The Sarah Blessing

The Knorr Four

2009-03-02T22:06:00.000-08:00

Hannah reading to Sarah

2009-03-02T22:04:00.000-08:00

"Wet" Boardwalk with Uncle Bob

2009-03-02T21:59:00.000-08:00

Nana's Birthday

2009-03-02T21:56:00.001-08:00

Hannah and Sarah

2009-03-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

2009-03-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

Two girls lovin' on their Baba

Grandparents Visit 11/11/08

2009-03-02T21:49:00.001-08:00

Grandpa and Grandma
Great Grandma Ritze

Peace and Quiet

2009-03-02T21:44:00.000-08:00

I think my husband would appreciate an office other than the kitchen table..........

Birthday Girl and her Mommy

2008-10-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

Our Hannah celebrated her 5th birthday in September, on the same day as her mommy. Sorry, somehow we did not get any pictures of mommy.

Birthday Girl and her Daddy

2008-08-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Our princess Sarah celebrated her 4th birthday this week. She was so excited to have a yellow cake and to open presents. We love you Sarah Michaela Mei!! Her daddy also celebrated his birthday this week; we won't say how old he is although his age does contain the #4 too.

Half the Sky Earthquake Update June 10th

2008-06-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have not posted anything regarding the recent earthquake in Sichuan Province, China or the tragic accident involving the Chapman family. However both deeply impact my thoughts and prayers. Our Hannah was born very near the epicenter of the earthquake and is close in age to Maria Chapman....
Half the Sky is a wonderful organization working in China to help orphaned children, here is the latest update.

Dear Friends,

Since I last wrote, we’ve been working toward developing a more well-defined plan for addressing the emotional needs of so many thousands of traumatized children. We know we can’t help them all, but we are making certain that, using the resources you are providing us, we will maximize our effectiveness.

Under the guidance of trauma experts from National Center for School Trauma and Bereavement and volunteer pediatric psychologists from China, the US and Canada, our field staff has been training caregivers in shelters and camps and talking with many, many children. What we have learned has informed our long-term plans, which already have tentative approval from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

In the next couple of months, with your help, we will be creating giant tent “Big Top” Children’s Centers in temporary (estimate is 2-3 years) refugee camps at Dujiangyan, near the quake epicenter, to help the children as the town is rebuilt. Each will offer HTS preschool, after school counseling and art classes and other therapeutic activities for school-age children, as well as counseling and training for caregivers, teachers, parents and foster parents. The first “Big Top” is scheduled to open in QinJian camp on Saturday.

Funds permitting, we will also be creating new permanent children’s community centers in six quake-affected towns as well as setting up Family Villages, supporting traditional foster care, and other HTS programs for orphaned children who are able to remain in their communities, providing long-term support for thousands of children.

I stole away for a couple of days in order to write our proposal to the Ministry. In my absence, HTS communications director, Patricia King, wrote this report:

A Machine to Save the World from Earthquakes

“When I grow up I want to be a scientist so I can invent a machine that will predict earthquakes hours before they happen and I can take all the children to safety. And I will give the machine to everybody in the world for free.”

“All I want is to go home.”

“I want to be with my family.”

“I want the earthquake to be gone so we can be happy again.”

Who wouldn’t want to make these wishes of some of the youngest earthquake survivors come true? The wishes of children struggling to come to terms with a disaster that shattered everything they counted on—the rock solid earth they walked on, the mountains that were supposed to loom majestically above, not break apart, raining dangerous rocks, and most of all the comfort of their homes and their parents and teachers.

The children now attend a “tent school” in the large refugee shelter in Dujiangyan designed to house 15,000 people displaced by the earthquake.
They are taught by volunteers in prefabricated, vinyl walled, 9x12 classrooms, each one packed with 40+ students.

The walls are decorated with children’s artwork. It is art that depicts the kind of world the children would like to live in, the kind of world they now know can never be. In this town where the most prestigious middle school collapsed and killed so many bright, ambitious students, one child drew a mobile school complete with a lookout telescope and radar to pick up any sign of danger. The school is floating on what looks like a cloud or a flame that can move it out of danger should the earth below start to shake again.

The Red Thread

A short distance from the refugee shelter and school, on a muddy, rock-strewn field, a huge, white tent with arched, plastic windows stands on high ground above the fast-moving Minjiang River. A large Half the Sky logo with its girl holding a red thread announces that this tent has been provided by donors all over the world, moved to help the children of Sichuan to whom they are connected by the proverbial red thread.

One, yellow Ikea delivery truck and one truck with a small Half the Sky logo and the words: “Everything Donated to the Disaster Area” bump their way onto the field to deliver supplies for Half the Sky’s first Big Top Children's Center. In a situation that is repeated over and over in Sichuan when people learn that Half the Sky is here to help the children, the Ikea truck was able to make the delivery only after a compassionate manager made lots of phone calls to bend the rules to allow the truck to deliver to a heavily damaged town.

All week Half the Sky’s field supervisors and other caregivers have been receiving training about how to provide “psychological first aid” to children in the wake of this disaster. Today the work is more familiar, the kind of work Half the Sky has been doing for 10 years during “builds”
when rooms in government welfare institution are transformed into colorful, child-friendly Half the Sky centers.

It becomes clear very quickly though that there are unusual logistical issues for this first-ever tent build. The six inch concrete floor that anchors the tent is solid, but two puddles have collected inside after the last big rain storm. Straw brooms appear so the staff can sweep out the water and strategize about how to engineer a fix so the tent will stay dry during this rainy season in Sichuan. They are helped by a contractor from Guangzhou, who is in Sichuan to build roads wherever needed, including a road that will make it easier to walk from the huge refugee shelter and school to Half the Sky’s Big Top.

It is Dragon Boat Festival day and a holiday, but nevertheless workers on ladders bring electricity to the tent, hanging energy-saving bulbs from the aluminum rafters and setting up the fans that will cool the during the increasingly steamy Sichuan summer.

As the small chairs and tables, shelves for toys are assembled, and bright, turquoise chairs unfolded, the tent starts to look more like a Half the Sky center, a kid-friendly haven in an earthquake-ravaged town where the long task of removing rubble and rebuilding has only just begun.
The toys will stay in their boxes for the children to open. There are puppet theaters, a toy kitchen with pots and pans and dishes, a doll house with a mom, dad and children. And there are lots of toy trucks and bulldozers, doctor kits, and uncharacteristically for a Half the Sky center, lots of soldiers, who were the first to reach Dujiangyan and other towns near the epicenter to help.

Nothing is the same anymore…

In Shifang City, Half the Sky’s Child Development Director Ma Lang approached a woman reading alone in a communal shelter where people were cooking and eating and two preschoolers were playing with water, “trying to be children.” The woman looked so young that Lang thought she might be a high school student, but she told Ma that she is a 27-year-old math teacher. There was a “calm coolness” in her eyes so MaLang was surprised that her eyes welled up with tears when Ma Lang asked: “How are you doing?” She answered sadly: “It is tough. I have been here all my life.
Nothing is the same anymore. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the fields, the crops. Everything else has changed,” she said.

The teacher told Ma Lang that after the earthquake she helped escort all
41 children from her classroom to safety. Then she spent six, panicked hours that seemed like a year looking for her mother and her three-year-old daughter. Ma Lang put a comforting hand on her shoulder as they both found paper tissue and the woman continued with her story.

Then the Air Force came and carefully removed all the children’s school bags and clothes from the heavily damaged building. “It was very dangerous.” When the teachers tried to help, the soldiers said, “No, it is our job.” When the teachers volunteered to at least stand by the building to collect some of the children’s prized possessions, the soldiers said, “No. It is our job. You stay away from the building. It is not safe.”
After retrieving the children’s things, the Air Force built a new, prefabricated school named the “Air Force Loves Children School” in six, working-round-the-clock days.

The young math teacher told Ma Lang that such help and such kindness from the Air Force and “so many people like you” has “made a huge difference”
in the lives of those who survived the quake. But despite her gratitude for the help and her relief that her mother and three-year-old are alive, the woman told Ma Lang that there have been “many times” during the last weeks when she has wished that she hadn’t survived.

For Ma Lang, who has been working in the field since right after the earthquake, it is “overwhelming” to learn how many children and their caregivers need emotional support, even those “lucky” ones like this teacher, whose child and whose students survived the earthquake.

The psychologists who are helping Half the Sky train field workers stress that patience is key when working with traumatized children or their adult caregivers. Pediatric psychologist, Pi-nian Chang says it is important not to jump to conclusions and to be a good listener and; “Be quick to listen, listen carefully and be slow to talk.”

At the tent school in Dujiangyan, Chang noticed a taciturn, sad boy who stayed apart from the other children. Clearly not wanting to talk, the boy of about 11 did agree to a game of Chinese checkers with Chang. Slowly, slowly the boy spoke, telling Chang that his parents died in the earthquake and that he had no desire to play with other kids and little desire to go to live with his uncle, who will take him in. A few words from a sad child who is dealing with unspeakable grief by retreating into a shell that he peeked out from for a few moments during a long game of Chinese checkers that ended in a draw.

The earthquake has not stopped the survivors housed at the refugee shelter from celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. Zongzi (glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves) from the Loving Heart Cafeteria appear and are pressed into our hands as we walk. Psychologist Dan Zhang gives a few t-shirts to one family, who has decorated its small living space with curtains and laid down vinyl flooring so they can take their shoes off outside the room in the traditional way, and those small gifts unleash a deluge of gift-giving by this family that has lost their home. They give us umbrellas and when I mention that I am thankful because I forgot a hat to protect my pink skin from the sun they try to give me sunscreen, which I already have, and they give us salted duck eggs, another delicacy traditionally eaten on this holiday.

We encounter a man concerned about his yellow-beaked bird who, since the earthquake, hops nervously around her cage and seems to have forgotten how to make noise of any kind let alone sing: “We must be patient,” says the man.

But underlying the patience and the resilience of this gracious and generous community of survivors, hunkering down for what many expect will be a long stay until permanent housing is built, is anxiety about how long the world will pay attention.

One mom is worried about her 18 month old daughter, who was buried in the rubble with her grandfather for two hours. Before the earthquake her daughter was friendly to everyone. Now she won’t let anyone touch her except for her family. “What can I do?” When the staff tells her about the new preschool in Half the Sky’s Big Top Children's Center she asks “How long will you be here?” She is relieved when our staff tells her that many people around the world want to provide help for the long haul.

Like the man who is patiently waiting for his bird to sing, Half the Sky will be patient, working in the hard-hit towns of Sichuan for as long as there are children who need help.

If you would like to donate to Half the Sky’s Children’s Earthquake Fund you can do so by calling Half the Sky (+1-510-525-3377) or visit our
website:
http://give.halfthesky.org/prostores/servlet/Categories?category=Children's+Earthquake+Fund

If you’d like to view previous earthquake journal entries:
http://www.halfthesky.org/journal/

Thank you!

with love,

Jenny

Memorial Day Weekend!

2008-05-30T11:27:00.001-07:00

We traveled to beautiful Anacortes, over the Memorial Day weekend, to visit grandparents. We had an enjoyable weekend of fishing in Grandpa's trout pond, hiking, kite flying, and playground playing. We also were blessed to witness a gorgeous sunset from the deck of their home and the kids were thrilled to spot deer near the woods. Sarah especially enjoyed picking flowers with Grandpa from his beautifully landscaped haven surrounding their home.

Baseball Spectators

2008-05-30T11:17:00.001-07:00

Baseball-Andrew

2008-05-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

More baseball days-Joshua

2008-05-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Oh no, has it really been two months already!!

2008-05-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

Seems I am not very good at keeping this blog updated! Where does the time go? Well, I guess we have just been busy, busy, busy!

On Easter Sunday, Joshua celebrated his 7th birthday!

Also, in March the boys joined their first baseball teams. Joshua's team is known as the "Flame Throwers" and Andrew's team is called "The Cubs". They have both enjoyed their practices and games. We attend two games every Saturday and some weeknight games as well. We have braved the rain, the snow, the wind and cold this season and are finally soaking up a little sun!
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In April, Hannah had a VCUG(medical procedure) to determine proper kidney and bladder function. She is currently on medication to help with this.
In May, Sarah had her second surgery. She had a pyogenic granuloma(growth) removed from the roof of her mouth. While she was "out" they also did a complete dental exam with x-rays and a cleaning. She emerged from out-patient surgery with two crowns, one for outstanding behavior and one on her tooth. I must say out-patient surgery was a breeze! Just a few hours after her procedure, we were back home and she was playing and happy like it had never even happened.

A few more pictures!

Easter Sunday!

2008-04-01T23:54:00.001-07:00

What fun I had dressing up two precious little girls (and two handsome growing boys)! The year of firsts is always so amazing. Sarah is learning and growing more each day, she continues to fill our home with her cute little smile and laugh. She has in the past few weeks seemed to become even more comfortable here. There is just a loss of a "guarded" response from her. She really belly laughs now and although she has been a happy girl from the start she just seems to be "home" now. Her true personality is beginning to fully emerge and she is our fourth wonderful blessing.

February-Chinese New Year

2008-04-01T23:50:00.000-07:00

In February, we attended a wonderful local Chinese New Year Celebration with Nana.

2008 Snow!!

2008-04-01T23:43:00.000-07:00

Back in January, we had lots of snow and just last week we got a bit more.

Precious moments to remember always.......

2008-01-11T23:20:00.000-08:00

Tonight, as I was getting the girls to bed Hannah was crying because she has a sore on her tongue that was hurting. I asked her if I could pray for it and she said yes. I prayed and then heard Sarah asking a question. After listening carefully I deciphered a request. Sarah was asking if she could get out of bed and pray for Hannah too! It was so cute. Sarah came over and said "er eu heas heah hannah er ain ay u ea ai AMEN!" It reminds me also that when I am not feeling well Hannah will come over and ask if she can pray for me. Little did I know that my daughters would be such prayer warriors at an early age. I pray this will be a lifelong passion in their hearts!

Recovery Pictures

2008-01-11T23:12:00.001-08:00

sleeping finally
going for a wagon ride
the Knorr Four
off to the playroom
May I please go home now??

Finally.......an update!!!

2008-01-11T22:23:00.000-08:00

Waiting
and waiting
and waiting some more

First, I have to say thank you to all my loyal bloggin' friends! Buffi, Laine, Sherri, and Kim thank you for your comments,encouragement, love, and for continuing to check on us!

Sarah is recovering from her palate repair. We had an interesting day on December 14th. We were set for surgery at 11:15am but her surgery was postponed until around 2pm and then actually took place shortly after 4pm. She was such a trooper!! She really amazed me. She had not eaten any food since dinner the night before and she only asked for a snack three times. I just told her we could not eat and we had to wait for the doctor to come. She just looked at me and said her cute signature "OHHH" response. We played with a few toys I had brought and a few in the waiting area, balls, bubbles, and Duplo Legos are her favorites. When it was finally her turn, I was able to carry her back to the operating room. Our anesthesiologist was wonderful! He had no problem with me bringing her back since we are still working on attachment and bonding(thanks to Nancy with the Child Life Department). I was able to hold her until she was "out". I actually laid her on the operating room table and then was ushered back to the waiting room. I was again called back as she entered the recovery room. The nurses were very aware of her story and wanted me close by if Sarah was upset upon waking. Sarah was very upset upon waking and even I could not comfort her. She seemed mad, but I am sure she was confused, in pain, and still very groggy. We were admitted to our room around 9pm. We stayed for two nights and were discharged on Sunday evening around 9pm.

We started her week long liquid diet(something Hannah did not have to do) with instruction to start soft/no chew foods for the following three weeks. I won't go into the details in case anyone has a weak stomach but we have had a few adventures during her healing time.

Our post op check was this past Monday. Our surgeon told us her cleft palate was the biggest he has ever seen! It was a very difficult repair but he was happy with how everything looked for what he had to work with. We see him again in six weeks (something we did not do with Hannah) for him to check it again. We will also be discussing options for a "plate" to cover the area he was not able to repair near her gum line and proceeding toward her throat about an inch. I believe this is something she will wear until her hard palate repair around the age of 7-8yrs old. My concern right now is speech. Sarah has a lot to say I just can't understand her. All of her words sound the same and although she is patient it has been causing some frustration.

I am so thankful God has used my experience with Hannah to prepare me for Sarah! God only knows how much of a planner I am and how I like to have every scenario thought out and planned for. Well, in adoption and in surgery I am learning to lean on Him. I don't have to have all the answers or know right now how it will all play out; although that may be how I would like it.

One year ago.......

2007-12-29T07:32:00.000-08:00

It was one year ago today we saw Sarah's picture for the first time and knew she was to be our daughter. Little did we know as we traveled to China in February 2006 to bring home Hannah how much our lives would be forever changed. We knew we would be back we did not know it would happen just 18 months later!! It seems God used China to speed us along down the path to our two beautiful daughters. As we had waited and prayed for years to see the fulfillment of our dream to adopt come true, I never dreamed that we would be able to return again and so soon. In December 2006, with the new Chinese adoption requirements coming into effect in May 2007 we were advised to adopt again "now or never". So within a week we had begun the process again and had been matched with our precious Sarah. Miraculously, everything fell into place and we traveled just eight months later to bring her home. God's plans are always better than mine, He does everything exceedingly, abundantly above all I can ask or imagine!! How thankful I am that I had "secretly" been praying for a sister for Hannah, one that was within a year of Hannah's age, one with the same special need, one with my favorite Chinese name Mei! Sarah is our dream come true!

A Christmas Picture

2007-12-11T00:17:00.001-08:00

The Knorr Four
Sarah's First Christmas

Gettin' ready for surgery

2007-12-11T00:02:00.000-08:00

Preparing babies for surgery
A little "sleepy air"
Administer IV meds
Hannah and Sarah-Job Well Done!

Sarah is scheduled for her palate repair surgery on Friday. The child life department at Children's is wonderful. They gave us two pre-surgery medical kits to play with. So tonight the girls and I played dolls. We inserted IV's, put bandaids on, took blood pressure, listened to heartbeats with stethoscopes, and put our babies to sleep with "sleepy air". All this to help prepare our little Sarah for Fridays events. I will be glad when we are back home again, however we are all excited to hear Sarah start talking. Currently, she can make vowel sounds but the only consonants we consistently hear are "M" and "H". She has been very patient as we try to figure out what she is saying.

Fun at the park

2007-12-10T23:57:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a cold but fun time at the park recently.

2007-12-10T23:47:00.000-08:00

Mommy and Sarah

Lookin up to big brother

Andrew and Sarah

Sarah and Ginger

Blow me down and call me Pete

2007-12-10T23:37:00.000-08:00

All four kids decided to dress up as pirates for the Fall Fun Party at our church. For months now, Hannah has been saying "Blow me down and call me Pete". It gave my parents a good chuckle while they were caring for our kids during our China trip. It is amazing how in only 18 months time, she is completely "Americanized".

Sister Fun!

2007-12-10T23:25:00.000-08:00

Hannah and Sarah continue to bond as sisters. Although it has been a slow process at times, it is so much fun to see them playing happily together. Just this week Hannah was singing a song about how much she loved her sister and that she loved her every minute of every day. It was so cute! How I wish I had been able to catch it on film.

Eggs, yams and Chinese Food

2007-12-10T23:14:00.000-08:00

Sarah loves to peel and eat hard boiled eggs. I was surprised at first that she wanted to peel them, she is a pro!
One of Sarah's favorite midnight snacks-YAMS with a spoon!
My friend, Brenda, made Chinese food for us-Sarah was very excited!

Sarah and her Daddy

2007-12-10T23:04:00.000-08:00

Sarah has been slowly adjusting to her daddy. Here are a few pictures to prove she really does love him.......

Our four precious children

2007-10-24T23:52:00.000-07:00

Fall Projects

2007-10-24T23:43:00.000-07:00

Cleanin' out the pumpkin
Some brother help
Filling pinecones with bird treats
Sister help

We have been super busy adjusting to being a family of six. It seems I never have a spare moment. Sorry, I don't post more often. It is not because nothing is happening but rather too much is happening!

We made it to church!

2007-10-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we finally went to church as a family of six. The girls wore coordinating outfits and looked so cute! Hannah excitedly checked in to her new four year old class. Sarah stayed with mom and dad. She enjoyed the music and singing. We were privileged to hear a missionary from China speak. We even mentioned Wuhan! There is a "music school" in Wuhan that he helped to start. In the past, he has been arrested and put in prison several times. Currently, he has an open door to share the gospel! What a blessing to hear what God is doing in China!

Keeping busy!

2007-10-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

A typical day at home-getting school done and keeping everyone busy.

2007-10-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the corn from your garden Grandpa! We enjoyed eatin' every kernel!

2007-09-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

Family of Six!!
Aunt Betsy who also has a birthday this month!
Nana and her grandkids!

Birthday Fun-9-23-07-Mommy&Hannah #4, 8-5-07-Sarah #3

2007-09-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

Home Sweet Home

2007-09-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

Sit-N-Spin-Sarah's favorite!
Hannah with Grandma
Hannah with Grandma
Upon arriving home, we had been traveling for 26 hours. Sarah slept for only two hours during our trek from Guangzhou to Tokyo and Tokyo to Portland. In Portland, we arrived to find an unprepared Immigrations Department. They did not know what to do with us and our Chinese children. They first told us they did not have the staff to process us!!??? There were four families on our flight all trying to catch connecting flights. We were all exhausted and so were our children. They sent us to a small room with chairs and told us to wait. The room was also filled with Japanese immigrants. Sarah started to cry and I was eventually told to leave the room because she was upset! Eventually, we made it through Immigrations and found out our flight had been delayed. We were told we should rent a car and drive the distance home. The flight kept getting pushed back due to planes being grounded for inspection of landing gear that had caused crashes in Europe the day before. We are grateful that the planes were being checked for safety but at the time WE JUST WANTED TO GET HOME. In the end, our flight was only delayed for about three hours. We have never been so happy to see Andrew, Joshua, and Hannah at the airport! Andrew and Joshua kicked in immediately as big brothers and helped carry luggage to the car. Hannah instantly became the big sister and started admiring her new sister telling her how cute she is!

Our first few days home included:
Greg heading back to work the day after we arrived home
Sarah waking at 4am and vomiting a few times throughout the day with lethargy and seeming a bit overwhelmed
Mom(me) being sick for a day(minor stomach thing)
Sleeping in with Sarah(thank you Mom(grandma) for helping with Andrew, Josh, and Hannah!)
Initial doctor appointment
Taking a walk with all four kids
Hannah having a intermittent fever for four days
Speech Therapy (for Hannah)
Starting homeschool(okay we just started yesterday)
Celebrating three birthdays:Hannah's #4 birthday and Sarah's #3(we missed it in August)and mine too.

The first few days

2007-09-26T14:55:00.000-07:00

Swinging Monkeys!
Playdoh Fun!
Chinese Princess x 2
What happens when you try to take pictures of two three year olds!
Silly girls!

Home at Last

2007-09-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

We sure missed our Happy Hannah!!
checking out the dog?!
Andrew making Sarah laugh!
Riding bikes with grandpa!

Arriving Home

2007-09-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

A Welcome Home Banner made by siblings and cousins!
Sarah immediately wanted to play in the backyard, here she is taking it all in
A very tired and serious Sarah
All Four together at last!

The flight home

2007-09-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

Every time we boarded a new plane Sarah made sure we all had our emergency cards available to follow along with the flight attendant, she even opened our tray tables for us to put the cards on.
Sarah kept me busy, we used every toy I packed (more than once!) Here she is playing with magnet faces.
Finally, a two hour break for mom!
Sarah using her fork and knife after watching me, so smart!

More dinner pictures

2007-09-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

Mud Eel anyone?
WHOLE hen?
Josiah, the brave soul, in our group trying to chew that jellyfish!

Update

2007-09-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

Sarah loves meat!!
A WHOLE chicken(head included)
Sandworms??
Water Beetles??
We have been home for two weeks today and I am finally posting an update! First I am going to post a few more pictures from our trip that I want to have on our blog for future reference. Here are pictures from our final meal in Guangzhou, at the Cantonese Restaurant, where little English is spoken........

We are home!!!

2007-09-13T04:03:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to say we are safely home! We arrived home around 4pm yesterday. Our connecting flight from Portland was delayed for over 3 hours. Not much fun after already traveling over 16 hours. We made it through though and have never been so happy to see Andrew, Joshua, Hannah, (Greg's sister) Beth, and my parents waiting for us at the airport. Hannah was so excited she knocked Sarah and I to the ground! So we all sat on the floor and hugged. Sarah loves the antics of her siblings and seems to be taking everything in stride. She loves to play outside and has already tried out the swingset and bicycles. We all went to bed around 9 pm last night exhausted-well I know at least I was exhausted. Sarah and I are up already and it is only 4 am. I think this will be a great day for mom to take a nap with Sarah! Thank you for following on our journey to bring Sarah home!

2007-09-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

Parents and kids
Chinese princessMom, Dad, and Sarah
tuckered out after all the pictures-on our way to the river cruise
Dinner Cruise

Red Couch Photos!

2007-09-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

Getting Ready
The whole group!
Best of friends! Sarah and Josiah
Sarah plays with her ear when she is tired or is not sure what is going on. Why are all these parents acting crazy and taking my picture??

2007-09-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Funny Sign
Bubble Bath
Starbucks! Seattle must be close by?!!
Eatin at Starbucks
Peek

2007-09-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

In the elevator
Look at all the shoes!!
Shoppers are you ready??
Out for a walk
Just a little meltdown at Lucy's Bar and Grill

Heading Home

2007-09-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

Sorry, we have not updated for a few days! We have been busy, busy, busy. We leave Guangzhou in the morning. Our wake up call comes at 4:30am-Yikes!
Sarah is doing well. We took the famous red couch pictures yesterday. She looked so pretty in her red Chinese dress. Today we went to the U.S. Consulate and received her Chinese visa. When we land in Portland, OR on Wednesday she immediately becomes a US citizen. Then we catch our connecting flight home.

Things could not be going any easier. Sarah's transition to our family has been an answer to prayer. Yes, she is still figuring out who is in charge but she is a happy, funny, precious little girl. It is hard to imagine how much her life has changed in the past few days and how well she has taken it all in. We know she is going to have so much fun with her brothers and sister. We have had daily melt downs the past few days. Thankfully they are short lived-only 5 to 10 minutes. They only happen when she does not get her own way and then she wants everyone to know she is not happy.

She wakes up each morning with a smile and wants to be held for a few minutes. Then she copies everything mommy does from brushing teeth to mimicing putting on makeup. She likes to wear several different pairs of shoes throughout the day. She does not like to wear bows in her hair but she has humored me more than once. I think she will like them when she sees Hannah wearing them. She loves to carry her little bag with her when we go out. She has quite the sweet tooth. She can spot a piece of candy through a closed door! Really! The maid came for turn down service and brought two chocolates. I answered the door and hid the chocolates under a newspaper. Sarah was sitting on the bed and when I came back she knew and started asking for them! She has been kind of hot and cold with her daddy. Sometimes she is just great with him helping her and other times it causes a melt down. She is always happy to play with him though! Well I'm off to bed, enjoy the pictures.

More noodles, Jack, and medical exam

2007-09-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

Noodles for breakfast
more noodles for breakfast
Jack our guide during Hannah's adoption
12.5kg weight, 90cm height
Doctor Exam

Sarah's calm demeanor continues in new surroundings and situations. She did not mind the medical exam and came through will a clean bill of health. In familiar surroundings she is a live wire. Always laughing and running about.

First Flight

2007-09-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

Wuhan terminal
Goodbye Eric
on airplane
picture books

Finding Spot

2007-09-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

Sarah was found under this bridge near the road next to the wharf.

Goodbye Wuhan, Hello Guangzhou!

2007-09-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

Back to Civil Affairs Building for passports

Down the stairs again
Civil Affairs Building-receive children on gotcha day and pick up passports before departing for Guangzhou
Good Bye Wuhan!

We arrived in Guangzhou Friday evening. We were happily surprised to see Lily waiting to pick us up at the airport! After checking into our hotel, Rebecca and Lily gave us the rundown of events for the following day. Then we unpacked and went to bed. This morning we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast buffet with every kind of breakfast food you could imagine, American and Chinese. Part of the fun of staying at the White Swan hotel on Shamian Island is that many U.S. adoptive parents stay here too. We have met many amazing families and see that many special needs kids are being adopted. Although we are not stared at as much as in Wuhan I still notice the Chinese people checking us out here too.
We completed the medical exams with our group of seven families, three from Small World and four from Lifeline. On the way to the medical exam, whom should we see but Jack our guide during Hannah's adoption. He said he remembered us and we snapped his picture. The other Small World family that joined us here in Guangzhou received their daughter from Dianjiang in Chongqing. This is the orphanage our Hannah is from. We ate lunch at Lucy's and found out Sarah loves french fries with ketchup. We ate dinner as a group at the Cow and Bridge restaurant. Tomorrow we go to some sort of shopping mall. Enjoy the pictures!!

Eating, Sleeping, and Bubbles

2007-09-06T15:52:00.001-07:00

Eating at the White Rose Buffet
Darling Josiah Hunter
First Nap
Loving the Bubbles!

Future Seamstress??

2007-09-06T15:48:00.001-07:00

I pulled out my tape measure to see how big Sarah was and she knew exactly what to do with it. Cute! Cute! Cute!

All Smiles!!!

2007-09-06T15:43:00.000-07:00

More pictures

2007-09-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

Little Lady
Mama and Sarah
I love my sunglasses even if they are upside down!

Update and Pictures

2007-09-06T06:04:00.000-07:00

All tuckered out-Sarah woke before the alarm this morning so I moved her into bed with us. This is the first time she has not slept the night through.
Beautiful East Lake Park with the Hunters
Mama, Baba and Sarah
Baba and Sarah
Look Baba!!!

We are in process of figuring out how to post Picasa web albums. If you scroll back a few days you will find a new post of pictures and a web album from our first day of touring Beijing. Hopefully we will be posting more. If we post out of order I'll let you know where to check to access the albums. Just click on the picture and a web album should open up where you can see many pictures from a specific day.
I will also post pictures from our adventures today right here.

A very busy day in Wuhan

2007-09-05T07:28:00.000-07:00

Today we were able to visit Sarah's orphanage. It was very interesting to talk with the orphanage director and nannies. We were able to ask any questions we could think of and learned that Sarah's foster family included a jr high age older brother (biological child of foster family) and a new little foster sister recently joined the family. I am grateful that Sarah's foster mom has a new little one in the house to care for. She is a stay at home mom around age 40 and her husband works in the shipyard. They live very close to the orphanage. Many people tried to pick up Sarah but she would have nothing to do with them. A good sign for a new mommy to see! We are having some challenges with Sarah slapping me in the face and laughing and she did not hold back when the orphanage director asked her a question either! Here I was telling her in English to be gentle as she slaps the man who has seen to it that she has been well cared for!!! We learned he used to be a doctor at Children's Hospital before coming to work at the orphanage. We were very impressed with the facility and staff. We did get to walk through the baby room and meet some of the older "unadoptable" children. Heart wrenching! I just wanted to pick them up and bring them all home with me. Sarah seemed very comfortable with being at the orphanage and wanted to play with the toys in each room we entered. Sarah has also had a bad cough so the orphanage doctor checked her out and said she was fine. He did give us medicine for the cough.
Next we visited the finding spots. It was a busy part of the city and we could not find a good place to park so Greg jumped out of our van and snapped a few pictures.
We went to lunch with our guide and driver at a beautiful local hotel that also performs weddings. The food was wonderful. Sarah especially loved the fish ball soup and steamed greens!
Last, we visited the Yellow Crane Tower. Unfortunately the top floor was closed due to construction.
Tomorrow we are off to the museum with the bell concert and East Lake Park
(thanks Sherri!)
Thank you to everyone who has left a message!! Each one means so much to us!

Beijing Day 1-Temple of Heaven

2007-09-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Day 1 Beijing-8-31-AM-Temple of Heaven & Prayer for Harvests

For more photos, click on the picture below to visit our Picasa Web album.

Day 1 Beijing-8-31-07-AM-Temple of Heaven, Prayer for Harvests

For videos, click on our Picassa link below.

2007_08_31-Part A-Beautiful & Funny Videos

She is a keeper!!

2007-09-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

We have had a fun filled day with Sarah. She loves to play with playdoh, blow bubbles, play outside, go for walks, and eat noodles. We completed paperwork today and had our family picture taken. The notary, civil affairs official, orphanage director and photographer came to our hotel so we could complete this portion of our adoption. Normally, we would have gone to the civil affairs office, where we received the children, but the Iceland group is also staying at the White Rose so the officials came to us. The orphanage director and photographer both tried to talk to Sarah but she preferred to ignore them. She gets very quiet if anyone talks to her in Chinese. This evening after our walk (yes, we did cross the busy street in front of the hotel and are still alive to tell about it)I received my first hug from Sarah! It was so precious! She has started to call me mom and likes to hold my hand! All of the 3T shorts I brought are too big for her. Her waist is so tiny they just fall off. I could not find any shorts today at Carrefour. It seems they too are starting to get the fall line of clothing on their shelves.
In the morning, we are traveling to the orphanage for a visit. It is only about a 30 minute drive from our hotel. We will be taking gifts for the orphanage director, foster parents, and nannies. We also plan to purchase a needed item for the orphanage. We are waiting to hear what they need right now. We also hope to take some pictures of Sarah's finding spot.

All of us

2007-09-03T00:16:00.000-07:00

Pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-09-03T00:05:00.000-07:00

Our first glimpse
Lollipop and flashlight
Pointing to the door where the nanny had exited
I am a very silly girl and I love to laugh!!
Our precious Mei mei!!

And they call her Mei-Mei

2007-09-02T23:07:00.000-07:00

Gotcha Day Details-
We departed from the hotel at 8:30am. It was pouring rain and the traffic was very heavy. We had planned to arrive at the Civil Affairs office at 9am to receive Sarah. We were late and actually arrived around 9:30am. We went into the building and went upstairs. We were ushered into a room with tables and chairs, no children or nannies. We sat down and filled out a form saying we will care for YiMei for the next 24 hours. Then we wait and wait and wait. The traffic is so bad the children are running behind schedule also. Our guide tells us that if the children live near the orphanage their foster parents bring them to the orphanage the same day they are given to us. If they live across the river, the foster parents bring them to the orphanage the night before. Off and on people peek into the room we are in and each time my heart leaps to my throat. Soon more families arrive, they are from Iceland and are a large group. We ask Eric if we can go into the hall as the room becomes more and more crowded. He says yes and we make a bee line for the door. As I step into the hall, there she is!! Yi Mei is held by a nanny from her orphanage. She is wearing a turquoise blue and white dress with sandals. Later we discover she is also wearing a winnie-the-pooh swim diaper that is on backwards. She is calm and watches as I walk by. We are motioned away from the children??? We stand and watch as the nannies are directed to keep the children on the other side of staircase from where we are. A few minutes pass and we wave to the children across the open stairway. Finally, they make their way toward us. I am told they call her Mei Mei. I quickly pull out a lollipop and a small flashlight. She loves both of them but sticks close to her nanny. I kneel down and talk to her and she remains completely calm. After a minute or two she lets me pick her up with only a very small protest. Then she continues in her calm manner. We are able to ask the nanny a few questions. We are told not only do the children visit the orphanage on a regular basis after moving into foster care but that a certain nanny also visits the foster home at least twice a week to check on the child also. The orphanage provided us with many of the care package items we had sent and with a wonderful photo album of Mei-Mei's life-priceless! They also filled a bag with her favorite snacks! I now know she slept with her foster mom, she is completely potty trained, and her favorite toy is a teddy bear we sent to her. Also she is more beautiful than any picture could have prepared us for. As her nanny exited the building Mei-Mei pointed toward the door and that was that. No tears or anything. We boarded the bus and Mei-Mei pulled out the photo album we had sent her. She pointed to each person in our family and I told her our names. She was very interested in Andrew, Joshua, and Hannah. She did not want to sit on my lap during the bus ride but she sat next to me. Next we looked at an animal book I had sent. I told her each animal name and she tried to repeat what I said! The words were not clear but her voice inflection was!! Then we played "peek" with the bear behind the book and she filled our 30 passenger bus with laughter. She would yell for Baba (daddy) to look at her and she would mimic his antics too. We arrived at the hotel and came up to our room. So far she has played with stacking cups, a ball, little animal figurines, a tape measure, a tiny slinky, and a mirror. She points to the bathroom when she needs to go and we have completed #1 and #2 buisness today. We went to lunch and she loves watermelon. I pulled the scale out and she weighs in at 27 1/2 lbs. I think she is about 3ft tall. She naps at 1:10pm, I laid her down in a crib that is in our room. She promptly laid down and fell asleep about five minutes later.
I know you all really want pictures but I don't know how to post them so Greg should be posting them VERY SOON. Thank you for all of your prayers for this day.

We are in Wuhan!!!

2007-09-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

We arrived safely in Beijing late Thursday night. Friday we met the Hunters at breakfast and enjoyed a twelve hour day of touring. We visited the Forbidden City, Tiannanmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Hutong neighborhood including a rickshaw ride, visiting a school and eating lunch with a local family. We toured a silk factory and ended the day with an amazing acrobatic show. We were all exhausted and could barely keep our eyes open! Saturday we visited a jade factory, climbed the Great Wall and visited the Summer Palace. Greg and the Hunters went to dinner at the renowned Peking Duck Restaurant and I stayed at the hotel and tried to catch up on my sleep. Then today we flew to Wuhan. On the trip from the airport to our hotel, the White Rose, our guide, Eric, told us we will depart from the hotel around 8:30am tomorrow morning and will receive our children at 9am(6pm Sunday evening for everyone back home). We actually drove across the bridge where Sarah was abandoned on the way to our hotel. We are hoping to go back and get some pictures of the bridge later this week. We checked into our hotel and walked to Carrefour with our guide. For pictures you can also check the Hunters blog www.hubeiboy.blogspot.com .
We are very excited that tomorrow is Gotcha Day and our anniversary!! We can't wait to finally meet our Sarah Michaela Mei. We will post pictures as soon as we can.

Two more wake-ups

2007-08-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

I think it is starting to sink in! We are leaving in less than 48 hrs! The suitcases are almost filled. The shopping is done......I hope. My parents are on their way to our house to watch the kids. Thank you to all of you who have left messages recently. I am still in recovery mode from being sick but I greatly appreciate hearing from you!! Also, I want to thank Brenda, a very dear lady from my church, who has translated a letter to Sarah's foster parents for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you Brenda!!! This means so much to me to be able to share a little of our hearts and life with them. Of course, we will not know if they ever receive the letter. All we can do is ask the orphanage officials to deliver the gifts we have brought for them. I pray they will receive them and the letter will bring peace to their hearts. As for Sarah, only seven more wake-ups.....precious daughter we can't wait!

5 days!!!!

2007-08-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Only 5 more days till we leave! We are scrambling to get ready because mom(me), who is never sick, has been sick since Sunday! We have clearance for travel from the doctor thank goodness. It seems I just have a viral infection with nose/sinus/ear congestion, lightheadedness and a fever. I am feeling much better today, I am just tired. Just picked up some medication in case I need it on the plane for my ears. I'm so glad to get over this before we travel. If we had been in China, Greg would have been Mr. Nurse and Mr. Mom. Please pray that I will not pass this on to anyone else! Okay, I'm off to clean, pack, and finish my shopping.

Andrew, Josh, and Hannah Update!

2007-08-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

I just had to update my picture of these three together, the other one is from over a year ago. I asked them what they would say to Sarah if she could hear them right now. Andrew says "Sarah, I can't wait to see you and be funny when you come home and make you laugh!"
Josh says "Sarah, I love you! I hope you come home soon! I hope you have fun here!" Hannah says "Sarah, I can't wait to go to the park with you and have you sleep in my room with me!"

TWO WEEKS TO GO!

2007-08-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

In just two short weeks, we will be boarding a plane headed for China! I have been praying for Sarah and her foster parents. I'm sure this transition that is so exciting for us is heart-wrenching for them. This is the only part that is so sad. As far as I know, Sarah has lived with her foster family since she was six weeks old. Her foster mother saved her life by taking her in when she was not growing and thriving in the orphanage. Her patience, devotion, and love is why Sarah is alive and well today. In Wuhan, adoptive parents are not allowed to meet foster parents. I have had months to prepare myself for this fact. We so enjoyed meeting Hannah's foster parents and I am heartbroken that we are not allowed to meet Sarah's. We sent disposable cameras in a care package and I am hoping to gain some insight of Sarah's first three years of life when we develop them. Although, I know they are careful to only take pictures of the foster child in their care, I pray they have been compelled to take a picture of Sarah with them too. We continually pray every need they have will be met, comfort for their hearts, and blessings to follow everywhere they go.
For Sarah, we pray that her heart is being prepared to join our family, that His peace will surround and guard her heart, and that she will know God is with her, giving her a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 "I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." The Message Bible

Let the countdown begin!!

2007-08-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

We have booked our tickets and started our countdown! We leave for China on Wednesday, August 29th. We receive Sarah on Monday, September 3rd (our anniversary) and we arrive back in the USA on Wednesday, September 12th. Only 26 days till we hold Sarah in our arms and become the parents of four wonderful children.

TA! TA! TA! TA! TA! TA! TA!

2007-08-03T09:22:00.001-07:00

Yes! We officially have travel approval from China! Sarah your family is coming to bring you home. All the kids are dancing and singing TA! TA! TA! throughout the house. Due to Greg's work schedule it looks like we will be leaving the last week of August. Our gotcha day should be Monday September 3rd (our 13th anniversary)! Thank you Father God!!

Psalm 37:3 "Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart."

Provision from heaven Dancing on the rooftops

2007-08-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

We are so very excited, thankful, humbled, and grateful to announce that we have received a $4000 adoption grant to pay our airfare expenses!!!!!!!!! I just can't relay in words the feeling inside when the grant commitee notifies you that indeed you have been chosen as a grant recipient. Thank you to everyone at Gift of Adoption you are helping to make our dream come true. You are providing a child with her forever family. I pray that we will be the parents God has called us to be. I pray that any expectations I may have would be laid aside as we prepare to bring Sarah home. Father God your will be done. This adoption journey is incredible! As our pastor's wife always says "God's will = God's bill".

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade Anyone?

2007-07-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Our dear niece Kayleen, age 8, set up a lemonade stand on behalf of Sarah's adoption. She is donating all proceeds to help bring her little cousin home from China!! How sweet is that?! Her thoughtfulness has touched our hearts! Thank you Kayleen, we love you!! We continue to feel overwhelmed and so very grateful for the support and provision that continues to follow us on this incredible journey-with God all things are possible!

A Broken Arm!!?

2007-07-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

We received an update on Sarah. It appears that she has broken her arm while playing. She will be in a cast for three weeks. She should be getting her cast off shortly before we travel. I can only imagine what she was doing! I think we have another climber on our hands! She and Hannah will be two peas in a pod. We are all praying for quick and complete healing in that little arm. Well, at least we know specifically how to pray! I can't wait to meet her!

Praise the Lord!! LOA is here!!

2007-07-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

Just when you think you will burst, just when you wonder if LOA's really do come, just when things appear to be slipping away from your grasp... what happens?? Janell calls and says "It's here!" These are the words my ears have been straining to hear each and every time my telephone rings. So tomorrow we will sign our LOA and get it sent back to China. They should receive it by Monday July 23rd. Then we wait approximately two weeks for our travel approval(TA)! Then we secure our consulate appointment and book our flights! It looks like we should be receiving our TA very near Sarah's birthday, August 5th. I am a bit sad not to be her mommy by her birthday but I know there must be a divine reason. I can only think that her foster family may need her to be with them for this special day. I will have a lifetime of birthdays to share with Sarah and this will be their last. We are forever grateful for the time, love, and sacrifice they have shown in caring for her and helping her to grow and thrive. Her foster mom has taken a weak and fragile baby and produced a happy, beautiful, thriving child. How can I ever thank her? I will pray the Lord will bless her, comfort her, and send her another child to love when she is ready.

W--A--I--T--I--N--G

2007-07-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

A favorite Bible verse of mine is found in Habakkuk 2:2-3. "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision message is a witness pointing to what's coming. It aches for the coming-it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time." -the message Bible-

We have been waiting 91 days for our LOA to arrive and we know God is in control of every detail. It will arrive right on time! It is hard to wait when you know a child is needing a family. It is hard to wait when you know you will miss your child's third birthday. It is hard to wait when you just want to GO! I am so very thankful that I can trust and rely on God to be in control and not me! I am so very thankful for updated photos and video footage of our precious Sarah! It is so encouraging to see her smiling, talking, and laughing! As with our adoption of Hannah, I know someday soon I will look back at this time of waiting and it will be just a distant memory. We continue to pray that Sarah's heart is being prepared to join our family. We pray for her foster parents-that every need they have will be met, that they will be blessed beyond measure, that God will comfort their hearts as they prepare to let Sarah go.

Another picture!!

2007-07-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hannah recently came up to me, gave me a great big hug and said "Mommy, I am so excited about my new sister, Sarah". I said "Me too Hannah"! She then continued "Thank you for going all the way over to get another one"! I thought okay how old are you?! Did you hear someone else say this? I don't know if she did but I do know this has been Hannah's heart through all of our waiting. I am forever grateful to be adding Sarah to our family. I can't wait to see these two together. Sarah we can't wait to bring you home! Here is a link to a short video clip also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kReFf5HJe9o absolutely precious!!

God is so good!!

2007-07-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

Today, I received a most wonderful gift! Our agency sent an updated picture and video of Sarah taken just one month ago! Thank you Lily, Kathy, and Janell-you are the best! Just look how much she has grown, how long her hair is, how beautiful she has become! Of course, I can't wait to actually hold her in my arms and tell her these things. Also, our LOA may be on its way. There is a package on its way from Beijing to our agency. We will know for sure if our papers are inside by the end of the week........Thank you God!

Hmmm...............

2007-06-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

The families logged in just ahead of us have received TA's(travel approvals). They only waited two weeks since receiving their LOA's. This is very fast!!!! I just know our LOA is very, very close. I can just feel it!! Maybe next week.........I sure hope so! Many families we know are traveling to Wuhan(Sarah's home). Maybe someone can give her a hug for me or snap a picture!

Update!!

2007-06-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

Much excitement in the air!! Our agency and many others received LOA's this week. These families are logged in just ahead of us. We are expected to receive ours in just a few weeks!! I already have those butterflies in my stomach-such great expectation! And so much to do!

Sometimes it is hard to imagine that in just a few more weeks I am going to be holding our Sarah. I can't count the times I have just sat and stared at her picture, longing to hold her, to kiss those chubby little cheeks, to tell her how much we love her and how God has chosen her to complete our family (for now :0) ). Hannah daily prays for her, it is so cute, she says "Dear Jesus, I actually pray for Sarah-that she will come home. My mommy and daddy bring her home! Amen!

It continues to amaze me how often throughout the day Hannah thinks of Sarah. It started in January. I was packing some snacks for Hannah as we were running errands all day. I had packed two snack containers of food for Hannah. She asked why we had two? She wanted to know if one was for Sarah and one for her. It was so sweet!! She often announces where Sarah will sit at the table or in the car. All three children want Sarah to sit next to them. I think we will be playing musical chairs for a while! Hannah has let me know we need to get Sarah a bike, My Little Ponies, and matchbox cars. When her clothing gets too small she says "Save it for Sarah". She also can't wait to take Sarah to the park and for a family walk.

I found another poem that touches my heart......

This Morning

This morning in China a mother cries, she'll never forget her daughter's eyes. Her heart is broken and filled with pain, the tears run down like the falling rain. She has no choice but to leave her there, the cost of keeping is too much to bear. She hopes her daughter will one day know, true love can be found in letting her go.

This morning in China a baby cries, hungry and scared as tears fill her eyes. Her mother has left her in this public place, another lost daughter of the Chinese race. Someone passing by has heard her soft moan, she's soon quickly taken to a foster home. It's here she'll reside in the care of another, until she's adopted by a brand new mother.

That very same moment, in the U.S.A., a woman cries as she starts to pray. Her heart is heavy but filled with much love. She prays for a daughter she thinks the world of, "Dear Jesus, I ask that your arms would be wrapped tightly around the one picked for me. Guard her in China 'till I make my way and then in my arms forever she'll stay."

Tom Fisher

The children who wait....and wait.......and wait

2007-05-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

I recently found this poem, my heart aches for each child waiting for their forever family.
I can only imagine what goes through the mind of child when no one comes for them....when they have been left behind. I am forever grateful Sarah's waiting will soon end and she will know she has been chosen.

The Waiting Child
by Debbie Bodie

I saw you meet your child today
You kissed your baby joyfully
And as you walked away with her
I played pretend you'd chosen me.

I'm happy for the baby,
Inside I'm aching miserably
I want to plead as you go by,
"Does no-one want a child of three?"

I saw you meet your child today
In love with her before you met
And as I watched you take her out
I knew it wasn't my turn yet.

I recognize you from last year!
I knew I'd seen your face before!
But you came for a second babe.
Does no-one want a child of four?

I saw you meet your child today
But this time there was something new
A nurse came in and took MY hand
And then she gave my hand to you.

Can this be true? I'm almost six!
And there are infants here you see?
But then you kissed me and I knew
The child you chose this time was me.

more dinner train pictures

2007-05-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

Mom-why is there a lemon in my water!??
and why do I have three forks??

Mmmm cheese pizza!

Joshua and Andrew with Aunt Betsy

The Dinner Train Adventure

2007-05-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

Joshua received a special birthday ticket from Aunt Betsy to ride aboard the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train. Last weekend, we boarded the train for our Saturday lunch adventure. Thank you Betsy!!

Aren't I cute?!

The kids were so excited!

more zoo pics

2007-05-22T20:08:00.001-07:00

Japanese Serow!

Red Panda!

Penguins!

Trip to the zoo

2007-05-22T19:39:00.001-07:00

Rencently, we made a trip to the zoo with our friends, Heather and Bruce, here are all the kiddos. I think we need a few more girls here!

Savannah was a huge help with keeping track of Hannah! Thank you Savannah!! You are an awesome and responsible babysitter. Hannah still talks about playing with you, she had so much fun!

the Jaguar!

Tea Party Fun!

2007-05-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hannah's homework for speech therapy this week was to practice the "t" sound and have a tea party. Well, what do you do when you don't have a sister yet?? You invite your brothers and their friend!

I think I found a new dishwasher too!

IBSEN GRANT

2007-05-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

We are so very grateful to Ibsen Adoption Network! We received an adoption grant of $1,000 to help pay for our remaining adoption expenses! Praise God!! My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Easter Pictures

2007-04-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

Three peas in a pod with room for four!

Blessings to remember as we wait

2007-04-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

In the past year, Hannah has continued to bond with her Daddy. While in China, if he even looked at her she would cover her eyes. If he came near her she would cry. Her love continues to grow for him.

Look at them now!!

LOG IN DAY

2007-04-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we received our LID!!! China has officially said our dossier has arrived as of 4/16 and is in line to be processed! Now the countdown to Sarah begins. However, we don't know the exact number we are counting down. Sometime in the next two or three months we should receive our LOA(letter of acceptance). We sign it and it goes back to China. Then we wait a few weeks for our TA(travel approval). We are so excited!! Please pray with us for travel before August 5th, Sarah's third birthday!

Waiting for Sarah

2007-04-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

Andrew, Joshua, and Hannah unanimously picked Sarah from the waiting child list. Andrew said "She is the one that fits best with our family". Joshua is excited to have two sisters to spy on. He is hoping his spy efforts will become more fruitful as the girls will play together. Currently, Hannah follows him everywhere spoiling his spy efforts. Hannah said "I like her, I like this one". A,J, and H all pray for Sarah and for mom and dad to get all the paperwork done quickly and for safe travel to bring Sarah home. I know we are covered with these three praying for us!

January Pictures!!

2007-03-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

Our timeline

2007-03-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

December 28, 2006- We chose Wu Yi Mei (exactly one year after receiving Hannah's TA)

January 12, 2007- LOI (letter of intent to adopt Wu Yi Mei) sent to China

January 19, 2007- I600A application sent to CIS

February 22, 2007- appointment at CIS for fingerprinting

March 3, 2007- I-600A received!! in a record 9 days-Praise God!!(last time we waited nearly 6 wks)

March 5, 2007- dossier sent to Olympia for certification

March 8, 2007- dossier sent to California for authentication

March 21,2007- DTC!! dossier sent to China

March 26, 2007- PA received-permission to adopt specifically Wu Yi Mei!

Wuhan City Children Welfare Institute and neighborhood (Wu Yi Mei's orphanage)

2007-03-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hubei, China

2007-03-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

I believe there are 27 provinces and municipalities in China. It is overwhelming to see how many "known" orphanages there are in Hubei alone.

Our Story

2007-03-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

We know we are a family called to adopt. It began with the adoption of our daughter, Hannah, who joined our family in February of 2006. Our experience through the adoption process has changed our lives. Traveling outside the United States alone was enough to change us forever. To see rooms full of children needing parents and families is overwhelming. Babies, toddlers, preschool, school age, and teenage children all wishing and praying for someone to pick them, to love them, hug them, to be their forever family. They all need someone to show them they have not been discarded and forgotten. Our wish is that our unfolding story may touch other hearts and more families will adopt these precious children.

What we know about you

2007-03-10T18:27:00.000-08:00

Wu Yi Mei was found on August 10, 2004. She was wearing white with red polka dots baby clothing. She was a few days old and her birthday was recorded as August 5, 2004. The Wuhan City Children's Welfare Institute named her, Wu Yi Mei.
Wu-name given to every child at this institute(last name)
Yi- character given to every child who entered the institute in this month
Mei-their hope for her, that she will grow prettier and prettier as she grows.

Wu Yi Mei's growth report tells us she is fairly extroverted and obstinate sometimes, she is not afraid of strangers. She is also a deep sleeper!! (This is always a plus for a fourth child.) Her personality is described as active, restless, energetic, and fond of imitating, she enjoys toys, singing, dancing, music and games. She has a ready smile and gets along well with others! She is very smart. It sounds to us like a perfect match! You will fit right in with our family!!

What do you think of me??

2007-03-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Sarah-Mei,

We love you already! We think about you and pray for you every day. We can't wait to bring you home. We want to hug you and kiss your sweet little face. We have read you love to play outside! We do too! We will have so much fun with you. Please come soon!

Love,

Your family