Direct Back door Post

Had to put another picture of Anna up.  All the others are now under "older posts" and blog newbies don't know to go there so here she is again.  Mommy is on her way soon armed with fingernail clippers!!!!

Back door Post

Trying a back door post. may have to use this in China.

Picture of Anna's photogenic nanny.

PLANE TICKETS!

I think I am finally getting excited about our trip! We bought plane tickets today to China! We will both leave on June 12 for Beijing. We will do our own thing until we head to Anna's province, Jiangxi. On Monday the 16th, we will get our Anna.

The crazy part happens near the end of our trip. We will go to Guangzhou for the last week. She will have a medical exam and we will do paperwork. On the 22nd, Chris will leave to come back to Houston. He and Daniel will fly up to Chicago on the 23rd. Daniel's surgery is on the 24th. Pray they get to stay at the Ronald McDonald House. They won't know until the day they leave but that would be really nice for them to be able to stay there. Anna and I will leave China on the 25th (we have to hang around to make sure her visa is good to go.) We will go straight to Chicago from Beijing (direct flight- hallelujah!). Prayerfully, it will all go smoothly since I will be flying solo. I will hang out in Chicago for a few days and then come back to Houston with Anna by plane.

Whew. I'm tired just typing all that. After that, all we have to do is move 3 weeks later!

God's timing cracks us up sometimes. I'm so thankful that we will have Anna in our arms and can start loving on her before the crazy August invades our lives.

2 more weeks and then we'll be on our way!!

WE GOT IT, WE GOT IT!!

We received our Travel Approval today!! Happpy belated birthday, Anna!

Pray for the arrangements as we work out our travel dates around Daniel's surgery in Chicago. His surgeon can't flex on the date, so we might have to be creative in our China trip. Either June 7 or June 12th.

Yeah! Praise God!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANNA!!

Today is Anna Elaine's 1st birthday. We are trying to stay happy around here. Getting the TA(travel approval) would be the perfect birthday present, come on God!!

I guess at least we know that it will be soon when we can hold her and kiss her and start sharing our love with her.

Speaking of sharing, I have been writing a journal for Anna chronicling this process for her. I imagine that when she is 9 or 10 she will enter her first "adoption identity crisis". I want her to be able to look back with me and see what we were thinking and how other people felt about her adoption. It's already shaping up to be a book of amazing tesitmony to the power of prayer.

There is a Chinese custom (so I've been told) of making a "100 wishes quilt" for a new baby. Many adoptive moms go nuts asking people to send fabric and wishes and put it together in a quilt for their new child. I don't do that. I don't even love quilts at all. They get dusty and dust makes me sneeze. SO, I'm asking for people to send Anna birthday wishes and I will add them to my journal for her. It can be a prayer or verse or whatever you feel like saying.

For non-bloggers, you can send it to me by clicking on the "comments" below this paragraph and typing something into the box that pops up. You don't have to be a blogger to do it, just choose anonymous but sign your name into the note.

Thanks so much!! We love you Anna! Sam cried the other night at bedtime because he "misses you so, so, so much!" Happy birthday, baby girl!

Earthquake Update

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Just wanted to say that Anna's orphanage is very far away from the damage area. We are assuming everything there is fine. We actually got an email from a friend in China who forwarded our care package, and he was notified that they received the package.

Continue to pray for the earthquake victims and their families. Latest predictions put the eventual toll at 50,000. May the church in China rise up and show mercy to those in need.

Keep praying for our travel approval to come soon! I want her home!

WE GOT THE RA!!!!!

Woo Hoo! We got the call today from America World that they received our RA! She can be ours for sure! I screamed when our coordinator told me and then apologized for screaming. She sweetly said it was ok, she loved that part of her job. Then I spontaneously started crying! Not a good idea when you are driving at 70 miles an hour on the tollway! Aaaah! The relief of knowing I can actually let myself love her, prepare for her wholeheartedly, and get excited about holding her. Anna, we will be coming soon! Hopefully the Travel Approval will come soon so we can go in early June. It would actually work out ok, since the boys are done with school after the 5th. Easier for grandparents to not have to juggle school schedules.

Thanks for everyones prayers! We will keep you updated!