HI ALL -- It's been quite awhile since I've had the time (& energy) to sit down and update our blog -- summer has flown by!! Jared was busy with swim practice 3 days aweek and Shae Rose had the opportunity to attend her first official swim lessons. She will be going again in October. She swims very well in our pool with her floaty jacket and loves to get out as much as possible. We have also had out-of-town relatives come to stay to visit and meet Shae Rose. So far that would include Namma and Bumpa over the 4th of July and Auntie Min and Auntie San at the end of July. We are still expecting Auntie Dawn this weekend, Mady next week, Uncle Mike and Madi over Labor Day weekend, and Grandma Bonnie in October. Thus far, Shae Rose has warmed up to her new extended family almost immediately (and she loves to talk on the phone with them as well).

The first two pictures that are attached are from the Dothan, AL swimmeet; we are at Long Horn Restaurant. That was Shae's first swimmeet that she attended -- she did great and always cheered Jared on. Jared earned 3 ribbons that weekend. The third picture is Shae Rose at one of her swim lessons at the YMCA. Finally, the fourth picture is Jared and Shae Rose at Monkey Joe's; an end of the summer outing.

Jared just celebrated his 10th birthday this last week and Shae Rose is looking forward to her 4th birthday three weeks from now. Jared also has just finished his first week of school; he is now in the 5th grade. While Jared is at school, Shae Rose and I will be working on writing her alphabet and numbers and will learn to write her name. We will also be doing crafts, as that is one of her favorite things to do. Jared will be starting his 3rd swim season and Shae Rose will be starting "SHOUT" (children's choir) at our church next week. As for me, my children keep me pretty busy, and it's the hardest and best job in the world.

Until next time..........take care all!!

In Progress: Our "New Normal"

Hi everyone!! Sorry it has been so long for an update, but our family is working diligently on our "new normal." Everyone is doing much better since our return home from China. Jeffrey is back into the swing of things at the hospital and with CAC. Jared is at swim practice 3 mornings per week and still loves to be on the team. This weekend he is at his first summer meet and it is at Auburn University (long course, olympic-size pool). What an awesome facility! He hasn't been to a meet since the end of March, and he really gave it his all. I took him yesterday and Jeffrey is taking him today. It is a great way to have one-on-one time with him. Shae will be going to her first swim meet in 2 weeks in Dothan, AL. We will be spending 2 nights there and on Saturday night we all get to go to a waterpark for free. It was a blast last year. Shae no longer cries at bath-time or at bed-time. This last week she even said that I could leave her bedroom, instead of laying on the floor with Roxy until she fell asleep. It has been 4 nights in a row now that we read books, say our prayers, and kiss good-night -- and out the bedroom I go... No crying and no calling out for me...BUT, she still wants Roxy to lay in there. :) I leave her door open about 4 in., and last night Roxy opened the door about another 8 in. and let herself out after Shae fell asleep. She's the best dog ever!! Shae's other milestone this week was swimming in the pool with her Speedo jacket all by herself. Boy, was she excited!! She squealed and exclaimed the whole way!! We all were so proud of her, and she was proud of herself, too. She will be ready for the YMCA at the end of July for her swim lessons. She already has the concept of using her arms and legs at the same time. Shae will also ride on my back to the deep end, while I breast stroke. Of course, she also loves to swim all around with Jared; bouncing up and down. I am keeping extremely busy with both children (I have the best job in the world), and the summer is flying by so fast -- as usual.

Pictures:

#1 Father's Day and our first day back to church. Shae did great at the service. She sat in the balcony with Jeffrey and I. She loved the music and orchestrated with her hands right along with Bro. Tim, everytime the pastor said "Jesus" she would look at me and say "Jesus," and she asked where Jared was about 4 or 5 times (he was at WynnKids). Of course we went to I-Hop afterwards for Jeff's Day.

#2 Jared and Shae love music and love to dance together in the livingroom. But much to Jared's dismay, Shae LOVES to sing, too. :) All the time..., especially "Happy Birthday" -- in English AND Chinese. :)

#3 "A day at the pool."

#4 Shae's favorite toy are her Legos. She especially likes to play with them when Jared is playing with his. She told me that she wants "small" Legos for her birthday, "like Jared's."

#5 Just had to capture this moment, as Jared and Shae are watching a movie together.

That's all for today. Thank you ALL for your prayers and well wishes. We feel them all the time, and are grateful for each and every one!!!

First Week Home

We made it through the first week. It has been great to be back in "normal" surroundings and sleep in our own bed. This past week has been trying, but also rewarding. Shae still is having a hard time at night, but went to sleep last night without crying and slept through the night for the last two nights. (We hope this becomes the norm.) The two things that Shae was most excited about (pool and Roxy), she was the most afraid of. She has already conquered those fears this week, as she has been in the pool and has warmed up to Roxy quite a bit. The first picture is of Shae in our swimming pool for the first time. The second picture is of Jared reading "Llama, Llama Red Pajamma" to Shae (her favorite book) at bed time. The third picture is of Jared and Shae goofing around one evening. The fourth picture is of Jared and Shae playing with bubbles out by the pool with Karen one morning last week. The final picture is of Karen pushing Shae in a toy car in the backyard. We have seen drastic improvements during the day time, as Shae seems very comfortable in her surroundings. Her strong personality and sense of humor is coming out. Yesterday, both Jared and Shae were hanging on Karen in the pool and Shae leaned over and gave Jared a kiss. That seemed to make Jared feel good; he gave her a kiss on the forehead right back. We are slowly getting back into a routine, and this is good as Jared starts swim practice at 8:00am tomorrow morning!! Shae is a slow-riser, so this might be a challenge. :)

Finally Home!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, we made it!!! After 8000+ miles, 31 hours, 3 plane rides, a couple of short delays, a 40 minute wait on the taxi way in Atlanta, and a 1.5 hour drive to our house -- we are home!!! The day was so long, but we made it through. It was Karen's birthday and I think it wasn't the most enjoyable, but one she won't ever forget. When we arrived home, we were greeted with a "welcome home" banner on our garage door into the house (see picture). There were about 50 ballons in the hallway and other Welcome Home signs throughout the house. Also, there were homemade cupcakes and a bouquet of white flowers (all compliments of our wonderful neighbors and friends -- The Childs and Gilberts). Thank you all!! :) Both Jared and Shae were excited to see the balloons and started playing with them -- it was 1:30 am. There were presents for Shae and Jared, along with a birthday present for Karen. Jared showed Shae around the house and explained what everything was; it was so cute. He was so excited to be home!!

We want to thank our neighbors/friends for watching our house/pool and picking up our mail while we were gone, along with the wonderful welcome. We also want to thank the swim team families that are bringing us meals for the next couple of days. And lastly, I want to thank my dad for posting our blog while we were in China. Finally, please continue to pray for us as Shae is still having a hard time at night (crying 2-3 hours straight). And please pray for Jared as he is having difficulty adjusting to not being the only. We love you all!!!

P.S. The picture of Shae is after we got through immigration in Newark, NJ -- at that time she was officially a U.S. citizen. :)

: U.S. Consulate

After breakfast Shae Rose had her picture taken on the infamous White Swan "Red Couch," along with the other 2 babies in our group and with the family. Once again, Jared and John became the celebrities -- before we knew it, there was a crowd of Chinese people to my left snapping away as Jared and John sat on the couch with Shae Rose, Emma, and Anita. Apparently, the boys looked fascinating. Jeffrey and I went for a second foot massage; I used my birthday as an excuse to be pampered one more time. After that we took the bus to the U.S. Consulate, where we signed yet another piece of paper and then took the group oath with our right hand raised (Jared, too). When Shae Rose steps off the plane in Newark, NJ on Friday, 5/21st, she will officially be a U.S. citizen. On the way back to the hotel our facilitator sang China's national anthem and then everyone else sang the USA national anthem. We all clapped, and Shae got a kick out of that. Once again we went back to Lucy’s for dinner, but this time to celebrate my birthday (because tomorrow evening we will be packing). Here is God at work: A woman from New Hampshire approached me half way through dinner as I was taking Shae to go "pee pee." She stopped me to tell me that she had been praying for Shae for over a year -- that she would get a family soon. She knew she came from Starfish and that her name was Rose. This same woman is in Guangzhou adopting her own Chinese child and she spotted Shae back on Sunday or Monday at the White Swan and recognized her from the Starfish website or blog. She was so happy to see Shae with a family. Coincidence? No, God-incidence. After dinner, we came back to our room to find a room service table with a birthday cake and a single red rose on it. We had birthday cake with our group and then said our "good-byes" to John and his family. Jared was/is very sad to say good-bye to his new friend. It feels like we have known them forever. Luckily they live in a neighboring state and we hope to see them again in the future. John and Jared are talking about skyping down the road. We pray that they will have a safe flight home back to Tennessee. Well, one more full day left in China and then the long trek home to Georgia. Bye for now.

Just Another Day in Guangzhou (today written by Karen)

Today we had a "free day," as our facilitator had to go to the US Consulate to finalize our paperwork. We got our "okay" at 11:32 am. Tomorrow we, as a family, will be going to the US Consulate to take the group oath. The rest of our day we did our final souvenir shopping, played in the Swan Room (playroom at the hotel), spent time in the hotel room (playing with Play Doh and DS), and ate dinner at the Thai restaurant again. I have to say we have had excellent meals in China, with the exception of one dinner and one lunch in 2 weeks (that's pretty good odds). Angie and I did some extra shopping before dinner (Jeff did not offer any money this time so I only came back with a free Chinese fan because I brought Angie to a store that I was in earlier today) and then we stopped at Starbucks for a coffee (that was a real treat and relaxing and good girl-time). The weather continues to be hot and humid, with a nice breeze. I like it. Jeff and Jared are sweating a lot. I am wondering if the summer heat has kicked in at home...... I guess that is all for now -- Shae Rose is sleeping, Jared is back on the DS, and Jeff is waiting for me to finish. Love you all and thanks for all the prayers (they are definitely felt). P.S. The pictures of Jared and Shae Rose by the window are at the breakfast buffet this morning. In one she is giving Jared a kiss. Awesome!!

The Open Market

We went back to the medical office to have Shae's TB test read and everything
was fine. Karen, Jared and Shae went back to the hotel as I went with the group to tour the open market. We started at the pearl market and then stopped by a DVD store where I purchased some Chinese/English Disney DVDs for Shae and Jared. I also, purchased a few DVDs for Karen and myself. They were only $1-2 each. After that we went to where the exotic food was sold and I tried fried scorpions. E-w-w-w, yum, they tasted like potato chips (not chicken). On the way back to the hotel, we went through the pet and herbal medicine markets. Karen and Jared went shopping later in the afternoon and had some good mother/son time. We went to dinner, as a family, and ended the evening with our traditional ice cream. [We definitely have two "carb/fruit" kids; they both eat a lot of fruit and bread at breakfast and they order noodles every night.] The transition hasn't been easy, but we are having a lot of positive experiences as well. Shae is speaking more and more english (we sang the alphabet song together today), she will ask Jared to take her hand when walking, and most importantly she is allowing us to comfort her when she is sad or upset.

Sightseeing in Guangzhou May 16

Yesterday we went sightseeing in Guangzhou. Our guide Helen took us to a family temple that has been taken over by the government after the communist
revolution, and then to a government store to buy souvenirs, and then also to the local grocery store (like a 3-floor Wal-Mart). The temple was beautiful and the sculptures were very meticulous and ornate. The government store is where you can purchase high quality merchandise. Everything is guaranteed unlike the merchandise you get in the local shops. We returned to the hotel and then went to Lucy's (western food) for dinner with the other families that we are traveling with. We ended our evening with ice cream from "7-up," as Jared calls it, or otherwise known as "7/11." It's not Dairy Queen, but it will do for now.

Guangzhou, Finally

We made it safely to Guangzhou, our final stop before our flight home. Shae experienced her first plane ride and did fine. There were a few times we thought she might be sick, but she came thru with flying colors. We are staying at the White Swan, which is a very nice hotel. The only drawback is that the rooms are small and smell musty. The lobby has a 3-floor waterfall and a Coy pond. Jared and Shae spent over an hour today watching the fish and waterfall. The day started with a wonderful breakfast and then it was off to have a passport picture and medical exam for Shae. Shae had to have a TB test and Karen said she didn't even whimper when the needle was inserted. The rest of the day was ours to enjoy. Jared, Shae and John spent most of the afternoon watching Scooby Doo and playing with each other. I think everyone had a great time. A bunch of us decided to treat ourselves to a foot massage. This was one of the most relaxing times of the whole trip (and very inexpensive; 70 minutes for $10!!). We decided to go out to dinner as a group tonight and chose a Thai restaurant, and we were not disappointed. Shae had a big bubble bath tonight and she went crazy. She was putting bubbles everywhere; on the wall, on her body, and on my head! Just having a good time. Lastly, Jared and Shae spent some time looking out our 14th floor window and watching the neon-lit boats on the river. She was pretending to snatch them and eat them up. This made Jared crack up. We had a good day!

Sightseeing in Xi'an and Free Time May 13

Today was our last full day in Xi'an City as tomorrow we pack-up and head to Guangzhou for the last leg of our trip. We went sightseeing in the morning which included stopping at a Buddhist temple which was more like a garden. The temple was nice with the old Chinese buildings and the beautiful gardens. It was a place for quiet meditation. We walked the garden, Jared and Shae had their names written in Chinese and English (which we will frame in the States), and Jared rang the large bell. Jared surprised the Chinese men with his strength. Then we went to the Jade market to find out how to tell high quality jade from low quality jade, and of course to shop. After this, we went back to the hotel and had free time. We went swimming, but Shae didn't want to go into the pool. She was cracking up every time Jared would go under water and pop up someplace else. For dinner we ventured out to the Pizza Hut down the street, which is the nicest Pizza Hut we have ever seen. Then we ended our day with ice cream from Diary Queen!!! (Our favorite place) :) Shae's personality is starting to come out in leaps and bounds. We thank all the people who have been praying for us, and continued prayers are very much appreciated.

Wednesday - May12,2010

The last 2 days have been better with Shae as she has warmed up to us. Today will be a telling sign as we will be seeing Amanda at the hotel to give her supplies we have brought for Starfish from a supporter in Texas. Jared, Shae and John were having a ball last night running up and down the hallway throwing a beach ball around. They all stayed up to late and are pretty tired today. We have a family free day so just relaxing. The weather has been pretty good as only today has it rained. The smog and pollution is very bad in both Beijing and Xi'an but we are coping. The Terracotta warriors were very fascinating to see and the farmer that found the warriors was in the muesum signing books. I'm attaching some pictures to view.

Terracotta Warriors - May 11,2010

Yesterday we went to visit the Terracotta warriors. We started at the factory where the Terracotta warrior souvenirs are made; these are of a higher quality than what the local farmers sell at the discovery site. We then went to see the actual Terracotta warrior discovery site. The pictures and video do not do justice to the actual magnitude of the site. We walked all of pit 1 which has the largest number of warriors. We also saw some archeologist digging and cleaning new pieces of the First Emperor's army. We, as a family, had a great day; lots of laughing which felt SO good. Shae is warming up to us more and more each day. This was a long day of walking and Shae walked almost the whole way. What a trooper. Once back at the hotel, we went to eat dinner and Shae started calling us "Ma Ma, Ba Ba, and Ge Ge," when we would go up to the buffet. We found out that she has a good set of lungs. :) Today is a free family day to rest and enjoy each other; what a treat compared to the non-stop running.

Transition Day

Shae woke up this morning peacefully. We only had about a five minute episode of crying in the morning on our way to breakfast. This was a great improvement over last night. We thank everyone for their prayers for our family. We went back to the Civil Affairs Office to finish the adoption paperwork. Our interview was with the Director's assistant and wasn't that bad at all. Then Jared and I went on a Xi'an City adventure looking for an adapter to Jared's DS as his broke in Beijing. We saw a lot of what we would call back streets and it was interesting but I kicking myself as I didn't have a camera. Karen and Shae went to get her passport together and get some supplies for the room. Then we went out to eat as a group and had some wonderful food. Then we just went back to the room and gave Shae a bath and watched a movie. This was such a better day for all involved.

Gotcha Day

Well the day we have been waiting for the last 4 years has finally arrived!!! We left Beijing early Sunday morning and headed to Xi'an City. Once we landed we were met by our facilitator, JoJo, who took us to our hotel to drop off our luggage and freshen up before we went to the Civil Affairs Building. At 4pm we went to the Civil Affairs building, the room was small and crowded with waiting families and their adopted babies. Shae Rose wasn't there when we arrived, but Karen was the first to see her and got a picture of her coming off the elevator. The visit with Shae went well at the Civil Affairs office until it was time to leave and for her to say good-bye to Amanda, the director of Starfish foster home. Shae started crying uncontrollably and calling out for Amanda. This went on for most of the night but we did have a few hours where we were able to divert her attention and she was happy, like watching Scooby Doo with Jared and cutting and eating her watermelon at the hotel's restaurant. When Karen saw the huge platter of fruit coming our way she said, "oh my goodness" and Shae Rose promptly said as plain as day, "oh my goodness." Please pray for God to heal her broken heart and give us the strength and patience we need to get her through the transition. Also, say a special prayer for Jared who is struggling with all of Shae's crying, as he doesn't comprehend the magnitude of her loss.

Sightseeing Day 2

We had our second day of sightseeing in Beijing. We started off going to the Fangshan orphanage, which was established for children who can't be adopted because they have a living relative. The founder of Living Hope, Samual Fang, is the person who established this orphanage and 2 others in China. The older kids performed 3 wonderful dances for us and the younger kids sang Amazing Grace in both Chinese and English. After this we toured the orphanage and ate lunch with the kids. After the orphanage we headed to the Great Wall. The Wall didn't disappoint anyone. This was a great experience and this is one of the activities that Jared was looking forward to the most. From the Great Wall we went back to Beijing and did a drive by the Cube (Olympic Swimming) and the Bird's Nest where the 2008 Olympic Opening and Closing ceremonies, along with the Track and Field events, were held. We ended our day with a wonderful Peking Duck dinner. Well, we are packing now and getting ready to head to Xi'an City tomorrow morning to get our daughter!! This is the part that doesn't seem real...........

May 7, 2010

Title: We made it/ Sightseeing in Beijing


We made it to China safely! The whole process went smoother then I thought it would be but the flight from Newark to Beijing was long!!! Jared did the best of the three of us on the flight, we were proud of him for that. Once we landed and got to our hotel (King Wing Hot Spring Hotel). we went to dinner with another family that is adopting and our guide Lisa. There wasn't any forks so we all had to use chop sticks. and for Jared and I that was a challenge. This was Jared's first time using chop sticks (see picture) and he did a great job. We then went back to the hotel and crashed. Today was a day packed with sightseeing in Beijing. We went to the Tianan Men square, the Forbidden City,Temple of Heaven, shopping at the Pearl Market. and the Chaoyang Acrobat show. It was a very fun day experiencing another country's culture. It was amusing to see how the Chinese people responded to Jared; they usually stopped and pointed at his buzz cut and some even rubbed his head. One very old gentleman stopped,pointed at his hair, and stood there and chuckled. It really was sweet; they seemed to be taken by him. The pictures are of the Forbidden City and Jared with his new buddy, John, climbing a tree at the Temple of Heaven. Jared's and my favorite part was the Forbidden City, and while Karen enjoyed the sightseeing, her favorite was the company and conversation with Angie and Amy on the bus. That brings me to another point, the driving. There is no way I would last more than a day driving in Beijing. There are no rules and driving in a lane is an option. We really couldn't watch what was going on around us as it would stress us out. Well, that is about it for today. Tomorrow, we go to visit the Fangshan orphanage and the Great Wall.