THE LADYBUG MYTH

As I stated before, I thought I'd take the time to explain the "Ladybug Myth." Some may not know that ladybugs have a special meaning to those of us in the Chinese adoption community. The Chinese adoption myth is that ladybugs are a sign of good luck and has been said that if you see a ladybug, your referral will be coming very soon.

Now, let me say right here that I do not believe in luck. I believe in the providence of God and His will in our lives. I do, however, think that for a bug ladybugs aren't all that bad, and I appreciate the symbol that they represent. Not only are ladybugs a sign of good luck in the Chinese adoption community, but they are also considered to be good luck in many other cultures.

There are many cultures that believe that if you kill a ladybug, then sadness and bad luck will follow you. There are those that believe that if a ladybug lands on you, it will give you good luck, the same as if you catch one.

Even the ladybug's spots have a certain myth about them. There are some that believe if a ladybug were to come in your home, you should count its spots and that will tell you the amount of money you will be receiving soon. Now, at this point I'm sure I've lost a few readers as they are now busy trying to find ladybugs to become debt free.

There's one myth that says that if a ladybug has more than seven spots, it mean there will be a famine. If the ladybug has less than seven spots, then you will have a good harvest. Anyone remember the story of Joseph and the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine? This ladybug myth sounds quite similar (The Bible's influence reaches everywhere!)

If you'd like to predict the number of children you will have, you guessed it, you need to count the spots you find on a ladybug, and wahla. It takes away all the guesswork! lol The pioneers believed if you were to find a ladybug in your cabin during winter, you would have good luck.

One particular Norse legend contends that a ladybug came to this Earth riding on a lightening bolt

According to the Victorians in Britain, they believe if a ladybug lands on a person's hand, they will be receiving new gloves. Also, if it lands on your head, you will be receiving a new hat soon.

There was a belief that supposedly in the 1800's doctors used ladybugs to treat measles, and it was also believed that if you crushed up ladybugs, you could put them into a cavity and it would stop a toothache. Yuck! I'd almost rather go to the dentist.

Gardeners love ladybugs! They eat mealybugs, mites and aphids, and can eat more than 1,000 aphids in one day. A female ladybug will lay more than 1,000 eggs in its lifetime. I guess they don't pay attention to that spot to children ratio myth, lol.

Believe it or not, ladybugs have a special organ in their feet to help them smell. They use their antennae to touch, smell and taste. They chew side to side instead of up and down. Ladybugs will not fly if it is cooler than 55 degrees. Ladybug do not see color, they only see shadows, and ladybugs will play dead when they are threatened.

The female is bigger than the male (what is up with that anyways?), and the number of spots on it sback helps to identify what kind of ladybug it is. The older the ladybug gets, their spots start to fade away.

Now you all know a lot more about ladybugs than you ever thought you would. So now run out and start counting those spots!

CARE PACKAGE VOL. I

So I did a little shopping today, not just any shopping, but...I guess I should start at the beginning.

Kim from our agency emailed me yesterday to tell us that we had online pre-approval (PA) from China to adopt our Ciara, which was absolutely fantastic, no more guessing. But almost more importantly than that, the next few words were music to my ears. Kim told me that now we could SEND A CARE PACKAGE to Ciara, hence the shopping.

Now, I don't mean to sound biased, but GIRLS ARE WAY MORE FUN TO SHOP FOR than boys!! I'm sorry, there's just five times as many outfits to choose from, and all the colors!!! And I had to get everything in two different sizes (18 months and 24 months) 'cause I just don't know what's going to fit her yet. And anything that doesn't fit her can just stay at the orphanage for the other little girls there.

I know what you're thinking, Ladies! You're probably thinking that's really not a lot of clothes...duh!...of course it's not!! I AM SOOOOO NOT DONE YET!

For those of you who don't know what the significance of ladybugs are, I'll explain that in a later post. For those of you who do, enjoy!

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CIARA SHERWOOD?

Ciara is in the province of Anhui in east central China (it's light blue)......in the city of Hefei (right in the middle of the province).

CHINA NEWS

I'd like to update everyone on what's going on with our adoption process. On Sunday night, April 12th, Roger and I made the decision to switch to China's special needs program. So right away, that next morning, I called our agency and made the switch. There were a number of reasons why, which I won't get into at the moment, lol, but on this past Monday, May 4th, we got the call from our adoption agency that we've been waiting almost two years for. They had found our daughter. After careful deliberation and review of her file (about two minutes), we called the agency back that same afternoon and accepted the referral and made it official.

So Roger and I would like to introduce everyone to who will in a couple months be officially our daughter, but who was meant to be our daughter since the day she was born, Lu Min Wen, soon to be re-named Ciara Rae-MinWen Sherwood. She was born April 1st, 2007 and she is from the province of Anhui, China. These pictures were taken on October 30th, 2008 when she was 18 months old. Isn't she just gorgeous?? This is the part where you say YEAH!!!

MY NEPHEW JOSH #67

This past Sunday afternoon, Roger, Logan and I, along with my mom and dad, went to watch my nephew Josh play soccer. Josh is the oldest son of my middle brother Shawn and his wife Shelley (who at the moment happens to be in the Carribbean soaking up the sun with three of her best friends!!). Me jealous? Not much! Josh is my second oldest nephew.

Anyway, Josh has played soccer for quite a few years for the YMCA league, but decided this year to play for a traveling team called Kinzua soccer. Below are some pictures I took during his double-header.

A little warm-up before the game.Uh-uh, you're not getting this one fella.A little team pow-wow before the second game.Josh's brother Jake.My niece McKayla getting a drink and my mom.From left to right: Jake, my dad, my brother Shawn (Josh's dad), Roger and my mom.This is what Jake and Logan were doing during the soccer games, lol.How stinkin' cute is that?

HEALING HEARTS

I've been following a blog now for a couple weeks about a little girl named Kate. Kate is one of ten children this family has adopted internationally. Kate had a very bad heart and just had a very difficult heart surgery. She is home now and doing extremely well. Her mother Karin has posted on her blog through every stage of Kate's surgery and recovery. When I checked it out today, this post is what I found, and since I can't say it any better than she has, please click HEREto read today's post!

MORE STUFF

I live: in the sweetest little town on earth, Sugar Grove, PA.
I work: as a freelance court reporter, and sometimes not enough in the things that matter.
I smell: my Diet Coke as the cup leaves my mouth.
I listen: to the Family Life Network and instrumental music when I'm driving, and it's something my granddaughter is constantly telling me to do.
I hide: how much I really care about people sometimes.
I walk: around in my house, lol, and hopefully soon on a treadmill.
I write: not as much as I used to, mainly type everything.
I see: my computer screen and my puppy laying at my feet on a pillow.
I sing: whenever I get a chance, in worship, in the car, used to sing bass with Sweet Adelines.
I can: get this list done and get back to work as soon as possible.
I watch: less and less TV every year, yippee!
I daydream: of what my daughter will look like and when I'll finally get to hold her.
I want: to be in China by the end of the year.
I cry: more than I used to, what's up with that? and when I read adoption stories, and hear songs that get you right there.
I read: just about everything I can get my hands on, Internet blogs, magazines, novels, etc.
I love: Jesus, my husband, my daughter, my granddaughter, my mom and dad, my brothers and their families, my Christian family, friends, the list goes on and on and on, oh, and I love Diet Coke.
I rode: in my car yesterday to watch my neice's softball game that got rained out.
I sometimes: just wanna scream.
I fear: that God is going to someday take me down a road I don't wanna go.
I hope: this country somehow gets turned around and back to its Christian roots.
I eat: way too much and need to stop it!
I drink: about four large glasses of Diet Coke a day with lots of ice.
I play: cards as much as I can with my hubby and mom and friends Scott and Cathy, and Dora The Explorer match game with my granddaughter.
I miss: my granddaughter when she's gone.
I forgive: as soon as I see the person the next time.
I drive: a lot, and some say too fast, but I just like to get where I'm going.
I lost: my mind a couple years ago and I'm struggling to get it back,
I dream: about once a week and they're doozies, usually about someone I love getting attacked by bears. Weird; huh?
I kiss: my husband and my daughter at least once a day, and my granddaughter..well, that's just a free for all.
I hug: my family a lot, not as much as I should, and others usually only when they approach me for one.
I have: not taken a shower yet today or eaten yet.
I remember: names, places, facts in general, but try to remember to stop and pick up a gallon of milk, nope, it's not there.
I don't: like cabbage, corned beef, celery, Spanich rice, stuffed peppers, mean people, interruptions.
I believe: in the Creator of the Universe, and in the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible so help me God.
I owe: a lot to my mom and dad.
I know: any value I have is because God loves me and Jesus died for me.
I hate: the teaching of non-scriptural doctrine.
I wish: our adoption agency would call today and tell us our daughter is waiting for us to come get her.
I wear: whatever fits and is appropriate.
Maybe I should: hurry up and finish this post and get back to work.
People would say that I'm: opinionated, loud, someone with high standards, what you see is what you get, decent, funny.
I don't understand: a lot of things God allows to go on in this world, but I trust that He is in absolute control of everything.
Life is full of: stuff! Stuff I like and stuff I don't like. Gifts, blessings, surprises, opportunities. Sin, pain, being patient when I don't want to, garbage, junk.
My past is: mine and no one else's business.
I get annoyed when: people feel they're entitled to what is mine when I would probably give it to them if they asked, and people who take, take, take.
Parties are: a great way to see people you haven't seen in a while, like birthday parties, anniversary parties, retirement parties.
Tomorrow: is Saturday, May 2nd, and I don't have anything planned yet.
Never in my life have I: been happier than I am now.
When I was younger, I: never could've imagined what my life would be like now.
When I'm nervous: I bite my fingernails, and when I really get upset and nervous, I get these horrible stomach cramps.
When I was 5: we lived in a little trailer in Burgettstown, PA, and I shared bunk beds with my younger brother Jeff.
My life is not complete without: my family and friends.
If you visit my hometown: don't blink, but take the Y to the left for 2 miles and stop by our farm and say hello.
The world could do without: abused and abandoned children, liberal judges and politicians.
If I ever go back to school: I'll attend another Christian college and study history.

OH, YOUNG LOVE

I wasn't going to put these pictures up, but I just couldn't resist, they're just so sweet. This is my nephew Shane again, this time sitting with his...ahem...girlfriend at the Eisenhower Girls Varsity Softball game.

I went to watch Shane's sister, my neice Lyndsey play JV softball today, but it never happened. After the Varsity played the last half of their game in the rain, the umpire called the JV game. I didn't get many pictures from my hour in the rain except these two. Lyndsey has another game on Monday that I'm planning on going to watch so hopefully I'll be able to get some action shots then of her.

And this lovely photo is indeed Lyndsey once again acting silly! It's her specialty, lol.

THE NEW LOOK

Yes, I've changed the look of my blog AGAIN!!! I can't help it, I get bored so easily with things like this. Do you like it?? I really do, too!

For those of you who just get sent emails when I post, sorry, you'll actually have to go to the site to see my new and in my opinion improved blog. It really is better to go to the site than get the emails. There's a lot of other stuff on there! PLUS...and this is a big one, you can leave comments, which I absolutely love to read, because comments are a bloggers meat and potatoes so to speak of blogging. It's pretty much the only feedback we get about what we're doing. Now, I am absolutely not going to beg any of you to leave a comment, but...............PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE start leaving comments. A few of you do an excellent job, but I want MORE!!!!

P.S. AND if you're so inclined, you can also sign our Guestbook, too, clear at the very bottom of this blog. Although just signing the Guestbook is perfectly acceptable, I sure would love to see your smiling faces and those of your families, so make sure you upload your favorite picture into our Guestbook. Once you click on "Sign this guestbook" on the bottom of the frame in orange, you'll be directed to another website and there you'll find pretty simply instructions on what to do next. Good luck!

MY NEPHEW SHANE - #10

When I started this blog, my intent was to document my family's adventures through the years, in addition to scrapbooking, which I've started and stopped, started and stopped, bought lots of supplies and would start again and then stop again, only really to do it wholeheartedly one weekend outta the year with some very good friends, and I've accomplished my goal with this blog I think for the most part, lol. Oh, there's been some documentaries, some political propoganda, a "few" opinions on my part, lol, but the intent was and still is my family's life stuff. In light of that intent, from time to time I'm going to feature a certain member of my family and their specific talent as it were.

My first victim...er...I mean, my first featured family member is my oldest nephew Shane who is 13 years old. He is my oldest brother Jeff and sister-in-law Kathy's son. Now, Shane is what us ladies would call just a very nice boy. I know what you're thinking. Usually ladies say that about boys with no other obvious qualities, lol, but nope, Shane is also pretty stinkin' cute, too! Besides becoming an avid hunter with his dad, Shane's "thing" right now is baseball. He's one of a couple pitchers on his team, and personally I think the best, but I'm not biased at all. I attended a game of his last night and took a few pictures of him in action.

The man in the background looking over Shane's shoulder it seems is Shane's dad, my brother Jeff. He is the coach for Shane's team.This is Shane's mom Kathy and his Pappap, my dad. Dad is keeping track of how many pitches the pitchers pitch. Say that three times fast, lol.Shane's sister Lyndsey, my neice. Isn't she beautiful?