I think my husbands heart broke a little last night when his beloved Spurs were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round. We appreciate your prayers.

Our Quick Trip

It seems that whenever we go to South Texas we never have enough time. We are always rushing to see as many people as possible and never get to see everyone. Maybe next time.

This trip was no exception. We arrived late Friday and had a Bar B Q with family at Allie's moms house on Saturday. While the "adults" visited for the first time in six months, Emily and Shelby had a blast with water balloons! Emily was a little disappointed that she didn't get to see her friend Megan but somehow water balloons made everything fine. That and a quick visit with the Herrera family. I was so sad that she forgot her camera and didn't get any pictures of her with their girls :0( And even more sad that I didn't get to visit! I was also disappointed that I didn't get any pictures with my aunt and uncle! Maybe next time.

I don't know when it started but we have been taking pictures under "The Tree" in the front yard forever. So I made (yes made) the girls pose for a couple pictures there. I love the look on Shelby's face! It's kind of a very polite "Get off me!"

On Sunday morning we all went camera crazy and tried to get as many different group shots as possible. I'm glad Allie's mom thought of taking one of "three generations." Maybe next time, KayLi will be in this shot.

Then we decided to get one of "the kids." They were all being silly (just like they probably were when they were kids!) The guys stopped doing their gangster poses right before I took the picture. Sorry Susan...I think it's a good look for you...really!

Then I wanted one of Emily and Grandma Sharon. This weekend Emily was excited to discover that she was the same height as her grandma. Allie's mom has always been tiny and this discovery has turned into a family milestone. We have been teasing that maybe KayLi will be the only grandchild that doesn't pass up Grandma Sharon's height!

When we finished with ALL the picture taking, we headed out to our former neighbors and enjoyed a nice lunch with Doug, Christina and our good friends Monte & Debbie and their family. I really wish I had been better at taking pictures out at their place! They kids (the actual young people that is) Had a good time by their pond and are certain they saw a water moccasin! It was no where to be found when the guys investigated, though. There faces as they ran away from the pond were priceless though!

Maybe next time we head South I will be quicker with the camera. And maybe next time we will stay longer! This was one very tiring, fast trip!!!

If we missed you...I'm so sorry!!! Please know that we really wanted to see your sweet face and hug you!!!! Maybe next time...

Favorite Photo Thursday?

Tomorrow we are heading to South Texas to visit Allie's mom for the weekend. We're heading to Allie, Ryan & Emily's home town. It's the type of town that makes you want to sing a John Cougar Mellencamp song, but to a Tejano beat. We moved there right after (literally the day after!) we got married. And after spending sixteen years there, going back feels very much like going home...even for this Southern Californian Mall Rat!

Emily is beyond excited! One of her good friends, Shelby (see Spring Break Resumes ) will be traveling with us. So her two worlds are about to collide! One of the reasons she is so excited is the possibility of seeing the girl in the picture above. Emily and Megan were born two months apart and Emily can't wait to introduce her to Shelby!

This picture was taken at our churches Preschool Easter Party in 2002. These two four year olds in all their inflatable glory, just make me smile!!! I hope to get some great pictures of them while we are "down South." And I hope you all have a great weekend!!!!

Nesting

It's overwhelming how strong my desire to nest is at the moment! My "To Do" list of simple things (and a few not so simple) seems a mile long. I may never be finished with it before we travel. I can see myself now..."Wait I'll be ready to leave for the airport as soon as I finish sewing this 100 Good Wishes Quilt." So today I decided to cross one of the simple things off the list...KayLi's laundry.


For the very first time, I washed her little dresses and matched her little socks. It sounds so simple but I LOVED folding little clothes again. To say that I loved doing laundry...any laundry...is such an amazing act God. Seriously a true miracle! I am not exaggerating when I say I LOATH laundry! I can't stand to start a job I can't finish and laundry is NEVER finished. But today it was such a joy!!! Amazing!!!

Two of the things I washed were blankets we are getting ready for a care package we'll be sending to China. One we will mail her and one we will take to China. That way if the orphanage staff leaves the first one at the orphanage maybe KayLi will recognize the one we bring. I'll do the same thing with a little doll, as soon as I find just the right one!

I guess I should go for now. I have cupboards to clean out, two rooms to paint, child safety latches to install, and a quilt to sew!!!

Favorite Photo Saturday?

My sweet/crazy/hilarious friend Priscilla has been helping me paint like a mad person over the last couple months. We have painted Emily's room, KayLi's room, a long hallway and next week we are starting on the master bedroom. She has been such a huge help and I can't wait to start painting HER bedroom!

I think I'm one of the few people who actually likes to paint. It is such an easy way to completely change the look and feel of a room. And new paint just smells clean...I love it! It is also keeping me from loosing my mind while we wait to travel!

This picture was taken when Pricsilla decided she and Emily should look like cats while we painted KayLi's room. Interior latex just can't be good for your skin, right? I'm almost done with the last few projects in her room and then I'll post about it in all it's soft green and pinkness :0)

GLORY!!!

Three weeks ago we received a referral and yesterday we received our Pre-Approval!!!! My heart is so full of emotion and my eyes are so full of tears that I don't know how to express all that I feel! Last time was so hard that when we got this referral...this beautiful referral...I couldn't let myself get excited or really believe it. Now that we have pre-approval, I can't hold back tears every time I look at her picture...I so wish I could share her picture with you!

So here is what we know so far:
She is 2 and 1/2 years old.
She has a repaired cleft lip and unrepaired cleft palate.
She is in Jining City, Shandong Provence.
She is "Healthy and adorable."
She is "outgoing and busy."
She "likes to be praised, esp. for being pretty."
She "gets along well with other kids."
She's potty trained...really?
She can say some simple words.
She shares the same hometown as Confucius.
She is loved already!!!!!

Please join us in praising God for her and praying for her as we wait to travel. I'm so hoping we travel before her third birthday at the end of Aug. Since our paperwork was reviewed forever ago, I'm praying for a quick RA and homecoming several weeks before Emily starts junior high...I don't even like typing the words junior high but that's a whole other post!

If anyone knows of ANYONE who has adopted from Jining City I would REALLY appreciate a connect. I am finding nothing online at all. I'll be asking around the chat rooms now that we have our PA but so far...nothing. Apparently their overall abandonment rate is low and adoptions from there are rare. I appreciate any help you all may have :0)

God is Glorious!!!!

If you haven't discovered the blog "Signs of Hope", you are missing a true blessing. I have been meaning to add their button to my sidebar for awhile. Today her post reminded me of how important it is for anyone who has adopted from China to see it through her eyes. I just read how she and her husband found their calling and I don't even know what to say except that you HAVE to read it yourself. Grab a cup of coffee, a box of tissues and enjoy!

I'm so NOT Bakerella...

but her Cake Balls were amazing and everyone at church tonight loved them!

Extra Credit

We were trimming back some jasmine a little while ago and discovered two birds nests. One was older and empty. The other had three tiny blue eggs inside. With no mama bird in sight Allie quickly took a picture with his phone.

I was so excited to get to show Emily the eggs. I thought she would like to see how different they look than chicken eggs. I even thought she may want to find out what type of bird they belonged to. But she didn't really care. All she wanted was the older nest...for extra credit in science!

Don't birds nests have like mites or bugs living in them...eeewww!!! I think I'm going to surround the shoebox with packaging tape!!!!

Favorite Photo Friday

Aaaahhhhh...my sweet nephew Will! He asked my sister in law to take this picture of him because "I a cool kid at the park." He has been saying some of the cutest things lately!

Things like:

"I like this store. They got good snacks." They were at Sams!

"You a strong cool dad." After my brother picked him up.

"I gonna make a birthday cake for my best friend, girl friend Mommy."

He's also heard a lot about his new little cousin coming from China and loves Ni Hoa Kai-lan. The combination has created some one liners that will be talked about at family gatherings for years to come! Here are a few of my favorites:

"Mom, why they don't got forks in China? Why they just got sticks?"

"They got a big wall in China. I donno know why, but they got a big wall."

"Mom, take me to China to see my cousin and eat dumplings."

I'm right there with you Will!!!!

He Knows HER Name

When your baby is on the other side of the world, it's so easy to let your thoughts wonder to all you don't know about her and all you can't do for her. All you want is to know her and be there with her. To take care of her, watch her grow and to just sing to her.

But Sunday as we sang, God whispered Zephaniah 3:17 to me. It says,

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

How awesome is it that even though I can't be with her, he is?! He delights in her, comforts her and even rejoices over her with singing!

As we were singing "He Knows My Name" God spoke straight to my heart. He reminded me that even though I don't know who KayLi is, it's OK, because HE does. He made her and he loves her. He knows her name, sees her every tear, and hears her every thought. He is her Father and her Maker. He will never leave her, no matter where she goes.

Don't you LOVE it when God does that. There you are worshiping and telling God how YOU feel about him and he reminds you of how HE feels about you. He blows my mind every time!



I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands

I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go

He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call

Gifts!!!

My Sweet friend Traci came by the other day with the most amazing gift for KayLi!!! It was this huge gift bag full of all kinds of things that helped make their trip to China more comfortable. I had never thought of a beach ball...simply brilliant!! I can't tell you how fun it was to go though this bag of goodies and imagine what it will be like to finally get to use these things! Well, maybe not the scabies medicine that, praise God, you didn't need!

My other sweet friend Priscilla seems to bring KayLi something every time she comes over. I hear the same thing each time... "I was at Wal Mart and couldn't help myself." I can't wait to see her in these bright colors! And these are the most amazing snack cups ever!!!

Of course my mom has been shopping too. She has gone ladybug crazy!!! And Allie loves the fact that she already owns a Spurs outfit. She won't be home long before she's cheering
"Go Spurs Go".

Mrs. Baggett, who we go to church with, surprised us one Sunday, almost two years ago, with this super snugglie blanket for KayLi. She even embroidered her name on it!

Allie's cousin Jennifer sent these adorable gifts over two years ago also...man the wait has taken forever! This blanket is sooooo soft!!! And you've gotta love all the pink!

Priscilla also bought KayLi this turtle bath tub toy scooper. Girl, you really have to stop going into the baby department!!! But I LLLOOOOVVVVVEEEE it!!!!

Thank you all SO MUCH for your thoughtfulness and generosity. It's so encouraging to know other people are thinking of her while we wait. She is so spoiled....I mean LOVED...already!!!