Maggie's Closet

This is one of my favorites that I have made so far ! The fabric is from
Heather Bailey 's Pop Garden and the pattern is from The Hand Made Dress

I would love for Maggie to wear this special outfit on the day we make her adoption official in China.

These ruffle pants are so fun to make and easy !

They are from Sandi Henderson's patterns and the fabric is from her Farmers Market line. I really hope they fit her ! We'll see.....

More ruffle pants !

I am not sure who the maker of this fabric is...it's just cute !

Happy Birthday Walker And Maggie !!

We celebrated Walker's Birthday on Saturday with family and friends.
I can't believe my little boy is already nine years old.
Walker is so full of joy and smiles !
He just lights up a room ! I love you Walker ! You are an amazing young man !!

Today is Maggie's birthday - one year old ! We celebrated at home this morning with pink and green flower cupcakes ! It has been a little hard today knowing that our daughter is not with her family on such a special day. We so long to have her home.

It has really been hard lately...

We are still waiting on our Travel Approval. We do know that the USCIS has received our I800 form and as soon as they can process it and send it to China - our TA can start to get processed. We are still anticipating a mid to late Dec. travel date.

Wordless Wednesday

Rojo Cabeza ?

My sweet husband - Chuck - has really, really red hair. He has traveled Internationally a lot on mission/medical/building trips and his red hair is always very popular with the locals.
In Mexico they would say " Rojo Cabeza !!!" and follow him around. He really has an incredibly genuine and funny personalty and loved it.

I was just wondering - What will the Chinese locals think of my darlings red hair ?
What will Maggie think when she first looks at us ?
Chuck is convinced he will make her laugh and smile ! He's a great daddy !!
Just random thoughts I have....

Operation Giggle !

Have you ever just wanted to do SOMETHING to make a difference ? Have you ever wondered how to begin ? Operation Giggle is wonderful opportunity to make a difference !

Please visit Julie and go HERE to buy a raffle ticket to help raise money to ship Christmas presents to the beautiful children at The New Day Foster Home.
**The raffle starts Monday **


This is the sweet little dress - SIZE 2T ( would be super, duper cute monogrammed !)I made and had the privilege to donate. Each $3 ticket puts your name into the bucket 1 time. All proceeds from the raffle go to the freight expense to ship the gifts to China for the kiddo’s. They really need these funds. So far they have raised $250 and they HAVE to raise around $1000 in November to cover the shipping. Let’s rally together to raise this freight money so the New Day kids will have a great Christmas!!

Dresses, hair bows and Maggie's room

These two dresses are my newest creations. The pattern is from here I modified it a little and I love them.





I hosted a sewing party the last two Sunday nights. Five wonderful and talented ladies came over and we all cut, pinned and sewed together. I showed them how to make the reversible jumper dress for their little ones. Also, we were all blessed by my newest best friend Ashley. She showed us how to make these adorable hair bows. I never thought I would be making bows for my little girls hair !



And lastly, Maggie's room is slowly coming along.
I am sure it will start to fill up with toys and baby dolls soon !

"More Paperwork ?" You Say

I was a little caught off guard when I received two e-mails from our agency outlining the directions for this phase of our adoption - Waiting on our Travel Approval. Our agency is absolutely wonderful and was very helpful in giving me clear and concise directions on how to do my paperwork. I just thought I was really done with paperwork. (This is all still very new to us even though we have been paper-chasing for over a year now).

These are the forms we had to fill out:
1. Visa applications
2. I 800 FORM (9 other documents,which I already had, also had to be included)
3. DS230 Form

Just three things right ? Well, there is a lot that goes into these three forms and I was a little overwhelmed by them. I immediately got to work filling out the forms and collecting all my documents, copies of documents and forms last weekend. Thankfully, it was the weekend and I couldn't mail anything until Tuesday ( Monday was a holiday). Every day, I went over and over the forms and directions and every day I found a lot of mistakes that I had made. I got so used to filling out forms for Chuck and me, that filling out forms for Maggie confused me.

I got it all straitened out eventually, and mailed everything off. Now, we just wait for our TA and pray I don't get a call saying I need to redo the forms.

A pink room and LOA signed

Last week, Maggie's room was finally painted a perfect shade of sweet pink. I love how the color is very subtle, but still very pink !

We got the baby bed out of storage, the boys helped put it back together and set it up. Her room is finally coming together ! I will post more pictures of it later. I am hoping to get an artist to paint her name above the crib.

Last week we also signed some very important papers from China - The LOA (Letter of Acceptance). Chuck and I both signed the paper saying that "yes" we officially accept Maggie's referral. We then sent the LOA back to our agency, and they sent it back to China. Now, our TA (travel approval) can start to be processed. We are tentatively traveling to get Maggie in December. I can't think of a better Christmas present !

100 Dresses

To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or "100 Good Wishes Quilt".

I really wanted to have a quilt made for Maggie, but I have never made a quilt and I do not know anyone that quilts. So, I never got started with it.

But, I have been sewing a lot of dresses. So, instead of a 100 Good Wishes Quilt, she may have "100 Dresses sewed with LOVE" by me !

Even my sweet hubby has gotten involved and made a pattern for this cute dress !
( as he watched a football game of course ). We call it "THE CHUCK" dress... ok not the cutest name for a dress, but he was so proud of his design. I used a 12 month onsie and the most adorable fabric.

I tried some of the dresses on my friends little girl who is just about the same size as Maggie should be in December. They fit her so good ( a little big) and were so cute on her !

I am just a beginner sewer, but I really enjoy sewing. I am learning as I go and have made a lot of mistakes ! I am trying new and more complicated patterns and am loving it ! It also helps "pass the time" as we wait for our travel approval.

Paper work !

I've been busy ! It seems when you are waiting on your Travel Approval, you don't just sit around and wait. No sirree !

Yep ! More paperwork..lots of paperwork...and lists and questions about the lists ......and questions about the questions on the list. Hope I don't loose the list....or forget the list.....

My brain is mush ( or is it moosh?).

Of course all this is worth it !

Just look at this precious face that has no idea she has a real life family, two adoring brothers and the Worlds Best dog ! She has no idea that we love her to the moon and back !

Orphan Sunday

On Orphan Sunday, Christians stand for the orphan. We are a people called to defend the fatherless…to care for the child that has no family…to visit orphans in their distress.

From many sources, one voice. Hundreds of events across America and beyond, all sharing a single goal: that God’s great love for the orphan will find echo in our lives as well.

Each as they are led. Sermons and small groups, concerts and prayer gatherings—each rousing believers with God’s call to care for the orphan…and what we can do in response.

November 8, 2009. Orphan Sunday is your opportunity to rouse church, community and friends to God’s call to care for the orphan.

I am helping to organize an Orphan Sunday event at our local church. There will be several families telling their own adoption story and bringing awareness to Orphans. We will also honor those that have adopted and have information on what can be done NOW to help. Chuck and I will be sharing our heart for orphaned children too.

Maggie

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:13-16