Happy 2nd Birthday, Ashlyn!!

My sweet baby girl, Happy Birthday! Today you turn TWO!!

We were able to send Ashlyn a Birthday cake, lots and lots of candy, fruit and a toy for her to be able to celebrate her second birthday. We sent it at the end of last month so that we would be able to have enough time to get pictures back for her actual birthday, today. We received eight beautiful pictures of her celebrating with her foster family. It was such a blessing to get pictures with them in it. The love they have for her is obvious and this was such an answer to prayer. I do realize that this might make her transition process with us harder. But right now, I'd rather know that she is being loved on every day and we will just pray and help her through the grief that she will go through, no matter how hard it might be. We love this little girl so deeply! I was so sad last night knowing that it was already her Birthday in Ch*na. I was telling my husband that I hope they are doing something special with her on this amazing day that she came into the world. My sweet, incredible husband came over and hugged me and told me that they already did. "Her Mama couldn't be there for her party, so she sent an amazing party to Ch*na for her daughter. What little girl in Ch*na gets that?" Yes, I do have the most wonderful husband in the world!

Ashlyn, we will be there soon my precious little girl. You are growing so fast without us. Please know that we would have already gotten you if we could have. I hope you have a very special peace from God today. I am sending my love through prayers to you today and praying that we will be able to come and get you in September.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I800 Approved!!

I just got an email that our I800 was approved yesterday! That is GREAT news! Please keep praying for September travel for us!

I800 paperwork

I emailed USC*S today to see what the status was on our I800 paperwork. My account person said that it had not gotten to him yet. That it was still getting logged in. It has only been a week since they received it. It is the last piece of paperwork that I can follow. After it leaves them I will have to wait to hear when I get TA (Travel Approval). I just thought that if I knew when it left them I could gauge if it was "on time" or already delayed from the beginning. It is taking about two weeks to get through them, so I will inquire again next week. Hopefully he will say that he has already approved it and it has been sent!

Packing List

This is what I have come up with so far. If you have any advice for me please leave me a comment. I know alot of you have already been there done that so I do appreciate your direction.

Baby Medicine:
-Motrin
-Tylenol
-Dimetapp
-Mylicon Drops
-Benadryl
-Vicks Baby rub
-Desitin
-Pedialyte

Medicine:
-Ibuprofin
-Zyrtec
-Dramamine
-Eye Drops
-Zantac
-Prescriptions

Baby Stuff:
-Nail clippers
-Johnson baby wash cloths
-Bottles
-Sippy cups
-Toys
-Disposable spoons
-Thermometer
-Blanket
-Wipes
-Diapers
-Disposable changing pads
-Toothbrush/toothpaste

Everything else:
-Alarm clock
-Batteries
-2 Cameras
-Camecorder
-Camera memory cards
-Neck pillows
-Bag clips
-Band aids
-Sunscreen
-Back Pack
-Diaper bag
-Notebook/pen
-2 rolls of toilet paper
-Pillow cases
-2 boxes gallon ziplock bags
-Antibacterial wipes
-Hand sanitizer
-Tissues
-Shampoo/conditioner
-Clothes and shoes for all

Prayer Needed Once Again

I just found out that we need to be able to travel by September 10th, otherwise the next date that we can leave to go and get our baby girl won't be until October 29th!!!! The reason for this is because at the beginning of October there is a national holiday in Ch*na and everything is closed for a while. Then there is a Trade Fair starting on the 15th of October and the Consulate offices are closed until November 4th. September 10th is in 8 weeks and this is still a reasonable date to travel. We just need prayer that our paperwork would flow smoothly through the different people and stages that it needs to so that we can receive our Travel Approvel in a timely manner. At that point our agency will try very hard to get us a Consulate Appointment so that we can leave by the 10th at the latest. We desperately want to travel before this cut off. We don't want to have to wait any longer than possible to hold our little girl.

All Papers are Off to Their Proper Places

The last two days have been very busy days. This morning I mailed out our LSC and Ashlyn's Visa application to our agency. I also mailed out our I800 and I864W to Homeland Security, which is Ashlyn's Immigration paperwork. Phew...all the papers are FINALLY finished (well, with the exception of our Visas). I can finally take a deep breath and begin focusing on the next step in our adoption journey....packing! I will post my packing list tomorrow (when I have a chance) so that my sweet bloggy friends can help me with things I forgot, or things I don't need to take. It feels great to say...Hold on Baby, we are on our way!!!

Waiting No More!!!!!!

I guess our agency did not need to check on our papers because they came today!!!!!!!! After 107 days of waiting we have our LSC (formerly LOA)!!!

Pictures and LSC in the same day...God is ssoooo good!!!

We should travel in about nine weeks ~ September!

Checking on our Paperwork

We have asked our agency to again check on our paperwork. We were told it would be a week or two and we are now on week four. We are on day 107 of our wait and we would really appreciate prayers that the news we get back will be that our LSC is on its way.

I did get 8 more pictures of Ashlyn this morning. I am very happy! Maybe that is a sign that this will be a very good week and our LSC will come in.

Our Baby is Safe!

We have heard from the orphanage that the flooding is not near them and all the children are safe! Thank you all for praying!

Torrential Rain and Flooding in Guangxi, China

Please be in prayer for the people of Southern China. The province of Guangxi has been hit the hardest with massive flooding. This is where our baby girl lives. Our hearts are very heavy for her and the people of this area. We pray that God is holding her tightly in His mighty hand of protection. We cry out to Him for her safety. Please join us in prayer!

For more news articles on this, google ~ guangxi flooding 2009

Update: We did find out that the city that our daughter is in, Yu lin, is fairing well. Thank you all for praying with us. Please continuse to pray for the people that have been affected by this storm.

23 Months Old Today

My baby is 23 months old today!

Mommy hopes you have a great day!

Only one more month and then you will be two years old!

Hang on, sweetie, we will get there as soon as we can!

88..the Number of the Day

Just wanted to give a quick update. Yes, we are on day 88. Yes, I am ok. Thank you all so much for the many calls from my sweet friends who love me enough to know the "tone" of my typing and feel the need to call and email to comfort me. I love you all more than you know. I absolutely have the BEST friends!

I did get some good news from my agency last week. They checked on our paper work and we are in the review room...which is a very good thing. At least we are not still in translation or lost! Our agency was told to "give it a week or two" (translation: in the next 2 - 4 weeks we will probably get it). I am just happy that we know that it is right where it is suppose to be. I do not expect anything this week since there were a lot of LSCs that came out last week. I am praying for next week, but we shall see. So please keep praying that this very important paper makes its way to us very soon. Travel from LSC is about 9 weeks right now. We are now looking at a September travel date. Come on LSC!!!!

Sad News

Last night we received some very sad news. The baby girl that we were sponsoring

from China passed away on Tuesday. She had a heart condition and ended up having heart failure.

She was only three months old. Baby Hope

February 27, 2009 -

June 16, 2009

You have found your forever family in heaven with Jesus!

"Lucky Girl"

Here is Hope's story:

Baby Hope was found outside her orphanage with some formula, 150 rmb and an IV indwelling still attached to her head. The parents were probably given the news at the hospital that their little girl was very sick and they made the gut-wrenching choice to abandon her in the hopes that someone would be able to help her.
The 150 rmb is very telling-- as that is a lot of money to a poor Chinese family. My heart breaks for the mother who left this beautiful baby girl.

Be Anxious for Nothing

Today we have hit the big 80. It is so hard to wait. Our agency says that the average wait time is 30 - 60 days.........all I want to do is scream "What about us?" "What about my baby girl?" But in my frail human state God comes to me and gently speaks soothing peace to my mind and heart.

While I was doing my Bible time last week I came across this verse and it was perfect for where I am.

Philippians 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The key here is to pray your requests and add some thankfulness to it. There have been (unfortunately) many cases for me to put these verses into action since I read them. I think He is trying to say, "Do you get it now? It really does work." And it does. Since I have been burdened by many things this past week I have had the honor of praying in this way and the peace does come. You have to believe that it will and it does. It makes whatever your circumstance is seem a wee bit smaller and at that point I will take anything! I am so blessed to be absolutely adored by my Heavenly Father. The same Father that is holding my little girl, who is so far away, right in His hands.

From this point on I am getting on with life. Adoption is a very consuming event. It can really take hold of all of you. And then those around you have very little of you. That is not how this is suppose to work. As hard as the wait is, adoption is really an amazing thing. I would do it again in a heart beat because in the end the reward is great and it will all have been worth what we go through and so much more. But for now I need to enjoy this time with the amazing family that is right here with me. I need to wait on God's perfect timing for the day that my husband and I will get to fly to China and meet our beautiful little girl!

Never Thought I Would Be Here

Today is day 78...........AAAHHHHH!

Hangin' On

We are on day 62 and no news in sight.

It is what it is and we will just keep hangin' on until we receive our LSC.

Tomorrow Ashlyn will be 22 months old...

time just keeps ticking by.

Hopefully we will have our LSC by her 23rd month.

Only time will tell.

Where We are Now

There is some good news in the China adoption community. China has sent out referrals and LOAs again! That is good news because the hold for the flu only lasted for about a week and a half, so it keeps everybody right on track. We are day 56. I saw someone get their LOA and they were on day 122! I definitely don't want to think that we are only half way through the wait. I'd much rather think that we should be receiving ours soon. There doesn't really seem to be an average so much at this point. People are receiving them anywhere from 30-100+ days. Most are at the 50 - 70 day range, I would guess. So we shall see.

Day 52.....

.....but what's the point in counting! China is on hold right now with adoptions, so the number of days is kind of thrown out the window at this point.

I did want to share something that my sweet friend, Susan, emailed me this morning. I thought that it fit perfectly with where I am right now in my relationship with God.

I must settle once and for all where my responsibility rests. God challenges me, “Who's going to run your life?” If it is I, then I must bear the responsibility; if God, He must bear the responsibility. My Bible tells me that when Jesus found me He placed me on His shoulders (Luke 15:5). Peter says, “Throw all your anxiety onto Him, for his concern is about you.: (I Peter 5:7)

I cannot have two masters; therefore, I must make a choice. If I choose God as my Master, I must relinquish all responsibility to myself. This means I cannot be perplexed about God's will for my life, for if it is His responsibility, then He must inform me, not I Him. All anxieties should cease for, if they do not, then I have assumed charge once again. For God will make clear to me at the right time what I need to know and what I need to do. All restlessness should cease, for restlessness means that I am not in control, I am not on top of things. Being “on top of things” is now God's business and not mine. Therefore I rest.

My sole responsibility is not responsibility but response. I merely look to the “hand” and the “eyes” of my Master (Psalm 123:2) and respond to His wishes. Then I hear myself saying with the psalmist, “I delight to do Thy will, O my God” (Psalm 40:8).


What a sweet reminder for me that all I have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

Look What Was in My Email!!!!

She has got to be one of the most beautiful baby girls I have EVER seen!!!!

Ann at Red Thread is the most amazing and patient person in the world. If you use her, do not take for granted what goes on behind the scenes. This picture and the three others that she sent are nothing but a HUGE answer to prayer! I am still shaking and doing the happy dance.

Some of you know how badly I needed this big gift.

God is so good!

Day 40 and Still Waiting

We are on day 40 of our wait for our LSC (LOA). We are anticipating that we will receive it in the next week or two. At that point we will have 9 - 12 weeks before we travel to get our little girl. So we could possibly be leaving in July! Wow! Back when we sent in our LOI we were thinking that we would be leaving in September or October. The fact that we could possibly be leaving in July sends my head spinning...but in a good way. You see, my baby's birthday is July 30th and she will be turning two!!! I have prayed from the beginning of this adoption that whatever child God gives me, please don't let me miss more than one birthday. Hopefully this is His will.

I have started working on the nursery. Taking down wall paper is easy, getting all of that glue off is another story. Thank goodness it is only one wall. So we are in full gear now to get everything done by July. I have my packing list put together. I don't think I missed anything, but if you want to help me out please feel free to.

I also received my approved addendum to our homestudy today. I'll need it if our LSC comes because I have to mail like a gazillion pieces of paper to USCIS with my I800. Yes, we are a Hague family. So, everything is ready on my end. I just need that coveted piece of paper saying that we can come and get her! Please pray it comes soon! Thank you, all of my amazing bloggy friends!