More Shower Pics

As promised, a few more shower pics:
Heidi hanging out with Nina...I think Nina is a little skeptical of the quality of Heidi's wave...I'm sure she's thinking 'Oh yeah, My mama can wave way better than her...." (yes but can she do so with such speed as to get the hand blur in the pic?)
The Cake- yes, I made it...yes...I recognize my cake decorating skills in no way come even close to my baking abilities. Tonight in chinese class I had my classmates eyes rolling back in their heads in Rosemary Loaf Cake ecstasy...it was my teachers birthday a week ago, so I was a little late on the cake but it was appreciated nonetheless. The cake below makes it painstakingly clear though why I stick with cakes that require precision in baking rather than artistic abilities in the frosting department. I took a cake decorating class. I know the fundamentals....but don't have the skills! I normally stick to cakes that don't require frosting at all...it serves me well.
I do SO appreciate Heidi's suggestion that I stick with chinese for the whole cake though. After writing (with extraordinarily thick store bought lettering icing) "Huan Ying Chuan" (Welcome Maggie) in Chinese, I groaned at all the letters required for "Congratulations Cindy". Fortunately...it was *so* much easier just to do it in chinese! zhuhe Cindy!!

It was a red velvet cake with Cream cheese frosting...ooh yum!

We played...of course...the requisite shower games. Although, they did have a little twist. I gave everyone a list of chinese characters and corresponding english words & they had to match them up. 15 words in total. I was quite amused (particularly since I knew all the words I had used quite well & didn't need a cheat sheet) as I looked at people matching up "USA" with "ZOO" and "Little friend" with "water". oh the irony in some of the combinations...hee hee.... One person actually got 5 right! Fortunately, it was Connie who is now in China with Cindy! Hopefully it helps her out over there a little bit!

Quick update on the committee meeting in Salem last week:

2 families proposed the tax credit be retroactive to Jan 1, 2006 when the old bill sunsetted. Not only was the committee supportive of this, but they offered to re-write the bill. We had 10 families there, plus Robin the adoption attorney who has been spearheading this whole project. She testified (with facts so ironclad it's a wonder if anyone can think of a reason to say no!) and she explained how offering this tax credit in fact would save the state money, as it would directly affect the number of kids the State pays for Foster care for. More families adopting= fewer children in fostercare= money savings for the state. After she finished, they had us come up in groups of 2 or 3 and we each took a turn to speak. Finally, after the 10 families had testified, one of the committee members herself got up, came around to the side where we had just testified, and testified herself! As an Adoptive mom to 2 kids! All in all it went GREAT. We are not out of the woods yet, and it's certainly not a "sure thing"- but it looks like there is great support. The vice chair said at the end, "the Governor never wanted this to end, it was an oversight, this tax credit is good for families and it's good for Oregonians." All in all, I have to say, it was very exciting & I'm quite hopeful!!

Next on the docket: Another neighborhood meeting with the city regarding speed bumps on my street. I think I mentioned before about Theresa who made a decision in a way I didn't agree with. (one sided, without proper representation per properties, etc.). At the last meeting we had she actually came to my rescue & explained to my neighbor across the street (who apparently doesn't care when ambulances go racing down the street because she is old & wants them to be able to get to her fast???? I have no idea...) that our street is NOT an emergency response street, and they can quite well use the next emergency response street just a few blocks over. (whoo hoo Theresa!) So- we'll see how this thursday goes. Keeping my fingers crossed they are just going to say "yeah, everyone here want speed bumps? yeah? great. they're in." hmm...it was that easy for people to vote OUT the islands, so it's not unreasonable to hope, right?!