Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe

2010-09-02T20:52:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to let you all know that we had Josie's yearly cardiology check up today....it was good news!

Here's the low down:
-she still has a hole(VSD) and a very loud murmur, and it hasn't changed since last year.
-in 90% of cases with kids born with this, the hole will close on its own by age one.
-since her's hasn't yet, it probably won't.
-the left side of her heart is still bigger than the right, but hasn't grown any larger since last year.
-there isn't any damage to her aortic valve, which they've been watching
-since she's growing well and doesn't have any symptoms, we just need to recheck in 2 years.
-will she ever need surgery? hopefully not.

So for now, we're grateful that she's healthy and that such a small hole put her on a list where we could find her.
Plus, I really think Jesus filled that hole for her already:)

Mommy's 40....

2010-08-24T21:15:00.001-04:00

What??? ok, i'm really NOT into numbers, really, it's just a number...but i have to admit it stung, a little. and the kids thought they were hilarious buying me reading glasses, gas-x, metamucil...it was worth it just too see how much they laughed as i opened my presents:)...little stinkers!

First Day of School

2010-08-16T13:11:00.000-04:00

All 4 of my kids started school...Camdyn in 5th, Charlie in 3rd, Jacob in 7th and little Josie is going to preschool 2 days a week. So far, so good:)

Happy 3rd Birthday!!

2010-07-19T07:17:00.000-04:00

I remember a year ago, we all sang to Josie as she blankly stared at us.

Well, this year she celebrated not only with her brother and sisters, but with all of her grandparents and 10 cousins. She opened presents with all the 'ahhh-oooohs' and sang 'Happy Birthday to me' along with us, blew out her candles on her Dora cake...then took a trip to BuildaBear. It was a great day!!!!

Happy One Year, Josie!!

2010-07-06T15:55:00.002-04:00

One year ago today we walked into an office building on the other side of the world and met a very overwhelmed, scared little girl....

so tiny, so quiet

but so brave

looking back, this year has been nothing short of a miracle.

Josie is a smart, loving, very typical almost 3 year old.....

you would think that she has been the one that has been blessed and changed,

but in reality, we know who the lucky ones really are!

Josie, Happy one Year in our family!

We can't imagine our lives without you!

Jacob's Confirmation

2010-06-15T07:17:00.001-04:00

2010-05-28T07:34:00.000-04:00

our life in pictures

2010-04-14T11:18:00.006-04:00

our first Chinese New Year

the zoo, where when seeing most animals she said 'i don't like it'

jacob turned 12!

camdyn turned 10!

easter...

spring break...

guess who finally got a big girl bed?

we've been busy and loving life with Josie! she continues to crack us up and is a very typical 2 year old, which we love:)

a few favorite pics

2009-12-23T08:30:00.003-05:00

lazy days are my favorite!

i seem to always put my kids on our stairs to take pictures...i think because everyone has less room to escape:)

the girls helping with Thanksgiving cooking!Camdyn and Charlie convinced Josie to wear some boots.....

but her favorite choice is always flip flops....usually without the socks....

my kids are all about 'forts' in fact over Thanksgiving week they built one in the playroom and slept there all week. Grandma just gave Josie a tent, but it's already been taken over by the older girls:)

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY...

2009-11-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

i opened an email with the subject 'would you be interested...' and went on to say
'in a girl with a birthday 7/19/07? her file says CHD(congenital heart disease) If so, i can email you a picture'
my heart leaped inside my chest and i immediately emailed back to say YES, please send the picture......and our life was changed.....

and we waited and waited and other families traveled and sent us more pictures.....

we waited 7 1/2 months until we could meet. Josie's story of her first two years are just that, her story, her journey. as she grows, i hope and pray that she stays confident in who she is, that she knows that God was intentional in His plan for her life, that He whispers to her exactly what she needs to hear.

because there is no doubt that this little girl was placed in our arms, our family and she is exactly where she belongs......

candy O.D. aka Halloween

2009-11-09T12:32:00.001-05:00

3 months ago...

2009-10-06T13:23:00.000-04:00

We were meeting Josie for the first time....oh, how she has changed:)

just to clarify....

2009-09-23T14:37:00.003-04:00

about her newest acrobatic act. When I put her down for a nap, I crack her door since her room is so close to the kitchen. I walked by her room and heard whimpering and found her on the floor so I made a big deal out of it, poor Josie fell out of her crib:) I put her down an hour later and cracked her door, headed for the kitchen and turned around and she was peeking at me through her door...but when she saw me, she closed it:) That's when I set up the camera to see just how she was getting out. SO, now what? We do have a twin bed waiting to be donated to us from my sister in law, but she's SO little.

(and thankfully, the crib was given to us, it is our 4th kid, we don't buy new any more:)

Caught in the act....

2009-09-21T13:32:00.007-04:00

She just learned this new trick today and little did she know that Mommy set up a hidden camera...

Praise the Lord!

2009-09-16T11:35:00.003-04:00

We had Josie's cardiologist appointment yesterday and I'll give you the highlights in non-medical terms:

-she does have a hole in her heart(VSD) that sounds and feels loud, but is small-medium in size

-the left side of her heart is bigger than the right and is bigger than 98% of kids her age

-IF the left side continues to grow, she will need to have the hole closed (open heart surgery) BUT the doctor is guessing this won't happen

-she needs no treatment, no medications and he said to treat her like a healthy 2 year old and not to even think about her heart again until her next appt. in ONE YEAR.

SO, all this anticipation for her 'special need' and she needs no treatment. She is simply perfect, and perfect for us. Thank you, Lord!

Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song!

2 months ago....

2009-09-06T20:24:00.000-04:00

we met this little beauty for the first time.....

no words....

2009-09-02T21:10:00.000-04:00

2009-08-19T16:13:00.006-04:00

A few great things about Josie's personality:

-yells 'Mom' to get my attention when everyone is trying to talk to me at once

-runs to hide under the coffee table to tease me when she needs her diaper changed

-is very neat, hates her hands messy and cleans up after each meal

-loves to line up her toys

-loves, i mean loves all animals

-waves her finger and yells to help me discipline her brother and sisters

-loves to cuddle and still lets us hold her and feed her a bottle

-gives out lots of hugs and kisses to us

-hates any clothes longer than her elbows or knees, will push them up as high as possible

-gets wound up and crazy as soon as Daddy gets home from work

-reminds me each morning and night to brush her teeth

-tries hard to mimic every word we say and even gets some of them right

-has the greatest laugh

Seriously, it amazes me each day how much she has changed in 6 weeks and how it seems she has always been a part of our family, but then again, that's God. He hand picked her just for us.

2009-08-14T12:10:00.002-04:00

This is what i get to look at most of my days....and i love it!

we meet with the cardiologist mid September....please pray that Josie will not need surgery. we've been told that her heart does not 'sound good', but obviously more tests will confirm what is going on. for now, we are loving playing with her before all of her appointments begin...

2009-08-08T21:10:00.004-04:00

I look at these statistics and my heart aches. Surely, God is aligning my heart with His.

If you are at all interested in adoption, or specifically special needs adoption, I'd love to chat....

It is estimated there are between 143 million and 210 million orphans worldwide (recent UNICEF report.)

The current population of the United States is just a little over 300 million… to give you an idea of the enormity of the numbers… (The current population of Russia is 141 million)

Every day 5,760 more children become orphans

2,102,400 more children become orphans every year in Africa alone

Every 15 seconds, another child in Africa becomes an AIDS orphan

There are an estimated 14 million AIDS orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa (a number higher than the total of every under-eighteen year old in Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Ireland combined)

This figure is estimated to reach 18 million orphans in Africa alone by 2010 (only two and a half years away)

8 out of 10 children orphaned by AIDS lives in sub-saharan Africa

Approximately 250,000 children are adopted annually, but…

Each year 14, 505, 000 children grow up as orphans and age out of the system by age sixteen

Each day 38,493 orphans age out

Every 2.2 seconds another orphan ages out with no family to belong to and no place to call home

In Russia and the Ukraine, studies have shown that 10% – 15% of these children commit sucide before they reach age eighteen

These studies also show that 60% of the girls become prostitutes and 70% of the boys become hardened criminals

Another Russian study reported that of the 15,000 orphans aging out of state-run institutions every year, 10% committed suicide, 5,000 were unemployed, 6,000were homeless and 3,000 were in prison within three years…

One Month

2009-08-06T21:36:00.004-04:00

One month ago today we met little miss Josie....i read about a hundred stories of how much she would change, i thought i was prepared, but i have to admit that those first few days were rough. she was so shut down, so scared...and then she slowly started to show us her personality. since we've been home she's become a very typical 2 year old....climbs on everything, has figured out how to open the pantry and get her own snacks, runs around the house with all of her toys, has her tantrums, and we are loving every minute of getting to know her. we can not imagine our lives without her....we are truly blessed!

here are just a few pics of bath time tonight:)

St. Augustine Beach

2009-08-05T23:17:00.004-04:00

We had our 3rd annual family beach weekend on the Walker side and let me tell you...there were a lot of kids! Josie did great, kept on schedule and loved the beach as long as there was an animal to run after....dog, bird, it didn't matter. Her cousins were her very own paparazzi and proud to tell anyone who would listen that she 'just came from China':)

here are a few of my favorite pics:

Keeping it real...

2009-07-29T08:02:00.002-04:00

As much as Joe and I love Josie and have known since we saw her picture that she's our daughter, we have realized that we need to parent her differently than our first three. Having an adoptive child is different, not in our hearts of course, but certainly in Josie's....for now.

I found this post from another adoptive parent and thought she explained it great!

As strange as it may seem, adopted children who act very outgoing and affectionate with strangers is not a healthy thing. It is called "indiscriminate affection" and can mean that they haven't really attached to anyone. It would not be a good sign that our baby has attached to us if during her first months home she will let just anyone take her and hold her without searching for us. Joe and I have to be sure that Josie will not go to practically anyone. In one of the books we are reading it states that when parents see their child seeking attention indiscriminately, they need to intervene quickly, firmly, and kindly. This behavior is pure and simple her using survival skills. From our observations, Josie is acting mostly out of pure survival. She craves attention and most likely is fearful of being abandoned or having her life change YET again. We have no idea what she has endured during her short life. But we do know that how we interact with her and what we allow others to do will impact her future and hopefully she will blossom into a healthy child both emotionally and physically.

In the book we are reading now it tells you how to establish relationships. Josie needs to learn and must be taught who her parents are and who will ultimately be the one she can rely on. It suggests the following interactions:

Parents and Siblings ~ hugging, kissing, sitting on lap
Extended Family ~ Blowing kisses, sitting close but not on lap
Friends ~ Shaking hands, sitting nearby
Acquaintances ~ Waving, but not touching
Strangers ~ Nodding, keeping near parents, no touching

love you all!

julie

Funny Girl

2009-07-27T20:31:00.000-04:00

Water Baby...

2009-07-25T12:46:00.002-04:00

Josie is fitting right in....she thinks she can swim and being in Florida, we spend a lot of time at the pool. We are getting on a great routine, she goes to bed around 8:30, wakes up about 7 and takes a two hour nap. In between, she is hysterical, loves to play and chase the kids around. I'm a lucky mommy!

Happy Birthday, Josie!

2009-07-19T07:41:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Josie's first birthday with us today. She had a very small family party (just us) and was overwhelmed with the entire process...so we sang to her, blew out her candles and opened her presents while she watched. I can't wait to see the difference in a year. She is definitely a 2 year old with the little temper tantrums to go with it:) Jacob, Camdyn and Charlie are great with her, I'm so proud of how sweet and patient they are....and really excited to get on with living life with all of my kids together.

2009-07-18T12:23:00.004-04:00

We arrived home to a house full of presents and food, not to mention all of the sweet presents we received at the airport and the special cookie delivery. We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful family and great friends. Here are a few pics of the first 24 hours home.....

WE MADE IT!!

2009-07-18T11:34:00.003-04:00

After 25 hours of traveling, we arrived safe and sound in Orlando!! We were completely overwhelmed by our greeting at the airport...over 30 of our family and friends were waiting with signs and hugs and a lot of cameras. We stepped off of the tram and I could hear the cheers. It really was incredible to have so many people there to meet Josie. (But the prize for the farthest drive goes to my sister Erica, who drove down from NC with her boys:) My kids ran up to give her hugs and they haven't been separated since. I don't have any airport pictures yet, but will definitely post them when I get them. Here are a few pics of Josie's journey home...looks rough, huh?

US Consulate and Train to Hong Kong

2009-07-15T10:48:00.003-04:00

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's true. After 3 days of 'Mr. Toad's Viral Ride' I am more than able, and truthfully just plain ready, to escort my lovely wife and our new daughter home! We made it to the US Consulate, took the oath, grabbed her US Visa, and the oh so important 'brown envelope' for US immigration stateside and bolted for the train station. The train ride was not bad, only 2 1/2 hours and was fairly comfortable. Of note, considering my fun filled days of late, is that they were performing temperature scans again at the train station in Hong Kong. Haven't had a fever since last night, but you can imagine our concern on the ride over. Of course while in the cattle line for immigration at the HK station they pull me aside (not Julie!?) and took my temp. All clear thank God! So from the comfort of our airport hotel in HK I write my sincerest thanks to all who have prayed for us along the way. Your love and support has meant the world to us. It's been an incredible journey, one filled with wild swings, but I would do it exactly the same way again to bring this little beauty home. We really look forward to seeing all of you soon!

Posted a video on the shutterfly site of Josie on the train.

All our love,

Joe and Julie

2009-07-14T22:02:00.001-04:00

Goodbye Guangzhou!

Today we head to the US Consulate to pick up Josie's passport and visa and then straight to the train station. We leave for Hong Kong tonight and catch an early morning flight to JFK then HOME on Thursday!!

Thankfully, Joe is feeling well enough to travel, but it's been a rough 5 days.

Jake, Cam, and Char...we're almost there!! Love you!

Serious Cuteness!

2009-07-13T09:20:00.004-04:00

Traditional Red Couch Pictures

2009-07-13T09:13:00.000-04:00

2009-07-13T00:33:00.001-04:00

For my praying friends....Joe has had a fever and been in bed for the
past 36 hours.....please pray that he is well soon and that Josie and
I do not catch it.....thankfully, no more official appointments until
Wed. afternoon.... much love. Julie

2009-07-12T09:13:00.001-04:00

It's Sunday night here and all I can say is..what a difference a week makes! Josie has changed before our eyes since Monday. She has a favorite pair of shoes already and puts them on by herself, if we take them off she cries. And I brought linking rings for her to play with, but she'd rather wear them as bracelets...such a girl! She loves her magnadoodle and sits and looks through books. She will mess up all of her toys and then line them up in a row. She sleeps with her 'little people' cow and sheep, one in each hand. She has a great sense of humor and will smile and giggle. She is finally feeding herself and doing a great job at learning how to chew...no more mush for meals:) It has been beyond what we could have imagined on Monday, she is such a doll and we have loved catching up on all of the spoiling!

Here are a few pics from the last two days. They've been pretty low key, no appointments. Saturday we went to a buddist temple (not our choice) and then shopping. Today Josie and I met our friends Julia and Victoria again. They wanted to treat us to the zoo (think disney in july with no rides). But, it was great to get to see them one more time.

I'm definitely ready to head home. Jake, Cam and Char...Josie is going to love you!!

Julie

2009-07-10T13:47:00.001-04:00

Guangzhou Friday July 10

We had a fantastic day with Josie today. We were free of appointments, so we went for a stroll on Shamian Island, did a little shopping, had a relaxing lunch and spent time in the hotel room just playing with Josie. She really opened up today and began initiating play with us. The best news is that she started to show her personality and laughed / smiled a lot today, which you can view in two new videos we posted on our shutterfly site today. We also added additional pictures along with the videos. We hope you enjoy seeing Josie laughing and giggling as much as we did!

Joe

2009-07-10T09:38:00.002-04:00

Guangzhou Thur July 9

Hello family and friends! Today we visited Josie's orphanage in Dongguan City. We've included a couple of pictures of the outside of the orphanage as well as the the outside of the hospital and 'fever clinic' (sign with red writing) where Josie was found, about 30 min south of the orphanage. It was definitely a moving experience in that we had the opportunity to basically see the parking lot area where they believe Josie was found.

After our visit our guide took us to her home to have dinner. We've included a few pictures of Molly, her husband Joe, and our driver 'John' (the American name we gave him). Best meal we've had since we've been here. As before, we posted more photos of the day on our shutterfly site if you're interested (www.josieenhui.shutterfly.com).

Again, thanks for your support. We love and miss all of you.

Joe and Julie

2009-07-08T11:37:00.003-04:00

Guangzhou Wed July 8

Today we took Josie on a stroll through the pet alley and herbal medicine / spice marketplace. She really perked up when she saw the animals, especially the cats. The herbal marketplace was quite interesting. Many unusual things (at least to American eyes) for sale.....dried roots, large mushrooms, animals (snakes, goat hooves, lizards on a stick, seahorses, etc..). Pretty strange to us, but a lot of fun to see!

Afterward, we had an appointment with the police department to complete the paperwork for Josie's Chinese passport. We then took her to the medical clinic for a checkup so we could gain clearance for her US Visa. The local physician suggested that we take Josie to see our stateside pediatrician and surgeon to have her VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect ....heart murmur) surgically repaired. Obviously it has been our plan all along to consult our doctors when we arrive home, but we kindly ask for prayer that she will not need medical intervention. It is our prayer that she will grow out of it.

We have posted a few pictures to document our day on the blog; however, please feel free to go to our shutterfly account to see the videos of the market (www.josieenhui.shutterfly.com) as well as additional pictures of the day. It was really fun to see Josie's reactions to the cats. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Thanks for your support, prayers, and love!

Joe and Julie

2009-07-08T08:32:00.001-04:00

God Is Good!

In just 24 hours, Josie is starting to open up. She still has her sad times, but is easily distracted and will let both Joe and I comfort and love her. She is so sweet and much smaller than I expected, I brought 18 month size clothes and a few 12 month, but even the 12 month shorts are big. We've been kept busy and she is loving being on the go, which will be great when we get home. Not much time to sit around with a big brother and 2 big sisters. We are so thankful for all of our friends and family's prayers...as you can see, they have been answered and then some:) We are really enjoying our time, but can't wait for all of you to meet her!

Jake, Cam and Char...we miss you like crazy!!!

2009-07-07T08:37:00.001-04:00

Guangzhou Tues July 7

It's official....at least from the perspective of the Chinese government. Today we returned to the civil affairs office to meet with the registration officer and the notary. Afterward our guide, Molly, took us to a local supermarket so we could get some goods for Josie. Of course being eternally 13, I had to take a picture of the escalator. It is flat like a conveyer belt and is magnetized to hold the shopping cart while you go up and down from floor to floor. Really cool! Need that in the US along with kids shoes that are magnetic so they stay put!

Later this week, Molly will take us to Josie's former home, Dongguan City, to visit her 'finding site' and the outside of the orphanage. Afterward, Molly invited us to her home for dinner. She says her husband is a great cook. We really are fortunate to have her as her guide. She's been phenomenal!

We have our official appointment with the US consulate the beginning of next week, at which time we apply for her visa and complete the paperwork for her US citizenship.

Joe

2009-07-06T09:41:00.006-04:00

Guangzhou Monday July 6

The day finally arrived....we have Josie! The process was very smooth and we are thrilled! Josie is doing well, but she is very quiet as she appears very overwhelmed with the changes. The next few days will be spent one on one with her mainly in the hotel room just getting acquainted and running around to various government appointments to round out the formalities. Attached are some pictures from our first meeting. Look forward to sharing more pictures of our new beautiful girl in the coming days.

Joe

2009-07-05T15:35:00.007-04:00

Guangzhou Sunday, July 5

Last day before we meet Josie! We had a busy day. A friend of the Loftins (church / hometown friends), put us in touch with their friend, Julia, who is a practicing OB/GYN in Guangzhou. She and her 5yo daughter, Victoria, attended church with us today and then showered us with hospitality as their guests. Julia treated us to lunch, genuine Chinese style (no PF Chang's around here for sure) and then took us to Guangzhou's largest park. The Zhenhei Tower (built in 1380) and the Statue of the Five Goats reside here. This symbol of a herd of five goats is based on the myth of the city's foundation. From the top of the hill and tower we were able to see a good portion of the city as well as a local soccer game in the neighboring stadium (treat!). The remainder of the day was spent shopping for a stroller for Josie, rest and then a stroll before bed. See attached pictures. By the way, the picture with an image of Bruce Lee was a must for me....huge fan of his as a kid.

The picture with the guys in front of our hotel was just for fun. They were peddling hair cuts, and based on the "blond's" style my decision to decline was swift!

We cannot wait to get Josie tomorrow and look forward to sharing with you.

Joe

2009-07-04T00:53:00.003-04:00

Guangzhou 12:30p local time

We're finally settled into the hotel in downtown Guangzhou. Arrived around midnight Friday after some delays once we were on the ground. It appears that someone 5 rows behind us had a high fever, so the guys in the funny white suits had to swab the person's throat. Fortunately for us we were beyond the 3 row zone from them (only by 2....whew!). All travelers within that range of that row were given orders regarding quarantine. I've attached some pictures documenting the team checking our temperatures. No delays after that, though. All bags

arrived and we made it through customs without incident. Also attached are pictures of the

area just outside our hotel. Oh yeah, and a picture of a public restroom that Julie couldn't

resist sharing with you. I'll video the surrounding area during the next two days of free time

and publish another post.

Stay tuned.......

Almost there!

2009-07-03T08:18:00.003-04:00

Right before we landed in HK....first time business class travelers.....awesome for rest
In the lounge at JFK waiting to board flight to HK
Flight home will look a little different with Josie on Julie's lap!
Just another view of our little pods....pretty cool!

Well it's 8:20p Hong Kong time. Just got off a 15 1/2 hour flight from JFK. Little tired, but ready to roll on to Guangzhou. We depart HK 9:50p. By the time we land, get luggage, make it through immigration and to the hotel I'm certain I won't need that Ambien I brought with me. Until later.....Joe

Waiting for their little sis...

2009-07-01T15:12:00.007-04:00

Today Jacob, Camdyn and Charlie headed to Tampa for two weeks of serious spoiling and fun with their grandparents and cousins....i know they're going to have a blast, but it still hurts since we're leaving to go so far away!

Also, thank you for these, my friends:

Ps. 121: 7-8 The Lord will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life. The Lord will watch over your coming & going both now & forever more.

Ps. 139:9-10 "If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast".

2009-06-30T22:40:00.001-04:00

For those of you who want to meet us at the airport when we return....and you're all invited:)

Thursday, July 16th Jet Blue #153 from JFK...arrival at 7:35pm

Can't wait to be back!

Umm...how much does one little girl need for 2 weeks?

2009-06-29T10:51:00.004-04:00

The two big sisters...getting excited for their trip to Tampa!

So one week from today we'll have Josie! I was telling my sisters that I am overly emotional, my head hurts, my back hurts, i have way too many things to get done before we leave...and they said, yeah, that's exactly how you were at the end of all of your pregnancies...

China Itinerary

2009-06-27T08:38:00.002-04:00

Thurs, July 2 depart Orlando
Fri, July 3 Arrive in Guangzhou

Sat, July 4 Free day

Sun, July 5 Free day

Mon, July 6 Go to the Guangdong adoption Center and receive your child

Tues, July 7 Begin adoption procedure (registration & notary)

Wed, July 8 Receive registration certificate and apply for passport

Thur, July 9 Free day

Fri, July 10 Free day

Sat, July 11 Complete medical examination

Sun, July 12 Free day

Mon, July 13 Get all paperwork and passport back, Prepare paperwork for ACS;

Tues, July 14 ACS Appointment at 10:00am

Wed, July 15 Take Oath at ACS and receive visa late in the day (approx 6:00pm);

Take a train to HK

Thur, July 16 Arrive HOME

After two years of dreaming....

2009-06-24T12:25:00.008-04:00

We leave next Thursday, July 2nd!!

We'll have Josie in our arms on Monday July 6th!

We'll return Thursday July 16th.

Our agency is sending an official itinerary later today.

WOOOHOOO!

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.

1 Samuel 1:27

this was the first picture we saw of Josie...back in November.

Guess where we're headed?

2009-06-19T14:49:00.002-04:00

We got an email from our agency that we received Travel Approval(TA) yesterday. We have to wait until Monday until we know our travel dates...but are hoping to leave on July 2nd! That's less than 2 weeks!!!!

2009-06-17T21:39:00.002-04:00

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!" (Is. 30:18)

We're getting ready....

2009-06-16T09:32:00.002-04:00

to leave as soon as we have approval. We have our visas and are still hoping to leave before her birthday. In the meantime, it's summer as usual including camps, swimming and trips to the beach:)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered...

2009-05-26T19:45:00.003-04:00

She's ours! We received our LOA, the long awaited letter from China, today via FedEx from our agency. We signed it in no time flat and sent it on its way. Whew, that was a LONG wait. Our next step is to wait for travel approval(TA) from China. Our agency predicts 2-4 weeks but with the swine flu scare, it has taken some families longer, so we're excited but not holding our breath yet. I told our agency rep that I REALLY want to get her by her birthday, July 19th. She said it is very possible.

Now, I get to put together the long lists of things I need to pack and get our visas...yeah! We're coming, Josie!

A little glimpse....

2009-05-20T09:50:00.002-04:00

2009-05-19T15:59:00.003-04:00

Thursday will be 6 months since we first saw Josie.....we are ready to go bring her home!

Unfortunately, we are STILL waiting.... I can tell you that this is way more emotionally painful than childbirth:)

COME ON LOA!

2009-05-03T18:05:00.003-04:00

Still waiting for our letter from China that officially says she's ours. The average wait is 90 days, we're at 107. After several phone calls, our case was in the wrong place. I knew it! Now that it is fixed, we need to wait for one more signature and then they'll send it. Until then, I dream of meeting this sweet little face....we're coming Josie!

No, we're not traveling yet....

2009-04-06T18:14:00.005-04:00

I should have a shirt with that saying on it, but even if I have to answer 'no, not yet', I still love when people ask because then I get to talk about Josie.....

Even though we have no LOA yet, we have been lucky enough to get updates. Some from wonderful 'yahoo' friends who have been SO nice and checked on our little girl while they we're in China picking up their little ones and a few new pictures from our agency. Yes, the waiting is HARD. But God's timing is still perfect and I know it won't be too much longer until she's a part of our family.

Enjoy the pics....she is 30 inches and 21.5 pounds.

Josie

2009-03-09T10:00:00.007-04:00

It has been TOO long since my last post...but in the adoption world, things are always changing.

All of our paperwork was finally completed and sent over to China on 12-22, but for some reason it took a long time to get logged in. So our 'official' log in date(LID) is 1-16. What does this mean? Well, it means we get to start the clock from that date in waiting for the official approval from China(LOA). Typically, it takes about 90 days. After that we wait for travel approval and THEN we finally travel. A LOT of waiting.

In the meantime, our adoption agency closed its international division and we've been transferred to another agency. So, I'm hoping that doesn't add more time to the wait...

AND, we moved. Ok, only 5 miles from our old house, but with the amount of work it may as well have been across the country. We've been settling in and slowly unpacking. Which, of course, meant we had to update our home study.

But, I'm sure really all you wanted were all the adorable new updated pictures of our little girl.

So here are a few more of Josie EnHui...

Our little sweetheart....

2008-12-04T15:04:00.005-05:00

'All of God's grace in one sweet little face'.

This is the latest picture of our little baby girl. She is waiting for us in southern China. We received our official preapproval from China today...so we are just waiting for our last document from immigration to arrive and then we can send off all of the paperwork. Come on...we are ready to leave yesterday!!!! Still no 'American' name. Her Chinese name is Qian En Hui and she was born July 19, 2007. We are in love!

B-L-E-S-S-E-D!

2008-11-26T09:43:00.004-05:00

I am overjoyed and extremely excited to share with you the news that our family has been blessed with the referral of a little girl waiting for us in China. I know many of you have shared this journey with us and have been praying for us and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your support. It has meant so much more than you'll ever know!

We are still waiting for an 'official' preapproval so I can't share many details, except that she is absolutely beautiful and about 16 months old.

We have some more paperwork we are waiting for, but hope to have her home in the spring.

We are especially thankful this Thanksgiving!

2008-11-20T20:41:00.002-05:00

So sorry for no news update....but it seems like with adoption you might as well be an elephant, you know, pregnant forever.
So here it goes:
#1 paperwork: yes, with China we had to destroy another small forest for all of the required documents. i think i just signed a form saying that i would donate a kidney if they would approve us...hehe. seriously, we have almost everything authenticated and ready to go. just waiting on our 'change of country' to be approved by the good ole USA gov't....should be any day.

#2 matching. we were told that about 100-200 files are added each month in the middle of the month. have they added any yet this month? no! so we wait to see if we will be matched this month, if not, maybe we'll be looking at a Christmas surprise. after matching, travel in 6 or so months.
So that's the deal.....

I've been tagged

2008-10-12T17:23:00.004-04:00

My adoption blogger friend Jennifer tagged me (http://ourlittledumplings.blogspot.com/).

I'm supposed to reveal 7 weird or random facts about myself....let's see, I can't think of weird so let's go with random:

1)when i was in college i worked at a frozen yogurt store(not that weird) and one day the Red Hot Chili Peppers came in to ask for directions(my one brush with fame)

2)my feet look just like my dad's so i have to keep my toenails painted

3)i started wearing a bra in 6th grade and walked in on the first day of school and some boy named david announced that i grew boobs over the summer(i still need therapy for that one)

4)i can't carry a tune at all but love to sing

5)i just received a plaque in the mail yesterday from FSU with my maiden name on it and 'meto conference women's swimming championship' 1990/1991, and a note saying 'sorry this is 17 years late'

6)i love being at the beach at sunset

7)i have 4 sisters, 1 sister-in-law and 13 nieces and nephews....can you say FUN family reunions...

I now have to tag 7 people:

http://www.blogfortheloveofpete.com/

http://hellomynameisdrama.blogspot.com/

http://thewoodard4.blogspot.com/

http://sellersfamily5.blogspot.com/

http://steveandrandel.blogspot.com/

ok, so i only tagged 5....

2008-10-08T19:34:00.002-04:00

The updated homestudy is completed so soon I will forward it to immigration and wait for approval:) All of the other 11 documents are already authenticated and have been delivered to our agency's office. So......we are making progress, only 2 documents left and were finished with this part!

2008-09-20T08:03:00.005-04:00

Did you notice anything new in the header?....that's right, we've switched our journey to China. I think all along we knew that's where she was, our little girl, so the past year was just part of our story to find her. What have we been up to these past few weeks? Well, since everything in our paperwork blizzard is a year old, we've had to start from square one. We have new birth certificates, marriage certificate, physicals(and China requires bloodwork), police clearances, employment letters, and oh yes, the home study. So at this point, we have 11 documents on their way to be authenticated and we are just waiting for our home study update to be completed and our immigration approval. I'm told we can just apply for a 'change of country' through immigration which would be a shorter approval time then if we have to completely re-apply. Anyway, I'm hoping that by the end of October this mountain of paperwork will be off to China. Oh yeah, and of course, we had to find a new agency, so after a few phone calls it was really clear which one was for us.

I'll keep you all updated....we're hoping to see our little girl's face by the end of the year:)

2008-08-26T16:10:00.006-04:00

too early for details, but our journey is continuing....stay tuned!

ps-no, we did not get a referral from Vietnam

2008-08-20T22:44:00.002-04:00

11 days left in August + no referral = it's over for us....unless by some miracle the governments agree to continue, but that is very unlikely.....

2008-08-13T11:51:00.001-04:00

But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it will surely take place. It will not be late by a single day." Habakkuk 2:3

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5-6

....one of my favorites....

2008-08-07T14:45:00.004-04:00

Psalm 103
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins,
and heals your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things,
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's......

For as high as the heavens are above the earth
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our trangressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

this journey is coming to an end....

2008-08-06T20:08:00.003-04:00

i was notified today that we have 10 days left to receive a referral from Vietnam in order for there to be enough time to complete the required paperwork before Sept. 1st....10 days.....and it does not look like we will end this part of the journey with a baby. pray for us, it's been an emotional year to say the least.

Thank you for this, friend....

2008-07-28T15:54:00.002-04:00

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!" (Is. 30:18)

If you are awaiting the fulfillment of a vision in your life, ask the Lord for His grace to sustain you. It will be worth the wait.

...six LONG weeks left....

2008-07-15T14:42:00.003-04:00

to receive a referral before the close of adoptions between the US and Vietnam. Please pray for peace and patience and, of course, for some great news.
I'm wavering between peace and throwing a temper tantrum (which I'm sure would look really funny to my kids:).

Summer Fun!

2008-07-14T19:52:00.003-04:00

nothing new, but....

2008-07-10T12:19:00.002-04:00

after talking with our agency through email today, it is very possible that we will not have a referral by the cut off date of 9/1. possible, but not positive. so we'll continue to wait and see.

...yes, still waiting.....

2008-07-10T10:37:00.003-04:00

i wish i had some really great news to post, but nothing yet. yesterday was 8 months 'DTV' and we still wait...and hope....i feel like i could get a call any day with news of a referral or news that it just isn't going to happen in time. But I'm still praying!

tick...tick...tick

2008-06-25T11:38:00.002-04:00

good news-A few more families from our agency received referrals this week.

our news-We are still waiting....

...it's been awhile...

2008-06-07T14:56:00.003-04:00

So it's been a month since my last update, but really, no new news. We've been told that so far the agreement to continue adoptions has not yet been resigned, so as of now, we still need a referral by Sept. 1st to be able to continue. We are 'cautiously hopeful' at this point...and still praying! Monday will be 7 months since our paperwork was sent over, at the start of this crazy adventure referral time was estimated to be 4-6 months, now it is 7-9 months. Let's hope so!

HOPE

2008-05-07T12:21:00.002-04:00

A few of the families at our agency received their referrals and one even got approval to travel!

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the LORD;be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

More Press

2008-05-01T10:28:00.002-04:00

This article was on the front page of the Chicago Tribune today. A little different perspective....

Proverbs 16:9...

2008-04-25T09:15:00.003-04:00

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

There is an official statement out today from the US government stating that the agreement to continue adoptions between the US and Vietnam will not be resigned. This means that official referrals for children will need to be made by September 1st or paperwork will be returned. We do not know the length of time adoptions from this country will be suspended, nor does anyone. Please pray that if this is the Lord's plan for our family, HE will see it through to completion. At this point, it is all we can do....

MSNBC story
US Embassy statement

5 months DTV

2008-04-09T15:16:00.003-04:00

Our paperwork has been in Vietnam for 5 months today....which means we are 5 months closer to meeting our little girl, but still no news when that may be!

Every child is a gift from God......some just take a little longer to get home!

No News Yet

2008-03-27T11:29:00.002-04:00

Trust in God....Trust in God.....Trust in God.....i keep repeating this in my head when i start to get anxious about WHEN we will hear news about our little girl. my head understands, my heart is having a harder time.

Great Week

2008-03-08T20:37:00.003-05:00

It's been a week of great news from families at our agency. Many families received their approval to travel to get their little ones and will be leaving soon.... and a few families even received their referrals! Things seem to be moving in a positive direction...yay!!

Prayers Needed

2008-02-27T07:20:00.003-05:00

There is a virus going through the orphanages right now causing many babies to be hospitalized. Some of these babies have lost their lives due to complications from the virus....some had already been matched with a family who was working to get them home. Please pray health for the babies and love over the families who had already welcomed these little ones into their hearts. Click here to read more about the virus.

HMMM

2008-02-17T11:24:00.006-05:00

Just to let you know that my kids are thinking about the adoption....the latest question was from Jacob: Are we going to keep it a secret that she was adopted?
Well, of course, I was cracking up on the inside but thought it was really great that he is thinking through all of the issues. I answered that we were never thinking of keeping it a secret, but she will not look like us, so it will be very obvious that she is adopted. So even before she realizes it, other people will start to ask us about her. It DID open up a great conversation about what our answers will be....i just love my kids!

I've been tagged

2008-02-14T12:10:00.003-05:00

My friend Karen tagged me for a meme. I think I'm supposed to answer a bunch of questions about myself......

The Four Things MEME

4 jobs I have had:
swim instructor
frozen yogurt squirter(remember, it was all the rage in college)
speech pathologist
Mom(eg. maid, taxi driver, nurse, teacher...i fill in as i go)

4 places i've been
Sweden
Italy
China
NYC

4 movies i've watched over and over
Grease
Singles
The Notebook(yes, i cry every time)
Rocky

4 shows i watch:
Lost
24(is it coming back?)
House
Friday Night Lights

4 places i'd rather be right now:
Hello...i'm adopting, so Vietnam:)
sunning at the beach
vacation with my husband
vacation with my family

4 favorite things to eat:
chocolate anything
a really fabulous slice of cheese pizza
chips and queso
lettuce wraps at pf chang

4 places i've lived:
Brandon, FL
Tallahassee, FL
Amarillo, TX
Yakima, WA

4 things to look forward to this year:
Again, this IS an adoption blog...so seeing my litte girl for the first time
Jacob turning double digits
Camdyn's first communion
SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year!

2008-02-07T15:31:00.000-05:00

Today is a big celebration in Vietnam....Tet. It is the beginning of the new year, the year of the rat/mouse. I've been told that children born in the year of the rat love to be cuddled, love to eat, love to sleep, and are eager to learn. Sounds great to me:) And Tet actually spans over several weeks in February, it is a time when families travel to be together and special festivals are held. In 2009, we will have a new holiday to celebrate!

it's been way too long

2008-01-31T09:59:00.002-05:00

I know it's been 2 1/2 months since my last post about adoption, but no news in the world of international adoption means...well, means no news. I am hoping that by May we will have a referral(a picture and medical records)and then travel 3-4 months later. JUST WAITING is much, much harder than completing paperwork. The good news is that other families in our agency continue to get referrals and travel to Vietnam. In the meantime, we continue to pray and get excited to meet our little girl.

True Love.....

2008-01-21T12:02:00.001-05:00

Today, Joe and I celebrate 13 years of marriage!! It's been one wonderful ride...and the best is yet to come!

DTV

2007-11-15T21:59:00.001-05:00

I finally talked to my agency today and all of our paperwork is in Vietnam...I think we were officially DTV(dossier to Vietnam) as of 11/08!!!! YEAH!! They said in 4-6 months we should have a picture of our little girl. I am SO relieved to have the paperwork behind us, but now it is almost harder to JUST WAIT!

One More Stop!

2007-10-24T21:34:00.000-04:00

Today we got all of the paperwork back from Tallahassee with everything signed and sealed. Tomorrow it will all be sent out to the Consulate and then on to our agency. This is all happening so much faster than expected...and it is really starting to sink in. One of the best parts for me is that my sister, Heidi, is due with a little girl the end of February. I know a couple of years ago neither of us could have imagined having another little girl in our families.....life is so cool, and God is so good! We are truly a blessed family!

Paperwork Milestone!

2007-10-22T14:07:00.000-04:00

On last Thursday, the 18th, we received our I-171H in the mail...the last piece of paper from US immigration granting us permission to adopt internationally. YEAH! On Friday, I had all ten documents that were notarized sent out to Tallahassee. I should get them back by the end of this week, then to the Vietnam Consulate, then to our agency and to Vietnam! I'm hoping that by mid-November we will be DTV(dossier to Vietnam) and be officially on the waiting list:) Whoo-hoo, all the paperwork is almost finished! Our agency tells us we should have a referral in 4-6 months from DTV, which means a picture and medical records. After the referral, we wait to get 'travel dates' which are typically 2-3 months after the referral. We are ALL very excited!!!

Fingerprints....check

2007-10-03T15:04:00.000-04:00

We went to the immigration department this morning and sat in a LONG line to get our fingerprints in the system! One more step down. Now, we get to wait for our I-171H to arrive. This part of the adoption process is a lot like the first trimester of a pregnancy...the most important things are happening(as far as the paperwork), but it feels really slow and there is nothing to show for it:) (at least I'm not gaining weight)

Fingerprint Appointment!!

2007-09-26T11:42:00.000-04:00

I finally got a letter in the mail yesterday from US immigration with a letter stating they received my information and that our fingerprint appt. is set for the ONLY Saturday we will be out of town! So after I got over my frustration, I emailed them and they told me that we can go on any Wednesday we want....yeah!! Next week we will head over to the local office and get fingerprinted(10 days earlier than our scheduled appt.) and be one step closer.
And, by the way, for those of you who have asked, we did NOT pick one of the names that Camdyn and Charlie suggested, although they were all beautiful. She actually will already have a Vietnamese name which we will most likely keep as a middle name for her. As for her English name, we promise to reveal the name selection as soon as we decide, which at this point may be on the plane ride over.

Questions

2007-09-21T09:32:00.000-04:00

I had a chance to use my newly learned 'adoption lingo' yesterday. I was talking to someone when she mentioned that she heard we were adopting and asked if we had children already. I answered yes, we have three. So she said, oh, so you already have children of 'your own'. And I said, well, we already have three biological children. I think some people are really surprised to find that adoption isn't necessarily a 'plan B' (as one agency called it) and that families actually DO adopt even if they aren't infertile. I believe that however a child becomes a part of a family is 'natural' and they are definitely 'your own'. And I also believe with every part of my soul that before this little girl was ever thought of by us, God knew she would need a family and we would need her. We are hoping and praying that wherever she is, we will find each other soon.

Still in paperwork waiting mode

2007-09-17T01:14:00.000-04:00

The good news is that our homestudy is complete! The set back is that after waiting for fingerprint appointments from US Immigration, I had my I600A returned on Thursday because I paid with a personal check....arrrrg. So, I re-sent in the application with a money order. I really didn't see anywhere in ALL of the instructions on filling it out that a personal check was an issue. Now we wait again for fingerprint appointments and then for our I171-H which is the final approval we need to send everything to Tallahassee to get state certified and then to the Vietnam Consulate to get authenticated....and then to Vietnam! ....and then, of course, more waiting for a referral.

Adoption Lingo

2007-09-04T20:37:00.001-04:00

I just recieved two big notebooks from our agency. One contains all the information needed for more paperwork....what needs to be notarized, certified by the state and then authenticated by the Vietnam consulate in California. The other notebook is full of articles on adoption issues, especially the correct 'language' to use. For example, since we have other children and this newest one will obviously be adopted, they point out that we may get a lot of attention and questions from strangers. So one suggestion is that when someone asks where the new little one is from, we should reply, "She was born in Vietnam, (pointing to our other kids) and her brother and sisters were born in Tampa."(that one cracked me up).
One of my friends has a daughter from Korea and an older son who looks very much like his mom and dad. She says that quite often her daughter gets much more attention and her son often pipes in that he was adopted too. She also said that someone actually once asked her how much her daughter cost. That is just unbelievable to me, but I guess it is better to be prepared for all the questions now.
As for an update, I am waiting for two more reference letters and the homestudy will be complete!

What's in a Name?

2007-08-30T20:44:00.001-04:00

Just for some laughs, here is a list of names for little sis that I received from my daughters: Josey, Aainna, Deney (Denee), Lacy, Ruby, Nema, Amerea (Anna Maria), Sprena (Sabrina), Kairna, Jewl, Marla, Bella, Amy, Zoey, Jesca (Jessica), Elesbith (Elizabeth). I won't tell you which one I picked, you'll just have to wait until we get home:)

Home Study

2007-08-30T10:46:00.000-04:00

We had our home study yesterday and it was basically a lot of hype for a tour of our home and a question and answer session. She talked to us a lot about bonding issues our daughter will have at the beginning since we will obviously feel bonded to her already and she will have no idea who we are and why we are taking her out of her routine. She even gave us a sheet titled 'Why Grandma can't hold the baby' so if our family doesn't believe us, we can give it to them:) With that part out of the way, we should have our home study completed by mid September and then we submit it to the US Citizenship and Immigration Department who will issue the 'magical' form to let us know we are approved to bring home a baby. So just a little more paperwork for now and then we wait.....and as one of my friends pointed out, it is a lot of paperwork, but at least I won't have hemorrhoids(thanks):)

What can Brown do for you?

2007-08-28T15:58:00.000-04:00

I got to school today and was told that Charlie went around yesterday telling 'everyone' our news. She had quite a lengthy discussion about it with one of my friends while waiting in car line.
I wish I could remember the entire converstaion but this is the best paraphrase....
Char-'My mom is getting a baby'
Teacher-'Really, is she pregnant?'
Char- 'No, you don't even have to get fat to have a baby anymore'
T-' then how is she getting the baby?'
Char-'they are going to give her one in the mail'
T-'really'
C-'yes, the UPS man is bringing us one'
T-'he is?'
C-'Yes, he is bringing it from China'
T-'who is taking care of the baby now?'
C-'well, you know how they take care of your mail, they can take care of babies, too'
And apparently, as she was getting into the car, she said 'remember, you don't have to get fat to get a baby, just get one from UPS'

So now the joke around school is, 'What can Brown do for you?'

Paperwork Stinks!

2007-08-27T21:21:00.000-04:00

As I have told many of you, the amount of paperwork required for this, I'm sure, caused the demolition of a small forest. Where was all the paperwork and the questions from social workers the last three times?....HA, no where, that's where. Although, with some of the parents I've seen, there should have definitely been a social worker stopping them right at their bedroom door:)

Connection

2007-08-27T21:02:00.000-04:00

So I have to admit that it really took me awhile to let the reality of our adoption sink in....I definitely hadn't let my head connect with my heart at all. I was afraid if I really sat and thought about all the ways God has moved in our lives, I would be totally overwhelmed....and I am. It is definitely overwhelming to think that literally half way around the world, my daughter could be born, or almost born, and living I have no idea where.....I am overwhelmed at the thought that she probably isn't getting even half the attention that my other three did as infants, I am in constant prayer for her and her caregivers until we get there.....