Xin nian kuai le.... Happy New Year!

Not much news on the adoption front just waiting on the next hoop to jump through. It still looks like end of March/ beginning of April to travel. Here are some fun pictures of us and some of our neighbors when we had lots of snow (for Georgia). The kids had a really fun time, except for Joshua who thought it was too cold and enjoyed watching from the windows. The great news with him though is that since his last pharyngioplasty modification his speech is just taking off. We still have a ways to go but when I think about the fact that he's only had about 2 months of functional anatomy for speech I can't believe how far he's come.

We also had a wonderful time at the CNY celebration in Atlanta with some friends of ours. The kids that aren't ours in the picture belong to some friends of ours that will probably travel to China to adopt their 3rd child about the same time we adopt Joy MenQian. They have become dear friends of ours over the past year and I love it when our kids are able to get together. We live about 20 minutes apart and she has been a great support to me during this adoption process. We are blessed with wonderful family and friends that God has provided and continues to provide.

I am trying to learn some Mandarin and am making a small amount of progress. I recently met a wonderful college student named Yi that is teaching me a lot and is so sweet to our kids. We had gotten them the traditional red envelopes with money for the Chinese New Year and she also got them each one with candy which was so nice. They all at least know how to say thank you in Mandarin.

Grace has been working on making food and information on China for an International Food Day at school. I'll have to post some of those photos soon (if I remember to bring my camera.) She is also going to include a pamphlet from our adoption agency on how to get more information on adoption of children waiting for families in China. It's so amazing to see our kids' hearts for adoption.

Hopefully soon I'll be able to post some traveling times and updates!

Made My Day!!

After sending Joy a Chinese New Year package through Ann at Red Thread we received these photos (11 photos altogether). We are told that Joy Menqian enjoys dancing and that's obvious from her pictures. I think that just like the other children in her family she's not lacking in the personality department. I'm sure that ballet lessons are on the agenda when we get home. We are still thinking that we'll travel hopefully toward the end of March/beginning of April. So exciting!

LOLA arrived!

Grace once asked who LOLA was when she saw a yahoo group light up from lots of LOA's being issued. Well.... our turn is here and we are beyond excited, grateful, amazed,and on and on the list goes. We had bought Joy a Chinese New Year package through Red Thread this weekend but I had emailed Ann asking her not to send it yet. I was hoping to be able to say we had received our LOA in a letter to Joy, the orphanage staff, and her foster family. I have emailed Ann the letter now and am excited that Joy will get it soon. So.... it looks like the end of March(ish) is when we get to go to China! I just can't say enough about how timely this was. Waiting is torturous for sure!! God is faithful!

We also continue to be amazed at God's financial provisions for Joy's adoption. I recently took off our counter on the sidebar because we had received a matching grant from LifeSong for Orphans that helped tremendously with travel expenses. Then, this weekend we received notice that we got a substancial grant from Show Hope. We truely feel blessed beyond measure. If we have calculated travel expenses correctly we should have travel paid for by grants and generous donations. Our orphanage donation will be paid for by Clayton's employee adoption credit. We are saving like crazy for spending money and Joy's medical expenses once she is home. We hope that she will only need once or twice a year check-ups from the cardiologist but on that first visit home she will meet her deductible to say the least. For us that is one of the hardest parts of adopting or even birthing a child with medical needs. You have exhausted all financial means to bring them home then you take them to multiple doctors upon arriving and it is quite costly. Like I said we feel so blessed by friends, family, and those we don't even know. At this point we think that we will have travel costs covered and her deductible upon arriving home.

It will be nice to just focus on the culture shock, language barriers, and overall attachment process. We plan on helping as many Christian families as possible as soon as we recover and even now bring their children home. Nothing, especially money, should stand in the way of children having families of their own.

Again, thank you to everyone that has helped us get to this point in the process!!! We can't wait to be journaling from China about our experiences. Feeling super blessed by (almost) 5 terrific kiddos and a husband who's willing to do anything God tells us to!

Waiting, waiting, and more waiting.... Day 64 waiting for our LOA from China!

Well, it's obviously been 64 days since our dossier was logged into CCAA. We were hoping to be on the shorter end of waiting but we are getting close to about average. We just keep hoping for tomorrow, then the next, and now the hope is next week. It's like being a child waiting for Christmas. We are grateful for some more time to get prepared. We have Joy's room and things ready for her. God has provided many extra jobs for adoption expenses. Friends and family have been very generous and it has been so encouraging. My sister has given me TONS of clothes so I have lots of sizes to choose from though from recent pictures of Joy I'm sure I'll be using the small sizes for awhile. We are hoping to get our LOA before the beginning of February so that when we send her a Chinese New Year care package it can include an update on the process. Anyway, I know some of you out there have checked on us recently and wondered where we are in the process. We haven't fallen off the face of the blog world- we are just here WAITING! I do know this- God's timing is perfect, He has proven Himself faithful, and we fully trust that He is working and knows best. This time a year from now I will have forgotten how long a week can be! Meanwhile we try to learn as much Mandarin as our minds can handle and the girls practice what they are going to say to their sister the first time they see her. I know enough to know that I might as well not plan anything because Joy and I's emotions will be running so high it won't go as planned anyway. All the waiting in the world will be worth it on that day!

Here are some fun pictures of the snow we had in Georgia. The kids had a blast but were hoping for a little more. I'm just glad it has warmed up to "normal" Georgia winter temperatures again!

Merry Christmas! Day 33 waiting for LOA... but who's counting!

We went to Stone Mountain for our main Christmas gift to the kids this year. It was super cold (for Georgia) but we had a great time. As you can see they all sat on Santa's lap (even Joshie wanted to). He just didn't understand why after enduring the event why Santa didn't give him a toy! Santa gave him a candy cane instead and that was good enough. We had a great time relaxing and seeing fun things as a family!

Grace, Faith, and Isaac were in a Christmas play at church. Isaac was obviously a sheep, a really cute one I might add. Grace and Faith both sang solos and did a fantastic job! We are so grateful for our new church family and to be in a church that is focused on God's work around the world and invests into our children's lives and hearts. Joshua wasn't too fond of Kid's choir but after seeing Isaac up there as a sheep I think he might be more inclined to try it in January. We'll see... he likes singing Jesus Loves Me!

Joshua has healed nicely from the surgery, emotionally and physically. His speech is a little better since the VPI closure seems better. We are probably going to be seeking another surgeon at some point this year. We are looking for someone that craniofacial disorders is all they work with and right now are communicating with a doctor in D.C. So anyone with any recommendations for anywhere other than GA please let us know who you use and why.

On the adoption front we are hoping to receive our LOA in January and then travel in March but we rest in the fact that God knows the timing. After Christmas we'll start trying to check off our list of things to get done before Joy comes home. For now we are trying to get as much information as possible on older child adoptions and attachment. I'm so grateful for yahoo groups and others that have gone before us and their willingness to share their lives and experiences.

Well, better go enjoy the kids while we have a relaxing Christmas break planned!! I have a feeling the new year will bring lots of busyness and excitement (traveling to China, possibly D.C. with Joshua to see a new surgeon, and Disney in December with my parents).
WOW! God's provisions and strength to press on are truely amazing!

Merry Christmas and God's blessings in 2010!

Another favorite adoption song (We are LID as of Nov. 19... the countdown begins!!)

Great song and speaks so much truth as an adoptive parent! Please pray for children without the joy of having families this Christmas and do what you can to support and love on them. I commited about a month ago to fast and pray to the Lord on Wednesday's for Joy and it has turned into praying for orphans everywhere. There are so many places you can help (Lifesong for Orphans, Hopegivers, Show Hope, Grace and Hope Foster Care- Joy is in a foster home through this organization) just to name a few. A few weeks ago we changed rooms around so that the 3 girls can share the largest bedroom and Isaac was having a hard time accepting the change. I put him on my lap and told him that mommy and daddy feel like God wants Joy in our family just like we know that God wants him in our family. I asked him if he was in China would he want us to go to China to bring him into our family. He of course said yes and now says that he loves he and Joshie's new room. I do not want to discount the sacrifice that our kids make to add to our family but the truth of matter is that this song is true that we have plenty of room, food, and love. And I have noticed that our kids seem to have an extra measure of compassion for the hurting and I believe it is because they have seen first hand what it is like for one of their siblings to be in need. I guess it just hits close to home for them and they all talk about when they get older adopting like its just something everybody does which is such a blessing to us.

On a personal note to update on our family. Joshua is doing well from his surgery to modify the pharyngealplasty (should help with his speech for those of you without cleft affected children). As you can see from our title for this post we have a log in date with China so we are counting down now to the next step. We should receive LOA in January or February and travel hopefully in March or April. So things are starting to move along. The girls and I were having a good time setting the table for Thanksgiving when I got this feeling of it not being fair that Joy couldn't be here with us for the holidays. So I said to myself, "It's just not fair" which was too funny because "not fair" is one of Joshua's favorite things to say. (He picked it up from Isaac who is 5). Not the most godly response to not getting my way I know but I'm just being honest. I do know that we will see God's hand at work and His perfect timing. He will use this time to shape Joy into the woman He desires her to be along with teaching us things along the journey. Namely trust in Him and patience!!

God is the Invisible Red Thread in Our Lives!

Thankfulness sometimes seems to flow out of us and other times it is a choice. I am thankful to experience the Biblical implications of this picture, which is probably my favorite. Though the future is unknown to us we trust that God is in charge of the timing of everything we will experience as we bring Joy into our family. I am thankful for the opportunity to parent all of my children as they grow up. As we prepare for them to be spread out between both sets of grandparents I'm grateful for helpful and generous parents that can care for them when Joshua has surgery Monday. I am thankful that I live in country where my child can go get surgery he needs. I am thankful that no matter how hard the surgeries are on us we always look back and can see God working in our lives. I often wish that I could have Joshua as my child without the seemingly endless speech and doctor appointments and without him having to undergo all these surgeries. But then I remember that without those things we wouldn't have met some of the most amazing families I am priveledged to know. For those of you that have climbed the Great Wall you know that it is not the easiest set of stairs to climb. What some don't see in the above picture is that it took that little girl work to get there. It reminds me that our lives and our children's lives are at times messy and hard but in the end God can redeem any life and though the road may be hard it is always worth it. I am so thankful for the hard times and good times. They have made me so much closer to the Lord and in the end nothing else matters except our relationship with Him!