Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving...

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. We did. We went to Ron & Judy's and Steve and Beth and the boys were there, and Grandma & Grandpa Newton and Aunt Nancy & Uncle Tom. My Mom & Dad went to Indiana with my brother John to visit my other brother Tom and his family. They go every year to Indiana and we go every other year, to make it fair for each side of the family. It's nice to stay home every other year, we can get the trees up and decorate for Christmas early and relax for 5 days.

All the stressful stuff for our show has finally all come together. Now I'm just having problems with some of the dancers and their attitudes. Teenagers...they sure are different these days.

Gary and I went shopping at 5:00AM black friday in Watertown...yes we're nuts, but got 3/4 of all of our Christmas shopping done. We've cut back on the amounts this year, we're really having to save for the adoption now, we've put it off for a little bit but now we really need to do it so we'll have enough time to do so.

We got both of the big trees up and all the decorations are out, strewn about the livingroom, I've had enough for today so I'll finish it tomorrow. It's a little sad to put up trees again with just the two of us in the house. It just isn't as much fun as when you were younger and I've said it before that I don't think you feel that magic again until you have children. To see the excitement in their eyes, and hear it in their voices. To answer all the questions about Santa Claus and Needle Nose and putting milk and cookies out and reading The Night Before Christmas, and filling up stockings and I could go on and on. Hopefully just one more Christmas after this one. Our house seems quiet, and not jolly...well decorated but not really full of holiday spirit. Hopefully our Christmas show and seeing some of our former students will help our mood this week.

I think Christmas is the hardest on us besides Mother's and Father's Day. We do get Avery gifts and put them under the tree unwrapped. It's more fun to buy for her than for ourselves...at least I think so. We'll put her stocking out and wish for time to pass quicker...so that she will be with us as soon as possible. We think she'll be born in 2009, the year of the Ox, the same as me, so I kind of see that as a sign...maybe meant to be to share something special like that with one of us, possibly.

Can't wait to see those big brown eyes staring back at us, with the biggest smile, and those pig tails bouncing around the house. Giving Daddy a look that melts his heart, and Mommy a smile that brings tears to her eyes, helping us with decorating the house, and dancing around to Christmas music. Someday...that's our Christmas wish...our daughter Avery Lin to be here with us finally. Everyday I pray our time apart gets shorter, and day by day I know we are getting closer to her. Although the wait at times unbearable...the journey...more than I can say.

So we hope you had a Thanksgiving full of memories and family. Our thanks begins with our journey, thankful to family and friends for their support, thankful to eachother for that enduring love and thankful that we have a daughter waiting for us somewhere in China, and knowing that the journey will be worth it.

Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Holiday Season!!!

Wo Ai Nai!!!

~Alli & Gary