Our LID One Year Anniversary!

Well, one year ago today China logged in all our paperwork into their computers. Some days it's hard to believe that it's been a whole year and some days it's feels MUCH longer!!!

I want to share something that someone on one of my Yahoo groups posted to our group recently:

This process has given us "time to learn about China and adoption and attachment, to learn about raising children in a multicultural family. This time has been a blessing because it has given us an opportunity to anticipate our daughter in a way 6 to 8 months would not have afforded us. We want our daughter here today as much as anyone, but she is not, so therefore we have chosen to look at the one year anniversary of our LID as a blessing for all of these reasons." (Thanks to Susan Rizzo for this inspiring outlook!)

I am just feeling blessed today that we are able to be a part of this process--that God has chosen us to build our family by choosing Sarah as our daughter from China. I have met some amazing women through this process and I feel that I will be a better mom because of their support and friendship!

So, I look at today as one year, one step closer to our daughter and we will go as far as we have to for her!

And some more for Sarah:

What a lucky baby! God has hand-picked her just for us and she's loved so much already!!! A Lion Chair from Nanny Debbie and Grandpa Steve

Here's what she got in her stocking

We got this cool toy organizer we wanted from Aunt Holley, Uncle Philip and Cousin Lauren

Sarah's Christmas Gifts

A beautiful dress from Aunt Anne

These gifts are from Mommy

And more from Mommy

And some great gifts from Daddy!

More pics from CHRISTmas. . .

Our nephew, Cannon

Julie, Steve and Lauren

Merry CHRISTmas!!

Father and Daughter Jeeps!

Our Niece, Amber

We had such a wonderful weekend celebrating the birth of Jesus with both our families.
Here are a few pictures of our families and the beautiful blue sky on Christmas Eve and the sun rays on Christmas day.

I can't believe it's almost been 12 months since LID!

New babies!!!

Kaylene Jiamarie Letsinger











Emma Grace Cook










These are the first of the referrals of our local ChinaMama group!!!!!!!!

We are all so excited to see sweet Kaylene and Emma Grace in person!

11 Month LID Anniversary!

Well, here we are at 11 months with no idea of how much longer we'll wait.

Sometimes it feels like we're a lot closer and other times it's like we're so far away from it actually happening. Steve and I were talking yesterday and both agreed that we would wait as long as it takes to bring us our Sarah!!!

Blessed this Thanksgiving!

Today was a wonderful day! We spent it at Steve's parents in Sevierville and Philip, Holley, Lauren and Wayne (Holley's brother) came up for half the day. Also the neighbors with their 21-month old son came over for a while. We played cards, ate, talked, ate, played with the kids, ate, watched movies, and ate some more!! It was such a beautiful day with the crisp air and sky so blue.

I found myself terribly missing Sarah today, wishing that she was here with us on this Thanksgiving day. But also realize how blessed we are right in this moment and that she will be here next Thanksgiving and for each one to come. I realize that for some reason our Sarah isn't ready for us yet and God's timing is perfect.

We have so much to be thankful for! Our health, our family, our home, our jobs, our freedom and so much more. I am thankful that we are able to have the choice to adopt and that God placed it in our hearts!

Sarah, we miss you today, we mentioned your name so MANY times. Nana Debbie is so excited about your arrival and can't wait to see you toddling around her house with all the dogs and cats. Lauren, Cannon, and Amber, your cousins, are so ready for you to come home from China. Lauren asked today, "when is Sarah coming from China?" It makes me so happy to know that you are coming into our family who is so ready for you to be here. We all love you and long for your arrival!
Thank you, God, for all the blessings in our life! We are eternally grateful!

Has Sarah been born yet?

I asked Steve the other night, Saturday, Nov. 11th, "Do you think Sarah's been born?" He replied, "Yes." And that was that, with much certainty. I guess we'll see. . .
It makes me wonder if she is, when she was or will be? When we do find out, it will be interesting to find out what we were doing the day/week/month that she was born.

I find myself thinking about her birthmother and how she's feeling about the baby she's carried for 9 months. What a heartwrenching decision that she's had to make! I hope and pray that she knows that there is a loving family waiting and counting down the days until they see her precious face, that will cherish her all the days of her life, and that will never take her for granted.

This poem is dedicated to Sarah's birthmother:

"Somewhere on the Other Side"

Somewhere on the other side;
A mother will soon have to hide;
The baby she nurtures day after day.
She wants to keep her but can't find a way.
Oh, the pain she must feel deep in her heart.
Knowing the day will come they will have to part;
Will it be near a market, a field, a train?
Where ever it is it will bring her great pain.

Somewhere on the other side;
A mother will soon have to hide.
And watch her baby cry with fear,
And long to hold her baby near.
A death to her as she lets go,
Who will find her baby, she doesn't know.

Somewhere on the other side;
A mother will soon have to hide.
Her baby was found and taken away.
And nothing will be the same after today.
Her arms are now empty her face full of tears.
The echoing cries are all that she hears.

Somewhere on the other side;
A mother will soon have to hide.
A part of herself that she selflessly gave;
This mother was so much more than brave.
She wanted her baby to have a life worth living.
She wasn't abandoning… she was giving.

--Anonymous


Please continue to keep Sarah, her caretakers, and her birthmother in your prayers.

Bonfire 2006

Our friends, Kelli and Danny, always have a Halloween bonfire. We really had a good time! It was very cold, but the fire helped keep us warm. It was a great time with good friends!

Boo at the Zoo!

I worked a Knox County Public Library/Imagination Library booth at Boo at the Zoo with my friend Jacqueline. I was dressed as Cat in the Hat and felt like a celebrity. I had my picture taken with many children. Lauren was Raggedy Ann this year and she went with her parents to Boo at the Zoo the same night I worked.
What fun! I plan on Steve and I taking Sarah with us next year!

15% Increase!

Well, the CCAA updated their site today and got through Aug 25th. And apparently the 24th was a HUGE day! So, hopefully this is a little sign of a speed up!
It makes me feel very hopeful today! Last night, I saw a ladybug on the bathroom mirror and was hoping that referrals were on their way.
My friend, Ginger, has a LID of 8/31, so her baby, Emma Grace, will be in the next batch! So exciting!!

More anniversary weekend photos

Happy 5th Anniversary!

Steve and I got married on October 6, 2001. We spent this anniversary weekend at Kristi's mother and father's cabin in Wears Valley. We had such a wonderful time!
Kristi and Peggy surprised us and decorated the porch and kitchen counter with rose petals, a bouquet of flowers, a scrapbook page for us from Sarah and a sweet bib with an "S" on it. It was such a touching gesture and made our weekend even more special.
Steve gave me an mp3 player and I got him some clothes and a Wustof knife. I'm excited to take the mp3 player with us to China.
We had such lovely weather! On Saturday we did a little shopping and both night we cooked dinner together. On Sunday, we hiked in the Tremont area and saw some beautiful cascades. We had fun taking pictures and Steve got some great shots!
Wow, I can't believe that we've been married 5 years!

Where Have We Been?

Well, I guess I've been avoiding the blog quite a bit! I think it has to do with the fact that Sarah's not here yet. We were originally hoping she would be home late this summer, and that didn't come close to happening. So, maybe it's a mental block or something for me.
We've kept ourselves really busy this summer though. We spent a lot of time at the lake. For the 4th of July, we were at Steve's parents house and had an awesome time.
We spent a week at Pawley's Island with my aunt Mary. We got to see Charleston and loved it! Philip, Holley, Lauren and my friend Stephanie went with us. Hopefully next year we'll get to take Sarah for her first beach trip.
In August, we visited Steve's family in KY. I attended our Reveal Shower for our Secret Pals from my KnoxChinaMama group. (Second pic) I found out that my secret pal/s were Jeff and Shelley Brockleman. I got an adorable ladybug backpack filled with all sorts of goodies and a sweet ladybug burpcloth. Also we all went to P.F. Changs with our husbands. I went on a trip to Shelbyville, KY to my cousin Lindsey's wedding. It was great to see my family, and especially my grandfather.
For Labor Day, we visited our friends Cheryl, Alan and their kids. We had a nice day fulled with swimming, eating and fireworks. Philip, Holley and Lauren were there too.
Sept 8-11th, Steve, his dad, and I went on a road trip to NYC and NJ. I got to meet Steve's cousins. They are amazing! We stayed 2 nights in Sleepy Hollow, NY and 2 nights with his aunt and uncle in Tenafly, NJ. I have always wanted to see NYC and it was wonderful! Not enough time though! One of my favorites was St. Patrick's Cathedral. This is a pic of Steve lighting a candle for Sarah at St. Patricks. I really enjoyed garage sales in NJ!
Well, you can tell we've been filling our time with activites and it helps to pass the time while there is just 2 of us. We can't wait to share our time with Sarah, but know that each moment we have together now is precious!
Thanks to everyone for their continued support and prayers!

December out of Review!!!!!!!!!!

Woo Hoo!!!
Just a little about review:
Generally speaking, once your dossier has made it through the "review
room" which is actually a department within the China Center for
Adoption Affairs, you can assume that they had no questions or
concerns or require further information from the adoptive family and
now you are just waiting to be matched with a child.

So, one more hurdle we've crossed to Sarah! Steve and I were both really excited to hear this wonderful news Monday morning (Sept 18)!!

Happy Father's Day, Honey!

Steve,
Happy Father's-to-Be Day! We are soon going to be parents and I know you will be such a wonderful father! I am blessed to be your wife and thank God for you each day!
Sarah is so lucky to have such a fun, lovable daddy waiting for her and loving her already!
All my love,
Julie

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

You were such an awesome, caring, sweet dad! I sure miss you!!!

Mary Jane Grace 1925-2006

Today is a sad day. Early this morning, my grandmother lost her battle with melanoma. She is in Heaven today and that makes me smile.
She was such a strong woman! She graduated college the day my dad graduated high school. Everyone said I resembled her and my mom always told me that I had her hands. She made the best Thanksgiving dinner! She could talk your ear off.(another thing we had in common) She could play the piano/organ like an angel. She used to love to hear me play my flute in high school. She loved to read, anything!
Mamaw, I sure will miss you! I am sorry that you suffered so much in these past months but am thrilled that you are now pain-free! I know that you are with Momma and Daddy and I know I'll see you again someday!

Knoxville ChinaMama's Cookout

We had a cookout, Saturday, May 6th, with many of the Knoxville ChinaMama group with spouses and children. What great fellowship we had! It was such a nice evening! Many thanks to Ginger, Jeff and Caleb Cook for hosting us.

Wow, I have some special secret pals!!

Many of you know that I am participating in a few secret pal exchanges with others going through this process. It's kind of a like a drawn out baby shower and it's nice to pass the time buying gifts for someone else along the way.
Well, today I got the gifts from my KnoxChinaMamas group. She sent me the sweetest bear for Sarah, with the Love postage stamp on his t-shirt. I thought I'd add the photo with Tigger checking out the new addition to the family. :) Also, I got a 'princess tiara' silver charm for my charm bracelet. How appropriate!! I can wear it and think of my little 'princess' waiting to come home.
I hope my secret pals out there know how much I appreciate their kindness!!!
That's not all!!!
Over the weekend, I opened a package from my DecDTC Yahoo group and the theme was 'Lucky Ladybugs.' Inside there was a precious ladybug basket, which will be perfect for Sarah's first Easter next year!!! Also, there were 10 little ladybug die cuts for my scrapbooking, a ladybug pencil sharpener, ladybug shopping list and ladybug post it notes! How adorable! AND, my secret pal handmade the card to go along with it! Thanks so much DecDTC secret pal!!!
I have started a bib swap on my CCAI Dec/Jan DTC group with 16 members. We mail out a bib to 2 people a month and receive 2 bibs a month that way. So, I'll be sure to post photos of the bibs I get!
I love it all! It's such great fun to open these thing with Sarah in mind!

Happy Birthday Honey!

April 4th was Steve's 34th Birthday!

It was been WAAAY too long!

Hello everyone! I guess I've neglected to post here lately, since the wait seems neverending! No one knows when we'll go to China, so maybe I've just been trying to deny it!
Here's what we've been up to:
I went with 3 of the ChinaMamas group to Kristi's mom and dad's cabin/house in Townsend for a scrapbooking spend-the-night! We had a blast! More talking than scrapbooking, but fellowship is so much more fun! The next day we did a little shopping and Kristi and I tackled the Scrapbook Clearance store. Like we need more?!?!? :)
A few weeks ago, we went with my brother's family to our lake cabin for a little spring cleaning. It was a nice little getaway!
Easter was a great time with family! I'll add a pic here of Amber, Cannon and Lauren, before they began the egg hunt. They're all ready to see their new cousin, Sarah!
Also, Cannon had a very productive day learning to ride his bike without training wheels! Great job, Cannon!
I've slowly began trying to work on my wedding scrapbooks and one for this adoption journey. Hopefully, tomorrow Holley and I will get a little more done!
Also, we have decided to close our Walden's Landing Tool One on May 1st. It's a hard decision, but the best we feel at this time. Soon after, Steve will be leaving with his dad and brother to NY for 2-4 weeks. They will be doing a remodeling job that will take a while. I sure will miss him, but hey, the money will be worth it!!
Well, that's enough about us for now!
Just please keep us and Sarah in your prayers! We know that God will watch over us during this wait and bring her to us when the time is perfect!

Prayers appreciated

I just found out that my grandmother was put in the hospital today. She has cancer and her health has been declining rapidly.
If you are the praying kind of person, I would so appreciate your sending up prayers for both Mary Jane and Joe Grace. They live in Jackson, TN and I hate being so far away, especially at times like these.
I am planning on going for a visit next Friday and staying for the weekend. I just know that I need to be there with them.

Travel Packet #1 and LID 2 months already!!

I can't believe it's been 2 months since we've been logged in! How cool is that?!? So far, time seems to have flown by! Let's pray that keeps up!
Also, CCAI sent us our Travel Packet #1 today and it's full of nice info about traveling to China. Woo Hoo!!!
I just thought I'd share the great news with all of you.

Waiting and waiting and waiting....

Here's something someone posted on one of my Yahoo Groups that I thought was just how we who are waiting for our children feel!

Waiting…The feeling of limbo, not exactly torture but certainly purgatory; the Wait for a child is like being caught between heaven and hell. It is a time filled with emotions and nerves on edge, and yet it is a time of hope, of promise, of expectation. It is a time pregnant with possibility…and yes, it is indeed a pregnancy…for at the end of this long Wait, we give birth, if not to a baby, then to our dream, to our family. It is hard to let go and sit back, allowing the control of your life to be handled by someone half a world away...It is hard to let go of your feelings and watch as other families begin their lives together. It is hard to let go of your dreams and hopes and lay them on the doorstep of someone, of fate, of destiny…to let go and allow the world to continue, while you Wait, counting the days, the weeks, the months...the minutes, until the Wait is no more, and the reality of the possibilities becomes just that, reality.But you do…you do…somehow…because you know in your heart. You do not waiver, you remain steady, waiting in the knowledge of what is possible…your daughter or son…your family…your life together. It requires patience, but that which is worthwhile is sometimes created slowly. And so we wait with certainty…knowing that this time, this time, our prayers will be answered."

Bonnie Ward, Love's Journey, publisher: Love Without Boundaries, 2004.

I can't wait to see my husband as a Daddy

Here is a pic of Steve with our friends' daughter, Lydia. She absolutely loves Steve. She goes up to him and kisses and hugs him. She says, "Come on, Steve" when she wants him to follow her.
It's adorable and I love it!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here is the gift I got Steve today for Valentine's Day. It's a GIANT fortune cookie with a personalized wish inside--You will soon be BLESSED with a daughter from CHINA!

Let's hope it's soon and this time next year, we'll be celebrating with Sarah!

We celebrated tonight with dinner at the Mandarin House with Debbie, Steve Sr., Mike, Helen, Amber and Cannon! Thanks Debbie and Steve!

The Brown Envelope Came!!!!

Our Brown Envelope came yesterday! The brown envelope is from the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China and included our Visa paperwork for Sarah and more paperwork that we will take with us to China. It's just one more confirmation that they have approved our adoption and are awaiting our trip! Yippee!!!

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.
The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.
The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.
The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year's Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. The communal feast called "surrounding the stove" or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations.
http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/chinese_new_year.html
Check out the link above for more info about Chinese New Year!

Officially a LID (Log In Date)

We are thrilled!!!! I had seen a bunch of LID's being posted today from CCAI and was hoping, hoping, hoping ours would be here soon.
So, our official date to count down from is 12/29/05, just before the new year!! I was hoping it was going to be a Dec. date and I was right!!!
I thought I'd add a picture of our 'ultrasound.' Hope you like it!