It's a Small World...

Today has been a FABULOUS day!!  I got to meet someone today (in person) who has become an incredible friend and TREMENDOUS support to me in our adoption journey!  

This picture could be used on a billboard for "It's a Small World!"  You see, Tara and I "met" because she and her husband adopted their beautiful baby girl, Rossi Quinn, from the same orphanage in Taiwan where we are in the process of adopting our baby.  You might not think that's such a big deal, but they live in Muhlenburg County, KY (which is only a little over an hour away from Warren County, where we live).  What really makes it a small world, though, is that my really good friend and neighbor who lives RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from me is one of Tara's best friends!  Tara and I became friends because of our connection on the other side of the world, but we also had a connection so close to home as well!  It really is such a small world!  

I was SO EXCITED about meeting Tara and Rossi Quinn!  I had a hard time going to sleep last night! I couldn't decide what to wear and to be completely honest, I cried a couple of times before going over to Millie's house.  I think I was so emotional because this was the first time I have met (in person) anyone from The Home of God's Love (That's the name of the orphanage in Taiwan.) and it just made me feel that much more connected to this amazing place where we hope to be eventually going to adopt our own precious child.  Meeting Rossi for the first time and actually seeing her in person made it that much more of a reality!  If I was this excited, emotional, nervous, etc. over seeing them, I can only imagine how I will be when we travel to Taiwan!  I should probably start stocking up on tissues now!  Maybe I should buy an extra suitcase just for my tissues!  LOL!  I've been telling you all that these adoption hormones are out of control! ;0)

As Tara said today, I also cannot wait for our babies to play together!  I can't wait to see a third little one on this little couch!  They were too cute today!  I just love both of these precious girls so much!!

I am so thankful for Millie and Olivia and so thankful that Millie arranged for Tara, Rossi, and I to meet today!  It really was the BEST DAY!!  :0)

Cherry Hope Stepping Stones

My extremely talented friend, Gayle Miller, creates the most beautiful stepping stones! She asked me if she could do a fundraiser for our adoption and designed this gorgeous stepping stone! The picture is beautiful enough, but it doesn't even begin to do it justice! If you would be interested in purchasing one of these stepping stones, please let me know. They are $35 each. We will have to do local orders only as they are very heavy and shipping would be nearly impossible. This one is now sitting in my landscaping and I LOVE it!!! Gayle is AMAZING and I can't thank her enough for being so generous!!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Justin!

Warning... The flood gates have opened tonight!  Raw emotion lies ahead.  Don't say I didn't warn you...

My child will have an uncle that he or she will not have the chance to meet here on Earth.  Does that make me sad?  What an understatement!  It absolutely breaks my heart!  Today (well, yesterday now - July 10) is Justin's birthday and while I think about him EVERY day, significant dates like today weigh a little more heavily on my mind.

My train of thought today has been a little different, though.  All I have been able to think about all day today is how my baby is not going to know his or her uncle, my fun and charismatic brother and friend.  How will I tell my child about his or her Uncle Justin?  How will I do justice to sharing the memory of someone who was loved so much by so many?

So... I've spent the day thinking about things that I loved about him and it's been good for my soul!

You see, I prayed for YEARS that God would give me a little brother or sister.  God answered my prayers (it may not have been exactly the way I imagined He would when I was a little girl, but He did answer my prayers).  He gave me both in the way of step-brothers and sisters but in my family we don't have steps.  We're just brothers and sisters!  I couldn't be happier with the answer that He gave and my life has been so richly blessed because He answered my prayers in this way!

Things I want Baby Cherry to know about his or her Uncle Justin...

1.  He was FUNNY!  He had such a GREAT sense of humor and he could ALWAYS make me laugh!  Even when I tried to be, I could never be mad at him and he knew it.

2.  He loved to have a good time and he loved to make sure that everyone else was having a good time as well!  He knew how to make a person smile and he had a smile that could light up a whole room!

3.  He had a BIG HEART!  He tried to pretend like he was a tough guy, but he really was just a big teddy bear with a great big sensitive heart!

4.  He LOVED kids!  He loved ALL kids, but he especially LOVED his own boys (my handsome nephews), Aiden and Landon!  He loved them so much!  They look so much like him, but both in different ways, but I see so much of him in their sweet faces.  He was a fun uncle too and I know he would be a wonderful uncle to my baby as well!

5.  He was loved by so many people!  He had such a charismatic personality that just made people want to be around him!  He is STILL loved by so many!

If you knew Justin and you have other wonderful things you would like to add about him in the COMMENTS, PLEASE DO!!  My family and I would LOVE that so much!  :0)

While my child may never meet his or her Uncle Justin here on Earth, Baby Cherry will be very blessed to have him has her Uncle Guardian Angel!  I LOVE YOU, SWEET BROTHER!

I'm pretty sure this picture was taken at Justin's going away party right before he left for Afghanistan.

Shirts for Sale!

We will be required to travel to Taiwan two times, so travel is going to be pretty expensive.  That being the case, we are having to do a little fundraising to offset the cost of our travel and other adoption expenses.  If you would like to help us out and show your support for Baby Cherry and adoption in general by wearing one of these really cool shirts, check out our Adoption Bug store at http://www.adoptionbug.com/cherryhope/.

If you want to order, you will order directly from our store on the Adoption Bug website http://www.adoptionbug.com/cherryhope/ and your shirts will be shipped directly to you.  

Shirts come in regular t-shirt sizes and in women's sizes.  We've learned that women's sizes are a little tricky, so PLEASE follow the following sizing guidelines if you are ordering women's sizes:

Relaxed 2XL = 2XL (22-24)

Relaxed XL = XL (18-20)

Relaxed L = L (14-16)

Now, here's where it gets a little tricky...

Fitted XL = M (12)

Fitted L = S (8-10)

Fitted M = XS (4-6)

Fitted S = XXS (0-2)

If you are local, I also have some shirts that you can try on, if you would like.  

If you do purchase a shirt, please take a picture of yourself in your shirt and send it to me!  I would also LOVE to create a book of photos for Baby Cherry of family and friends who supported him or her in this way!  Thank you again for being such an AMAZING support to us!  WE LOVE YOU!!

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Again, here is our site!  If the shirt isn't on this page, it will NOT go towards our fundraiser.  http://www.adoptionbug.com/cherryhope/

*IF , for some reason, you receive your shirt and it does not fit or you need to return it for any reason, let me know ASAP!  We only have 14 days to make returns and we can only return shirts that have NOT been worn (except for being tried on) or washed!  I will make returns for you.  It's really not that hard, but I do need to know ASAP!  :0) *

Heather and Annee

Auntie LC2

I am IN LOVE...

... with a child that I haven't yet met!  I am completely and totally, head over heals, IN LOVE with a child who has most likely not even been born yet!  While I may not physically feel this child moving inside my belly, I certainly (and without a doubt) feel this child growing inside my heart!  I have a desire and a longing for this child that I cannot begin to put into words.  This child is all that I think about; my first thought each morning and my last thought each night.  I dream about my baby.  Every decision that I make, I make with this child in mind... even the smallest decisions.  I am IN LOVE!

This is WHY I am writing this blog in the first place.  Yes, I want to share the story of our adoption journey with our family and friends and this is a very efficient way to do that.  And yes, I have come to realize that this is a very therapeutic way for this waiting mommy-to-be to share my thoughts, feelings, hopes, and desires and to share our excitement with you in this journey.  Let me be clear, though.  I am NOT a writer.  I am not a novelist, although I do have a secret dream to write a children's book or two (I suppose it isn't such a secret now.  Is it?  HA!).  I don't even like to journal!  The extent of my daily writing comes from lesson planning and updating my Facebook statuses.  The TRUE reason that I am writing this blog is for MY BABY!  You see, this is not Tyler and Leslie Cherry's story.  This is the prologue to OUR PRECIOUS BABY'S story!  I am writing this blog for MY BABY!  My hope is to make a book out of this (I'm pretty sure that I saw a way to do that on Pinterest or something. Ha Ha!) and to give it to my child as a gift so that he or she will never have any question just how much we love him or her...  even before we ever met!  I am IN LOVE!

This is a necklace (created by Kate Clayton at The Adopt Shoppe)  that I purchased from another adoptive mother.  Now if you see me wearing it, you will know exactly what it means.

I am a children's book fanatic!  I am an elementary teacher and I LOVE children's books!  I spend WAY more of my personal money than I probably should on children's books for my classroom.  When I see them, I can't help myself!  Today, I bought a new children's book for MY BABY!!  And you know... when you buy a child his or her first Curious George book, you MUST buy the stuffed animals that go with it!  I am IN LOVE!

Here is Baby Cherry's VERY FIRST Curious George book accompanied by his or her VERY FIRST stuffed animals!

OH... AND WE HAVE MORE REALLY BIG NEWS!!

(Technically, it was yesterday!  It was already past midnight when I published this post.  Oh well!)

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!  We have MUCH to celebrate!!  :0)
Love,
Leslie and Tyler
(and Maggie & Lucy too!)