My Hubbys 21st Birthday

Matt was in basic training on his 21st birthday, poor guy.  The story goes that his drill instructor let him off base with an 8 hour pass but he had to be back at midnight....not much you can do on your 21st birthday when you have to report back to Ft. Benning at midnight, sober.

Anyway, Matt wanted to celebrate so went with a few buddies to a tattoo parlor -- you know the kind that are just off of an army base, kind of shady, but super exciting for a 20 year old guy.  Anyway, Matt was convinced by this tattoo artist to get a tattoo of the below symbol enclosed inside of a compass (it's kind of hard to describe and Matt refused to let me get a picture of it!).

In case you don't get the two pictures together (I sure didn't at first) -- it is his "Spirit of direction". Anyway, I have spent the last 11 years making fun of this tattoo and telling him that it probably didn't mean Spirit at all but, instead, meant something ridiculous like "I am a looser".  I have also mentioned, more than once, how I think said Tattoo should be removed (I mean, come on, we don't want Lexie thinking Tattoos are ok, right?!).  Well, low and behold, his tattoo artist was an honest guy -- Matt has a tattoo on his arm that means spirit of direction.

What this means now is that I have no chance of getting the tattoo removed. In fact, Matt is now insisting it is a sign...that his spirit has been pointing him to our daughter in China this entire time. Hmm....Not sure if I buy it, BUT it is one of the most romantic things we have going right now so I am gonna to roll with it. :-)

On an adoption update -- we think China will release a new list of referrals on either Monday 6/20 or 6/27. We are hoping for 6/27 so that we have a better chance of our paperwork being confirmed in China by then.  We will know for sure if a release is coming the Thursday before hand.

More to come over the next week or two, keep your fingers crossed the paperwork got there safely!