Beijing Day 2

Beijing Day 2

I thought I had beat the jet lag and was transitioned to China time, but waking at 1am last night proved otherwise. I had been sleeping for 4 hours, and after that, not much more. But all is good. I think after today, I’m ready to sleep for a LONG TIME! Just an FYI, China is 15 hours ahead of the West Coast of the US. Right now it’s 7:20pm on Saturday night, but it’s 4:20 am Saturday morning in the US.

Our day started with another great breakfast. We met our guide at 8:30 am and headed off to the Great Wall with a side stop at a Jade Factory. We learned how Jade is carved and its importance in China. We bought a few small things, just because. There is a picture of Kacie standing between to replicas of Terricota Soldiers made of Jade. Then we were off to the Wall. But on the way, we got to experience a Chinese traffic jam. You know, the kind where there are 4 lanes drawn on the highway, yet somehow there are 6-7 lanes of cars? It was pretty bad. I think I could live here and still not get over this traffic and how people drive. Even Dan says he would never drive here. I also can’t get over how many people ride bikes and no one wears a helmet, even the little kids who are literally sometimes hanging off the back of the bikes! Overall, the people have been so good to us here. We haven’t met any Americans here in Beijing, but I did meet an adoptive couple from Canada and one from Europe.

We finally arrived at the Great Wall. I have to say, I wasn’t prepared for how steep it was. I knew the steps were uneven, but wow! There is something to say for even steps. You had to really watch your footing. The pollution here is so awful, so the view of the wall was covered in smog, but we could still see it, and we were there! It was a magnificent visit, but it was very hot and humid too. I am so glad we had that opportunity. Our guide did not go up with us, but she was so nice to let Kacie borrow her hat. Kacie and Charlotte have really hit it off! Kacie just loves her.

Then we went out to lunch at a tourist area that takes lots of buses and tour groups. It was a great lunch, and then there was some more shopping of all things Chinese, but we skipped that part.

We were able to come back to the room for about 40 min, enough time for all of us to shower, and then it was off to an acrobatic show. It was a great way to end the day. Very relaxing and entertaining.

Wow, Beijing in 2 days. We are exhausted tonight. It’s 7:10 here, and Kacie is getting ready for bed. I’m not far behind. I am not sure if I’ll get a chance to post tomorrow, but here’s the plan:

On Sunday (tomorrow morning), we will meet our guide between around 11:30, drive to the airport, and our plane leaves Beijing at 2:10. We will fly to Nanjing, and that’s when the purpose of this trip completely takes a 180 degree turn. It has been so nice to have a chance to experience Chinese history and culture for a few days, but now, it’s time to do what we came here for. We will be very busy tomorrow night getting ready for Tyson, so I don’t know if I’ll post or not. We need to do laundry, that I know, whether we find a washing machine or just use a bathtub (I brought detergent!). I am already regretting not bringing more toys for him. We learned he is Kacie’s “di di” or little brother. Kacie is his “Jie Jie (jyeh jyeh)” or big sister. I am mama, Dan is baba. I can’t wait to see what he thinks of us!

We are so thankful for everyone’s prayers. God has been so good to us since we arrived in China. In one of the pictures Kacie is holding a sign that says "Ni Hao Harbor City Church" which means "Hello HCC." We really appreciate the support of the church. It was fun to hold up the sign and have all the people walk by and read aloud the sign. The Chinese people loved it, as they read it and smiled.

Thank you so much for the emails. I love getting them--in fact we all do. I think as the time goes on, hearing from people from home will be important. We can't see our blog but we know Lori is doing great at posting. I can't wait to see it!

Jolene

First Day Photos

More Photos







Here are the rest of the first day's photos. I can't quite figure out how to not have them just like a list at the beginning of the post so decided to post them separately! I am getting the hang of it a bit and did better this time.
Enjoy!
Lori

Beijing City Tour

Beijing City Tour

Words can’t describe our wonderful, perfect day. We woke up at 3:30 am, still adjusting to the time difference. We went downstairs to a lovely breakfast at the hotel at 6:30am. We had time before we met our guide, so after breakfast we ventured out on to the streets. Can you say “Shopping District”? My favorite was the huge statue of Yao Ming outside of Reebok. Most stores were closed, but it was just a great way to get comfortable with our surroundings. There is a Catholic church down the street, and two people were getting wedding pictures. Kacie was stared at by everyone, but more on that later.

Let’s talk about Chinese drivers. First, stop lights are merely a suggestion. Second, if you need to, it is perfectly acceptable to drive in the wrong lane if you need to get around the person in front of you, regardless if pedestrians are crossing. Last, two vehicles can compete in for the same lane by basically a game of chicken, seeing who gives up first. We witnessed all of these, and we were in the van for the last one! Our driver won (scariest 5 seconds of my life)! She’s the best driver ever! Oh, and I’ve never heard so many horns in my life. If you are going to change lanes, forget the blinker, just use your horn.

We left our hotel at 9:00 for Tiananmen Square. This is basically like The Mall in DC. A lot of political symbolism. October 1st is the 60th anniversary for National Day here, so the building with Mao’s picture is being renovated, but they left a space so Mao’s picture can be seen. Great experience, as we also added a new word to our Chinese Vocabulary: Hoo-yah, which means “we don’t want any”. This was all the vendors. If you just say No, they keep following. Oh, Kacie was a little pro with this word! Many vendors were told “Hoo-yah” by Kacie! The guide just thought it was great, I found it humorous. It’s not that we were being rude, Charlotte just said if we used typical Chinese terms rather than “No” we wouldn’t be bothered as much. Some vendors were very aggressive. And about our guide Charlotte, wow! She is the best. She and Kacie hit it off well.

Next stop: Forbidden City. I wish I still taught the upper grades to put some of this into my lessons. I learned soooooo much! While our guide went to buy tickets, we became celebrities. It started with two sweet 12 year old girls who wanted a picture with us. Soon it was whole families. Even a teen boy wanted a pic with Dan! The girls said to Kacie, “You are so beautiful!” and Kacie said, “You are very pretty.” It was so sweet. It never got out of hand, but I was nervous for a second or two. The Forbidden City itself is amazing. I could write a lot just about that part, but trust me when I say, it is amazing! In one of the pictures of the forbidden city, Kacie is holding a green perisol, and our guide is walking along side her. Charlotte even bought Kacie ice cream!

Then it was off to lunch at a typical, authentic Chinese restaurant. This was one of the most shocking parts of the day for me. It was sooooo loud! Unbelievably loud, and they smoked inside! Our guide got up for a second to check on something, and while we were eating, a Chinese woman sat between Kacie and I and wanted to get a picture with us—while we were eating!!!

Next stop: Silk Factory. Again, very educational. I bought a silk purse, and Kacie was given two cocoons, single and double. And the best part: it was air conditioned. It is so hot, after being outside 5 minutes, you are sweating, hair is frizzed, and clothes are sticky.

Dan and I are just in awe of the architecture of the buildings here. They are not cookie cutter replicas of each other. Each building has it’s own shape and style. And they go on and on. And there are apartments as far as the eye can see. You can’t even imagine it until you see the rows and rows…

Final Destination: Olympic Games Park. Kacie was exhausted at this point, and so were we. But to go to Beijing and not at least see the Bird’s Nest? Out of the question. So we made the drive and stopped to take some photos. We could have done more, but we were all feeling the effects of the day’s walking and heat. At that point our guide left, and driver drove us back to the Hotel, and that’s when we learned the lane-change rule. I am telling you, these people are the best crazy drivers in the world!

Back at the hotel, we went for a swim and then went on to dinner at a little restaurant across the street. Everything is reasonably priced. We cannot drink the water and must be careful about certain things. $1.00USD = $6.70RMB (Yuan). We went to a little store to buy more bottled water, and even the guy there touched Kacie’s hair! The people here are just in awe of her. Now we are winding down to prepare for tomorrow: The Great Wall tomorrow mid morning, Jade factory in the afternoon, and an Acrobat Show in the evening.

It is now after 8pm, so I need to get rested up. We meet our guide at 8:30am, and it’s a 1.5 hour drive to the Bataling section of the Great Wall.

Thanks for following along, and thank you for all of your prayers. God is showing me a side of this world I never knew existed. I could go on and on about our day. It was incredible.

Contact Info

I forgot to mention that we cannot see comments on our blog because we cannot access our blog (blocked here, along with facebook), which is why Lori is updating it! Thanks again Lori, you are a blessing! I know the adoption community is singing your praises too, as we enjoy "stalking" traveling families blogs! If you'd like to be in touch with us or just send a message, our email is djkpowell@msn.com

Please do not be offended if I do not return your email. It could be that I tried and it would not go through. About 1 out of 5 web pages open, and about 1 out of 3 messages actually send. I'm sure you understand how time consuming it would be to sit and try and try to respond when it won't work!

Thanks again for following along! Pictures tonight after our city tour (assuming I can download them!). Today (Friday) is Tiannamen Square, Forbidden City, and Olympic Games Park. We may just drive by Olympic Games, as our guide says it is VERY hot in that area, and it will be our last stop. We just have to monitor Kacie. We have also been prepped that many Chinese people may come and touch Kacie's hair and want pictures. This is peak travel season, so many people have never seen a child with hair like hers. So far, the Chinese people have been kind and easy going (except the guy that almost hit Dan and the one who yelled at them in the pool).

Jolene

We're Here!!!

China! We're here. LONG flight, not comfortable. I did not sleep. Kacie did a little, Dan did a little. It is hotter than hot. Muggy, sticky hot.

The people here have been so nice. We actually navigated the Bejing airport easier than the Sea Tac airport!

Beautiful hotel, great guide, we are exhausted as you can imagine. We are 15 hours ahead of you. I see on my computer it is 1:17 am for you, but it's 4:17 pm here.

Dan learned that China doesn't stop for pedestrians. The guide told him to come out to cross the street (went to buy water), and a car almost clipped him. People drive insanely. We watched from our van, and it was nuts!

More tomorrow!
Jolene

The Flight

**I typed this on the plane so I wouldn't forget the crazy details of the day.

We woke up at 3:45 because somebody always insists on being beyond. We arrived at the airport at 5:00am for our 7:21 flight. First we were given the run around on what line to get in. Next we were told we had to take our money belts off at security. I actually felt better about this plan anyway. Grabbed breakfast and went to the gate. We were only 20 minutes before boarding, when the dreaded “FLIGHT DELAYED” sign came up. Evidently, San Francisco had too much air traffic, there was fog, and they were down to one runway. So the announcement “Flight XYZ will now leave at 8:00am and arrive at 10:47 in SFO.

WHAT!!!!! Our connecting flight to Beijing was at 11:05! And how did a 2hr 15 min flight turn into 2hrs 45 min? This was supposed to be the EASY flight! So after stressing for a few minutes, I went to counter. Yes, the Beijing flight was still on time. I was fit to be tied. This was the flight I was NOT nervous about. If we missed the connection, we’d miss so much and be so tired the next day for our trip. And the last thing I wanted to do was navigate an airport in Tokyo. Oh, this was not happening!

So this is how I started the day with 6 boarding passes and ended with 12. We had our original seats to SFO. The attendant was able to get us in the front of the plane so that we could get off quickly and get to the Beijing flight. If we did miss the connecting flight, plan B was a flight leaving SFO at 1:00, routing through Tokyo, and on to Beijing, landing 6 hours later than planned. I think the Lord saw that I was at my limit. I looked at Dan and attendant in desperation. I asked why there was the extra half hour on the flight to SFO, and she said we might have to sit on the tarmac for awhile because of the air traffic on the ground. Sweet. By this time, I’m a nervous wreck. So I get 6 new boarding passes. 3 for the new seats, 3 for the backup plan. I had boarding passes in the most bizarre places of my back pack, and I could barely find the ones I actually needed!

So Dan walked up to the boarding line before it was our turn, and of course I found someone to talk to. The next thing I knew, Dan and one of the attendants were talking with two Chinese women. One was Ling Ling, and she spoke very little English and was traveling back to China on the same flight as us. Her friend or translator (not sure) was explaining that she needed help once arriving at SFO, so they had asked if she could walk with us at SFO. Of course, we were happy to. I was so proud, I said, “Ni Hao Ling Ling!” And she said, “Ni Hao” back! And that was the extent of my Chinese, and I wished immediately I had learned more Mandarin phrases. Furthermore, I left my book of phrases in my suitcase, thinking I wouldn’t need it! Dan and Kacie boarded the plane, and then Ling Ling and I boarded. We were in row 6, she was in 14. She seemed confused so I showed her the ticket seat # and then the numbers on the rows. Then she understood.

And Praise the Lord, Thank You Jesus! We made it to SFO at 10:00, and we got to our gate 7 minutes before boarding. The flight was uneventful. Kacie and I were separate from Dan due to the seat move, and she sat next to a man from Seattle on his way to Columbia. He was very nice to her and talked to her as she asked him questions. I was relieved because I know Kacie can be pretty wiggly and talkative, but she showed him all her activity books and her first journal entry (oh connect group, you’ll love it! Her first entry is a picture of me at the airport and it says something to the extent of “Mom stop stressin’!).

So upon landing, Kacie and I got off the plane to find directions to our connecting flight, and Dan waiting for Ling Ling. Kacie kept saying, “Mama, where’s Ling Ling?” She wanted to make sure we had her! We made it no problem, but I didn’t have time to find Starbucks. So as we boarded, we said good-bye to Ling Ling. She was so sweet as she shook all of our hands. It didn’t matter that we didn’t speak the language. On the plane Kacie enjoyed walking to the back of the plane to wave at her.

So now we are just over half way to Beijing. Our flight is VERY empty. I’d say half full on a Boeing 777. I had to do a ton of paperwork (well, it felt like it) for the three of us, and I was so thankful to have people next to me who could read Chinese because I needed information from it (where the visa was issued) and it was written in Chinese. So I asked them, and they quickly answered, “Chicago.” I knew that, I really did…but I was so stressed I couldn’t come up with it. Kacie had her princess moment about 3-4 hours into the flight. She was hungry, thirsty, uncomfortable, and wanted to turn the plane around. It was a defining moment because we told her we were over the ocean and there was nothing we could do at this point. She fell asleep, and after that, no complaining at all.

At the airport hotel...

and I already realized two things we forgot, and I'm regretting not bringing more toys for Tyson. Hopefully we can buy some in Beijing or Nanjing!!!

Kacie and Dan went for a swim. We have an 8:00 bedtime tonight. Kacie was so excited to get into her carry-on to start playing with her stuff (I think "carry-on" is her new favorite word.)

If I can be honest, I'm getting really nervous. I can feel my heart beating in my throat. At this time tomorrow, I'll be half way to China! Kacie's other favorite phrase: "Mom, stop stressin'!"

She's right. But last night it was my stomach in knots. Tonight it's my heart beating out of my chest. Mentally I know what to do and think, so evidently suppressing it makes the stress come out physically! Ugh!

I think that's my cue...I'm going to bed! Good night!

Isaiah 43:7 and last night at home

Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. Isaiah 43:7

I got a little choked up tonight (what else is new...) that this is our last night at home, just us three. It's been us three for 8 years. Now there will be 4, and we know there are rough times ahead, but it will also be the greatest adventure of our lives. I laid in bed with Kacie as she slept, and I prayed for her. I think she heard me, even better!

Do we know what's ahead? No, but our Father in heaven does. He clearly told me today to stop worrying, we will be fine! My head says OK, but would someone please tell my stomach that is tied in knots? It's not cooperating with what my brain is saying.

So I'm going to bed, and hopefully I'll wake up in the morning at peace, knowing that the waiting is over, and the real journey is beginning. Tyson will be ours in a week. Less than a week. His room is ready, we are ready, and he is ready. So let's get this show on the road, shall we! We leave tomorrow to stay over night to catch our early flight at the airport Wed. AM. We arrive in Beijing 1:40am Thurs PST, 2:40pm in Beijing.

I am humbled by the outpouring of support of the last year. Thank you, and may God bless you!

Preparing to leave

We are testing this out. My friend Lori is going to post my emails to my blog.

Well, we are about 80% packed. After our travel meeting Friday, we were ready to leave right then and there. We have talked with everyone staying at our house, and things seem to be good at that end. Overall, we are ready!

Church was amazing today. We were prayed for by our pastors, connect group leaders, and Lori...and if I missed anyone, I truly apologize. I spoke for a few minutes about our journey and specifics to pray for. After the service, we were truly humbled. A man we'd never met gave us a very special cross to carry on our trip. It has an amazing story, and we feel honored that he would give it to us to take on our trip to help cover us through the hard times. Many people came up to us and gave us hugs, and many had adoption stories to share or advice to give. I am so blessed to have such an amazing church family.

Then tonight at connect group, we prayed (and I cried...again...what is with all the crying?), and Kacie was given some gifts for the plane. She was so excited, yet couldn't understand why someone would do that for her. She's a very giving girl, so for someone to give to her, she didn't quite understand. She was very thankful. One of the gifts was a little note book, and we had been discussing that she needed a journal to capture her memories of China. Overall, we are just so thankful for our connect group and their prayers and how supportive they have been. I just met these people in September - February (I think) but I feel like I've known them for a long time.

OK, so that's it! If you're reading this, then Lori has successfully completed her first post! If you can see the picture, Lori did that too. This is actually a picture of Badaling, the area of the Great Wall that we will be experiencing at the end of this week. Oh my gosh, this trip is happening! Praise God! Tyson will be home in no time.

More on the Tyson Update

1. He is still in diapers.
2. Drinks from a cup with handles.
3. No food allergies
4. Kind to others, shares food and toys.
5. Likes toys that are electric or make noise.
6. Says "Mama" "Nai Nai" "Lao Shi" and other double words. Understands very well.
7. In the "Little Sisters Program" as of Aug. 1, which is a Half the Sky Preschool program for little ones.
8. He is gentle and easy going.
9. He hasn't been trained to use eating utensils. The nannies feed the kids, but he can eat with his fingers.

For kids in orphanages, it's not that they can't do things; It's often lack of opportunity. Well, he'll get lots of opportunities when he gets home, that's for sure!

Look at this picture! I think it was taken a month or so ago. He still has hair, and it's the same shirt as the day of his birthday picture. Looks like a healthy child to me!!!

Tyson UPDATE!!!

A new picture and new info! I got some great information through Lady Bugs N Love. But here's the best part: I asked if he knows he has a family coming. The reply: "Yes, he knows. He was so excited that the first night he heard you are coming wouldn't take a nap."

I had a flip out moment today...

OK, maybe more than a few. I have spent months and months preparing for this trip, and now I find that I am not ready! Packing is a nightmare. Too many medicines, gifts are too big, and not enough stuff for Tyson I'm sure. Now I think I need more money, but I can't get anymore new bills. There are so many little things...ugh!

My biggest worries are still the quarantine and the TB testing. We will survive the TB testing, but it will push all of our appointments back another week. But the TB testing is scary. The Scr*ggs family has to leave their daughter in China! The CDC heartless jerks that they are decided that little Harper, age 4, must stay in China. I am sick beyond words about this. If we have to come home without Tyson...well I can't go there.

So I lean on God. God is all that I have. Oh yes, my husband and daughter I can lean on, but really God is the one whose hand is in this and will lead us through it all. He has been preparing us for quite some time. So even though I don't feel prepared, I know that I am because God is preparing a table for me! The 23rd Psalms is not just about death, but about life and how God prepares us. I also know that God has a huge plan for Tyson's life.

Knowing this, I can continue to get ready to leave. I'm sure the tears aren't over, but in less than a week, we'll be Beijing! Please pray for us!

My other babies!

This is Koby, our labrador, and she will be our guard dog while we are gone. She will wake the neighbors if anyone so much as walks by our house. She is partially blind, but her senses are very keen. Someone will be here every morning and night to care for her, and many neighbors will come by to play fetch as well. Koby celebrated her 9th birthday on July 30th. She is one beautiful baby! We had a two year old over here, and Koby was fantastic with her! She played, yet kept a safe distance and never knocked down the toddler. I am so excited for Tyson to meet Koby.

This is my high maintenance dog. We actually refer to him as "The Pug". Those of you with pugs know, they're not really dogs. We don't know what they are. They are disgusting little creatures who will spit in your face because they love you to pieces. Rocky the pug is about to lose his status as the baby of the family. I wish there was a way to prepare him for Tyson. Rocky will be with my Mom while we are gone, but my mom will come to our house and stay many nights so that Rocky still knows where home is.

I am going to miss my dogs soooooo much! They are my kids, and I love then so much. I am so lucky for family and friends who also love them and are willing to care for them while we are gone. We also have an outside cat and a 100 gallon fish tank. No more animals!

Pray for the Scr*ggs Family

The family that I discussed in an earlier post needs all the prayers they can get. They are the Scr*ggs family, and they are still being told they can't bring their daughter home due to a positive TB test, even though she is not contagious. The CDC really needs to change this rule. This is not good for kids and families. We know that God will be with us, but we are still nervous about the TB test. Maybe we need prayer too. We need our faith now more than ever.

Leaving in 9 days, meeting Ty in 2 weeks!

I cannot believe it. We meet Tyson in two weeks. It hit me today, I HAVE A DUE DATE!!! LOL!

All of our stuff will not fit into our suitcases. I am going to have to bite the bullet and pay extra for extra luggage at the airport. Darn it! Not an expense I was counting on.

I have so much to do at school, it's mind boggling, but it's nothing that I can have others do for me. I have to do it. I met with my sub today, and we're working tomorrow. I will wrap things up on Wednesday at school. K-Bear has been going to church day camp, so that's my time to work. She fell asleep at 6:30 tonight. She is so tired.

So Thursday is school clothes day for K-Bear, Friday is travel meeting with out agency, Saturday is packing day for all of us, Sunday is church and church small group, Monday is one last time at school and final arrangements, and we are leaving Tuesday afternoon! We fly out of Sea Tac early Wednesday morning, so we are staying up in Sea Tac.

Unbelievable. It's finally here, and the countdown is in single digits until we leave. We have arranged our house sitters so someone his here all the time. For that we are thankful and blessed for our great family and friends. Dogs are taken care of, and I hope I'm not forgetting anything! If I am, will someone please let me know?

Have a great week!

Family in China now needs our help and prayers!

This family is in China adopting their 4 year old daughter. I do not know them, I only learned of their situation days ago. Their daughter has tested positive for TB, but she is not contagious. Yet, the US will not give her a visa! This is a new law as of July 1.

So let me get this straight...anyone from anywhere else can get a passport and come to the US, and we don't know if they are positive for TB. But an adopted child? This 4 year old, who already is calling her parents Mama and Papa, will have to go back to her orphanage. THIS IS CRUEL!!!

If you know anyone who can help, please make a phone call. And even more importantly, SIGN THIS PETITION! If this happens to us, I don't know what we'd do. This family is already financially strapped. There is not much more they can do because they both must return to the US.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/build-families-not-barriers.html

Travel Info!!!

Oh my! I knew life would speed up, but I had no idea that the next 10 days will now be mapped out for every minute of the day! I need to finish my classroom! I learned who my sub will be, and I'm very happy. We will meet next week. We worked out the details of Dan's leave, and God came through in a huge way, but it's complicated to explain. Just suffice it to say God knows our needs and meets them! Today is finishing Ty's room and taking Dan to my classroom to do the "guy" stuff. I need some nails for letter cards, help with things that require a ladder (I'm afraid of heights), etc...

OK, here's what I know about travel:

Aug. 11th: Go to Sea Tac
Aug. 12th: Fly out early AM, one stop in San Francisco
Aug. 13th: Arrive in Beijing, staying at Wangfujing Grand Hotel
Aug. 13-16: Tour Beijing
Aug. 16th: Fly to Nanjing in PM, staying at Mandarin Garden Hotel
Aug. 17th: GOTCHA TYSON!!!!
Aug. 18th: Adoption Day
Aug 19-21: In Nanjing
Aug. 21st: Fly out to Guangzhou in PM, staying at White Swan Hotel
Aug. 22nd: TB test and shots/Medical Exam for Tyson
Aug. 23rd: Open
Aug. 24: Results of TB test
Aug. 25: Consulate Appt.
Aug. 26: Take Oath, get visa
Aug. 27: Fly from Guangzhou to Shanghai to San Fran to Sea Tac!!!

Wow! Unreal that I'm even typing that. It looks like several of us from RQ are going to be in Guangzhou at the same time. If anyone reading this has stayed at Wangfujing or Mandarin Gardens has any advice, let me know. I think someone said to bring ear plugs if staying at the MG. I bought a whole container!

Please be praying for us as we embark on this amazing new part of our journey. We are specifically concerned about H1N1/Quarantine in Beijing, that Gotcha day will go as well as possible, and that the TB test will be negative.

Have a great day! And THANK YOU for your support over the last crazy few months!
Jolene

CA CONFIRMED!

Can you believe it? Something went right AND in a timely manner! We got our first choice for the Consulate Appt, Aug. 25!!! Too much to do now, more later! Thanks for your prayers. God is so good!

TRAVEL APPROVAL! It's here!

Yes yes yes! It's really here. I got the call today around 12:15 while shopping. I actually missed the call if you can believe that. My phone was in my purse, but I must not have heard it ring. Weeks and weeks of waiting for the call, and I missed it! Good fun!

So, we are hoping to get a CA (Consulate Appointment) for the 25th. I will post the itinerary later. Gotcha day should be Aug. 17th!!!

I am sooooo happy. In two weeks, I'll be on a plane to China. WOW! Thank you to everyone who has followed our journey and prayed for us. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am. :)

Thoughts of Summer

So our temps were in triple digits today. I am not accustomed to this, and yet it was a glimpse of our trip to China. It looks like temps from Beijing to Nanjing to Guangzhou range in the upper 80s to lower 90s. I hope it stays that way and goes no higher. This 101+ degree stuff is not for me.

So I was thinking about the question I get asked a lot as a teacher, and that is, "How's your summer?" This particular summer I only get asked that by those who I haven't seen in awhile and don't know I'm adopting. The words I really want to say is, "This summer has been the worst summer of my life." All the PAPs (prospective adoptive parents) out there, especially waiting for TA, know what I'm talking about. This wait is horrific. For two weeks, I did basically nothing but stalk the internet forums and blogs just looking for word that TAs were mailed.

But for all of the bad comes good. The PAPs know what I'm talking about here: That feeling of, "Oh my goodness, we are really doing this. We are really going to China and bringing a child home with us!" It hits you like a ton of bricks at the oddest of times. I won't be sitting in front of the TV with my lap top when K-bear is at her friend's house because I will be cuddling, swinging, walking, talking, and loving on my new son. It's going to be the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but we're up for it and more than ready. As ready as we're going to be.

Although so far this has been the most boring summer of my life, by the time it is over, it's going to be life-changing, and we'll never be the same!

We are hoping for TA tomorrow! Between the heat and the anticipation, I'm not sure how I'm going to sleep tonight.

No TA, but good news!!!!

I got an unexpected call this morning. Evidently my agency found out that my TA has been issued. This most likely means it was mailed today and is on it's way! We should see it Wed-Fri, and then we can request a consulate appt, then we can celebrate! Tentative departure date is Aug. 12th.

But I've had my hopes up before, so I'm just going to keep praying and hoping that all will work out. I feel so much better now! Tyson, we're coming buddy! Hang in there!

The road to Tyson, Part 5

I had no idea this story was this long, but I guess that's why it's a journey!

So we had been praying about what to do. It was early/mid November, and we just needed a break through. We were scared and nervous. On one hand, we felt like if we had doubts about his small stature and measurements, we should not adopt Li Chen. But on the otherhand, that's what sn international adoption is. There will always be doubts no matter what. More information usually means you have more questions! The door wasn't closing all the way. But at last, Dan said he truly felt we shouldn't move forward, and I cried and cried, knowing that if we weren't both on board 100%, we shouldn't move forward.

So I woke up the next morning and I was checking my email. I get a verse of the day, and here's the verse I read:

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

This verse is in response to God chosing David to be the next King of Israel. The Lord doesn't see people as man does. David wasn't the biggest or strongest--God rejected those. God looked at David's heart. At that moment, I knew Li Chen, our Tyson, was meant to be ours. I called out to Dan to read the verse. When we soaked in the context of the verse, we both had tears. We knew that this is bigger than us. Maybe it's not so much us choosing Tyson, but God choosing us for Tyson. We could have a child with perfect measurements, but that child may not be meant for us. I believe God made us go through all of this to see if we could really trust Him. And when we were about to give in, God clearly spoke to us and answered our prayer.

I got to school that morning, and my told my good friend and teaching partner Lori about how God finally made it clear to us. She asked, "What time?" As it turned out, at the same time as this was happening, Lori and our pastor's wife were praying for us and our adoption! Lori has been with me on this journey everyday, and without her, I am not sure how I would have coped on a day to day basis.

So, there were still moments of thinking...we're really doing this?! Wow! I still didn't make a big deal about it in the adoption community, but slowly I began to blog and be part of the sn adoption community. It took me a long time to feel safe, but my prayer was answered. God made it abundantly clear, we are supposed to adopt this little boy.

Am I still nervous? Yes, who wouldn't be! I'm traveling across an ocean to a place I've never been to adopt a boy who needs a cleft palate surgery. Well, I guess when I put it like that, it's scary. But really, I'm excited beyond belief. I am going to be a mom, Dan is going to be a dad, and K-Bear is going to be a big sister!

So that is my story of how we came to the decision to adopt Tyson. I hope it helps someone out there. Obviously, I don't know how this is all going to turn out, but as I wait for TA, I can tell you that God has stretched my faith into places I didn't know existed. He has reshaped my heart, and all I can do is give God the glory.

Now, let's get Tyson home! My prayer is for a TA this week so we can be home before the end of August with Ty. Can you pray for us too? I know so many of you are. I am truly blessed to have everyone reading this in my life and following our adoption journey as we travel to Tyson!

The road to Tyson, Part 4

We left off with the locking of Tyson's file--Chang Li Chen's file. I am going to give the short version of teh next 2 months.

We had both decided that as long as we got positive news from the doctor, it was a go. So we talked to a doctor who specializes in looking at adoption files. It was a 12:30 conference call. I was at school and arranged with our fabulous, wonderful PE teacher (who also happens to be a great friend!) to take my students for an earlier PE time. Dan was sleeping from working graveyard shifts. 12:30 on the dot, the call came. First, the doctor thought he looked great! She knew a lot about cl/cp, as she had also done a similar adoption. With that said, she was very concerned about his measurements, particularly his head measurement. This little peanut was not even on the US/CDC growth charts in height, weight, and head circumference. This could lead to some problems down the road. Also, in his pictures he was propped with pillows, and we figured that he was 11 months old. But he had also just had surgery. Did this mean he had a serious developmental delay, or was he just behind due to his rough start in life and would get back on track? The hard part was we weren't quite sure when the measurements were taken, but we figured it had to be between 8 and 9 months of age. His lip repair was at 10 months, so what the doctor wanted was updated measurements and to find out if he was walking yet.

So this was not what we expected. We had expected a clear "YES" or "NO". Not a "Let's get more info..." Well, that ended up not being so easy. First we tried a service to get the info, but of course, early October was "Harvest Festival" so all was shut down for the week. I waited a few days into the next week, and I finally emailed this service, and the email back said that the orphanage would not reveal any information. I called the agency in hysterics. How can we make an informed decision with no information? On one hand, there was medical risk. On the other hand, any referral is going to have risk, and there were too many good things about little Li Chen. First, his sn was one we knew we could handle. Second, he was sponsored by Half the Sky, which means he has experienced love and hopefully attachment and bonding. Third, in his pictures you could see him interacting with people, and most of his paperwork showed a child who was on track, other than not sitting up unattended. But my own daughter, who was one month premie, was not sitting up without a pillow until 8 months.

So my agency asked CCAA for updated measurements and asked some questions. We knew we many not get the info in a timely manner, and if not, we may have to pull our LOI. I was a wreck. I walked around with this heavy heart and guilt. Maybe we shouldn't have put in our LOI. We thought he was fine, but now we didn't know.

Finally, on October 31st, we got the update. He had grown, and he was now bearing weight on his legs and walking holding onto things. For a 16 month old in an orphanage, this is very typical, so we very happy about that. His length/height was now on the chart, but weight and head circ was not, but he had made growth and was closing the gap to getting on the charts. We forwarded this on to the IA doctor. She still was hesitant about his head size, and the following week she sent me a huge article about people with microcephally, which just means that a person has a headsize that is more than 2 Standard Deviations from the norm. In plain terms, it means a small head, and mental retardation, low IQ, etc... can go along with this condition. I just thought he was proportionally small, so he'd be OK. Some doctors believe this to be true, others do not. They believe small head=small brain.

I began locating blogs, asking questions, searching yahoo groups, and anything else that would help us make our decision. Is he OK? Will he be OK? Could this get any worse? We prayed, our chuch connect group prayed, our friends prayed. Our prayer was for God to make it clear whether or not we were supposed to adopt Li Chen. And everyday, God did not make it clear, and we were more confused and frustrated.

And then one day, it was clear. Until the next post...(I told you it was a LONG story!)

Our day at the beach!

On Wednesday, when I thought this wait couldn't get any worse (hahaha!) I decided that we needed a night away. So I booked a room at a hotel at the beach for a night. Here are some pictures. In the NW if it's not raining, it's a good day! So even though it may look cloudy, we still had a great time.

Another weekend, no TA

Ugh! Could we speed things along, just a little bit? Tyson needs us, and we need him! Next week will be 9 weeks waiting for TA. I remember back in December when I was trying to figure things out for timings. People had Consulate Appointments 2 months after their LOA. Well, 2 months after LOA, I'm still sitting here, and my son is still there. I am still over a month away from a CA. I am starting to get very worried about things like growth, attachment, long-term issues, etc... He should not be there this long, and I hope someday he can understand this process and know that we did everything we could to get him home. I hope he realizes it is the powers that be who let him down, not us.

So Monday is the key again. If we get TA on Monday, we'll travel August 5th. If not, then we hope for the 12th of August. I really hoped we'd be able to spend part of our summer with Ty. That dream is slipping away. Sorry for the sad post, but that's how it is.

MORE INFO:
I just spoke with my agency. It is now reported that TAs were NOT mailed. My agency is getting conflicting info from C2A2 after being told earlier in the week that TAs were being mailed out this week. So based on this info, the best we can expect is TA next Wed. OK, I am in tears and may not stop crying all weekend.

The road to Tyson, Part 3

So we left off on our trip to get our fingerprints in Seattle, with a slight detour to our agency's office in Tacoma.

At 10:30 am, we arrived at our agency and sat down with our sn coordinator, and we actually looked at the shared list! It was amazing, and more kids had been added the night before. When we saw this little boy, Chang Li Chen, we were very interested, but with the emotions still running high, we were hesitant. He had a repaird cleft lip, unrepaired palate, and a smile that could light up a room! We looked at a few more kids, and when we went back to look at him again, there was one less file, and we couldn't find his name! Our hearts just dropped...we were in disbelief, but yes, that's how fast it happens with the shared list because it is viewed world wide. But, we did find him, and we LOCKED HIS FILE!!! So wow, what a morning! We already had an appt with the UW international adoption doctors because I made the appt with the first referral, so we just called them to give them our new story and sent them the new file of Li Chen.

When we walked out of the agency, we felt good, like a weight had been lifted. We did not go in with the intention of locking another file. And if we hadn't thought his file was gone, I don't know if we would have locked it. But I'm telling you, I was looking at the same computer screen, and his name was not there. Then it was. When we thought he wasn't there, that's when we knew we wanted to adopt him.

The wave of emotions in 24 hours was amazing, to say the least. Cleft lip/palate was a need I kept coming back to all the time, but we were open to others. Somehow, I knew that would be the need our child would have. And yet, our journey on our decision to adopt him was not over. Not even close.

The road to Tyson, Part 2

September 2008 would prove to be a life changing month.

After submitting my special needs (sn) checklist to the agency, I found Rainbow Kids. As I was looking, there was a little girl on there with a sn that was one we checked off on our list. As fate would have it, she was with our agency! So I took a shot in the dark and emailed our agency. The next day I got an email back to call the agency. We never discussed that little girl, but it sure got the ball rolling. I learned about the shared list and how it worked. The coordinator asked about our gender preference, and we said either. She said, "Are you sure?" I couldn't imagine why not. Our homestudy was written for either gender. She said we might even matched in September! Our I-800A was already at USCIS, so we should be logged in (LID) to China by the end of November, and travel by April if we were matched this month. Wow!!!

So each night I wondered if the shared list came out. The next day I'd be teaching, with one eye at my computer seeing if I had that email I had been waiting for. Finally one morning, there it was: Call the agency. We had been matched with a little boy! I don't want to go into the specifics on his sn, but we thought it was one we could handle. But it was worded very strangely. Nevertheless, we were so excited and began to write our letter of intent. I also had to stay after school and write sub plans because the next day happened to be our finger print appt in Seattle.

That night, something was bothering me about the wording of his sn. I began to research synonyms for one of the words, and I suddenly had a heat running from my neck to my spine. If it was in fact what I thought it was, we could not handle it. We slept on it, and when I woke up I knew we couldn't bring this child to our family. My husband agreed 100%. To go from thinking you've found your child to letting him go is so gut wrenching. My heart just ached that we couldn't accept this referral. I was very angry with God. Why would he place this child's file in front of us, knowing full well that we could not handle his need?

So we dropped K-bear off at school, and off we went to Seattle. Our appt wasn't until 2, so we decided to go to IKEA and where ever else the road took us that day. We left emails and voice mails with our agency saying we could not adopt this child. On our way, our agency called us back and told us it was OK to not accept the referral, and it was actually very common. They asked us to stop by the office because they would show us how the shared list worked. Through my tears, I said OK.

If you are reading this, and you have declined a referral, you know how hard it is. It sucks. I thank the Lord that I had that day off for finger prints because there is no way I would have been able to teach that day. One thing we did know now, it was very clear what kind of need we could handle and wanted to take on. We had been nervous about cleft lip/palate, but now, it was a need we were very interested in. It was a need we knew would fit with our family. We were still open to others, but for some reason, I always came back to this need. I had read the cleft palate story and had done my research on it.

So here we were, feeling like something had died within us. Our family had 4 people for a short time, and now it was back to three. The only word I can describe it as is empty. The roller coaster of emotions in 24 hours, from the elation of the referral to the sadness of declining the referral, all within a day. I was literally ill. We knew God did this for a reason, but why?

Until next time...

The road to Tyson, Part 1

I've been asked in many ways: What is God trying to teach you? I've asked God that many times, and I've asked myself that many times. I have read 1st and 2nd Samuel trying to figure it out. I am faithful to God, I do what he says, but I'm not perfect. I relate a lot to David (not the whole cheating thing of course) in that he wanted to do what was right, but he has weaknesses. My weakness is my impatience. I tend to blow a fuse now and then. I am also a mover and a shaker. I have no problem making things happen with a phone call, and email, or an in-person visit. If there's one thing you don't do, it's waste my time! So I am trying to stay positive and keep my eye on God. I know I am supposed to get something out of this, but what? More faith? patience? love? strength? endurance? maybe all of these things! Or, maybe it is to share my journey and faith and encourage others in their adoption process. I have learned so much from others as they have shared their stories, so maybe it's time to share mine. Not just the good, but the bad and the ugly too. Adoption is a beautiful thing, and so is giving birth. But when I had K-bear, I was shocked at how truly disgusting the actual birth process was! My beautiful dd K-bear was the result. And Tyson will be the result of this long, arduous road, which is not always rosy.

So then I think of the road to Tyson. How did we get here? If you have read my timeline on the side of the blog, you have a basic idea. But what you don't know are the heart wrenching details, some of which I have never shared with many people, only my closest of friends. I'll start with some of the amazing things that God did just while assembling our dossier.

1. The day I met with our agency and chose to officially adopt was Good Friday, March 21, 2008.
2. Whenever I was in a hurry to mail something to the agency, there was ALWAYS a close parking space at the post office with a short line.
3. When we had our medicals, we knew we had to have the paperwork notarized in front of us and the doctor. We prayed before we left, and when we got there, the Dr's office had it all worked out! We told them the situation, but we didn't act on it. They did! Wow!
4. We actually had our dossier almost ready in 2 months.

You see, God could have closed this door many times. He could have said, "No, this is not your road," and closed the door. But he didn't.

At the end of May 08, our social worker told us that the USCIS decided Dan needed child abuse clearances from every country he lived in: Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia. We had to give those countries six months to respond to our requests. I figured then that this was over. In August, we were ready to give up, but there was something in me that just couldn't give up. After a lot of tears, we got a call in August that said Dan didn't need the clearances because those were combat situations. So at last, the homestudy was complete, and on Aug. 22nd, our paperwork was received at USCIS. We soon got fingerprint appointments for Sept. 18th.

So all summer I became numb to the process. So now, I needed to get our pictures for our dossier done, and to get our special needs checklist done. This was one thing I did work on throughout the summer. I researched on the web, I ordered books, read blogs, and joined yahoo groups. I was a sponge, soaking up all the info I could find.

This is a good place to stop. The point is, I think, that God could have closed the door, but he didn't. He kept it open. I was so excited! Little did I know what would happen in the month of September.

If this was a book...

...this would be the part that I would be reading and thinking, "Get on with it already!"

No TA...again, which means Tyson spends another week in the orphanage. We now hope to leave August 5th. Yes, I said August.

Map of Jiangsu Province--where Tyson lives

So if you have figured out where the province of Jiangsu is, you might want to check out this map of the province. Tyson is in the city of Changzhou, in the southern part of the province. That is where he was found, so we assume that is where he was born, although we'll never know for sure.

When we go to China, we'll stay in Nanjing, which is the capital of the province of Jiangsu. Tyson will be brought to us here, known as GOTCHA DAY! Most orphanages are not allowing visitors right now due to keeping the H1N1 virus away from the kids. That I totally understand, but I think it might be nice to at least visit the city of Changzhou. I'm not sure how far it is, but I've heard a few hours. Maybe someone out there can enlighten me! I am not sure Kacie would do riding in a Chinese taxi for a few hours. She gets car sick just going 45 minutes on good highways with steady cruise control.

So Changzhou is where Tyson is, and Nanjing is where we will be staying in province for about 5-6 days. Nanjing is east and a little north of Changzhou. It looks like both cities are on the Yangtze River.

A new week...almost!

It's Saturday, and a beautiful one at that. I just stained a section of our fence, and I finally decided it was OK to start preparing for Tyson's arrival again. You see, last week I stopped everything. I did not shop, did not work on his room, nothing. In fact, I closed his bedroom door because I cried each time I stepped or even looked in there.

But it was nice to know on Thursday and Friday to not expect anything. That should sound depressing, knowing that your TA will not be coming to you, but it was a relief just to know that it would not be arriving. Waiting and expecting is excruciatingly painful; but I cannot control when it will arrive. I have heard that in addition to my TA paperwork being in the wrong department, the person who signs TAs at C2A2 has been sick. If someone did sign AND mail them Friday, only then will we see them Monday. I just think that is a slim chance for us.

I do expect to see it next week and leave on August 5th. I think that is the reality. And even though it ticks me off, I have to be OK with it. Do I have a choice? No, I don't, and that is what God is showing me. He's in control, not me.

No TA, but got info as to why

I guess it would help if my paperwork from the US Consulate was in the right department at CCAA. That would surely help speed things up, don't you think?

I am soooooooo angry. I'm sure you can figure out what happened.

I have truly lost faith in this whole system. If God is trying to bring me down to an all time low, it's working. I should be getting ready to be on a plane next week. Instead, my paperwork sat in the wrong department for two weeks. CCAA says they are processing it as quickly as possible, but we probably won't see anything until Monday at the earliest. If it's not here by then, then our travel is delayed another week.

I'm sure there's a reason, but I just don't get it. So God, when you want to reveal your plan...I'm ready to know what it is, because right now, I'm just beyond any emotion. I'm almost numb.

I love my dogs!

Actually, only the pug (Rocky) is mine. The Boston Terrier (Sadie) is my mom's dog, but I love her like she was ours. This video was taken in Spring at least a 1.5 years ago, maybe even more. And it's quite long, so don't feel like you have to watch it all. They don't play like this anymore, after all, they are now over three years old.

I have nothing to report on the adoption at all, so enjoy the video! (oh, you may want to pause the music at the bottom of the page) :)
Jolene

No TA today...7 weeks since LOC

Our TA did not come today. If our TA can be here by next Monday, we will leave the 29th. Our agency is going to call today to make sure it is being processed. My son has to live yet at least another extra week in an orphanage. We will now not meet him until August.

I am sickened and saddened beyond words. Kacie will miss her summer camp. Football party in August will not happen. Less time to help a sub prepare for the new school year. The summer is slipping away, and Tyson isn't here to share in it.

This sucks. Period.

Where we are going--the tentative plan

I have had several people ask me where we are going in China and will we get to do any sight seeing. The answer to that is yes, we hope! Here is a map so you can see where we will be. There are 4 flights total. But this is always subject to change. For now, here's what we hope/plan to happen.

1. Sea Tac to Beijing. Beijing is on the east side of the country. Here Dan, Kacie, and I will see the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, and other tourist areas. Approx 3 days.

2. Beijing to Nanjing. Nanjing is the capital of the province of Jiangsu. Nanjing is about two hours from Tyson's orphanage in Changzhou. Tyson will be brought to us in Nanjing because that is where all of the provincial offices are that will make the adoption final. Approx 5 days.

3. Nanjing to Guangzhou. Guangzhou is south and then slightly east of Nanjing. Guangzhou is the home of the US Consulate. All adoptive families go through Guangzhou. Tyson will get his medical examination here to get his immigrant visa to enter the US. When Tyson steps off the plane, he'll be a citizen. We will stay at the White Swan hotel, and from what I hear, it is very nice. But, it will be hot!!! The end of our stay will be our consulate appointment (CA) and the swearing in ceremony.

4. Guangzhou to Sea Tac. I am leaving with one child, coming home with two. I am not sure if this has fully hit me yet, and I am not sure how the logistics of Sea Tac to home will work out.

PRAYING FOR TA TOMORROW! I am not sure how many more days I can handle this.

Status of TA and Travel

There is still no TA, so I had counted out leaving the 22nd. However...we have one more day. So, if TA comes Monday, we can still leave as early as July 22nd. If it comes after that, we'll be looking at July 29th. So that's where we're at! I really hope this is the last long weekend I have to wait on something.

If TA comes on Monday, travel may not be established for a day or two. If you look at the clock on my blog, you'll notice that day here is night in China. Therefore, the agency has to wait and call in the late evening to be China's morning in order coordinate the travel plans. We leave on a Wednesday. Not sure why, that's just how our agency does it. The agency makes all the travel plans, which is good because I'd be clueless. This all centers around the consulate date. The consulate date is the last thing you do, then everything is scheduled backward from that.

Please keep praying that no one on our plane to China has H1N1, and pray that we will make it there safely. Also, continue praying that Tyson is healthy and growing! Thanks!

A beep, or a ring?

High pitch noises were never so important. If my cell phone beeps, it means I have an email, which means my agency might be telling me that DHL did not bring my TA. So every time I get a beep, my heart sinks. But alas, no emails from my agency today.

If my phone rings, home or cell, I jump 5 feet and and run to the phone. But, alas, no calls from my agency today.

So now it's 4:30 and the day is over, and tomorrow, I'll do it all again, and hopefully with better results. Come on TA!

No TA today...6 weeks since LOC

I didn't expect TA today, but one can always hope. I am now on that roller coaster again, holding my cell phone until 2:30 everyday, hoping it will ring and my agency will be on the other line saying, "Your TA has arrived!" But it didn't ring today.

The RQ stats at this point do not look good. The average is 22 days after your paperwork goes to CCAA to get TA, which would put us leaving not until August. I don't know what day mine was sent, so I am going off of the day I found out, which was June 30. That makes today 7 days, which is why I would not expect to see TA until at least Friday at the earliest. However, I am only one week behind a family with my agency, and they received their TA last week, so if you go by my agency's timeline, this week is certainly in the timeframe.

I probably won't post again until I get TA since the journey to Tyson is now at a red light until we get that precious green one! Praise God that my paperwork sailed through the I800 paper trail with no issues!

And now we wait for TA...just that one last piece of paper, Travel Approval! At that point the consulate date is set and we can make travel arrangements. Oh, and at this point, Kacie is going.

Thank you for your prayers. I appreciate every one of them!
Jolene

Happy Fourth of July...a day early!

I will probably not post tomorrow, and since I'm sort of stuck to the couch now, I thought I'd post quickly. I am not feeling well, but I'll be OK. It's not a flu or anything like that. But I certainly didn't get all the stuff done yesterday that I wanted to, but I made great progress! I went through all that I have and still need to get. Wow! I still need 2 more large suitcases! Kacie will get one (assuming she goes) and we need one just for gifts and other items for Tyson. The good thing is that when we give the gifts in Nanjing, then we'll have more room for shopping! The question is...how will we fit items we buy in Beijing into our bags before we go to Nanjing? We think we might take an extra bag in our suitcase. I am glad I'm doing all this now. I really hope TA comes next week so we can leave the 22nd. And when TA comes, I know my brain will shut down, just like it did for LOC.

I also started washing Tyson's clothes. He has plenty of new and used clothes, more than I thought. I have a plastic bin for the 4T and up clothes so I don't have to deal with those til we need them. We dressed Kacie in a lot of sweats and sports clothes, so I set those asside for Tyson. The hand me downs make great day care clothes--no worries about stains! I have also been buying some clothes too, especially for China. The funny thing is, who knows what's actually going to fit! He has quite the assortment of Seahawks and Mariners clothes already. Now we need to get some UW shirts.

Well, Happy Fourth of July! I can't wait for Tyson to be a US Citizen and join our family. Our plan for tomorrow is to actually go to a wedding! Our town has a big festival on the Fourth, and Kacie just loves it. So she and I will hit that in the afternoon, then my friend gets married near there at 4:00. We'll go to the reception, then come home to do fireworks. Dan has to work, of course. So Happy Fourth, and be safe!

I'm getting out of here today!

OK, all this stuff is giving me a migraine. TB test, quarantine, waiting for TA, oh yeah...AND I'm bringing a child home who has special needs. Did I mention I'm a little stressed?

I am outta here! I have some stuff to do today, thank goodness. I think I'm going to print out some packing lists later and start inventorying what I still need to get.

I heard I need a thermos because kids don't drink anything cold. So how do they drink juice? Anyone who has BTDT is welcome to comment! I need all the help I can get!

Have a blessed day!--Jolene

On to CCAA, next stop TA!

I found out today that our paperwork has been sent on to Beijing for Travel Approval! If we get it by next Monday, we'll leave the 15th. Slim chance, but it could happen!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers. Tyson will be home soon!

To take her, or not to take her...that is the question!

It's only 9:25, and the LOAs and TAs are already rolling in on the RQ forum! I love these days, they are so exciting. Those letters mean that families are being made! Yay! We know ours is not one of them, as we have not had word of Article 5 being signed, so we are assuming our paperwork is on someone desk or shelf. Still.

So the big question here is this: Do we take Kacie to China? Here's why there's no right answer to this question:

Taking her means that we could all be in quarantine. If anyone three rows in front or behind us has flu symptoms or a fever, we will be in a qurantine hotel for up to 7 days. Maybe she'd finish that math book or actually do some reading? Not a bad thing. OK, I know I shouldn't make light of the situation, but really, what can you do? 7 days in a hotel for us would not be a bad thing. We all have electronic toys to play with. The bad part is if one of us actually gets H1N1 (Like Lola's family). But if Kacie ended up with H1N1, there is no guarentee we could go to the hospital with her, although we'd fight like hell and hopefully the embassy could argue that she's only 8 and needs her parents. That's the worst case scenario. But it also means that we are all together to get Tyson, as a family and that she is there to meet her brother, and her brother can begin to get to know her too. That's been the game plan all along.

If we don't take her, she will miss out on the opportunity of a life time. She will be without her mom and dad for 2-3 weeks. Oh, I know my family and friends would take good care of her, that I don't worry about. But we would miss her intensely and immensely and she would miss us. And chances are that we'd get there and be fine.

So, we have decided to continue to pray and asses the situation carefully. We are praying that when that coveted TA arrives, that the decision will be crystal clear, one way or another. So for now, we lean on God to direct our path. I often think about Proverbs 3: 5-6, but it has never been more true than now for our family.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him, and he will direct your path."

Lola's story has a happy ending. They are all out of quarantine and they have their new daughter Rory! All is well. And we will be fine too, no matter what direction God takes us.

Happy Birthday Kacie!

Kacie's 8th birthday was last Friday, but we had her party last night--a sleep over party! Yes, I am insane. And very tired. But the girls were fantastic!

And in case you didn't notice, my children will have birthdays 3 days apart in June: 19th & 22!

PICTURES of TYSON!

I couldn't believe my eyes last night. The orphanage sent pics of Tyson's birthday! I was floored at how much he had changed, but his eyes are exactly the same. His nose look fantastic! Then I got a little worried because he is so serious in all his pictures. But many adoptive parents have said they went through the same thing. We try to read too much into the pictures, and a birthday party is chaos with a lot of stuff going on. It can be overwhelming. So here are a few pictures! Look at all that hair, and notice the nanny (I think from half the sky, that's what her shirt says!) holding his arm down. I'll bet he wanted to get into the cake! Also, Ann from redthread told me it is normal for them to change clothes during pictures, so some pics he's in white, others he's in orange.

Praise reports and decisions to make

I have praise reports!

My friend waitingforcaileb got her LOA on Monday after waiting 7 months! I was at school cleaning my classroom when I got her email. I was so excited for her! Praise God!

Shirlee has her daughter Q! Praise God! Her sister did an update on her blog. It sounds like things are going as planned.

Lola Granola has a date/time her family will be released from quarantine: Saturday at 5:30 am, which will be around 2:30 Friday for us. They were upgraded to a better room and it seems that no one else has fallen ill. Continue to pray for her husband.

So, now we have a decision to make: do we take Kacie to China? I think it's easy for people outside of our family to say "NO!" But if you know us, you know that we are tight. Three Muskateers. I think Kacie's birth and the fact that she has been our only child in our home for 8 years also has something to do with it. We are all watching Lola's family carefully. She is blogging about once a day from her cell phone. Statistically, the chances of the worst case scenario happening is slim--very slim. If the embassy can assure US Citizens that children will not be taken from their parents, then yes, she will go. If not, we will be praying about it. A LOT! This is not how we planned this, but God will show us what to do. That we know!

Tyson is Two Today!

At least I am so incredibly busy today that I won't have time to dwell on how sad I am that I'm not spending today with Tyson. Ann at RedThread was sending him a cake and photo album of us, which mean by now he knows about us and knows we're coming. Wow!

I have to finish officially cleaning out my classroom. Then I have a class from 4-8 tonight and 8-2:30 tomorrow. Then busy with Kacie Wed/Thurs. Somewhere in there I have to clean my house because it is filthy!

So after Thursday, I will be on the mission of packing for China. I don't want this to be last minute. I have the gifts I need, I picked up the antibiotics, ordered cleft bottles, ordered an Ergo carrier, I have chosen my car seat that I will buy, I need to finish Tyson's room... But really, I think I'm in a good place!

I am thinking of Lola Granola and her family who is in quarantine in China. I am also thinking of Shirlee who is in China now and is getting her daughter. Blogger is down, so she can't update. I am also thinking of "waitingforcaileb" who is over 200 days waiting for LOA. It's ridiculous, but she is staying strong! Praying for you all!

Pray for "Lola" and her family

I am not sure of her name, but she is known as Lola Granola in the adoption community. Her family was quarantined in Beijing after they had already been there a few days because a person behind them on the plane had the H1N1 flu. They had a great attitude about it, and they felt fine and did their swabs to be tested. The just go the results back, and her husband tested positive, and some of the others aren't feeling well either. Three adults, three children, and the Chinese officials may separate the children from their parents. They are off to the hospital and will not have internet access. We are all very worried about them. Please pray for this family. It's a worst case scenario.

Cable to NVC TODAY!

I called NVC today and was totally surprised to find out that our file had been cabled (send electronically) to Guangzhou TODAY! It was a great feeling and a great way to end the day.

Today my Bear turned 8. Bear is my daughter, who has asked to be called Bear online from here on, so that's what we'll do. I was telling her how people gave their kids different names online, and her nickname has been Kacie-Bear since she was born and looked like a little teddy bear under the incubator and lights in the neo-natal intensive care unit.

And not to be forgotten, today was the last day of school! It will be a busy summer as I prepare for first grade before leaving for China. I still hope for a a departure by the end of the July to go to China. One family was quarantined today due to a passenger on their plane having the flu. I have no other info than that, but I know that 3 adults and 3 kids are quarantined until Wednesday to see if they develop flu symptoms. How awful!

Info not cabled yet!

Update: I was approved 8 days ago for I-800. I just called NVC, and my paperwork has not been cabled to Guangzhou YET!

Can just one step be within a reasonable time frame for me? Just one? Why does paperwork sit on people's desks when a child's life and health is at stake? WHY!!!

Paperwork arrived at NVC!

I called this morning, and our paperwork arrived at NVC on Monday, June 15th! So then I asked when it would be sent electronically to Guangzhou, and the reply was, "Hopefully in a couple of weeks." WHAT???

Wait a minute, the RQ chart that we share our stats on says that it only take 6-8 days from approval to cable (filing paperwork electronically), so it should get cabled on Thursday of this week, according to averages. So I said that I knew that others only took a week, and she said I could call back next week and see. But I also know my agency will be checking daily too in Guangzhou. So, I will call on Friday to find out the status of this.

Once the paperwork goes to the US Consulate in Guangzhou, we know we are getting close!

Birthday Care Package for Tyson

I always hoped I wouldn't have to do it, but I had to. I sent Tyson a birthday package. He will get a cake on his birthday, June 22, and he will be 2. We sent a 6 page photo album with pictures of Dan, Kacie, myself, our house, backyard swingset, and his bedroom. Hopefully this will help him transition by recognizing us in China and recognizing where he will live. I was hoping to get some info, but Ann didn't have any. That's OK though, I know our orphanage isn't easy to get info from.

This is getting so real! How do you love and miss someone so much, and you've never met him/her? It's easy, when you're an expecting mom. No matter what form it takes, adding a child to your family is an exciting time.

I800 approval confirmed and Level 6 of H1N1

I emailed my I800 officer just to make sure the approval did happen after hearing of some mishaps of a few people on RQ. I got a nice email back that said yes, we are approved! So the big crazy pile of papers is getting ready to be sent to the National Visa Center.

Well, the WHO moved H1N1 to Level 6 today. That just means that the virus is now in more countries, not that it's more severe. It'll be interesting to see how the world reacts. I think (hope) that China just continues its current practice and doesn't make things worse in terms of quarrentining travelers.

I800 will be approved today!

I called our officer at NBC Hague to check the status of our I800 since we didn't have a notice of receipt yet (it'll probably come today). Our file was on her desk and she said she is approving it today! One step closer. She said it should be at NVC early next week--I'm calling Monday! On the RQ charts, it looks like a bout a week turn around before they "cable" it (I had to learn that term--it means they scan it and send it electronically) to the US consulate in Guangzhou.

Keep praying! I'm a few days past the average on this step, but not bad. I'd say late July/early August is realistic for travel. Hopefully this TB thing will be worked out by then AND the swine flu scare will be over too. But I'd go today if I could get Tyson home.

My beautiful girl

She's going to be 8 in less than 2 weeks. Where did the time go? I'd do anything for this girl, as crazy as she is! She's ours! 8 years ago she was born 5 weeks early with Respiratory Distress Syndrome, sepsis, jaundice, not holding her body temp, etc... But she was just as beautiful then as she is now, and now she is healthy (and mouthy) and beautiful! I think I let her get away with a bit much because of how much love her and how so close we were to losing her. Where does the time go?

Thanks--I'm calling tomorrow

Thanks to everyone who responded to my vent! Ugh, no notice again on the I800. Why am I always last? Why????

Well, no use in complaining. I'm calling in the morning. It will motivate me to wake up by 6:00 am to call. Hopefully it's approved and I can relax.

Jolene

If I can't vent here, where can I?

I have needed to vent this, and since this is my blog, this is where I'm venting. If you don't like it, stop reading. I have massive anxiety that I am trying to give over to the Lord. It's not that I don't trust Him, of course I do, but I am merely flesh. Though I choose to walk in the spirit, the flesh returns.

Today is day 12 since sending the I-800. Not a peep from USCIS/NBC or whoever it is. Nothing. And I want to call them, badly, but I don't know if I should.

People on RQ with similar dates as mine are getting TAs. I knew it would happen, as I watched them get their LOAs while I waited and waited. But now, it hurts. You see, I should be with them. I should have had my LOA in April, and I should be close to TA and getting ready to travel. No, I should have TRAVELED in April, but USCIS took their sweet 104 days of time on my I-800A. So instead of being close to picking up my son, Tyson sits in the orphanage, probably starving due to his cleft, and I sit and cry. I wonder...does he even know about us? And if he does know about us, will he forgive us for taking this long? Does he even know what it feels like for his belly to be full of food? Or to have a hug and kiss before bed? Or that he has a Jie Jie (big sister) waiting to play with him, and she cries because her brother is so far away. And most importantly, does he know the love of Jesus, and that God is going to care for him and love him all of his life? No, he knows none of it.

So the mayor of New Orleans has been quarrentined in Shanghai because he was sitting near a passenger with flu symptoms, maybe H1N1, and so I wonder...Will we even get into China? And now with the new TB requirement, will I get out with my son? Will my daughter be OK to travel with us?

On a positive note, I picked up all prescriptions today, and I have the gifts arranged. I began to clean my classroom. I am excited to teach first grade next year.

That's my vent. I wish I was getting ready to travel now. This totally sucks, and I hate that word, but it does. I want my son home.

Sleepless Saturday June 6

I am off to school to get some packing done, along with grading 1 million papers. I will NOT miss this part of sixth grade next year!

My agency really had no news about the new TB requirement in China, except to say that there should be some discussion on it next week. It amazes me how God puts one obstacle after another in front of me, and yet I come through each one stronger than before. Throughout this process I have learned to love and seek God in all that I do. I could be a total basket case right now, but God is bringing me through it all. God told me years ago I would teach 1st grade again. When this opportunity came to move to first grade, I didn't jump at, I just said I'd do it if needed. I let God place me where he wanted me. In that, there is comfort. But people ask, "Are you excited to move to first grade?" Well, it's hard to be excited about it when there is an adoption that will be taking place shortly! For that, I am excited!

We saw Night at the Museum/Smithsonian last night at an IMAX. A spendy little outing, yes, but we don't get a lot of family time, so we had a great evening, and Dan had never been to an IMAX, so it was pretty fun.

With that, enjoy your weekend! There are light showers right now...I am so glad we did our yard sale last Saturday--sunburn and all!

The Checklist!I

Money--yes! Bank of America came through in many ways.

Prescriptions for Tyson--yes! They will be ready for pick up tomorrow.

Gifts--most of them. Still need a director gift and some more candy for provincial offices.

It feels good to have a handle on the little things.

Now there's the TB fiasco. Our own governement--the CDC-- has a new law as of July 1st. All children 2 and over must be tested for TB. If they have it, they have to stay in China for who knows how long! Ugh! That is the shortened version. My agency should have more info tomorrow, and I'll explain more then. In the meantime, please pray for me that my nerves will be calm until then.

The new wait for TA

We were told Monday that our paperwork has arrived in China and it is being taken to consulate where it is waiting for it's friend, the I-800 from the US! Then together they become an Article 5.

My garage sale was a success on Saturday! I made almost enough to make my car insurance payment that I totally spaced off (we pay 3x a year). God provides!

The school year is winding down, and I am starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. If I haven't said it already, I am moving from teaching sixth grade to first grade next year. Wow....crazy timing for that, but I think it will be good too.

The weather here is hot and sticky...we don't do hot and sticky very well in the Northwest. So we need to go water our plants! Yeah, that's about as exciting as it gets around here.

Oh, I shopped for Tyson! Diapers, little swimmers, bibs, pajamas....wow, this is happening!