The mailman delivered a couple more squares! Both from fellow adoptive parents in our July and August DTC groups. We thoroughly appreciate all of the love, support, and wishes that are given by these wonderful people with whom we have connect these past few months. Thank you dearly.

I opened our mailbox today to find 4 more squares! They are really coming in now. This now brings us to a grand total of 26 squares. We are just over a quarter of the way there. Woo Hoo!

Over the last few days we have received another 7 quilt squares and wishes. Of those, we received some squares from Bailey’s parents, some very close friends from Belgium, and a friend of the family who has known Bailey since birth (she flew with her mom as a stewardess in the 60s).

Travis decided that the best medicine for the mental health of yours truly was a weekend away. Thursday night he made reservations at a bed & breakfast in Hot Springs, about one hour south of us. Needless to say, I was very excited to get away. With the continuous delays from the CCAA* and the daily stress that goes with teaching 8th graders, I have been feeling a little down.

(* When we first sent out dossier to China, the wait was 6 months. Currently it is 10 months — and counting! — before we should receive a referral.)

As soon as school was over, we hopped in the car and headed south. The B&B, which was once a gentlemen’s gaming club in the late 1800s, sits atop a bluff overlooking the small town of Hot Springs. We reserved a small suite that included a jacuzzi-bath so that I could maximize my relaxation experience. Even better, on Saturday I was further soothed with an hour-long massage, which just completely relieved my tired, stress-filled muscles.

While in Hot Springs, we visited the Mammoth Site, and the Wind Cave National Park, some of the natural wonders of the United States located a stone’s throw from Hot Springs. On the way back home, we took a path through the Black Hills, where at one point we stopped for wild buffalo grazing not 20 feet from our car.

We learned an interesting fact at the Mammoth Site: the typical gestation period for a mammoth (as well as an elephant) was almost 2 years. For a frame of reference, we started the entire adoption process way back in November 2004, and based on delays from the CCAA, we currently still waiting at 16 months. Thus, I have concluded that our adoption timeline parallels that of the mammoth/elephant gestation period. Thus, we’ve only got eight more months to go before we get our daughter.

Hopefully, we won’t have to wait that long, but at least I can be thankful that I am not an Elephas maximus!