tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25663584212059688172024-02-21T07:35:21.930-06:00In the Hands of the LordFollowing God's lead wherever the Air Force takes us!!Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.comBlogger270125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-5644296784116534892016-12-17T06:54:00.000-06:002016-12-17T06:59:26.996-06:00Hellohi
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<br><a href="http://xn----8sbancyabljpnebm2aiit6frfsd.xn--p1ai/wp-content/plugins/td-social-counter/productinfo.php?temperature=1xzt85n75wd">http://xn----8sbancyabljpnebm2aiit6frfsd.xn--p1ai/wp-content/plugins/td-social-counter/productinfo.php?temperature=1xzt85n75wd</a>Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-17585363071743034542016-08-16T16:50:00.000-05:002016-08-16T16:51:05.596-05:00Hihey
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<br>RgdsOur Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-77284291995115570882014-01-20T16:32:00.000-06:002014-01-20T16:41:51.767-06:00What I Love About FBI woke up this morning and started my usual few minutes of silent prayer before I finally dig myself out from under my covers. I started praising God for the recent wave of support and encouragement that He has showered me with, and suddenly a mental list of my FB friends started scrolling through my head.<div> I know people love to be critical of social media and to focus on its negative aspects. Let's face it, though, this new way of communicating is here to stay. As a matter of fact, someone on my page said she was taking a FB break the other day, only to realize a day or two later that since most of her kids' schools and other activities communicate with parents via Facebk, she really couldn't unplug. I, for one, have loved all the new technology and advances in communication for years. I cannot fathom my first adoption trip to China without having Skype and my laptop to communicate with my hubby and kids back home. By the time I went to adopt Evie three years later, I only took an ipad and got to Facetme and FB every day, right from my room. Beyond this, being a military wife has been made infinitely easier by all these changes. I can keep in touch with family when stationed far away much easier now than ten years ago. When my hubby is far away I can keep in touch with him too. Plus, I can keep friendships alive even from a distance. Friendships that are very real to me - but let's be honest. When you move every three years, homeschool, and have six kids, it is pretty much impossible to keep in touch with all the people that you are continuously leaving behind. I am always moving away from people I care deeply about, and I love the opportunity to still be involved in their day to day lives on some level.<br>
Most importantly, I have found my FB friends to be a constant source of encouragement for me. Yes, I still interact with people face to face. I still go to church, small group, and homeschool co-op. Yet the people on my FB feed expand my horizons. I have friends serving the Lord in Haiti, Nicaragua, and Africa. I have friends that waited, cheered, prayed and cried along with me on either one of my adoptions - and I did the same for them. I have friends at all different stages of the adoption process, friends that I could not realistically call every day, but whom I can reach with a quick typed word of encouragement or shared celebration. I have friends navigating the crazy waters of homeschooling along with me, friends who are sending their first kids off to college just like me, friends who give themselves completely to their home and their children, friends who have picked themselves up by their bootstraps and reinvented their lives, pursued new careers, or returned to old ones, friends that <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">buried husbands who were WAY too young, friends that buried children who were WAY too young, and the list goes on. The point is, I draw inspiration from these people daily. I have witnessed people going through all kinds of hurdles, overcoming mountains, and coming out on the other side still praising His name. His power and might are displayed every day when I scroll through my News Feed!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> I also love it when I log on to FB and see an encouraging Bible verse one friend posted, not knowing it was just what I needed to hear. Or when someone asks to be backed in prayer, and then shares how that prayer was answered. Just looking through my list of friends makes me smile because it is a reminder that we have a God that is very much at work still today. Satan would have us believe that he is winning the fight, but FB actually has served to remind me that there are plenty of people out there still seeking to serve my God - and they are very passionate about it. I think instead of shaking our heads at what is negative out there, we should use the social media at our fingertips today to make our voices louder and to strengthen each other. Next time you think of getting "unplugged", plug in to someone on your list that might need an extra word of encouragement or a prayer that day. I, for one, love the reminder that I am not alone.</span></div><div>
<br></div>Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-46433462889890814082013-04-24T08:50:00.001-05:002013-04-24T08:50:13.275-05:00RoutineWe have settled into a new routine, and day to day life runs pretty smoothly (as smooth as it can with 6 kids in the house). We are so settled into this new routine that it already feels like Evie has been here forever, so nothing ever seems like huge news.<br />
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Evie is still terrified of all animals (including ants). So today was a huge milestone, when I convinced her that the fishies in the tank at the Natatorium weren't so bad after all!<br />
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Luckily, I have a new helper this week. James is now a licensed driver, so he's been able to drive himself and his siblings to track practice, and then he drives himself home. He gets done quite a bit later than the middle schoolers, so he can't bring them home. Luckily, I have a carpool set up so I only have to pick up once a week. And just so you know how spoiled we all are, the school is all of a mile and a half from our house - and still I complaint about driving. The big deal really is having to get the little ones in and out of the car.<br />
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So I've had the excitement of seeing James drive off on his own for the first time, and in that same week Josiah learned to ride his bike! One driving off in a car, one zipping off on his bike! Little steps of letting go, each one. Each one is bittersweet.<br />
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Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-67360892754544474882013-02-18T04:54:00.001-06:002013-02-18T04:54:49.002-06:00Still AmazingThis child is still amazing me daily. She is just so sweet, so confident, so full of spirit. Her vocabulary is just exploding Today's word was "Hey". She'd tap me on the shoulder and go "Hey!" We went to the commisary and I stopped in front of the milk and she shouted "Water". (well, close). She shouts "BARNEY" when she sees any Barney character. She still chatters away in Chinese most of the day, but I love that English words are sneaking in there. <br />
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Josiah still doesn't play much with her, mostly because he's really at a loss as to what to do with someone he can't really talk to. He is also smitten with her, just like everybody else around here. Everytime he gets a kiss he gets a huge smile on his face. Today, he pulled her on the wagon all the way home from the playground (several blocks). He keeps talking about how cute she is, too. He has also decided he's really going to need to learn Chinese!<br />
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Yesterday, I took Abby, Lanie, and Josiah on a base sponsored trip to Nagano to visit the snow monkeys. I couldn't even consider taking Evie along because she is so terrified of all animals, and I didn't want a repeat of the Safari Park. It turned out to be a great decision, because you had to climb up a snowy mountain for about 2 km. Josiah was completely burned out about halfway up the mountain, and I could not possibly carry him for very long. If I had brought Evie too, I probably wouldn't have made it all the way up. It was a treacherous hike too, with all the snow and ice. Josiah did not enjoy his time at all because he was so tired. I'm sure just having gotten over a stomach bug earlier this week didn't help.Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-41471628720456015152013-02-10T17:34:00.001-06:002013-02-10T17:41:24.313-06:00Home Sweet HomeWe have been home for one week now and it has been amazing. I am still in awe at how smoothly everything has gone. Evie is adjusting beautifully and so is everyone else. She is sleeping well (if getting up at 6:30 am constitutes sleeping well), is a good listener, absolutely loves her siblings, and is really a joy to be around. For those in the process of adopting that like to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly, I hate to tell you I have no ugly to report (not yet anyways). Things are going way better than I even expected they could go.<br />
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Evie is still not wanting Jim and I to both be gone at the same time. That being said, she succesfully made it in the nursery through the entire church service yesterday. Having big brother Josiah in there surely helped. I explained to her beforehand in half bad Chinese and have English that momma was leaving but she shouldn't cry. She sat in the same spot the whole time and just observed and looked sad, but she didn't cry.<br />
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She doesn't want us to call her Fuyuan anymore. She yells "Wo da Evie" everytime we use her Chinese name.<br />
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Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-24567892506862568682013-01-31T08:27:00.001-06:002013-02-10T17:40:54.630-06:00More tidbitsIt has been a quiet day today. We went to our Consulate appointment this morning and that went very smoothly. Evie will receive her U.S. visa tomorrow, so we need to get her on U.S. soil before the end of July so she can become a citizen before that visa expires. We are moving to Maryland in July, so that should not be a problem. Again, God orchestrates the perfect timing for everything. If we had traveled to China for Evie any sooner, we would have had to find a way to the States before our move, which would have been a huge hassle, expense, and inconvenience. He takes care of all the details and I still sit around, wring my hands, and doubt. This is probably why I love Mercy Me's song "You are I AM". I could've written that song.<br />
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After our appointment we spent about four hours doing nothing in the room. It has been so great to have a comfortable room where we don't mind just hanging out. Although Evie LOVES to be out and about, especially if the stroller is involved, our times in the room are really very nice. She tends to be a little show-offy when we are out, and I see more of her true personality when we're just having downtime. <br />
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We went back to Banana Leaf with travel friends (gosh, we are going to miss all these families SO much) and had another great lunner. We also explored the fish pond and garden behind the hotel. I can't believe we've been here all week and I just went out there! The kids fed the fish and Evie got over her initial fear of them (remember, she hates animals). She did not care for the fake deer in the back of the garden, though. She is lucky we are not going to our old house in TN, where the deer would literally walk up to the front porch.<br />
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I was going to buy ice cream in the hotel, and a bar of Haagen-Dazs was 80 yuan, which is about $13. Hhmmm, no thank you. Walked back out to 7 Eleven and bought $1 ice cream cones instead. Then we met our friend Sydney and her little guy Rune in the lobby to say good-bye. They were headed back to the States today. Well, Evie was very sweet and gave everyone hugs and kisses. When we started to walk away she started sobbing - a big, really sad cry. It is the second time in the last couple of days that she does this after saying good-bye to someone. She is having a really hard time with the whole good-bye thing. We have to say bye to more good friends tomorrow, and I 'm going to have to not make it obvious that it's a good-bye. These are the two families we have spent the most time with this week, and I think her little heart is going to break!!!! Luckily, she won't understand our words, so I think we can pull it off!!!<br />
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I am extremely excited to be on my way home tomorrow night. I miss everyone more than I imagined I could. Yet I am also sad to be saying farewell to people that have become so dear. We've been cheering each other on for months, sending each other presents, celebrating milestones together, and then were blessed enough to be here together and share our first days as new families. We got to hold each other babies and watch them learning to like and trust their new parents. All I can say is thank God for Facebook, that I will get my fill of keeping up with these sweet babies and see them grow up with their new families, and get the joy pf watching them (from afar) get to know about their Savior!!! My joy in adopting Evie and getting to be a part of her life is multiplied times each of these dear families. And, it will be fun to watch some of them come back in the coming years to add to their families again ( yeah, you know who you are. I'm telling you, you'll be back). <br />
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As for tomorrow, topping the agenda is sleeping in. We have an overnight flight to Tokyo tomorrow night, so I want us both well rested. We just need to make sure we make it to breakfast before it ends. I might go down in my jammies!<br />
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A few random pictures I hadn't posted:<br />
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Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-10705141963147137252013-01-30T08:02:00.001-06:002013-01-30T08:48:29.202-06:00Catch up on the last two daysThe last two days have been pretty uneventful. Mainly a lot of downtime to help me get to know my little girl. Yesterday our guide took part of our group to do some shopping at the "pedestrian street". This turned out to be a bit disappointing as we were pressed for time and never hit the "pedestrian" part of the street at all. We shopped inside a mall that mostly sells pearls and jade. I bought all I need as far as jewelry last time I was here, so, I was not really interested. I did get a few cheap pairs of pants for Evie, since most of the ones I brought were falling right off her. <br />
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When we got back, we went across the street with another mom and her lil' guy to have lunch at Banana Leaf. This is a Thai restaurant and the food was delicious. We ordered so much food (because it was so cheap) that we had a pile leftover. There were these green beans that were to die for, and I don't typically like green beans (the other mom ordered them). <br />
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After that we came back to the room (it was around 3 pm) and stayed in for the rest of the day. We had some nice bonding time, doing watercolors and making candy necklaces, and just relaxing together. We hadn't had an extended time of just kicking back like that, and it was SO nice. I got Evie in the bath nice and early so that she would have plenty of time to play, since she loves it so much. I let her take one of her balls in there and she seemed shocked that she could do that. She bounced it around the whole time giggling like crazy.<br />
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Today there was nothing on our schedule. We started off by hitting the hotel's indoor playground after breakfast. It is just a little room with a bunch of Little Tykes toys, legos, and the like. It was just us and two of our friends so it was very quiet in there. Evie grabbed on to a little ride on toy they had, and did not get off it the.entire.time. I think she was afraid her little boyfriend would steal it. She even drove it into the Little Tykes castle with her!<br />
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This afternoon we ended up taking the subway back to Shamian island with three other families. Taking the train was definitely an adventure but a lot cheaper and easier than taking a cab. I was very grateful to have friends there to help carry the load, though. I definitely could not have made it with Evie and a stroller plus her backpack, purse, etc.... if I didn't have a little help from my friends...... We hung around the island for a bit (yes, Leila, I scored you that dress) and then had dinner at Cow and Bridge. Another Thai restaurant. Yes, I do really like Thai food. And it is just dirt cheap out here. We are eating restaurant meals for peanuts. I guess the fact that there is only two of us and one only weighs about 30 lbs. might have something to do with that...<br />
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Evie was a little sassy today. She is definitely starting to test her boundaries and try to push my buttons. It takes a lot of testing to wear down a mom of six. I have to admit it is difficult to be firm at a time when you really don't want to be butting heads; all you want to do is bond and have nice feelings towards each other. My heart finds it difficult, but my brain knows better. Evie really is a good girl, and she listens well (especially for a 3 year old who has a mom speaking to her in a completely different language). She does this pouty thing that really is cute but I have to tell her is NOT. Oh, and 3 out of the 4 moms today but their kids Pleasant Goat (a popular cartoon) phones that play the theme song over and over and may or may not accidentally get left behind in our hotel rooms.<br />
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Tomorrow we have to be up bright and early, because we need to get through breakfast and ready to go to our Consulate Appointment at 7:50. This is the final step to making Evie's adoption complete in the eyes of the U.S. After tomorrow, she will be able to become a citizen when she steps on U.S. soil.<br />
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Night-night <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQmwaGXQPmcv2pOrRNOdFQfbE91_Co2VyAdv-9NgEMsg9iTdz-TOOm1CkY51Iqw4GQH0ixfvOoHVzAaQ9inUqbjQ5zh2m-Fo05hkXb-AX3X9elPJcTrn3EdR97AWo0lPWTsa1ULVMBcg/s640/blogger-image-1219248276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQmwaGXQPmcv2pOrRNOdFQfbE91_Co2VyAdv-9NgEMsg9iTdz-TOOm1CkY51Iqw4GQH0ixfvOoHVzAaQ9inUqbjQ5zh2m-Fo05hkXb-AX3X9elPJcTrn3EdR97AWo0lPWTsa1ULVMBcg/s640/blogger-image-1219248276.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZcjpVyp7bfYttEDT1PzvV-Vi4KpEkr31myiPRSLIdFUMbMmpYJPWctySWzdIkt_jM-D29BPS8njY3Ou6o-tjb-e2_y5vJ4i9qdwFv8QUdNOpqJ6RYWKF-aJD1BjKtAH_4B1Fsj-bEUo/s640/blogger-image--333561344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZcjpVyp7bfYttEDT1PzvV-Vi4KpEkr31myiPRSLIdFUMbMmpYJPWctySWzdIkt_jM-D29BPS8njY3Ou6o-tjb-e2_y5vJ4i9qdwFv8QUdNOpqJ6RYWKF-aJD1BjKtAH_4B1Fsj-bEUo/s640/blogger-image--333561344.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sHUfh7rjx1JAyQmpN6cz_rVddjxSrDxurdocbEDjK_7uBn3au2vUrJIpxb842CDVE2TqwPpIjTJ9QkOqXNvxS31xDJx3ymjlhIT9a77hOl40AcbrzkPM9qjusA0XvClC4Ye048WJuSc/s640/blogger-image--1752962097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sHUfh7rjx1JAyQmpN6cz_rVddjxSrDxurdocbEDjK_7uBn3au2vUrJIpxb842CDVE2TqwPpIjTJ9QkOqXNvxS31xDJx3ymjlhIT9a77hOl40AcbrzkPM9qjusA0XvClC4Ye048WJuSc/s640/blogger-image--1752962097.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1isuHgNPt80wgmIKPaWXGpEKQGlOivriwuV7xHxLWnXG_NyyVqb9KNhkBSIaAO8Ow4wijQe9pGSwSxhRGrvIg5LyzH-JQLAFiTZ_1gxK7BvfdD8aGKVxhSFKKz59jY45pW6c6TQppqE/s640/blogger-image--1625769762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1isuHgNPt80wgmIKPaWXGpEKQGlOivriwuV7xHxLWnXG_NyyVqb9KNhkBSIaAO8Ow4wijQe9pGSwSxhRGrvIg5LyzH-JQLAFiTZ_1gxK7BvfdD8aGKVxhSFKKz59jY45pW6c6TQppqE/s640/blogger-image--1625769762.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbfWRb96R2K0xxAU2Tc6Rn9Yt2EdoxPltpEHDXVnkr-QGKwUv-nDW1vqdXdRwA6e5A6BmYWEjx8wURovIrktx6BpbMrLlR3XGCVsBmujHpiTVvLo8G6lMcYn0KJO7jvAIjOX1hICDlIw/s640/blogger-image-1243011837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbfWRb96R2K0xxAU2Tc6Rn9Yt2EdoxPltpEHDXVnkr-QGKwUv-nDW1vqdXdRwA6e5A6BmYWEjx8wURovIrktx6BpbMrLlR3XGCVsBmujHpiTVvLo8G6lMcYn0KJO7jvAIjOX1hICDlIw/s640/blogger-image-1243011837.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKibkchEXPVmL3tAAXWs2AcXQzXKxWRB9zgdgsdKQntV_wOZ7H-eEHePxA5QdMyc-EjZT5n4nbbaOAet23bwGjdqLrJSok8aY0GJeYX2iwgiwPMlQjSk8gK2BCcY7FP0kxLZkfXUExMCc/s640/blogger-image-1238617893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKibkchEXPVmL3tAAXWs2AcXQzXKxWRB9zgdgsdKQntV_wOZ7H-eEHePxA5QdMyc-EjZT5n4nbbaOAet23bwGjdqLrJSok8aY0GJeYX2iwgiwPMlQjSk8gK2BCcY7FP0kxLZkfXUExMCc/s640/blogger-image-1238617893.jpg" /></a></div>Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-78262613881670095012013-01-29T07:42:00.001-06:002013-01-29T08:04:21.309-06:00Banyan Tree Temple and ShamianYesterday we started off the day with a trip to the Six Banyan Tree Temple. This is a Buddhist temple built in 537. It is kind of cool to see something that old, but we old know from my post last week how I feel about all these temples. The pagoda was pretty cool and we got some good pictures. The weather was also perfect for an outing, which made it fun just to be outside. I am loving the 70 + degree weather in January.<br />
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Later that afternoon we venture off with a couple of other families to visit Shamian Island. This is where I stayed when I was here for Abby's adoption in 2010. Several years back this island became a second home for adoptive families, because the U.S. Consulate used to be located there, as well as the medical exam clinic used for the adoption exams. So basically, you would park it in Shamian and be walking distance to all the places you had to be for official business. This attracted a lot of business centered around the adoption community, and there were dozens of little shops scattered about the island selling cheap souvenirs and baby / children's items.<br />
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By the time I was here in 2010, the Consulate had moved off the island. The clinic was still there, though, and parents as well as adoption agencies frequently opted to use the White Swan or the Victory, the two major hotels on the island, for their adoption trips. Everybody would dress up their child in the traditional Chinese silks (or fake silks) and take a picture on the famous red couch at the White Swan. It was just tradition.<br />
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Shamian island was a beautiful place to spend your first days of bonding as a new family. It is a quiet little retreat, and you feel like you are away from the rest of the world. There is very little traffic and there are beautiful old European style buildings everywhere (Shamian Island belonged to the British and the French back in the 1800's). You can spend all day just walking around and visiting little shops, playing at the various playgrounds, and enjoying the sunshine. Sadly, even the clinic has now moved off the island. The White Swan Hotel where most adoptive families used to stay is currently closed for renovations. With all these changes, most adoptive families are no longer staying at Shamian.<br />
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In 2010, I got to spend the entire adoption trip (outside of touring Beijing) on Shamian Island. You always have to travel to the capital of the province where your child is first, and this is where the actual adoption takes place. After that, every American adopting a Chinese child has to come to Guangzhou to take care of the U.S. side of the adoption and to obtain the child's U.S. visa. Because our kids are not officially U.S. citizens until they step on U.S. soil, they have to travel on their Chinese passport and require a visa to enter the U.S. (yes, this means Evie will not gain citizenship until we move to Maryland this summer. Luckily her visa will not have expired yet). Anyhow, Abby happened to be from Guangdong province, which Guangzhou is the capital of. So I got to come here to get her and the just got to stay put. Evie was in a different province (Zhejiang) somI had to travel there first and then come down to Guangzhou for the U.S. stuff.<br />
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Because I was on Shamian the entire time the last time I was here, it is no surprise that the island holds very special memories for me. I loved strolling through this time and reminiscing. It was very emotional for me and really made me miss Abby and James (who was with me last time). Although a lot has changed, a lot remains the same. I saw a lot of the same shop owners and little shops as last time, and ate at everyone's favorite restaurant on the island, Lucy's.<br />
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Pretty girl this morning, and now early night in just hanging out with mom. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWu5iOHDUHPcp0NQ-vZNkDPc9hYDpU3rJrCWJzync1iC8sP6aRrdsYkcO_cAQdMAa5fWGvcnn99RknhYyQS0JaQxkhiXQf2loxjzBmOR7yqCBIB5ktBdTaZsfOMd6sJ3l-LypR4HZLMU/s640/blogger-image-880582360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWu5iOHDUHPcp0NQ-vZNkDPc9hYDpU3rJrCWJzync1iC8sP6aRrdsYkcO_cAQdMAa5fWGvcnn99RknhYyQS0JaQxkhiXQf2loxjzBmOR7yqCBIB5ktBdTaZsfOMd6sJ3l-LypR4HZLMU/s640/blogger-image-880582360.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbnbDGpUfkBnaUO5TRj06sspObgH0wrYLHKwjdbtDAiE0ibH2f34e6RvvVISixTwksgVrBtAOBc2PtDIqKN45gxUJg5O3mtQvd1OfGdux0KogM0IR2gFgJfC2Q5XczvNKp-uJx8-UbZk/s640/blogger-image-742684042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbnbDGpUfkBnaUO5TRj06sspObgH0wrYLHKwjdbtDAiE0ibH2f34e6RvvVISixTwksgVrBtAOBc2PtDIqKN45gxUJg5O3mtQvd1OfGdux0KogM0IR2gFgJfC2Q5XczvNKp-uJx8-UbZk/s640/blogger-image-742684042.jpg" /></a></div>Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-74086210025172884822013-01-29T02:27:00.001-06:002013-01-29T02:27:46.949-06:00Photos of West Lake, HangzhouA few pictures I hadn't uploaded from last week at West Lake. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMebWKIN4McPEKRqsCCMwMQCFa-uLOfSFNfdzHfdyL4sgkJtu-L0egirpOl2eW9fvY7jJ0YESqmrZYwkPcRltZh1TTIWVTzfCm4cN3rlOiGGd8zW-y9g0sk4ig7ZavYg1cOehNaobBnuE/s640/blogger-image-1810326539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMebWKIN4McPEKRqsCCMwMQCFa-uLOfSFNfdzHfdyL4sgkJtu-L0egirpOl2eW9fvY7jJ0YESqmrZYwkPcRltZh1TTIWVTzfCm4cN3rlOiGGd8zW-y9g0sk4ig7ZavYg1cOehNaobBnuE/s640/blogger-image-1810326539.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGC84XEj3zQ30Fo4BCkXac7SmlcLGNczfPQebI9H6_TMGh2b5OOm6EJRjgrUO6vrQmsf5SvrDSNYHFDxGZI2utagOXSvEZryyVJTZ8SGmSjXFfmL-AvjsOa8H_NhuGIDMCtUV7QuiUdg/s640/blogger-image-1006396684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGC84XEj3zQ30Fo4BCkXac7SmlcLGNczfPQebI9H6_TMGh2b5OOm6EJRjgrUO6vrQmsf5SvrDSNYHFDxGZI2utagOXSvEZryyVJTZ8SGmSjXFfmL-AvjsOa8H_NhuGIDMCtUV7QuiUdg/s640/blogger-image-1006396684.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sw_DwE76IHF3nJN-aTAsLNHrCOjQMagAVmwjOCFXDffs1l-9G-r78kepDxiINMB7vWW7GbUt6WeDs8WfBZK0ns_14SItUOaH_G4UoBhg415YyWFq_81nrpK55LKtCSybgbYQl_AH-lw/s640/blogger-image-691538105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sw_DwE76IHF3nJN-aTAsLNHrCOjQMagAVmwjOCFXDffs1l-9G-r78kepDxiINMB7vWW7GbUt6WeDs8WfBZK0ns_14SItUOaH_G4UoBhg415YyWFq_81nrpK55LKtCSybgbYQl_AH-lw/s640/blogger-image-691538105.jpg" /></a></div>Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-31095553536665643612013-01-27T18:18:00.001-06:002013-01-27T18:31:20.641-06:00Safari ZooYesterday our adoption group (about 8 families from our agency) got to go to the Safari Zoo. I want to clarify, since someone asked me about this, that Evie and I are NOT on vacation. Although the adoption is finalized we have more requirements to fulfill from the U.S side in order to receive her U.S. visa. This takes a few days to complete, and the Consulate will only take a few appointments each day. We don't have our Consulate Appointment until January 31, which means we will not be able to travel until Feb.1. In between appointments and paperwork, yes, there is a lot of downtime. Which is nice when you are trying to get your brand new child. But trust me, the minute I can be on a plane back to all the rest of my crew I will be ON it. I miss everybody terribly!<br />
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The Safari park was amazing. It was a better Safari than Animal Kingdom. Who would've thought? The white tigers in particular were very impressive. They were huge, and there were SO MANY of them. We started the safari ride with lil Evie sitting right next to me, but she kept scooting closer and closer until finally I put her up on my lap. She wasn't saying much but look pretty concerned.<br />
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Next there was a large "regular" zoo that you could walk through. It started with a "dinosaur walk" that was a path with a bunch of fake dinosaurs sticking out from the bushes. I have to say it was pretty realistic. Well, apparently Evie thought so too. I innocently pointed out the first one we came up to, and she just about jumped out of her stroller in terror. I thought it was pretty funny at first, thinking she had just been taken by surprise. Then I felt horrible because, no, the childm was truly terrified. She went into a panic for the rest of the day whenever we went by any large animals. She just wouldn't have any of it!!! Even the smaller things like the koalas, while they did not freak her out, she turned her nose up at them. I'm thinking she had never seen a live animal. So, in true mom mode, I distracted her with snacks. Ice cream, popcorn, you name it. She ended up having a pretty good day and I don't think she will be traumatized for life. We also eventually found some rides, and I already knew she loved those. Sadly, it was almost time to go by then so she only got to do the carousel. It brought a huge smile to her face!<br />
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Later that evening, after picking up some clean laundry that our guide arranged to have done for us, and getting a bit of rest, some of our families met to go to dinner. We went to this noodle restaurant that served HUGE portions and was super cheap. It was great to share a meal with all our new friends. Evie is pretty cute because although she really can't use the chopsticks (and often that's all they have) she really likes to feed herself. So,last night I wound have to load her chopsticks and then hand them to her to eat.<br />
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After dinner we went to Walmart to stock up on supplies. Evie was so stinkin' excited about all the little snacks and drinks she is used to having. And I got to get Great Value brand! Her eyes were growing big at all the stuff I was throwing in the basket. In true me fashion, I got separated from my group in the store and thought I was going to have to brave the walk back by myself. They were very sweet and waited (and searched) for me, though, which i was grateful for. At this point it was down to one other couple with their baby girl and one other mom traveling slone with her lil' guy. This poor husband was so great about helping lug our strollers up and down the bridge we had to cross. He made three trips up and down carrying strollers (with kids inside). I told him he might want to reconsidering venturing out with the "single" moms for the rest of the trip. <br />
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Here are a few pictures of our day:<br />
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Then it's even more multiplied at the clinic. There are dozens of families there at any given time waiting for their child's exam. It is really touching to see all of the different needs a lot of the kids have, and it warms your heart that God had this excellent idea of adoption. Don't ever tell any of these parents what a blessing they are being to their kids, either..... The joy and pride in their eyes shout out who the one truly being blessed is!! It really is an amazing sight and a very touching experience. Which is why that "first adoption?" question has become such a common one around here. <br />
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The exam went well, but I won't say it was a fun time. They drew some blood for a TB test (new regulation for the adopted children) and that was the toughest part. They wouldn't let parents in the room and Evie was in there for over 20 minutes. I was staring through the little glass on the door and trying to make out the silhouettes behind the curtain. Then they finally brought her out and her little face was bright red and tears just rolling everywhere and I wanted to cry. She also had band-aids in a couple of different places so I know they had a hard time getting a good vein. Luckily, she brushed it off pretty fast and returned to her usual, cheerful self.<br />
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We also had a couple of great Skype sessions with everyone at home. Evie is really opening up to them and showing off her personality. She loves to act goofy with her brothers. <br />
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Venturing out with a few of the other families tonight for dinner was a lot of fun. Even though the service at Tekila's, the Mexican restaurant our guide suggested, was excrutiatingly bad, the food and company were great. Evie loves to chat and giggle with one of the little boys, a sweet little 2 year old that is cute as can be. Who knows what in the world they are saying to each other! There is also another little guy who is exactly 2 weeks younger than Evie. It is cute watching them all trying out different foods and figuring out these adults that look and sound weird and don't understand a word they are saying. But seriously, if you are going to Guangzhou beware of Tekila's. Several of the things our group ordered never even made it to the table, Evie's meal included. Boo!<br />
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Tomorrow's agenda: Safari park. With the whole group. Expect lots of pictures of LOTS of cute kids!<br />
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Evie pouting waiting for a meal that never came:<br />
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Loving her new nightgown:<br />
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Her 2 yr old buddy:<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2gmPUnNqVegOjZoOHTENwl6_7efQN1BgzJPP6HJZhP0Dnq6L8y2if5FAXxBR5CgkskgqwaIBT2mw-BIdVXWXTMCVc_v5B13H3mtXtpsd96-FaTYju1iHDYNM8O8ieASCsMsyusvOl4M/s640/blogger-image--574755572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2gmPUnNqVegOjZoOHTENwl6_7efQN1BgzJPP6HJZhP0Dnq6L8y2if5FAXxBR5CgkskgqwaIBT2mw-BIdVXWXTMCVc_v5B13H3mtXtpsd96-FaTYju1iHDYNM8O8ieASCsMsyusvOl4M/s640/blogger-image--574755572.jpg" /></a></div>Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-92198049297908707252013-01-25T10:36:00.001-06:002013-01-25T11:25:33.032-06:00First FlightWow!!! I'm falling behind on my posts pretty fast here. Shouldn't happen too much now that I'm in Guangzhou in what is quite possibly the best hotel room I have ever stayed in. We're right in the city with lots to do around us, but our room is so nice I might never want to go out anywhere. Our adoption agency arranges all our travel details, including your hotel. We are here with 8 other adoptive families, so they want us all in the same place for ease of adoption related errands they will take us on. They definitely picked a great place. It helps to really be able to relax and enjoy your surroundings when you are going through all those "firsts" with your new child, too.<br />
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So today was a super busy day. We started off meeting the one other family we were with in Hangzhou and our guide and checking out of our hotel. We then went to the notary because the other family (the Littles) hadn't finished their business there earlier this week. Next, our guide Fiona took us to visit a park on West Lake and we got to take a short boat tour of the lake. It truly is a beautiful part of China. I could seriously visit there every day for a week and not grow tired of it. Then it was off to a temple, but I can't remember the name of it right now (sorry, it IS after midnight). I could've easily skipped this part - I've had enough temple visits to last me a lifetime after 3 years in Japan. It always does renew my sense of urgency to pray for those who haven't come to know the awesome news of the Gospel!!!! But, I digress. I went along with the group and did get a lot of great photos.<br />
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After leaving the temple we went to lunch at a local restaurant. It was the lazy-susan style, everyone order and share the food type lunch like we had last summer when we were touring China as a family. It was a rinky-dinky place, though, not nearly as nice as what we went to then. The food though, as usual in China restaurants, was delicious. And, side note to my kids at home, the other family ordered the fish and none of their kids had the guts to eat the eye. Anyhow, we all ate to our heart's content. We split the bill afterwards and I had to twist Mr. Little's arm to let me pay 40 RMB for me and Evie (by the way, she ate as much as anybody else). That comes out to less than $7. Evie is funny too because she really seems clueless as to what to do with the chopsticks. She's great with a fork, bu the chopsticks not so much.<br />
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We had time for one more stop before needing to go pick up the girls' passports. Fiona suggested Leying Pagoda. It was at a breathtaking location, right on a mountain. You could climb up to the 7 th floor for some spectacular views, but I opted to pass. At this point Evie had been getting tired and I'd been carrying her around, and I didn't want to have to lug her all the way up. So I sat outside with her while the rest of the group headed up. Our guide came back out for a minute to wait on a couple of other people who were going to the bathroom. She chatted briefly with Evie, and then the two of us started talking. All of a sudden I glance at Evie and she is making the saddest little face. We couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. Then I asked Fiona what they had just been chatting about, and Fiona had told her everyone else was going to climb up the pagoda. It hit me that she was sad because she wanted to climb it too. Fiona asked and she said "yes". So I had her explain I couldn't carry her, but we could go if she was willing to walk. And she went for it!!! We only climbed to the third floor, but she was a trooper and did it all on her own. I really couldn't have carried her, either. There were some seriously steep steps there!<br />
<br />
On our way down from the mountain where the pagoda was, I was carrying Evie, and she was showering me with kisses and just completely melting my heart!!!! She later had a meltdown over not wanting to wear her seatbelt (yeah, notice I said seatbelt and nothing about carseat. Just the way it goes here), so it's good she had stored points in the bank with the kiss shower earlier!! It's the only time she has done some REAL crying besides that first day when we walked in the hotel room, and that same night when going to sleep.<br />
<br />
Well, we picked up our passports and headed off to the airport, and Evie got to take her first plane flight. She did a fantastic job!!! Ok, she cried on takeoff and landing over her seatbelt again, but I consider that fantastic. The rest of the time she just chatted with me nonstop.<br />
<br />
When we got to Guangzhou and met our new guide, Elvin, Evie took an immediate liking to him. She started calling him "uncle" within about two minutes of meeting him. She talked to him nonstop, pulling out all the toys from her backpack and showing them to him. She was showing off her sunglasses, and he said "wow, she is really very proud of those sunglasses". Then at some point she couldn't find them and asked me to help her (yes, I understood all this without the guide translating. I'm getting good). It took me a few minutes, but when I finally found them she squealed with joy - a super loud squeal. So yeah, I would say girlfriend loves her sunglasses.<br />
Anyways, Elvin couldn't stop grinning at her and telling me how cute she is. I was pretty proud. She is pretty darn cute.<br />
<br />
I was in shock when we got to our new hotel. We have a two bedroom suite with a King size bed, and they brought in a crib for Evie. I thought that was pretty silly but since it was here offered to put her i. It, and she seemed pretty happy in it. She doesn't get up to go to the bathroom at night, so I think she'll be OK. But tomorrow I might have them remove that and we'll just share the bed.<br />
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Well it is now 1 am and we have to go for the medical exam this morning. So I guess I'll sing off now. Part of the medical exam is a TB blood test, so please pray that Evie does OK with getting her blood drawn.<br />
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<br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqCiNZZGqGqnctx1yucFILMT_-Lc5MUEMeDZcTRetI0JHdvxaRbwpB2gpwh24pJPlMmqt1sfdnT6qWu5OuYF6JE64ncAbXMeMajW8iN7qDTBBfViYa_7nZNd9YIlQ6Odr0A1hEHLxGoU/s640/blogger-image--1884266185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqCiNZZGqGqnctx1yucFILMT_-Lc5MUEMeDZcTRetI0JHdvxaRbwpB2gpwh24pJPlMmqt1sfdnT6qWu5OuYF6JE64ncAbXMeMajW8iN7qDTBBfViYa_7nZNd9YIlQ6Odr0A1hEHLxGoU/s640/blogger-image--1884266185.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzMMyMOO-VNfBoi8tsqJiyiNAM8UwM-yl6qhrFDIb30munEvJ4IMnbzvxg8aFNK19ljR_UxAO509_dv8mrBz8ma2qH_brt6nkn0hpVjpb8v4ghaHleiwBaemMVH4nJI0o0rHDShSTBrk/s640/blogger-image-356411911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzMMyMOO-VNfBoi8tsqJiyiNAM8UwM-yl6qhrFDIb30munEvJ4IMnbzvxg8aFNK19ljR_UxAO509_dv8mrBz8ma2qH_brt6nkn0hpVjpb8v4ghaHleiwBaemMVH4nJI0o0rHDShSTBrk/s640/blogger-image-356411911.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatxp_ZRz-qlGweKyozyBTkkndTxMhO1mdh9X21tNOqBITqEgfxo6wsut0FQmhs1iGRr-AU9UTDet_iJFJns88IqYSUWGV2OPtM-hitVtqz3YNo_yEYe8kgqe8EAU-8PDVAC7z6wn-Ao0/s640/blogger-image-1429639621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatxp_ZRz-qlGweKyozyBTkkndTxMhO1mdh9X21tNOqBITqEgfxo6wsut0FQmhs1iGRr-AU9UTDet_iJFJns88IqYSUWGV2OPtM-hitVtqz3YNo_yEYe8kgqe8EAU-8PDVAC7z6wn-Ao0/s640/blogger-image-1429639621.jpg" /></a></div>Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-37337012962075966162013-01-24T03:45:00.001-06:002013-01-24T03:45:56.024-06:00TidbitsWe had an awesome day today!!! It was the first day since I got Evie that we had just a "free" day to do as we pleased. We ended up at an amusement park just a couple of blocks away and had a blast. I will write all about that in a bit, but first I wanted to share a few tidbits about Evie that I keep thinking of and don't want to lose:<br />
<br />
1- She is great with a fork, but even so she likes to watch me intently when I eat and then imitates all that I am doing, right down to the grip on my fork. It's like she is insecure about it and wants to make sure she's doing it right.<br />
<br />
2 - She really is a very good girl. She had a couple of 'naughty' phrases she was saying (on the same level as the toilet thing) that the guides translated for me. I made it clear (in my awesome google translate version of Mandarin) that I didn't want her saying that. She stood there with this giant pout and tears pooling in her eyes, looking very repentant. I mean, I wasn't yelling at her, just telling her in broken Mandarin that it was naughty and I didn't want her to say those things. It was clear by her expression that she got it. And she hasn't said any of it since.<br />
<br />
3 - I've discovered that she doesn't like cheese or green peppers, but she loves corn, scrambled eggs, ramen, chips, and waffles. When she doesn't like something that's already in her mouth, she won't just spit it out, but she gives me a desperate look, like HELP me Mom!!!!<br />
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4 - She gets very excited about her new clothes every day when I bring out her outfit. I find it very cute that at such a young age she likes cute clothes. As soon as she's dressed, she runs in front of the full length mirror to check herself out. <br />
<br />
5 - she wants to take her backpack everywhere. We were at the notary's office the other day and I had left her backpack in the car. She was chattering away with me like she always does, and some lady turned to me and said "she just said to you that she did not bring her backpack". <br />
<br />
6 - She is very neat about her eating. She will eat entire cups of ramen and not get a drop on her outfit. She will also pick up little scraps as they fall so that when she is done, there is no mess in front of her. She can probably teach this skill to a couple of siblings.<br />
<br />
7. She already recognizes Starbucks and points at it excitedly when we pass one!!! I had to train her well before I let her be exposed to Daddy's negative "I hate Starbucks" attitude.Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-2961960625369139182013-01-23T02:32:00.001-06:002013-01-23T02:32:23.315-06:00Ridiculously Long Drive and Orphanage VisitSo we survived our ridiculous drive, and God delivered on an uneventful trip. I was nervous because I forgot to put a pull-up on Evie before we left and wasn't sure how well she would do on such a long drive. Well, she could be a poster child for bladder control. We stopped at a rest stop half way but she seemed about as terrified as I was by the horrific smell and dirty squatty potties and refused to go. Apparently her orphanage had a Western potty and she wasn't used to being out and about, because she seemed pretty clueless. Even so, she didn't have an accident the whole ride and waited until,we got to the hotel to go. I had also worried about car sickness, but it was thankfully not an issue. Praise God!!!!! Abby seemed to get sick on every single car ride for months when she fist came home, and I was dreading a repeat.<br />
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On the way there our guide explained that Wenzhou is known for being a leader in industry, and that if you meet a Chinese businessman traveling anywhere outside of China, they are most likely from Wenzhou. I know I did not see a single Westerner my entire time in Hangzhou (even the day I spent walking around the lake) but I saw a pile in just one night in Wenzhou.<br />
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The Dynasty Hotel was very fancy, but it had NO wifi in the room, which I found preposterous. What about all the business travelers that go there?? Even my rinky dink $60 airport hotel at Narita had wifi in the room. Good thing it was only one night. They did have great room service. I ordered the stir fried beef with chil peppers and it was absolutely delicious. Very worth it for $6 and not having to leave my room. Evie had the packaged ramen again, which she loves. Oh - and the room had an iron and ironing board, so I didn't look like I just got out of bed when I was running errands today (probably for the first time since I got here). <br />
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We started off today at the police station to apply for Evie's passport. One of the orphanage directors met us there. That went just fine - we were in and out of there in no time. Then we had the opportunity to visit the orphanage. I had gone back and forth on Tis because I wasn't sure it would be a great idea for Evie to have to go back there. I wasn't really sure how she would emotionally respond. In the end, I decided she was doing so well that it might be nice for her to go there with me and have a sense of closure. Maybe seeing her nannies talking with me and sending her off with me would be reassuring.<br />
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I was first of all shocked at the location of the orphanage. It is literally smack down in the middle of the city, crammed in amongst a pile of other buildings. As we drove up a ton of mostly older kids and several nannies were leaving in groups, apparently going out for a walk (or to get them out of my way? Don't know). The building itself was very nice and kept up very well.<br />
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First we went into the director's office, where she gave me Evie's immunization record as well as a pillow I had sent her with our family picture on it. It made me very sad because I don't think she had seen the pillow before today and the point of it was to help her get used to our faces. Oh well. I want to keep it because it is ice, with our picture on it and her Chinese name in English AND Chinese engraved on it, but I really don't have room for it. So I don't know what I will do.<br />
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From the time we pulled up to the orphanage Evie had been unusually quiet. She wasn't crying but just had the saddest look on her face. We took the elevator up several floors to where she spent most of her time. It was a playroom, the same one from all the pictures of her they had sent me. It was pretty good size, and had plenty of things for the kids to do. There were maybe about 10 kids there all around Evie's age, and about 4 nannies. Everyone was surprised by how quiet she wa because that is just NOT like her. They were talking to her about the fact that she was leaving, so I know she understood and was processing. All in all, I was impressed with how nice the facility was. All along the hallway there were different nurseries with lots of cribs filling each room. Some babies were scooting around in walkers. Sadly, they did not let me take any pictures. If you are reading this and are currently adopting from Wenzhou, contact me and I will be more than happy to share more details with you. I quite possibly met your child today, too.<br />
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As we were leaving, my guide is listening to the director talk to the nannies and suddenly turns to me and says "Oh - did you know that she was in foster care?". <br />
<br />
"WHAT?????? No, I did not know that. I had zero idea. Please ask the director when she went into foster care. "<br />
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"When she turned two"<br />
<br />
"She has been in foster care for the last year and a half??????"<br />
<br />
"Well, I guess she spends the day here, but then goes to a foster family to sleep each night".<br />
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I really wish I had known this. She's having to say good-bye to a whole lot more than her orphanage. At the same time, it explains a lot about why she seems to have skills and abilities much more in line with her actual age than I expected for her having always been in the orphanage. She's had a lot more one on one than I thought. It really shows.<br />
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So my poor sweetie remained terribly quiet. We got back in the van, and she sat there looking stoic for a while, then finally shed a few quiet tears. She fell asleep, and when she woke up an hour later, was all smiles again!!!!<br />
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During the rest of the trip, she kept talking our ears off. The guide said she kept saying "Toilets smell stinky" and then cracking up. She said this so much that I am now able to say this phrase in Chinese. Highly important language skill. I am glad she's going to fit in with Daddy and Josiah so well. Funny thing is, she hasn't said it away from the van. I think she had said it once and the guide laughed, so it started a whole joke for her.<br />
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We are already making progress language wise. She calls me momma, sometimes refers to herself as Evie, and is starting to repeat a lot of words after me. Today I got her to understand I needed her to get my shoes. I think this is pretty cool, considering we have only had two full <br />
days together.<br />
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Ok, I'm beat. We're back in Hangzhou at our same hotel. I just spotted Pizza Hut across the street and it's got my name written all over it. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbboLsieMojejGsQKFLB3vW_Vqcl8h6NTLxdGxjtOPpdNVfdZBQmJxqloUsfympSDYOK2A3_SjoefdXBgOclTFArAxKyJFIN0VJL0NvwglJlPk24fKc40L56ST-GybOtFIEaHplo-ZTg/s640/blogger-image--1038968333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbboLsieMojejGsQKFLB3vW_Vqcl8h6NTLxdGxjtOPpdNVfdZBQmJxqloUsfympSDYOK2A3_SjoefdXBgOclTFArAxKyJFIN0VJL0NvwglJlPk24fKc40L56ST-GybOtFIEaHplo-ZTg/s640/blogger-image--1038968333.jpg" /></a></div>Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-76383455776526068682013-01-21T21:24:00.000-06:002013-01-21T21:24:32.358-06:00It's Official!!!!!!We went back to Civil Affairs this morning and made Evie's adoption official. She was very, very, quiet when we were back there, which was a huge switchnfrom yesterday. I'm sure she was confused and questioning what exactlynwas happening. We're back at the hotel now and she's back to her perky self.<br />
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Highlights from the past 12 hours:<br />
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She can handle her fork like a pro, and just like big sister Abby loves noodles and scrambled eggs.<br />
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She slept like a rock. I had to wake her up at 7:30 after getting her to sleepat 8.<br />
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Evie's highly independent. I really thought she would need more assistance with things but she reslly doesn't. Makes sense considering the fact that the nannies have so many to care for. I am definitely done with the baby stage, somhaving sixmkids doesn't seem so overwhelming. They can all dress themselves and take themselves to the bathroom. Oh, and feed themselves. Makes mothering a world easier.<br />
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I can tell she's being sassy with me even though I don't understand the words. It's all in the attitude. And she seems to enjoy the fact that she's getting away with it.<br />
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I miss the rest of my family desperately!!!<br />
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We have some free time and need to go find some lunch. Then it's off to the notary followed by a four and a half hour van ride to Wenzhou where we have to apply for her passport (Chinese, not U.S.). We'll spend the night there and then it's back to Hangzhou tomorrow. 9 hours in a car over 24 hours. At least we have seatbelts!<br />
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<br />Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-40041344432094886242013-01-21T08:08:00.000-06:002013-01-21T08:08:06.972-06:00God is GoodI had the pleasure of meeting Genevieve Grace (Evie) today. Two years of planning, paperwork, wondering if itmwould ever actually happen, led to today. And God proved Himself soooo true and faithful once again! I am absolutely in love - Evie has my heart in a huge way. I could never have imagined the day going any more perfect than today ( OK, maybe Jim having been here, but not anything else could have made it better.<br />
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I had been told that we would get to Civil Affairs before Evie and get going with paperwork, but that wasn't the case. She was already there when I walked in. I got down to her level so I could say hello, and her orphanqge directors started teliing her "Mama, Mama". She just flashed my a big grin and r dailystarted giggling. Then while I filled out paperwork I got a chance to see her personality. She just ran around that room smiling and talking to everyone. HUGE personality - she will certainly not get lost in the crowd even in our crazy home.<br />
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There was only one other family with us, and while they worked on their paperwork I got to spend a little time getting to know Evie. She was all fun and giggles. She was carrying around a doll I had sent her in a care package and was very protective of it. She also had a little backpac that was part of the care package and would not set that down. I had the feeling they had just been given to her today. I brought her a little plastic container of Skittles and scored big points. She munched on those the whole rest of the time we were there. The other family had a 9 and a 17 year old with them, and Evie liked hanging out close to them, especially the older boy. She is going to love her big brothers!!!!! When the orphanage directors left, she just said good-bye like nothing in the world was different. Of course, these weren't her actual nannies that took care of her daily, but they were the only people around that were famiiar to her. The directors gave me a scrapbbok of pictures of her throghout the years, which I appreciated more than I could possibly express to them. Abby did not get anything like that and she still laments not having any baby pictures. <br />
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We left Civil Affairs and had to stop at a picture place to get a picture done for the adoption registration. While there she chattered nonstop with our guide and had her cracking up. We ran into the supermarket to take the girls to the bathroom, and she was fascinated by the mobile walkway they had in there. She is a pro at the potty, by the way. We'll see how she does overnight.<br />
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Sorry I can't post pics to this right now but I think mostly everyone has seen them on FB. I just don't know how to do it from the ipad but maybe some of my adoption friends can clue me in at Guangzhou next week.<br />
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After all the errands it was back to the hotel, where she said bye-bye to the others in English. We came up,to our room, and as I opened the door she just gave me e most heartbreaking look. It was as though she was just then realizing what was going on. I ushered her inside and she just broke down. It made me feel very sad for her, but I was glad to see this appropriate reaction to a strange situation. I just held her and sang to her and told her " wo ai ni" ( the extent of my Chinese vocabulary.- I love you) over and over. Finally, after about an hour, she fell asleep. BTW, the orphanage directors told me she doesn't nap during the day but they expected she would today because she would be upset. I also think she had to be up pretty early to catch the train here,<br />
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She woke up in a much better mood and spent the rest of the afternoon doing what she did thid morning; running atound, smiling and talking. I broke out the Play-Doh I had brought for her and she spent no joke about 2 hours going to town on it. She used the little scissors to cut it into tiny pieces and then mticulously picked up each tiny piece.josiah loves Play Doh too so the two of them will have a lot of fun with that. At some point I started packing because we have to go to a different hotel tomorrow. When she saw me packing her socks, it started anoyher cry fest. She calmed down faster this time - it helped that I had the bright idea to turn on a Pleasant Goat cartoon. Little Chinese kids love this show, and she is no exception. It cheered her right up. I didn't feel like venturing out anywhere, so I just ordered dinner up to the room. I was impressed with Evie's dexterity with a fork. She ate her noodles like a pro! I gave Evie a bath and she truly loved it. I finally took her out when the splashing got out of control.<br />
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I am nervous about tomorrow bwcause we have to ride a van over four hours to get to Evie's town in order to apply for her passport. I just hope her stomach can handle that much time in the car.<br />
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I am beyond humbled at how God blessed us today and made the day absolutely perfect. All glory and praise go to Him!!!!!<br />
<br />Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-47200436284293719072013-01-19T01:45:00.000-06:002013-01-19T01:45:25.260-06:00HangzhouI made it to Hangzhou after a pretty uneventful flight from Tokyo. It was really nice to have a 3 and a half hour flight instead of 14+ like last time. My guide here, Fiona, is great. She is very, very friendly and put me at ease right away. She also handed me my TA (that one essential document I was missing) as soon as we got in the van, which took care of my last major concern. She also let me know that there is another American family coming in Sunday night and we will be getting our children at the same time and doing everything together most of the week. I am thrilled that I'll have a little company.<br />
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My hotel, the Ramada Plaza Haihua, is not bad. Definitely not the White Swan, but it's nice enough. The room has two beds and it's pretty comfortable. Fiona said it's about a five minute walk to West Lake, so I'm about to go off and explore that for a little while.Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-78833048850110758652013-01-18T04:30:00.001-06:002013-01-18T04:30:35.824-06:00On My WayIt was sad saying good-bye to everyone. Pretty weird, too, knowing that the next time we are all together we will be a family of EIGHT!!!! I am pretty excited about finally, after two long years, being on mybway to Evie!!!<br />
<br />
I came out to the airport so I could spend the night right here and be ready for my morning flight. It's not that early, 10:30, but I would have to leave my house at 5 am to ensure I'd be at the airport on time. Plus I'd have to hire a driver because there's no shuttle that early. We don't drive to the airport here; it's just not a good experience. I am very glad to have come out tonight because I am getting to enjoy some down time instead of doing what I would be doing at home- frantically packing, cleaning, stressing. I just still really wish it had worked out to bring somebody with me. It's incredibly quiet for someone used to constant noise and craziness. I miss the noise and craziness. And I've only been gone six hours!!!!Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-2362101298597789222013-01-17T08:24:00.000-06:002013-01-17T08:24:35.260-06:00Almost TimeWell, our TA has not yet made it to us, but our awesome China coordinator from our agency has arranged for a new original to be sent ahead of us to our province, so we should be OK. Praise God!!!! Why am I always so surprised when He steps in like this? <br />
<br />
Right now I am making triple copies of all my documents because somehow I feel like I just must. No one told me to, but I want copies - lots of copies, just in case.<br />
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Next I will attack the kids' school schedule I will be leaving for them, in the hopes that SOMETHING will be accomplished while I'm gone. I've already finished the activities calendar for Jim to keep track of who needs to be where when, and the menu listing their choices of the 14 frozen homecooked meals I am leaving them plus instructions on how to heat them up. Oh - and today I stocked the pantry for them, although I don't think it's going to last more than about 3 days. Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-32376931041244482802013-01-15T09:26:00.000-06:002013-01-15T09:26:32.131-06:00Prayer RequestsI have been asked by a few people for specific ways they can pray for us right now. Beyond the obvious, here are some things that are really causing a bit of anxiety:<br />
<br />
1 - Our Travel Approval has not actually made it to our home yet. I am supposed to have the original of this document when I travel. My agency sent it out Express Mail on Jan. 10, which usually takes about 3 business days to get here. So, technically, it should be here tomorrow. I can't track it further than it got on the plane in San Francisco - that's all they'll tell you when it's coming here. I just won't feel 100% at ease until it is here.<br />
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2 - Please pray that I will have friendly and helpful guides. I am traveling on my own this time, and the stress levels are high enough without having to deal with cold or unfriendly people when they are supposed to be helping me. We had great guides last time, but it's a different agency this time, and I'm traveling to a whole new city, so I'm concerned. Some adoptive parents have complained about having less than helpful guides, and I so don't want that to be me!!!<br />
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3 - For the kids (and Jim) at home, that things will go smoothly for them here. That no one will get sick, that they can get along, that they will manage to have a good time and that no one misses Mommy too much!! Also, that things run well for getting to all their various activities.<br />
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4 - This one is probably an obvious one, but please pray for Evie's heart during this transition. It really does make me sad to know she is leaving the only home she has ever known, and that she will be handed over to a complete stranger. Pray that we can use our days in China to bond away from the chaos of every day life, and that she will come home already feeling a little more secure and comfortable.<br />
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Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers and joining us on this amazing experience!!<br />
<br />Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-14859934375183325482013-01-14T02:22:00.000-06:002013-01-14T02:22:01.409-06:00Travel NewsTA finally made it to the agency.... although it is not in my hands yet. It was mailed out at the tail end of last week so it should not be a problem for it to get here... but I tend to be a worrier and so I worry....<br />
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Anyhow, flights are booked, everything else is lined up, and I should be catching my flight to Hangzhou on <br />Saturday. Lord willing, I will have Evie in my arms on Monday, January 21. This happens to be MLK Day, which is exactly the day we met Abby three years ago. <br />
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Lots of rejoicing around our home this week!!Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566358421205968817.post-74028290711081149132013-01-09T08:13:00.002-06:002013-01-09T08:13:58.558-06:00Lil' Man is Five and Big News!!My lil' man turned 5 today.... I can hardly believe it.<br />
Don't have pictures uploaded yet, but they're coming.<br />
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Quiet day - no school, chocolate sprinkle donut for breakfast, BK for lunch, swimming lessons, cupcakes with friends at church in the pm, camping out on the tent with the girls overnight (in the living room). <br />
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More fun to follow on Saturday with a trip strawberry picking and K*wagoe Candy Street, gourmet Sup'r M*rio cake made by the best baker on the planet (after Nana, of course. And I'm definitely not talking about myself) and presents.<br />
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He got to move up to the "big kids" class I teach at church on Wed. night, and he's pretty thrilled about that.<br />
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The big news:<br />
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Our agency coordinator told me TA is on its way to the agency from China. They expect it no later than Friday. Which means I could be meeting Evie as soon as the 21st!!! Pray God!<br />
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Our Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04295964980774800599noreply@blogger.com1