Yet Another Post

Sorry, I am alittle post happy tonight. I have been meaning to do this one for awhile but kept forgetting. I stole this from someone else's blog. Her words describe exactly how I feel. The funny thing is I had even went to the park that day and I was doing the exact thing. She just words it much better than me.
From Elle's blog:
While I watched all of this transpire I couldn’t help myself doing a little comparing. Most moms sit around and compare their children. Not me. I sat around and compared myself to all the other moms. I was dressed nice, yet comfortably. I had remembered to brush my hair and of course I wore a pair of cute tennis shoes. For all my work at making myself look presentable, I still compared myself to them. Why? They each had a friend. Two moms sitting here or there. An obvious play group having lunch on a blanket. “Hi Betty,” or “Hi Susan,” when someone new arrived. Where was I? Sitting alone on a bench.

Frankly, I’m jealous. Sure it is easy to say look in the paper and find a play group. Or take your child here or there. But I’m socially awkward. Really. I have such a hard time making friends. I lack the ability to start a conversation. I would love to have a girlfriend that lives down the street or within a short distance.

I’ll keep trying. We’ll make regular trips to the park and the pool. Hopefully I’ll make a friend when preschool starts. Who knows. Anyone want to move to my neighborhood?

The Brown Envelope

We received the Brown Envelope a couple of days ago. In the adoption community it is exciting to receive but it really means nothing. It is the paperwork we need to take to China with us. It is saying that they are expecting us. The reason it really doesn't mean anything is because not everyone gets their packet before leaving. The guide in China can get new forms for you. Nonetheless it is just nice getting it. It makes it seem more real.

Some Good News

I really needed some good news today. I wasn't going to post about this until we actually had them but we got some more news that changed my mind. We heard that the contact in China received the cameras back from the orphanage. Hopefully it won't be long until we see current pictures of our little girl. We just got an email that the orphanage sent a faxed letter to the contact too. I can't wait to know what it says. We are having it translated. I am hoping it won't be too long until we get the pictures and letter.

We won't know until next week about Mom. She is having a MRI tomorrow and a bone scan on Monday. She may also have water on the brain. We are all praying that the tests will bring good news.

Prayers for my Mom and Dad

Please pray for my Mom and Dad. We found out today that Mom may have bone cancer.We won't know for sure until further testing. Needless to say Dad is very upset. Please keep them in your prayers. I attached a picture of the two of them from my wedding. The picture is in my wedding video but I don't know if anyone actually got to see that or not. The picture actually makes me sad. Mom used to be so vibrant and full of life. If only I could turn back time.

Package arriving in China details

Sorry after posting the post below I decided I would feel bad if I didn't post how our package arrived in China.

Delivered Abroad CHINA PEOPLES REP 05/20/07 11:30am

Arrived Abroad CHINA PEOPLES REP 05/18/07 7:47pm

International Dispatch KENNEDY AMC 05/15/07 11:08am

Enroute JAMAICA NY 11499 05/15/07 11:06am

Enroute RALEIGH NC 27623 05/14/07 4:36pm

Acceptance APEX NC 27502 05/14/07 12:09pm

Package arrived

We finally recieved news that our package arrived. Below is the path it took. I know it interest noone but me but I have to have a record of it. Aren't you glad I forgot to post its path to China?
ER960293164CN

Your item was delivered(City of Longyan) at 2007-05-23 10:30:00
Signed for by：郭玺[值班 　
Timing Site Status
　 2007-05-22 14:40:00 City of Xiamen Posting
　 2007-05-22 17:46:00 City of Xiamen Despatch from Sorting Center
　 2007-05-22 19:56:30 City of Xiamen Arrival at Sorting Center
　 2007-05-22 20:06:12 City of Xiamen Despatch from Sorting Center
　 2007-05-22 20:06:12 City of Xiamen Despatch from Sorting Center
　 2007-05-22 22:20:25 City of Xiamen Arrival at Sorting Center
　 2007-05-23 00:17:26 City of Xiamen Despatch from Sorting Center
　 2007-05-23 08:19:14 City of Longyan Arrival at Sorting Center
　 2007-05-23 09:37:41 City of Longyan Delivery arranged
　 2007-05-23 10:30:00 City of Longyan Delivery

Zachary at the Coca-Cola 600

Zachary had the time of his life. He loved watching the cars turn left for hours. When he came back to the hotel at 1:00 a.m. he had the biggest smile on his face.

Our Anniversary

We had a great dinner last night at a Japanese Steakhouse. We decided we wanted to take the kids since we hadn't been together most of the day. Dallas was out getting my anniversary present so he says. I think it is really for him but we shall see. I will post a picture later. I was hoping for a new pocketbook but his present is a lot nicer if it is indeed for me.

I gave Dallas concert tickets to Brad Paisley later in the summer, the video below that I don't know that anyone but me can see, and I sponsored a child's foster care in China in honor of our anniversary. I will post more information about her when I get it.

Last night Dallas got a call that someone had tickets to Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. I found a free hotel with our Marriot points in Charlotte and told him we should go. So now N,K,J, and I are hanging out at the hotel. We got upgraded to the club level. It is super nice with free snacks and dessert. It has been a nice relaxing day for the 4 of us. I imagine Z and Dallas are having a great time at the race.

I will add a picture of my anniversary present tomorrow once I take one so check back if it is not there yet.

Happy Anniversary!

O.K. Don't know if this movie is going to work or not. I have spent hours and I mean hours trying to figure it out. Check back because if it doesn't work I will replace it with a slide show. Now to the reason the video was made.

Seventeen years ago I married my best friend, Dallas. We had been dating 3 1/2 years and had been planning our wedding for 2 years. Most of you know my Mom picked Dallas out for me at a football game. I introduced Dallas to her and after he left she said he was a nice guy and I should date him. At the time he was dating a friend of mine. Fast forward 2 months Dallas and I were dating and never dated another person. Dallas was so funny when we first start dating. He was so nervous. Mom agreed to let us get married two weeks after I graduated from college. I know now why she insisted on waiting until at least then. It must have been a lot of work for her since I was still away at college.

I remember that day clearly. It was raining that morning. My hairdresser called in sick and I got the worse hairdo ever. I refixed it when I got home. By the time we headed to the church it was a beautiful sunny day. I can still remember walking down the aisle and my Aunt Virginia complementing me. I,also, can still picture Dallas standing at the altar as nervous as when we first started dating. We had a great reception at the Country Club and off to the Holiday Inn for the night. We forgot our goodie boxed in the car at my parents so no dinner for us. The next morning we headed to Jamacia. We had a lot of fun but were ready to come home.

I have now spent over half my life with Dallas. What can I say? He is everything to me. He has given me lots of laughs, fun times, and 4 beautiful children(soon to be 5). I honestly don't know what I would do without him. We were meant to be together. God truly blessed me when Dallas came into my life.

Happy Anniversary

Today marks the 17th anniversary of when K agreed to spend the rest of her life with me. I thank God every day that He found my perfect match, my other half, and shared her with me. Some people go their entire lives and never find that. God allowed us to find it at the right time - not too early, not too late - in His time. I hope that she has enjoyed the last 17 years as much as I have. I can't wait for the rest of the years (ever how many there are). I'll thank God for every one of them.

I Love You, K.

D.

Happy Birthday, Paige!

Happy Birthday, Paige! We hope you have a great day!

Thursdays

Thursdays are usually very good days! Often LOAs(Letter of Acceptance) or as our agency likes to call it SCs(Seeking Confirmation) arrive. None arrived today. They do sometimes come on Fridays,so hopefully they will come tomorrow. I still don't think we will be in this batch but they really need to get through March so us April LIDS(Log in Date) can get ours. Realistically we probably won't receive ours until mid June but oh,how I want to get it sooner.

Blog

This blog started out just as a way to document our adoption. I really miss not having done this for J. It has turned out to be so much more. We now include the daily events in our life and the special occasions. It is a great way to document our lifes. So if I missed your birthday when it was just used for adoption news, don't worry, I will get it next time around. D and I were talking and really like the idea of keeping the blog even after getting Grace. D is going to try and figure out if he can put it all on a CD so we will have it forever.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

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This song is for my mom. My sister and brother-in-law sang it at our wedding in honor of our parents.

Today is my Mom's 66th birthday. Many miles seperate us but my Mom is always close to my heart.

Happy Birthday to my friend, Amy, too! She is the same age as me today!

Mondays

If you ever want to look forward to a Monday - Adopt. In the adoption community Mondays are always a good day. It is a new week and who knows what good news the week may bring. Mondays are always positive days. The whole week is before you and CCAA(Center of Chinese Adoption Affairs)is bound to be working hard to get these children in their families.

Now weekends are the opposite. Once a weekend arrives you know there will be no news until Monday. Weekends become the time you dread. It was the same when we were adopting from Russia. As the weekend gets closer you get a little more discouraged because of the lack of news.

So with today being Monday, I am praying for lots of good news. Not just good news for us(because I am not really expecting it for at least 20 more days)but for all those in the adoption community. I think it is difficult for people not adopting to understand what those who are adopting go through. I read so many sad stories of people struggling to raise enough money to get their child home. The not knowing is really difficult,too, especially once you have seen a photo of your child. Nothing is in your control once the paperwork is turned in to CCAA. Of course nothing in life is really in your control any way. God is in control.

Well, enough rambling for one day. Prayers are going out to all those adopting. I am hoping the groups will be full of great news.

Z's first plane trip

Z and I went to visit MeeMee and DeeDee this weekend. Z was so excited. He had never flown before. He of course wants to know everything about the plane and of course I don't know all the answers. I got very good at saying "You can ask Dad when we get home.".

We had a good time visiting with MeeMee and DeeDee. It breaks my heart everytime I have to leave them again. I wish things were different. It is so hard to be so far away from Mom and Dad. I would like to be able to help out everyday. I feel so helpless when I am in North Carolina. Hopefully this summer I will be able to spend more time there.

Everything happens for a reason, sometimes I just wish I understood the reason. I just have to remember God is in control. One day I will have all the answers.

On a final note, I love Express Jet. It is so nice to be in Jacksonville in an hour and a half. We had lunch in Jacksonville and dinner in North Carolina. It will make travel so much easier.

Mother's Day 2007

Package on its way

We finally got Grace's package mailed on Monday. It is guaranteed to be there by Monday, May 21. It will then be sent to Grace. Hopefully by the end of next week she will have it. Ever wonder what it cost to mail a 7lb 8ounce package to Xiamen, China? Only $55.00. Plus then we had to pay for the contact in Xiamen to mail it to the orphanage. This will probably be the only package we send so it is definitely worth it. It will be nice knowing she has pictures of all of us. We are hoping her foster family will look through the pictures with her often. It will really help when we meet her if she recognizes us from the pictures. We won't be complete strangers.

Grace with Hair

I know it doesn't look like much but it took me over two hours to create this. D gave me Photoshop for Mother's Day. I sure hope I can figure out how to use it. It is very time consuming right now. I think I will like it once I get to used to it. I really want to start digital scrapbooking. I have so many pictures and I would love to make digital scrapbooks of them all.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

I won't get to see my mom this Mother's Day but she will definitely be in my thoughts and prayers. I thank God everyday that my Mom is still here and pray for a miracle. Mom started displaying signs of demenitia about 13 years ago. Over the years it has gotten progressively worse. I miss my Mom so much, she is my best friend. We used to have so much fun shopping and hanging out together. My kids never really got to know the MeeMee I knew. I would have loved for them to really know her and her to know them. I guess that wasn't in God's plan. I am just so thankful she is still here with us. Every time she smiles or laughs it touches our hearts.

Have a Great Day Mom with lots of smiles and laughs! I hope you are having lots of happy thoughts.

Grace's Frog with Sound

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Grace's Care Package

I have almost finished Grace's care package. I just have to sew the frog up. Included in her care package is a blanket, lots of photos, a Cinderella Castle pocketbook with a disney phone, keys,and camera, 3 dresses, a book, a blankie, an adorable doll(Thanks Paige!),a pink and green frog, candy for the foster family, bibs and undershirts for whoever needs them. I went to Build A Bear sound chip. We recorded our voices and I am inserting it in the frog. The amazing thing is that it all fit in the box. It is going to cost a fortune to mail but that's O.K. Grace is worth it.

Hannah Grace FuJia Braxton

That is the name of the day. I found out my great great grandmother's middle name was Hannah(her mother's name was Hannah) and D's grandmother's name was Hannah. We are seriously considering Hannah Grace Fujia. We aren't sure about the FuJia. It is her current name and I just feel bad if we don't use it in her new name. If she chooses to never use it then she can. At least she will have her Chinese name.

I did get some great news. When you have cameras sent with a package you can get camera retrieval if the orphanage agrees. The orphanage agreed and will take pictures of Grace, send them to a person in China, and we will then get them in an email. My guess is it will be about a month but I can't wait. The pictures we have of Grace(or should I say Hannah) were taken almost a year ago. I can't even imagine what she looks like now.

Fuzhou, Fujian

When we pick up Grace we will go to Fuzhou. We do not get to go to her orphanage. Longyan(where Grace is) is an 8 hour bus ride. The good thing is we don't have to make that trip. The bad thing is we will probably not get to meet her foster parents.

We went to our favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner. We started to talking to the lady at the cash register. She is expecting her 3rd son. We explained to her we were adopting a little girl from China. She said all of them there are from Fuzhou. She said it is very nice and has good shopping. They are trying to save enough to buy a house for family there. She said it has become a big city and it would cost 100,000 for a house there. I really wish we could have talked more with her but there was a definite language barrier. We had a difficult time understanding what each other was saying. We will definitely have to take Grace there when we get her. It really is a small world.

Hannah Grace

Now D is stuck on Hannah Grace. He found out his grandmother's name was Hannah. I previously asked him if he liked it and he didn't. I think I might like it but I do like Kayla Grace, too. So on goes the name saga. J's best friend in Florida was Hannah and one of her friends here in NC is Hannah. Maybe it is sign.

Names

Here is our list of names. It really is just my list of names. If it were up to Dallas he would go with Sara Grace or Lily Grace. What do you think?

Kayla Grace
Grace Elizabeth
Lily Grace
Sara Grace
Meilyn Grace
Grace Meilyn
Rebekah Grace
Grace Abigayle
Grace Olivia
Grace Alivia
Caitlin Grace
Katelyn Grace
Isabella Grace
Grace Isabella
Bethany Grace
Grace Fujia
Grace Jia
Gracie Mei
Hannah Grace

Gold Name Translation

We wanted to learn more about Grace's name. The same person who mails packages also does "Gold name Translation." Below is Grace's Gold Name Translation.

Chinese Pinyin

/ / --
Long Fu Jia

Translation of the name:

Long is her last name. It means “dragon”. It can have other meanings, depending on the context. Here are some examples.

(1) If “Long” is used with “Kong”, the phrase “Kong Long” means “dinosaur”.
(2) If “Long is used with “Yan”, the phrase “Long Yan” means “longan”.
(3) If “Long” is used with “Zheng Hu Dou”, the phrase “Long Zheng Hu Dou” means “a fierce struggle between two evenly-matched opponents.”

Fu Jia is her first name. It can be written as Fujia and Fu Jia. Fu means “blessing; good fortune”. It can have other meanings, depending on the context. Here are some examples.

(1) If “Fu” is used with “Li”, the phrase “Fu Li” means “welfare; well-being”.
(2) If “Fu” is used with “Yin”, the phrase “Fu Yin” means “Gospel; good tidings”.
(3) If “Fu” is used with “Xing”, the phrase “Xing Fu” means “happy”.

Jia refers to a kind of musical instrument in Korea. It is a little like an ancient Chinese music instrument called “Zheng.”

Suggested middle name:

I think it is a good idea to use “Fu Jia” as her middle name. It sounds nice. It can mean “happy and blessed”.

Finding Ad

Grace's finding ad

In China when a child is found they have to run a finding ad before the child is available for adoption. Grace's finding ad ran in the newspaper on 12/5/2005. There were about 6 others listed with her. It appears to be the children found in 2005 prior to the above date.

Here is what her ad said:
Ad# 2005G246
On June 20,2005 and abandoned baby girl was found at the main gate of Xinluo District Wefare Institute, Longyan City
A girl
We don't know what her name was
She has a cleft lip
Estimated she was born on March 20, 2005

Package delivered

This is probably only interesting to me but I am going to post it anyway. Grace received her first package from us April 25. Included in it were 2 pictures of us, a couple of cameras,candy for the orphanage and nannies, and a panda bear. We are going to try and ship out another package next week. It will take longer to get there because I want to send some things from here. Anyway, here is the tracking information for Grace's package.

EN213247913CN

　 　 Your item was delivered(City of Longyan) at 2007-04-25 10:10:00
Signed for by：郭玺[员工]

Timing Site Status
　 2007-04-24 15:12:00 City of Xiamen Posting
　 2007-04-24 19:32:18 City of Xiamen Arrival at Sorting Center
　 2007-04-24 20:13:27 City of Xiamen Despatch from Sorting Center
　 2007-04-24 20:13:27 City of Xiamen Despatch from Sorting Center
　 2007-04-24 22:15:11 City of Xiamen Arrival at Sorting Center
　 2007-04-25 00:35:03 City of Xiamen Despatch from Sorting Center
　 2007-04-25 07:55:21 City of Longyan Arrival at Sorting Center
　 2007-04-25 09:15:35 City of Longyan Delivery arranged
　 2007-04-25 10:10:00 City of Longyan Delivery

Grace's report

Grace's Visa picture

This information was taken from the information we received about Grace before we decided to adopt her. Unfortunately the information was from August 2006 so it is a little dated.


She is active, restless, fond of imitation, quick in reaction and extroverted. Sometimes she is impatient. She is a smart and lovely baby. We hope a loving family could adopt her, give her a happy home, provide her with good education and help her grow up healthily and happily. We also hope she would visit Xinluo District Welfare Institute where she was fostered once when she grew up. We wish her happy.


I may add more from this report as time goes on. I need to read it again and decide what we would be good to post and what I shouldn't post.

Grace's Room

We haven't decorated it yet but we do have it painted and a bed in there. The bed was mine when I was a teenager. My parents had it especially made for me. I love it but am concerned it is going too big for Grace. I guess we will wait and see how she does with it. Have I mentioned I love purple. Grace's room is Violet and I just love the color.