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5 more days until travel!!

 5 more days to go. I'm feeling a little pressure, but a whole lot of excitement. Still so much to do. I think I am becoming over come with post it notes. I've got a few full pages going as well since the post its just can't hold all that needs to be done. Michael is working right up until the day before we leave so he is able to stay home and take care of the girls while I'm gone. All the paperwork is finally done and organized and ready for the trip. Hopefully it's all good. I'm starting to get things ready to begin packing. Michael reminds me all the time of our frantic pack the night before leaving to bring Allie home. I will not do that again! I got a little suitcase weighing thing. I do not want to run into trouble with over packing. Enough for 3 people for 16 days in 2 suitcases not weighing over 44 pounds, hmmmmm, and this has to include food for son number one who otherwise may starve in China. As hot as it was in the summer, I'm kind of wishing that was the weather so the clothes would be lighter. I can't stop thinking about Frankie and how he's feeling. I wonder if they have told him when we are coming? I wonder if he is excited or nervous. I hope he's not too nervous. I hope he is not angry with us that it has taken so long. As long as it has been, and believe me it's been long, we actually did really good on time. We are almost 1 year to date from when we started the adoption process. I wish I had time to go over the training we were required to do. That was so long ago. We are praying his adjustment goes well. He is so brave to be doing this. A good friend prayed with me tonight. In her prayer she asked that when Frankie got here somehow God would prepare him so that things seemed familiar, almost like he'd seen things before. This touched my heart and it brought me back a few years when I first saw his picture. There was something that connected us to him. It could only be God. The picture he drew of home when they asked him if he wanted to be adopted. I still have that hanging on the refrigerator with the other kids art work.  I pray that miraculously when he gets here he somehow recognizes this as home. 

You Over came

Well Frankie, if your mom could stop crying long enough to type I would like to leave you a message. On August 10th 2003 a great miracle happened. You , my beautiful son were born. Today, we'll never forget, God blessed us with another miracle. With one week to travel to bring you home, God provided the remainder of the finances needed in a very large grant from "A Child Waits". God heard you. When you said you wanted a family, and we said we wanted you to be our child. He heard, and they helped us. This is such a huge miracle! You see there are so many people that love you and care about you with out even having been blessed to meet you yet. You are precious and so wonderful. Through this there have been so many people praying for you, caring about you, and working so hard to make this happen. Never forget how blessed we are. Never forget how faithful God is, and how much He loves you. Never forget to give back and help others when ever given the opportunity to. I am in awe today, of God, and of so many wonderful people that have so unselfishly given and worked hard to help us bring you home. This has been a very long year....with a lot of work...and a lot of lessons. In a week your brother and I will board a plane to travel very far. Have I mentioned I don't like to fly. (I know I have to everyone around me....often). We are coming to bring you home!!!! That is a very good thing!! I love you!!!

One Year

Although he's been in our hearts for a long time, and we've been praying for him for what feels like forever, it was one year ago today we took a giant leap of faith and believed God would provide the finances needed so that we could become Quan's family. Now in under 2 weeks Joshua and I will be traveling to China to finally bring him home.

2 weeks!!

With 2 weeks to go, for the first time, I am coming apart at the seems a bit. Feeling a little stressed. I'm really nervous. Not about my beautiful son, I can't wait to finally meet him and to have him home! That could not come soon enough. I do have some butterflies. I mean I hope he likes me. I know he'll love Michael. But I am actually really nervous about the travel part. I am such a home body. It's ridiculous. I am really venturing out of my comfort zone. I always dreamed of going back to China. Just in my dreams I was never going alone. I really love this child. And my new son, can you imagine what kind of butterflies he must have. I keep telling myself, if he can do what he is about to do, I certainly can do this. I realized tonight that we are not going to be in the same part of Guangzhou that we were the last time and I had a melt down. Not really sure why. But I was kind of gearing up for getting there, which is the last part of the trip, because it would be familiar. I do not like the unknown. And getting on a plane to Korea, finding a connecting flight to Beijing, several flights around China before leaving Guangzhou with my sons to find all the connecting flights again, until we are finally home. Nothing familiar in that.  Hmmm, Getting home. That's when all the unknowns start for our new son. And it's not just for a few weeks. He will be learning a new language. New everything.  Everything is unfamiliar. Oh my very brave boy.  This adoption has been a walk of faith. Knowing we are suppose to be a family. Knowing this was God. Now with the trip, I have to trust and believe, God's got this. He has to equip me to leave my comfort zone. I pray for His protection over us. I pray He brings peace to Frankie's heart. I pray that this is a blessing and growth opportunity for Joshua. I pray for God's protection over our home, that He keeps the girls, pets, and Michael well while we are gone. I pray for Selah.   That is my dog Selah, who is a French Mastiff, with a lot of "issues". We have Copper, Maddy, and Chrissy, who were rescues, and then Selah who is our "non rescue" rescue. She is afraid of everything and everyone including Michael, and never leaves my side. She's my very high maintenance baby and I am seriously concerned how this is going to work out with her staying home with Michael. Allie is having a very tough time with my leaving. I can't even think about being away from the girls or I'll cry. Oh boy. So... I was thinking I will tell Allie I need her to look after Selah. Hopefully that will help both of them, and me. O.k. now I am babbling. I told you....the seems started coming apart tonight. With that note......2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Good night all.  :)

Soon...

So, we are almost there. We know when I am leaving, we have the flights, and the inside China arrangements are being made. We have under four weeks. As I am rushing around to get everything done...(still so much to do) I was thinking I will need every bit of the time to get everything done. Then I checked the weather report in Jiangsu and saw it is 19 degrees right now. Then suddenly the time can't come soon enough. I pictured him all bundled up in his bed, and once again, I want him home so badly..... Very soon.

Frankie

I know our children have all been chosen by God to be ours.We had nothing to do with the huge blessing of  Joshua and Hannah. And then when we received our referral for Allie, of course she was our daughter and we eagerly sent back our acceptance.  And now with our forth child, I feel strongly that he too was chosen by God to be ours. The part we have in this is so small. Of course I thought he was beautiful when I saw his picture, and looked at him thinking any one would jump at the opportunity for this child to be their son. But we were not in a position to adopt. The finances were not there. It was God that kept nudging at my heart to not lose track of this child. When ever I would cancel his picture, I would quickly go back and retrieve it, because I felt I needed to have it there. I had to know that he had a family and was alright. I asked everyone to please commit to praying with me for this child to have a family. I put on a bracelet and promised myself that every time I looked at that red bracelet it would be a reminder to me to pray for this beautiful boy known as "Jaxon". I promised to not take that bracelet off until he was safely home with his family. Well, that was well over 2 years ago, bracelet's looking a little rough. But my boy is coming home very soon!!! I am so blessed that God has chosen us to be his family. And yes I know beyond a doubt that God did this. Not just because I love this child so much already. But because there has been so much miraculous proof that this could only be God. Miracles, every step of the way. Thank you God for the blessing of allowing us to be FRANKIE's family. I am so humbled, so blessed, and so grateful.

TA!!!!

We got our travel approval!!! I had been checking the computer all day. When an email came from FTIA saying that they hadn't received any TA s this week,I told Michael, well, it's not going to be this week, hopefully Monday, and I shut the computer off. A while later, around 3:00 the phone rang. I went to answer it and saw FTIA on the caller ID. I almost couldn't breath. When I heard Betty's voice I knew it was good. She told us she had news!!!Our TA arrived! I told her how I had been checking the computer and saw the email. She laughed and said "I guess I posted that a little too early". Who would ever think it could arrive that late on a Friday with the time difference. I posted our great news and then it started, other TA's started coming in! Still praying for a few that didn't get their's yet. It is a very tough wait on a parent's heart. But I have to say. I hung up the phone and started crying, then screaming, then crying again. Then my knees started shaking. Then more crying. I am so excited!!! And scared.... about the trip. Reminder: I am not a traveler. Reminder #2, we are still short some finances. Reminder #3 GOD IS IN CONTROL. This is what we've been waiting for. But now, I have a lot to do, in a relatively small amount of time. We have to finish up paperwork. We need our VISA's and final paperwork loose ends. We have to get everything ready for the trip. Work out details with Michael's work schedule. We are off by 6 days from the original plan that would have worked out a bit better for Michael's job. But I have to believe what ever time it is , is what it is meant to be. I am going to try to pack light, but I still need to get Frankie socks, a hat, and pajamas, toothbrush. I need to get all the meds recommended together just in case, a case of granola bars for Josh in case he won't eat the food in China. I have to have everything set for the girls at home. Allie is having a tough time with the thought that I will be gone. :( I can't think too long on that or I will start crying. I hope I am not forgetting anything. Now I have to coordinate my lists. I am going over any tips I can find. Feel free to offer advice! I still need to figure out how I am going to stay in contact with home. I am very technically challenged and from what I hear it can be difficult from China for those that know what they are doing.I can safely say... I have no idea what I am doing. I still need to get a converter, or is it an adapter.....I rest my case. O.K. ......breath..... We are so close to getting him home! I still have to get the gifts. A great friend has helped us out by giving us some of the gifts that were left over from when they brought their beautiful son home. A huge help!  I have to get an app to help transferring American money to China's. O.K. so maybe I need another list!!! Thank you so much for everyone's prayers. Please be praying I get to China, around China, and home safely with my boys. I never thought I'd be going back without Michael. Please keep Frankie in your prayers. This is such a huge step of faith for him. To leave everything and everyone he has ever known, to go with a total stranger, that doesn't speak his language, to somewhere so far away that he has never seen. Oh, my boy. He must be very brave. Please pray for him. Thank you so much. We are almost there! I will keep you posted.