Sunday, December 11, 2011

THE Day

THE day has arrived!!!!! Rather early, too. I woke at 3:30 and haven't been able to go back to sleep - it may be a LONG day!

We are now mere hours away from meeting our newest little one. I am consumed with wondering what she has been told, what she will be thinking. Just 6 years old and her world is about to be totally upended and forever changed.

Will you please join me in praying that God calms her little heart, to give her peace in knowing that she will forever be cherished from this day forward? Pray that He guide me in doing and saying just the right things that my sweet daughter needs?

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Hong Kong Train Station

Hey everyone!  Heidi here, we are about to board our train to Guangzhou.  Hong Kong was incredible!

\mama\d here now.  free internet here so we are taking advantage of it quickly.  gotta run - all is well - I am SO ready to meet our girlie!!!!  TOMORROW!!!!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Hong Kong

After a grueling 28 hour day, we landed in Hong Kong, reached our hotel and closed the door. Whew!
Our hotel is more than sufficient, but unfortunately located a good distance away from the places that we want to visit, so we are becoming proficient at buses and MTR (the local train system).
Yesterday's adventure was a walking tour of the famous bazaar's that everyone visits. We walked through temples with 8 day long incense spirals, we walked through the jade market, the markets with clothing, purses, shoes, paintings, kitchen utensils, toys, vegetables, meat, unknown plant/animal pieces with unknown uses - medicinal? food? I really don't want to know?, the goldfish market, and so much more that I can't even remember!
The weather is cooler than we anticipated, so we each had to purchase a coat.
Unfortunately, the curse that apparently strikes me each time I visit China struck again. Every time I travel here, just under the 24 hour mark, I become sick. I thought that I had beat it this time - I was feeling great. Then I asked Heidi if she felt the floor moving beneath her feet and was met with a puzzled look. Of course everyone was getting off of work at that same time, so we were miles away from the hotel amongst a throng of thousands of people trying to get home after work on a Friday night. I made it back to the hotel without embarrassing myself, but I held that plastic bag close to me, just knowing that I would have to use it at any moment. After several doses of Pepto and some much needed deep sleep, I think that I will be ok today. I am still a little dizzy and not as energetic/enthusiastic as I started out yesterday, but if history is going to repeat itself, I won't have a repeat episode for the rest of the journey.
I found myself, as I was walking the streets of bustling HongKong, searching the people for someone who is blind. How would my daughter look on these streets, excitedly chattering with her school mates, her cane tapping from left to right, acting as her eyes to give her the necessary information to navigate. I can see her upturned face, with that infectious grin, teasing her girlfriends about something that happened at school earlier that day. Skipping along with her free arm tucked through her best friends. But no. Not a single one. No. She is tucked away where no one has to see that she isn't perfect - according to them. Ha! They are the ones that are losing out on this deal. Her mama and papa are going to allow this little sprout to blossom and to show the world her perfection as God's creation. In two days. In just two more days, I will meet our newest daughter. I will finally be able to caress her, to kiss her, to hug her, to murmur mama loves into her ear, to laugh with her, to show her what a beautiful world God has given us. I will be able to learn from my daughter. To grieve with my daughter, the loss of the only life that she has ever known and to welcome her into her new life as a member of a family that cherishes her. Two days.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Itinerary


We have our itinerary!!!!!!




WEDNESDAY
December 7 Depart Portland @ 8:00am
Arrive Hong Kong @ 11:00pm Dec 8
SUNDAY Train from HONG KONG -  GUANGZHOU
December 11
 
MONDAY  Ji-Ji's ADOPTION DAY!!!

December 12 Begin Adoption Process

THURSDAY Medical Appointment,  Complete Consulate Paperwork
December 15        
SATURDAY Return to Medical Center to have the TB test read
December 17      
MONDAY U.S. Consulate Appointment at: 10:00am
December 19
TUESDAY
December 20 Train from GUANGZHOU – HONG KONG
WEDNESDAY
December 21 Depart Hong Kong @ 8:00am
 
Arrive Portland @ 7:35am

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Yessssir--eeeee Sir - the "T" is here!!!!!! We are going to CHINA!





Our Travel Approval came today!  I'll fill you in as soon as we know more details, but for sure and for certain now, we are SO close to having our sweet JiJi home!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Greetings family, friends, and fans of The Crew!  MamaD has asked me to be a guest blogger as I will be joining her on the last leg of this roller coaster journey to get to Ji-Ji.  So, instead of wondering who the dingle berry in the photo is next to their little sweet pea in China, you'll know it is MamaD's travel companion.  A pleasure to meet/blog with you.  If you are involved in any way, shape, or form with this wonderful family, then you must also be wonderful too!  If I should be so lucky to be an honorary "Aunt" to these girls then you may want to know some basics about me.

For starters, my name is Heidi and I'm a Junior at a local university.  I'm studying Social Sciences to later pursue grad school to become qualified as an academic adviser or teacher at the college level.  I met MamaD and MissE while working at the amphitheater (and later IBoy too.)  My dog, Penny is 5 and she might just be the most spoiled Cocker Spaniel west of the Mississippi.  Well, maybe not more than Oprah Winfrey's Cocker's but... pretty close, I'm sure.  I'm from a small town in Oregon.  I currently live in SW Washington and work at a popular coffee house as a barista.

Most recently however, I've been spending time in town a couple of hours away, where my love, Brandon, has moved  to for a job. WARNING: I am a cheesy, hopeless romantic!  He's a chemist and is handsome, respectful, and sweet taboot!  I am thankful and feel lucky every day to have met him.  Alright, alright, I'll stop. ;)

Like:
  • the color purple
  • the beach
  • painting
  • clam digging 
  • reading
  • coffee
  • softball
  • volleyball
  • Italian food
  • kayaking
  • wine tasting
  • crafts
  • traveling
  • snowboarding
  • peacock feathers
  • french vanilla, lavender candles

Dislike:
  • brussel sprouts
  • the color "mustard yellow"
  • rude, ignorant people
  • snakes
  • spiders
  • dusting
  • hitting my "funny bone"
  • forgetting things on my grocery list (What's the point of having the darn list!?)
  • inconsiderate cell phone users

That concludes your crash course on this Heidi.  Thanks for reading and stay tuned for our upcoming adventures! 

Sunday, November 27, 2011

TA and Turkey Talk

We were thankful to be able to spend Thanksgiving with Mom and Grandma (101 now!).
IBoy's jaw was still slightly swollen, but he didn't let it stop him from feasting!

The girls are patiently waiting to start the feast!

Dad's not so sure, hey - the food's getting cold!

Enough turkey.  Now the tough talk.  NO TA yet!  I am so longing for it to come in.  Do you see the green "Adi" listed?  That is us - this is from a site that tracks timing of each step of the adoption process.  This was from early last week - I believe there are close to 200 families listed in all phases of the journey.  Since this was taken, there were actually several families below us who received their TA.  We have been (not so) patiently waiting since 11/2.  The average time to receive it is 18 days, but recently many lucky families have received theirs much more quickly than 18 days.  Most of the families who shared our same timeline (up to this point) have already met their children in China.

I know that He has perfect timing.  I do know that, it is just SO hard for my heart to trust that He knows best!  It shouldn't be, and there are brief moments throughout each day when I am calm and at peace with His plan.  And then, the human mama part of me takes control and I weep and fret.

In then end - I have no choice but to submit to His timing - after all, I have ZERO control over when it comes!  Our agency has promised to look into why we, and several other families with our agency, have not yet received the Travel Approval.  God willing, we will have good news in the next few days!