I will leave you with these-a few funny photos of our day...
Friday, May 17, 2013
Today was an amazing day! We toured the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. It was so interesting to listen to our guide about their beliefs in good luck and fortune. We learned alot about the life of the emperor and all of the concubines. I honestly do not know how they keep up with all of their tradition and things to do to bring good fortune to their family.
Next we went to a local restaurant for lunch. The food was delicious! It wasn't too different that the Chinese food we have at home. We let our guide order for us and I may have asked a few times-this is chicken, right? pork, right? I want to make sure I don't eat any pig hearts or anything (Jenn, Paige, and Diana)!
After lunch we took a rickshaw tour of Hutong village. It was my favorite part of the day. The government has put money into the village to improve the environment. They have washrooms in their houses now (as opposed to the public washroom that all residents used to use). There is a street called "bar street" and it is just as it sounds. During the tour we were allowed to visit the home of a well known artist. The family allows visitors as part of the family's salary. We were lucky that the artist was home during our visit and he demonstrated his art work for us. Alot of the colors he uses are made from mineral stone.
We wrapped up the day with a Chinese Acrobatic show. Again-amazing. Finally the jetlag hit and we were out by 8:00! Now it's 4am and you see I am not asleep!
I have so many photos but they are taking forever to upload so I'm only posting a few. Also, the photos are landing whereever they want within the blog post!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
We made it!
We had a great flight in business class-thankful for the friends that hooked us up with points because OH MY did it make a difference! It was kind of nice to recline, watch movies, and take naps whenever I wanted to! I'm not sure that I've had 14 straight hours to do nothing for a long time!!
We are about to meet our guide and start touring Beijing. It was late at night when we arrived so we didn't see much. Excited to see alot today. We are headed out to the Forbidden City and possibly a Chinese acrobatic show this morning.
3 more days.....
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
On our way!
The last two weeks have been up and down and jumping thru hoops and over hurdles but we are China bound! Tomorrow!!we are on our way to baby girl! Please pray for safe travels and our kiddos at home! I hope the time passes quickly for all of us! I will update more while in China. As for tonight, I am wiped out and headed to bed!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Adoption Is Not For Sissies!
As I type this post title, I have a smile on my face! It really just cracks me up. Not long after our 3rd little boy was born I found a t-shirt that said "motherhood is not for sissies". If I had that shirt on, you knew it had been a rough week! It's possible I wore it alot! I still have it in my closet because it reminds me of how far we've come and takes me back to some days that weren't so fun! If moms are being honest, being a mom is HARD. Do we love our kids and have beautiful days of fun and laughter? Absolutely! However, there are alot of days in the trenches that we find ourselves day dreaming of our life before these demanding little creatures, and of another day when they're all grown up and making their own meals and spending their own money! Again-this mom is being honest. My sweet cousin has a young toddler and she has hit the hard days. For some reason, she has an image in her head that this June Cleaver has loved every minute of motherhood and never have complaints about day to day. I told her she just remembers the rainbow days because I have definetely had whiny days of complaints! Some days Eric probably wished he hadn't called home to check in!
Soooo-adoption. Same motto. It is NOT for sissies! Today marks exactly one year since we started this process. On April 27, 2012 we turned in our first application for adoption. I naively thought that application was the worst of the paperwork. Anyone that has adopted should be laughing out loud right now! After that was the homestudy application that explored our lives all the back to birth. I think it was around 25 pages?? Then medical exams and child abuse searches and the kids medical records and even the DOGS had medical reports! Finally after 4 months, our dossier was mailed to China. Huge. Again, naively thought "whew that was hard. glad that paperwork is done!". Ha! We found our Ella Joy and guess what?? Yep. It continued. At this point you, the emotions start flooding in. Now you have a face and a name to your new daughter. You will jump through hoops to get the paperwork done as quickly as you can because she is waiting. Every day is another day she doesn't have a family. Your days are spent preparing for a new child, waiting on an approval that just leads to another wait for yet another approval. There is so much frustration because when the documents leave your hands, it is 100% out of your control. We sit and wait for the powers to be to do there jobs. China has lots of holidays. Great for them. If you are waiting on anything from China, 3 days of holiday can be brutal. That is 3 days that nothing is being done with your docs! 3 more days added to the wait.
The last 6 weeks I haven't posted any updates. Honestly, unless you've gone thru adoption, it's just confusing at this point. I could tell you all day long that we got I800 approval and then it was sent to NVC and then we were cabled, and so on. Basically, the last 6 weeks have been a bunch of red tape between China and the U.S. allowing us to become Xiao Mei's parents. As of last Tuesday, April 23rd, she is now officially approved to come to the United States as our immediate relative. We are now waiting on one more thing-approval from China to visit their country. Travel Approval (TA). This normally takes anywhere from 1-4 weeks. There is no rhyme or reason to their processing. I've seen a few people get TA in a week, and a few have taken over 3. We will see. But guess what? China has a holiday April 29-May 1st. Not even joking.
Last month we found out by accident, that Ella Joy had been moved out of her orphanage and into foster care. Our agency had no idea and it took a few days to learn about her new home. It was the strangest feeling that our daughter was somewhere in the world and none of us knew where she was. We don't know why she was moved either. We do know that she is in a great place and she is happy. We are so very blessed because this isn't always the case with orphans from China. She has been taken care of and nannies have loved on her. I feel like the transition from orphanage to foster and new nannies will help her with the transtion to us. Can you imagine what is must be like to live without a family? I can only think to compare it to an American child living in daycare 24-7. Never having parents pick you up at the end of the day to take you home and tuck you in at night.
The has been a year of ups and downs. So much excitiment when we felt like we were moving forward and alot of frustration when it felt like we were stuck. Life continued on for our family as well-ups and downs in both our family life and our adoption life. It has been a HARD year. Our adoption folders and notebooks have grown large enough to require a plastic tub. We have created a new room in our attic-more on that at a later date! Now I am shopping and organzing and checking things off of my list like a mad woman preparing to travel to China for 2 weeks. Funny-Eric and I are taking a vacation to the other side of the world and I don't see it as a cool place to visit. To us, it's a place we have to go so we can pick up our daughter. While all of the travel prep is going on, we still have 3 boys that need us. We are full up on baseball and soccer games and the end of school year activities. To say I struggle to focus would be an understatement.
As I type this, next to me is a new packet with documents to complete and sign before we can travel. I have no idea what is in that envelope because I was on my way somewhere when the mail came and I just set it aside for later. Today is later. After soccer and before we assemble a crib. (Yes. A crib. Yikes!)
This ramble is not meant to scare anyone away from adopting. It is just the truth. I wonder how many less children would be born if people had to go thru an adoption like process before getting pregnant? Please understand I am not complaining(not at this moment anyway). Adoption, like motherhood, is an amazing journey. We have no regrets. I think about all of the children in the world that need and crave a family and out of the millions, God led us to one. One child He designed to be ours. My hope is that one day Ella will read this and know how much we wanted her. Her life story until now is not a good story. I want her to know how loved she was before we ever held her in our arms. We jumped thru hoops, poured our lives into paperwork, and traveled across the oceans to bring her home. Someone recently said that your bio children aren't a choice, but the adopted child is chosen. I want her to feel extra special as she grows knowing that we CHOSE her.
Adoption is NOT for sissies, but motherhood isn't for sissies either. Simply put, it is hard but I wouldn't trade any of it. Not even for one day. The rewards are endless and worth all of the days that aren't so June Cleaver. For now, this June Cleaver is ready to go to China!
As I type this post title, I have a smile on my face! It really just cracks me up. Not long after our 3rd little boy was born I found a t-shirt that said "motherhood is not for sissies". If I had that shirt on, you knew it had been a rough week! It's possible I wore it alot! I still have it in my closet because it reminds me of how far we've come and takes me back to some days that weren't so fun! If moms are being honest, being a mom is HARD. Do we love our kids and have beautiful days of fun and laughter? Absolutely! However, there are alot of days in the trenches that we find ourselves day dreaming of our life before these demanding little creatures, and of another day when they're all grown up and making their own meals and spending their own money! Again-this mom is being honest. My sweet cousin has a young toddler and she has hit the hard days. For some reason, she has an image in her head that this June Cleaver has loved every minute of motherhood and never have complaints about day to day. I told her she just remembers the rainbow days because I have definetely had whiny days of complaints! Some days Eric probably wished he hadn't called home to check in!
Soooo-adoption. Same motto. It is NOT for sissies! Today marks exactly one year since we started this process. On April 27, 2012 we turned in our first application for adoption. I naively thought that application was the worst of the paperwork. Anyone that has adopted should be laughing out loud right now! After that was the homestudy application that explored our lives all the back to birth. I think it was around 25 pages?? Then medical exams and child abuse searches and the kids medical records and even the DOGS had medical reports! Finally after 4 months, our dossier was mailed to China. Huge. Again, naively thought "whew that was hard. glad that paperwork is done!". Ha! We found our Ella Joy and guess what?? Yep. It continued. At this point you, the emotions start flooding in. Now you have a face and a name to your new daughter. You will jump through hoops to get the paperwork done as quickly as you can because she is waiting. Every day is another day she doesn't have a family. Your days are spent preparing for a new child, waiting on an approval that just leads to another wait for yet another approval. There is so much frustration because when the documents leave your hands, it is 100% out of your control. We sit and wait for the powers to be to do there jobs. China has lots of holidays. Great for them. If you are waiting on anything from China, 3 days of holiday can be brutal. That is 3 days that nothing is being done with your docs! 3 more days added to the wait.
The last 6 weeks I haven't posted any updates. Honestly, unless you've gone thru adoption, it's just confusing at this point. I could tell you all day long that we got I800 approval and then it was sent to NVC and then we were cabled, and so on. Basically, the last 6 weeks have been a bunch of red tape between China and the U.S. allowing us to become Xiao Mei's parents. As of last Tuesday, April 23rd, she is now officially approved to come to the United States as our immediate relative. We are now waiting on one more thing-approval from China to visit their country. Travel Approval (TA). This normally takes anywhere from 1-4 weeks. There is no rhyme or reason to their processing. I've seen a few people get TA in a week, and a few have taken over 3. We will see. But guess what? China has a holiday April 29-May 1st. Not even joking.
Last month we found out by accident, that Ella Joy had been moved out of her orphanage and into foster care. Our agency had no idea and it took a few days to learn about her new home. It was the strangest feeling that our daughter was somewhere in the world and none of us knew where she was. We don't know why she was moved either. We do know that she is in a great place and she is happy. We are so very blessed because this isn't always the case with orphans from China. She has been taken care of and nannies have loved on her. I feel like the transition from orphanage to foster and new nannies will help her with the transtion to us. Can you imagine what is must be like to live without a family? I can only think to compare it to an American child living in daycare 24-7. Never having parents pick you up at the end of the day to take you home and tuck you in at night.
The has been a year of ups and downs. So much excitiment when we felt like we were moving forward and alot of frustration when it felt like we were stuck. Life continued on for our family as well-ups and downs in both our family life and our adoption life. It has been a HARD year. Our adoption folders and notebooks have grown large enough to require a plastic tub. We have created a new room in our attic-more on that at a later date! Now I am shopping and organzing and checking things off of my list like a mad woman preparing to travel to China for 2 weeks. Funny-Eric and I are taking a vacation to the other side of the world and I don't see it as a cool place to visit. To us, it's a place we have to go so we can pick up our daughter. While all of the travel prep is going on, we still have 3 boys that need us. We are full up on baseball and soccer games and the end of school year activities. To say I struggle to focus would be an understatement.
As I type this, next to me is a new packet with documents to complete and sign before we can travel. I have no idea what is in that envelope because I was on my way somewhere when the mail came and I just set it aside for later. Today is later. After soccer and before we assemble a crib. (Yes. A crib. Yikes!)
This ramble is not meant to scare anyone away from adopting. It is just the truth. I wonder how many less children would be born if people had to go thru an adoption like process before getting pregnant? Please understand I am not complaining(not at this moment anyway). Adoption, like motherhood, is an amazing journey. We have no regrets. I think about all of the children in the world that need and crave a family and out of the millions, God led us to one. One child He designed to be ours. My hope is that one day Ella will read this and know how much we wanted her. Her life story until now is not a good story. I want her to know how loved she was before we ever held her in our arms. We jumped thru hoops, poured our lives into paperwork, and traveled across the oceans to bring her home. Someone recently said that your bio children aren't a choice, but the adopted child is chosen. I want her to feel extra special as she grows knowing that we CHOSE her.
Adoption is NOT for sissies, but motherhood isn't for sissies either. Simply put, it is hard but I wouldn't trade any of it. Not even for one day. The rewards are endless and worth all of the days that aren't so June Cleaver. For now, this June Cleaver is ready to go to China!
Friday, March 22, 2013
Why China?
Why China? I couldn't tell you. Most people assume we are adopting from China because we wanted a girl. I can honestly say that I never had a huge desire to have a girl. I was so grateful to have ANY babies that I just didn't care. I am a great boy mom-I was made to be a boy mom! It took me a while to wrap my around all of this girl stuff but now that we are closer to Ella I am ready to embrace all things pink and ruffly!! But back to China. When I thought of adopting I never had a preconceived idea of what it would look like for us. I just knew that I had a heart for orphans and I just always felt like somewhere there was a child that needed us. Boy, girl, baby, toddler, elementary age, teenager. I just didn't know. I had even been asked if we would ever go to China and adopt a girl and I always replied "no" without hesitation. I know, I know! Never say never, right? So we prayed and we talked and I read books and I asked so many questions of anyone that had adoption knowledge! Slowly God revealed his plan. As we ruled out certain ages, domestic, and countries, China was still standing. There is such a need for orphans ALL over the world. It doesn't matter if the child lives in Texas, or on the other side of the world in a foreign country. A child in need is just that. Simply. A child in need!
We are very VERY blessed with incredible support from family and friends. Everyone is excited to meet her and love on her! I really don't think they would all be this excited if I were actually giving birth!! Haha! I mean-been there,done that 3 times! But I also realize that some people don't get it. That's ok. Trust me-it is MUCH easier to live life without eyes wide open to the orphans. This last year we would not have been drowning in paperwork and chasing documents. We wouldn't have built out part of our attic. We wouldn't have been in a holding pattern waiting for our last family member. We wouldn't be traveling to China to stay for two weeks with a 2 year old we have never laid eyes on. Honestly, we probably would have put in a pool since our boys are great swimmers now! However, we chose the harder path. We chose it for her. Because SHE is worth it. I hear things like "she is a lucky little girl" or "how blessed for her that she will be in your family". I get it-because unless you have been where we are right now, you don't realize that WE are the ones that are so lucky to get her! We are blessed by HER.
People have said "I just don't know how those birth moms can abandon their children". I have learned that the moms abandoning their babies are the true heroes. They do it in hopes of a good life or LIFE at all for their child. Chinese policy is incredibly harsh and heartbreaking. Sadly, the mothers have no choice and they are punished and outcast if they try to keep their babies. They suffer forced abortions and infanticides. Unlike birth mothers here, they leave their babies to be found and never have any information about their child again. They lose them forever. They do not get to select a good home and the perfect parents to raise their child. They can never research records to find information about their children. They will never see updated pictures. I admire these brave women and my heart breaks for them and their losses. I can not even begin to imagine.
This year has been so interesting in lots of ways. Throughout this process we have all changed. I have learned more patience for sure! I have watched all of my boys get excited over cute little girl dresses and pink squeaky shoes and hair bows. I have listened to them as they talk about their sister to strangers and their friends. They pray for her. They talk about things they will teach her when she is forever home. They LOVE her. I am truly amazed and so proud of them. I have seen a change in Eric as he prepares to be a girl daddy. I know little Ella Joy is going to wrap him so tight around her finger that the rest of us probably won't be able to take it! She is going to be so loved and spoiled I am sure of it. However, after being abandoned, and spending her first two years in an orphanage without parents to snuggle her up and love on her, I think she deserves some spoiling! So-why China? Because our daughter and baby sister lives there.
We are very VERY blessed with incredible support from family and friends. Everyone is excited to meet her and love on her! I really don't think they would all be this excited if I were actually giving birth!! Haha! I mean-been there,done that 3 times! But I also realize that some people don't get it. That's ok. Trust me-it is MUCH easier to live life without eyes wide open to the orphans. This last year we would not have been drowning in paperwork and chasing documents. We wouldn't have built out part of our attic. We wouldn't have been in a holding pattern waiting for our last family member. We wouldn't be traveling to China to stay for two weeks with a 2 year old we have never laid eyes on. Honestly, we probably would have put in a pool since our boys are great swimmers now! However, we chose the harder path. We chose it for her. Because SHE is worth it. I hear things like "she is a lucky little girl" or "how blessed for her that she will be in your family". I get it-because unless you have been where we are right now, you don't realize that WE are the ones that are so lucky to get her! We are blessed by HER.
People have said "I just don't know how those birth moms can abandon their children". I have learned that the moms abandoning their babies are the true heroes. They do it in hopes of a good life or LIFE at all for their child. Chinese policy is incredibly harsh and heartbreaking. Sadly, the mothers have no choice and they are punished and outcast if they try to keep their babies. They suffer forced abortions and infanticides. Unlike birth mothers here, they leave their babies to be found and never have any information about their child again. They lose them forever. They do not get to select a good home and the perfect parents to raise their child. They can never research records to find information about their children. They will never see updated pictures. I admire these brave women and my heart breaks for them and their losses. I can not even begin to imagine.
This year has been so interesting in lots of ways. Throughout this process we have all changed. I have learned more patience for sure! I have watched all of my boys get excited over cute little girl dresses and pink squeaky shoes and hair bows. I have listened to them as they talk about their sister to strangers and their friends. They pray for her. They talk about things they will teach her when she is forever home. They LOVE her. I am truly amazed and so proud of them. I have seen a change in Eric as he prepares to be a girl daddy. I know little Ella Joy is going to wrap him so tight around her finger that the rest of us probably won't be able to take it! She is going to be so loved and spoiled I am sure of it. However, after being abandoned, and spending her first two years in an orphanage without parents to snuggle her up and love on her, I think she deserves some spoiling! So-why China? Because our daughter and baby sister lives there.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
LOA!
We FINALLY have LOA (letter of approval from China)! It's been a bit of a bumpy ride but it's official! This sweet girl will be ours! We think we should be traveling in May or June. It all depends on how fast our paperwork goes thru all of the channels around the world. Literally. We are all so in love with her! Can't wait to get our hands on those chubby little cheeks!
Her name is Xiao Mei which means "little beauty". Before we knew the meaning of her name in Chinese, we had ALL agreed on the name Ella Joy. Not an easy task to have 5 people in agreement on something so important. We were all passionate about the names we had each chosen. Eric would not discuss names until we saw a picture of her and when he did, he suggested Ella. Then he stuck with it until we all agreed it was a perfect name for her! After learning the meaning of her Chinese name, I looked up the meaning of Ella. One of the meanings is "beautiful fairy". Without even knowing it, Eric chose the best name for our little beauty (and of course he is taking all of the credit)! It's ok-I'll give him the credit for naming one of our kids!!
I'll be updating this blog more often. I kind of lost heart after my nephew died and we were bogged down in paperwork and red tape while waiting to transfer to the new agency. Well, it is a little busy around here too with 3 boys and little girl preparations!!!
Please start praying that our paperwork continues to process without issues and that Ella will transition as easily as possible to her new family. Poor girl has no idea there are so many people waiting to smother her with love!
Her name is Xiao Mei which means "little beauty". Before we knew the meaning of her name in Chinese, we had ALL agreed on the name Ella Joy. Not an easy task to have 5 people in agreement on something so important. We were all passionate about the names we had each chosen. Eric would not discuss names until we saw a picture of her and when he did, he suggested Ella. Then he stuck with it until we all agreed it was a perfect name for her! After learning the meaning of her Chinese name, I looked up the meaning of Ella. One of the meanings is "beautiful fairy". Without even knowing it, Eric chose the best name for our little beauty (and of course he is taking all of the credit)! It's ok-I'll give him the credit for naming one of our kids!!
I'll be updating this blog more often. I kind of lost heart after my nephew died and we were bogged down in paperwork and red tape while waiting to transfer to the new agency. Well, it is a little busy around here too with 3 boys and little girl preparations!!!
Please start praying that our paperwork continues to process without issues and that Ella will transition as easily as possible to her new family. Poor girl has no idea there are so many people waiting to smother her with love!
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