Wherever God leads...

Chinese New Year

2012-01-23T22:55:00.001-05:00

We had dinner at a local Chinese restaurant who were so thrilled we dined with them that they gave us a discount! Woohoo! The boys insisted on wearing their silks for dinner. Who am I to argue? Please enjoy the pic of our clan! Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

Christmas and beyond

2012-01-10T21:22:00.000-05:00

Christmas was wonderful. Everyone enjoyed all of their gifts and Sophie loved the wrapping paper. We were also able to have our first "gathering" at our new home. We hosted Christmas dinner with our wonderful friends who are so much like family.

We all enjoyed the Christmas break, although Sophie seems to still suffer from a bit of the crud and both Scott and my Mom have been sick. Scott and I rang in the New Year as we have the past few years, asleep! With five children now there is no way we will ever be up at midnight!!

All of the boys are playing basketball through Upward. Three of the four love it. Shepherd, not so much. The crowds are just a bit much for my little guy. We will keep trying as he does ok at practice but we will not force it. He has a wonderful coach (a dear friend of ours) who is just "letting it ride" and having fun.

Life is good but we feel there are some changes for our family on the horizon. We are praying for direction and guidance from our Lord so that we continue to follow His plan for our lives.

As always, pics are below.

On the 7th day of Christmas....

2011-12-19T20:07:00.000-05:00

my true love gave to me....

a double ear infection and the croup! Yep, that's right ladies and gentlemen, the girl who always looks like this has been sick with one of the worst ear infections our pediatrician has ever seen. We knew she had to be tough to have four older brothers, but, whew, this girl is REALLY TOUGH!

Tomorrow is our court date where we readopt ALL of the children at the same time. We will swear in front of a judge to love and protect them for the rest of our lives. The boys are excited about the judge part...they think he is like a policeman and will have a gun I think :0) Samuel is excited because we told him he will have to promise too. Please say a prayer for us tomorrow at 9am.

The littles had a Christmas recital last week which was super cute and we finally decorated the tree. Believe it or not...ALL of our shopping has been done for a week! Although I will admit shopping for five children is a bit of a marathon sport it was fun to try and get them both the things they wanted and the things they need. We opted for Santa bags this year to cut down on the shaking and the competition of counting who got how many and guessing who got what. So far, all the presents have remained intact...even dear Scott's who is dying to know what we got him.

We are also blessed to live in a totally cool and loving neighborhood. Over the last three nights we have been visited by a different neighbor bringing the joy of the season and some baked goodies too. We have also received some beautiful ornaments for our tree. I must admit, I have missed being in a neighborhood. The boys and I will be baking tomorrow!!

I will close by sharing some pics of our tree decorating and the boys recital. We wish all of you a most glorious Christmas and the most spectacular New Year!! God is so good!!

**turning comments back on...will not go private until after the new year. Please send me an email at sheilarm29@yahoo.com if you would like to follow!

Christmas ornament

2011-11-30T19:07:00.000-05:00

Several of you have asked about our ornament. I purchased it at a Hallmark store of all places. It is a white house with a red roof. The chimney has 2011 and a small heart hangs from beneath the house with inscription I mentioned earlier. I will post a pic soon!

Going Private

2011-11-28T21:03:00.000-05:00

We have decided to make our blog private. Our adventures of traveling around the world seem to be over for now and the adventure of living is just beginning. We plan to maintain the blog for our friends and family who are not able to watch our children grow up close. Our adoption journey has been an eye opening experience like no other and has strengthened our faith in God and in ourselves. This weekend I purchased a Christmas ornament which said it all... "Forever Family 2011...held together with love". We are complete and ever so lucky to be the parents of these amazing children. Thank you God for giving us the strength to step out on faith.

Please leave a comment with your email address if you would like to receive an invitation to follow our blog once it goes private. I will disable the comments so your address will not be posted. Thank you so much for following our journey.

S7

At long last....a post

2011-11-25T20:06:00.000-05:00

Life has been busy, but fabulous!! Today we are celebrating 3 weeks in our new home. We still do not know what to do with all the room...the yard sale and donation piles are growing as we refuse to "clutter" it up too much. The boys are loving life with their own upstairs "wing" complete with playroom and bathroom just for them. Sophie is next to Mama and Baba which is perfect for us. Our country mouse side was fulfilled with our 1.4 acres with no chance of anyone building behind us and the city mouse loves the fact that we can walk or bike to town with sidewalks the whole way. We have celebrated 2 birthdays (Scott turned...old, and Simon turned 9) and Thanksgiving and are gearing up for Christmas.

The boys are still doing wonderfully and have enjoyed Mama being off work. Baba is also home more now so family dinners are a nightly occurrence. Sophie still amazes us with how easily she has adapted. No matter how long she has been with us, we still look at her in awe that God gave us this blessing. 98% of the time she is an absolute dream so I can definitely deal with the 2% crabby some times. She has gained 3lbs and is dying to walk even though she is still now crawling. I have to start back to work next week which is giving me the Mama blues. But, I only work 4 days a week and have only 3 weeks until Christmas break. I have found a nice lady to watch Sophie 2 days per week and Mom will watch her the other 2 days. I am praying she knows this is not a "new mom" or a new family. I feel she is attached to me and seeks me out but I am still apprehensive. Prayers to ease the transition would be appreciated over the next week.

Now that I have a new laptop (thanks to Hubby and Black Friday), I am able to upload/download pics so prepare to be overrun with absolute cuteness!

"Homeless"

2011-11-01T14:00:00.000-04:00

Well, it's official...we are homeless. We sold our house last Friday and packed everything into 2 UHaul's (big uns) and my husbands car, oh and today my husband borrowed his Mom's flatbed to get the rest of the outside stuff. A local church as been kind enough to let us park on their lot while we wait to close on the new house which we are really hoping is tomorrow. We are currently staying with my mom in her little apartment. She has been so gracious to allow her grandchildren to "take over" but we are ready to be back in our own home so we can finally spread out!

Things are going wonderfully with Sophie! The boys are all doing really well, especially Samuel who is totally smitten with his new sis. She has adjusted beautifully with really no issues to speak of. She sleeps through most nights but may wake up to take a bottle then goes back to sleep. Our peds appointment was great. She is small (15.5lbs) but she is very smart and has made great developmental strides just since coming home. The care center took wonderful care of her but there are so many babies there waiting to come home it is difficult for them to get a whole lot of individual attention. Here, Sophie has a mom, dad, memaw, and four older brothers to love on her...not to mention all of our family and friends. Thank you again for all of your prayers and well wishes. They have truly been a blessing. We are comforted to know our family is complete...at least for now. God has given us a sense of peace and we look forward to our new normal.

Now, on to what you really want to see...pics of all of the kiddos!!

Home!!!

2011-10-15T19:49:00.003-04:00

We are home!! We are now a family of SEVEN!! More to come later but we are all exhausted and in the midst of transitioning to this new normal. Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes.

Sheila

Freaky Friday

2011-10-07T21:22:00.000-04:00

God has a plan. One day I will accept this pre planning instead of post planning.

Life is hectic right now. We are still packing duffles for the trip to Addis. We received lots of donations from friends and family plus our agency purchased over 30 cans of powder formula for the influx of malnurished infants. We are so happy we can help but trying to get everything packed and keeping within the weight limits is a wee bit of a challenge.

We are happy we will be traveling in a couple of days but continue to pray for all the other families still waiting, especially those we had the pleasure of meeting. We plan to take lots of pictures so they can see there little ones!

On the home front, we have been blessed to have a contract on our house and have been inspected and appraised to every one's satisfaction. And, as of today, we have a contract on a new house which will hold our new large brood. We are hoping everything goes as planned so that we can celebrate Halloween in our new neighborhood.

We appreciate all of your prayers and have been uplifted through all of the trials we have experienced over the last couple of months. We will not have reliable Internet access in Ethiopia but comments are still welcome and prayers are especially needed as we travel and leave our little men behind.

God bless!
S7

Happy, glorious, uplifting, exciting, terrifying news

2011-09-25T21:28:00.001-04:00

We will soon be a family of SEVEN!!!!

In the midst of all the worry and grief, God has brought us to the last chapter of our adoption journey. On October 10th, Scott and I will board a flight to Ethiopia to bring our daughter home! We are beyond excited and the boys, even Shepherd, appear to be excited also. Shepherd even drove Sophie's stroller around the house saying "Shepherd push Sophie". I am happy to have something to do and plan. I have made lists and had friends (with babies) check it twice. I want to make this as smooth as possible for her. Scott is excited to travel to Ethiopia for the first time. It is almost surreal that we will be leaving in 2 weeks and bringing home a BABY that's a GIRL!

Now, on to more nesting..... :0)

Sheila

Update - Thankful Thursday

2011-09-22T21:36:00.001-04:00

I have tried to write this entry several times. I have struggled with the burglary and all it entails - the loss of things and security as well as how to protect my children. I have also struggled with my faith and the "why me" questions. Of course it doesn't help to hear things like "Why do bad things happen to good people like you?" and "You don't deserve this.". Well, no we didn't "deserve it". I'm not sure anyone does. And, unfortunately, bad things happen to everyone, not just bad people.

It has been a few weeks and Shepherd and I are the only ones who still do not sleep through the night. None of our stuff has been returned although there is a suspect in custody. He had just recently been paroled for...you guessed it...burglary. We have a new door that our contractor guaranteed would break the arm or leg of the person who tried to break and down. And, last week, my children played outside without us hovering near by for the first time. So, life is returning to a fragile state of normal. Fragile because we know how quickly feeling safe and secure can disappear.

I guess Scott and I had lead a relatively risk free life having never dealt with anything like this together or in our lives before we were an us. I can tell you there is nothing you can do to prepare for the violation you feel. And, after much debate and soul searching, there is nothing we could have done to prevent this from happening. We plan to ask friends traveling to China to purchase replacement items for our children in regards to CHOPS and jade pieces. We can't replace the passports which will be a loss for our children but it is a loss we will have to explain for them when they are old enough to understand. The other things had both material value as well as sentimental but my loss is more of the sentimental. Each piece of my jewelry for instance was so much more than bling, it was a memory of places, events, and even history. Many were one of a kind, hand made pieces I had had for years. But, in the end, they are only things.

The biggest struggle has been with our faith. Questioning why this would be allowed to happen when we have so faithfully followed God's plan for our family. We have adopted four children in less than 2 years. We were doing what we were supposed to, hence the "why me" questions. What did we do wrong? The short answer is nothing. The long answer is that sometimes we have to hit our knees to look up. We looked up long and hard this time. We asked for strength in order to be strong for our kids. We had to be there rock and, therefore, God was ours. And the great thing is, He didn't let us go. He allowed us to grieve but reminded us what was truly important. Our family was safe. I had come home only a little early that day, but had planned to be home even earlier. My delay "could" have saved my children. We will never know the truth of what happened but I do know from life experiences that people who are desperate enough to knock your door down, crazy enough to break into your house in the middle of the afternoon, and confident enough to stay for a long while will do ANYTHING to get away.

So, we are till faithful and God is still our father who knows at times His children will stomp their feet and say "why" or "no fair". But He is patient and understanding and, although it seems we will never learn, He has faith in US...

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us during all of this. We have felt your love and prayers surrounding us. It has truly made a difference in our lives.

Blessings

Devastated

2011-08-30T20:04:00.000-04:00

We were burglarized today...there are no words for why this happened. Our faith is shaken but we are trying...to find peace, meaning, something...our memories from china as well as all of our gifts for the boys were taken...

Please pray

We have NEWS....the GOOD kind!!

2011-08-24T21:03:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update...We received an email today from our case worker. Our file has been submitted to the US Embassy in Ethiopia!! We are thrilled that we are one step closer to our precious baby girl. Can't wait to get her into the mix so she can set all of these ~~hoodlums~~ boys straight. Keep those prayers coming! We are so close!
Sheila

Bring Our Children Home

2011-08-22T16:09:00.001-04:00

We wait... for the last piece of this puzzle sent from God. We wait for Sophie and know that His eyes are upon her at all times and His arms will comfort her until we can.

We wait and enjoy the small bits and pieces we get to see as other families travel to bring their children home.

We love you Sophia Senait and we WILL bring you HOME!

The dog days of summer....

2011-08-16T20:56:00.000-04:00

are officially over at our house. All of my children are now in school!! Woohoo!

One ran so fast I could not even get my traditional picture of him walking into the school. You might think he didn't enjoy his mother being home with him all summer!

Sawyer and Shepherd are going to the same school after much discussion and prayer. Always good to have Dad walk you in on your first day.

Shepherd - handled it like a pro complete with a "Shepherd School! Bye lub you Mama!" as soon as we pulled into the school.
Sawyer - not so much. He's going to need lots of convincing that a) school is a good thing and b) Mama and Baba will always be there at the end of the day.

It helps to have a teacher who speaks your language!

Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes on this journey.

Sheila

1 down, 3 to go

2011-08-11T21:46:00.000-04:00

The most glorious season has once again settled in the South:

School

Let me tell you I don't think I have ever celebrated so much! Samuel had his first day of 5th grade!! He tried to tell Dad and I that we would not be able to walk him in to his class. Hmmph! You can imagine how well that went over with me. I plan to hold on to my first miracle as long as I can and explained this small fact to him. We are both so proud of him and all he has accomplished both in school and with the acquistion of all of his brothers and sister.

Now...if I could just get the other three started! Come on Tuesday!!

Ignorance exemplified...

2011-08-06T20:09:00.004-04:00

Person: "What do Ethiopians look like? Do they look like us?"

Me: (They have a 3rd eye in the middle of their forehead! What the heck do you mean asking me what Ethiopians look like?!) Hmmm, I'm not sure what you mean.

Person: "Well, you know how it's OBVIOUS your children are from China because they look Chinese? I just didn't know if it was OBVIOUS that your daughter was Ethiopian."

Me: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, .....) Well, my children are all different ethnicities and they do not look alike; Ethiopia is much the same. I guess I have never really thought or cared about what they look so I'm not sure how to answer your question.

Person: "Oh, well, congratulations anyway"

I know I live in the South...really, I do. I also understand that, although this is a stereotype, in my experience, it has been earned. And I know our choice to follow God's plan for our lives means we will get a lot of stares from strangers who find us to be a novelty or even disgusting. What I don't know is how people in today's society can be so ignorant of the world we live in. I also don't know how many times I can count in order to keep myself from turning into the over protective mom who will lash out at anyone who attempts to hurt my children.

My children, all of them, are amazing gifts from God through fertility or adoption. They do not look alike but they are all made in His image. And, I guess if I am honest, so is the ignorant woman who made the comments that almost landed her on her...booty. Amen.

A new name

2011-07-30T16:11:00.001-04:00

A new title now graces our blog. We feel it accurately reflects our journey and the development of our faith through this entire process. We have been led by God throughout this entire journey. He has carried us and our children through every trial and set back. We are forever thankful for his love and grace.

New addition...

2011-07-19T15:57:00.004-04:00

As if our house wasn't full enough....

Introducing Sugar...or as Paula Dean would say "Suga". Sugar is an American Staffy mix from the McKamey Animal Shelter in Chattanooga. Most of you know we lost our German Shepherd, Ginger, in June to complications from old age. Our house has been quiet since then. We really miss having a dog in the house, well, Samuel and I do anyway. We just intended to "look" and see how the littles did but Sugar stole Samuel's heart. Simon and Sawyer really liked her too. Shepherd? Not so much but she is growing on him. She is not overly hyper but the biguns run her around the house and down to the barn which is exercising all of them!

My only saving grace is I don't have to share the bathroom with her too!!!

Fun pics for your viewing pleasure

2011-07-18T19:52:00.014-04:00

Some truths about adopting older children

2011-07-18T18:51:00.005-04:00

Most people, who don't know us, assume we adopted our children as babies. Their limited knowledge allows them to safely assume that ALL adoptions are of babies/toddlers. This, of course, isn't the case as children as old as 18 can be adopted nationally. Internationally, the maximum age can range from 14 to 17 depending on the country. What this means for the adopting parent varies but one truth is constant; after a certain age, you are no longer adopting a child, you are adopting a fully formed person with his/her own attitudes and idiosyncrasies.

For us, each of our children has presented a different set of challenges. Simon was our first adoption. We like to think we were on a learning curve with him. Some things we did well, some things...not so well. He attached fairly quickly and took to his new name and home with gusto. Simon wanted to be American in every sense of the word so there was no convincing to learn English. He shied away from Chinese/Asian people and clung to us for dear life. In 1.5 years, he has grown 5 inches (from a size 5 to a size 8!) and gone from being a non reader to reading on a 2nd grade level. He loves sports and trying new things. I think he loves school the most which totally baffles his older brother. Challenges with him included is refusal to cry or show any emotion and his fear of disappointing us to the point it sometimes paralyzes his ability to speak or act. The last challenge was/has caused the most difficult adjustment for all of us. It can be very frustrating to be ask your child a question and have him stammer or stand at attention even though there is nothing to worry about. Overall, given the things we are trained to expect, our first adoption was more than we could have hoped.

Our 2nd and 3rd adoptions still provide us with interesting insights into our children and the lives they led before us. Having completely different stories and backgrounds, Sawyer and Shepherd each have their own set of challenges. Sawyer is still struggling with trust issues and showing affection freely/spontaneously. Telling him "No" when he is doing something which could harm him can cause him to breakdown sobbing uncontrollably or he can look at you and say "yes, mama/baba". We are still trying to figure out his triggers. He does not read Chinese so there is a limit to our communication with him. We have utilized sign language and pictures. He is very much like Simon in that he wants to learn English. He continually points to everything asking us what it is. Sawyer is quiet, however, and tends to blend into the background. We have to make a conscious effort to acknowledge him because of this. His self esteem is something we are always working on so that we can continue to build him up.

Shepherd....ahhh Shepherd, our little firecracker. Our over-the-top, spoiled rotten bundle of energy and mischief. Shepherd does not want to let go of his Chinese and we have respected that. He is totally full of himself - confidence is definitely not an issue for him. He hates to take a nap but we hate it when he doesn't :) He's a fiddler and nosey, thinks everything is his or his business and loves to be loved. He gives affection freely and has the most adorable faces and expressions. Shepherd and Samuel have similar personalities which means they both love and irritate each other at the same time! We have to make a conscious effort to not dote on Shepherd too much. I know that may cause people to judge us negatively as parents but it is human nature to gravitate to what is easy. Shepherd is easy but that doesn't mean we love our other children less. We are just aware that being young, little, and cute can sometimes cause us to play or love on him more.

Adopting two also presents challenges. First, language acquisition is slower because they have each other to speak with. Scott causes it their "twin language" as our guide said he sometimes did not understand what they were saying even though he knows it was Chinese. The interesting thing about that is the boys are not only from two different provinces but two completely different parts of China. This means the boys speak Mandarin but the dialects should be very different but they seem to have made up for that and have no problems communicating. Adopting two also means you have to work harder on the adjustment process because each child will have different needs. This can be exhausting but no less fulfilling. It is also important to not leave out your children who may already be in the home. We try to give alone time to each of our children. This can be as simple as reading a book or walking with them outside. With four children and with us both working full time, whole days are difficult but a few hours here and there are doable and necessary. We also have to find time for ourselves which, admittedly, often happens after the brood goes to bed. Going from 1 to 4 in less than 2 years has been a lot for our family but God has brought us the children we need and taught us how to not only be better parents, but better people. We are so blessed to understand the true meaning of FAMILY and plan to continue to grow our family in the way we have been LED.

Mystery

2011-07-11T15:09:00.011-04:00

The first day as brothers....

Finally...all together in Guangzhou...

Blogger is officially a mystery to me. It stopped working for me while we were in China which is why the updates stopped. After several attempts to work with blogger, I haven't been able to reconnect. I can type my posts here but then must log on to my iPad in order to post. A pain to say the least but it is working for now. So, here are the highlights....

1. Enjoyed Safari Park in Guangzhou.

2. Bought the Little Emperor (aka Shepherd) a stroller in Guangzhou because carrying him was a little to much.

3. Medical was a breeze, no crying and no bad results or info.

4. Flight home was ok. Love Korean Air if only because they totally dote on the children. I think Shepherd would cry sometimes just to be totally surrounded by lovely flight attendants.

5. Transition, for the most part has been great. Shepherd still has issues sleeping through the night and is a picky eater but he is a delight and lots of fun. He also told me he loved me, unsolicited, in Chinese last week which melted my heart. He is trying to hold on to his Chinese which we are encouraging and will be enrolled in a Pre K program which has a native Mandarin speaker. He is my lovely dovey and is very much like Samuel. Sawyer is doing well, especially given his history, but is still working through his attachment issues. He does not spontaneously tell us he loves us, but he has a ready smile and gives hugs and kisses freely. He wants to learn English badly and is constantly asking us to tell him what something is. He will be going to Kindergarten in the same early elementary Simon attended so they are accustomed to my children. Sawyer is very much like Simon. He likes to play alone sometimes, loves puzzles and wants to learn. God knew, of course, what he was doing when he gave us these boys.

6. Samuel is doing well with the transition. He loves that the littles are little and he can help take care of them. He also likes that they are short!! Simon is still trying to figure out where he fits in this family now but loves his little brothers. Although, the other day, he did say he wasn't sure if he could handle 2 little brothers :)

7. Scott is in hog heaven of course. He is surrounded by testosterone and little boys who like to fiddle. I think he hated going back to work but loves coming home to choruses of "Daddy" and "Baba".

8. I'm tired... :) Going from 2 to 4 has been a transition from cooking to laundry to dishes. Bathroom time is always interesting given we only have the one. We are still trying to sell our house so if you know someone who would love a small, lovely farmhouse in Georgia, please send them our way! For the first time in 5 years, I have taken the summer off (with the exception of about 5 days). It has been great spending time with the boys.

9. We have other news but can't share for a bit yet. Never a dull moment in our house!!

10. The boys have been to their first minor league baseball game, swimming in a pool, birthday party, and children's museum. Haven't tried the movies yet because Shepherd can't sit still.

So, I hope that updates you to date. I will say God has truly blessed our lives. I have said before on this blog that I never considered myself the "mom" type and I still stand by that self assessment. I will say, however, that God gives us what we need and what He gave me in my late 30's has been patience and an abundance of love for these beautiful children - all of them.

Blessings,

Blogger

2011-06-30T09:07:00.002-04:00

Tried to post several times...something up with Blogger. more to come.

Pics for your viewing pleasure

2011-06-28T15:02:00.008-04:00

I have decided I am a horrible blogger. Life it just way to busy and fun right now to stop and write it all down!! So, I will try to update soon but for now, here are some pics from our first baseball game celebrating Gege's awesome 778 batting average!!

Just a quick update!!

2011-06-04T07:21:00.001-04:00

We are all in Guangzhou and doing well. The boys are amazing and we are so happy to have them both together. They are doing well with no big squabbles. Shepherd is definitely the boss as Sawyer is still very shy but has warmed up to Scott and wants to hold his hand all of the time. They had their medical exams today and passed with flying colors. We just have to read the TB test on Monday, have our Embassy appointment on Wednesday and then fly home on Thursday!! Woohoo!! I have met one of my wonderful on line friends today and met her husband and two wonderful boys! God has truly blessed us not only with children but with powerful friendships to see us through this life transition. Tomorrow we will visit the safari park. We purchased a stroller for the little emperor today (aka Shepherd) so my back could get a break. I promise to load pictures soon. Lots of love!!

Sheila

Wednesday

2011-06-01T22:57:00.000-04:00

Today we met in the lobby at 9:30 so we could go to the famous "monkey park". The road there would have been considered impassible in the states - no pavement, no gravel, no nothing. I wouldn't have even considered it a road, but down it we went. Then the car stopped next to this little old man sitting on a bucket and Vickie says "I'm going to get tickets". All I could then of was tickets? to what??? I don't see anything but the little old man. I guess I expected an entrance of sorts but alas, nothing but a little old man. Vickie game back and asked if I wanted the ticket stubs for souveniers and low and behold she actually had ticket stubs. I was beginning to think the monkey park was going to be more infamous as opposed to famous.

I must say was wrong. Once we got to the actual park, it was beautiful with a manmade lake surrounded by the mountains. People were swimming and paddle boating in the lake while on land they were doing morning excercises which consisted of Tai Chi, various dances (I swear one was Bali wood), badmitten, tennis, and some whip/spinning top thing I had never seen. I told Vickie that this type of community is very rare in the states. she seemed shocked and showed me the various age groups and who would be doing what. Because it was children's day in China, there were children everywhere. Which, as an aside, I would like to point out that I have seen more girls and multichildren family than I have any where else in China. Vickie says it is because now minorities are allowed to have more than one child and since Guizhou is made up of the majority of minorities, there are more multichildren families.

After viewing the different activities, we began walking up what I will refer to as the Monkey Road. Here is where we saw monkeys everywhere and I do mean everywhere including on top of a woman's head because she did not give it something to eat. These animals are fed daily by both visitors and government workers. They eat candy and other sweets as well as fruits. It is very add to see animals who should be wild so domesticated. I did love seeing all of the little baby monkeys however with their big eyes and their hands that looked, well, like hands. It was a lot of fun. We ended the day by eating at this fabulous rice noodle restaurant which was the best $10 bucks (yep $10 bucks for the two of us) I have ever spent. they are call bridge noodles because you mix the rice noodles, meat, and veggies in very hot pot of soup (much like a hot pot) and then move the noodles with chop sticks over to your smaller bowl making a bridge. It was wonderful.

Tomorrow we go to the provincial museum then on to Guangzhou on Friday. I can't wait to see my boys!!

Sheila

The meet

2011-06-01T05:54:00.001-04:00

The orphanage workers brought Shepherd to my hotel room. He came right in and I could feel my heart (and stomach) just jump. His first words in the room were "Ba - Ba!" I tried to video the meeting by sitting the camera on a window sill and keeping the main part of the room in the screen. He came in with his own backpack and wanted to show me what all was in it. I was also greeted by 3 year old Tia, a little girl for another family coming in later. The two kids were buddies in the orphanage and play together. Shepherd got out his cars (still in the package) and i opened one. Shepherd loved the car and Tia loved the package. We spent about an hour doing some paperwork and taking pictures. As a group, we left the hotel room and parted ways in the lobby. Steve (our guide) took us to a market to get some food and anything else we may need. Shepherd thought it was cool riding in the buggy as we weaved in and out of the tiny isles. We came back to the hotel and Steve asked if I am okay with Shepherd for tonight. Of course I was fine, he has been loving and engaging and just plain fun. We went to the room and settled in. His info from the orphanage said he did not like showers and my room only had a shower, so I fore go the shower and got ready for bed.
I mentioned earlier he was fun right? When it was time to change into pajamas, he pitched a fit. He had the notion he wasn't staying with me tonight and the workers will be here to get him. This realization brought on the fright and hurt of not having people around him he knew and only have this stranger. this fit started around 8:30 and went on til 9:45. Fortunately, Sheila was on Skype when this started and helped me through most of it. It finally ended by me forcefully saying "boo" (Chinese for no) while he was in bed. I let him cry out the hurt and scare, but he was way past that. He slept til 11:40 and we went another round of crying for 30 minutes;this time i was able to hold him and rock him back to sleep. Whew..... I laid down thinking that was it....nope....1:30 til 2:15....now we we finished. I got up around 6 to shower while he was asleep. he got up around 7. He greeted me with a hug and was perfectly fine the rest of the day. That was our bonding time.
We went to the adoption office to sign the paperwork and I met the parents of Tia. I felt bad for them because they got in late Sunday (around midnight) and the airline (Delta) had lost their luggage. It was thier first time in China and first child.
Shepherd is finally ours now!!
Okay, this blog is getting long. I'm still new at this. For lunch. Shepherd and I went to the China food group know as KFC. He was not impressed with the chicken nuggets and fries. Headed back to the hotel and nap. We ventured out for supper and ended up in a market buying some Ramen type noodles and a strawberry sundae. We really love the noodles and ice cream.
Night-time was much easier, we tried a shower and that turned out to be fun. We got into bed and went to sleep in about 15 minutes with no crying. Whoo Hooo!!!!

Tomorrow we head to the museum.

Tuesday - Adoption day!!

2011-06-01T04:22:00.001-04:00

Tuesday – Adoption day

Today we had to meet in the lobby at 8:30 so we had an early breakfast. In keeping with the family tradition – this little man can eat. He ate 2 eggs, a bowl of congee, 2 pieces of sausage, 2 pieces of bacon, Danish, sweet potatoes, and some fruit. He also drank 3 glasses of apple juice!! I think he was happy to be able to eat whatever and has much as he wanted. When we arrived at the adoption office, all of the orphanage workers were there. This made me a little nervous because I was not sure how Sawyer would react. He held my hand and waited. When they spoke to him, he would move closer to me, mumble and lower his head. Once the office opened, the orphanage director gave Sawyer a gift of a necklace which stood for good health and life. It was very nice and I took pictures of him with it on. We took a few more pictures with the orphanage staff between Chinese and American flags and then they had to go. They offered again for us to visit but it is at least a 2 hour drive one way and I don't think either of us are up for it this trip. The adoption is official!! He is ours forever!! We waited at the office a little over an hour after they left to finish up some paperwork and then it was back to the hotel.

Today I was determined to get out again so Sawyer and I decided to go to Wal Mart. Another couple here has a new daughter who is struggling with the transition so I offered to pick them up a few things also. I really wanted to get Sawyer some tennis shoes so he could have shoes that fit instead of the sandals which were too small. We took the tunnels in order to cross the street and I made sure to get my bearings before we headed down. Luckily, a couple of women went in right before us so I followed them through. The entrance to Wal Mart is a giant glass pyramid so it is not hard to find. The Wal-Marts in China are so different and amazing. They are typically underground and seem to go on forever. It is easy to get lost. There is an abundance of fresh and cooked food – even whole ducks and chickens cooked hanging from their heads. Finding tennis shoes here proved more difficult than I imagined but after a good 45 minutes we found a pair which fit ok and he liked. We then shopped for a few snacks and some noodles so we could eat in our room one day if we wanted. Sawyer did really well but had never sat in a buggy so had difficulty getting his feet through the wholes. A nice man helped me which made I much easier. At check out, you have to tell them if you want bags or not and a they charge you for each bag. They are very sturdy, however, and can be used again.

When we got back, the husband from the other family and I, along with Sawyer, decided to go to the Chinese restaurant Vickie and I had visited to get food "to go". Who knew this would be an adventure unto itself!! To make a long story short, I finally had to call Vickie on her cell and let the server talk to her in order to get our meal boxed up. It was fabulous of course and Sawyer really likes spicy food. He also really likes his veggies – maybe he can teach the biguns to eat theirs without complaint. The restaurant also gave us two sets of really nice chop sticks which proved helpful since I did not think to pack any plastic silverware. This meal ended up being our lunch/dinner. I had a migraine tonight which was really bad but Sawyer entertained himself with cartoons so I could rest a bit. Again, I really wished Scott had been here because I felt guilty not interacting with him.

Sawyer has yet to say he loves me and has not spontaneously hugged or kissed me but he has tapped me and has asked for me so I think we are making some progress in that area. I feel so blessed to be the mama of all of these wonderful boys who are so different. Each is an individual with his own personality. This one is my shy one – the first one I have truly had so it has been a good experience for me to learn to back off a bit. We went to bed at 9pm and once again he slept through the night with no issue. Thanks for keeping up and I promise to get more pictures on soon. The internet here is just not reliable. I have also advised Scott to get something up about our littlest man who, by the way, is a hoot!

Sheila

Monday

2011-05-31T08:10:00.001-04:00

Monday

I know I have done a poor job of blogging but taking care of a new child by yourself is quite time consuming and internet is expensive here. I thought I would take a few moments when he is otherwise occupied to put down a few thoughts for each day and put them on the blog as time permits.

Monday was the day to meet Sawyer. After watching time pass rather slowly in my room, I decided to take a walk to see what I could see. "Joshua" (not sure of Chinese characters) Tower is just a few blocks from my room so I thought I would walk there and take some pictures. Traffic in Guiyang is like traffic anywhere else in China – at your own risk. Even though there are crosswalks, pedestrians are not protected. So, in order to cross the street, I had to use underground tunnels which can be quite scary and very much like a maze. I was apprehensive of this so I simply walked straight to the river, which, although beautiful, smells horribly despite the fact they are cleaning it for the dragon boat races next week. There I found a short tunnel underneath the bridge which crossed me to the other side of the street and headed straight for Joshua Tower. The tower is 3 stories high and over 1000 years old. Behind it lies a tiered garden of sorts which get progressively higher. There was a youth art exhibit with some amazing photographs on display. It was very surreal to sign in at the visitors desk with my American name surrounded by Chinese names. While there, I met a school group of children, probably 5^th or 6^th grade. I walked by and then heard a solitary "hello". I turned and said "hello" to giggles. I was then treated to a chorus of "hellos" and "how are yous". I also received a "What is your name?". Of course I answered all of the questions because a know a foreigner is a novelty here in the province. Guiyang is a poor province in China with the highest population of minorities and, is therefore, not visited as often. It was fun to get out but boy does this place get hot. It's not that the temperature is so much hotter than home, but the sun seems to beat down more fiercely here. Vickie says it is because of the elevation of the plateau which is approximately 4000 ft above sea level. Needless to say, I drink a ton of water every day because of this.

I have not been eating much here so today was no exception. I think mostly because of nerves. Vickie and the driver met me in the lobby at 2:30 so we could go to the adoption office to meet Sawyer. The traffic is horrible and I would never drive here. We arrived right at 3pm to take a scary elevator which I am sure is not up to code, up to the 14^th floor. We then had to walk up 2 flights to the 15^th floor. Sawyer was in the bathroom. I was totally unprepared for the onslaught of orphanage workers who arrived with him. Three females, one male director, and one male something I am still unsure of his job. All of them were with Sawyer. When he walked into the room, my first thought was how tiny he was. He is so small, more the size of a three year old than a five year old. The workers told him I was mama and he walked over and said mama. I had taken a stuffed dog with me which he promptly hugged. Long story short, we bonded by playing with an airplane and the dog together while the paperwork was complete. When it was time for the staff to go, they all said bye and he said bye. It was when they were out of sight that the crying began followed by the screaming of "I want to go home". This I was prepared for so I picked him up and held him. The director came over and spoke with him. Vickie said they were telling him that we had lost him long ago but we had found him and now he was going to go home with us and be with his family forever. I thought it was sweet but I wasn't thrilled with being portrayed as parents who lost their kid. Vickie asked them to go ahead and leave and a few mini m & m's later he was better. We stopped on the way back to the hotel at Deco's because he was hungry. Vickie said it was like KFC and would be a treat for him. Let me just say one word about Deco's – YUCK! Never again will I eat there. It is nothing like KFC but it filled his belly since I did not really want to take him out by myself just yet. I had flashbacks of Simon running away.

I will end this day with saying there are some very real health and treatment concerns with Sawyer which I will not go into great detail as it is his story and private. I will say his teeth are in horrible shape and somewhat nonexistent making eating difficult. He also has a severe vitamin deficiency given the state of his nails and hair. I know his orphanage is very poor and there is also the fact that he was not abandoned until age three which means there is a lot of his history we do not know. It will be of the utmost importance for us to get him to our pediatrician as soon as possible when we get home. He likes to play and has enjoyed his toys but he is not a very loving child just yet. He has now been abandoned twice so I am sure that will take time. He is very adventurous and loves jumping from bed to bed. He also likes standing on his head using the wall – odd but cute. He seems to be intelligent as he picks up communication fairly easily, but oh is he stubborn and sneaky. Given an inch, he will take a mile in a heartbeat. All of this is typical orphanage behavior including the manipulation which he excels at – especially when he is being disciplined. He has considered hitting and spitting on me – both of which he decided not to do. He is very shy around strangers but did tell the driver that he liked me so I was pleased to hear that.

It is difficult to take care of a new child by yourself. I miss Scott and the boys and would very much like for all of us to be together. I fly out Friday at 12:50. I am still waiting to find out when Scott leaves. I am counting the days!

more pics

2011-05-29T22:09:00.000-04:00

Pictures

2011-05-29T22:07:00.000-04:00

Another day...

2011-05-29T22:01:00.001-04:00

I am perturbed. I think that is the best way to sum up my current feelings. It is still almost 5 hours before I meet my son. There are two other families here who already have their precious babies; even my husband has our youngest, and I sit here twittling my thumbs. I know it is an orphanage decision about when and where the exchange takes place, but it doesn't change the fact that it is irritating. All in His time - I think he's still trying to teach me patience :)

I did get to see Shepherd last night. He is sooo cute. I could just pinch his little cheeks all day! When I came up on the screen he was playing in the background and Scott called him over. He looked at the computer and said "Mama". Broke my heart that I couldnl't pick him up and hug him, but it also filled me with joy that even thousands of miles away he knows who I am. Last night was rough for Scott and for Chong Chong (ophanage nick name). We stayed together on Skype while he screamed and cried for mama and baba - not us. We knew he was tired and had a long day but going through it by yourself is rough. Scott did get a little sleep last night but Chong Chong was up several times. He is a fiddler and is very stubborn so he should fit right into our family. We spoke this morning for a few minutes and he was all smiles and kept taking Mama's picture with the camera and then would show it to me. He blew me a kiss and told me bye. No love you yet but that is ok. Scott is doing a wonderful job with him and I am so proud to call him my husband.

The biguns at home are doing well. They are helping Memaw and having fun skyping with us. My internet is not very consistent but it seems to be ok for the most part.

I had my first Guiyang meal yesterday with my guide Vickie. It was FABULOUS. One dish, hands down, is the best meal I have ever had in China. Unbeknownst to me, Guiyang is famous for it's

Settleing-in in Lanzhou

2011-05-28T23:28:00.001-04:00

As my darling wife has stated, glad to be not moving and clean from a shower. The Grand Soluxe Hotel is very nice with all the amenities, including some remodeling on the side of my room. I'm sure it will be nice when they finish sometime when I am back at home enjoying Thanksgiving with the whole family. My guide had a brought time finding me Becca's my timing with a Dutch tourist group arriving made it hard to find the "American". Steve is very nice a very knowledgeable. We traveled a hour or so to the hotel and saw many unique things. The hills around this area(Steve called them mountains) are made of Golden Sand. They are stepped in layers to allow for agriculture. Many have a small temple on top to pray for good harvests. They also have small caves made into them for people to live in.
I will meet Shepherd this afternoon around 4:00. Another family is adopting a little girl from the same orphanage and they both will be brought to the hotel then.
I am off to see what I can find in the very noisy city. There seems to be a constant noise of car horns, fireworks, and loud music.

Scott - the silly American at large

Made it to Guiyang

2011-05-28T07:50:00.001-04:00

Well, I am here. I arrived at the airport about 2 hours ago. My guide is Vicki and seems really sweet and fully of energy. Which would be great except I am totally beat. The sad news I will not get to meet Sawyer until Monday afternoon. The orphanage does not want to bring him to the hotel and the adoption office isn't open until Monday. He is a few hours outside of the city so it will take most of the morning for them to get here. I really miss Scott. Although we both know this was the right thing to do for our entire family, it did not stop me from crying when we had to part in Beijing. My flight here was good with no problems. The funny thing was I was the ONLY and I do mean ONLY white person on the plane...and in the airport for that matter. Vickie saw me before I saw her. Our driver seems good - aka - we did not crash between here and the airport. For those of you who have never been to China, think of it this way...the lines on the road are merely "guidelines". Most of the time, the drivers drive ON THEM instead of BETWEEN them. It is good to be back in China and I look forward to all of the fun things Vickie has planned.

I do have a favor though. I cannot get are RQ here for some reason. We did not download VPN's before we left so would someone please email me if they see another parent is in the province. I am at the Sheraton which is SUPER nice. Also, if LynnC posts, tell her I said hey and can't wait to meet in Guangzhou. Stupid cell phones aren't working either. Worked fine in Beijing and in Korea but not here. Go figure.

Going to take a shower now. 36 hours of travel stinks...literally!!

Lots of love!

Sheila

Fwd: Hello from Korea

2011-05-27T18:36:00.001-04:00

Subject: Hello from Korea

Hello all across the pond...We finally made it to Korea which is the first leg of our journey. Our troubles began in the ATL parking lot when Scott "misplaced" aka lost our parking ticket that you have to show the attendant guy. After missing the first shuttle, we found it and were on our way to check in only to find ourselves in the longest line of Asian people we have ever seen! It took 1.5 hours just for us to check in. We then find out that we have not been seated together and are 5 rows apart. I am not the best flier so this caused a major breakdown because KA said the flight was booked and there was nothing they could do. Long story short we were finally seated together just in time for the flight to take off 1.5 hours late!

The food on KA is ok but definitely airplane food. The service is impressive though. They have someone who goes into the restroom after each use to spray air freshener, wipe the sink and fold the toilet paper end into a cute triangle. Our seats were nothing special but I did tell Scott I wanted to fly first class just once..hubba hubba you should have seen those seat!

The airport is very cool architecturally and the place is so clean. They make the smokers go into a glassed in room that I swear is hermetically sealed. So from hear we fly to Beijing then on to our separate provinces. We are 13 hours ahead right now but will only be 12 ahead in China. We are tired but ok after we ate and drank lots of water.

We have talked to my mom and the boys. It was great to hear them since we miss them so much already. All thoughts and prayers on this journey are appreciated. Thanks for following along.

Sheila
Sent from my iPad

Test post

2011-05-25T10:44:00.001-04:00

We are leaving tomorrow!! Can't wait to meet out little ones!!

Got dates....

2011-05-16T11:48:00.001-04:00

We will fly out on May 27th, get the boys on May 29th, and fly home on June 9! Can't wait to see the boys!!

Sheila

Doin' the HAPPY DANCE!!!

2011-05-13T18:58:00.002-04:00

After the longest Travel Approval wait in Chinese adoption history, we have our TA's for our boys!! We can now travel to meet them for the first time. Right now, the plan is to leave on Wednesday, May 25th and return around June 10th. Both boys will have birthdays either before we get there or while we are in China. Sawyer will turn 5 and Shepherd will be 4. I hope they are as thrilled as we are to have them become a part of our family!!! Thank you all for the love and support. Please continue to follow us on our journey.

Sheila

Prayer

2011-05-02T16:06:00.002-04:00

I need it. Right now. I had a peace about all of this. A peace and an assurance that by today we would have our TA. I thanked the Lord for that peace because it allowed me to be with my family this weekend and be happy with my family as it is, even with a couple of missing pieces. But today, we got the call from our agency. The call, however, was that, once again, there was nothing in the envelope for us. No TA's...no travel plans to make...no holding my boys in my arms for at least a few more days than I had planned. I still think the peace came from our Lord, but this fallable human can't hold on to it right now. Now, I am angry, frustrated, sad, and done. I need to hold my boys...all of them. I need to be able to plan my life. I need to be able to schedule summer camps and road trips, but I can't. So, right now, I need to pray. Please pray with me. I need to find that peace again.

Sheila

Blessings from China

2011-04-27T15:22:00.003-04:00

Sometimes, the wait seems unbearable then God gives you a blessing, that reminds you what you are waiting for. Today, we received a blessing of 10, yes TEN, new pictures of Sawyer. Below is my favorite. I am thrilled to see a smile on my boy. God bless him!!

Never question your calling....

2011-04-26T17:57:00.002-04:00

Please take a moment to watch this amazing video by Love without Boundaries.

My husband's response... "And that's why we were called baby." What an amazing gift God gave me when he gave me him.

The journey...

2011-04-23T14:20:00.002-04:00

Leave it to a movie like Independence Day (best presidential speech ever, by the way) to bring the concept of faith back into perspective for me. The simple line delivered by the Jewish father..."everyone looses faith sometimes", reminded me that this is a journey, not a destination.

My faith has always been a struggle for various reasons. The adoption journey is no exception. Sometimes it is difficult to step back and just let it happen His way, especially for a control freak such as myself. This is one of those times. To see others receive their TA's while we still wait is very difficult and has caused me to loose the joy, the faith, in this process. These little triumphs for others are a celebration of His plan coming to fruition. I cannot, and have decided I will not, forget this fact. This journey has been HIS plan all along, not ours. We heard the call of our Father to adopt and we followed it. He is in every part of this journey, including the delays.

So, my prayers and well wishes go out to my friends who have received their good news. Their journey is just beginning! As for us, well, we are giving it to the Lord....again. :0)

No news....

2011-04-21T21:09:00.002-04:00

is not good news. We have still not received our TA's for the boys. Please pray that God's plan will soon reveal itself to us and pray for peace as this wait becomes harder each day.

Sheila

And in other news....

2011-04-11T20:36:00.003-04:00

So, you guessed it, no Travel Approval (TA) despite all of the statistics that say we should have received it. That leaves us with an update on ME! After following my prescribed plan as laid out in the previous post, I have managed to work out every day but Sunday - had to have one day of rest in there - read my Bible almost every day (missed 2 days b/c boys have no concept of "quiet time"), and followed Weight Watchers. All of this added up to a weight loss of 5.5 lbs with which I am EXTREMELY happy and motivated to keep going. I knew if I could use spring break to set up a routine, I would be more dedicated once school started back. My husband has been very supportive and the aforementioned kids have no desire to interrupt the hungry, red-faced, beast on the treadmill. The good news is I found an excellent website which provides great recipes using REAL food that my family even enjoys. Now, if I can just keep going...

The boys had baseball tournaments this weekend. Samuel's team did really well. He even pitched which is something he has never done before. Samuel was great and handled the pressure like a champ!! I was such a proud Mama!! Simon's team, God love them, is full of kids who just want to play...which is good because they struggle with the fundamentals. Simon loves to play even though, occasionally, his outfield position is boring and has him playing in the dirt.

There are only 6 weeks of school left and I hope to be in China for 2 of those weeks. I will have a lot of work to do in the next few weeks and may even have to work some this summer but I will do whatever in order to bring our boys home. I'm sorry to any one who has emailed, phoned, texted, or communicated via snail mail that I have not returned any forms of communication. I needed a week for me to heal and rebuild. My medical situation is not as dire as first feared but I will have to be careful in China which is not what I want to worry about given that I will be without Scott for a week. It is in God's hands...it always has been. Sometimes it is just difficult to remember.

We have a few prayer requests:

1. Please pray our TA arrives soon so that we can finalize travel plans.

2. Please pray our boys are healthy and well in China. Give them peace that there forever family will be there soon.

3. Please pray for Samuel - sometimes it's just hard being 10.

4. Please pray for the health of my mom as she keeps the boys while we are away.

5. Please pray for peace and strength in the days ahead.

Thank you - we are so blessed.

Sheila

On my knees.....transparency

2011-04-04T11:10:00.007-04:00

Led by another adoptive mom, I have decided to be transparent about some issues and fears we are currently facing. Love, support, and prayers are greatly appreciated.

Fear can be a powerful thing. It can incapacitate us at a moments notice or cause us to flee from an unseen foe. But fear can also lead us to complacency. This is where I have been - complacent about my life. My fears come from a deep place that I have attempted to deal with multiple times throughout my life. The fear of not being good enough, the fear of missing out, the fear of being too fat, too bossy, too sinful...the fear my husband will find someone better or my kids will want a different mom. The fear of food has allowed me to be controlled by it to the point I have gained weight I am not proud of simply through the lack of doing anything about it. I have had a health scare the last week resulting in my first trip in an ambulance. The fear in my children's eyes was almost more than I can handle. Add to that the fear I saw in my husband, and complacency is no longer good enough.

So, here I am, on my knees attempting to deal with the fear of life. I am a sinner. God only knows all of my sins but I know and recognize enough of them to know it will be through His grace, and His grace alone, that I will be sitting at His feet. My new life plan starts today so I can be the person I need to be for our family. We will be bringing two wonderful boys into our home who will need me to be there for them. I am incredibly frightened on how they will transition, how our family will transition, how to handle the stress, etc. Adoptive parents will tell you that children who are institutionalized come with their own set of challenges. As easy as Simon's transition was into our family, there were times of challenge and heartache on both sides. I should have been more transparent about these challenges in the blog, but I wasn't. Now, we face being a part for a week with each of our boys. I worry about Scott handling Shepherd who has never lived with a family. I worry about me being with Sawyer, who seems so sad, without Scott. I know, however, that God has a plan for us and He will guide us through this.

Today is a new day and although the full ramifications of my health scare are still unknown, I refuse to allow fear to control me any more. I have begun Weight Watchers to help keep track of my meals. I WILL walk on the treadmill for 20 - 30 minutes a day (can't run due to health issues). I will spend time with my children playing Lego's, baseball, basketball (I can still kick their booties:o), etc. I will focus more on my relationship with my husband. And, I am reading my bible again...every day. A dear friend told me once to read Hebrews 11 during a difficult time. I did and found great comfort, so today, when I sat down with my bible, I was led to start my reading in Hebrews. My bible is an NIV devotional and, wouldn't you know it, it was about allowing Jesus to be my Intercessor and to learn to accept the changes and choices of life. God has put me on this path, this journey to build our family through adoption. Now I fully commit myself to this journey and recommit myself to the faith that inspired it. The fear is still there, but it can occupy a much smaller space when I bring God back to the forefront.

The 29 banana rule...and other idiosyncrasies

2011-03-09T20:47:00.004-05:00

First, let me state, for the record, I am a NORMAL person. I do, however, have a few, shall we say - idiosyncrasies which require explanation for some. The most prominent rule of life I have is the 29 banana rule; named, affectionately, by my dear hubby who thinks it's funny - ha, ha!!

I have decided to start with the 29 banana rule because I have been asked by multiple people how the adoption of Shepherd came about. And, although, all of our adoptions are faith based, the 29 banana rule played a large part in why we are adopting Shepherd. So, at the risk of embarrassing and/or labeling myself as a freak :0), I will share the 29 banana rule with you.

A few years ago, we had a church breakfast function and we were all asked to bring something (the benefit of being in a small church). We volunteered to bring bananas mainly because I really didn't want to cook. So, that morning we went to Wal-mart. I feel you should always bring fresh bananas to a function. We had no idea how many bananas to bring so we just started grabbing good healthy bunches. At one point, I suggested we count to see how many we had gathered. Well, there were 29. Don't ask me why but this really bothered me. My dear husband just laughed...in the middle of Wal-mart...really loudly...with a snort even!! But, I would not be deterred. I knew we COULD NOT take 29 bananas to church. I had no logical reason; it was just a feeling. So, after he caught his breath, Scott agreed to pick out a few more bananas to make it a more acceptable number. I think we ended up taking 34 (because I also had difficulty separating bunches) but it wasn't 29 so I was ok.

So, other than worrying my bloggy world friends about my mental health, what's my point? Well, I'm not sure I can portray this eloquently so I am just going to go for honesty. It is a matter of faith, faith in your gut, faith in a feeling, a leap of faith even. We have been fortunate to find our boys in truly God centered ways. When adopting Simon, we initially visited an agency to discuss adopting a girl under age three and had never heard of special needs. When God brought us Sawyer, he did so through a dear friend with our agency who just "felt" she needed to send me the picture of him. So, how did we find Shepherd, and more to the point, why did we find Shepherd? The simple answer - 29 banana rule.

Simon is about 3.5 years older than Sawyer with Samuel being almost 2 years older than Simon. Although we knew God had led us to Sawyer, I had concerns with him being able to attach to the boys and even play given his medical condition and other unknowns. So, as many adoptive parents do, I looked at different advocacy websites and read the stories of different children. Wondering...praying for direction...feeling like there was a piece I was missing. When I would talk to Scott, he would say "no" gently, but a no is still a no. He said he felt three was enough for now, especially since we had not planned to adopt so soon after Simon. Weeks passed and I still felt something tugging at my heart so I asked to see a couple of files, but nothing clicked. And, although Scott would say they were cute, he did not feel the same tug I did.

Then, I heard it. The same pull, tug, something in my gut telling me there was another child. I spoke with our agency rep (great, God centered, amazing Laura) and told her my feelings. Without even saying anything to me, I knew she understood and knew I had her prayers. Time to talk with Scott again. I explained I had been praying and felt God was leading us to another "gulp" son. Scott said he understood my desire but he just didn't feel led. So, I, in my ever honest and upfront way, told him he needed to pray harder. He, in his we've been married for almost 15 years and he loves me way, said ok. I waited a week, and told him my thoughts again. He lamented about the money, the time, and the fact he did not feel the same. I told him again to pray harder. I explained this was not a desire to SAVE a child, but a calling for something bigger than the both of us. I had NO IDEA how we were going to pay the fees to adopt yet another child, but I knew this was the leap of faith we were supposed to take....and then I told him to pray some more.

A few weeks passed and several files later we still had not found a compromise. I still felt something missing, Scott didn't. I had called our agency to check in with Laura. We had to make a decision on Sawyer's process soon. A new list was coming out in about a week and she wanted to go over our list of acceptable needs to make sure she was on the right track for us. It was then I mentioned limb difference/missing digits to her. I heard her hesitate and she asked for clarification. I explained missing fingers, hand, even arm was something we felt we could work with. There was a pause, and then another pause...and then...a statement. She had found a little boy that she felt would be a great fit (he was only 13 months younger than Sawyer) but he wasn't a special focus child so we could not adopt him at the same time as Sawyer. She said she had a great feeling about him but did not want to send me his picture as his file may be secured by the time he transitions to the SF list in 9 days. Do I want her to send the picture and info? Oh, might as well (remember I had looked at several files already). So, she sent me the picture. When I opened the email, I cried. I knew...just like the first time I had seen Samuel's face at birth, Simon's that night so long ago while searching the computer, Sawyer's a few short months ago through an email from our friend at the agency, and now here he was...my 29 banana rule child. I immediately sent the picture to Scott...and then promptly called because patience is not one of my rules. He opened the picture while on the phone with me and said can we get his file? I explained he wasn't special focus yet so we would have to wait and pray for his file to stay on the list long enough for him to transition. He said ok, we would wait. So, I called Laura and she vowed to check it every night.

This was a Monday and the new list was supposed to come out the following Monday. Each day I would come home, turn on the lap top, and pray before opening my email that it would not be bad news. Every day there was no news, I rejoiced. We had received his file and several other pics. I just wanted to pinch is chubby little cheeks off!! Then, Friday night, at about 9:45 the phone rang. It scared me to death and I didn't recognize the number. I said "hello" but I am not sure I got the whole word out before hearing...Sheila, it's Laura and I 'm sorry for calling so late but I just got home and logged and saw Shepherd had been moved to Special focus and I locked his file". I swear I don't think she took a breath!! I squealed, more like screamed, Scott jumped up, then I started to cry and said he's ours! And so began the story of 4 boys - not 3...a bunch of bananas, not 29. A leap of faith to glorify our Lord who created us in His image to love one another.

I often tell people that adoption is the most faith based thing we have ever done. There is no definitive 9 months. The roller coaster of emotions is never ending at times and the fact that you could fall in love with a child who you may never see is truly stepping off the cliff hoping/praying for salvation. Our God is truly an awesome God who provides us with the tools we need. A dear friend told me recently that God had given me a mama's heart. I kind of chuckled as in the back of my mind, I knew that I had never wanted a house full of kids, much less boys. God, however, had a different plan for me and for my family. He laid the path and, even though we tried to stray, He provided us with detours to get back on track. As we await this final step, I am so in awe of the faith the Lord has in me. I am so excited to be a mom and share His love with my sons who will grow in to amazing young men who love our Lord.

On the downhill....

2011-02-28T20:43:00.003-05:00

We just received our I800 approval for Shepherd today!! Hallelujah!!! So here are the next few steps....Article 5 then Travel Approval (TA) then Consulate Appointment (CA). With God's help, this can still happen in April!! I am so excited and a little nervous about meeting our little men for the first time. And then there is the whole thing about having 4, yes FOUR, BOYS!! Whew!! Thank you for all the praise and support. We were able to file our taxes over the weekend and the refund will allow us to pay the in China fees for both boys so we need that to come in a timely manner also. God has blessed us on this journey! We are so fortunate to have Him on our side!

S6 (one step closer)

Happy Year of the Rabbit!!

2011-02-03T17:28:00.003-05:00

Today is Chinese New Year!! Happy CNY to all my friends. This year is the Year of the Rabbit which should bring peace (not likely with four boys in the house)!! Oh, and speaking of boys....

WE RECEIVED OUR LOA FOR SHEPHERD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Lord Jesus for making this new year a wonderful start for our new family. And thank you to all our friends for supporting us!

soon to be S6!!

Hard time...

2011-01-25T19:49:00.002-05:00

So today I'm having a really hard time with everything. We still do not have our LOA for Shepherd so there is no progress there. It seems to be looking more and more like we will travel later than expected which gets us too close to Sawyer's birthday in this Mama's opinion. There should be no logical reason for it to take this long, but no one ever said international adoption was a logical process. It is dreary outsidem I am tired, and my husband leaves for Germany on Saturday for a week. Life is kind of sucking right now for me.

Do you ever have that feeling that you KNOW God is in charge, but you just want to tweak his plan a bit? That's where I am right now. I am constantly worrying about money, travel, Scott going for one and me for the other, being in China on my own, my two boys who will still be here, bills, and the list goes on and on...I have received several little "clues" from God today such as the FCA devotional in which the first line was "be still and know that I am God". Then my mom said she made something for me which was a cute picture frame with the following saying "Good Morning, This is God! I will be handling all of your problems today. I WILL NOT need your help, so please have a Blessed Day!" Well, slap me silly!! So, why don't I feel a lot better. I think each time I reach for Him, I have to let go of my stressful hold on reality and it feels like I am falling. It's that Leap of Faith thing I have always struggled with...I claim it is because I am afraid of heights but we all know it is because I am a control freak!

So, I am going to have a crappy day today and try to follow the words of one of my favorite professors "hold it with a loose hand", try to give as much to Him as possible and pray that I can let the rest of it go too. I think God can handle my inadequacies. If you have a spare word or two in your prayers today...I would appreciate you throwing my name in there. Some days it's just hard to be a Mama.

Approval...

2011-01-18T18:00:00.001-05:00

We received our approval for USCIS today to adopt our two beautiful boys in China!! woohoo!! One more step in the right direction....

One year ago today....

2011-01-10T19:08:00.004-05:00

we met our little man for the first time in a hotel lobby in Beijing, China. Although he called me "mama" he was shy and had no clue what was going on in the room. It did not take long before he knew he was being left and and a crying, screaming child emerged that wanted nothing to do with us and just wanted out of that room. Some patience and a DS game later and the ice was broken to the point of tickle fights in bed and dancing to the Jackson Five. What a whirlwind of blessings our life has been since that first day. Our wonderful child, who spoke no English, now not only speaks but reads English on a first grade level. He is a typical 2nd grade boy who is bright, funny, a little stubborn, and adores his older brother. When our social worker asked him if there was anything he wanted her to know during our last home visit, he said he wanted China to know that he was happy and loved his family. Made this Momma's heart swell with pride and love for this little blessing from God. So, today, with 8 inches of snow in Georgia, we celebrate being a family and can't honestly remember what it was like without our little Chinese boy as a part of our family. Thank you God for the big and small blessings you give us each day. May we always remember to appreciate each one as individuals and as a family.

The big'uns

2011-01-02T22:34:00.014-05:00

Sometimes, I think we get so caught up in the adoption process, the paperwork chase as well as the longing for the littles, that we forget to recognize our precious babies here at home.

Almost 10 years ago, God blessed us with our home grown son, Samuel, after 3 long years of infertility treatments and heartache. This gift has grown into a kind, tender hearted, affectionate young man with a heart of God, people, animals, you name it. As well as a strong desire for lego building, frog catching, sports playing, and bow shooting. He has his moments as we all do, but his ability to make the transition from an only for so long to a big brother has impressed his father and I beyond our wildest imagination.

Simon was a first gift through adoption and as we reflect on the past year, I see how much he has grown and changed. He really is not the same child we met on that cold January 10th day. He has so much personality now it is hard for him to contain...so much so that he often breaks into spontaneous dance - just because! He is learning to ask for things he needs and even wants without fear, he cries now which is big, and he gives his affection freely and with no need for prompting. Although I know he will always have a heart for China, he seems to be moving past the adjustment phase and is now just a boy. We were a family of three for so long, but it is impossible now to think of our life without him in it.

So, to celebrate the changes in our lives, and to make up for the lack of pictures and posts as of late, here is part of our year in pictures! (oh, and the year is backwards because I couldn't figure out how to edit the pics in blogger - it's kind of like life in reverse!)

Call us CRAZY!!!

2010-12-28T10:33:00.003-05:00

But God has led us to adopt another little boy!! We are over the moon with excitement! We just received PA for our youngest addition, 3 year old Shepherd. God has truly been good to us and we know he will provide for us to bring both of our boys home! When we chose to name our blog, the four was simply going from our small family of three to four with the addition of Simon. We never knew he would eventially lead us to adopting three precious boys from China. Those boys along with our homegrown amazing oldest son have truly allowed China to "make four". God is so amazing!! We would appreciate prayers that our journey to both of our little men goes smoothly!

S6!! (what a number):)

Inch by inch...

2010-12-24T19:16:00.001-05:00

We received our I800 approval today!!! What a wonderful Christmas present. One step closer to our newest member. Merry Christmas to all and may God bless each and every one of you!

New pictures!

2010-12-08T18:16:00.003-05:00

We received new pictures of our precious boy last night! We are thrilled to see how much he has grown and how healthy he looks, but we are saddened that he looks so alone and unhappy. We cannot wait to bring him home!

LOA Baby!!

2010-11-30T18:07:00.001-05:00

We got the call from our agency that our LOA arrived in their office!! Woohoo!! So, I should have it tomorrow and then the wait for the I800 approval. One step at a time! They are also contacting the orphanage to see if we can get an update. Can't wait to see new pictures of our youngest little man!

A question of faith...

2010-11-11T19:45:00.000-05:00

In conversation the other day, I had someone ask me (and apologized if it was offensive) how we afford our adoptions. I know this can be a touchy topic for many adoptive parents, but we have made the decision that it is in the best interest of our God led adoption process to share the ups and downs (including the finances) of international adoption.

So, my answer was simple...we are broke! :) Not in the sense that we can't pay our bills or provide for our children but we are not able to do whatever, whenever. We have to be better stewards of our money and how we spend it. It is not easy to say no...espcially when you see the flat screen tv's and you still have the good ole tube type or the new laptops, macs especially, or when other families go on vacation and you do the good ole staycation! Both of us also have taken on 2nd jobs and Scott is holding his paid for vehicle together with duct tape. We had contemplated purchasing an RV for a long time. Friends of ours earlier this year asked us if we had decided to buy one...we said nope, we decided to adopt instead. This is a choice we have made, but it's not really a choice to adopt; it is a choice to follow God's word and his will.

So, I guess to others who haven't been to our home, looked in our closets, watched us clip coupons, and budget both monthly and weekly, it looks like we have tons of money to throw away. It's not true, however, and our check books reflect it! :) We have a wonderful church family, great credit, and a wonderful Lord and Savior who has provided for us each step of the way. Although He doesn't speak to us in a loud, booming voice, we know we are headed in the right direction, His direction.

This is Adoption Awareness Month. International adoption may not be your calling, but there are other ways to help through various charitable organizations such as Sho Hope, No Hands But Ours, An Orphan's Wish and several others I would be happy to share with you.

LID

2010-11-04T18:38:00.001-04:00

Thank you Lord!!! We have our log in date of 10/26/2010! Much later than it should have been, but, nonetheless, it is now our date from which the count for the LOA begins. I hope it goes fast! I am missing my littlest man!!

New Fundraiser

2010-10-01T22:44:00.004-04:00

We are SOOO excited about our latest fundraising effort. Hip Mom Jewelary chooses a few adoption families every month to feature on their website. If you purchase jewelery from the adoption page and enter our family code of McKee1010, we will receive a portion of the purchase price. They have some wonderful jewelery that does a momma's heart proud - adoptive or otherwise. So, please click on the button to your left and take a gander at what they have to offer. Lots of love!!

S4 (4 now)

"Crickets...."

2010-08-28T20:12:00.001-04:00

That's all we seem to be hearing right now. I know several of you have been screaming for an update but there has been nothing to update. We have had our paperwork completed for over 1 month but we are STILL waiting on USCIS (a.k.a. immigration) to process our application. Unfortunately, we are not the only ones in this precarious and frustrating situation. Several families are in limbo due to USCIS. So, we wait, which is traditional with international adoption anyway, but we always hope our country isn't the reason we are waiting. I promise to let you know as soon as we have something new. We have been told an update will come as soon as we submit our dossier to China so we are at a standstill with that too, but we still pray our little man is safe and happy and that our Lord and Savior will continue to watch over him. Thanks for your prayers and support!

Sunday Snapshot {Sadness}

2010-08-08T21:45:00.003-04:00

I did not plan to post this week. The computer was off and snuggling with hubby had commenced. It was then that I received a text from a dear friend and fellow student of Liberty University. The text was simple "Dr. Jones was killed this morning in a car accident with her son. They were hit by a drunk driver."

I sat for a minute...Dr. Jones...couldn't be THE DR. JONES?! You see, I was a doctoral student at Liberty University prior to all of the adoption journeys. Due to everything adopting an older child requires, I chose to stop for a while after taking my last class with Dr. Jones. I knew she would be disappointed, but once she found out my choice was based on faith, not the devil, she was totally supportive of my adoption and wanted me to make sure to finish when the time was right. I really hadn't thought about her in a while, but she is the one who pushed me out of my comfort zone and into the God Zone! She prayed - on her knees - at the beginning of every CLASS. This wasn't the privacy of her own home - this was a doctoral CLASS. Who does that? She made me uncomfortable. She made me cry. She made be see I had a choice to believe or to pretend I was still in control.

Our stories were similar in regard to our childhood and our trials and tibulations, but she had overcome all of that and had become this amazing woman who placed GOD at the forefront and center of everything. I truly believe that it was her faith that allowed me to have my faith. I know where she is...I have no doubt she is basking in the light of our Father along with her son. I have no doubt she is fine, but I am not... I realize even more now what an amazing woman and inspiration she was and will continue to be for all who knew her. I only wish we had more time, but I guess that is how it always is. I feel even worse that I had an email in March that I never responded to because I had stopped checking my school account. Ironically, she was asking me to pray for her because she was releasing a new devotional, her first. I did not pray for her then...but I am now. Dr. Jones, may you find the peace in our Savior that you tried so often to share with all of us. Your influence will forever be in my life. Amen

Where we are in the process....

2010-07-19T20:39:00.002-04:00

Home study update - complete.

I800 A paperwork complete - should be mailed soon to USCIS with our home study update.

Dossier paperwork - we have all of it completed. All of the GA docs have been authenticated at the local level and should send to the state this week. One TN doc left to have authenticated at local and state level. After that we will send everything to the Chinese consulates to be authenticated there, then our dossier will be sent to China shortly after.

Things are moving along well and God is leading us closer to our little man! Thanks for all of your prayers and support.

S4 (for now)

A MUST READ in regards to Chinese adoption

2010-07-12T19:09:00.000-04:00

http://chinaadoptiontalk.blogspot.com/2010/07/amy-eldridge-of-lwb-speaks.html

2nd Donation...

2010-07-11T13:16:00.002-04:00

Just when we thought maybe we had misread God's plan...our neighbors, God love their precious 90+ souls, gave us a donation of $250!!! Although we are still miles away, and we know the stress - because we are human and have trouble with giving it fully to God 100% of the time - will continue. We have been reaffirmed in the plan He has for us.

We have also started our "Baby Bucket" which, in conjunction with our new monthly budget (cash only baby - no check cards), will be the gathering spot for all of our change at the end of each day. We saw this on a fellow blogger's website and thought it was a wonderful idea.

And, my boys...my precious boys have also started their own change fund for their little brother.

Stay tuned for future fundraising efforts including photography sessions for you local yocal readers and custom welding with a western style via my wonderful hubby. We are also investigating candle sales as well as flower bulbs to add to our product list. We will keep you updated. As always, prayers are welcome on this journey to our third son.

S4 (for now)

First donation...

2010-07-07T16:16:00.002-04:00

We have received our first donation!!! Thanks Teresa!!! We are so blessed to have friends who want to support our journey any way they can. Can't donate? That's ok...prayer is even more useful. We are still raising funds to pay our first set of fees to our agency.

Please pray that God will continue to find ways to bless our lives. Scott has begun teaching night classes at a local college. This is a God send in itself as the college called him just after we received the 2nd adoption call from God.

Please pray that all of us will continue to be in good health, especially our youngest man who has limited care.

Pray that we continue to listen to God and follow is word no matter how difficult it can be.

Wordless Wednesday - Summer

2010-07-07T15:11:00.004-04:00

Fundraisers!!!!

2010-06-28T12:44:00.003-04:00

We will be selling coffee through Just Love Coffee Roasters. This is an awesome organization which is fair trade approved. We receive $5 proffit from each bag of coffee we sell. Check out our store at www.justlovecoffee.com/TheMcKeehans. Please click on the link below Sawyer's pic. It will take you directly to our fundraising site. We chose this fundraiser first because they are an adoptive family and support adoption and 3rd world countries through this company. The coffee would make wonderful gifts for holidays or birthdays! Feel free to pass the link along to all of the coffee addicts you know!!!

Announcement!!!!

2010-06-28T10:24:00.004-04:00

We would like to introduce everyone to our new son, Sawyer. He is a wonderfully, adorable 4 year old waiting for us in Qianxi County, China. He has a repaired VSD (hole in heart) and no other issues.

So, let me answer the questions I know you have.

WHY?

Because we are led....it is very simple to us and we have learned not to question God's plans.

HOW?

We don't know. We are still paying for our previous adoption and we are not rich by any stretch of the imagination.

We will be doing several fundraisers and would appreciate you spreading the word!!! We hope to have enough variety for everyone. We will also be applying for grants and interest free loans.

We are scared and nervous about doing this again, but we have faith that God has a plan and all we have to do is follow it.

Please keep us in your prayers as we tackle this journey once again!!

Still not very good at this....

2010-06-14T21:13:00.009-04:00

I know, I know, the last time I said I would post more often, but...well you can see how successfull I was! Things have been going so well. Our littlest man is growing by leaps and bounds. He is speaking more in general and has now begun to speak in short sentences. He passed the Math CRCT which thrilled us! The test was in English and included several word problems so we were unsure of how he would perform but he exceeded all expectations. He made a 95 in Computers for the semester and earned the computer award for his class. He made a 90 in math. His ESOL teacher and his regular ed teacher are so pleased with his progress. He has been promoted to the 2nd grade for next year!! Yippee!! We will be working with a friend of ours, one of Samuel's former teachers, this summer to help Simon learn to read.

The brothers are doing well together, some typical whining and not fairs but other than that nothing out of the orndinary. We have been trying to work on completing our home remodel. We have trim, new paint, doors that work, and are working on flooring. We have listed our house for sale with Carol Potts at Remax. We really like her and she is working very hard to help us sell our house. School is out for both of the boys and they are looking forward to vacation Bible schools and lazy days. This is, of course, why Mama bought summer work books the other day :0)

Scott is gearing up at Chattanooga State for the grand opening of the Volkswagen Academy. My district has been hit pretty hard with budget cuts so we will be cut 10 days this year. God is good, however, because Scott was offered a part time teaching job back with the college he worked for a year ago which will hopefully make up some of the difference. We have just a few thousand more to pay from the first adoption. Oh, and we had our first home visit since coming home. Our social worker, Elizabeth, was thrilled to see that Simon seemed so well adapted and very happy! He even spoke to her and told her some of his favorite foods. He also told her he was happy here and loved his new family. Melted my heart...

We are considering adopting again. God has placed this call on our hearts and the boys (including my dear husband) are in a conspiracy against me. Much to my shigrin, they have decided we need TWO more children....we'll just have to see what God has in store for us. This first adoption experience has been amazing and we look forward to whatever the future holds.

We have our first hair cut next week (minus the one his classmate tried to give him the last week of school) and we will be having 3 teeth pulled soon so prayers would be greatly appreciated. His muscle tone is improving greatly as is his hand-eye coordination. He can now catch a ball and frisbee most of the time. Samuel is teaching him how to play football - it is quite humorous to watch.

I am sure I have left our loads but I will post some pics for you to enjoy and will try to catch you up again sooner rather than later.

God Bless!
S4 (4 now)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-08T09:48:00.002-04:00

HOPE for Haiti T-Shirt by Wild Olive

2010-02-10T10:55:00.006-05:00

The gals over at Wild Olive have come up with a beautiful t-shirt to help raise funds for Haiti. ALL, yes, I said ALL, proceeds will go to benefit Haiti. This is an amazing project so head on over and purchase one. Tees go on sale Saturday, February 13th.

Drumroll please....

2010-01-28T19:19:00.000-05:00

I have now cooked 3 dinners in a row that my new, finicky child enjoys. After trying chicken and pork, both grilled, it was taco salad, followed by chicken parmesan (although tomato sauce was not a hit), and meatloaf which won me the prize!! Tomorrow will be lamb stew...we'll see. We are Americanizing him just a bit with good ole PB & J as well as Chef Boy-r-dee spaghetti! He loves multi-gran cheerios, any fruit we can throw at him, and ice cream - chocolate please ;)

We can now recognize letters through L although some are more solid than others. Tomorrow is review day so no new material. Through Google translate we have found out that he likes all of us, his room, our house, and the dog. For those who may not know, we have BIG dogs. Our inside beauty is a German Shep. who goes by Ginger. Outside we have two Great Pyrs, Bo and Belle. Bo weighs in at 125lbs by far our largest child :) Simon has taken to all of the animals. Today he even chose to walk Ginger on his own. I followed of course. Due to her advanced age, I have little fear of her taking off with him and I think she knows he's new to all of this. He is slowly improving his English vocabulary adding chickens, sheep, dog, and cat which are must use words.

Yesterday, we had a wee bit of a scare when the boys were out playing basketball. Simon's ball started heading toward the road but Simon wasn't paying any attention to where the road was. After yelling "no" multiple times with no response while walking swiftly behind him, I finally had to do the mommy grab followed by the very stern and loud "NO" and then several examples of where you could and could not go which was then followed by a 5 minute quiz of me moving around and asking him "yes" or "no". I think he got the picture.

So far things are going well. Thankfully he slept all night without incident so I am finally able to begin catching up on all of the sleep I have lost. I truly hope the pattern continues. We asked him today if he wanted to start school and he emphatically said yes. So, an LL Bean backpack has been ordered with his name on it, or at least his initials. Seriously, these things are worth the money as Samuel is on year two with his and it's not showing any signs of wear yet. And, let me tell you, my eldest is rough so if it can survive him, it can survive anything.

The boys also had a little adventure today and trekked to the back of the property (only 6 acres but it's a long way for little people :) They each had their weapon of choice in case there was the occasion to save the world. Boy habits are universal I guess. Oh, also "huh", rock, paper, scissors, whiping hands on clothes, and other things I will be sure to inform you of as I remember them.

Tomorrow is Friday...right?

Much anticipated update

2010-01-28T19:16:00.002-05:00

So, after multiple facebook pokes and comments here about wanting updates - here goes.

First, my apologies, but the cameras have not seen the light of day since we got home. Sunday was spent sleeping until 11am, breakfast - he loves scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, biscuits, and mom's homemade strawberry jam. Dinner was not a hit - grill chicken simply seasoned, mac n cheese, and sugar snap peas. Oh well...

Monday - Scott had to go back to work and - God love him - he had to teach which meant he had to be at work by 6:30am. Samuel also had school and had absolutely no desire to leave his brother. Translation for mom meant two boys awaking at 3:30am both taking turns crying about different things until 6:30am when I completely gave up and began getting Samuel ready for school. Simon and I went to a very dead Wal-mart for a few can't-do-without groceries and a few more clearance clothes for him (still in a size 6 b/c a 5 is too short - we have a tall little Chinese boy:) learned to say and write A, B, and C and then spent most of the day disagreeing with one another about appropriate behavior. Jet lag and lack of sleep reared its ugly head this day more than I could care to imagine.

Dinner was pork tenderloin, scalloped potatoes, and sweet peas; again two thumbs down on this one :) Samuel had basketball practice and, although I am sure some people will disagree with this, we decided to take Simon. Samuel plays Upward so it is Christian based and laid back. The coach introduced himself to Simon and offered to let him practice. We tried to explain the situation but he advised he was aware and he was here to teach children basketball and God's word. He saw no reason why Simon could not participate if he wanted to. Scott and I gave each other the "look" that says "your call on this one ;)". We decided to allow him the opportunity to play if he wanted. We asked him and he said yes and ran straight to Samuel. First, let me say the young boys on this team are an amazing example of good Christian young men. They applauded despite the fact that he had no skill whatsoever. If he hit the ball once with his hand they high fived him and said good job. They were gentle with his feelings and accepted him as he was. We both got teary eyed when the director, someone I choose to call friend, came up and handed us the permission slip to sign for Simon to play and told us to "just sign". They were ordering Simon a uniform and wanted him to participate as much as he felt comfortable. No strings, no charge. God has surrounded us with amazing people and friends who add to our journey in so many ways. I thought he would be pooped, but alas, nope. He woke at 1:30am crying loudly, I hesitate to say screaming. I tried to calm him down but the language barrier makes it diffcult for us. So, it was another night up for mom. He finally fell asleep about 4am but I had no such luck. Samuel did sleep through the night, however, which was a blessing.

Home

2010-01-25T16:47:00.002-05:00

We are home! We are tired, exhausted really, but we are all home safe. More to come later.

Leaving tomorrow!! Woohoo!!

2010-01-06T18:16:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow begins our trek toward the EAST. We will fly to Newark, NJ, spend the night and will fly on a direct flight to Beijing which will land Saturday at 3:15pm. Gotcha day is slated for Sunday!!!

We will be posting to the following blog during our journey:

http://www.adoptionjournals.org/visit/mckeehanfamily2009

password: family

Thanks

Sunday Snapshot

2010-01-03T19:49:00.011-05:00

On this, our last Sunday as a family of three, I wanted to take a moment to pay a special tribute to the most wonderful gift God has ever given me. Our Samuel was so long in coming. Three years of fertility treatments, stress, and heartache almost tore us apart. We struggled with who to blame and the "why me" questions that are so hard to answer. When we gave it to God, however, he gave Samuel to us.

I know mom's say this, but from the moment I saw this amazing creature - I knew- here was a young man who could change the world. He came out like a shot...literally. My OB said it was her first football catch ever. My husband was just happy she didn't drop him. Samuel has the best laugh and the sweetest smile. He loves life and loves our Lord. My son, who will be 9 in March has taught me so much about faith and how to live my life. He is now more than happy to share his life with his new brother, who he believes has been waiting on us all of this time. Although Simon is 7, Samuel is ready to be the "older brother" in all that it entails. He wants to teach him about the Lord, life, and all of it's possibilities. Mind you, my son is not perfect, but I beleive God gives us the children who need us, but also the children we need.

He is stubborn, but he knows when to bend.

He loves his "stuff", but is just as happy enjoying catching snowflakes in his mouth or playing on our farm.

He is silly...ohhh...is he silly and he has the best laugh. You can't help but laugh with him.

He is competitive, even when the competition is head and shoulders above him, he gives it his all.

He loves God's creatures, big and small. He has an intuition with animals that is uncanny and uncommon in one so young. They love him and he takes pride in the fact that he helps to take care of them.

So, on our last Sunday together, my son, I want you to know how much I love you. You will always be my first born, my first miracle, God's lesson to me on the true meaning of love. I love you pumpkin!

Mom

Travel Dates - small change

2009-12-22T19:32:00.003-05:00

We have had a slight change in our travel dates due to the obscene arrival time at the Atlanta airport (4am which means we would have to leave our house at 2am). We will now be flying to Newark, NJ from Atl on Thursday, January 7. We will spend the night in NJ and catch our flight straight to Beijing on Friday. We will arrive in Beijing at 3:00pm on Saturday - that whole loosing a day thing is still odd to me :) We will meet our son for the first time on Sunday. We are nervous, excited, and a little frightened but we know God has brought us together for a reason and will continue to be our light on this journey.

Our final A!!!

2009-12-21T21:39:00.002-05:00

CA - we got it!!! Official travel dates are January 8, 2010 - January 23, 2010. Gotcha day should be January 10th or 11th - not sure yet. Now the frantic planning begins. God is good because He has brought us through this entire process with an amazing family - the Christiansens and with Godly support from our church family and workplaces. We are so looking forward to the day we can look our son in the eye and let him know he never has to worry any more about having a mom and dad or being apart of a family. His brother is so excited, I think sleep may be elusive this evening :) Please continue to pray as we have never been overseas before. Let the adventure begin!!

Give me a "T"....

2009-12-17T16:33:00.003-05:00

Give me an "A"....

Got it!!! Whoo hooo!!!! No news on specific travel dates yet...should know by tomorrow!

Thank you all for your prayers and faith!

Still waiting

2009-12-14T20:26:00.002-05:00

Day 20 of the TA wait...hoping to hear something soon. Pray, pray, pray...please :)

Thankful Thursday

2009-12-03T20:51:00.002-05:00

Several times today, I felt down regarding the TA wait, but God knew what I needed. When I went to pick up our son from school today, his teacher from last year was there. I stopped in just to say "hi", or so I thought, but God had other plans. After a few moments of teary eyes (which ended up being 30 minutes:), I found myself feeling renewed by her spirit, faith, and confidence in this process. She understood my struggle as a mom with giving this fully to God at times. My CHILD is thousands of miles away and sometimes it feels impossible not to worry about him or worry that I may not ever get there. She provided me with an affirmation that moms in general struggle with giving our children to God. I needed to know I wasn't alone in this. This adoption has allowed us to grow in our faith in ways we could not imagine, yet we are still saddled with the same barriers to God that plague the everyday person. At times it is difficult to remember that. I see the beautiful miracle we are in the middle of, but, sometimes, the paperwork and paper chase can cloud the picture. God always gives up people who can reflect our world back to us from a better perspective, HIS perspective. In his time, we will have our son. Part of me still wishes he would hurry though ;)

God, bless the people you put in our lives and the small miracles that we miss every day. Let them have peace that today, and everyday, they make some one's life better - even when they don't know it.

News!!

2009-11-30T18:19:00.002-05:00

We received an email today that our Article 5 was overnighted to CCAA last Wednesday! Yippee!! So, only two steps left - the TA (travel approval) and the CA (consulate appointment). We are incredibly excited and blessed. Our friends also received the same news so we are still on track to travel together! Kimberly (How We Found Joy) and I have formed a wonderful friendship and I cannot imagine this journey without her!

Happy Birthday!!

2009-11-20T17:53:00.004-05:00

It's Saturday morning in Beijing and our little boy is waking up to his 7th birthday. How it breaks my heart that we can't be there with him or even talk to him on this very special day. I think it is even harder because everything seems to be moving slowing in China right now - almost as if quicksand has taken over. We had hoped to travel before Christmas but that dream seems less likely to happen. So, we continue to wait. We have purchased Simon a few presents - still unsure of all of his likes and dislikes. I am baking a cake and will decorate it with the appropriate number of candles - fully lit of course. We will be sending pictures and a letter through Red Thread in hopes that BCWI is in a receiving mood :)

I still haven't bought a new tooth brush holder yet - waiting for just the right one...maybe I should shoot for one that holds 5 just in case we decide, or God does, to go through this insanity again? Hugs and prayers to my friends who are waiting with me.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-18T16:43:00.001-05:00

Orphan Sunday

2009-11-08T17:19:00.002-05:00

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs on our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act." - Proverbs 24:12

Glory to our Father who takes us at any age and in any condition.

Best Friends

2009-11-04T19:10:00.003-05:00

Ok, really, I now have the official best friend in the entire world. As I have previously mentioned, our son's birthday is the 21st and it is very unlikely that we will be joining him by this time. I don't think I have mentioned this previously, but I LOVE horses - really...I sometimes don't buy things for myself if my horses need something and I have taken in horses that no one in their right mind would choose - stories for another day :) I have been blessed to have a best friend who is exactly the same in this respect. She is also a wonderful prayer warrior during this adoption. She knew I had been stressed and would continue to be so because, despite my faith which has grown by leaps and bounds, I still worry way to much. So, what does she do? She buys tickets (really good tickets) to the most wonderful show on Earth - no, not the circus. She bought us tickets for the 21st to Cavalia - think horses, Cirque de Sole, artistry, magic, etc. all rolled in to one and this is Cavalia. The videos are absolutely breathtaking. And....we get to go backstage!!! How cool is that!! After many years of friendship and a few disagreements - she still knows be better than anyone and is willing to make some sacrifices, just to help me deal. So, Beth, here is your public thank you! I love you and appreciate you more than you know. God gave me a wonderful gift when he gave me your friendship that day during Lamaze :)

National Visa Center

2009-11-04T18:32:00.003-05:00

Ok, we have confirmed that NVC wired our packet to Guangzhou yesterday. Our agency had already sent everything over so, hopefully, Article 5 and then TA are not far behind. In the meantime, I have bought a few things to helping with the nesting. I ordered new stockings for the entire family, complete with embroidered names. I am still hoping we will be able to use them this year. I have bought the boys matching jackets, and I have bought a blue jean jacket so he can match my other "boys" (husband and son). I don't know why that matters to me but it does. I think it is extremely important that he know I consider my sons, MY sons - one is not better or replaceable. His birthday is the 21st. We are buying gifts right now. I plan to take pictures complete with a birthday cake to send to China - just so he knows that we know and we are still thinking of him. Too much? Any other ideas I should consider? I was looking the other day and noticed our tooth brush holder only holds three tooth brushes. It was very surreal to realize, oh my gosh, I need to buy a new tooth brush holder!! :) I am sure I am missing some other things, so please feel free to make suggestions. I know everything will not be perfect - but I want him to feel at home. Thanks for all the kind words. It is always refreshing and renewing to know we are not alone!

Great News!!

2009-10-26T17:09:00.002-04:00

We received our "official" I800 approval today and emailed it to our agency. Now we wait for the Article 5 and then TA!!! So, inch by inch we are moving closer. Thank you to everyone who has been so uplifting during this process. Although, at times, our faith is challenged, our purpose never waivers and we know we are truly in the hands of God.

Stuck

2009-10-21T19:15:00.002-04:00

I am disheartened, depressed, disenchanted and just plan down. Due to the new changes with the I800 filings, i.e. moving Chicago processing to Texas where they process much more than I800s, we still have not received our approval and cannot even begin to wait for TA even though we received our LOA almost 1 month ago. I am deeply searching for meaning, understanding, and the ability to give this fully to God. I would truly like to experience some peace in all of this but it is difficult to know all we have to look forward to is waiting and that our son may not get to join our family this year. I keep trying to remember that this is truly a God thing from start to finish and I don't have to understand all of the details, but it is nonetheless very heartbreaking. I wish I had more to say or news to share but that's all I have....

Give-a-way

2009-10-18T20:55:00.002-04:00

I am posting this give-a-way a little late but I love the blog. I don't remember exactly how I stumbled upon it, but Kym is full of little stories and lovely pictures which make my day. Her children always make me smile as I am waiting to welcome mine home. She is giving away one of the cutest dresses from http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5585996 . Although we are adopting a boy - a dear friend is adopting a girl so I think this would make a great welcome home gift!

http://celebratingeverydaylife.blogspot.com/

LOA!!

2009-10-01T19:48:00.000-04:00

Our LOA was received yesterday by our agency and sent to us today!! Praise the Lord! This means we SHOULD be able to bring our son home before the end of the year. DS is running around singing "I get to get my brother". I alternate between screaming and crying and poor DH is just trying to keep me from passing out and get everything together for our yardsale Saturday. Thank you for all the prayers and keep 'em coming :)

Faith

2009-09-18T19:50:00.000-04:00

I just read a great book which I highly recommend "Same Kind of Different as Me". It is a wonderful story which truly illustrates the power of God. During the last couple of weeks we have been truly disheartened with the process of international adoption. An increase in wait times, no news or limited information, and just downright impatience has caused us great difficulty. I started reading the book to try to take my mind off of everything. Little did I know, God would have life lessons for me to learn. There is a line in the book which says "Our limitations are God's opportunties". When first reading it you may go hmmm...interesting. After you trully consider the ramifications of this statement, you are more likely to say "Wow".
Most of us have difficulty turning to God during the mundane times of our lives. The ho-hum, everyday stuff usually becomes routine; requiring little thought, much less faith. But, when we are smacked in the face or knocked to our knees, we are able to see how weak we are and how fragile LIFE as we know it can be. Through all of this, we have tried to stay strong and have faith, but when control is truly taken away from us, as it has been once we sent our dossier to China, we felt helpless and out of control. George Michael's line of "gotta have faith" is correct, but so much more difficult when you have no control. Ironic or awkward as it may seem, you cannot be in control and have faith in God.
So, we wait. Prayers have been answered in that we have verified our checks have cleared and our dossier is still being processed so thank you to all of those who were Prayer Warriors for us. We appreciate our family and friends who are willing to take up the torch for us when we are so unsure and just plain tired. We will see our son...soon, which of course is relative and totally in God's hands.

New Pictures!

2009-08-06T20:10:00.000-04:00

Although this is our first adoption, I can't imagine having a better adoption case worker than Ming! Those of you who know me, know that I am not a patient person but Ming is very patient and understanding. She also goes out of her way in my opinion to provide us with updates - hence the title! We have new pictures of our son, just received today! In one he is holding the Gecko we sent over in a care package - you can see the typical boy pose - Great...a stuffed animal :) We love him so much!! Thanks for following our journey!

Abbreviations, who knew?

2009-08-04T20:04:00.000-04:00

As an educator, I am fairly well versed in the variety of abbreviations and acronyms in the world - we are surrounded by them. I have to admit, however, that the world of adoption is inundated with them. In an attempt to make this blog easier, I am going to list the ones we have figured out in case we use them. First we were PA - preliminary approval, then we were DTC - dossier to China for which we had to provide a LOI - letter of intent. Now we are waiting on our LOA - letter of acceptance so that we can get our TA - travel approval which all starts from our LID - log in date. Make sense? :)
And that's just the ones we have figured out.

The worst day ever...and how quickly things can change

2009-08-03T20:00:00.000-04:00

First - the home study. It was actually a fairly easy process. We met with Elizabeth three times, once here and twice in Atlanta. It was very laid back and I had cleaned feverishly for nothing - really, you don't understand, I cleaned the top of the cabinets - you can't even SEE the top of the cabinets. It rained horribly the day she came to the house and she got lost. We were really concerned that the Atlanta city girl would have issues with the farm, animals, and essentially living in the middle of nowhere, but she LOVED it! Thought it was great for raising kids and felt Samuel was a great kid - of course :) So, the interviews/visits were not bad. What was bad was the PAPERWORK!! Copies of this, that, and the other and clearences to make sure we are not mass murderers or child molesters. Speaking of...the reason I entitled this entry the worst day ever is for that last portion - child molester. Not that we are, but you have to get clearance checks to prove it. Walker county was not very helpful so when we received a call from Ming on April 30th we thought our world was crashing.

Simon was an agency referral based on a camp AAI hosted in October of 2008. Only AAI could handle his adoption. The bad thing is that this is time sensitive and on April 30th Ming called to advise us that China had begun to pull back the referrals and we had to get everything in by Friday or we would loose him. WHAT!!?? Our homestudy wasn't complete because Elizabeth had not received our clearance from Walker Co. yet - they had had it for 6 wks. We began racing to make phone calls and beg and plead for it to be completed. Elizabeth was wonderful trying to help us get everything together. We had to have pictures made - mine are LOVELY because I had been crying to much. We also had to write a letter of intent (LOI) to adopt Simon explaining to the Chinese government why we wanted to adopt and how we would preserve his heritage. Done...still nothing from Walker County, so, on Friday, after having a nervous breakdown, my Asst Principal comes in with one of our teachers who used to work for DFCS. She makes a few calls and provides me with a number of a supervisor for the whole area. Called - they were out until Monday, so I have another nervous breakdown with his secretary. God LOVE this woman. She made it her personal crusade to get this taken care of and within 2 hours, Elizabeth had the letter and we were good to go. God is good!!

So, after we averted that catastrophy, our paperwork was sent to China. Now we were just waiting for a prelimary approval so that we could proceed with the adoption. On May 14th we received the best email ever. Not only were we approved, we received updated pictures and measurements of our son. We were so pleased and proud to see how much he has grown in just a few short months. Now, if we could just bring him home!!

Funny...

2009-07-31T19:58:00.000-04:00

It's funny how life unfolds some times. Really. Who would have thought we would be embarking on this journey at this time in our lives? We have been married for 13 years and have one beautifully, talented, and intelligent son. We have struggled and overcome so many obstacles in our life together and have been able to maintain our family at times through sheer strength of will (His will, not ours). And so, it stands to reason that when we prayed and God directed us to adopt a child, that we would end up in the process of adopting the total opposite of where we started. I often say God keeps me around for comic relief. He is always watching to see what plan, long or short term, that I am going to come up with and then makes sure to let me know that the plan is His and may have nothing to do with my grand design.
On February 16th, we met with a local agency to discuss the possibility of adopting. We had decided to adopt a child up to the age of three, preferably a boy, non-special needs. After meeting with the adoption agency, we decided to consider special needs but maintain our age limit. On February 17th, while doing a web search to try to find pictures of different special needs...I found my son. It's the same feeling as holding your newborn in your arms for the first time, but your heart aches because you know you have just begun a journey with no time-frame or defined time-line. When reading his information, I found that he was a waiting child due to his age only and he was six years old...none of that mattered. That was my son! After showing the picture to Scott and Samuel - our fate was sealed. We all agreed this was the missing member of our family.
On February 19th, I placed the call to the agency with our son's picture. I was cautioned by the operator that several people had called and he was most likely already in the process of being adopted. She then transferred me to Laura, who admitted several calls had been placed, but Simon was still available. My heart stopped! Were we interested? Are you kidding!?! Laura gave us Lisa's number who handled the China Waiting Child program. I called Lisa and received first-hand information about our son as Lisa had met him and spent two weeks at the orphanage conducting a camp. She was thrilled so speak to us about Simon as she advised just the day before she had been praying for a family for this child as his wait with the agency had been longer than expected. She advised our first step would be to place him "on hold" so that no one else could begin paperwork on him. She emailed me medical documentation and additional pictures which we forwarded on to our pediatrician. It took a while to have the documents reviewed, but by the end of February we had given an affirmative YES and had our interview with the agency. Now...on to the homestudy.