A Promise . . .

This morning I took a look at yet another adoption travel blog . . . The family left for China yesterday and will receive their beautiful seven year old daughter, Gwendylan, this week. Their dossier was logged in on December 6th, two days after ours. They received their Letter of Acceptance on February 6th, after 66 days of waiting. . .

Today we are on day 116 of our wait. As I sat looking at the other family's blog and pondering our own situation, I began to do a bit of sulking. I also went to the calender and began counting days to figure out the "what ifs". . . Bryce graduates from Tech School in Spokane on June 6th, and then is allowed one week of leave directly following his graduation. . . "what if" China doesn't hurry up? His daddy has full intention of being at Bryce's graduation, again "what if"? I have full intention of seeing my boy come home on leave and meet his new sister "what if" China doesn't hurry up? I want all of my birds in my nest the second week of June, my soldier bird and my China bird included . . . I have a schedule China, do you not understand?

It was at this "feeling sorry for my doubtful self" point that I sat back down at my computer to finish reading the travel blog. God directed my eyes to the right side bar where the blog author had placed a Bible verse . . . a promise if you will!

And this is what I read ~

"For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late." Habakkuk2:3

Wow . . . it will not be late, hmmmm . . .

And this is how The Message Bible says it ~

And then God answered: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time. Habakkuk 2:3

Does God have me figured out or what? He knows exactly what I need, right when I need it. Thank you Lord!

I will write it in big block letters . . .

MY LOA WILL COME. IT'S ON ITS WAY. IT WILL COME RIGHT ON TIME . . . OUR TRAVEL APROVAL WILL COME . . . RIGHT ON TIME . . . AND WE WILL GO TO CHINA . . . RIGHT ON TIME!

Thank you Lord for your promise, your Word is true!

Blessings~

T~

Photo courtesy of Flickr:Creative Commons

Celebrating Katie!

Who is Katie? Katie's Chinese name is Zhu Hai Shun and she is twelve, soon to be thirteen years old! I do believe that this girl has the most beautiful smile in all of China! Katie is a big sister to Zhu Fu Xiao, my Teddi . . . and to Zhu Min Bao (soon to be Isabelle) both pictured above. The girls all live together in the same orphanage, Katie helps the nannies care for the little ones each day after she returns from school.

I am blessed to belong to an Internet Yahoo Group of Zhuhai Adoptees, where we share life together as parents of children from Zhuhai . . . . We are a family of sorts, because of our children's heritage. This is how I met my friend Tracy, and so the story goes . . .

Tracy is Katie's mama, and Tracy got her Travel Approval today. Katie is coming home!! Katie is getting her very own MOM and DAD for her thirteenth birthday! She will remain a big sister, but this time it will be to Keira and Kayli, her new little sisters in Florida . . . she will gain two older brothers as well. The best part is, it's forever! Katie knows all about her new family and has written them letters asking them to please hurry to get her, and now her time has finally come!

Can you imagine waiting thirteen years for a family? We complain about how long the adoption process takes and it is nothing compared to a lifetime of waiting. The orphanage where our girls reside only began doing international adoptions a couple of years ago, up until then as far as I know, there was no prospect of leaving. Last fall a group of eleven older girls from the orphanage began to say their good byes . . . One by one having bravely chosen to leave everything they know behind, for the opportunity to become beloved members of a family. Katie has watched nine of her sisters leave. Audrey Hai Ping the last of the eleven will follow closely behind her friend Katie. Audrey's mama waits faithfully with me for her Letter of Acceptance from China. Little Isabelle's mama also waits to bring her sweet babe home. Our time will come . . . but today we celebrate Katie, because Katie is coming home!!

Thank you Katie for your loving care of your little sisters and brothers in Zhuhai. Kiss my Teddi for me, and know that I look forward to the day that you will see each other again as sisters who have finally become daughters!

Blessings~

T~

Peace and Victory

This is my Teddi girl last June. The picture was taken just two days after we said "yes" to her adoption . . .

In the U.S. this is the sign for peace, in China the sign for victory. . . tonight they both describe my heart. Our paperwork glitch is resolved! Victory is ours, peace reigns once again.

The CCAA has realized their error. . . our missing money has been found, our Letter of Acceptance has been processed. Hopefully it will leave China by weeks end, and be in the U.S. by next week!

Thank you Lord! Thank you to all who prayed on our behalf, we are so grateful.

We are getting closer sweet girl . . . day by day.

Lord, please keep your hand upon our baby, and help us to get to her as quickly as possible. Keep her healthy and strong, and help her not to be afraid. Bless her nannies and her friends . . . and all the children who wait for families to call their own. Amen

With a thankful heart ~

T~

His Eye Is On the Sparrow

We have suffered a setback in our adoption journey . . .

Today, on day 112, of waiting for our LOA (Letter of Acceptance) from China we were notified by our agency that we have a glitch. Most families seem to be waiting in the 80-90 day time frame, so when we hit 100 days of waiting on March 13th we began to inquire as to whether there might be a problem . . . Twelve days later we have received an answer. The China Center of Adoption Affairs, or the CCAA, has responded to our agency's inquiry saying that they did not receive our payment with our dossier (in December) therefore it was not "processed". Thankfully our agency has confirmation from the bank showing that the money they wired (our money) was indeed received by the CCAA. Not only that but our money was wired along with another family's payment . . . and that family has already traveled to bring home their child. That news is a bit hard to take.

Our agency's China rep is working on the problem while we pray for a speedy resolution. We hope to have an update in the next day or two . . . In the meantime God has used the simplest of his creation to once again minister to my heart. I have always loved birds, especially sparrows. . . I'm not sure why, they are very plain little birds--at least the variety I grew up with in Michigan. I must say the ones here in Texas are quite plain too, and no offense to you Texans, but they aren't any bigger here either! Sparrows are small and simple, maybe that's why I like them . . . they also seem to be very resilient little creatures. The Bible makes many mention of sparrows and assures us that not one sparrow falls that our Lord does not know about. How's that for reassurance of His perfect watchcare over us? For whatever reason I have a love of sparrows, it's the way God made me . . .

This evening my dear Taylor offered to take her little brother out for pizza and game room games at the pizza place where big brother Brady works. This meant Bryan and I got a night out . . . and a chance to regroup from the days events. The weather was nice enough for us to sit and eat Chinese outside, on the patio of Pei Wei (sorry to those of you who still have snow). We had the whole patio to ourselves, Bryan and I . . . and one tiny sparrow. Just after we sat down a flock of five or six sparrows (does that make a flock?) buzzed through the patio and right past our table. About two minutes later I looked down and one sparrow had returned. It landed less than three feet from me, cocked it's cute little sparrow head and looked right at me. To anyone else it probably would have been just a bird. Yet, I knew differently . . . this bird was on a mission. My little sparrow friend stayed nearly the entire meal . . . I shared bits of crispy won ton, and she shared hope with me!

God does indeed "speak" to us . . . There were no words today, there was no need for words. In a way that only God can do He sent a sparrow. A tiny, plain little bird. A bird that He knows is special to my heart. A bird to reassure me that He has His eye on my littlest bird, in China . . . and that everything is going to be all right.

Blessings~

T~

His Eye Is On The Sparrow (verses 2 & 3)


"Let not your heart be troubled," His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Writer~ Civilla D. Martin
Composer ~ Charles H. Gabriel
1905

Sparrow pic (and some others) courtesy of Flykr: Creative Commons

My little man is four!

This was yesterday's post -- but I lost Internet connection last night while trying to publish so it is now a day behind . . .

Four years ago today I did something a little unusual for a 41 year old woman . . . . . I gave birth. For record keeping and testing purposes my pregnancy was immediately labeled AMA. I was of Advanced Maternal Age, or as I preferred to call myself an "amma mama". Statistics said this made me, and my unborn child, likely candidates for complications . . . but God blessed me with a healthy pregnancy, and He blessed us with a healthy, strapping baby boy! Brogan means "strong and sturdy", and that he was!

Brogan Elijah Winder arrived at 9:22 p.m. smack dab on his due date, March 23, 2004. A beautiful 9 lb. 8 oz. baby boy with blue eyes and blond peach fuzz hair. Our miracle baby, the blessing of a successful vasectomy reversal. The doctors told us our chances at a successful vas-reverse were slim, Bryan had recently turned 40 (strike one), and the vasectomy that they were about to "undo" was past the ten year mark (strike two) making it even less likely to "work". I am thankful that we do not serve a God of chance or statistics and that Our Creator planned for this little man to be a part of our family before time began! Needless to say the reversal did what a reversal is supposed to do!

Four years later I still have to pinch myself at this unbelievable gift . . . Each night I tip toe in to check on my sleeping boy, I lean down and kiss his sweet head and I breathe him in . . . and as I leave his room my heart overflows in a simple prayer of thankfulness to the Lord.

Our Brogie is a much loved little brother who thinks the world revolves around his three older siblings. He waits ever so patiently for his beloved "Teddi Girl", knowing that as soon as she arrives, he too, will be a "big" brother like the two big brothers he looks up to—way up to!

Brogie has the key to his big sister Taylor’s heart and she would do (and pretty much does) anything for him. They are a precious pair! Brogie has his sister's blue eyes and her tender heart. As he prays daily for "Teddi and her friends" and for "the kids who don't have houses and mommies and daddies" my heart swells with love for this little man.

Two days ago he bounced into my room asking to use my bathroom, "cause some one's in mine" he said. (Like he thinks he has his own bathroom, too funny). As he stood in my bathroom taking his leak, he called out to me, "Mama". . . . me, "What baby?" He answered, (while still peeing), "You are the best mama in the whole wide world." To which I replied, (while smiling to myself), "You are the best almost four year old in the whole wide world" and he giggled.

Last night I kissed my three year old goodnight, this morning I woke up to "the best four year old in the whole wide world."

Happy Birthday Brogan! I love you my little man, and I am so thankful to be your mama!


Blessings~

T~

Birthday pictures to follow soon . . . I have a new camera and am still figuring it out. On another note . . . can anyone tell me how to do photos and text combined? I can only get my photos at the top of my text and I don't want them all piled up . . . Blogger friends can you assist?

He is Risen!

He is risen, indeed!

Thank you Jesus for the cross.

Oh where would I be without you?

You suffered and died that I might live . . .

Forgiven and free.

I am blessed beyond all measure!

Thank you Jesus for the cross.

Blessed Easter everyone!

T~

Kindness and my mama . . .

I just want to say hello to my mama who is reading my blog from Florida (by the way she is not an elephant). My mom doesn't have a computer, but she does have a dear neighbor who has allowed me to send my blog link so that my mom can see my blog. Thank you Joyce for your kindness!


You know, KIND is huge in my book. My mom taught us (myself, my younger sister and two younger brothers) to always be kind. Kind to one another . . . kind to our friends and our neighbors, kind to strangers . . . kind to people like us and to people not like us, and to all living things. . . always. From as far back as I can remember kindness wasn't an option--it was our way of life. Obviously, growing up with three siblings we weren't always kind to one another . . . but when we weren't kind, we heard about it.


Today my own family went to the theatre and watched Dr. Seuss' "Horton Hears a Who" together. For those of you who might need a refresher, Horton the elephant hears voices coming from a speck of dust and he sets about to "save the speck" which turns out to be the planet of Who-ville and it's entire population. Horton is ridiculed by many in the jungle, they don't hear the voices, nor do they see anything but a speck. Despite this Horton gives his ALL to save the speck and it's people . . . it isn't easy, and Horton temporarily loses his dignity, and nearly his life. In the end Horton wins . . . the planet is saved, Horton's jungle friends respect him, and the town of Who-ville loves him! Why? Because Horton was KIND! He showed love to strangers, to those different from himself. Horton got it! And good 'ol Horton probably had an elephant mama who got it too!


Thank you mom, for teaching us from babes that kindness matters. Thank you for living what you taught. I love you!

Blessings!

T~

"Be kind to one another." Ephesians 4:32

Waiting Faithfully

"Hope" is
the thing with feathers --

That perches in the soul --

And sings the tune

without the words--

And never stops --

at all.

Emily Dickinson

It is now day 105 on our wait for our Letter of Acceptance from China (we are well beyond the "average" wait) . . . I wish I could say that I have been singing all day . . . but my mama taught me a long time ago that not telling the truth isn't an option. So I will admit that most of my day was more pity party than pretty singing. Tonight I flipped my daily calender (a bit behind--how ironic) and I found this beautiful quote. . . God truly does know my thoughts, and once again He has given me a gentle reminder to not give up hope. He has my littlest bird in the palm of His hand. Everything is going to be all right.

Blessings~

T~

Looking for someone?

A couple of months ago I was sifting through some of my old snapshots (you know, the ones that should all be neatly filed in boxes or better yet artistically displayed in scrapbooks . . . it's not happening here) anyway, I came across this picture of Bryan and Brogan. Why did I take such a picture you ask? I'm not sure . . . Brogie was mesmerized by the globe and was using his little hand to spin it around. I remember making some sort of "world traveler" comment . . . he is a military brat after all . . . and then I took a picture. Do you see what I see? China. Brogan was about four months old when this was taken, which means that Teddi was in her China mommy's tummy at the time.

Teddi, we have been looking for you for a very long time baby girl, and soon we will meet you on your side of the globe. I can't wait!

Blessings,

T~

My heart is full . . .

Today (technically it was yesterday, I'm just up really late . . . again) I made a post to my Zhuhai Yahoo group that said, "Celebrating 100 days"! I mean really, it is an accomplishment and what else is one to do? I did admit to them that I was being a bit sarcastic, and feeling a bit cranky, but who knew what the day held? Well of course the Lord did, the same Lord who promised me His peace yesterday . . . peace to settle my nerves, fill my mind . . . and flood my spirit!

And what a peaceful day it turned out to be . . . we did not get our long awaited LOA, but I was blessed in so many other ways. My boys let me sleep way in and I woke up to find my 16 year old and my nearly four year old enjoying breakfast together, prepared by Mr. 16--a sweet sight to my well rested eyes! The morning was productive and pleasant, and everyone was kind to one another. This afternoon my dear friend (and neighbor) came bearing gifts, to celebrate my 100th day! Who knew? The gifts in and of themselves would have been special enough, but if you know Mellisa's story it's even more meaningful . . . she has been waiting for a very long time (and I mean long time) to bring her waiting daughter home from Mongolia. Melissa brought me two of the cutest outfits for Miss Teddi, and a beautiful heart shaped glass pendant on a silk cord . . . The heart pendant itself is clear glass, with swirls of different colors contained within . . . it's a full heart! Melissa, you are a joy!

To top off my celebration another family from our Zhuhai group who had been waiting 100 days for their PA (pre-approval from China) received it today! For those of you unfamiliar with Chinese adoption, you must have pre-approval in writing from China (when adopting a special needs child) before you can send your dossier to China. Waiting 100 days for PA is way beyond the norm. Long story short this means that Teddi's little friend Isabelle is now officially matched with her waiting family and the adoption process can proceed! Congratulations Caroline! I was happy and relieved to hear this news . . . more cause for celebration!

Many of you have been praying for me (for us) as this wait goes on. Please know that your prayers are being heard by a God who loves and cares for every detail of my life. Just look at my day . . . my heart is full! Thank you for your prayers.

It is now officially Day 101 and I can say, "It is well with my soul, it is well!"

Blessings!

T~

One Hundred Days

I so hoped that the wait for our LOA would never hit the 100 day mark, but here we are on March 13, 2008 . . . exactly 100 days since our log in date of December 4, 2007. I just flipped my daily calender and this is the quote for today --

"Peace with God brings the peace of God. It is a peace that settles our nerves, fills our mind, floods our spirit, and in the midst of the uproar around us, gives us the assurance that everything is all right." --Bob Mumford

Thank you Lord for the reassurance that everything is all right and Teddi's time will come!

I found this letter a few days ago . . . I wrote it exactly ten months ago today on May 13th, 2007


To my Teddi,

Where are you my girl? It’s Mother’s Day 2007, and I am so very blessed as a mom, but a piece of my “mother’s heart” is still missing. I have been waiting for you for so long now my sweet girl. I have been praying about you for eight long years. It seems like a very long time to me! Much has gone on in those eight years, your big brothers Bryce and Brady and your sister Taylor have nearly grown up! And your brother Brogan was born three years ago, but one thing has never changed, and that is my yearning to find you and bring you home to us!

I felt the Lord speak to my heart on February 13th of this year; He told me that you were on your way! My heart leaped! Yesterday, May 12th I believe that He said “Yes” to us coming to China to get you! Right now I don’t know how old you are, or even where you are. I don’t know how we will make the way to China, but I do know that God’s promises are TRUE, and that He will make the way! After all He promised you to me, to us, to our family. I know it seems a very complicated way to start your life, but please know that in my heart I have loved you since the day you were born! I can only pray that you are cared for and happy, and that someone is kissing your soft cheeks, while you wait for us to come get you! I pray that God will hold you gently in His care until I can find you and bring you home. I dream of the day you will read this, and I pray that you will know that I was meant to be your mama, that it was always God’s plan for you to be a part of this family.

We are missing you; we are looking for you and praying for you. And some day soon we will hold you close, and you will be our girl. Our Theadora, our “Teddi” girl, our “Gift from God”, because His word is TRUE!

I love you baby girl,

Your Mama

Oh sweet girl, we have found you! And we are so close, so very, very close . . .

T~

I feel overdue . . .

. . . it has been exactly nine months today (Tuesday, March 11) since I saw Teddi's face for the first time. On June 11, 2007, I opened an email from rainbowkids.com that contained this precious picture of Teddi. She was listed as "Zoe" as is common with "waiting children" lists --to protect her identity. Upon making a phone call to her agency we learned that her Chinese name was Fu Xiao, and within 24 hours the "paperchase" for our girl had begun! Nine months ago this sweet face was conceived in my heart . . . I am officially "overdue"!

One more little tidbit . . .

The name Theadora means "Gift of God".
Yesterday this was the scripture on my daily calender that sits here on my desk, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:7

I know that God's timing is perfect and in His time, his gift to us will come home! In the meantime I will wait . . . just like I did with my other four babies--it may just take a bit longer this time around. . . and that's okay, I can do it.

We love you sweet girl, and we will hold you soon!

Blessings~

T~

Ninety-six days . . .

. . . and the wait goes on! It is written, "In all things give thanks" . . . so I will be thankful for 96 days down . . . knowing that this wait for our Letter of Acceptance from China should be drawing to a close! Thank you baby Brogie for helping me to express my feelings!

Part of me is sooooooo ready to go, and the other part of me is kind of like the look in Brogan's eyes . . . Yikes! God's timing is perfect, and with His help I will be completely ready to go get my girl! Bring on our LOA . . . . pleeeeeeeeeeease!

Somewhere over the rainbow . . .

In January we mailed a small care package to Teddi. The most important item contained in that package was a little pink photo album full of pictures. There were pictures of us, our home (including Teddi's bedroom and bed), and also some of Teddi. These pictures would be Teddi's introduction to us, her family. I wanted a picture to include in the album that would put all of us "together" some how for Teddi's sake . . . so Taylor and I created the rainbow picture above.

You see-- Teddi is our "rainbow girl" . . . before we found Teddi I spent many a late night on the Internet . . . researching adoption agencies, looking at adoption listings . . . and reading anything having to do with adoption. One night I came across a site called rainbowkids.com. Rainbow Kids advocates for waiting children from all over, they send out lists from various agencies to get these children's faces out there to be seen . . . At some point I typed in my email address in order to get on a mailing list (little did I know). I believe this was on a Friday night. The following Monday morning I received my first email from RainbowKids--in it were pictures of "waiting children" in Eastern Europe. About two hours later I received another email, this email contained pictures of "waiting children" in China. Guess whose face I saw? Yep! Our Teddi girl! It was a tiny picture, and an older one at that, she was probably only around a year old in the photo, although at the time she would have already turned two. I told Bryan about her as soon as he walked in the door from work (no time to waste) and we made the decision to call the agency right then to find out more about her . . . the rest is history. On Monday we saw her face for the first time, and on Tuesday morning we called the agency back and said, "YES" to pursuing her adoption! We had found our pot of gold! She was in a distant land, and heaps of paperwork lay between us, but bit by bit, the paperwork would become a bridge to our girl. Were there clouds? You bet! Immigrations forms that we thought would never come . . . complications with fingerprint appointments . . . the list goes on. Along with that we prayed many prayers for patience . . . and they were answered. With the clouds and rain came sun . . . all of the necessary ingredients for a perfect rainbow!

As I was posting the picture above I found myself trying to sing these words . . . Somewhere over the rainbow . . .hmmmmmm, hmmm, hm . . . at which point I decided I should look up the lyrics, and boy did they bless my heart!

Over The Rainbow

(Arlen-Harburg)

Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high

There's a land that I heard of

Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow

Skies are blue

And the dreams that you dare to dream

Really do come true

Some day I'll wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far behind me

Where troubles melt like lemondrops

Away above the chimney tops

That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow

Bluebirds fly

Birds fly over the rainbow

Why then, oh why can't I?

Some day I'll wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far behind me

Where troubles melt like lemondrops

Away above the chimney tops

That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow

Bluebirds fly

Birds fly over the rainbow

Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly

Beyond the rainbow

Why, oh why can't I?

Some day soon my little bird is going to fly over the rainbow . . .

and dreams that we all dared to dream really are going to come true!

T~

Theadora waits . . .

I belong to an Internet Yahoo Group made up of families who have adopted, or are waiting to adopt a child from Zhuhai City Social Welfare Institute, better known as Zhuhai SWI . . .Teddi's orphanage. We are a close knit bunch that share not only the common bond of adoption, but the adoption of a child who had "sisters" and "brothers" in China. . . our bond is this link, our children's orphanage "family". Our most recent picture of Teddi ("Teddi turns three!" in the sidebar) was taken by my friend Sue who just traveled to China to bring home her nine year old daughter from Zhuhai. On their visit to the SWI Sue pleaded to see the "waiting" children and she snapped this most precious photograph for me. (Sue you know you blessed my heart!) The picture below was taken by another member of our group when she was in China to adopt her daughter in 2006. Teddi was about 18 months old. I am forever grateful for my Zhuhai group, and all that we share . . . including precious photographs. These photos contain moments captured in time . . . moments of Teddi's baby and toddlerhood that we have missed . . . they do my heart much good!

Theadora waits . . .

We hold on to hope found in photos,
We long to touch her sweet face.

We eat and sleep and breathe worlds apart,
Yet there is a bond . . . a bond created by God.

She is ours and we are hers,
And in time the wait will be over. . .

We will eat and sleep and breathe together,
We will love and laugh and grow together.

And the bond that held us over the seas,
Will grow daily . . .

When the “wait” is over.

I love you my baby girl . . .

~ Your Mama

The Waiting Game . . .

We are on day 92 of our "100 Day Wait"! If you are unfamiliar with Special Needs adoption, you may wonder what that means. To back up even further . . . Teddi is considered "special needs" by China's standards because she was born with a cleft lip and palate. Her lip was repaired when she was six months old, her palate remains open and will require surgery (or a series of surgeries once we get her home). Now, back to "the wait" . . . When we began Teddi's adoption last June, we spent several months compiling documents. We were fingerprinted and checked out by the FBI, had medical check-ups (the whole family), security clearances were done, letters of recommendation were written (thank you friends) . . . . we proved our net worth, and we had a homestudy visit with a social worker ONE week after moving into our new house! We took passport pictures and we went through adoption education classes . . . and we became best friends with the mailman as he delivered the much awaited documents--one at a time! This was our adoption "paperchase". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . it was a mighty long chase!

To sum things up . . . we have jumped through many a hoop to prove to China that we truly desire to adopt one of her children. So what are we waiting for? Well, by the time we had gotten every single box checked off on the "collection of things it takes to adopt from China" list, we had accumulated an important stack of papers better known as our dossier! Our dossier was sent off, and upon its arrival in China was logged into the database of the China Center of Adoption Affairs, or the CCAA. We then received an official "log in" date of December 4, 2007. Typically in a special needs adoption you wait about 100 days from your log in date (LID) to receiving your Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from China. The LOA is a letter (obviously) that asks us, "Do you still desire to adopt this child?" Ummm . . . YES! We do!


Given that today is the end of day 92 we should be receiving a call from our agency any day saying that our LOA has arrived. They will send the letter to us, we will sign it and Fed Ex it back, they will send it quickly back to China . . . and then we will begin our final wait . . . for travel approval! We're getting ready to meet our sweet girl, hold on Teddi.

Blessings~

Tina

I have a blog!

I never thought it would happen . . . and if it weren't for a certain sixteen year old boy who knows his way around a computer, it never would have. Thank you Brady for staying up late with me to make my hopes of blogging a reality . . .

Where to begin? I am a military wife of nearly 24 years, married to my high school sweetheart, Bryan, who is a Chief Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. I am so proud of of my husband! We have been blessed with four biological children and we are waiting to bring our three year old daughter home from China.

Bryce is our firstborn, and will turn 22 in May. He flew the nest a year ago to follow his dad's footsteps into the Air Force. He is currently stationed in Spokane, Washington where he is training to be a Survival Instructor. Bryce is my "strong, determined" bird. Our daughter, Taylor will soon turn 20. She is still in the nest, although "perched on the edge" would probably be a better description. Taylor is in her sophomore year of college and is working toward a degree in Elementary Education. Taye is my "sensitive, caring" bird. (She is also my "thank you Lord for a girl" bird)! Brady is 16, homeschooled, and is also learning to drive . . . you might say we are full fledged into daily flying lessons together. Brady is my "comic relief " bird . . . non-stop! Then came Brogan, almost four . . . our "come along lately, yet not a surprise" bird. Brogie is a joy and keeps things lighthearted and giggly around here like only a child can do, he is our extra blessing. That brings me to our little China bird, Zhu Fu Xiao, soon to be Theadora Fu Xiao . . . our Teddi girl! Teddi turned three on January 5th in an orphanage in Zhuhai City, China . . . . her last birthday without a mommy and daddy. I began praying for this little bird eight years ago when the Lord planted the seed of adoption in my heart . . . that seed has now bloomed into a beautiful reality. We wait faithfully for the day that we will hold Teddi in our arms and bring her to our nest . . . the place that will be her home sweet forever, home!

This is My Blessed Nest!

Blessings~

Tina