About Me






Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Dinner on day 4

These are some photo's from dinner tonight. We were lucky enough to have Amby (our guide in Nanning) join us for dinner. We asked him to pick the spot, and he selected a gorgeous pagoda looking place at the "garden's". We also had Tiffany, Will and their newest edition their son Grady join us for dinner as well. We enjoyed starting off with some pickled vegetables
Amby ordered for the table "family style"

The Menu:
Peking Duck with a honey dipping sauce
Fried Beef with Sweet peppers
Stir Fried Rice
Chicken (Whole chicken bone in chopped up in the dish) and Wild Mushroom's
Beef & Bean "compote" that we stuffed in the underside of a Chinese bun. "Chinese Sliders"
Roasted and stewed Japanese Eggplant

There is also a few of Sarah with her braids out for the first time. Katie is quite anxious about this as her foster mom suggested she was very sensitive to having her hair washed. (One step at a time). Last night Sarah played in the bathtub, splashing it up.

Until tomorrow,
Dave, (Katie and Meg)


Sarah at dinner with Amby.


Dinner with Amby, enjoying pickled seaweed.


Sarah, enjoying pickled seaweed.


Amby, our guide in Nanning.


Sarah's hair out for the first time

Day 4

Greetings all,

Here are some photo's from today!


This one is from the orphanage. Left to Right: Orphanage Staff, Foster Mother, President of Orphanage, Katie, Dave, "Godparents".


Sarah and I in front of a statue at the garden.


Sarah riding a pig ride. This one was especially for Joseph. The picture didn't cut it, she then rode the ride which went on for a long time and made incredibly loud machine gun sounds, sirens, et cetera. I simply cannot over emphasize the volume this machine produced.



The last two are from McDonald's, yes McDonald's. And for those of you booing us for it, the news is it is the FIRST place we were able to have ICE since our arrival in China and we all agreed it was the best 1/4 pounder we had ever eaten. I assure you we have all been very adventurous eaters, sorry I felt the need to defend our McDonald's visit.

Love to you all,
Dave

Sweet Sarah

Sarah is doing wonderfully well. If anyone had told me all that we would be experiencing I never would have believed them. Sarah is bright and happy with a ready smile and musical laugh. She has been very loved during her 2 1/2 years.

Dave and I had the opportunity to meet with her foster Mother today and also a wonderful couple who have been sponsoring her health care and schooling. I would equate them to God parents in the United States. It was a totally surreal experience. The sponsor family brought us gifts and a wonderful photo album of Sarah over the past 1 1/2 years or so. Incredibly they have a niece who attends Rice University in Houston Texas!!!! We have exchanged emails and plan to keep in touch.

The sponsor parents met Sarah because they are friends with the President of the orphanage and were visiting there one day and fell in love with her. They also brought us a beautiful painting by a local artist. I think the meeting was priceless, we were able to share with them about our family and we both expressed our sincere gratitude for the roles we will each play in Sarah's life. Our guide told us he had never seen anything like it in the 2 years that he has worked with the adoption agency. He told us Sarah is the most loved little girl he has met. I am sorry if I ramble, it is so much to take in for all of us here.

Thank you all for your prayers and love. We can't wait for you to meet Sarah. I know she will melt your heart.

"Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:2

Blessings,

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

More pictures

Resting this morning

Our official Meeting place waiting area

Sarah Dig's her shades


Monday, June 28, 2010

Our Angel

Today I kissed an angel.
I knew it from the start.
The first time my angel smiled at me;
I gave away my heart.

Today I kissed an angel;
This angel child of mine
Though not of my creation,
My child by God's design.

Today I kissed an angel.
My heart is dancing wild;
Our family, by a miracle;
Blessed by our angel child.

© Brenda Meece

"Today is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24



Saturday, June 26, 2010

Sarah May

Greetings from Nanning China,

Today is the day we met Sarah for the first time. When we met her she was sound asleep. Her being asleep was a real blessing considering all of the emotion, chaos and not to mention crying going on in the "receiving room". She slept in the van and woke up upon arrival to our room. She shed "ONE Tear" that ran down her cheek. She has continued to warm up constantly throughout the day.


We took her to dinner here at our hotel. Katie, Meg and I enjoyed an "American Steak" for a change up this evening. Sarah enjoyed a bowl of "conge": Essentially rice that has been overcooked and allowed to sit in the water so it creates an extra glutenous texture. This dish is served traditionally with vegetables or chicken or pork. Sarah dug into the chicken version, we all tasted it and it is quite good. It sort of resembles Chicken & Rice Soup in Flavor.


As I write this note she is resting her head on a pillow with her new blanket and enjoying a bottle. It is very clear to us that Sarah's foster parents cared for her very deeply. They sent us two backpacks full of gear for Sarah, along with instant camera's that need to have the film developed, as well as hearing aids that she has been using (We didn't know this). We cannot help but feel sad for them and their sacrifice. She is a wonderful little girl, she will be so very loved, nurtured and cared for by all of you. We look forward to your opportunity to meet her yourself.


She is very neat and tidy. She is very meticulous about any little spills or crumbs she may or we may create. She is very attentive and will be a "copy cat" almost instantly. She has a ready smile, and was a huge fan of the balloons you see in the picture. We bounced them around and took lot's of photo's and video. We are working on solutions to post more photo's, please understand the internet connection here is spotty at best.

Love to you all,
Dave

Live from Beijing....it's Saturday night

We arrived safely to Beijing on Friday evening and hit the ground running. After a day of traveling plus a day of touring we are pretty whipped! We have been able to adjust to the time difference fairly well. Although when we ate dinner Friday night we felt like we were on a cruise ship because the table seemed to be swaying. We ventured out into Beijing with another couple and ordered by pointing at pictures on the menu. When we walked in the restaurant we got some very strange looks. I thought I was doing pretty well with chopsticks but a few minutes into the meals they brought me a spoon, yes just me:)





Today we have made the grand tour of Beijing starting at The Forbidden City. It was very interesting. Then to Tinamen Square which Meg correctly desrcibed as similar to our National Mall in DC. Before lunch we toured a jade factory. Went to an obvious tourist trap for lunch, all the patrons came off buses and were European or American. Then onto the Great Wall which was totally awesome. Our final stop was the Olympic Park, also pretty cool.



There are three other families in our group who are adopting. We are all adopting little girls between the ages of 2 and 4. All of the children have some kind of special need. Everyone is very nice, we have enjoyed getting to know them.

We leave early tomorrow morning to fly to Sarah's province, Guangxi. We will be meeting Sarah on Monday. I did learn today that Sarah's Chinese name Xia Jing Ya means Quiet Beautiful (Elegant) Summer. We can't wait to introduce her to you on the blog! Thank you for all of your prayers and support.

Isaiah 1:7 Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Blessings,

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The Count Down....

Oh my goodness, the time is fast approaching. Everything I do I think next time I do this Sarah will be home.

I am really enjoying these last few days before we leave for China with my awesome boys. I know they are feeling a bit anxious about this big transition. Truth be told I feel a bit anxious as well:)

God continues to offer comfort and peace through out this process. My neighbors have a little girl who has had multiple organ transplant. This condition requires them to visit Cincinnati Children's Hospital periodically. They are there right now. As they were sitting in the waiting room for their appointment a father and daughter walked in and sat down. The daughter was obviously Chinese and adopted, about 2 1/2 years old. As they watched them interact they realized she is deaf....Haelie my neighbor's daughter struck up conversation with the dad. Come to find out they have just returned from China with their daughter (Grace). They shared contact information and I have been in touch with them often as we get ready for our trip. Amazing, they have 2 sons who are 10 and 6 and we have really hit it off over the phone and email. Them sharing their experience is priceless. Haelie said, "In all my six years visiting Cincinnati I had never met a deaf little Chinese girl before!" God is so good!

Look for posts coming your way from China!!! Can't wait to share our experience with all of you.

Matthew 6: 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Blessings!


Friday, June 11, 2010

I can't believe I did it!

Okay, nothing deep or meaningful here today. I just fed Joseph and David's snake!!! I can't believe it I am still shaking and grossed out. This is proof that I love them unconditionally, and maybe should be awarded "Mother of the Year" (just kidding about the award). Why you ask yourself would I do this?? Well, my awesome sister and brother in law have taken the boys to church camp for the weekend. However, as I was feeding "Jawsy" (defrosting the mouse etc) I was thinking was the quite respite worth it??? In the future we will plan our trips around the feeding schedule:) Or maybe since my Dad bought them the snake he should have to come feed it.......

Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth

Blessings,


Thursday, June 10, 2010

It's Been Awhile

Well it has been awhile since I last posted. Finally we have some answers to every one's questions...We will be leaving in 2 weeks to go to China to bring our daughter home. It seems like it has taken forever.

I felt stressed, wanted to leave earlier, frustrated about the finger prints, angry I was not in control....

Low and behold it has worked out to be in God's time and it actually couldn't be more perfect. Dave gets to go for the entire trip!! Yeah! Meg gets to be with us the entire time as well. Yippee!! The boys are staying with an incredible friend the first week and then my awesome cousin is coming to be with them the second week. A friend can be at our house with the dogs. My Dad can be with the boys a lot of the time too. God is so good.

All of the many blessings that we have as a family are being magnified through this adoption experience. Primarily the incredible friends and family members who are willing to step up and help us out. In the business of everyday life we sometimes forget to count our blessings, I know I do. I just want to tell you all how much I love and appreciate you. I thank God for you. Can't wait to introduce Sarah May to you:)

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I Am God

Blessings,

China time

Texas time

Followers

Design by

Weaksauce Blogs