Thursday, July 12, 2007



I rec'a a new picture of zoe in our agencies newsletter. I think it is a little shaky so she does not look all that well to me. No word as to whether she has rec'd the care package sent in May. I hope that she has been able to look at our family photos.I have only seen her wearing the hoodie that was sent in carepackage #1 in Oct and she is wearing the headbands as bracelets.
report of Zoe;
Dang Xin Hui - She has memorized several more Tang poems. Her fine motor skills have improved and she is now more open to strangers. She will often offer to sing a song to others.


Here is a recent picture of my now middle daughter Kelli and her new puppy Tibby.Kelli will be staying with Zoe when I first go back to work. i am hoping for some great bonding and maybe some matching outfits.
FCC event in June


Desi and I attended the Rochester FCC groups dragonBoat Festival the last week in june. It was great to meet some families and the kids they have been home. I met and chatted with a nice couple ,Shawn and Larry, who are waiting for their first child(LID 12-05).It will be wonderful next year when we have Zoe with us and attend. Desi was great and had a good time, my mem card messed up so i was unable to download the pictures .But we had fun at our first official FCC event. typical for our family we volunteered to help set up and then could not find the pavillion, we came into the park by the old back entrance but did get there in time to help...
we have added some of our help links ... thanks for any help given, now both boys would like to go although Desi's health is the main concern... peace BP

Saturday, July 7, 2007

LID at last


LID at last . I rec'd an email stating that my official log in date at CCAA was July 3. Its nice to have that down. we have our design for our t shirts done and they should be ready to go in a week or so . They say family with the chinese symbols for family and bringing zoe home. They can also have just family on it w/o zoe's info they will be white or red.More later Please consider adding one to your wardrobe. thanks

This beautiful family is my daughter Shari's husband Dan and son's Aidan , Ian and Keiran. They went down to Ithaca to visit my sis Michelle and her Husband Rick and say hi to my mom who just traveling by train and bus from Florida. welcome home Mommu.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

One year since we saw her face













Well Its been a year since I first saw Zoe's precious face.My dossier finally made it to CCAA although I don't have a confirmed LID(some never do). next step is LOA(letter of acceptance) a new step added this year for adoptions. It is to reaffirm your intention that you still want your child. It is to stop the disruption of adoption once people get their child. thinking about that... IMHO i feel the SN route was the best way to go. You really get to know more about your child,pictures,videos and some time visits from other people. In NSN after waiting 2 years for a referral its hard to imagine a family saying no to any child. There are some instances when there has been an unknown issue... the paper work is submitted to CCAA when the babies are pretty young so some things might not be noticed or developed yet.I think for the high number of placements every year that the CCAA does a great job.so yes it has been one year... the wait now will go quickly (summer always speeds by)so we wait for LOA(40-90 days??) TA-travel approval(10-40 days) then travel.can you help even a little... we are trying to raise the 3000.00 orphanage donation. Zoe's orphanage is a very poor one , only a handful of adoptions done.we have a magazine fundraiser:http://www.magfundraising.com/getzoeI will have Tshirts in a week or so... they say believe in ... and have the chinese symbol for family... and bringing Zoe home in small letters on the bottom... we are asking for a 12$ donation shipping will be around 4.50 for 1,2,or 3 .Also if you do get a tshirt we are asking that you take a photo( if you are ok with that)and email it to us to be put in Zoe's scrapbook. If you are nearby us we will try once she is home to have a meet and thank you and try to get a group pic with the tshirts. I have seen others do this and it was pretty neat.Zoe's store will be up and adding new items... taggies, small quilts, trinkets, bookmarks, magnets, necklaces, bracelets


new pics of the boyz
Tevin and Desmond

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Timeline to Zoe



spring 2005 - start looking at adoption sites

May 2006- Desi and I attend an adoption seminar by Wide Horizons

May- Sign up for HS

June 2006- decide to relax about "finding"Zoe after rejected by GWCA for 2 referralsstart thinking about trip to Italy with Mom

July 1 2006 email reguarding new list at IAAP, take look , fall in love with Xinhui,email IAAP,expect to hear nothing due to 4th holiday

July 2 2006 Here back that she has been place with our family- don't they know they are suppose to make you squirm for days

July 2-16 2006 iaap on vacation

July 20 2006 rec LOI packet sent back

July 27 2006 LOI sent to CCAA

Aug 2006 CCAA request more info on finances

Oct 10 2006 Send 1st care package- no photos

Oct 17 2006 PA rec'd

Oct 2006 rec birth certificates

Nov 2006 family photo albums sent

Nov 11 2006 file for passport

Dec 11 2006 passport rec'd

Nov/Dec 2006 try to find the right HS agency

March 13 2007 fingerprinted for CIS

April 18 2007 HS completed

May 5 2007 2nd care package sent

May 12 2007 rec'd I171h

May 25 2007 papers sent to albany for state certresend BC missing county seal

June 7 2007 (my bday) papers back from albany

June 7 2007 copied and sent to IAAP

June 8 2007 dossier in Washingtonhopefully dtc by

6-15-07 (zoe's 3rd bday)didn't happen and IAAP is on Vacation for the next week...thinking traveling will be in Sept..

June 27 2007 dtc

Introducing ... Zoe Xinhui Isabella Pontillo












Hi I would like to introduce my daughter Zoe,aka Dang Xin Hui,. She was born in Nanyang , Henan , China in 2004. She was brought to the Nanyang SWI in May of 2005, She was given the birthdate 6-15-2004. Zoe has an unrepaired VSD and heart disease. Her referral stated that she was not walking as of spring of 2006.I took one look and knew I had found my daughter,luckily for me Dick and Cheryl agreed and 4 months ... long months...CCAA also agreed.In August of 2006 Zoe was moved to IAAP's Special Care Center in Changchun. Here she received extra attention and I received new pictures and updates.Zoe is doing wonderfully and we look forward to bringing her home and meeting all her Changchun family. Zoe's waiting family : Bonnie 43, sisters Kelli 21 ,Shari 22, BIL Dan, nephews Aidan 4, Ian 2 and Keiran 10 mos, brothers Desmond 14 and Tevin 13. We live in Western NY near Rochester. We have 1 dog and 5 cats.Peace and happy to meet you all... Bonnie