AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

RUMORS HAVE STARTED!!!! RUMORS HAVE STARTED!!!!!

Earliest rumors say the cut-off is the 14th (THAT'S US!!!). This is good news/bad news. The good news: we're the 14th and we're already at an R3 rating (R4 is the highest a rating goes). The bad news: the earliest rumors (that's this one) is usually too good. Which will mean we will just miss this batch.
So basically....we're in labor, we just don't know if they'll stop the contractions or not. :)
Stay tuned!!!!!

A family in China needs help and prayers

This is from one of the websites getting the word out:
UPDATE: I’ve got some messages that the Senator’s office received over 1,000 phone calls this morning, and we can stop calling now. They are working on it. Let us hope they can find a solution that makes the USCIS and Consulate happy and gets this family home as quickly as possible.

To make a long story short...Dennis and Sandi went to China to bring home Hannah 2 weeks ago. While there Dennis passed away from complications due to diabetes. You can imagine the strength Sandi needs right now to deal with her husbands death and bringing home a new baby. NOW the US Consulate is refusing to issue Hannah a VISA to enter the country because Sandi's marital status has changed!!! Grrrrr. This is the last thing anyone would want to deal with in China let alone someone in this sensitive situation. Please see the link below and do what you can. Prayers are most important, so I beg you to pray.
Here is the blog with more information.

3 years ago today....

I remember we had to wake up...at some point that morning. There was some paper work...I think. There was a long wait in the hotel lobby for our bus...I know. And we were to be at the government office in Changsha at 9am...I know.
I don't remember a lot about what I was thinking on the way there. Most vividly I remember imagining Sarah's morning routine would seem waaaay off course to her. I remember praying that she was paying attention to her friends because she had no idea she'd never see them again. And I remember praying she felt peace as she realized "this" bus ride was much longer than she remember any other ride being. And I remember hoping that the nanny's were at least a little sad to see her go, because that would mean she touched their lives.
I wasn't scared. I wasn't even nervous. I was right where I knew I was always meant to be...in China, receiving my daughter. And I knew God was there too.
We arrived at the government office on time, but the bus our girls were on was running a little late. (Hello?? You try to gather up 8 14 month olds!) So we were told we needed to wait there on the bus (at the front door) so the babies could go in first. Maybe to avoid the mob scene, I don't know. :)
I remember a guy pulling up on a motorcycle and to this day I have no idea who it was but I always wonder if it wasn't the beloved Chen Ming because it was just ahead of "the bus".
We saw the bus pull in and we wondered...after about a minute, the above picture was what happened. Sarah coming off the bus with the asst director. I knew her (Sarah's that is) face the moment I saw it. A mama knows her baby. One by one all the little ones came off the bus and filed past us. The mob scene they were trying to avoid happened on the bus. :) The nannies were kind enough to stop by our windows when they realized who we were.
Sarah would then cry the next 2 or 3 hours...then fell asleep in my arms. She woke up smiling and never stopped. Well, unless she wasn't touching me. :) Glen and I were sooooo in love with her.



A lot has changed in 3 years. And some things are sort of the same. :)
She couldn't even sit up 3 years ago...now, she still can't sit still.
3 years ago she couldn't say a word...yesterday she finished reading book 12 of Bob Books!
3 years ago we wondered if she would develop normally & be attached....today she was able to write answers to questions like "what animal says 'oink'?" "what do you do with a shovel?" "What do you use to catch a baseball?" "What do fish use to swim?" and "The opposite of stand is ___." So we're cool on development. :)
And attached...ok, we were supposed to have "free play/alone time" today. She could basically go do anything she wanted to except watch tv. Her choice? Pull up a big pillow and be where she could see me doing my stuff so she could watch me. I'll be honest...this part is a love/hate relationship. I love that she wants to be near me all the time. But I can also see the crazy cool fun of her wanting to go play in her kitchen ALONE some too. :) So I guess you can say we're attached too. :)
I love this girl. I can't imagine life without her. And even though I know God laid my daughters born in China on my heart years and years ago...I can't believe He gave me her.
I love you my sweet Sarah-bug...for all eternity.

Waiting for Jesus...the ramblings of a mom pregnant faaaaaaar too long!

It's been referral day on-line today. Everyone seeing those precious faces for the first time and now sensing a longing to get to China that they could have never imagined. For the first time in 2 years (almost 2 years, see ticker in the header) referral day has been pretty exciting for me.
Even with "horrid case projections" (we used to just have good, bad and worst case projections....but stretch it out 2 years and "horrid" comes into play :) ) we have every reason to expect to see Sophie's face in about 5 weeks...or less. I can't believe I'm finally saying that, let alone believing it!!
As we were Christmas shopping at Toys R Us (I try not to need to go back there after Thanksgiving!!) today, I had some time to reflect sitting on County Line Road....
For years I've waited on Jesus at Christmas time. Anticipated the anniversary of his birth. I don't even put "baby Jesus" in the nativity scenes until Christmas eve!!! I've "waited" on his timing for everything and his timing has always been perfect. Even with Sophie...no, 2 years isn't how long I thought I would wait for her...but His will was what I wanted more than anything. And even in a strict government process we see that God is still in control. "People plan...God laughs" as someone said.
But what I see Him doing in all of this...the wait...the timing...He's answering prayer as only He can. As a single I had awesome, incredible time with Him. I knew I would never have that quality or quantity of time again and I treasured it. And I miss it. On my knees I prayed that I could "feel" Him like that again. And today as I got excited about anticipating Sophie I realized God has timed it with anticipating Him and the birth of His son. I'm rambling, but I guess what I'm trying to say is...it's been a long 2 years, but God has had a plan the whole time. "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant." (Luke 1:46-48a) He knew what I needed and, as always, graciously provided in a way bigger than I could imagine.
Now, after all that fluff, how would I summarize it all in a way Sarah would understand?
WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!! WE'RE NEXT!!!
YAHOO!!! We're next!!!!

Sophie update.....

Referrals are in. They got through the 8th (we're the 14th). What does this tell us?
NUTHIN'! :)
We're close, but not so close that we can be sure "we're next". I personally think we'll see her sweet face at the beginning of December. And hey, at this point I'll take it!!!!!
I can't believe we are finally this close!!!!
Please keep praying everyone! Pray that she is warm, happy, loved, that she has a buddy to play with each day, that someone has told her about Jesus....pray that she is being prepared by Him to receive her new family...and that her heart is drinking in all that is good and beautiful about her motherland that she will leave behind soon.
Pray that in her lonliness she senses that her new mommy is holding her in her heart and that soon she will know the security of love overflowing!
Pray for all those families that are meeting now and very soon...the people on this side of the pond have been waiting a long time to hold those sweet children, but those sweet children are still pretty surprised by the whole event! I guess it's a lot like a biological birth, huh?? :)
Anyway...pray, pray, pray. God loves it!!!