Any news yet?

We are not the only ones hoping to hear happy news.  Extended family members, friends from all over Canada, the US..the UK.., teachers, neighbours,..the nice lady at the drycleaners...we all wait for "her".  As much as it is hard for us to say "nope..no news yet"..we are so grateful for the support during this long winter.  I find myself not wanting to partake in "stuff" because I just don't want to explain.  I know this is so ridiculous..I just wish I had better news to come back with...can't wait 'till we do! 

We have decided to escape for a week and feel the sun..Florida bound it is :)..we had originally decided to postphone any trips until we got back from SA but plans change.  We need to refuel, regroup and hopefully get ready for some excitement comin' our way.  Soo we are trying to find ways to stay positive and fight the winter rut..sand, cocktails, pools..yup, that should do it :)...luckily we had some points saved up that are expiring in March..don't need to ask me twice!



So while wait..we wait together.  In addition, we belong to an adoption community of other families waiting.  Glad we are not in this alone.  Message boards, blogs..e-mails have been quiet lately..I get it. 

I think we are all just "holding our breath". 

I so look forward to the happy, nervous energy of "getting ready" again...

dream.

Inspiring Article

My South Africa by Jonathan Jansen

Wednesday, 09 February 2011

My South Africa is the working-class man who called from the airport to return my wallet without a cent missing. It is the white woman who put all three of her domestic worker's children through the same school that her own child attended. It is the politician in one of our rural provinces, Mpumalanga, who returned his salary to the government as a statement that standing with the poor had to be more than just a few words. It is the teacher who worked after school hours every day during the public sector strike to ensure her children did not miss out on learning.

My South Africa is the first-year university student in Bloemfontein who took all the gifts she received for her birthday and donated them - with the permission of the givers - to a home for children in an Aids village. It is the people hurt by racist acts who find it in their hearts to publicly forgive the perpetrators. It is the group of farmers in Paarl who started a top school for the children of farm workers to ensure they got the best education possible while their parents toiled in the vineyards. It is the farmer's wife in Viljoenskroon who created an education and training centre for the wives of farm labourers so that they could gain the advanced skills required to operate accredited early-learning centers for their own and other children.

My South Africa is that little white boy at a decent school in the Eastern Cape who decided to teach the black boys in the community to play cricket, and to fit them all out with the togs required to play the gentelman's game. It is the two black street children in Durban, caught on camera, who put their spare change in the condensed milk tin of a white beggar. It is the Johannesburg pastor who opened up his church as a place of shelter for illegal immigrants. It is the Afrikaner woman from Boksburg who nailed the white guy who shot and killed one of South Africa's greatest freedom fighters outside his home.

My South Africa is the man who went to prison for 27 years and came out embracing his captors, thereby releasing them from their impending misery. It is the activist priest who dived into a crowd of angry people to rescue a woman from a sure necklacing. It is the former police chief who fell to his knees to wash the feet of Mamelodi women whose sons disappeared on his watch; it is the women who forgave him in his act of contrition. It is the Cape Town university psychologist who interviewed the 'Prime Evil' in Pretoria Centre and came away with emotional attachment, even empathy, for the human being who did such terrible things under apartheid.

My South Africa is the quiet, dignified, determined township mother from Langa who straightened her back during the years of oppression and decided that her struggle was to raise decent children, insist that they learn, and ensure that they not succumb to bitterness or defeat in the face of overwhelming odds. It is the two young girls who walked 20kms to school everyday, even through their matric years, and passed well enough to be accepted into university studies. It is the student who takes on three jobs, during the evenings and on weekends, to find ways of paying for his university studies.

My South Africa is the teenager in a wheelchair who works in townships serving the poor. It is the pastor of a Kenilworth church whose parishioners were slaughtered, who visits the killers and asks them for forgiveness because he was a beneficiary of apartheid. It is the politician who resigns on conscientious grounds, giving up status and salary because of an objection in principle to a social policy of her political party. It is the young lawman who decides to dedicate his life to representing those who cannot afford to pay for legal services.

My South Africa is not the angry, corrupt, violent country those deeds fill the front pages of newspapers and the lead-in items on the seven-o'-clock news. It is the South Africa often unseen, yet powered by the remarkable lives of ordinary people. It is the citizens who keep the country together through millions of acts of daily kindness.

* This article originally appeared in Mango's inflight magazine. 

http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/blog/my_south_africa_by_jonathan_jansen.html

Fast Forward

Well, we got word this week that there may be another two month delay as CIC conducts a review on our program.  I know this is in the best interests of the children and in the long run it secures the South African program..I know this is most important..but we are soo anxious to get some good news...

So we pulled it together and decided to head into the city and enjoy some rootbeer floats, a movie and a night out with the boys...originally we were excited to see a documentary showing called "Mama Africa" and after getting settled into our seats and watching 15 min. the projecter stopped working..sigh..so Narnia in 3D it was!

I try to remind myself that someday we will have our little girl for a lifetime..an extra two more months..we can wait, we can. 

I just wish we could fast forward to the good part.

SNOW DAY!!!

Don't you remember the excitment of the anticipated snow day!!  It's the reward for enduring the long, cold Canadian winter..yesterday, news on the street was that a huge storm was heading our way so of course everyone was makin' fun plans.  Our little guy came home from school and told us that his teacher advised the class to wear their pajama's inside out if they wanted a snow day to happen! SOOO of course that was the plan - we all slept with our pj's inside out!  Guess what -  it worked :)

The morning started with the excitment of early morning cartoons instead of packing lunches, violin practice, and..the rush.  We all enjoyed hot chocolate in our new favourite mugs that just arrived from Shanie!   Gorgeous - they make us smile!

By 8:45 it started..the phone was ringin' with hockey plans..sooo we told em' all to get over here and start shovelin' off the rink!  Of course it always amazes me how eager 9 year old boys are to shovel a hockey rink but ask them to shovel a driveway and they look at you all confused! 

                  Clearing the rink took longer than expected but in the end it was worth it :)

By two o'clock and tying 10 pairs of skates later the rink was full and then a massive snowball fight started...yikes.  Pizza and chips outside and everyone was smiling :)



                                   Of course then everyone was wet n' cold so this happened...

     Popcorn, hot chocolate and movie time...whew..good memories..I need a nap!

The boys spotted a pink helmet they want to get for their sister when she comes home..can't wait.

Cheers to snow days!!! But seriously one is enough..let's hope school is back in tomorrow :)