Wish #84

What does this print make you do? Smile, of course! It is a red sea of smiles, and ocean of happy with bubbles to boot! I love it.

Yes - it is another of the Red Threaders. That almost sounds like Mad Hatters doesn't it?! This wish came from Potts Camp, MS and says:

"Having predestined us unto the adoption of children...."
~Ephesians 1:5
The Bible

Jan Lemons
Potts Camp, MS

If I remember correctly, Jan is matched with her child from China and waiting to travel. I hope they have safe travels and a Happy Gotcha Day!

Wish #83

This wish touched my heart. As most have - but the quote that was on this wish is a very special one to me. Corinne sent a red print in a beautiful "true" red witha dainty vine and leaf print in white on it. The card reads:

Do all the good you can
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
In all the places you can
All the times you can
To all the people you can
As long as you ever can.
~John Wesley

Best wishes from
The Ponto Family
LID 11-16-06

My sweet mother stitched this quote in a lovely needlework sampler and presented it to our church at home. I am a lifelong Methodist and our founder John Wesley had a heart for sharing the Gospel and doing good. This quote is really something to aspire to and embodies the idea of being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ and serving all those around us. It will warm my heart to be able to share this with my son. There is so much power in this quilt.

Wish #82

When I mailed my squish to this Red Threader - she had us address it to her daughter because she LOVES to receive mail. So I smiled when I dropped mine into the mailbox thinking about little Miss Tipton getting some mail. I hope she liked it! I sent a dark red print with gold ladybugs on it. Our Caitlin liked it because the print was very symmetrical (assymetrical things are her pet peeve - truly...that is in her own words!).

I am not sure that the detail shows up very well for this fabric. The square looks like a bed of roses - lush, dark, perfectly opened roses. I can almost smell them!

The wish reads:

Our wish for you is that with passion
and determination the impossible
becomes possible. May you always
find happiness in all you do.

The Tiptons
Sevierville, TN USA

Wish #81

I was delighted to see this red print. The fans on it are exquisite and very detailed. The Red Thread Swap girls have done it again. Maybe there is a way to actually connect them when I am quilting this with an actual red thread?! Hmmmm...I sure have a lot of ideas for someone who has quilted less times that she can count on ONE hand! Scary, isn't it! But...I am determined.

The wish that accompanies these lovely fans is:

Promise me you will always remember:

You're braver than you believe;
Stronger than you seem;
Smarter than you think.

All our best,
Marilyn and Todd Wilder
La Crosse, WI

Their wish is as lovely as the fanis on the fabric!

Wish #80

Ok - I didn't realize when I proposed the Red Thread Swap that things would be so fruity! But how delicious! And what are my two favorite fruits - the strawberry and the apple...the two that are represented here in Ty's quilt. They are also two of the fruits that I can actually name in Chinese!

This healthy red print of apples and their starry centers comes from Kristen Braxton in North Carolina. She penned:

"Be who you are and say what you feel,
because those who mind don't matter
and those who matter don't mind!"
~ Dr. Seuss

The Braxtons
Dallas, Kristen, kristopher, Nicholas,
Zachary, Julia and Grace (home August 2007)
Fuquay Varina, NC

Now how about that - this is that Dr. Seuss quote that I just adore. I think we probably need to remind ourselves of it daily. And of the only One who does matter!

Wish #79

This is another squish from Diane - the Red Thread Pastor in Wisconsin! (Boy she is cold about now - hopefully 'holed up' and quilting away!) Diane is doing two quilts - so I was lucky enough to receive two great squares from her.

I love the richness and happiness of this butterfly print. It has bright and vivid colors and is pretty stylized. And the way she added her fabric to the wish is very clever! She punched two holes in the card and threaded a small rectangle of fabric through it! It looks wonderful.

Diane wrote:

Never tire to study
and to teach others.
~Confucius

Diane M. Olson
Milwaukee, WI
DTC 1/18~LID 2/14/06

Thanks Diane! I have enjoyed swapping with you!

Wish #78

This Red Thread Swap is working out well and I think it really will help unify Ty's quilt some. Sort of lead your eye through his quilt - that is....if I can do a half-way decent job at this!

Diane Olson sent this red fabric that has tiny white dots all over it. I love Diane's email name by the way - she goes by Red Thread Pastor! Her wish with this square was:

Every child born, has innate goodness.
~Line 1, Three Word Essay

Diane M. Olson; Milwaukee, WI
DTC 1-18~LID 2-14-06

I hope you read this carefully - Diane has been waiting for two years for her precious child. I hope your family is united soon Diane!

Also - I wish I could have specialized in "Three Word Essays" ;)

Wish #76 & 77

This interesting envelope arrived from "Down Under." Lynne really outdid herself for the Red Thread Swap. When I opened the envelope - there was a red chord with accompanying papers that described the Chinese tradition of knot-tying, the relevance of using red rope and the modern knot techniques of Chinese Macrame. There were even directions to make the Double Coin Knot, the True Lovers' Knot, the Double Connection Knot and the Ten Knot. I have tried a couple - and I'm just going to have to practice some more.

Lynne also enclosed a card with a description of the Bendigo Joss House in Australia. This house has been a place of worship for Chinese migrants since the 1860's and looks beautiful. For more information about it click here.

Lynne sent two red prints for our swap. She sent a fabric that almost looks hand-dyed and is imprinted with chinese characters for peace, good fortune, wisdom, harmony, dream, love, luck and courage. Her second fabric is of a red sky filled with dancing kites in a rainbow of colors. A smiling sun and a few sheep-shaped clouds make this a very happy print.

She wrote:

"There are many paths in life, all leading every
which way. At times it may be too dark to see the
paths, or we may choose a path that says no
entry. However the paths we choose make for
the people that we are. Without these walks in life
we get bored, tired and stagnant. We lose that
spark that every human being has, that light, that
life. Be who you want to be, walk where you want
to walk, love who you want to love, and make life
what you want to make it." ~ Anonymous

With love and best wishes from
Domenico and Lynne
Sunbury, Australia

Wish #75 (with a Bonus!)

Of course my very bestest friend would send me a bonus piece of fabric! It was really very exciting! I kind of signed her up to participate in this Red Thread Swap for a variety of reasons. First, because she needs to get started on Kelly's quilt. Secondly, because it makes going to the mailbox way fun. And thirdly, because that indescribable red thread has tied our lives together over and over and over. So - she HAD to do it!

She sent me a gorgeous, rich nature-inspired red print and wrote this:

"Do not follow where the path may lead.
Go instead where there is no path and
leave a trail."
~R.W. Emerson

Blessed child of this world...we wish you
many new trails filled with love and hope,
family, faith and friends.

Carol & Callen O'Hearn
Denver, CO USA

And she included this slip of paper:
Hello - we are Carol and Callen O'Hearn from Denver, CO. Callen is an independent contractor who can fix anything in sight!! Carol is a pilot for United Airlines and the US Air Force. We are both anxious to hold our 2 year old son. He is waiting for us in Beijing. We share in your joy...and wish you speedy travels and peace as you wait for your family to also be united!!

Two things struck me with Carol's wish. That quote from R.W. Emerson has been sitting on my husband's desk for many, many years - he loves it! And also - I had to laugh out loud seeing the words "independent" contractor describing Callen. Not that he isn't one and not that he doesn't do a brilliant job at it - but because I couldn't imagine him being a "dependent" contractor to save his life! Ha! Talk about independent! Thanks for the smile Cal!

And yes- Carol sent me a bonus piece of fabric because she couldn't choose between two red prints she loved. Some folks in the swap got the one I described above. And others got the lighter-red, dainty butterfly print. But I GOT BOTH! Gotta love it!

I'll include the sticky notes she enclosed about our red threads in Ty's album with this bonus butterfly fabric!

Love you, my friend!

Wish #73

Sue (of the prior wish) is in the process of making two quilts, so she sent two squishes. I sent her two of the same squish - one for each quilt! Yes - we have to be organized...or at least attempt it!

This fabric is a groovy sort of red print. Red circles undulate over the square in every imaginable shade and hue of red. I love this zany print. This time Sue wrote:

"Be who you are and
Say what you feel
Because those who
mind don't matter
and those who
matter don't mind."
~ Dr. Seuss

Always remember you are an
unique and wonderful person

Sue Strane
DTV 5/24/2007
Pennsylvania

Gosh what a wonderful quote! I think I have almost mastered this in my forties...and truly come to realize that those that love me - love me no matter what. What a gift! Instilling that certainty in our children that they are loved unconditionally is one of our parenting goals. It sounds so easy......

Wish #72

This is another squish from one of my Red Thread Swap friends....and another gal that I have swapped with before. I love her fabric choices and wishes. This time Sue mailed a yummy strawberry print! It truly makes your mouth water when you look at it! Her wish said:

Believe

"Believe in your dreams and they may
come true; believe in yourself and they
will come true."

Sue Strane
DTV 5/24/2007
Pennsylvania

Wish #71

Wow! Wish #71 already! I am going to have to get REAL organized soon and begin piecing Ty's quilt. This wish came from England - from my fellow cyber-quilter Suzanne Wong. She and I have been involved in a few of the same swaps and are well represented in each other's children's quilts!

She sent a beautiful print of red flowers on a white ground. They look like maybe pansies or primroses with some metallic gold hightlights.

She wrote:

the man of wisdom is never
of two minds;
the man of benevolence
never worries;
the man of courage is never
afraid.
~Confucius

She included the chinese characters for Love and Happiness and signed

Suzanne and Terry Wong
LID 29/11/06
London, England

Face Lift!

Heard about a neat young lady on the web that sylizes your blogs for a small fee and that fee funds her mission trips. She works with orphans on her mission trips - which touched my heart!

Her name is Nikki and you can click "Blogs for a Cause" to see her work.

Information on her mission trips can be found here.

She reminded me of a quote by Ghandi that has resonated inside me since I noticed it again yesterday: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Isn't that the truth. Be the change, don't wish for it, don't complain about what is wrong - BE THE CHANGE! Just love it!

Thanks Nikki! We love our new look! I wish facelifts really were this simple. And more importantly, thank you for your efforts in being the "change."

Fingerprints: Check!

We turned the fingerprinting for Immigration into a nice overnight trip. The hardest part of the entire trip was having to leave our Tater Tot at the kennel.

On Monday, we loaded the car and drove to Birmingham in the afternoon. Caity and I got in a spelling lesson and a literature lesson on the drive. We used Tony's new GPS (thanks Mom!) to find the location of the Immigration support office. We were supposed to be there at 9:00 a.m. the next morning. So we relied on Maggie Magellan to show us the way and we found it. We backtracked from there to find a hotel.

We crashed early because Tony wasn't feeling well. Thankfully he felt a bit better the next morning and we got to the office in PLENTY of time. Enough time to do a history lesson in the parking lot! :)

Promptly at 9:00 we walked into the office and presented our paperwork. There were probably 5 other customers waiting ahead of us amidst rows and rows of chairs. But we noted these people were all seated next to each other in the front row - NO SPACES between them. Hmmmmm......

After the guard checked our id's and our "invitation"...he directed us to exactly the chairs he wanted us to sit in....next to the other people. And I mean he told Tony where to sit and then me. As one customer was called, we were directed to move down a seat. It was very amusing! Kind of a cross between "Mother May I" and "Musical Chairs."

While we were sitting, we both started chuckling at the sign that was posted in several places nearby - it read:

"Remain seated at all times until your number is called.

Unless the pot calls you to the little girls or little boys room."

I so wish I could've taken a picture for you! We listened - but never did hear the pot calling us! And yes - they told Caitlin exactly where to sit in another row!
We did as we were told - and submitted our prints and were on our way. Took about 30minutes.



To make it fun, we decided to run up to the Birmingham Museum of Art and tour the Pompeii exhibit. It was fascinating and tragic all at the same time. We were all moved by the beauty of the blown-glass vials and jars that survived, the intricate gold jewelry and especially the casts of the fleeing people and the dog that was chained. We learned a lot and spent two hours touring the exhibit. Tony has been to Pompeii and tried to explain the vastness of the devastation to us - but it really is hard to imagine if you haven't seen it.

We are on a high note at the moment and feel like Ty is getting closer and closer!

Keep praying!

Wish #70

This wish comes once again from Fabienne and Patrick in Belgium.

I started a swap of squsihes on the One Hundred Good Wishes Quilt Group that was a "Red Thread Swap." People in the adoption community speak of the "red thread" a lot. It is the invisible thread that weaves in and out of our lives and is symbolic of the miracle that we feel adoption is. People talk about their "red thread stories" and how the "red thread" is once again working its magic. I thought it would be fun to have some red prints in Ty's quilt to kind of "tie" things together visually. So a group of about 14 of us swapped red prints!

This was the first red print that I got in the mail. I love that it is a Christmas print! It will always remind me of the time of year when we were working on collecting for Ty's quilt, about the gift that is adoption and the gift of our Savior's birth. And it will be something so beautiful to share with Ty!

Patrick and Fabienne write:

Meillerus Voeux
Bests Wensen
Frohe Festtage
Season's Greetings

a' toi petit Amour ainsi
qu'a va famille

Patrick et Fabienne Lambillon Belgique

Wish #69

I love this fabric! Origami cranes in bright asian florals and prints float on a black ground. It is happy and sophisticated at the same time. (like me - ha!)

This arrived from the One Hundred Good Wishes Quilt group - and this is the wish that was sent:

"While we try to teach our children all
about life, our children teach us what
life is all about."

May you add many leaves to your family
tree....

Mikulus Family
Karrie and Chuck
Chuck Jr, Dana, Danielle, Tyler
Alyssa-Lauren, Myles Kazakhstan 2005
Sierra Vietnam 2007
DTV 9/2007

The Mikulus Family is waiting on another one from Vietnam - and if I count correctly that would make 8 precious leaves on their family tree! I think they do know what life is all about! Thanks!

Wish #68

My friend Keri is such a kick! We were all stationed together in Oklahoma (great assignment for making friends!) Our daughters attended the same preschool, hunted the same Easter Eggs and dressed up in the same high-heel shoes while their Moms had a ball gabbing and laughing. Keri is one of those friends that I could talk and laugh with for hours on end.

Keri has been stationed in Hawaii for a few years...poor thing. Her hubby has been away for the past year - but I konw Keri. She is ALL CAUGHT UP on her scrapbooks probably and has already made her three girls their matching Easter attire. She is a great Mom!

Keri sent this awesome navy Hawaiian print. Their are some surfboards scattered across it that have a vintage feel to them. I love it! She is so funny - she didn't send a wish - but did write this:

Honour,

Happy quilting!
Sorry I didn't mail this
right away. The fabric
was too cute to cut off
such a small piece, so I
sent you the whole yard!
:) Keri

It will be some Happy Quilting and will take me "hanging ten" to get it all done!

We haven't seen each other in a long time - since they were stationed in DC and we managed a quick trip. I have a fond memory of my Dad holding Hailey's hand as we walked to dinner. I miss hanging out with you girl!

Wish #67

And another wish from the Pugh/Odee/O'Hearn clan. This one is from Carol's sister Cathy and her husband Steve.

Cathy and Steve LOVE animals. And they are very involved in fostering dogs and cats and frequent the adoption fairs to find the perfect families for their foster "kids." So...their fabric....is wonderfully appropriate for their situation and ours!

We do worry about Ty's transition into our family from a pet perspective (among others!) In China, dogs are not family pets typically. So, having a dog in your home is a very different concept to these children. We hope that Ty and Tater will bond quickly. I think that this quilt square will help him realize how we feel about dogs in our family!

Cathy and Steve wrote:

What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails,
and puppy dog tails.
Thats what little boys are made of.

Live well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Cathy and Steve Odee

Thanks guys!

Wish #66

This is another of those wishes that is so perfect and goes straight to your heart. (aren't they all!)

This squish is from Mr. David Pugh, the Dad of my best friend Carol (see Wish 65 and the most adorable Baby Kelly) The Pugh/Odee/O'Hearn clan really outdid themselves - and I know that Ty will grow to love you all as much as we do.

Mr. Pugh sent the most beautiful purple batiked fabric with subtle floral designs. The color is so rich and so very appropriate. We lost Carol's Mom, Diane, a few short months after my Dad passed away in 2005. It was a heart-wrenching year...but made easier (if you can call it that) by these friendships. Well, Mrs. Diane's most very favorite color was of course...purple. And one of her favorite spots in her hometown of Janesville, WI was Rotary Gardens. We visited there and it is just a wonderful, happy place filled with one gardening delight after another.

So Mr. David sent this purple fabric and a photo of Rotary Gardens with the simple, yet profound, words of Mr. Spock from the original Star Trek episodes:

"Live Long and Prosper"

I adore this wish. I couldn't hope for more for our son and I am glad that Ty's quilt will symbolically include both of the Pughs.

Thank you!

A Welcome Invitation

Today we received the equivalent to Wonka's Golden Ticket in the mail - at least it felt that way for us!

We have been patiently waiting and wondering, "Where in tarnation is our Homestudy in Alabama?" And today we found out - it isn't in Alabama anymore! It actually made its way to Immigration in Atlanta!

We had mailed our application and fees to immigration months ago, thinking that the homestudy would quickly follow. I can only imagine it sitting on some poor soul's desk in their inbox FOREVER. I used to detest the things that just sat in the BOTTOM of my inbox!

So this delighted person (my vision!) received the rest of the paperwork and was able to issue our "invitation to be fingerprinted by Homeland Security." Yes - we will be fingerprinted AGAIN! We were given an appointment in Birmingham for January 15 at 9:00 a.m. We will probably go up on Monday night and spend the night so that we are sure to be there!

And then we wait for that last magic piece of paper for our dossier - our permission to bring Ty home, issued by the Dept of Homeland Security/Immigration. Let's hope for a 30 day turnaround!

THIS is how we wanted to start the year!

We are so anxious, because as soon as we are DTC (Dossier to China) we can send care packages to Ty!!!!!! And Valentines, and Easter gifts, etc!!!!!

Wish #65

I have a best friend that is walking down this EXACT same path with me. She and her husband are adopting the (second) most precious boy in all of China. In spite of all the ups and downs, delays, moves, etc. we are on virtually the same timeline. A dream come true would be to have our Consulate Appointments in Guangzhou, China near the same time and share the miracles together! But - I will settle for both having these boys in our arms as soon as possible.

My best friend wrote:

Ty -
Since the first time we heard Rascal Flatts sing this, you were in our hearts. As you wish upon the stars...know that we are looking at those same stars and are, more than anything, praying for you and loving you.

"I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
I hope you find God's grace in every mistake
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too!" ~Rascal Flatts

This just shows how sympatico we are, my friend! When I set up Ty's blog - music was a must and this song was a definite. It was in my heart from the first moment, too.

Carol and Cal - we love you guys and just don't know if we could do it without you! Someday, we will ALL be together...your Goddaughter Caitlin and our son's Ty and Kelly. It will be more than we can ever hope for!



And everyone - please pray for this family and for them to be united SOON. Baby Kelly, we can't wait to hold you and show you how much you are loved! Isn't he adorable?!

Wish #64

I apologize for not updating the site sooner - but we had no new news on Ty's paperwork and we were in a bit of a funk. So we waited with the rest of the Christian world and celebrated the miraculous birth of our Savior...and how meaningful that was this year! We came back from our holiday refreshed, with purpose and surety in God's time.

This squish arrived some time ago and I am thrilled to post it. The Gibsons are some prayer warriors we met in Colorado Springs when we were stationed there and some of the coolest folks around. They would be included in that group of military folks that we could EASILY be stationed with again! They wrote:

Dear Ty,
Welcome to America! May you be as blessed by this family as they are blessed to have you. Would you do us a favor? Would you take care of this family for us until the Lord sees fit to move us closer together??? :) God sends his special angels to earth to take care of us and we think you are just the "Angel" to fill this job.

"I asked the LORD to give me this boy, and he has granted my request."
1st Samuel 1:27 NLT

Much Love,
Steve, Lonnie, Ashlee, Christopher & Andrew Gibson
Bellevue, NE

I love these words because it is so wonderful to me to think that Ty has a job, a future and a purpose in this world. So often we hear people (innocently) comment about how we are such wonderful people for "rescuing" this young boy. What they don't realize is just what Steve and Lonnie wrote - that Ty is important and has a role in our family. He isn't helpless or weak. We aren't heroes or miracle workers. We are just a Christian family, with amazing friends and family, that are walking down the path that God has put us on. And so is Ty. And so are you....