Tuesday, January 30, 2007
new Guest book
For some reason the web site that was supporting my guest book was offline and not responding so I went through a new web site for a new guest book. All old guest book entries have been destroyed. So feel free to sign in on our guest book. thanks
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Cousins
Since there are no pictures of Makayla yet I almost have to put on the cousins . The first picture is Seth Smetak he is 5 years old. The second picture is Isabelle Swanson she is almost 3 years old. The third picture is Talon Swanson he is almost 1 year old.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Makaylas Christmas 2006
- This year for Christmas Makayla got Christmas gifts even though we have not gotten her yet. Don's brother Scott, his wife Stef and our nephew Seth got her a cute little camo onesie with a matching camo hat.
- I got her a onesie that says "My heart belongs to Daddy"
- Plus my secret pal online in my DTC March Group sent her a box filled with goodies. A place mat, disposable bibs, snack cups, A Dora china doll, luggage tag, and a spoon travel set. Thank you secret pal.
Andrews Bedroom
Andrews bedroom
OK Andrews room is done for now except for curtains. here are the pics. Oh and by the way, the girl stuff was packed and there was about 10-12 medium boxes and now is sitting in the attic.
Ok, I wanted to share with you all, updates on Makayla's room. I have bought but not installed her knobs for her dresser. They are blocks with letters on them, and they are the same colors as her room in decorated in. I also have matching light switches and hangers for her coats, which I still have not put up. This is the reason why Don has put me on a spending hold. LOL
I know she needs a toy box, but where I will put it is unknown at this point. below is pictures of makalya's room when I first posted on January 7, 2007.
ok, I pretty much have all of Makayla's room done. With the Christmas gift certificates from Dons parents for Christmas we were able to get material to make her curtains and bedding. I surprised myself on my sewing ability. Usually I start a project and never finish but I had a goal to get her room done so I could post it for all to see. I still would like to get a toy box, new drawer handles for her dresser, a table with two chairs and I still have to make a supply caddie for her crib. As I see it I think we still have at least six months of waiting so I still have time. Let me know on what you think of the room so far. Plus our cat angel wanted to be in the pictures, she loves to get her picture taken.. Since Don and I bought the crib we were a little worried that our two cats would not leave it along. However bob and Angel only got yelled at a couple of times when we first got the crib and they have not been in it since. The only time the cats go in the room is to sit by the heater vent or to look out the window, I think we got lucky and was blessed with really good cats. In Makayla's room, the curtains were made from Pink material with green poka dots, green material with pink poka dots, and blue material with green poka dots. The signs in her room says DIVA, GIGGLE, SMILE , DIVA IN TRAINING, Queen of everything, Princess, DREAM and oh course Don's favorite NO BOYS ALLOWED., all the signs have pink, purple, blue and green poka dots. I bought the signs first and then picked out the material. The rugs are pink and purple and one is all four colors, pink, purple, blue, and green. I am hoping to buy plain wooden round drawer pulls and paint them green with pink poka dots, but I still have time for that. Please sign our guest book and let us know what you think of makayla's Room. Dorrine
OK Andrews room is done for now except for curtains. here are the pics. Oh and by the way, the girl stuff was packed and there was about 10-12 medium boxes and now is sitting in the attic.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Update on maykayla's room
Ok, I wanted to share with you all, updates on Makayla's room. I have bought but not installed her knobs for her dresser. They are blocks with letters on them, and they are the same colors as her room in decorated in. I also have matching light switches and hangers for her coats, which I still have not put up. This is the reason why Don has put me on a spending hold. LOLI know she needs a toy box, but where I will put it is unknown at this point. below is pictures of makalya's room when I first posted on January 7, 2007.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Old pictures from last year of her room!!!!!
ok, I pretty much have all of Makayla's room done. With the Christmas gift certificates from Dons parents for Christmas we were able to get material to make her curtains and bedding. I surprised myself on my sewing ability. Usually I start a project and never finish but I had a goal to get her room done so I could post it for all to see. I still would like to get a toy box, new drawer handles for her dresser, a table with two chairs and I still have to make a supply caddie for her crib. As I see it I think we still have at least six months of waiting so I still have time. Let me know on what you think of the room so far. Plus our cat angel wanted to be in the pictures, she loves to get her picture taken.. Since Don and I bought the crib we were a little worried that our two cats would not leave it along. However bob and Angel only got yelled at a couple of times when we first got the crib and they have not been in it since. The only time the cats go in the room is to sit by the heater vent or to look out the window, I think we got lucky and was blessed with really good cats. In Makayla's room, the curtains were made from Pink material with green poka dots, green material with pink poka dots, and blue material with green poka dots. The signs in her room says DIVA, GIGGLE, SMILE , DIVA IN TRAINING, Queen of everything, Princess, DREAM and oh course Don's favorite NO BOYS ALLOWED., all the signs have pink, purple, blue and green poka dots. I bought the signs first and then picked out the material. The rugs are pink and purple and one is all four colors, pink, purple, blue, and green. I am hoping to buy plain wooden round drawer pulls and paint them green with pink poka dots, but I still have time for that. Please sign our guest book and let us know what you think of makayla's Room. Dorrine
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Adoption Poems
If anyone would like to write a poem and would like for me to put in on the site just email me or leave me a post and I will place it on. I think Makayla and everyone else would like to hear from other friends and family.
The Answer
Not flesh of my flesh
Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously
My own.
Never forget
For a single minute:
You didn't grow under my heart
But in it.
© Fleur Conkling Heyliger
The Gift of Life
I didn't give you the gift of life,
But in my heart I know.
The love I feel is deep and real,
As if it had been so.
For us to have each other
Is like a dream come true!
No, I didn't give you
The gift of life,
Life gave me the gift of you.
--- Unknown
Until Forever
This morning in China a mother cries
She’ll never forget her daughter’s eyes
Her heart is broken and filled with pain
The tears run down like the falling rain.
She has no choice but to leave her there
The cost of keeping is too much to bear
She hopes her daughter will one day know
True love can be found in letting her go.
This morning in China a baby cries
Hungry and scared as tears fill her eyes
Her mother has left her in this public place
Another lost daughter of the Chinese race.
Someone passing by has heard her soft moan
She’s soon quickly taken to a foster home
It’s here she’ll reside in the care of another
Until she’s adopted by a brand new mother.
That very same moment, in the U.S.A.
A woman cries as she starts to pray
Her heart is heavy but filled with much love
She prays for a daughter she thinks the world of.
“Dear Jesus I ask that your arms would be
Wrapped tightly around the one picked for me
Guard her in China ‘till I make my way
And then in my arms forever she’ll stay.”
Tom Fisher
December 24, 2003
The last poem always makes me cry. Dorrine
The Answer
Not flesh of my flesh
Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously
My own.
Never forget
For a single minute:
You didn't grow under my heart
But in it.
© Fleur Conkling Heyliger
The Gift of Life
I didn't give you the gift of life,
But in my heart I know.
The love I feel is deep and real,
As if it had been so.
For us to have each other
Is like a dream come true!
No, I didn't give you
The gift of life,
Life gave me the gift of you.
--- Unknown
Until Forever
This morning in China a mother cries
She’ll never forget her daughter’s eyes
Her heart is broken and filled with pain
The tears run down like the falling rain.
She has no choice but to leave her there
The cost of keeping is too much to bear
She hopes her daughter will one day know
True love can be found in letting her go.
This morning in China a baby cries
Hungry and scared as tears fill her eyes
Her mother has left her in this public place
Another lost daughter of the Chinese race.
Someone passing by has heard her soft moan
She’s soon quickly taken to a foster home
It’s here she’ll reside in the care of another
Until she’s adopted by a brand new mother.
That very same moment, in the U.S.A.
A woman cries as she starts to pray
Her heart is heavy but filled with much love
She prays for a daughter she thinks the world of.
“Dear Jesus I ask that your arms would be
Wrapped tightly around the one picked for me
Guard her in China ‘till I make my way
And then in my arms forever she’ll stay.”
Tom Fisher
December 24, 2003
The last poem always makes me cry. Dorrine
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Ladybugs
When we first started our adoption journey, other couples and even people on the Internet that are also adopting from China and logged in close to our log in date are always talking about ladybugs. They say that if you see a ladybug that means good luck or sign about your soon to be adopted child, Or a connection to your child to be. Since we started our adoption ladybugs has not affected me until New years eve 2007. I was sitting at Donalds brothers house and stef, my sister in law said make a wish. I wished that we would get our little Makayla this year. Just as I thought it ,I looked down and saw a ladybug on my glass of sparkling wine( juice) . I said to everyone" a ladybug" and stef flicked it off. It was a short lived ladybug , but I finally found out what everyone was talking about on the Internet about ladybugs and wishes.
Monday, September 24, 2007
lady bugs
Today I found another lady bug. It was on the light in the kitchen. could this be telling me something????? IF you have any questions about lady bugs and why I am making a big deal over it please read in posts on the right hand side of the page " Lady bug" it will explain.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Lady bug
Another lady bug Story................
On Monday I went out to eat with Mom, Nancy and Gail's kids and on the way there we were talking about Makayla and what did I see crawling on the window, you guessed a lady bug. It is the first time since New Years Eve. I can't help but think that It is a sign of some sort. Could yesterday be the day she was born? If so it would fit into the time frame of a referral in Dec-Feb. I think It will quite neat to get a referral , and her birth date was the day that I saw the lady bug.................
Any thoughts on this please leave me a message on the link below.
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How we picked her name
Don and I got some books with baby names in it, and at first Don wanted her name to start with a "D" that away all of our names start with the same initial. After looking at the "D" names we just did not like any of them, we again just thought that when we heard her name we would know it. I suggested Daphne because Donald likes scooby doo. Donald says Guatalope Then one night I was watching american idol ( one of my favorite show) and one of the finalists name was Makayla. I heard it a thought that was so cool. Ran it passed Donald and he said that was just ok.... I looked the name Makayla on the internet and the meaning was " A gift from God" thats all it took, she had her name and we have stuck with it ever since. Her middle name will be her Chinese given name and of course Smetak.
Our Paperwork
When Don and I started the paperwork it was very overwhelming. There was so much paperwork I could I made a book. There were background checks, fingerprints, City, state, county, and federal checks. Medical checks, letter from Doctors. and tons of blood work involved. Previous taxes, letter from Insurance company, net worth, pet vaccinations, Car insurance policy, insurance polices. Ect...ect.... Just when we thought we were done, our adoption agency gave us more. Don and I had to drive to Minnesota in November of 2005 to get fingerprinted for the federal check.
In December of 2005 we recieved our Homestudy. We both were one set closer to getting our little girl. Our dossier ( which a list of paperwork and pictures ) were finally finish being translating into Chinese and was mailed off on Feb 24 2006. We then go notified from our adoption agency that China logged in our paperwork on March 22, 2006. DTC date(Dossier to China) and LID date (Logged in Date ) . When we talk to other people adopting we go by the DTC and LID. Also in March we recieved a packet of information that was 1/2 english and 1/2 Chinese. Which was from the US consulate in China. I later found out that the paperwork has to be brought with us to China.. I was really confused with the maps in Chinese which I think goes to our guide, but I could be wrong......
In December of 2005 we recieved our Homestudy. We both were one set closer to getting our little girl. Our dossier ( which a list of paperwork and pictures ) were finally finish being translating into Chinese and was mailed off on Feb 24 2006. We then go notified from our adoption agency that China logged in our paperwork on March 22, 2006. DTC date(Dossier to China) and LID date (Logged in Date ) . When we talk to other people adopting we go by the DTC and LID. Also in March we recieved a packet of information that was 1/2 english and 1/2 Chinese. Which was from the US consulate in China. I later found out that the paperwork has to be brought with us to China.. I was really confused with the maps in Chinese which I think goes to our guide, but I could be wrong......
Why China
We started the adoption process in August of 2005. Donald and I went to several informational classes in which different adoption agencies were offering. We decided to go through a agency that was very well known and had a great reviews from people we talked to that had adopted through them. There are so many countries out there that are doing international adoptions we didn't know which one to pick from. So at first we picked Russia since it had a pretty short waiting period before getting a referral. After picking Russia we were uneasy about the decision. We knew that there was a reason God would not allow us to have children ourselves. There was a child that was going to be born for us and that we would not commit ourselves until it felt right. In September 2005 we met with a social worker named Kari at the adoption agency in Portage. She talked to us about all our options as did others and said that she adopted from China in 2004. When Don and I left her office (Which took 3 hours) we talked all the way home. It was one of the most important conversations we have ever had. That night I woke up and Donald was telling me about a dream he had about a little Chinese girl that had big black eyes and she just kept staring at him in his dream. It bought chills down my back because that same night a had almost the same dream. Donald and I discussed that China was the program for us. Ever since that day we never questioned which international program to go though. CHINA !!!!CHINA!!!!!CHINA!!!!CHINA!!!!!!CHINA!!!!!!!!CHINA!!!!!!!!!!!!CHINA!!!!!!!!!CHINA!!!
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