Ever since the wait for Hannah began, I have been praying hard to keep her safe, prepare her heart for the transition and to speed the wait for us to bring her home. All the while, each day that would pass, I would thank God for giving her the extra time with her foster family. Each week that would pass, is one more week they got to spend with her, and as strange as it may seem to some, I was very grateful for that time for them to be together.

Hannah most likely does not understand what is going to be happening to her world in a month or so. But her foster parents are well aware that her family has been found. And with that, that their time with her is drawing short. Can you imagine what that must be like for them? I am choosing to assume that they adore her with all their heart and have come to love her as one of their own. As each day passes they know they are one day closer to saying good-bye to her forever. If you really sit down and think about it, that is just heart-breaking. Really!

So here I am, anxious to see my little girl and to bring her home. But at the same time, understanding and appreciating how bitter-sweet this time must be for the foster family. And here I have been praying so hard and encouraging others to pray that she will be with us for her Birthday , August 30th.

Hannah has been with her family since she was 7 months, right after her surgery. She was with them to celebrate her 1st birthday, and here I am praying to take away the chance for them to celebrate her 2nd birthday with her. Umm... just a tad bit selfish. WOW!! That realization just hit me over the head like a ton of bricks!! And it wasn't pretty!

So I know I am not the one in charge, and I only want for God's will, and Whatever God has in mind for us will be just perfect. And if it turns out we end up being with her on her birthday, I will obviously not argue. But I am no longer going to petition for anything that would cause her foster family to have to miss out on the chance to be with her. We will have a life-time of birthdays(God Willing) with our daughter. This one is all they have left.

Why am I telling you this, you ask? Because I have a lot of friends who read this blog who are prayer warriors. And I know they have been praying on our behalf for Hannah to be with us on her birthday. So here I am to do a takesie-backsie.

I am asking that you continue to pray for her safety, for God to prepare her heart for all that is to come, to prepare the hearts of her foster family family for the loss that is soon to hit them, for our safe travels, etc. And as far as travel time,if you won't mind, just ask the Big man to do what he sees best for her, no matter what that may be. After all, that is all we should really want, right.

Okay, thanks for listening. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

:)
Amie

While my brother and his family were over for dinner the other night, my little niece Lauren asked if she could have a sticker....

"Of course," I said.












She took her stickers and went out side to play with the big kids and came back 5 minutes later......
Decorated.
(even the toes, check them out!!!!)

Is that cute, or what?

:)
Amie

So, I actually thought about starting to get things together to start packing today. How cool is that??

Just wanted to share my little happy moment!

:)
Amie

I have had so many people ask where in China Hannah and Grace came from. Since I do not know the area as well as I should, I think I always give a less than satisfactory answer.. So I decided to throw a map of China up here and see if that helps.

First, am I allowed to do that? I just cut and pasted from another site.. I am so computer challenged, I am not even sure if this is okay. So dear friends, if I am breaking some kind of law, be a pal, shoot me an e-mail.

Okay...
So, Hannah is from the province of Qinghai.. (purple, upper left) some where around the i.

Grace was from the Municipality of Chongqing, just below Qinghai(brown).

And FYI- When we go to China we also hit Beijing... (upper right marked with a red square).
Our final stop is the U.S. consulate in Guanzhou. It is located in the province of Guangdong, I believe.(lower right, yellow)

Hope this helps!(and I hope I am not going to blogger jail for committing blogger plagiarism..)

:)
Amie

So we took a little road trip today....

to sign our LOA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The other family in our travel group live pretty close to the agency, so they were able to sneak over today to sign their LOA as well. So if all goes well, our letters should be making their way back to China tonight.

I will not even try to guess when TA will come. As we have seen, it is all so unpredictable. For now, I would just like to enjoy the fact that we have crossed one more hurdle in our journey to Hannah.

We are almost to the finish line!!!!

Happy Day!

:)
Amie

Something worked... because I just got a phone call that our LOA is headed this way!!!! pause for snoopy dancing, happy tears and shoe tipping(inside Panda joke, sorry)

Shelby- I need to know, did you re-enact the great Referral dance of 2005-2006, or is this a totally new one you used???

Terrye- I just sent you an e-mail... I promised you you would be one of the first to know!!

Must. Go. Snoopy Dance!!!!!

:D
Amie
(check out my new smiley.. now that's a big smile!!!)

NOTHING!!!!

So we went away for a famly vacation these past four days, and I was certain we would hear something. Wouldn't that be cool if we heard something while hanging out with our family, in the Woods, where it is so very easy to take the time out to notice God's beautiful handywork all around us. That would be just perfect, right. Yeah, that's what I thought too. We are on the same page.

Well, again. Not in the plan. I so wish I had something to offer you, a little nugget of info maybe. But I don't. Sorry.. :(

It's all good though. We had an amazing time hanging out with my brother's family and my sister and her kids. I will post more on that after I dig my way out of my trash bag of laundry I brought home and after I put back the thousands of things I overpacked that never got used!! :)

:)
Amie
(I promise Terrye.. when I know, you will know!! I wouldn't keep something that good from you!!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULES!!!!!

We are wishing you a Birthday filled with much happiness, lots of hugs and kisses from your kiddos, and a little bit of cake thrown in to top it off!!!!

Happy Day!

:)
The Gang
(p.s. I owe you a girls night out to the movies!!)

So one afternoon while I was making dinner, the 3 BIG KIDS came in to check-in and see what was on the menu for that night.



I told them it was some sort of a casserole and when they got a glimpse of it before it went into the oven, they exchanged "the look." and the three of them sped off to do "a project" in the basement.

About 30 minutes later the door bell rings.... Katie runs in to get me in the kitchen and tells me I better answer it.

So I open the door to find this guy to the right.....











" Hi.. ummm, I'm a construction guy. And me and my construction guy friends are working on a job site, down the street and we are working real hard on a construction job, cause I'm a construction man. And we are real hungry. You can get real hungry when you are working real hard! While we were working really hard, we smelled something that smelled REALLY good. So I thought I would come down here and see if you might have something Really yummy for me and my crew to eat. And you look like a really nice lady, the type who would like to help out hard working guys, and something does smell really yummy. Do you have anything of the casserole type that could feed me and my hard working crew. There are a lot of us... We would have to take the whole casserole. But we are working real hard, and we would sure appreciate your generosity."



I practically fell over I was laughing so daggone hard. I had to call Jeff and tell him to come home from work early. I had the kids go around the back of the house when he was home and come to the front door again... It was just as funny the second time around!

(Those are his dads jeans, over top of stilts that he had made himself one day in his workshop. They definitely came in handy.LOL.. and the mustache.. seriously funny!)

*And for the record, I asked them to at least try the casserole, but I did give them a pass on the casserole, and a free-choice dinner night for effort and creativity. HILARIOUS!!

:)

Amie

This was Matthew's first season of T-ball, and he loved every second of it. The season is over and he is wondering when the next season starts. It will be a long winter.

You did a great job buddy! You worked hard at every practice, you always listened to your coaches and took their instruction well, you played your little heart out at the games, and always with a smile! We are proud of you!

Love-

Mom and Dad

For a Community Service Project , our family has chosen to make blankets for project linus....

http://www.projectlinus.org/

Project Linus collects blankets made by volunteers, and donate these blankets to children who are ill or have been traumatized and could benefit from a blanket to snuggle with; A gift of love to lift their spirits and to remind them that they are cared for.

I can think of several of my friends who are always looking for service opportunities, and most of them are very crafty, so this seems right up their ally. The website has patterns for different blankets you can make.

ummmmm...... we will be making the no sew blanket, because, while I have many friends who are accomplished crafters, me.... not so much. So, NO SEW it is!

I hope you will join us!

:)
Amie
(If you decide this might be something your family would enjoy doing , maybe you could shoot us an e-mail with a picture of the blanket. I know the kids would love to see them!..thanks!)

So given that my agency closed at 10pm, and it is now 10:30.... Do you think that means they are not calling!!!LOL

Maybe tomorrow!! :)

:)
Amie

Katie decided about a year and a half ago that she wanted to grow her hair out and donate it to Locks of Love. So this Spring(yes, I know.. bad mommy for not posting), over spring break she finally had it long enough to donate.. and went in to get it cut off, and to send it off!

How cute is she????

:)
Amie
(www.locksoflove.org ).. :) Just in case you are interested yourself! :)

So another week has gone by and we have heard nothing.

I know my family is clicking on here 7 times a day to see if there is news. I'm sorry. I got nothin'

We are on Day 93, if you were wanting to know! :)

The cool thing about it is.. Starting Monday.. we get the butterflies again, wondering... could this be the day. Fast Forward to Tuesday.. same plan!

Not a bad ride to be on!

Hey, come on back next week. Maybe I will have something for you!

:)
Amie

"My agent did not tell me we would be getting this on film!!"

GOOD OL' TREE CLIMBIN'
(Where's Waldo? Can you find Aunt Kristen "spotting"
to make sure Allie doesn't fall from the second branch up!)

PEEK-A-BOO!!!

COUSINS(and this isn't even half of them. HOW COOL IS THAT?)


Fort Buildin' and lookin' cute while taking a break!

Would you take the picture already.. my cheeks hurt from smiling!

"MATTHEW, Mommy won't stop chasing me with that camera. Save me!"





ALWAYS time for HUGGIN'!




YUP, I am as cute in real life as I appear on film.

" Listen, let's you and I make a deal. A couple of smiles, a couple of snapshots and then we are done. Kapeish(sp?) ? "

Posin' in front of our fort in the woods! (it will occur to mommy moments later that there could have been poison ivy or poision oak in these woods.(ummm, about 45 min. too late.) )Our time at the park will abruptly end, and we will be rushed home to be soaped down and hosed off. :)

Dear Diary,

Summer break has been good to us so far... until tomorrow.

:) The Gang