And Mia Makes Six...

Stationery card

2011-11-15T22:12:00.001-06:00

Christ Wishes Religious Christmas Card

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Umm... where did September and October go?

2011-11-08T21:43:00.001-06:00

It can't be November already? Is it? Wow... I know I will win the "worst blogger" award for lack of consistent blogging. Our life has been pretty hectic for the last few months and the next couple of months aren't looking much better... LOL.So, we moved back into the house. Yay!!! We were all so glad to get to come home, but gosh, was it stressful. Boxes, boxes, and more boxes everywhere. I still have only a path for us to walk through the garage. The neighborhood feels oddly different because of the daily reminder of the destruction that came our way on April 27. I have to admit that I am still grieving through this. The beauty of our neighborhood is having to be rediscovered and some days I just don't see it. I see a whole bunch of dirt where trees used to be and my favorite walking path is no longer there. But, enough of my whining. The kids are glad to have their stuff back and I'm glad to finally be back home. October... hmmm... well, sometime around mid-month, I came up for air, after being buried in boxes for a month or so. Football season was well upon us... in fact, running our life for a while. Cole played on junior varsity and dressed out for Varsity on Friday nights. The first couple of varsity games left me swiping tears after seeing my baby, my little Cole, standing there among a bunch of sweaty, smelly big boys looking more like a man than a boy. Where did the years go? I got it together after a few games, and now I only cry about it in secret. Ha, ha... The Glencoe Yellow Jackets have had a good season and are going into the second round of playoff games this Friday night. It has been sooooooooo busy, but I've loved it. On October 31, we dressed out a Stuie, an extremely handsome cowboy, and a little Chinese Minnie Mouse. I love Halloween dress-up... so, so fun. We've already started planning for next year. But its' a secret, can't tell you just yet. Our little sister has really made some strides in the last couple of months. For starters, she is talking now... a lot. A few months ago, I was beginning to be concerned that we couldn't understand much of anything she said. Fast forward to now, and she is speaking in sentences and sometimes I have to ask her to just stop talking and let my ears rest. Paybacks, I know... LOL... She's still a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse addict, likes cheese-curls for breakfast, and is pure comedy most of the time. Her favorite toys right now are puzzles, costume jewelry, and lip gloss. Yes, lip gloss. The girl loves some cosmetics. She is more beautiful every day and sometimes I just can't believe she's ours. The biggest news of this week is that I was able to go back to work. I've been out for a while due to complications of my lupus. I've been on a new medicine that I hope will allow me to continue to improve. God has blessed me with a fantastic job and I am grateful to have that to go back to. I know He has a plan for me and His ways are the best ways. A new friend of mine will be coming home from China on Thursday. She and her family waited for over five years for their little M. Unbelievable. When she began the process, her agency predicted a twelve month wait... then it turned into two-years, then three, then four, then five YEARS. God teaches us lessons during waiting times in our lives and this story is such a perfect illustration of His perfect plans for all of us. The daughter that God had knit for this family hadn't even been born during the waiting time... so the wait was necessary. And now, it all makes sense. My life has been changed for the better when I began to accept that God's got it all figured out... I can stop worrying, I can stop biting my nails, and just rely on Him to guide us. So, if you are waiting on God right now for something, I hope you are encouraged that He will work it all out, whatever it may be.I'm going to challenge myself for the next few weeks to spend time blogging about thankfulness... I'm always up for a challenge. :)

Glimpses of Summer

2011-08-18T23:55:00.001-05:00

Just a few more photos of summer sweetness, random stuff that I must share with all my bloggy friends.

Much love,

So Long Summer...

2011-08-18T23:36:00.000-05:00

We're gonna miss you. Till next year...

Well, I can't believe it, but the summer has ended and it's back to school again. The summer was good. We traveled a lot and crammed as much fun as we could into June and July. We went to the beach with my family in early June, Griff and I took a CRUISE in July, and then one more beach trip with Griff's family to end the summer break. I enjoyed my children this summer. We are still living at Aunt Ruby's little house, patiently waiting for our house to be renovated. My kids have been awesome about the whole situation. I am extremely proud of how they've handled this enormous inconvenience. I keep reminding myself and them that God sometimes wraps up blessings in bad things just to surprise us. That seems to be enough for them and is generally for me unless I'm just having a particularly bad day. Mia has come so far in the last few months and I sometimes can't believe she hasn't always been with us. Cole has grown into a man and I cry in secret because I know he's growing so fast and I'm going to have to let him fly. Garrett read the entire Harry Potter series this summer... he's my little studious fella. And Nolan... he has gardened, fished, and has made me giggle so many times just because he is devilishly yummy... he's my little blond-haired boy.

As I said before, God wraps up blessings in hurts sometimes and I continue to struggle with my lupus. My doctor finally decided to let me try a new infuseable medication specifically for lupus. I got my first infusion last week and it's still way too early to know if I'll respond. I am prayerful that God will bring healing to me... but the sickness has allowed me to be off from work for a while, which has given me the gift of time... time with my babies and I have loved it.

The house rebuild is still underway. My contractor is a cousin, so he can't hate me forever. I'm starting to get restless and starting to ask the same question a lot... "And when do you think you'll be done?" He just laughs and I know he secretly wants me to get to go home as much or more than I do.

Oh, and how could I forget? The garden... yes, the garden. My dad planted this ENORMOUS garden and we have spent many hours picking vegetables and putting them up for winter. I even purchased my very own FoodSaver thingy, so I am officially a domestic nerd. My goal is to have my freezer stocked with all things fresh, so that this winter when I'm craving a nice, wholesome bowl of vegetable soup... I can simply walk to my freezer, pluck out a bag, and in a little while be lapping it up. Gardening is so fun to me... as I love to watch how things grow. Again, a gift from God, because if I were working right now, I would have missed this. My mom and I had fun putting up tomatoes and soup stock together and I learned lot. Blessings.

So, my babies rushed off to school a few days ago. Cole was excited about going to high school... I know... sniff, sniff... Garrett was on-the-fence about his back-to-school opinion, Nolan was ready to get to first grade so he can learn to read... "cause I can't read the Wii and that makes me mad", he says. Mia was not excited about returning to preschool, but appeared happy when I picked her up. A new year begins and only the Lord knows what's in store, but I'm excited just the same.

I hope you all have had a fun-filled summer with the ones you love. I sure have.

Fast Forward Four Months

2011-06-21T16:56:00.000-05:00

Wow... that was fast. The last time I blogged was in February. So much has happened since then, so I'll do my best to fill you in. I know so many people have probably all but given up on this blog, so I may be the only person reading any of this. But that's okay, it will be therapeutic for me to get it out. Where shall I begin?

The day of the Chinese Festival (my last post) my grandmother was taken to the hospital with chest pains. She ended up being there for over two months. She had to have triple bypass heart surgery and aortic valve replacement. She really struggled for weeks and I honestly didn't know if she would ever leave that hospital alive. But she did. She was blessed with great doctors, wonderful nurses, a devoted family, and most of all the hand of the GREAT PHYSICIAN, which is our Lord. Our family is very close and this alone was a huge stress on everyone. We are just so thankful that she has recovered and I now see that she's getting back to herself again. Praise, praise, praise.

By March, my job was beginning to take a toll on me physically. I was recently diagnosed with lupus and fibromyalgia. The long commutes to work every day and the stress of a demanding job and raising a large family started catching up with me. I was slipping a little every day. Medicines weren't helping and I didn't know what to do.

April began like every other April. Baseball season was in full swing, with Nolan playing T-Ball and Garrett playing Minor League with Griff coaching both teams. Cole was on the golf team again, so many days were an interesting endeavor trying to get everybody where they needed to be. The baseball park is one of my favorite places, though, so I can't complain too much. I've always loved a good baseball game, especially when my kids are playing. Then... April 27th came. What a day.

The tornadoes that swept through Alabama left it's mark on my neighborhood. Our street looked very much like a war-zone. Luckily, we weren't at home when the tornado hit our neighborhood. After the storm passed, I drove home and couldn't get through to my house for all of the large trees laying in the street. I got out and ran all the way home... screaming and it felt like a slow-motion dream. It's like I could hear myself screaming, but I didn't feel it. I went to the back of the house to discover that the large windows in our family room were blown out. I walked into my house through the window opening and found my little Westie, Gus, running around barking. I know he must have been terrified. There was glass, water, and debris everywhere. I just couldn't take it in. All my things... my picture of my babies lying in the floor shattered and wet. My furniture blown everywhere. But the candlesticks were still in place on the mantle. Weird. The front rooms of the house seemed to almost be untouched with the exception of debris here and there. Upstairs was also pretty in tact. The next few days that followed the storm were dreamlike. People called or came by and I don't remember. Strangers were cutting trees down and dragging off debris. My neighbors were sifting through rubble looking for anything recognizable. The movers came in and moved everything to storage. We moved into a rental house my granddad owned that had belonged to my Aunt Ruby. (I blogged about her last January when she passed away.) Luckily, the house was clean and vacant, so our sweet friends showed up and moved bare minimum stuff for us.

As I said, my lupus was flaring and I was exhausted, before the storm hit. Afterwards, I didn't know if I could keep it up. My doctor and I talked and I made the decision to take some medical leave from work to try to get some rest and regain my health. So far, I haven't had a great deal of improvement, but I am about to try a new medicine which I am so hoping will allow me to feel like me again. I want to go back to work. I never realized how much it helped me.

Now it's June and we are still living at Aunt Ruby's. We are crammed into this house like a big foot in a little shoe. We have one bathroom and two bedrooms. Remember, there are six of us Fairleys now. My bedroom contains a double-bed, Mia's crib, and a cot for Nolan. Cole and Garrett are sleeping in the other room. Sometimes when I lay down at night, I think that it is so wonderful to have all my babies near me. Other times, I think I may very well lose my mind due to the lack of space and no privacy. The only repairs done so far to our house is a new roof. We finally got a settlement from the insurance company and now we wait for our mortgage company to release funds so that repairs can begin. This has been VERY SLOW and I'm reaching the threshold of patience. I find myself wanting to shout at everyone... JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN. I want our home back. Yesterday. Do you hear the words that are coming out of my mouth???

The damage to our beautiful neighborhood and the damages to our home have really been depressing for me. My eyes still cannot believe what I see when I drive down our street and see the landscape stripped clear, with a few exceptional trees that weren't blown down. My neighbors next door and across the street are having to demolish their homes and rebuild. I know that there will be better days ahead and that God's promises are true. God has held us in His hands throughout this situation and sometimes when I am so low, He speaks some word into my sad soul to encourage me. He has used my friends to lift my spirits and keep me hopeful.

The bright side of all of this is that I'm basically getting a new house. If I can just settle down and be patient, it will be beautiful again. One of my favorite songs right now is "Blessings" by Laura Storey. It is so fitting for what is happening to us right now. I am beginning to see the light, the good aspect of such a bad event. Another praise is that my kids are enjoying living in this little house and playing outside, helping my dad with his enormous garden, and just little things kids do that live in the country. My aunt Ruby had a green thumb and she has flowers planted all around this house. My favorite flower is the gardenia. Right outside the house is a huge gardenia bush in full bloom. How could she have known that all of her flowers would bring me such simple pleasure? Here again, sweet blessings from an AWESOME GOD. He is so into the intricate details, isn't He?

So, unfortunately this has not been a very upbeat post. Honest, but not the usual stuff I talk about. Maybe I can get back to doing that again. (That is if anyone is still interesting in reading... LOL)

By the way... guess what I was doing one year ago this week????? Yep, packing for China. Can you believe it's already been a year. She is doing well. I will tell you all about her later.

Much love to all of you.

Chinese New Year 2011

2011-02-20T21:50:00.000-06:00

So, we decided to check out the Chinese New Year Festival in Birmingham on Saturday. It was interesting, to say the least. There were lots of acts and we only made it until intermission, as Mia was getting tired and restless. Mia really enjoyed one particular performance, but I couldn't describe it to you now. I was getting hungry... LOL... Anyways, we saw several other families that we knew there from our adoption agency and other families that were encouragers during our "waiting" process for Mia. I enjoyed seeing so many Chinese families that obviously live in the Birmingham area. I noticed several small babies and it made me wonder what my baby girl must have looked like at that young age. It made me sad to realize that I had missed that stage of her life, but grateful that I have her now. She is really giving us a run for our money right now. Sister has begun to throw what I like to call "hissy" fits. I think the correct terminology would be "tantrums". She, like most all two-year olds, wants to be in control and for some reason mealtime triggers an urge to dictate where, how, and what she eats. She really prefers to sit in my lap, and inevitably she has to be removed from the table for a few minutes to get her calm. I know this is a phase... this isn't my first rodeo with toddlers. But this realization does not make it any less stressful. I wanted to post some pics from our day. Have a good week, everyone.

PiggyTails!

2011-02-07T13:57:00.002-06:00

My cup runneth over... I was finally able to put Mia's hair in pigtails this morning as I dressed her for preschool. It isn't quite long enough, I know, and I am rushing it a bit, but isn't she just the cutest? I couldn't resist...

Have a great week..

More Snow Cuteness

2011-01-13T23:07:00.001-06:00

Snow Day! Oh, and we got the Flu...

2011-01-13T22:41:00.005-06:00

We went to bed Sunday night with it snowing like crazy. We awoke to a white, wintry wonderland! The problem was that it wasn't completely snow, but partial ice. It was similar to what I'd call an ice-sandwich. A small layer of ice, 5-inches of snow in the middle, and then another 1/8 inch of ice. The kids were chomping at the bit to get outside, so we got everybody bundled up, and headed outdoors. I didn't want Mia to stay out too long, as she had been running fever for several days and had made two trips to the pediatrician. She didn't really love the snow and I think it had a lot to do with the fact that she couldn't walk very steady in it and she was a little afraid of it. The boys loved it, of course. We borrowed the neighbors' sled and slid down the hill on the steep fairway behind our house. That was great fun! We enjoyed staying in and snuggling up. Monday night I started feeling like I was coming down with a cold and Nolan was running a fever. Griff was coughing like a sick seal and I knew it wasn't good. He is very grouchy when he's sick, so the kids and I avoided him. By Wednesday morning, Griff and I agreed that we should probably consider going to the doctor as I was having chills so badly that I couldn't hold onto my coffee cup and he, well, he sounded like a very, very sick seal. So, we went to our family doctor and sure enough, we all had flu. Swell. The boys continued to be out of school, so the two oldest opted to stay at my sister's house (Thank you, sis) for fear that they would be struck down as well. Mia has spent time with my sister and my parents, while Griff, Nolan, and I have slept, coughed, snorted, and groaned at home. We are better as of this evening, and I am hopeful that tomorrow we will feel even better. Thank you, Tamiflu. Oh, and a BIG job perk... free Tamiflu for all. What a blessing that was. So, it's been good and it's been bad, but it's getting better. :)

Much love,
Ashley

Happy Birthday Mia!

2010-12-27T19:56:00.004-06:00

On December 23, we celebrated Mia's second birthday. Over the past couple of weeks, she has started enjoying watching "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" and so I decided to have a Minnie Mouse theme. We had the immediate family over, along with a couple of close friends who also have Chinese daughters. We had cake and ice cream and let her open her gifts. So many gifts!!! All day, I found myself thanking God for letting us make it to this day. I found myself thinking about Mia's birthmother and what feelings she must be dealing with on this day. I would give anything to have one conversation with her. To see her and to tell her that we are going to take care of this precious baby. I just wish she knew. I know she is beautiful... and I'd just love to see her. To thank her for this little gift that we are now raising as our own. What a great day we had. Just so thankful for Mia. Happy Birthday, baby girl.

Much love,
Ashley

Looking Back at 2010

2010-12-27T19:34:00.003-06:00

Wow... what a year. In one sense, it has been a remarkably fast year, and then in other ways, it feels as if time has stood still for a while. This time last year, I was wishing to have a peek at this little girl we'd been matched with, anticipating a trip across the world, and counting days until we could go for her. The winter was spent finalizing paper work for the Chinese dossier, and the spring was about waiting. Waiting for approvals... Finally, summer came and we were able to make that journey to China and bring home our daughter. The fall was very challenging due to adjustment to four children, my own sickness, and job stresses. Then, it was Christmas. What a whirlwind of a year.

This was the best year of my life. Not so much because of Mia, though, she was an important part. It was much bigger than that. This year I learned many faith lessons. We took a leap of faith, ventured into something unknown, and we are better for it. God gave us courage this year, and it felt so good. Really good. I realized this year that this life of ours is to be used to bring glory to our God, and when we do that, He provides, He heals, He blesses, He favors. I am so imperfect, so messed up most of the time, but God has given me new vision, new hope in what lies ahead. I am learning to grasp the inconceivable concept of grace.

If you are reading this, you probably have prayed for us at some point this year and I thank you. Be courageous, be bold, and find your calling. Now, let's move on to 2011...

Much love,
Ashley

A Glimpse at our White Christmas!

2010-12-26T10:50:00.001-06:00

Free slideshow customized with Smilebox

At Home with Mia

2010-11-16T07:53:00.000-06:00

Our Adoption Story

2010-11-15T20:14:00.000-06:00

It is finished!

2010-11-15T20:11:00.003-06:00

I have finally completed Mia's Gotcha video. I will have Part II-At Home completed soon... I hope... This was a much bigger project than I anticipated. You will need to mute my playlist at the bottom of my blogpage so that you can hear the music in the video. Hope ya'll enjoy this...
Much love,
Ashley

A Day at the Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-05T09:09:00.003-05:00

Nolan's class had a field trip last week to the Pumpkin Patch. Nolan and his classmates had a great time playing in corn seed, riding the "Cow Train", petting the goats, and most of all choosing their pumpkins from a huge field. The weather was cool and sunny and it just felt great to be spending the day with my baby boy. Here's a few pics of our day.

Much love,
Ashley

The Ladybug

2010-11-05T08:55:00.003-05:00

I thought I needed to post a few more pics of the little ladybug. Choosing a costume for Halloween was a challenge because Mia is so tiny. The costumes that would fit her were made for infants, so I resorted to making one myself. I wanted her to be a ladybug, so I took what I liked from several costumes I had seen and combined them into one look. I made the tutu skirt and the wings from red tule that I bought at Hobby Lobby on the little spools. The dots are made of stiff black felt that I glittered. The headband is made from sequined elastic and I attached a fancy bow I already had. It was fun and easy to make and was just what I had imagined. I lucked up and found little red sequined shoes at Wal-Mart along with the black turtleneck and leggings. Then, Voila, the ladybug suit was complete. Mia's favorite part of the ensemble was the makeup... she loves red lipstick. I'm afraid we have quite the little diva on our hands...

Much love,
Ashley

October

2010-11-01T22:48:00.005-05:00

October has been busy, but uneventful. Mia is learning to talk... and I must say that she is going to have quite the southern drawl. It's funny to hear her new words... all of which are multi-syllabic.... :) dog: dawwwwwg, Cole: Toe, Nolan: Noh-nun, Garrett: Geeeee, Mama, Daaadaaa...Jack: ack (our neighbor's cat). The boys are doing well and are becoming pretty good baby-sitters. I am still trying to figure out how to cope with so much to do and so little time to do it. My sweet friend, KB, shared a great laundry idea and it is helping tremendously. Before, we just let it pile up until it looked like Mount Everest... now, we have baskets for each kid. Each boy was also issued a mesh laundry bag to put dirty clothes in. It is also their responsible for getting that bag to the laundry room every couple of days. Now we are seemingly staying more on top of the washing. Laundry is folded and placed in their baskets and the big boys are responsible for putting their clean clothes away. I am putting away Nolan's and Mia's. This one little organization idea is helping us tame the laundry beast. The next beast we must tame is housecleaning. I used to have a friend come to the house twice a month to help me clean. Once the adoption expenses began to rack up, we had to tighten the budgetary reigns, and unfortunately I had to give up this luxury. Now, I am finding very little time to do the housecleaning. I LOVE a clean house, many who know me probably will attest that it is a pet-peave of mine. I hate clutter, I hate dust, and I like for everything to smell fresh. So now I stay frustrated the majority of the time because my house looks like a member of the Al Queda just stopped by and left a nice bomb behind. My mom tried to encourage me that I just needed to begin trying to accept the mess... and I know she's right. But it's very hard to do when you are a neat-freak. There I said it, I admit it. I'm a freak... totally.

On to better topics... October brought better health my way. I seem to have made a full recovery from the September near-death experience. So many people were prayerful for us during that time and I know that God answered many, many petitions for my healing. I am so fortunate to have awesome friends and wonderful family.

Halloween was bittersweet for me this year. The sweet part first... I remember thinking last year and talking with the family about the fact that our sister from China would be with us next Halloween. At that time, we hadn't even been matched with our Mia. But we had the idea of her planted in our minds and we hoped for her then. Now, fast forward one year, and I'm dressing the cutest little ladybug you ever saw and I can't help but say "Thank you, Lord" for this little precious one. Again, a visible, living, breathing testament of answered prayers and miracles all wrapped up in our girl. Now on to the bitter part... every year I took my kids to my Aunt Ruby's house... she would always buy their favorite candy and she would let them get all they wanted. She loved seeing them and that made me happy. This year, Aunt Ruby was gone. She went to be with the Lord in January and I missed her so much this Halloween... I missed her standing at her door holding her little candy bowl with the Hershey bars spilling out. And then... Cole and Garrett declare that they are too old to dress up this year. So I am all the more aware that my babies are growing up and part of me is glad for that, and another part is sad. Thankfully, they still wanted to go trick-or-treating with Nolan and Mia and for that I was relieved.

I've been working on Mia's Gotcha Day video. I got one completely finished to later discover that it won't load to YouTube or to Facebook. Ughh.. So back to the drawing board, and now I'm learning to navigate another software called iMovie on my Mac. Hopefully, I will have it completed soon and ready to post.

Now on to a November...

Much love,
Ashley

Another little bit of Roll Tide...

2010-10-06T14:39:00.001-05:00

Forgot this one... :)

Ashley

A Challenging September

2010-10-06T13:00:00.006-05:00

September began with continued heat and FOOTBALL. Alabama football and Glencoe football. Cole is playing Jr. High football and is one of the managers for the Varsity team. Garrett is one of the managers of the Jr. High team. We spend two nights a week at the football field and then some Saturdays in Tuscaloosa if the Tide is playing at home. Many of you have been asking about photos of Mia and her Tide clothing... so enjoy... LOL... September was rolling along fairly well, until September 11. I came down with an acute case of bacterial colitis and spent the next nine days hospitalized for IV antibiotics and treatment for dehydration. This was definitely not a good time to be away from Mia and I have to admit that I was very discouraged about life in general. My job is in jeopardy as my company is planning for layoffs later this fall. I have no idea if I will keep the job, or if I will be laid off. So... how do I stay sane with all of this activity? I look at my precious family and I am thankful for all the wonderful people in my life. I stand on the promise that "all things work for the good of those who love Him". God has proven to be faithful to us, through finances, through circumstances, through sickness, etc. I am relying on that. I am excited for what our future holds, what career changes may be in store for me, and for what the Lord wants to continue doing in our family. My pastor and I are in talks about beginning an orphan ministry in our church and I am super-excited about that. It would be pure joy to watch other orphaned children be united with loving, forever families. So, today, I am thankful for the assurance I have that God is in control. Mia is learning so much. She is beginning to say a few words like:
Ohhhhh (Cole), Da Da (Griff), Ack: (Jack, the cat), and she giggles a lot. She is a rambler and enjoys going through cabinet drawers. As of today, I have countless tubes of lipstick as well as a hairbrush that are missing. She is eating a little better and sleeps very well. She is struggling with seasonal allergies and has a perpetual runny nose. The most precious part of my day is when she and I snuggle up in my chair in my bedroom and she drinks her bottle and then sucks her thumb. I think about China then... about her life there, about her family who must wonder everyday what became of her, of the blessing that Mia is to our family. I am thankful for the opportunity to be her mom. September is gone and I'm looking forward to a beautiful fall season.

Much love,
Ashley

Wow... August went by fast...

2010-09-02T21:13:00.005-05:00

Well, the month of August was a blur. My blogging took a hit, for sure. There has been very, very little spare time and I have been dealing with the shock and awe of parenting four children, varying in ages from teenager to toddler. Back to school went well. Nolan enjoys kindergarten so far and Garrett is really liking middle school. I can tell he is becoming a little man... he is much more self-sufficient, so I guess that's a sign he's growing up too. Cole is working hard at football and being the manager of the varsity football team. Mia is learning new things everyday. She is a master imitator and we crack up at how she copies everything we do. My mom witnessed her trying to make a key chain into an earring. Mom said that she must be watching me put on jewelry. Funny... She has a had a non-stop runny nose since early August and we discovered last week that she had an ear infection. Bummer... Anyway, the childcare situation was not working out, as Daddy couldn't work and entertain "Little Bee", so we ended up starting her in daycare three days a week. So far she is loving it. Her teacher is a God-send and is in love with Mia. Mia seems to really enjoy playing with the other little ones in her class, so for this I am happy. The other two days Mia is staying with my mom, so this is good too. All in all, we are settling in. We have bedtime routines in place and we are continuing to have family dinners, despite our busy schedules. Mia is learning to eat our food, but is still eating a lot of oatmeal, eggs, grits, yogurt, jello, etc. It is wonderful to finally have her at the table with us, as for so many months we prayed for her as we said grace over the meal. She is a constant reminder of God's faithfulness and a visual answered prayer. I will never be able to thank God for such a gift as Mia. The only sadness I have now is wishing that her birth mother could know where she is now, that she is so loved, that she is safe. I know that her mother probably wished all this for her and I really would love for her to know that her wish came true.
On August 12, we attended the Lifeline China Reunion in Birmingham. It was fun to finally meet a few families that I only have known via the internet. We got to meet another child that was in the same orphanage as Mia, and we know that she was with Mia at her first birthday party. She was adopted in February and Mia seemed happy to see her. We got to see Lily and Rebecca one last time. We really didn't get to say goodbye in China, so we were able to let them see our boys and get a photo of all of us together. God used these two women to unite us with our sweet girl and I will forever love them for that.
I still occasionally have to pinch myself to make sure that we really have made it through this process called adoption. I can't believe that the waiting is over and that she really is here at home with us. I used to lay down every night and think of her and looked forward to the day that she would be home. It is a feeling that words can't describe. I am perpetually exhausted, I look like a truck ran over me and then backed up and ran over me again, and I often have temporary lapses in self-control, but despite all of this I am grateful. Grateful that God saw us through such an amazing faith journey and is continuing to bless us.
August is over, but looking forward to what September brings.

Much love,
Ashley

One More First Day Pic...

2010-08-09T21:43:00.001-05:00

Back to School

2010-08-09T21:14:00.004-05:00

Today was the first day of school. My oldest, Cole, began the eighth grade. Garrett, our middle son, started fifth grade AND a new school. Nolan, my baby boy, went to kindergarten today. Ouch... I did pretty well until I ran into my mom this morning as she dropped off my niece, Molly. My mom took one look at Nolan in his big boy clothes and his backpack and she started crying. Then I started crying. It took me two hours to get control of myself. The beginning of kindergarten is a symbol of a lot of things. The main one to me is that he is growing up. He isn't a baby anymore. And I wanted him to stay my little baby. That probably sounds really silly to some of you, but you might as well ripped my heart out today as I walked him into that school. He was all smiles and I was a weeping fool. I'm crying right now just thinking about it. It must be exhaustion that is making me overly emotional. Another thing... I take an annual photo of my boys and now my boys and girl on the first day of school in the same glider on my deck. It is amazing to see the changes they make physically in a year. I look forward to this photo all year long. Well, Cole decided to have his dad buzz all of his hair off in preparation for the hot football practices that loom ahead. Nolan came running down the stairs as I fed Mia and shouted, "You gotta come up here! All of Cole's hair is layin' in the floor cause Dad just shaved it all off!" I went upstairs and I was sickened at what I saw. My boy's beautiful hair was all gone and all that was left was his little bitty head and his great big ears. He's my pride and joy... everybody knows it, but I must tell you it isn't a good look for him. So, I wasn't as pumped as I normally am to get that photo made. Luckily, his hair grows quickly and I know it will be cooler for football. Sigh... Mia is staying with my mom and dad in the mornings while I work. She did great today and took a long nap, which we are all glad of. She's been famous for the old-fashioned "cat nap" and I am welcoming more sleepy time for her, so I can get some of my mama time back. Right now, mama-time is non-existent. You know the old saying, that which does not kill us, makes us stronger. I am currently testing this saying to see if it's true. If I go missing, please look for me under the rubble of laundry. :)

Much love,
Ashley

Back to Life, Back to Reality...

2010-08-04T23:11:00.006-05:00

I used to love this song, and I still sing it when I am trying to be joyful when I'm not feeling joyful. So, I went back to work Monday. I needed more time, more rest, more adjustment to my new life, but unfortunately I also need to get paid. How do all my friends take these long maternity leaves, these weeks/months of FMLA and still pay for their house, buy food, etc. etc.? That is the big question for me. Can you tell I'm just a tad resentful? Oh, well. It is what it is and we will make it. So, on to better topics. The family is doing well. Mia is adjusting well and is getting more and more comfortable with the new home, the new family, and our life. As I've said before, this is a marathon, not a sprint and we celebrate little successes because we know that family is a new concept for Mia. Last week, she had her appointment at the International Adoption Clinic in Birmingham. She checked out well and the social worker was pleased with the bond she said she could tell was forming between the two of us. She talked with me a good bit about the importance of the mother/child bond. This bond shapes who we are, who we will grow to be. This time in Mia's life is critical because she will learn to trust or mistrust. She will learn to accept love and reciprocate that love to others. She told me that my going back to work would be difficult and to expect some regression. She didn't beat me up because I was going back to work, but she did offer support and advice for the future. I appreciate that and her talking with me helped. The brothers... they love Mia. They play with her and tote her around like a sack of potatoes a lot of the time. I am embarrassed to admit that one of their all-time favorite movies is "Major Payne" and they respond to their dad's barking many times with "thur yeth thur", just like in the movie. I always giggle under my breath because I find their mocking hilarious, but I want to support the daddy too. Anyways, guess what the little sister's first American words were? "Thur yeth thur" ... I will video this for all of you to see. Unbelievable... I was expecting Mama or Dada... not an excerpt from a silly movie. Oh, well, even I can see the humor in this. What can I say? She's joining a family of all boys. We are learning that Mia had the nickname of "Little Bee" at her orphanage for a reason. She is into everything. She loves to open cabinets, plays in our dishwasher, feeds the dog snacks (who is highly food allergic I might add), and steals the remote to the TV every chance she gets. She is so, so funny. In China, I doubted that she could walk. Today, I watched her run as she chased Nolan and my niece Molly, in a game of hide-and-seek. So, in the big scheme of things, Mia is doing great. I am discovering that I am going to have to be a much better time-manager at home. The boys go back to school Monday, Cole is playing football, he is the waterboy for the Varsity team, and Garrett is the waterboy for the Jr. High team. We are about to shift into high gear and I'm going to have to get ultra-organized. I was thinking today that I probably ought to renew my Sam's Club membership, because these kids are eating like crazy. I am making a grocery store run every day. I am working on a new family blog, but that is a project that will wait for a little while longer. Until then, I will continue to post here. I am continually meeting people who have read our blog, or are familiar with our story. My cup runneth over...

Much love,
Ashley

One Week at HOME

2010-07-25T20:22:00.006-05:00

Well, we've been home one week today. I know you all have wondered why I haven't posted. I've done exactly what I said I wouldn't do, which is to leave all my blog-fans hanging. I underesimated the effect that jet-lag and a newly adopted child would have on my free time... giggle, giggle. My apologies, I will try to do a better job this week. Thanks for hanging in there with me while I get some much needed rest. It's been a week of small milestones, laughter, tears, and lots of visits and phone calls from people who love us. We have felt such an outpouring of love from so many and it is a wonderful feeling. Mia... she loves her brothers. Especially Cole, our oldest son. She allows him to hold her and carry her anywhere. She will also allow our other two boys to do the same, as well as my nephew, Will. Mia is still forming a relationship with her daddy, but I see definite progress. He holds her a little now without much protest, and he is still working hard to earn her favor. She is learning how to play with her toys and when she relaxes she actually enjoys it. She smiles a funny little grin for the camera and she blows kisses to most everyone she meets, which is so sweet. She giggles when we tickle her and she wakes up happy most of the time. Mia LOVES the swimming pool and she kicks those little legs and tries to stick her face in the water. She is still very watchful of where I am in the house and when new people come in, she clings to me for a long time, just to be sure that we don't hand her off, or at least that's what I think. The jet-lag has been hard and I can't say that I am back 100%, but we are feeling more normal again. Mia had a hard time sleeping through the night for the first few days, however, she has slept all night for the past two nights, so I think she is recovering too. We went shopping yesterday with my mom, sister, niece, and nephew. She seemed to like being in busy places. We went to church today and what a thrill that was. She is an answered prayer, one that can be visibly seen and touched and it was wonderful to be back in our church to worship a faithful God. Our church family loved meeting Mia and we all said prayers of thanks for all that God has done for us and for Mia. Garrett leaves for camp in the morning, and I wish he wasn't, but he begged to go, and for a little couch-potato that he is, I felt like I needed to grant his request. Nolan is beginning to show signs of jealousy, so I'm going to spend some individual time with him tomorrow after we get Garrett off. We are going to buy school supplies! He is really excited about going to big school. And I am sad, because it means he is growing up and I just want him to stay little. We had a visit from another China mommy today who will be leaving to go get her baby girl in a couple of months. It seems just like yesterday that I was impatiently waiting to leave for Mia. All in all, I think Mia is doing great. She is learning little by little that we are trustworthy and that we love her. She is getting to know our family, who all love her too and I have to think that must be reassuring, even though she knows nothing of the concept of family. At times throughout the week, I found myself worrying... "I'm too old for this... "Lord, are you sure this was your plan?" and the famous..."I'm a terrible mother...", all of which I believe originates from exhaustion and the lull that comes after such a long-awaited event. But I distinctly feel that each time I thought these things, God prompted me to think about the good... the lovely, the beauty that has come from this situation and then I feel encouraged that He will prosper this family. He will.. One week later, I'm more rested and she seems a little more at ease. We have a long way to go, but I am encouraged. What God has called us to, He will see us through. Well, gotta go... Mia has a stinky diaper... I think I'm too old for this...:)

Much love,
Ashley

At Home... At Last...

2010-07-19T21:50:00.003-05:00

Now that the trip is behind me, I think I'd just prefer not to dwell on the "getting home" aspect of the trip, however, there is one thing I MUST share about it. Do you remember my post last week about praying that we'd be able to switch seats to bulk-head so we could get a bassinet for Mia and more leg room to put her down a little? Do you remember the part about the flight was sold out... but that I felt like God would work this out? Well, He did. We got to the check-in counter in Hong Kong and the attendant changed out seats when I asked for a bassinet. Guess what she changed them to? The ones I asked God for. Wow... Wow... Suffice it to say, that even with the great seats the flight was brutal, it was painful, it was exhausting... but the good news is that we made it and we are now home. We were met with a crowd of family and good friends at the airport to meet Mia for the first time. Just as I'd imagined all these months, I was so touched by that moment, seeing all the people I loved waiting for us. Three of my friends dressed up with big propeller bows in their hair. Another long-time friend met me with a diet coke and a cupcake. We made the ride home well, Mia slept until 5 am, and we took a couple of naps today. My aunt Kathy made us a delicious breakfast casserole to have for our first breakfast and I loved seeing all of my babies sitting at that table with me. Tonight, we went to my grandparents' house for a home-cooked meal of fresh vegetables from the family garden. So good... My brain is still fuzzy from jet-lag, but despite all of that, I can appreciate the fact that we've made it. We have a lot of work to do in terms of helping Mia form strong attachments with us and this will take time. But at least we are home and after we've recovered from this jet-lag, we can get back to our lives. But now it is just starting to hit me... I have four kids... Four. I must be nuts. LOL...

Much love,
Ashley

Goodbye to China

2010-07-16T18:00:00.004-05:00

Wow... I thought about what I would write today for my last post from China. I am so thankful that we've made it to this point. We have a beautiful little daughter and she is soon to be a US citizen. She will no longer be destined for the hard life that would have been hers had she stayed here with "parents unknown" listed on her birth certificate. Orphans are considered to be "bad luck" here. When you meet Mia, and I so hope you do, you will see this little girl is anything but "bad luck". I know that we are about to take her from the only home she has ever known, but I know the one I'm taking her to is better. She now can be raised in a family who trust God... not Buddha. She can go to school, go on vacation, have friends, attend college, and choose her own life. But most importantly, when the chips are down, when the day has been rough, when it is Christmas time, or a birthday... she has a home... a home with a mama, a daddy, brothers , grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins to go to to be loved. She will never be alone. She has us... for better, for worse. For someone who has ALWAYS had the gift of a loving, supportive family, the thought of being an orphan is mind-boggling. God does not intend for us to be orphaned. He intends for us all to be in a loving family. He proved this with the gift of His own Son... who came to rescue us all. Griff and I feel so humbled that God called us to such a wonderful thing as adopting one of these precious children into our family. She will be our daily reminder of the love of Christ, of the importance of home. I encourage ALL of you to search your hearts, to pray diligently on what God may want you and your family to do for "the least of these". There are orphans everywhere... not just in China. There are orphans in our own hometown. Adoption is one way, the best way to help these children. Other ways are through orphanage sponsorship... like "Love Without Boundaries", "Half the Sky", and others. The latest statistic I saw on Orphan Sunday last November, was that if only 6% of the Christian population adopted one orphan, there would be no orphans left in the world. The main thing is do something. Ask God to give you clear direction. We have seen firsthand that God smiles on obedience and He blesses those who bless. We have a feeling that our blessing is just beginning.
To our boys: We have missed you more that you will ever know. This has been hard to leave you for such a long time, but we know that bringing Mia home is very important and that you understand. It won't be long now and we will all be home together. Can't wait to see you in Birmingham.
For those of you who are local, we are set to arrive in Birmingham on Sunday, July 18 at 8:18 pm. If you feel led to come, please do. Again, for all of you... thanks for the prayers and for your kind words of encouragement and support. We thank God for you all. Almost home...

"I will not leave you as orphans... I will come to you." John 14:18

Much love,
Ashley

Thursday in Guangzhou

2010-07-15T09:45:00.004-05:00

Well, we are getting ready to call it a day. We went to the Botanical Gardens this morning. When we first left the hotel, it was a bit cloudy, so our guide was optimistic that it wouldn't be AS hot as previous days. WRONG... that sun came out and WHAM! I was sweating so badly that it was dripping into my eyes. Mia gets this prickly heat rash when we are outdoors for very long we have discovered, so it didn't take long before she was broken out all over. There was an indoor area with lots of beautiful orchids, ferns, palms, and succulents. At the top of the gardens, was a large rose garden. The roses were pretty, but as much as I hate to say it, we just couldn't get into the Botanical Gardens because of the brutal heat. I think that I probably would have enjoyed it... in February... LOL... We went back to the hotel and tried to get in a quick rest and then met again in a couple of hours to head over to the U.S. Consulate Building to take our oath. This oath ceremony is done as a group, and the consulate officer comes out and you repeat after her that basically you've been honest with all information regarding your child's adoption and pending citizenship. The officer congratulated us, because basically we had run the race and won... our child had been successfully adopted and their U.S. citizenship would go into affect once our plane touched ground in the U.S. Several of the mamas in our group cried... I almost did. For some reason, I think I'm able to hold back my emotions now, but when I finally get off that plane in Birmingham, Alabama... I may totally lose myself for a few minutes. It seems like this adoption has been going on forever, but in actuality, ours has been in record speed. Most of the families in our group have been waiting for this day for well over four years. After the oath ceremony, we had dinner with our good friends we've made from Georgia. Their daughter, Ruthie, is a few months older than Mia. I really hope that our girls can remain friends. Us mommies, too, of course. We ate at our favorite Italian restaurant that has kept us alive over the last couple of weeks. We will begin packing up tomorrow to prepare for our trip home. There are no words to describe how glad I'll be to finally be home with Mia, to see my boys again, to see my family, to sleep in my own bed, etc. etc. Only two more days... You all cannot know how much I look forward to reading your comments on my blog each day. It has helped me very much to know that so many care about us. Until tomorrow...

Much love,
Ashley

And She Smiles...

2010-07-15T04:39:00.005-05:00

Last night, our group went on a Dinner Cruise on the Pearl River. It was a buffet, and let's just say it was catered to locals... not Americans. Pig knuckles, chicken feet, fungus, and other Chinese delicacies were on the buffet. Nothing that even remotely sounded good. I ate a little bit of noodles, but was saving myself for the ice cream cart that was promised on the way to the cruise by our guide, R. Then, about midway through the dinner, an announcement was made..."Attention all Lifeline Families... unfortunately there will be no ice cream this evening... but we will provide plenty of watermelon." Fantastic... So, after dinner we went up on the top deck of the boat to make pictures of the skyline. Mia had so much fun. They were playing salsa music, which I found a bit odd, but it made for a great dance, so she laughed out loud. We were so excited to see her having fun, that it negated the fact that we'd had no dinner. This was the first time we had seen Mia being silly, laughing, and smiling for more than a nano-second. Once we returned to the hotel, I went straight to the snack shop within the hotel and grabbed a Haagen-Daas bar... for $10 US... What? They made a big profit on that ice cream bar, but man, was it good.

Much love,
Ashley

You must read this...

2010-07-14T03:04:00.006-05:00

This article gives a wonderful "State of the Orphans in China" review... A must read. We are so fortunate that God allowed our family to save one little one from this kind of fate. God is faithful...

http://chinaadoptiontalk.blogspot.com/2010/07/amy-eldridge-of-lwb-speaks.html

Copy and paste the above link into your address bar and it should take you to it.

Much love,
Ashley

The United States said YES!

2010-07-14T02:52:00.005-05:00

I am proud to announce that we had our appointment today with the U.S. Consulate office here in Guangzhou to petition for Mia's visa to come to the U.S. At this appointment we had to show the U.S. that we had completed the necessary paperwork, had received approvals on all the paperwork, had secured Mia's passport, and had completed all necessary immunizations required by U.S. law. We met all this criteria, so the U.S. said YES! They will issue her a visa... which for those of you who have not traveled internationally (like us), a visa is a page inside the passport that states that you have permission to enter a particular country. It is my understanding that not all countries require visas, but China does, and so does the U.S. So you see, a passport isn't enough, you must inform the country WHY it is that you are traveling to that country. We are now finished... the actual visa page in her passport will be ready for pick up Friday afternoon at the Consulate's office. At that time, we are free to leave. Unfortunately, we must wait until Sunday morning to catch our flight. We will be heading back to Hong Kong Saturday in preparation for leaving. So many prayers have been answered and we are very, very thankful. I am now thinking ahead to our journey home, the trip over here was a struggle... long and exhausting. The trip home will be harder with an infant in tow. God gave us a little "happy" at the Birmingham airport, by allowing our flights to be changed, thus giving us EXCELLENT seats for the long, 16-hour flight. I am already praying that God grant us another "happy" for the trip home. Nothing is impossible for God, especially something so simple as an airplane ride... :)

More Shots, More Shoes, and The Guangzhou Zoo

2010-07-13T00:08:00.010-05:00

So, I didn't get around to blogging yesterday... mainly because there wasn't much to tell. We went back to the Medical Bldg. on Shamian Island and got the rest of Mia's vaccinations. She did fine and then we went shopping afterwards before catching the bus back to the hotel. We were on a mission... more shoes. Remember I told you about the cute, cheap shoes? Well, we stocked up yesterday... I bought varying sizes for the next couple of years... 17 pair total. I am really excited about those shoes. We stopped by Starbucks and had another iced tea and bought a few more souvenirs, before heading back to the hotel. Griff and Mia napped during the afternoon, and mom and I ventured out to the Friendship Mall across the street. This is a very high-end mall... designer names, very expensive price tags. We went into the supermarket to try to buy some snacks, but we ended up buying nothing. I am searching for a tea pot that I saw at Chen's Lineage Hall the other day, so I stopped into a little tea shop. I didn't buy anything, as I need to talk with our guide about price. The Chinese know that Americans bargain, so they set their prices high and expect us to try to negotiate a cheaper price. I am so skeptical about buying without first checking with the guide. So, we will see if I get a teapot!!! LOL... This isn't a teapot that you see in the U.S., but very small that you use to make tea with loose tea, which is so very delicious. Today, our group went to the Guangzhou Zoo. It was a zoo... nothing to get really excited about. I think the heat pretty much put a huge damper on the "Wow" factor of this zoo. We made a few pictures, but mainly "Sweated to the oldies" as Richard Simmons would say. The funniest thing about the zoo is that the Chinese found the Americans as interesting as the animals. They stand and stare at us, some wave at us, one family even made Mia and my picture. Funny... They are very curious about us, they glare at us sometimes, some smile. Some jabber words, none of which we can understand. I felt like the animals on display at the zoo, because the people there found us so interesting. Part of it, is that they are curious about Mia... especially her hairbows. You cannot find hairbows like hers here... so they are VERY unusual. Mia has been playing with her toys more today and she smiles every so often. I've been teaching her a little sign language so that we can communicate and she signed bird with me today! Cute. She waves at people, especially Chinese people. She has very thick hair, so she sweats as bad as her mama in this humid air. Oh, and I almost forgot... she let my mom hold her today without going bananas! Yay!!! We are winding this trip down and are counting the days. This morning I just stood in the shower and cried my eyes out because I am so ready to leave here and go home. We are on Day 14... four more to go. Tomorrow is our Consulate Appointment. This is the time that the U.S. looks over all of Mia's paperwork, for the seemingly hundredth time, and issues her a Visa to enter the U.S. as a citizen. Now more than ever, do I realize what a gift U.S. citizenship really is... Just a few more days and we're coming home... Thank you, Lord Jesus... Until then...

Much love,
Ashley

The Red Dress

2010-07-11T02:43:00.002-05:00

During the waiting months, I sewed and smocked outfits for Mia. It made me feel better about the whole thing, and kept me excited even through frustration. As I would complete something, Griff would say, "Yeah, that's good... but I can't wait to see her in a little red Chinese dress." So the other day, we were on Shamian Island and we bought the dress. I also bought dresses for Chinese New Year and Moon Festival for the next several years... afterall they were only about $5 a dress. That's crazy, isn't it? Anyways, we had group photos made this morning in the hotel lobby. As you will see from the photo, the majority of the children in our group are older. Mia is the youngest in our group. She is also the only one who had to get so many shots. Lucky us. We tried on her new dress last night and mom, Griff, and I giggled for the longest time. It was as if she knew she looked beautiful. And guess what? I had already purchased an enormous satin bow with a rhinestone center to wear with this special dress. :) I am the laughing stock of the group and every day when we get off the elevator everyone is waiting to see what she's got on top of her head today. Mia did not enjoy the photo session nearly as much today as she did last night. But we got some good shots anyhow. There is a little girl in our group that is a few months older named Ruthie. She is in the photo with Mia in the big chair. She is a doll. After the photos, we went back to our room and changed clothes. We went to a shopping mall where we bought pearls and other gifts. We bought Mia a strand of pearls for her wedding day, a pearl bracelet for graduation, and we also bought three pearl bracelets for Mia and me to give to her brothers' brides on their wedding days. I am already praying for the girls who will one day join our family... then Mia will finally get some sisters! I've bought some little items to give Mia for birthdays over the coming years. I've enjoyed getting to do this because I know I'll be glad I did this one day when we are home and far away from China. I have started googling how to make congee as I'm afraid this little girl is going to get hungry without it. Many of you have asked, Congee? Congee is much like porridge, very white and milky looking. It is often flavored with chicken, beef, or pork. The orphanages feed the babies lots of congee because it is easy to swallow and fast to feed. It rained today for the first time. It is so hot that eggs could fry on the concrete if we tried... Tomorrow we go BACK to Shamian and get the final three vaccinations. Mia has had a high fever from the shots she got Saturday, so I'm so thankful we didn't take all six at once. After we get our shots, we will do some more shopping. We are on the final week of this journey. It feels as if I've been away from home for a century. Again, I must tell you all how much your comments here and on facebook have meant to me. We are touched by how many people are interested in our story. Until tomorrow...

Much love,
Ashley

Medical Exam and Big Improvements

2010-07-10T04:40:00.005-05:00

We went to the Shamian Island this morning for Mia's medical examination. All Chinese children must have a complete physical before they are eligible to apply for a Visa to leave China and travel to their new home country. Mia weighed 17.5 pounds and was generally healthy. The doctor who did her exam called two different doctors to come in and look at Mia. They were speaking Chinese so I didn't know what they were saying, but our guide said that she was astonished that Mia's "special need" was a light birthmark on her temple. Mia has to get six vaccinations, so they suggested we let her take three today and three more on Monday to lessen the side effects to the vaccines. We agreed and she took her shots like a champ. She hardly cried... that is no lie. She has cried much, much worse when I sit her down on the floor beside me. This goes to show you that psychological pain is much more powerful at times than physical pain. That just spoke volumes to me. Mia sat in a highchair at breakfast, ate well, did great at the clinic, and actually rode in a stroller today on Shamian Island after her exam. See, your prayers, my prayers are being heard, they are being answered, and I am so thankful. We stopped by Starbuck's after the exam, and I had an iced tea. Can I just tell you it was so wonderful? It tasted like tea from home. Oh, so good. Ice... such a luxury. I will not ever take it for granted again. Why no ice here? Well, we can't drink the water here... we are brushing teeth with bottled water, not drinking ANYTHING that is iced. The water has parasites that are harmful to our systems and can result in a bad intestinal sickness. The local people here are immune, but not us. However, the ice at Starbucks is imported, so we can enjoy!!!! Yay!!!! Tomorrow, we will do pearl and jade shopping which I've been very excited about. Can't wait to show you all my purchases!!! Until then...

Much love,
Ashley

Friday in Guangzhou

2010-07-09T01:37:00.006-05:00

Man, I'm on a roll here... I finally have enough internet connectivity to upload, so I'm going to get caught up!!! It is afternoon here on Friday and Griff and Mia are napping. We visited Five Rams Statue today and Sun Yat-sen's Memorial Hall today. It is unbelievably hot here. Alabama heat is very similar, but I do think it is hotter here. Your clothes just become soaked with sweat. Mia gets very irritable with the heat, so I think that may be part of her problems when we sight-see. Five Rams Statue was really pretty. It was much like a park, lots of it shady and many people gather there to enjoy it. They play a game much like what we call Hacky-Sack and others go there to do their "exercises". Several older women came up to us and patted Mia, smiling at us and giving us the thumbs up. M, our guide today, said that they are happy for the babies because they are getting adopted. They are appreciative to us for giving them families. The women were just lovely and you could sense their genuine admiration for us. I felt so good after meeting them. Hot, but good. :) After the park, we headed over to the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall. This is a very old, beautiful building that is used for congregations, concerts, meetings, etc. It is lovely, but not air-conditioned, so this is where Mia began to totally unravel, and so did I. Again, our guide discouraged us from forcing Mia to ride in the stroller as her crying is very upsetting to the Chinese. So, again I carried her. The sling works well for a while,but then she begins to overheat and so do I. You know how fiery-tempered I am, and how much I despise to be hot, so you can imagine that this is the recipe for disaster. We went back to the bus and sat and waited on everyone in our group to come back. We came back to the hotel and gave Mia a quick, cool bath and I gave her a bottle and she was out like a light. Oh, I almost forgot... this morning, very early, she was sleeping between Griff and me... she sat straight up and began to speak words... Chinese. Griff poked me hard in the back to wake me, not knowing that I was awake and had heard her too. We giggled because we figure she was calling for help... "Come rescue me from these Americans!" Ha, ha. I can't wait to hear her talk again. Griff is in love with her and is working very hard to earn her favor. She is letting him hold her some, as I am giving out and can't physically keep it up. She is definitely coming around. We still think she is basically throwing temper tantrums, many induced by overheating and frustration that I won't hold her constantly. Our guide, M, talked to her for a little while today and told her that I was her mama and that I loved her very much and she laid her little head down on me so sweetly. M, said... "She knows you love her. She understands." It is so lovely watching M talk to her. I wish I could speak Chinese! I have learned one word... sounds like "My-Cow" which means "Stop crying." LOL... Tomorrow, we go for her Medical Examination. We have been warned that she may have to get as many as eight vaccinations... so many that they are allowing us to split them up, 4 tomorrow and 4 more on Monday. As part of the Hague Convention rules for international adoption, children being adopted to the US must be current on all vaccinations. The orphanages are unable to give as many as the US because it is so expensive here. This is why she must get so many. Please pray for Mia. This will be a very hard day for her. Again, your comments are wonderful and I love reading them. I am sorry that my posts are so sporadic. Internet connection is a nightmare. All in all, we are doing well. I can't wait to see Cole, Garrett, and Nolan. I miss them so, so much. I'm also looking forward to a home-cooked meal at my Grandmother's... LOL... Until tomorrow.

Much love,
Ashley

Two Steps Forward... Three Steps Back...

2010-07-08T07:35:00.009-05:00

That is the name of the game right now. Mia woke up in a bad mood and it really didn't get any better all day. She is cutting four more teeth right now and she is cranky. She wants me to hold her 100% of the time. Today we visited Chen Lineage Hall and we had to put her in a stroller. Let's just say she screamed for 2 hours. It was terribly hot... almost unbearable so I know that compounded the problem. I asked the guides what they thought and then I began to understand what we are dealing with. R said, "You're baby is very beautiful and she probably dah favorite. The aunties at your daughter's orphanage hold babies all dah time..." She is special... very strong-willed." No kidding... two straight hours of crying. This explains a lot. I think back to the last picture we received of her in early June... sitting in the lap of a nanny. She always wants to hold things in both hands, but doesn't really know how to play with toys on the floor. She cannot walk well at all... because she probably was never given the chance or never needed to. She has been held in someone's arms for eighteen months. She is held to eat, held to get to sleep, held to entertain her. She has probably never sat in a high chair or a stroller for that matter, so this explains why she isn't liking it. Wow... she has had another sad, lifeless afternoon. She has just laid in my arms or on the bed... no smiles at all. Just stares. I am hoping tomorrow will be better. As for Chen's Lineage Hall, we enjoyed visiting it. We went to the Tea Room and learned about tea. We got to sample several kinds. We bought some called Oolong Tea, which is supposed to help you "lose your gain", according to R. LOL... Translation: helps you lose weight. I asked her... "So when I start losing all my gain, where can I get more?" Oh... that may be problem... maybe Atlanta... Funny. I bought Mia a beautiful tea set to give her for a special occasion. I love it and I hope she will someday. I wanted to thank all of you who are leaving comments... they make my day, honestly they do. Several of you mentioned getting a carrier for Mia... I have one... just entirely too hot for her and for me to strap her to me. Summer in South China is ridiculous! Please keep leaving me comments. I enjoy them so much. We thank you for all your prayers. We so appreciate them. Until tomorrow...

Much Love,
Ashley

The propeller bow

2010-07-07T07:22:00.005-05:00

Mia seemed a little bit more at ease today. She is holding on to me for dear life and I am exhausted. I am sore all over from holding her... even though she is little, she still gets heavy. She slept until nearly 8 am today and we woke her, gave her a warm bath, dressed her, and went to breakfast. She sat in her high chair some of the time and ate some congee, bread, and egg. She began to smile more and would allow Griff to feed her. She will sit in the floor if I am right beside her or behind her and she will let me go into the bathroom while she lays on the bed. This too is improvement. She is allowing my mom to kiss her, but no holding. She still will not allow Griff to hold her either. She is still not accepting to the stroller, so we are hoping she will take to this tomorrow as I don't know how much longer I'm going to hold out at this rate. We napped a little today, not nearly as long as yesterday. Afterwards, we all met and went to the police station to complete her passport application and make her passport photo. It's funny that we saw all the same families at the popo as we saw on Gotcha Day... everyone is on the same schedule. Our guide , R, is absolutely wonderful. Very helpful and speaks great English. I feel much more at ease whenever she is near. After we returned to the hotel, we decided to venture out to Shamian Island, which is about a 25 minute cab ride. We are getting cabin fever pretty bad! We ate at a place called Lucy's where we had heard you could get a pretty good cheeseburger. It was decent...the fries were good. After dinner, we walked down the street and bought Mia some more shoes. The little shoes that you buy in children's boutiques at home that cost around $30-$40, were 25 yuen here... translated to $3 US. Awesome!!!! The lady who owned the store was very sweet and beautiful. As we were leaving, she waved goodbye to Mia and Mia waved back. Then a few steps later, Mia began to cry and reach and try to get out of my arms. We know that she was trying to get back to the lady at the shoe store. We are still not her family in her little mind. That was sad... but it is what we will work through over the course of days, weeks, months, possibly years. We will be going back there this weekend and I'm going to stock up. Lucky I brought an extra suitcase... LOL. Today Mia wore a red dress that my mom had monogrammed and I put a huge propeller bow in her hair. She looked like an angel and was the cutest baby in this entire hotel! Everyone stared and I know some made fun of her huge bow... but do you think I care? Nope... not one bit. We are doing some sightseeing tomorrow as a group... got an early day so I must go to bed now that my little Chinese princess is finally asleep. Until tomorrow...

Much love,
Ashley

It's Official!

2010-07-06T06:55:00.005-05:00

We all slept well last night. Mia slept in her crib and we learned that she is a thumb-sucker. She went to sleep rather easily, but I feel sure it was mostly due to a reaction to shock. She slept through the night and we got up and gave her a bath. We dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. She ate nothing, but watched everything. She will look at everything, without moving her head. She just cuts her eyes from side to side. Funny... We left the hotel after breakfast and went back to the Civil Affairs building where we had an adoption interview and took our adoption oath. We were asked... "Are you satisfied with the girl?" Do you still wish to adopt her? Do you promise to help her get an education? Do you promise not to abuse or abandon her"" Very satisfied, Absolutely, We promise, We promise. Afterwards, we went to another office and answered a few questions about why we wanted to adopt her. Griff responded, "Because we wanted a daughter." Well said, Daddy... Then, we got back on the bus and R, our guide, informed us that it was official... she is our daughter now. Mia has begun to attach to me, but will not allow Griff to hold her, nor my mom. She cries if I set her down and she pretty much wants me to hold her all the time. She took a good nap in the bed with Griff and me though. She is very sad, sad eyes, no happiness at all. Every once in a while, we see a glimpse of a smile, but no real joy at all. She is trying to process what has happened to her in the last 24 hours. I am told that the babies start doing better after the first three-four days. Right now, is a hard time. I am so sad for her, as I know she doesn't understand and I can't communicate with her. I am doing all that I intuitively know a mother should do right now, even though to her I am not her mother. I am praying that God will continue to nurture this relationship and help her to bond with us. She is beautiful baby and the orphanage told us that she is very smart and outgoing. We are really looking forward to seeing this side of her. Until tomorrow.

Much love,
Ashley

An Orphan No More

2010-07-05T09:12:00.004-05:00

Well, we have had an unbelievable day. The kind of day you cannot describe in words. We are sitting in our hotel room with our baby daughter and she is drinking a bottle. What a difference a day makes. We were united with Mia this afternoon at the Civil Affairs building here in Guangzhou. It was a hectic scene, with lots of other babies and children meeting their new families. Very loud, lots of crying, loud talking, and it was very, very hot. Mia cried for a little while, but was comforted when I took her and stood by a fan. I think she was just really hot. She is very quiet and has only grunted a few times, but we have had a few glimpses of smiles. When we left the Civil Affairs Building we went grocery shopping for diapers and formula. She liked the grocery store and was taking everything in. We bought her a new pair of shoes too. (The first of many I'm sure...:) ) She fell asleep shortly after getting back to the hotel. I woke her up a little while ago to feed her. She ate a good helping of pork congee and she now just finished a bottle. She is extremely tired and appears to be going back to sleep soon. We are all exhausted too. We were able to Skype with the boys, Nana, and Gigi just a little while ago and it was wonderful to see my boys. I am so missing them right now. We have to be ready early in the morning to go back to the Civil Affairs building for more paperwork and adoption interview. I will tell you more tomorrow after I've had a little sleep. Mia is beautiful and we are so thrilled to finally have her with us. Thank you for all of your prayers and I hope that you will continue to pray for her adjustment to her new family. Until tomorrow...

Ashley

Day One... Getting to Know Guangzhou

2010-07-04T07:25:00.004-05:00

We all slept well last night in our new hotel. We got up and phoned home, tried to Skype with my sister, and then went downstairs for breakfast. The breakfast buffet was good and the scenery was even better. The dining area overlooks a private garden complete with waterfall and fishpond, so we took a walk outside afterwards. Mom and I ventured out to Starbucks and Trustmart, which is similar to a grocery store. We just relaxed all afternoon and then went to a Lifeline meeting tonight to prepare for the big day tomorrow. There are four other families that will be meeting their children tomorrow with us. It is so very hard to believe that the waiting journey ends tomorrow and then the family one begins. I am terrified of what lies ahead of us, but I know that God has a plan and He will provide. Mom and I packed Mia's backpack for Gotcha Day tomorrow and we ate dinner at a Cantonese restaurant here in the hotel. It was good, but using chopsticks is difficult for country folks like us. Griff and I were the source of much entertainment for the local Chinese who watched us struggle to get food to our mouths... My mom went straight to the fork...:) So, today was a good day all in all. This is the last day Mia will spend in an orphanage and when she wakes up in the morning she will be placed in a car with her nanny to take a six-hour ride to meet her new parents. She will not understand what is happening and we have been prepared by all that she will cry, for how long we have no idea. But I am reassuring myself that while this will be very traumatic for Mia and is very sad to think of all she has ever known being taken away from her tomorrow, I can see what is ahead and I KNOW that what ahead is better than what she is leaving behind. Tomorrow is a very big day. I can think of only one song right now and that is the Casting Crowns song... "If We've Ever Needed You, Lord it's now..." and that really does sum up how I feel tonight. We leave our hotel tomorrow at 2 pm to take a fifteen minute ride to the Civil Affairs office to meet Mia. We will not stay there long, and then we will be taken to a store to buy diapers and formula before returning to the hotel. I'm posting some photos from the garden at the hotel as well as Mia's crib that is ready and waiting for her to sleep in. Please say prayers for us tomorrow as we so need them. Until then...

Much love,
Ashley

Hello from Guangzhou, China...

2010-07-03T04:56:00.002-05:00

Well, hello friends. It has been such an adventure since I last posted. I'm going to have to take this by days to explain all that we've seen and experienced. So here goes...

The Flight: I am convinced that God answered prayers about our flight. DELTA rerouted us through Atlanta and we ended up on a 777 Boeing Jet... Huge. And we got the front row seats in our section. We had lots of legroom and it was bearable. In fact, it didn't get miserable until somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. The inflight tv screens connected to our seats allowed us to watch unlimited movies and had interactive maps which showed us where we were along our route. We enjoyed a couple of meals... lots of rice, and we watched several movies. I smocked for a few hours and Griff read. My mom read and watched movies too. Once we arrived at Tokyo, we began to feel the affects of over 24 hours of no sleep. Your brain begins to feel a little fuzzy. The flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong was another four hours and we all three slept a little during this. I also watched a movie...:) When we landed in Hong Kong, we took a train out of the airport and it put us out at Kowloon station. From there, we took a van to the hotel. The van driver charged us $100 US dollars for the taxi ride to the hotel. At that point, we were beyond exhausted and couldn't find any other means to get to our hotel, as it was already getting close to midnight. He kept trying to assure us that we were getting a great deal... "good car, good car"... Yeah, right. Oh, well. He received a blessing from us that evening. I'll chalk it up to that. But my dad always used to ask me after a mishap... "Now what have you learned from all of this?" Well, in this particular case... do not trust any cab drivers and ask the concierge what a fair price is for cab rides. Lesson learned.

Hong Kong: Hong Kong is a city in the middle of the ocean... much like New York City. Lots and lots of people. Mass transit is the name of the game. We left our hotel Friday morning and went to the train station. It was very frustrating trying to learn WHERE we needed to go, WHICH train to take, HOW to buy a ticket, HOW to change paper money into coins, and HOW to get on the train. Crazy. But we did it. I was so proud of us. We went to Ocean Park, which is a popular tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It is very similar to a Six Flags... a little like a zoo, but with amusement rides and attractions. Griff loves roller coasters, so we went so he could do that. Let me just say that July heat in Hong Kong is brutal. I rode one roller coaster with him, but the heat got the best of me and took a pass on the second one, as I felt I might lose my breakfast. So, Griff rode the second one, The Dragon, solo. We enjoyed the bucket ride and I got some awesome pictures of the ocean. We then took the bus and train back over to the Kowloon side of Hong Kong and then took a train to the Tram, which took us up the side of a mountain. At the top, was Victoria's Peak, another key attraction for Hong Kong. We made more beautiful photos of the city skyline and ate dinner. Afterwards, we went back to our hotel to collapse. We were having difficulties with internet connections and were frustrated to the max. We were very much looking forward to getting to Guangzhou where we would have a guide to help us manuever around.

Guangzhou: Well, this is just the beginning of our time here. Our hotel is gorgeous. Since we've been here, our housekeeper has brought in freshly cut roses and a fruit plate. We received our itinerary and met our guides, R and M. They are going to be an enormous blessing in this foreign world. So... the most important thing: We will be leaving the hotel at 2 pm on Monday to go the Civil Affairs to get Mia. That is such a surreal feeling to know we are so close to meeting our daughter. I'm looking out of our hotel window over a city and I honestly cannot believe that I am here. She will be with us in two days. Wow....

We are about to venture out and find dinner. Please continue to pray for us, but most importantly for Mia. She is about to be taken from the only home, the only people she has ever known and be placed with strangers in a city she's never seen. EVERYTHING will be a new experience. God will protect her... but we must continue to lift her up in our prayers.

Much love,
Ashley

We Made It To Atlanta!

2010-06-30T10:00:00.006-05:00

LOL... this is is going to be a long trip! Our flight itineraries were changed when we checked in this morning at the DELTA terminal. Instead of going to Minneapolis, we went to Atlanta. We will get to Tokyo earlier than scheduled with a little longer layover there than we were initially going to have. The word of the day is LUGGAGE. And lots of it. We are waiting in the Atlanta airport sipping our Starbucks (Thank you, Lord for Starbucks) and will board our plane to Tokyo around 1:30. Please say some prayers for us as we start the long part of this journey. The happy thought is that we are finally getting to go get Mia. I've been counting the days and the day has finally come. So thankful.

Much love,
Ashley

14 More Hours...

2010-06-29T15:12:00.004-05:00

And I'm still not finished packing. We are leaving very early in the morning to begin the long journey to China. We will fly from Birmingham to Minneapolis, then to Tokyo, then to Hong Kong. We don't arrive in Hong Kong until Thursday, July 1 at 10:30 pm. We will lose thirteen hours, so our travel time will be somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty-six hours of travel. I travel a good bit with my job, but not internationally and NOT like this. I find airports to be the most miserable place on earth, honestly... People are in a hurry, they are tired, they are hungry, they are ready to get where they are going. So I am not looking forward to the next couple of days. Hong Kong... I am looking forward to. I can't wait to post pics of our stay there. Griff and I are looking forward to a little relaxation before we become the proud parents of Miss Mia. We are going over to my grandparents in a little while to enjoy some great Greek pizza (Griff's very favorite) before we leave home. Nana is on her way to stay with our boys, so they can stay in their beds in the morning, as we are leaving VERY early. For those of you that have followed our story from the beginning, I thank you. I am in disbelief that this is happening. I feel like I'm living in a dream. We have been blessed so much during this adoption process and we hope that you have considered what role you can play in the life of an orphan. Make the difference for one... love you all and I'll be talking to you next time from HONG KONG!!!!

Much love,

Thanks again, Dr. E...

2010-06-26T22:32:00.005-05:00

I just THOUGHT I was going to spend the weekend packing and getting ready to leave for China. Instead, I am sitting in Cole's hospital room blogging. Wow, what a weekend we've had. Cole began having stomach pain on Thursday evening late. At first, we thought he had pulled a muscle. By mid-afternoon Friday, he was having excruciating pain in his lower abdomen and we raced to the ER in our hometown. After some blood work and a CT scan, we discovered that Cole had an appendicitis. Well, Dr. E. to the rescue... AGAIN. If you'll remember back in February Nolan had to get some stiches in his head after a sledding accident and our sweet friend, Dr. E fixed him up. So Dr. E. removed Cole's appendix later Friday evening. We are so thankful to have such a talented and kind friend that just happens to be an awesome surgeon. He is such a blessing. Cole is struggling with soreness and pain, but I know that this will pass in a few days. We are hoping he'll get discharged tomorrow, so we can get him home and settled before we leave Wednesday. I am so thankful that this happened now, instead of when we were out of the country. I have enjoyed loving on my sweet Cole and he has been a great little patient. God had a reason He didn't want me home packing this weekend. I'm just going to have to trust that He will grant me the energy to get us ready to leave. And while I'm on that subject, did I mention that we are leaving in four days? Oh, my goodness... now for another sweet thought... we will meet Mia in one week. I can't believe it's finally here. Unbelievable. Please say some prayers for Cole's healing, for my sanity, and for that God will prepare Mia's little heart to bond to her new family. Thanks, everybody.

Much love,

Another peek at her...

2010-06-22T17:19:00.005-05:00

We received another little peek at our girl yesterday. She is so precious and I can't wait to be able to love on her. I am just praying that she'll let me... Hold on, Mia... we're coming for you... six more days...

Happy Anniversary and Father's Day too!

2010-06-22T16:38:00.006-05:00

I'm a couple of days behind, but I wanted to tell my fantastic husband, Happy Anniversary!! And Happy Father's Day!!! Griff and I have been married for sixteen years (wow that sounds like a really long time...)and I have to say that our marriage keeps getting better. I know, I know... that is pretty corny, right? But, it's true. The older we get, the more we are beginning to realize what really is important in this life... and right now it's our family and our marriage. We are learning to prioritize our time together. Griff is my stabilizer, my calming force. I've loved him since the first time I saw him. He's also a wonderful father to our boys and I can't wait to watch him father a little girl. He doesn't think it's going to be much different... can you hear me giggling? Just wait, Griffin. I love you so much.

What are you up to? Oh, not much...

2010-06-19T21:40:00.008-05:00

That's a joke... Since my last post, we have shifted into high gear preparing for our June 30 exodus to China. Wow... and still a lot left to do.
Crazy expensive airfare tickets bought, money wired to China, medicine and supplies bought, planned the boys activities for our eighteen day absence, and now I've started the daunting task of packing for all of us. I am so thankful for our quick travel, but now I realize it would have been easier if we'd traveled during the school year. Since it's summer, I'm scheduling the boys' care around golf camp, Camp Bobby, Vacation Bible School, etc. Please say special prayers for Nana (Griff's mom), Gigi (my dad), and my sister, Allison. They have got their work cut out for them trying to schedule all these activities!!! Allison and my mom came over tonight to help me pack Mia's suitcase. It is coming in weighing 46 pounds... so let's just hope it doesn't get fatter before the trip! We spread everything out on my bed and all over the bedroom floor... this is the fun part, because I know we are getting close now. One month from today we will be home... that is a wonderful thought. I'm working for another seven days and then we leave, so I'm sure I'm going to be pulling a lot of late nights preparing for this trip. My main goal this week is to have quality time with my boys as this will be our last week without baby sister. I am already beginning to get anxious about the idea of leaving them for eighteen days. I have been away from them at the most twelve days, and I was about to go crazy then... so this trip will be longer. I am praying that God will give me the encouragement and comfort I need to get through this very important month for Mia and for them.

"I can do ALL things through Christ which strenthens me." Phillipians 4:13

Much love,

Fifteen days...

2010-06-15T20:25:00.007-05:00

That's how long it will be until Griff , my mom, and I board a plane headed to China for our baby girl. It is a feeling that I cannot describe in words... I just know that I am about to jump out of my skin I'm so excited. We booked our flights yesterday and we begin a long journey to Hong Kong on June 30. We haven't been given an in-country itinerary yet, but we are tentatively scheduled for a July 5 Gotcha Day. That means that Mia's days in the orphanage are definitely numbered. She has no idea that we are coming, that her whole life is about to change. For the first few days after she is given to us, she will not understand as she is so young. She will likely cry and grieve for her caregivers. This is a very hard time for the child and the adoptive families I am told, as we know that better things await her, but she doesn't know that. She just knows that she's been given to some strangers. Many say that by the time families leave China, roughly two weeks after Gotcha Day, that the child is beginning to warm up to the families. Bonding and attachment is a process that takes months, even years and we just have no idea how Mia will respond to all of us. We just know that we love her already, and we are just going to give this to God as we know He gives "beauty for ashes"... and that is so true. God never intended for us to be orphans- He sent Jesus to adopt us all into His kingdom. He also didn't intend for little ones to live without the love of a family. I continue to be humbled that God has allowed us this experience... this adoption process has strengthened our marriage, our family, and most importantly our faith. God has provided for every step of this process and many times throughout these last ten months I have wondered how I could go on waiting, where the finances would come from, how we could physically care for one more little one. He has taught me to trust and I am so very thankful. I don't know what lies ahead for us, but I know that God NEVER fails. What He calls us to, He will see us through.

To God be the Glory... our TA arrived!

2010-06-13T18:34:00.009-05:00

This was a beautiful sunset on Saturday.

I don't know where to start. I'll just have to start at the beginning of this week, which is when this amazing story began. It was Monday, Cole had left for church camp, and I knew that our Article 5 letter had been picked up at the US Consulate and couriered to Beijing for our official wait for TA (travel approval) to begin. Our agency coordinator, Karla, had emailed me to say that the Article 5 was on its way to Beijing and she anticipated us waiting 3-4 weeks for the TA to be issued and then the consulate appt. would be scheduled, so we might potentially travel by mid-July. I was okay with that... we'd come this far... I'm busy with work right now anyway. But, I laid down Monday night and began to pray as I usually do. I specifically prayed for my Cole that this would be a special week for him, that he would be drawn closer to God, that he would be safe. Then, I prayed for Garrett and Nolan. A happy week, a relaxed week, a week of summer fun. Then, my conversation shifted to Mia. I began to plead with God. "Lord, you know my heart. You know I am desperate to go get her. I know you are in control and that you love this baby and that you want her to be with us. I pray that our paperwork will be processed quickly, that whoever is assigned to us will find favor on us and process us quickly. I ask you to let our TA be issued in record time and I promise that I will give you the glory for the mighty work you have done for our family. I know that your timing is perfect and I ask you to continue to give me the strength to wait..."

We decided last minute to go to Lake Martin to my aunt and uncle's condominium to enjoy some pool and lake action. I needed to escape for a day or two and they were gracious to offer us such a peaceful locale in light of the fact that we are only budgeting for this adoption... not for a family vacation. So a free luxury condo at Lake Martin was also an enormous blessing. So, we enjoyed relaxing at the pool with some old friends that joined us and I just enjoyed my kids and the sunshine. This condo is in a very remote area with little or no cell phone signal. I wasn't worried though, as my parents were at the beach, I'd talked to my sister already, and my TA wasn't due for several more weeks... (giggle... giggle)... Well, today, we all decided to go grab lunch before we all headed home and that's when I noticed I'd had two calls from Lifeline. I'm thinking, "No way... no way ..." So, I call Karla back... and she informs me that my TA arrived Friday night. Okay, what this means is that we were issued TA only 4 days after Article 5... For those of you who are new to this whole adoption lingo... let me just say that this RARELY happens. So, I started crying, called my mom at the beach, and then ran inside the restaurant to share my great news with my hubby, my kids, and our sweet friends. Then, it dawned on me. God said yes... he answered my prayer... we got this TA in record time. Why am I shocked when He makes details and impossibilities look enormously silly? I can only imagine God giggling at my little request that seemed like such a huge thing to me, but was such an easy little thing for Him? So, now, we are waiting to have our consulate appointment scheduled which will be the last step of this whole process and will be the last formality of Mia's adoption. This appointment occurs at the end of our trip and then we are cleared to come home. Praise God... we are so close. Unbelievable, really... It looks as if we will be leaving on July 1, so we will be spending July 4 in Hong Kong. We will more than likely meet Mia for the first time on July 5... If you had told me last July 4 that next year I'd be spending my next Independence Day in Hong Kong adopting a daughter I would have told you that you had lost your mind. I am so thankful that God chose us for such an amazing experience like the one we have been in the middle of this year. There is so much going through my mind right now and I just can't process it all at the moment. But I just want to praise God for His faithfulness, for His provision, for His love... and for the wonderful weekend we've experienced.

Article 5!

2010-06-09T07:39:00.005-05:00

We received word that our Article 5 letters were picked up at the US Consulate in Guangzhou on Monday and were couriered to Beijing to the CCAA. This letter tells the CCAA that we have received approval from the US to grant Mia citizenship and that she will be issued a one-way travel visa to the US upon the finalization of her adoption in Guangzhou. Now, we begin the final wait. Our agency says that this wait is typically 3-4 weeks. It is our understanding that this step mainly consists of someone from CCAA contacting Mia's orphanage to check that she is still available for adoption (this is a formality) and then they issue the TA. This also alerts the orphanage that Mia will be leaving soon to join her new family. It's getting close now. We'll travel within two weeks once the travel approval is issued by the CCAA. This seems very surreal to me, as I have never truly believed this was going to happen. That sounds crazy, I know... but it is now becoming real to me and to Griff.

Everyone wants to know how the boys are reacting to all of this. My immediate answer is that they are excited, but the real answer is they have no idea what is about to happen to our family dynamic. Neither do we, for that matter. All we know is that it feels so good to know that we are coming into the "home stretch" and we will soon have a baby sister running around our home.

I know that our baby girl has no idea that her entire world is about to change in a few weeks. She knows nothing of the idea of a mother or a daddy, of undivided attention from a loved one, of eating whenever she wants to, of sleeping cuddled up beside another human being. This whole experience will be very traumatic for her and I am trying to prepare myself for the anxiety that is sure to come. My prayers are now centered around Mia and asking that God will help prepare her for this big change and that she will bond to us as her family, that she will love me as her mother, like children were intended to do. God did not intend for babies to be abandoned on street corners, or to live without the love of a family. I pray that she will adapt well and be healthy and happy in her new life with us. I hope that you will pray for this along with me.

I have lots to do to prepare for this trip. I've got to get in gear and make things happen... my mom's monogram machine is about to burst into flames... as there has been quite a lot of sewing going on to be sure that this little angel looks beautiful at all times. LOL... I've waited a long time to dress a little girl, so everyone just cut me a little slack... Ha, Ha...

Love you all for caring about us and our sweet Mia Li.

I'm a bad blogger...

2010-05-24T21:46:00.006-05:00

I know, I know... I haven't posted anything in one month. That is just ridiculous, isn't it? Well, let's see... a lot has happened since then. Our paperwork for Mia's citizenship was approved by USCIS on May 5, was forwarded on to the National Visa Center, where they approved a visa for her upon our return from China. That approval was "cabled" to our US Consulate in Guangzhou, China last week. Now, we are on the second to last wait for what is referred to as an "Article 5". This is simply a statement to the CCAA (Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs) that Mia will be granted citizenship once she arrives to the US AND she will be issued a valid passport as we leave China headed home. Once the Article 5 is issued we wait on the Travel Approval or TA.

Garrett had a birthday on May 10. My boy turned ten years old. He is such a sweet little soul and I cannot believe he is already ten. Wow... His favorite, favorite, favorite place to eat is STEVIE B's. So, we had his birthday celebration there. He loved getting to eat all the pizza he wanted, plus arcade games, plus presents. This is the perfect combination if you ask Garrett.

Nolan finished up Tball on Saturday night. We've had a fun season and he has played so well. He is a good little ball player and I am looking forward to many more baseball seasons. I love hanging out at a ballpark on warm spring nights. So fun!!!

This past weekend we had two baby showers for Mia. I'll have to put a separate post for that. We are so fortunate to have wonderful, supportive family and friends who are ecstatic about this little girl. She has no idea that an enormous network of people are praying for her and are so looking forward to meeting her. How could she know? She only knows the orphanage in which she lives, even though it seems to do the very best it can to care for her. She doesn't know the love of a mother or a father, or the sweet affection from siblings. I sometimes watch my boys horseplaying and listen to them giggle and laugh with one another and sometimes I feel like my heart might just burst for loving them all so much. I am counting the days until I can watch them love on her.

I realize that this is the calmest my life will be for a very long time right now... today. I have no idea what lies ahead for us. There are so many unknowns about our daughter and how she will adapt to a new life, a new family, a new home. This waiting has been very hard and continues to be my biggest challenge of getting through each day. I am accustomed to being busy; I already have three kids. But the constant longing for someone, the constant worry that she's away from us, the constant preoccupation with counting days is beginning to take a toll on my sanity. She is the first thing on my mind when I wake up and she is the last thought I have as I drift off to sleep. I know that we are getting closer everyday and we will be boarding a plane before I know it, but for right now, it seems like it won't ever become a reality. I liken this situation to when you are 8 1/2 months pregnant, and the Braxton-Hicks contractions start and you head to the hospital thinking you're in labor and the doctor informs you it's false labor... "But don't worry... go home and rest and I'll see you next week." It's that kind of frustrating, irrational grief that you feel for something you want so much. You just want the pain to be over. It's the same feeling, folks. But, even now, I know that these next few weeks are going to click on by and she'll be with us in not very long. Oh, how I long for that day.

So, there you have it. I accept that I am a terrible excuse for a blogger. I apologize for disappointing all my peeps who log on to see what's new. Thank you for caring. That means a lot to me. Hopefully I'm going to have a lot to blog about in the next few weeks. Until then... let's keep praying for Mia and a fast TA.

Much love,

I'm officially a mother to a teenager...

2010-04-24T21:27:00.006-05:00

My baby, Cole Griffin Fairley, turned thirteen today. I honestly cannot believe how the years have flown by. I think back to that day thirteen years ago and remember the excitement and anticipation of finally having a baby. I have loved babies my whole life. And at last I was going to have one. Our families were ecstatic because he was the first grandchild on both sides of the family. I had to have an emergency C-section, so Griff got to be the one to present him to the crowd. When he got back to the recovery room I asked him what everybody thought of the most precious thing that had ever happened to me, and he said, "I don't know... everybody was crying so bad I didn't hear what they said." That pretty much sums it up. Cole Fairley is my pride and joy. I have a theory about the firstborns... there is a bond with that first one that can't be replicated with subsequent children. We love all our children, but we love them all differently. The first one is your practice baby... the one you try to keep from hurting, the one you have to learn with, the one you worry over the most, etc. By the time the other ones are born, you're starting to get it figured out. However, I don't think we ever get it figured out.

Cole has always been a sweet, sweet soul. Now, I can see him growing into a handsome, interesting young man. I cannot wait to see what God has planned for him. He is destined for great things, this I know. He's just too wonderful not to be. But I'm a little biased.

So, happy birthday to my precious boy. I'm sorry we had to cancel your party... but we'll get it rescheduled. You are my pride and joy.

The LOA arrived... signed... returned!

2010-04-24T21:17:00.004-05:00

I waited for the FedEx truck to arrive this morning. I got excited because I saw it coming... but it didn't stop!!! I called the agency and got the tracking number and saw that it should be delivered soon... so I continued to wait. Finally... it arrived! Griff and I signed it and I lit out to Birmingham to return it to the agency. Now the signed LOA goes BACK to China. Another form,the I800 goes to USCIS, where we hope for an approval in a couple of weeks. Let's all keep praying. He is listening... We're coming Mia...

The LOA is here!

2010-04-19T19:45:00.004-05:00

Unbelievable. This was an ordinary day. Or so I thought... until about 6:00 when I sat down to check email. There it was... an email from our adoption coordinator at Lifeline stating that our LOA had arrived! It will be FedExed to the house tomorrow for us to sign and return ASAP. You are probably wondering, "What is an LOA?" and maybe even, "What's the big deal?" The LOA (Letter of Acceptance) is the official response from the CCAA in China stating that they are approving us to adopt Mia. This is a big deal because it means that we are almost ready to travel! The big deal is also that we received the LOA in record time... just 39 days. The average wait time for LOA is around 66 days right now. The prayers for favor, the prayers for expediency were all heard and I must give God praise for His faithfulness. I have prayed daily, as I know many of you have, for this approval and it has finally been granted. I am overwhelmed.
Now, we begin the paperwork process to secure Mia'citizenship once we come home from China and also to acquire her Visa so that she can travel with us. It is a complicated process and one that will also require much prayer as our forms will be passed between the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the National Benefits Center, the National Visa Center, and the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China. Once Mia's citizenship approval and Visa are approved, the CCAA will issue us a TA... or Travel Approval. We will likely leave for China within a few days once the TA is granted. Our agency predicts this process will take another eight weeks. So, we are anticipating traveling in mid-June!
Again, thank you to all of you who've been praying with us for our LOA. We are on the last leg of the paperchase and I'm counting the days until we meet Mia.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERYTHING, by prayer and thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Phillipians 4:6-7

Here' a few more...

2010-04-16T05:50:00.001-05:00

Another glimpse of our girl...

2010-04-15T20:08:00.007-05:00

I sent another package to Mia last week. This package included pajamas, a blanket, a stuffed toy, and candy for the children. There is a lady in China that I order the items from and she has the package delivered to the orphanage. She is the same lady we used to send Mia's birthday cake and presents back in December. As part of the service, she works to get updates and new photos. Well, she was successful! The last time I saw a picture of Mia was January... so I am desperate for a peek at her! So, this morning I awoke to several more glimpses of our sweet, round-faced girl. In the updated informaton we learned that she is very tiny, weighing only 17 pounds fully clothed. She can walk by herself, is working on potty-training (this one surprised me), and is a good eater. She is still drinking from a bottle, which is very common in China. The Chinese aren't nearly as concerned about discontinuing the bottle as we are in the U.S. She enjoys adults playing with her and they still mention that she doesn't like furry toys, like the panda I sent her at Christmas. She can say a few words. The pictures weren't nearly as good quality-wise as the last ones, but at this point, I am so thrilled to have them, that I will take them gladly. I am thankful for the new updates and hopefully this will tide this anxious mama over for a few more weeks until we get our LOA. We are supposed to receive more update photos and information then. We shall see. I hope you enjoy the new pics. Please continue to say prayers for Mia, for the individual(s) who are working to approve our dossier, and for our family as we try to wait patiently for the day when we can bring Mia home.

33

2010-04-12T23:19:00.003-05:00

I'll bet you are wondering what 33 means... Well, it is the number of days we've been waiting for our LOA. An LOA is a formal letter from the CCAA saying that Griff and I have been officially approved to be Mia's parents. They issued us a Pre-approval (PA) back in December. Then our dossier was sent to China in February and was officially logged in on March 11. At that point, the timer started ticking. The average wait time in days is between 60-70 days right now. However, we are beginning to see approvals come in less time than that, so I am hopeful that we will be over this hurdle in a few more weeks. Once our LOA has been issued, we will then file more forms with the United States to get Mia's citizenship processed. This last stage usually takes two months. So, if my calculations are near right, it looks as if we might be traveling by late summer... hopefully July. Will we ever get there? I am struggling right now with an overwhelming feeling of discouragement. This is typical for this stage of the game, because we know we have a daughter that we can't get to, that we can't see or touch, or even communicate with. We are forced to trust that God is in control and that all will work out just as He planned. That is the ONLY comfort I can find these days. Please pray for us as we wait. I need them so much.

Just a few more...

2010-04-05T20:57:00.002-05:00

More Disneyworld

2010-04-05T20:29:00.006-05:00

Well, I initially thought I'd give you all a play by play of the Disney trip... but seeing how little time I have these days, I think I'll just combine it. Magic Kingdom was our favorite park. We loved the parades and the overall "euphoria" it gave you when you are there. We girls enjoyed taking Molly Brown to Bippity Boppity Boutique and the boys loved seeing the Atlanta Braves play on Tuesday. Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios were chaotic and extremely crowded. Fass passes were a rare commodity and we were unable to ride some of the headliner rides due to capacity crowds. We enjoyed the character dining the most. Chef Mickey's and 1900 Park Fare were great! Well, the experience was great... the food was okay... It was a memorable trip... one that I'm thankful I could take with my family. I am looking forward to taking sweet Mia one day. Enjoy a few of my favorite pics from the trip.

Disney Day 1: Epcot

2010-03-26T22:10:00.003-05:00

We set out on the Disney Vacation on Saturday, March 13 (my birthday) and drove to Valdosta, Georgia. The kids actually behaved well and Nolan only asked about 3,000 times, "Are we there yet? How much longer?" We spent the night at a Holiday Inn Express, so that we would only have a short drive to DisneyWorld the following day. I think, in retrospect, that was a wise decision.

On Sunday, we completed the trek to Disney. We got checked into our closet, I mean, our room. We took the Disney bus to Epcot to meet Mimi and Gig and the Brownies. The wind was blowing around 30 mph, so walking was difficult. But, looking on the bright side, it was sunny... We had lunch at a Chinese quick service (yuck)in China and rode a few rides. Cole, Will, and Garrett all really enjoyed the SPACE simulator ride. Gig and I rode the car test track ride... the boys chickened out at the last minute. I think Gig handled it pretty well.

We had a very late dinner at "The Coral Reef". We all had a good meal and we enjoyed seeing all the fish swimming around the aquarium. It was a fun restaurant and the kids enjoyed it. So... at the end of the day... Mission accomplished... so far.

DisneyWorld 2010

2010-03-26T21:52:00.003-05:00

My sister, Allison, and I decided over Christmas Break, that is was time to take the kids to DisneyWorld. We both agreed that every child ought to get to go and we wanted to go now, before Mia comes home because we know that she won't be ready to go for several more years. Therein lies the problem... if we wait until Mia is old enough, our older boys will have no desire to go and then the opportunity will be gone. Thus, we made the decision to seize the moment, bite the big bullet, pay the money, and do the Disney. Since I have no girls, I am immune to the girly aspect of Disney... the princesses, the magic, and the like. I live with a house of boys... so I wasn't overly excited about Disney other than having the peace of mind that I had provided my children with this magnificent experience. So, we scheduled it... made all of the dinner reservations three months in advance (what?), and planned daily itineraries. We were going to have fun if it killed us... so did we? Have fun, I mean? Well, I'll let you decide.

Oh, yeah... and it snowed...

2010-03-26T21:30:00.004-05:00

I totally forgot to tell you about the unbelievable snow we received on Friday, February 12. We had so much fun sledding and Nolan and I made a snowman. That was a first for me. The snow was such a beautiful sight and we all enjoyed it immensely. The boys and the neighborhood kids and even some neighborhood adults (D.N.) sledded down the hill on the golf course. They discovered that the lids from plastic storage boxes make fine sleds. Garrett had such fun pelting Gigi with snowballs. Nolan finally went inside... his little legs were firey red from being so cold and wet. A warm bath fixed him up though. I just wanted to post some pictures of the beauty of that day. Thank you, God, for the beautiful snow. We did enjoy it so.

San Francisco

2010-03-26T20:55:00.004-05:00

Well.. I'm back everybody. I know that my blogging has fallen very behind! It has been a whirlwind of a month. I left home on February 21 for San Francisco to work for two weeks. I am a field-based trainer and I went out there to serve as a class advisor for a group of newly hired reps. I had a great time, but it was really hard to be away from home for two straight weeks. San Francisco is an amazing ciy. I spent the weekend sightseeing... driving over the Golden Gate bridge in a convertible, lunch at Fisherman's Wharf, shopping at Ghirardelli Square, and going to see "Wicked". On Sunday I hiked Muir Woods with some friends from work. That was a thrill. There are no words to properly describe that forest. The redwoods, the smell of the pines, the coolness of the fresh, clean air, the quiet, peaceful trickle of a stream. Later that day, I had lunch in Sausalito, which was wonderful too. But even though I had a weekend of incredible experiences there was a sadness, an aloneness I felt that Griff and the boys weren't with me. The next week went by rather quickly and then I was back home in Alabama... tired, tired, tired. One week to catch up on work and... prepare for a week at DisneyWorld.

We are...

2010-02-13T17:31:00.004-06:00

It's official everyone! DTC= Dossier to China!!! Yeah!!!!! After several months of paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork, our adoption paperwork, called a dossier (pronounced doss-e-ay) is on its way to China via DHL. The Chinese are now celebrating their new year, so our dossier will wait until business reopens next weekend. Please pray with us that CCAA will find favor on our family and expedite our approval. We want to go get our girl!

Ouuuuuuch...

2010-02-06T10:05:00.003-06:00

Today, Griff, my mom, and I received part 1 of our travel vaccinations. We all got the Hepatitis A and B, and Mom also had to have a tetanus vaccine. The actual shot was not bad, but now the soreness has set in and it ain't pretty... Griff took it like a champ, however. As many of you know, Griff is petrified of needles and has been known to work himself into such a frenzy that he faints. I'm happy to report that was not the case today. He took it like a big boy. I stole this funny photo from my friend Sunny's blog. I thought it was so appropriate for today's posting.

Two friends are on their way home from China today: Sunny and Meredith. Safe travels, girls. Can't wait to be in your shoes.

We need you...

2010-02-04T19:46:00.004-06:00

I spoke with my agency today and my coordinator, Karla, said that our documents were in Houston, and should be back tomorrow. She said that she hoped to have our documents to China (referred to as DTC in the adoption lingo...)Now we wait for LOA(more lingo... meaning Letter of Acceptance). Right now, the average wait time is 71 days for LOA, once the dossier is logged in. However, we are seeing some families getting approval much quicker. I know, with all my heart, that God is in control of the timing. I also know that He hears our prayers and He answers them. So... I need you. I need your prayers. If you are reading this blog, you are probably my friend, my family, my co-worker, or you could be a total stranger that stumbled onto this blog. I ask you to pray for the individuals who will review our dossier, for the ones who approve us, who process any paperwork, to move this along. I want to go get my girl!!!! God will be glorified in this entire process by pointing out to others who hear our story that God's divine hand was over the whole thing. I believe that through our prayers... and yours, of course, that we will bring Mia home... sooner than later. She's waiting for us...

Surprises from China

2010-01-29T12:49:00.005-06:00

Hi everyone! I've been in Las Vegas attending a National Sales Meeting. I work as a medical representative for Genentech, a biologics pharmaceutical company. They are a very innovative, wonderful company to work for and they are so good to all of us. I am so thankful during these trying economical times for a job with such an amazing company. What a blessing this has been for my family. Anyway... I'll share a little more about that in another post. But, the good news is... we got new photos of Mia yesterday. A family from my adoption agency is in China now getting their baby girl. Their girl and Mia are in the same orphanage. When my friends visitied the orphanage on Thursday, the orphanage workers took pictures of Mia for us. My friend was really nice and emailed them to me almost immediately... despite the sixteen hour time difference. Mia continues to look beautiful, healthy, and happy. I absolutely can't wait to get my hands on that precious baby. I think I'm going to have to fight to be first between Griff and my mom. :)

Our dossier is being sent to the United States Consulate in Houston today and should be back to my agency by mid-week next week. It is my hope that we can get the dossier DHLd to China by end of next week. Not sure if that will happen, but we can hope and pray.

Ashley

You Get One Life... Live It

2010-01-25T09:54:00.005-06:00

Hi everybody. It's been several days since my last post. It's been extremely hectic around our house. I am very busy with work right now... as a matter of fact, I'm on a flight right now to the Las Vegas for a week-long meeting. This flight is allowing me some quiet, thinking time and I guess I might as well fill you in on what's swirling around in that brain of mine.

First, we said goodbye to my great-aunt Ruby, my grandad's sister, on Saturday. Aunt Ruby lived down the road from me all my life. She was a gifted cook, a wonderful seamstress, and loved her family. It made her day, her week even, when we stopped by with the boys. She always bought their favorite Hershey bars for Halloween every year. My grandad took great care of her, as she lived alone for the majority of her adult life. He called her every morning, brought her paper to her, picked up her mail every day, and she was the last phone call he made every night. Aunt Ruby is with God, and I'm so happy for her. But it kills me to see my grandad so sad. He is lost right now. At her funeral on Saturday, it just struck me... you get one life... you might as well live it. No regrets... do the things you love, reach for the stars, take risks, love your family. Times like these help me realize the stuff that really matters; and the importance of not putting off doing things. Live a life of purpose, so that when you stand before your Maker, you can thank Him for the gift of this life. And He can say... "Atta girl.."

A family from our adoption agency is in China right now and they got their baby girl, Lily, today. Their daughter was actually in the same orphanage as Mia; in fact, she was sitting at the table with Mia as she celebrated her first birthday. She is the baby that is sitting to Mia's right... wearing the red sweater. Isn't that something? It is surreal to watch these unions on the internet and I just wonder how Griff, me, and my mom are going to react when these strangers hand over our Mia. I believe I may fall on my knees in gratitude for finally getting to that moment. We will see...

Our dossier is being authenticated in Houston this week and will then be sent by DHL to China for review. We are hoping to have the dossier to CCAA by the end of next week. Unfortunately, we are fast approaching Chinese New Year, which is a very important holiday in China. EVERYONE is off from work... and that means CCAA will not be working. Right now, they are processing paperwork quickly and we are so praying that they keep that up.

As I drove to Atlanta in the wee hours of this morning, I listened to a Sidewalk Prophet's song that I love so much... the lyrics are so fitting for this day. Here's just a few: "Be strong in the Lord and never give up hope. You're gonna do great things, I already know. God's got a hand on you so don't live life in fear. Forgive and forget and don't forget why you're here. Take your time and pray... these are the words I would say..."

Now... I'm heading to Vegas. Viva Las Vegas. Until next time... love you all.

One step closer...

2010-01-16T13:24:00.006-06:00

For those of you that are interested in the exhausting details of our adoption paperchase to Mia... the last piece of the U.S. approval puzzle was placed on Thursday! Griff and I had to submit yet another set of fingerprints to get the 1800a approval. Our case officer with USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services)emailed us that afternoon with news that our application had been APPROVED! Now... we can have all of the paperwork couriered to Houston to the Consulate office to be authenticated (an official U.S. stamp of approval) and THEN we can send it all to China. China is waiting to get our paperwork and we've been waiting on the United States. So, we are one step closer to sweet Mia.

Now what? Once China receives our paperwork (called a dossier), we wait. The average wait right now is 80 days but we are seeing some families getting the nod from China in less days than that. So, that's where YOU come in... :)

Pray for the person who is responsible for processing our dossier.... that they will find favor on us and will process us quickly. We want to give God the glory for fast turnaround; because I am learning that God is everpresent in the little details of everyday life.

We are beginning to hear from so many of you that read our blog. It is such a source of encouragement to know that people care about us, and more importantly this precious orphaned baby in Shantou City, China. We covet your prayers... we definitely note the effectiveness of your prayers. We love you all so much.

"The prayer of a righteous one is powerful and effective." James 5:16

More Fun Snow Pics

2010-01-11T08:25:00.002-06:00

Here's some more photos of the boys enjoying the snow. Snow is such a rare occurrence in these parts... it's been fun.

F is for Fun... T is for Tough...

2010-01-11T08:08:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, our good friends Chris and Kelly Brown, invited us over to enjoy some sledding. Chris has set up a snow machine and blown in snow on his hilly backyard. So, an instant slope was made! My boys loved sliding down that hill... especially Nolan. I had fun watching them laugh and smile. Cole and Nolan rode together in a sled and Garrett did his thing solo... It was a great afternoon.

Later on, I was cooking dinner and Nolan came in the kitchen and said he had "somethin' sticky" in his hair. When I looked all I saw was a big patch of bloody hair. I tried not to overreact and said we'd wash it really good in the bathtub... as it looked then like a scratch that had bled. Well, fast forward to the bathtub... it was a gash on my baby's head. He had hit his head once when he slid off into the grass, but he didn't complain about it and jumped up and kept playing. So, it appears now, that he played all afternoon with that big gash in his head and didn't say anything because he was having so much fun. Needless to say we made a quick trip to the ER where our sweet friend, Dr. Echeverri, met us and stitched him up. He took it like a man. I was really proud of him for being so brave.

My friend Kelly was obiously upset that Nolan had hurt himself and all I could say was "But we sure did have fun!!!" :)

Can I get a Roll Tide?

2010-01-07T17:33:00.003-06:00

For those of my blog friends that don't know, my family and I are BIG Alabama football fans. At times throughout any given year, I get the distinct feeling that I fall somewhere around #3 and #4 on my husband's priority lists... with Alabama football and recruiting, and golf ranking #1 and #2! We go to all of the home games in Tuscaloosa. We have so much fun tailgating with family and good friends and every summer I get so excited knowing that Saturdays in Tuscaloosa are right around the corner. The roar of the Tide fans in Bryant Denny Stadium is deafening and the Million Dollar Band gives me chillbumps when I hear the fight song. Cole has developed an intense love of Alabama sports in general, so going to the Rose Bowl is a dream come true for him. Griff was able to get two tickets and they flew to California early this morning. I know that this will be a lasting memory for Cole... getting to watch Alabama play at the Rose Bowl and hopefully witnessing them win the 13th National Championship. Anyway... today's photo of my sweet Cole at an October tailgate in 2006. He is so precious. Much love and... ROLL TIDE ROLL...

P.S... I hate to admit that chanting "Yellow Hammer" at the end of a victory is my favorite part... especially when we've just beaten Tennesee or LSU... :)

More updates from China!!!

2010-01-05T18:42:00.004-06:00

First, I apologize to all my blog friends for no recent posts. I have been in a little bit of a "funk"... This whole adoption process is a roller-coaster ride mentally. I feel really up and then I feel really down. It's just hard knowing that I have a baby girl that needs a mama and a daddy and some sweet brothers and I can't get to her. That frustrates the heck out of me. Right now, to be honest, I don't feel like we're going to ever get there, even though I know we will. Another thing I'm struggling with is knowing that she is growing every day and we are missing it. That stinks... But, then my next thought is that God is controlling this situation and He has the timing worked out perfectly. I must wait... so, I've decided I will pray every time I feel frustrated and sad, I will pray for Mia, for the USCIS who is currently processing our paperwork, and for the nannies and workers at Shantou who are taking care of Mia right now. That will be enough. I was reading in Hebrews last night and I felt like God was talking to me even as I read...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perserverence the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

Griff and Cole are readying themselves for a trip to California on Thursday morning to watch our Crimson Tide play Texas. The weather gurus are predicting snow and I pray that they can arrive in California with no major delays... to say that they are cutting it close is an understatement as their plane lands five hours from kickoff... This makes me really nervous. Roll Tide!

So... on to why you've really visited...:) new updates from Shantou!!! Mia received our birthday box full of clothes and toys. In the pics, she is wearing an outfit my mom bought her. I sent a letter telling the nannies how much I loved hairbows and I thought it was sweet that they put one in her hair for the photos. She looks cute as ever and I miss her more and more. We got height and weight updates also... she's weighing in at a massive sixteen pounds and 27 inches long. A little ladybug she is. I hope you enjoy her new pictures as much as we have. Love to all of you and please keep praying for expediency in our paperwork process. God IS listening.

Birthday party pics!

2009-12-25T20:25:00.003-06:00

It has been a great Christmas Day! We have visited with family, ate well, took some great naps, played with our new toys and things really couldn't have been much better... until... I opened email and found birthday party pics of Mia and her friends! We continue to be amazed at what a beautiful little baby girl she is and I cannot wait to get my arms around that sweet thing. The pictures continue to encourage me as I see people around her that appear to care for her, who are laughing and smiling with her, and other babies that also look well cared for. I am very thankful for every person in these photos because I know they are loving her until she can come home with us. Her cake was beautiful and we are still trying to identify some of these lovely fruits that we don't have access to here in the U.S. (or at least not in Gadsden, Alabama...LOL...) God continues to lift my spirits and I am so thankful. What a mighty God He is. May you all feel the love of our Saviour this Christmas Day. Love to you all.

"Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father." James 1:17

We Had a Party!

2009-12-24T07:40:00.004-06:00

Since Wednesday, December 23 is our little sister's birthday, we decided to have a family celebration of her BIG day. Mimi and Gig cooked a delicious dinner complete with birthday cake and Molly blew out the candle for her. Next year, we look forward to HER blowing out her two candles on the cake. That's a sweet thought.:) We really hope that we get update photos soon from China of Mia's real party at her orphanage. We ought to be getting them soon. Until then... Merry Christmas to all.

Happy Birthday Mia!

2009-12-22T22:21:00.002-06:00

Today is Mia's very first birthday! She will have a party complete with cake and candy with her friends, thanks to Ann of RedThreads. I know that we can't go get her right now, but I would give anything if I could just peek in and look at her. I would love to be able to give her a hug and kiss. I am so sad that we are missing this day with her, but I know that there will be so many more wonderful birthdays with her from now on. Her birthday package of clothes and toys should arrive in a few days and hopefully we will be given some updated pictures. I pray that this paperchase process moves quickly. I am SO ready to go to China. We are planning a birthday party at Mimi and Gig's house to celebrate Mia's big day, minus Mia. We'll take pictures to show her that we celebrated on her day all the way across the world. I already love her and have never met her. Isn't that something?

One More Photo...

2009-12-21T16:20:00.003-06:00

I couldn't fit another picture on the last post, so I'm posting again to include the group shot of all of the children who came to our party today. Their houses looked awesome!

A Gingerbread House Party!

2009-12-21T16:08:00.003-06:00

We had such a fun day at my sister's house. We had a gingerbread house party... the kids decorated gingerbread houses, heard a story from a guest reader, Mrs. Janet Bavonese, and was even paid a visit by Santa Claus himself! The children had a good time being creative with their houses. The mothers enjoyed getting to visit with all the other mothers and grandmothers and watching our kids be kids. It was a great party and something I think all of the kids will remember in years to come. Merry Christmas everyone!

Busy Day

2009-12-16T19:29:00.003-06:00

Today was such a busy day. I had to get the I-800A sent back to USCIS and then went to the post office to mail Mia's birthday care package, not to mention all of the end of the year work-related stuff I'm doing too. I'll be glad when the weekend comes so I can take some deep breaths! Anyway, Mia's package is on it's way to her!!! I so hope it makes it there in tact.

I'm posting some pictures of my sweet boys. We are all looking forward to "being lazy" as Garrett calls it during the Christmas break.

I'm just too tired to think right now, let alone blog... so that's all I've got for today!

We now have PA !!!

2009-12-15T07:48:00.004-06:00

Last night I got the email from our agency that we were issued a PA from CCAA. I know this sounds like a lot of acronyms, but in simple terms it means that China is giving preliminary approval to us to adopt Li Ji Mi (Mia)pending a review of our dossier. This is exciting news because it means we are one step closer to getting her home. It also means we can now send care packages to her! Since her birthday is coming up next week, we had to get busy! I have been buying her clothes and a few little toys to send to her. I've also hired Ann of China Red Threads to take in a birthday cake and party favors to Mia's orphanage. As part of that service, we should receive some new update information as well as more pics!!! On a disappointing note, we received a rejection notice for our 1-800A application to Homeland Security because Griff's signature was missing in a couple of places... Ughhh... Frustration... I'm taking that to Lifeline this morning so that it can be resubmitted for approval. I wonder how people can get up enough guts to adopt again after all of this. I suppose it's similar to childbirth... you forget how uncomfortable you are for nine months. I guess this is like that. Keep praying for us, everybody. God is answering prayers every day. :)

Look what we got!

2009-12-11T21:49:00.004-06:00

Hello everybody! It's been over a week since I blogged. I've been ultra busy with work. I spent the week in San Francisco working and just got home tonight. I opened up my email box and there was an email with new pics of our Mia. What a sweet surprise! She looks happy, clean, and well-fed. It is so nice to see more pictures of her. I've stared at the other ones so long that I've memorized them. I am encouraged by the communication and thankful for their willingness to share Mia with us. I landed at the Birminham airport today and I almost cried just thinking about how awesome it's going to be to step off that plane with our baby girl. The waiting is really hard, but we have so much to look forward to and it keeps me smiling; knowing that happy day will get here. Please continue to pray for expediency and favor from the US officials and the CCAA who will process and approve our paperwork. Karla at Lifeline said we are looking at at least 4-6 more months. So, even though that seems so long, there is a good bit to do to prepare for her arrival. We will wait because God's timing is perfect. There is comfort in that and I choose to look at it that way. This is completely out of my control.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

A Strawberry Kiss

2009-12-02T19:09:00.006-06:00

Yesterday was such a hectic day, such an emotionally draining day, that I just couldn't tell you all everything that we knew about our little Mia. As I said yesterday, she will be celebrating her first birthday two days before Christmas. I hate that we won't spend it with her, but I like to think of all the many more that we will spend with her. I can already imagine what next year's party will be like. :) There is just so much to tell! She is living in an orphanage that is sponsored by Love without Boundaries, a group that provides resources like food, supplies, and educational items for orphans. Her orphanage is one of the best in that area and it is evident that she is being well taken care of because she is doing what most babies are doing at eleven months old. She is crawling, standing up and holding on to things, she loves to hear music, and she is attached to her caregiver.

Mia's special need is that she has a port-wine stain ( a strawberry birthmark) on her left temple which extends down into her eyelid. It is barely visible in all of the photos we received. Griff and I are shocked that such a minor thing would land her on the special needs list. Dr. Jennifer Chambers, from the International Adoption Clinic, reviewed her file with us tonight and could find nothing of any concern in her medical records. Amazing... I was preparing myself for a child who was older, sicker, and not nearly as beautiful. God's blessings far exceeded my expectations. I have no idea why we make Him so small. The strawberry birthmark God put on Mia is what brought her to us. I can't wait to kiss that little birthmark.

What now? Well, now we trudge through the final steps to submit official papers to U.S. Immigrations, and then on to China. Once China reviews and approves our dossier, we hope they will issue us travel authorization so we can bring her home. Pray that all who deal with our paperwork will find favor on us and process it expeditiously. Realistically, I expect to get to China by mid-summer. We will see...

Announcing... we have Mia!!!

2009-12-01T18:47:00.009-06:00

Well, everybody, it thrills my soul to share our wonderful news. After several weeks of waiting and watching, we were matched with our little girl today. Her name is Li Jimi, and she was born on December 23, 2008. She is currently living in the custody of the Welfare Institute of Shantou City, in Guangdong Province of China (southern China). She appears to be healthy and happy and we are in love with her already. It has been a very long day and I am exhausted. I will put more information about Mia on the blog tomorrow. Until then, enjoy looking at her sweet pictures. I can't wait to tell you all about her. God is so good.

2009-12-01T08:17:00.000-06:00

Still Waiting...

2009-11-24T21:06:00.001-06:00

Well, we are still waiting for the shared list China posts once every month. The word from my agency is should be very soon... but that's it. There are many challenges with this whole process, with the main one being time zone differences. China is fourteen hours ahead of us, meaning that as I post this, China is already into Wednesday. While we sleep, they work, while we work, they sleep. So communication is tricky. I am addicted to the email and rumor boards and I slept very little last night. I've done eight loads of laundry and stayed so busy today that I didn't have too much time to think. But now, it's night time again, and I hope, hope, hope that China posts that list and we can find out who our little Mia is and where she is. It will make all this real to me... right now it feels like I'm pretending. This is without question the hardest thing I've ever endured... it is teaching me to deal with frustration, to learn more patience while waiting, and to trust that others do have your best interests at heart. These are all hard lessons, and we just happen to be learning them all at one time. I know God's plan is perfect, His time is flawless, and He's got this. I must trust that this is so. Please continue to pray for us as we wait, and for Lily in China who will ultimately match us with a little girl who will become part of our family forever. What a big task she has.

Happy Birthday Griff!

2009-11-20T05:53:00.000-06:00

Griff had the big "40" birthday yesterday. I can't get over how fast time goes by... I remember his 21st birthday when we were in college... and now here we are 40 years old. What?

We had the family over to celebrate with Mata's Pizza and cake. I have a surprise planned for him later on today. I'll have to talk about that later.

No news about the November shared list except that our coordinator thinks it will be next week sometime. I had just gotten my hopes up that it would come out on Griff's birthday. Proof that God has a sense of humor: I was driving home in my car alone last night from going to get the pizza for the birthday party. I was praying out loud to God that he would hurry up and send that list on Griff's birthday. And guess what song comes up on the radio? Amy Grant's "Give it time"... Just give it a little more time. Now, that's funny...:) Happy Friday.

Being Thankful

2009-11-18T07:33:00.001-06:00

I always get excited about this time of year because I know that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. I am especially grateful for the holidays this year as it is a wonderful distractor to the fact that I want to go to China right this minute and get our little girl. We continue to wait for the shared list... any day now I am told.

Anyhoo... while we wait, I thought it would be a good idea to begin to name just a few of the thousands of things for which I am grateful.

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 100:3

I Am Thankful...
1. For the redemption I have through Christ Jesus.
2. For being born into a wonderful, loving family.
3. For a great, supportive husband.
4. For my three precious boys.
5. For the sweet little girl that waits on us in China.
6. For a strong church family at Meadowbrook Baptist.
7. For my health and the health of my family.
8. For a great job that has made such a difference for our family financially.
9. For friends... old and new.
10. For what God is teaching us right now about FAITH.

Any day now...

2009-11-16T21:02:00.000-06:00

Any day now, we are expecting China to release another shared list. I am prayerful that we will be matched with the baby girl God has planned for us. This is a very trying time because we are absolutely powerless, not at all in control. But the one huge assurance I have is this: God's got this... He's going to work it all out. Just breathe in and out... and pray.

The family and I shared our story at church Sunday. So many people came up to us and told us how much they enjoyed hearing our story. I so hope that other families will be encouraged and will consider what their family can do for an orphan. Not only is this adoption a blessing for Mia, but it's a blessing for us... in a mighty way.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him."
Romans 8:28

Orphan Sunday

2009-11-13T22:35:00.001-06:00

Orphan Sunday from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

This is what started it...

2009-11-13T08:01:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to post the youtube video that lit the spark for me... I am amazed how God knits situations together. Enjoy... I still can't watch it without crying. I cannot wait to put our video on. Love to you.

P.S. Scroll down and stop my playlist so that you can hear the music on this video. :)

Shock, Awe, and every other emotion...

2009-11-12T16:33:00.000-06:00

What a great day... we found out this morning that we are ready to be matched... now... so, when that list comes out in a couple of weeks... a little girl will be matched up with the Fairleys in Glencoe, AL, USA. I was preparing myself for this in a few months, and now my heart beats out of my chest because I'm discovering that God's plan is far exceeding my own. He is teaching me so much right now.

Then, after I get this awesome news, my pastor calls. He's preaching about Christian compassion and wants us to do a Q & A session in the worship service Sunday! I'm scared, Griff is terrified, but I know that God is working, and I'm going to be obedient. He'll get me through it and He'll give me the right words to say in front of all those people. Lesson learned today... When you get on board with Jesus, you better hang on. I am finding out why He made me... for what is happening right now in my life.

I continue to plead for your prayers. God will be using so many people in the next few weeks to provide a home for one His children. Pray for all whose hand will touch this situation of bringing Mia home. Love to you.

Home Study Complete!

2009-11-11T08:08:00.000-06:00

We got word yesterday that our home study is being finalized now. It's almost ready to send to DHR for approval. This means that we were able to get through the home study process in six weeks. Wow... Thank you, God...

What this means now is that we are ready to be matched with a child. The adoption agency told me yesterday that we definitely would be ready for the December shared list. Can you believe it? I might possibly know where my child is very soon. We need your prayers... we covet your prayers. Please pray for all hands that are working on this sweet union of baby and family. Pray for Lily, who is our agency's representative at CCAA that will actually match a baby girl to our family. I am told she is a strong Christian and prays over each list. Ask God for His divine intervention in this situation. I have the assurance that God is in control and it's going to be okay. If you are reading this, we love you and appreciate your interest in our journey to get our baby girl.

Fun Weekend!

2009-11-01T21:25:00.001-06:00

We had a fun weekend with Trick-or-Treating and Birthday celebrations. The whole family went to Coosa Veranda for Halloween again this year. Nolan was Batman and Molly was BatGirl. The three oldest went as their handsome selves. I can't believe that they are growing out of the dressing up stage. I hope they'll change their minds next year and dress up again. We all couldn't help but speculate whether Mia would be with us next year. We talked about what we'd dress her up as and wondered what she'd think of this American tradition. I so hope we'll have her this time next year.

My grandmother and her twin brother celebrated their 80th birthday this week. We celebrated by having lunch together at Top-o-the-River. It was a lot of fun and I ate way too much! It was a fun weekend.

Another week

2009-10-29T19:06:00.000-05:00

Well, we had the last home study visit with our social worker this week. She is busy finishing up the typed part of the HS and we are now waiting to get the fingerprints and child abuse clearances back. On Wednesday, Griff and I met with our adoption agency to discuss aspects of the adoption like bonding/attachment and travel to China. It is so exciting to hear about the traveling because I know by that point we will be ecstatic to finally be getting close. I watch a youtube video about every other day to prep myself for what GOTCHA DAY will be like and I find myself swiping tears, so I know I will be a blubbering fool when someone hands Mia over to us. We did find out that as soon as our Home Study is complete, we can begin to match with a child. I'm hoping we get matched very soon. :)

Interesting fact: If only 6 % of the Christian population would adopt an orphan child, there would be no need for orphanages. All orphans would find a forever family. Wouldn't that be awesome?

Oh, Lord... what have I done?

2009-10-20T19:32:00.000-05:00

Okay... I really shouldn't be so impulsive sometimes. Let me start from the beginning... Last summer I was taking some chemotherapy medications for my arthritis. One of the side effects... hair loss. Well, I wasn't working with a great head of hair to begin with. So, after a few months of the poison... guess what? Very thin hair. It's been very upsetting. Today I went for a routine hair cut with the intentions of getting some much needed highlights. Well, my sweet hairstylest, David, had another idea. Why don't we just cut it off into a pixie cut? Yeah... that sounds cool. Until... I saw what I thought was short hair become even shorter. I still haven't gotten over the shock of it yet. I cannot believe I have done this to myself. I told David today as he was cutting it that I was just glad we didn't have to shave it and order me a wig. That was an option a few months ago. So, anyway, the hair does look thicker, but it makes me look old. Okay, breathe, Ashley... it's just hair... and it WILL grow back.

Our social worker is hard at work on our home study and we have our last appointments scheduled for next week. We are coming, Mia... hold on, baby.

International Adoption Clinic

2009-10-17T22:15:00.000-05:00

Today my mom and I attended a day-long workshop on "The Joys of International Adoption". We are so fortunate to have an international adoption clinic at Children's Hospital that ministers to the whole child once we come home. They will be our source for answers when we have questions... they will reassure us when we are in doubt... they are going to be an enormous lifeline during this journey of adopting a child from another race than our own. The staff at the clinic is awesome and I am so thankful to know they will help us. Again, as I do many days, found myself worried at the thought that our little baby girl is laying in an orphanage bed and hasn't been held not once today. It is a very unsettling feeling and my only source of comfort is prayer right now. So, if you are reading this... please pray for our sweet little Mia... pray that she had enough to eat today, that she is warm and dry, that she felt a loving touch from a caregiver. Pray that she is comforted from angels above when she is lonely. My heart hurts... I can hardly wait until we can bring her home to be with us. May the time go quickly.

"I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live." Psalms 116: 1-2

Things are moving right along...

2009-10-06T22:42:00.000-05:00

Today was a productive day. We had a second home visit with our social worker, Jennifer, today. It went well and we are trying to wind down this portion of the adoption process. There is still an enormous amount left to be done, but each day I'm able to check off something else from the list and that makes me so happy to know that we are one step closer to getting our Mia. I finished all of my Hague Convention Modules (YEAH!!!!), assigned readings, and written assignments for the Home Study. Griff is trying to get through his as well. He isn't extremely verbal, so answering essay questions is taxing for him. I have to give Griff credit though... he has been a real trooper through all of this. The needle phobic that he is gave five vials of blood for his physical, has traveled around with me everywhere getting forms, passports, etc. I had a thought the other day... adoption is somewhat like being pregnant... the first trimester is exhausting... and then there's the waiting. Continue to pray for Mia and for us... thanks, everybody.

Take Two!

2009-09-30T22:29:00.001-05:00

Well, I accidentally deleted my first draft of today's blog... Ughhh...

Just an update: Griff and I got fingerprints done today, Griff had his physical, and we had a phone conference with our adoption rep. from Lifeline today. We are hopeful that if we can plough through this home study and dossier prep., we might have a shot at traveling to get Mia next summer. As I say that, I fully understand that God is in control and we will go when He decides. So... in the mean time, I am still reeling from the thought that we will have a little girl in this house. I bought her a little baby doll yesterday... I can't wait to send it to her. Once we know where she is, we can send her care packages. There are many, many more prayers to be said and I ask that if you are reading this blog, that you pray for Mia's parents, especially her mother, for a safe delivery and that Mia will be protected from all harm. I am asking God to surround this little baby girl with his best angels until He's ready for us to go get her. Thanks everyone.

"Wait for the Lord, and keep His way." Psalms 37:34

What a day!

2009-09-28T20:35:00.000-05:00

Well, today has been busy. Gus and Max went to Slocum Ridge for their grooming. Max now looks like a gray rat... but he does look better than he did. I am feeling remorseful for getting another dog, because right now I just don't have the time to devote to housetraining him, playing with him, etc.

The Glencoe Junior High football team played at Jacksonville tonight. We were trampled ...
36-0. Ouch. Cole played one play that I counted. I have to say one thing about my kid... he's got guts. He loves football, practices everyday without complaining, and is as fired up as any kid on the team. He doesn't play very much, but he's willing to give it all he's got when he does. That tells me a lot about the man he will be. I am so proud of him.

Garrett starts back to guitar lessons at Andy's Music tomorrow. He is so artistic. He's making a comic book right now... He wants to be a cartoonist when he grows up. I can just see him working for PIXAR, designing the next blockbuster!

Nolan... wow... he talks nonstop.... Wonder who's genes are dominant in that little thing? He is too smart for his own good.

And then there will be Mia... I just wonder who she will be, if she's been born yet, what her parents are like, and how our family will change when a little girl enters this house. That is a lot to ponder on.

Productive Day!

2009-09-27T00:03:00.001-05:00

Garrett, Nolan, and I went shopping tonight and we bought a few things for our Mia. I can't wait to send them to her when we find out who she is, where she is, etc. etc. It's a weird feeling buying toys for a baby that may not even be alive yet. This is going to be a journey, I can tell...