03:05:00.010-04:00

Make a huge difference in many lives. This will take you less than 5 minutes. I promise. 5 young, amazing, inspirational teenagers earned $10,000 towards their cause, and one of them will actually win $100,000 grand prize and truly make a difference! Seriously, these 5 young adults, (all under the age of 25!) have already started non-profit organizations and are helping those is need. Awhile back

Favorable Determination to Parent!

2009-05-27T15:33:00.006-04:00

Yes, this is what the letter states! We have finally been given the US government's 'stamp of approval' that we are "able to furnish proper care to an orphan".The entire adoption process is all about baby steps. Every little thing you do brings you one step closer, so tonight we will celebrate the arrival of our coveted I-171H approval letter.This means that we are now only 1 document away from

passing time....

2009-05-26T09:14:00.012-04:00

The rest of family... Sinjin, 15, and Bailey, 12. Boy, what I wouldn't do for just half the patience of our cats!

The Nepal Adoption Journey: Travel Warnings and a New Prime Minister

2009-05-24T07:54:00.005-04:00

Apparently it's not safe to travel to Nepal right now, not sure this bodes well for the 3 families who were recently matched and awaiting travel instructions. On the upswing, a new Prime Minister was sworn in last week. Here's hoping his transition goes smoothly and things on the adoption front continue to move forward. Click here to link to a recent update and more detail on the aforementioned.

Almost there, well at least our dossier is...

2009-05-19T20:51:00.005-04:00

All documents have been "ok'd" by our agency, they're notified, certified or otherwise ready to roll. This means we can compile our final packet that will be sent to Nepal. We have only one piece of paperwork we're waiting on, our I171 approval form from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. But, that should arrive in 5-12 days, based on an email I received from them today. 5-12 days and

Pictures from Nepal

2009-05-15T06:34:00.002-04:00

The president of our adoption agency recently visited Nepal and some of the orphanages, click here to see a few of her photos.

Nepalis prefer boys, foreigners..girls

2009-05-12T06:31:00.002-04:00

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=4926

A Day Of Celebrations!

2009-05-09T06:53:00.006-04:00

I wake up this morning, my birthday, to read that referrals have actually begun! What a present :) OMG. So exciting!!Atleast one family has been matched and received their referral of a one year girl. I also believe there is another family out there too that has received their referral in the past week. So MANY questions now...Luckily, we're about 4 pieces of paperwork away from submitting our

Nepal's Peace Process in Danger?

2009-05-04T20:45:00.004-04:00

BBC NEWS, May 4, 2009 - "With the resignation of Maoist leader and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popularly known as Prachanda, Nepal faces the gravest threat to its peace process since a ceasefire was agreed in the country's civil war in 2006. As political parties squabble over how the army is run - with the Maoists wanting to dismiss the military commander and other parties insisting

News, No News? Here's the latest...

2009-04-30T06:47:00.007-04:00

Namaste. Here's a quick update on what's shaking in our world:Besides the mounds of pollen outside and the hectic-ness of work this time of year for us (um, spring and boating....), we are still deep in paper-chase mode, however, this is the last step before our official application reaches the hands of 'the powers that be' in Nepal.We're putting together our dossier as they call it. Everything,

Naya Barshako Suba-Kamana!

2009-04-15T07:16:00.001-04:00

Happy New Year Nepal!The Birkram Samwat calendar just turned it's page to 2066. The Birkram Samwat is the calendar established by Indian emperor Vikramaditya. It is a popularly used calendar in India and the official calendar of Nepal. In addition to Bikram Samwat, the Gregorian calendar and the original Nepalese calendar, Nepal Sambat, are also used in Nepal.A message from Hillary Rodham Clinton

Only time will tell

2009-04-05T13:17:00.016-04:00

Homestudy is done. A big check off the list! Whew. And they actually liked us!! (Said with a bit of sarcasm ;) Anyway, I'm just glad this chapter is done and excited to move on to the phase.The best part is it is all starting to feel more real. There is no doubt we still have a long road ahead of us and a lot more paper chasing to do, but there have been some days where I've wondered if I'm

Rolling along....

2009-03-30T21:44:00.007-04:00

I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post! Where does time go?! Between the time change (yeah spring! ;), house guests for a better part of March, vacation to the Dominican Republic with good friends, and gearing up for busy season at the marina, oh and of course the adoption paper-chase, I haven't found much time to blog. But, alas, a free moment...We had our home visit last

Happenings in Nepal

2009-03-30T21:15:00.017-04:00

Not a day goes by that we don't think about or discuss our adoption. We also keep up with what's going on in Nepal and thought we'd share today's headlines:KATHMANDU, March 30 --- Nepali people will not be free from the problem of power load shedding until 2019, local newspaper The Rising Nepal reported on Monday. Load shedding will remain until 2015 for low economic growth, until 2016 for medium

1 down, 2 to go, and everything in between

2009-03-10T06:55:00.004-04:00

We had our first SW (social worker) meeting last week. I'm so glad that is over with! I was kind of dreading the initial meeting, but it went well, and I think (hope) she liked us!The next meeting (there are 3 in total) will be in our house, otherwise known as the "home visit" on March 24. Clean, clean, clean! Not only is it a good excuse for de-cluttering the house a bit, but we were blessed

3rd Time's A Charm!

2009-02-24T13:31:00.008-05:00

Wow, it's truly evident how crazy this adoption journey will be. On Friday our I600A form was returned for the second time, all because I trusted our U.S. Citizenship & Immigration department to give me the correct mailing address to the office where our form needs to be sent. But nope, they got it wrong (imagine our US gov't getting something wrong! ;) The envelope was returned with a big

The List Grows Shorter!

2009-02-19T10:16:00.004-05:00

Today we both had our physical exams completed. Another thing to check off the looong list! But it does seem with every item we complete, two new things are added. For example, our employment verifications had to be re-done. Since we're a small business our accounts payable girl, who also happens to be a notary, (what a humongous help this as been - since you have to have EVERYTHING notarized)

In Motion...

2009-02-13T13:05:00.012-05:00

It's been a gorgeous week here weather-wise, wow! Mid 70s in February, flip flops... doesn't get much better, in my book! Our social worker called today to schedule our first meeting!! A perfect ending to a perfect week. Unfortunately though, she is really busy right now and won't be able to meet with us until early March. It's only a little over two weeks away but I'm ready to get this ball in

1st hiccup of many...I'm sure

2009-02-11T05:30:00.006-05:00

So, Monday we get an envelope from the US Citizenship & Immigration. 'Hmm, did we forget to complete something?' was my first thought. But when I opened it my heart almost dropped, it was our I600A application AND our check. 'What? Have we been rejected or something?' No... as government bureaucracy would have it, they managed to change our region's office of handling such paperwork - in the last

About Nepal...

2009-02-04T09:00:00.020-05:00

Nepal is a landlocked and largely undeveloped country in south Asia nestled in the heart of the majestic Himalayan Mountains. Himalayan means 'abode of snow' in sanskirt and is in fact the youngest and highest mountain system in the world. To its north of is China, and India to the south.Nepal is slightly larger than Tennessee, relatively speaking, and is one of the poorest countries in the

Formal application is in the mail! Finally...

2009-02-02T09:21:00.017-05:00

Big day here. Last week we dropped our I600A application in the mail, this week our 25 page (give or take a few) application is finally completed! Tomorrow morning on the way to work I will go to the post office and put the package in the mail. :) Think I'll send it priority, 2 day, certified. No, wait, better yet, I'll overnight it! Yes. Really excited, and extremely anxious to get our app in

2009-01-08T08:21:00.017-05:00

A must read: http://blog.nj.com/iamnj/2009/01/maggie_doyne.htmlCheck out Maggie's personal website: http://blinknow.org/"Improving one's lot in life is a sign of health and growth. But we've got to be careful about always demanding some nonexistent perfection and learn instead to appreciate, to enhance what is in hand.""Your life is based on the capacity of the energy in you, not

Update on the Adoption Front...

2008-12-16T10:11:00.013-05:00

Well, it's been several weeks since I've posted anything about what's going on with us and where we are at in the process. Unfortunately, I have to say at the moment that the state of the economy is of huge concern to us right now. We want to adopt very badly, but it's a costly venture, one we realize is most certainly worth it, but we have to proceed cautiously.We've been dissecting our

Stomach Bug - Yuck :(

2008-11-13T14:04:00.013-05:00

Sunday morning about 3am I woke up really restless, feeling kind of achy. Tossed and turned a lot before getting up and going to the spare bedroom so not to wake Matt. Wouldn't you know it, when I finally awoke a few hours later I was sick to my stomach. I hadn't been ill like that since 2005 in the Dominican Republic at which time I had a 104 fever for a little while! No fever this time,

We've Selected An Agency!

2008-11-07T11:49:00.005-05:00

Well, today was kind of a big step: I submitted an application to begin the homestudy and placement process. We have selected CAS (Carolina Adoption Services) out of Greensboro NC. I completed the application process online and was even able to pay the app fee online of $300. No we wait anxiously for their initial approval to start the home study process.I have my concerns about being eligible to

Choosing a Country, Choosing an Agency... Not Easy Decisions

2008-11-06T08:58:00.033-05:00

Wow! Making the decision to adopt a child wasn't all that difficult. But choosing a country... well, it can be daunting. I swear I've changed my mind 10 times in the last week alone.We truly would be happy with a child from anywhere. And there are so many children who need a family, where do you begin? You have to look at it from a multitude of angles and it can be overwhelming at times. There

The Next Chapter??? KIDS!

2008-11-02T15:13:00.009-05:00

Hi - Welcome to our little piece of the web! As 2008 comes to a close we are about to embark on one of the biggest adventures of our lives. I say one, because we've had a couple. The biggest, to date, was selling all of our 'worldy' (aka material) possessions and taking a year off to sail our 33' Endeavor sailboat Island Girl to the Caribbean and back. We left in the fall of 2004 and returned in