July 22

July 22... It's official. That was the cut-off LID date for the August referral batch. Now to wait for September. I'm still holding out hope for more referrals this week or next - to add to the surprise of this latest batch. You see, typically, agencies know when the CCAA sends out referrals, typically once a month at the end of the month. Even my agency said last week that they heard CCAA was working on referrals and then seemed just as surprised as everyone else that they were in the mail the next day. Now it looks like those of us with 8/30 LIDs won't see anything until November at the earliest... Since I first sent in application inquiries in November 2004, that would put me at an official 2 year wait by the time I learn who my daughter is. There's not much else to do but wait and pass the time.

Last week I passed the time at the PGA Championship at Medinah Country Club - it was interesting to watch Tiger Woods at the finals. He makes it look so easy. I wonder if my girl will be the next famous golfer with Woods as a last name...

And this past Sunday, I spent in Chinatown with a terrific group of friends who all have or will have adopted from China. Our small group is growing... and getting noisier, but in nice way! So much so that the restaurant gave us a nice little coat closet all to ourselves. Very cozy. We had dim sum at the Phoenix restaurant - most of it was very tasty (some items we just could not identify) and the little girls ate almost as much Chinese food as the adults.

Things don't always go as planned, but they will all work out in the end - and I know that when she's here, I'll forget about wait... Though I may have to bring it up in lieu of the mother's standard line, "I carried you for 9 months..."; I can almost hear it now: "And to think I had to wait for you for soooo long......"