journey of a blessed family

Where've I been?? (AGAIN!!)

2010-05-18T08:48:00.006-04:00

Busy with a husband, 4 kids, a full-time job outside the home, a couple ministries, shuttling kids to baseball, basketball, softball, trumpet lessons, flute lessons, violin lessons, (and the concerts and recitals that come with music lessons!), monthly trips to the hospital, an occasional moment to take a walk....it's no wonder I don't have time to blog anymore!!

The super-quick update is: We're doing great! Life is busy, but blessed.

We had some family pics taken recently for Mother's Day...here's my wonderful crew! I thank God daily for the gifts he has given me.

Cancel that....

2010-01-04T19:34:00.002-05:00

Ok, so about 4 hours ago I was proudly sharing the tale of my precious, WISE child G, right? How he so WISELY shared his joy of being part of our family and how great a year it had been because we'd come to get him from China...how much he loved us and would be with us FOREVER...hmmm...

Seems tonight at dinner he has changed his precious, little 4-year-old mind...He very matter-of-factly told me at the dinner table that he didn't like me, he likes his China mom...he doesn't want to live here anymore, he'd like to go back to her house....He wasn't upset or anything; just decided he was done with me.

oh well...tomorrow's another day...I'm sure he'll change his mind again (more than once, I'm guessing) Kids...gotta love 'em (and I sure do and ALWAYS will no matter how they feel about me on any given day) blessings....D

Perfect Ending to a Blessed Year

2010-01-04T16:24:00.002-05:00

New Year's Eve, 10 pm...putting G to bed...
Me: "Goodnight G...Happy New Year! "
G: "Yep...you come China pick me up..."
Me: "Yes...we came to get you in China this year"
G: "You and daddy and J come get me in my China...bring me to A & E's house"
Me: "Yes...we brought you Home...to our house"
G: "Yep...whole family house...Mommy...I like dis house"
Me: "Will you stay here with me forever?"
G: "Yep...I like here"
Thank you, Lord, for a sweet ending to a wonderful though stressful and challenging year...How did my sweet little G...just 4 years old...know that's what 'Happy New Year' meant? How did he know to contemplate on the blessings of the year? I'm amazed and blessed by the wisdom of this little guy...I didn't blog it, but we had a similarly 'profound' Christmas blessing. Before eating Christmas Eve dinner, someone said, "we need to say the blessing before we eat" and without missing a beat, G said, "Thank you God...this food...and for Jesus come here...amen" :-) Short and Sweet, but he knows what's going on!!

No pictures right now, but wanted to share those sweet moments before they fell out of my head!! Blessings....D

2009-12-16T13:21:00.002-05:00

Make a Smilebox collage

We're all still alive and kickin

2009-10-30T16:03:00.003-04:00

Juggling a family of six and a full time job leaves one lacking in time to do the very important things in life like blogging!!! We're all still alive....G's still doing awesome--as are all the other kiddos....we're crazy busy as always...life is good. (GOD IS GREAT) One quick medical update - G continues to get his transfusions on a 4 1/2 week cycle and is doing very well with that....he was also evaluated by the cardiologist in the last couple weeks and will be having a catheter procedure in January to patch an Atrial Septal Defect (praise God it won't require open heart surgery) He will be getting a port about a month or two later to make his monthly blood draws and transfusions go a bit easier rather than having to insert iv's each time. I've only got a few minutes to post some pictures right now, but wanted you to see some of the stuff we've been up to....blessings to you all ~ d

Me and 3 young ones; My sister & husband & son & his fiance = glow in the dark bowling fun!

Chinese Moon Festival

E's first day of 1st grade

A's first day of 4th grade

J's first day of HIGH SCHOOL (don't you love the look...."Mom, I'm in high school now, I don't need you to take my picture")

G's first day of preschool

End of the summer family camping trip

Fall Break trip to visit our China travelmates (we met them in China...they were adopting their daughter when we were getting G) All 12 of us spent a few days together....Awesome friends...awesome family...LOVE EM

G's sweet friend, M! Aren't they adorable...a match made in...well...China to be specific!

Pumpkin carving....G's first time...he liked poking his pumpkin with the pattern tool and eating the toasted pumpkin seeds, but other than that wasn't all that thrilled with it

Wow--Where've I Been??

2009-07-27T12:47:00.006-04:00

Yeah, so, it's been like 6 weeks since I posted anything....I don't even have a good excuse! (other than it's summer, so somehow schedules got even crazier than they were during school...and...I'm lazy and just haven't been on the blog lately....I guess that's excuse enough!)

The big kids start back to school in just 2 WEEKS, so maybe being back in a formal routine will help (although, I thought being OUT of that routine a couple months ago was going to help life not be so crazy....:-) I guess life with 4 kids is just crazy whether in or out of a routine!! (can I get an 'Amen' ?) J starts HIGH SCHOOL this year and, boy does that make me feel OLD. A will be in 4th grade, E will be in 1st grade and G is SUPER-EXCITED about starting preschool in just 3 weeks. He can't wait to ride the school bus with his brother and sister!!

The kids have had a good summer...nothing too out-of-the-ordinary...a little swimming, a little camping, a few trips to the amusement park, chasing lightning bugs, bike riding (and crashing), Vacation Bible School, basketball camp for J & A, drama camp for E, CSI camp for A, band camp for J, and general summertime fun.

I need to brag on my excellent little patient, G....since I updated you last he's had another transfusion and while he's done really great with all his medical stuff since he's been home, this month he made it through the IV without even a whimper--what a big, brave boy he is!! He actually was interested in helping the nurse with the iv and i think that was part of the reason he didn't seem to care that it might hurt. She let him help with taping the tube down and with attaching the blood line and when he was all finished he even got to take the needle out of his arm himself. (he WANTED to do it!) I was so proud of him for not only being a trooper and tolerating the treatment, but for wanting to take ownership of it and help with the process. He's amazing...I just love the way he faces everything head on. It's really been fun to watch him over these past 4 months and see the way he jumps into everything...he's curious and brave and loves to learn new things and figure out how things work--he's not afraid of anything!

A few pics of the past few months.....Enjoy!

Good Day

2009-06-05T17:06:00.002-04:00

Home from the hospital...made it through the sedation and MRI with flying colors (won't have the test results for a couple days); didn't have to have the transfusion today because his hemoglobin was still good (rescheduled for Tuesday). G's a little loopy today and can't walk on his own, so we're just hanging out watching tv and he's finishing up a nap right now. Just wanted to let you know.

Proud Mama Moment (& a prayer request)

2009-06-01T12:01:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to take a minute to celebrate the sweet gift my baby gave me yesterday....While we were just casually hanging out together watching a little tv, I heard those sweet, sweet words....

"I LUH YOU, MOMMY"

sniff, sniff....he's told me that before but it's always been in response to me saying I loved him; usually at bedtime...."good night, G, I love you"..."I luh you, too"...which, of course is special in and of itself, but the first completely unexpected, random declaration of love has completely melted my heart :-) Yay, G!!

On a side note, G's scheduled for his regular transfusion on Friday in the afternoon, but will also be having an MRI under sedation that morning. The MRI is to determine if his liver has absorbed too much iron over the last few years from having regular transfusions. We expect it to be somewhat high, but pray that the results are not shockingly high. The test itself does not worry me, but the sedation is a little scary since I don't know how he'll respond. We would appreciate your prayers (as always!) for no negative reactions to the sedation, good test results, an uneventful transfusion and for good spirits as we'll be spending 12+ hours at the hospital. [that's not too much to ask is it?? maybe I should throw in world peace, too]

blessings ~ d

2009-05-27T21:34:00.005-04:00

J and G sharing some delicious McDonald's fries...
G's pretty happy about running in the preschool fun run

E and A, got ribbons, too!!

Soapy G having fun in the tub

J's first parade with the High School Marching Band (black trumpet)

Mother's Day with all my kiddos--finally!

E got brave and finally got her ears pierced (after 45 minutes of getting up in the chair then changing her mind and getting back out...and quite a few tears...) WAY TO GO E!!

Things are going really well as we continue to transition into our new life. G is happy and healthy and was clearly chosen by God to be a part of our family because he fits just like a puzzle piece--perfectly! J and A and E have also adjusted well to their new little brother--they love him dearly and fight with him just like siblings are supposed to. I think the latest shock for me has been the exponential increase in our grocery bill--G's a PIG!! He's first to the table and last to finish and it's not because he eats slow...He's gained at least 3 or 4 pounds in 2 months. As I was going through several dozen pictures his orphanage gave us of his last few years with his foster family, I realized that in at least 1/3 of the pics, he has food in his hands. The kid can eat!! I'm thankful to know he didn't go hungry in China and I don't think he's going to here, either.

School's almost out for the big kids and while that brings the promise of some relaxed schedules for the summer, it also means we have to get through end of the year school projects, testing, awards programs, concerts and other busy stuff. We've nearly made it...add in a 4 week transfusion schedule and other evaluations we're still getting from various doctors and life's been a bit hectic to say the least. I'm not complaining...just trying to remember to take a moment to breath...

On that note, I think I'll call it a night...Trying to keep you a little bit posted on what's going on...hopefully the smiling faces tell the best story. blessings ~ d

a lot going on these days...

2009-04-20T22:03:00.004-04:00

Lots of 'firsts' lately....G continues to amaze us and to be such a perfect fit into our family.

First trip to the zoo...he LOVED it...Maaaa! look...Maaaa! look

First transfusion (with us, anyway)...he did FABULOUSLY...

First rainbow....(first and second, I guess)...pretty....(that's what G said)

First haircut...I did it; kinda scalped him on the sides, but it'll grow back :-)

Cheesin it up for the camera (that's NOT a first!)

Is this the most beautiful boy you've seen in a while, or what?? Such a cutie!

First Easter picture for the whole blessed family! God is soooo good! We are soooo blessed!

Spring Pics

2009-04-06T23:11:00.000-04:00

We Have Sentences!

2009-04-06T15:01:00.002-04:00

"Wait a minute!" (used most frequently by us at the dinner table as he is a very IMPATIENT eater and now he's repeating it mostly to his siblings) and "Let me see it!" (popular when we have the camera in our hands)

The most common question I've been getting has been some form of "Does he speak English" or "How are you communicating with him?" Well, short answer, he spoke not a single word of English on March 2. Since then, he's probably added a word to his vocabulary each day...So 20-40 words might be a generous estimate although he understands MANY more words and phrases than he is saying.

Some of the words he says without prompting: mama (that's Chinese and English, so it counts), his name (sounds like three distinct sylables without the R...very cute), his siblings' names, potty, eat, more, doggie, get away and go away (spoken to the doggies--technically, I guess those were his first sentences), backpack, grapes, train, airplane, car (although all vehicles first get a very loud and excited announcement in Chinese...followed up in English), thank you, sorry, amen (he LOVES to pray over our meals...amen is the only word we understand, but he usually has ALOT to say...God's multi-lingual, I guess actually omni-lingual, so it's ok!), jump (he loves the trampoline), coffee...

I promised pictures last post and I did actually download some to the laptop yesterday, but, alas, I'm not on the laptop, so I'll add them soon....I promise! :-) Just wanted to give you that language update while I was thinking about it.

Much love, d

One Month Together!

2009-04-03T08:18:00.003-04:00

I'm a few hours late on making this post, but we were busy coloring Easter Eggs last night so I forgot....and I know you really want to see pictures, but I don't have any on this computer! (I'm at work, so I'll have to make this short and sweet)

It's been a month since that precious day we finally got to meet our son...in some ways it seems like it was just yesterday and in other ways it seems he's always been with us...We love him soooo much! He is truly a blessing

Things are going very smoothly--unbelievably smoothly....I credit the MANY prayers that have been lifted up by so many, the care packages and pictures that we sent over an entire year and especially the efforts of his foster family and orphanage staff to help prepare him for his forever family. Of course, ultimately, GOD is GREAT and He has worked diligently on our behalf to make this such a smooth transition. I've been laughing about the fact that really the most difficult part of the transition has been for us parents to remember what it's like to have a 3 year old boy in the house!! (VERY BUSY...VERY ACTIVE...VERY TIRING for us old folks!)

The other kids LOVE their brother dearly...I'd say E is having the hardest time (although she's doing great); she's been the baby for more than 6 years and is having to adjust to G taking up some of her spotlight. I think the hardest part for her is that she wants to be his 'little mommy' and as an independent 3 1/2 year old, he really doesn't want a 'little mommy'! They're working it out...Really, at some point in the past month, all three kids have said, "he's getting all the attention!" but that response is totally normal and it is passing. We've of course explained the need to spend so much time on G and we're trying to also make a special effort to protect some of that time for J & A & E...it will be just fine...just one of those growing pains.

G's been to the doctor 5 times already since we've been home (and has two more visits next week and at least 3 more evaluations to schedule)...things are pretty good; his primary condition is Beta Thalassemia (a genetic blood condition requiring regular transfusions) and he also has an atrial septal heart defect (doctor says typical and relatively minor...lots of people live with them their entire lives without even knowing) I hadn't said too much about the heart condition during our waiting time because I was wholly hoping and praying that it would have healed since 06 when China found it. While the Thalassemia is chronic and will be lifelong, both conditions are quite manageable. He's due for a transfusion next week (and will probably be on a 6 week schedule for those) and will have an echocardiogram and catheter patch for the hole in his heart within the year. (there's only a 5% chance of needing more extensive surgery) Aside from that, he's VERY healthy; his two conditions have not interfered with his growth or development and they certainly haven't slowed hime down! Poor thing's had more tests run in 3 weeks than I've had in my entire life. But he's quite a trooper...even though he cries when he sees them coming with the needle for a blood draw, he willingly sticks his arm right out for them to find a vein. (the nurses found this quite endearing and as cute as he is, he's made lots of girlfriends at the hospital already)

We're truly blessed to be a family of 6! (I keep counting them when we get in the car to make sure I haven't forgotten anyone) I'll try to get some pictures on here SOON and to do a better job of posting...We're getting a bit more comfortable in our routines, so I should be able to manage soon.

Much love....d

Home Sweet Home!

2009-03-16T09:54:00.003-04:00

Sorry to leave you hangin'...we arrived home safely, though exhausted, on Friday and have been adjusting to each other and to new schedules and to being a family of 6 and all the joy that comes with jet-lag!

All is well... G did remarkably well on the trip home, he was a super traveler! Only a few yells and cries when I took the remote from him to start a movie in the screen in his seat (that was nice, but we were only on that plane for 4 hours...the 12 hour stretch didn't have in-seat movie selections...boohoo) Other than those few initial tears, he was great. Played with toys, ate, played with more toys, ate, slept only about 3 or 4 hours of the whole 20 hour trip...it was really much better than I could have ever imagined it to be (thanks for your prayers, I'm sure they went a long way in the successful journey)

We were greeted by many family and friends at the airport and were so thankful to see each and every one that could be there. G was a bit overwhelmed by the many new faces, but he eventually came around. We spent the evening with a delicious dinner (and stocked refrigerator) provided by our dear friends and had a good night of sleep.

The weekend was pretty calm just hanging around the house getting used to each other (and washing lots of laundry) We were very glad to get to go to church on Sunday and see many friends (again, G was overwhelmed with so many new faces and spent much of the morning looking the other direction when people spoke to him...but he did very well and started to warm up a bit before the end of the morning...he'll do fine)

We spent a few hours at the park near our house yesterday and he had a GRAND time...i think we'll see much of that park in the days to come!

I'll try to keep you posted on how things are going although I'm finding out that adding a 3 year old to your family is about 3 times harder than adding a newborn....yeah, we missed out on the diaper and bottle stage, but with a newborn you can feed and diaper and dress them and then lay them down for a nap while you get some stuff done...in this scenario we're running around after him and are afraid to let him out of our sight because we're not exactly sure what he's going to do. He screamed in terror the first time he saw our dogs, but they made up with each other (mostly) in the hours that followed. He likes them best when he's standing and they're not...when they're up and walking around, he's not so sure!

We're getting ready to head out for our first trip to W@l-Mart since we got home....that should be fun! We went to the Asian market yesterday and G went crazy wanting everything he saw...I have a feeling we'll be visiting there quite a bit. Til next time....love, d

On Our Way Home!

2009-03-12T17:21:00.003-04:00

Quick Greetings from Hong Kong...we left Guangzhou yesterday after our Oath at the Consulate...G LOVED the train ride to Hong Kong...It was much more fun for him to watch out the window than on the plane (I highly recommend it if you want to try something different...very easy, very comfortable and MUCH cheaper than flying out of Guangzhou! about $30 each) What little we had time to see of Hong Kong was beautiful...hope to make it back here for more than 3 waking hours next time! The Harbor Light show was fantastic and finally an indoor swimming pool...G thought it was fun, but has no concept of fear of water; uh oh! We're headed to the airport in about 5 minutes, so we're signing off from China (Hong Kong)....See you back in the states with the WHOLE blessed family :-) love, d

Consulate Appt All Clear As Well

2009-03-11T19:18:00.004-04:00

Happy Last Day in Guangzhou to you! (It's been a LOOONG trip and we're finally almost on our way to Hong Kong to spend tonight before leaving for home in just 24 hours!) These last few days in Guangzhou have been somewhat relaxing, but somewhat stressed as well.

Future Traveler FYI--What was one of the most enjoyable parts of my last trip (souvenir shopping) has been disappointing this time...not because there isn't still a WIDE selection of souvenir stuff, but because the atmosphere has changed significantly since 05. I think a combination of bad economy and fewer adoptive families getting processed are joining forces to make prices much higher and shopkeepers much more agressive and high pressure...Not Fun! With one exception---Jordon's Place...Jordon is a very happy and very friendly guy; he sets his prices where most other places make you engage in a long, tiring haggle to get to (and he's actually lower than the haggle most of the time...) I gave up on the other shops pretty quickly and just went to Jordon!

G's not a patient shopper either, so that made the souvenir hunt much more challenging as well. So, in short, I bought much less this time (which isn't a bad thing for my pocketbook)

We've finally had a few days of moderately warm weather, so we got to ditch the coats. G enjoyed the park on Shamian Island for about an hour yesterday and we had dinner with our travel group the last 2 nights at the Cantonese restaurant across the street from Lucy's (Spicy Green Beans are to die for!!)

We figured out yesterday that our hotel location was just a couple blocks (on a pedestrian-only shopping street) from a HUGE square...KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and THOUSANDS of people out roaming around at 2 in the afternoon on a work/school day...we've yet to figure out why it's so busy in the middle of the day :-)

Well, the family is stirring and we need to get moving for the day...Red Couch photo after breakfast; check out of the hotel; Oath at the Consulate in the early afternoon; Train to Hong Kong; a few hours of touring Hong Kong; one more night of sleep (probably restless for me); EARLY flight out Friday morning (Thursday night at home) and we'll be home on Friday evening!

Thanks for following along and for praying us a safe and meaningful trip! Much love, d

All Clear at the Medical Exam

2009-03-10T04:50:00.003-04:00

Sorry I've been lazy (busy)...things continue to go well with G's transition....we were a bit concerned for a few days because he didn't recognize dad's authority very well...thought dad and big brother were both playmates and mom was the authority (not good since he'll be spending most afternoons with Dad), but J and I have gone on a few short shopping excursions and left Dad and G to spend some alone time and the authority issue seems to be improving a bit.

FYI...We're staying at the Holiday Inn Shifu in Guangzhou which is about 3 or 4 blocks off Shamian Island and for anyone coming to GZ soon, I do recommend it. The rooms are HUGE and the hotel is only a few years old, so everything's very nice. The breakfast buffet is large and very good...the staff is very friendly and helpful...It takes just about 15 minutes to walk to Shamian or just a short 8 yuan taxi ride; and here's the kicker--about half the price of the White Swan, I believe. So for those of you on the economy tour as we are, it's the way to go. (The only thing I'm really missing compared to the White Swan is the playroom, but we're managing without it. )

This picture is at the Chen Family Museum and is embroidered...it reminded me of G's life verse; Isaiah 40:31, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...they shall mount up on wings like eagles; they shall walk and not grow weary; run and not grow faint" I've loved that verse and love things that remind me of it...God is good!

New friends sharing snacks...

Not too many foods G doesn't like; here he is enjoying tomato flavored bread sticks...he doesn't care for cheese or chocolate, but most other things he trys...

Blessed Sunday in Guangzhou

2009-03-08T09:09:00.005-04:00

Today was a wonderful, relaxing, blessed day. We went to church on Shamian Island and again, as last time I was in China, I was amazed and overwhelmed by hearing the gospel--the true, gospel of Jesus Christ, preached in a country that I thought didn't allow it. This wasn't watered-down, half-truth...but the message of Christ preached to whomever showed up to listen. It was wonderful. Before leaving church, I asked the pastor to pray over G...I thought it extra-special to have a Christian native to his homeland pray for him and I was honored that he obliged to do so.

We spent last night sleeping on the softest bed I can remember (at our friends', The W family's apartment)--for some unknown reason beds in China are HARD...like rock hard...bruise your hipbones by the end of the trip hard! A nice, American mattress was an extra special treat! We enjoyed great company yesterday and today with our friends and their two sweet girls (who are also our friends!); we had pancakes and blueberry muffins for breakfast; Starbucks before church; Played games and puzzles and painted and played play-doh with G; Mr. W and J and I enjoyed an hour-long foot massage (and legs and back and shoulders and neck, really) at a wonderful spa; A delicious Italian dinner; it was an all-around fabulous day! We are so thankful for this respite with the W family--like a vacation in the middle of our trip (which should also seem like a vacation, but the paperwork and the stress of bonding with a new child and traveling in unknown places (with a new child) is really not the vacation you might imagine it to be) The W's have gone far out of their way and above and beyond to welcome us into their home and into their family and to make us feel welcome and rested and loved--we will be eternally grateful and thankful for all they have done! W family--YOU ROCK!!

We will join up with the rest of our travel group (2 families from Beijing and 4 more that we haven't met yet) tomorrow morning and will move back to hotel life and finish up the final pieces of paperwork and formalities (physical exam and visa pictures) And then there's the shopping that MUST be done before we return home! (yes, it's required!!) Our friends introduced us to some markets I was unaware of the last time I was here--I've included a few pics below--'made in china' paradise!! :-) I may need an extra suitcase! (I'm going to try to behave, though!)

G's transition continues to be smooth. Here are some facts we've gathered about G:

happy, active child
doesn't like chocolate
LOVES noodles (but not mac n cheese) and meat
also LOVES bathtime
repeats almost everything
very independent
eats a hard-boiled egg every morning (and likes to peel it himself...and anyone else's egg, too)
prefers to sleep without socks (and without covers by morning--feet must be out--HE'S MINE FOR SURE!)
likes to sing and be sung to
falls asleep almost every time we're in the car for more than 15 minutes
likes seeing himself on Skype (and is now beginning to look at the people on the other end of the call as well...)

We're enjoying every minute with him...can't wait to get him home! Gotta get to bed now...even tired at the end of relaxing days...blessings ~ d

Thankful Saturday (?)

2009-03-07T09:13:00.005-05:00

Ok...I'm behind on my blogging...busy, toddler boy and busy days of excursions and jetlag are all combining to kick my butt when it comes to the blog...It's 10 pm and we've been up and on the move since 4:30 am, so I'm not sure how much longer I can keep my eyes open...here goes:

Thankful for:

Safe, uneventful flight from Nanning to Guangzhou--G was a good traveler (1 hr down, 18 or so more in the air on Friday)
Successful beginning of the final leg of this trip...now in Guangzhou to get G's visa to come to the US
For friends in Guangzhou who have sacrificed their family time to pick us up at the airport and host us for the weekend (in quite wonderful and spacious accomodations, I might add which leads to next thankful point)
Room for G to run and some wonderful new friends for him to play with for a few days
American food for lunch and dinner (REAL american food, not something called a hamburger that had no resemblance whatsoever...ask J about that one)
Guangzhou shopping haven (trying to keep money in my wallet...really, I am!)
Many prayers lifted up for us...keep 'em coming!
Successful bonding in the works with G...I won't say he loves us yet, but he's content to be with us and that's certainly a good first step
Much more that I can't think of right now...travel-weary foggy brain...

I haven't loaded all of today's pics, but here are some from yesterday that I missed posting and a few from this morning...love you all ~ d

Qinzhou Visit - saying goodbye

2009-03-05T18:32:00.005-05:00

I don't even know where to start...I've delayed in starting this post for several hours because I can't quite put it into words yet...Yesterday was ______ ? I don't know how to describe it...beautiful, emotional, touching, sad, happy....so many things mixed into one. We toured G's city--which according to the guide is VERY small (45,000 people?), but to us, it looked like a bustling city. I think S and I both were thinking it would be rural because we'd heard 'small', but it wasn't. We drove through 'rural' for a few hours between Nanning and Qinzhou--farmland, rice fields, water buffalo, pretty scenery--but the city itself looked like a city...the buildings weren't as tall as Nanning or Beijing, but there were still blocks and blocks of buildings, storefronts, hotels, banks--regular city stuff--McDonalds :-) And LOTS of people, cars, bikes...

We visited the orphanage first...Ms. Huang met us outside and we had been told ahead of time that we could not come in...only see the outside, but it was very windy and COLD and so Ms. Huang took us upstairs to a conference room with Hot Tea! Bless her! We had the privilege of meeting a little boy who's forever family was just identified last week--the new mom (from Spain) had emailed me on Tuesday to ask me to inquire about her son and Ms. Huang arranged to have his foster mom bring him to the orphanage while we were there. So, we were able to take several photos and video clips which I have happily forwarded on to his mom. (Many of you probably remember that I had the same joy of receiving surprise pictures of G last year when my bloggy friend, Mrs. Ladyblog, visited Qinzhou with her new daughter....I was honored to pass on the tradition!)

G had fun running around the conference room with his new little friend and he also decided he wanted to be the photographer, and he claimed our little flip video camera. (he thinks it is a still camera though and so he points it, presses the 'on' button and then drops his hand so every video he takes starts out well, but ends up filming his pants or shoes or the floor--before we could forcibly remove the camera from his little tight grip about 20 minutes later, he had taken more than 50 1-5 second videos!! )

G recognized Ms. Huang and knew where he was, but was not the least bit upset about being at the orphanage...he didn't cling to me or S; he didn't cry when we got there or when we left...I don't really think he cared one way or the other that we were there? Not sure if that's good or bad or really doesn't matter. We had discussed with David and Ms. Huang earlier in the week whether we could meet the foster family, but Ms Huang said his departure from his foster family had been very traumatic on Monday and that he had screamed and cried in the car to Nanning to meet us, so they felt like since we were off to a positive start during our 'harmonious period' that they didn't want to damage that bond that we had begun to form. I understand their viewpoint and while a bit disappointed, do agree that things are going well with us and I don't want to jeopardize that either. Perhaps we can get in touch with them sometime in the future...we will send pictures and updates to the orphanage, maybe the foster family will send some things back.

Next stop after our goodbyes at the orphanage, was G's 'Finding Spot' and this, by far, has been the most difficult part of the trip for me yet. I was very tearful when I got out of the van and stepped foot on the pavement that my son had been left on...I imagined him at just a few weeks shy of a year old wandering around crying for his mother...on a busy, city sidewalk just a few feet from passing vehicles...Oh, the heart wrenching experience it had to be for him....and for her...As a mom myself, I can not fathom the pain that comes with deciding that you can no longer care for your sick child and to realize that you can not lean on family, friends, or even government support to help you through...To come to the decision that the best, and only, thing you can do for your child is leave him.....I could just barely take it. As I was holding him tightly and crying and the dam was about to burst, my sweet husband looked at me and said, "but he was found!" Praise God--he was found!! First by a kind police officer who took him to be cared for at the orphanage...next by a kind foster mom and family who have loved him for more than 2 years and now, found by us...his forever family! I pray that someday in the not too distant future that his final 'finding' will be when he learns of and discovers the one, true God who loves him and wants to be his real 'forever baba'...Praise God--he was lost but now he's found! He was abandoned but now he will be loved and cared for...We are truly blessed--the whole family!

[I'm pausing again for a bit while we go to visit the Minority Village....more to come...love you all]

Short & Sweet

2009-03-04T17:45:00.004-05:00

Sorry I missed last night's post...Got busy with a VERY ACTIVE 3 year old then fell asleep when I put him to bed (best night of sleep yet while here in China--10-5 and only woke up once, I think) Feeling great this morning! We are leaving in a couple hours to take a day trip to Qinzhou--G's birth city (or at least the city he was found and cared for in...I suppose he could have been born somewhere else--don't know??) We will see the orphanage director again and see the outside of the orphanage building (they don't allow visitors inside...except perhaps on a return visit in later years, I think); we will find G's 'Finding Spot'--the location he was found by police before being taken to the orphanage; and we will tour a pottery factory (Qinzhou is famous for a certain type of pottery) Please pray for us as G says goodbye to his hometown...
Here are some pics of yesterday:

Happy Family

2009-03-03T05:19:00.003-05:00

We returned to the civil affairs office today to let them know we were 'satisfied' with our son and to proceed with the adoption...so after answering a few questions and signing our names and stamping our thumbprints....it became OFFICIAL...G is ours!! The picture above includes the orphanage director...

This slide kept G occupied while we waited for the official stuff...Here's an interesting tidbit...I would venture a guess that in recent history, Chinese adoptions have been 90+ percent girls (although I'm just guessing) and even in the van to the civil affairs office, I was talking with our wonderful guide, David, about the infrequency of boys, although I told him I knew of several and had seen several announcements lately in the months we've been waiting. Upon arriving in our waiting room at Civil Affairs, what did we find but 3 other boys waiting (with a previously adopted older brother)...so 5 boys waiting in one room!! It was pretty remarkable--David said it was a Lucky Day! (of course it was a blessed day for us even if G was the ONLY boy!)

It's been rainy and dreary and chilly both days so far and so we've not done a whole lot (I'm not complaining though...I don't care what the weather's like as long as I've got my boy)...Walmart after the paperwork; lunch at McDonalds; back to the hotel for 'bonding time'; we took a walk down the street and S got a head massage and haircut on the way back...the girls in the hair salon all oohed and aahhed and flirted with J (he was quite embarassed and gave me dirty looks the whole time...I knew I was in trouble for making him go in there :-) I didn't get any pictures because I was afraid to leave J alone with the 3 or 4 girls that decided to sit on the sofa with him (I was already in enough trouble--I apologized profusely--he forgave me!)
The picture above is G cheesing it up at breakfast this morning....

and at lunch thoroughly savoring the on his McDonald's french fries (J enjoyed the McDonalds most of all--...I had a quarter pounder with cucumbers and spicy sauce--it was really very yummy)

We're supposed to go to the People's Park tomorrow, day trip to Qinzhou on Thursday, Green Hill Park and Minority Museum on Friday...then to Guangzhou on Saturday...(Those of you who've been to Nanning--is there anything else we 'must-do' in Nanning? )

We're really enjoying G...he's very active--keeping us all hopping; and although he has some 'little emperor' moments when he thinks he's the boss, he settles down pretty quickly when we tell him no; he's not yet met a toy he doesn't like--hotwheels and planes are his favorite (funny story--yesterday while we were filling out some paperwork, we opened a little airplane transformer mcdonalds toy that was in his backpack and after playing with it for a few minutes, he marched over to our guide, David, and spouted off a big long sentence...David promptily answered him with somethat that satisfied his question and off he went to play more...David said that G had asked him to please buy him more of those planes!! David assured him that mama and baba would be happy to buy him more planes! :-) He's enjoying play-doh as I write and has colored for several minutes as well...he picked out a spinning top toy at WalMart that he thinks is great....he's pretty much easy to entertain. He napped for about an hour and a half today without incident....and speaking of incidents, of lack thereof, I'm happy to report that he is fully potty trained (I assumed he was...glad I was right because I didn't bring diapers!)

Almost time for dinner...I think we're going to eat in the hotel tonight...too wet to go out...I'll try to tell you something more meaningful that our daily routine next time...sorry to be boring :-) Oh and by the way, for those of you who know I bought red coats for all of us thinking it would be such a meaningful bonding experience for us to wear them together--G wanted NOTHING to do with his red jacket!! oops...guess that backfired. we tried yesterday and today and the only whimpers we've heard out of him in 2 days have been over that jacket; he was wearing a big warm, pretty brown sweater as his coat and that's what he wanted...so I gave up--no big deal; no reason to tramatize the poor child. However, today at WalMart I found him a red sweater and he gladly switched from his brown one!! Victory...we were all in red this afternoon (no picture yet...I'll get one soon)

Thanks for following along....we appreciate knowing that our family and friends and even some folks we don't know yet are enjoying our journey and cheering us on...for those of you who are living vicariously through us as you wait--I know your pain...you're day will soon come! much love ~ d

There Will Be A Day---and it's TODAY!!

2009-03-02T07:20:00.005-05:00

I'll spare most of the words for now...I know you just want to see the pictures anyway!! :-) It's been a wonderful, blessing of a day...we couldn't be more pleased...GOD IS GOOD! Gabriel is precious (and is going to be a handful--very energetic! and very smart and very talkative...we skyped with A & E earlier and we couldn't even speak to them because he talked the whole time) His name for now is Ah-gwahn (don't know how to spell it, but that's what it sounds like)...He loves his guh-guh (big brother, J) and favored S a bit over me for the first few hours, but we played on the computer together and I fed him his dinner and gave him his bath (which he loved) and so now we're getting along great. enjoy the pics...more to come and I'll see if I can get a video in here, too! Much love ~ d

A little piece of heaven in China

2009-03-02T00:28:00.004-05:00

We've been passing the time this morning and early afternoon until it's time to get G (just and hour and a half now!!) Our wonderful guide, David, took us to WalMart to get some snacks and drinks and although it was quite wonderful, it's not the piece of heaven I'm referring to...I actually found a few nice bargains on the clearance rack of all places (not surprising if you know me) and they had my coat...the exact one I'm wearing! It was a little strange to see the coat I bought 5 miles from my house on the opposite side of the world. WalMart brings us all together!! :-) After WalMart, we came back to the hotel and made sure we were all ready to get G...his backpack is ready, my bag is packed, camera and video camera have fresh batteries and plenty of space on the memory cards...we're set!

J decided he needed a little nap, so S and I went on a little walk. We had heard lots of good things about the park behind the hotel and we were not disappointed. Even in just the few minutes we were there (and we only saw about 1/4 of it) it was GORGEOUS! I can't wait to bring G here in the next few days...

Update on our friends who went to Fujian and got their daughter yesterday....smooth as silk transition...Praise God! We skyped a few minutes ago and all is well. (that's not her picture...just a cute little girl at the park.... )

Well...the time is nearly upon us...I think I'll get off here and spend some quiet time before the Lord asking for Him to be right beside us (He is already...) Love you all...next post should include our newest family member ~ love, d

In Nanning (with Technical Difficulties)

2009-03-01T08:43:00.004-05:00

Hey Everyone! Just arrived in Nanning a few hours ago and have just gotten back from Jared's favorite meal so far (Pizza Hut). Actually we had it last night for dinner as well, but 2 in a row's fine! Not sure if I can post any pictures tonight because we seem to have an internet connection the speed of dial-up and I'm too tired to sit here and wait for it!

Tomorrow's Gotcha Day!! We're going to Wal-Mart in the morning to get water and snacks and such and to the Civil Affairs office at 3:00; so by dinner time tomorrow we'll have our little man! I can hardly believe it's finally time...I cried when our plane touched down in his province this evening because I knew we weren't just sightseeing anymore--we had a far greater purpose and were finally just a few miles and a few hours from our son! We feel so blessed to be where we are doing what we're doing...God has lead us (and carried us) to this place and in just a few short hours, we will be the proud parents of a bouncing (and hopefully happy) toddler boy!

On our way to the airport this morning, our new friends, the Hales family from North Carolina, were pleasantly surprised to find out that their Gotcha was happening as soon as they arrived in their province this afternoon instead of tomorrow! Don't know if that would have been better or worse! No time to fret and worry as I'm sure I'll be doing all night tonight and until 3 tomorrow, but at the same time, it was quite a shock to know they were suddenly on a 5 hour countdown. Please join me in lifting them up and praying for a peaceful transition and a quick and strong bond between this precious family and their new daughter. (We'll meet back up with them in Guangzhou, so I'll let you know how it's going)

Did I mention we were the ONLY caucasians on the plane from Beijing to Nanning? Beijing is such an international city and having just hosted the Olympics, it was not unusual to see us foreigners around town...hardly got a second glance, but here in much smaller Nanning (only 6 million to BJ's 17 million), we're a bit less common and have gotten quite a few stares (and points and giggles). It's kind of odd, but not unsettling...we'll manage just fine and put on our friendliest smiles (and hopefully shine a light in what is probably a dark place)

Time for bed for me!! I need some sleep tonight to prepare for our life-changing day tomorrow; I've yet to have more than about 3 or 4 hours each night since Tuesday, so I'm due for a full night (some Tylenol pm might help with that, too...I think I might try some tonight!)

I'll do my best to post pictures of Gotcha...pray that this connection starts behaving properly (I've also been promising A & E that we can video call each day and they'll be able to see G on the computer...so a good connection is critical for that!) Good night and many blessing to you ~ d

Beijing Day 2 pics

2009-02-28T09:05:00.004-05:00

Very busy day today....VERY, VERY tired...But it was really a great day. The weather was beautiful again. We went to the Great Wall, Hot Pot lunch, Living Hope Orphanage and Kindergarten, Chinese Acrobat Show and Pizza Hut for dinner...I'm pretty exhausted and don't think I'll write much tonight; we have to get up early to pack and head to the airport...Flying to Nanning where we will get G on Monday morning (Sunday night at home) I'll try to fill in some stories tomorrow, but here are a few pictures of our day...blessings ~ d

Touring Beijing (a few new pics added)

2009-02-27T04:18:00.005-05:00

Ni Hao! We've spent most of day 1 touring Beijing...It's been a gorgeous day...highs in the mid 40s, which seems cold, but the sun has been shining and we've been very comfortable (MUCH better than the weather when I was here in August 05 and it was a sweltering, humid 95!--Somehow the Forbidden city seemed much prettier this time since I wasn't miserable in the heat!! :-) We had lunch at a dumpling restaurant and it was wonderful--very fresh and delicious. There were no forks available, so we all got a 'learn or go hungry' lesson in using chopsticks...we were doing fine, and then they finally brought some forks to the table. (I declined on the fork offer and managed with the chopsticks...when in China, you know?) After lunch we went to the Olympic village and walked around the Bird's Nest and Watercube...It's GINORMOUS...much bigger than I imagined from seeing it on TV. I was a little disappointed that we didn't go inside either place, but they were pretty enough from the outside.

After returning to the hotel in the mid-afternoon, I asked our guide, Lisa (very sweet and knowledgable) if there was a teahouse nearby...I was thinking in our couple hours free before dinner, I would go and enjoy a cup of Chinese tea...she offered to take me and J came along as well. We ended up taking a taxi to a nearby Carrafore store (she said it's a French Wal-Mart) and there was a little tea shop inside. After they prepared and served us a sample of some high-quality green tea and a very delicious almond and green tea pastry, I bought a small package of each. J tried and liked both as well...he's a good, adventurous traveler! As we were leaving the store, Lisa pointed out a barber shop across the street and said he could get haircut for only about $2, but J declined. (Not sure if he was afraid of what the result might be or he just didn't want a haircut...either way is fine...I didn't want to push the good, adventurous traveler farther than he wanted to go!)

We're leaving in about 30 minutes for a traditional Peking Duck dinner...I think that's all that is planned for the evening and then we'll be in early. We're staying a the 'Kingwing Hotspring Hotel' and so if we have some extra time tonight, I'm going to check out the hot spring spa (if it's free, that is... :-)

Just three more sleeps until we have G!!! (That's the most important part, of course) I spent the whole day looking at Chinese men (okay, that doesn't sound quite right!)...what I mean is, I kept asking myself, "is that what my son will look like when he grows up? or maybe that one..." I wanted to hug and kiss every toddler child I saw today as well (S is quite glad I refrained from actually doing so, although I did take a few pictures)
Just can't wait to get to G...it's getting close! On a funny related note to what my son might someday look like, on the way back from the tea shop Lisa asked me if S was from Asia...I said, no, Kentucky!...she was very surprised and said that if he were walking down the street here in BJ, everyone would assume him to be Chinese. (Many of you have seen the picture I have of S when he was a toddler that I think looks just like G, so I guess I wasn't surprised by her comment...it was just kind of funny! ) I'm guessing it's his Native American heritage that contributes to looking a bit Asian??

Oh and I also received some fabulous news this morning as we were eating breakfast at the extraordinary breakfast buffet (where, again, J proved himself to be adventurous trying many new dishes)--My very best friend, who's on her 4th Chinese adoption journey, received her LOA call today!! Praise God!! So she's just about 6 weeks behind us in getting her beautiful boy! CONGRATULATIONS!!

It's about time to go to dinner...I'll try to post more later or tomorrow! Thanks for the comments and well-wishes and especially the prayers...we appreciate each and every one of you who is following along. more to come ~ d

We Have Arrived!

2009-02-26T10:27:00.003-05:00

Yay!! We touched down in Beijing after 24 hours in the air (or in connecting airports) We are at the hotel now and doing some quick emails and going to bed! I think I only got about 3 hours of sleep Tuesday night and about four 20 minute naps in the past 24 hours that we've been flying...so I'm kinda pooped! (But I intentionally stayed up as much as I could on the plane, so that I could transition to China time easier...we'll see if that works!)

Tomorrow''s touring starts at 9:00 am (8:00p Thu at home) and we'll see T Square (too tired to look up the spelling), Forbidden City, Olympic Village, Peking Duck Dinner...Saturday will include Living Hope Orphanage tour, The Great Wall and Chinese Acrobat show...Maybe a few other things I can't remember right now.

We miss everyone already (especially A & E!!) Thanks for your continued prayers while we travel!! Keep 'em comin'!!

Here we are at the start of our trip:

Time to get some much-needed sleep!! See you tomorrow!! blessings ~ doreen

It's Finally Happening!!

2009-02-18T10:09:00.002-05:00

UPDATED 2/24

We finally got our itinerary this afternoon:
Depart for China: Wed 2/25
Arrive in Beijing: Thur 2/26
Tour Beijing: Fri 2/27 & Sat 2/28
Travel to Nanning, Guangxi: Sun 3/1
GOTCHA DAY: Mon 3/2 (that will be Sunday evening for those of you at home)
Province Paperwork/city tour & hopefully a trip to Qinzhou SWI: 3/3-6
Travel to Guangzhou: Saturday, 3/7
Tour and Rest: 3/8-9
Medical Exam/Visa Pics: Tue 3/10
Consulate Appointment: Wed 3/11
Swearing In: Thu 3/12
Travel to Hong Kong: Thu 3/12
Depart for home: Fri 3/13

We're due in at 4:15 on Friday, 3/13 (email me if you want details...we'd love to see you at the airport)

It's early morning (just after midnight) on Wednesday, 2/25 (travel day); we leave for the airport in 6 hours!! I can hardly believe it's finally here. We've worked and prayed and waited and planned and finally, God's time for us to travel to get our son is nearly here. I've been too stressed and too busy to really be emotional and contemplative over what is about to take place, but even sitting down for these few minutes to post our schedule has helped me realize I'm not just packing for a big trip...Our lives are about to change. We are about to fulfill the call that God placed on our hearts more than 15 months ago. We are humbled to be chosen for this great adventure!

We got word a few days ago that the foster family had been notified of our arrival...so even now as I'm running around packing and preparing and repacking and praying...G is on the other side of the world waiting for us...He knows we're coming...I pray that he's happy about that although understandably also probably apprehensive and uncertain about what lies ahead.

I would appreciate your continued prayers for us as we travel and for G as he meets us and also, especially for A & E who are staying home and are quite sad that we'll be gone for so long. We're all prepared to talk with them (and see them via video) on Skype and that will make it a bit easier (for everyone) but still, we've never been apart so long and we're all going to miss each other terribly.

I'll do my best to post pictures and events and thoughts each day, although I've already got writer's block just thinking about it (I know you only want to see pictures anyway, so I'll try not to stress too much about the quality of the content)

Thanks for following along and being excited with us as we finally complete this portion of our journey...many blessings ~ d

----

Travel Dates Confirmed: leaving Wed, 2/25 (7 more sleeps); returning home Fri, 3/13
details to follow..... :-) D

We're Leaving on a Jet Plane...(almost)

2009-02-15T20:59:00.005-05:00

Sorry to have not shared this sooner...like a couple days ago when we got 'the call', but Praise God...Travel Approval has arrived from China. Basically this means they sent a letter inviting us to come get our child, but then our agency had to request a US Consulate appointment and our travel dates all hinge on that appointment date. Well, the first few days they wanted are already full, so it's looking likely that our consulate appointment will be on Monday, March 16 which means we would need to leave for Beijing on Wednesday, March 4 and would get back home on Wednesday, March 18. These dates are tentative and won't be confirmed until at least Tuesday or possibly Wednesday as the US Consulate is closed on Monday for President's Day (Yes, even in China...go figure...but it IS a US holiday and they are a US office...) There's still a slim possibility that we may get a March 11 consulate appointment putting us on a plane to China on February 25, but I think this is less likely.

I want to thank you all for your continued prayers...this past month has been easy, peasy compared to the several months that preceded it and I have just felt the calm and peace of God knowing that things were finally progressing as they should and we will soon have G in our arms. If we travel on the dates I originally told you (3/4-18) we should have 'Gotcha Day' on March 8th or 9th...THAT MEANS WE WILL MEET OUR SON IN LESS THAN A MONTH FROM NOW!! I've been absolutely giddy with delight and joy knowing that it's almost time...I saw that precious face in a photo some 17 months ago and we've been actively pursuing him for more than 15...That's a LOOOONG pregnancy, let me tell ya...like nearly elephant gestation!!

But don't let me fool you...I'm also more than a little anxious even after planning and preparing for so many months, I'm thinking, "I'm not ready!!" "The house is a mess!" "I can't remember what to do with a 3 year old" "No more evenings curled up in bed watching 'House' and reading adoption blogs on the internet" "WHAT HAVE WE GOTTEN OURSELVES INTO!!" ?? :-) But, of course, I know exactly what we've gotten ourselves into...into just what God asked of us, that's what.

I spent the morning at church celebrating 'Orphan Awareness'...telling a brief bit of my motivation behind this adoption and singing a song that has quickly become a favorite (Sara Groves' I Saw What I Saw)...it was a precious morning...I spent this evening with my closest friend who is waiting for LOA for her 4th adoption (please joing me in praying that she gets news this week) and we lamented over the slowness of both of our processes this year, but also talked about things to come in just a few short weeks for both of us...it was a precious evening...Amidst the uncertainty of what our exact dates are or whether things will go smoothly as we finish out this process, I feel very calm and at peace. I can only attribute that to our faithful God who is holding me and to the prayers of the faithful lifting us up...it has been a precious weekend.

I'll be sure to let you know when we get the confirmation of our dates...blessings ~ D

Strength is Rising....

2009-02-10T09:16:00.004-05:00

We're coming up on a month since our LOA arrived and have been waiting (patiently--YAY!) for our Travel Approval. There's this urgent anticipation bubbling up in my soul that our news is close....VERY CLOSE. I awoke this morning to one of my favorite songs playing on my alarm clock and thought it very appropriate as it has been a tremendous source of strength to me over the past many months. (You can listen to it here--Lincoln Brewster's 'Everlasting God') The song is based on Isaiah 40:28-31 (Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord), which I shared with you a few months ago as both the verse God gave me as G's 'life verse' and which I had also claimed for myself to give me strength to wait...It's precious to me. So...it was playing this morning when I awoke. What a beautiful message and I pray that it is a sign of good news soon to come!

I'd love if you'd join me in the prayer that our Travel Approval (TA) has been completed and is on it's way to our agency. One of the other families we will be traveling with NEEDS to finish the trip by March 10 because her Home Study is expiring. If we can get a US Consulate Appointment (CA) by March 9, then she will not have to spend the extraordinary effort or expense to renew this document. We need to receive our TAs this week in order to request the CA and to give our agency time to make our travel arrangements and get us to China around the 24th of this month (just 2 weeks from today) so that we can finish the process prior by 3/9. God is mighty and this would certainly be a walk in the park for Him to accomplish--I pray that it is within His will to allow it to happen and that the evil one would be bound and prohibited from messing with our files.

Please continue to pray for G--that he would be patient as he also waits (we've been told that he is excited about getting a new family and that he continues to ask when we are coming; so even at 3, he's not exempt from the pain of the wait) and also pray that God would continue to prepare his heart for this transition.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support...Soon, dear friends, SOON we will be united with our son! Love, D

FINALLY!!! Good News!

2009-01-15T19:36:00.003-05:00

(okay, so it's Thursday and I really got this great news on Monday but I've been running around screaming at the top of my lungs and so I know most of you have already heard it and so...well...I'm lame! Just pretend like you're surprised....)

OUR LOA FINALLY ARRIVED ON DAY 199! Clearly we didn't want to wait as long as we did, but I REALLY didn't want to count into the 200's, so I'm especially thankful that God finally put us out of our misery!!

This was us receiving and signing the blessed document (the mail carrier came and went without a trace so you don't get to see a picture of the actual delivery!) Following signature, we immediately sent it back to our agency to be returned promptly to China. We're now looking at about a 2-4 weeks to get our Travel Approval followed by 2-4 weeks until we get on a plane to FINALLY be united with our precious son.

There's much I should be saying, but my mind just won't settle down enough to say it right now...I might be in a more comtemplative mood later, but right now I'm rejoicing in the freedom of having that hundred-pound-'wait' off my shoulders. Praise God for His Great Gifts...D

New Pics for a New Year

2009-01-01T01:23:00.005-05:00

Well, it's 1:30 am and I'm quite exhausted, but I wanted to take a moment to share the new pictures I received of G today. I didn't post them earlier because I was holding out one last day of hope that our agency would call with LOA news before the end of 2008, but it was not to be. So, I'll joyfully share pics of my precious son now, but the LOA news will have to come another day.

2008 was difficult and certainly not what I expected it to be, but we were blessed nonetheless. There have been many struggles and tears, but also MANY more things to be thankful for...I haven't forgotten that! God is good and even if He never did another thing in my favor, his gift of salvation is worthy of praise and a gift and a blessing I don't deserve. I trust, however, that He WILL continue what He started with this adoption journey and that He WILL work in our favor and that when all is said and done, the painful extra months of waiting will be forgotten much like the intensity of labor pains seem to fade as soon as that blessed bundle arrives. (A broken tailbone is remembered a little longer, however, let me tell ya!)

Anyway, I pray that you too can look back on 2008 and see more blessing than pain and that you can look forward to 2009 as a year of the Lord's favor.

Much love, D

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T10:09:00.002-05:00

I had certainly hoped and prayed to have great news to share from China by today, but unfortunately we're at the 180 day mark and still have not received that blessed letter. [That's 6 months waiting for a letter that normally takes 2 or 3] China confirmed over a month ago that our file was finished with review and they would be sending the letter we're waiting for....and then they confirmed again last week that "preparations for our letter had begun and we MAY receive it SOON"...but, alas, nothing yet.

Yes, we're certainly disappointed and it's been a little difficult to get into the Christmas spirit this year because we fully believed all year that we would have our son home long before Christmas and yet we'll be celebrating it again without him....But don't fear, we are okay!

I've been trying to fight being really depressed about the whole situation and wanting to just curl up and pull the covers over my head...I've felt kind of bad about being sad--like I'm not being strong enough or something. But, God sent me a timely message a few days ago. Proverbs 13:12 says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Right after I said, "You got that right!!"...I realized, yes, I've definitely been heart-sick, but I guess it's nothing to be ashamed of...God acknowledged it right there in His word...I don't have to pretend it's not real or feel guilty because I've somehow failed. When something that you've been longing for, praying for, hoping for doesn't happen it makes you sad--even sick! What I do have to realize and cling to is that our hope, our longing, is deferred....delayed, not destroyed or abandoned. IT WILL COME (eventually) and when it does--CELEBRATION!!

We truly appreciate your prayers as we continue to wait and hold on to that HOPE...and we can't wait to be jumping for joy and shouting in celebration that our news has arrived!! It has to be soon--really!!

The pictures above are some from the past month or so...The kids enjoying counting down to Christmas with their Advent Calendars (last piece of chocolate was TODAY); a picture of my 'expecting' ornament (I already have three 'pregnant' ornaments on the tree from the years that I was expecting to give birth...this year's expectation is a little different but is now also commemorated by an ornament)...the boys playing basketball and some holiday poses---I sent a Christmas package with a camera to China this week, so hopefully I'll have some new pics of G to post soon....Enjoy the glimpses of what's going on in our family!

Praying you all have a Merry Christmas and a blessed 2009! Love, D

150 Days Waiting for LOA ( and still counting)

2008-11-25T12:14:00.007-05:00

But amazingly, I'm fine! I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post. And although that was 30 days added to our wait time, it was not nearly as painful as the previous days and weeks and months have been. Want to know why? I think I've finally mastered this 'waiting patiently for the Lord' thing that has been such a struggle for me--Praise God!

I've been reflecting back on this past month and have really seen God at work helping me to grasp the concept of 'waiting patiently'....Here's a couple excerpts from some recent emails I sent on the subject....

1) I was reading a devotional today that really spoke to me about not worrying or being upset about what's going on. (and not feeling bad about that--I think sometimes if I'm not actively thinking about it or if I haven't said at least three prayers by breakfast then I must not be doing enough even though I know constantly worrying about it is just spinning my wheels)

The scripture passage is from Genesis 50:15-21 where Joseph's father has died and his brothers are worried that Joseph will seek revenge. It includes the passage "What you intended for evil, God meant for good...."

The devotional says, "Sometimes our worry is the thread by which we hang onto the belief that we can do something to change our situation and end our fear. (yep, right so far) As ridiculous as it is, we believe that our anxiety gives us some measure of control. Or we believe it keeps God mindful of our problem. We are afraid that without the pressure of our fear, He might forget what we want from Him. But our anxiety and demanding prayers accomplish nothing. We fear giving up our fear because if we don't worry, who will remember to care? If we don't worry, would God decide we really aren't concerned about the issue? If we don't worry, are we giving up hope of God involving Himself in our world? (any of this hitting home so far or am I the only one it's speaking directly to?)

I think I actually gave up a week or so ago on being worried about timing--sure I'd have loved to have had my son by now or at least by Christmas, but at this point I'm shooting for Easter and anything sooner will just be a bonus!! (Lower expectations means less disappointment!) It actually seems to be working--I've been far less stressed about whether or not the phone is going to ring. If it does, great...if not, I'll just go about my business... it feels slightly like giving up, but I'm not withdrawing my dossier or anything...the adoption will still happen, but my anxiety is pointless, so why bother? [is this what resting in peace feels like--giving up???] That might have just been an epiphany!! :-)

2) When I released my expectation (demand) of traveling by Christmas, then it became less difficult to see each day pass and easier to rest on the truth that "it'll happen when God says it will happen" ?? I guess that's a good thing. It kind of feels like I've given up, but maybe that's what waiting in peace feels like?? I give up MY WILL for His.

3) It's been amazing lately how calm I've been with the wait. Of course I want to hear something RIGHT NOW, but I've somehow been able to say, "it's fine...If God doesn't want us to go yet, I trust Him to take care of G until He sends us" (and actually mean it!) Truly, I'd love to have news of our LOA before Thanksgiving--I hope God grants me that request. It was Thanksgiving Day last year that my husband gave me the great gift of agreeing that we should proceed with adopting G; so the timing would be nice if we could hear something in the next few days.

So, maybe you can also see that God has been working on my heart...I hope He's almost finished with this renovation (or this phase of the renovation, anyway) and can let us move on to the next step.

We did get some positive news a week or so ago that "our file was through the Review Room and awaiting issuance of our LOA" That means if they had had any questions or problems with our file, they would have asked them already--yay! but, I have no idea how long the next step will take--boo! So, I've been cautiously joyous and thankful to have taken another small step on the journey with a slight hint of 'I'll believe it [and be truly joyful] when I see it!' thrown in for good measure. (That does NOT mean I don't have faith for God to work, I'm just not so certain about Ch*na :-)

Waiting patiently...(but can't wait to give you that fabulous news that the call has come in!!) D

There Will Be A Day (but it's not today)

2008-10-28T21:23:00.006-04:00

There's a relatively new song on Christian radio by Jeremy Camp called 'There Will Be A Day' that has TOTALLY been ministering to me in my struggle to wait patiently. (I'm doing much better at that, by the way--thanks for your prayers and God's strength giving me peace!)

The song is clearly about someday being with Jesus, but in this day and in this pain of waiting to be with my child, the following verse has been a soothing balm to my raw soul....

I know the journey seems so long
You feel you’re walking on your own
But there has never been a step
Where you’ve walked out all alone
Troubled soul don’t lose your heart
Cause joy and peace he brings
And the beauty that’s in store
Outweighs the hurt of life’s sting

Is that not soooo beautiful? It is to me! It renews my confidence to know that I won't be waiting forever--I'm not waiting alone--And the end result will be worth it all (Yes, I know, we knew that already, but it still helps to hear it sung so beautifully)

It goes on to say:

But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
That there will be a place with no more suffering

There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more,
we’ll see Jesus face to face
But until that day, we’ll hold on to you always

Still waiting (patiently!! I think I can say that confidently) Blessings, D

I can't find a video version that I like to embed from Youtube, but click here to link to the song with a still picture (can't embed it, though!)

Maybe I'm Not So Pathetic After All!!

2008-10-24T08:20:00.006-04:00

Sorry to keep you hanging all week...last Friday's post was quite an exciting event, huh? I refer to it now as 'my public meltdown'! I'm happy to report that very shortly after pounding my fists on Daddy's chest and crying in His arms, I felt much better! I had a greater sense of peace and, dare I say it, patience. Well, maybe not patience, maybe just a resignation that being upset wasn't solving anything and wouldn't make anything happen (except maybe to make me and everyone around me miserable) and so, I determined (yet again) to continue to wait a bit more quietly. I'm trying to be more positive...I'm trying to focus on other things....I'm trying--really, I'm trying!

Having said that, however, there has been a greater sense of expectation this week (from everyone, not just me) that an LOA is coming--SOON. We're just on the verge of 120 days (4 months!) and even most of the slow ones come by that point. I've stayed calm...I've hoped...Of course, I've prayed that God would grant our plea...Today is Friday--the last day we could hear something this week--so the tension is mounting--the expectation is high....

Each morning I get an email from Air1 radio station and each morning I read the verse and ponder it and wonder how it relates to me/how I can live it out/how will it come to pass in my life/what do I need to change to live this verse/WHAT IS IT SAYING FOR ME TODAY? Sometimes I'm glad to claim the verse and other days it's a little harder. But, I'm always hoping for a direct word of encouragement especially about our adoption process and our wait. Well, this morning when I opened my email and read the Air1 verse of the day, this is what I found:

To which I immediately replied: "NOOOOOOO!!"

If I'd thought I'd already been waiting bravely and courageously, then I would have assumed this was a sign that my wait was over--"Well done, brave and courageous servant! You have waited paitently and now I will grant your petition".....Darn....I can't claim that, because as you well know, I've been REALLY impatient!! I've been trying to pretend like I've been patient, but really, truly, probably NOT!!

You know, maybe I'm being a bit too hard on myself. I suppose there have been measures of patience peppered generously with some 'Why are You Ignoring Me?' temper tantrums and a few 'Wo is Me' sulkings as well as a handful of 'I Give Up!' moments of dispair. Is that what you would consider 'waiting patiently'? Hmmmm....maybe not. Although, when I think about King David and the Psalms, I think of HUNDREDS of verses where he says something to the effect of: "Just kill me now....life is so miserable....why have you abandoned me?....Why does everyone hate me?....Why aren't you doing something?" Basically some temper tantrums, sulkings and moments of dispair. Sound familiar? Maybe I'm not so pathetic after all! Maybe, as I said in my last post, I'm just human! Surely, God sees that I'm trying. There have been lots of moments where I've said (and meant) that I trust God's timing (even though I don't approve of it!) and that I've believed that He has the master plan all laid out (even though I don't see it yet) and that I've gone to sleep at night peacefully knowing that G's life is in His Father's hands (and that's been good enough for me.) Surely, that's something.

Ok, so I've been mostly brave and sort of courageous and have waited semi-patiently.....I wonder if that counts? Please, God, can that count for something?

**lunchtime update--got word from our agency that nothing came for us today....funny how much better I feel this week upon getting that news than I did last week (remember--public meltdown?) Maybe there's something to this 'waiting patiently for the Lord' thing!

...be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord! blessings, D

The Ramblings of a Woman Who is Falling Apart...

2008-10-17T17:41:00.004-04:00

Please pray—I’m so disheartened. Looking at the calendar today I realized Thanksgiving is just 6 weeks away. Even if we had heard something today (which we didn’t--Day 112 since our paperwork arrived in China), it would be highly unlikely that we could get travel arranged before December 1. So the Sept/Oct/Nov timeframe that I’ve hoped for all year long (and even stupidly thought for a while that we might be ahead of) is now gone for us.

I don’t like it and I don’t understand it and even though I love God and trust God, I don’t like His timing and I don’t understand why He is holding us back from the child He chose for us. I feel like that parent that sometimes says “I love you, but I don’t like you right now”…except I’m not the parent, I’m His child and it upsets me that I feel that way toward Him—but it’s how I feel.

I praise Him because He’s God and even if things aren’t going the way I want them, I know He is grace and love and hope and salvation and mercy and justice and truth and for all that and so much more I am so very thankful and grateful…..but, still….I want my child…I don’t understand why it’s not time to be a family yet….what possible good reason could there be for delaying us? I feel like such a big baby and weakling to be upset over what, in the grand scheme of things, is so minor—what’s a few more days or weeks? But, come on, are those extra days and weeks really necessary????

I soooo want to wait peacefully and joyfully and gracefully, but instead, God’s pulling me along kicking and screaming and pouting and crying that I’m not getting my way—I’m sorry to be so human—I much prefer when I can stand strong and faithful and make it look like I’m some Godly woman who's got things completely under control….but honestly, that doesn't describe me at the moment!

My Streams in the Desert devotional focused yesterday on Psalm 51:17..."The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart..." Well, I need to research 'contrite heart' a bit more--I think it means I can't be doing that 'kicking and screaming' thing I just mentioned; but folks, I've definitely got the 'broken spirit' part covered!

Before any of you listening (I think there's 2 of you following along) gets too upset and fears my imminent nervous breakdown...relax...I DO LOVE GOD AND TRUST HIM TO GET ME THROUGH THIS....I think I just needed that little venting time and a few minutes of uncontrollable sobbing and, most importantly, I needed to admit before God and all present that I'm a weak, broken vessel who can't do this alone! I feel tremendously better already.

Guess I'm working on that 'contrite heart' thing next...LORD help me!! I would very deeply appreciate your prayers...'that God would hurry up' might not be the most appropriate thing to ask for (but I don't mind you trying) Maybe we should ask that the waiting time would be for some good purpose instead of my current practice of staring at my phone willing it to ring. Need to focus my energies for good instead of evil (well, wastefullness, anyway) I suppose if I consider the timing, I should focus more on promoting the Operation Christmas Child ministry that I love so much. Will you join me in filling a box (or 5) between now and Nov 24?

May God Be Glorified (even when I feel like there's a dark cloud over my head)!!! Blessings, D

Fall Family Fun

2008-10-14T15:00:00.000-04:00

This week is Fall Break for the kids, so we took advantage of a few days off and spent the weekend camping. We had absolutely gorgeous weather and a few days to spend together relaxing and having some fun. We visited a great children's museum and a fantastic pumpkin farm and most exciting of all--E learned to ride her big two-wheeler without training wheels!! LOTS OF FUN!! The only thing missing was G (or even some good news that we'll be getting him soon). We've reached Day 109 and still we wait for word...maybe soon (maybe not??) Oh--and Starbucks was missing from our trip, too--but I'm sure I'll live (I was the only one who noticed there was no Starbucks!)

Birthday Pics!! (and finally a SMILE!)

2008-09-16T19:11:00.005-04:00

I was quite pleasantly surprised to receive pictures of G's birthday party from China today! What a blessing!

I sent a birthday package a couple weeks ago with plates/napkins/balloons and goodie bags for a few children and a gift box for G and the orphanage had a cake and my package delivered to G's foster family's home on his birthday. Looks like they had quite a spread with apples and eggs, maybe? The orphanage didn't send any names or details with the pictures, so I honestly don't know if the children at the party are from the orphanage or from the neighborhood or are maybe cousins of the foster family (maybe a new foster sibling since G's little foster sister was adopted a few months ago) ?? I think the teenage/young adult boy and two girls are the foster mom's biological children and the older woman is the foster father's mother. (I don't see the foster father in any of the pics...he must be taking them) At any rate, it looks like they had a wonderful time with a HUGE, beautiful cake and FINALLY I have a picture of my boy smiling (he's actually smiling so hard he's very squinty eyed and showing ALL his teeth, but that must mean he REALLY loved his birthday party :-)

His foster mom is wonderful about using and showing the things we have already sent him...one of the pics has a little phone toy that I sent in his first package back in March; he starts out on party day in the green and blue outfit I sent back in May and she dresses him for the party in the outfit that was in his birthday package...very sweet (now if only I can remember what size outfits I've been sending him, I'll know what to take when we travel--I think they've been 24 months and 2T's ?? I can't believe I don't know that)

Here's the best news of all--along with the photos, the orphanage director (or assistant, maybe) sent his recent measurements (28.67 lbs and 34.76 inches tall) AND she said his last transfusion was June 1!!! It's September and he looks pretty good in the pics; maybe a bit pale, but pretty healthy. If that date is correct and he hasn't needed a transfusion in 3 months, that's VERY GOOD NEWS!! We were thinking he may have needed them monthly (and in all reality they may not be giving them as often as needed, but, still...I'm pleased with the report and the fact that he looks good)

Oh how I long to hold my child....I pray it won't be long now...but these pics will hold me over for a little while longer until God decides it is time.

Love~~D

No News is...well...no news :-(

2008-09-12T23:22:00.003-04:00

Okay so I'm not saying 'no news is good news'....but it's not bad news either...just 'no news'!!

Today was G's 3rd birthday and I was soooo hoping and praying to receive approval from China today, but, alas...nothing. I was really pretty bummed out this afternoon--really feeling disappointed and just, well, deflated, but God and I had a little talk and while I don't particulary care for His timing at the moment, it doesn't change the fact that I TRUST Him to be right on time. At a moment that I felt so sad and discouraged today, God gently reminded me that "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up on wings like eagles; they shall run and not grow weary, walk and not faint" Isaiah 40-31,32. This is the verse that God had already given me as G's life verse as he is facing a lifelong illness and will certainly need God's strength, but today in my weakness, I claimed it for myself, too!! (Funny how much better I felt when I did that!) Later in the day, I was walking down the hall at work and the heel of my shoe came loose and I thought "It's just one of those days"...to which God immediately replied, "Yes, child, it IS one of those days...it is a day that I have made and you shall rejoice and be glad in it!!" Yes, Lord--good point! I rejoice that even though I didn't get the news I wanted, I know it will come at the perfect time that you have ordained; even though I have some strange medical symptoms (see below), I still have breath for another day; even though G is on the other side of the world and I can't hold him on his birthday, I know his Father is holding him for me and this is the last birthday he will spend without us....Yes, I believe I will rejoice and be glad in it.....

We had some family and friends over this evening to rejoice and be glad it was G's birthday and even had our first 'Chinese' birthday cake (thanks to a friend at work who happened to be in the neighborhood of the nearest Chinese bakery about 100 miles away earlier in the week and picked it up for me). Here's a few pics of the cake and my precious children (all 4 of them!) This is the day that the Lord has made--I pray you, too, will rejoice and be glad in it!! Blessings, D

No News...still we wait

2008-09-06T19:50:00.003-04:00

Nothing from China yet...Today is day 71 since paperwork was logged-in.

Next Friday is G's 3rd birthday--I really hope to have received confirmation by then. But, then again, I have to trust God's timing and know that when He ordains it to happen, it will happen.

Hmmm...what else is going on besides waiting for the phone to ring...kids had soccer games today...My dad and stepmom have been visiting from Florida for the past couple weeks...E got a new haircut today--too cute!

I have nothing exciting to tell you...oh, here's an interesting tidbit--for the past couple of weeks I've been smelling cigarette smoke (when there is none) No one in my family smokes (yes, I'm sure), no one I work with smokes, I smell it in my car, I smell it in non-smoking establishments...everywhere! Weird, huh? I saw the ENT a week ago and he was a little baffled since I don't seem sick in any other way except the smelling smoke symptom, but we're thinking maybe I have an underlying sinus infection that has been hanging around since way back in the Spring when I was sick with a double ear infection and sinus infection and was generally more sick than I'd been in many, many years. So...we're trying a long, strong round of antibiotics to see if we can knock out anything that may be lurking, but I'm quite baffled...Anyone experienced this one before? I'd love to hear about it. I guess I win the strange medical symptom of the month award!

What's Happening??

2008-09-01T22:32:00.006-04:00

Well, not much related to the adoption, (today is Day 66 of waiting for Letter of Acceptance--shouldn't be long now) but plenty has been going on in our household in the last few weeks. The kids started back to school a few weeks ago....

And, all three are playing soccer....

(oops...swing and a miss...but she has good form!!)

County Fair came to town....

WOW--I'm Tired!! We've been a busy crew.

I also sent a birthday package to China last week (to celebrate G's 3rd birthday on Sept 12), but was in such a rush to get it to the post office before the Labor Day weekend, I forgot to take any pictures! The orphanage is supposed to have a cake and take pictures for me, so maybe eventually you'll get to see some!

Hoping to hear from China any day now....please pray, as always, that we have patience to wait for God's timing!! I'll be sure to let you know right away when we get word, but for now, I'm going to call it a night....Blessings, D

THANKS for all that supported the Benefit Concert/Silent Auction

2008-07-29T18:28:00.003-04:00

This past weekend was the Benefit Concert/Silent Auction Event to raise money for our family and our best friends' family in our adoption journies. I want to PRAISE GOD and also THANK the many, many folks who came out and who made the evening possible. We had a blast!!

We all sang our hearts out with the amazing praise band from our church....we actually got to be a real 'rock band' for part of the evening as well. For as long as I've been a part of the Praise Team, the band members have always wanted to play Sweet Home Alabama, but realistically, how can you possibly fit that into a worship service? So, concert night was part Praise and part Just-Plain-Ole-Fun...we finally jammed with Sweet Home Alabama and Brown Eyed Girl as well as some Jesus-fied secular songs like, "Spirit in the Sky" and "Some Kind of Wonderful" (Well, my Savior is Jesus Christ...He's the Way, the Truth and the Life, Don't you know that He is...Some Kinda Wonderful.....Some Kinda Wonderful...Some Kinda Wonderful...yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah---are you singing along? Me, too!)

We had a wonderfully, blessed evening with many friends and family members who came to show us love and help us bring our boys home----THANK YOU!!

Although we haven't finished tallying all the profits vs. expenses, it's looking like the evening was certainly worth all the weeks of planning, collecting auction items, promoting and such...Really, regardless of how the money turns out--the night was a success because it was such an encouragement to both of our families! I can definitely say this adoption process is tiring and relentless and I know I've been feeling like the whole world's been on my shoulders and I've been facing it all alone (which I know is not true, but the Evil One likes to trick us into feeling sorry for ourselves and I took the bait)...so to know that there are so many thinking of us and praying for us and supporting us--and for them to actually come out live and in person and show us love was a TREMENDOUS blessing and a HUGE boost to our spirits. I'm so thankful!

On a side note, but related to the adoption...there's nothing new to report about our process except that we're 1 month into the wait for China to review our paperwork. So...that's 1 month closer than we were! We're still hoping to get word from China sometime in early September and travel by the end of October or beginning of November (and with school starting in just 13 days, that's much closer than it seems!!)

Wishing you many blessings and much love~D

It's Official--We're Logged-In!!

2008-06-27T10:33:00.003-04:00

Wow! After complaining that I'd been missing all the averages so far....God gave me the gift of a super-quick Log In Date of June 27, 2008--just 7 days since it was sent! Thanks God! and Thanks China! for being so quick to translate and log-in (...and for not letting our file slide off the stack and onto the floor where it is lost under a desk for 5 months--a continual anxiety of mine!!)

So...we've taken yet another important step in the journey!! Next comes Letter of Acceptance (the average I've seen for Special Needs files is about 2 1/2 months...but you know how I feel about the averages!! You just never know!!)

We're still hoping to travel by Oct/Nov (and still have many grant applications to write and wait for, so we'll need every bit of that time to get the funding secured!!)

But, we're one step further along, so LET'S CELEBRATE!! (I might just splurge on Starbucks today!!)

Blessings, D

Trying out the YouTube link...my new skills in action

2008-06-24T18:22:00.000-04:00

We're Ready to "Change His World"

2008-06-23T20:13:00.002-04:00

Hope you enjoy these few, precious glimpses of our son...
To get the music to play you must click on the speaker icon in the top left corner of the slide show. (it's supposed to play automatically, but I can't get it to work!!)

2008-06-12T22:20:00.000-04:00

So, I'm playing with the 'add photo' feature now...it's been a few weeks since I actually created this blog, but I've not told anyone yet, so this is just my trial period. I've adjusted the name twice, the background a time or two...it's basic to say the least, but I'm getting my feet wet.

This photo, in case you were wondering, shows the items I sent in my most recent care package to our dear Min boy (I'm also deciding if I want to include our real names or come up with code names...hmmm, not sure!) I've been watching usps.com for tracking and the package was 'attempted delivery' status yesterday, so should be delivered by now! I wish I could be there to see him open his things. Hopefully they're taking pictures with the disposable camera I included inside. I will have a translator call in a day or two to check to see that everything arrived and to possibly get some updates. Pray that they will be willing to pass along some info (and maybe some new pics!)

I realize I've not told you much of interest yet, but bear with me, I'm just trying things out! More to come later (Fits 'n Starts, that's what I have time for right now!...maybe that would be a good name for my blog!!) Blessings!

So call me clueless!

2008-05-20T21:20:00.000-04:00

I don't even know where to begin with this blogging thing...I've been cyber-stalking so many other blogs for months now, but don't quite know where to start with my own. I'm pondering and planning right now and will get back to you shortly!!