FINALLY

On Saturday when we returned home from celebrating our nephew's birthday our approval was in the mailbox. So... Monday we start school then travel to Atlanta to get the state seal put on 3 documents. Then get to the closest FedEx office to mail them off to Houston who will mail them back to our agency. Our agency will then send it off to China! So maybe by early next week we will be DTC!

FINALLY!!

I'm thinking we might celebrate after we make it through Monday! Maybe Varsity, maybe Steak n Shake... have to do something worth it for the kids to be drug all over Atlanta! Might as well do something for the first day of school.

Yi is Home!!!

Well, not really here yet but she called this morning from Chicago and it was GREAT to hear her voice again!! After a lot of girlie girl screaming and chattering I just can't wait to see her!

It's nice to know she feels like this is her home too.... SO ready to see her and so are the kids! She's our friend from China who lives with us and teaches Mandarin at a local school. She was home in China for 2 months this summer. Continuing to pray that her spiritual eyes are being opened and soon she'll come to faith in Jesus!

PLEASE pray we get our approval from USCIS today in the mail. It should be on it's way. If we get it today we can get it authenticated at the Secretary of State's office today and be 7 to 10 days from having our documents to China. Praying to be one step closer to Samuel today!

Growing up

 This is our Joshie at his first birthday party for mommy to just drop him off. It's the little milestones that we cling to for this baby. He has such SEVERE anxiety when it comes to us leaving him somewhere. On the way to this friends' party he was so excited and nervous. He was talking fast and furious... another nervous tendancy of his. Out of nowhere he said, "Me go with you mom." I told him that was fine. To that he said he was just kidding he wanted to stay at the party. It was like he needed to know he had control over the situation if he didn't feel like he could be left. He stayed and had a wonderful time!

He has come so far. I was reminded of that last night when we watched a video from Karyn Purvis on Sensory Processing. It's hard to believe he used to hate going anywhere new- major meltdowns, walking in grass even with shoes on much less without shoes like he does now, he needed to take his blanket with him EVERYWHERE, and I'm sure a whole lot more things that I've put out of my mind :)

We found a counselor through Bethany Christian Services that is helping us with adjustment and attachment with Joy and Joshua's anxiety. It is a huge time commitment since it's about 45 minutes from home but we've gone 3 times and it is well worth it.

We still struggle with Joshua in doctor's offices or in totally new, unfamiliar situations but we are getting there. I am grateful for God's healing in his life and look forward to seeing what He does in Joshie's life.

A few days ago he and I were on the back porch and he brought out noneless than 2 Bibles. He stood up and started telling whoever and whatever would listen about God, Jesus, and anything he had ever heard about them. It was one of the sweetest things!

Speaking of growing up Grace is going into middle school youth group in a few weeks. Fun times!

And we have a start date for school.... August 1st. Only one week away :) We do have to start to finish, I guess! If you notice a bit of a hesitant attitude in this teacher you are right. Dreading having to implement a little discipline and structure into all of our days... including mine!

Our 1st pool day

We got the pool up. What an endeavor!! It isn't quite done but it is done enough to swim in today! We are so blessed that someone offered to give it to us. The kids had a great time this morning AND my house is quite clean since I gave them all jobs to do before we could go outside to swim in it!

Here are the 3 that came out first. They realized it was "a Wii day". I recently made the rule that you can only play the Wii on the weekends. I know, I'm a mean mom, but it has solved the problem of them CONSTANTLY asking to play it.

Yes, there is Joshua's eye patch, "Argh!" The new has definitely worn off. He doesn't care that he looks like a pirate anymore. He has one eye that is considerably worse than the other. The eye Dr. has been watching that eye in case it started to shut down/ wander for 3 years. Our last appointment resulted in Josh having to wear the eye patch for 2 hours a day. Doesn't sound too terrible to me but it certainly is to him. Poor baby, always something!

An update on the paper chase to Samuel:
We are STILL waiting on our I-800A approval from immigration. We got caught up in all the employees at USCIS taking their summer vacations so a 45 day wait turned into a 70 day wait. Our case was supposed to be reviewed Friday so maybe next week we'll get our approval and can be closer to having our documents to China. Then we can start waiting on our LOA!!

We knew we were going to be about $6500 short for this adoption so we started praying for God's provision. He led us to Both Hands through LifeSong for Orphans. We will get a team of friends and family together and we will all ask people to sponsor us to work on 3 widows' homes. The money raised will all go directly to the costs of Samuel's adoption. The work day is September 17. You can follow along or give a tax deductible gift on this site.

We can't wait to see how the Lord blesses these widows and provides to bring Samuel home!

A Little Vacation in the Home Away from Home

We went camping at our favorite local campground. Clayton took two days off work and we borrowed our friends' boat. Another family we know were camping already there so we got to spend some time with them on Monday. Then on Tuesday another family joined us for a boat ride, hot dogs, and marshmellows!

 I am one of THOSE people who buy their dog a life jacket. Seriously, MeiLi is quite the swimmer and she loved the boat! It was just not so fun trying to get her back in the boat!

 Yes, that is actually me on the tube. I even went on it with Joshua at a different time but didn't have the camera :)

AND we are getting a pool. Some friends are getting rid of their above ground pool and so we are putting it up at our house. This is Isaac, Joshua, and Joy enjoying playing in the sand that was just delivered. Grace and Faith are with Clayton starting to take the pool down from the other family's yard :) The kids are so excited!!

August 5

That is the day that we have for Joshie's appointment in Boston. Yes, much sooner than we anticipated. Plane tickets are bought and hotel reservations are made. The friend that had offered to let us stay in her house won't be in town that weekend so I found a fairly cheap hotel on the bay. Might do some sight seeing or at least walking around on that Friday morning. Joshua is super excited about a plane ride after he verified we won't be staying in a hotel "forever".

Please pray for wisdom for the doctors and answers to help our Joshie!

4th of July Fun!

We ate lunch with Nana and Papa then went with some friends to a town nearby for some firework fun! We all had a great time!

 Football Game

 Faith in a cocoon watching the fireworks!

Joshua's appointment in Boston is going to be in October. Looking forward to some answers! In the meantime just living life... fortunately it looks like the ear infection that he has been battling for 3 months is finally getting better. New eardrops and a longer round of antiobiotics has helped for now.

Here are some pictures of the girls when we picked them up at camp a few weeks ago! The boys said they didn't miss them but the pictures tell a different story... and they were counting down the days before they came home.