Of packing and praise..

The children's count down chart on the wall boldly declares that it's 9 more days till we step on that plane!! We are down to single digit numbers! This week loosk very full so no doubt the time to depart will come before we know it!

Derek finished his math book today and we will finish the remaining remnants of school this week. Yay for ending the school term early! One of the perks of home schooling was being able to stick to school steadily and not need to have weeks off for snow days! We have a gym day, 2 dentist appointments and a weekend of babysitting cousins. I also intend to get the last few items from our shopping list and work at packing....

Two specific books I cant wait to read many times over to Javonn. Beautiful childrens books on adoption. Thank-You Ellen & Carmen!

Packing for 6 people feels like a big job to me, but I'm sure it will all come together just fine. I'm determined to not stress about it. If we forget something, more than likely we can buy it there! Our in country flights only allow 44 pounds per checked in item so I'm planning to have that be our weight limit even though our flights to China allow 50 pounds.

The lovely cake from Aunt Carmen~~Javonn has no idea how many uncles and aunties are waiting to love on him!


Sunday morning both Steve & I came down with a nasty head cold that got progressively worse.... He was able to go to work today and I managed  to limp around with getting Monday duties done with very frequent visits to the couch, and ever reaching for the tissue box. Even though my eyes are swollen and it looks like I've been crying all day, my heart feels quite the opposite. I feel SO AWARE of God's presence today! And that, is SO SO precious!  Despite being sick at such an inconvenient time, I am not afraid, because I know God is with us and everything is in control. And most likely the sickness, is just another attack the devil is trying to throw at us.

I PRAISE and BLESS you , Lord, for you are so faithful to your promise!! You surround us today with your peace. There is no fear because you are with us!
I feel SO AWARE of the fact that our family is just about to step in to a new phase that will change our lives in so many ways. So aware that it will be a mixture of HARD and beautiful. But more than anything, right now I *FEEL* the presence of Jesus so clearly, that even sickness and packing chaos cant take away that peace.  He reminds us, this trip is ALL about him.
He planned it.
He's orchestrating every detail.
All we do is take His hand and follow.

There is NOTHING so sweet, so peaceful, so securing, as following the will of our Shepherd.

Surprise Pictures!

 I want to share about the amazing blessing God gave us this week! Our agency has a Facebook group for families that are part of the China Waiting Children Program. The other day I was shocked to see a post from a lady that mentioned that she had just returned from spending time in a specific orphanage and wondered if any parents out there might have a child there, as her team was able to take photos and some video and very likely they would have some of our child! The orphanage she mentioned was THE ONE our treasure is at!!

It made my heart beat faster...At first I tried not to get my hopes up. It seemed to much to hope for that out of hundreds of children, someone would have spent time with MY child!

Javon Tyler Shao Bo~~You are So Loved!

Through FB, emails and then finally a phone call..I was able to talk to a sweet dear lady who had just returned on Monday from spending time playing, holding and loving on my son and the many other children. She had been part of a mission team that went over to minister in the orphanages.

I was so wowed that God would give me this gift! Photo's, video and being able to ask specific question to someone who was just with him. It gives us a much better idea of how to prepare for him, what to take a long for him etc. Not to mention how special it is hearing about his personality. 

It sounds like 2T clothing will fit him. He is small and petite.

He is even fully potty trained!! At least, he is squatty potty trained!  I'm sure there will be some adjustments in adapting to our "big scary toilets!"

She said ShaoBo is such a happy child and will be such a joy to our family! He speaks fluently in mandarin (their Chinese dialect) She said he was like a little parrot and kept repeating English words that they said. Sounds like he will catch on fast to his new language!

He is healthy, and didn't appear to be developmentally delayed. He loves to laugh and dance and sing!

A walk to the park~~ Javonn is standing on the far left.

We were thrilled to hear that he is in a very nice orphanage. The directors and nannies love the children deeply and take good care of them. The facility is clean and orderly. 

This is Javonn's current home. His room is down the hall, the last door on the left.

Javonn on the right, with his sweet play mates. Everyone of them deserving/ needing a loving family!

My friend shared a cute story about the sticker pictures. While playing with Shao Bo she put a sticker on his nose. His eyes lit up like he was just given an amazing gift. Probably never played with stickers before. He kept pointing to different parts of his body and saying "stick-a" until after awhile he had like 40 stickers all over him. He loved every minute of it and cried big crocodile tears when some bigger kids started taking them off.

We have a little video clip where we can hear him say "Stick-a" :) It is so darling!! I havent been able to figure out how to link it on here.

Thank you Jesus! You knew that this mommy here in New York needed to be put in contact with a mommy from Louisiana . God knew I had secretly hoped for additional information, and I was given even more than I expected. I am indebted to my friend, whose heart is completely broken for the cause of the orphans , who ministered so much life and love to my little boy, so very far away, then came home and knew that his mommy to be needed to know and hear what her little boy really was like. She knew that only looking at a picture or two really dosent give you any idea of the real person they are!

We are more anxious than ever to go meet our son & brother! 

On Saturday we went shopping and got a bunch of things marked off our packing list. I know the time will fly by fast! 

We are so grateful we have these 3 weeks to prepare our hearts emotionally for the big trip and life changing event coming up. It feels so right to get everything in order here on this end, so when we leave we can be "all there" and focus entirely on whats best to help Javonn through the transitioning time.

How grateful we are that God so tenderly walks us through this journey! It is such a comfort to feel His presence. 

Travel Approval!

Wow! A lot has been happening in the last 16 hours! Yesterday afternoon we got the BIG call we were waiting for that out Travel Approval (TA) had arrived at our agency.

Steve was the lucky one to answer the call, I was home vacuuming carpet and missed the call. So they called Steve at work. I'm glad it worked out that way, so he could have the fun of getting one of the special BIG calls since I received all the others, the referral  and the referral acceptance.We were amazed because this was again sooner than the estimated dates we had been given.

The adrenaline was high as I shared the call with the kids. Lots of shrieking and cheering! Derek runs to the kettle cupboard to get two kettle lids to clang together for drums....until mommy intervened, that is. My ears were already almost ringing!!

We were shocked to discover that we had the option of leaving NEXT WEEK for Gotcha day!! As in 6 days away!! What a roller coaster we were on for awhile thinking should we....shouldnt we....let's go for it.....no lets wait..... it seemed like it kept changing  by the hour! There was some pro's and con's to either travel date but we came to a conclusion we all feel peace about......

We picked the later date, April 9 for our departure day. 26 days.......

So many emotions going on! I have some wonderful news to share about a VERY special gift from God, but it will be another post. Right now this mommy is needed to bring peace back to her house hold that has been on the chaotic side today!

Moving forward!

Yes, things are really moving forward!! Maybe it's because for so long it felt like we were moving at a snails pace that now things feel like they are coming together one right after the other! We'll take it!

Our I800 (immigrations) is approved and our DS260 is completed. We have officially completed ALL the Hague paperwork on our end of the process.

The next step will take place in China between the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou and the China Center for Childrens Welfare & Adoptions (CCCWA) in Beijing.

Once our paperwork is submitted  to the consulate (the DS260 we just sent off), it will take the consulate 10 business days to issue our Article 5 (approval). Once the Article 5 is submitted to the CCCWA, it takes about 2-4 wks for the travel Approval to be issued. And then we will travel 2-4 wks after that.

At the EARLIEST we could be traveling the last week of March!! But more likely would be the middle of April. We will be leaving the US on one of the Wednesdays in April! It's feeling so close! The children & I want to make a count down!!!

 Precious Treasure! It make sour hearts beat fast to think that in 2 month you could be home with us!! We pray for you every day. You feel so close.....yet so far away!!

It is such a comfort and reassurance to know that Jesus will hold YOU, and US, as we walk this new pathway. Sometimes we feel afraid....how will this all work out? DO we really have what it takes to bring healing and restoration to a dear child's heart. Will we have enough patience...long suffering.....

BUT GOD!!!.......Yes, He always reminds us that it's not about US. It's ALL about HIM. AH, thank you Jesus. We are your hands and your feet. Your willing servants. But it is YOUR LIFE, YOUR LOVE that will heal and restore.
~~~~So honored to be HIS Love "with skin on"~~~~~~~

Praise Report! RA arrived!!!

Oh My! We are just bursting with JOY to finally be able to announce that TODAY we received our official approval (RA- Referral Approval) from China to adopt the precious little boy that we said "YES!" to adopting 2 month ago.

It's official! We have a new son!!!!!! His file is "locked" for our family!

Introducing...........Our precious little China treasure, "Shao Bo"  This is the referral photo we first saw of him. A sad little boy with a huge yellow teddy. We were giddy with excitement and a little nervous when we got the email and first opened the attached file. But as soon as we saw his darling little face, our heartsd melted! We felt nothing but pure love and compassion. 

It's hard to explain the feeling. I just wanted to scoop him right up and comfort him with the love of a mommy. The kind of mommy nurturing he has never known.

Our hearts all said "He's the one!" The kids pleaded "Lets get him!!" We couldn't stop gazing at his photo. Trying to imagine the story of his little life.
That night I could hardly sleep. Rain pounded on the window.... all I could think about was poor tiny babies, abandoned and alone. What did he feel as an infant when he was found all alone? Who rocked this sweet treasure when he was teething, comforted him through his cleft lip surgeries. Did he have a caring nanny or was he alone and afraid.
Suddenly having a face to the one we had been praying and waiting for made the pain of his losses and hurts so much more real.

How we wished we could rush and bring him home!

Only a few days after we accepted his file, we were delighted to receive a few updated photos, along with weight and measurements.

We have decided to name him.......

Javonn Tyler 

Sweet Treasure! You dont know it yet, but you have a family coming for you! You are CHOSEN!!
You are WANTED!! You have a daddy and a mommy who cant wait to protect you, fight for you and shower you with love!
You have a big brother who is beyond excited to have a brother to play with. He is already saving up treasures he is sure you will want to play with.
You have two sisters who will love you.

God destined you to be part of our family. And we are so excited to get to know you! 

(Love the little PINK shoes!!!)
It looks like his orphanage is a colorful cheerful place. But no matter how nice the facility, every child needs, and deserves to be part of a family!

We are praising God that the the RA arrived sooner than we had been told to expect it. We are praying for God's continued favor on the immigration paperwork that we send off tomorrow. The day we send it off is when the ticker starts till when we can expect to get travel approval. They say to expect 10 wks for the I800 but I'm praying for a shorter process.

It feels unreal that we are being sent travel information. It really hit me today that this is FOR REAL!!! We are going to China!!!
Still not 100% decided whether to take the entire family or not. We need to get the kids passports expedited   because they need to start the process of getting visas for all who will be flying.

Our agency is AMAZING!! They take care of every little detail. And walk us through every single process we are unsure about. We have nothing but Good to say about them for the 2 yrs we have been working with them!! 

I found this note written by Karilee . As you can tell, even they are dreaming about our big upcoming trip!

So much to start preparing for! 

We pray daily that God will tenderly prepare "Javonn" for the drastic events that are about to rock his little world. I am praying that God even gives him dreams of us so that when he see's us we wont be terrifying strangers but instead he will have a subconscious (supernatural) feeling of "I've seen these people before.. I know them!!" God is so tender... I know he will tenderly carry him and us, through this process.

Disappointing news

So we have been waiting...and waiting, hoping and praying that every day we will hear that China issued our RA (Referral Acceptance) for the little guy we are hoping to adopt.
Our immigration packet has long been ready and waiting...  to stick in the mail the day we get the RA. We "thought" that the I800 (immigration) would be our last biggest wait time...that is, until today...

Perplexed why its taking so long we call our agency. What we were told was a bit of information we did NOT want to hear! How we missed this tidbit of additional facts, I dont know, But neither Steve or I recalled hearing about it so it came as quite a shock when we were told that oh actually, we are still waiting for our dossier to be translated, and by the way, that takes THREE to FOUR MONTHS!!

You have got to be kidding!!! I tried hard to hold back the tears! This is such a disappointing news.  I seriously felt like having a hissy fit like my 2 yr old does when things dont go the way she planned.

Ok. Take a deep breath ES! (Quite a few in fact!) Somewhere deep inside, underneath all the disappointment, I know the truth that God is in control, and His timing will be perfect.

So how things are looking... Our dossier was Logged in (LID) November 28. That means it arrived safely and is logged into their system. From that date they expect it to take 3-4 months to get it translated.(please dont ask me why it takes that long to translate!!!) After that they will review it and since our EA (Electronic Acceptance) is already there & we already have requested a specific child they should issue our RA within a week of review.

THEN..............when the long awaited RA arrives we send off our I800 and that typically takes 10 wks.
So with this additional waiting they said our projected travel time would likely be June or July, instead of April as we had been gearing towards.
I will continue to pray every day that God's favor will speed the process. I dont want to  run ahead of God's perfect timing, but "IF" increased waiting is just a bunch of politics and man made red tape than I know my God, who parted the red sea, is also able to part the "red seas" of red tape, mountains of paperwork and endless months of waiting that the devil loves to use as a tool to prevent children from entering God loving homes.
Thank you Jesus that you defend the weak, the helpless. And the You, Lord, set the solitary in families.
As I continue to wait, I long for my heart to be broken in deeper measures for the things that break His. To really learn everything He wants me to learn in this season.

Blessed Holidays!

December 27 marked the 3 year anniversary of the day precious Jadrian was welcomed into the arms of Jesus. It was a bittersweet day for us. Oh the dam of memories and emotions that come flooding like a river! I think I felt some emotions stronger yesterday than I did the day he passed when I was numb, and God was so graciously carrying us. God's gift of healing is a beautiful thing. I am forever grateful for the impact this sweet son had on my life! After the torrent of tears were over I could truly rejoice again for him....and the incredible blessing he has to be in the presence of Jesus! Some days I long to be able to join him.

Some day I will!

Until then, it is an HONOR to remember his life, and to strive to live life to the FULLEST until sweet reunion day!

This year we started a new family tradition that the children all loved. We had a Bethlehem Dinner on Christmas Eve.

 Eating what Joseph and Mary may have eaten transports us to a different time and experience, and keeps us more mindful of our Savior's birth. It also makes a meaningful prelude to reading the chapter in Luke.

You can create a very simple supper or a more elaborate experience.
Here's some ideas:
*Play instrumental music.
*Dress up in robes and sandals, pretending you are travelers at an inn in Bethlehem.
*Set the scene with oil lamps, simple pottery or wooden dishes, candles (no electric lights).
*Have guests wash their hands in a large bowl with a pitcher of water before eating. At our house, daddy washes each child's hands in a bowl while praying over them and they then go sit down.
*Sit on the floor on blankets or pillows and use a low table for the food. We spread the tablecloth right on the floor and eat.
* read the Christmas story during this time.

Here are some menu ideas to choose from:
Flatbread~Hummus~Fish~Chicken~Goat cheese (called "feta")~Olives`Raw veggie tray
Cheese and cracker platter~Pomegranates~Braided Jewish bread~Grape juice / wine
Grapes~Tomato and cucumber salad~Soup~Dates and figs~Orange slices

Contented sigh.....we had such a beautiful peaceful Christmas! We couldnt help but wish China treasure were home with us, and different times one of us would comment that "next Christmas little brother should be here with us"

Speaking of China treasure.... AAHHH!! (mini vent!) the waiting is getting soOoOo long and frustrating!!! We havent heard one word about if they have locked his file yet and we are past the approximate time frame they had given.
In HIS time...in HIS time!!!! It feels like we have been forgotten.....but we declare God is working in ways we cannot see yet.

So precious watching Kianna's delight and excitement with her gift this year.

After the ice storm the kids have been having so much fun in the icy shrubs. A lot of them are old thorn trees and this is the only time you could call them beautiful! They begged me to come tour their village..... this is the sign that welcomed us :) 

It was so much fun! I was so glad I went to the work to get Kianna & I all bundled up. It was so icy on the big rock we didnt need any sleds. Just sit and ...WHOOSH!!!! I doubt I sledded in ten years! And yes, I screamed the whole way down!

Oh the joys of winter land! That awesome feeling of coming into a warm house with red stinging cheeks!

The Winter sunsets are so breathtaking. Thankful a thousand times over for our beautiful view!!