Our Journey to Grow our Family

A Difficult Update...

2011-11-06T14:18:00.000-06:00

It has been awhile since I have been to this blog, and I know there are many people who have been wondering how we have been doing, so today I felt ready to take some time to write a short update on our situation.
For those who are not aware, Lauren is currently with another family here in the United States. Jerry and I knew immediately upon meeting her that she had some needs that were not disclosed to us and we struggled with the decision and knowledge of being able to parent her and meet those needs.

We realized over the weeks in China that we were not prepared, and upon returning home, we saw the impact on our family. Therefore, we reached out and were able to find a wonderful family who openly welcomed her into their family, knowing the potential of her needs - and we are happy to say that she is doing very well.

We have been comforted by this family's love for her and their knowledge and ability to meet her needs. This has also now allowed us to focus on the transition of our other daughter, Kaitlyn Jinqing.

Kaitlyn is doing very well and we have settled into some form of a new routine. She will begin school on Wednesday for 1/2 days initially. Please pray for her as this will be one of the most difficult transitions for her to make. We have been working with the teachers and principal for a couple of weeks to prepare and get things in place for her to begin. However, she is the first non-English, non-Spanish speaking individual to enter the district, for as long as they can remember, so this is all new territory for them.

I appreciate the thoughts of those who have shared them and encourage you to keep Lauren and her new family in your prayers, as well. We have loved this child for some time and everyone's wish is that she be given all of the opportunities and love of a family -

Zai Jian from China! (Goodbye from China!)

2011-09-21T05:09:00.000-05:00

Tonight is our last night in China; we leave for the airport at 7:00 a.m. We will arrive at the Milwaukee airport at 6:50 p.m. and should be home around 8:30 p.m., if all goes as planned. We spent a portion of the day on the island since we had to return the stroller and then we met up with some of our group for lunch at Lucy's and had a great time! We got back to the hotel around 1:30 and Jadyn took a nap while the girls played games on the computer. Jerry and I packed up just about all that we could into the suitcases to be ready to go in the morning. Then I met Grace to pick up the girl's passports/visas at 5:00 p.m. and we grabbed dinner and tried to relax so the girls could get to bed early.

It has been a long 3 weeks, but most certainly one trip we would do again in a heartbeat:) There have been ups and downs which are to be expected when you travel on this journey - however, we have trusted in our faith and the fact that we are meant to be headed down this path. We know there will be hurdles ahead, and again, that is when we will lean on our faith all the more!

You cannot really enjoy the rewards in life without struggling a little from time to time:)

We can hardly wait to hug our boys and kiss their cheeks! We are excited to see them interact with their new family members - I know it will be a wonderful mix of personalities!

Thank you for following along on our journey; I will try to update in the near future after we have time to catch our breath at home. Take care!

TB is Good, Consulate Complete and Now we Wait:)

2011-09-20T01:29:00.000-05:00

Well, the Mexican dinner was a bust:( We were driven to the area the restaurant was supposed to be located, but no one could point us to where it was. We walked up and down the area/district but could not find it so we took a cab back to the hotel and had a bowl of noodles since it was too late for ordering in or going to the restaurant in the hotel. We also did not want McDonald's since we had to have that for lunch.

The TB tests came back clear - whew! We were in and out in about 5 minutes and the other 3 families in our group were there for their full medicals so it gave us time to walk the island some more. We ran into Jordon again and he was so happy to meet Kaitlyn:) He thanked me for sending business his way - apparently some people stopped in and mentioned that we suggested his store. He is so worried about business with the closing of the White Swan. I told him that many people appreciate his calligraphy and will be sure to stop by.

Then, we went to the Pearl Market which is actually a huge shopping plaza. We bought the girls a jade pendant and found some fantastic deals on movies so we bought several. We grabbed lunch at KFC and unfortunately had to wait longer than expected for the pendants to be done. By that time the line for a taxi was extremely long! There was one other family with us so we decided to try all areas of the street since no taxi would stop by the waiting line. After about an hour we finally got one to stop and since it looked like rain we didn't want to leave the other family behind so 9 of us climbed into a teeny taxi! We looked like the clowns climbing into the VW Bug:) It was a long, uncomfortable, sweaty ride back to the hotel - but we made it and we brought smiles to many people's faces along the way! My back is still paying for it today!

Today we had our consulate appointment. We left at 7:45 a.m. and were back on the bus around 9:15. We circled around the block a few times since we were the first family done and we had to wait for the other families to complete their process. We got back to the hotel and Jadyn took a nap, but once she woke up we decided to go back to the market from yesterday to pick up a few more movies (since we made sure that they actually played) and a couple other items. We went early enough that we didn't have to worry about getting a taxi today; we got one right away:)

The girls wanted a noodle & sausage dish from 7/11 for lunch and Jadyn got a hot dog wrapped in a roll; Jerry and I grabbed sandwiches from Starbuck's.

Here are some pictures from the last couple of days -

The Medical Exams, Shopping and Tours of Old Chen House and a Buddhist Temple...

2011-09-18T06:37:00.000-05:00

The medical exams went fairly well; Kaitlyn needed to get 4 shots, oral polio and a TB test. Lauren needed the TB test. She stepped right up and laid out her arm after watching Kaitlyn get hers; no problem:) She is a very easy going girl! Kaitlyn did very well with the shots; two in each arm - she didn't like that they were sticking a round ball (oral polio) towards her mouth, but eventually let them put it in. Fortunately, we were one of the first one's there so we could move through rather quickly. We finished in about one and one half hours.

We came back to the hotel and picked up lunch at Starbuck's and then took it easy for the rest of the afternoon/evening to make sure that Kaitlyn rested. She laid down around 5 p.m. and seemed to be pretty tired. She actually skipped breakfast this morning and we almost missed the tour group to see the Old Chen House, Buddhist Temple and stop at the shopping market. She seems to be doing better now:) Five other families from our agency arrived yesterday to finalize their adoptions in Guangzhou this week.

Lauren wasn't too hungry at breakfast either, but maybe because she is tiring of the same selections:) I know I am. We have been in China almost 3 weeks and I can't wait to get home and cook a meal! We miss the boys terribly, but only a few more days and we will be home.

Tomorrow we will have the TB tests read and then we are going to the Pearl Market. We are going to do a group dinner at the Macau Restaurant nearby, it serves Portuguese and Cantonese cuisine. It will be nice to have a change of pace. We also talked to the group about the Mexican restaurant here and we are going there for dinner tonight:)

A Day Together at Shamian Island:)

2011-09-16T06:16:00.000-05:00

Today we took all of the girls to Shamian Island to explore and get out of the hotel. It was warm; quite humid actually, but nice to get out and stretch our legs for a bit. We arrived on the island around 9:30 a.m. and enjoyed walking around for a couple of hours before we grabbed lunch at Lucy's. Jerry had a fried rice dish that was quite good, Lauren had chicken wings, Jadyn had a grilled cheese and french fries and Kaitlyn and I had a fried noodle dish that was delicious! Then the girls played for awhile on the playground behind Lucy's and we walked along the waterfront for sometime before heading back to the White Swan to grab a taxi. Today is the last day the White Swan is open for business; they will be closing for one year due to renovations. It is a very popular hotel for adoptive parents to stay at while in China finalizing the last stage of the adoption process. We took some pictures at the White Swan of some of the beautiful items they have for sale due to the renovations; truly breathtaking. If only there were a way to reasonable ship something back to the U.S.:)

Anyway, once we got in the taxi to head back to our hotel the girls were all exhausted. Jadyn fell asleep right away and then Kaitlyn took my arm and started to lightly pinch my skin just like Jadyn does and she laid her head on my shoulder and fell asleep:) It felt so nice to have her cuddle with me:) I looked at Lauren and her eyes were flittering as she fought to stay awake, but within a minute or two she was asleep as well:)

We got back to the room and Jadyn finished her nap, but the other two were suddenly wide awake! I found a cartoon the Lauren likes to watch and Kaitlyn and I spent some time on the computer. She watched me type a couple of comments to the blog and began reading what I was typing so I helped her to pronounce the words. She repeated all but about 3-4 words! It was amazing to hear her speak in English and she is so driven to want to know! She then ran to get a dictionary and came back to the computer to type in some words which brought up a cartoon-type picture. She was very excited to see it, then she typed in a website with free games and tried to show me how to play games with her! It was a lot of fun:) Eventually, I gave up the games and let her have computer time - she really enjoys the computer. It didn't take her long to learn how to work our laptop and I know she will like the game systems we have at home:) She did Jadyn's hair in a ponytail again, then wanted to do mine; it is too short for a pony in back so she did one on top and tucked it under in a very cute way actually:) So wonderful to have a daughter want to play with my hair:)

I put in Beauty and The Beast for the girls to watch, we grabbed dinner from the 7/11 and now they are on a walk with Dad:) We'll come back together to watch Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue tonight, then tomorrow we are off for the girls to have their medical exams. Both will need TB tests and Kaitlyn will need some shots. Please pray that this step goes well; they were pre-tested for TB so we believe there shouldn't be any issues, but if there are we may be stuck in China longer than expected. Also, the fact that Kaitlyn needs additional shots; she says she isn't afraid of them, but still - as a Mother you don't like to see your child subjected to any type of pain.

Five more days and then we are headed for home; we love China and it's people - truly. However, we miss our boys terribly. They are doing very well, but are also anxious to meet their two new sisters!

Thank you for following along on our journey - to those of you yet to make yours; we wish you all the best!

Enjoying Time Together:)

2011-09-14T21:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon we had another storm so we had to stay in the room and we were able to spend time getting to know each other. I had purchased an Adoption Travel Chinese book through my agency's store and it came in handy yesterday as I laid on the bed with Jin Qing, and Jerry sat by, we went through various foods so she could tell us if she liked them or not. She also tried to teach us how to say some of the Chinese words and phrases. It was a lot of fun and really helped her to get more comfortable with us. She also spent time doing Jadyn's hair; her first official ponytail! She looked so cute:)

Then, we ordered in dinner and the girls watched Tinker Bell on the computer. All three of them loved the movie! It was adorable to watch them sit around the screen and giggle at funny parts of the movie. I am not sure how much Lauren and Jin Qing understand as far as the language, but they certainly understand the story line:)

Before bed Jin Qing asked to take a shower and then she washed her clothes in the sink. I certainly would have preferred to have done her laundry for her, but she didn't let me know that she was even doing this. She had them hanging to dry this morning when I awoke. She is such a sweet girl and so well-mannered! Truly a gift!!!

Today, we will take a walk around the city and then meet Grace at 3:00 to go and apply for Jin Qing's passport. Then, we will grab a bite to eat on the way back to the hotel and we'll see if they want to head out for another walk tonight or catch another movie:)

Tomorrow is a free day and we'll probably head over to the island for some sightseeing and shopping.

Finalization of Adoption...

2011-09-14T02:18:00.000-05:00

Today we finalized Jin Qing's adoption and we feel so relieved that she is officially a member of our family! She has been so in our hearts for months, but now the paperwork is completed and we will only have a few more steps until we are on our way to Wisconsin to welcome her to her offical new home:)

We were the first to arrive at the notary office so it went pretty smooth. Then we went on to the market to get her some PJ's, clothes and a suitcase. She is incredibly small framed and the shorts and pajama bottoms I brought do not fit her. She is probably a 7/8 in shorts, but she may be too tall for that size pants. I think we will have some interesting shopping ahead of us when we get home:) She is so helpful and kind. Last night at dinner when the dumplings arrived at the table she served everyone first and then took one for herself:) She helped with the shopping today and unloaded the cart and carried a bag of groceries. She is very sweet and I love to listen to her speak in Cantonese - it sounds amazing! Jin Qing has tried to talk to Lauren, but we were told that Lauren speaks a native language called Fujianese. Lauren likes to sit next to her in the van when we drive anywhere:) I know that all three of the girls will get along just fine based on what we are seeing here so far:)

I gave Jin Qing a bag of Bath and Body Works items today and showed her what they were for; she seemed to like them and when I took them into the bathroom she followed me, took my arm and said, "Thank you Mama". I just about cried right there on the spot, but didn't want to frighten her so I held it in and gave her a hug:) Oh my; she is a sweetheart, just in case I haven't said that already! LOL!!!

Tomorrow afternnon we apply for her passport and the morning is free time. We will take a walk and explore some of the city with Jin Qing -

Here are some pictures from today -

We are Truly Blessed!

2011-09-13T05:03:00.001-05:00

We left to go to the Civil Affairs office at 2:00 p.m. and it was about a 20 minute drive. When we arrived there were 6 other families there to meet their children, but next week there will be 35!

We met Jin Qing today and she is such a sweet young lady! She adores Jadyn and certainly has taken on the role of big sister quite well already:) She is shy and doesn't like to have her picture taken, but when you see her smile it just simply melts your heart. She was a little nervous, but said to be happy to be joining our family. She arrived at the Civil Affairs office at about 2:50 p.m. and she was very tired. She is easy going, gentle and kind. We completed the necessary paperwork and came back to the hotel just before 4:00 p.m. Then, Jerry and our guide Grace, took Jin Qing to the 7/11 for some drinks and snacks to hold her over until we can shop tomorrow.

We headed to an early dinner and she had a good bowl of wonton noodle soup then we came back to the room so we could rest and get to bed early. She is tired and we have to get up early to head back to the Civil Affairs office tomorrow for the final paperwork. We cannot believe how blessed we are - truly having three sweet angels join our family through the miracle of adoption!

Exploring Guangzhou...

2011-09-12T06:20:00.001-05:00

Today we took a couple of walks around the city to see the sights and stretch our legs. It was a beautiful day and very busy as it is still the Mid-Autumn Festival. There are many street vendors selling roasted chestnuts, some other food that is made from a batter poured into a mold shaped like little balls, corn on the cob and coconut milk in the shell.

We get many looks, but most people are just curious. Some will say "Hello" and some try to speak to us in Mandarin or Cantonese, but unfortunately, we only know a couple of phrases so they are short-lived conversations:)

We are getting so excited for tomorrow!!! We meet our guide at 2:00 p.m. in the hotel lobby - I know the day will seem endless until that time, but once we get to leave in that van we will feel so relieved:) I wonder what Jin Qing is thinking about today...is she nervous, scared, happy, anxious, sad to leave her friends??? Her brothers are so excited for the time they will be able to see her on the computer!

Well, I've got to get Jadyn down for a nap. Here are a couple of pictures from today -

This dealership is located across the street from our hotel -

Our Hotel - The China Hotel; A Marriott Hotel -

A Crazy Intersection We had to Cross:)

A Wine Store inside our Hotel -

The girls enjoying an ice cream treat from the 7-11 store -

A Day at Shamian Island...

2011-09-11T20:19:00.000-05:00

Today we decided to spend a few hours on Shamian Island; it is a nice place to relax and shop. We visited many of the shops that we visited last year, but fortunately, the island is no longer under construction. When we were here last year they were renovating many of the buildings and sidewalks for the Asian Games that took place last November. It was very difficult to maneuver around to the shops, but this time it was much better. It was very busy, but the weather was fairly nice.

As we were walking down a center square we heard a "Hello", and as I turned to see who it was I realized that it was Jordon. I said, "Hello Jordon" and he immediately smiled and began to ask about our daughters. He owns a shop on the island and does your child's name in Chinese characters for free - it is beautiful. Below is a picture of him writing Lauren's name. We spent a while talking with him and looking through his shop; he carries the adoption barbie doll just in case anyone is still interested in attaining one after the White Swan closes for renovations. I believe he may be one of the only places here that sells them - RMB130.

We ate a late lunch at Lucy's and it was actually very good! Then we found a shop that borrowed us a stroller for the duration of our trip - truly a blessing since Jadyn seems to either fall asleep or ask to be picked up within 30 minutes of venturing out. We made our stop to Jenny's Place; they are truly nice people there! About two hours after visiting their store I heard "Hello Suzanne", and it was Jenny's husband calling out while riding his bike across the street:)

We came back to the hotel and did our laundry and then ventured out to the play area in the courtyard of the hotel. They have a nice swingset and play set for young children to play on and there is a soft rubber floor. We met a nice family with four-year old and one-year old daughters. The wife is Chinese and has lived here her entire life and the husband has lived here for seven years. He came to China for work and that is how they met. Their older daughter has been fluent in Mandarin, but just began speaking English last year since she began going to an International kindergarten. She was quite good now!
Here are some pictures from the island -

Ni Hao from Guangzhou!

2011-09-10T17:28:00.001-05:00

Well, we arrived in Guangzhou around 9:15 last night (Friday) and made it to our hotel room around 10:30. We unpacked and were in bed around 11:30/12:00. The flight was delayed slightly, but was pretty uneventful. Lauren was such a big girl on the plane! She is so easy going and isn't bothered by much - she seemed to enjoy the flight. Jadyn was very tired and enjoyed playing with the lady next to her, but did tire towards the end and only wanted me to hold her, but we were getting ready to land so she had to stay buckled. Needless to say, it was a loud 15-20 minutes or so.

We are just so happy to be in Guangzhou; not only is there more to do and better food options, but we are in the city of our oldest daughter and we are nearing the day that we get to meet her!!! Tomorrow will be Sunday and we will get to meet her at about 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. We are just so very excited! When we arrived, our guide gave us a detailed itinerary and we began to anticipate the moment we get to meet:) We hope she is doing well - we wonder what she is thinking; I know she will miss her friends, but hopefully, she will understand that she will be able to stay in contact with those who have already been adopted and we will continue to monitor those who remain at the orphanage. Her brothers ask about her everyday; they count down the days on a calendar until we are scheduled to meet her. As with Lauren, they are very excited to be able to Skype with her and begin getting to know her:)

Today, we went to a market and bought some snacks and food for lunches. We had McDonald's for dinner (had to). I never eat the stuff at home, but gosh, after 9 days of nothing but noodles and rice, I was dying for something that resembled a sandwhich/burger:) It actually tasted quited good! Tomorrow will probably be Papa John's:) Then we will go to the Food Street restaurant in our hotel; it is supposed to have some good cantonese cuisine. We will also try some restaurants on the island - the Cow and Bridge is a place I didn't get to try when we were here last year, it has Thai cuisine, and we have to do the infamous Lucy's stop:) (known for their western food).

Well, only a couple of pictures today - one of the girl's enjoying their McDonald's dinner and the other while they were watching Spongebob Squarepants (another thing oddly missed from home).

Thanks to you all who follow along - we are comforted by your thoughts and prayers!!!

A Tour of a 1200 year old Buddhist Temple

2011-09-07T22:22:00.001-05:00

Today we visited an amazing Buddhist Temple that is approximately 1200 years old. The statues and carvings are simply breathtaking! It is amazing to be standing in the midst of so much history -

About 30% of the population in Fuzhou still practices Buddhism and the rest are Christians and other religions. It is an amazing transformation over the years as the Chinese have been given more religious freedom.

We all continue to bond, laugh and get to know one another - it is great to see the increased comfort level among everyone. We were able to Skype this morning with my sister, and while doing so, Lauren took my hand and gave it a kiss. My sister was so moved - it was such a special moment! Last night we watched Beauty and the Beast on the computer and she really enjoyed it! We ordered in room service and the chicken alfredo was actually quite good, as were the french fries - anything to give us a little taste of home:) The boys are doing so well at home and are off to a good start at school - we miss them terribly, but again, so good to be able to Skype with them!

Tomorrow we receive Lauren's passport and then head to the airport at about 4 p.m. We then have a 7:30 flight to Guangzhou and we will feel so good to be in the same city as our other daughter, Jin Qing. We will not meet her until Tuesday and those days will drag endlessly, but at least we are heading in the right direction:)

A Visit to the Giant Pandas!

2011-09-07T00:01:00.002-05:00

Today Isabelle took us to see the giant pandas! Fuzhou is one of the only places in China to see pandas in captivity. There are only about 1500 wild pandas left in the world; many efforts are underway to keep these amazing animals from becoming extinct and hopefully they are successful! It was incredible to see these beautiful animals up close; they look so docile, but they are really aggressive. This is part of the reason they do not reproduce well. They are also not very good at nurturing their young. The panda being fed in the pictures below is 120 years old. She has many health issues, including cataracts, so she needs to have her food chopped for her so she can be hand fed. We also saw brown and black bears along with 'lesser pandas' - they equate those to our raccoons, but I could never see our raccoons doing the tricks that this lesser panda did:) The panda house is located in a beautiful park close to the hotel and many people gather to dance and do Tai Chi during the day - it was a fun outing.

We then came back to the hotel and enjoyed some more noodles for lunch, let Jadyn take a nap and then headed out for another walk to the park. Tonight it is room service for dinner, but we won't give American food another try. The pizza the other night was nothing more than ketchup on bread sprinkled with cheese:) The french fries were good though! We have been alternating between the Chinese restaurant and room service to change things up as there are no other food options around the hotel. Fuzhou is a beautiful city, but we are counting down to when we get to Guangzhou so we can have a little more to do along with some other options for food.

Lauren gave Jerry and I our first hug today! It was incredible:) She really is warming up so well to us and to Jadyn too! She also gave Jerry a kiss on the cheek when he bought her a Dove bar; she has been pointing to it at the shop down stairs for the past few days. She really is a sweetheart and it is evident that she has lacked one-on-one attention. She has learned how to say "bye" to her brothers when we Skype with them and she has tried counting to ten with me, but I can sense some frustration as she has probably never been 'pushed' to try to learn anything new. We are patient and sure to praise her for her good efforts. She is a joy to be around!

Here are some pictures from today -

The 'Lesser Pandas' -

Exploring Fuzhou...

2011-09-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

Today we met our guide at 9 a.m. to go to a historic part of Fuzhou from the Ming Dynasty. It was beautiful! They have updated and renovated some parts of the area, but you could still see the historic beauty. The weather here is very hot; about 85 - 90 and 100% humidity:) Isabelle, our guide, says that this month is actually cooler! Their summer is July and August so they are heading into their Autumn, but it will stay green all year long. There are a lot of gorgeous trees, so many varieties, and the gardens are amazing!

Lauren is doing so well; she is turning into an amazing big sister. She watches out for Jadyn, making sure that she is taken care of. She is sharing so well and they play so nice together:) We are working on words with her at every chance, but it certainly will take some time. She is such a happy girl! I often wonder what she is thinking...she seems so comfortable with us which is such a blessing!

Here are some pictures from today -

A Good Night and a Day of Paperwork...

2011-09-05T19:52:00.000-05:00

Last night went very well. Lauren took a little while to fall asleep, but she eventually did and slept well. We awoke early to get to breakfast, prepare the gifts and be ready to meet our guide to go and finalize the adoption paperwork. The paperwork went so very fast; we completed all of the registration paperwork, travelled to the notary office and completed that paperwork and then went to Wal-Mart to pick up some items all in one and one half hours!

We came back to the hotel for lunch (bowl of noodles:) and rest a little before venturing out to explore the park near the hotel.

We have been able to Skype with the boys and Lauren enjoys seeing them on the computer screen - it is really cute! She keeps pointing to their faces on the computer and then to their photo from the album that we sent her in January after we received our pre-approval. She certainly has become familiar with our family.

She is becoming really good and patient with Jadyn; she probably has not had to share and more than likely had to fend for herself in the orphanage, so it is great to see her showing kindness towards her new sister. The girls have been playing together in the bed and chasing around the room; it is so cute to watch!

We Have Lauren Yuhuan!

2011-09-04T07:20:00.000-05:00

Today was filled with a lot of anticipation, anxiety, reflection and prayer...we were able to sleep in to 6:15 and then had a good breakfast. We then took a walk down by the lake near our hotel and went back to the room for a rest before our guide came at 3 p.m. to begin the paperwork. We then went to meet Yuhuan in a meeting room on the 3rd floor of our hotel. She was not there when we first arrived so we sat and began more paperwork. She walked in with the orphanage director and caretaker about 10 minutes later. I tried to get some pictures right away and she immediately went to her backpack to get some candy that she brought for Jadyn. We were given some items from the orphanage director - the disposable camera we sent, her photo album, a CD with pictures of her and a framed picture representing Fuzhou. She seemed to be a happy girl from the start. She sat patiently while we completed the paperwork and then we went to our room with our guide to try to get settled. Our guide stayed with us for about an hour and answered some questions for us; she also gave some guidance to Lauren so she knew that Jadyn was not trying to take her things:) The language difference is not easy, but it is going ok.

After our guide left we took another walk by the lake and then came back to the hotel for dinner. Boy, that girl can eat! We had a fantastic Chinese dinner in the hotel restaurant and Lauren was keeping pace with Jerry:)

We have found that she loves to watch TV, she loves to color and she loves all foods! So far, so good - tomorrow we go to the registration office to sign more paperwork and then they will begin processing her passport so we can depart for Guangzhou on Friday. We will also go to Wal-Mart tomorrow to pick up some items for Lauren; I brought two outfits for her, but we obviously need more to get through the rest of the trip.

Here are some pictures of our first day together:

We Have Arrived!

2011-09-03T06:16:00.001-05:00

We made it to Hong Kong at about 8 p.m. Friday night. It was a little later than expected as our flight was delayed from take off by about an hour. We flew out of Chicago on Cathay Pacific and it was their first day of service out of Chicago; our flight was the first departure for them. When we arrived at the gate there was a grand celebration taking place with Chinese dancers in a dragon costume, food, food, and more food, drinks and a pig to be carved! They did speeches and congratulations were shared with many people. When our plane arrived at the terminal to load the passengers there was a water cannon salute by the fire department to help celebrate as well. Quite an event, but it did cause a little delay in take off - the flight was pretty uneventful, just very long, and Jadyn did extremely well -considering:) She enjoyed watching the TV monitors, but didn't want anything to do with the headphones. She slept during takeoff and a portion of the flight on and off - she has been doing quite well!

We took a shuttle to the hotel and got a fairly good night sleep, or portion thereof:) We feel much better this morning having had a couple showers and good meal. We will be heading to Fuzhou on a 3:15 flight and then get settled into the next hotel that we will be staying at until Friday. We will gather some supplies (water, water, water) and get ready to meet Lauren Yuhuan tomorrow!

We will keep you posted!

Here are some pictures from the ceremony before our flight to Hong Kong -

Here are some views from our room in Hong Kong -

All Packed and Ready to Go:)

2011-08-31T18:19:00.000-05:00

Well, the suitcases are packed, the tickets are in order and I think we are as ready as we will ever be. We have everything set for the boys at home too:) The three younger boys have their first day of school tomorrow so it will be a busy day in our house tomorrow morning! I hope they get off to a good start to the school year given that we will not be here to see to their daily routine, but I know they are in good hands with their oldest brother and many other family who are going to be checking in on them:)

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people who helped us along the way, either with completion of paperwork, with thoughts, prayers, support and kind words and those who are helping while we are away! While we are the people travelling to welcome these two beautiful children into our family - none of this could have happened without many of you! Our sincerest thanks!!!

We plan to update the blog everyday of our travels; please keep our girls (all three) in your thoughts and prayers as Jadyn travels for the first time and our two other sweeties have a big transition ahead of them:)

Travel Update...

2011-08-25T18:28:00.002-05:00

Well, we had our consulate appointment date confirmed on Monday so we purchased our tickets for the international flights - you could buy a nice used car for that price:) The one-way ticket prices are terrible! Then, our agency began working on our in-country arrangements and sent us our travel itinerary yesterday. We leave the US on 9/1 and return on 9/22 - all of the details are below:

9/1 Leave U.S. for Hong Kong.

9/2 Arrive in Hong Kong and spend the night.

9/3 Depart Hong Kong for Fuzhou

9/4 The orphanage director and staff member will bring your child to you at the hotel. (Lauren Yuhuan) Congratulations!!!!

9/5 In the morning go to the Registration Office for Adoption Registration paperwork and then on the Notary Office for Notary paperwork. The Orphanage Director will apply for your child's passport.

9/6-9/7 Optional tours

9/8 Free time in the morning. Receive your child's Registration Certificate and notary paperwork in the late afternoon.
9/9 Go to the Security Bureau to receive your child's passport in the late afternoon. Leave Fuzhou for Guangzhou.

9/10- 9/12 Free Days in Guangzhou: Mid-Autumn Festival

9/13 Go to the Provincial Civil Affairs Office today to receive your child. Congratulations! (Jin Qing)

9/14 Complete Adoption Registration and Notarization.

9/15 Receive your child's adoption registration certificate today. Go to the passport agency to apply for your child's passport.

9/16 Have your child's visa physical and visa photo taken this morning. Your child will also receive a tuberculosis skin test if they are between the ages of 2 to 14. Receive notary certificates.

9/17 Optional tours may be available.

9/18 Meet to prepare paperwork for the Consulate appointment. Meet with your CCAI representative to have the Tuberculosis test checked at the clinic. If necessary have the chest x-ray taken.

9/19 Take bus to Shamian Island to complete your child's visa physical and visa photo taken this morning. Your child will also receive a tuberculosis skin test if they are between the ages of 2 to 14. If your child is 10 & over, he/she will receive required immunizations from the clinic. Receive your passports in the afternoon.

9/20 Consulate appointment. Go to the U.S. Consulate to take the oath in the afternoon.

9/21 Go to the U.S. Consulate to receive your child's visa packet at the U.S. Consulate.

9/22 Depart Guangzhou for the United States - WELCOME HOME!

It sounds like a very busy 22 days! I know it will be a lot for Jerry and I to keep up with so I'm sure Jadyn will be overwhelmed. Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. We truly feel it is in her best interest to travel with us since she has only been home for 16 months and would not understand why her mommy and daddy have left her for 3 weeks. We also believe it will be good for the girls to begin bonding with each other.

We Have TA!!!

2011-08-19T20:55:00.000-05:00

We received our travel approval on 8/19 - WoooooHooooo!!! Our agency is working on our consulate appointment which looks to be 9/20. We will leave for China on either 9/1 or 9/2 and return on 9/22. It will be a long journey, but well worth it to bring our girls home:) We are so happy to finally be at the point of planning our travel -

There, of course, will be a Chinese holiday during our travel which will cause some of the lengthy stay. Mid-Autumn Festival is from 9/10 - 9/12, so as it stands, we will meet Lauren/Yu Huan on 9/4 and Kaitlyn/Jin Qing on 9/13.

I am working with a few travel agents to see what travel options are available. I will continue to post as we confirm our travel and throughout our journey. Please continue to pray for our family as we travel and transition two new members to our family! We certainly have felt all of the good thoughts and prayers so far!

Finally...An Update!

2011-08-19T20:38:00.001-05:00

Our email login issue seems to have finally been resolved so I can now provide an update:) Well, we are through all of the final steps (I800 approval, NVC letter, Article 5 pick up) and now we just wait for TA (travel approval/assignment)! We should be getting that any day now! We have been packing and trying to get the 'house in order' for when we travel. The boys will probably just be starting school so it will be a little chaotic, but we will be prepared:)

I have our passports and visas all ready to go - Jadyn's picture looks so cute! Please pray for her to travel well! I have a goodie bag full of stuff to keep her as occupied as you can keep a two year old, but the flight to China is a long one!

I spoke to our agency on Tuesday and they informed me that we could be in China for 23 - 26 days! I was not expecting this - I have been in contact with many people who have adopted two children in one trip and they were able to complete in no more than 16 - 17 days total. I was told that one of the provinces that we have to travel to (Fujian) might be the issue - the government schedules everything (hotel, guide, transportation, etc) and they are not very flexible with arrangements. Because of this, it will be more expensive than we planned, as well, since our agency cannot negotiate rates for us. I plan to discuss further with our agency to see if we have any options. That is a long time to be away from our boys!

The summer has been busy with sports, sleepovers and swimming! It has been a fun-filled couple of months that have flown by - and of course the boys are not ready to return to school. This will be Brandon's senior year, Justin is entering his 4th year of college (part time) and is still working full time - he is getting close to transferring to complete his degree in physical therapy/athletic training. Ryan will be in 7th grade and Colin will be entering 4th grade. Wow - those years have gone fast!

We received a beautiful picture of Jin Qing/Kaitlyn (in the pink shirt) from the family who adopted her best friend, Li Ming:

Here is a picture of Yu Huan/Lauren recently:

And, of course...Jadyn:)

And here is one of our championship baseball player, Colin:)

Updates!!!

2011-07-02T16:00:00.001-05:00

Well, a lot has been happening lately, on the adoption front, with Jadyn growing up and of course the boys! First of all, an update on the adoptions – we received our LOA’s (Letters of Acceptance) for the girls on June 17th, just 10 days after getting our paperwork logged in to China! This was such a surprise, but incredibly, wonderful news! Now, all of the fun has really started – we have been in a flurry trying to get the I-800 forms, the I-864W forms, the DS-230 forms (all times two), an affidavit form, and travel packet documents to be notarized and sent off to their respective places. We are waiting on our I-800 approval and then we will apply for our Visa’s. We anticipate travel at the end of August. This will give us plenty of time to get to Jin Qing’s province and complete her adoption before she turns 14 on September 30th.

We received two new pictures of Jin Qing (Kaitlyn) on June 24th –

We also received a newsletter about some activities taking place at Yu Huan's (Lauren) orphanage on June 20th and here is a picture of her from the Children's Day outing –

We have printed off the wonderful packing list that we used for our trip with Jadyn (thanks cousin Anne!) however, I found that I have to modify slightly now that Jadyn is a little older and we don’t need the bottles, formula and other ‘baby’ items, but most of the other things are still very relevant and we found it to be all inclusive! Jerry had commented in China last year that he was amazed at how prepared we were! Please pray for Jadyn to travel well – this will be a long trip for her to make, but one we feel is necessary given the short time she has been with us and the difficulty she would have being away from us for nearly 3 weeks.

Speaking of Jadyn – here are some pics of the little sweetie pie and a couple of her brothers. Brandon was confirmed in May; it was an amazing service and Justin is his Sponsor. The boys summer has been filled with baseball and visits with friends! They are really enjoying the time off of school!

A Quick Pic :)

2011-05-13T12:36:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, we drove the two younger boys to school because Ryan was spending two days at Camp Mattawa for completion of the 6th grade (boy, there was lots of stuff to carry) AND it was Colin's birthday so he had a treat to bring. We stopped by each classroom and Colin's teacher happended to have her camera; she wanted to get a picture of him being the big brother:) She said that he is always talking about his little sister and he can't wait until his two new sisters come home! How sweet is that???

I-800A Approval!

2011-05-09T11:29:00.002-05:00

Well, we received our I800A approval on May 2nd and our Officer was kind enough to use the FedEx envelope that I included with our documents. She contacted me for payment and we received the much anticpated I-797 document on May 4th. I was able to get home in time to turn it around the same day and send our Adoption Petition, Home Study and Copy of the I-797 (I800A approval) to Madison to be State Certified. I paid for expedited service and received the documents back on May 7th. I then was able to send immediately out to the courier service in Chicago to get everything Authenticated by the Chinese Consulate (again paying for expedited service). We should have everything back to us by May 13 and then it will be off to our agency to be DTC (dossier to China)!!!

Once China receives our updated documents they will issue us a new log in date (LID) and then also start processing our Letters of Acceptance (LOA) for the girls. We need these documents to send to US Immigration again with our I800 form. We hope that the upcoming steps are expedited on China's side, too! We can't afford to miss any time. Please keep your fingers crossed for everything to go smoothly!

We Have Some News!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-04-16T20:19:00.017-05:00

We have been keeping a secret -

Our adoption path to Jadyn started out as a way to fulfill our dream of adding a daughter to our family. I will admit that before we started on our journey to adopt, I had no idea how many orphans there are in the world (about 147 million). I had no idea the condition of the orphanages and I didn't really comprehend the impact of what being and orphan meant. I didn't even really get the role that God played in matching Jadyn to us - until we met her. But then...our eyes were opened. We saw first hand what being an orphan meant. We saw firsthand the conditions of the orphanages, the massive number of children lying in their cribs not knowing what it feels like to be loved, hugged, or even touched. Our eyes were opened, and because of that, we have been blessed beyond measure to not only turn a dream into a reality by bringing Jadyn home, but we cannot imagine our lives and our family without her. Because our eyes have been opened, Jerry and I have been able to step outside of what we thought was our comfort zone and look at special needs that we would not have even considered 5 years ago. Because our eyes have been opened, we are adding two more blessings from God to our family ~

Our family is growing:) We are so very excited to announce that we will be adopting again in 2011! Wow, where do we begin??? During the LONG wait for Jadyn to join our family, we began to do a lot of research on special needs/older child adoption. We realized that this really is not as scary as we originally thought it to be. We knew all along that we wanted to add another daughter to our family - we knew that we wanted Jadyn to have another sibling with the same cultural background as her.

Well, last November, China made an announcement that effective immediately anyone pursuing a special focus adoption (a child waiting more than 3 months or severe needs) could use a copy of their previous paperwork if filed within one year of the previous adoption. This meant that we could use our paperwork that we used for Jadyn's adoption as long as we were matched with a child by April 19, 2011.

This would save us some money, but a considerable amount of time since we would not need to complete a new dossier. We happened upon a child's file right around that time, but it took us a little while to track it down and and lock it. Fortunately, we were able to get all of the pieces in place and we began our homestudy in late January. We received the official approval from China to adopt this child on January 25, 2011! We do have to do a new homestudy because we filed as pre-hague for Jadyn's adoption and were grandfathered, but now China is a hague country. Our new homestudy was completed in mid-March and we sent it on to the USCIS for the I800A process to begin. This is for the US government to approve us as adoptive parents (again) and allow us to bring a foreign-born child into the country.

Now, it gets better) We knew that China had been approving some families to bring two children home through the special focus process so we spoke to our social worker to have our homestudy written to be approved for two children. Fortunately, this proved to our benefit as we were given approval for our second daughter on April 12, 2011!

We can't begin to express how blessed we feel to be able to say that these two girls will be joining our family!!! We have the capacity in our hearts and home to grow our family and we know in our hearts that these two girls are meant to be a part of our lives!

Now, for the details, and of course pictures! The first daughter we were approved for turned 8 last December and resides in Fujian province. She will be named Lauren Yuhuan. Here is the first picture that we saw of her:

Here are two recent pictures of her:

Our second daughter will be 14 in September and that is why we have some urgency in completing the remaining processes - she will age out of China's adoption program if we do not complete her adoption by her 14th birthday. She will be named Kaitlyn Jinqing and she resides in Guangdong province.

Here are the first pictures that we saw of her:

Here is another that someone sent to me - it was taken when they were adopting their daughter from the same orphanage. She is the second girl on the left in the grey t-shirt:

We feel so blessed to be walking this path again! I will keep you posted on our progress, and as always - Jadyn updates:)

A Way to Help...

2011-04-16T19:54:00.002-05:00

There is a family who travelled to China, at the same time we did last year, to adopt their two boys and they are now in the process of adopting an older girl. They are asking for some help with funds due to some things beyond their control. I have followed their journey since they came home and am very excited for the journey they are about to take.

They have a fun and fantastic fundraiser taking place and several ways to take part in entering -

They are giving away an iPad2, an iPad cover (in color of your choice) and a $50 iTunes card!!! Who wouldn't want a chance at winning this:)

1. For every $25 donated you receive 5 entries
2. For every $50 donated you receive 10 entries
3. Post about the fundraiser on your blog and receive 3 entries
4. Post about the fundraiser on Facebook and receive 3 entries
5. Become a follower of their blog and receive 3 entries

Adoption is a leap of faith and sometimes unexpected hurdles arise that seem overwhelming - but maybe by foregoing that meal at a restaraunt you can help to bring a child home to their family - and have a chance at a wonderful gift in return.

Here is the web address of their site - http://mattmandi.blogspot.com

Good Luck!!!

Some Random Cuteness:-)

2011-03-23T08:13:00.025-05:00

Well, it has been awhile since I last posted only because we have all been battling some sort of cold, flu or respiratory illness on-going since January. I also began teaching a class at the College where I work and that took much of my free time. I really enjoyed teaching and have already been asked by the Dean to pick up some classes for Fall semester - we will have to see how that will work with our schedule though:-)

Anyway, on to the updates...Our oldest son, Justin, turned 21 on February 23rd (OMG!) and we can't believe it! He is really such a great young man - he continues to take classes and work and we still enjoy the fact that he lives at home:)

Brandon turned 17 on March 2nd, he is looking for a part time job, continues to do really well in school, and it sorting through options for after graduation. Again, another fine young man:)

Ryan is growing up so quickly, too! He is becoming more responsible every day and improving in school - we are so proud! He has a birthday in June, but it cannot come soon enough for him!

Colin is looking forward to baseball season getting under way - only another month or so (though you'd never know it with the weather we are having). He is doing well in school and taking on the 'big brother' role so well! He is also counting the days to his birthday which is in May.

Jadyn is growing so fast! She is now 20 months old, has 12 teeth and is saying so many words (some only we understand:-) Her hair is growing and she is really turning into a girly, girl! She is becoming a little more independent, but still has not moved to her own bed yet. We hope to begin that transition soon. She loves daycare and they are so good with her. She has begun potty training and goes on the potty at daycare about 50% of the time. She also goes on the potty at home about 50% of the time. We are amazed that she began showing signs for this at 17-18 months of age. Daycare had no issues with beginning the process and she enjoys being a big girl!

Last weekend we took the family to a water park in the Dells and they had a really good time - I'll post pictures for you to enjoy!

Give me a kiss!!!

Point me to the water park!

Something doesn't feel right???

My handsome Ryan!

Loving those Cheetos:)

Chillin' and playing Xbox 360

Wanting to give the bowling thing a try...

Justin having fun!

Brandon getting embarrassed:)

Jadyn waiting with Mom while the boys rode the track...

The go-kart track...

Justin and Colin having fun!

Ryan going zoom-zoom!

Daddy warming up his little girl:)

My little water bug:)

Water bug 2!

Are we done yet???

It Makes a Difference...Bringing Hope to Just One...

2011-02-22T15:55:00.005-06:00

Here is a wonderful video that really speaks to the heart of adoption -

Re-Adoption Day:)

2011-01-04T18:03:00.003-06:00

Well, at 1:30 today we had Jadyn's re-adoption at the Fond du Lac County Courthouse. It was a short, but memorable ceremony and the Judge was so kind and warm in his comments about our family and daughter in particular. I've attached a picture that was taken following the official process - it was so nice for everyone to take part in this since the boys could not travel to China and be a part of that process with us.

We will now receive a Wisconsin birth certificate for Jadyn with her name as we have given it to her - Jadyn Liubi Sinjakovic. This will provide her with an easier means of identity as she gets older.

A Blessed Christmas!

2010-12-31T12:38:00.030-06:00

Well, it certainly has been a blessed year! We have so much to be thankful and grateful for - our family has been healthy, we both have maintained our employment in this economy, and certainly the fact that we added our daughter to the family this year! Time has gone so fast when we stop and think that we met her about 8 months ago. She has transitioned so well into the family that it really seems like she has been with us since birth:) Her language is flourishing and she is starting to show signs of potty training! I will have to talk to daycare after the holidays to see how they want to approach this with us. She continues to pull down her pants and tell us "potty" or "poo-poo" - which is amazing since she is only 17 months old. We did buy her a potty chair and she actually went potty in it already!

We are simply amazed every day! She has a way of saying each of the boy's names and it is so cute! She loves the boys and they love her! We love to see them all play and interact - Christmas was especially fun! All of the new toys to play with; the boys were so patient with her opening her gifts.

Unfortunately, we had to miss her first Christmas program due to the weather - it was snowing so bad. I still put her special Christmas dress on, a gift from the owners of the daycare, and tried to get a picture. I know that the little ones had been practicing for the program because when Christmas songs came on the radio, she would start swinging her arms and jabbering something - again so cute! We would have loved to have seen it played out.

Anyway, on to the pictures as I know that is what you are waiting for. We look forward to the new year and all of the joy and surprises it has in store for us!

All dressed up and no where to go (the night of her Christmas program):

Watching a Christmas special with a couple of her brothers:

She likes to get dressed for outdoor playtime:

Sporting her brother Colin's hat:

Some special pictures since we missed the Christmas cards yet again:)

Jadyn and Grandma:)

Christmas morning:)

Here she is playing a game with her brothers:

Sweet Colin:

Jadyn opening her big present from Mom and Dad (a play kitchen):

Ryan enjoying his present from Mom and Dad:

Brandon opening his big gift from Mom and Dad:

Justin protecting his Best Buy gift card (from Mom and Dad) - he wants a new car stereo:)

Enjoying one of her Christmas presents:

Getting ready to shop with Mom and Dad:

Catching Up... :-)

2010-12-03T14:46:00.008-06:00

Well, it has been a long time since I have posted and for that I apologize. I know many of you look to see updated pictures of our sweet little one - it has just been a very busy couple of months.

Jadyn continues to grow very well and is saying so many words! Her latest is "Santa" and she says it ever so cute! She has also added "shoes", "cup", and "five" to her list of words. She is getting to be so much fun - it's funny because I think that I have that same thought month after month!

She was in amazement over the Christmas lights that went up during her nap last Friday afternoon - it was wonderful to watch her walk around and look at everything with such amazement! This Christmas will certainly be special!

We are all getting over the dreaded stomach flu, but hopefully, are over that for the year and soon to be recovered. Needless to say, our Thanksgiving was a holiday to remember :)

In October, we had a great time attending a baby shower for my cousin Dan and his wife Julianna. It was so much fun to see all of our family and to finally get to meet Ava - my cousin's little girl also adopted from China. Jadyn and Ava hit it off, as well, as you can see by the picture below.

Jadyn, with Justin, trying to tell everyone that "Mom Rocks!"

Our very own Sleeping Beauty!

So excited to go shopping!

Still trying to figure out this winter jacket idea!

So BIG!!!

Posing in her Halloween costume;)

Watching The Princess and the Frog with her new little doll...

Together 6 Months!

2010-10-19T01:33:00.000-05:00

Today I Kissed an Angel

Today I kissed an angel.
I knew it from the start.
The first time my angel smiled at me;
I gave away my heart.

Today I kissed an angel;
This angel child of mine
Though not of my creation,
My child by God's design.

Today I kissed an angel.
My heart is dancing wild;
Our family, by a miracle;
Blessed by our angel child.

Isn't She Lovely?

2010-10-10T22:06:00.001-05:00

That is all that went through my mind when I got Jadyn dressed on Sunday to head over for my nephew's confirmation. I dressed her in an outfit that I received from one of my closest friends at my baby shower in February and we had not had an occasion to wear it until now. She looked adorable! (if I do say so myself:)

We had a wonderful weekend...the weather was absolutely beautiful, my Mom came down to visit on Saturday and spent the night for Kyle's confirmation. Sunday we headed over to Church and then to my sister and brother-in-law's house; my brother's family came down for the day as well so it was a nice get-together!

Here are some pics of the event -

I wish I knew what she was thinking...

Posing for the camera:)

I love that little face!

Here with her BIG brother, Justin -

At the church with her Auntie Kathy -

Lovin' the Veggie Tales:)

Colin, Ryan, and their cousin, Zach (in the middle) -

Her favorite chair of the day; just her size...

Checkin' out the pumpkins -

Getting a balloon from the Confirmant - Kyle:)

Colin with his little sis -

Auntie Carrie getting some Jadyn time:)

Looking lovely:)

And last but not least...two of Jadyn's older brothers, Brandon and Justin (they almost never let me get their picture:)

Finally, Feeling a Little Better...

2010-10-03T19:21:00.000-05:00

Well, Jadyn has had two rounds of antibiotics and we think she is finally feeling a little better. Though, she is still sneezing and has somewhat of a runny nose and cough. I just hope that it will clear up fully over the next few days. She sure was one sick little girl!

She has been doing fairly well otherwise; although, I think that some days the transition to daycare has brought out some issues with her needing to be reassured by Mom and Dad that we are here for her...always! It is so difficult to sort out what is the typical 14-month old behavior, from the ill-feeling little girl, to the adoption-related behaviors. I ordered 3 more books to help me try to sort through some of that:) I do enjoy reading and research, so the more I can do on that end, the better prepared/armed I feel. Anyway - we continue to love on her like there is no tomorrow and she soaks up every minute of it!

Jadyn and I took a brief overnight trip with my sister to visit my Mom who just had a minor sinus surgery. My Mom didn't know that Jadyn and I were coming so she was so surprised and overjoyed to be able to spend some time with her newest little granddaughter! We stopped on the way to rent two movies (Valentine's Day and Letters to Juliet) and we ordered in pizza - it was a great girl's night! We stayed for breakfast (Mom's famous French toast) and then headed back home around noon. It was a good visit and gave me a chance to see her new house - very cute!

Daddy missed his little girl terribly; and the boys missed Jadyn as well - it was kind of cute to see them crowd around her after we got home:) Anyway, here are some pictures from that visit and the last week or two. Enjoy!

She looks so grown up!

Chillin' with a snack...life's good!

All ready to go to school:)

She is doing the "Itsy Bitsy Spider..."

Playin' ball with her brothers...

Ready to rake:)

Enjoying time with Grandma:)

Enjoying some time with Auntie Kathy :)

My happy little girl:)

My Little Drummer Girl...

Checking out Grandma's new house...

Loves those animal crackers!

Getting ready for bed (after Mom brushed her teeth:) )

First Day of School!

2010-09-14T18:13:00.001-05:00

The boys (Brandon, Ryan and Colin) had their first day of school on September 1st and they all did really well - getting up on time, getting ready and all with no arguments:)

We attended the open house the night before so the younger two could drop off their school supplies and meet their teachers, organize their desks and enjoy some ice cream with friends. This always helps to get them a little more excited about the start of school.

Brandon was excited to be able to drive himself to school this year - he received his license just before school let out last year, but did not have his own car. Now, he has his own set of wheels and he is very proud of his car and the fact that he does not have to ride the bus anymore:)

Jadyn began daycare on September 3rd and boy was that a hard time for me! I am the drop off person and I had a hard time saying goodbye as tears were rolling down those little cheeks - even though I know she couldn't be in better hands.

Jerry took her to daycare the day before to let her play and explore and she did fine - loved it! Marcy (the owner of the center) told him to tell me that once I said goodbye, I needed to leave. She made sure that she was available and there to care for her all day because she knew that it might be a difficult transition for Jadyn. She took her from my arms and tried to interest her in a toy, but Jadyn still heard my voice explaining the last minute details to Marcy's daughter, so back to Mom she came. After one more kiss and hug and promise of Mom and Dad coming to get her, I said goodbye and cried all the way to the truck.

Marcy took her to get some toast and apparently Jadyn stopped crying in about 2 minutes. She ate well, played hard, did some crafts, slept for two hours in her sleeping bag and got to pick out her own backpack that Marcy bought for her! She had a great day! She was even able to show off her skills as they were teaching the children how to go up and down the stairs - Marcy said that she is the fastest one up:)

I'm glad that she had such a good day; unfortunately, she had to miss the next two scheduled days at daycare because she was ill over Labor Day weekend with a double ear infection, sinus infection and an infection in her eyes. She was one sick little girl, but the antibiotics seemed to be working by Thursday morning and we were back to getting kisses and seeing that signature smile we love so much!

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month...

2010-09-01T20:23:00.008-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

About two years ago I began to follow a story of a little 5-year old girl named Lydia Miyashita, a beautiful little girl adopted from China, who was diagnosed with AML (acute myeloid leukemia). Obviously, this touched me dearly as my Dad struggled with CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) and we had also been in the process to adopt Jadyn from China.

Unfortunately, Lydia lost her battle on February 24, 2009 and the post below is from the website that her Mom still keeps in her honor. Please read and take to heart. I also just found out last night of our neighbor's son, age 3, who was just diagnosed with leukemia and it breaks my heart. Children should not have to suffer through this terrible disease!

Today is September 1, which marks the beginning of CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH! This month, won't you take a few minutes to raise awareness about the prevalence of Childhood Cancer and the dearth of funding available for research into its causes and effective treatments. There are so many ways to help in raising such awareness.

TOP TEN THINGS YOU CAN DO FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH:

1. You can WEAR GOLD! Gold is the colour of pediatric cancer; just like pink is the colour for breast cancer. Let's paint towns across America and the World GOLD this month in honour of all the warriors, survivors and angels.

http://www.goldribbons.com/

2. Go to your LOCAL PANERA BREAD, and ask them to come up with a bagel for pediatric cancer awareness month, similar to the bagel Panera has for breast cancer awareness month.

3. Write a letter to your Congressman and Senator asking them to FUND research into the CAUSES and TREATMENTS for Childhood Cancer.

4. Ask your local grocery store to stock more organic, pesticide-free foods and shop locally whenever possible to support farmers who use sustainable and responsible agricultural practices.

http://www.beyondpesticidesohio.org/

5. Check your local community's water and air quality by visiting the EPA website...if you notice excessive amounts of substances in the air or water, pursue it, question things, and demand answers.

http://www.epa.gov/

6. Participate in a walk, race or triathlon in support of cancer or leukemia/lymphoma research. Those of you who live in Akron, can participate with a number of different teams for the LIGHT THE NIGHT EVENT at Infocision Stadium on October 3, 2010 benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We are supporting two teams this year: Team Hannah and Team Madison Sage, both friends of Lydia's from the hospital. You can find out more about this event and these sweet girls, below.

http://www.lightthenight.org/noh/
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/madisonlehman
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/hannahmilhous

7. Contact your school, church youth group, place of work, girl scout or boy scout troop, local nursing homes, and ask them to participate in the Lydia's Hope Cranes for Cancer Project by folding origami cranes. We have had such a wonderful response from all the groups that have been involved with this project. Won't you consider helping us?

http://www.lydiascancerhope.com

8. Use Facebook and other social networking sites you use to talk about issues pertaining to Childhood Cancer Awareness. Consider making your profile picture for the month a photo of a childhood cancer warrior, survivor, or angel. You can read about just a smattering of the children who have cancer and their struggles by visiting C.O.L.E.S Foundation website.

http://www.colesfoundation.com

9. Ask your church, temple, synagogue, mosque or shrine to include childhood cancer warriors on their prayer lists and prayer chains.

10. DONATE to any number of worthy childhood cancer research networks. While I am not endorsing any particular charity, I will provide a link to some of the heavy hitters (below), and if you can't donate, VOLUNTEER to read a story, make a blanket or otherwise contribute to the efforts of local charities or children's hospitals.

http://www.curesearch.org

http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org

Of course you can always donate to or volunteer with Lydia's Hope : )

Last but not least, I would like to make a personal appeal, and ask each of you and your family members who read this website to please go to the link below for the Daily Record of Wooster. Wayne County Children's Services is trying to get funding for a project involving Lydia's Promise, whereby the visitation rooms and playground at Children's Services would be completely revamped in order to benefit all of Wayne County's foster children...from babies and toddlers to teenagers. You can read more about the project in the newspaper article below, and than you can vote : )

Vote here: http://www.the-daily-record.com/

Read about the story here: http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4885636

Also, MARK THE DATE!!! Next September, 3, 2011, Lydia's Hope will be hosting a Triathlon in Wayne County...if you are not an athlete (I know I am not!), there are many ways to participate, including helping with the organization of the event, or participating in a shorter version of a triathlon, known as a Supersprint. We will hope to see you all there!

Thanks for continuing to visit Lydia's website, for continuing to check in with us, and for your prayers. We truly appreciate it.

Here is the link to Lydia's website:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lydialimeieikomiyashita

Now, go spread some awareness : )

Squeezing the Most Out of Summer!

2010-08-30T19:18:00.013-05:00

We have really tried to take advantage of the beautiful weather and have spent as much time as possible outside with the kids. Most of it has been spent at home, but it has been enjoyable, nonetheless. It is so hard to believe that the boys start school on Wednesday and Jadyn daycare on Friday - I really hope she will do well with the transition. As it is, she is attached to me from the time I get home until we go to bed as she misses me terribly during the day (and her Daddy too!) so I hope that she will not be negatively impacted with the change to daycare. Who knows, maybe it will be good for her and help with her sleeping situation???

Jerry will be taking her there on Wednesday and Thursday for an hour or two so she can slowly get adjusted while he is in the background and then Friday she will be there all day. I am the drop off person so of course I am probably freaking out a little more than I have to, but something tells me that she won't be letting me leave too easily.

Anyway, the boys are ready (willing is another story) for school and Tuesday is the open house when we get to drop off the supplies, meet their teachers, and have an ice cream social. Let's hope for another happy, successful year!

Here are some pics from the last week -

Ahhh...relaxation -

I want bubbles!

Come on Colin - blow!

Yeah!

I Can Catch Them!

I Want to Play Ball Too!

Let's Go Ridin'!

Mmmm...Mmmm, Good!

Yes...

I Love My Puppies!

I Want to Brush the Puppy!

I'm Supposed to EAT it?

A Fun Summer Weekend!

2010-08-25T09:42:00.012-05:00

Wow, it has been a while since I posted; I guess we have been keeping busy! We are enjoying the last of the summer with the boys and having fun chasing our little girl all over the place! She is loving her new found freedom! She can really pick up speed now and it is so cute!

We spent a lot of time outside last weekend - it was quite warm and we had a lot of branches and leaves to pick up from a brief, but nasty storm that blew through late Friday evening. The guys also washed the vehicles and spent some time buffing their cars - they are both enjoying their new rides:)

Jadyn had fun watching her brothers and took part in playing with the bubbles and sprinkler. Only one week left before school starts and she heads into daycare. Please pray for a smooth transition for her!

Enjoy the pics!

The boys playing with the sprinkler -

Jadyn chillin' -

I love my Cheetos!

My happy girl -

Always exploring -

Don't touch my stuff -

Inquisitive little girl -

Happy to help rake -

So proud!

Jadyn is Walking!!!

2010-08-10T08:14:00.003-05:00

Our little girl is now walking everywhere! She only crawls if she falls down and feels too lazy to get back up, but otherwise, she really enjoys walking all over the house - it is so much fun to see this little person just over two feet tall toddling all over:)

Enjoy this short video clip!

">

Happy Birthday Jadyn!!!

2010-07-26T19:23:00.001-05:00

Jadyn turned "1" on Sunday, July 18th! We celebrated with a party on Saturday and had a wonderful turn out of family and friends! The weather was beautiful so we grilled out and had the typical summer picnic:)

Jerry was insistent that she have a 'princess party' so we ordered a Princess Castle Cake and had princess balloons - he feels that she is his little princess:)

She received so many wonderful gifts from everyone and she really enjoyed playing with all of them. She loves to explore new things and she was about due for some new toys to keep her interest.

She really enjoyed her birthday cake - the bakery made a small, personal one just for her and she went to town with it! Her brothers helped to show her how to dig in - it was really cute! I wasn't quite sure how to maneuver her into the bathtub afterwards, but we kept the mess to a minimum:)

It is hard to believe just how fast she is growing up! She is taking about 10 steps at a time now...she started this on the 21st - my Dad's birthday! What a big girl! Enjoy the pics!

Welcome Jadyn!

2010-07-16T17:48:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful weekend with some very special people that work with Jerry! His former partner, Pam, and his new partner, Tammy, coordinated a party to welcome Jadyn – it was amazing! There was great food and drinks and Pam’s husband, Dan, fried up a homemade fish fry and they had all of the fixings! Everyone also brought a dish to pass so there were wonderful desserts and a beautiful cake!

Then, Pam made a heartwarming toast and gave Jadyn an adorable Build-a-Bear in the cutest ballerina outfit from her family (thank you Dan, Anita, Brian, Logan, and Aubryn). Another friend, Laurie, gave Jadyn a soft, cuddly blanket and lovely outfit. Then, they surprised us with a card which had a savings bond, cash, and a gift certificate for a local photographer! It brought me to tears! It was amazing that all of these people, about 30 or so, came to meet our little girl – but then the outpouring of generosity on top of it! All of the planning for the party, the food, the gifts – truly touching!

On Monday when Jerry arrived at work the nursing staff also presented him with a cute card and a gift certificate for local stores – we are amazed at how much people have cared for this little girl just as we have through the long wait.

Many times we felt alone in this process when we thought it would never happen and we often wondered if our co-workers and friends thought we were crazy or “making up” the adoption. It has been a blessing to know that so many people have really been with us all along! There were comments from those in attendance that through all of these years of waiting they are so happy for us that she is now home with her family – we couldn’t agree more!

P.S. - Jadyn cut her first tooth on Friday, July 9th! It is the bottom right tooth:)

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-13T14:29:00.014-05:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend with our family! Our local fire department has an annual picnic that we attend and it was wonderful to bring Jadyn this year! She really enjoyed all of the activities and watching her brothers play the games and take part in the rides. We contemplated the pony rides for her, but decided to hold off until next year:)

She had fun sampling the food and swinging in the swing at the park. We had a lot of positive comments from other people as to how cute she was and there was another couple with two adopted Asian daughters that stopped to say “Hi”, which was nice. We are still a little in the guarded phase because we do not know what other people think or what they will say; our hometown community is not all that diverse and I know of a few friends in the adoption community who have encountered some “not-so-nice” comments. Hopefully, we will be able to avoid those individuals!

Jadyn also had her first ice cream cone this weekend – she loved it! She kept screaming for more; it was so cute! There is also a picture of her with my old purse around her shoulder; it was too cute! I received a nice, new purse for my birthday and when I finished cleaning out my old purse I placed it on the floor for her to play with. She immediately tried wrapping it around her shoulder and proceeded to crawl around the floor with it over her back - it was so funny to watch!

She continues to try to walk a step or two at a time and her brothers are really working with her on this - they are such a big help to her and us! Gosh, we have an amazing family!!!

One Blessed Weekend!!!

2010-07-06T08:44:00.010-05:00

The weekend of June 26th, we celebrated Jadyn’s Baptism and Colin’s First Communion both at the same mass! Colin was supposed to have his First Communion while we were traveling in China to bring Jadyn home so we had to reschedule. The church was kind enough to let us do both in one special mass so it was all about the Sinjakovic’s at the 4pm service on Saturday:)

Jadyn looked absolutely beautiful in her traditional Chinese dress we bought for her – the white was so pretty! I was even able to get a small bow to stay in her hair! It was her first time in tights and she did pretty well with them. She also wore a pair of matching silk squeaky shoes that we bought in China so the outfit was complete! She didn’t even cry when the water was poured over her head, but she sure looked confused when Father came at her with the oil – she kept turning around; she had the parishioners laughing a bit.

Colin was so proud to wear a tie; he was such a handsome little man! He did so well with all of his statements of affirmation and he only made a small face at taking the wine:) He has grown up so fast in the past few years; it seems like he was just my little baby and now he has such charm and wit – I am always amazed at my children…they truly are blessings from God!

Just about all of our family was able to join us for these blessed events which made it even that much more special. My brother Steve, sister-in-law Carrie, and their two children, Zach and Cassie came down and it was their first time meeting Jadyn. They loved her to bits, and she of course, loved all of the attention! Jadyn even reached out to go to my brother several times and he hasn’t held a baby since his little guy was a baby – 10 years!

My Mom came and stayed overnight and Jerry’s Mom came for the service and dinner afterward with Jerry’s brother Dennis and his two children, Devin and Arianna. We missed you Christin! But certainly understand the situation with work all too well given Jerry’s schedule:) Same goes for Jerry’s other brother Tom – he was on-call for work so he could not attend.

My sister Kathy and brother-in-law Brent are Jadyn’s Godparents and their two sons Cody and Kyle were also there. We had a full house! We enjoyed each other’s company into the night as we also celebrated some upcoming birthdays in the family – it was one big celebration weekend!

Jadyn's Godparents - My sister, Kathy and brother-in-law, Brent -

This is a picture with my sister, brother-in-law, and their two boys, Cody and Kyle-

This is my brother-in-law, Dennis, and niece and nephew, Arianna and Devin -

Here we are with the Grandmas -

Here are most of the cousins -

Here is our family -

11 Months Old and Two Months Together!!!

2010-06-23T08:05:00.013-05:00

We have had a few computer issues so I apologize for the delay with this post...

Wow! Our little girl is already 11 months old – it is hard to believe because when we received her referral she was just 6 ½ months old! These past few months seem to have gone so fast compared to the months/years of the long wait for her. And then, when I think that we have been together for just two short months it just doesn’t seem right – it feels like we have known her all her life! We continue to love on her and allow her to explore and bond to us. She is doing so many cute things every day! Recently, she learned how to blow kisses with her hand – it is so cute!

Still no teeth…yes, you read correctly – 11 months old and still no teeth! I am shocked by this one. We probably check three times a day, but there isn’t any sign of a tooth popping through at all. We have a fear that six or eight will suddenly emerge and our little girl (and us) will be in agony! Her pediatrician wasn’t concerned at her 9-month check up so we will see what he says if she is still toothless at one year:)

She has been enjoying the summer with her brothers - Brandon, who is 16 is spending a lot of time with her and is helping her try to stand. There is a cute picture of that below. She can do so for about 30 seconds and has even thrown in a hand clap or a cute little dance! Ryan and Colin also love to spend time with her - they really get her laughing! She sure does love her brothers!

Her hair is getting a little longer! I’ll admit that I was quite surprised to see the shaven head when we first met; I had been told they often do this in orphanages, but since Jadyn was in foster care I didn’t give it a thought. We had also received pictures of her that were taken mid-February and she had hair so I just expected…well, I guess I don’t know what I expected. I thought she was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen when she came into the room so it really didn’t matter. I almost had a hard time imagining how hair would change her looks. I didn’t think she could get any cuter, but it turns out that she can:)

It Was a Happy Father's Day!!!

2010-06-22T14:29:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Father's Day! Jerry was so over-the-moon to have his daughter home with him to celebrate! The kids and I made a special breakfast for him and then he and the boys got ready to go see Toy Story 3. He really didn't want to leave Jadyn for the whole 2 hours to see the movie, but he had promised Colin that he would take him to see Toy Story 3 when it came out and that was the only day that worked with everyone's schedule for the next couple of weeks.

While they were gone, Jadyn and I had a blast playing outside, going for a walk, and swinging in her swing on the swingset. Then, when she finally laid down for a nap I made a cheesecake for dessert, but she woke up just before I could get it into the oven. It was a short 1/2 hour nap.

Everyone came home shortly after that and they began washing the vehicles outside in the driveway. Jadyn loved sitting outside watching them - I think she wanted to bust loose and play in the soapy water:)

I started preparing dinner so Justin could grill the kabobs and potatoes and Jadyn entertained Daddy! By the way, we now know that she loves potatoes and cheesecake:) Sometimes, she has her dinner, and then some of "our" dinner...it is funny to watch her want to try so many new foods!

This is Adorable! Little Girl's Father's Day Song:)

2010-06-15T17:00:00.007-05:00

Check out this great MSN Video: Little Girl's Father's Day Song

Another Fun-Filled Week!!!

2010-06-10T18:01:00.014-05:00

It continues to be so much fun to watch Jadyn grow and explore her surroundings! She continues to bond to her brothers which is wonderful – she shows them affection by either offering up one of her famous slobbery open-mouth kisses or she will lean her forehead in for them to kiss it…it is so cute!

She is venturing a little further with walking along the sides of furniture, her crib, and along with us if we hold her hands. I do think that by the one-year mark she will be taking some steps on her own. She scoots so fast across the floor now that we really have to watch her. The new baby gate has been installed at the top of the basement stairs and she is just itching to figure out how that works!

We bought a musical night light for her crib, made by Baby Einstein that plays classical music – it is really nice. We thought it might help her get more comfortable with sleeping in the crib. It has helped her to get a little more comfortable in the crib; she likes to sit in there and listen to it. Sometimes, she will even try to dance to it, but then if we leave the room – look out! She is not too keen on that idea yet, but we are not giving up. We spend a little time in there every day and hopefully, she will one night be sleeping in the crib we bought special for her:)

The boys are now out of school and they actually had mixed feelings about being done for the year – they said that they will miss their friends and Ryan and Colin are sad that they won’t have the same teachers next year. They really liked them and I have to agree that they were two of the most wonderful teachers! We will try to keep them busy over the summer so that they do not feel so bored and miss their friends too terribly – heck, they have a new little sister to fill their time, right?

2 Years Today...

2010-06-09T22:40:00.008-05:00

Two years ago today my family lost a wonderful man - my Dad. I miss him terribly, but I know that he is enjoying life in the Heavenly Kingdom and is no longer in pain. I only wish that I could have seen his face when he first saw our daughter, Jadyn. I know he's been watching over this process and celebrating the joining of our family from above.

He always loved spending time with his grandchildren. He was a proud Grandpa!

This was his 60th birthday party; just shy of 4 years before he died - it was a good day!

This is one of our most treasured pictures of him with our oldest son Justin; they hunted every year at my parent's land and my Dad took great pride in teaching Justin everything about hunting.

This was taken at my parent's 40th wedding anniversary dinner celebration a little over a year before he died. It was a wonderful weekend and we have wonderful memories!

She is So Much Fun!!!

2010-06-03T18:25:00.016-05:00

I can’t believe it has been a week since I have posted! I guess between work, the house, the boys and their activities, and of course, Jadyn, I have been a little busy! I sure do miss her during the day. I feel like I am missing so many things. Last week when she was home with Jerry he taught her to say “uh-oh” and “oh” – it is so cute to listen to her! The “oh” goes really well with that famous expression of hers (the surprised look). Magazines have become one of her favorite toys to play with - it's so cute to say "Jadyn, no" and she will stop and shake her head no and then proceed to tear into them:)

Last weekend my Mom came down to visit overnight and she just loved every minute with Jadyn. She gets Grandma laughing so hard with all of her expressions and babbles – Grandma really has a hard time leaving the grandchildren. It was a beautiful weekend and we were able to enjoy some time outside. Jadyn had fun watching her brothers go down the water slide – she probably could have sat there for hours watching them!

Auntie Kathy stopped over with her two boys, as well. Jadyn had fun playing with her cousins, Cody and Kyle. She even got Cody laughing pretty hard when she tightened every muscle in her body and pretended to wrestle with him – it was hilarious! She is becoming very independent with eating – she really likes to feed herself so I have been exploring with a wider variety of table foods and she is enjoying all of them! She had her first taste of watermelon and really loved it! It is so much fun to see her learn and grow – it is amazing how far she has come in the time she has been home!

She continues to crawl at a rapid pace and pulls herself up relentlessly on the furniture. She is trying to walk along the sides and I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before she ventures off to take a few steps. This is a little girl with no fear and lots of ambition! I think she believes she needs to keep up with these four brothers of hers!

Finally, an Update...

2010-05-26T20:56:00.008-05:00

Yesterday I went back to work full time and it was so hard to leave my little girl. It seems like I haven’t had much time with her; I guess if you stop and think about it I haven’t. We didn’t get to meet her until one week after we left for China so that was one week into my 6-week leave. Then, she really only wanted Jerry for the first five days or so that we had her. It took a lot of holding time and patience to get her to trust and bond with me. I feel like her personality was really coming out in the last 10 days or so, but I guess I’ve been seeing a little more of it each and every day. I truly enjoyed being home with her and would have loved to have more time, but unfortunately, bills have to be paid:)

Jadyn has become so mobile and is so much fun to watch as she explores every nook and cranny in the house and outdoors. She has an eye for detail; she will find any little piece of dirt, fuzz, grass, or who-knows-what that is lying around and will pick it up to view it close up and after a minute or so she tries to put it in her mouth to get a deeper sense of what it is – too funny! We have to be watching her so closely all the time, but what else is there to do, right?

Last night she had a taste of blueberries for the first time and my gosh did she like them! She kept grabbing at the dish wanting more. She has no problem with table food even though she has no teeth and she has thoroughly enjoyed each item she has tasted!

We continue to work on naps in the crib which are getting better and she isn’t screaming at the top of her lungs when she wakes up, but she doesn’t nap for very long. She sleeps a good stretch at night, but is still sleeping with us; however, we want to try to transition her to either the pack-and-play in our room or her crib very soon since she is so mobile. Some nights she can be very restless and I just worry too much about her, but when she does roll over she looks to see if we are there with her and she also likes to feel our skin. She will squeeze our arms or a part of our body as she falls asleep so I am just not sure how long the transition will take. We’ll see how it goes.

One Wonderful Month...

2010-05-19T19:59:00.017-05:00

It has been one month today since we met our amazing little girl and each day has been met with more love and incredible joy than we could have ever imagined! Jadyn has truly fit in with our family as if she was planned to be joining us from the time we made the decision to adopt 5 and 1/2 years ago. She has attached to Jerry, myself and the boys so well and really seems to know that we are a family.

Yesterday, Jadyn turned 10 months old and had her first spaghetti dinner - she really enjoyed it! We also made a trip to visit the ladies that I work with and she was in all her glory soaking up every bit of attention from them! She loves to turn on the charm:)

Today, she crawled a few paces for the first time; this is a day after she turned 10 months old. A few days ago she figured out how to get into a sitting position from laying down which has made her a very happy little girl. She is getting more mobile every day. Last night we tried to put her to bed in her crib, but that did not last too long. She was up within an hour and needed to be consoled. She really looks to make sure that one of us are with her at night and she also longs for our touch. I do not think the transition to the crib will come as easily as the carseat, bath and highchair did. We really just want to make sure that we maintain her trust in us and give her the time she needs for this adjustment. We may try to place her pack-n-play in our bedroom and see if that will work for her. I've been taking in all of the information from the RQ site regarding sleeping and she has been posting specifically on this topic the last two days...timing couldn't be better. Although, we really can't complain considering that Jadyn sleeps for 10-12 hours at night and naps for 1-2 hours during the day. All in all, not too bad...

Play Time and Milestones...

2010-05-14T14:12:00.016-05:00

Well, we can safely say that the carseat has been conquered! We have had multiple trips in the past few days without any crying/screaming spells - she has actually begun babbling and smiling and even snoozing during the rides!

Jadyn has also taken two naps in her crib; both times she awoke disoriented, but I've been trying to reassure her by showing her that she is in her bedroom before I remove her from the crib and she seems so be understanding a little better each time. She really seems comfortable and likes playing with us and the toys in her room. Baby steps, right???

Today has been filled with a lot of play time - she has been in a very playful mood and has enjoyed rolling all over the place! She really likes to stand and often thinks she can do so without holding on to anything, but then soon realizes that isn't the case:) She is really enjoying the discovery of new sounds, toys, and her own abilities! She also experienced her first feel of grass today - it was so cute to watch her touch and experience the blades of grass and to touch and feel the different items outdoors! She really enjoyed just sitting in the grass and feeling everything around her.

It is hard to believe that she is almost 10 months old already - she has grown so much in the time we've had her - mostly just in her personality, but also in her abilities...it is truly amazing and we often stop and watch her in awe. What a blessing we have been given...

Colin's Birthday...

2010-05-13T19:24:00.004-05:00

Colin celebrated his 8th birthday on May 12th and he was so very happy to finally turn 8! He said that he had a wonderful day:) We made froggy cupcakes for his birthday treat and Jerry, Jadyn and I brought them to his school so we could also let him show off his new sister. His classmates thought that she was so cute! So did the school secretary and teachers that we passed in the hall. Then, we also stopped in to see Ryan in his class and his teacher and classmates also adored Jadyn. She was all smiles for everyone and sure did love the attention!

After the boys got home from school we took Colin out for his birthday dinner - he chose Culver's - and we all enjoyed some good food and fun. Then, it was off to Colin's first baseball game of the season. It was an awefully chilly night so Jadyn and I stayed in the truck to watch the game while Jerry and the boys walked back and forth to check in on Colin and his team. I was able to see him bat and take the field from where I was parked, but couldn't see the inning or score. It turns out that Colin's team won their first game 6-4. He was so excited that they won their game on his birthday and he brought a treat to share with the team so they all made it special for him:)

A Wonderful Mother's Day...

2010-05-10T19:16:00.013-05:00

Jadyn and the boys (Jerry too) made my Mother's Day so special - I have to admit that having my little girl home at last made it all the more special! They made me a wonderful breakfast and allowed me to relax until my sister and her family arrived to visit. We had a great time introducing Jadyn to her cousins, Cody and Kyle, and her Uncle Brent. We enjoyed a great dinner while watching the Brewer game (they won!). Jadyn continues to adjust to her family so well - it is almost as if she has been with us from day one! I gave thought to Jadyn's birthmother yesterday and pray that she is at peace with her decision - I also pray that she feels in her heart that her daughter has been placed in a loving family; one that will care and provide for her every day of her life. We can not thank her enough for the gift she gave us!

Today, we ran to Target for a few items and then to the grocery store and Jadyn was such a good girl! She only cried a bit on the way to Target (we are getting better at the carseat), but didn't cry at all on the other trips. She sat in the cart at both stores and just babbled while we shopped. She was very happy and patient; we had a couple people ask us our "story" so we shared - their inquiries were with the kindest words and accompanied by congratulations so it was really nice. I'm sure at some point we will be faced with a not-so-nice comment or inquiry, but hopefully I will feel prepared to approach that statement with the right frame of mind when the time comes. Until then, we will just continue to love our little sweetie!

We're Home!!!

2010-05-06T09:42:00.007-05:00

So sorry to be MIA for a while, but with the long travel and time change, not to mention a little sweetie that needs our attention:), we have been really tired. We made it home on Friday, April 30th, at about 9 p.m. and Jadyn travelled so well over all of the flights! Everyone kept telling us how she was such a good baby! She was sharing smiles with everyone along the way and had plenty to share with her brothers, Grandma, and Auntie Kathy when she finally met them! We were all up late on Friday since we couldn't adjust to the time change, but we were up at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday and then it was on and off with naps during the day (for Jadyn), Mom and Dad tried to stay awake so we could start adjusting back, but that really hit us on Sunday - I was EXHAUSTED and felt a little under the weather, so did Jerry, but Jadyn was a trooper and the boys helped a lot.

Jadyn has been such a blessing and at times it is hard to believe she is actually home and a part of our family - it feels so good! She is a perfect fit with our family and we see a little more of her personality come out everyday! The boys are really enjoying their sister - they give her kisses before they leave for school and they are so anxious when they get home, they run up the hill to come and see her:) Justin has started a new job so he sometimes gets to see her before he leaves for work and has a great time with her when he gets home - he has always been so good with kids; he really will make a great father some day...SOME DAY IN THE FUTURE that is!!!

Jadyn had a visit with the pediatrician yesterday and she is healthy by all acounts. The only thing to look further into is her vaccination record. The list from China is quite extensive and our doctor isn't sure what recommendation he wants to put forth. He gave us a couple options of titers, starting over with all of the vaccinations, and doing some additional screenings, but he also doesn't feel it is something we have to do at this time since we don't want to do any unnecessary procedures during her transition. He will do some research and call us within the week. Otherwise, he said to enjoy our little sweetie!

The only issues we have encountered are the carseat - they do not use them in China - so that was one LONG ride home from the airport! However, she has made some progress; yesterday we ran some errands after the doctor appointment and I think she realized that we will not leave her in the seat permanently so the screaming diminished a little bit:)

The crib is also another item that we need to work on. She must have slept with her foster parents and we have been doing the same; not that we mind, but naps and such would be good to have in the crib. We also think that daycare may find this helpful. We will work on this next week - I can't believe I have to go back to work in a couple of weeks. We have many things to get on schedule and I just don't know that she will be ready by then. Please keep her in your prayers for a continued transition into her new life.

Thank you all for your comments, prayers, and well wishes while we travelled - we certainly felt your support along the way and it helped make our travels so much easier!

Our Flights Have Been Confirmed:)

2010-04-28T10:27:00.006-05:00

Thank Goodness!!! I just received confirmation from American Airlines that we have
flights going home on April 30th and we will still arrive at the same time; we just have to be routed through Shanghai instead of Beijing - we are getting the full tour of China! That is certainly a relief! We are very anxious to get home and see the boys and rest of the family, not to mention, start to enjoy some of the comforts of home!

Today, we had our Consulate appointment and everything went through just fine - yeah! They are now processing the final paperwork for Jadyn and they will issue her visa tomorrow after our swearing in ceremony at 2:30. Then, we will start packing up as we will have to leave the hotel around 5:30 a.m. Friday morning. It will be a long day of travel for all of us, but especially for our little girl, so please send your prayers our way as the plane is packed full (due to the cancellation) - no chance of an open seat for her to sleep or be changed on. She did great on the short flight, but she has one two hour flight, a 6 hour layover, a 13 1/2 hour flight, a 1 1/2 hour layover through customs and immigration, and then another 45 minute flight to Milwaukee and an hour drive home. She will be a US Citizen as soon as we land in Chicago - I've been told there is an announcement on the plane and everyone claps:) How cute! Please also keep our travel mates in your prayers - there were supposed to be 4 families total on that plane from Beijing to Chicago and only two made it out through Shanghai; one other family has to stay in China until May 2nd and the other family isn't getting home until May 1st and their travel arrangements are horrendous.

This afternon we took a short walk a few blocks from our hotel to a Buddhist temple that is 2210 years old - it is truly amazing to see something that has been around for centuries. Our country is really "new" if you think about it - the history here is incredible. Tonight we will take a walk to the park across the street and maybe hit Pizza Hut for dinner. I feel like I can relax a little bit now that the flight situation is taken care of; although we are not on the plane just yet:)

A Day of Surprises...‏

2010-04-27T08:35:00.002-05:00

After a quick run to the market to get some diapers and water, we were greeted by our travel mates who informed us that our American Airlines flight from Beijing to Chicago has been cancelled. Apparently, American Airlines has lost their license to fly into Beijing until May 4th. I immediately tried calling American Airlines and after almost 30 minutes was able to speak to an agent who tried to get us on a flight from Guangzhou to Shanghai to Chicago to Milwaukee still arriving at the same time on 4/30; however, we are still waiting for confirmation for the initial flight from Guangzhou to Shanghai. I tried calling back this afternoon after shopping (on hold at least 45 minutes) and they said they still didn't have confirmation and that I should try back tomorrow morning. Not good! I also have emailed our travel agent to get him working on this tonight (daytime in US) so that hopefully, by tomorrow morning I can wake to good news that we will still be able to arrive home on time.

In the meantime, we did some more shopping on the island today, and after being turned down on our offer at one store, we came upon Jenny's which went over and above to give us great prices on all the items we wanted and top notch service. We HIGHLY recommend visiting them if you come to Guangzhou! They were so kind and thankful for our business and really gave us such good prices on the quality items they carry. They are just down the street from Starbuck's - don't be scared off by the construction and look closely because they are not easy to see. She is located next door to Sherry's - another great place to shop.

Tomorrow morning is our Consulate appointment so we have to stay in the hotel room until we get the call saying all is good (please keep your fingers crossed) and then we will also hopefully have good news about our flight home.

A Day on Shamian Island and A Rainy Monday Spent in the Hotel Room...‏

2010-04-27T08:06:00.003-05:00

Sunday we had four families take two cabs to Shamian Island to do some shopping which was so much fun! We found some really good deals and some wonderfully beautiful items - even plenty of squeaky shoes! We had a late lunch at Lucy's (a great Western style restaurant with HAMBURGERS); that is where I met a fellow Rumor Queen follower (Waiting for Olivia and her mom, Nana to Livi). We then got back to the hotel by about 4 p.m. and had a visit from the King family who we toured with in Beijing. They are doing so well with their daughter, Anne, who is 5 years old. They are such wonderful people who helped us get acclimated to Guangzhou since they have been here since leaving Beijing. Anne's Auntie Shannon even bought me my first Starbuck's coffee here and boy was it good!

Today, it has been raining all day so we have been held up in our hotel room all day. We did take a couple walks down to the hotel lobby and restaurants to check out the menus (not much to pick from - we are about done with rice). Looks like we will have some of the noodle cups we bought and hang out some more in the room. Tomorrow is supposed to be cloudy, but no rain after morning. We hope to go back to the Island to do more shopping and bargaining - we have learned to bargain for everything!!!

Here are some pics from the last two days...

Pictures of Jadyn

2010-04-24T12:04:00.007-05:00

We Made it to Guangzhou!‏

2010-04-24T11:58:00.001-05:00

Well, we left Guiyang at about 6:40 p.m. Friday evening and arrived in Guangzhou at about 7:50 p.m. (Jadyn was a trooper on the plane). As happy as we are to have begun the third phase of our China trip, as it brings us one step closer to home and family, we were a little sad to be leaving Jadyn's birth province and the place where we first became a family.

Guangzhou is beautiful - lots of trees and clean smelling air. Something that Beijing did not have and we had a taste of in Guiyang. We checked into our hotel at about 9:45 p.m. and had to meet our new guide, Peter, in the lobby at 8:30 this morning to go to get pictures for Jadyn's visa and then on to the medical exam. Wow, was that an experience! Talk about chaos! Lots and lots of people and crying children everywhere! We were happy that Peter made us arrive early so that we could move through rather quickly. Jadyn did quite well; she just did not like getting undressed:)

After the medical exam, Peter took us to the White Swan hotel and we sat in the lobby to complete what seemed like endless paperwork. There were many legal documents to complete for the Consulate appointment on the 28th. That took about 2 hours and then we came back to the hotel by about 1:30 p.m. We will have free time from now until the 28th when we will have to sit in our hotel room during the Consulate appointment. Peter takes all of the paperwork that we completed to the appointment and should there be any questions they will call us to come to the Consulate. Otherwise, we wait for Peter's call to say that all is good and then we are free for the afternoon. Then, on the 29th at 2:30 p.m. we go to the Consulate to take our oath and all of the official stuff is basically done - only thing left is to get Jadyn's visa so she can come home:)

More pictures of Guiyang

2010-04-24T11:15:00.006-05:00

Pictures Of Guiyang

2010-04-24T09:55:00.010-05:00

Quian Ling Mountain Park...‏

2010-04-22T16:50:00.000-05:00

Today, Richard took us to Quin Ling Mountain Park; it was really busy and interesting to see all of the people doing various dances, singing, tai chi, and exercises. It is a very peaceful place as there are trees and river waters surrounding the park. We then started to climb the mountain to the Hongfu Temple; it was a long climb, but well worth it! The temple was originally built in 1667 and is the largest temple of Zen Buddhism in Guizhou Province. It features majesty and sobriety. Hongfu means to develop Buddha's spirits and to benefit mankind. Today it is rated as one of the 142 National Key Temple Scenic Areas as well as the Key Cultural Relic Preservation in Guizhou Province.
When you visit the temple, upon entering the gate, you first see the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower on both sides. The bronze bell weighs more than 3,000 jin in Chinese measurement (equal to about 3,300 pounds), and was cast in 1469 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). On entering the first hall named Heavenly King Hall, you can see the carved statues of Maitreya Buddha and the four Heavenly Kings. On its walls there are also steles of sutra and huge paintings. The second main hall is the Bodhisattva Hall dedicated to Skanda Bodhisattva, and Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara with 32 arms. Inside the third hall named Mahavira Hall there are gilded statues of Sakyamuni, juuhachi rakan (or the 18 arhats), and others. There's also a jade Buddha statue that is from Rangoon, the capital of Burma. It is 1.5 meters (4.92 feet) high and weighs 900 kilograms (1984 pounds). The statue is made out of choice jade and looks beneficent but solemn, and it stands among more than 10 other jade statues of Bodhisattva and Maitreya.

During the climb up and down the mountain we had to be careful of the monkeys (Macaques) that roam free on the mountain. They will go after any food and water bottles that you show. One monkey climbed on the other couple that we were with and another monkey grabbed Jerry's juice bottle right out of his backpack! We watched him screw off the top of the bottle so it could pour on the steps and he drank it! We were happy to get past the monkeys at that point:)

We are now hanging out in our room and Richard will come by around 4 or 5 p.m. with our notary paperwork; tomorrow morning we will receive Jadyn's passport and then we checkout of the hotel at 4 p.m. tomorrow to head to the airport and depart for Guangzhou. The flight is about an hour and a half - it will be a good test to see how Jadyn does on the plane. We will have one short flight home from Guangzhou to Beijing and then the long flight from Beijing to Chicago - that is the one I am most worried about. Looking forward to coming home though; we miss the boys and everyone else dearly. We also are missing the comforts of home:)

Well, enjoy the pics from today!

Jiaxiu Pavilion and the Guizhou Provincial Museum...‏

2010-04-22T15:49:00.005-05:00

Today we were able to take in a lot of Jadyn's culture; it was wonderful and amazing! We started the day at the Jiaxiu Pavilion - here is some information - built in the 26th year (1598) of the reign of Wanli, Ming Dynasty, straddling on a huge turtle-like rock in the Nanming River in the south of Guiyang City. An imperial inspector, Jiang Dongzhi, built the pavilion and named it Jaixiu because he believed the people in Guiyang were the most talented in world. The pavilion and some other buildings around it combine to form a harmonious scenic architectural complex, customarily known as "Eight Scenes of a Mini West Lake".

It is a magnificent three-storied building 20-meter-high with three eaves and a pointed top, containing carved windows and red lattices and upturned eaves on all sides. Downstairs is the Floating Jade Bridge which spans both north and south banks. Under the bridge, the clear blue swirling water forms a pool named Hanbi. When night falls with all the lights on, the outline of the pavilion and the bridge are reflected in the river as if it were a fairyland.

In this pavilion, tourists can have a look at the rich collection of stone engravings, calligraphy works, paintings and woodworks by ancient artists. Among them, there is a long antithetical couplet with 206 characters written by Liu Yushan, a member of the Imperial Academy from Guiyang, in the Qing Dynasty, which has 26 more characters than that one in Daguan Pavilion in Kunming, which claims to be the longest one in the world.

Then, we went on to the Guizhou Provincial Museum which was truly amazing! We were able to learn about the minority heritage of which Jadyn is most likely either Miao or Dong. There were so many wonderul artifacts and historical relics; we really tried to soak it all in. We were able to do a little shopping at the museum since the prices were so reasonable. There is a particular type of jade that is specific to Guizhou; of course we had to get some of that:)

Tomorrow we will be going to a local park where monkeys roam free - can't wait to see that! There is also a Buddist temple at the top of a mountain that we will climb. Looking forward to seeing more of Jadyn's birthplace; until then, enjoy the pics from today!

National Day of Mourning...

2010-04-20T19:52:00.002-05:00

Today in China it is a National Day of Mourning to remember the victims and those injured in last week's Yushu earthquake. Please take a moment to pray for and remember those who have suffered so much.

It's Official!!!‏

2010-04-20T07:34:00.011-05:00

Today we went back to the Adoption Affairs Office and finalized the adoption of Jadyn - she is officially our daughter!!! We (I) had to complete a lot of paperwork, and we had to promise never to abandon her and to provide for her a good education. We applied our thumbprint to all of our signatures and Jadyn stamped her footprint to make it official. We received an adoption certificate and then some gifts from the orphanage director (see pics below). Guiyang is known for their silver and the locket they gave us means Safe;Peace. There is also a set of 4 DVD's which describe the province of Guizhou. We also received a certificate of appreciation for the donation to the orphanage. It was a busy hour and a half, but a very happy time!

We then went back to the hotel for about 20 minutes to drop off items and see if the babies needed to eat or be changed. Richard then met us in the lobby to go to Wal-Mart - yes, Wal-Mart:) It is a big store with quite the variety of items. We bought a couple of different cups for Jadyn since she seems to not like the bottle. Hopefully, one will work. Although, we have found that she sure does like congee! It is like a rice porridge and they had it on the breakfast buffet this morning and she went to town so we ordered some for lunch when we got back from Wal-mart. I did some laundry in the bathtub when we got back while Jerry entertained Jadyn - she sure is a daddy's girl! She was very attached to her foster father and has taken that on to Jerry. It is great that she is bonding so well with one of us; she is greiving the loss of her foster family and the familiar surroundings so we are just loving her as much as possible and allowing her to form bonds in her own time. She really is beautiful and has been quite good - we have received lots of her famous smiles and she is even laughing a little at times.

We are hanging low this afternoon to give her time to bond with us and tomorrow we will be going to a pavillion and local museum. Enjoy the pics from today!

Forever Family day!!!

2010-04-19T07:50:00.013-05:00

Today was the day! We went to the Adoption Affairs Office at about 2:00pm and immediately began processing some paperwork. We had to verify information they had prepared and there was an issue on our passport numbers so they redid the paperwork and then we had to fill in our names on another form and sign three copies. Then, we had to apply our thumbprint over our signature on all three copies. One family who had just arrived in province about 30 minutes prior received their daughter first; they are also staying in the same hotel as us and are from South Carolina - their daughter is beautiful! We were all sitting on pins and needles with cameras and camcorders ready as we didn't know when our daughters would be walking through the door. Richard said maybe 30 minutes, but then suddently they were walking in within about 5 minutes so the cameras started flashing and camcorders recording. They introduced each daughter and then we were able to begin introducing ourselves to them. It was so amazing! We sat with her for awhile and our guide asked Jadyn's foster mother our questions (they never received the care package). Then, several pictures were taken and our foster mother and brother slipped away - Richard said that she was sad. It is very hard to imagine what they must be feeling.

When we were walking back to the hotel we came to a stoplight and were approached by a man who Richard said was the foster father. We let him hold Jadyn one last time to say goodbye as he didn't come up to the office since it would have been too difficult. We were able to get some pictures with him which was wonderful. We came back to the hotel and she did really well playing with her toys and we took off a couple layers of clothes to realize she was in need of a diaper change. We decided to attempt a bath very slowly, but she really took to it so it was nice. She took a nap for about an hour and a half and then had little meltdown while Jerry ran to get pizza from Pizza Hut. Then, we called home so the boys and grandma could see her for the first time - all were very excited and happy! We only seem to have issues with feeding because she will only take a couple teaspoons at a time. Hopefully, that will get better. Well, on to the pictures - I know that is what you are all waiting for.

A Day at the Market and Touring the City...‏

2010-04-18T08:04:00.014-05:00

Today, we went to the local market and then we toured the city - it was really interesting to see the way the local people shop and all of the various items for sale. The tour of the city was just as interesting - it is funny when from time to time we will hear a "Hello" come from someone in the crowd. A few of the locals think us Americans are interesting people and Kevin, the husband in the other family, is very tall so he attracts a lot of attention

Richard, our guide, told us today that we should prepare two of our gifts to bring tomorrow (one for the orphanage and one for the foster family), along with any questions that we would like to ask the foster family (I did send a list with our care package, but will bring again), and he will meet us in the lobby at 2pm. He also asked that we bring a couple of toys for Jadyn as the transition may be difficult. We expect this and have a few items with us to hopefully help - we have laid out her bottles, formula, diapers, etc. in the hotel room to try to get organized and prepared for her arrival. We are relaxing tonight watching the HBO channel (one of only two in English) and hoping to sleep a little tonight as we are getting very excited for tomorrow! We will be sure to post pics as soon as possible. Until then - enjoy the ones from today!

We Arrived in Guiyang!

2010-04-17T04:01:00.002-05:00

We left our hotel this morning at 9am and our flight departed Beijing at about 11:15. We arrived in Guiyang at around 2pm. We received some disappointing news from our guide when we arrived; he told us that we will not be meeting Jadyn until 2:30 on Monday afternoon. He explained that with it being the weekend and our late arrival today that is when they have it scheduled. We were leary about it actually taking place today, but certainly didn't think that we would have to wait until Monday! Very disappointing, but again it is out of our control.

After we checked into our room (see picture - they have a little crib in there already) we met the other family that is here in province (their daughter and our's are most likely in the same foster home) and our guide took us to the market to get items we may need for the babies and also some items for us - like drinking water:)

Tomorrow is now a free day so we are meeting Richard, our guide, at 10am to go to a park and another market for some sightseeing.

Olympic Venue, Cloisonne Factory, Great Wall and Silk Market...‏

2010-04-16T08:16:00.004-05:00

Today was another full day of activities. We went to the Bird's Nest and toured inside - it is huge! We were able to walk all around and climb to the top seating area; truly amazing! Then, we walked around the park area for a bit; there is a broadcast tower where all of the TV stations reported from and the water cube, but that wasn't open for viewing. Next, we drove to the Cloisonne Factory and saw how the beautiful vases are made. They also make amazing pictures, ornaments and other items as well. We had lunch in the restaurant there, it was a little better than yesterday. Once we were done eating we headed over to the Great Wall. It is an amazing site!

There really is no way to describe how incredible the wall truly is - the climb was so steep! There were many people feeling winded along the way and stopping to catch their breath. We certainly had to catch ours from time to time, too! The views were amazing and the thought at how old the wall actually is is mind-boggling.

We decided to try bargaining at the silk market; we were able to buy Jadyn two beautiful traditional silk dresses for about $12/each. We hope that is a good deal:)

We made it back to the hotel at about 6:15 and crashed while waiting for our guide to bring the CCAA representative by to finalize the bill for our Beijing part of the trip. They arrived around 7:50 and it only took about 15 minutes; he explained that we are to check out of our hotel room around 9 a.m. and meet him in the lobby at 9:15. They will take us to the airport, get us our tickets and see us off to Guiyang for our 11:15 flight which will take about 2 hours. We will have a driver waiting for us there, but we do not know where we are staying or when or where we will meet Jadyn. We are exhausted so I think we will sleep tonight even though we are extremely excited about the activities coming tomorrow!

I will be sure to post pics right away - well, as soon as possible:)

Wow – We Had A Full Day!!!‏

2010-04-15T08:10:00.004-05:00

Jerry and I did a Skype video call with the boys this morning which was wonderful! It felt so good to see and talk to them! They are doing well and Colin immediately asked where Jadyn was I explained that we didn’t meet her yet, but would on Saturday (our time) Friday night their time. Then, our day began promptly at 8:30 a.m. when our guide met us in the hotel lobby and we left for Tiananmen Square. It was about 45 minutes away and my gosh – the traffic is terrible! Not just the traffic, but the driving! I chose to simply look straight ahead and not at any oncoming cars, bikes, mopeds, or pedestrians. I thought we were going to hit or be hit by one of everything about every 10 minutes or so. Our guide explained that there is a lottery for license plates and that you have to purchase that before buying a vehicle. That is how they try to control the number of vehicles on the roadways. The price for a license plate is equivalent to $6,000 US dollars!
After Tiananmen Square we went to the Forbidden City and it is truly amazing. We were told that if a boy was born in the City, and slept in a different room each day of his life, it would take until he was the age of 27 until he had been in each of the rooms of the entire City. It went on and on and on…Truly breathtaking!
We stopped for lunch at a buffet style restaurant, not everyone’s favorite selection of food, but it gave us nourishment to continue on to the Summer Palace. We still had not warmed up after lunch so we all felt very cold and tired, but yet were very impressed with the views of the Summer Palace. We saw the boat that is made to look like marble. I’ve attached a pic below. The breeze coming off of the lake didn’t help matters any – it probably didn’t get much above 40 degrees here today; you could see our breath! Jerry also forgot his jacket in the truck at the drop-off to the airport so he was VERY cold. Needless to say, we bargained for a nice New North Face jacket in a flea market store front for tomorrow so he doesn’t freeze while we tour the Olympic Village and the Great Wall.
Jerry just ran out to pick up a cheese pizza down the street; we have had two disappointing Chinese buffet meals today so we are going western tonight Enjoy the pics

Ni Hao From Beijing!

2010-04-14T17:10:00.002-05:00

We arrived safely to our hotel room in Beijing at approximately 11:45 p.m. on 4/14. We were exhausted having been up for about 32 hours with 26-27 hours being all flight related. Our first flight out of Milwaukee we boarded the plane on time and had a short taxi to the runway, but after waiting around 20 minutes or so they announced that we had to go back to the gate because they detected an issue with the de-icing equipment – not good. Once at the gate they asked that we stay on the plane until they determine whether or not they could fix the problem. After about 20 minutes they had us de-board the plane and announced they hoped to have it fixed in about an hour and a half. That would have still had us to Chicago in time for our connecting flight, but we decided to get in line immediately upon de-boarding to discuss our options with the agent. He gave us three: a bus to Chicago (no thanks), wait for our plane to be repaired, but if that didn't occur he also reserved two seats on a United flight that would depart Milwaukee within 2 hours.

So, we hung out, grabbed a coffee and a bagel to share and made a few phone calls. Suddenly, the ticket agent began yelling at us to run next door to board another American Airlines flight headed to Chicago so we grabbed our boarding passes and ran. Our original flight to Chicago was to be 45 minutes and the one we ended up taking was only about 15 minutes – super fast! We made up for some missed time, but that really wasn't necessary because we still had time for our layover.

Once at the gate in Chicago, we met another couple who was also traveling to Beijing to adopt a daughter and they also happened to work with the same partner agency as us. This worked out great because once in Beijing we connected again to meet up with our guide and drivers who would take us to the hotel. The other couple also has their 6 year-old son with them and boy was he a trooper through all of the travel! Their daughter is from the Jiangxi province so once we leave Beijing we will not see them until we meet up again in Guangzhou.

I felt a cold coming on the day we found out that we should book our tickets and over the course of travel yesterday it really hit hard although I have been taking airborne steadily for days. I was really worried once we were getting ready to leave Japan because they dispersed a medical form to complete and submit upon entry to China – all H1N1 related. Then I remembered that they also have the temperature screening upon entry and I certainly did not want to be placed in quarantine; even though both Jerry and I did receive our vaccinations. I didn't receive anything to show proof so it would have taken time to gather that and prove that what I have is a basic cold. I took some ibuprofen about two hours prior to landing in hopes of keeping any fever at bay. Fortunately, we made it through each of the areas just fine.

We went to bed around midnight, Jerry slept until 3:15 and I slept until about 5:15. We will get a wakeup call from our guide at 7 a.m. to start our day. We (along with the other couple we met and one that arrived earlier in the day) are to meet him at 8:30 in the lobby. Today, we are going to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and Summer Palace. I will post pictures later today. Until then, have a great day!

Our Last Night as a Family of Six...

2010-04-12T19:35:00.004-05:00

Tonight we've had a few errands to run; after I left work at 4pm I stopped at the bank to pick up our "new" money and then I came home because Brandon had a trap shoot meet with school and Colin had baseball practice until 6:15. It wasn't the best night to be outside with the light rain, but they had fun doing their thing.

Once we got home we once again went over all of our lists to be sure we were not forgetting anything. I also checked our email as I was hoping to finally hear what our hotel arrangements are so I can pass that information on to our family. I was very happy to see that we at least know the hotel that we will be staying at in Beijing - The Hotel Hau Du. However, apparently, the other hotel arrangements are still being confirmed. As much as we are looking forward to this journey, I will be so happy to land back on US soil and have this process completed.

As I type this I am amazed that our 5+ year journey is finally nearing completion - I am so looking forward to the next phase of of our lives with the addition of our daughter. Tonight, I have been watching our boys (young men) and admiring our family and am growing with excitement at the thought of our daughter joining this great mix of people! There are so many people who have joined in our excitement along the way (you know who you are) and I want to thank all of you for that - family and friends - who have really made this journey possible. You have helped to carry us along in some of our most desperate moments. Jadyn is already loved by so many people and we will be sure to post many pictures of our travels over the coming weeks.

Time to pack up the luggage, tuck the boys in bed and dream about our journey that begins tomorrow.

Wishing you thanks and many blessings -

We Leave on Tuesday!!!

2010-04-09T13:39:00.005-05:00

Well, it turns out that it was the right decision to purchase our tickets last night since at 12:15 today I received word that we should book our flights!

Apparently, there is a technical difficulty that is preventing the written confirmation to come through for the consulate appointments (I'm telling you - don't get in line behind me at the grocery store), but they are 99% sure on the plan as scheduled so they gave us the green light.

I told them that we already booked the tickets and they swiftly put together the following itinerary:

ITINERARY

Group:
126B

DAY / ACTIVITIES
__________________________________________________

1. (April 14) family arrivals

2. (April 15) Great Walls

3. ( April 16) Forbidden City

5. (April 17) go to the province Meet your child

6. (April 18) legal process

7. (April 19)

8. (April 20) orphanage visit (tentative)

9. (April 21)

10. (April 22 )

11.(April 23） obtain legal doc fly to Guangzhou

12. (April 24) medical

13. (April 25)

14. (April 26) local sightseeing

15. (April 27) Consulate appointment: 10:00

16. (April 28) Consulate appointment: 10:00 obtain visa

17. (April 29) Go home! obtain visa

18. (April 30) Go home!

We are getting very excited and now we can plan the final details of our packing list, cleaning, and spending our last weekend as a family of six!

Tickets Have Been Purchased!

2010-04-08T18:15:00.007-05:00

Well, as you know, we received our TA on Tuesday and then yesterday we received the verbal confirmation for our consulate appointment in Guangzhou on April 28th. This gave us tentative travel dates for departing US on 4/13 to arrive in China 4/14 and then depart China on 4/30 to arrive in US same day.

However, the agency said that we should wait until we receive written confirmation of the consulate appointment before we book our flight. I had two travel agents working on itineraries and one came through with a decent priced flight, but we will be traveling for about 25 hours to get to China; Milwaukee to Chicago to Tokyo to Beijing - you do what you have to do, right???

He placed those tickets on hold for us while we waited for written confirmation. But then at about 2pm today he had not heard from us so he sent an email to let me know that if we do not purchase by 4pm PST that the prices would go up to $4000/each! This is because he needs to purchase with 3 business days advance notice.

In discussing with him we decided it best to buy the tickets; he said he's never seen the dates change from verbal to written confirmation, but warned us that it could happen (with our luck I'm not feeling all that great). He wanted to make sure we knew the risk of the penalty.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we will get the written confirmation of the consulate appointment tomorrow and then all of this will be a distant memory.

Looking so forward to boarding that plane on Tuesday...

We Have TA!!!

2010-04-06T13:22:00.002-05:00

I just received word from my agency that they received our Travel Approval - FINALLY!!!

They are going to FedEx the original to us so we receive it by tomorrow because we have to carry that over to China with us.

Adam is working on scheduling the appointments, but they still seem to think that we will be leaving next week - wow!

Now, I wait until the appointments are confirmed, book travel, finalize plans and packing, and we hop on that plan to get our sweet Jadyn!

What a relief!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T11:49:00.006-05:00

"Because He Lives

We, Too, Shall Live"

In this restless world of struggle

it is very hard to find

Answers to the questions

that daily come to mind.

We cannot see the future,

what's beyond is still unkown,

For the secret of God's kingdom

Still belongs to Him alone.

But He granted us salvation

when His son was crucified,

For life became immortal

Because our Savior died.

Life is not a transient thing,

It is change but never loss

For Christ purchased our salvation

When He died upon the Cross.

~Helen Steiner Rice~

Still No Confirmation...

2010-04-01T10:44:00.002-05:00

The email I previously posted about travel dates was sent late Monday (3/29) evening, and now it is Thursday, April 1st and we still have no confirmation of TA or consulate appointments. I spoke to two travel agents (three initially, but the third was much more expensive) and they both said that in one day ticket prices went up $300! I've been told that seats are filling up fast for the itinerary they have worked out for us, and one is trying to hold seats for us for 2-3 days, but now we are headed into a holiday weekend and may not hear any news until Monday at the earliest. Prices are already very expensive due to the trade show so we are blowing our budget out of the water!

Very disappointing! I am spent. I feel like a yo-yo. Two weeks ago we were told to expect TA the following week. Nothing. Then, told to expect to leave 4/19, two days later, told to expect to leave 4/15, a couple days later told to look into tickets for travel from 4/13 - 4/29. Now, three days later and less than two weeks away from leaving and no confirmation.

Our youngest son is supposed to have his First Communion on May 1st and we do not know what to do for that blessed event. Will we be home? Will we be traveling that day? I do not know anything at this point. All year he has been preparing (technically, more than one year), and now he may not be able to participate with his class. I'm still waiting to hear back from the education director to see what our options are.

Another disappointing day...

Update on Travel, but No Confirmation - Yet....

2010-03-30T09:46:00.002-05:00

I opened up an email this morning with a title of "Trip to China" and my gosh my heart began pounding!

Here is what it said:

(From our SW)
Hi Jerry and Suzanne,
You can start to check into flights but DON't purchase until dates are finalized. You may want to check with Lawrence at Delight Travel to see if he has any less expensive tickets.

(From the Partner Agency)
This message from Adam is for our families in group 126B. The Consulate appts. have not been scheduled, so families should probably not book flights yet, unless the cost of paying a change-of-flight fee looks much lower than the cost of waiting a few more days to schedule flights. But we do want your families to be aware of the possible timeframe. Cyndi, we think, and are hoping this TA packet will include your expedited China family.

(From the Coordinator)
Hi Amy,

It looks as if TAs are on the way to here soon. This will be out next group.

Please tell families to start to look at the ticket situation as:

April 13, US -> Beijing, arriving on April 14.
April 29, China -> US.

Yeah! - I think we have some idea of travel timelines, but I still can't book flights yet. However, I will place some calls today to see what we are looking at as far as options.

Jadyn - Mommy and Daddy are getting closer!

A Disappointing Travel Update...

2010-03-26T09:29:00.003-05:00

My SW emailed me late yesterday with an update from the partner agency stating that our TA's still have not arrived. The email also stated that our China coordinator has been looking at possible travel dates. He said that with the trade show in Guangzhou on the week of April 12, he would prefer not to have families travel then, because their hotels would cost 2-3 times as much if they did so (already knew that!). So he is looking at travel with arrival dates around the 19th. The family should not book flights until he schedules the Consulate appt., but that at least gives a rough idea.

I knew from the minute I heard the words Trade Show that we would be in trouble. Everything that could possibly impact our process has and why would this be any different?

So, looks like we have another 3 weeks to wait until we can leave - I am frustrated, depressed, sad, angry, and longing to hold my little girl! It is hard to believe that she was just 6 1/2 months old when we were matched, but she will be 9 months old by the time we get to hold her.

I'm off to try to find something positive out of all of this...

Birth Mother's Poem...

2010-03-25T13:43:00.002-05:00

She left you one morning
She had no choice.
In a country of millions
She had just one voice.

The law made it clear
One child would do.
To obey it would mean
No hope for you.

As she laid you down
Her eyes became blurried.
On saying goodbye
Said don't you worry.

Another will come
To take my place.
A mother will come
From a different race.

She'll hold you and love you
As if you're her own.
She'll take you away
To a brand new home.

She then ran away
Her heart broke in two.
Don't ever forget
Of my love for you.
Tom Fisher

Still No Word on Travel...

2010-03-24T13:29:00.002-05:00

OK - To say that I am beyond frustrated would be an understatement! I do not know what is taking so long. The most recent batch of referrals from March 1st have started to get their travel assignments and we have yet to receive ours! I am on edge every time my phone rings, I am checking my email a gazillion times a day, and I am more than ready to hold my daughter!

I know our SW said that they SHOULD arrive this week - key word being SHOULD; which isn't much comfort for me. I can say that WOULD is a more appropriate word and then I WOULD be feeling a little better. It is only Wednesday, but I decided to email our SW anyway to see what the heck is up. I want to know if something is holding up our travel group's paperwork or what - seriously, if they thought they were on their way as of last Thursday, it SHOULDN'T take until Thursday or Friday of this week for them to arrive. Packages are usually sent overnight from China so the agency certainly SHOULD have received them by now! Can you sense my snarkiness????

I feel like recording a message to play back to the question I keep getting asked -"When do you travel?" - It is getting more and more difficult to answer that one these days...

Update on TA...

2010-03-18T16:09:00.001-05:00

Well, I received an email from my SW today letting me know that she has been informed that our group's TA's should arrive next week. She will call as soon as it arrives - I am very anxious to find out the timing of our appointments!!!

Yesterday, I stopped by the clinic to pick up the medical forms for the boys just in case they need medical care while we are gone. I have to name my Mom and Justin as guardians, so two forms for each of the minor children - 6 forms total:)

I also had to get our vaccination affidavit notarized so that Jadyn can receive her vaccinations here in the U.S. instead of in China.

I am getting everyone filled up on their prescription medications for while we are gone so I think almost everything is in order. We can hop on that plane anytime now!!!

A Shower From the Ladies at Work...

2010-03-15T19:38:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, March 9th the ladies at work held a baby shower for me after work and it was so nice. We went to dinner at a local restaraunt and had time to chat and laugh! They gave me some wonderful gifts; a few baby toys which we needed, wonderful adoption books, and now Jadyn is going to be one of the most stylin' little girls as they filled a bag of adorable little clothes for her. I also received several outfits from my VP which were absolutely beautiful! They had balloons and a cake, as well! They really went out of their way to make it a wonderful, memorable evening for me!

Thank you to everyone; Kathy, Beth, Lori, Krista, Jenny, Julie, JoAnne, Mallory, and Cory!