tickets are purchased

tickets are purchased, hotels are booked, AND i've lost my ability to form coherant sentences.

guess that means we are ready to go!

i was off on the dates a bit. we leave for China 8 am on friday, march 9 and return just before midnight on sunday, march 25.

three other families have contacted us today about traveling together. how exciting. there will be 12 year old and 10 year old boys, a 10 year old girl, and a few little ones with the same Gotcha day as us. i do hope we have fun and make many lasting memories and friendships.

T minus 9 days and counting...... 

save the date

save the date all you blog stalkers!


we're headed to China!


i haven't had a chance to buy tickets yet, but the itinerary states that we travel on March 10 with a Gotcha of March 12.


thanks for all the prayers and support. we truly couldn't have been on this walk without our community. you kept us bolstered through the waiting times, cheered us on when we hit important dates, tutored us through the paperchase, rejoiced with us through the happy times, and prayed us through the hard times.


hold on girls...we'll be there for you in 13 days!!!! we can't wait to hold you in our arms.

LORD, I SEE YOUR PLAN. IT IS INDEED PERFECT. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU. TODAY, I ASK THAT YOU BLESS BAO AND XI'S BIRTH MOTHERS. WOULD YOU LET THEM KNOW SOMEHOW THAT THEIR DAUGHTERS ARE SAFE AND LOVED AND OFF TO THEIR NEW LIFE IN AMERICA? THANK YOU FOR THESE WOMEN, FORGIVE THEM ANY TRANSGRESSIONS, AND HAVE MERCY ON THEIR SOULS. WE GLORIFY YOU. WE KNOW HOW BIG YOU ARE AND HOW YOU HAVE THE POWER TO MOVE ANY AND ALL MOUNTAINS THAT STAND IN OUR WAY. CONTINUE TO USE US AS YOUR HEART, VOICE, AND HANDS. WE ARE YOUR FAITHFUL SERVANTS AND WE LOVE YOU, ABBA. AMEN.  

drum roll please?

rat-ta-tat-tat-rump-pum-pum-pummmm.......

WE GOT OUR TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!!!!

we could leave as soon as March 8th!

PRAISE GOD! THANK YOU LORD. I TRUST AND FEAR YOU LORD. YOU KNEW THAT WE HAD TO BE HERE FOR OTHER PURPOSES-TO DO YOUR WORK. THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES OVER, ABBA LIEBER VATER. AMEN.

some reasons we are thankful we are still here instead of in China...

a family friend has fallen on bad times and was living in a shelter. S was able to secure him a place to live(he has been with us for 11 days so far and will be with us until we leave) nearby the golf club where S works. he also secured a full-time job for our friend at the golf club.

another family had a death in their family and had to travel...we are taking care of their beloved dog while they are gone.

i finished a bunch more homeschool with the children than i thought i would. even if we call it quits for a few months, they were able to complete almost half of their history, 3/4 of their math, finished spelling and language arts, and 1/4 of their science. not too bad.

it will be spring when the girls come home. they have lived their entire lives in warm weather. it will be less of a shock to come home after the snowy season.

my friends were in China for the last two and a half weeks. we were able to sit in constant prayer and vigil while they have been traveling. Jessemyn and Randall should be landing soon and the Pelleys should be taking off from China in the next several minutes. we will be here to make them a meal or two before we head off. AND have i mentioned the wealth of knowledge and advice they can impart to us before we go?

we were held back for many reasons. i trust God with every one of them and know He has a beautiful plan for us. the wait was agonizing, but we survived it.

Lenten travel....here we come.



update

did you click on this expecting an update on when we are going to be traveling? silly you! we will only get our travel dates when we decide to stop waiting, right? isn't that what they always say when one is waiting on the right man or to become pregnant?


last week i thought it would be a good idea to ask for an update on the children. perhaps it would keep my mind off of waiting. it worked. i got the updates....15 pictures! woohoo.


here is Xi Yuan...

she is as tall as me(61 in), but only 77 lbs. she likes pink and red for colors. her favorite animals are fish, squirrels, and rabbits(fortunate because we have all three living in our backyard). her favorite foods are biscuits, jelly and milk.(help me out China travelers...is jelly a food or condiment and are biscuits really that or are they cookies?) she is both excited and nervous to be adopted. 


Bao Qing ...

she is about 53 inches tall and weighs about 65 lbs. she likes the color blue. her favorite animals are dolphins, dogs, and pandas.(hope they like cats because we have two of them) her favorites foods are jelly, crack cake, and yogurt. (again China travelers...crack cake? that might be illegal in the USA...anyone know what it is? and again with the jelly...i can't imagine an american child listing jelly as a favorite food. they must have killer jelly in China) she is excited but not nervous to be adopted and she would like to sightsee in Hong Kong before heading home to the USA.

that is all i have for now. i am pretending we are not waiting for a travel date. i manage to do an OK job of pretending throughout the day. i must admit my heart jumps into my throat every time the phone rings. 

LORD BLESS THESE TWO GIRLS. HELP US ALL TO BE PATIENT WHILE WE AWAIT YOUR GREAT WORKS. I FEAR YOU, LORD. I TRUST YOU, LORD. I WAIT ON YOU, LORD. YOUR TIMING AND PLANS ARE PERFECT. I STAND IN AWE AT YOUR MASTERFUL PLANNING. PLEASE COMFORT US DURING OUR SEPARATION. WE HUMBLY ASK ALL THINGS IN YOUR SON'S NAME. AMEN.



more or less

one more sweet child in our rapidly growing spiritual family tree.

one less orphan in the world.

introducing K K. he's four and fabulous and LOVED!. he was chosen to change the world.

how do i know? God picked him to be adopted! his story will change one person at a time by showing them how precious life is and that everyone should be doing something to help.

he is "one less" and now he will open others' hearts making them "one less"...one less person who thinks international adoption is crazy. one less person will say adopted children are bought. one less person will say adoption is not for me. his story will inspire others to move, act, and maybe even adopt "one more" orphan.

his family's story changed me. how will it change you?

JEHOVAH JIREH, YOU REACH OUT YOUR HAND AND PROVIDE FOR THE NEEDS OF EVERY LIVING THING. THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING K K'S FAMILY WITH THE MEANS, LOVE, AND DESIRE TO EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY. THANK YOU FOR R AND M'S COURAGE TO ANSWER YOUR CALL. HELP THEM TO RAISE THIS CHILD UP IN YOU SO THAT SOMEDAY HE WILL BE YOUR DISCIPLE. PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP THE FAMILY WHENEVER THEY HAVE A NEED. JESUS SURROUND THEM WITH YOUR LOVE AND GUIDANCE. WE BOLDLY ASK THESE AND ALL THINGS IN YOUR NAME. AMEN.

welcome to our family little guy. you are so loved.



sweet violet

here is our latest "one less"

she now has:

a chance

boundless love

a family

an inheritance

most importantly...an introduction to Jesus

here is our newest addition in our spiritual family tree...

Violet Xin Ni

sweet girl you need to know:

you bless us

you are loved

you are wanted

you have changed us forever

we can't wait to get to know you more.

THANK YOU DEAR LORD FOR GIVING VIOLET PARENTS. THANK YOU FOR GIVING OUR COMMUNITY ANOTHER PRECIOUS CHILD TO ADORE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT LOVE. PLEASE SHOWER VIOLET WITH THIS LOVE AND PEACE. HELP HER FEARS TO BECOME A DISTANT MEMORY. HELP HER TO KNOW AND ACCEPT YOUR GIFTS. HELP HER NEW FAMILY TO SURROUND HER WITH PROTECTION, CARE, AND SUPPORT. JESUS, YOUR COMING ENABLED US TO BECOME YOUR FATHER'S ADOPTED SONS AND DAUGHTERS. BLESS VIOLET'S TRANSITION INTO BECOMING A NEW PERSON IN YOU. WE PRAISE YOU FOR YOUR PROMISE AND SACRIFICE. LET US HONOR YOU ABOVE ALL ELSE. AMEN.

  

i am counting down the days until you will allow me a freewill hug- sweet and precious girl.

happy birthday A

our youngest turned 10 years old over this past weekend. she chose to celebrate her birthday week instead of having a party. what is birthday week you ask? well, i'm glad you asked! it is letting the birthday person be special everyday for 7 days. she got to choose everything this week including all meals, movies, activities, and one more request-no homeschool! here's how it went down.

thursday: bought a much needed new pair of church shoes and chose to eat out at Subway for dinner

friday: went to a free showing of the movie Courageous at our church.

saturday-the actual birthday: woke her up at 1 AM to hear mommy and daddy tell her the story of how she came into our family. much later that morning we attended the teddy bear tea, free showing of Cars, and model car painting at our local library with some special friends. borrowed the movie E.T. from the library and watched it while eating dinner of her choice-castle potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp cocktail, and chicken egg rolls(OK, it has been a while since i grocery shopped, but see how much fun picking out of our freezer can be?) then her grandparents brought over mini cakes, a balloon, and presents.

sunday: after church daddy took us out to Red Lobster and then to CoCoKeys for water resort fun. got Chinese food take-out, went back to our hotel room, and had a bed picnic while watching the end of the Superbowl. played Skip-bo and she won.

monday: went to the gym and hotel pool with daddy and E. later, ran errands with daddy and went to the game room for some arcade fun (the arcade closed early at CoCoKeys disappointing her, so Daddy made up for it). she brought home Chinese character bracelets for her new sisters, marbles, and some prizes to share with E.

tuesday: ran errands with daddy and chose to watch the Secret of Moonacre on Netflix with the family.

wednesday: helped cook tacos for dinner. Skyped loved ones in TX.

all in all a very successful week. E and mommy were sick for most of it, but it didn't hamper how special our girl is and how much fun we can have together as a family.

Teddy Bear Tea with dear friends

painting cars

A's cakes

CoCoKeys

E in the lazy river

A crossing floating pads

everyone having fun?

Happy Birthday Love!

prayers

they are in the air as we speak. i was so excited that i couldn't sleep last night.

(i stole this photo without permission from deb-thanks deb-love you)

jessemyn and randall http://www.morethanwecanimagine.blogspot.com/ are on their way...physically closer to their six year old daughter. finally.


and the pelley family is with them too. http://rpelley1.blogspot.com/ closer and closer to their son stephen.


please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. they are scheduled to arrive in beijing around 2 am est tonight.

ABBA LIEBER VATER, WE PRAISE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIFTS OF LOVE. WE LIFT UP JESSEMYN AND RANDALL TO YOUR GOOD CARE. KEEP THEM STRONG AND HEALTHY AS THEY TRAVEL FAR FROM HOME. CONNECT THEM TO THE LAND OF CHINA AND TO YOUR PRECIOUS DAUGHTER YOU HAVE GIVEN TO THEIR CARE. GIVE THEM ALL THEY NEED TO PARENT AND PROVIDE FOR VIOLET.

AND BLESS THE PELLEYS AS THEY ADOPT A SON OF CHINA. GIVE THEM THE ENERGY AND JOY TO SUSTAIN THEM THROUGH THEIR LONG TRAVEL PROCESS. PLEASE BE THEIR EVER PRESENT HELP IN TIME OF NEED. BESTOW ON THEM THE WISDOM THEY NEED TO PARENT AND RAISE STEPHEN.

WATCH OVER THEIR FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT AT HOME. COMFORT THEIR CHILDREN AND GIVE STRENGTH TO THEIR CAREGIVERS. HOLY SPIRIT, PREPARE THEIR HEARTS FOR THE CHANGES THAT ARE AHEAD.

AND WE BOLDLY ASK THAT YOU BLESS ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR UNIONS. PROTECT THEM FROM ALL HARM. THANK YOU FOR OUR PRECIOUS FRIENDS WHO MEAN SO MUCH TO US. WE ASK THESE THINGS IN JESUS CHRIST'S HOLY NAME. AMEN.



showered with blessings

a couple weeks ago, i was blessed with a lovely day to share with my adoption sisters M and J.

M is bringing home a four year old son and J is bringing home her 6 year old daughter from China. all four parents leave (on the same plane!) Wednesday. please help us pray for their health and safety and that the children will fall as deeply in love with their parents as we already have for these amazing children. 

LORD GOD, OUR FATHER, WE BLESS YOUR HOLY NAME. YOU ARE PRAISED. WE STAND IN AWE OF THE MIRACLES YOU HAVE SHOWN TO US, THROUGH THESE SPECIAL PARENTS, WHOM YOU HAVE SET APART FOR YOUR PRECIOUS DAUGHTER AND SON OF CHINA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROVISION JEHOVAH JIREH. WE SING OF YOUR AMAZING LOVE. PLEASE GUARD, GUIDE, AND PROTECT THESE CHERISHED ONES AS THEY CREATE A FAMILY IN YOUR IMAGE. IF IT IS YOUR WILL, GIVE THEM UNSPEAKABLE JOY ON THEIR JOURNEY AND SAFETY RETURNING HOME. WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS YOUR PRESENCE. AMEN.



Isaiah 43:5 Today's New International Version

⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
   I will bring your children from the east
   and gather you from the west.

 1 Thessalonians 1:2

² We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. ³ We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 ⁴ For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵ because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶ You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.



anyway... we were "showered" with love by our sisters in Christ. thank you all for planning, cooking, attending, and loving on our families. our children whom have next to nothing are being given security, love, and connectedness. thank you dear ones. thank you for creating a wonderful community in which we grow our families. blessed are we.

i haven't many pictures of the shower, ehem, photographers...hint hint...i mean you. but M sent me some.
here i am with my daughters E and A(who turns...dare i say it...DOUBLE DIGITS...tonight! the BIG 10 happy birthday big girl)

we feel loved. hope that was the effect you were going for.



and in other news, we received our Article 5 (don't really know what it is, but i know we need it)on february 1. it will be delivered to the us consulate on february 6. that means we should be able to get an adoption date in the next couple weeks. then travel. i will just miss traveling with M and J, but figure they will be an amazing source of up-to-date advice on the process. good luck girls! we're with you in spirit. we lift you up in prayer.

happy sigh.

update...i got some pictures

J getting some help opening all those gifts

 

 

it says...superman was adopted

M and Honey "oh"pening gifts of love

q getting into the spirit

me and miss m