Look what I got for Christmas!!!

I am just soooo blessed!!! To have gotten these pictures today and to be this sweet girls mommy!! Look at that face...

I Love the outfit! she looks so tiny!

I am just dreaming of the day I can squeeze that cuteness!

I sure did not expect to get a call today from Nicole telling me she was emailing me pictures of Lily. I thought for sure it was going to be next week and was already setting my self up for maybe a long wait on them.ASAP does not mean the same thing in China as it does here. So when I got that call I was shocked. And then to see such beautiful pictures was just awesome!!! I cant stop looking at her. so much personality in that little face! and sooo beautiful!!

Lily will get her gifts for Christmas!!!!

I just received an email saying that her orphanage received the care package and will send updated pictures ASAP. I am so happy =) With Kai's adoption we never knew if he got any of our packages. I sent updated pictures of Mike and I and the boys school pictures, Kai colored some pictures for her, I sent a small green backpack filled with stickers, hair clips, a necklace and bracelet, Kai Lan doll, a toy phone and a toy that make music. It is hard to fit all I want to send to her in a box no bigger than a shoe box. I sent a Christmas gift bag so hopefully they will put her things in it. I also sent small gifts for the orphanage director and for her foster family chocolate and hand creams. Boy it was packed!!! lots of prayers filled each space left!

Enjoying Christmas Happenings!!!

We made lots of gifts this year and baked allot as a family. We really enjoyed it!

Kai really wanted to make ginger bread men!

Even got dad to put a little muscle in it!

We took the 7th and 8th graders on a Field trip to an elk farm. it was a great time and a really great way to spend the last day of school before break!!

Just awesome!!!

And this was the baby at 6 months 150lbs!!!

I have really enjoyed being able to be so involved at Jacks school and really getting to know the kids. His school is K-12 and we have about 175 to 200 students, so you really get to know them as they grow up. And know Kai is there and in a few years Lily!! We have been really blessed to be part of this Christian school.

It is Day 47 !! I am having a much better week!!! I have much more peace!! Nicole from AAC said she was going to contact her China contact and ask her to put us at the top of the list for an update!!! She is hoping she can give us this Christmas gift!! ME TOO!!!

I love barns!

Day 42

I love this doorway it is just beautiful! Buildings just don't have this kind of charm anymore! The Terminal Tower!

Public Square

a little sad to see not very many lights down town this year!

is that beautiful or what?

And here we have street performers!

We Took the Rapid transit Down Town to see Chris Kringle. We had a nice time! The kids loved it!! I remember going down there to see Higbees window and Mr. Jing A Ling at Christmas when I was a kid!

Things have been quit on my blog because I do not want this to be negative! I have been struggling these last few weeks so I have taken the advise "if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all" But I feel there are so many others waiting just like me that need to know they are not alone in how they are feeling. I get in this circle of being down about the wait getting longer and then feeling guilt for not being faithful enough to have peace with his timing. I just hate that these kids have families for a year and have to wait to come home. 150million orphans and it is soooo hard to bring them home. The stress is horrible. I pray each day that God gives me Peace in this wait...

I sent Lily a Christmas package last week Thursday so I am praying it gets to her!!

I am also praying for others who are carrying a burden this Christmas season, that the Lord will bless you with his peace too!

Day 33

So I get a not so good email answering my latest batch of question. I asked if they had had any families getting LOA's early. Response: No most have been closer to 4 months = (
Then I asked how long after LOA is TA typically? Response: 8 weeks = (
Can you give me a guess when we might travel? Response: maybe April might be long but it could be shorter = (
6 more months??? Does that mean we may only be half way!!!!! UUUUUHHHHHGGGG = (
I was so excited last week seeing others getting LOA's so quickly...
I have said it before I sooo dislike this roller coaster yesterday on top of the tallest hill today at the bottom with my stomach in my throat = /
So tonight after dinner and a bad work call I was in a foul mood and that is saying it nicely. So I asked "who would like to go for a walk with me?" Mike Kai and the Jeff(the dog) decided to come along. I thought some cold fresh air would snap me out of it...
Well not so much
Mike wants to walk in the woods. I do not. I want to walk fast and on level ground. I go anyway. I have a bad attitude. Right off the bat I get hit in the face with a branch. IT IS DARK AND I WANT TO WALK ON THE ROAD NOT IN THE WOODS!!!!! I yell. We continue on, we come to the field, 2 deer in the beam of the flash light, oh how....
JEFF!!! JEFF!!! I HOPE THAT IS NOT A SKUNK!!!!!! JEFFF
I am really yelling now!!!

I stomp back to the house with skunk dog happily trotting next to me...
No more fresh air!

I walk the road alone ..... Praying to not feel the way I do.... It is not working...

I come to my driveway and a lady gets out of her car and says "my car has stalled and I don't know what to do". She has 3 kids and her sister in the car and was on the way to pick up her mothers car because her sister just got a flat and it needs to be towed. I get Mike and we try everything we know to try and start it to no avail. It is cold and we have been at it for 25 min. we have taken kids to the bathroom and passed out gloves. nothing is working and decide this one will need to be towed too. I drive them to get the car they were on the way to get. I tell them how here I was pouting about things not going my way and about my skunk dog and God blessed me by putting them in my driveway.
I do not get to hold my baby girl yet! But a small hand reached up for mine and said I want to hold your hand, I said I want to hold your hand too. She may have been Lily's age I don't know but the Lord spoke to my heart and we were blessed by this broken down car. They thanked me up and down, they have no idea that is just what I needed and it felt good!

Day 29

I am going to be speaking a different language in this post it will only be understood by Moms waiting along with me! =) Sorry I have to babble on in LOA's and LID's for a few...

Yes I am counting the days and we are on day 29!! of the 2 to 4 month wait for LOA ( letter of acceptance). I was excited to see some families got LOA's yesterday the shortest wait was 15 days!!!! Some after only 22 or 49 so there is always a chance we could get it before 2 months = )
BUT...
There are so many factors some people are LID (Logged in to China) in 2006 and 2007 then get LOI (Letter of intent= find their child) We our LOI before LID so the wait is usually longer but a few of the families were just like us so there is a chance. I don't want to get my hopes up...
BUT !!!YAAAAHOOOO!!! it is a chance!!!
The average wait for LOI before LID families is 81 days, now this includes the few families who like us in Kai's adoption waited over 120 days or more. So we are hoping closer to 2 months! or sooner!!!!
Congratulations to all the Families who got A's this week I know some families got TA's (travel approval) this week too! I also want to pray for the families waiting sooo long that they will get there LOA's still this week!!!
Day 29 = )