a quick update

We are home and doing great!  The boys love their sister so much and she loves them.

Mae is adjusting really well. She is sleeping through the night, but she has a hard time getting down. The boys are also adjusting good. Grant is having the hardest time, but that was expected. I am so proud of all of them and very grateful to be have everyone together! 

Together at last!

Still in China

We are still here. Tomorrow is our last day. We had our Consulate appointment today. Hopefully we will get Mae's visa tomorrow! We have had fun in the local parks and museums and going up the Canton Tower. Mae is just more amazing every day!!

Wearing mommy's shoes

One of the parks

We really loved going to the parks!

what we have been up to

Mae is doing amazingly well.  She is happy and outgoing. She makes everyone around her smile.  Joe and i are just are worn out at the end of the day and so I have't had the energy to write as much as I had hoped.  I am going to try to catch up a little.

On Wednesday we went to the police station to apply for her visa. We were not allowed to take pictures there.  It took about an hour to process all of the families, but each family took about 2 minutes. 

On Thursday we visited Mae's orphanage. That is it's own post all together. We could tell she was really loved and that she loved her nannies, so that made us so happy.

On Friday we went to downtown Guangzhou and visited the Guangdong Cultural Musuem. The city is incredible. It really makes Dallas seem like a small town. Everywhere you look there are phenomenal skyscrapers. The Musuem was fantastic, so much rich history. After we got back from the morning trip and rested Joe and I took a taxi to Shaiman Island. It was so beautiful there!  I am sure we will go back at least one more time 

Inside the museum.

A fun robot with the Canton Tower in the background.  

On the island.

More on the island.

the past couple of days

The last couple of days with Mae have been wonderful.  She continues to smile and she is learning to trust us.  She is still very scared at times and seems to be confused (who can blame her).  All in all she is very happy and outgoing little girl.  We could not ask for more!

Yesterday we went back to the Civil Affairs office to sign the official paperwork to make Mae our daughter.  We had 2 interviews.  One with a notary and one with an adoption official.  They were both pretty short and straightforward.  The notary was very interested in Joe's job and asked him a lot of questions about being an attorney.  I think he was just curious and it was fun to talk to him.

Waiting for our interviews.

The notary who interviewed us.

Today we went to the police station to apply for Mae's passport.  We took a quick photo and signed some papers.  We should have her passport in a day or so.

Tomorrow we are visiting her orphanage.  It will be a hard day, but an important one.  We hope it is not too traumatic for her.

I hope to write more soon, but we are strangely tired and worn out these days.  Hopefully I will have more energy tomorrow.

Mae day!

The past 24 hours have been incredible.  It has been nearly one day since we met the most amazing little girl, our sweet Mae!

Finally!

I am having trouble posting on the computer where most of the photos are, so I will post from my phone and update with more pictures and details later. 

She is so wonderful and she has so much personality! I can't wait to share more soon!

Okay, I am sorry I have been the world's worst blogger over here.  Today is Thursday and we visited Mae's orphanage today.  That is an entirely different post, so I will just stick to gotcha day for now.

On Monday we woke up after a surprisingly restful night (I think the 2 Advil PM didn't hurt).  We enjoyed a nice breakfast at the buffet and then met Miko at 10:30 to go over the paperwork for the week.  We met the other 3 families that are here adopting also.  They are so wonderful and we are grateful to be on this journey with them.

The meeting was exiting because it really felt like this was happening.  The meeting lasted less than an hour and then we broke for lunch before we were to meet up again at 1:45 to head over to the Civil Affairs Office.  Our nerves were on edge at this point so we headed over to Pizza Hut to have something familiar for lunch.  The pizza was exactly like at home. 

Finally, the time to leave and meet Mae arrived.  We were all so nervous and excited going to the office.  We drove for about 20 minutes and then got out of the car to walk through some side streets.  When we reached the building there were some little ones near the elevator headed up.  One of the families in our group saw their daughter.  It was so exciting.  

We made it to the 8th floor and situated ourselves in a corner of the room.  Off to the side was a nanny with some little ones and one of them was Mae!  She was getting her hands washed.  We could not believe she was right there and we could not hold her yet!  They still had to go over some paperwork and get us organized.  Mae was sent off to a small toy room to play.  About 10 minutes passed and then we were told it was time to meet our children and that our group was first.  We were the second family (out of about 15) to be meet our child.  

She came to us really well and did not cry.  We just held her and told her we loved her in Chinese.  We showed her some toys and gave her a lollipop.  After awhile I started to rock back with her.  She really liked this and gave us our first smiles and giggles.  It was wonderful! The time there is sort of a blur.  I think we were there about 90 minutes.  Here are a few more pictures that can tell the story better than I ever could!

the forbidden city

Yesterday we toured Tienamen Square, the Forbidden City, and an area of Beijing called Hutong. 

Tienamen Square was massive. There were so many people in it, but it did not even feel that crowded. There are also these two giant movie screens, which seemed really odd and out of place. There is not too much to do there, so we took some pictures and headed over to the Forbidden City. 

The Forbidden City from a distance 

The forbidden City was also enormous. The buildings are beautiful and it was fascinating to learn the history of the city. However, it felt very cold and lonely even though there were a zillion people there. It is not somewhere I would want to live. The gardens in the city were really beautiful with interesting trees and rock formations. I will try to upload those from the big camera later (these are all iPhone pictures). 

Inside the Forbidden City

more of the city

still more

Hutong is an old section of Beijing. It offers a glimpse of what life was like in Beijing before the construction boom. The homes are very simple and humble. We were able to visit one of the homes and meet the lady who lives there. She told us what life is like in Hutong. We also took a rickshaw around the neighborhood and visited the local market.  

The view from our rickshaw ride

Inside the local market.

The Hutong area

After out tour our guide helen took us to another part of Hutong. This part had lots of shops and restaurants. There was also a beautiful lake. 

so pretty

Our great guide Helen.

the Great Wall

Yesterday we visited the Great Wall. It was spectacular. We were joined by our guide Helen and another couple from Atlanta who is also meeting their daughter on Monday. It was so much fun to tour the Wall with them and to share in our excitement over our upcoming adoptions.

I am very blessed because this is actually my second time on the Great Wall. My family and I visited China in 1995 and I was able to see the Wall then. I was even more awe struck this time. I don't know if it is because I am nearly 20 years older or because this is my daughter's country, but the wall was especially inspiring this time. 

We visited a section of the wall called Mutianyu. It is a little further from Beijing and therefore a little less touristy. Also, being November made it less crowded. The fall color was beautiful and the weather was perfect. We took a lift up to the wall and then we rode a toboggan down. It was so much fun. We hope to bring all of the kids back in a few years. 

We also met a fellow Longhorn on the Wall. His name is Tray Allen and he is a former football player. We think he is in town promoting the Arena Football League in China. 

fun on the wall

the fall color was beautiful

We love meeting Longhorns around the world!

we made it!

We've made it to Beijing!  We got in late last night (just as the boys were headed to school in Texas), got a good night of rest and now we are off to the Great Wall.  I was able to take some fun shots on the plane. 

Over the Canadian Rockies

A glacier in Alaska.

Somewhere over Russia

The view from our hotel.

it's the final countdown

Okay, I will stop with the song titles after this one.  We are leaving tomorrow morning.  I STILL can't believe it.  I'm not sure when any of this will feel real.  We are packed and pretty much ready to go.

I have to say that we have the best family, friends and neighbors.  So many people have stepped in to help us or else offered their help.  We feel truly blessed and are so happy that Mae will become part of such an amazing group of people.

I am starting to get very sad about leaving the boys for so long.  We spent one week away from Andrew when he was about 2 and a few nights here and there, but nothing like this.  Being half a world away will be hard.  It makes me feel so much better to know that they will be in great hands with our family!  I know they will have a great couple of weeks.

All that is really left to do is to go over last minute details and try to get a good night sleep (ha!).  Next time I write it should be from China!

leaving on a jet plane...

This time next week we will be hours away from meeting our daughter!  I am still trying to wrap my brain around the whole thing.

This weekend we are making our final preparations in between soccer games, flag football games, Church, parties, haircut appointments and about a half a dozen other things.  Somehow, it will all come together.

We leave on Wednesday the 6th and return on the 22nd.  We will meet Mae on Monday, November 11th.  We will be traveling to Beijing for a few days and then onto Guangzhou, where we will spend the remainder of our trip.  Beijing is colder this time of year, while Guangzhou should be nice and warm.

I am exhausted and still feel like I have a million and one things to do before we leave!

A little girl's room, part 2

We are almost done with her room. I thought I would share the pictures before I forget. I'm really happy about the way it turned out, especially the kitchen.

I can't wait to cook up a storm with her!

It was fun making the art for the room!

The little pelican is in his original spot.

It is so fun to see pink in this closet!

ta!

We got TA (travel approval) yesterday!  We are so excited!  We have been on pins and needles the last week or so waiting for this to come.  Hopefully today or tomorrow we will find out when we can leave for China and then we can book some plane tickets!

an update

No, not on the room, but on Miss Mae!  We got some new pictures and a video from her birthday. We were thrilled to see her amazing smile, but it is making the wait more impossible!  I can't wait to make her giggle!!

Does it get any better than this?

a little girl's room, part 1

I love decorating rooms for my little ones. When Andrew was born I was finally able to make a really beachy room!  His nursery looked like this.

I painted little pictures of beach scenes and bought some really cute surfer bedding.

After John came, it looked pretty much the same, except that it was Christmas time.

And again after Grant a few changes, but not too much.

As you can see I love the beach.  I love everything about the beach.  If it were possible I would be at the beach right now.  But, our lives are in Dallas, so I've tried to bring the the beach to us. Slowly, I have made nearly every room in our house have a coastal feel.  It just makes me happy.

So, when I was deciding on how to decorate Mae's room I surprised myself because I was not sure if I wanted to keep the beach theme going. I thought about all of the cute themes I could use or color combinations that would look adorable, but I was not feeling anything special.  That is until I came across this last summer.

The color hooked me!

I just fell. in. love. with this piece.  I knew I had to build her room around it. So, I got to painting once more and of course it is another beachy room.  I still have some more work to do, but a little teaser is that it includes a homemade kitchen.  Hopefully, I will have pictures to show you next week!

article 5 drop off

On Tuesday our Article 5 was dropped off in China.  During this process our letter from the visa center, our Letter of Acceptance (LOA), and Mae's visa application are all being reviewed to make sure she meets the qualifications for an immigrant visa. This is usually a 2 week process, but because of a holiday in China it will most likely take 3 weeks.  After our Article 5 is picked up it is sent to the CCCWA and we wait for travel approval!  It is looking like November travel!

approval

This week we got our I-800 approval!  This means the the United States has determined that we can call Mae our daughter and that we can bring her into the country!  We are so blessed!  It is getting harder and harder to wait for our sweet girl!  Next, we wait for her visa and for travel approval.  We are getting so close!

what 8 looks like

Love that smile!

Our big boy turned 8 this week. It really does feel like yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital. He has brought us so much joy and he continues to make us so proud!  

l o a day!

Today I was at my good friend Amy's house visiting with her and talking about an upcoming trunk show she is hosting.  I heard my phone ring but ignored it.  Grant and I left Amy's house, we ran a few errands, and then came home.  After I was home for a few minutes I thought, "hmm, I wonder who that was that called about an hour ago."  When I looked at my phone I was shocked to see Anna, our social workers name.  I called her back quickly and when she did not answer I tried to leave her a message.  I was such a mess I somehow screwed that up.  Anyway, then I checked my email and saw those three wonderful letters, LOA!!!

I was really not expecting this!  I was hoping it was soon, but figured it would come on a Monday, not a Wednesday (since that is when they often come).  For those of you that do not  know what LOA is, it is China giving us the official green light to move forward with our adoption.  We had "pre-approval" but now we have the real deal!  It also means that we are about 2-3 months away from traveling to bring home sweet Mae!

Now we are busy again with paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork.  But it is so much fun to be requesting visas for your child and to be petitioning to classify and adoptee as an immediate relative!!

noonday collection

I am thrilled to announce that I have become a Noonday Collection Ambassador.  In case you have not heard of Noonday it is a relatively new company that sells jewelry and accessories.  I was first introduced to Noonday Collection through the adoption world.  When I heard about how Noonday was helping orphans through jewelry trunk shows I was hooked!  

Noonday was started by an adoptive mom who was selling jewelry to help fund her adoption (sound familiar?). She hosted a trunk show for some friends selling unique pieces from Uganda. The show quickly sold out and so she started booking more and more shows.  From these first trunk shows Noonday Collection was born.

Today Noonday Collection's mission is to provide a pathway out of poverty for struggling artisans, while at the same time styling women in amazing jewelry and accessories. Noonday is also focused on the needs of orphans. They provide adoptive families the opportunity to host trunk shows as fundraisers for their adoption, they support orphan care, and they work to end poverty which helps prevent many children from ever becoming orphans in the first place.  

All of this gives me goosebumps and it is why I am so excited about my partnership with Noonday Collection.  I can't wait to share the mission, the stories of the artisans, and the stunning products of Noonday with others.  This is such a fun way to use our purchasing power to create change in the world!

The fall line is launching on August 28th, so I am looking to book trunk shows after that day.  If you are interested in partnering with me I would love to talk to you about hosting a trunk show. Together we can give the Noonday artisans a marketplace for their amazing pieces.  If you or someone you know is adopting I would love to talk to you about our adoption fundraisers.  If you do not live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area or you just want to shop from the line you can always order products through my Noonday Collection website (heads up- there is a great sale right now!).   I would also be happy to connect you with an ambassador in your area who can help you host a trunk show or an adoption fundraiser. 

I feel truly blessed to have found an outlet that combines my love of jewelry, adoption, and care for the vulnerable.  If you have any questions or just want to learn more please contact me.


"...when you satisfy the needs of the oppressed, your night will become like the noonday." Isaiah 58:10

little stewpot stewards

Last week we had an incredible experience helping with a local project for the homeless. My amazing friend April Gorman organized the Little Stewpot Stewards.  This group held lemonade stands all summer long to raise money to buy summer survival kits for the homeless.  The kids assembled the kits and then handed them out to the clients of the Stewpot.  Handing out the kits was by far the best part.  To see the smiles on the clients faces and to know that we made the smallest difference in their day was priceless.  It was beyond inspiring to be part of this project and it was fantastic to see our community and our children come together to help others.

Love!

John stuffing the bags with Gatorade.

Andrew adding sunflower seeds to the bags.

The assembly line

Our gang!

This was only some of the packets we made!

The kids got to hand the packets out (this was the best part). 

Here is our lemonade stand!