Guangdong Beauties

Update: We just found out yesterday that all three of these sweet girls are on the road to a Chinese sibling. I can't say "little sisters" because Amy is the only one getting a little sister! Mia is getting a big sister - a 6 year old sweetheart! And Jaelyn is getting a "big" brother - Levi is 3 months older than J. How wonderful...

We had an opportunity to escape Big City life :) and visit with our China travel buddies this past weekend. It is always a blessing to be with our travel "family"! I still struggle to explain the connection because I am not sure of it myself. What I do know is that we are three families that were called to adoption after we thought our families were complete. Walking the road together has woven our hearts together. Supporting eachother in China solidified the relationship.

We are all in process to bring home siblings again. We are all at different stages in the process, but the one thing we have in common is the love and support that families offer eachother in the big events of life.

The girls are all just AMAZING! It was such fun to watch them play and dance and be silly together! And all the while we barely saw their Bigs - because they were off playing together, too!



Playing dress up together

I found these little Mulan nightgowns for the girls while I was in Chicago at the end of the year and all three girls LOVE them! Princess Mulan has black hair and almond eyes - just like THEY DO!

Life is a roller coaster

This morning in my quiet time I was studying about David destroying the Amalekites. I am not real sure how I meandered onto this thought, but I am so thankful that I did... Here's a glimpse into my journal...

Life is a roller coaster of emotions, Lord. Lead my heart to be faithful on this particular rollercoaster called "the Journey to Anna". So much of the joy comes from the journey. I expect that the anti-climatic part of this coaster will be when we get Anna. It's like when we are pulling back into the loading zone at the end of the ride; because that's the only predictable part of this ride. We will pull back into the loading zone and get off; dizzied - but elated - and in search of another coaster.

Ya know - it's not that I see this whole journey without a seriousness or that I am not looking forward to having Anna in my arms, but think about it... A roller coaster ride (one that you have not ridden before) has so many twists and turns. If you are committed (and let's face it - once the coaster pulls out, you are committed) you have no control over the ride, but you can committ to enjoying the journey. Even if it's scarey and not at all what you expected, you KNOW that it will end. As you round that last turn and see the turnstyles in the distance, you can finally breathe.

In the past I hated coasters. I hated that I might get sick (although I never have). But I remember riding one a couple years ago with my jr high kiddos; I walked off of it with a new perspective about life and NOW I love them! Sure - I have had a few that scared my pants off! But, would I have skipped out on it? No - because the adrenaline rush on the "journey" can't be replicated on the safe, secure ground.

We'll just call this "Deep Thoughts - by Tami"...

:)

Snow!!!

I love snow.
I love to look at it.
I love to drive in it.
I love to let it fall on my tongue.
Not such a fan of playing in it, BUT I do love to take pictures of my family playing in it.
Enjoy!



They are ok... they are just making SNOW ANGELS!

... and Amy makes a snow angel of her own!

Snowball FIGHT! Kids vs. Daddy!

PA!!!

Yippeee!
I just got an e-mail from our agency; China issued our PA (pre-approval) for Anna on the 15th and our agency received it today!
What does that mean?
It pretty much means that - based on the info they received in our LOI (letter of intent) we are pre-approved to adopt Anna. Now we get that dossier to China and wait for TA (travel approval).
It's great to know that China knows we want to be Anna's mom and dad...
:)
What a blessed way to move into the weekend.

mothering

MOTHERING A MULTITUDE
I am pretty sure I don't know how many a "multitude" is, BUT I do have a feeling that we are getting close.

(by the way - I "borrowed" this from a friends website - no malice intended...)

:)

-love you C. and C. J. and the "K" krew

The mother of a multitude has some characteristics not always seen or experienced in small-to-medium families.

Multiple mothering requires that you stockpile hand-me-downs until you could open your own thrift shop. It’s taking two carts and a husband to handle the overflow when you do your grocery shopping. It’s never having a problem with leftovers because there aren’t any.

It’s wondering what happened to your tulip bed but knowing better than to ask. It’s never being lonely, yet fighting for a moment of solitude. It’s peeling potatoes until you rue the day Idaho joined the Union. It’s wishing you could have just one roll of Scotch tape to call your own.

It’s giving repeated thanks for the services of electricity, running water, Frigidaire, General Mills, an all-weather house, a healthy body, and the indefatigability of the Holy Spirit.

Oh - these TWO!

I had the "joy" of sharing my morning yesterday with my nephews Grayson and Tate. Wow! I literally had to keep checking on them because when the boys got here, Amy and Grayson disappeared upstairs to play. And play. And play! I am adding another talley mark to the "reasons we are adopting again" column! It was so nice to have the break.

Oh yes, except for taking care of Tate (which, I should add, is pretty stinkin' easy - mostly because I am not his mom and I can just hold him and tell him how cute he is).


Grayson and Amy enjoyed performing a little "show" for me on the "stage" in our family room!



And then they were done. And darn it if these kids don't already know how stinkin' cute they are!


It isn't all the kids, but here are the "little cousins". Amy is pretty fascinated with "baby Tate" and couldn't wait to hold him. She was equally anxious for me to scoop him back up once the picture was taken :) 

Happy Birthday Old Man :)

I love kidding with my hubby. He takes it all in fun. So - today is the perfect day to do that - it's Chris's 32nd birthday! Now - until today - Chris and I were both 31 for 1 month and 1 day; that makes it all the "funnier". He really isn't TOO much older than I am.

The cheese factor for this picture is pretty high. Honestly - the picture was the last one for our dossier (we needed another family picture).

We did celebrate his birthday tonight with a miniature carrot cake (with cream cheese frosting... mmmmm...) - candle and all. Ashleigh was so excited at the prospect of putting 32 candles on the tiny cake; much to her disappointment, we only had 12 candles. :(

We actually did a lot more celebrating last night. We went to dinner at Red Robin and gave Chris our gifts. Chris will soon be disturbing the peace in our neighborhood... he got a drum set. It is something I have wanted to get him for some time now; who knows WHY I decided NOW was the right time! As if four kids weren't enough to disturb the peace!

In all seriousness...
Chris is not the same 15 year old that I met in 1990. I have said it before and I will continue to say it... I am so thankful that God knew what I would need in a husband LONG before I knew I needed it. He also knew that kind of man that Chris would become (and is still becomming). I am such a blessed woman. I am on the adventure of a lifetime with my very best friend.

I love you, Chris.

 

One Year Ago - TODAY

One year ago today - I woke up and thought I was just gonna have a normal day. I had a few after Christmas errands to run and Ashleigh and I were finishing up our immunizations for China. We seriously thought we had another year or more before we would know Amy...

Then - after I left the doctor's office, I got a call. Actually, I missed the call :) I checked my voicemail and got a message for our case manager - Natalie. She said "Tami - I have some... ummm... news. Call me."

I called her back and that is when we heard about Amy for the first time!

SOOOO much has happened in the last year! Nine months ago today Amy walked into our life in China. And since then, we have had the awesome opportunity to watch this sweet girl blossom before our very eyes!

I am blessed.

"No eye has seen, No ear has heard, No mind has conceived what God has in store for those who love Him."

Amen.