Friday, January 29, 2010

15 Classic Chick Flicks for a Girls' Night In

Last weekend, I hosted my first slumber party in years. After manicures, pedicures, and exercise videos, we were ready for a chick flick. We debated as to which movies top the list of greatest chick flicks. Below are a few we mentioned:

1. Steel Magnolias
Truvy: "I have a strict policy that nobody cries alone in my presence."

2. Baby Mama
Angie: "I'm sorry I farted into your purse."

3. Julie & Julia
Paul Child: "You are the butter to my bread you are the breath to my life."

4. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Andie: "True or False - All's fair in love and war."

5. Can't Buy Me Love
Cindy: "Just going out with me is not going to make you popular."

6. Flashdance
Nick: "When you give up your dream, you die."

7. Two Weeks Notice
Lucy: "Please don't tell me you called me out of a wedding to pick out a suit."

8. Serendipity
Dean: "You know the Greeks didn't write obituaries. They just asked one question after a man died: 'Did he have passion?'"

9. Father of the Bride
George: "This was the moment I'd been dreading for the past six months. Well, actually, the past 22 years."

10. Sleepless in Seattle
Sam: "I knew it the first time I touched her. It was like coming home, only to no home I'd ever known."

11. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Aunt Voula: "What do you mean he don't eat no meat?"

12. Shag
Luanne: "If I'm not engaged by the time I'm twenty, I'm going to kill myself."

13. Sweet Home Alabama
Melanie: "You're the first boy I ever kissed, Jake. And I want you to be the last."

14. Legally Blonde
Elle: "The rules of hair care are simple and finite. Any Cosmo girl would have known."

15. Grease
Sandy: "What happened to the Danny Zuko I met at the beach?"

Question: What movies and quotes top your list of all-time great chick flicks?

Friday, January 15, 2010

Adoption News - Paperwork Complete!

It is finished. The paperwork for our adoption is in the mail! For over a year, many of you have heard us talk about our Homestudy, I-800 Form, and biometric fingerprints, but as of today, the dossier is in the mail.

What does that mean? It means we have completed all the necessary steps to send our paperwork to China, and now, we will receive an LID (Log-in Date) and we are officially in line to adopt from China.
Although we are thrilled to have made it this far, we still have a lot of waiting and praying ahead. It will probably take over three years before receiving a referral, so Clay and I are already praying for this baby, who has likely not been born.
11 Phrases We Did Not Know Before Beginning this Process
1. Adoption Planner - Website or Notebook provided by an adoption agency that tracks each step toward your eventual adoption.
2. Secretary of State Authentication - Since almost every document during the adoption must be notarized, the Secretary of State must authenticate the seal before sending the documents overseas.
3. Homestudy (one word) - Although not just an inspection of your home, it's an in-depth look into your ability to provide a safe, loving environment for a child.
4. USCIS Approval - United States Citizenship and Immigration Services must grant approval for you to bring a child into the country.
5. Immigrant Visa Fee - Fee to bring a non-US Citizen into another country for an extended period of time
6. Dossier - Packet of documents to send to China which include personal statement, financial statement, homestudy, pictures, physical exam, birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc...
7. Personal Statement - Cover letter explaining why you intend to adopt.
8. Paper Pregnancy - Adoptive parents refer to the time when they are doing paperwork as a "Paper Pregnancy" because you are anxiously awaiting your child, similar to a Mom who is physically pregant.
9. Adoption Decree - the document a judge signs to finalize an adoption
If any of you have adopted, feel free to add to this list by commenting!