Steven Curtis Chapman - When Love Takes You In

A favorite of mine..Steven the gentleman singing has adopted 3 children from China and does so much for the kids who remain behind. The little girl is his daughter.
What a wonderful song!

Steven Curtis Chapman-All I Really Want for Christmas

A beautiful song....take a listen.

Karen

Day 135 - A lucky Ladybug?

TA's appear to be hitting the waiting children boards againtoday...thank god!

This morning a ladybug was sitting on the edge of my sink in thebathroom as I was brusing my teeth...let's hope she bring us some goodluck indeed....we are so hoping to get some good news soon...Just to know the paper is here and we can start planning would be oneless thing to worry about. And then a real countdown could begin.

With last Friday's power failure came a basement of water...not fun atall...so our girls are sleeping in Jaden and Presley's room..the insurance guy came..all the carpet has to be pulled up..the walls need to be checked for moisture...and the shop vac was my best friend over the weekend. Our place stinks to high heaven...Jaden and Jagger are sick...Jagger has an almost 104 temp this morning..so yesterday I was home and today it is James' turn. Jaden has a runny nose and pink eye. Does the fun ever end???...I could have gone without having the rip up my basement at Christmas and the insurance guy said everything won't be taken care of until probably end of January....I sure could use some news...LIKE OUR TA IS HERE!!!!!! Come on....

Trying to hang in there..

Hugs,

Karen

Day 131 -Let it Snow!

Today was just a pretty day outside...as I looked out the windows this afternoon..the hugest snowflakes were falling on the groud. My 3 youngest kiddies were all bundling up and heading out for their first outside play with the white stuff this year. They rolled snowballs and kept coming in and out to adjust mittens and hats and just come in to say "Love you mommy". How sweet. Jaden was so bundled up it was quite funny. How she can walk and play with all her winter gear..it amazes me. To see their faces with such excitement as the snowflakes land on their rosy cheeks...it just makes you feel like such a little kid again. I remember when I was out with my friends..making a snowman, having a snowball fight...or making a fort. Oh the good ole days.
They came in about an hour after playing and I had hot chocolate ready for them along with a nice big bowl of Cheddar Broccoli soup..a big hit in our house.

James said at lunch that perhaps we should write a note to Santa and ask him when he is doing his rounds on Christmas Eve to stop in Dalian and give Presley a hug and kiss for us all. They all said what a great idea..so that will be our next project in the next day or so...

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let is Snow! It is just beautiful outside...
We will know Tuesday it if it to be January travel for James...if no TA....than travelling in December is out.
Hoping for positive news...but the boards have been extremely quiet and no word that TA's are mailed and on their way...we normally hear that they have been mailed a few days before they hit agencies but nothing has been said at all.

Here is a little info about Christmas which I thought I would share:

5 Legends of the Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree is one of the central components of Christmas, yet no consensus exists that explains where it came from. But there are several legends...

King Tut never saw a Christmas tree, but he would have understood the tradition which traces back long before the first Christmas. The Egyptians were part of a long line of cultures that treasured and worshipped evergreens. When the winter solstice arrived, they brought green date palm leaves into their homes to symbolize life's triumph over death.

The Romans celebrated the winter solstice with a fest called Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, the god of agriculture. They decorated their houses with greens and lights and exchanged gifts. They gave coins for prosperity, pastries for happiness, and lamps to light one's journey through life.

Centuries ago in Great Britain, woods priests called Druids used evergreens during mysterious winter solstice rituals. The Druids used holly and mistletoe as symbols of eternal life, and placed evergreen branches over doors to keep away evil spirits.

Born in 680 A.D., St. Boniface is credited with associating the fir with the Christmas celebration. Legend says that in the eighth century he came upon a ceremony of a human sacrifice taking place at the foot of a sacred oak tree. In anger, he struck the tree with an axe and felled it (perhaps with some help from a gust of wind, according to one source). In the ruins of the great oak was a single fir. St. Boniface pointed to this fir and told them that they should worship Christ, the bringer of life "ever green."

Another legend is attributed to Martin Luther (1483-1546), the 16th Century German leader of church reform and strong voice in the Protestant Reformation. On Christmas Eve of 1519, the stars shone so brightly that Martin Luther could see his way clearly in the reflected snow on this dark night of December the 24th. He went out into the forest and returned with a beautiful fir tree, bringing it into his home so his family could admire it. He then placed glowing candles atop the branches to copy the star light outside, and stated the candles represented the shining stars in the heavens above Bethlehem, some fourteen centuries earlier.

Dare we Dream on Day 128?

This Chinese character is "Dream". Dreaming is what I am doing tonight and hoping that Friday, Monday or Tuesday our long awaited TA will makes its wonderful appearance. We are at Day 128 and on the boards there are really no rumours or news from anyone about any TA's having been mailed out.

The agency has no updates for us. They are still waiting for the TA's for the last group who received their referrals..they are hoping our TA will be slipped in with those ones.

Another day of hoping that the phone will ring and Mireille's voice will shout the words I am so waiting to hear..."It is here..you can bring your daughter home". I just want her home already. We are close to 5 months of waiting..it is just so unfair to make her wait for her family that much longer.

The TA has to be coming soon! I just keep telling myself...maybe today..maybe tomorrow.

I love you Presley and miss you so. I can't wait to hold you in my arms, to read you a story book before bedtime with your brothers and sisters. So much I can't wait to see you experience.

With all our love,

Your Mom and Dad. (Mama and Baba)

xoxoxoxo

Our Wish this Christmas

Dear Presley..with Christmas quickly approaching....we can only hope that you will be home to celbrate with us. Today Mom took this picture of your special ornament that we have added to the tree. You are in our thoughts and prayers...wish you could be in my arms this Christmas.

Love Mom and Dad

Kennedy, Madison, Jagger, Colby and your big sister Jaden.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Day 123 and still counting...the wait continues!

Hi all,

Many of you have asked if we had any news....and we have not heard anything at all...we just sit and wait and wait...
Our Christmas tree is up...the house is decorated...and in our minds we are trying to accept the fact that Presley will only be coming home in January...if it is longer than that I don't know what I will do...

I have to call The Shriners and now cancel her Dec 15th appointment ....if James doesn't leave Friday she will not be home for the 15th...the chances of him leaveing this Friday are almost 0...I guess I will try with a date in January...His chinese visa in his passport expries December 22nd....so it looks like we will have to be re-applying for that soon...and here I thought we would be gone mid October.

Christmas will be a little tough for us this year when the family is all together except for one...I know that Presley is happy with her foster family and on their part they are probably counting each day as a blessing that she is with them. They are dreading the day they will say their final goodbye to her as we are totally the opposite and so excited about seeing our little girl for the first time. I feel so bad that they will lose a little one they have loved for over 2 years. She is so much theirs. I know they know from the start that she could not be theirs and they knew in March of this year that she would hopefully be adopted internationally...but that does not make it easier for them to let her go...It is such a mix of emotions as one family mourns and the other is so happy..Our Presley will be heart broken I am sure....but hopefully she will adjust to us and her new brothers and sisters quickly....

I can't beleive in 4 weeks Christmas will be upon us....I keep thinking...in 5-6 weeks hopefully James will be on his way and soon...we will all be together. If we only knew...it will come in 5 weeks..it would make the wait so much more manageable...than the countdown could begin and I would feel so much better...the not knowing if the part that kills me.

A friend of mine told me to get a white candle as this sends postive thoughts and energy..so I went to Pier 1 on Thursday and bought a beautiful smelling candle and each night since buying it...we light it and keep it close to us...it moves from kitchen to family room...and will remain lit until Presley comes home. The light symbolizes a few things for us...the presence of our little girl....our hope that she is ok....and the sending of positive thoughts that soon she will be coming home.

Our kids even talk to the candle and send "Good wishes" to their sister.

Hey at this point of the waiting game...I have to try....it certainly doesn't hurt.

Our candle will burn bright each night until our angel is in her Daddy's arms.

Have a nice weekend everyone..it looks like a beautiful day out!

Karen

Day 113- Still no TA news

Hi all,

Well we are at day 113 today and we still do not have any idea as to when our glorious TA will appear. We check on the Yahoo boards all the time for any tidbit of news or rumours...that helps me get through the days.
Somedays I just feel like she will never be home. I know I have been through this many times and with lots of patience it does happen. Afterall we do have our 5 kids at home right?
So as our patience is running thin these days we are trying to do things to get our mind off the treacherous(sp??) wait.
I have had to cancel her December 1st appt at the Shriners. We have another one set for Decemeber 15th and I am so hoping that I won't have to cancel that one as well.
Work is busy and life in our family is busy as well. We are starting to get the house decorated for Santa's big day. Christmas will just not be the same if she is not opening her gifts right beside her brothers and sisters.
Say a little prayer for us that the TA will make its grand appearance any day now!

I would like to ask for a prayer for friends of mine..they adopted a little girl not to long ago from China and their little angel is sick. The doctors are still not sure of what it is she has exactly. We pray that Miranda gets well soon and that her guardian angels who have taken care of her all this time will keep watch over her and keep her healthy. Here we worry about getting a TA when little Miranda is sick.

Take care,

Karen
Presley's mom in waiting.
Love you baby!

Day 99 and a Tiny Update from Dalian

Good day everyone,

We were very lucky to get a tiny bit of an update this morning from Dalian thanks to Nancy and her friend James.

Here it is:

I got hold with Pan Yan(she is in charge of the adoptions at the orphanage) this evening.

She has been in contact with the foster family yesterday and Lijie’s situation is quite good. She can walk but with an abnormal gait.

Pan Yan said she will be the one who will bring Lijie to Shenyang to meet your sister (or brother-in-law). She got the letter from your sister and knows the intentions to visit Dalian. She got the approval from the orphanage leader that they can have a visit to the orphanage in Dalian where Lijie lives some of the time. Visiting the foster family might not be possible for some reasons (far away, Lijie lives there sometimes, orphanage assume the full responsibility, etc.)

So it was nice to have some tidbit of information. I am very thankful for those as it is what keeps me sane these days.

James is driving me crazy not knowing anything and when this will all happen. He is so worried about Lijie and how she is doing. He wants to go even though we have no TA yet.

Halloween was a blast! The kids were so excited and got a truck load of candy. I know one thing for sure, that next Halloween I will have Presley home and hopefully like her siblings she will be running up the driveways with bag in hand and yelling "Trick or Treat". We hope with her surgery that is imminent that she will be free of her pain and be able to run and play like all kiddies do.

We love you Presley...your brothers and sisters ask me everyday when you will be coming home. It is so hard not knowing what to answer. Soon...soon...soon...it wears very thin day after day.

It is already 12:36pm and no call from Formons(our agency)..I guess day 99 of the wait will turn to day 100...this no news is driving me bonkers.

A little bit of sunshine goes a long way....I keep telling myself that. Trying to be positive.

Karen

Tomorrow Plan Project Video

In June of 2004, the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) launched an impressive and extraordinary humanitarian project entitled The Tomorrow Plan. The project’s goal is to provide corrective surgeries for 30,000 special needs children nationwide in three years. The CCAA stated it will cost an estimated 600 million RMB, or over 72 million dollars, to fully accomplish the Tomorrow Plan. The China Center of Adoption Affairs is actively soliciting and accepting donations for the Tomorrow Plan from adoption agencies and parent support groups all over the world. Here in the U.S., dozens of agencies have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to help give China's children an opportunity to live normal, happier and healthier lives. Yet thousands of children still need surgeries, and you can help...

Day 94-A Presley update

Hi all,

Thanks to Presley's tsi tsi Nancy and the help of a fellow co-worker..we got an update on our Presley. It is a small one..but she is doing very well and she is able to walk but with difficulty.
The foster parents have unofficially been advised that Presley is being adopted by a family. Gee can you imagine how they feel now knowing that the little one they have watched growing up for the last 2 years will soon be leaving their family. Presley is in a family in Waifang in Dalian...she presently has Mom and Dad, Grandmother and Grandfather, and 2 older sisters from what I have been told. So she will definitely know already what it is like living with a big family. One bonus for us and for her too I would think.

The orphange person by the name of Pan indicated that we shouldn't worry about LiJie(Presley) as her medical condition is not getting worse and they are checking in on her often. Pan indicated they are waiting for the official word that she is being adopted(I beleive they are informed officially when we receive our TA). They told us when we come to China they will bring her to Shenyang to meet James.

Pan indicated that they have received the packages we have sent for her and her family..and they received our letters...I was happy to hear that! I hope she like what we sent.

The yahoo groups are so quiet as everyone is waiting for the floodgates to open and the TA's to come in. I am hoping that within the next 2 weeks(latest) that we receive the word and the wheels start moving on the ole adoption bus. We are so ready..the tires are on, air pressure is good, the bus is gassed up, the music is playing and the motor is revving....just waiting for the bus driver to pull it out of the driveway..LOL

Presley..we love you honey...we are in the final stretch...I am honestly feeling that now...
Still have not packed the suitcase...maybe this weekend if I find a few productive hours to get it underway.

Hugs to you all..

Presley's Mom

Day 91-Still no arrival of TA's today

I sit and wait not patiently at all.....The Chinese character is a symbol for "Family"....and thought I would post it. James will soon be sporting a tatoo on his arm with this symbol on it.
Hoping this week that some TA's come in...and if ours is not in there....at least we are closer to bringing our Presley home.

Day 90 and news of TA's are everywhere...

Hi Presley,

Today all over the adoption boards there is news that TA's have been sent and are on the way. I am nervous and scared to get excited thinking that perhaps we are in that batch that was sent...our TA could possibly be amongst them. Last time when I thought our TA was on the way for your brother Jagger it did not arrive...I cried at my desk and was so sad. I didn't know how to handle the sadness that I felt when I called the agency and they indicated that our TA was not in the batch they just received. So I wait with baited breath and am very stressed these days as to when the magic moment will happen. I hope that this week or next week brings the news that we are waiting for...I really really hope so.

We are ready for you to come home Presley. Daddy is so ready to get on the plane and hold you in his arms.

Love you honey,
Mom xoxoxoxoxox

Day 85 of our wait....

Hi Presley,

I write to you today...perhaps it makes me feel a little closer to you. Some days you feel so far away and it feels like you will never make your way home. Jaden has been sleeping with your tu tu that I got for you and she says she is keeping your spot in the bed warm. Your room is ready for you, the suitcase is in Mommy and Daddy's room. Normally by this time in the wait Mommy has everything ready...but for some reason this time it just doesn't seem like it can come fast enough and I keep thinking...you have plenty of time. I think this weekend I will make it my plan to get everything organized and ready for the big trip to meet you. I need to do this..than once we do get that wonderful call that our TA has arrived..Daddy can be on his way quickly.

I look at your pictures all the time and wonder what your personality is like? Who is LiJie? In 2 of the 3 pictures we have of you..you look afraid or nervous. The other you are smiling and look very happy. I see your foster mom's hand in the picture so I know she is someone that you love very much. I can see in your face and smile that you love her very much. I look forward to the day when you look at me that way.

Another day passes and I keep telling myself it is one day closer to you coming home. Halloween is quickly approaching and your brothers and sisters are very excited. We are doing the final costumes. Kennedy is going to be a gruesome corpse bride, Jagger is a Ninja, Colby is an army man and Jaden will be a bumble bee. Madison is still undecided. Well that is Madison to a t...
We thought you would be home for Halloween but sadly it looks like you will not be home by than. Now we shoot to have you home for Christmas.

I don't even want to think that perhaps you still might be in China for Christmas. I am hoping mid November at the latest now.

I am writing on the blog as my personal therapy these days...I call the office at the adoption agency often and hearing there is no news makes my heart sink. I have to think to myself that the long wait is for a reason...who knows what though!

I love you Presley..hopefully soon Daddy will be on his way.
Wa Ai Ne!

Mommy

Day 84 today and we are STILL in the review room

Well since our last post nothing much has happened other than we heard that our file was still in the review room. I guess I should be happy that we at least know the CCAA has our file and that it is indeed being reviewed. We are so bummed out as when we started the adoption for Presley I was hoping that James would be in China now and would have had Presley with him.

Tentatively I was hoping he would leave last Friday, October 13th and he would have had her by now. But I guess there is a reason for us not to be with her yet...We think about her each passing day and hope that our sweetheart is loved, is warm and is not in too much pain.

Presley has her appointment set at the Shriners for December 1st, So I am really hoping that she is home and that I won't have to re-schedule it. The doctor indicated that he will see her right away and get the process in motion to get her corrected and get her back into action. A 3 year old is just not meant to sit on her butt and watch other children at play.

The next few months will be a challenge I am sure as Presley comes home but we will be there for her and get through it as a family.

Perhaps I can ask any of our friends and family to say a little prayer or send "positive thoughts" as my friend Scott always tells me. Positive thoughts will bring positive things into ones' life.

So we continue the wait...day 84 and the clock continues to tick. I know there are many other families in the waiting game like we are...the are many who are waiting longer than we are. I hope that the coming weeks bring many Travel approvals. Our children need to come home.

Presley I love you sweetie. Hopefully you will be home before Christmas. I know if you are not Christmas will be very difficult to get through.

Have a great day!
Karen

Day 78 and we wait and wait!

Well today is Thursday and still we are waiting for any news at all. Our agency has asked China about our file and where it is now at the CCAA(China Center of Adoption Affairs). We are waiting for a reply..we are crossing our fingers that our file is now in the TA printing room. Once the file makes it there it is a matter of 2-3 weeks normally and then we receive the magical paper (TA) that we have been waiting for. Once we get this....then we move full speed ahead.

We get our plane ticket..thanks to me winning a contest Win What you Want on Mix96...we will not have to pay as much for James to fly there...we were so fortunate. We won $1200 towards the ticket. Once we have our ticket the last thing that needs to be done is to go to Immigration Quebec. James has his chinese visa already...so once Immigration is done he is ready to go. Come on TA!

Presley, we hope that you are being prepared by your foster parents. Presley has been living with her foster family for a little over 2 years now. She lives with a couple, grandparents and the couples 2 children(girls). They say she is thriving with the family. I hope she doesn't have too hard of time adjusting to her new family.

I sent a camera and 4 packages of stuff for Presley and her family. I hope they received it and that they are showing her the pictures of her new family and our home. This will help her a little as James face will be familiar if they have shown her the pictures. We found this helped when we were adopting Jagger and Jaden.

So we wait and we wait....we are so anxious to meet you sweetheart and can't wait for Daddy to get to China and be home already.

Hoping for some good news soon...

Love you baby...
Mom

Our Latest Sonogram

!!!!WE GOT PA TODAY!!!!!!...ONE STEP CLOSER

We were happy to hear we finally have our PA...it was received today but dated September 28th.....after 71 days since our file was logged in....we are hoping now that our paperwork is now in the TA printing room and will soon be on its' way to us....
Presley....you are officially ours baby....and we are so thrilled. We will be on the way soon we hope. YEAH!

Yeah....We received word yesterday morning that our file was logged in July 27, 2006..
So hopefully October travel..

Our file was signed for at the CCAA today! It is finally in China

Presley, today was a great day in that as soon as Mommy got to work I checked fedex and tracked our file..it said it was received at the China Center of Adoption Affairs. This is the place where our file will be joined with yours and hopefully in a couple of months Daddy will be on his way to finally hold you and start your journey home.
We are so thrilled about your joining our family. You will have 3 sisters(Kennedy-10, Madison-8 and Jaden-3) and 2 brothers(Jagger-6 and Colby-5). They are all anxious for you to come home. Jagger says he will get the watermelon ready for you. Madison said the other night...we have to bring her home Mom...and I said..we are going as fast as we can sweetie...it all takes time...

I will keep you all updated on our journey and with each passing day Presley you are one day closer to your new family.

Love you baby,
Mom XOXOX

Welcome to our Journey to pickup our little angel Presley who is waiting in Dalian Liaoning China.