A New 8 Year Old~

For me spring is here when EK's birthday arrives and we celebrate her beautiful life along with the changing of seasons.

Today was that day and she gave me the sweet privilege to capture her 8 year old face.

Things special about EK:

~An amazing daughter that STILL takes our breath away

~Very loving sister to older and younger

~Sweet and stubborn (strong willed)

 ~Very smart and full of observations/questions

~Loves to read everything (especially my texts:)

~Always wears her hair in a bun with a hairbow

 ~Makes lots of faces and smiles big

~SO helpful and pitches in whenever she is needed

~LOVES being outside with her dad/dogs

 ~Has terrible allergies this time of year

~Deep thinker and ponderer

~Funny, loves a joke, and has the best laugh!

Just today she said she wants to grow up to be a dog walker.

"I love dogs so much momma!"

(maybe a veterinarian? :)

Whatever she decides to be, she adores her big sisters and has great role models leading the way for her. In turn, she is a great role model for her little siblings. 

I sit tonight thinking of her birth mother far away in China and am sure is thinking of her child today. She gave EK the greatest gift of life and to me the gift of a daughter. I have said many times there is NO difference in children coming to families through birth or heart and EK is such the perfect example of this. I look at her and truly feel with ALL my being I birthed her myself... how did I not? She is part of me and will forever be. 

She has changed and come so far over the last 7 years. She is a big reason adoption has continued to be a huge miracle in our family. She is never jealous and always helps her new sibling feel part of the family. She helps me SO much in SO many ways. I couldn't do all I do without her. 

As I sat today thinking of the miracle God gave us with this beautiful 8 year old, it came to me she kind of split time in our family: before EK and after, before adoption and after... I know Scott and the big girls would agree...

EK completely changed our view of what our family was about.

Before EK, we thought our family was complete with three gorgeous daughters and life was all mapped out.

EK came along and gave us a new vision...

~life is about others, not ourselves

~family is about loving ALL that God gives us

~adoption is our life's mission

~there is ALWAYS enough love to go around

~sacrifice is necessary at all times

~this is not about me

~it is not easy a lot of the time

~there are a lot of unknowns 

~we are called to things we had NO idea we could do and we know that it is NOT about what WE can do... it is ALL God and His will for EK and our family.

Thank you God for this amazing girl that split time in our family and made us WAY better than we would have ever been.

Thank you for choosing US to be her forever.

She has blessed us WAY more than we could ever bless her!

We pray great things for her life and promise to always point her to YOU!!!

Phillippians 4:13

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. 

Happy birthday beautiful girl! 

   

    

 

  

  

Pieces of our Hearts

Sweet Annie is probably home in the US again

and you have to go read her last post while waiting to leave China.

My favorite part was...

They have uncovered new, deep places of my heart that I never knew were there, changing me for today and years to come. They are 100% "my" kids, as loved by me as if I gave birth to each one and raised them to adulthood. And so saying goodbye feels like ripping out most of my heart and having to bury it here thousands of miles away from home.

 I thank Him even for my hurting heart now, because it means that He's done a work in there through His Spirit, enabling me to love and miss these kids that so much of the world overlooks. I would never, ever trade all these tears for the time that I've gotten to spend here.

Thanks, G0d, for the beauty and treasure of loving until it hurts, because it is a tiny, earthly reflection of Your own love for us. Watch over these pieces of my heart and bring me back to see them again soon...

Scott and I identify SO much with how Annie is feeling.

We always struggle to leave China

and truly ache to be there after we leave.

Pieces of our hearts are there and always will be~

it's where three of our children were given life

and this may seem WAY out there for some to understand

but we are connected to three families there~

ones that will never know about the love and life 

they allowed our three precious babies to have.

Pieces of our hearts are at the orphanages where our children

lived the first part of their lives...

for the people that cared for them AND for the orphans still waiting.

Pieces of our hearts are with the many faces we stared into

while there as they wondered what we were doing

and we wondered at the simple and peaceful life they lived.

SO Annie, we get how your heart is in pieces sprinkled in China~

our's are too and we look SO forward to going back to get

this precious boy sitting in your lap!!!

(taken right before she left)

(cute haircut for sure!)

I know you kissed and hugged him tightly before you left

for me but mostly for Jesus.

He chose Will to be your sponsor child and our son.

He LOVES us so and you have certainly shown your love for Him

while at Shepherd's Field.

You will always be in our hearts too~

SO I guess a Piece of our Heart is way across the US with you too!

LOVE that and we LOVE you forever!!!

Court Readoption For EK

Yesterday we went to court and met with Judge Jackson to have our official papers signed. We were taken to the courtroom first, which the girls thought was so cool and answered many questions. He asked us to fill out a part of the paperwork that he was to sign. He asked us to come back to his chambers when we were finished. We were taken back there by his assistant and the sheriff. His chambers were very beautiful.

We sat a big table while Judge Jackson looked over our paperwork. He signed it and told us our adoption was approved. He sat and talked to the girls about lots of things and that made them feel very special. Both the judge and the sheriff teased them about not being in school. Judge Jackson asked if we would like to take some pictures and we were so excited. He suggested we stand in front of the bookcases. EllaKate even let him hold her in a few of them. We now have Ella again, as if all the things we did in China were not enough. We are her official forever family and will be receiving her Georgia Birth Certificate very soon. On the way home, the girls talked about all the amazing experiences we had had together as a family over the past two years. If it is God's will for our family, we sure pray we can start over and live it all again!!!

EK's Orphanage

We were able to send a care package to Ella Kate when we received our referral. In the package, we sent a disposable camera. On Ella Kate Day, we were given the photo album and the camera back that we sent. We took it to Target and developed the pictures. These are a few of Ella Kate in the orphanage. There are actually some of the babies adopted in our travel group in the pictures. We are so thankful God chose her to be our daughter!!!

Homeward Bound

Well, you probably thought we were never going to blog again, but we have been so busy and tired. I really never knew what jet lag was about but now I do. We had a very challenging trip home. We arrived in Hong Kong on the train and checked in to the hotel. We were up and out to the airport by 6:00am. Our flight was on time and we departed on time. About one hour into the flight, an engine blew and we were forced to turn back for Hong Kong. After three hours of a layover and an airline change, we left for the US bound for LAX. Our flight was about 12 hours. Ella Kate had a difficult flight. None of us were able to sleep any. When we arrived in LA, we found out all flights out were booked, and we could only get home by separating into two different flights. Savannah, Ella Kate, and I were going to fly straight to Atlanta; Scott, Amelia, and Rosemary were to fly through Florida and then to Atlanta. After three hours of talking, Scott was able to get us booked with Delta, all on one flight, and we would leave at 1:30am and land around 5:30 Friday morning. We were greeted at the airport by the limo once again, and made it home about 6:20am Friday (Ella Kate's BD!!!) We worked very hard to stay awake all day. We enjoyed having company and celebrating a great day!!! We are so thankful to be home!!!

Touring

Yesterday, we went to the Pearl Market here in Guangzhou. We were able to buy 4 bracelets, a necklace, and earrings wholesale. We also bought some DVDs for the girls to watch on the way home. The greatest thing that happened was our friends from Atlanta, Shane and Beverly arrived here and will get their baby today!!! We went down stairs to see if they were here and as soon as we saw each other, we all screamed and hugged. It was so amazing to see someone from home here in China!!! We are going for our consulate appointment today 4:00 and then catch a train to Hong Kong. We will fly out tomorrow morning at 8:30 with layovers in Tokoyo and Minn. We arrive in Atlanta at 5:45. We should be hone around 8:30pm. I guess this is goodbye from China. The next time we post we will be back in Dacula, GA. We love all of you and thank you for reading our blog and praying for us!!!

Physical Exam

Today was Ella Kate's physical exam for her visa and consulant appt. We had to be there about 9:45. There were tons of people there from adoptive families to local people. There was a separate area for the adoptive families. Our whole group went back and waited for our turn. A very nice lady in our group took our family photo. We had to take Ella to three different check-up areas. We went to the general doctor first. He checked her skin, bones, and head. He thought she was great and sent us to the next area. We then went to the weight, height, and temp. Ella Kate weighed 19.5 pounds. I think they said she was in the top 75% for her height. We then moved on to the ENT. She checked Ella's hearing, ears, and looked down her throat. She checked put great in all areas. We were free to go. We stopped by a few shops on the way back to hotel and finished our gift shopping. We all came back for Ella's bottle and naptime. We all rested for about 2 hours and off to eat a midday meal at Lucy's. We went to a great Thai restaurant last night. It was really spicy and we all liked it!!! We are glad that we will be home in 3 days!!! Love to all!!!

April 2

Today we went first thing to get a visa picture made of Ella Kate. I had to go to a paperwork meeting for about 2 hours. Scott and the girls went for walk. They put Ella Kate in the stroller, dropped the laundry off, and and headed out. They found a church to visit for a little while. It was a Christian church, and they were singing. While walking around, they also saw some couples making wedding pictures. They said the girls looked so beautiful and new. We were told by our CCAI rep in Beijing that the boy is responsible to buy everything for the wedding. They also have to give the girl's family a lot of money, as well as have a place to live and maybe a car before they get married. What a big responsibility. I finished with the paperwork and we ate lunch at a great cafe called Lucy's. We came back and took a little rest while Scott went for a run. We are all going for a group dinner at a Thai restaurant tonight. Tomorrow, we have to take Ella Kate for her doctor's checkup for the visa report. She is doing great! She just has a little runny nose in the morning, but I think it is because she is cutting her two bottom teeth. She already had her two top teeth. She is very happy!!!

Red Couch Photos

We took our Red Couch pictures today. Our group had nine families. We started with family photos, then group picture, and finally baby photo. Ella Kate did great! She already knows what a camera does and she looks right at it. We thought this picture was so cute because you can see her precious little dimple on her cheek!!! She looked like a little Chinese princess!!! Amelia and Rosie loved wearing their traditional clothes too.