Lots of Celebrations ~

Happy 8th Birthday to Alex on the 12th! She was so excited that she finally got her Nintendo DS that she had been begging for. Wow, I can hardly believe that she is this age! The expression on her face was absolutely priceless.... Alex was speechless and that never happens!

Happy Gotcha Day my little Janie today! What memories from 5 years ago as we waiting not so patiently waiting for those elevator doors to open. What a scared little baby you were that day - it didnt take you long to come around :)

Tuesday, Alexandra will celebrate her 7th Gotcha Day with us! You showed no fear when you were placed in our arms but sure did fool us ..... you were all quiet and then the 3rd day you popped out of your shell and have been running non stop every since! I think 5 years has gone by quickly.

Quinn came down with a nasty cold and fever Wednesday night. Is doing better now but still a little on the low grade fever side with a cough. I had to miss my first day back to work Thursday. I guess tomorrow will be my lucky day pending no more troubles.

Uncle Brian was sure missed this week! Without fail he was always here to celebrate the "your little peanut's" birthdays! Christmas time is harder yet ~

Another Dr. Appt

Friday we had a monthly follow up with the Hematologist and a shot update. First we started with the shots. He did really well but cried. I say well because the first trip he became furious with me for allowing them to give him shots. So, progress with that!

Next stop was Hematology. He bled quite a bit this time from the shots and had to bandage his arm up with guaze and tape it up tight. I looked again once we got the office and it had bled through so we had to wrap it again. This time, they used tape that is used for bone marrow patients and seemed to work well. This morning I looked again and there was still a small amount of fresh blood so put Amicar on it and tape it up tightly. Tonight, it was fine. The doctor was impressed with the changes in him both physical and emotionally. His weight was 35.6 lbs today which is a step in the right direction. She seemed to feel like his small size is due to the bleeding disorder and anemia. They ran labs on his hemoglobin and found it to have dropped 1 gram to 9.8. Which is still good. In China he was running around 7.9. We will do another follow up appointment again next month. The doc's will continue to monitor him due to the type of disorder he has.

School is going well and he seems to like going. He is an amazing little boy and is learning all kinds of things. He is using the "sticker system" for doing a good job and am seeing them everyday.

Quinn is so excited about all of the Christmas lights and pretty's! I usually wait until Thanksgiving time to put our tree up but think we will do it next weekend while Daddy is deer hunting. I have tried to tell him a little about Santa Clause but think that a little movie would be more explanatory for him. When I told him that Santa would bring gifts for the good little boys and girls his eyes lit up and he was speechless! Too cute ~ Today, Daddy and Quinn went to Home Depot to buy some lights and a reindeer for the yard. He loved that! I am really looking forward to the holidays this year ~ he will be so fun to watch! My boy's first Christmas ...

Fishing ~

My boy loves to fish with his PaPa and Daddy!!! He has asked several times for PaPa to come back :) Hint Hint PaPa!!! I will try to post pictures soon for you. He has some awesomepictures. He is now calling our boat "Quinn and Daddy's boat!!"

One Month Home ~

Wow!!! I can hardly believe that it has been another month of being home. Alot has happened since my last journal entry.

Quinn had a bleed and was in the hospital for three days one month ago today. He had a nose bleed that would not stop and brought us to the ER one day and to the hospital the next day to be admitted. The first visit he quit bleeding while we were there so they released us. The following day he was still bleeding and was getting weak. Honestly, the doctors did not take me seriously the 5 times that I called in 20 hours. Finally, they told me that if I was uncomfortable to bring him in - WHAT!! So, after being in ER/Trauma for one hour with continued bleeding they drew blood and started an IV. The bleeding became more persistant and Afrin was only working for a short time at that point. He started becoming lethargic and had to have a sternum rub to wake up. Finally, the administered RBC and was talking about giving platelets if the RBC werent enough. After many conversations of describing what his diagnosis and treatment had been in China they finally decided that packing the nose was the way to go. Hello!! Immediately after packing his nose the bleeding had slowed down and finally stopped after a short time. The pressure of putting the packing in the nose stopped the vessels from bleeding. We stayed another 24 hours so that observations could be made on his bleeding and to run a few more blood tests. I think we had every Hematologists in the hospital there to check up on us. We received good care once we were in the hands of the right doctors. With Quinn being anemic, his blood was already thinner then the IV thinned the blood out more which caused more bleeding. Anyway, you get the picture. At the end of our visit they assured me that the next time I called I would be taken more seriously when I told them he was bleeding! I guess it was difficult for them without having an "American Diagnosis".

After several more lab tests it has been determined that he has a very rare bleeding disorder and is the 193rd person in the US to have it. Thrombasthenia is our culpret! The physicians are checking internationally to see if there is further treatment or testing available for it. After persistance, they gave me meds to help him in the event of another bleed!!! Yeah for Mommy!!

Quinn lost a tooth about 2 weeks ago and now has another loose. It was 12 long hours of bleeding and took 3 doses of meds and multiple packings to get it to stop. What a strong and brave boy we have!!

This is our second week of school and he is doing well with it. It is amazing how well he is doing and the handwriting on this little guy is awesome! He writes like he has been doing this all his life. Math and telling time are also strong points too. We are working on a reward system both at school and at home with stickers and a calendar so that he can visibly see good behavior. This seems to be doing well for him the past couple of days. We have had a few bumps and bruises along the way with differences in customs, house rules and the grieving process.

Funny story ~ tonight he wasnted to call his friend in Texas so we did. While I was on the phone talking with her Daddy aroudn the corner Quinn came running "Mommy come here now please!" He sounded a little shaken so I hurried up. He opened the door to the microwave to a blaze of fire!!!! What ~ I couldnt believe this ... it was our medicine that I had picked up today!!! It was printed in blue and white like a popcorn back so am thinking that is what he thought it was and popped it in. It took several cups of what to put the fire out!!! I have let him use the microwave with my direction supervision only. I guess he was feeling independent and thought he could do it himself to! We will have a little conversation about that also. Owen said, well I guess my medicine with taste a little dry tonight!

~ Fully Recovered ~

We are settled in pretty much and have finally recovered from the Jet Lag. Whewwww! Quinn handled it beautifully and never had much problem ... Alex had trouble for about a week and is back in school full force.

Last week we had our appointment with Hematology. The doctor is excellent and is highly rated. What a comfort she was and explained everything wonderfully. The have ruled out several of the more severe bleeding disorders as well as Leukemia. At this point, it looks like his platelets are not functioning properly. Next Friday we go again and will have another blood test done to see how they are functioning and hopefully determine the reason. If we are unable to find a reason, a bone marrow test will be on the agenda shortly thereafter. This poor little fellow has been stuck so many times in his life, I really hope that we dont have to resort to that.

Quinn seems to be getting along wonderfully in his new family and seems to like us all pretty well. Recently, he met is PaPa for the first time! What a hit that was :) They instantly were buddies. Owen and PaPa took him out fishing and that was all that he wanted to do after that! He loved the boat and the lake too. If this were me in his shoes, I would be too scared to move out of the corner.

He is an amazing little boy and am saddened that we werenot united before now. He is full of smiles and laughs and very good @ reading body language. Every day, he seems to learn something new. Yesterday he informed me the difference of left and right and he completely knows the way to get our of our "detoured" neighborhood. I believe he knew the difference in Chinese words but not English. I have called the school and started the ball rolling on his enrollment. At this point, I am waiting for them to get back to me with the information. They will have to line up Mandarin translators, etc. First we have to do all of his shots starting from square one. Looks like he may have had Hep B but that is all. I feel sorry for his skinny little body.

Quinn had started talking to his Chinese sister (not really but they were together in the orphanage) on the phone over the past few weeks and is loving that. She came home about a month before he did. He loves telling me stories about her and him in China!

Last week, my little prince was able to speak with someone in Mandarin. He was so sweet ... he said he used to be an orphan but isnt an orphan anymore because he has a family now! He loves his Mommy but is getting bored at home with her and misses his friends! Well, my little social butterfly really needs to go to school or be introduced to new friends or I need to come up with more challenging lessons for him!

Life is Good at the Roberts House!

~ Settling In ~

We are officially settling in and recoverying from Jet Lag ... or should I say that Mommy is recoverying from Jet Lag. Yes, that is more appropriate. This morning I feel better than yesterday. Oddly, the third day I hit the wall! Quinn did wonderful with the time adjustment and couldnt have asked for anything better. He went to bed the first night when I tucked him in and slept until he saw me walk by the next morning. It has been smooth sailing ever since. Alexandra on the other hand had a few rough nights but slept good again last night. She is a night owl anyway so is a little tougher on her.

Quinn seems to be doing wonderfully with the exception of 1 melt down. Other than that he is a perfect child! :) He seems so excited about his new family which we are extremely excited about. He now says thank you to the littlest things and is really loving his new clothes and toys too. Amazing the things that we take for granite in our daily lives. For example ... drinking from a straw, opening an automatic window on the car, a microwave, which pair of shoes to wear, etc. As we go through these little things we watch him as he is totally amazed. He cant seem to get enough hugs and kisses and calls "Mommy" all through the house if he doesnt see me for about 3 seconds .... hugs me and goes back to what he was doing. He is just too cute!

We had our first doctors appointment on Friday. It seemed to go well and felt positive vibes from it. The most positive thing out of the visit was that the doctor felt that the bleeding disorder was not severe since he is not bleeding all the time!!! Of course, we have to undergo the blood work and Hematology appointments to get accurate information. This week we should be hearing from the childrens hospital about a date to come in and when to go have his labs done. We are anxious to have a few answers and feel like we can move forward.

We Are HOME!!!

Yes, we have finally made it home after being in the air way too long to count and almost missed every flight that was scheduled except the first one. Once we hit Tokyo we had less than 20 minutes to make the flight to Detroit after we cleared security. Once to Detroit, we stood in line at Customs for about 1 hour 20 minutes and then had to re-check the luggage, and juggle the lines to make the flight. Of course, it was one of those check points where you had to take your shoes off to get through. I have never ran this fast without shoes on in my life. My children learned the meaning of "We have to hurry or we wont get to see Daddy and Janie!" I heard "Final Boarding Call" more than I wanted too! Someone special from above was certainly with us or we never would have made them all!

Quinn was sick on the international flight towards the very end but quickly recovered!

Once we got to Kansas City, he was sleeping and I tried to wake him... no response. Finally, I said we are almost in Kansas City and your Ba Ba and Mei Mei are here waiting for you. He immediately sat up in the seat and started putting his sandals on and was ready to go before the plane touched the ground! :) Walking out the gateway, he saw his Ba Ba and immediately there was a connection. It seemed like they had always known each other to. What a sweet sight to see! :) Of course, he was ever so excited to see Janie.

Since being home, he amazes me every minute of the day. He is an incredible child and I feel so blessed to have him in my life! He understands about 99% of what I tell him and get a response from him. He repeats English language well and is remembering things that I tell him and using words them properly. He eats like a horse which is excellent!

I had to take him clothes shopping because absolutely everything in the closet except socks were too big on him! He was so cute in the store and understood that he was getting new threads. He would look at something, hold it up and make a decision whether he liked it or not and was even thinking about the size that would be good. Tomorrow I will take him again for more. We managed to find 3 pair of jeans for his small size 4, 33 lb body that actually fit. It is hard to remember that he is actually 7-1/2 years old at times!

Finally, another day that I have been waiting for - his first Doctors appointment! Tomorrow first thing in the morning, and hoping for a good response and a quick referral to the Hematologist!

Will try to post photos soon of our arrival!

Home Bound!!!!

I thought that this time would never come!!! Tomorrow morning we awake @ 4am to get ready for the airport and off to Tokyo we go ... From there we have a 12 hour flight to Detroit. We are extremely hopeful that we make our flight for home from there. Before we can get on the plane we have to clear Immigration with Quinn and Customs then re-check our luggage. We only have 1 hour and 50 minutes to make it all happen! Hopefully, the tailwind will be on our side and help us to arrive a few minutes earlier. If not, then Daddy is coming to Detroit to get us if there isnt another flight leaving!! I am so ready to come home I cant describe it. I feel like I am going to bust out crying!

The US Consulate appointment went well today and we received our brown envelope! Yeah!!

Chen Temple

Not sure if the video will play for you or not ~ Good Luck!

New Photos

I have posted a few new photos on the sidebar. The video is not uploading at the moment.

US Consulate

Today our papers went to the US Consulate to finalize the adoption. Tomorrow we go to take our Oath and do our packing to come home!!!!! I am absolutely ready to get home to my family! GZ is so hot and humid and miserable feeling at times. Still raining off and on.

We toured the Chen Temple today. It was nice but have been there twice before. Quinn didnt seem too interested at all and had a melt down on me again! Alex felt pretty uneventful about it. Later we visited another temple and was able to see the Chinese visit the Buddist Temples in honor of the Moon Festival that is coming up. Very interesting stuff. We were blessed while we were there. Alex decided that she would rather not participate in their service and save her worship for church back at home. Beautiful art work in the temple too.

I taught Quinn to say "I'm Mommas Boy" today... He kept repeating it and then my little clown all of a sudden says "I'm Ba Ba's Boy" .. He laughed and knew what he was saying! He is a clown that is for sure. He laughs and giggles all the time except when he is having a melt down. What a blessing this little guy is! I am so anxious for his family to meet him. His Pa Pa will be so in love with his new addition too ~ Quinn loves fresh vegetables so you might have a helper in the garden! It is amazing how the red thread has weaved through all this time for us to be united! PERFECT!!!

New Photos

I had added a few new photos of the kiddos. The one with Quinn and the pink thing on his head is actually a napkin. My little clown decided that it looked better on his head than the table~ Wait until his Ba Ba sees him in pink.

We are doing well and waiting for Wednesday morning!

2 Days Left ~ YEAH!!!

Two more days before we head out for home! I will be so glad to be in my own softer bed and see my husband and daughter!

Today we went to the jade and pearl market and did some local shopping on the Island. Tonight, we went to an italian restaurant and it was very yummy. Quinn refused to eat his pizza and told the guide that the food smelled bad! :) Ok, so how funny is that! It was raining again so we asked if they could call a taxi for us. They sent the waitress out in the rain with an umbrella to hail a cab for us ... 20 minutes later she came back! We felt terrible and had no idea that is how they did it .... Well, I guess we arent in NY or anything like that so should have known better.

Tomorrow our papers will be submitted to the American Consulate so that we can finalize the adoption. Tuesday, we take the Oath and leave Wednesday morning at 8am or Tuesday Night American time!

Shopping

Today we were able to take in a little shopping in spite of more rain here on the Island. Quinn did not want to spend the few yuan that he had ... he kept wanting me to buy everything for him. How quickly he learned that! While we were shopping a merchant gave me a fake 50. I had no idea until I went to the next merchant! Not that much American money but still the point. I guess that will be a momento.

Tonight we went to dinner with group after being separated all week. What cute babies! A trip down memory lane with the girls. Quinn is so small that I can hold him on my hip so brings back memories :) All was good except having no sleept caught up with them! Trying to get them to bed for a good sleep!

Cuteness Alert!!!!

I have posted a few new photos out on the sidebar!

We are in Guangzhou!!!

Yeah, we have finally made it to the White Swan! It was an adventure getting here and to be stranded in the midde of problems with no English speaking people. Actually, I think there was an English recording but you couldnt hear it because all the other people were mad and talking over everything. Our flight was due to leave @ 7:55pm. We sat on the plane for probably 40 minutes then we get off because the there was a storm in Guangzhou and planes were not allowed to arrive or depart. Then a loud announcement comes on the speaker in Chinese ... I have no idea what was said but can assume it was some type of security check or something as they came around and checked everyone's tickets while we stood in the walk way in the heat for a while longer! I would assume probably close to an hour .. We then boarded again sit there a while longer. Finally, we fly out and arrived at the hotel around 1am. What a long few hours it was. The kids did pretty well and of course Quinn was over the top with excitement. However, he decided was going to test his boundaries with me lets say! He had a half way good nights sleep and picked out a new toys so he is good now! Alex is doing fine for the most part.

We are glad to be at the White Swan .... it is more western here. However, the thing I am not happy about is that Danny's Bagels has moved to a new location and is 30 minutes by cab and they dont deliver to the hotel anymore!! Papa John's has moved into town I hear and of course Lucy's is still here. Quinn seems to be adjusting well to western food and particularly likes sausage links and potatoes! Most importantly, the hospitals are better here than in Changsha. The better one is about 30-40 minutes away by cab but has Western Doctors if we happen to need one.

We have finished that paperwork and all the necessary items ... so, now we just wait for the Consulate Appointment and prepare to go home later!

One Day Closer to Home ~

We are one day closer to coming home ~ We have had a slow afternoon and have been trying to keep Quinn quiet. Problem is that Alex is wired up and he naturally wants to play with her. So, he is trying to rough house with her. You should see the two of them together ~ Amazing let me say! They act like they have known each other forever.

He has learned a few English words so far .... the other night he told Alex that I gave him money .... Today he said "Thank You Momma" .... very clearly. He has learned the English words for each part of his face. Very smart boy. I have no idea what he is saying to me but he sure does understand me!

Hoping by the time that we reach Guangzhou we will be good and able to get out more. I havent spent any money yet except for food and a hospital bill! :)

Group Photo

Here is a group photo on Gotcha Day of Alex, Quinn and myself! What a cute bunch I have ... If Janie were in the photo it would be even cuter! :)

Quinn is doing well today - he has ate and slept like nothing before! He should have some good muscles when we get home!
Tomorrow morning his passport will be ready and we will leave tomorrow night for Guangzhou. This part of the journey will finalize the adoption for the USA.

A few bruises ~

We have had a rough start to the day .... Quinn woke me early this morning with a nose bleed. It didnt stop so we went to a Chinese Hospital for assistance. His nose is still packed to slow the bleeding. He is such a wonderful boy and maintains a great sense of humor during this. He is learning how much he loves "Finding Nemo" and drinking Sprite!

Ok, so to lighten our rough morning ... ever been outside of a hotel in your jammies and walk around a hospital for a while in them ... then to a 5 star hotel breakfast buffet? :) It was so hot in there I was drenched so that meant the hotter I got the curlier my hair got! Not a good thing! :) It hasnt been this curly and frizzy in a long time back in Missouri. China humidity and weather is much hotter and humid!

I cant say enough wonderful things about our agency for their assistance and to Love Without Boundaries!!!! These are terrific organization that I would highly recommend making a donation to at some point in the future. They truly love the children of China! Thank You So Much for your Help!!!!!

It is OFFICIAL!!

We are back from the Civil Affairs Building ... It is Official .... We have a son, cousin, brother, grandson, etc in the Roberts family ... Quinn Michael FuQi Roberts has entered the family!!!!! I absolutely can no wait to see him with those 7 little Princess!!

P.S. Sophie, Bella and Ava ... this is Quinn you are seeing in the pictures below ... Soon he will be home to see you! I will post a family photo of us later today hopefully.

A tale of Two Hunan Dollies

Happy Labor Day!!

On this day 16 years ago US time I met my wonderful husband ~ Happy Anniversary Sweetheart! This day will forever be marked as our Anniversary and a Gotcha Day for Qi! :)

Yesterday I took the kiddos to Wal Mart. They did wonderful. I bought Qi a new pair of sandals and both some toys! The fighter jet and transformer were both a hit! Quinn is amazed at his light up shoes!

He is just an adorable little boy in so many way ~ He is perfect for our family! Pa Pa he is Gabby II. He probably has a sore throat from all of his talking :) I have no idea what he is saying most of the time. A few times, I clearly understood. He told Alex last night ... "Momma gave me money" Ok, it was 2 Yuan and you would have thought it was GOLD! He put his wallet in his front pocket.

This morning we go to the Civil Affairs building to formalize our adoption in China @ 9am! What an emotional stop this is. Now, we wait for his passport and then go to Guangzhou Friday night to formalize the adoption for the US.

Janie & Owen .... we miss you!

Gotcha!!!!!

Gotcha Quinn!! What a dollie he is!! This child was truly meant to be with my family. He is such a jokster and will love his Daddy. He told the coordinator today that if she could guess the English words he knew he would pay her $20 USD and laughed at her. He kept making jokes with her too. Quinn said he likes his name and smiled great big when we told him he was named after his Grandpa! He is healthy and happy and small! Not much bigger than Janie :)

Alex is loving being a big sister!

I will post more pictures later!

In Changsha ~

We are finally in Changsha, Hunan!!! It was a bumpy ride but made it.

We originally were supposed to get Quinn in the afternoon now we get him @ 10AM!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!!! So for those not aware of the timezone difference, that will be about the time you go to bed (13 hours difference)!

Alex on the Great Wall

There are a few more pics posted off to the side!

Beijing is almost behind us! Next Stop QUINN!!!!

Yesterday we had a great day! We visited the great wall and made it a good ways up. Alex said she could climb a long way ... I said Mommy is old and I am out of breathe :) On the way down she said that she was glad we turned around to come back. She could hardly make the steps because some of them were as deep as her legs were long. Plus it was drizzling rain and a little slippery. Once we left the Great Wall we went to Summer Palace and took a dragon boat ride. It is very beautiful there!

Alex and I came back to the hotel then ... she layed down and was asleep in 5 minutes ... so on came the jammies and I was out too. I wasnt feeling so hot anyway .. the bus made me car sick! We finally got some sleep!!!!! It is now 3:05M and we are wide awake waiting on room service because we had no dinner! Alexandra has not been eating well and they had Pasta so .... she gets!

This morning @ 10:30 we leave for the airport to go to Changsha in Hunan Province. It is here that we will be united with Quinn tomorrow afternoon! :) I can hardly wait. Alex will love this to because her play mate is leaving for Guangzhou this morning. Changsha holds a very warm place in my heart and always will. We will be staying @ the Dolton Hotel. This is the place that we were united with our beautiful two daughters! I feel so lucky to be able to share these important details with Alex while we are there. I still remember the exact spots that we were in the day we met! Alex acting like the world was good and looking around at everything and Janie crying and climbing me like a monkey! :) I hope Quinn has a fun memorable mark on the meeting too but most of all I hope he likes us to!

Sleep Deprived ~

I believe you could officially say we are sleep deprived now. I have had maybe 2 hours and the alarm is due to go off in an hour. Alex slept about 2 hours and then was up 3 and now back down again. I hope she can sleep a few more hours! I decided to organize the pics I had taken so far ..... Yes, I have enough to organize Owen :) Here is one of Alex! She is too cute!

Sightseeing ~

Today we started the day with sightseeing at the Forbidden City and Tianemen Square. Alex was absolutely amazed and loved it. Her art teacher will love having a conversation about the beautiful artwork. I have to admit, I am really surprised that she didnt ask more questions. She staying in front of the group next to the guide when she was talking about it so she wouldnt miss anything.

We found a buffet lunch down the street. Now, if any of you know anything about crossing a street in China that was four times an adventure. Talking about grabbing my daughter and going!

Funny story ... this morning I went to blow dry my hair and the plug would not fit into any of the electrical outlets or my converter. So, feeling like a fool, I called the front desk for help. The gal didnt know anything about it. Left for a minute and then came back. She pulled out the drawer on the desk that houses another outlet ..... plugged it in and walked off! I was told tonight that they have an outlet that will house any current!

Tonight we went to the Chinese Acrobat show. Awesome! I would highly recommend it to anyone. We had a nap right before and the alarm clock didnt go off. Our coordinator had to call and wake us up ... talk about embarassing... the whole group was downstairs waiting! Hopefully, we will sleep tonight. We are functioning good but just tired!

The hotel is very nice .... equal to the White Swan in comparison I suppose except the lobby is smaller.

Good Night ~ I love you Owen, Janie & Quinn! I will see you in a few days sweetheart! :) I can hardly wait!

The Big Bird In The Sky Has Landed!!!

We are finally in Bejing now and enjoying stretching our legs. We flew NorthWest Airlines and could not have been happier with them. The service was fabulous. Now, Alex @ the age of 7 saying "Wow, are they serving us food again ... This is great service Momma" It was too cute. I probably wont eat for 2 days after all of the food they gave us.

I think in all of the flying we did I had to remind Alex twice that there were no loud noises on the plane and to get off the dirty floor. Other than that she earned her wings today! What a girl! I am super proud of her ... now for that 17 hour flight back to Tokyo. We are hoping to sleep better on the next flight .... I think we both had 3 hours sleep.

Airport switches went fine and couldnt have been better! Now, if it will go that smoothly going home we will have it made. On the way back, there will only be 3 families with the remainder traveling the next day.

Owen sorry, I wasnt able to get a good connection to update you. I have left you a message and email. I LOVE YOU and JANIE!!!! Soon, we will be a family of 5!!!!

Today is finally the Day!!!

Today is finally the day that we leave for China ~ Momma will be there soon Qi! Hoping for quick travels and a less bouncy Alexandra! Poor little Alex has a backpack that weighs more than her I think but refuses to take anything out of it .... so, this could be interesting. First Stop Detroit ... then Tokyo... with last stop being Beijing!

Almost Airborne ~

Tomorrow Alex and I will be Airborne to China!!! Today is busy trying to finalize the last minute details before leaving and wondering what I have forgotten. Hopefully nothing. However, my packing strategy may change drastically. Northwest is enforcing the weight limit on international luggage and am way over. We may end up mailing the clothing to the orphanage or seeing about different luggage. Yikes! I would rather spend $150 in China on you than give it away!

Your room is ready for you finally ~ with the exceptions of picutres on the wall. When we get settled a bit at home, we will go shopping and you can decide what you want!

Yesterday, I received an updated photo of you also and have posted out to the side for everyone else to see! You have grown and become more handsome than ever!

Now the countdown begins to Gotcha Day 9/1!

The packing is done FINALLY!!

I am sure you would loe to see how your room looked while I had everything out. What a big mess! It is picked up now and everything is almost in order for you Mr. Prince!

What a hard few days this has been of packing ~ but it is finally done! Ok, so I dont have our sandals or Momma's makeup packed yet so that could change. Worst case scenario you and Alex lose one or two of your outfits. I have a few more packed for you than me. The large suitcase is 59 lbs and the weight limit with China Domestic is 44 lbs. We may be fined for the overage. Hopefully, they will have mercy on us! Once you join us in Changsha, I will lose quite a few things. I bought clothes for the older children in the SWI and the gifts.

Tomorrow will be a full day of cleaning and organizing the paperwork and looking over the notes from the conference call on Wednesday! We are SOOOOO excited! :) I cant wait to give you a big ol' hug!

4 Days Left (Almost 3) ~

I can hardly believe that there are 4 days left. Soon, this day will come to an end and we will be 3 days out! Today I have been packing and re-packing ... I bought a new carry on tonight so that I could make everything work. Several months back I bought quite a few pieces of Gymboree clothing for some of the older children in the orphanage. So, had to make sure that it would all go. I didnt realize how much I had bought! Tomorrow, I will be ironing everything and getting Janie's clothes ironed for the next 14 days too! So, you know what tomorrow looks like for me. I am off Monday and Tuesday to prepare last minute things before Wednesday morning arrives.

The time has finally come for us to be united! Just a few more days ~ Gotcha Day is 9/1 Sweetie!! Now, I just hope that you are as excited as I am.

One Day Closer ~ We are almost there!

One day closer now my sweet boy!

We had a busy weekend but more productive than before. I was able to catch up some things in the office and get a few more things done before leaving. Yes, I am becoming obsessed with the suitcase and packing list! We are so limited with the weight restrictions, etc that "necessities" are all that I can really take. We will have to go shopping if there is something that is needed. I have packed several times already and made a trip to the store this weekend to pick up our last items to take - I hope! Last night we took some family time off to go fishing. Today we had a fish fry in honor of Uncle Brian with a gathering of family and close friends. It was nice. I took lots of pic's for you of Daddy's side of the family and plan on creating a DVD to take to China with me for you. So, you were there alot today! Everyone was curious about your arrival and what our departure date was! Lots of excitement in the air despite a sad occassion.

Daddy is working up a big sweat over all of the hot fryers but had a minute to step in for a pic ... not so good though - I think he had other things on his mind!

** The Real TA Arrives **

Today our Federal Express package arrived with the actual TA in it and our schedules. I have not been able to sit down and see all of the information in it yet. But did see that we have a conference call next Wednesday that I will need to take off work for. We are very close now ... Momma will be there soon Qi!

Alexandra on First Day of School!

It is so hard to believe that Alexandra is almost 8 years old!! I am really getting old :) Today was the first day school! My little princess is in love with her skirt and spent the morning twirling and turning :) She informed me that she will be taking this to China with her ... Look out Qi! :)

Alexandra loves school so this was a really fun day for her. It excites me to see her wanting to go to school to learn. The teachers and staff are great. We are very fortunate. Qi I know you will love it just the same :)

School Already!

Hard to believe that school is starting today already! Janie is very excited about being in the Big K ... Alexandra is starting 2nd Grade also! They had a great morning and were bouncing out to the car with excitement. Just wait a few years, they might not be as excited :) Yesterday, we trimmed/cut hair, bathed, got french manicures, painted toe nails, etc. Janie actually got her hair cut off in to a short bob and she looks terrific! Your sisters are all beautified and ready to go! They were already beautiful to begin with though :)

China Travel Arrangements

We have our China Domestic Travel Schedule today!!!! Yeah!!! We will be staying at the Dolton in Changsha where I first met your sisters! Among many other places... that will be our second stop. I had asked if that was a possibility several months ago. Alexandra is very excited to see where her life began with us .. and Janie too :) Gotcha Day is 9/1 ... that is the best news of all! :)

One Day Closer!!

We are one day closer to you now Quinn!!!!! Yeah!!!! We have been spinning our wheels off and on today but have been semi productive. This morning started off a little rough when the drain in the garage backed up and flooded the bathroom and a little of the garage. Good thing Daddy is a whiz and fixed it quickly! At least I have a solid start with packing and the suitcase is out - your clothes are in the washer as we speak! :) Daddy has been adding new software to the girls computer today.

This morning we went to Best Buy to look at the battery packs for the portable DVD player. I looked at the lap tops again with stars in my eyes while Daddy stood there just looking at me ... I said, "Well, I guess I will just take some of my extra money and get me one" Off he walked ... Now if anyone knows Quinn's Daddy... they know that he cant stand that puppy dog look, especially out of his brown eyed wife (as he says)!!! Anyway, he said ... "Well, I guess I can afford a lap top for you" and sighed ... Alex is loving it btw! Little stinker :) I really like it when I get a chance to touch it :) I loaded a few games on it this afternoon for you and your sister!

China Domestic Flights

We are still awaiting our China Domestic Flights and Hotels to be finalized. Funny Story ~ The agency contacted me the other day to ask if I wanted a roll away bed for one of the children to sleep on and reminded me that the beds are smaller in China than the US, etc. She included the hotel charges of $30-$40/night for this. That is crazy high and is not Yuan ... US Dollars! So, I told DH that I think I will take me a taxi cab down to Wal-Mart in Hunan and buy one for a much cheaper price!

Today Joyce and the girls came by for lunch ~ We a breathe of fresh air that was!:) After they left, I tried to organize your room a bit and take things out of boxes, etc then picked out some cute little clothes for you! Lets see .... you have KC Royals, Baseball, Cars and of course Gymboree items! You will be just too cute in everything and will look like a handsome prince!

Tomorrow I have to go to the bank to have something notarized. After that, I plan on working towards having laundry finished and an idea of clothes for Alex and I to take plus a clean tidy house! Ok, so we will see how big this dream is ..... right! :)

19 Days until we get on the big bird in the sky and counting!!!!!!!!!!

Travel Approval Arrives

Today we received our Travel Approval via Federal Express along with medicals and photos of Quinn! What a sweet little face :)

International Flights and Consulate Appointment

Wow, what an agency!! They absolutely do not mess around. We had a confirmed Consulate Appointment and had an email that our International Flight choices could be made and paid for! Unbelievable ~ I looked everything over and decided to go through Detroit to Tokyo and on to Beijing. Pure Excitement!!!! We leave 8/27 and come home 9/10! Momma is on her way very soon son! :)

Another Weekend

Finally, a productive weekend!!! Yeah .. the hearth room is painted but not without a hitch! Yep, I am gonna blame this one on my sister for making the comment that one thing leads to another on a project. I got a water spot on the ceiling from stripping wallpaper border so decided that I need to paint the ceiling. While I was at it decided that it was a good idea to paint the rest of the room too and spruce it up a bit. While I was fixing the area around the water spot and removing the border, I pulled piece of what I thought was excess ... Well, it was not excess at all. Indeed it was an old wall paper that had been left on with the seams mudded. I had no idea that we had paper under neath. It just kept peeling!!!! Of course, the mess was right above the fireplace on the entry way! Gotta love it. Owen's buddy "Mr. Renovations" is going to come by and tell me what the best thing to do would be. So, the room looks fabulous with the exception of the fireplace!

Sunday afternoon I worked busily cleaning and trying to prepare things for our journey to Quinn. Turned out to be quite productive

******* TA Landing ********

We have a TA Landing!!!!! Yep, I got the call this morning @ 9:12am. Potentially, we will leave for China 8/27 and return on my a Very Special Person's Birthday on 9/10!! What a birthday present you will get Sister!!! The agency is trying to confirm a Consulate Appointment for me now. Alexandra will be joining me on the trip. She will be so excited when I finally tell her and will melt when she finds out we are going to Beijing too! :) I can hardly wait to get my hands on my sweet little son!!!! YEAH!!! More details next week on travels I am sure! I have lots to do in such little time! Tomorrow is going to be very busy but all GOOD! After the rotten month of July that we had .. for some reason, I just cant stop smiling today! Hmmmmm

The Federal Express Man Visited Today!

Yeah!!! The Federal Express person made a delivery to our house today!!! :) We received our LOA and quickly sent it back. We barely got to look at it because the Post Office was going to close soon, but did scan it. Our wonderful agency should have it back on Monday and then it will go back to China. Then, we officially go back into the "Waiting" mode again. TA's have been arriving in approx 17 days recently. Soon after that we will receive an actual date to meet you!:)

Since I will be traveling without DH this time I have prepared the Power of Attorney form and will need to take it on Monday to the Secretary of State for Certification and send it overnight to the Courier for the Chinese Embassy to Authenticate it. Then, more paperwork.

I am really feeling a crunch for time as the last few weeks have been so overwhelming. We are still not able to concentrate as well as we should so completing a task is difficult at times. Hopefully, this week will improve for us ~ fingers crossed!

The Ladybug Has Landed in Indiana!!!!

Finally, after many tears and emotional days.. Our LOA has arrived at the Agency. I received the call this morning a few minutes before 10 am. Our caseworker probably really thinks I am a nutcase for sure now ..... of course I cried! She said that our TA should be here in about a month or less and then travels several weeks after that. The package will be overnight Federal Express. Yeah, my son is coming home!!!

Daddy will stay with the girls in the US and I will be traveling alone. I will be so sad to leave my family for 2 weeks but have a pot of gold on the other side of the earth waiting for me! :) In 15 years of being married, Owen and I have never been apart more than a couple of days while he deer hunts or goes on a fishing excursion. The girls have only spent the night away a couple of times and we rushed to pick them up early the next morning because we missed them so much! :)

A Few Ladybugs Landing

There have been a few LOA landings this week ~ Hopefully, we will be next! There are several arriving with our LID. Our agency has not received anything so far this week. Cross your fingers for us!!! :)

I caught the Big One Daddy!

Finally, Owen was able to get himself out to go fishing and took the girls last night! My niece and her husband came over to join them also. Everyone had a great time and was much needed for all :) Alex caught a 7 lb Bass and was absolutely amazed that she caught "The Big Fish" but didnt really want to hold it which surprised me.

Updated Photos

Today we received updated photos of our boy! He is so handsome and looks like he has thinned out and grew a few inches since the last photo in February. I cant wait to get my arms around that little guy forever! :)

Good Bye Uncle Brian

Qi, I will keep this one brief for you since this is one is so tough and we are not through it yet enough to grasp anything. Your Uncle Brian was killed tonight when a work truck fell on him. He will so be missed and we loved him very much ~ as would you! He and Daddy were like Best Friends! The first morning after the holidays when we found you, he was with us waiting to hear right along side! He will be missed very much and I loved him dearly!!!

Crazy fool trying to give that poor crappie a Mountain Dew! :)

Zoo Sleepover

Finally, a weekend that brought a few smiles into our home or should I say our Aquarium! :) Alexandra had a Brownie outing this weekend at the Zoo in Omaha. We went "hiking" Saturday night and again this morning. The weather got down into the 50's and brought out LOTS of Mosquitos. I rarely ever get bit but ended upw it some whopper bites. Poor little Janie has one above each eye and one on each knee and who knows where else. I had to give her some medicine to help with the irritation. Alexandra has one on her eye lid but has yet to complain. Most everyone came out with bites. I even packed the repellent but forgot it in the backpack. We slept in the Aquarium on inflatable beds. We had never been to this Zoo before but loved it. Always have heard that it was worth the trip, and it was! What a fun adventure we had. There were 14 little girls between the ages of 4 and 11 with the majority being between 7-8 years of age. Now, with the Brownie Troop let me tell you we have some very beautiful and high spirited ladies ~ they are all from China! Yes, it is a troop for little China Dolls! :) It was so fun watching them all run around and have a blast. They have so much to share and so many things in common.

Saturday morning I did get your bed stained before leaving and it sure did turn out nice! So, now I can get the curtain made and actually get things tidied up for you. I have to go through your closet. Over the past several months I have been putting things aside to take with us in a basket. Honestly, I have no idea of everything that I have. Not to mention, I need to do an inventory of what you have but believe that we will be in "overload"! Poor little guy, you probably wont care a stitch about what you have in your closet and here I have stressed out about it.... Oh well, at least Mommy will look at you with a smile on her face because you will be walking around looking triple handsome! Oh yeah, what a vision ~ I can hardly wait.

Hoping and praying that tomorrow brings us good news son! Wave to the airplane please as he passes over Hunan with your paperwork in a couple of days! :) I sure do hope .. shhhh, not too loud so I wont jinx myself here!

The TA Ladybug Lands

For the last 2 days there have been lots of TA's arriving from China. They were able to clear out all of 5/29 and 6/9 from what we understand. So, maybe this will be good news when they go to issur out TA soon! So far, the only news we have heard on LOA are that #1 someone had theirs issued on Tuesday and #2 someone from Canada I believe was told that their's was put in the mail on Friday and #3 that there are packages on the way to the USA with "Unknown Items". It is a little early for referrals by a few days yet so the only other possibility is that it could be LOA. I am truly trying not to get to excited about this just in case it isnt. My blood pressure has been way to high already literally! But, how can I not be excited and get my hopes up about my son!

Dr Grimes & TA Ladybug Landings

First thing on Monday I called Doctor Grimes to discuss the reports that I had received last week. We decided that it would be good to ask for your case to be expedited. Hopefully, our LOA will be here this week and then we only have to worry about the travel portion. At this time TA's are only taking about 18 days roughly - subject to change at any time. I am certain that our terrific agency will work with us to get you home as soon as possible if it is within their ability to do! I ran around trying to get to the USPS and his office so that the letter could be sent overnight today and could be received tomorrow. Yes, it was and it was forwarded to the appropriate place! What a fabulous caseworker you have :)

I am hearing that TA Ladybugs are landing in spots this week but not alot of talk about LOA's. Only 2 families have received information that it was sent or would be processed. Maybe Friday will be our Magical Day! I really need some good news badly. Bummed out doesnt even scratch the surface.

We survived yet another week and weekend. Hoping that next week brings some good news to our house. The "Rumor Mill" says that it will. This weekend we just worked around on a few projects and did a few fun things with the girls. Daddy worked on your bed a bit more off and on in between fishing! :) It will be ready soon. Hummm, I wonder if you have received your packages thaat were mailed to you???

Update

Today we received Medical Updates ~ We were promised that photo would be sent soon! I am anxious to see your sweet little face again! :) As your sisters say "Mom, I am tired of looking at his pictures, I just want to see his real face and touch him!" Amen Sisters!!

~ No News Yet ~

So far, there is no news this week of any kind! 3 PA's were received today but that is all that has arrived this week. I am really ready for a good nights sleep. At this point, we have no idea what this means for us in terms of travel arrangements or if we will make it before the Olympics. At this point, I am ready to break tears and pull out my "begging" tools! Hoping tomorrow brings us better news/information.

Today, I asked for an update on you and am sincerely hoping that we receive something. I am especially worried about your medicals and the blood shortages due to the earthquake.

By this time you should have received your first package and possibly the cards that we sent you. We hope that you enjoy your goodies! There will be another arriving in about a week or so.

Happy Fathers Day Daddy & Papa!!

Here's to a Happy Fathers Day to your Daddy and Papa! We took Daddy out to breakfast after Church and called Papa later in the day. It was a relatively yucky day outside - storms in the afternoon and spits of rain off and on. Of course, he did go fishing with his buddy Jim knowing it was going to storm - not totally a surprise thought :) The girls gave your Daddy a T-Shirt from all of you (Janie signed your name to the card) that said "Dad #1" with the Chiefs logo on it and a pair of his favorite shoes for kicking around the lake in! He was not overjoyed about the shoes but is about comfort so that made it ok in the end. I took him to the fishing department at Dicks but he came out empty handed. My three Hunan Dollies came out good with new life jackets!

Only a Few Days Left of Vacation

Today was the day that I was supposed to get sooooo much done!!! Ok, well that never happened :) The girlies talked me into taking them a couple of places and being outside in the humidity. But on the bright side I did at least get the items purchased for my sewing project. Now, to buckle down and get them done this weekend. I really hope that your sisters dont rub off on you honey - they talked me into taking them out to eat for lunch again and into the Littlest Pet Shop deal that clips onto your belt loop! I took them shopping at Gymboree this afternoon and bought ahead for next year and a few things for you too! It really was a big sale :)

Late this afternoon we went outside to play frizbe, baseball and practice casting. I almost had to beg them to come inside - I feel happily whipped! We will have so much fun together! I can see it now - the Hunan 3!

Also, a few TA's arrived today for folks but no LOA. It has to be soon!

Flying Vacation!

Wow, this vacation has absolutely flown by! We have been so busy and had so much fun :) Everyday we have been somewhere... no jammie days for us. We have been to Kaleidascope, shopping at more than one store (just for Janie), roller skating, parks, movie and fathers day shopping. Whew! I told the girls that I really need a little bit of time to complete a few projects so maybe tomorrow we will stay in for a while.

While we are Kaleidascope the other day, we picked up a few things for you to make also and will try to send you a package out soon with those items in it. Lets see, there will be goodies to make cards, a crown fit the for the king that you are, puzzles (that Mommy had to draw on), stickers and decorative items for each of those things. Today I bought a disposable camera to include. That way you can take photos of friends or who ever you would like and we can develop it when you get home!

Earlier in the week we did hear that our paperwork was past review and being moved into the Matching Room (Department 2) for signatures and our LOA to be prepared for mailing. They said that we would have it "soon". Not sure what the definition of that is for sure ... everyone had different opinions. So, my definition would be a few days .. theirs could be three weeks! In the end the important thing is that we receive it in time for our travels before the Olympics. Time will tell! :) The sooner the better.

Day 1 of Vacation!

What a day this has been - the ride on the emotion roller coaster!!! I am hoping that it is done soon. Today, our agency received 3 LOA and they were out of order. No reason! I was told that they would try to find out why we have not received ours ... but was told a few weeks ago that there were no problems with dossiers. Several other families received their yesterday but were really scattered. Maybe tomorrow will be the day!

Today, your sisters and I went "window shopping". Alexandra told me that I broke the rule of "window shopping" because we went inside of the store and looked instead of staying outside. I guess she is politically correct .... however, we never bought! What a kiddo ... so full of questions. Tonight she was telling me about how Hawaii was formed and the volcanos there! Anyway, back to today ... Both girls checked out ok at the eye doctor this morning ... later we went card and sticker shopping for you. The girls were so excited to have their own card to mail you and to be able to write in it. I enclosed a picture of each of them and wrote their name on the back again. Hopefully, those will get to you. And of course, it rained today so that put a damper on things.

** Officially Vacationing **

Your sisters and I are officially on "Vacation" as of tomorrow morning for a week. I will need to make a trip to the spa after this! :) We actually have a good week planned and hope that it included receiving a call from our agency that your LOA has arrived!! I am way to excited and keyed up - Just ask your Dad and Sisters! :) Anyway, we are planning a trip to the eye doctor tomorrow and the rest of the week we have Kaleidoscope, Marble Moon and of course to get a manicure and who knows what else on the agenda. Janie is really wanting to go to the T-Rex Cafe. For some reason she loves to eat inside of a restaurant. They will think of lots of other things. Janie is busy asking to go shopping. :) Asked who was gonna pay and she just shrugged her shoulder with a smile and her cute little laugh. I explained the concept of "Window Shopping" ... she didnt much like that.
This weekend we just did a few small projects for your arrival.

USPS Coming Your Way

Yesterday we were told that it was OK to send you another small package. So, today I gathered a few things for you and will try to send it your way soon. At this point, you have ball cards, a T-Shirt that says "USA", suckers, stickers, silly putty, hot wheels and sticker book. I plan on adding a few photos for you in there also. I hope you enjoy!
I am really hoping that we receive your LOA this week or early next. I have been hearing that "Ladybugs" will be falling within the next few days! :) Besides, I am going crazy here and about to get the straight jacket out of the closet from the previous 2 adoptions!:) We hopefully, will make it to China before the Olympics if that happens :) Be on the look out for 2 Hunan Dollies and 2 old folks (we really arent that old but your Dad seems to think I am at least - or so he says)! :)

Another Weekend Down

Well, we have another weekend down and counting the days for our LOA and then our TA to arrive! Hoping this is our lucky week Quinn :) It was really hot and muggy all weekend to say the least. Saturday, I stained the front and back decks and the wood on the front of the house. What a sticky job! Glad that one is done and can be crossed off the list. The girls hung out on the swings and played.

Today, we went boating and fishing. Janie was the only one that didnt catch anything. She sure tried her best and was a good sport about not catching one! :) We took a boat ride over the C-Point and had a picnic early in the day. The sail boat races were going on also. It was interesting watching them when the wind layed down :) Not a pretty site to see. You will love C-Point ... there is a very large castle (For Real) off to the side and you can see most coves on the lake and all of the beautiful houses - The lake is absolutely gorgeous - and we hope you will love it as much as we do! :)

Late this afternoon, Daddy groomed the holly tree out front and was quite interesting watching him dance around the yellow jackets and trying to keep from being stung! Yikes!!! He made it without any stings - Yeah Daddy! The girls were so tired after being out in the sun the majority of the day that they just wanted to lay around and watch "High School Musical" and put a puzzle together!

Ladybugs Slowly Falling

LOA and TA have slowly been coming in all week for those that have LID late 2007 and have submitted PA or LOI 4/08. The latest that I have saw was dated 4/17/08. We are LID 4/2/08 and am really hopeful that they are finished with those dates and work on the current batches. I am really hoping that we receive our LOA this next week! I have felt for a while that this will be the timeframe for us.

Happy Memorial Day

It is a holiday here in the U.S. ~ Memorial Day. We shampoo'd carpets, worked in your bedroom a bit more, laundry and other fun household stuff! Daddy is going fishing this afternoon if he doesnt get rained out. It is a horrible day for humidity and storms. I think the girls and I will watch a movie or do something girly like paint toenails, etc. We wish you were here with us on this "stay home day" (as your sisters call it)!

Your Bedroom

Today and yesterday I worked on painting your room. I was terribly disappointed because the blue was too dark and the brown was not dark enough. In the end, it looks fine. We just want everything to be PERFECT for you! So, it is blue all over with a brown stripe painted half way up the way (all around) ... The bedding is light blue edged in brown plaid.

We looked at mattress' yesterday for your room but have yet to purchase. I hope to get the curtains made next weekend. We also went to Gymboree and bought a couple pair of shorts for you later in the afternoon. Alice Jane wanted to shop all day! She has more energy for shopping (loves it) than we have money! I think she beats me out of the shopping ring! :)

The Tooth Fairy Visit

Alexandra finally lost her 2nd tooth and is very excited about the Tooth Fairy visiting tonight. She is so curious about whether it is a boy or a girl. She told me that if you dont believe, you dont get money! :) She is excited about saving her money and counting ahead for what she might get for those other lose teeth in front before we go to China! She wants one of those "Big Red Bills" :)

** More Arrivals **

Well, another week has passed with LOA's arriving early in the week. I believe that there were 4 that arrived. We are next .. I feel it Quinn! Today, TA's are supposed to arrive for various agency's. At least that is the latest buzz. My nerves are not in too good of shape right now .. you will find out that your Mommy can be a little impatient at times when it comes to waiting for something exciting!

We have a long weekend coming up in observance of Memorial Day. My plans are to work on your bedroom and get it completed if possible. Hopefully, I will be able to leave the office and go get paint for it later today! :) (having a hard time leaving the computer with all of this excitement going on) It is supposed to rain pretty much all weekend. Your sisters are trying to think of fun things to pass the time with the rain and your Daddy is making plans to go out on the lake to fish ... and he thinks us girls are fishing with him in the rain! Not good!

The Graduate!!!

Today our little Alice Jane graduated from Pre-K .... YEAH!!!! She was very excited too. Ms. Penny's prediction for her was to be a famous Psychologist who would help other one day! (Because she is so sensitive). Also, won the award for the best handwriting! We celebrated by having cake and punch. What a fun event. She wore her green cap and gown too :)

Another Weekend Down!!! YEAH~~~~

We have had a busy weekend so far and am trying to gear down and get ready for work tomorrow! I stripped a large wallpaper border in your room and am trying to prepare for painting next weekend. Daddy says you wouldn't like girly stuff in there :) I had lots of little projects to be completed before Alice Jane's friend came over to visit and have dinner Saturday afternoon.
Today, we focued on cleaning the pontoon boat to get it ready for summertime! We cruised around the lake for a while ~ What a fabulous afternoon for that! Daddy didn't even bring a fishing pole with him this time - which is amazing in itself! :)
Tonight, we sat down for dinner and Alexandra asked if she could say a prayer for you. She was so sweet --- "Dear God, please watch over my brother Quinn and keep him safe. Please make sure that he has everything he needs ... Not what he wants but what he needs. Our family really needs to be with him before the Olympics and my heart is growing bigger all the time with love for my brother". So thoughtful of her.
Alice Jane just made a "Family Book" of our house, Mommy (with blonde hair) and Her on the inside. The front has the whole family's name on it ... Mommy, Daddy, Alex, Quinn and Alice! Soon, we will be that family of 5!

Happy Birthday Papa!!!!

Long Week

What a long week this has been and so sad ~ The news of the Earthquake victims has proved to be devistating for families. As of this morning there have been near 30,000 confirmed dead. Japan has brought in rescue workers also to assist. We have found out that there is a blood supply shortage in China. Needless to say, I am losing my mind over this news! I have been speaking to our agency back and forth all week long to see what we need to do to get your filed expedited. Unfortunately, it is up to God to provide the angel to sit on the Reviewers shoulder! Daddy and I are still discussing the possibility of doing this but will have the week to discuss it more as our case worker is out of the office on vacation all week. We are hearing rumors that LOA and TA's are on their way - Maybe we will be in that group! Time is looking bleak to bring you home before the Olympics but we are still hopeful!

Update

Today we received a brief update on you for measurements and Lab Results. According to the email you are currently 45 lbs and about 44". I spent some time talking with the Hematologist Office also. You are just a few inches shorter than sister. What a cute duo you two will make as "Twins" :)

** China Earthquake 7.8 **

What a morning this has been Quinn! We got around as normal this morning and as soon as I got to work I heard the news ** Sichuan Province in China had been hit by an Earthquake which measured 7.8 ** WOW!! The last time this had happened in China was about 100 years ago of this magnitude. The devistation these people have had is horrible ~ buidling flattened, people buried, lost families, etc. Of course, I was frantic waiting to hear news about you. The only thing that I could find that was of some relief was the Changsha felt movement and didnt realize what it was until the news came out. I immediately emailed several folks in hopes of finding out something. I was told last night late that Hunan was ok and this morning that Loudi was ok. I just need to get you home as soon as possible ... The bad winter in Loudi, Earthquake and the Olympics! When we traveled for Alexandra it was 911 .. Alice Jane it was SARS and all of these events for your trip. Too many delays here ~
Please God, watch over my son and keep him safe!! I know I sound selfish with all of the events going on and the loss' that have happened but please help me bring my son home soon ~

Happy Mothers Day!

Today is Mothers Day ~ I hope every mother out there is able to experience a day full of love and hugs! The girls are at Aunties house and am going out in a few minutes to get them. I really missed them last night. You will find that you rarely ever get to leave our sides!

We are having a BBQ today and hopefully getting to enjoy some sunshine! It has been really rainy and grey these past few weeks. The girls both came home with cards and pictures for me... What prizes they are and I love them all! One thing was missing though - YOU! I will miss you being here with me today and will say a special prayer that God will allow you to be with me soon :) Alice Jane brought home the sweetest paper as my gift. She was able to answer questions about me .. The one that I love the best is: My Mommy is so smart because ****** She is able to fill out lots of paperwork to get my brother Quinn home! Both girls are excited too! Hopefully, soon we will be united and no more tears for being apart.

The Sleepover

Today the girls and I hung out and got ready to go to Aunt Tammy's to see your cousins and Aunt's and Uncle. Alice Jane and Alexandra are spending the night while Daddy and I go to a movie. We went to Taco Bueno and then to see National Treasury 2 with Nicholas Cage ..... one of our favorites! Right after getting out of the movie, I got a call because Janie missed her Mommy and was really sad! Alexandra promised to give her a hug from me and hold her hand!

Happy Birthday Great Grampy!

Hunan Dollies Say "Happy Anniversary"

Today your Dad and I have been married 14 years! I told him today what a lucky guy he is - and he snickerd at me ! :) Imagine that .. your Dad cracking a joke. You will find out what a "Jokster" he is! Actually ... I am really the lucky one. Today we just had a normal work day and came home. Your Daddy 96++++was slick today and surprised me with that Starbucks Coffee that I had mentioned I was almost out of .... Flowers ... Yummies for Hot Fudge Sundae's and Chinese Food! He really surprised me too! I'm just gonna take him to a quiet evening at the movie theatre in a few days.

Your Dad and I were married for almost 8 years before uniting as a family with your sisters. I dont really even remember what life was like before kiddos ... I just remember being able to keep the house really clean and the house being so quiet that I could hear the kitty's cry (they were bored too I guess)!

Happy Anniversary Daddy!

We Have A Winner!

Today was a busy day for us girls. Daddy went fishing on the lake while the girls went shopping and to the Art Show at the High School. Later in the day we baked cookies and went alot of parks here at the Lake.

Alexandra's self portrait was chosen as a winner to be in the Art Show! WOW, what an honor! Yesterday, she was able to stay with their favorite great uncle and aunt and had to go show it off to them and today we are going back so that I can see it. I am so proud of her for all of her hard work. Alexandra is really quite the Artist these days :)

Raining Lady Bugs

Today it rained 18 Lady Bugs (4 TA and 14 LOA's)!!!!! Wow, what an exciting day it was for families who received word for their Travels and Letters of Acceptance. It feels like sometimes we will never get to this point..... It is all in God's time on when this happen. We are so excited to make our journey to China and bring you home as quickly as possible. Each day that we are apart seems like "Having a Tooth Pulled" all over again! How we ever made it this many years without you in our lives in unknown to me!

Mommy is trying to work on projects around the house and your room is next! Last week I finished up the paining in the bathroom upstairs... Not so exciting but it makes me feel better to be finished with it! I cant wait to get your bedroom started..... Daddy agreed finally upon a piece of Nautica bedding for your room.... He was so picky I could hardly believe it ... After being married to this man for 14 years I was shocked. Your Daddy never cares what anything looks like. He told me that I was probably gonna turn your room into sissy stuff or something! He will sure be surprised and loving it:)

Yesterday, Alexandra had a doctor appointment with our favorite Doctor! And of course he asked about my little Quinn ~ He is so excited to meet you and asked for updated news on you!!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

Happy Birthday to Me!

I thought of you all day and how sad it was that we couldn't be together today. However, I tried to convince myself that next year would be better because you would be with me and I would be 1 year "younger"! We had a birthday cake and Alexandra helped to pick out the candles to put in my cake ... We didnt have the exact numbers so here is what she thought would work ... she found a #4 and saw that the other number was higher than what I needed so she put ## single candles on there to make the correct number somewhat --- What a smart cookies she is - always thinking! :)

Girls, Girls and More Girls .....

Wow Quinn, you are really a lucky little guy! You should see all of the girls that will soon be a big part of your life .. Lets see .. there are triplets, your sisters and of course Uncle Chad's girls. Maybe, Uncle Chad can give you some tips on being the boy of the house, he was sure surrounded by lots of girls too! :) Actually, this weekend and last we were lucky enough to be surrounded by almost everyone above. Jasmine & Jaden (who you will soon know as your "China Cousins") were able to come over this weekend while the triplets were here too. What a fun lively house we had! Just wait until you come home and they come back for a sleepover. They were so sweet and we had so much fun. The triplets kept asking me about the little boy that was going to come live with me forever and looked with loving eyes at your pictures on the refridgerator :) We sat down together and read "I Love You Like Crazy Cakes" and talked about adoption. Alexandra and Alice Jane told them all about you too!

A Little Set Back

On Wednesday I received word that you had a bad nose bleed and had to be taken to the hospital to be transfused again. My heart sank to the ground and felt so sadden by not being able to be with you at this time. I said many a prayer that God would watch over you and give your foster family the guidance needed. Soon, we will be together ~

LID

Happy Log In Date (LID)!!!!!

What speedy travels our paperwork made across the ocean :) No more worries with lost paperwork on our end ---- SSSHHHH!!! Not to loud ... We dont have a TA yet

Officially DTC!!!

Today we are officially DTC and our papers are on the way to China ~ We are hoping and praying for a quick LOA (Letter of Acceptance)!!!!! This process can take up to 4 months, however is moving quicker in most cases. Once the LOA is received we will be anxiously awaiting our TA (Travel Approval) and date for the Consulate Appointment. We received an update yesterday on our little sunshine. He is doing well and seems to be doing well from what is told.

DTC

The adoption agency will send our paperwork to the CCAA 03/28/08!!!! :)

Authentications Complete!!!!

Finally, our package arrived from the Chinese Consulate after being misplaced from the overnight envelope! What a bad 3 weeks this has been for my nerves. This afternoon, I prepared everything to take to the mail and overnight it to the adoption agency so that we could finally be DTC!!!!!

Dossier Lost!!!

The dossier has arrived at the Chinese Consulate in Chicago and has not been returned yet. I have tried to be patient waiting and know that something has to be WRONG here ..... It should not be taking this long!!! I waited the requested amount of time before emailing with no reply back... Then I sent a few faxes !!! I was about ready to jump in the car to drive to Chicago myself!

Secretary of State

Today, the 171-H arrived from the CIS office. I rushed home to take all of the paperwork downtown to the Secretary of State's office. Lucikly, the were not busy and I was able to sit for an hour while they worked on it. Later this same day, I prepared everything to go to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago for Authentication! We are almost there :)

Pre-Approval Received

On New Years Eve 2007 the red thread found us again! Immediately, we started the Process for our Quinn who resides in LouDi City, China. We received his medicals and photos a few days after. He is diagnosed with Thombasthenia aka a blood platlet disorder. At this time, he is one of the first children to available for adoption with Thrombasthenia. We sincerely hope that there will be more children eligible for adoption shortly following. Quinn will be joined by 2 sisters, both from Hunan! What a "Spicy" home we could have :) We look forwared to bringing him home soon!

On February 18th we received Pre-Approval for Quinn after 5 days! At this point, we are told that it will be approximately 2 to 4 months before we will hear anymore news. Now, we wait some more!

Letter of Intent (LOI)

Happy 7th Birthday Fu Qi!!!!

Today is a special day not only because it is your birthday but because we submitted a Letter of Intent (LOI) which committed us to adopting you into our family! The CCAA closed today until 2/14 due to the Chinese New Year, so we are hopeful that your file will not be delayed too terribly long. Beginning in January, a new online system became effective so, we hope that it goes quickly from here on out!

We celebrated by having fresh strawberries and Angel Food Cake with Whipped Cream! Yummy Stuff! Janie asked if we could make one again once you arrive home :)

In addition to all of this fun, we went to the CIS office here in Kansas City and filed our I-600A. Our Home Study is now final during all of this time. Kris worked especially hard to help us complete this part. We also were fingerprinted as a part of the process. We were told it was currently taking 2-3 weeks to receive approvals back... Yeah!!! Our paperchase is almost done with the exception of the 171-H, SOS and Authentications..... One step closer to bringing you home!

The Committment

Today we committed to the adoption of Fu Qi!!!! So, the paperchase begins ... I sure do hope that the family can live with me during this intent time .. The race is on to bring our son home. We were told that the average was 6-7 months until travel time.

Fu Qi

Reviewing of the Files

Yesterday, I prepared the applications, etc and faxed them to the agency to have the minute they opened the office the next business day. I have a call into our Social Worker to ask her if she would approve us a third time for a SN boy. She was so excited and immediately sent an email to the agency advising them that we would be approved for the adoption!! We were told that once all of the information was received then the files could be sent to us to review. Late in the day, we recieved the files and additional photos of our Qi Qi .... It was love at first sight and the seed had already started growing in our hearts! Fu Qi was destined to be a part of our family. Low and behold, he is also a Hunan Dollie! Both Alexandra and Alice Jane are Hunan Dollies too ~ Imagine our wide eyes when we learned this news ... "Spicy" ...

I began contacting physician upon physican to discuss the outcome of his future medically... We are prepared to handle anything!