Journey to Jade Ariel Yu

Hello, Anybody There?

2009-11-29T14:28:00.005-05:00

Ok. I couldn't resist posting this series of shots considering what we do for a living. Monkey See Monkey Do....
Photo #1 A cell phone.
Photo #2 Lets see if theres any signal? (seriously?)
Photo #3 Hello, Anybody there?
Photo #4 I have my own cell phone!

Happy 3rd Birthday Jade November 14 2009

2009-11-29T14:11:00.002-05:00

Thank you for all my nice gifts.

Jade Baking Birthday Cupcakes

2009-11-29T14:06:00.001-05:00

Jade is helping to make her birthday cupcakes.

Jade and Romeo

2009-11-29T13:58:00.001-05:00

Preschool, Tumble Bears, and The Park

2009-11-29T13:46:00.002-05:00

Fall has set in and we are keeping busy.

Halloween Time

2009-11-29T13:20:00.002-05:00

Jeremy helping Jade with her pumpkin. She loved Trick-or-Treating. She would knock on the door and yell" Trick-or-Treat" and then she would run back to the saftey of mom. She was caught doing this, and they called her Chicken Little. This photo of her dressed has got to be my favorite!

Allissa's Senior College Year for Cheer

2009-11-29T12:49:00.005-05:00

Another season of football and watching my daughter cheer. I have looked forward to watching her each and every season since she was in 6th grade. This season of football however was very emotional for me (and her) knowing it was her last season to cheer for football. We are very proud of all her accomplishments!

Football and Food

2009-11-29T12:36:00.004-05:00

They go hand in hand at a football game for Jade.

Sleeping Bear Dunes

2009-11-29T11:28:00.001-05:00

A weekend adventure to Sleeping Bear Dunes. It is beautiful there.

1 Year Gotcha August 17, 2009

2009-11-29T11:03:00.004-05:00

We took Jade to Big Boys for her two favorite foods. Ice Cream and Onion Rings.
Its hard to believe it has been 1 year since she has joined our family. She has made great accomplishments along the way. This little girl has been through alot in her short life and is happy, smart, and beautiful. She is very strong willed, and is going to achieve in life what ever she sets her mind to.
We love you, Jade Ariel Yu.

Visit to The Zoo

2009-11-29T10:33:00.002-05:00

We had a fun day. I set a play date up for at the zoo. Jade made a new friend. It was a little ruff in the beginning. You can see her attitude when she discovered it wasn't going to be just her and I. LOL. But we managed to get through the day with only a half dozen or so of these pouts. LOL.

Splish Splash Summer 2009

2009-11-29T10:26:00.003-05:00

Jade had fun learning to kick and paddle. She made her way around the pool in no time. But she wanted no part in learning how to hold her breath. She says, "next year mama".

Summer Flowers

2009-11-29T10:05:00.001-05:00

Playing with the Macro setting on my new camera.

Jade Singing with Barney-June 2009

2009-11-28T19:26:00.007-05:00

My best garage sale bargain this summer. Barney $1.00. Jade can now sing every song with ease. Here's Jade singing her ABC's 3 1/2 months after surgery. She's mixing up her next song (If your Happy and You Know It) with Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes. It's funny because she knows somethings off beat. This was taped approximately the middle of June.

Sailing the High Seas

2009-11-28T18:54:00.006-05:00

Ok. Not quite the High Seas, but the Great Lakes. A great place to spend your summer days. Jeremy went out for a week long adventure as part of the crew on this 65 foot schooner. He also taught youth and adult sailing classes this summer. He's hoping to spend a few weeks next summer as a crew member on a tall ship out on the "high seas".
And yes, those are dreadlocks he came home with. He really puts his heart into it!
The middle photo is a distant shot of the "Big Mac".

All My Kids Together

2009-11-28T18:48:00.002-05:00

Enjoying a warm evening together.
A favorite photo.

Veggies Yuck

2009-11-28T18:46:00.000-05:00

Easter 2009

2009-11-28T18:22:00.003-05:00

Jades first Easter. And no more No No's. Her palate healed up very nicely. Now we can work on her speech. The doctor said we should hear a completely different kid in about 6 months. And he was right!

Popcorn and No No's

2009-11-28T18:12:00.003-05:00

OK. I know this wasn't nice. Me and Jade went to a craft show and she was still wearing her No No's, and I plopped a big bag of kettle corn on her lap. Needless to say she couldnt eat any and was still recovering from surgery and on a soft diet. But as you can see that wasn't all I loaded the stroller down with.

Post Op Check Up-March 12 2009

2009-11-28T17:59:00.003-05:00

As you can see, Jade is being a real trooper through this. She loves wearing her "No No's". I thought it was going to be a battle keeping them on, but it turned out to be quite the opposite, she would cry when we had to take them off. They were some sort of a "mental" band aid for her.

Heading home.

2009-11-28T17:55:00.002-05:00

Heading home for recovery. Jade has to wear "No No's" on her arms, for the next 5 weeks to keep her fingers and toys out of her mouth.

Recovery March 3rd 2009

2009-11-28T17:51:00.003-05:00

March 3rd 2009. Palate surgery was successful. I didn't say it was easy, because it wasn't. It was painful to even watch.I thought I had mentally prepared myself. Two hours out of surgery,and Jade's pain meds were wearing off, Jade was screaming/crying, she looked me straight into my eyes and with her arms restrained with her No No's on, and her tongue stitched to her cheek, she signed with her hands "help". That is when I lost it. It was heartbreaking.

Last McDonald Meal for a While

2009-11-28T17:43:00.006-05:00

It's March 2nd and we are heading to Motts Children's Hospital for palate surgery.
Jade doesn't know it, but this is her last solid meal for the next 4 weeks or so.

Catching Up

2009-10-03T10:16:00.008-04:00

I'm working on updating my blog, but wanted to share a few favorite photos of Jade first.

Chinese New Year Gathering Feb. 2009

2009-04-19T13:39:00.003-04:00

Cheering with Big Sis. Feb. 2009

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What am I Supposed to Be Doing?

2009-04-19T13:14:00.004-04:00

So...When does the Snow Stop? Photos

2009-04-19T12:20:00.004-04:00

And Winter Came with Hope...and Christmas Brought Joy

2009-04-19T11:21:00.003-04:00

It was hard getting into the Christmas spirit. The PAD (post Adoption Depression) was hanging on. Statics show that 65% of all international adoptive parents suffer from some form of PAD. (Yet only 8% reported that they had been advised by their Social Workers or agencies that this syndrome even existed. Wow, that's sad.) Out of that 65%, 45% reported that their symptoms lasted for more than 6 months. Ouch! 85% of suffers reported that their depression affected their health in some way. (serious weight loss/gain followed by sleep disturbances. (I fit right in. Lossed 22 pounds and no sleep for 6 weeks! Talking about a nightmare!) 70% of suffers felt that PAD had interfered with a smooth transition and bonding with their children. I too felt that. Jade was calling me "MAMA" readily all the time. But I was having a hard time accepting it at first. Four months into coming home though, my symptoms were starting to subside. I had lots of support from family members and my adoption community friends with witch I had been in constant touch with. By the way, "Thank you to all of you for seeing me through this." You know who you are. :) It was about a week before Christmas and our tree finally went up. That was a good sign. Avoidance had been a big issue with me. Jade enjoyed her first Christmas the way it was meant to be! And life was getting brighter!

And Winter Came With Hope...and Christmas Brought Joy-Photos

2009-03-30T14:45:00.011-04:00

Big Brother Jeremy -Photos...or as Jade would pronounce it "marry me".

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Cross Country Track
Homecoming Dance

Jade & Grandma Dianne-Photos

2009-03-30T13:47:00.003-04:00

Grandmas are made for fun!

As Summer Faded Away

2009-03-30T13:02:00.007-04:00

As summer faded away, my PAD (post adoption depression) was coming to a head. We had been home for almost 9 weeks. What was happening to me? Did I make the biggest mistake in my life ever? But I thought this was a red thread connection...what happened to destiny? What happened to Gods will and understanding that I was to mother an orphan? What did I do to my family? I questioned myself over and over. But I kept plugging along, praying that time would heal all. As fall came and went like a fury and a blur, Jade was continuing to do well and adapting into the family. I was teaching her sign language and she was understanding English a little more, and starting to pick up a few words here and there. We were starting to communicate on some level of understanding each other. We were establishing a routine that helped tremendously. She started attending daycare a few days a week and going to Tumble Bears which she now refers to as "march..march". And, as time will have it,it continued to move on...

Summer Fades Away-Photos

2009-03-29T14:08:00.006-04:00

Late Summer Days-Photos

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And the Late Summer Days That Followed

2009-03-29T13:01:00.003-04:00

Jade's adjustment into the family went fairly smooth for her. For us though, it was a little more than a mild adjustment. As most of my family and friends know, it was a long hard period of adjustment for us through out the fall. I suffered from "post adoption depression". Yes, look it up. It's considered the "unacknowledged hazard". Something that is not talked about. Something that you are not made aware of throughout the adoption process until it strikes. For some, the process is smooth and all glory, for others its a nightmare. I know of several other families that have had similar experiences. The circumstances may be different, but the results are all the same. Funny thing is, nobody talked about it. Like its a big secret and something to be ashamed of. Well, it just so happens that this is a big life changing event. And for us, we have made it through and for the better. Any one considering adoption, I would certainly recommend that you do your research on PAD. With all the reading and research I had done prior to "Gotcha Day", this was the one thing I had never come across. And it was never mentioned in all the blogs that I followed. So me, being the person that I am, and had gone through what I consider hell and back, I felt I needed to share this experience so others are aware of the existence of "post adoption depression".

First Days Home

2009-03-29T12:17:00.005-04:00

I've waited way too long to post, but I'm going to back track and start at the beginning. The beginning of our journey at home. Please follow along as I try to fill you in on Jades progress in the last 6 months.
This series of 3 photos, is Jade seeing our German Shepherds for the first time. As you can see, she was in awe.

Last post from China

2008-08-30T23:25:00.003-04:00

We are in the Ramada Inn Hotel at the Shanghai Pudong Airport. I was able to up load the photos for the last couple of days. Yesterday morning we past on doing the Reed Flute Cave tour. We have just done so much on this trip we were ready for a break. Plus we had to travel from Guilin to Shanghai yesterday. It's nice to know we are on our last leg of our journey home. By time we are home we'll have been in the airports 14 times and traveled over 16,000 plus miles and half of that with a one year old! Lets give credit, where credit is due! China has been an awesome experince. We have seen so much and were able to experince real life China. We would walk the streets at night and mingle with the locals..our favorite thing was to just sit at the local outside resturants and order the local noodle dishes and just sit and watch the people. The night life in China is busy! But with the population in the big cities, and the highrise apartments by the thousands, the locals are all out and about. We will have lots to share with Jade as she grows. We will miss the friendly people of China. But fare warning, dont try to do China without a guide and driver for getting around. Not many Chinese speak English. Even in our 5 star hotels we've been staying in. You ask for a towel and receive a pillow. You ask for a highchair, and watch the waiter go stow it away! 16 hours and Jade will become a U.S. Citizen! Signing off from China! WOW, it has been amazing!

Sorry no photos

2008-08-29T12:01:00.002-04:00

I tried posting photos with the last two post, but for some reason it wont let me. I'll try again tomorrow night from Shanghai. We leave Guilin tomorrow at 1:00 pm and head to Shanghai for the night, before our big flight home on Sunday.I don't know where the time has gone, but it has been a whirlwind of adventure. We have been on the move and Jade has put up with it all fairly well. I'll miss China and its people, but we're looking forward to being home and establishing a routine with Jade.

Longsheng Rice Terrace Fields

2008-08-29T11:18:00.006-04:00

Today we took a 2 1/2 hour drive north into the country. We went to see the Longhseng Rice Terrace Fields. It was a long and winding road up into the mountainous region. Once up on top of the mountain, we had to get out and hike the rest of the way up to the rice fields. Yah, that was fun with the baby! Not! So we hired a "basket lady". A Zhuang minority tribe member that lives in the local village there on top of the mountain where the farmers work the fields. 40 years old and she hiked to the top with a baby on her back. She out did us! The view was breath taking. It was beautiful and very Serene. We could have sat there all day and just starred out into the vast rice fields with the mountains behind them. But Jade wouldn't allow that, LOL, so we started our 2 1/2 hour drive back to the hotel. That was one way to see the "real China". The country side is beautiful. Its so hard to describe what we have seen and experienced on this whole trip. China is so different from what we know. But the people have all been very friendly.

Li River Cruise

2008-08-29T10:48:00.007-04:00

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Thursday we went on the Li River Cruise. A 4 1/2 cruise down the Li River on a large tour boat. The scenery was absolutely beautiful with variegated cliffs and odd shaped crags that towered all around the river. The river and scenery was like, well...like places you only dream of going. The photos will never do it justice. This in the most photographed and painted area in China. Its also famous for inspiring many poems and songs. At the end of the boat cruise we arrived at Yangshou. A small village big on tourism. We walked down Yangshou West Street which is filled with crafts made by the locals. Our driver picked us up and whisked us off to another park about 20 minutes away called Shangri-La. Another very beautiful place. After that it was 2 1/2 hours drive back to our hotel.

Jade

2008-08-27T11:28:00.002-04:00

Onto Guilin

2008-08-27T09:35:00.006-04:00

Airport stop # 9 takes us into Guilin. It was only a 45 minute flight from Guangzhou. (OMG! I don't know how were going to do a 15 hour flight with Jade!) We arrived at our hotel after a one hour drive. Jade was tired and crabby so we laid her down for a nap, and the boys went swimming. The heat and humidity is awful. We are in a subtropical climate. We had a "day of rest" today, so tonight we went out and explored the "real China". The population is only 700,000 here. We are back to getting the "panda in the zoo" looks. There were open meat markets everywhere. Whole duck heads, turkey feet, eel, squid, and I don't want to know the rest. We braved it though and ordered some Guilin Noodles and fried corn on the cob, dumplings, and some sort of mini pies that Jade was pointing at when we walked by. Something that she was obviously familiar with. Tomorrow we do the Li River Boat Cruise. A 4 1/2 hour ride through the beautiful mountain side.

The Famous "Red Couch" Photos

2008-08-27T09:12:00.003-04:00

We had our U.S. Consulates appointment on Monday and our oath taking on Tuesday. We received Jades Visa into the States after the oath taking. She will be an American Citizen when she enters onto U.S. soil.
The photos were taken in the White Swan Hotel. This is tradition for every adoptive family that passes through Guangzhou. We had the fortunate opportunity too also be in Guangzhou the same time as some of our friends from our agency. It was so nice to meet the families and their children after corresponding with them since last fall. "I'll miss you ladies."

We are in Guangzhou.

2008-08-25T02:40:00.010-04:00

We picked up Jade's Chinese passport Friday morning Aug. 22nd., which completed our paperwork in Fuzhou. Next stop is Guangzhou to apply for her U.S. Citizenship and Visa. It was bittersweet boarding the plane in Fuzhou knowing that we were taking our baby away from her birthplace. But on the other hand we were getting anxious to move on even though we really enjoyed Fuzhou. Arriving in Guangzhou put us at an airport for the 7th time and added another 500 miles onto our travels. Jade did really good on the plane ride but she had her big sister entertaining her the whole ride!(And I mean the WHOLE ride. Poor Allissa, not a moments break.) Allissa and Jeremy have really been big helpers. Saturday morning, Jade had to go through a routine medical exam to guarantee the U.S. she wasn't carrying any infectious diseases into the States. We also filled out consulate paper work and did her visa photo. Later in the day we took an early evening boat cruise on the Pearl River. It was lit up like Las Vegas. But so was Jade. It was a good thing it was only 1 1/2 hours! On Sunday we visited the Six Banyan Temple and Chen Clay Temple. Both are over 1000 years old and the architecture was just stunning. It was really neat being able to tour an ancient Chinese family dwelling after doing much reading on their culture and how they lived with multiple generations under one roof. We also went to the local shopping plaza. Now keep in mind the population of Guangzhou is 10 million people! And we happen to be there Sunday afternoon, which our guide told us was the busiest day of the week, but that it was like this every Sunday. Check out the photos. I have never seen so much congestion in my life. These people have got to be the most patient people around to deal with a crowd like this all the time. It was crazy, not my idea of a relaxing outing.
Jade is proving to be quite the handful. She likes to "play" everyone until she gets what she wants, and of course Daddy is the one to always give in. Mommy on the other hand has to be the disciplinary. It's amazing as much reading and educating myself I have done on this adoption process, how hard it has proven to be to adjust to. Many adoptive families that I have corresponded with for the past year, failed to post their emotional side of things. But we have had our ups and downs, our "did we do the right thing?", "what did we do to our other kids?",(after all, this is a big adjustment on them too), those sort of thoughts that just come and go. It has been an emotional roller coaster for us. And I'm posting this so other parents are aware of all the feelings that one goes through. And I know we're not alone, because there are 3 other families here in GZ from our agency that are having their own roller coaster of emotions going on. But the families that have done this before, assure us things get easier and back to "normal". They also said it is much easier on your home turf where you can establish a routine. We are here in Guangzhou till Wednesday and then we fly onto Guilin. China has been interesting to say the least. It's certainly is another world. And Guangzhou is a completely different ambiance/vibe than Fuzhou. O.K. I've just had fish thrown in my lap, so I'm off. P.S. Lisa, looking forward to signing Jade up for your daycare. LOL

Jade

2008-08-21T11:41:00.006-04:00

She continues to do well. I know her mind has got to be spinning right now with all the changes happening to her. Not to mention, English and Chinese both coming at her. She has already picked up a few words including "no". LOL She loves to do things she knows shes not supposed to. She just loves to watch your reaction! Then she laughs at you. She is one smart cookie!

Visit to The Orphanage

2008-08-21T11:21:00.005-04:00

We visited the Fuzhou Social Welfare Institute yesterday. We all new it wasn't going to be an easy thing. It was very heartbreaking. The photo with the gate, is where Jade was left when she was a baby. That is the front gate to the orphanage. We toted a suitcase full of supplies for the orphanage children. It was such an honor to be able to hand these children some of the goods we had brought for them. Their smiles will never be forgotten.

A Walk in The Park

2008-08-21T10:41:00.010-04:00

The last two mornings, Allissa, Jade, and I, went for an early morning walk in the park. The West Lake Park is beautiful and filled with beautiful people. Every morning there are hundreds of people out doing Tai Chi and dancing. We seem to draw a crowd of curious people when we are out. The Chinese ladies are very interested in us with Jade, and the American culture. They say we have very big hearts and that she is a lucky baby.You can see in the photos the crowd that we attract. It was an awesome experience speaking with these ladies.They were simply precious. There would always be one English speaking lady that would translate the questions for the rest of the ladies. We are the only Americans here in Fuzhou. Our guide teases us and says we are like "pandas in the zoo", for every one to look at. Its an interesting experience being the minority.

We're doing good.

2008-08-19T07:55:00.005-04:00

Hello, I'm sorry it took so long to post photos. I'm sure everyone back in our hometown is very unhappy with me. But it has just been a whirlwind of activity, and this time zone change really wore us out. Jade is doing pretty good with adjusting. She has meltdowns, but only when she's really tired. She's full of spirit, and loves to laugh and tease us. Even though we have a communication gap with language, she's doing a really good job of communicating to us by pointing and showing us want she wants. She's a very bright little girl and quick to pick up on things. She's really trying hard to mimic us. She's pretty much potty trained, but I have been keeping a diaper on her because of all the touring we're doing. She just went down for a nap, so...(I cant believe I'm saying this), but I'm stuck in the room!! Everyone else is at the pool. It's been a long time since I have been "stuck in a room" so to speak. LOL It's kinda of weird. Another adjustment we'll have to make. LOL We have been touring and having breakfast and lunch with Sheri and her family (another Heritage Adoption Family that I have been corresponding with since last December via email) since we have arrived in Fuzhou. We have really been enjoying their company! It is so nice to share this experience with them. And it has really worked out well for our teenagers to have someone else to socialize with! The kids are enjoying each others company as well. I think I mentioned this already, but our guide Katherine is awesome and Fuzhou is a very friendly and beautiful place. It is extremely HOT and HUMID. Today we went to the Panda Zoo and a formal Tea ceremony. Tomorrow we visit the orphanage and donate the suitcase full of clothing, slippers, crayons, markers, stickers, suckers, ect. that we purchased for the orphanage children. Nancy

Gotcha Day

2008-08-18T19:42:00.004-04:00

August 17th we received our daughter! She is more than words can describe. She is bright, beautiful and full of spirit. Not to mention she is quite the character.

Moments Thought

2008-08-17T02:27:00.002-04:00

We are less than 1 hour away from receiving our daughter! Emotions are high and many. This is one of those moments in life that take your breath away!

Embrace Change: Temperatures will rise and fall. Winds will shift. Leaves will drop and buds will form. And with every transition new beginnings will be revealed.

Excellence: Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible.

We're in China

2008-08-16T01:25:00.004-04:00

Hello, Just a quick post to let everyone at home know that we arrived safely. Five airports, 7500 miles, and 2 and a half days later. We are in Fuzhou, our little girls home town. Our heads are spinning. Lack of sleep and more emotions then we ever thought possible at one time! We are checked into a very nice hotel. West Lake. The weather is unbelievably hot and humid. We also were told, we are receiving our little girl tomorrow on Sunday instead of Monday! O.K. We're off to see China. I'll post again later! Zaijian! (goodbye)

Jade's Bribe Bag

2008-08-10T13:25:00.002-04:00

We're making progress in packing. This is no easy task! I thought I would post a picture of Jade's backpack. This will be for her on "Gotcha Day" to help her ease into her new family. A sort of temporary deterrent!

We have our Itinerary!

2008-08-08T11:19:00.003-04:00

Crunch time is here! Pressure is on! We received our itinerary for China and it is 3 pages long, so I will be condensing this version. But here it is:
Aug. 14th : Nonstop flights Chicago to Shanghai. Catch another flight to Fuzhou.
Aug. 16th : Shopping in nearby market and visit Drum Hill.
Aug. 17th : Visit Lakeside Park
Aug. 18th : Receive our daughter!! Also known as "Gotcha Day" in the Adoption world.
Aug. 19th : Paperwork.
Aug. 20th : Visit Panda World. After all, who doesn't relate Pandas with China?
Aug. 21st : Visit the orphanage and see Jades finding spot.
Aug. 22nd : Paperwork. Depart for Guangzhou by plane.
Aug. 23rd : Jade's medical exam, paperwork, visit Pearl Market, Pearl River Night Cruise
Aug. 24th : Visit Six Banyan Temple and Chen Clay Temple.
Aug. 25th : Visa appointment. (CA)with the US Embassy
Aug. 26th : Oath taking
Aug. 27th : Depart Guangzhou for Guilin by plane.
Aug. 28th : Boat cruise on the Li River, tour Yangshuo West Street in Yangshou.
Aug. 29th : Sightsee Longsheng Terrace (tiered rice paddy fields), Zhuang Minority Village
Aug. 30th : Tour Reed Flute Cave. Depart for Shanghai by plane.
Aug. 31st : Depart for the U.S.A.
Well that's it in a nutshell! We get overwhelmed by just looking at our itinerary! Wait till we actually live it! What a trip! So if you don't hear from us on a regular basis, you'll know why! My next post will be from China with our daughter! Please pray for us all to have safe travels on our journey of a life time. Thank you.

CA Confirmed

2008-08-03T08:26:00.004-04:00

O.K. So I didn't post right away. But now all of a sudden, it seems like crunch time! How is it we go from whining because its taking so long with all the time in the world, to no time to spare and feeling LOTS of PRESSURE? Anyways, we received our CA (consulates appointment) on Thursday July 31st. This is the last step in the paperwork process (on U.S. soil that is) for being able to travel and receive our daughter. We will have lots more paperwork to fill out in China,(looking forward to that... not). It's hard for us to believe we're at this point after almost 2 years of anticipation! Our CA is for August 25th @ 9:00AM! At that point Jade Ariel Yu, will receive her visa to enter the U.S. as an American Citizen and more importantly, our daughter!

Travel Approval is Here!

2008-07-28T23:08:00.002-04:00

Well, this is the moment we have been waiting for, the arrival of our TA (travel approval)!!! It gives us permission to travel to China and pick up our daughter! We have one more important step though, that we are waiting on, and that is our CA. (consulates appointment at the US Embassy in Guangzhou, China) This appointment should only take a few days to receive. Technically we are supposed to wait to make flight arrangements till we have CA, but.... I just couldn't do it! With the Olympics being the same time as our travel, all the nonstop flights are booking quickly. Sooo...we have tickets!!! I'll post again when we receive CA!

Fuzhou Fujian China

2008-07-15T10:46:00.007-04:00

This is where our little girl was born.
We will be staying in Fuzhou for about 8
days, then we will be going to Guangzhou
to apply for the US Visa. This is where
the US Embassy is located. Once the adoption
process is complete, we will be touring on to
Guilin, Guangxi to see the beautiful Liang River.
This journey is anticipated to be surreal!

Waiting Isn't Easy

2008-07-14T01:25:00.004-04:00

And we all deal with it our own way! I think Allissa is getting impatient while waiting for Jade! Poor Snowflake!

Waiting Isn't Easy

2008-07-14T01:02:00.003-04:00

But I have plenty to keep me busy!
I love working in the gardens.

2008-07-14T00:29:00.006-04:00

My 5 German Shepherds. Here's Cloe, Joe Cool,
Romeo, Merecedes, and Detour. Won't Jade have fun with these
big guys! Romeo weighs in at 130lbs.

Update on Jade July 7 2008

2008-07-12T01:31:00.003-04:00

July 7th was a good day. Not only did we receive our LOA, but we also received an update on Jade. Here's a little bit about her!

Height: 31.5 inches
Weight: 26lbs wow My arms are going to get a work out!
Head circumference: 18.1 inches
Chest circumference: 18.2
Foot length: 4.9 inches
Teeth: 6 up 8 bottom

She likes sleeping on her back.
She's been in fostercare since she was 4 months old.
She is fond of listening to childrens music.
She likes to watch Childrens Channels.
She can understand Mandarin and can speak the local dialect, Mama (mother), and Jie (older sister). Which tells me she has a big sister at the fosterhome.
When she is angry, hold her up.
She is afraid of fireworks and thunder.
She is out going and active. (perfect)
Now this is the funny part: She wears diapers at nite, daytime she wears split pants and pees on the ground. (Not here honey!) Diapers will be in order for a while I see!

LOA in Hand

2008-07-12T01:02:00.005-04:00

We received a phone call from our Agency on July 3rd letting us know that our LOA
(letter of acceptance) had arrived. We received it by DHL, on July 7th, day 75. But would you believe that they didn't even ring the door bell!! An important document like that and it was left on the door step. Yikes! It's a good thing it hadn't started raining yet! And thank you to my daughter, with "inquiry minds" who wanted to know where it was. But that baby was signed and sent back within hours!! Next stop....TA (travel approval). With that, we have permission from the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) to travel to China and bring our daughter home!! We're hoping we get TA by the end of July.

Shortly and Soon

2008-06-29T21:30:00.005-04:00

O.K. Any parent that has gone through adoption, knows these two familiar "S" words. And yes, they are used quite frequently in the adoption world when you are waiting for that next important paper step. (Very general words that can mean almost anything.) Words that give you hope. Hope that your going to hear something "soon".
We are on day 67 waiting on that LOA. (letter of acceptance) And we are expecting it "shortly"!!

Our Time Line to Jade

2008-06-22T21:26:00.006-04:00

November 14th 2006: Jade is given life by her birthmother somewhere in Fuzhou, Fujian China.

December 1st 2006: Our red thread journey began when our path intermingled with another family who had just recently adopted a little girl from China. I believe they were our messengers from above, letting us know that our little girl was waiting for us.

March 3rd 2007: Went to a Chinese New Year Party for familys with Chinese Children.
Met our Social Worker there and had our first meeting for the homestudy.

April 20th 2007: Sent in our adoption application to agency #1.

May 2007: Started collecting paperwork for our dossier and setting up appointments for physicals, ect.

October 2007: Waiting on our Homestudy and getting anxious to be DTC.(Dossier to China) Reading and researching everything out there on the internet.

November 1st 2007: Saw first draft of the Homestudy.

November 12th 2007: Saw Wang You's referral listed with another agency. We knew she was the one meant for us! Shes ours!! Thank you Heritage! We switch agencys immediately.

January 23rd 2008: Homestudy complete! Finally feel like we're making progress.

January 29th 2008: Sent in the I 600 A (immigration paperwork)

February 26th 2008: Fingerprinted at the USCIS

April 3rd 2008: Received the 171 H in the mail!!

April 10th 2008: DTC!!! (dossier to China)

April 24th 2008: LID!! (log in date)

June 22nd 2008: Here we are on day 60 waiting for our LOA. (letter of acceptance)
Yes, waiting some more and not so patiently!!

Here is the journey of a little girl who has stolen our hearts.

2008-06-18T22:46:00.004-04:00

Where it all began. Many years ago when I was a child of 12 years, I witnessed many Vietnamese orphans land in the USA, "Operation Baby Lift", during the Vietnam War looking for homes. I begged my mother to go and give a child a home and family. (I also wanted a little sister very badly, being the youngest of six), but my mother and father were all ready done creating their family. But my heart went out to these children who needed a family. AS the years past, I married and had 3 beautiful biological children. Our life was full and complete, or so we thought. Then one day, God planted that seed back into my heart about adoption. I came across a couple who had recently adopted from China, and wow, let me tell you, I just knew it was right. I started discussing it with my husband and doing research. After many months of research, we just knew our daughter was in China waiting for us. We both could feel it so strongly, as this was something we had talked about on and off through out the years. And now, the journey begins....