tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165538542012-01-12T09:07:52.272-05:00Infrequent musings from an Orthodox Jewish blogger about her hopes to adopt from ChinaPinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.comBlogger781100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-80523466679576924472012-01-09T23:15:00.000-05:002012-01-09T23:41:20.750-05:00

Yes, we are back! We've been back since the middle of December, but everything's been a little crazy since then. We got back on Thursday night, and by Saturday I had a terrible case of bronchitis, probably due to all the pollution I was exposed to in China. Even though I was pretty sick I managed to make it to our appointment with PD at the international adoption clinic (two hours away from our

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-2508340397165092132011-10-30T11:33:00.001-04:002011-10-30T11:33:46.509-04:00

Look at that, less than a month before I update y'all again. We have all our paperwork done which I still can't quite believe, and got our Travel Approval (TA) pretty fast (about 11 days). We are leaving at the end of November to Beijing, and will meet our PD on December 5th, I assume in Zhengzhou. Yes, I'm counting down the days, and having a private celebration each month when we reached the

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-48284092844429124932011-10-12T01:45:00.000-04:002011-10-12T01:45:02.585-04:00

So for the 3 whole followers who are following me (Hi! I should probably, cough, follow you back), I have some pretty amazing news. We finally got a referral. Actually, we got six of them. No, we aren't adopting sextuplets. I should probably give you a little backstory, eh? You see, in June or July 2010 we made our final decision to switch from the NSN (No Special Needs) program to the

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-39715048831218724042010-06-30T00:27:00.003-04:002010-06-30T00:30:24.946-04:00

Yesterday was June 29th. 3 years since our LID. Yup! Happy Anniversary to us!I'm on Facebook if you're really looking for me. Email me a pinkdevora at yahoo dot com. Hoping to share javascript:void(0)better news before another year is up...

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-17285603711621827162009-11-16T23:57:00.003-05:002009-11-17T00:21:47.592-05:00

What I find very interesting, is that from all the agencies in the U.S. that we could have chosen, we chose one of the few that is actually in a very Jewish neighborhood (Coolidge Corner in Brookline, MA) with several kosher restaurants, a couple of synagogues and places for us to stay comfortably nearby. We met with our agency for the first time this past weekend, and really enjoyed our visit. I

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-8535304293942688092009-10-27T22:42:00.005-04:002009-10-27T23:50:41.071-04:00

First, a nice video by Jewish Fan about Chinese of Jewish extraction in China: And this is a cool video about a Chinese woman of Jewish descent who moved to Israel, converted to Judaism, and then married an American in a Sephardic-style wedding ceremony. This was definitely a very multi-cultural wedding and is so beautiful.Some translation:* 5 months after she converted to Judaism, the woman now

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-13831435494997683902009-06-29T20:28:00.000-04:002009-06-29T20:32:52.201-04:00

Today, it's officoally two years since our Log In Date to China. Here's to hoping for only one more year! Heh. That would have depressed me a year or two ago. In other news, it's been 14 years since my dear husband proposed to me. He's fabulous. I still don't have confirmation that our dossier has been reviewed. Off to email the agency!

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-23314415757672251022009-06-25T00:19:00.000-04:002009-06-25T00:34:10.637-04:00

Yep, it's that time that comes around every 15 months! Time to renew fingerprints and the I171H. We're sending in the letter to ask for renewal (and, no, this is NOT the free renewal!). Only one obstacle - I couldn't find the form we received after our last renewal. Ulp. After half an hour of near-frantic looking, I finally found it. Whew. For some reason, I hadn't scanned it into my computer

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-28480194146234872832009-05-14T22:34:00.002-04:002009-05-15T00:17:36.042-04:00

While reviewing Pearl S. Buck International's update newsletter today (not my agency, but I'm on many agency's email lists), I saw that the last date that they had for dossiers that were reviewed in China is April 20, 2007. Our LID is in June 2007.I knew in the back of my mind that it was possibly time to be a little worried, but now it's sunk in. They've reviewed up to April, so they'll be up to

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-60740007762655232772008-12-21T22:09:00.010-05:002008-12-21T22:34:03.362-05:00

In celebration of Chanuka, I present a picture I took of my husband lighting the menora last year. I desperately want to learn how to a) take better pictures and b) how to use PhotoShop. I probably know about 1% of what PhotoShop can do, and am very jealous of people who know how to use even 20% more than I know. I am trying to learn from people such as Pioneer Woman (warning: addictive website.

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-53174722992978163902008-12-19T00:57:00.002-05:002008-12-19T01:00:47.618-05:00

Yeah, sorry for the cricket chirping. There's just not that much to say right now. But I felt like posting *something*. So here we go. We've been waiting in China for, um (wait, need to use my toes to add this up), nearly 16 months now. I could add one of those tickers (with ladybugs! yes!) at the top of my blog, but that would not accomplish anything. Ok, that's all I have to stay. I'm still

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-28982942058142462412008-10-08T00:06:00.005-04:002008-10-08T01:25:21.484-04:00

This post (at least the beginning of it), is one that I think Mrs. Figby (now Halcyon Mama) would enjoy. I've been trying to lose weight over the last couple of years, and have been doing so slowly, which works well for me. My scale is broken, but I've probably lost about 10 pounds since the spring. I literally had just enough work outfits to get me through one work-week during the winter last

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-42715099847062593212008-09-29T17:25:00.005-04:002008-09-29T17:29:11.432-04:00

I wish everyone a Happy New Year. A year of peace, gratitude, health and wealth.

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-29518979167479555332008-09-21T21:53:00.001-04:002008-09-21T21:55:27.957-04:00

The Bamboo Cradle: A Jewish Father's Story by Avraham Schwartzbaum My review rating: 5 of 5 starsThis is a non-fiction book, not a novel, about a American couple who went to Taiwan in the early 70s on a Fulbright scholarship, and ended up leaving with a baby girl that the father, Avraham Schwartzbaum found abandoned in a train station. This couple may have been one of the first couples to

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-29729158770831375532008-05-29T23:06:00.005-04:002008-05-30T01:47:43.795-04:00

(Warning, the vent mode is on)Earlier this month, I explained to my family that yet another country that we were thinking of adopting from had closed, and finally told them that they should spread the word that they have a family member who is looking to adopt. Since I have family members in 3 countries, who knows what could happen?I never wanted to do that. I don't want to be a "nebach case" (

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-39190336737133908462008-04-16T23:02:00.002-04:002008-04-16T23:10:04.354-04:00

Yes, I'm still around. According to my original timeline, I would have been home with my baby today. Instead, my husband and I are getting up incredibly early, as we have to get to a Department of Homeland Security office by 8:00 am tomorrow morning to renew our fingerprints and I-600-A. Fun times! I am already beyond busy with work and the upcoming Pesach (Passover) holiday, so the timing really

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-58914266454972765432007-11-29T00:12:00.000-05:002007-11-29T00:13:21.311-05:00

Yawn.Have to start figuring out how to renew fingerprints etc. Sigh.

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-61498899968839970172007-11-13T22:12:00.000-05:002007-11-13T22:25:08.994-05:00

Wow.I am so composed right now that I am shocking myself. I have a post that I've been keeping in drafts for a while, that is about the following topic. It's a little raw emotion-wise, and very personal. I wanted to think about it for a while before deciding to share it with the world. But meanwhile, I have to say this. One of my sisters just called me and told me she was pregnant. AND I'M NOT

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-71458431369569082142007-09-23T13:08:00.000-04:002007-09-23T16:52:34.113-04:00

Okay, so I've got about two years to wait. What to do in the meantime?I missed the deadline to complete my application to the college I wanted to attend (but because an old college did not send my transcript on time, not entirely my fault). So, I'm doing something else I've been wanting to do for a while: I've signed up for Amber Ludlow's photography class (I think there are a couple of spaces

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-88357216721012143072007-09-12T12:36:00.000-04:002007-09-12T12:38:13.988-04:00

My best wishes to everyone for Peace, Prosperity, Blessings and Health.May you be inscribed in the Book of Life.

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-85571622072470476752007-08-30T00:25:00.001-04:002007-08-30T00:32:38.727-04:00

As seen in the August 20th edition of Crain's NY Business:Gotham gigsBrooklyn shutterbugHOOKED ON BROOKLYN Kathryn Kirk didn't expect to stay long when she became staff photographer for Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden in 1989. "I was thinking two years, max," she says. She photographed Jackie Kennedy Onassis on one of her first assignments. "Every time I go out, I meet someone intriguing

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-50699103737474540782007-08-03T10:19:00.000-04:002007-08-03T10:26:31.992-04:00

I have a friend who went through several years of infertility (complete with several mid-term miscarriages). When stupid ignorant nosy people would ask her bluntly how many children she had, one of her responses was "they're on back order".I never had the guts to do that, and, quite frankly, the question would take me by surprise half the time and I would just be stammering and turning red. (Over

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-86034659232420060422007-07-19T18:00:00.000-04:002007-07-20T18:11:04.043-04:00

My husband and I have never gotten credit cards with airline miles. We've always used cards that give us cash rebates of 1%-5%. Our favorite card for a while was Discover Card, but now we're loving our Chase Rewards cards (5% back on gas purchases!). Courtesy of our recent trips to Israel, we each have several thousand air miles with British Airways and Continental, respectively.The question is,

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-71665457108717003282007-07-18T23:00:00.001-04:002007-07-18T23:05:10.018-04:00

This was totally unexpected, as I had decided it was going to take a very long time until we got our LID. The fact that I was away for a while, then came back to work and am trying desperately to catch up, probably distracted me.So yes, we've got a LID.Are you ready?Really?Changed your mind yet?Ok, ok.Drumroll please!JUNE 29TH, 2007Let the countdown begin! 3 weeks down already!(Let's just hope

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-44160333109752254402007-07-17T21:36:00.000-04:002007-07-17T22:01:17.220-04:00

I will probably be flamed for not reporting this earlier ; ) but we were DTC on June 23rd!We were slightly busy then, which is why I forgot to post it. My baby sister got married in Israel at the end of June, so I was very, very busy and was going without good Internet access for over two weeks.So, yay, we're DTC*! Woohoo and all that!We already got our "brown envelope" a while ago, so we're not

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-69084917053139203492007-06-17T17:11:00.000-04:002007-06-17T23:26:55.347-04:00

(Quick note: We should be DTC very soon. Yes, it took way too long, but I'm happy that the papwerwork is done!)After reading about this documentary video on Harlow's Monkey, I ordered it through our local inter-library system.First Person Plural is an amazing and incredibly touching story, and should be required watching for parents adopting internationally. Parents adopting domestically should

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-90383231835489128142007-03-11T00:26:00.000-05:002007-03-11T00:36:21.385-05:00

Dear Rick (see comment on previous post),Since you did not identify yourself with an email address or a blog, I'm assuming that you meant to just bring up a subject and will probably not follow up. If you do, I'm open to a dialogue.Anyways, my short response to you is: What Jewish kids languishing in Russian orphanages?What Jewish kids are available for adoption in the first place?Answer: few.

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1171497510156173582007-02-14T18:43:00.000-05:002007-02-14T18:58:30.166-05:00

I have two sisters who live in Israel, so I don't get to seem them very often. They flew in recently in honor of yet another's sister's wedding. (Yes, the wedding was gorgeous. We had a wonderful time. Thank you.)Since I have more room than most of my family members (odd how not having kids in a 4 bedroom house makes things pretty spacious), tons of toys, and wireless Internet, they hung out at

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1168915150244527202007-01-15T21:29:00.000-05:002007-01-15T21:47:50.690-05:00

Right before I went to Montreal and met Mortimer's Mom, I got an email from someone who had answered an agency question I had posted several months before on APC. She had just put two and two together, and realized that she was my husband's second cousin! We've never met her and her husband (I think it's our second cousin through my husband's grandmother's third husband...whatever), but now we

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1168573379614448752007-01-11T22:08:00.000-05:002007-02-02T15:38:01.686-05:00

You read it right. That last all important form is HERE. It took about 2 months after fingerprinting. You'd think I'd be happy that this ever-so-crucial document had finally arrived. But no. I was more...confused...than anything else. You see, a couple of weeks ago, the idea of switching countries due to the ever increasing wait times in China became very attractive to me, and I was VERY

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1166581785327478472006-12-19T21:27:00.000-05:002006-12-19T21:29:45.340-05:00

The NY Times website has an interesting video on its site about the growth of Shenzhen, China, and how its development may be a harbinger of things to come for the rest of China.It's in two parts; this is the first part. The second part will start automatically at the end.

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1166323339487319982006-12-16T21:41:00.000-05:002006-12-16T21:42:42.523-05:00

Get your own Menorah at ChaiSpace!>

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1164998583441418942006-12-01T13:34:00.000-05:002006-12-01T13:43:03.456-05:00

CCAA got through 14 days again (I think), but that's better than nothing. Keep an eye on my "They've got their referrals" section...there are already some new blogs there, such as Luca's blog.And, also big news: Mortimer's Mom has Sprout's referral info! Go on over there and give her a cyber hug. Yay! Next week, at least 6 people from my referrals section will be leaving to China. Can't wait to

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1162861676056678982006-11-06T19:22:00.000-05:002006-11-06T20:07:56.126-05:00

I started writing a comment in response to this post, but it got so long I had to blog about it instead. Read the comments on her post too!Oh, people after my own heart. I love, love, love reading. I can easily do 15-20 books a week when I don't work overtime. Does reading blogs count as reading? Is that why I have way so many blogs on Bloglines? I think so. There aren't enough books about

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1162701670677245712006-11-04T23:40:00.000-05:002006-11-04T23:41:10.686-05:00

Check out my "They've got their referrals" section on the right. Lots of new people!Nothing new to say otherwise...

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1159331824125716332006-09-27T00:08:00.000-04:002006-09-27T00:55:59.536-04:00

One of my big concerns is going to China for two weeks, with our luggage restricted to two suitcases total (!), and having to take food for the husband and I to last most of that time! Believe me, I was worried. A year ago, I knew that I could definitely get kosher food in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and possibly Kowloon. I also knew that it was doubtful that I would end up adopting from an SWI

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1159323702290535792006-09-26T22:17:00.000-04:002006-09-26T22:58:57.743-04:00

At this point in the show, a client has come into the office to sue her/his (not sure at this point - client may be a cro*ss dres*ser or a manly woman!) employer. Client has decided to go for "one of those Chinese babies", "like Angelina Jolie", and when said client asked for maternity leave...the employer said that it's not available for adoptions. So client wants to sue. Oh, and said employer "

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1156787505333084252006-08-28T13:51:00.000-04:002006-08-28T13:51:47.883-04:00

Do They Have Salsa in China?: It's a girl, and another girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!I DON'T BELIEVE IT!MARY-MIA & ROD HAVE TWINS!!!!!AAAAHHHH!SO EXCITED FOR THEM!

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1156124413372281682006-08-20T21:36:00.000-04:002006-08-20T21:40:50.246-04:00

Ah. Now I no longer have to run searches or randomly run across their videos on YouTube. Now they have their own website.Go forth and enjoy!(hat-tip to pomegranate)Oh, and an update:My husband does not read my blog.

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1155190274045038432006-08-10T02:09:00.000-04:002006-08-10T02:11:14.056-04:00

Remember this young lady?Yes.It's August.She has not arrived in my mailbox yet.And my birthday/anniversary isn't for months.Hmmmmm?????

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1153371293170536752006-07-20T00:51:00.000-04:002006-07-20T00:55:09.696-04:00

Remember these kids?They're back with more! Not as good as the first one, but hold out for the end which is a little more amusing. I still wonder what the kid in the background is doing.

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1153197289094578932006-07-18T00:21:00.000-04:002006-07-18T00:34:49.106-04:00

Well, I've finally met someone from the Internet (and no, I wasn't abducted ;) )Nothing like going on vacation and realizing that you are staying at a hotel only a few blocks away from a bloggy mama's store! Stupid me did not realize that Mortimer's Mom lived in Montreal till the last night of our vacation (or rather, extended weekend - we really were only there for a two whole days). But,

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1150866758494314532006-06-21T00:56:00.000-04:002006-06-21T01:12:38.506-04:00

I'm not even going to go through the courtesy of linking to them. If you want to find them, they're on Yahoo News and elsewhere I'm sure.Psychotherapy helps infertile 'superwomen' Just relax and you'll get pregnant!But then, you can quit the pychotherapy, since:Some stress during pregnancy may be good for babyBut, only some, not too much!Pregnancy stress 'passed to baby'A quote from another story

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1150330923984238882006-06-14T20:15:00.000-04:002006-06-14T20:44:20.296-04:00

Notes from the TV show tonight - I have no idea if these are all considered traditional. The groom's family (Chris) was from Hong Kong, and very traditional. The bride's family (Amy) lives in the US and are more Westernized. They had a traditional Western, Christian ceremony first, then had a Chinese banquet at a hotel.When the groom comes to pick up his bride, he has to get past the bridesmaids,

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1150330298007190592006-06-14T20:08:00.000-04:002006-06-14T20:11:38.020-04:00

If you're watching TV (at least on the East Coast) at this moment, and you have cable, switch over to WE. They're running an episode of "I Do...Let's Eat", a show I've never seen before.Of course, the first couple they're featuring is a Chinese-American couple, and their very, very traditional Chinese wedding.All I can say is dried shark fin looks very interesting. And darn expensive at $80 a

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1150083863080710762006-06-11T23:25:00.000-04:002006-06-12T00:42:35.836-04:00

So we're eating lunch at a kosher restaurant in Teaneck today along with other family members today. They had the ceremony for my mother-in-law's mother's gravestone dedication, and afterwards she took us and select friends and relatives of hers out to a popular kosher eatery. WI had a really good wrap, enjoyed my food and catching up with various relatives who we don't normally spend much time

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1150086482687680432006-06-09T16:06:00.000-04:002006-06-12T00:53:31.340-04:00

We finally sent in our I-600-A and our State security check forms. Woohoo! $625 to make sure we aren't axe murderers! Yay!All I'm sayin' is that we didn't have to do this before our multiple fertility procedures. They should. With all the hormones I was on, I probably would have completely trashed the fertility clinic if I had heard all the negative pregnancy test results in the office. Instead,

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1147139739715239622006-05-08T21:34:00.000-04:002006-05-08T21:55:39.750-04:00

While visiting a "large city with a large concentration of Orthodox Jews" recently (I'll let you guess where), I stopped into the only store I like in the area. A Jewish book store.Can't stand the city otherwise. Too crowded, too many people, too much triple parking. I need wide open spaces with flowers and trees. So, I'm cruisin' around the store, seeing if there are any books that catch my eye,

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1147138440252833322006-05-08T21:04:00.000-04:002006-05-08T21:34:00.263-04:00

I've seen the Gali Girls website in the past, a website that sells Jewish oriented dolls and books, and thought it was a nice idea.But now they've done something that American Girl hasn't been able to do. They've come out with a Chinese doll and accompanying book.Reyna is a little girl who is growing up in Kaifeng in 1175 and undergoing all kinds of exciting adventures as detailed in her book,

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1147135634668162372006-05-08T20:47:00.000-04:002006-05-08T21:00:14.700-04:00

I actually put in a huge amount of effort into getting the loads and loads of documents neccessary for our dossier, right before Passover, but nothing since. There's just been a lot going on, plus we're waiting for a new copy of my husband's birth certificate.But, I got a good kick in the rear yesterday. We finally attended our first FCC event. We joined sometime in March or April, and

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1146548548099667482006-05-02T01:34:00.000-04:002006-05-02T01:42:28.113-04:00

Please visit The Cady Chase again. Scott has posted the most wonderful video of an SWI visit that I've EVER seen. Absolutely beautiful. They were so privileged to be able to meet their daughter's caretaker and thank her in person. Karen did a great job at showing her appreciation.Oh phooey. I can't figure out how to link directly to that post (darn Macs!). Please go to their website and look for

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1145848858912600542006-04-23T23:20:00.000-04:002006-04-23T23:30:35.526-04:00

Against All Odds, Twin Girls Reunited - CBS NewsI think this is the third time that I've heard about a pair of separately adopted girls from China being recognized as twins. What's really interesting is that the girls have made references to their missing twins before the relationship is discovered, like one girl telling her mother that she has a "hole in her heart", or asking over and over "

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1144768193445804892006-04-11T11:07:00.000-04:002006-04-23T23:24:34.146-04:00

Get more Matzah at ChaiSpace!hint: click on the matzaOk, this isn't working right now, but I'll leave it up in case it does decide to work later. Blogger has been a little funky lately.

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1144703360376777532006-04-10T17:09:00.000-04:002006-04-10T17:25:24.043-04:00

J of pomegranate has a great post up about the fact that 12.5% of the China referrals received by Spanish parents most recently were for boys, not girls. Because everyone associates the popularity of the Chinese adoption program with the girl abandonment (and boy preference) issue in China, these statistics are quite surprising. I think most, if not all, male adoptions from China are SN (Special

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1144298705064601492006-04-06T00:33:00.000-04:002006-04-06T00:47:30.363-04:00

YOU MUST LISTEN TO THIS BROADCAST.This is a radio broadcast from On Point Radio titled "Adopted Chinese Children". Its focus is China adoption, but they also discuss Korean adoption, simply because Korean adoptees are old enough for us to learn from them. Yes, it's long, but very worth listening to. You'll be horrified (and maybe cry) somewhere in the middle, but at the end, you'll be sobbing.

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1144127128979160852006-04-04T00:15:00.000-04:002006-04-04T01:05:29.023-04:00

I found quite a few videos tonight that I have to share. First, a website not listed in my blogroll:The Cady Chase Scott & Karen's site (no, not the very famous Scott & Karen's Gwenblog, this is another Scott & Karen's website) *would* be listed in my blogroll if I could figure out how to subscribe to their feed. Really great website, and (probably since he's working on a Mac), he has *great*

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1143169052824618262006-03-23T21:41:00.000-05:002006-03-23T21:57:32.833-05:00

Love Without Boundaries, a website fora group of volunteers around the world who have realized that people who have a pure love for helping children can truly make a difference. We all donate our time and gifts in an attempt to brighten the lives of some of the world's most vulnerable children. has posted their "Top 10 Pictures of 2005",. Such beautiful pictures! There were quite a few that made

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1142952975156590182006-03-21T09:52:00.000-05:002006-03-21T09:59:38.186-05:00

Heck, I'm not DTC yet, but these prices sound MAD cheap!From the Business Traveller newsletter:ACT FAST, BECAUSE YOU ONLY HAVE TILL MIDNIGHT THURSDAY (March 23) to take advantage of United's "Spectacular Savings to Asia" special fares. Destinations include Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Beijing and Shanghai. Hop aboard United's wide-body jets nonstop to China and Japan, or one-stop to

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1142479967238760902006-03-15T22:30:00.000-05:002006-03-15T22:32:47.266-05:00

From a business traveller newsletter:China Inks Aviation Deal With United States BUILDING ON AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIESSIGNED IN 2004, China and the United States havesigned a new bilateral aviation agreement. Under thenew agreement, the number of weekly flights betweenthe two nations will rise from 54 to 249 and thenumber of permitted carriers from four to nine. U.S.airlines will be

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1142288840496141702006-03-13T17:26:00.000-05:002006-03-13T17:29:55.613-05:00

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1142185203984043832006-03-12T12:21:00.000-05:002006-03-12T12:40:04.000-05:00

One of these days, I will post a list of all the steps we have to go through. But this is what we've done so far:* Chosen an adoption agency* Sent in the application and application fee ($200)* Had an intake meeting* Went thru the homestudy ($1400 so far)* Got DH's physical* Scheduled my physical* Got my employment verification letter* Got DH's employment verification letter (but I think it won't

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1142183889814852452006-03-12T11:42:00.000-05:002006-03-12T12:18:09.853-05:00

I still can't believe it. We found a great social worker who made the whole process very easy for us. The in-house meeting was very quick and to the point, and all she wanted to see were the common living areas and the room that would be the baby's room. Oh well...at least our master bedroom is clean & neat now. I'm trying to keep it up. We had already prepared answers to some of the questions we

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1142181717577455912006-03-12T11:32:00.000-05:002006-03-12T11:41:57.596-05:00

Warning: this video will make you cry (via A Red Thread to China).China Care is an organization started by a TEENAGER, who saw the plight of orphans in China. The video is from his appearance on Oprah. He's raising money to help fund operations for orphans with terrible birth defects, and to help get handicapped orphans adopted in the U.S.The homepage explains it the best:The predicament of

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1141191468895500162006-03-01T00:07:00.000-05:002006-03-01T00:37:48.946-05:00

One bonus to scheduling a homestudy this time of year? EARLY PESACH CLEANING*. This post was rolling around in my head, and then I read Karen's post about laundry (sorry, password protected)...and then my comment to her turned into this. Until a few days ago, there was a huge gigantic enormous towering sizeable pile of things to be ironed/folded/mended in our bedroom. Clean clothes though. Hate

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1140070327223591802006-02-16T00:58:00.000-05:002006-02-16T01:12:07.236-05:00

Wow. I read over 50 blogs written by people who have adopted from China, or are in the process of adoption, and have been reading most of them since last summer. But they're all pretty much living here, applying with an agency, going through the GREAT WAIT, and then travelling to China to pick up their precious baby. Now, I've heard that there are some individuals who say, are foreigners living

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1139725058046419382006-02-12T01:00:00.000-05:002006-02-12T01:18:19.050-05:00

Fling Poo has recently climbed up my list to be one of my all-time favorite blogs. This couple is in China right now, picking up their approximately two-year-old daughter, who is so, so cute. It looks like they're doing a wonderful job with transitioning her into their family, plus they're documenting everything so well!First, check out their Metcha Day. When you've finished crying, read the

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1139722462732051822006-02-12T00:30:00.000-05:002006-02-12T00:34:22.733-05:00

Hey, does anyone out there have a good solution for establishing a blogroll? I'm looking at Blogrolling, but just do not care enough to screw around, trying to get their template look more like my blog. Is there an easier tool out there? I read a LOT of blogs, and would love to be able to link to them. But changing my template to include all of them is a nightmare. It would be great to import

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1139722192758792172006-02-12T00:18:00.000-05:002006-02-12T00:29:52.766-05:00

A bit overwhelmed right now. We got a packet from a home study agency in the mail today, probably the one we're going with (our agency is just a little too far for them to perform the study themselves, so we have to use someone local).I always knew about the documents I needed, but today I got a better look at the list of required documents.ALL FREAKIN 31* OF THEM. Oh.My.Good thing about this

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1138585919928824312006-01-29T20:41:00.000-05:002006-01-29T20:52:00.013-05:00

If you get Print Magazine, there's a two page article about the attempts by China to encourage the acceptance of girls. Look for the article titled "Growth Industry - Millions of Chinese girls are at risk. A public campaign comes to their aid", by Jude Steward. It include pictures of some billboards and a brochure used in the efforts to educate the public in China about the value of girls.

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1135313680758036052005-12-22T23:35:00.000-05:002005-12-23T00:02:00.786-05:00

Yeah, it's been a long while. I guess that there's just been a lot on my mind, and I haven't been able to organize it enough to be able to post. Otherwise, I end up with long posts that are hard to read.I know I owe answers to two commenters. Hopefully, my answers will be forthcoming soon. The good thing is that I think we've settled on an agency. I'm not going to say who it is right now, in case

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1132640548900013062005-11-22T01:16:00.000-05:002005-11-22T01:26:55.903-05:00

Posts that are rambling about my head:* Impressions from the APC conference* Why I still haven't decided that China is our ultimate destination for adoption...but why I still want to.* Why I don't want to adopt from Russian, Kazakhstan or Guatemala (never mind India, Ethiopia and other places). This sounds a lot like the second post. Oh yeah, and why we're not pursuing domestic adoption either. *

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1132639948806614352005-11-22T00:43:00.000-05:002005-11-22T01:12:28.816-05:00

Aaahhhhh!!!!!I just spent close to 3 hours trying to compare China program costs from five agencies: Gladney, CCAI, CAWLI, WACAP & GWCA. I haven't even called USAA yet, a facilitator that I really want to speak to, and my head is already spinning.There should be a central agency for the adoption agencies. Why in the world can't they all call their lovely "fees" by the same names? This is driving

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1130472770394743632005-10-28T00:09:00.000-04:002005-10-28T00:12:50.403-04:00

Well, after seeing this on China Adoption News, I loved it, but I was going to leave it at that. But, heck, everyone else is posting about it, so...why not. Here you go:Chinese BackStreet BoysThese kids are actually pretty good!But can someone please tell me if the kid in the background is even alive?

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1129142580542801112005-10-12T14:29:00.000-04:002005-10-12T14:43:49.733-04:00

Pink Devora's Communication style:You're the ultimate universal, holistic thinker! Yes, you're a visionary. Everything, including the smallest detail, needs to be synthesized into a framework that answers the question, "How." Before you begin any project or task, you need to see the "big picture." Not one step can be taken until you know how that one step fits into the whole. Ideas and options

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1127883456995434192005-09-28T00:51:00.000-04:002005-09-28T00:57:36.996-04:00

Hat-tip to Sarah Gilbert of Blogging Baby An entire team of female hockey players get pregnant. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Geez, you'd think that the years I spent in Canada playing hockey would have helped. I GUESS NOT.

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1127275867346037702005-09-21T00:00:00.000-04:002005-09-21T00:11:07.350-04:00

You have got to love Karen's and Scott's videos. Honest and breathtaking. They make me both laugh and cry. I'm glad to see that their Gwen is feeling much better. I pray that she recovers completely very soon. I also love Team Shapiro. I've watched this video (all 15 minutes of it!) at least three times. It was one of the things I showed my mother when I finally broke the news to her recently.(In

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1126753663129516662005-09-14T22:15:00.000-04:002005-09-14T23:16:47.333-04:00

While researching adoption, I have read blog after blog, website after website, comparing people's experiences with different agencies (note the "I" - DH has not participated in this much, but that is slowly changing). I think I have it narrowed down to about four. As it happens to be, none of them are even in our local area, which hopefully will not be a big deal. One of the agencies that I'm

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553854.post-1126286884445294332005-09-09T13:12:00.000-04:002005-09-09T13:38:19.630-04:00

So I splurged on my first adoption book (I've been haunting my local area's library until now, but their selection is pretty minimal), From China with Love, by Emily Buchanan.I know you've never seen a picture of me, but, trust me, my family is blindingly white. Lots of blonds and redheads in our family, from good 'ol English and Scottish stock (at least, until my uncle married a woman who was

PinkDevorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00806270908906377131noreply@blogger.com0