Forever Family "Gotcha" Day 2008

Amy, Ty & Troy with Orphanage Director (Left) and Nanny (Right)

Amy and Ty waiting for Adoption Photos for Visa & Passport

Troy & Ty after Adoption Photos

Ty playing on Mommy & Daddy's Bed

Amy & Yisha taking Ty's Footprints for Paperwork

Ty taking his afternoon nap on Mommy & Daddy's Bed

Troy and Ty sitting on floor together before Bedtime

Amy and Ty reading together before Bedtime

Troy: What a great day in our lives! Ty arrives! After having a great breakfast and lots of coffee downstairs, Amy and I got ready and went down to wait for the babies to arrive in Mama Mia's Restaurant. When we arrived, Ty and his orphanage director and nanny were already there with him. We all got emotional as Ty was handed over to us for the first time with camera's popping all around. Ty has been absolutely amazing. No crying or whining so far. Just laid back and even keel. He has an absolutely sweet disposition. Everyone was marveling at how easy going he was today. Amy and I had a lot of fun today kissing is cheeks, playing, laughing and giving him a bath for the first time. It's a day, we won't soon forget!

Amy: All of this is very surreal. We are blessed beyond belief. Ty was the only child who did not cry when placed in their families arms. You could tell he was somewhat guarded, but took all of the commotion in. As Troy was filling out the paperwork, he started to smile as he was putting his jelly candy that he came with in his hands between the handle of the photo album we sent him in our care package. It was a little game like basketball. He has been absolutely amazing today with smiles, laughter, eating and drinking well and even having a bath. We were told he does not like his bath and he made a little noise when placed in the water, but I got in with him and it was no big deal after that. We played some more after his bath, read some books, had some milk in his sippy cup and laid him in his crib and that was the end of his day. No fussing, no crying, just easy peasy! I praise God for the people at Swallow's Nest because they prepared him well for us. It was like he already knew who we were today.

We're Up!

Troy: Amy and I just got up from sleep. We could only make it till 5AM and that was pushing it. We have been laying in bed since 4AM despite waking up at 12AM, 2AM & 4AM to talk. It's a big day for us! So, the countdown continues. 4 hours, 40 minutes to go! We're ready!

We're in Zhengzhou!

Troy: We are now in Zhengzhou (pronounced Jeng-Joe) safety. We flew on China Southern Airlines from Beijing to Zhengzhou at noon time and arrived at our hotel around 3PM China Time. We just had a great dinner out at a local cafe. We are now preparing the room for Ty tomorrow. We have a baby crib full of toys and paperwork and gifts for the officials. So, we are now 15 hours away from getting our little munchkin boy. We are here with 4 other families from around the US receiving children and will be helping each other out as the children transition. We will receive Ty tomorrow morning at 9:30A China Time or 8:30P Central US Time. They are bringing him to the hotel and we'll be giving him to us in the Mama Mia Restaurant. We will go to our hotel room and starting bonding with our son. Please, keep us in your thoughts and prayers about a great transition tomorrow with him. We will update you about how it all went. Blessings!

Amy: It has been another busy day transitioning to Zhengzhou. We landed safely after lots of prayers due to a turbulent flight and fast landing. The pilot seemed to take the plane down quicker then I was comfortable with. The scenery is definitely different in ZZ compared to Beijing. It is hotter, you can see the smog in the air and it looks a little bare compared to the lush Beijing. The Henan Province is said to be the poorest in China and it is obvious. Our hotel is lovely though and our dinner tonight was incredible.

While driving from the airport to the hotel in our bus, I realized God had given me a vision in a dream about six months ago before we even got Ty's referral. In my dream, I was in a bus on a highway and laughed at the signs as we passed by. There was a sign that said "No Drunk Driving" and another one that said not to liter and had people throwing trash out the window of a car. I remember waking up from my dream because the signs were not something we have in the US and the landscape was different from Illinois with fruit like trees lining the highway. As we were driving, tears started running down my face without me even thinking about it. It was then I realized we were living my dream.

It's A Small World

Amy: Besides Troy being able to watch the Iowa vs. ISU as I am writing this all the way across the world, listen to this incredible story.

Since Troy and I had been up before 4:00 a.m. due to our time difference, we were the first to breakfast at 6:30. Another couple came in soon after and sat with us. We shared the normal introductions of names, where we live, etc. When we said where we lived, the gentleman said his sister lives in the same city. Come to find out, we know his sister who goes to our church! We remember Mia telling us her brother and his wife were adopting, but had no idea they were with CCAI and of course would be traveling with us!

We Made It!

Rickshaw Ride on the Hutong Tour

Tiannamen Square

The Forbidden City

The Great Wall

The Bird's Nest at Beijing Olympic Park with Paralympic Games Flame

Amy: We made it safely to Beijing and are VERY tired. Thank you so much for all your prayers. We have been so blessed beyond belief with easy travel (smooth is a better word ), wonderful travel mates, the opportunity to tour the beautiful Beijing, drink the best coffee we have ever had and lay our tired bodies on a comfortable bed in a lovely room each night. Our schedule has been extremely packed since we landed which is why we haven't posted. A quick list of activities include: Tiannamen Square, Forbidden City, Hutong tour, acrobatics show, tour of a silk, jade and cloisonne factory, climbing the Great Wall and eating authentic meals. We leave tomorrow for Zhengzhou and get Ty on Tuesday. There is so much to write about I could be here for hours. Just know that are grateful for this opportunity and cannot wait to share this experience with Ty as he grows. Enjoy a snapshot of all that we have experienced.

Troy: I just want to say "hi" as well. We had a great plane ride over to Beijing. Definately, 13 hours straight in a plane is alot, but we made it and it is so worth it. China is awesome! Awesome people. Awesome sites. Awesome experiences. The last two days have been breath-taking as we have seen sites that I dreamed of seeing when I was a young boy. Definately, dreams coming true over here. We're ready, Lord willing, to come back again and get a daughter. Thank you for all your support and continued prayers. We will continue to blog as we get a chance to catch our breath. Next up, we get Ty on Tuesday! All our love!

In Babies Booties

This is a long read, but we encourage to preserve and understand what Ty might be experiencing.

Immense Loss; Walk a Mile in Baby’s Booties Imagine for a moment…
You have met the person you've dreamed about all your life. He has every quality that you desire in a spouse. You plan for the wedding, enjoying every free moment with your fiance'. You love his touch, his smell, the way he looks into your eyes. For the first time in your life, you understand what is meant by "soul mate," for this person understands you in a way that no one else does. Your heart beats in rhythm with his. Your emotions are intimately tied to his every joy, his every sorrow.

The wedding comes. It is a happy celebration, but the best part is that you are finally the wife of this wonderful man. You fall asleep that night, exhausted from the day's events, but relaxed and joyful in the knowledge that you are next to the person who loves you more than anyone in the world…the person who will be with you for the rest of your life.

The next morning you wake up, nestled in your partner's arms. You open your eyes and immediately look for his face.

But IT'S NOT HIM! You are in the arms of another man. You recoil in horror. Who is this man? Where is your beloved?

You ask questions of the new man, but it quickly becomes apparent that he doesn't understand you. You search every room in the house, calling and calling for your husband. The new guy follows you around, trying to hug you, pat you on the back,...even trying to stroke your arm, acting like everything is okay.

But you know that nothing is okay. Your beloved is gone. Where is he? Will he return? When? What has happened to him?

Weeks pass. You cry and cry over the loss of your beloved. Sometimes you ache silently, in shock over what has happened. The new guy tries to comfort you. You appreciate his attempts, but he doesn't speak your language-either verbally or emotionally. He doesn't seem to realize the terrible thing that has happened...that your sweetheart is gone.

You find it difficult to sleep. The new guy tries to comfort you at bedtime with soft words and gentle touches, but you avoid him, preferring to sleep alone, away from him and any intimate words or contact.

Months later, you still ache for your beloved, but gradually you are learning to trust this new guy. He's finally learned that you like your coffee black, not doctored up with cream and sugar. Although you still don't understand his bedtime songs, you like the lilt of his voice and take some comfort in it.

More time passes. One morning, you wake up to find a full suitcase sitting next to the front door. You try to ask him about it, but he just takes you by the hand and leads you to the car. You drive and drive and drive. Nothing is familiar. Where are you? Where is he taking you?

You pull up to a large building. He leads you to an elevator and up to a room filled with people. Many are crying. Some are ecstatic with joy. You are confused. And worried.

The man leads you over to the corner. Another man opens his arms and sweeps you up in an embrace. He rubs your back and kisses your cheeks, obviously thrilled to see you.

You are anything but thrilled to see him. Who in the world is he? Where is your beloved? You reach for the man who brought you, but he just smiles (although he seems to be tearing up, which concerns you), pats you on the back, and puts your hand in the hands of the new guy. The new guy picks up your suitcase and leads you to the door. The familiar face starts openly crying, waving and waving as the elevator doors close on you and the new guy.

The new guy drives you to an airport and you follow him, not knowing what else to do. Sometimes you cry, but then the new guy tries to make you smile, so you grin back, wanting to "get along." You board a plane. The flight is long. You sleep a lot, wanting to mentally escape from the situation.

Hours later, the plane touches down. The new guy is very excited and leads you into the airport where dozens of people are there to greet you. Light bulbs flash as your photo is taken again and again. The new guy takes you to another guy who hugs you. Who is this one? You smile at him. Then you are taken to another man who pats your back and kisses your cheek. Then yet another fellow gives you a big hug and messes your hair.

Finally, someone (which guy is this?) pulls you into his arms with the biggest hug you've ever had. He kisses you all over your cheeks and croons to you in some language you've never heard before.

He leads you to a car and drives you to another location. Everything here looks different. The climate is not what you're used to. The smells are strange. Nothing tastes familiar, except for the black coffee. You wonder if someone told him that you like your coffee black.

You find it nearly impossible to sleep. Sometimes you lie in bed for hours, staring into the blackness, furious with your husband for leaving you, yet aching from the loss. The new guy checks on you. He seems concerned and tries to comfort you with soft words and a mug of warm milk. You turn away, pretending to go to asleep.

People come to the house. You can feel the anxiety start to bubble over as you look into the faces of all the new people. You tightly grasp the new guy's hand. He pulls you closer. People smile and nudge one other, marveling at how quickly you've fallen in love. Strangers reach for you, wanting to be a part of the happiness.

Each time a man hugs you, you wonder if he will be the one to take you away. Just in case, you keep your suitcase packed and ready. Although the man at this house is nice and you're hanging on for dear life, you've learned from experience that men come and go, so you just wait in expectation for the next one to come along.

Each morning, the new guy hands you a cup of coffee and looks at you expectantly. A couple of times the pain and anger for your husband is so great that you lash out, sending hot coffee across the room, causing the new guy to yelp in pain. He just looks at you, bewildered. But most of the time you calmly take the cup. You give him a smile. And wait. And wait. And wait.

--Written by Cynthia Hockman-Chupp, analogy courtesy of Dr. Kali Miller

Our To Do List

It is hard to believe we leave for China in less then a week! Our "To Do" List is changing each day as we cross things off and add new ones. So far I have sent our $ to cover our In-China travel expenses this morning, filled out paperwork to add Ty to our insurance and set up an appointment with an international adoption pediatrician in St. Louis in October. I am really looking forward to this Dr. appointment. Dr. Jennifer Ladage is an adopted mom herself to 3 children including a son with cleft lip and palate. It will be wonderful to learn from her since she has been there done that.

We had our travel conference call on Thursday and spoke with Josh who co-founded CCAI with his wife Lilly. This call once again reiterated how wonderful CCAI is and the people who work for them. We are so grateful we chose them as our agency.

BabyTALK in the News!

Yes, the company I work for made national news with the recent announcement of Sarah Palin's pregnant teen daughter. I was the Teen Parent Educator until August when I decided to give up that part of my job to be home with Ty. Deb called me yesterday with the news and wanted to know if I knew a teen mom that would be willing to be interviewed. The young lady I suggested has a similar story to Bristol Palin and agreed to be featured. I received the following email from our PR/Development Director:

Last night, Baby TALK in Decatur, Illinois received a call from the CBS Morning Show production company from New York. Due to the recent announcement of Sarah Palin’s teen daughter, this morning’s show is focusing on teen pregnancy and the resources available to this population. The Morning Show found Baby TALK’s information online, and due to our success in working with teen parents, contacted us as “experts”. We were initially invited to fly to New York to appear in the studio live this morning but, due to the flight schedules, the show decided to conduct the interview via satellite.

At 5:30 AM on Tuesday, September 2nd, we met a production company at Central Christian Church (where our teen program is housed) to set up for a live interview that will air this morning at 8:30 AM Central Time. Baby TALK Program Director Deb Widenhofer was interviewed, along with one of the teen moms we have worked with.

As the nation focuses its attention on teen pregnancy and all the politics surrounding the issue, our mission remains the same: to positively impact child development and nurture healthy parent-child relationships during the early critical years… regardless of age, socio economic status, education, or background.

Our TA Arrived!

I got an email this morning from CCAI saying they received our TA last Friday! I let them know we didn't receive any notification of this. Praise God it is here and we can order our tickets! Looks like we will be gone from 9/11-9/27! Thanks for all the prayers!

Halfway There-Prayers Still Needed

Good news! CCAI was able to get us an appointment with the consulate! They are too fabulous! Now we are waiting on our travel approval. It is normally the other way around, but I guess we are different. (I think that has been the theme throughout this adoption.) We cannot purchase airline tickets until after we get our TA, so this is making me a little nervous. I checked Expedia to see what is out there with the parameters that our agency gave us regarding our itinerary and those tickets are $$$! Try over $2000 each! Please pray that we get our travel approval soon and airline prices will go down!

URGENT! Prayers Needed!

Just when we thought we were seeing light at the end of the tunnel to bring Ty home, our agency called and told us the consulate denied all the dates for appointments they suggested. They are resubmitting the dates with an explanation that we need to be home before the October holidays in China. Our agency remains optimistic, but PLEASE pray we will be grated dates in September. We do not want to wait until October to bring Ty home.

We Are Blessed!

After watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, once again, we are reminded we are blessed to visit China weeks after the Olympics take place. There is so much history and culture we want to expose Ty to so he can know about his birth place. After looking at www.nbcolympics.com, I think we need to purchase the opening ceremonies and Olympic highlights to share with our son. He needs to know the pride his country displayed and all that took place during his Gotcha Year!

One Step Closer

While we are still waiting on our Travel Approval, the CCAI travel department called to check some important information and make sure we have the vital documents to take with us to China. In addition, they gave us a tentative departure date of Sept. 11th! That is in 3 weeks...YIPPPEEE! We cannot make flight reservations until given the say so by them, but at least we have something to go on. We were also told we would be traveling in a group, fly into Beijing and depart from Hong Kong. Time to take another look at that packaging list and start preparing to pack!

Still Waiting

We continue to wait for our TA- Travel Approval. This will give us our traveling dates to China. I saw that some people who have the same LOA (7/31) as us, got their travel approval today. Ours might be delayed a few days since we waited until I was home from SLC to sign and send our LOA in. Hopefully ours will come early next week. Those that got theirs today leave Sept 3rd, in 2 weeks! I hope 2 weeks is all we have too!

We have a BUSY weekend ahead. Troy and I are both doing a sprint triathlon on Saturday. In fact, the last time I worked out was at the tri back in June. I know I will make it. I did this tri last year and it is A LOT easier then the tri in June. After the tri and visiting new moms at the hospital for work, off to Abby's (Troy's cousin who lived with us for 6 months) birthday celebration. Our church is throwing our adoption celebration on Sunday and then we have the Tri-Gators picnic on Sunday to share our stories, socialize and eat.

I bought a couple of outfits and PJ's at Kohl's today. They were between 60-70% off and then I had a 30% off coupon off of the total. Believe it or not, these are the first clothes I have bought for Ty. I even got him a swim suit for next year. Hopefully he likes to swim like his mom and dad!

We Got Our LOA!

Update: Troy has the LOA package!

.... or at least the e-mail saying it is on our way. It is to arrive today by FedEX, but I am in SLC and Troy is working, so I am PRAYING all is well. Troy said he will handle it, so I am trusting him. I can be a control freak and I DO NOT like being thousands of miles away from a major milestone, so this is a good test for me. We also got an update on Ty from the CCAA a couple of days ago. This time it says he is introverted and loves his bath. I find it interesting because our referral information said he is extroverted. Oh well. Sounds like a typical kid to me. We cannot wait to see what he is really like. We also got this picture that was taken on the day we got his referral!

USPS Rocks!

It still amazes me you can send a package half-way across the world and it gets to the right place, most of the time. Ty received our care package and these pictures and video were sent to us by our adoption agency from Swallows Nest. We are so grateful to get all of these updates and see how our little man is growing and changing. We KNOW he was meant for us and we cannot wait to bring him home. Still waiting for our LOA, Letter of Acceptance. Hopefully it will come by Tuesday before I head out to Salt Lake City for the Stampin' Up! convention. I am super excited and it will be a good distraction from our wait.

And More Video!

We got more video on Ty today. Sorry for the darkness. He even says "Dad" in one...or sounds like Dad, but we will take it for what it is. We LOVE our boy!

Ty's Bedroom

Here are a few pics of Ty's nursery. I made a banner with his name using some random scrapbooking paper that I had and I LOVE how it turned out. Very eclectic, but it works. My mom also sent us a Chinese folk art picture her class gave her during her teaching days in Westlake. She loved the picture so much she purchased another from the artist and it is displayed in the bedroom I grew up in. This picture goes perfectly and it has a mother pig with her piglets. Ty was born in the year of the Golden Pig. We are so grateful we can display a piece of art that represents his heritage.

My Composters

Yes, with my birthday money, I bought some composters. I know it is not the most glamorous gift that all girls just have to have, but for me, its about waste and getting back to my roots. I grew up with a compost pile and the B&B I worked at in college composted everything possible. After a trip back home to Austin, I was feeling some guilt. After much research, I have these two handy girls and I LOVE them. We have always recycled, but now we are reducing our waste even more. In 6-12 months we should have some "brown gold".

Care Package for Ty

Enjoy the goodies little man! It was so much fun shopping for items to send to Ty. He has a new rubber duck (Troy loves rubber ducks and says we are the Roenfanz Rubber Duckies), photo album of pictures of us, his new home and Jack, outfit to wear, lovey to hold that I slept with for a week so he could get my "scent", sippy cup, Puffs, a camera for the foster family to take pictures with and M&M's for the caretakers.

Praise God My Husband Lived!

This is what happens when a person in a hurry tries to take a left hand turn and cuts off a cyclist going down a hill. Troy had to lay down his bike or he would have hit the vehicle and who knows what! He is so fortunate to be alive and healing well. His helmet cracked in 3 spots, his new tri suit is ripped, his bike has a few scratches and some nasty road rash (the picture does not show the severity)on the left side of his body, but he is alive! Fortunately, the lady stopped to see if he was O.K. and gave him $67 to go towards a new tri suit, a life guard from the country club saw the accident and brought him towels and a runner close to home went and got his car to give Troy a ride home. We have been doing some major wound care and bought out all the non-stick pads from Target and Walmart. Praise God angels were present.

Ty's Finding Add

When a child is abandoned in China, they have to place an add in the paper giving the specifics of his abandonment. We received this picture from his foster mom, Pam from Swallows Nest. This is the earliest picture we have of our son.

Pics of Ty

These are the new pictures of Ty. We have been told he has wavy hair that has recently been cut, he likes his high chair and is a great eater. We cannot wait to kiss those chubby cheeks and pouty lips.

Video of Ty

Amazingly, we received pictures and photos of Ty from his foster family. They are Americans teaching English in China and are trying to reduce the number of children in the orphanages. We are so grateful for their work and love of the children.

In the first video, Ty is the third child who is not sick and looks into the camera. In the second video, Ty is in the background and is sucking on his thumb.

We Are Blessed!

The following was posted as a comment on our blog:

Amy, we have Mu shi tian in our foster home. You are blessed. We are enjoying his sweet smile and kind personality. Pam in Henan

Tri's and More Tri's

Troy crossing the finish line at the Rodney T. Miller Tri!
Our finishers hardware after the Tremont Tri!

Between company, getting our referral for Ty and researching cleft palate, making card front swaps for the Stampin' Up! convention, I have been slow to post. Here are some pictures of Troy and I and the triathlons we have competed in recently. Troy did the Rodney T. Miller race last Sunday and came in 39th out of 218! He did an incredible job and shaved off time from last year. We did the Tremont tri at the end of June and it was my goal to just finish, which I did! I did an AquaBike last year, but haven't done a complete tri in 5 years! I sold my bike and Troy had been using my bike from my college days until he got his new bike last fall. I know, excuses, excuses, but I did it. If we are not in China mid-August, we are going to go for it again.

Our Son!!!

We are so excited we can finally post pictures and information about our new son! Meet Mu Shi Tian soon to be Ty Jameson MuShi Roenfanz! He was born May 1, 2007 and currently lives in the Henan province. Ty has a cleft palate and repaired cleft lip. We cannot wait to bring him home and kiss that chubby little face!

Troy and I had been thinking of switching to the Waiting Child Program for several months and after lots of prayer, turned in our paperwork in the beginning of June. I had an incredible feeling of peace after that and knew our child would come to us in a year or so. We got the email June 16th that CCAI received our Medical Checklist, but said there were 200 other families ahead of us. On Tuesday June 24th, we got THE CALL! Talk about extreme shock. I was fixing turkey tacos and thought this was another call just to check in and see how we are doing which they have done before. This time, Pam said, "I have a little boy who needs a mommy!" We had only been waiting 8 days! We saw his pictures and read all about him and KNEW he was our son! You see, CCAI received his file June 18th which is my birthday. In addition, his name means God/Heavens Timing. Troy has always joked that he would like a son to play golf with like Tiger Woods and come to find out, Mu means "wood". We also said our first son's name would be Ty. Tian and Ty are not too far apart. We see God's hand in all of this and feel truly blessed. We hope to bring Ty home in August or September.

Good News!

Yes, it has been a while since I have posted. Our life has been WILD since my last post. Company after company, triathlons and news that I will post more on at a later date after permission has been granted. Let us just say our world will be rocked in a good way in a few months!

18 Months!

Today marks our 18th month of waiting for our little one(s) in China! Referrals came out the other day and the CCAA has matched through 1/20/08. Some agencies are saying through the 22, but it is not a sure thing. We are hoping. We are grateful that they matched more days this month then previous months. There is already a rumor out there that next month will be even better! Could things be slightly speeding up? We continue to hope and pray. Hopefully this will be our last Mother's and Father's Day on paper, either through domestic or international adoption...or a miracle!

Du It Again

Troy competed in his first duathlon this past weekend and based on his results, he should du it again. The du consisted on a 2 mile run, 13.4 mile bike and finished with another 2 mile run! Troy finished first in his age group and 5th overall! This was his first event on his new bike that he got off of the Bay. He was now longer embarressed to be riding the antique Bridgestone that I will be using in 3 weeks. Yep, our next event is the Tremont Tri. Troy will more then likely be bringing home hardware, but I will be happy to cross the finish line. I have done several tri's, but not being a competive person, I try to beat my old times. The WiiFit is my new trainer! I already feel better and have lost a few pounds!

Wii Did It!

Troy maintaining his balance as he ski jumps!

Troy getting into position as he attempts another jump!

Yes, we are now part of the Wii Family! Both Troy and I have never been "gamers", but THIS is different. It is totally interactive and a GREAT workout! We have cut down on our T.V. time, spent more time as a couple and have worked out more in the last week! Yes, we also got the Wii Fit! It is AWESOME! It makes working out FUN and worthwhile! It is amazing! Check out this website for all that it can do. I watch what I eat a little better because I don't want to get on the Wii board and it tell me my weight has changed. It doesn't say for the good or bad until you do the Fit Test.

17 Months and Other Stuff

Sunday, which was also Mother's Day, happened to be our 17 month anniversary of being in line for our miracle(s). While it is one month closer, it still looks like it could be years before we meet our little one(s), but we wait...and pray...and pray...and pray.... Troy was telling me about a friend of his who had his kids in his 20's so he could enjoy retirement in his 60's. Troy and I laughed at the idea and came to the conclusion that our retirement has been the last 7+ years...so we are going to enjoy it while we wait. The way things are going, our 60's will be paying for school. Our kids will keep us young!

Since Sunday was Mother's Day, the guys from our house church fixed buttermilk/flaxseed pancakes and bacon for the ladies! It was yummy, but also hard for me to stay out of the kitchen and want to control their doings...just trying to offer a little hints to make things easier. Our house church continues to grow...a good problem to have. Troy is changing positions at the YMCA which will give him more time to concentrate on the Joshua Tree House Church Network.

Only one week left of school! The pregnant/parenting moms that I have worked with this year have been really wonderful. This year has been the least dramatic of the past 3. I look forward to seeing many of them next year...and in the hospital this summer.

Salt Lake City...Here I Come!

Yea Hah! I am finally going to a Stampin' Up! convention! I have been a hobby demonstrator since 2002 and this is my first year to go to convention. I figured between this being the 20th Anniversary of SU! (it will be fabulous, I know), I saved up $ and we still don't have any kids, I might as well go! This is super exciting! I have been to regionals in STL, but convention...WOAH! Becoming a SU! demonstrator was a way for me to earn extra $$ going into our 2nd year of marriage and seminary, but it became more than that. I have found great friends and LOVE to share my love of stamping and card making with others! Thanks Karen for taking care of the flight and hotel details!

WHOOO HOOO!

These words are posted on our CCAI'S website:
The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before December 31, 2006. The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before January 09, 2006.

With a LID of 12-11-06, we are out of the review room and on to the matching room! As you read, they have only matched through 1-9-06, but at least we are in 2006! We keep praying things will speed up. Troy and I have discussed infant foster care and I looked into it further this past week. Unfortunately, our DCFS licence would have to be transferred to an agency that does foster care and it would take us out of the running to be picked by a birth mom from our domestic adoption agency. We want to stay with our agency, so in the meantime, we wait and pray for our children and their families.

Earthquake!

This morning at 4:37, we were shaken out of our sleep to a 5.2 earthquake! It was the freakiest thing we have ever experienced! Our first thought was the beginning of a tornado, but the sirens were not going off. Then we thought Jesus was coming...no, but really, it was enough to rattle us out of bed. Freaky, that was an aftershock! No way, as I am tying this at 10:15 a.m. , we have just experienced 2 aftershocks! There is this slight rumble and then the ground begins to shake and stuff starts to rattle. My heart is beating so fast right now. We are all O.K. Jack is looking at me like, "What the heck is going on!" I can't wait to talk to my neighbors from California down the street!

16 Months and Still Waiting

Friday marked our 16th month of waiting in line for China. When we started the process in March 2006, it looked like we would be traveling this summer to pick up our little one(s), but now we wait..hopefully not another 16 months, but we are in for the long haul. We have had so many opportunities to become parents since January and everything has fallen through. Two weeks ago, I got a call from a local hospital regarding a mom who decided not to parent and make an adoption plan for her child. The mom ended up wanting to place her child with a family from Lutheran Child and Family Services as she had done previously with another child. We keep reminding ourselves and looking at the card from my Aunt Karin that says, "More is being planned for you by God than had been prayed for by us." Maybe just maybe, we have twins waiting for us in China.

The Father's Chair

Here is the long awaited photo of Father Dan's (as Troy's dad calls himself) chair Troy has named, "The Father's Chair". It is a super comfy swivel rocker/recliner that has become the house favorite. Now Dan can bask in the morning sun and watch the birds in extreme comfort.

Random Thoughts

It has been a while since we last blogged... so much of our life revolved around the potential adoption and the roller coaster of emotions. While we were disappointed, we have been handling the outcome much better than anticipated. We received a card from my aunt that will forever remain in my Bible as comfort and a huge reminder of hope. The front of it had this saying from S.D. Gordon, "More is being planned for you by God than had been prayed for by us." As Troy said, "That is spot on!" So we continue to pray and wait. We did give our portfolio to one of my clients who is looking at family profiles for her son due in May. Don't know if she will choose us, but the timing would be perfect if she did.

Our house church network is growing and it has been great to build new relationships with people. The week before Easter we had 19 people and it was cozy. We have a nice size house, but it starts to feel small once you get that many people in your living room. It is a great problem to have. Another church started on Thursday nights called the House of Hope. They are using Celebrate Recovery materials to work with their participants. God is truly at work in the network and city!

We are eagerly waiting for Spring! I am ready to get the garden started and flowers planted. I also love to sit on the deck and watch the birds!

We bought a new swivel rocker recliner today with a nice donation we received from a person who will enjoy it thoroughly! More seating for house church and necessary for baby! Best thing yet, it is being delivered on Tuesday!

The End

We are off the roller coaster ride of domestic adoption. Our birth mom chose to parent her child. While we worry about the choice she made and how it will effect her family, we know that God has better plans for us. We feel God's love and peace through this time. Thanks for all the prayers.

15 Months and Other Stuff

Today marks our 15 month of waiting in line for China. It is nice we are one month closer to our little one, but this is also an anxious time in our life as we are waiting to see if we get to parent another little one domestically. I just got off the phone with our SW and she said it does not look good for our birth mom to go through with the adoption. She is not thinking rationally and comes up with even a more irrational answer when you ask her a question. Only time will tell. There is another opportunity in the background that I am going to explore more, but need to wait and see what happens with our first BM.

Denial

Our BM did not show up for her Dr.'s appointment today in which they were going to induce her. I was on pins and needles waiting for a phone call...dropped my lesson plans off at school just in case... went to the prenatal clinic to make the time pass...called BM at 12 only to find she just woke up and missed her appointment. We continue to pray for her and the baby. She did mention she lost her mucus plug which is a good sign. I have never been a fan of induction, but we are ready for this baby to be born and this roller coaster ride to end. Hopefully she will deliver naturally in the next few days and God's will will be revealed.

Still Anxiously Waiting

We continue to wait each day for the call to go to the hospital. Each morning I find myself saying, "Please let this day be the day she delivers." My boss told me yesterday I am experiencing labor in a different form. Patience is not my best virtue, but God is truly testing me and making me WAIT! Domestic adoption, especially when you personally know the birth mom, is not for the light hearted. I don't know if I could go through this again.

I took our BM to pay bills on Wednesday after we got home from STL. She opened up in the car and mentioned she is so confused and depressed. We talked for probaby 2 hour and had a true heart to heart conversation. I won't go into the details, but we cried and prayed together. Please continue to pray for all of us. This is SOOOOOO hard!

Soon..

...the stork should be coming. I took our BM to the Dr. today and they are going to induce her next Monday if she has not delivered by then. She was up Sunday night with contractions and lightheaded and nauseous this morning. All good signs of impending delivery. I am hoping she delivers on Tuesday so we have something to distract us on Wednesday when we go to STL for fingerprinting. God only knows. Time will tell if she lets us parent her child. She didn't bring anything up today. Please keep us all in your prayers.