We are here in Nanning....FINALLY!

After missing our flight to Nanning yesterday we are glad to get back on track! We felt so much better this morning after having gone to bed at 6:30 even though we were all awake at 4:00 a.m.! We had breakfast and then we were off to the airport ... again! I thought Ava might boycott another flight, but I do have to say she has been really great! She has caused quite a stir here. People crowd around and really stare. I guess they have not seen a great deal of people with really light hair. So I have learned to walk fast, really fast!

Despite us all feeling like we have been thrown in a paper bag and shook up, we are here in Pei's hometown! I can hardly believe that we have finally made it to this point! We have been loving this little girl for 9 months now. At times it seemed like this was never going to happen, but we are really here! We will have all day Sunday to rest and get ready for Monday. We will be meeting Pei at 3:30. We are so excited about finally meeting her!

I will leave you with some pics of Goldielocks at the Garden on Saturday and the Marriott in Nanning on Sunday!

We are here.....sort of!

We arrived in China just hours ago! We left our home on Wednesday and had two flights in our home state before we made our way to LA. On the way we received notice that our flight was going to be delayed a bit. Well it was scheduled to depart LA to Hong Kong @ 1:40 ... a.m. So when we were looking at our crazy itinerary I had a chilling thought. Our flight was scheduled to depart on California time not Texas. So that added an extra couple of hours of misery ! Did I mention that Goldielocks had only a 20 minute nap and I was praying that she was going to stay up till what her little body thought was 5:00 am! Well, she did really well. We only had a few meltdowns and I only claim two of those :)

So when I say we sort of made it, it was the flight delay in LA caused us to miss our flight to Nanning. So, we are in Guangzhou at the Garden Hotel, showered and all in bed! And yes it is only 4:00 p.m.! We will be up bright and early to catch a flight to Nanning!

Hang on Pei we will be there soon!

Go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, we are packed! And oh are we packed :) (No laughing about how much I packed!)

I have spent the last few days running around like a crazy woman and trying to squeeze in as much time with the boy's. I absolutely dread telling them goodbye today. So, with the impending dreaded goodbyes I spent the day yesterday balling! Ava came over and looked at me really sweet and softly said "Baby"! Yes, Goldielocks called me a baby for balling!!!! I have to agree with her I am a baby when it comes to my kids!

We will be posting our trip here on our blog via my friend Nikki !

When asked where Ava is going she proudly states "Peyton's"!!!! So ready or not Pei , sister is on her way and has already told me that she is going to hug you tight!

Please pray for safe travels for us ,safety for the boy's and a healed heart for Peyton as she leaves her foster family.

Set....

We have spent the weekend packing and getting ready for our trip! I feel like I am almost done but I do not know if I should say that I am ready yet. The first and biggest hurdle is leaving the boys. I am dreading this . And yes, I will ball like a baby when I leave my babies!My large family is moving in our home and taking care of everyone and everything while we are gone.

Now, really what should top this list of worry is taking the slow boat to China with Ava in tow!Our travel itinerary is insane! First ,we board a flight in our hometown to another city in our home state. Switch planes and then on to LA. Our flight then leaves for Hong Kong @ 1:40 a.m. (which Ava's little body will think it is 3:40a.m.) Are you feeling sorry for me yet? Then we get on a train to Guangzhou and then board a flight to Nanning. We arrive in Nanning on Friday . I am taking all prayers specifically ones that surround Goldielocks and be sure to mention the words "no meltdowns" or 'tantrums'! He will get the picture!

This sweet angelic child is defintely three and quite unpredictable :) So, if you see us on the plane I do not blame you if you act like you do not know us! Dad do not get any ideas this does not apply to you!

My head had really been spinning around with all of the random details of our trip but I have found myself on a count down. Not a count down of when we leave but a count down for Pei's foster family. I woke up this morning and said they now have one week left with this sweet child. My heart is really heavy for them. What a selfless act to take a child into your heart and home knowing that you will one day hand her to another family. I am grateful that the Lord has planted this in my head and I am stuck on this ! I pray that I am still thinking about this when we board that flight with Goldielocks!!!!!

Two more days !!!!!

Ready...

I keep asking myself this very question!!!!I have been walking in circles for the past couple of weeks. I have gone from the checklist ,then side tracked by the kids ,then back to the suitcase and then find myself standing in a room baffled by why I originally went in there!!!! I am glad I had the forethought to stay on task and glance through my suitcase...I forgot all my under garments!!!! That would have been just fantastic :)!

Amid all of the chaos of packing and planning this trip I took some time out to meet with a great group of mommas in the area. We are a group of seven ladies that are either in process or have adopted internationally. These 10 beautiful girls come from China, Russia and Ethiopia . We also have several home grown kiddos in our group too!It was so fantastic to get to share an afternoon with these woman who share a heart for these precious kids! We are planning to meet once a month for our little ladybug club!

Well ,back to my packing! Which BTW ALL of my bags are over the weight limit!!!

The above photo about sums it up! The old deer in the headlights but add a really fuzzy wig to this pic and that is me!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to both my girls!!!!!!!!

Today is both my girls birthdays. Ava is three and Pei is two! Ava's birthday is July 19th and Pei's is July 20th (and it is 3:00a.m.,July 20th in China right now!) ...

So, Happy Birthday to each of my baby girls!!!!!!

I love you both soooooooo much!

(Look at those faces.That is going to be double trouble!!!!)

Saturday Surprise!

I awoke this morning to the most wonderful surprise! On the Hope 4 China children blog was a post about Linda Greenshield's trip to Nanning SWI last year. It is a wonderful post about the difference foster care makes in the lives of these children. As I was reading along there she was!!! Not one picture BUT five photos of Pei ! These were taken nine months ago right before we locked Pei's file.
How blessed we are that Pei was so well taken care of and loved since she was an infant. Not all kids are this lucky.Someone cared enough to make a tremendous difference in our new daughters life.When we return home we will be "paying it forward" and sponsoring one of the sweet kids on Grace and Hope's website. I already have her picked out :)

Here is the link to Hope 4 China's Children:

http://hope4china.blogspot.com/2010/07/nanning-kids.html

Pei in in the blue jean dress on the back of her foster dad's bike!
Just 17 days till I hold my daughter :)

Breathtaking!

I woke up this morning to an email from X with my CA date. It is set for August 11th.
What a great way to start the day :)

But wait it gets even better!

You ask yourself what could be better than your CA date ...






a beautiful photo of your daughter at her 2nd birthday party surrounded by all of her friends!
She literally took my breath away!


~ Ladybugs n love from above ROCKS!!!!!!!

That little bird was right!

Our travel approval arrived today at our agency! We have requested a Consulate appointment for 8/4. But if that is already full then we will try to get our CA for 8/10.We should know something in a day or so.
Either date is really fine with us!
Hang on baby girl your momma is coming to China!

A little birdie told me ...

Our Travel Approval should be at Bay Area Adoption Services offices on Monday!!!!!!
Woohoo!!!!!

The Day We Met

Today is a day that is etched so deeply in my memory. Two years ago , we boarded a plane for Russia with no idea who was waiting on the other side. All we knew was there was a little girl waiting on a family and we were a family looking for our little girl.When the handed me this tiny girl, I was terrified. All of the planning ,waiting and dreaming was over. Sitting before me was a tiny blue eyed babe carefully studing each one of us. I felt like a deer in the headlights! My mind raced in a thousand directions. At that time Ava was nothing like I had exspected BUT everything that he had planned for us. It took me a few moments to wrap my head around all of the medical info and this tiny fair haired babe before me.





As I look back over the video of the day we met , I have to laugh because despite the fear that had knocked the breath out of me minutes earlier ,the moment you where placed in my arms I knew.




As you looked up in my eyes, I introduced myself as your mommy and I think at that moment you knew too.

We had been waiting on each other.


I look back and it is hard to believe that it has been only two years since we first met. Somehow it seems like you have been here with me forever. I think that is because God placed you in my heart long ago.



And there you will stay forever!
I love you sweet girl!

Is it July Already!?!?

Well, we are rolling into the month of July ! I am shocked at how fast the past few weeks have gone by. Over the course of the past few weeks , we have been busy getting ready for our trip, waiting for our TA ,and celebrating some of our summer birthdays!
This is what has been going on in our crazy lives:



Nick turned 16!!!!! And now is driving! YIKES!





The girl's room is still a work in progress but Ava is excited about her new shared space! This is the second bedroom the girls have in the house.The other room is upstairs and way to far away from this helicopter momma! Their second bedroom is the sitting area in our bedroom! Yes, it does look like a scene from Goldilocks and the three bears but there is going to be four bears :) I bet you can not tell how excited little Goldilocks is about her sister coming home! Long live the wave of pink that is slowly taking over our home!!!! Sorry fellas!!!
Ava also is transitioning out of Early Childhood intervention services in the next few weeks. We are so proud of the progress that she has made since coming home in September '08. Ava had global delays then and now some of those same areas she scored above her age category! The only delay that remains is articulation and we will continue to work on that via our district speech pathologist. I am so proud of this little girl! It is hard to believe that next week marks our two year anniversary of meeting this amazing little girl.What a wonderful change she has brought to all of our lives!
We received word that our TA's could be another week or two away. So, I am estimating that we will be traveling the last week of July through the first week of August.We are also putting together "The Little Ladybug Club" play group! We have the neatest group of ladies in our area that are all adopting from China. My hope is that we can get together once a month and these sweet girls will develop life long friendships!

So, in between all of that we are swimming, packing, shopping and dreaming of the day we get to bring our sweet ladybug home!
I can almost see that pot of gold at the end of this rainbow!

Article 5!

Now, we are officially waiting for our travel approval !
We will be traveling sometime in July. Our travel approval could come somewhere between 1- 3 weeks from now! We are really hoping to be celebrating Pei's 2nd birthday with her on July 20th but we will have to wait and see.

So, as we enter our final stage of the process we are trying to enjoy our summer and not obsess too much over all the details!
But I think I am failing miserably!

Yeah ,who am I kidding. I am one obsessing , nesting , packing , shopping , attachment reading , Nanning news reading, blog stalking , excited , scared , happy ,weepy , ladybug lovin momma!
Praying for a fast TA , so I can keep whatever sanity I have left !!!!!

Calling all July forever families!

Well ,we are one week into our waiting for Article 5. So , in approximately 3 weeks or so we should receive our Travel approval. We first laid eyes on Pei a little over seven months ago. I have to say seeing that little face day after day has been a double edge sword. It has made this journey seem slow and cruel at times. But just when you think you have had enough that same little face "refuels" you to keep on going!
We are really hoping to be there before Pei's birthday on July 20th but we will have to see . So, we sent a cake through Lady bugs n Love for her to celebrate her birthday/adoption early with her friends and foster family there.
Just two years ago in July we traveled to meet our sweet little Russian princess! It seems like it was just yesterday. I love that the girls will share the month of July for their birthdays and also meeting their forever families!
If you are traveling in July leave me a comment and tell me when you think you will be in China. I am really excited to know who will be there around the same time. And be sure to sign in on the google followers on the bottom right hand corner of my blog . I would love to know who is following along!
Well ,that is all for now ! Back to summer ,shopping , packing and dreaming of our sweet ladybug!
(Here are some pics of my recent retail therapy session and my really cute Russian swimsuit model!)

Moving right along!

We were cabled on the June 1st and now we will begin our wait for our Article 5!
We are almost there baby girl!

Journey to our Empress Ladybug at OneTrueMedia.com

We are so excited to be closing in on our Travel Approval! Here is our journey to little Pei so far!
To be continued in China!
(Be sure to mute the music player at the bottom of my blog!)

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Guess what ...

Wahoo!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out this giveaway!

Go over to Kelly's blog and check out these beautiful silver necklace charms!They are doing a giveaway with a free custom charm of your choice!
They are beautiful!


http://raudenbushfamily.blogspot.com/

http://http://www.jiayindesigns.com/JiayinDesigns/Home.html

Reservations Anyone?

Have you ever been on a really long road trip and you can not wait to get to your destination!You know the kind where you think if you do not get to where you need to be soon you might go bonkers! But reality is you just might drive everyone else bonkers first!
Well, we are back in the immigration line.
Again.
But I feel like I was just here .
Well, probably cause I was!
So, this is the last phase of our journey getting us to our travel approval:

I8oo approval -Hopefully in my hands next week!
NVC letter - 1 week after I800 approval
Aricle 5 - 2 weeks
TA - 2-3 weeks
CA - 1-3 weeks (hopefully the first)!

So, let's just do a little math here.

1 + 1 + 2 + 2 or 3 + 1 or 3 = only 7 - 10 weeks left ...

Seven weeks sounds so good! It actually is the same week in July we met Ava just two years ago :)

Oh yeah, This momma is checking in to bonkersville!Have any of you ever been there. For those of you who are saying I do not know if I have been there , let me give you the directions.
It is somewhere between checking your emails every few minutes and China's latest breaking news, Rumor Queen Charts to the East, your caller ID to the West and your cell phone all of the time! You also qualify as a visitor if you have a restraining order issued against you from the USPS , USCIS or Fed Ex (any combo works).
Ring a bell anyone?

Taking reservations ... Anyone care to join me???????

Home

Home : A home is a place of residence or refuge comfort.

I have started and stopped this post at least a thousand times. Not really sure what to say.
I received word yesterday of the passing of my friend Nikki's daughter ,Mckenna, in China.We are completely shocked and heartbroken.
When Nikki and I began this journey we would have never guessed that our daughters would end up both residing in Nanning. Let alone the same city and sponsored by the same organization. We just knew that our little girls knew each other. One thing for sure was if by some chance they did not know each other in China, they were destined to be friends once home in Texas.
This precious little Mckenna had touched so many lives in her short life.It is so hard to understand why her ,why was her life cut so short.I just have to trust that God has big plans for this little angel.
Please pray for Mckenna's family. My hope is that God gives them wisdom ,courage and peace during this difficult time.
Please pray for this little angel as she is finally in her heavenly home.

We love you sweet baby girl. Always.


http://www.aladybugslegacy.blogspot.com/

The count down begins!!!!!!

Our friendly fed ex delivery man showed up at promptly at 10:30 a.m. to deliver our LOA. This was just what the doctor ordered! I have to say I feel re-energized after seeing all of our names on the Letter of Acceptance! Now it seems like this is really happening and our little girl will be home with us (hopefully) by July!

Well, I do not know what it is but if you recall the last time I went out on major adoption related business I saved a dogs life!I am an "animal in crisis" magnet! Well, today was no exception but it was a featherless baby bird!He was having lunch in the middle of the intersection! To make this story short I was once again running through a busy intersection but this time with a baby mockingbird in tow! It was like deja vu!
All I can figure is my TA process is going to move swiftly for saving this little fella's life!!!!
I will leave you with my beautiful Russian "animal in crisis" assistant holding our precious LOA!
I will leave you all with a humorous thought for the day :
Today I dropped off my son for drivers education and just a few hours earlier I was shopping for a new diaper bag ! Go ahead and laugh! Lesson here: never say never people!
Hold on Pei we are almost there!!!!

I have been waiting to say this ...

WAHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sugar and Spice

We we signed with CSS back in '07 to begin our Russian adoption. I joined their agency yahoo group green and eager for knowledge of international adoption. We got in line with all of the other families waiting on referrals. The lines were split between those waiting for a boy and those waiting for a girl. Along the way God had sent me two angels, Ondrea and Michelle. No kidding, they paved the way for me and become my support system . We shared the ups and downs that adoption can bring. These friendships were created via long distance emails and phone calls.We were all in the girl line. All mothers of boys and each of us shared a deep desire to have a daughter of our very own.

On Monday , Michelle and I finally got to met face to face! . With this visit the little girls that we had dreamed about for so long finally got to giggle and relish in each others company. I am so amazed at how far these little girls have come in their short little lives. Watching them play they have no idea that they both came from Russia and had shared sad beginnings. They were totally unaware of the countless hours of planning , sharing and dreaming that went on between their mommas.( And do not forget shopping! Retail therapy is a must during the long wait of adoption!) Seeing Michelle was like seeing an old friend I have known for years. We are planning another reunion soon! So this time we will schedule it when Ondrea , Meg and Peyton will be able to join in!

This visit could not have come at a better time . We are still waiting on our LOA and we are now on day 62 since our LID. This line of waiting has been the most difficult yet. So this visit was a much needed break from stalking the computer of news. We are approaching our 6 month mark of first seeing our daughters face and I am ready to be done with this emotional roller coaster .

Ready to get her home where she belongs.

I will leave you with some photos of our beautiful Russian girls , Ariana and Ava. Lots of giggling went on during the past two days but I bet you can not tell by these photos!!!!

We love you guys's!!!!!

P.S. Ana you forgot Rockie!!!!!!!!

Sisters

I love the innocence of a child. Ava will be three on her next birthday and has been through a lot in her very short life. Yet she possesses the ability to see things through a different looking glass.

When you ask her about her sister she will proudly show you a photo and tell you that it is Peyton. Her sister. Ava's looking glass does not allow her to see the physical differences that they each outwardly display. In fact, they are polar opposites in their physical appearance to the average Joe. But when you look at them closer they have so much in common. They even have started to take on physical similarities to me.

Despite the fact that the girls are clearly not biological sisters , I know that there is no doubt that they will be closer than any two could ever be. I already know this in my heart. They are sisters that share a common history , a similar life story. I think this common thread that links them could in fact create a bond that will never be broken. Maybe even link them together so closely that sharing the same DNA could not even touch this.

There is a bit of irony as I look at their "Bitty Twin" dolls .You see the obvious reflection of differences between the two girls "twin" baby dolls. But just like their dolls they are like twin sisters in every way that really counts.

Sweet Dreams

Okay, another lesson learned! I am not a newbie at this and totally get that this journey is not on my timeline it is on his!

(Because if it was on my timeline I would already be home with my sweet girl!)

It seems I needed to be reminded of that yet again as I pass up day 55 since my LID! (Sigh)
But I have been blessed with dreams about her.With each pregnancy, paper or home grown, I had dreams about the kids. Some strange and some sweet. I just started dreaming about Pei so I know his timeline is getting shorter :)

In the meanwhile ,we received word that Pei got her care package last night. I am really hoping for some updates to help get us through this lull.
In the meantime, my mind is full of images of my beautiful little girl curled up in her bed tonight snuggling with a soft little bunny that smells of her big sister :) And a heart that hopes that her dreams are filled with sweet chocolate bunnies and knowledge that her forever family loves her so much.

Care Package #3!

We sent our third and hopefully final care package to Pei this past week. This is the first package where I shopped and sent my own package via Ann @ Red Thread. I have to say it was really fun to shop for her but it snowballed into a monster! It started out as an Easter/Spring theme and grew from there! And of course we had to include a really soft bunny after hearing that Pei has a thing for bunnies! ( Sorry Pei ,Ava loved on your bunny a bit before she went into the box!)

There was not an inch left in that box for one more item! I know that Pei and her foster family will enjoy the sweet goodies that we sent!

We also sent a care package of PJ's , socks and books for the kiddos at the orphanage. Hopefully, all will enjoy their goodies !

I really hope this will be our last care package and the next bit of goodies will be delivered in person :)

Pei's second birthday is in July and I am praying that we are together before or on this date!

Now, Come on LOA! We are ready for some really good news!

We are the truth - Our Russian Adoption

It seems that the media swarms around controversy. I often turn on the news to only hear the most disturbing events that have taken place around the world. As we all know in the adoption community , the headlines over the past week told of an adoptive mother placing her Russian son on a unescorted flight to Moscow . Her simple actions has sent ripples through the adoption world and has jeopardized future Russian orphans finding their forever families. This event has once again highlighted every negative event that has occurred between Russian adoptees and their American families. We have been asked today to tell our story . The true story about how wonderful international adoption can be.

Back in December of 2002, I entered the hospital for a scheduled induction. I was scared but excited to finally meet our son ,Jacob. After delivery things unexpectedly went in the wrong direction. I had to have an emergency hysterectomy and numerous blood transfusions. I really should not be here today. I never once struggled with not being able to have anymore children. I was just so thankful to be alive. As time went on I searched to make sense of why this had happened and why am I still here. God had a plan for me and I was so ready to know what it was.

Today, if you ask me what that plan was I can sum it up in two simple words: Ava and Peyton.

They are my daughters. My broken road in December of 2002 has lead me to two of the greatest blessings that I have ever received.

For every tragic adoption story there are countless successes. Where these children exceed every obstacle they have faced. Where they are treasured beyond measure by their adoptive parents.

When we traveled to Russia in July '08 to met our little girl, we had no idea how much our lives were going to change.I had no idea I was going to meet one of the greatest loves of my life on that day. Ava came to us with a long list of health issues. Some common and some not so common issues that a child living in an institution will have. Since being home with us for two years ,this approaching September, she has overcome obstacles that were stacked against her.I am amazed at her determination and strength in her accomplishments.She has taught us many life lessons at the mere age of two and continues to be a daily reminder of all that is good in our lives.
When we arrived home with Ava it reminded me of a cake walk.Everyone is looking for their place in the new family set up. When the music stops everyone scrambles for their seat. When it was all said and done everyone found their place . Funny thing is Ava's seat was right in the middle of all of our chairs.Daily she is encircled by a mom,dad brothers and countless extended family members. Each member of our family protects , loves and cherishes this child .

Things are as they should be.

Every child deserves the chance to have a life where they feel cherished,loved and wanted. My hope is that the horrific events that have occurred do not overshadow all of the good stories of wonderful families that have been created through Russian adoption.The real tragedy would be if these Russian children miss the opportunity to be part of a loving family . A family to call their own. That is the real tragedy in this.

The Word of the Day: PATIENCE

Well, the sugery letter has been somewhat of a double edge sword!

My agency called to check to make sure that the letter was sufficient and the CC** said yes it was! In fact, they said we have official been approved and are moving from the review room to the matching room where the LOA's are issued! WAHOOO!!!!

So , I am over the moon until I feel the sting of the other side of the sword...

You can stay in the matching room for one month!!!!!!! OUCH!

So, here are a few words to live by brought to you by a waiting momma that is so ready to hold her baby:

"Patience is the greatest of all virtues."
Cato the Elder (234 BC - 149 BC)

"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake."
Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885)

"I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end."
Margaret Thatcher (1925 - )

Unfortunately , I am stuck some where quoute two and three!!!!!

Have a great day!

~ Day 42 since LID!

Back On Track!

Well , the CCAA finally has my letter in hand! What an ordeal but it is over and I am moving away from this monkey that has been on my back!

So, we are now in the month of April. It seems like time has been moving at a snails pace but hopefully it will be smooth (and swift) sailing from here! I am sending Peyton another care package and a few things for the kids at the orphanage.

I am off to finish my LOA paperwork! We are on day 39 since our LID!

Come on LOA's!!!!!!!

Hope everyone had a blessed Easter!