One home...Many hearts

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-05T07:09:00.001-08:00

What a great time we had at Thanksgiving! Mike's parents came up from Florida, and also his sister Jennifer and her hubby Shawn - and their kids Caleb, Hannah, and Sarah... (turn your speakers on & enjoy)

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Time Sure Flies !!

2011-12-05T06:28:00.000-08:00

12/5/11
Wow, I've been back from China for 4.5 months already! Well, time does fly when you're having fun, and we definitely are doing that. Life is really good, and we are really blessed. I see something amazing every day - what more could I ask for?

Bellamei is a precious gem. By God's design, she has been with our family forever, but now she is physically with us. It's truly as if she's been here all along. She had no hesitation, no apprehension, no doubt. She just melted right in. She begins every day with a smile and is kind & beautiful. Her limb difference is such a non-issue - there is nothing she can't do. She does everything a 2-handed person can do, and asks for no help, ever. She goes with us every Wed night for sign language class and she just improvises her signing, without a blink. She & Briella are signed up together on a basketball team. Bellamei is smart and a great student. She has friends at school, but her best friend is Briella - they chat all day long in Chinese!

Going Home...

2011-07-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

7/27/11

All packed up and ready to go home!! Leaving very early in the morning (6am). All 3of us are very excited. Our guide delivered her visa this afternoon, so now every single piece of paperwork is in order. We spent the afternoon at the pool again today, just playing and passing time. Bellamei had never been in a swimming pool a week ago, and now she can swim 1/2 way across the width of the pool (underwater). She is very eager at everything and a very determined little girl. Enjoy the video of her in the previous post.She is so graceful, beautiful, and sweet.

Leaving China is bittersweet. As I leave this land, I realize that 5 of my children's birthmothers are here somewhere, and I am grateful that they chose life for our children. I wish them well and keep them in my heart. Now, I go back to where I call home and can't wait to embrace my husband & my children :)

Bellamei at OneTrueMedia.com

2011-07-27T05:59:00.001-07:00

Sweet Bellamei

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7/26/11

2011-07-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

This morning was our Consulate appt and everything went well. Tomorrow we will receive her visa to come home. We will leave the hotel Thurs morning at 6am and head to the airport. We have an 8am flight to Beijing, then a layover there until 4:10pm when we take off for Chicago. Then, 1 more flight from Chicago to Charlotte will bring us home (almost 30 hrs later). Can't wait to see everyone at the airport! It will be late, probably either 10pm or midnight, depending on how quickly we get through immigration in Chicago. The girls are doing great, and we are enjoying the swimming pool every day. Here are a few pics, that include 1 of my girls with Ann Marie, the other 12.5 yr old that was adopted by a family that is also with our agency. Ann Marie is from a different area of China than Bellamei. Actually, they are exactly 1 week apart - Bellamei being the younger one. We went to a park and I am always fascinated by the geriatric crowd, just going to town working out on the exercise equipment and the ladies doing dances together (all at the park). It was REALLY hot though! I took a video of Bellamei dancing & singing in our hotel room. Hopefully, I can find a way to get it on the blog. I can't wait to arrive home and see all my other sweeties! Not too much longer now :)

Having fun in Guangzhou!

2011-07-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

7/23/11

We are having a ball :)

Arrived yesterday and this morning after breakfast, we met the other family from our agency that also adopted a 12 year old (from a different province) in fact, their daughter is exactly 1 week older than Bellamei. The 3 girls are having a lot of fun together. The first thing we did was go to have the medical exam done. I was very relieved that our guide was able to receive an immunization record from Bellamei's orphanage, via email. We weren't sure we would be able to get it, and if not, that would've meant many shots for her at the medical exam today. Turns out, since we were able to obtain a shot record from the orphanage, she only received 4 regular shots, 1 oral shot, and the TB test. She is about 10 lbs lighter than Briella, and about 3.5 inches shorter. She did just fine with the shots, what a sweetie she is. Then we walked around the island and shopped together with the other family. Bellamei is a good shopper and doesn't ask for much.. she is very poised. I got some nice gifts and I also got 2 traditional silk dresses for her. She danced and sang in one of the shops we were in (I asked her if she would) and I am just so impressed with her grace, and her voice is delicate and beautiful. We will go back to the medical clinic on Monday to have her TB result looked at and do a little more shopping there, which is so fun (and pick up some laundry we dropped off). We had a yummy lunch at Lucy's and Bellamei loves broccoli, just like Briella and me.
One of the nicest vendors there, named Jordon, remembers me everytime I come to his shop. We always connect by name (Jordan) and he is the nicest guy.. he offered to write in caligraphy on a fan that we were buying, and when he asked her what name she wanted on it (english or chinese) she said "Bellamei". So, I've been calling her Bellamei since then and she seems to love it. We finished off the day with a nice swim at the hotel pool - which is outside and we don't have to wear the silly swim hats here. The water was still a little chilly, but it was so hot outside, so I finally got in too. I did a few laps and Bellamei was so impressed and excited that I was in the pool. She wanted me to show her how to swim, and wow.. she is really trying, and doing quite well. She will be independent in no time. It was a great bonding experience because she just loved on me like crazy in the pool ~ what a gift she is.

The only official business that is left to do is to have the TB test read on Monday, go to the Consulate for the swearing in ceremony on Tuesday, pick up her U.S. visa on Wednesday, then fly home on Thursday - yay!!!!!

Can't wait for her to meet everyone else in the family. I know you will fall in love with her too!

Hugs,
Lisa

More Pictures of our Time Together

2011-07-21T09:39:00.001-07:00

Last full day in Hohhot

2011-07-21T06:34:00.000-07:00

7/21/11

We have spent 1/2 day in the hotel room, just playing around. Leaving in a few minutes with our guide to go pick up Ying's passport. Tomorrow morning we fly out to Guangzhou. We are excited about that! Ying is doing extraordinary, how blessed we are!

Sight Seeing

2011-07-20T06:27:00.000-07:00

7/20/11

Celebration Swimming

2011-07-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Bellamei officially becoming a Jordan, we went to the pool. She has never been in a pool before, but you wouldn't know it.. she isn't scared of anything it seems. They had a blast! Here are some pics of them - I had planned on getting in too, and even bought the silly hat for me too (required) but the pool was absolutely freezing. Then, we came back to the room and the girls showered and Bellamei got a 2nd treatment of conditioner for her hair and it is so much softer now and shiny too. I blow-dryed it for her and I even trimmed it a little, as her bangs were way down to her nose. I didn't take off much, but it is definitely better. In one picture, you will see her sporting her new watch I brought for her. The last picture is of George, our guide - he is so fun!

We Finally Have Bellamei

2011-07-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

7/18/11

We arrived very late last night into Inner Mongolia. We had a very tough time getting here to Hohhot, due to our flight and airport problems (CHAOS and delayed & cancelled flights due to weather). There were a lot of angry and anxious people in that airport. It was an old military airport with no seating, no air conditioning, etc. Ying had traveled by train for 7.5 hours and was waiting in our hotel lobby for hours for us, and we finally got to the hotel at around 11 pm. We were several hours late. The flight was so bumpy! Ying was sweet and happy from the first moment. She is a real sweetie! We did paperwork until about midnight and then the orphanage director and our guide George left the hotel. (poor George had a STRESSFUL day, trying to get us here) Ying wanted to take a bath before bedtime, so Briella and I helped. She was thrilled to be in the tub and LOVED it so much. I washed her hair and conditioned it for her. She was sweet to want me to assist her. Her hair is long and in need of a trim badly. It is very dry and hard - not sure if she's ever had conditioner. We finally got to sleep around 1:00 am and it seems so short, as we had to be up at 6:30 to eat breakfast and do official paperwork at 8:30. Briella and I really needed to eat, since we had only had breakfast the day before. We completed paperwork this morning and she is officially our daughter now. There are more paperwork steps, but at this moment, she is a Jordan! We are going to go down to the pool now - Ying has never been in a pool, but she doesn't seem scared. Her personality is sweet and out-going. She is not too shy at all. The have both changed into their bathing suits and so we will do that this afternoon. At 5:00 George will be back and take us out to a walmart-type store for any necessities. Ying seems to like all the clothes and things we brought for her. I brought a ton of stuff for the orphanage, but the director couldn't take it with her on the train ride back, so George will box it up and ship it. The orphanage director said we will not be permitted to go visit the orphanage - I wish we could but it isn't possible. Briella is doing GREAT with her mandarin - and she is really enjoying herself (she is such a gem). She and Ying are already great friends, holding hands and laughing and playing. Well, signing off for now.. enjoy the pics.

Love to all.. Lisa, Briella & Bellamei Ying

Last day of sight-seeing in Beijing

2011-07-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

7/16/11

Today we had a full day and I can honestly say I.am.exhausted !!

We began the day driving to the Great Wall - to a section that I've never been to before. Our guide Forrest, who is very nice, is very familiar with the different sections since he used to work there. We wanted to ride the cable car down the mountain, and I've never done that before. He knew just where to take us. It took a long time to get there and get through the Saturday traffic. I have never seen so many people at the wall... and this is my 5th time going! So many people, wow! We went up quite far and it was fun, then we went down the mountain in the little sliding car, which was fun & easy. Our legs are already sore from the climbing. After that, we left and had a chinese lunch. Then we went to the Olympic village and walked (a lot). We saw the bird's nest and the other olympic buildings. We enjoyed nice conversation with Forrest and came back to the hotel. Forrest said goodbye to us because starting tomorrow, our guide is George, who I've had for a guide twice before. He is also great and is flying with us to Inner Mongolia tomorrow. I'm glad to have him since I already know him and also because he is from Inner Mongolia himself. I found out today that instead of us flying out in the morning, we are flying out at 4:20 in the afternoon and he also said we'll be meeting Ying right after our arrival to our hotel! I was surprised since my itinerary says we were to receive her on Monday, and now will be on Sunday night. I'm so excited and nervous. Briella has been absolutely great and a wonderful little guide too, helping to translate whenever needed. When we stop to ask a vendor how much something is, or to buy an ice cream, we discovered it is best for her to ask "how much" in chinese, with me standing off to the side... then we get a better price than if I asked!
She is doing just fine with her chinese and is very confident. I'm so proud of her. This is also a great bonding experience for the two of us.. she has loved the attention and holds my hand everywhere we go. Here are some pics from today. We've been lucky with pretty good weather.. it's hot, but not too bad. But the skies are very hazy, as you'll see in the pics.

Love to all!!!!!! My next post will probably be with Ying :)

Sight-Seeing

2011-07-15T08:24:00.001-07:00

7/15/11

Today we started out with a great breakfast at our hotel and then we went sight-seeing all around Beijing. We went on the hutong tour, then to the Forbidden City, the silk factory, and an acrobatic show. The weather was nice, but overcast and it was a fun day. Here are some pics from today... tomorrow we go to the Great Wall. Then, we fly out on Sunday morn to Inner Mongolia to get settled in and we will receive Ying on Monday. Love to everyone back home!

Travel Day 1

2011-07-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

After a very long 24 hrs of travel, we are here in Beijing and have settled into our hotel (The Traders Hotel). Our 1st flight was delayed, but everything else went perfectly. We got to ride in 1st class to Chicago & business class to Beijing... what a luxury (thank you Kim & Jeff!) My uncle Ron came and picked us up at the airport in Chicago and we went to IHOP nearby for a couple hour visit during our layover. It was great to visit with him!

Here are a few pics from our 1st day of travel. My good friend Tamera is blog-sitting for me and will post my messages & pics to our blog, since I can't access it here in China.

I was really happy when I turned my phone back on after landing in Chicago and I saw a text message from TJ, a 16 yr old boy that is from the same orphanage as Ying. He was adopted almost 3 yrs ago. I found his family (on-line) through one of the adoption forums I'm on, and TJ was nice enough to talk to us on the phone the night before I left for China. He said he periodically calls the orphanage to talk to his foster sister that he misses, and he told us that he also spoke to Ying last weekend. She told him that she has a family coming for her, but she didn't know when exactly. He said she sounded happy. Anyway, I told him if he called there again in the next couple days, to tell Ying that I'm supposed to get her on Monday, and to tell her that I love her very much. He did call her that next night & her reply was that she loves us so so much and that she's so excited. How great to know how her heart is feeling.

We're going to bed very soon, as we are exhausted. Will sight-see tomorrow around Beijing.

Almost Time to Go...

2011-07-09T05:40:00.000-07:00

7/9/11

4 more nights.. and then we fly out on Wednesday!

Here is our itinerary..
7/14 United Airlines #3740 Charlotte to Chicago
7/14 United Airlines #851 Chicago to Beijing
7/14 Land in Beijing 3:15pm China time (a little over 21 hrs after leaving Charlotte)
7/15 Sight-seeing in Beijing
7/16 Sight-seeing in Beijing
7/17 Fly to Hohhot, Inner Mongolia
7/18 Go to Civil Affairs office to receive Bellamei Ying & start adoption papework
7/19 Back to Civil Affairs office for more paperwork & to apply for Ying's passport
7/20 Sight-seeing in Hohhot
7/21 Hopefully taking a day trip to visit Ying's orphanage (several hours away)
7/22 Pick up Ying's passport and fly to Guangzhou
7/23 Go to Ying's medical exam, required by U.S. Embassy - lots of shots & TB test
7/24 Sight-seeing in Guangzhou
7/25 TB test follow-up and prepare documents with guide for our visa interview
7/26 Visa interview with the U.S. Consulate, followed by the oath taking ceremony
7/27 Go to U.S. Consulate to pick up Ying's visa in the afternoon
7/28 Fly from Guangzhou back to Beijing, Beijing to Chicago, & Chicago back home!!
(around 24-28 hours of travel to get back home) United flights #850 and #3733

Please pray for Ying's heart.. that she has been prepared by the orphanage for our arrival.. that she will accept our love for her.. that she feels safe & secure with us.. and that her heart be in God's hands.
Her town is several hours away from Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia. I will not know until I'm there if we will be permitted to travel to her hometown of Wuhai and visit her orphanage. I hope we will be granted permission for that!
I'm also praying for Briella. She is excited about Ying, but I think she is a little nervous about the trip and going to her homeland. She is worried because she has forgotten some mandarin and is worried about that. And she also said she doesn't want to "lose" me, like when we got separated for a few minutes at Disney World a year and a half ago. She remembers that being scary for her, with all the people around, and her trying to find mommy. China is Disney World times 10, regarding population and crowds. I told her not to worry - we will be very close to each other the whole time!
I am so grateful for my family, our children, our blessings & God's provision.

Finally !!

2011-07-01T16:08:00.001-07:00

7/1/11

I was really beginning to get worried, but God has answered my prayers! I received the phone call after 5:00 pm today that our agency received the Travel Approval document from China. Hoping to travel on July 13th, which just happens to be Briella's 2 year anniversary. We'll get the 100% confirmation of that date as soon as we can get our Consulate appt confirmed (will know by Tuesday). I've already been packing this past week, but there's still much to do. I have a large amount of things I'm taking to donate to the orphanage... blankets, warm socks, winter hats, and LOTS of toothbrushes & toothpastes. If we do indeed get to leave on the 13th, we'll receive Ying on the 18th most likely. Really happy and can't wait to meet Ying !

Waiting to bloom...

2011-06-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

6/27/11
Today I received this message from my agency..

Hi Lisa,
The orphanage told us that Guo Ying received her care package and she is very, very excited, and wanted us to say thank-you to you. She knows that she will be adopted soon.

This just made my heart smile. Ying finally just received our care package we sent on 5/31. She opened the box and discovered she has a forever family, coming to get her and bring her home. She has our pictures, our letter, and some gifts we sent. I have been praying that she would receive the news with joy in her heart. I'm sure she will be very nervous, leaving the only life she's knows for 12 years. I cannot wait to finally get that call telling us we have "travel approval"!
I want to go get my sweet daughter and bring her home. When I think of her, I think of a rosebud.. just waiting to bloom.

Summer Camp

2011-06-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

6/26/11
We are in our 2nd week of summer deaf camp. Ben, Briella, Brinley & Bayla just love it every summer. It is 4 weeks long (4 full days a week). Tomorrow Lidia's going too, to try to help out the camp counselors maybe. Signing all day is really great practice for the hearing kids. Ben & Briella got to go to a "Ropes Course" at Camp Caraway in Asheboro last week. They had great fun and apparently it was kind of scary and challenging... although Briella did master it. For Ben, it was a breeze. Ben & Briella also went to VA to visit & tour the International Learning Center there. A young lady from our church is a deaf missionary and has been there for several weeks now getting trained for her next mission trip - a 3 yr mission to Asia. The kids found it very interesting.. here are a couple pics from the trip and one of the girls at a BBQ/swim party we went to at Eddie's house.

Look at our SWEET girl !

2011-05-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

5/26/11
I am SO THRILLED to get this one new photo of Ying. Our last picture was from 9 months ago! It also came with this comment.. "Ying is a very sweet child. Also, she got 80 points out of 100 on her recent English exam."
She is so beautiful!! (click on pic to enlarge)

We received an update!

2011-05-24T05:47:00.000-07:00

5/24/11
Yesterday we received a tiny update on Ying. It's been 10 months since we got the last update, so I'm happy to get this tidbit of information. Here is what it said..

The child doesn't know she will be adopted yet. She is outgoing. She is attending 4th grade in elementary school, her academic performance is quite good. She likes music, literature and art, she has just begun learning English. She brushes her teeth every day. We have not noticed any cavities so far. She likes fruits.

My agency said pictures to follow. We've only gotten 1 picture during this long wait. The rest of the pictures we have are from when her file was originally made back in 2007, and the few I've obtained from another family that adopted an older girl from this orphanage back in 2007. So, new pics would be great! They also sent me her measurements. I compared her measurements with Briella's since they're close in age. They are almost the same height, within an inch. If the measurements are correct, Ying may be slightly taller. Briella weighs 85 lbs and Ying weighs 77 lbs. Their waist and foot size seem to be the same.

I wonder if she started school late.. in China, children usually start 1st grade at age 7 (no kindergarten). But Ying turned 12 in Jan and is in 4th grade, so she may have started school after 7. She will likely be placed in 4th grade here, so she will be older than her peers, which is the same case for Ben, Briella and even Lidia. That's just what happens when an older child who starts school late (or in Lidia's case, never had school) comes to a new country and has to learn a whole new language and catch up. Hopefully, when I'm in China I can ask the facilitator or orphanage director lots of questions.

We are sending her a care package - it's almost ready to mail out. Waiting for our letter to be translated. When she receives this box, she will know she has a family!

We just have a couple tiny steps left in the paper process & then we will receive our travel approval. I'm ordering our travel visas now and beginning to prepare for the trip, which might be about 5-6 weeks from now.

I can't wait to give her a hug!

5/2/11

2011-05-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today we got our final approval (LOA)! This means we are officially approved to adopt Ying. What a joyful day! Now we are allowed to send her a care package, with some things for her along with a letter, translated into chinese, that will explain to her that we love her and are coming to bring her home. We will also send a small photo album so she can see her family. Travel should be in approx 8-9 weeks. I pray that the rest of the paperwork goes smoothly and without delay. We lost about a month & a half due to our paperwork getting "stuck" in translation for 60 days. Briella is excited... she will be going with me. How awesome that she will be able to communicate with Ying in mandarin. Ying is 9 months younger than Briella. Also, we can now request an update & ask for new pics. The update & pics we have is quite old (from last August). Here is beautiful Ying..

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Only by HIS hand...

2011-04-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

4/29/11
What a blessed reunion! Ben, Eddie & Chet grew up together in Tianjin. Their large orphanage filled with special needs children. They were the only 3 deaf boys though, all around the same age. Ben joined our family the summer of 2008. Unknown to us, Eddie joined his family the fall of 2009 and we found each other through our mutual deaf contacts and were so thrilled to discover we live only 40 minutes from each other. Chet just came home with his family last night. Chet was adopted by a family that also lives closeby to us. When I traveled to China to get Ben, I spent a day at the deaf school there and met Eddie & Chet. I would have never imagined they'd be together again. Eddie & Chet were adopted just before they aged out of being eligible (14 yrs old). These boys had the BEST TIME seeing each other again. Chet is of course signing in Chinese sign language, and Ben & Eddie seem to be remembering theirs, so they are communicating pretty well. What a privilege to witness God's plan. Simply amazing!!
(turn your speaker up)

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I love this!

2011-03-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

3/26/11
Third Day is one of my favorite Christian music artists and I just love this music video. We are all adopted by God and He supports and loves adoption. The song says, "by the blood of His son, we have been redeemed and we can be called Children of God". As we wait for our final approval (hoping to get it this coming week) I am reminded by this song that we are all children of God and I can't wait to meet my new daughter... Ying

Get Ready, Get Set.... Sell !

2011-02-24T19:33:00.000-08:00

As we wait for our final approval, we are getting geared up for our yard sale fundraiser! We are trying to raise as much money as possible to bring Ying home!! We are planning it for Saturday, April 16th. If you are spring cleaning and have things you might normally donate to Goodwill, please consider donating it to our fundraiser. We will come to you and pick it up!! Thank you!

DTC !!

2011-01-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

1/28/2011
In March 2010, I first saw her face. Six months later, she was still waiting for a family to come forward for her. She's been waiting 12 years. On Sept 15, we sent a letter to China, called a Letter of Intent, telling the officials that we want to adopt Ying. Within a week they issued pre-approval, pending the receipt & approval of all our documents. Now the homestudy, authenticated documents & immigration approval are finished & today our agency mailed our dossier to China. Now we wait for final approval from China & travel approval. My guess is I will travel in May or June to bring her home. She doesn't know yet that she has a family. She'll find out sometime closer to travel. In fact, when we receive final approval, then we'll be allowed to send her a care package. We'll send pics and a few gifts and then she'll know we are coming for her.
So glad the biggest part of this paperwork mountain is behind us!

Happy New Year - 2011

2011-01-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

It's been a few months since the last post. We are finished with all paperwork on the U.S. side, except that we are STILL waiting for 1 document, which is the immigration approval. As soon as we have that, our dossier goes to China. I'm still hoping for May travel. Ying turned 12 yrs old yesterday, 1-11-11. She likely knows nothing about us yet or that she's being adopted.
Here's a little "catch-up" video of the last few months...

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One More Heart for This Home...

2010-10-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

It is hard for us to fathom that we could be so lucky to have 9 children. We've been so richly blessed by all of our kids. We thought Briella was our caboose! God has led us to another precious child. She needs the love and laughter of a family. She's been waiting her whole life for just that. She's 11 years old, and will turn 12 in January. Wish she could know now that she has a big family & extended family waiting to love her. But, she likely knows nothing about us yet. We are only 2 months into the process. Almost finished with our homestudy. We cannot post her picture yet, but can share that with you directly. We are starting our first fundraiser.. it's called Just Love Coffee, an on-line coffee shop set up exclusively to help adoptive families raise the funds needed to bring their child home. I have heard great reviews from other families about the product, and the coffees are from all around the world. (Guatemalan coffee is SO GOOD!) This might be a great gift for that hard-to-buy-for person for Christmas! Pls help spread the word about our fundraiser. We ask for your prayers for our adoption process and for Ying.. waiting for us in Inner Mongolia.

Brent & Ben get baptized...

2010-09-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

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Ben, the Artist...

2010-09-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

One piece of art was chosen from every school in our county to be on display at our local hospital. The reception was a lot of fun!

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We had SUCH fun on our summer vacation!

2010-09-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

We started our vacation by attending Brent's boot camp graduation...

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Then on to Tampa for a week of fun with Mike's family...

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Catching Up !

2010-07-11T19:00:00.001-07:00

July 13, 2010
Where does the time go? Well, I must admit, having 8 kids and a home business is keeping me quite busy! Let's see... in the past 6 months... well, so much has happened. Briella joined our family 1 year ago today! Brianna has graduated from highschool & will be starting college. Brent finished middle school. Brinley & Bayla finished kindergarten (same class). Mike stopped working 3 jobs, and is only working 1. We got through the spring birthdays (5 of our kids have a b-day within a 38 day period)! Lidia, Ben & Briella played spring baseball & softball. Lidia & Briella spent a week with my good friend Gabriela and her family, attending a week-long basketball camp. Ben, Briella, Brinley & Bayla are attending deaf camp for several weeks of the summer, with Lidia & Brent going as helpers. The whole family is attending sign language and deaf culture classes at church. Brianna performed in her final school play (she performed for 6 years in theater), and won Best Actress for her graduating class. Ben was reunited with his childhood friend (a true miracle). And right now, Brent is at Mayport Naval Base in Florida for his 2 week boot camp training for the Sea Cadets. Tired yet? Really though, our big family is having a lot of fun living life & praising God for our blessings. Here are some pics from the last few months...

7 months ago, Brent joined the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets. This is an awesome program for teens ages 13-17. The time has finally come for his 2 week boot camp. I drove him to Mayport Naval Station, near Jacksonville Florida to drop him off. It was a long and VERY hot day for him, as it took 4 hours for him to get processed and he was at attention most of that time in a very hot hanger with the other cadets. There are 100 new cadets there. They had their inspections, including their sea-bags, their paperwork (every i is dotted and T crossed), all got their hair buzzed off. Brent's was already just done by me the day before...the shortest #1 setting on the buzzer, but they got it even closer. This is an extremely structured boot camp, and I know he will learn a LOT about discipline and following orders, as well as all the cool things he will do on base. There are several ships in port and they will have special trainings. Their day starts at 5:15 with physical training on the beach. Brent was pretty excited about this, and we're really proud of him!

Brianna Faith has graduated high school, and here are pics of our little girl looking so grown up (and beautiful)!

Ben with his best friend from China, Wu-Ye, also known as "Eddie". They grew up together in the orphanage. We never ever thought they would see each other again, but God had it all planned out. Eddie was adopted by a wonderful family, that lives just 40 minutes from us. Now they see each other every week! What a miracle.

Brianna's last school play ~ High School Musical ~ We loved it!

Brent & Ben enjoying the July 4th fireworks...

Lidia & Briella's softball team won the championship!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-27T16:44:00.000-08:00

Our trip to Disney !!

2010-01-27T15:43:00.000-08:00

We've been wanting to take the kids to Disney World for years now... but every time we thought about it, we kept saying we needed to wait because we need to go as a complete family. We adopted in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009... so every year we were waiting for another precious child, and didn't want to leave anyone out.
Soooo... we finally went!!!!!

What luck... Zoe, Lidia's foster-sister in Guatemala, was visiting Disney the same time we were!! They live in Texas, so this was a real treat for them to see each other :)

Here's a sweet tooth-less grin!!

Briella, Brinley & Bayla have grown very close as sisters... this is an early morning picture, waiting for the school bus to come.

We're so excited for Brent...

2009-11-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

Brent has been interested in joining the Navy when he gets older. He'll be 14 in about 4 months. He was navigating around on the Navy website, and discovered that there is a Navy program called Navy Sea Cadets, for teenagers up to the age of 17. We checked it out and this is a superb program for young adults who are interested in learning about the Navy, self-discipline and military skills and drills. There are 4 drill centers in NC, and we're only 35 min away from the one in Charlotte. We visited yesterday and also attended the banquet. Brent was SO thrilled and wanted to sign up, so we did! He spent the weekend at the drill center, as this is what he will do every few weeks (spend the weekend there). He'll be learning many things and he will also be completing required courses. He'll go to a 2 week boot camp in early June (out of state). He has a lot ahead of him. If he's still interested in joing the Navy when he's older, he'll go in as an E3 if he is an accomplished Navy Sea Cadet. That'll put him ahead about a year & a half. One cadet we met is soon traveling to Australia on a 2 week assignment. There's also exchange cadet programs with other countries. We don't know everything about it yet...but one thing we do know is this, we are very proud of him and he seems to be in his glory !!

Briella's been home 4 months today..

2009-11-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

November 22, 2009
I decided to take a little photo shoot of Briella. She's such a lovely young lady, home only 4 months and it feels like she's been here forever. Here's some fun facts about Briella... her english is outstanding (already), she's very smart, she's kind to others and loves to smile, she loves school, she likes to write in mandarin with Ben, she loved being on a soccer team w/Lidia & Ben, she learned how to swim, if I blow dry her hair - she giggles the whole time, she trys all new foods (and likes everything),the battery toothbrush that I sent in her care package to China got used by all the girls at the orphanage!, she learned how to swing on a swingset...very cautious at first...then giggled like crazy learning how...and now she's a pro, she loves going to church, she loves her grandma's and grandpa's, she's learned how to pick out a new outfit everyday (in China, she wore the same clothes for many days, and she had no clothes of her own or a dresser), she still needs to learn how to ride a bike, she's taught Brinley and Bayla some chinese children's songs (so cute!) and she loves when I kiss her on her forehead or cheek. She smiles real big when she gets a kiss & told me that nobody had ever kissed her before in China. No wonder she giggles and smiles when she gets a kiss :o)
She is such a gift to our family.

~ Summer Fun ~

2009-11-22T10:29:00.001-08:00

Here's a little slide show of our summer... we're making memories !!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Coming Home...

2009-11-22T09:38:00.000-08:00

Briella Xiyao was so excited to come home! She loved the flights and had plenty of energy, even after such a long 30 hour trip. Mike and the kids showed up at the airport at midnight to welcome us. What a wonderful memory for our family :o)

Bittersweet Goodbye

2009-07-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

Although we are having a wonderful time in Guangzhou, tomorrow will be our last day here. Since everything went so well with the chest x-ray, I called the consulate Monday morning and they agreed to move our appt up 2 days (today!). This means we are going home two days early. Lidia's a little disappointed since we've met such nice families here & made friends. There's a lot to do here and it is pretty relaxing, I admit. But Mike and the other kids need us at home and I miss everyone. So tomorrow is our last day. We'll go to the swearing in ceremony in the afternoon at the embassy, then we'll get her visa to come home. We'll leave the hotel Wednesday at 6 am and take a flight to Beijing. Then from there we'll fly to Chicago, and then on to Charlotte. That's a little over 20 hrs actually in the air, not including the 2 layovers. We're flying stand-by again, but the seat availability looks pretty good & it'll be so great if we get to ride in business class again. That really makes a difference on a long trip. Thanks again Kim & Jeff !!!!

Can't wait to see all my other kiddos and give everyone a huge hug! Briella is so excited about going home. Today she said "America Wednesday" to a shopkeeper. She is so well adjusted - I can't believe we have been so blessed yet again to receive a child that so naturally becomes part of our family. She has been simply delightful, happy & smiley. She is talkative and chats with our guide a lot. She also tries to communicate in English and does quite well. By the way, she's a wiz at math... been testing her on different math problems, and she gets them all perfect... and fast. At one shop, she added up in her head what she thought our total was, and before the shopkeeper used his calculator to add up our items (about 14 items), she told him what she thought it was. Well, she was off by 12 Yuan (their dollar). Turns out there was 1 item stuck in the bottom of the basket that she hadn't seen and it was exactly the difference.

Tomorrow morning will be my last chance to email, as I am packing up the laptop and mailing it off to Nancy's brother who lives back in Briella's province. It is for him, but I've had the privilege of using it while in China. Thanks Nancy!!!

Well, can't wait to see everyone... we're supposed to arrive in Charlotte about 9:45 Wednesday night, about 27 hrs after we step foot on our first flight. I can't wait to see Mike & the kids at the airport. Here are some pics... hugs to all

Briella and our guide Sarah, who took good care of us!

Lidia standing in an underground tomb of an emporer buried 2,000 yrs ago

Octopus for sale at local Walmart

Maybe your in the mood for sting-ray instead?

Such little parking space - so they have double stacked parking

Last year while I was here for Ben, the terrible earthquake happened - this time we had a typhoon that landed ashore this province, but thank goodness I don't think there were any injuries

Fun in the streets!

Inside our beautiful hotel

Photo op!

At Lucy's Diner - wonderful western food. Briella says "hamburger please"!

Dinner with new friends

Out on the town

Happy, thankful, and having fun!

2009-07-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

We arrived last night to our final city here and checked in to The White Swan Hotel... as beautiful as ever. The flight was short and pleasant and Briella was thrilled, especially during take-off and landing. Lidia loves it here in Guangzhou! We've met many families here that are from the states and have had lots of fun with them, walking, shopping and then going to dinner with another family. Their son reminds me so much of Brent. They adopted a 10 yr old girl that was just so scared and we could see her quietly weeping. Briella became friendly with her and they became friends, just chattering away in Mandarin. That is the family we had dinner with and it was a good time. I believe Briella really helped her to feel more comfortable.

The GREAT news is...... Briella had all her medical evaluations this morning and her chest x-ray was perfect. This is great news and means that her positive TB skin test was a false positive from her previous vaccination. Yay! She will now be granted a visa to come home. She also had 4 vaccinations and not a flinch. She has had a perfect transition so far... she is very sweet, playful, shy at first, smart, and confident. She has not shed one tear the whole time. She's already learning some English words.

Here are some things on the agenda for the next few days... paperwork, a museum trip, our consulate appt, swearing in ceremony, the zoo, and getting her visa to come home. We are fitting in a little shopping, swimming, and visiting. A few of the shop owners remember me from previous visits.

Love to all of my kiddos back home and thanking God for all of my blessings

On the way to the airport. Lidia has small hands... Briella's are TINY

1st airplane ride was a big hit!

Beautiful sunset above the clouds

A new boat for Mike.... well, it IS bigger!

Breakfast at The White Swan Hotel... one of the best amenities here

4 shots and a chest x-ray equals a clean bill of health!

Briella did so well with all the medical stuff, including 4 trips to the hospital in her province

Lidia sewing some little silk pouches at a local shop

Time Together

2009-07-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

We are really enjoying seeing different things in this province. We took a trip by car, about 3.5 hours away, and looked around Briella's hometown area. It was rainy and overcast, but we had fun. We had local food on the way down, and then more Chinese food later for dinner with some of the adoption officials. Lidia did very well with the food (better than me!) and we had a good time. It was nice for Briella to see her town once more and capture some pictures and memories. Last night after we got settled back at our previous hotel, Briella and I went down to the pool. She has never been in a pool and just stayed in the kiddie pool the whole time. She loved it. We don't have the same room as last time, so now we have a lake view room and it is very pretty at night. This morning we went for a long walk all around the lake that is here at the hotel. So VERY hot and humid!!!!!!!! We leave in a half an hour to go back to the hospital to get the result of the TB test. Briella continues to do very well with the transition. She is happy and sweet. Her personality is very easy going. At the pool, she showed me how she counts well in English... she counted to about 50. She's not the show-off type so she probably knows more than she shows. She really likes running and volleyball. Well, signing off for now. Here are some pics... love to everyone back home... I miss you!!

Briella when she was younger

Briella when she was younger

Lidia and Briella at a restaurant in her town

Lidia can pick up a peanut with chopsticks!

Having fun at the restaurant

Enjoying our time on the boardwalk in Briella's hometown of Xiamen

Making the best of a l-o-n-g care ride!

Very happy to try the pool for the 1st time

So tiny! Bathing suit is a 7-8 & fits perfect - she's 11!!

The heat index is about 100 degrees! The pool is a great place to be

Walking around the lovely lake with our guide Helen

Beautiful area!

Great photo op!

A beautiful lotus flower

Official Paperwork and Xiamen

2009-07-14T07:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we completed the official adoption paperwork, and now it will be processed this week and we will receive her passport on Friday, before flying to Guangzhou. Then in the afternoon, we played a game of bowling at the hotel, and it was super fun! Briella really liked it, and had never tried bowling before. Next we played ping-pong and spent more time laughing and chasing that little ball around than actually playing the game. We had a blast. Lidia and I were very competitive while bowling; but I did manage to beat her score. Lidia is hilarious at ping-pong :o)

We also went to the hospital twice to accomplish getting the TB skin test for Briella. It is such an event to visit a hospital here and so different than back home. Most of the time, it seems like complete chaos and the conditions are so different than what we are used to. In the end though, she received the skin test and we go back tomorrow to let them look at the result. So far, I don't see a reaction, but it gets looked at tomorrow and the next day we must go back again, as they look at the result both at 48 and 72 hrs.

We packed up our things this morning and left most of our baggage at the hotel, just packing lightly for 1 night because today we traveled to Xiamen. In a little while, we'll go see the orphanage, but we're not allowed to tour it, due to the swine flu. China is taking a very cautious approach with regard to the flu. Hopefully Briella will be able to say a final goodbye to her friends here. We might also be able to go see the spot where she was found at 1 day old. We stopped for a Chinese lunch at a university on the way. We are traveling with Jack, who's the head of adoptions for this province. He's super nice. He ordered all kinds of interesting food for us. When we got back in the car, I told Lidia that I was proud of her... she made no faces or odd noises regarding the food. This is a big accomplishment for her. She was very poised & she did try some new things. She will NOT try using the squatty potty though. This is mostly what's available outside the hotel, so it takes some strategy to avoid. You definitely need stronger leg muscles to use it effectively!

Gotta go now... just got the call that we are leaving. Here are a few pics...

Briella and I are completing the paperwork that will make us a family..... forever!

We Have Briella!!

2009-07-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

What can I say? This little girl is precious! She is petite & tiny, with a sweet smile and she is a little shy. She is warming up to us just fine so far. She looked a little nervous, but not afraid. I was nervous too! She and Lidia played Barbies in the hotel room after we finished with paperwork and discussions. The orphanage director is very nice and well spoken. She has known Briella since she entered the orphanage at 1 day old. We meet again in the morning for more paperwork and to have the TB test done.

After the girls played Barbies, we walked around the hotel, showing Briella the pool, the bowling alley, ping-pong, etc. Then we caught a taxi and went to McDonald's. The taxi rides here are like being on a carnival ride. Briella and I had a chicken sandwich, only problem is that mine had a bonus feature... a little roach inside my sandwich wrap. Oh well, I got another one and ate it. You gotta do what you gotta do! Then we walked around the shopping area in the same building as McDonald's, and we learned that Briella's never been on an escalator before. She was so careful (and cute!). We came back and Lidia wanted to go for a night swim. Briella and I just watched. She does not know how to swim. I told her (by way of our electronic translator) that I could help her tomorrow, and so far she just smiles and says no about that.

Well, we need to go to sleep now. She and Lidia are watching something silly on t.v., and they're both giggling up a storm on the bed together. Here are a few pics from today.

We're in Beijing

2009-07-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

Lidia and I are now 4 nights into our trip and all is going well. We flew into Beijing and did some sight-seeing there for 2 days, while we got used to the new time zone. We were able to fly 1st class to Chicago, then business class to Beijing... thank you Kim & Jeff !! It was awesome :o)

This evening as I post this, Lidia is sound asleep and I am pensive in the still silence... thinking about meeting my new daughter tomorrow and humbled that God would entrust me once again to have the privilege of being mama to another beautiful child of His. Briella Xiyao has waited 11 long years for her forever family. I wonder if she has butterflies too!

Yes, I am a little nervous... but mostly just in awe. I've learned that the very sweetest blessings anyone can receive are the ones that come by way of true faith. The more I trust Him, the sweeter life gets.

Lidia learning how to stretch silk

After my 4th trip here, my guide finally clarified for me what this sign means...a place of mental rest for the emperor and empress...Mike, maybe you can build one for us?

Our guide takes us to the Forbidden City

Lidia goofing around at the jade factory

Touring the historic Hutong area

Getting ready to climb the Great Wall

Pretty steep!

Working up a sweat now.

Stopping at the top to catch my breath

What a place to take a rest!

Yak meat anyone? We found this at the airport while we were looking for a breakfast snack...

View from the van as we got closer to our new hotel

A couple views from our hotel room

Beautiful area

Time to Go !

2009-07-06T05:57:00.000-07:00

Arriving at the airport at 4:30am

Lidia and I getting ready to depart on our long journey

July 6, 2009
Well, the time has finally come and early tomorrow morning Lidia and I will take our first of 8 flights for our journey to bring Briella Xiyao home. Lidia & I are packed, clothes for Briella packed, orphanage donations packed, Brinley & Bayla are packed, paperwork is ready, all laundry (2 adults, 7 kids) is done, stocked up on groceries, house has been cleaned (and I finished painting several walls), check lists, reminders & schedules typed up and handed out...now today I will tie up a few other loose ends and then relax a little and enjoy being with my sweet family.

It is doubtful that I will be able to post to this website while in China. The internet is heavily monitored there and blogger is blocked, as are many other websites. I hope to have internet access and will send updates and pics by email back home to Brianna, who will upload them onto this site. A friend of mine that just returned from China with her little boy told me that certain key words within emails will cause my email acct to be disabled. So, be careful to exclude or encrypt words in any emails to me, like; China, or other Chinese city names, words of faith, like God, prayer, etc. (so sad), or words like orphan, orphanage, etc. Her email acct was disabled. Or just encrypt it, like; *hina, pr*yer, etc. I've never experienced this in my previous 3 trips there, and don't know why it seems this way right now. Enough of that!

Please keep us in your prayers as we travel one last time to a far away land. We will not have a travel group, and it is just Lidia and I (and our guide). We will start off flying from Charlotte to either Chicago or Dulles airport, with a layover and then on to Beijing. After we're in Beijing for a couple days, we will then fly on to Fuzhou which is the capitol of Fujian Province, where Briella is. We will then travel to her smaller town of Xiamen, then back to Fuzhou. Next, we fly to Guangzhou in southern China, where the U.S. Embassy is. Then, either back to Beijing to fly back to the states, or we'll take a train to Hong Kong, then fly back to the states. China is taking strong measures to protect their country from the swine flu. We'll be thermoscanned on the airplane, in the airport, and at different checkpoints, to be sure we aren't sick or with fever. People who are sick with the flu, or have been in close contact with someone who is, may get quarantined. I even purchased travel delay insurance, in the unlikely event we get delayed because of that. There are also brand new immigration requirements in place that require adoptees (from any country) to be tested for TB. Our trip is longer this time due to this testing. Usually we've traveled about 13 nights, this time it's 16 nights. Maybe if the TB testing goes faster than expected, we'll be able to come home a day early. If not, we hope to be home on July 24th. Yesterday, the entire congregation at Parkwood Baptist Deaf Church prayed over Lidia and I. A very teary-eyed woman came up to me after and signed to me "you are so lucky". Yes, I am blessed indeed.

Since I haven't posted in a while, here are some recent photos of our team...

Briella Xiyao Jordan, age 11, patiently waiting for her family to come... Lidia and I will welcome her into our family on Sunday, July 12th.

Briella is from Xiamen... a coastal town in southeast China. You can see it on the map, just across the East China Sea from Taiwan.

Blake and me...

Brianna and Dakota prom night

Brianna the night before her mission trip to Honduras...they will reach out to the deaf Honduran community

Our Brianna Faith in Honduras... making a difference

Posing with a sweet Honduran girl...Brianna wants to be a teacher of the deaf

Beautiful girl... beautiful view

Happy Hands Deaf School/Ministry in Honduras

Nancy made Brent a beautiful cake to celebrate his 13th birthday !

Brent getting ready to enjoy his cake... Mmmm !

Taking a break from swimming... Brent looks like Mike more & more !

Lidia with her new haircut ! (6 inches cut)

Isn't she pretty??

Lidia and her principal... she received 5 awards, including the President's Silver Academic Award and a nomination for highest character. Now on to middle school !

Ben and his teacher Anna Hawkins... so sweet of her to come to his baseball game

Ben participated in our county special olympics... he's ready to race !

Bayla waving him in to the finish line

Ben received 3 gold medals... he was really happy !

Ben's teacher Anna and the class

Ben writing his name in english & chinese on the school sidewalk

Ben really enjoyed being on the baseball team with Brent

Bayla and Brinley enjoying the lake in our neighborhood

My sweet baby girls

Travel Approval is here !!!!

2009-06-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

June 18, 2009

Well, I received the call today from my agency. They received our travel approval today. This is the very last paper we needed. It looks like Lidia & I will be flying out on July 7th, and returning home on July 24th (my birthday!).

This trip will be about 3 days longer than our previous adoption trips to China, due to the new immigration procedures. Between the swine flu issues (very heightened awareness in China) and these new immigration requirements, this will definitely be a little different than the norm. Briella will have to have a TB skin test, then wait 2-3 days to see if there's a reaction or not, and if there is, she'll need a chest x-ray. In addition, she'll likely receive anywhere from 5-8 immunizations at her medical visit required by the U.S. Embassy. So, there are some unknowns... and these new procedures only start on July 1st, so there will be some families that will be before us, but not too many.

I wonder how Xiyao is feeling and what she's thinking. Lidia is excited about the trip and about meeting her. Bayla and Brinley will be staying at Aunt Traci's, then at grandma & papa's house. This is a big help to Mike, who is so busy with his jobs. Thank you Traci & Walt... and Grandma & Papa !!! We really appreciate you guys and it sounds like the girls will have a wonderful time with you. Brianna will help here at home with Brent & Ben. This will take a LOT of coordination with so many of us going in different directions, but I know it will all come together!

Also, please pray for Brianna's mission trip to Honduras. She leaves the day after tomorrow and will be there for 1 week, reaching out to the deaf community in Honduras. I am so proud of her.
Check out her website at www.hearts4honduras.blogspot.com
We aren't sure if she'll be able to post to her blog while there, depending if they have internet access. She is the group media person, responsible for video, photos, and journaling the trip.

God has been moving mountains in this big family of ours. We are very blessed!!!!

What a nice surprise !

2009-04-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

April 18, 2009
While we were sleeping last night, it was daytime in China & Lori King was at Briella's orphanage & sent me this email along with pictures. Lori just adopted Levi (a little cutie!) and had the opportunity to visit the orphanage. Her blog address is www.paulandlori-kingskids.blogspot.com if you'd like to take a peek. I met Lori on a forum for families adopting from this specific orphanage. Here's what she wrote...

Dear Lisa,
Your daughter is so sweet with a very ready smile. She is very friendly and seemed like a happy little girl. She was very curious about why we wanted to take her picture and was told that it was for her Mommy and Daddy. I asked the director if she was aware if she was being adopted and she is. Maybe you were already aware of that, i wasn't sure. I think they tell them as soon as they are matched with a family.
Enjoy the pictures!
Lori King

Here are the pics she just took... (click to enlarge)

God is my strength...

2009-04-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

April 16, 2009

When we face challenges... when we are tired and frail... when our doubt is bigger than our faith... WHEN FAITH AND FEAR COLLIDE... Where does your strength come from?

I would never have fathomed that God would take me here... this place where I am right now. I believe with every cell in my body that God has me exactly where I am supposed to be. When I truly trust in His plan, that is when I experience His wonder.

I'm so humbled and excited to announce the coming of my new daughter!
She's a lovely 11 year old girl living in Fujian Province, China. Her name is Xi Yao (pronounced see-yow). Her name means "Hope" in Chinese.
We will name her Briella XiYao. Briella means "God is my strength".
We just received final approval from China, and Lidia and I will be traveling in June to pick her up. We can't wait !!
Here she is...

Psalm 121 ~ "I lift my eyes up to the hills. Where does my strength come from. My strength comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth."

Ben can HEAR !

2009-01-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a video clip of Ben's 1st activation. This is just a portion of a 15 min video. It seemed like a magical day for Ben. He was happy. We had previously taught Ben how to say 'Mama' and 'Father', although he's never heard himself speak those words. We've been told that what he's hearing is nothing like what we hear. Could be sounding to him like beeps, noise, possibly with some pitch. Only Ben knows what he's hearing right now. His brain will have to discover a way to process these signals into something recognizable for him. This is especially hard after living 11 years in silence. The audiologist says it will be a long and slow process. He was really excited about everything though, and we walked out of their office trying everything we could think of to see if he could hear it... stomping our feet, slamming the van door, crinkling leaves next to his ear, hearing the van horn, listening to cars driving by, etc. On the way home, he was anxious to see if he could hear any of the movie on our portable dvd player we had taken for the trip. Mike hard-wired him directly to the dvd player, since they gave us a wire that will connect Ben's processor directly into the "output" of an electronic device. I was worried that he would be overstimulated, with all we were trying, not to mention all the typical chattering and such with having 6 kids in the van, but he liked it. He said he was hearing things on the movie...don't know how it must have sounded to him, but he was happy. After the 2.5 hr ride home, he and Brent rushed around the house with great zest, trying out everything that makes a noise... the piano, the toilet (we have a loud turbo one), the ice dispenser, running water... just a little bit of everything. He stayed up until 11:30, even though the doctor said he would probably be very tired from all the brain stimulation. This morning, he woke up late and was anxious to put his processor back on right away. After a couple hours, he took it off for a break. We are to ease him into the 4 levels of volume that they've programmed it for now. Then when we go back in 2 weeks, they will turn up the volume, and send us home with 4 more sub-levels to work on at home. He is receiving all the frequencies right now, just at a low volume. The school system will be changing some things about his IEP, to include that all of his teachers make sure they are voicing when signing to him. He'll also get auditory verbal therapy at school, and I need to be present for those sessions, so that I can receive the training also, and work with him at home. For now, we are just taking things day-by-day, and knowing that God is working a miracle in Ben :o)

24 Hours to Activation !!!!!

2009-01-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

posted 1-8-2009
If you want to witness pure joy & delight, just look at Ben's face :o)
Here he is just 1 week after his cochlear implant surgery, with his surgeon Dr. Craig Buchman, UNC Chapel Hill Children's Hospital. Picture Ben giggling as he skipped into the operating room. This pic is his 1 week post-op... he healed so fast and easily.
(you can click on pics to enlarge)
This time tomorrow, we'll be in Chapel Hill for Ben's 1st activation. Ben has been counting down these last 4 weeks since surgery, and now he's counting down the hours. He's asking a zillion questions about anything and everything that has to do with his activation and about hearing in general. His questions are excellent and are an indicator as to his desire, anticipation, and intelligence. I have told him that learning to hear will be slow... as we've been told. There will be 3 activations, 2 weeks apart... to ease him into it. I told him that the professionals say we'll have to be patient... he disagrees... maybe we'll just have to let Ben show us :o)

I plan to post a video of his first moments of activation. We are letting all the kids miss school tomorrow, because they all want to be there in the room with him. Hopefully the room will be big enough for all of us! (Mike, me, Brianna, Brent, Ben, Lidia, Brinley & Bayla)

We'll be back home in the evening... ready to begin witnessing Ben's miracle, and seeing him discover a whole new world he always dreamed about...
Thank you God

Christmas 2008

2009-01-08T08:13:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! We had lots of Mike's family come up from Florida to spend this special time with us. It was awesome, and I love it when the cousins can spend time together :o)

Our family... Christmas 2008

Here we are with Mike's family that came to visit ~~ all 20 of us !!!!

My sweet hubby ...

Mommy, how much LONGER until we open presents?

Ben's perpetual smile :o)

Brent having fun with cousins David & Jake!

Brianna (on right) with cousin Samantha

So nice to spend time with my sisters, Wendy & Traci

Brinley, Bayla, Hannah & Sarah made birthday cards for Jesus & here they are at the post office getting ready to mail them to Heaven... so sweet!

Valentines or Christmas?

Poor Brad...little girl cousins have attacked him!

Back home from Chapel Hill...

2008-12-12T07:28:00.000-08:00

Ben's surgery was a success! He is recuperating nicely. He was just giddy with excitement all the way to the operating room. Today is the 3rd day after surgery and he's just been hanging out at home. We go back to Chapel Hill on Monday for a follow up. Then back on Jan 9th for the 1st activation. He is very anxious to get this bandage off his head, which will be in 2 more days. He's handling everything really great. He's a super kid. We are so thankful God paved a way for us to be his family, and for the gift of Ben getting to hear. Stay tuned for updates...

Pictures of our room at the Ronald McDonald house...

Ben thought the hospital pajamas looked a bit like karate clothes...

Bayla & Brinley playing in the waiting room at Chapel Hill Children's Hospital...

Ben in the recovery room...

Leaving tomorrow for Chapel Hill...

2008-12-07T13:17:00.000-08:00

12-7-08
Well, tomorrow I will be taking Ben to Chapel Hill. His cochlear implant surgery is the next day (12-9). Bayla calls it his "ear-plant" surgery. He is so excited. He's been counting down the days. We'll stay 2 nights in Chapel Hill... we hope to be able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House this time, if they have space available. It'll just be me, Ben, Brinley & Bayla. Mike will stay back to work and take care of the rest of the kids. Ben's biggest question is... what sports will he be able to play? I do remember the doctor saying he should never play football, or soccer, since there is too much chance that his head could get hit. A 15 year old boy at church who also got his implant at age 11, plays baseball and basketball. He had the same surgeon as Ben. So, I'm anticipating Ben will get approved for the same... we'll see. He really likes sports, and he's pretty athletic. Ben will have his 1st activiation on January 9th, where they'll turn on his sound. I think they will start with lower frequencies at first, then we return back to Chapel Hill every 2 weeks a couple more times for complete activation. In the next few months, it looks like we will be going to Chapel Hill at least 8 times. Please join us in prayer that Ben's surgery goes well, and for his introduction to the hearing world.

Since I haven't posted an update for awhile, here are some pictures from; the fall festival at church, Brinley's 5-year old birthday party, decorating the Christmas tree, Thanksgiving, and more.

2 beautiful princesses, ready to go to the Fall Festival at church....

2 goofy guys, going to the Fall Festival...

All princesses LOVE cotton candy !

Brinley turns 5 !

Putting up the tree... Ben's 1st Christmas !!!!!!
(Lidia's retains her "chief-of-staff" position for the decorating department)

Lidia with her teacher after the D.A.R.E. graduation at school

AND A FEW PICS FROM THANKSGIVING
Blake and me...

My sister Wendy and my Mom...

Bayla with Aunt Wendy...

Bayla with Aunt April...

Ben must have taken 1,000 pics !! (well, it seemed like it anyway)

That's all for now!
Blessings <><
Lisa

School days...

2008-10-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

School started August 25th. Even though Ben's bus comes at 6:30 in the morning, he runs down the driveway with sheer glee everday! He always prays at the dinner table every night (which is such a sweet blessing) and he never forgets to thank God for school. I was nervous about the early bus time, since he's not a morning person, but here it is already Oct 2, and he's gotten up every day joyfully at 6:00. He rides on a special bus for kids in the exceptional childrens program, although it looks like a regular school bus. There is always an extra aide on the bus, which is good because Ben usually sleeps the whole way home (45 min) and the aide wakes him up. The bus driver and aide are very nice, and seem to be hand picked to work with special kids. Ben waves goodbye to them everyday, until the bus is out of sight. I was very impressed with all of Ben's teachers, from his main teacher for the deaf, to his speech/language pathologist, the ESL teacher, and the interpreters that go with Ben when he leaves his class... like to go to recess, lunch, music, etc., where he and another boy from his class (Taylor) join a regular hearing class for those activities. Ben gets homework everyday. I'm learning a lot about teaching Ben. Since my ASL experience is only 1 year & Ben's is almost 6 months, at times we must break out the ASL dictionaries & the english/chinese electronic translator. It gets even trickier when the two ASL dictionaries have different signs! There are concepts that have seemed challenging to interpret, like subtraction with regrouping, math word problems, odd & even numbers, ABC order (he didn't know the american alphabet) and much more. But, Ben and I have gotten through it all... and in fact, he's brilliant. To my surprise, one night the teacher sent home 2 little books, and part of his homework was to read them to me. It was only a few weeks into school and I wondered, how will he sign this to me?? His written english was zero at the start of school. He's never been taught the signs for connecting words like "the" or "is"...because ASL drops all those types of words. In fact, the way Ben will learn written English is by sight. Meaning, he must remember each word by sight, instead of sounding it out like a hearing person. Well, I was impressed! I just had to video it.

More Miracles...

2008-07-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

7-24-08
I just knew God had a plan for Ben. Not only is he a happy, bright, super-cute boy...not only am I so blessed because he tells me "I love you" and gives me hugs....not only did we get approved for the grant that will handle all of his hearing loss costs...but now, after seeing a top surgeon and spending 2 days at Chapel Hill Hospital, the doctor has determined that Ben can get a cochlear implant !

Ben is so excited about this. He kept asking after every test if the answer was yes. I reminded him that this is a "process" and to be patient. When we got the green light after his last test, we went outside the hospital to call Mike who was back at the hotel with the rest of the kids. Mike & the kids stayed with us through the first day of testing, but we decided staying back at the hotel and swimming was a better choice for the 2nd day, so I told him I would call when we were done to come pick us up. Ben & I walked outside where we could get a signal. I got Mike on the phone & immediately gave the phone to Ben and I told him to tell Dad "yay!". Ben grabbed the phone and did his "tarzan" shout with joy in his voice. He stunned everyone around us...and I was just cracking up :o)

So, our next appt is Sept 3rd and I believe surgery might be around October. We were hoping to stay at the Ronald McDonald house, but found out that they only allow 3 people to a room...we had 7 with us, so the Hampton Inn gives special rates to people who have a referral but can't stay at the Ronald McDonald house. We met lots of other Chapel Hill families there who had come to town for follow-ups or testing. We spent time with one family in particular who has 2 children with cochlear implants. Both parents are hearing. The kids are doing so great.

I am posting some pictures here of our trip to Chapel Hill & swimming at the hotel. Brinley's 1 year "gotcha" day was yesterday, so I just sent in her 12 month report with pictures. We had to send a family picture and we hadn't taken a new family picture since Ben came home so here's our newest family picture...it's always a hysterical challenge to get us all together!
(click on picture to enlarge)(right click on picture to print for yourself)

...it's grueling, but we do have some fun at it !!!!!!!!

Summer Happenings...

2008-07-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

7-13-08
Well, we are in the middle of summer and everything's going so well. We've been quite busy around here. The kids have completed 2 weeks of summer camp at Parkwood, with 1 week to go, which will be 7/21-7/25. Brianna goes white water rafting in W.V. this week on a 3 day trip with the deaf youth group. Bri has been an excellent camp counselor/interpreter. Ben completed all his testing for school. He did the tests in Chinese. We took a family "field day" trip to UNC Greensboro to check out the campus there for Brianna & to find out more information about the program they have for the interpreting/teaching degree. That was interesting and fun! It was good for Brent, Lidia & Ben to also see what college is all about. Brianna started her new job at McDonald's, so she works 2 evenings a week at the chinese restaurant and a couple days a week at McD's. Grandma & Papa Mack came for a visit...and I launched my home business, selling books, dvd's & cd's on Amazon. This week will be especially interesting because thurs & friday we will be at Chapel Hill for Ben's evaluation. We hope to be able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House. This leads me to share something that happened today...

After church, we went to McD's for lunch. After that, I took the kids to Sam's. Bayla & Brinley absolutely love going to Sam's due to all the free samples of food they get to eat! It was Ben's first visit there. He's so interested in everything. Anyway, we are in the line to check out and I'm signing to Ben, as he's helping me put the items on the belt. He helps me a lot, by the way, he pushes the cart around w/the girls in it. He lifts heavy things for me. So, the lady in front of us asked me if he is deaf. We got to talking...her little girl Jada who is 7 was with her. Jada is deaf with a cochlear implant that she rec'd at 2 yrs old. She has excellent speech & hearing skills. Well, we ended up hanging out a little after we both checked out and discovered that Jada's surgeon was Dr. Buchman, which is who Ben will see this week at Chapel Hill. We also discovered that Tiffany (Jada's mom) is also an optician like me. Jada's mom was very positive about their experience. They showed Ben how easy it is to put the processor on or take it off, and something *clicked* with Ben. He's seen people at Parkwood with implants, but none of the kids his age have one. I think he kind of understood what it is, but today he was more interested. Maybe since I told him he's seeing the same doctor as Jada, he had a heightened interest. He asked me if Jada was really "talking" to me. I explained to him that Jada is deaf like him, but with the doctor's help and with the implant, she is able to hear & speak. He looked at me and signed "I want that". I also explained to him that some people cannot get the implant, like one of his friends at Parkwood, and that's okay too, because deaf people are beautiful. So, as we're walking out, I asked him what would be the first thing he would want to hear if he is able to get one. Here's what he said... fireworks, a balloon popping, the dog barking, watching a movie with sound, lightening, a baby crying... he seemed so excited. I need to try to make sure he understands that we need to be happy with whatever God's plan is for him. We have been so very blessed again... we have been approved for a NC state grant for Ben's hearing needs. This is SO big. This grant will cover all of his tests this week. He'll see Dr. Buchman after his full audiological workup. He'll also have an EKG, an MRI, and an ABR. If they determine he's a candidate and we go the implant route, it will cover the surgery & equipment, which I've heard is maybe 70-80k. Our health insurance may provide some coverage, I'm not sure yet, but whatever isn't covered, the grant will take care of. I'm so grateful for God's provisions.

In closing, here are a few pics from camp this past week. Look at Ben in that soldier pose...last week at church we had God Bless America Day, and it was so awesome. Ben told me he wants to be a soldier. I learned later that he cannot join the military due to his deafness. I learn something new everyday. Anyway, he sure does look serious about his pose! {click on pic to enlarge it}

My Brianna Faith...

2008-06-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

6~27~08
Brianna has been very busy lately. She is working as a camp counselor/interpreter for 3 different weeks of camp at Parkwood church. This week was just great! It has been an eventful week for this kids. Brent, Lidia & Ben all went as campers, along with Bri. Camp is all day, and they've gone bowling, swimming, to the park, a fancy Japanese restaurant, the movies, McDonald's, and more...even a trip to Old Salem. Ben has loved every bit of it. This week was mostly hearing kids, but there were a handful of deaf kids too. There are 3 interpreters, including Brianna. In July, there are 2 more weeks of camp at Parkwood, but these are for the deaf children. There will be some hearing siblings there too. Brianna will be responsible for certain groups and functions. This has been a great experience for her so far. Brent & Lidia will also attend the deaf camps.

Brianna also landed a 2nd job (at McDonald's). She just picked up her uniform yesterday. She'll still work 3 evenings a week for Nancy's chinese restaurant, and also work McD's a couple days a week. AND....she got her driver's license yesterday! She's so happy! I let her drive the kids to camp today. For now, we are letting her use Mike's blazer.

I'm really proud of her. She has a sensible & caring heart. She's part of our deaf bible study group on Wednesday nights...they were collecting goodies to take to a homeless shelter. Bri & Lidia stayed up until 1:00 in the morning one night. It had been a long day of camp, then work for Bri, but they stayed up late & baked a bunch of cookies & muffins to take in the next morning. Each & every goody they made had a note of encouragement on it. Lidia wrote some in Spanish with English translation. I was so impressed by their dedication and willingness to share about their joy for the Lord. Here are a couple pics!!!

Yes, we are home!! Been too busy to post :o)

2008-06-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

Oh my, where do I begin?
First of all, Ben is doing great! Better than I ever imagined. He is a really nice kid. I believe that he has already bonded to everybody in this big family, and he has jumped right into every situation. He's very playful, funny & loves to joke around. Some of the highlights of the last 2 weeks have included; Ben getting to meet both sets of grandparents and some other extended family, swimming practically everyday at the beach here in our neighborhood, going to Lidia's 4th grade class with Ben, Brinley & Bayla to give a presentation on China (that was very special), Ben has pulled out 2 teeth (his own), he has been to the audiologist & ENT doctor, had all his titers done at the pediatrician (he was unphased by the blood draw), been going to Lidia's softball tournament games (Lidia's coach saw the longing in his eyes, and they included him in practice...man, for a boy that has never played baseball, can he ever hit a baseball!), and Ben was invited behind the counter at Nancy's Chinese restaurant and she put him to work! He was just dying to work, so she gave him some tasks which he did great at. He worked for about 1.5 hours and she gave him a little pay...he was thrilled. He wanted to do it everyday! We've also been very busy doing paperwork and footwork for Ben's admittance into school. He'll be in the deaf program here (still not sure what grade they will put him in), and he'll also receive ESL services. There is a LOT of red tape involved, but we are getting through it. Ben loves our dog Maggie (or any animal), he has learned how to swing on a swingset, ride a scooter, go 4-wheeling, throw a football & of course some baseball. He desires to do everything. Tomorrow Ben and I are going to spend the morning at school to visit the deaf class. They are actually moving the deaf program to a different elementary school than the one it's at now, and the main teacher is changing. But it will be nice to expose him to the program and to meet some kids who will be his classmates for this fall.

I have to share something funny. Okay, one day Ben came to me while I was on the phone with the school system to show me that he had a loose tooth. It didn't look especially loose. He came back to me 10 min later with the tooth in his hand. He proceeded to go downstairs to Mike's office and show him that he took his tooth out. Mike said after he showed him, Ben tossed his tooth in the grass! I told Lidia about it when she got home from school, and she said hers is in the grass too...telling me how she had shown Ben a tooth she recently had lost, and he took it and threw it in the grass. So I told Lidia maybe this is a cultural thing in China. Lidia then said, "well in Guatemala we throw the tooth on the roof and make a wish!" I got a kick out of that...we have so many funny moments at this house! He has proceeded to pull out another tooth...I showed him how to put it under his pillow, which really perplexed him, and I exchanged it for a dollar bill. He hasn't come to me to show me the dollar, so I don't know if he's found it yet in his bed. I guess we'll see!

I also would love to share a very sweet message from my mother-in-law. I am so touched that all of my children are so loved by all of their extended family.
Here is her message...
[[ We had a wonderful weekend in North Carolina with Mike and Lisa, and of
course, the kids. We had not spent much time with Brinley since she arrived
to the family last summer, so we wanted to share in all of the family times
along with the newest addition, Ben. Lisa, Brent and a friend, Susan, went
to China about 3 weeks ago and arrived back in the States a week ago. We
certainly did not know what to expect but I, personally, came away feeling
so great about the adoption of Ben. He is the happiest boy, a ready smile
from ear to ear and big dimples. Mike said he might be hesitant to give
hugs, so I shook his hand at first but could not keep from hugging him. He
responded well. I am sure he is getting used to hugs. He is tremendously
alert, bright, interested in everything that is going on around him. When
they got to Mike's home on that late evening, Mike said, Ben would not
sleep. He tried out everything that he saw, "flipping lights on and off,
the refrigerator, all appliances, toys, pictures, behind everything and
super aware of everything." Mike feels that he has an engineering mind and
I hope that they will keep that in their minds as they direct him toward a
future of his own. I brought him a book that one uses as a tool for
learning. With the felt pen in hand, he looked at every picture and the
dotted letters which help someone learn to spell, and with lightning speed
he tore through every word, writing it exactly and perfectly next to the
word. It seemed as if it took no skill at all. I had thought that Lisa
could use it to begin a home schooling until school was arranged for him.
He is WAY ahead of so many things. We spent some hours down at the "beach"
their local lake down the street. Ben had a life vest on and saw the others
using the "noodles" to float. After a long time he took a noodle, marched
around the dock then, with a guttural sound of announcement, he ran to the
edge of the dock and jumped in!!!!! We were all SURPRISED!! I doubt that
he had ever swum in his life, but he was not afraid.

Later he kept trying the Razor scooter and attempting to get balance in
order to ride it. This was in the street! Lisa and I stood nearby and
motioned to him to be very careful and aware of cars. He came down a long
driveway right into the street but began to be careful as well. He
surprised us by "signing" to us that he had just seen a rabbit in the trees.
In such a short time he has obviously come to love his new family and
especially Michael. He seems very taken with Mike and having his very own,
FATHER.

Cesar and I had to leave on Monday to get back to Tampa. We left sadly,
knowing that it would be some time before we could enjoy the family again.
I have begun to realize that being "deaf" is probably not so bad! Why??
Because one is not impaired by all of the sounds of this world, "computers,
TV, radios, stereos, IPods, cars, transportation, and a thousands other
things that vie for our time and effort!" Without sound, everything else is
amplified and perfected above what most people know. There is complete
"focus" on things that surround one. Ben can learn so fast and seemingly so
easily. He watched Lidia's softball game, borrowed a bat and ball and
attempted to hit the ball on his own. This is a child who is focused on
life and is enjoying every minute! It was a JOY to be a part of this
amazing weekend.

Please pray for Mike and Lisa as they guide all of their children.
Thanks for your interest and your prayers. Love, Jocelyn ]]

Well...that's all for now
Here are some pictures...

This is a gorgeous oil painting that I brought home from Guangzhou. I thought it was a beautiful mix of Lidia, Brinley & Bayla. It was painted by a Chinese man that goes by the name of "Ben".....meant to be!

The end of the trip going home sure was tiring...over 25 hours of travel !

Brinley & Bayla loved skinning the corn (is that called corn husking???)

Ben working at Nancy's restaurant ~ he LOVED it!

Pictures in our backyard with Grandma & Grandpa Jordan

Fun at the beach in our neighborhood

Ben loves to go to Lidia's games!

It's past midnight on Monday ...

2008-05-19T09:37:00.001-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in 4 days...things have been pretty busy, and well, we are just really enjoying ourselves. Since it took me so long to post all the pictures tonight, I will make this short, as it's very late here. The pictures will give you a pretty good idea of what we've been up to. By the way, yesterday as Susan and I were listening to New Life 91.9, (our favorite Christian radio station) via the internet..., I decided to write to them to let the station know we were listening on the other side of the globe. I have just received an email from Gary Morland and he wants to call my hotel room tomorrow night to do an interview that he will edit for airing. I told him yes, but I am very nervous!!!!!

We've been having fun here in Guangzhou with shopping, walking through little town streets, swimming, and playing. Tonight we found the one and only microwave on this property (at a deli here at the White Swan) and got permission to pop some microwave popcorn that we had brought from home. Imagine 5 Chinese women standing around the microwave, marveling at the popping of the popcorn, and Ben squealing with excitement to see the bag get big. He didn't really like the popcorn, but had fun making it.

Anyway, have to go to sleep now...everyone is doing great. Ben is getting better since being on the antibiotics. We are anxious to return home, but have thoroughly enjoyed our trip. I cannot wait for Ben to get to meet his dad and other siblings. That will be so exciting!! Have gotten the opportunity several times to speak to the kids back home, thanks to Skype. Bayla always says, "mommy, I love you really much" and Brinley said she had a frog in her neck...(translation: her throat was bothering her). Blake, Brianna and Lidia all sounded great. Mike is doing an awesome job!!!

Tomorrow is our last day here...then an early flight out on Wed morning. It will take 3 flights to get us home...about 22-23 hours of travel.

Enjoy the pictures. Love to all...

Lisa

2008-05-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

We were privileged to get to visit Tianjin School for Deaf Children. This is Ben's school where he boarded Mon-Fri every week. It is a beautiful new facility. Ben has looked at these pictures over and over again. He had many good relationships here. These are the kids that he loved, and the teacher that he loved. It was a day filled with laughter and tears.

2008-05-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

We got there just in time for Ben to join the group for the morning exercise routine

2008-05-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

This precious little girl had made a card for ME! The whole class worked hard for days...each one of them had a gift or card or work of art to give to Ben. The half day that we spent there was beyond amazing.

2008-05-19T08:53:00.001-07:00

Ben's teacher signing to the class. Everyone was just SO excited that we were there.

2008-05-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

The school's director came into the room and presented Ben with a few momentos from the school. He was a delightful man that cared for Ben very much. He was signing to him how he is going to his new home in America...by the way the sign for America is the same as ours

2008-05-19T08:48:00.001-07:00

Ben's had put a few of the pictures I sent him underneath a plastic overlay on the top of his desk...the other pictures he had given away to his friends, along with most of what I sent him in the care packages. It was very sweet of him to give his belongings to others.

2008-05-19T08:44:00.001-07:00

Ben's classmates

2008-05-19T08:42:00.001-07:00

Ben's sweet, sweet teacher...she cried when she had to say good bye

2008-05-19T08:36:00.001-07:00

Ben was really king for a day...the kids just showered him with love and kindness

2008-05-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

The school was so nice to let us spend all morning there. They even invited us to stay for lunch in the cafeteria...so we accepted. They served sardines (with bones), sticky white rice and some unidentifyable vegetable. No drink provided except a very salty type of egg drop soup. Well, Brent's expression says it all !!!!!!!!!! We contained ourselves and did our best, and showed our appreciation.

2008-05-19T08:30:00.001-07:00

The kids loved Brent

2008-05-19T08:28:00.001-07:00

His best friend Wu Ye

2008-05-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

First airplane ride for Ben !

2008-05-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

Ben enjoyed the plane !

2008-05-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Ben's medical visit required by the U.S. Embassy

2008-05-19T08:14:00.001-07:00

Waiting to see the doctor...

2008-05-19T08:12:00.000-07:00

Many elderly people doing their morning exercises at the park

2008-05-19T08:10:00.001-07:00

These women were really working out

2008-05-19T08:08:00.001-07:00

Susan getting in on the exercise fun...this woman standing showed her how to use the equipment...she was so cute!

2008-05-19T08:05:00.001-07:00

We saw 3 bride & groom couples at the park today

2008-05-19T08:04:00.001-07:00

Ben loves animals

2008-05-19T08:02:00.001-07:00

This kitty kept Ben busy for a long time !

2008-05-19T08:00:00.001-07:00

How cute !

2008-05-19T07:59:00.001-07:00

Snake skins...used for natural medicine

2008-05-19T07:56:00.001-07:00

Little dried frogs...also used for medicinal purposes

2008-05-19T07:53:00.001-07:00

These are pics of some food choices at a restaurant...you just pick out which one you want and they will prepare it for you.

2008-05-19T07:50:00.001-07:00

What are THESE???

2008-05-19T07:48:00.001-07:00

Some live crabs awaiting their destiny...their little eyes looking around

2008-05-19T07:45:00.001-07:00

Lots of food choices !

2008-05-19T07:42:00.001-07:00

Puppies for sale in the streets...how adorable!

2008-05-19T07:38:00.001-07:00

Imagine thousands of apartment buildings...tall buildings as far as you can see. This is what most of them look like.

2008-05-19T07:35:00.001-07:00

Blake look...Papa John's Pizza !

2008-05-19T07:33:00.001-07:00

Seaweed anyone??? Going to the supermarket is so interesting here...

2008-05-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

Ben LOVES the pool...he does NOT know how to swim. With the 2 rings, he was pretty self-sufficient.

2008-05-19T07:28:00.001-07:00

Having fun !

2008-05-19T07:26:00.001-07:00

Brent enjoying the pool !

2008-05-19T07:21:00.001-07:00

Took the picture this morning... police were practicing for the mourning ceremony this afternoon. We eat breakfast overlooking the Pearl River, and saw many boats and about 6 helicopters flying overhead.

2008-05-19T07:18:00.001-07:00

One of the many pretty areas of our hotel...looks like a postcard, doesn't it?

2008-05-19T07:13:00.001-07:00

The beautiful White Swan Hotel

2008-05-19T07:10:00.001-07:00

At 2:28 p.m. today all of China stopped in their tracks and stood still to honor the people who perished from the earthquake. It's been exactly a week since the tragedy. For 3 minutes, nobody moved anywhere. We stood with them...and cried. The government is mandating 3 days of mourning...which includes no entertainment of any kind. This is the sign posted outside of the billiard room here at the hotel. The boys were disappointed because they wanted to play pool, but they understood the reason. The newspapers are saturated with articles and pictures everyday...heart-breaking pictures of children lost.

2008-05-19T07:03:00.001-07:00

goofing around at one of the stores

Update for today...

2008-05-14T06:57:00.001-07:00

Today we went to complete more paperwork...first the police dept, then the notary office. Then we took a taxi to the orphanage, where we met up with Robert and the Gour family. Together we all went out to lunch. Robert took us to a local restaurant he likes and we spent hours in great conversation. He's a great guy and I'm very appreciative for his efforts at the orphanage. He also had found some more pictures of Ben which was great. Ben is probably around 6 yrs old in the pics. Brent and Ben were so bored while we had lunch. We were in a private room at the restaurant, so they probably felt confined with nothing to do... well, it was around 2.5 hours!

Tomorrow we are going to the deaf school. Ben will get to see his teacher again and also his 2 good friends. I'm wondering how that will be for him, having to say his final goodbye. After that, we are going to see his finding spot. Then after that, we will visit ancient culture street. Then Friday....fly to Guangzhou!

Well, tired and going to bed now.

Hugs,

Lisa

One home...Many hearts

Thanksgiving 2011

Time Sure Flies !!

Going Home...

Bellamei at OneTrueMedia.com

7/26/11

Having fun in Guangzhou!

More Pictures of our Time Together

Last full day in Hohhot

Sight Seeing

Celebration Swimming

We Finally Have Bellamei

Last day of sight-seeing in Beijing

Sight-Seeing

Travel Day 1

Almost Time to Go...

Finally !!

Waiting to bloom...

Summer Camp

Look at our SWEET girl !

We received an update!

5/2/11

Only by HIS hand...

I love this!

Get Ready, Get Set.... Sell !

DTC !!

Happy New Year - 2011

One More Heart for This Home...

Brent & Ben get baptized...

Ben, the Artist...

We had SUCH fun on our summer vacation!

Catching Up !

Christmas 2009

Our trip to Disney !!

We're so excited for Brent...

Briella's been home 4 months today..

~~~ Summer Fun ~~~

Coming Home...

Bittersweet Goodbye

Happy, thankful, and having fun!

Time Together

Official Paperwork and Xiamen

We Have Briella!!

We're in Beijing

Time to Go !

Travel Approval is here !!!!

What a nice surprise !

God is my strength...

Ben can HEAR !

24 Hours to Activation !!!!!

Christmas 2008

Back home from Chapel Hill...

Leaving tomorrow for Chapel Hill...

School days...

More Miracles...

Summer Happenings...

My Brianna Faith...

Yes, we are home!! Been too busy to post :o)

It's past midnight on Monday ...

Update for today...

~ Summer Fun ~