Ok..I know it has been three years since we last adopted, but WOW have there been many changes! Today I was awaiting on my FedEx document from the Chinese Consulate in Houston. I attacked and maimed the FedEx man upon arrival...poor guy!! No, seriously, I opened the envelope and I saw that there was NO authentication! My first thought was, "Oh man, what did I do wrong???" I looked through the envelope for a letter of explanation and found nothing! By now I am freaking out!! I started going over the documents, and low and behold, on the back of the State Certification, there it was. A tiny little box with their authentication! Something new???? I immediately emailed my poor coordinator, who by this time probably wonders if I am inept and fully capable of adopting, and she reassured me that YES this was the way the Consulates were doing their authentication process now! I LOVE HER!!! So, now that I have calmed down, I can now pray for my documents to get here from Chicago!! What a way to get my heart pumping!!!!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Indy 500!! I used to work the 500 when I was in college! Well, I still love it as much today as I did then! This year I am taking my dad! He has always wanted to go, but never been! He hates all the traffic, so this year I am treating him to an early Father's Day. I received my tickets in the mail yesterday, and suprised him with them! Looks like Sunday is going to be an awesome day! I can't wait to spend it with my dad. Just he & I!!!
I am not a believer in fortunes or fortune cookies, however we do read them when we go out to eat at a Chinese restaurant! Before we received Ellye's referral in 07 we received a fortune in a cookie that said something like..Long awaited news is right around the corner! And low and behold we did receive Ellye's referral!!! Today as I was cleaning out the bread drawer, I ran across a few fortune cookies that we had left over from Chinese New Year. I opened the package and took out the fortune....And this is what it said..."Big things coming in future. Only matter of time." Coincidence?? I think not! God reassuring me that HE is in control?? You BET!!!!
I am in awe of HIS continual blessings!!!!Today the 3 girls and I went out shopping for nothing, really. Well, God had other plansfor the cargo area in the back of my van! I mean it was empty, and just needing to have its space occupied! Right?? We have been looking for a nice dresser for Eli's room and have not been able to find anything that is really affordable and/or of good quality! If it is not real wood, Kim does not want it! Soooo, that being said, I have been looking for weeks! There is a store in town that sells new and used furniture that I frequent often, like once a week! :) Well, today they had a nice little dresser that was screaming Elijah's name! Sooo, I bought it! And of course I am the Goodwill, thrift shop, & consignment store queen...so it was off to the Goodwill next! We are decorating Eli's room in a safari theme and we found some really cute items to use in his room! The sign on top of the dresser in the pic.... we are going to paint over "Baby Gone Wild" and paint his name Elijah Craig in there instead. The little Zebra was just brought out at the Goodwill and only $1.00. So I brought it home, threw him in the wash , and he will go on top of the dresser! I only paid $60.00for the dresser..it should last for years! I am in awe of the blessings that keep raining down from GOD!!! HE IS SO GOOD!!!!
WHOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! Homestudy is complete!!! Our SW Jennifer came today and she is awesome!!!! What an incredible lady! WE LOVE HER!! The girls were very well behaved and we had a great visit! She will be finished with our HS by Friday!! ONE STEP CLOSER DEAR ELI...one step closer!
Today the social worker is coming from Indy to do our home study! This is the last step before we can be fingerprinted! We worked like crazy yesterday cleaning and organizing every room in the house! We have a new homestudy agency this time, so I really wanted everything to look great! We loved our previous social worker, however her fees were just too darn high!! I mean the work is already done on her end! We have had 2 previous adoptions with 2 previous home studies!!!! It is not like she had to change much!!!! She wanted over $2,000.00 to update!!! UMMMMM, I THINK NOT!!!! So today we are meeting with Jennifer, our new SW. I have heard nothing but good things about her!!! Keep us in your prayers!!!!! One step closer to my precious Elijah!!!!
Is this just the cutest little diaper wipe case?? Kayleigh had seen them before and wanted to try her hand at making one for Eli! I LOVE IT! She did such a great job!! She is going to be making him a fleece baby blanket for me to take to China for him as well. This little guy is already sooooo loved!!!! He is going to one spoiled little boy!!!!
And they are off!! Today we sent our documents via Fed Ex to the Consulate in Chicago! I also received my Birth Certificate back from the Arkansas Secreatry of State's office; now I need to send it off to Houston's Consulate! We are getting closer to our sweet Eli! Yesterday, as I walked outside to take Olivia to school, I smelled the sweet smell of Jasmine! It took me right to the alley's and streets of Guangzhou! I think it was a sign....:)
Safari friends occupying Eli's car seat until he comes home!!! The sweet $3.00 safari themed bedding! Our awesome $25.00 car seat!!
Here are some of our garage sale finds! We are so ready for our son to come home! I still need to get things cleaned out of his bedroom to be, get it painted, and get his furniture set up! That will take me some time....and we still have to get our HS finished and be printed, so I believe we have some time yet! In HIS timing....trying to be patient! Isn't it awesome to know that GOD wants to bless us far more than we want to be blessed? I know this child is a blessing to our family! I can't wait to be blessed with the sweet smell of his skin, the feel of his silky black hair, and the beauty of those almond shaped beautiful brown eyes! Oh how I long to hold the son God has prepared for me....sigh....
Boy did Kayleigh & I ever hit the jackpot today! We LOVE to go to garage sales! There were 63 sales listed in the paper today! Soooo, bright and early we were off and running! I LOVE a bargain! We have decided to decorate Eli's room in a safari theme. We were looking for bedding, accessories, a dresser, and a car seat! Well, we found some awesome bedding for his baby bed! It has the bumper pads, 2 fitted sheets, curtains, & dust ruffle for a whopping $3.00!! yes...$3.00!! And it is in perfect condition!!!Then, we ran across a guy who has a consignment shop who had a like brand new Evenflow carseat for $25.00! Looks like it has never been used! And to top it off, we bought him a Little Tikes riding toy for $5.00 and my sis gave us some really nice TY plush safari animals to decorate with! Can't wait to get started!!!
For those of you who have adopted, you know how much paperwork is involved in a dossier! I want so much to be DTC! Today I ran to Indy to the Capital to have our documents state certified! We were in & out within 10 minutes! They do a great job in that office! Then, it was off to do a little shopping for our little guy. I am trying to keep from looking at clothes due to the fact that we have NO clue who our little guy is or how big he will be. However, I have bought a few things over the last month. I found a super nice GRACO bag at Big Lots for $10.00!! It is a double bag; the inside bag comes out if needed, it has a bottle bag, a changing mat( so handy in airports and on planes), and also a carrier for wipes! It is Brown and turquoise! LOVE it! Anyone who knows me well knows that I DETEST stains on my kids clothes! SOOOOO, having said that, I bought BIBS!! I also found a sweet little vinyl book that you can put pictures in. I will put our pics in it and he can look at it while we are in China to familarize himself with faces. Maybe that way when we get off the plane, the family isn't so apt to scare him to death!! hehe Today I found a sippy cup with his name on it, and I bought a travel pack of Johnson products to take along. I have been buying things I know we will need so that it all does not hit at once. I think it makes me feel closer to him, it feels real. We have our home study in a week! I have so much to do.......sigh........
I am so very blessed. Blessed beyond belief! Mother's Day has always been a special day for me since giving birth to my son Zach in 1986.Since we have brought home our 2 daughters from China it has taken on a different meaning on many levels. Not only am I extremely thankful to be called mommy by my 4 children, but I am also extremely thankful for 2 very special women whom I am sure I will never have the pleasure of meeting. These two women gave me the 2 greatest gifts they could ever give me. As Mother's Day approaches for me now, I really don't think about myself as much as I do those 2 very special women. Women who will never hold their daughters' hands, wipe their tears, kiss their beautiful lips, hear them laugh, see then smile, bake cupcakes for them, share their first day of school, their first crush, their teenage years, their hopes,their fears, and their wedding day. I get to hear my children say, "Mommy, I love you!" How it must hurt to never hear those words from the child you gave birth to. My heart hurts deeply and profoundly for these 2 women.I want so very much to tell them how thankful I am, how much we love their children, and how happy they have made us and how blessed we are for hving them in our lives; but I will never get to do that. How does one deal with that? I pray! I pray that the God who created the Universe, the God who is all-knowing, the God who gives & takes away, will comfort them. I pray that HE will whisper to them how much HE loves them. I pray for their salvation, that someone, anyone will tell them of our Lord and Savior, and how much HE loves them so, so much HE died for them! My prayer is that I will meet them in eternity, standing in heaven, surrounded by HIS glory. I want to be able to take my daughters' hands and place them in their birth mothers' hands. I want us to be together forever. We are bound together forever here on earth, but heaven will be so much sweeter! I am blessed far more thatn I ever deserve to be. God has given me the best of both worlds; 2 children born from my womb, and 2 children born from my heart! I can't wait for my little Eli to be here for my next Mother's Day! Thank you GOD for my beautiful children. I know that I love them sooo very much, but HE loves them more than I could ever imagine!
It is hard for me to believe that 3 years have passed by so quickly! It seems as if it were just yesterday that we were in China, anxiously awaiting May 8th, the day Ellye was handed to us in the Civil Affairs office in Guangzhou, China. Se was bigger than what I expected, very quiet, and more beautiful than I could have ever imagined! She came to us with no tears. I was the one who cried tears of sheer thankfulness and joy that I finally had my baby girl in my arms! Another couple that was with us received their little boy at the same time. When Joey came in he did fine, and when his nanny left, all chaos broke loose!
Joey cried, Ellye cried...and I wanted to cry to!! My heart hurt for both of these little kids who had just lost all that had ever known! Unbeknownst to us, Ellye had come to Guangzhou and spent the night there with the director of the orphanage, so she was grieving terribly.The director was very close to, and involved with the kids on a daily basis.The 3 weeks in China were spent trying to comfort her from everything she had lost. She did not like her daddy, cried a lot, and clung to mommy for dear life. We could not get her to smile at all. It was hard. We wanted her to know how much we loved her and we wanted her to love us as well. I knew it would take time. Baby steps.
Fast forward to today! Ellye is a beautiful, happy,healthy, and loved little girl! She is funny, smart, and a joy to be around! She loves to learn, to help me around the house, and she absolutely loves to be in the kitchen! She loves to cook and bake! She is thoughtful, kind, and very giving. But above all, she is our daughter! We love her and are so thankful that we were chosen to be her forever family! She has truly blessed our lives! We love you Eleanor Kathleen Jiang ChengYing!!!
Today Craig had his adoption physical, so I have to brag him up! He has been trying very hard to lose weight, and has been eating lots of veggies and exercising! When he went in today he had lost a total of 10 lbs. this week alone! I was so happy for him! His hard work is paying off! I know how much he needed that little boost! The doc was impressed, and told Craig he was doing a good job! Craig has always struggled with his weight...so dear friends, could I ask that you pray for him? I know it would mean so much to him!
Have you ever had one of those days where you thought you were stuck in the movie Ground Hog Day? Where everything do-loops? That was my yesterday! Craig & I had planned to take some documents to Indy to our Home-study agency, drop them off, and spend the day together. As Schrink luck has it, Craig was called in for a meeting (that meeting to be canceled after I left) so he could not go. I decided that I would call my bestest friend of 30 years, meet her for lunch, and talk about our upcoming trip to China. Having lived in Indianapolis for several years, I know most of Indy like the back of my hand, so Stephanie and I decide to meet at a McDonald's on Keystone & I 70, then head downtown to eat at a new cafe on the circle. Sounds like a perfect plan, right? ANYTHING BUT!!
I leave the home-study agency at 11:30, call Steph, and plan to meet. I head north on Keystone to find that it is closed due to water! OK, so I make my way around, get back onto Keystone and I end up in the same place. WHAT?? So, I pull over and ask 2 men (I should of known better to ask men) and they tell me how to get back on my way. So, I get back on Keystone and I drive and drive and drive. WHAT?? I am right back to where I started!!
I finally decide to head towards town. I finally hit I 70. Back on Keystone I go! God only knows how I ended up in one of the absolute worst neighborhoods in Indianapolis! PRISONS right in residential areas! I was praying I would not get shot or mugged! I made sure my car doors were STILL locked and high tailed it back towards town!
I finally drive for 5 miles, stopping at every flipping McDonald's...NO STEPH!
Now, here is where the problem lies. I DO NOT own a cell phone! I don't need a stinking cell phone! I NEVER go anywhere so WHY waste the money?? My family has begged me to get a cell and I won't succumb to the idea! By this time, an hour and a half has passed by. I had stopped at several phone booths and called Steph's home phone. No one home. The phone booth would not allow me to call her cell. Finally I saw a church and decided that I would go in, ask if I could use their phone, and all would be fine. HAHA no one there! I just start sobbing...All of my raw emotions are coming to a head! I sat in this church parking lot somewhere in Indy and I cried, asking GOD to help me. My conversation sounded quite like this, God, I have no clue where I am. I am frustrated, mad at myself for being so stubborn about getting a cell phone, I am tired, I am hungry, I have to pee, and I really want to see my best friend!!!! I don't know where I am, but you do! PLEASE get me to where I am supposed to be." I put my big girl panties back on, started my van, and pulled out of the church parking lot.
Now friends, this is where my mind is blown away! I get back on I- 70, and get off on Emerson Avenue. I see a McDonald's, decide to pull over and go inside. For some reason, (divine intervention) I decided to go next door to a gas station instead. I explained my predicament to the cashier, ask her if she can point me to a phone booth, and she whips out HER cell phone and says, "What's the number?" Friends, do you believe in angels? I DO!!! She allowed me to use her phone, talk with my best friend who was scared that something had happened to me, because SHE SENT ME IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!!!!! But here is the GOD thing....the McDonald's and the station I ended up at, was the VERY MCDONALD's she HAD meant for me to meet her at!!!! See, God knew where I was, HE was just waiting on me to ask for help! And I think I learned a big lesson in humility & stubbornness...needless to say, I am calling VERIZON tomorrow to get a phone!!!
Isn't that just the sweetest little face?? WELL, don't let that sweet face fool ya! That little sweetie has been in so much trouble this week! Her hands are into EVERYTHING!!!! It all started when I got up Monday and I found a huge mess in the bathroom! She decided she was going to pick the paint off the toilet tank! I had painted our toilet tank a beautiful accent color..and guess who decided she was going to peel it off?? Then, she decided to go into the kitchen and get mommy's markers and she colored all over her table! Then she got into mommy's desk and took my postage stamps and stuck them to my folders! She then decided that was not enough..she then got in to her sister Kayleigh's eyeliner and had it scribbled all over the table, cut a sheet in 2 places, and took butter and spread it all over the kitchen floor!That has just been this week! Even as ornery as she is I LOVE LOVE LOVE her and would not want her any other way!
I am OFFICIALLY finished with the paperchase! Right now I am waiting on our homestudy agency to finish our homestudy! We chose a new homestudy agency this time around! We LOVE our previous social worker, but she is forever SLOOOW! And they wanted waaaaay tooooo much money to do somethng that is done...just needed updates! We are very happy with our homestudy agency and will be meeting with them on Thursday! I still need to get our documents State Certified and Authenticated, but will wait until we are almost ready to be fingerprinted! We have had A LOT of extra paperwork now that we have a new Social Worker, and now that we have to be Hague Certified!But, I think about the time frame in which I have completed it all, and it has gone by quickly! We received the "WELCOME BACK" email from FTIA on April 8th, and it is the 4th day of May and I am finished! Pretty impressive for trying to get so much accomplished in 3 weeks! Craig says I LOVE the paperchase...I tell him I hate it, but he is right! I do LOVE it!!! Just don't tell him he is right! :)
Last week the girls and I made the trip west to Brownstown to get our physical checkups for our adoption! Thank GOD we all checked out ok! All of our bloodwork and immunizations came back A OK! Craig has his physical this week! His bloodwork was ordered ahead of time so now he just goes to the doc for his checkup! Things are moving right along! One more thing checked off of my very looong list of things to do!
