We have (Tentative) dates!!!

I talked to the adoption agency and we got (tentative)dates!!!!! We will be leaving on June 5th arriving on the 7th ( we lose a day on the 16 hr flight..yikes) We get Abby on June 8th, consulate appt(adoption finalization)would be June 16th and we leave on June 18th, which is the same day we arrive home(we gain a day). I am beyond excited. We haven't received our travel approval but it should be coming any day, then these dates will be finalized. 45 days until I finally get to see her in person and hug her and begin the next journey... Forever family. I feel so blessed..thank you God for this remarkable gift.

A visit from Meizhi and her mom

Friday I got an little "training" for life with a five year old. My friend Erin came over with her daughter Meizhi. She is just TOO cute. That bought Abby- Grace a few gifts. She is very energetic and really kept Chuck on his toes.LOL I also realized how unprepared my household is. I had NO plastic cups.(not one), a screwdriver lying on the floor of Abby's closet(Cameron!) and 2 dogs that didn't know what to think of this little person. It was wonderful to hear the the little voice and laughter of a child. Everyday is a day closer to Abby-Grace.

Happy Easter Abby-Grace

Well,it is Easter morning, I am sitting in the quiet after hiding the eggs and I just got this wave of missing Abby. I am SO close and yet so far away. Oh how I wish she was up sleeping in her bed or even better too excited about the bunny to sleep. Another holiday without her and though my heart is filled with excitment and joy at how close we are to getting her..I feel the tug of heartache on this day of family.Hopefully, this is the last holiday without her.
I almost have her welcome bag finished.The photo album is taking longer than I thought. I bought a mother/daughter necklace, where the two parts fit together to make a heart,it is on a satin cord. I would love it if she had it on when we meet her on "gotcha day". It is my favorite thing in her bag.
Easter is a day filled with hope that our heartaches and sadness are not the end of the story. God has good things planned in the days ahead. When I think about where I was a year ago and how close I am to having a daughter now,I am an awe of God's grace and feel So blessed and isn't that what it's all about. Happy Easter!

Preparing for Abby-Grace

Here are some photos of Chuck and I signing the "Letter of Acceptance" for Lianqing and her bedroom so far. Her room still needs a few finshing touches and I'll re-post when we get that done. I was excited to share what we have done so far. The agency said I could send her a welcome bag. I am going to send her a photo album. I have to get photos of faces and places that will be part of her new life. It is suppose to make the transition easier. I am also going to send a toy and maybe some candy for the older children at the orphanage. What an exciting time.:)

I just got the call ! WE are LOA

I Just got the call that we got our letter of approval today!! I am beyond excited. This is the final approval from China so ABBY is ours! We will get a final paper next day aired tomorrow, that we sign to say YES! we want to adopt her. Next step travel approval and then we go to China. I have so many emotions running through me, right now I could just burst with happiness. The agency thinks travel will be end of May or beginning of June. It won't be long now and best of all.. the orphanage will tell her she is going to be adopted:) Please continue to pray for her and us that the Lord continues to guide us! What an awesome God! I feel so blessed!!!!

What A Difference A Year Makes

A year ago today, I got the news that Vietnam was closing and we were not far enough on the waiting list to get a referral. We were 20 spots short. I remember reading the email at work and feeling like someone had punched me in the stomach, having to leave work early because I couldn't hold in the grief and heartbreak. Our "last chance" had fallen through and I had no hope and I didn't understand why God was allowing this to happen again. I remember feeling SO HOPELESS and now a year later, here we are with pictures of a little girl from China( the country we always felt we were supppose to adopt from) and a pink bedroom in our house. Our God IS Awesome and truly Amazing.I couldn't see this plan all those night I cried myself to sleep but he already knew he had picked out this little girl for us and what a long and crazy road we would have to take to find her. When we started on this adoption road, we would have never considered a child with a repaired cleft lip or an older child. We wanted a perfect little baby, like most parents. Now I look at Lianqing and she looks perfect to me and I wonder WHY I insisted on a baby, which brings me to a poem that was sent to me by a Mom we may be traveling with when we go to China. She said it reminded her of Abby and when I read it, tears came to my eyes because I am sure Lianqing has seen this scenerio played out many times.
The Waiting Child
An Adoption Poem
By Debbie Bodie
I saw you meet your child today
You kissed your baby joyfully
And as you walked away with him
I played pretend you'd chosen me.
I'm happy for the baby, yet
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 picked this time was me.
Copyright 1997
I can not wait for Lianqing to know,that indeed it is her turn. Please continue to pray for her and the adoption as we go through the last two stages, The letter of Approval and the invitation to travel. Thank you God for showing us the way to Lianqing and getting us to where we are.

Tickled Pink

Today the painter came and transformed Cameron's former bedroom into a pink room for Abby Grace. When I left for work it was blue and when I came home,I went upstairs and saw the pastel pink walls. Suddenly all these feelings came rushing through me... I think I am going to have a daughter.This is going to be her bedroom,where I will read her bedtime stories and teach her bedtime prayers. We will have tea parties and mom/daughter talks. If through the Grace of God, we are in trusted with this child to be in our family...what a gift. I am already so blessed with my two boys and I realize how in my younger days,out of ignorance, I took those gifts for granted. I think because those gifts came fairly easy. I wanted to have a baby and a few months later I was pregnant.Nine months later, I had a beautiful healthy baby boy. With this adoption taking 5 years,set back after set back, the heart breaking nights of questions,doubt and tears,wondering if this dream would ever come true. It has been SO long and hard but it has taught me so much about appreciation especially for the gifts you already have,giving up control but not giving up your dream and finally, trusting that my heavenly Father has a plan for my life. It is not my plan but his,it is not my timing but his and if I just have faith he will show me HIS way. My prayer now is that I will soon hear the words I have been longing for 5 years. "We received your Letter of Approval,you're going to China to pick up your daughter. Oh what a joyful day it will be....