Even Closer

I had e-mailed my adoption consultant at CHI last night and today when she responded she told me we were not #35 on the waiting list, but #33. Who knows when we'll get our referral, but it may be sometime in the near future. Stay tuned for one day in the not very distant future.

Finally Referrals!

We started the week with a bang as there were 5 referrals at our agency on Monday: a 3 month baby boy, a 10 month baby boy, 2 1/2 month twin boys, a 2 1/2 year old girl, and a 4 year old girl. Then on Tuesday, there was another referral for a 2 year old girl. So, I'm thinking , we are about #35.

Raining Referrals from Heaven

Our agency reopened after a 2-week holiday break. We were all hoping for tons of referrals this week. Well the week and the new year got off to a great start. There were 9 children referred, a total of 6 families received. The children referred were: a 5 month old boy - family waited 12 ½ months; a 3 month old boy - family waited just over 11 months; an 8 ½ month old girl - family waited 14 ½ mos; 2 month old twins (girl and boy) - family waited 17 ½ months, 2 siblings (girl and boy) 2 yrs and 3 ½ yrs - family waited 14 mos and 4 yr old twin girls - family waited 15 months. So we have moved 6 more places and are about #40.

My best coupon savings year so far!

I've been clipping coupons for quite sometime. I always thought I did fairly well, averaging around $200 in savings a year. This year I started following some coupon and sales blogs and in January attended a coupon clkass by this one woman who has been on tv and several radio shows. Following her tips and those from the blogs, the entire year, I've done better and better with my couponing. I ended 2009 saving $748 in just coupons : manufacture and store coupons as well as CVS Extra Value Bucks and Walgreen's Register Rewards. I saved almost 4 times more in the 4th quarter of 2009 than I did in the first quarter of 2009, as well as more in the entire year of 2009 than I did the entire 3 previous years. Wow!!! If I keep it up, the same way this year I should save even more this year than last year. I wasn't going to keep track this year, but I think I will, plus I found a spreadsheet which will take only a minute or so to more to keep up.

Happy New Year, 2010