Thanksgiving

So, Thanksgiving has come and gone...we just thank God every day for you!  Ate lots of food and had family over....what a wonderful day!  Your elf arrived on Thanksgiving day....after we read the story about your elf, we found her on the tree and we named her Snowflake!  Each day she is watching to make sure you are good cause you know she flies through the clouds to tell Santa whether you have been good or bad.   Then each morning we have to look for her because she never returns to the same spot.  You are pretty good at finding her!  The day after Thanksgiving we went to West Liberty to see the parade and to wave at Santa Claus!  Oh how you love parades....you will talk about it for days. 
Your favorite past time right now is puzzles...you have one that is an elephant that you have managed to conquer.  It is so fun to hear say elephant...it comes out like "L fa ent".  Daddy also gave you a big box tonight which we have turned into a small house.  You are loving it!
You are such a joy and a blessing to Daddy and Mommy.  I can't imagine life without you now.  You are so funny and crazy and I can only imagine what your life is going to be like....Love you so much!!!!

November Already!

Today is Novermber 1st and we had our first snow of the year.  You were pretty excited to see it!  Daddy had to take you outside so you could "touch" it.  And all day yesterday and today you had to wear your frog costume around.  Finally had to put it up in the closet so you would forget about it.  Right now you are watching the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse...one of your favorite shows.  We don't mind so much because it seems pretty educational. 
Can't wait for Christmas but it will be here before we know it...I think you are going to be pretty excited this year!  I love you little one, you are such a blessing to your Daddy and I!

Halloween!

It's Halloween time, Kara!  This year we decided to make you a frog....why?  because we already had the costume plus that is what you wanted to be once you saw it.  Last night we hit the parade in Wapak, met Uncle Bill, Aunt April and Kayla there....you dressed in your Halloween costume and everyone threw you candy!  What fun!  You didn't like the horns or the sirens but I can say I don't blame you!  They were loud!  On the way home you said "I love parade"  You are such a smart little girl.  So next week we will take you Trick or Treating...we will just hit the Campbell House, an assisted living facility.  The residents love to see all you little ones dressed up, plus they give good candy too!  I will post pictures next week....have fun little one!  Love you so much!!!

For Kara

So, I have decided to blog to Kara so that she can read all these posts when she gets older....I guess it may kinda take place of a lifebook.  It will detail the little things so I can remember.  And I will be able to tell Kara about them when I get too old!  So here goes...
My Darling Kara, you never cease to amaze us....It has been 1 year, 2 months and 14 days since we first met you.  You have grown at least 4 inches and have gained almost 8 lbs....your personality continues to grow and you are such a teaser.  You can't get enough of the moon, and when you sing "you are my sunshine" not all the words are there but you sure do try.  You love to swing and are always saying "pull my legs" to which we reply~magic words....please and thank you!  You are a master at my phone and Thank God you haven't purchased anything yet.  We still have to lay down with you at night until you go to sleep but can leave you once you are asleep...yet you cry out in the night and I am right there for you.  You talk in your sleep....this morning you were singing "joy, joy, joy" to which you then giggled.  Still working on the potty training, but I know you will get it.  You are attending preschool 2 days a week and you absolutely love it.  Your favorite movie is Finding Nemo which we have coined the phrase around here that when you are bad you're in Big Trouble....just like Nemo when he touched the boat.  You are never really too bad...just being a kid most of the time.  You are a good helper, picking up toys and helping with the laundry.
So, not bad for a first time of blogging to you, Kara....I will try to keep it up....memories are to be cherished....sometimes when we grow up, our memories are distant or not even there.  Hoping that this will be a bunch of treasured memories for you....I love you more than you will ever know!
Born in my heart, blessed beyond measure.....Love, Momma

Our trip to a Corn Maze....your words~"Fun!"  Checking out the corn and walking with Daddy!

Blessed!

My beautiful little girl, we are so blessed by God! 

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY!

To Kara:  July 29, 2013.....a day that is forever etched on our hearts.  It is the day that we became a forever family.  Drawn together by our desire to have a child and your need to have a momma and daddy.  God truly blessed us when He made us this little family.  I couldn't love you anymore if I had given birth to you....you were meant to be born in my heart and you captured it the first time I saw your picture.  As I look at you now and reflect on the last year, my oh my, how you are already growing up to be such a beautiful young lady.  My prayer for you is that you will always have a heart for Jesus, that you will grow up healthy, and that you will find a man that treats you the way you deserve to be treated and who loves God too.  I love you more than life itself, my child.  You have brought so much joy to my life in this short time you have been with us...I am at awe in watching you grow!  You make me smile, you make me laugh!   You will forever be "Momma's Baby".  Love you so much!!!  ~Momma

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KARA!

Today, our little girl turned 3!  What a blessing and joy she has brought to us!  We praise God and thank God for all he has done!  And being Easter Sunday, we are also thankful that God decided to send his Only Son to die on the cross for us!  "He has risen!"  Thank you Jesus!!!!!

It's been awhile

So, it has been awhile since I blogged....the busy life of a middle aged mom!  Kara never ceases to amaze us!  I can't believe she has been part of our lives for 8 months now.  It seems like she has always been here.  I look back at the pictures from China and it seems like a life time ago.  She has grown so much,

We are so blessed by God it is unbelievable!  This little girl that we waited so long for is the perfect fit for our family.  We will be celebrating her 3rd birthday on Easter Sunday!  What a joyous and glorious time to celebrate!  As we celebrate the day of our Risen Saviour, we will be praising God for our beautiful daughter!

Will try to keep up with the blog better, for it will be something that Kara can look back on and see our journey to adopt her.  To God be the Glory, for the great things He has done!

Definitely Worth the Wait!!!

Well, we have been home since August 8th and I just can't believe we have only had Kara for 7 weeks!  It seems like she has always been with us!  (In a way she has...she has definitely lived in my heart for a long time now)

Things are going well.  She is sleeping pretty much through the night.  Wakes up evey now and then but usually goes right back to sleep.  We are rocking her to sleep (makes for good bonding time).  She usually takes a 1-2 hr nap in the afternoon.

Eating is still a challenge.  She only eats things that has visual appeal.  If it doesn't look like something she wants to eat, she won't even try it!  Can't get it past her lips!  So, the big hits are eggs, cereal, ramen noodles, rice, hot dogs....still trying to work on the veggies!  Not a big hit with her!

She is making sounds but only when she wants to.  We have started the process to get some help through Early Intervention.  Still can't wait to hear the "Mama and Dada" and "I love you!"  We know that she is really smart and can understand what we are saying to her so I have faith!  Words will come! 

All her other skills seem to be age appropiate.  We have noticed since we have gotten home how much better her balance is.  She loves to go outside and just walk around in the grass.  Tonight I had her walking up a little hill and running back down!  The first time she ran back down the hill, she went a little faster than she was comfortable with.  Her eyes got real big and she acted kinda scared but she went back up and came back down!

She is a total joy to Tony and I!  We love to hear her giggle and it's not really so bad when she does cry.  She has definitely captured both of our hearts!  Can't imagine life without her now!

God really knew what he was doing by having us wait on this child...she is a perfect fit to our family and we are so blessed by her.  To God be the Glory!

Home Sweet Home

We made it!  Survived 15 days traveling and living in China!  It was definitely an "excellent adventure"!  It is a trip that I will never forget. 

The trip home wasn't too bad....after a long flight and a delayed flight we finally made it!  We had a great welcome home party at the airport when we arrived!  Great family and friends stayed up late to welcome us home! 

Now we are just trying to get into a routine...sleeping and eating seem to be the focus right now.  All in all, our little bundle of complete joy is doing well.  We are so blessed and just so thankful and grateful to our Heavenly Father....His timing is Perfect!

I will try to get up with the blog but with an active 2 year old it may become challenging!  Lord willing, I will survive!

LAST DAY!

We made it! Today is the last day here in Guangzhou! We will be heading to the consulate this afternoon to pick up Kara's visa then heading to the train station for the trip to Hong Kong....one more night there and we are on our way home!

God has truly blessed us and has been with us every step of the way on this trip. The process was smooth and the transition has been easy. This is a true testimony that God does answer prayers!!!!! To God be all the glory!

This will probably be the last time I blog in China.....thanks for all your prayers! See ya in the States!!!

What day is this?

Every day I seem to ask....what day is this? Today is Monday and yesterday we visited the zoo. Kara fell asleep so I don't think the zoo was a hit for her. Maybe when she is a little older...have I said how awesome she is?!!! She is starting to respond to her name when we call her. We love this little girl so much!

We came back to the hotel and waited on our clean laundry! That was a blessing! I was down to the nitty gritty and was really excited to have clean clothes that hadn't been hand washed in a sink. We then headed to the swimming pool which is on the 4th floor and had a grand ole time. Kara took to it and we had a ball. She was trying to stick her face in the water and she would just laugh! Plan on heading down there again today!

Today we went to a Temple and shopped at Shamian Island. We got to eat at the famous Lucy's and it was soooo good. American food at its best!

Tomorrow morning is our Consulate appointment...we will be leaving the hotel at 7:40 am. Got the call today that her TB test was OK. Wednesday afternoon we will be taking train to Hong Kong. Then after an overnight stay we will be heading home! I can't wait!!!!

I really can't wait for everyone to meet Kara! WARNING! She will capture your heart like she has ours! Be ready!!

Guangzhou

We arrived late last night in Guangzhou....Kara did awesome on her first flight! This morning we headed out for her medical exam. She was a real trooper...hardly cried when the poked her to take her blood. It was kinda nerve wracking though when they took her in the room and closed the door. We seen alot of kids coming out of that room crying! She shed of few tears but it didn't last long.

After the medical exam, we headed to Wal-Mart! We made a few purchases (toys, dresses, shoes, snacks and water) and headed back to the hotel. Kara is such a good little girl. We are just hanging out in the room and she is playing with the new toys we bought. (She is really good at keeping herself occupied!)

And oh yea! This morning the bath went well.....had her playing with the rubber ducks that we got at the last hotel as a welcome gift. Not sure what was different but it was definitely a step in the right direction!

The days are going by pretty quickly...can't wait to get home though and get into a routine. Missing my puppies as well....each day brings us closer to home! God has been awesome and our prayers have been answered! Kara is the perfect one that He chose for us. As we continue to work through this adoption, we can see His Hand on this whole process. The process had been smooth and I am amazed and grateful for His ever presence in our lives!! PTL!!

Last Day In Wuhan

Today is our last day in Wuhan. We will be flying out tonight for Ghuangzhou to finish up the adoption process. From what I hear, we will be able to find American food in Ghuangzhou....I will be soooo happy!

Yesterday morning we toured a museum that the Chinese are very proud of. Lots of history of the Chinese people is kept in this museum. We tried to put Kara in a stroller and that didn't go over to well! She didn't like it at all. Christine, our guide said that most Chinese children are not use to strollers so that is why she didn't like it.

Each day that goes by, we see a little more of our Kara emerge and everyday we fall even more in love with this little girl. Tony spent the afternoon with Kara while I took a nap. They played, explored the hotel and went for an elevator ride...one of the elevators is on the outside of the building and it is all glass. Kara wasn't too sure about that! Tony said she clung to him for dear life! She is so inquisitive! She studies everything carefully. We think that she might grow up to be an engineer!

It won't be long now and we will be home! We are on the backstretch! Less than one week!!!! God is so good! so very good! This is an awesome journey that we are on and we are so happy that we can share it with you!

One Step Closer

Each day is one step closer to bringing Kara home! God is so Good! She is the most precious thing! I still can't believe she is ours! Every moment we are learning something new about her!

"Gotcha Day" seems like a blur at this point! Thank goodness for video cameras! We are very blessed! The orphanage really seemed to love the children. They gave us a baby book with alot of pictures in it and they also gave us the outfit that she was found in. The last few months, Kara had been in foster care and her foster sister was one of the women who came with the girls. She gave us a memory stick with a bunch of pictures and videos on it. We are so thankful that Kara will have all this for when she gets older.

She seems to be attaching to both Tony and I...she has a little catching up to do developmentally, but I know a few people who can help with that! She has a strong little will, she lets us know what she wants by grabbing our hand and taking it to what she wants. She can have little temper tantrums if she doesn't get her way. She is not too fond of baths, she loves to look at herself in the mirror, and she has the most wonderful laugh.....Tony and I are both head or heels in love with this little girl!

Food has been a challenge, especially for me. I have found some things aren't too bad but once I leave China I don't think that I will be eating Chinese food for a very long time! And trying to figure out what Kara likes to eat has been a challenge too! She definitely lets us know if she doesn't like something. Tony seems to like it all....we ordered some kind of chicken dish the first night we were here in Wuhan. It came out with bones still in it and the chicken head was one the plate. Just one question....Why? LOL!

So, all our paperwork is done and we are just waiting on Kara's visa. Then we will be heading to Ghangzhou for the last leg of our trip. There we will have a medical exam done and will take the adoption oath at the US Consulate. Then we will be homeward bound! Oh, I can't wait to get home! This has been an experience of a lifetime though and am so grateful to our God who planted this adoption in our hearts! To God be the Glory!

Thanks to everyone who has been lifting us up in prayer! 

Gotcha Day

July 29th, 2013....forever imprinted on our hearts!

Day Two... Or is it Three?

Today we woke up around 5:30 am China time, went to breakfast then headed out for some more sightseeing at 8:30! Our first stop was the Jade Factory. It was amazing to see how the jade is cut and to learn about the different types of jade. We then did a little shopping and picked up a pennant to give to Kara when she gets older.

Our next stop was the Great Wall of China. I started to climb, but thought I had better turn around and look to see how high I was (fear of heights here!) and yep! I had went far enough. After clinging to the wall for a little while I decided to make the descent so hanging onto the railing, I made it back down. Tony made it to the second tower where he decided that he had enough. I can't believe that the structure was man made! Our guide, Shirley said that it was called the longest cementary in the world bcause alot of people had died from the hard work and was buried in the wall.

After a delicious traditional Chinese lunch, we headed to the Summer Palace. This is where the Emperor would vacation during the summer. It was very interesting to learn about the Chinese and their culture. Colors and numbers seem to be a very huge part of the Chinese culture. The number 9 is the luckiest number and the color red means good luck.

Tomorrow we head to Wuhan and will be meeting Kara on Monday! It is almost here!!!!!!!!! So ready to see her and to just pour our love onto her!!!!! God had been so good! He has been with us every step of this journey and we are so thankful that He is watching over us!!!! Please continue to pray for Kara, Gracie and Olivia (the other 2 girls that are meeting their forever families!) for an easy transition for all!

Forbidden City

Pics

 

We Are Here!

Well, we made it to China with no complications! The airplane ride from Chicago to Beijing was looonngggg! to say the least! Tony and I didn't have assigned seats so we both ended up with window seats (I was in the row in front of him) which wasn't so much fun bcause we had to ask the people to move to get up. But we made it! Thanks goodness for the little monitors in front of us that we were able to watch movies and tv shows!

Once we got to the airport we made it through customs with no problem (Jim, you wong....no cavity search! LOL!) and was picked up by LInda who got us to our hotel. Went out last night and walked around a little bit, found a McDonalds and had supper. By that time, we was ready for bed having been up since 3 am Wednesday morning. (We have lost all track of days and time!)

Today we toured the Forbidden City, Tienimum Square, went to a tea house and an acrobatic show. Learned some interesting facts about the Emperor and the Chinese culture, drank some wonderful tea and was "Wowed" by the acrobats!

So, tomorrow we will be visiting the Great Wall of China, jade factory, and something else....

On the end note....3 more days and we will see our baby! We still can't believe that we are here in China!

Tony and I just look at each and say "We are in China!" Please continue to pray for us, especially Kara...(which we found out her name is pronounced Wendy)...Love to all!