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Thankful Thursday + 1

This is one day late because it’s been a crazy week of preparing for the trip.

o For this AWESOME outfit from Tiffany, Miyon and Marla at World Vision. I just started crying when I saw it. It’s the perfect gift for me because of how I adore my volunteer work for WV.

o For the willing volunteers from our church who will travel to Reynosa, Mexico on Saturday morning to spend a week with the Isaiah 55 ministries. They will be assisting the missionaries with the construction of the deaf school and part of the group will be leading VBS for the children down there. Mike and I desperately wanted to go on this trip becuase of the time we spent with the missionarys in January, but we will be praying for them.

o For all the people in the church who are not going, but who gave generously at the Silent Auction and raffle and garage sale to make this trip a possibility.

o For all the people who sponsored World Vision children from China who are sending gifts with us for their sponsored children. One sponsor got a shirt from the Stockyards and one from the Cowgirl Musuem. It’s so fun to think that these kids will get a Texas shirt from their Texas sponsors.

o For everything working out with booking our plane tickets, hotel, tours and more. It’s a relieft that we can just get on the plane and everything is done and paid for.

o For the girls at the Hurst Guaranty bank who have seen me about 12 times in the last week looking for “just a few more clean 100’s.”

o For all the support of the been there done that parents who have offered all sorts of entertaining and helpful advise about the trip.

o For the fact that we leave in just 4 days!!!!

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Have tickets – will fly

We got all of our travel arrangements done yesterday. What an adventure! So here you go:

    7/17 – Leave DFW at 7pm on Tuesday 7/17 (yes, that’s one week from today).
    Arrive at LAX at 8 pm.
    Leave LAX at 11:50 PM for China.
    7/19 – Arrive in Beijing at noon (lose a day to travel, transfer in Guangzhou, and the time difference). Pass out in hotel room.
    7/20 -7/21 Tour Beijing for 2 days and try to adjust to the time change.

    7/22 – Fly to Nanchang, Jiangxi Province. GET NADIA!

    7/23 – 7/26 Lots of paperwork and bonding time with baby.
    7/27 – Fly to Guangzhou to finish more paperwork.
    7/30 – American Consulate appointment (final official thing in China).
    7/31 – Leave GZ at 9 pm. Arrive in LAX at 7 pm…two hours earlier than we left China. This cracks me up.
    8/1 – Visit with Grandma Stephanie and fly home to DFW at 5 pm. Arrive back in Texas at 10 pm.

WOO HOO!!! We know we are going to be dead tired after those insane flights, but it’s worth it.

Thanks in advance to all who will be praying for us and Nadia during the trip. Thanks to those who are watching our house (and having fresh food available – bless you – I know I am going to be ready for a salad). Thanks to our “drivers” for the airport runs 🙂

I have already started packing which I know doesn’t surprise a single person who knows me. And we are feeling good that everything will be done in time for us to leave. In fact, if we had Nadia’s medicine, we could leave today.

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Orphanage thoughts

So our Nadia is in what is considered a “good” orphanage because of the caregiver to child ratio. All the babies that have come from there seem healthy, alert and on target developmentally. After a couple days they seem comfy with their parents and the new surroundings. No scabies or other major health problems. I want to relate a story of a family who just got home. While doing paperwork in their province the nanny of their child (who is 8 months old) came up to say hello and the child started freaking out and clinging to her parents. That was after just one day with her family.

Which got me to thinking….even if the ratio is around 10 babies for 2 nannies, how much individual attention and touching can these babies possibly get? Not much when you think about it. In America if ONE woman has FIVE babies, it’s on the national news and companies are falling over themselves to donate items or cash or big vans. People from their church/neighborhood come round the clock to “help” the 2 parents care for the 5 children. Then they can get into a routine and get help to change all those diapers and feed all those mouths.

Now in the orphanage these nannies don’t have that. It’s 2 women for 10 infants. Changing, feeding, bathing and so on. How much time is there for play and cuddling? Not much I would imagine. And the women probably work in shifts, so they might not see the same women every day/night. So think about what these babies get right from the start of their adoption – the parents and all the love and attention showered on them. Without fighting for the attention because they are the only baby in the hotel room. What an awesome thing. It really makes you think about the power of touch and loving affection.

So those of you with “homegrown” kids- give your kids an extra hug this weekend and be blessed that your child never had to go so long without your loving touch. And to all the fellow waiting parents, get your hugging arms ready……we have a lot of catching up to do!

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Thankful Thursday

Today was a VERY Thankful Thursday…

o Our Travel Approval came today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now we wait for our consulate appointment to be confirmed, and then hit the road in about two weeks.
o We have almost everything we need to travel.
o For all the love we are feeling from family and friends. There was a lot of screaming on phones and emails today 🙂
o For the funny story to tell Nadia about how we found out. (see below)

Honestly that’s all I have got for tonight as today turned into a whirlwind and excitement almost like referral day.

**Here is the story. We were in line at CVS to pick up a prescription, and for me to do an extra buck deal (wink wink to those who would think that is funny). We just got new phones that allow you to check your email (not the iPhone) and so Mike decided to check his while we waited. I was bored and looking over his arm when I saw, “Congratulations! TA’s……” I started screaming and saying, “They are here…..” Then I became incoherent and giddy. Mike laughed and calmly opened the email and read it to me. I was freaking out! The other people in line wanted to know what was going on, I was tearing up and showing Nadia’s photo all around. A lady in line wanted to know all the details and even asked us to call her to keep her informed. The cashier also laughed and jokingly asked me if I wanted to broadcast over the PA. Getting the Travel Approval today was such a shocker for us…we just didn’t expect it even though some other agencies had gotten theirs on Monday. We hadn’t heard a peep from Great Wall and so didn’t see it coming. It was really cute.