Packing, Packing, Packing!

Now that I am beyond the pre- and post- pain of the root canal, I am furiously washing clothes and packing for the trip. (I got behind on laundry because of my tooth pain for over a week.) There are so many things that we have to remember to take with us! Of course, clothes for everyone and then all the normal cosmetics. We take snack food items and extra medicines in case we need them, including antibiotics. I have been gathering up things to keep MaryAlyce occupied on the plane...books, stickers, cards, etc. The biggest pain to me is worrying about the liquids and making sure I don't pack anything that goes onto the plane that is over the 3 oz. limit.

We are given a list by our agency of suggested items to pack on the trip. Of course, there are many more lists you can find on the internet to help add to your confusion! Here's a link that has several lists as samples if you are interested in taking a look:

http://www.fwcc.org/packtips.htm

Electronics are always fun...camera, video camera, webcam, portable movie player (for MaryAlyce) and two laptops....plus all the chargers and accessories. Those all have to go on the plane with us and they take up a whole carry-on. (We are allowed three carry-ons...plus three "personal" sized items like a purse.) Many or most of the electronics have to come out of their cases, go in bins and be scanned and/or examined.

On the other two trips, we over-packed and we are trying not to do that this time! (hmm...did I add that kitchen sink to the list?)

I don't know what size clothes to pack for Esther Marie so I am putting in some different sizes. We have cute shoes that were MaryAlyce's but I don't know her size for shoes either. So I am going to just buy some when we get over there. You can buy the most adorable squeaky shoes (see photo above) for about $5.00. They are little leather shoes with a squeaker in them. The sqeaker lets you know where you baby is. Hopefully there won't be a whole room-full wearing them at the same time!

The most important things to take are our paperwork that we need for the adoption, our passports and money. If we forget something else, we can probably buy it in Hong Kong or Guangzhou.

One thing I suddenly remembered today was that we have to take some "gifts" for officials and I have forgotten to get those. Good thing I have a couple of more days. We take little gifts that are made in America (hard to find) to give to adoption officals, etc. We need about 6 or 8 of those and they are wrapped so you have to take gift bags too. It is a courtesy thing, not a bribe, to give the gifts...as a "thank you."

Well, I am sure you get the picture....the packing is tedious and takes awhile, but it is all SO worth it!! Now that things are going into the suitcases, it seems more real than ever. We will be leaving in just FOUR days!

Mission Accomplished!

Well, I hope I never have to have another root canal, but I can honestly say that it was not as bad as I had heard or imagined. I'm sure Dr. Collier would be happy to hear me say that. The procedure went smoothly with almost no pain. Of course, I had SIX shots of Novocaine! If you saw me now, you would laugh because I feel like I have half a face. Lips? What are those??? Tomorrow will be a new day!

Thanks to everyone who prayed! I could definitely feel the prayer covering over me and was not as nervous as I thought I would be. Usually dentist visits terrify me. Please continue to pray for me that I won't have any more pain or complications from this tooth and the infection.

On another note, I just found out that we will have one or two other families in our "travel group" during the time we are in Guangzhou. I was so excited to hear this news and look forward to finding out more about them. It is a great comfort to have others with you on a trip like this. When we traveled to get MaryAlyce, there was one couple from Huntsville in our travel group that we formed a lasting and hopefully, life-long friendship with. Their two girls and ours are about the same age. We actually applied together last summer with our adoption agency for this adoption...hoping that we would get to travel together again. Many times God's plans are different than ours, so that didn't work out. A shout-out to our Huntsville friends...we are going to miss you on this trip!!!

Our Joy and Their Pain...Thank You For Your Prayers!

I keep reading stories about how many families in China have lost their only child because of the recent earthquake. It's traumatic to lose any child but to lose your only child must be especially painful.

As we travel to China to embrace our second Chinese daughter, I covet your prayers. And as you are praying for Esther Marie and our family, I hope you will pray for these Chinese families who are grieving the loss of their children. It is bittersweet to me that I can feel so much joy when they are feeling so much pain. I hope the couples will eventually consider adopting some of the thousands of children in orphanages there in China who so desperately need a family!

For a link to a very good news article about this topic and China's "one child" policy that you might like to read...just click on the title of this blog.

Visas Have Arrived!

Our passports arrived today via overnight mail from Chicago, and they have the "double entry" visas in them. Yeaaaa! That's one more thing that I can stop thinking about. We had to send MaryAlyce's Chinese passport along with her American one so they could clip the corner....showing that it is no longer valid. That is required now for previously adopted children. We used a courier service in Chicago to get the visas taken care of. You can't just mail the application in...it has to be taken to the Chinese consulate in person by someone. I want to thank Denise Hope of There's Always Hope. I highly recommend her courier service. She checks everything thoroughly before she turns it in and especially looks after adopting families. Thanks Denise!

Tooth Pain Update!

Well...who would have thought a week before we leave for China that I would be having a root canal??? You just never know what each day will bring. My appointment is on Thursday morning at 9:30 so if you read this, please pray for me...that things would go smoothly with no pain and that the problem will be resolved. I am told I am going to the best specialist in town....that is comforting! I have decided to look at this as a blessing and to give thanks to God in all situations. I am glad the tooth pain started last week so I can get it taken care of before I go and that this didn't happen in China where it might be difficult to get the right meds or care that I needed. Thank you, God!

Pink Is For Girls!

I wanted to get a few things for Esther Marie so when we meet her we have something to give her that is new and not a hand-me-down. When we adopted MaryAlyce, we took a small doll that we had bought and kept in the house a few weeks before we went to get her. That way the doll would smell like our home and when she arrived here, it might seem a little familiar...especially when everything is so new and different. Well, we are doing the same thing for Esther Marie. I thought you might like to see some of the PINK things I have bought for her. I think she is going to look really sweet in the little hat...that is, IF she likes hats!

The White Swan Express: A Story About Adoption

I recently discovered this children's book about Chinese adoption at an adoption resources center near our home and checked it out so I could read it to the kids. I was so excited to find it! When you adopt from China, you always end your trip in Guangzhou where the American consulate is located. Almost everyone stays at the White Swan Hotel so it is always full of adoptive families...with their crying babies! It's a really beautiful hotel that is a relaxing place and leaves you with good memories. This is a neat book that helps an adoptive family and their children remember the journey to China. I'm sure at some point, we'll add this one to our collection of books.

Click on the title of this post for a link to the actual White Swan Hotel on Shamian Island in Guangzhou, if you are interested in checking out the place we'll call "home" during most of our trip to get Esther Marie.

Saving One Child Does Make a Difference...Watch This Precious Video!

Bring Me Hope Video
Uploaded by hittle

OUCH!

Well, I have a bad toothache that started a couple of days ago as jaw pain. I didn't realize in time to make it to a dentist or doctor for meds before the holiday weekend. They were not working today...bummer!

Please pray for me that the pain will not get any worse before I can get to a dentist on Tuesday!

In the meantime, I hope you all have a very good Memorial Day Weekend and I hope those nearly $4.00/gallon gas prices don't put a damper on your plans.

More Photos of Esther Marie

I uploaded most of the photos that we have of Esther Marie to Flickr and created a link. Check out "The Many Faces of Esther Marie" in the right column. If you click on it, it will take you to Flickr so you can view the photos.

Less Than Two Weeks Until We Leave

It's less than two weeks until we leave for China....June 4th is the day. There is so much to do! Tomorrow I have to start packing because I don't want to leave that until the last minute. Jasper seems to be burning the candle at both ends because he needs to finish up a bunch of work before we go. It's hard to take off from work for so long and be out of the country. I know he is stressed so please pray for him. Right now he is at the kitchen table sleeping..sitting straight up! After I type this, I am going to drag him to bed.

Today was the last day of school for the kids. They are excited to be off for the summer. The money for the in-country expenses was wired today. Please pray that goes through with no glitches. Our visa applications are in Chicago and should be mailed back to us this coming Tuesday. It is VERY important there are no glitches there. No visas...No travel!

Tomorrow I will make lists, lists and more lists...and try to get something checked off on each one. Thanks for your prayers!

A $175 Hamburger???

Okay folks...I just HAD to comment on this "news" story. Of course, I read the article so I got duped into wasting time, like lots of other people, reading about things that are not really newsworthy. (I am trying to avoid doing the mounds of laundry for my crew. What's your excuse?)

Anyway....here's a quote from the article....click on the title to read the whole thing....

The Wall Street Burger Shoppe just raised its price from $150 (to $175) to assure its designation as the costliest burger in the city as determined by Pocket Change, an online newsletter about the most expensive things in New York.

What's on this burger??? The burger, created by chef and co-owner Kevin O'Connell, seeks to justify its price with a Kobe beef patty, lots of black truffles, seared foie gras, aged Gruyere cheese, wild mushrooms and flecks of gold leaf on a brioche bun.

Do you want to ingest "gold leaf" ?? I don't! How much does the indigestion medicine cost when the bill arrives and they actually have to PAY for the burger??? (and people are starving down the street!)

Adoption Trends in China

I am always reading news stories about China and what is happening over there, particularly stories about adoption trends. Things have certainly changed in China since we adopted MaryAlyce over 4-1/2 years ago. I remember our guide in China having to explain to curious on-lookers why we were there in China and why we had a Chinese baby with us. They didn't really understand the concept of adoption and certainly couldn't understand why we had traveled halfway around the world to adopt a child. (Of course, some people here don't understand that either.)

I like it that the Chinese people are now wanting to adopt more of their orphan babies...and that the government is allowing it.

Here's an interesting article that talks about adoption trends in China and the Chinese people wanting to adopt the earthquake orphans. Click on the title of this post to read the story.

Please pray for Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman and their family!

This morning, driving home from taking my children to school, I heard on the radio that Steven Curtis Chapman's 5 year old, Chinese-born, adopted daughter died yesterday. Her death was the result of a tragic accident. (Click on the title of this post for a link to the news story.)

Please, please pray for this Christian man, his wife and his beautiful children...for God to comfort them during this very difficult time in their lives.

Here is a link to his site with a photo of his family:

http://www.stevencurtischapman.com/

I was listening to the song I posted by Steven Curtis yesterday...over and over....and thinking how annointed by God that he is. He and his wife, Mary Beth, have adopted three girls from China and have set up several ministries to support adoptive families and ophans. He is definitely one of my "heros."

I am so sad that he and his family have to endure this terrible loss!

Update on Posting Comments

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When Love Takes You In...Steven Curtis Chapman

Dear Esther Marie,

We can't wait to hold you and to tell you "We Love You." You are a miracle, precious daughter and sister, and you belong in our arms. Everything will be changing for you soon, but we know this is God's plan for your life. God holds you in the palms of His hands and your new life and your forever family await you.

We love you!

Mommy, Daddy, Hannah, Joshua and MaryAlyce

One Butterfly, Two Ladybugs and a Bumble Bee?

You might have read this in the title block of our blog...but why? Well, sitting on my China hutch in the kitchen are 4 very cute little felt Easter baskets that Uncle Patrick bought for the kids when he was visiting this year. (He loves doing stuff like that.) Anyway, looking at them got me thinking and the images do fit each one of my kids....Miss Hannah, the butterfly...very social and flitting about constantly; MaryAlyce and Esther Marie, two cute-as-a-button ladybugs from China. Ladybug stuff is wildly popular with families adopting from China because the color red and the ladybug itself are symbols of "good luck" in China. Peek into anyone's house who has an adopted Chinese child and you are surely going to find something that has a ladybug on it. And finally, the bumble bee...Mr. Joshua....busy and diligent and orderly...and a great little worker. Looking at the little baskets makes me smile each day and I think of my kids while they are gone off to school. I like the whimsical things in life so that's why they still are keeping me company each day....weeks after Easter.

Hannah the Hippie! Decades Day at Middle School

FIELD DAY - Joshua and MaryAlyce

Last Days of School...Field Day and Decades Day

Wednesday of this week seems to be "fun day" for all at school. The muchkins get out at 1:00 today so I have a bunch to get done before they arrive home. I just wanted to sit down for a few minutes with my coffee and share a little about my children since many of you have not met them or seen them for years.

Joshua and MaryAlyce are having "Field Day" today so off they went complete with bright yellow, new t-shirts, water bottles and sun screen. They will be enjoying all sorts of activites outside, and since it will be warm today, it's straight to the bathtub when they get home!

Hannah is having "Decades Day" at the middle school. She went for the 60's look and left the house complete with bell bottoms (not as big as ours used to be!) and a little peace symbol around her neck. She fits the part so well! I'm sure I'll get all the details when she gets home today.

Tomorrow is the Last Day of School...everyone gets out at 11:00. Not sure why they even go, but we will follow-through 'til the end. Thanks to all of the teachers for the wonderful jobs they have done this year teaching our children and helping them grow up!

MaryAlyce finishes Kindergarten and is such a big girl now....she just turned 6 in May. She, of course, will be going to China with us. She loves to read, play with her toys and draw. She can works on art projects for hours it seems. Her newest "passion" is her first Webkin "black cat" that she just got for her birthday...thanks to some of our Q cousins! We have a computer in our kitchen and all three kids are very proficient at it.

Joshua, who finishes 3rd grade, will turn 11 in August. He and granddaddy Q share the same birthday. He has done such a wonderful job this year in school, especially considering he has only been speaking English for three years! He will be going to summer school for six weeks which will help him stay on track for the next school year. He is also going to boy scout camp for the first time and is "jumping for joy" over that news! He'll do that while we are in China, and it breaks my heart that I am going to miss the excited look on his face each day when he arrives home....and all the tales of his adventures. Besides scouting, Joshua enjoys Legos and could spend hours building things....a budding architect like daddy???

Hannah, completing 6th grade, had a little difficulty this year adjusting to the new school routine, but is ending like a shining star. I think she is finally getting the hang of changing classes and having a locker. She is heading to church camp and girl scout camp while we are in China. Again, I am going to miss the excitement of it all. We are going to have alot of catching up to do when we get back together as a family. She will be a "program aide" at scout camp and is looking foward to helping teach the younger girls. She just went to a training program for several hours and the shining eyes let me know she will be a natural at the job. Hannah enjoys devouring books, drawing, acting, playing her clarinet, computers, and her friends. She is turning 12 in June, while we are away, so be sure to wish her a happy birthday for us if you see her.

Let Us Know You Stopped By...Sign Our Guestbook

Good Morning! Today I realized I should have started a blog a long time ago! It's a good outlet for someone who likes to "talk" alot but doesn't get a chance to because I am home alone most of the time during the school day. So....thanks for "listening." I am sure my husband will thank you too since I won't be chattering his ear off as much when he is at home trying to work! Since I don't want to just hear myself "talking" on this site, I set up a Guestbook this morning. (Check it out to your right.) I hope you will "talk back at me"....so please take a moment to leave a note and also read comments from others. Thanks and have a blessed day!

Seen Any "Perfect" Money Lately???

Each day there is so much to be accomplished before we leave for China...in addition to all of the regular things going on in the family. The end of the school year always means even more activities going on. I'm starting to feel a bit of panic, so thanks for your prayers for efficiency and for peace. Anyway, today we got the breakdown of the in-country expenses that we need to wire to China. I went by the bank to talk about how to do that. I also had to get some cash for spending money to use on the trip. We have to search through 100 dollar bills to make sure there are no marks, tears or writing on it...and also make sure that the currency is not too crunched up. The Chinese are fussy about worn out looking American money and don't want to accept it. When we adopted MaryAlyce, we watched two distinguished-looking, Chinese men scrutinize every piece of currency....all $3,000 of the required orphanage "donation"! It was passed back and forth as we watched, and when they were finally done and no money had been rejected, we breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, we don't have to carry all that cash with us this time and go through that....thus the wire transfer! Yippie!

Well, I wonder what tomorrow will bring as part of the preparation for the trip? Every day is a new piece of the puzzle and adventure. Thank God for lists!

The Church in Changing China

My heart longs for the Chinese people to know Jesus! Once when I was praying, before our adoption of MaryAlyce had been completed, I asked God why China would let thousands of their children pour out of the country to be adopted all over the world, especially when they knew Christian people were adopting these children. He gave me this vision of an "army" of women heading back into China one day. It was not an army to fight a physical battle but a spiritual one. I believe this army made up of the lost daughters of China will one day go back to China to help claim the country for Christ. The walls of communist Germany fell, the Russian government crumbled. China can be free one day...free to worship Jesus!

A friend sent me a link today about the Changing Church in China...produced by Christianity Today. Click on the title of this post to watch this short photo video...and please pray for the salvation of the Chinese people.

Not A Baby Any More!! Esther Marie in March '08 - Just Before Her 2nd Birthday

Esther Marie is dressed in an orange shirt...oh my!! Okay all of you Auburn fans out there...I hate to disappoint you but this child is going to root for the Tennessee VOLS! Of course, Hannah, the die-hard Auburn fan in our midst, would emphatically disagree. How is it that we have an Auburn fan in our household anyway since Jasper and I went to Tennessee? Ask Hannah's friend, Chandler. Anyway, it seems that every time we get some update photos of Miss Emmie (nickname), she is wearing ORANGE. Jasper pointed this out to me since I had not really noticed. My eyes seem to be glued to her little face. My how she has grown. These photos were taken at the end of March (just before her 2nd birthday) by a family who went to the same orphanage in China then to get their little "ladybug." Thanks to whomever took these! We also sent a package to Esther Marie that included some little jammies, a book and a small photo album with some pictures of our family in it. We hope they have shown and are still showing the photos to her. That way perhaps she will recognize us just a little when they bring her to her new mommy, daddy and sissy. We think she looks a little more "tan" in these two photos than in her referral pics, so perhaps she has been soaking up some of the warm, southern China sun. Guess she'll feel right at home this summer in the deep South.

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UPDATED INFORMATION ON POSTING!! (5/21/08)

A few people told me they want to post a comment and they are not sure how to do that. You can click on the "comment" link at the bottom of each post and it will direct you to the correct page where you can post. Use your Google log-in (gmail) OR leave a comment as "anonymous" and you don't have to log in. I have now reset the restrictions to make it easier for you to comment.

You can also feel free to email us at: 4EverInOurHearts@gmail.com . We would love to hear from you and record some of your thoughts and wishes so we can share them with Esther Marie when she is older.

Can't see those little photos very well that have been posted? Just click on the image in the post and it will enlarge so you can see it better.

As I figure this blogging stuff out better myself, I'll be sharing more tips. If you have a link to your own blog site and you want us to share it, just let us know!

Happy Sunday Evening to all! ......Sarah

Where in the world is Esther Marie?

People have been asking me where Esther Marie lives and if she is close to the province where the earthquake happened, so I thought I would post a map so you can see. (Click on the map to view a larger version.) Esther Marie lives in Guangdong Province which is in the southern part of China. It is right above Hong Kong at the bottom of the map. The temperature in Guangdong is similar to that in Florida. We are flying into Hong Kong and will be catching a train to the city of Guangzhou (a city in Guangdong). It takes a couple of hours or so to get there. We will stay in Guangzhou the whole time we are in China. If you go farther north, you will see Jiangxi Province where MaryAlyce is from. Even further north is the province of Liaoning (east of Beijing) where Jasper traveled to get Joshua. Looking west toward Tibet, you can locate Sichuan where they had the big earthquake recently. There has been another major tremor there today which caused more damage, deaths and injuries. Here's a link if you are interested: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080518/india_nm/india336051 Please pray for the Chinese people and for many to be drawn to the knowledge of Jesus Christ in the midst of all of this tragedy. My heart is so heavy because of all they are having to endure.

On another note, the virus I have told some of you about that is making children sick is in several provinces and has spread into Guangdong, but only mildly there. Here's a link with information: http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1373164/china_handfootmouth_infections_rocket_to_15799/index.html Please pray for God's protection from this illness for MaryAlyce and Esther Marie. We trust God for His safety and protection as we travel. Once again, thanks for your interest and your prayers! ....Sarah

Meet Our Precious Esther Marie

This is Esther Marie (Chinese name, Guan Hai Mei), soon-to-be our 4th adopted child (our 3rd from China). Two of the photos I have posted when she was younger are some of her referral photos. We are not sure how old she is in these pictures, but are guessing between 6 and 12 months. She was born April 7, 2006, in southern China in Guangdong Province and has been raised in the Children's Welfare Institute of Dongguan City. Esther Marie and her daddy share the same birthday! She turned 2 this year and daddy turned 50. (ah hmm) You should have seen daddy's face when he realized he is half a century old and will have a toddler soon!

This adoption is considered "special needs" (like Joshua's) because Esther Marie was born with both cleft lip and palate. Her lip has been repaired and we think the surgeon did a fantastic job! She still has an open palate and will have surgery some time after she arrives home (probably in August or September). Since she is two now, I'm sure she is very full of energy. Based on some of her update photos, we think she looks a little mischievous and playful. (I'll post some of those soon.) We have fallen in love with her and can't wait to meet her. We look forward to you meeting her too.

We travel in about 2-1/2 weeks...leaving on June 4th for Hong Kong, heading into China on June 9th and our "Gotcha Day" is June 10th. Esther Marie lives about an hour or so from where we will be staying and the orphanage will bring her to us. The next day, June 10th, we will have her official Chinese adoption and she will be ours 4-Ever. Our course, that now brings our crew to four...4-Ever! We'll be sharing more about our wait and our journey and we hope you'll join us. Please bookmark our blog and leave comments when you feel lead to. Thanks for your interest and your prayers..........Sarah