797 take 2 was in the mail today. Tried to get it on its way to the Chinese Embassy tonight but didn't quite make it. Everything is closed until Tuesday, so I will try again then. Hopefully this new year brings no more mistakes.
Blessings,
Tasha
Friday, December 30, 2011
797...2012
Still waiting... BLAH *sigh* insert tears... I still cannot believe we are having to redo this. My dossier would have been either on its way to China or about to leave next week.
We have been feeling the prayers around us. They are helping. Thank you to those of you who are praying. This is definently a HARD process, but we would already do it again in a heartbeat. Trying to keep our eyes set ahead, and we are preparing our house for his arrival in the meantime.
Forgive me. I will ramble here a bit. It's theraputic for me...
Lee's Christmas gift, a bag filled with books and toys (both from Christmas and his birthday), is sitting in the closet. His quilt is ready for his bed. His highchair is all set up in the dining room. His clothes are hanging in his closet. I actually went to the hospital and bought a nasal aspirator for him (the store brands just don't work the same haha). Once I order his diaper bag in the next month or so *hopefully* I will begin packing it with stuff for our trip to bring him home. Once we receive TA, I will be able to start packing for Joey and I for China, and for our other children's trip to TX bag.
Joseph is constantly asking when he is going to his Nanny's house. The other day, he slapped his hand down on the table and said, "Me going to China! Lee coming home!!" I guess he decided enough was enough and he was just going to take care of what we obviously weren't accomplishing anytime soon. The next day when we left to go visit my parents, he was all excited. He was jumping up and down. And his little 2 year old voice squeaked out, "Yay!! Lee coming home!! We going to China!!" Lately everything comes from China too. Not a far stretch, but he asked me today if the strawberries I needed for the cheesecake were bought from China. I don't think he is fully understanding where China is, nor do I expect him to. All he knows is that it is obviously far away and mom and dad are taking forever to go there and get "his baby" to bring home. *sigh*
Emma and Silas are very understanding of what's going on. They know time and they know how long it will be until expected travel. They know it is coming soon. They have started saving things for Lee. Like items from the Christmas parade. I can't tell you how many things they handed to me and said they wanted to keep them for Lee to have when he got home. They miss their brother. They are also very understanding that when they see mommy crying, it is usually something to do with yet another mistake that is going to cost us time with their brother. They also are very understanding when it comes time for the ball to be tossed into our court, and mommy and daddy have to do something to bring Lee home, everything else gets tossed out the door for that day. Usually they would whine or cry about something like this but not when it comes to Lee. Not a tear shed, not a whine to be heard... they are on their best behavior because they want this stuff done too.
Lucy somewhat understands. She looks at the globe and understands that China is far far away. She knows that it is going to take a long time, but like any 4 year old a long time means several minutes to her. She doesn't understand months and how long they are. She is my, "are we there yet?" girl. She knows we are going to her Aunt Heather's house right before we leave, so any trip there is quickly followed with the question of, "Is Lee coming home now?"
So many questions, from Joey and I as well. Other people ask us "when?" all the time as well. I have grown tired of the answer I have to give them. It's exhausting to have to keep saying "I don't know," and "hopefully by ________ time." It's all a gamble to estimate a time, and I am not a gambler. This month was our original expected time of arrival, and we are several months away from seeing his face. It hurts. I am a sort of a scrooge at the moment. I just want to retreat into a black hole and come out when the sun begins to shine again. I know it's not possible. I have to be there for my other 4 darlings that I do have with me. I also have to be there to fix this mess that other people are creating for me to clean up so Lee can come home.
SO when I said "thank you" to those who have been praying for us earlier, I want you to know that I wholeheartedly mean it. We all do. Those prayers, without a doubt, are what's helping us get through these hard times. When I feel like it is difficult to get one foot in front of the other, I feel a weight being lifted and God telling me to keep on moving. And that is just what I am going to do. Come on 2012! I am ready for you. Let's bring my baby HOME!
Blessings,
Tasha
We have been feeling the prayers around us. They are helping. Thank you to those of you who are praying. This is definently a HARD process, but we would already do it again in a heartbeat. Trying to keep our eyes set ahead, and we are preparing our house for his arrival in the meantime.
Forgive me. I will ramble here a bit. It's theraputic for me...
Lee's Christmas gift, a bag filled with books and toys (both from Christmas and his birthday), is sitting in the closet. His quilt is ready for his bed. His highchair is all set up in the dining room. His clothes are hanging in his closet. I actually went to the hospital and bought a nasal aspirator for him (the store brands just don't work the same haha). Once I order his diaper bag in the next month or so *hopefully* I will begin packing it with stuff for our trip to bring him home. Once we receive TA, I will be able to start packing for Joey and I for China, and for our other children's trip to TX bag.
Joseph is constantly asking when he is going to his Nanny's house. The other day, he slapped his hand down on the table and said, "Me going to China! Lee coming home!!" I guess he decided enough was enough and he was just going to take care of what we obviously weren't accomplishing anytime soon. The next day when we left to go visit my parents, he was all excited. He was jumping up and down. And his little 2 year old voice squeaked out, "Yay!! Lee coming home!! We going to China!!" Lately everything comes from China too. Not a far stretch, but he asked me today if the strawberries I needed for the cheesecake were bought from China. I don't think he is fully understanding where China is, nor do I expect him to. All he knows is that it is obviously far away and mom and dad are taking forever to go there and get "his baby" to bring home. *sigh*
Emma and Silas are very understanding of what's going on. They know time and they know how long it will be until expected travel. They know it is coming soon. They have started saving things for Lee. Like items from the Christmas parade. I can't tell you how many things they handed to me and said they wanted to keep them for Lee to have when he got home. They miss their brother. They are also very understanding that when they see mommy crying, it is usually something to do with yet another mistake that is going to cost us time with their brother. They also are very understanding when it comes time for the ball to be tossed into our court, and mommy and daddy have to do something to bring Lee home, everything else gets tossed out the door for that day. Usually they would whine or cry about something like this but not when it comes to Lee. Not a tear shed, not a whine to be heard... they are on their best behavior because they want this stuff done too.
Lucy somewhat understands. She looks at the globe and understands that China is far far away. She knows that it is going to take a long time, but like any 4 year old a long time means several minutes to her. She doesn't understand months and how long they are. She is my, "are we there yet?" girl. She knows we are going to her Aunt Heather's house right before we leave, so any trip there is quickly followed with the question of, "Is Lee coming home now?"
So many questions, from Joey and I as well. Other people ask us "when?" all the time as well. I have grown tired of the answer I have to give them. It's exhausting to have to keep saying "I don't know," and "hopefully by ________ time." It's all a gamble to estimate a time, and I am not a gambler. This month was our original expected time of arrival, and we are several months away from seeing his face. It hurts. I am a sort of a scrooge at the moment. I just want to retreat into a black hole and come out when the sun begins to shine again. I know it's not possible. I have to be there for my other 4 darlings that I do have with me. I also have to be there to fix this mess that other people are creating for me to clean up so Lee can come home.
SO when I said "thank you" to those who have been praying for us earlier, I want you to know that I wholeheartedly mean it. We all do. Those prayers, without a doubt, are what's helping us get through these hard times. When I feel like it is difficult to get one foot in front of the other, I feel a weight being lifted and God telling me to keep on moving. And that is just what I am going to do. Come on 2012! I am ready for you. Let's bring my baby HOME!
Blessings,
Tasha
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Merry Christmas Lee!
"So tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in His arms. And tell you from my heart- I wish you a merry Christmas"
You are not here physically, but we keep you here in spirit. Merry Christmas little guy! We love you :)
Praying you are warm, and receiving lots of hugs and kisses.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
This Christmas: Little Things
Dear Lee,
Your highchair sits in the kitchen ready for your first meal once you come home. Your clothes are hanging in the closet next to your brothers'. There are toys in your very own toy box in our living room, ready for you to play with them.
Emma just showed me a little spoon that she said was for you. Lucy is busy talking about how we are going to have to make Chinese noodles for you. Silas is busy setting aside special toys and knick-knacks for you. Joseph often asks when you are going to come home. He recently got potty trained, and said he is giving you all of his diapers.
Your bedding is almost done (Momma is making it just for you), and your crib is set up and awaiting your arrival. Pictures of your beautiful face are on our mantle, refrigerator, and bulletin board.
These are all little things. Little things that keep you real to us. Little things that we put in place to prepare for your arrival. Little things that we hope you will enjoy. Little things that we are holding on to until we can at last hold on to you. As we approach our last Christmas without you home, and your last Christmas away from home, please know that we are keeping you in our hearts and on our minds. Constantly we speak of you, as if you were already here. Our hearts are full of love for you, and we cannot wait to share it with you. We cannot wait until our family can be whole, and it will not be whole until you are home.
This Christmas, we love you from afar and cling to the solace found in knowing that next Christmas we will have you home. Next Christmas, these little things will be the backdrop to the most special little person in our lives- you.
With all of our love,
Baba, Momma, Emma, Silas, Lucy, & Joseph
Your highchair sits in the kitchen ready for your first meal once you come home. Your clothes are hanging in the closet next to your brothers'. There are toys in your very own toy box in our living room, ready for you to play with them.
Emma just showed me a little spoon that she said was for you. Lucy is busy talking about how we are going to have to make Chinese noodles for you. Silas is busy setting aside special toys and knick-knacks for you. Joseph often asks when you are going to come home. He recently got potty trained, and said he is giving you all of his diapers.
Your bedding is almost done (Momma is making it just for you), and your crib is set up and awaiting your arrival. Pictures of your beautiful face are on our mantle, refrigerator, and bulletin board.
These are all little things. Little things that keep you real to us. Little things that we put in place to prepare for your arrival. Little things that we hope you will enjoy. Little things that we are holding on to until we can at last hold on to you. As we approach our last Christmas without you home, and your last Christmas away from home, please know that we are keeping you in our hearts and on our minds. Constantly we speak of you, as if you were already here. Our hearts are full of love for you, and we cannot wait to share it with you. We cannot wait until our family can be whole, and it will not be whole until you are home.
This Christmas, we love you from afar and cling to the solace found in knowing that next Christmas we will have you home. Next Christmas, these little things will be the backdrop to the most special little person in our lives- you.
With all of our love,
Baba, Momma, Emma, Silas, Lucy, & Joseph
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Grrr....
The momma tiger, bear, really anything ferocious is coming out in me. Our 797 had my husband's name WRONG on it. I am so not happy about this. The Chinese consulate in Houston will not accept it, and with the Christmas holidays I am not sure when we will get a corrected copy. I am so tired of all of these mistakes. I just want him home. My heart aches to have him home. Please pray for us.
Blessings,
Tasha
Blessings,
Tasha
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Merry Christmas... Another update!!
So today we received yet another update on Lee!! This time it was from our agency, CCAI. He has 15 teeth now, can run, jump, go up and down stairs, says "momma," can say all of the names of his friends, and knows the color "red."
He is 22 pounds! Has grown 2cm since his last update and his feet did some growing as well. In addition to the information, we also received a picture of him. It appears as if he is helping his friends escape the play room. haha! I keep hearing Dori from Finding Nemo in my head, "Escapay!" Seriously, I need to look into some child protection locks for my doors. ;)
Blessings,
Tasha
He is 22 pounds! Has grown 2cm since his last update and his feet did some growing as well. In addition to the information, we also received a picture of him. It appears as if he is helping his friends escape the play room. haha! I keep hearing Dori from Finding Nemo in my head, "Escapay!" Seriously, I need to look into some child protection locks for my doors. ;)
Blessings,
Tasha
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Day 67 = 797!!!
So today I get a phone call from USCIS, and the lady informed me that she pulled our case to approve it today but it was missing some documents. Oh NO! So she said that as soon as I emailed them to her or faxed them over, she would print them and approve our case. Not even 28 minutes later, I am receiving an email stating that our documents were received and we are APPROVED!!
Our 797 will be in the mail shortly. PRAISE GOD!!!
I will be working like a mad woman once our 797 comes in the mail to have it authenticated and sealed so it can be sent to our child placing agency, along with our other documents that have already received this special treatment, to be translated and then sent to China. If we are quick enough, we may be logged in for Christmas :D That would definently be the best present we could hope to receive at this point.
Blessings,
Tasha
Our 797 will be in the mail shortly. PRAISE GOD!!!
I will be working like a mad woman once our 797 comes in the mail to have it authenticated and sealed so it can be sent to our child placing agency, along with our other documents that have already received this special treatment, to be translated and then sent to China. If we are quick enough, we may be logged in for Christmas :D That would definently be the best present we could hope to receive at this point.
Blessings,
Tasha
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Wow!
Today has been a crazy fast paced day! I am friends with a family who lives close to us, who is adopting a little boy in the same orphanage as Lee. We've often wondered if our boys knew each other.
When the family who was in China this week posted pictures from their visit to the orphanage. We searched for pictures of both of our sons. Today, I get a text message that says that my friends found their son in the pictures! A few minutes later, I get another text message that says he was the child who was pictured with Lee in his crib! Say what?!? Our sons share a crib!! Whoa! Just when I start to feel down about not having my baby home, God reminds me that His fingerprints are ALL over this life of mine, this life of his (Lee), and this life of my family. Thank you Lord for all of the amazing things you are working into our lives. We are so blessed, and oh so grateful for all of Your fingerprints.
Blessings,
Tasha
When the family who was in China this week posted pictures from their visit to the orphanage. We searched for pictures of both of our sons. Today, I get a text message that says that my friends found their son in the pictures! A few minutes later, I get another text message that says he was the child who was pictured with Lee in his crib! Say what?!? Our sons share a crib!! Whoa! Just when I start to feel down about not having my baby home, God reminds me that His fingerprints are ALL over this life of mine, this life of his (Lee), and this life of my family. Thank you Lord for all of the amazing things you are working into our lives. We are so blessed, and oh so grateful for all of Your fingerprints.
Blessings,
Tasha
Thursday, December 8, 2011
USCIS Day 62 / New Pictures!!
We are on day 62 of a 90 day wait for our 797. Some families in Louisiana have received theirs as early as 70-75 days. Praying so hard that we are one of those families.
A nice surprise this morning was that we had new pictures of Lee!!! A family is in China right now picking up their little girl who shared a room with him, so in essence his China sister :) Well they took a bunch of pictures of the children yesterday while they were visiting the orphanage, and guess who got snapped? Yep! Our little Lee. We have long suspected that Lee gets held alot because he still cannot walk. Also we received a picture of him crying in the middle of the floor while his nanny appeared to be rushing to pick him up. Seems like they wanted a pic of him standing to show what he could do, and he didn't like that. LOL But anyhow, back to today's pictures: our suspicions were confirmed when we saw the new pictures. Our son has a case of armitis!
We are so so so BLESSED to have these precious pictures. Words cannot fully express how grateful we are for these pictures and for the family who took them.
Blessings,
Tasha
A nice surprise this morning was that we had new pictures of Lee!!! A family is in China right now picking up their little girl who shared a room with him, so in essence his China sister :) Well they took a bunch of pictures of the children yesterday while they were visiting the orphanage, and guess who got snapped? Yep! Our little Lee. We have long suspected that Lee gets held alot because he still cannot walk. Also we received a picture of him crying in the middle of the floor while his nanny appeared to be rushing to pick him up. Seems like they wanted a pic of him standing to show what he could do, and he didn't like that. LOL But anyhow, back to today's pictures: our suspicions were confirmed when we saw the new pictures. Our son has a case of armitis!
We are so so so BLESSED to have these precious pictures. Words cannot fully express how grateful we are for these pictures and for the family who took them.
Blessings,
Tasha
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Fingerprinted
Well, we are fingerprinted as of Nov 15th. It was quick and we were out before our appointment time. I left with a heavy heart because I realized that when we went to walk in a few weeks back and were turned away that there was absolutely no one there to get fingerprinted. The section of the room that we were in was empty a couple of weeks back. Not one single person waiting, and they told us that they would not take our fingerprints.
Right now, we are rejoicing to have this step done. We are now waiting on our 797 to be issued to us. Not sure when that will come in, but as soon as it does I will be certifying it and then getting it authenticated at the Chinese consulate. Once everything is back from the Chinese consulate, it then gets sent to our placing agency (CCAI) in Colorado to be translated. Once translated, our paperwork will then travel to China where we will receive our LID and then our LOA. Prayers please that this is a speedy process. From what I hear LOA can take a while.
We have our good moments where we feel like things are finally getting done, but then at times our hearts are just so heavy with the unknown. We need God to help us through these times. Especially with this holiday season fast approaching. Originally we were hoping to have our child home for Christmas. We are now looking at the end of March or April. The wait is excruciating. It makes us sad, and we are holding on to the hope that something will go faster and we will be holding our little bundle of joy soon.
Thank you to all of you who have been praying for us! May God bless!
-Tasha
Right now, we are rejoicing to have this step done. We are now waiting on our 797 to be issued to us. Not sure when that will come in, but as soon as it does I will be certifying it and then getting it authenticated at the Chinese consulate. Once everything is back from the Chinese consulate, it then gets sent to our placing agency (CCAI) in Colorado to be translated. Once translated, our paperwork will then travel to China where we will receive our LID and then our LOA. Prayers please that this is a speedy process. From what I hear LOA can take a while.
We have our good moments where we feel like things are finally getting done, but then at times our hearts are just so heavy with the unknown. We need God to help us through these times. Especially with this holiday season fast approaching. Originally we were hoping to have our child home for Christmas. We are now looking at the end of March or April. The wait is excruciating. It makes us sad, and we are holding on to the hope that something will go faster and we will be holding our little bundle of joy soon.
Thank you to all of you who have been praying for us! May God bless!
-Tasha
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Fingerprint appointments!!!
The long awaited fingerprint appointments are FINALLY here!! Only issue is that they aren't until mid November. :/ We are hoping to be able to walk in earlier than that... maybe this week? Prayers please that we are successful. I want to be logged in soon. My baby NEEDS to come home. Thank you!!
Blessings,
Tasha
Blessings,
Tasha
Saturday, October 15, 2011
I800 Notice of Receipt!!
So we just received some mailbox love from USCIS- our notice of receipt! Hopefully the fingerprint appointment comes soon! Joey is traveling to TX week after next for work. I know it is a long shot, but it would be nice if our fingerprint appointment was before then. Prayers please!!
Blessings,
Tasha
Blessings,
Tasha
Thursday, October 13, 2011
An Update!!
So here is our 20 lb boy crawling around his orphanage. There were other photos, but they either involved nudity or little faces that don't belong to me. From the pictures, we have learned that he loves baths, hates walking, and likes to crawl. He also has 8 teeth! ;)
Still waiting to hear something from USCIS. Hopefully we get something in the mail SOON. I want to bring him HOME :)
Blessings,
Tasha
Friday, October 7, 2011
1800A is Resent/ Care Package 1
I re-sent our I800A yesterday. Let's hope I did everything correctly this time. It should be delivered at any moment now. I am so anxious to get our little boy home, and it seems like everything has had some sort of delay. I am hoping that God will use this to show that even with delays, He can make things happen on time. We're going to keep moving forward, and keeping the faith that God will bring our little Lee home when it is just right. My heart will come to accept whenever that is, but I do know that it will not happen if I don't do things in a timely manner. Delays can be caused by me as well.
It's a beautiful day outside. I wonder what kind of day Lee is having, and if he ever gets to go outside. I can't wait to push him on the swing in our back yard.
We sent him a care package a few weeks ago. I wonder if he received it? We are waiting for an update on him. Hopefully with some cake pictures. Joseph was adament that Lee needed cake! And I wholeheartedly agreed. He did need a cake. We are working on another care package to send him. Hopefully we will be sending it soon. I found a wonderful website that lets you make a personalized board book: http://www.pintsizeproductions.com/pintsize_personalized_boardbooks.html?gclid=CNmRwofd1qsCFWhgTAod_HzqNA
We will be including one in his next care package. On his information sheet, it stated that he liked picture books. Well, hopefully he likes this one... the people in it are non-returnable! LOL ;)
I also found a voice recordable book from Hallmark. Joey and I really love it. It records us reading the story to Lee. The particular book we chose (Bright & Beautiful- A child's blessing) talks about all the wonderful things in the Earth that God made. It ends with a special blessing. So we will get to bless our son every time he opens this book. LOVE technology :) Here's the book we chose: http://www.hallmark.com/Product/ProductDetails/2995KOB9001_DK
We found it at W@l-M@rt for a lower price :)
Waiting, waiting, & more waiting! Have I ever mentioned the wait with adoption? ;) All good things come with time.
Have a blessed weekend,
Tasha
It's a beautiful day outside. I wonder what kind of day Lee is having, and if he ever gets to go outside. I can't wait to push him on the swing in our back yard.
We sent him a care package a few weeks ago. I wonder if he received it? We are waiting for an update on him. Hopefully with some cake pictures. Joseph was adament that Lee needed cake! And I wholeheartedly agreed. He did need a cake. We are working on another care package to send him. Hopefully we will be sending it soon. I found a wonderful website that lets you make a personalized board book: http://www.pintsizeproductions.com/pintsize_personalized_boardbooks.html?gclid=CNmRwofd1qsCFWhgTAod_HzqNA
We will be including one in his next care package. On his information sheet, it stated that he liked picture books. Well, hopefully he likes this one... the people in it are non-returnable! LOL ;)
I also found a voice recordable book from Hallmark. Joey and I really love it. It records us reading the story to Lee. The particular book we chose (Bright & Beautiful- A child's blessing) talks about all the wonderful things in the Earth that God made. It ends with a special blessing. So we will get to bless our son every time he opens this book. LOVE technology :) Here's the book we chose: http://www.hallmark.com/Product/ProductDetails/2995KOB9001_DK
We found it at W@l-M@rt for a lower price :)
Waiting, waiting, & more waiting! Have I ever mentioned the wait with adoption? ;) All good things come with time.
Have a blessed weekend,
Tasha
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Rejection Notice
So, I had been waiting on a notice from USCIS, but wasn't expecting what I received today: a rejection notice. Evidentally I sent too much money. In my haste to send the application, and in reading the instructions, I sent an extra biometrics fee. I am resending the application today, hopefully with the correct amount of money. They sent this little letter to attach to the front of my application when it is resent so they will give it "special attention."
Hopefully my boo boo won't hurt us too much timewise. I feel so incompetent right now. Deep breaths... lots of deep breaths.
Blessings,
Tasha
Hopefully my boo boo won't hurt us too much timewise. I feel so incompetent right now. Deep breaths... lots of deep breaths.
Blessings,
Tasha
Monday, September 26, 2011
USCIS Application Sent!!
Just overnighted our I800a to USCIS!! The next step is waiting for our appointment to be fingerprinted. Then we should get what is called a 797. When we receive this document, we will bring our dossier to the Chinese Consulate in Houston to be approved. After that, we send EVERYTHING to our placing agency, CCAI, to be translated and approved. Once that is done, our dossier will be sent to China and we should receive our LID sometime after that!!! I am amazed that I am managing to keep up with all of this stuff so far. It feels so good to finally be able to post some dates next to those initials up there in the top left hand corner :)
God bless,
Tasha
God bless,
Tasha
Friday, September 23, 2011
Gotta Move!
This song is totally appropriate for what we are experiencing right now. Trying to keep our heads in the game, because indeed everything is about to change.
"This burdens getting heavy
But I'm not about to cave
Everything's about to change
There's gonna be brighter days
I just might bend but wont break
As long as I can see your face
When life wont play along
And right keeps going wrong
And I cant seem to find my way
I know where I am found
So I wont let it drag me down
Oh, I'll keep dancing anyway"
-Mercy Me's "Move"
"This burdens getting heavy
But I'm not about to cave
Everything's about to change
There's gonna be brighter days
I just might bend but wont break
As long as I can see your face
When life wont play along
And right keeps going wrong
And I cant seem to find my way
I know where I am found
So I wont let it drag me down
Oh, I'll keep dancing anyway"
-Mercy Me's "Move"
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Homestudy Approved!
Homestudy is approved and we should be applying to USCIS either tomorrow or Monday after our homestudy is notarized.
Thanks for the prayers!! Keep 'em coming!!
Thanks for the prayers!! Keep 'em coming!!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Prayers Please
We are still working on that pesky homestudy. The latest delay is having to have physicals redone for ALL of our children. Please pray that after this, there will be no more delays. We are understandably anxious to apply to immigration for our son, which is the next step.
Thank you so much!
In Christ,
Tasha
Thank you so much!
In Christ,
Tasha
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Wǒ de Bǎobei
God is AMAZING! Let me just testify for a minute here. When we were feeling God pulling at our heartstrings last August, our baby was born. His name, would be Xu Le Tian. That's right, his name was already LE - the name my husband felt would be our next son's name.
So without further adieu, we would like to introduce you to our son:
Lee David Tian Robichaux
Waiting for his family in the Henan Province of China
Le: "happy" Tian: "sky" David: "beloved"... Indeed he is a beloved piece of happy sky (heaven) :)
He turned one shortly after receiving his referral. We had a party for him at home. Now that we've received PA, we can send him a cake to share with his buddies in his orphanage.
We are beyond elated to finally be able to share him with you!
~The Robichauxs~
Joey, Tasha, Emma, Silas, Lucy, Joseph, & Lee
So without further adieu, we would like to introduce you to our son:
Lee David Tian Robichaux
Waiting for his family in the Henan Province of China
Le: "happy" Tian: "sky" David: "beloved"... Indeed he is a beloved piece of happy sky (heaven) :)
He turned one shortly after receiving his referral. We had a party for him at home. Now that we've received PA, we can send him a cake to share with his buddies in his orphanage.
We are beyond elated to finally be able to share him with you!
~The Robichauxs~
Joey, Tasha, Emma, Silas, Lucy, Joseph, & Lee
Some Fun
So PA still isn't here. But I want to have a little fun with this. What do you think our baby is? Vote boy or girl in the comments section :)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Where Oh Where...
... can our PA be??? I am so anxious over here, and am ready to share our little one with everyone.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Moon Festival
We were hoping to maybe have PA today, but discovered that today is a national holiday in Ch*na. It's the Moon Festival, so probably no PA to be had today. Shucks! Let's hope for tomorrow :)
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Happy birthday Baba!!
We thought this day would never get here, but at last it has. ;) Happy birthday to Baba!! We love you!!
P.S. I did have a pic of Lucy and Daddy, but thought Lucy dressed up as Daddy was much cuter ;)
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Next Week
Tomorrow, our LOI is being sent out and PA takes about 5 days to receive,which means I will be able to share our little Wu with all of you next week!!
Monday, August 29, 2011
LOI Pictures...Oh my!
All of the paperwork was sent off last week for our LOI to be translated. There was only one thing left to do, and it's the one I dreaded the most: picture taking. Oh gosh, with a big family it is literally a CHORE to get a decent picture. Everyone looks all spiffy, and we sit down. Then the fun begins. It's only a matter of time before:
Someone moves...
A case of the squirms, no less...
Glasses need to be adjusted...
People go missing...
Little props begin to appear...
At last, everyone is smiling and for the most part looking in the same direction. (Gotta love Silas's sideward smiles) This is the winner!
A BIG thank you to Uncle Kirk (Wu's parrain/godfather) for feeling up to the task of taking our picture! Our LOI is now complete, and is getting translated at our agency whilst we wait for Joey to get older.
Until next time,
Tasha
Someone moves...
A case of the squirms, no less...
Glasses need to be adjusted...
People go missing...
Little props begin to appear...
At last, everyone is smiling and for the most part looking in the same direction. (Gotta love Silas's sideward smiles) This is the winner!
A BIG thank you to Uncle Kirk (Wu's parrain/godfather) for feeling up to the task of taking our picture! Our LOI is now complete, and is getting translated at our agency whilst we wait for Joey to get older.
Until next time,
Tasha
Friday, August 26, 2011
Sorry, my Chinese is not so good! :/
Hello! Ni hao ma? I have reminded myself today that my Chinese (Mandarin) needs ALOT of work. Looks as if I will be breaking out the Chinese Coach for my DS once again. But we also have a wonderful Mandarin program from our agency's store. I bought lesson plans for the children, and travel Chinese for Joey and I.
I am hoping we are at the level of a 4 year old toddler by the time we travel. It's good to aim high, right? ;) I guess if all else fails, we could just memorize the song in the video above. Joey can bring along his guitar and I can borrow Si's bongos. Yep, it could work LOL
God bless,
Tasha
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Homestudy is Over & Wu's Pillow
Our homestudy ended yesterday!! In 3-4 weeks, after it has been reviewed by a few people, we should be ready to fill out the 1800. I am not sure how it works since Wu has been pre-identified, but our social worker is helping us with all of that.
I came up with an idea, and I hope it works. I heard someone talk about making a pillowcase out of their grown child's blanket because they were heading to college. So, it got me to thinking (dangerous, I know), and what I came up with was making myself a "Wu pillow." There are photo labs that sell picture pillowcases, so I am thinking of making one with Wu's picture. That way, when I am missing my little one like crazy, I can just hold my Wu pillow and snuggle with my baby for a while. :*)
In less than a month, I should be able to share my little one with you all. Be prepared for some major cuteness. We have pictures up all over our house, and everyone is absolutely in love :)
~Tasha
I came up with an idea, and I hope it works. I heard someone talk about making a pillowcase out of their grown child's blanket because they were heading to college. So, it got me to thinking (dangerous, I know), and what I came up with was making myself a "Wu pillow." There are photo labs that sell picture pillowcases, so I am thinking of making one with Wu's picture. That way, when I am missing my little one like crazy, I can just hold my Wu pillow and snuggle with my baby for a while. :*)
In less than a month, I should be able to share my little one with you all. Be prepared for some major cuteness. We have pictures up all over our house, and everyone is absolutely in love :)
~Tasha
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The STORK has landed!
Aug. 4 I was feeling a little bogged down, and little did I know but God was going to show up in a really BIG way. We were invited to attend a beach vacation with Joey's parents (we're here now, and this is why it has taken so long to post) who graciously rented a condo for all of us to stay in. I was testing Emma and Silas so we could begin our school year 2 weeks early. I wanted to get ahead with school so while Joey and I are in China, they can have those 2 weeks off. I don't think they will be able to concentrate much on school work while we are gone anyhow. Not only did we have testing, but it was Joey's Mom's birthday, we still needed to pack, our dog needed to be dropped off at my parent's house (who live an hour and a half away), and the house needed cleaning. As I said earlier... just bogged down.
So we are halfway done with the testing, and I see the Fed Ex truck parked in our front yard. When I get to the door, there is an envelope with our FBI clearances in it! Oh happy day!! I had tracking on that envelope, but evidentally it didn't work.
We resume testing, and Miss Emma is on the last part of her test when the phone rings. Now we don't get many phone calls and usually I don't answer the phone during school time, but it was a number I didn't recognize. So I pick up the phone, and it was our agency. Specifically the child placing department of our agency. I assume this was just a call to go over our checklist before they match us with a child next month, when we were expecting a child match. I was wrong. Here I am on vacation, thinking about what to write in our letter of intent.
To be continued early to mid September, after Baba reaches his big 3-0...
~A very very HAPPY Momma of 5 :)
So we are halfway done with the testing, and I see the Fed Ex truck parked in our front yard. When I get to the door, there is an envelope with our FBI clearances in it! Oh happy day!! I had tracking on that envelope, but evidentally it didn't work.
We resume testing, and Miss Emma is on the last part of her test when the phone rings. Now we don't get many phone calls and usually I don't answer the phone during school time, but it was a number I didn't recognize. So I pick up the phone, and it was our agency. Specifically the child placing department of our agency. I assume this was just a call to go over our checklist before they match us with a child next month, when we were expecting a child match. I was wrong. Here I am on vacation, thinking about what to write in our letter of intent.
To be continued early to mid September, after Baba reaches his big 3-0...
~A very very HAPPY Momma of 5 :)
Monday, August 1, 2011
One last firework...
So there was one last surprise for us in July... our passports came in!! We were both really excited. Hopefully our FBI clearances come in soon. I believe they should be completed within the next 2 weeks. So, our standings as of now are as follows:
1. Need financial report for dossier (all other documents with exception to the 797 have been collected. The 797 comes after the homestudy)
2. Need FBI clearance for homestudy
3. Homestudy is still in process. Due to be completed by mid-August
4. We will hopefully find out who our precious Wu is, NEXT month!!! :)
Haha. I am really thrilled about that last one there. ;) I have been waiting to say that for a while. I will be even more thrilled when it becomes "this month," "this week," or "today" even!!
God bless,
Tasha
1. Need financial report for dossier (all other documents with exception to the 797 have been collected. The 797 comes after the homestudy)
2. Need FBI clearance for homestudy
3. Homestudy is still in process. Due to be completed by mid-August
4. We will hopefully find out who our precious Wu is, NEXT month!!! :)
Haha. I am really thrilled about that last one there. ;) I have been waiting to say that for a while. I will be even more thrilled when it becomes "this month," "this week," or "today" even!!
God bless,
Tasha
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Anxiety
It gets the best of me at times. It's so funny to hear people tell me how patient I am, when inside, most of the time, I am anxious about one thing or another. I am in need of skills... skills that will help me cope with all of this emotional mess that is brewing up inside of me. We are getting so close. It's almost the end of July already.
How do you cope with anxiety?
How do you cope with anxiety?
Monday, July 18, 2011
One at a Time
Today we had our first homestudy visit, and we both feel that it went well. It was mostly talking about ourselves and how we felt pertaining to certain topics. One of the topics we discussed was our desire to be a part of the special focus program, which allows you to adopt 2 unrelated children on the same trip or on seperate trips. Because of our family size and the ages of our children, our social worker feels that it would be best to bring in one child at a time. This doesn't mean that we can't adopt 2 children, because we still plan on adopting 2 children. But what it does mean is that this trip, we will only be picking up one child (unless we are referred twins, which is rare). After we come home with Wu, we will have a year, I believe, to reuse our paperwork to adopt another child.
I would like to state, for the record, that I feel we can handle bringing 2 children into our home at one time. But I do see where our social worker is coming from, and Joey and I have decided that we will follow her suggestion. She wasn't unreasonable at all, and we don't want to be either. We can always go back. The financing of it, I am not so sure about, but I am confident that God will lead us through it.
So Wu, we are getting closer to the time when we will learn who you are and the excitement is building. Momma and Baba can't wait to be on the plane BACK with you. Loving you always... Momma
I would like to state, for the record, that I feel we can handle bringing 2 children into our home at one time. But I do see where our social worker is coming from, and Joey and I have decided that we will follow her suggestion. She wasn't unreasonable at all, and we don't want to be either. We can always go back. The financing of it, I am not so sure about, but I am confident that God will lead us through it.
So Wu, we are getting closer to the time when we will learn who you are and the excitement is building. Momma and Baba can't wait to be on the plane BACK with you. Loving you always... Momma
Sunday, July 17, 2011
To be 30...
Growing up, I had always been mortified of turning 30. God, in His infinite wisdom, gave me a reason to look forward to turning 30. Turning 30 means that I have met the final requirement to adopt our precious baby/babies. And now we wait for 7 more weeks until my hubby is finally 30 as well.
Between the 2 cheesecakes, breakfast made by my sweet Emma with her father,surprise birthday party, the vacation Bible school singing "happy birthday" to me because my Silas kept reminding the MC that it was my birthday, my husband informing our waiter at the restaurant that it was the big 3-0 for me.... well, I think you get the picture. Lucy told me that she was going to make me a card and "fill it with love." Joseph was extra sweet to his momma and gave her plenty of hugs and kisses. Turning 30 was oh-so-sweet. I am BLESSED, and I am excited to have met this milestone so we can meet the next... Joey's big 3-0 and then our referrals! My heart is so full of love and excitement right now. God is AWESOME and He had blessed me with such an AWESOME family :)
Between the 2 cheesecakes, breakfast made by my sweet Emma with her father,surprise birthday party, the vacation Bible school singing "happy birthday" to me because my Silas kept reminding the MC that it was my birthday, my husband informing our waiter at the restaurant that it was the big 3-0 for me.... well, I think you get the picture. Lucy told me that she was going to make me a card and "fill it with love." Joseph was extra sweet to his momma and gave her plenty of hugs and kisses. Turning 30 was oh-so-sweet. I am BLESSED, and I am excited to have met this milestone so we can meet the next... Joey's big 3-0 and then our referrals! My heart is so full of love and excitement right now. God is AWESOME and He had blessed me with such an AWESOME family :)
Friday, July 8, 2011
We Can Go Anywhere!
Today we applied for our passports. All of the children came with us. Lucy asked us what it meant to have a passport, and Joey's response was, "We can go anywhere in the world!" And once they come in, we can pretty much go anywhere in the world. But there is only one place in the world that I want to be right now.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Change of Plans
You know what they say about the best layed plans, right? Well, it looks as if we are going to be steered off course a bit. Our homestudy is taking longer than we anticipated, because it hasn't even begun yet!!! We were thinking that the homestudy began as soon as we turned in our application, and turns out we were wrong. All of the references needed to return their forms first, and the meetings don't start immediately after that either. And we won't be one of the lucky ones who finish the homestudy in a couple of weeks. Looks as if it will be one meeting per week for 4-5 weeks beginning the week of July 18th.
Our goal of having LID in early September, is now looking impossible. Question is when will our LID be? And it looks as if we are subject to the new rules the CCCWA implemented this year (more references, more visits after adoption, more training hours). Not a biggy, but taking longer to reach our little ones plays a sad tune in my heart.
Our goal of having LID in early September, is now looking impossible. Question is when will our LID be? And it looks as if we are subject to the new rules the CCCWA implemented this year (more references, more visits after adoption, more training hours). Not a biggy, but taking longer to reach our little ones plays a sad tune in my heart.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Two months
Two months... that's all that's inbetween us and finding out who our child/children are. I have always dreaded turning 30, but next month can't come quite fast enough. Better yet, is when Joey turns 30 in September. Then we can finally be old enough for China.
Our homestudy should begin soon. We are just waiting for our references to return their forms, then our first appointment will be scheduled. Today we are mailing off forms to have a background check with the FBI (new requirement for our homestudy agency). Then we will work on getting our passports, and rounding up the remaining birth certificates. I believe we have all of the other forms.
Then we will need to hire a CPA to write up an income letter. Hopefully all of this is done before the homestudy is completed, and we can apply to USCIS. Then starts the process of sealing things. I am still not sure how it all works, but I believe it involves me driving around and getting things stamped (sealed) to prove that the previous seal/stamp was accurate. That should be interesting. But all 4 of the children and I will be hustling to get it done in time to turn it all in for Joey's birthday. Then we can celebrate and maybe get to a few of those words with the intials next to them in the top left corner! :)
Until next time,
Tasha
Our homestudy should begin soon. We are just waiting for our references to return their forms, then our first appointment will be scheduled. Today we are mailing off forms to have a background check with the FBI (new requirement for our homestudy agency). Then we will work on getting our passports, and rounding up the remaining birth certificates. I believe we have all of the other forms.
Then we will need to hire a CPA to write up an income letter. Hopefully all of this is done before the homestudy is completed, and we can apply to USCIS. Then starts the process of sealing things. I am still not sure how it all works, but I believe it involves me driving around and getting things stamped (sealed) to prove that the previous seal/stamp was accurate. That should be interesting. But all 4 of the children and I will be hustling to get it done in time to turn it all in for Joey's birthday. Then we can celebrate and maybe get to a few of those words with the intials next to them in the top left corner! :)
Until next time,
Tasha
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Doin' Alright
So last post, I'll admit, I was a bit besides myself. I would like to think we all get that way somehow. But I prayed for God's peace, and so He granted it to me. I am a calm cucumber right now. ;)
If you haven't guessed it yet, we are high and dry. The gates were opened, which gave our levees a break. Tomorrow our flood insurance goes into effect. So we are praising God for keeping us safe, and praying for those who are effected in turn.
Update on adoption (what this site is really for, right?! lol):
We are about to submit the paperwork to begin our homestudy!! Whoop! Whoop! We had a little setback on our timing due to searching for a new vehicle, but now we are back on track and fierce as ever. We are just waiting on some paperwork to come in from Joey's employer, then we write a check to pay the social worker to do the homestudy and wait for her next available appointment.
While the homestudy is going on, we will be gathering the necessary documentation needed for our dossier, and getting our passports!! I seriously cannot wait to be on the plane heading BACK from China with our baby/babies in tow!!!
Did you catch that subtle hint? Yes, we are hoping to adopt two children from China! We meet financial requirements and we are more than willing, but I believe we need the stamp of approval from our social worker. Hopefully this is as much of a non-issue to her as it is to us. I am home ALL of the time with the children, and I believe our home would be spectacular with two more sets of little feet running through the halls! Joey, well he is as much game as I am. So let the fun begin! We are ready to smother those sweet babies in hugs and kisses :)
Until next time,
Tasha
Wǔ & Liù(six), Mommy and Daddy are hoping you are both okay and we send our love! May God share this love that we, and He has for you through your caretakers! Love you bunches~ Your parents
If you haven't guessed it yet, we are high and dry. The gates were opened, which gave our levees a break. Tomorrow our flood insurance goes into effect. So we are praising God for keeping us safe, and praying for those who are effected in turn.
Update on adoption (what this site is really for, right?! lol):
We are about to submit the paperwork to begin our homestudy!! Whoop! Whoop! We had a little setback on our timing due to searching for a new vehicle, but now we are back on track and fierce as ever. We are just waiting on some paperwork to come in from Joey's employer, then we write a check to pay the social worker to do the homestudy and wait for her next available appointment.
While the homestudy is going on, we will be gathering the necessary documentation needed for our dossier, and getting our passports!! I seriously cannot wait to be on the plane heading BACK from China with our baby/babies in tow!!!
Did you catch that subtle hint? Yes, we are hoping to adopt two children from China! We meet financial requirements and we are more than willing, but I believe we need the stamp of approval from our social worker. Hopefully this is as much of a non-issue to her as it is to us. I am home ALL of the time with the children, and I believe our home would be spectacular with two more sets of little feet running through the halls! Joey, well he is as much game as I am. So let the fun begin! We are ready to smother those sweet babies in hugs and kisses :)
Until next time,
Tasha
Wǔ & Liù(six), Mommy and Daddy are hoping you are both okay and we send our love! May God share this love that we, and He has for you through your caretakers! Love you bunches~ Your parents
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Preparing for Floods, and Thinking of Wu
Alot of things are going on right now. On the top of the list is the projected flooding to our area IF the Morganza Spillway is not opened and IF there isn't a breach in the levee systems. Our home could face a possible 5-15 feet of water in it IF one of those 2 scenarios play out. We have no flood insurance. At least not until June 2nd. We will be on flood watch well into June, so our hope is that if anything happens to our home, that it happens June 2nd or later.
Right now, in our area, sand boils are popping up all along the levee and the roads are cracking from the pressure. A reporter had the road crack under the feet of the videographer yesterday as they were filming. This is a scary situation. The river still has another 5.5 feet left until it crests. If the Morganza Spillway is opened, the river level will decrease by only 1.5 feet. It seems to me that the levees are under a tremendous amount of pressure already, and aren't withstanding them very well on our end.
As usual, I worry. I really could care less about losing our home, as long as it is after our insurance kicks in. We are not in a flood zone. I would like to point that out, and all this time I believed that we had flood insurance. As soon as I had learned that we did not have flood insurance, we added it.
Losing our home prior to the flood insurance kicking in, could be detrimental to the adoption. I can't help but panic inside when I think of this. So I am asking you all to pray for peace for not only us, but for all of the people who are concerned about this oncoming flood. We need peace that only God can provide.
Thank you and May God bless you,
Tasha
Wu, Momma and Daddy are still paperchasing amidst all of this craziness. We will be getting physicals done soon, and turning in our application to begin our homestudy. We think and talk about you every single day- ALL of us do. We cannot wait until you join our family physically. Love you- Momma
Right now, in our area, sand boils are popping up all along the levee and the roads are cracking from the pressure. A reporter had the road crack under the feet of the videographer yesterday as they were filming. This is a scary situation. The river still has another 5.5 feet left until it crests. If the Morganza Spillway is opened, the river level will decrease by only 1.5 feet. It seems to me that the levees are under a tremendous amount of pressure already, and aren't withstanding them very well on our end.
As usual, I worry. I really could care less about losing our home, as long as it is after our insurance kicks in. We are not in a flood zone. I would like to point that out, and all this time I believed that we had flood insurance. As soon as I had learned that we did not have flood insurance, we added it.
Losing our home prior to the flood insurance kicking in, could be detrimental to the adoption. I can't help but panic inside when I think of this. So I am asking you all to pray for peace for not only us, but for all of the people who are concerned about this oncoming flood. We need peace that only God can provide.
Thank you and May God bless you,
Tasha
Wu, Momma and Daddy are still paperchasing amidst all of this craziness. We will be getting physicals done soon, and turning in our application to begin our homestudy. We think and talk about you every single day- ALL of us do. We cannot wait until you join our family physically. Love you- Momma
Friday, April 22, 2011
A Good Sign Amidst Chaos
Well, this week has been a doozie. Our car is totalled. Joey and Emma were in a wreck in front of our neighborhood. It was a very low speed collision, that happened head on with a big ole truck. So, our little bitty car didn't fare too well. Joey and Emma are just fine- no soreness, no aches, and no complaints. Thank God they are okay! The car- well, I am confident God will take us through this one, but I wasn't so sure at first.
Our car and van are paid for. We had no car note, and we were perfectly content with our old vehicles. Yes, they are old, and therefore the book value is really low on them. But, they are worth more to us than the silly book value. The car and van are VERY dependable vehicles. We take care of them, and they take care of us. And we were using what would have been car note money to fund the adoption. This is what I struggled with, and I feel horrible for having thought this way. But I was wondering why, oh why did this blow have to come to our adoption funding? We are doing what God wants us to do, right? So then, why interfere with our already difficult saving process?
I was thinking small. I realize this now. I have struggles too, after all I am human. And God, is amazing! The answer to these questions, I wasn't ready to face. I knew that God wasn't the cause of the accident. I know that He is the protector of my husband and child. He shielded them from injury. He shielded them from the oncomming traffic of the busy highway they were on. He made sure my husband and baby escaped the accident, not only scratch free, but free of soreness as well. I KNOW THIS.
The car, and I have felt this all along, we can live without. The adoption, we cannot do without. The funds for the adoption, we cannot do without. I was concerned for our little one in China. How is this accident going to affect them? A big motto of mine, is that if God leads us to it, He will lead us through it. And today, as I was checking the mail in the mailbox, feeling bogged down with worry, God showed me that He is helping us. In our mailbox was a letter from vital records with Joey's ammended birth certificate. The one that we were told would take 11 weeks to be ammended and then sent to us, only took 2 weeks!! And that would be 2 weeks, tomorrow!!
I think this is amazing, especially with the threat of government shutdowns, and the timeline for birth certificate duplicates being 4 weeks long. I am amazed, and see His handprints all over this. I would like to point out, that I have several family members waiting for the child's new amended birth certificates for over a year now from the same office. I can't stress enough how BIG this was to me today. God obviously wants us to get to China ASAP for our little one(s).
Praising God & praying for His blessings upon y'all,
Until next time,
Tasha
Wu, Mommy and Baba are thinking about you still. We are hoping you feel our love. Only 4 more months until we learn who you are. Don't lose hope little one. We will be there soon. Love you, Mama
Our car and van are paid for. We had no car note, and we were perfectly content with our old vehicles. Yes, they are old, and therefore the book value is really low on them. But, they are worth more to us than the silly book value. The car and van are VERY dependable vehicles. We take care of them, and they take care of us. And we were using what would have been car note money to fund the adoption. This is what I struggled with, and I feel horrible for having thought this way. But I was wondering why, oh why did this blow have to come to our adoption funding? We are doing what God wants us to do, right? So then, why interfere with our already difficult saving process?
I was thinking small. I realize this now. I have struggles too, after all I am human. And God, is amazing! The answer to these questions, I wasn't ready to face. I knew that God wasn't the cause of the accident. I know that He is the protector of my husband and child. He shielded them from injury. He shielded them from the oncomming traffic of the busy highway they were on. He made sure my husband and baby escaped the accident, not only scratch free, but free of soreness as well. I KNOW THIS.
The car, and I have felt this all along, we can live without. The adoption, we cannot do without. The funds for the adoption, we cannot do without. I was concerned for our little one in China. How is this accident going to affect them? A big motto of mine, is that if God leads us to it, He will lead us through it. And today, as I was checking the mail in the mailbox, feeling bogged down with worry, God showed me that He is helping us. In our mailbox was a letter from vital records with Joey's ammended birth certificate. The one that we were told would take 11 weeks to be ammended and then sent to us, only took 2 weeks!! And that would be 2 weeks, tomorrow!!
I think this is amazing, especially with the threat of government shutdowns, and the timeline for birth certificate duplicates being 4 weeks long. I am amazed, and see His handprints all over this. I would like to point out, that I have several family members waiting for the child's new amended birth certificates for over a year now from the same office. I can't stress enough how BIG this was to me today. God obviously wants us to get to China ASAP for our little one(s).
Praising God & praying for His blessings upon y'all,
Until next time,
Tasha
Wu, Mommy and Baba are thinking about you still. We are hoping you feel our love. Only 4 more months until we learn who you are. Don't lose hope little one. We will be there soon. Love you, Mama
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Goo Goo for Baba
One thing you hear from adoptive parents is how adoption is tough, and I truly believe that you really don't know how tough it is until you experience it first hand. The waiting is excruciating. The paperwork is... well, paperwork. Not too exciting, and at times a bit overwhelming.
I am going through a mix of emotions lately. I have been mad, sad, crushed, and agonized by the wait. It just seems so long, and I am not good with waiting. Oh, the Lord knows that I am not good with waiting. It makes me all nervous inside, and my mind is racing. I am a worry-wart by nature. I worry about everything. Right now, a chief worry in my mind is regarding Wu being cared for. I long to know that my child is safe and well cared for. I want to see his/her face, and hold him/her close to me. It's not possible right now, and logically I know this. I know there are timelines and paperwork for a reason, and a good reason. But my heart is aching.
I was having a bad day this week. Some adoption criteria was changed, and really it isn't a big deal at all. But at the time, it felt like another huge hurdle standing in my way, between me and my baby. Well, that day Joey and I took all of the children for physicals for the application. The children were really well behaved,and our pediatrician really seemed excited for all of us. And I believe he could tell the children are really excited too. Anyhow, we get all of the paperwork filled out and we head for the van to go home. I decide to look over the paperwork before we leave, and I was humbled and excited about what I saw on those forms. Our pediatrician noted that all of the children were in excellent health, and in the extra remarks section of their forms, he wrote, "excellent parents." Wow! When I say the little things mean the most to a person, I truly mean it... they do! Our pediatrician did not have to write anything down in that section, let alone something about Joey and I, but he really made us feel lifted in spirit.
Besides physicals, I have been filling out the other necessary forms needed, and started on the form with ALL of our addresses from the time we were 18. We have moved 11 times since then! I cannot remember all of those addresses, but I needed them for the form. So I make mention to Joey that I needed them, but didn't know how to get them. I tried a search engine online, and had no luck. Joey, being the wonderful man that he is, goes away for a while and then comes back with ALL of the addresses! Oh how I love that man!
Joey has also been moving as quick as he can to get work verification and other documents completed for me. He comes home from work, and asks me if there is anything that he can do to help me complete things faster! He is amazing! And, have I told you all how much I love that man?!?
Seriously, I think this whole process is making me fall more and more in love with him. And I didn't think that was possible, but I guess it is. I am so blessed to have my best friend for my husband.
Until next time,
Tasha
Wu, Mommy is going goo goo over your Baba. God has really blessed you with the best Baba there is, and I know you will love him. He is so anxious to bring you home, as am I. Your brothers and sisters were so excited to tell their doctor about you. Lucy told me this week that, "Mommy and Daddy need to hurry up and go to China to bring back the baby." She wants to meet you so bad. We all want to meet you. A little less than 5 months from now, we should see your face and get to know you through your foster child report. I am looking forward to sending you something special in the mail. I pray a special blessing over you tonight. That God keeps you safe, and blesses you with great caregivers who shower you with love. I pray that you feel our love deep within your heart. Amen. Sending you our love, Mama
I am going through a mix of emotions lately. I have been mad, sad, crushed, and agonized by the wait. It just seems so long, and I am not good with waiting. Oh, the Lord knows that I am not good with waiting. It makes me all nervous inside, and my mind is racing. I am a worry-wart by nature. I worry about everything. Right now, a chief worry in my mind is regarding Wu being cared for. I long to know that my child is safe and well cared for. I want to see his/her face, and hold him/her close to me. It's not possible right now, and logically I know this. I know there are timelines and paperwork for a reason, and a good reason. But my heart is aching.
I was having a bad day this week. Some adoption criteria was changed, and really it isn't a big deal at all. But at the time, it felt like another huge hurdle standing in my way, between me and my baby. Well, that day Joey and I took all of the children for physicals for the application. The children were really well behaved,and our pediatrician really seemed excited for all of us. And I believe he could tell the children are really excited too. Anyhow, we get all of the paperwork filled out and we head for the van to go home. I decide to look over the paperwork before we leave, and I was humbled and excited about what I saw on those forms. Our pediatrician noted that all of the children were in excellent health, and in the extra remarks section of their forms, he wrote, "excellent parents." Wow! When I say the little things mean the most to a person, I truly mean it... they do! Our pediatrician did not have to write anything down in that section, let alone something about Joey and I, but he really made us feel lifted in spirit.
Besides physicals, I have been filling out the other necessary forms needed, and started on the form with ALL of our addresses from the time we were 18. We have moved 11 times since then! I cannot remember all of those addresses, but I needed them for the form. So I make mention to Joey that I needed them, but didn't know how to get them. I tried a search engine online, and had no luck. Joey, being the wonderful man that he is, goes away for a while and then comes back with ALL of the addresses! Oh how I love that man!
Joey has also been moving as quick as he can to get work verification and other documents completed for me. He comes home from work, and asks me if there is anything that he can do to help me complete things faster! He is amazing! And, have I told you all how much I love that man?!?
Seriously, I think this whole process is making me fall more and more in love with him. And I didn't think that was possible, but I guess it is. I am so blessed to have my best friend for my husband.
Until next time,
Tasha
Wu, Mommy is going goo goo over your Baba. God has really blessed you with the best Baba there is, and I know you will love him. He is so anxious to bring you home, as am I. Your brothers and sisters were so excited to tell their doctor about you. Lucy told me this week that, "Mommy and Daddy need to hurry up and go to China to bring back the baby." She wants to meet you so bad. We all want to meet you. A little less than 5 months from now, we should see your face and get to know you through your foster child report. I am looking forward to sending you something special in the mail. I pray a special blessing over you tonight. That God keeps you safe, and blesses you with great caregivers who shower you with love. I pray that you feel our love deep within your heart. Amen. Sending you our love, Mama
Friday, April 1, 2011
Paper Chasing
This week, we received information on how to get our paper chase done. It seems pretty straight forward, and the documents seem easy. The hard part seems to be all of the sealing involved.
Next week, we will all be going to the doctor for physicals. Right now, Joey is ordering birth certificates and checking out the spelling on his. This could be an issue. All documents need to match each other exactly. Problem is, Joey's name is spelt two different ways on his documents. Hopefully this issue can be fixed soon, so we can gather the rest of the documents and start getting them verified and sealed.
Once we get the doctor appointments done, we can submit our paperwork for our homestudy and get that going. Once the homestudy is done, we can submit our 1800A. And we also need to apply for passports once the name issue with the documents has been fixed.
I am learning why it is called a paper chase. There are so many places you have to go to get these documents that are needed, and then you have to bring them to a whole bunch of places to get them authenticated. I guess the good news is that after this, there will be no mistaking who we are LOL
It's a learning process. And boy, are we learning! And it is just getting started!! In the end, it will be well worth it.
Ending on a bright note here...
Joey came home from work yesterday, and as usual, he asks me if there were any interesting news from the day. I didn't have any, so he began to share his. His face lit up, as he started to tell me about all of the people he told about the adoption at work that day and how EXCITED they were for us. I can't express how much a smile and encouraging words can do for a person. Especially a person who is going through the agonizing wait that is associated with adoption. We have waited for about 7 months now to be able to get started with the paperwork and it will be another 5 months before we will be able to submit this paperwork. Then we must wait another 3-6 months to go to China to pick up our child. That's 15-18 months of waiting, and we are just on month 7. And the reality of it all, is that it could take longer. So thank you to whoever it was that lifted mine and Joey's spirits yesterday. Thank you to all of you who continue to pray for us and lift us up in prayer, and especially to those of you who are praying for our little Wu.
We are grateful for each and every one of you who are supporting us. We are grateful to the wonderful God who has blessed us with this child. We are grateful for Wu, and for all of our children.
Feeling blessed and praying His blessings upon each of you,
Tasha
Wu, Still thinking of and loving you from a distance. We are coming close to only 5 months away from seeing your face, and learning more about you. We continue to pray for God's love and work to surround you, our precious child. Loving you, Momma
Next week, we will all be going to the doctor for physicals. Right now, Joey is ordering birth certificates and checking out the spelling on his. This could be an issue. All documents need to match each other exactly. Problem is, Joey's name is spelt two different ways on his documents. Hopefully this issue can be fixed soon, so we can gather the rest of the documents and start getting them verified and sealed.
Once we get the doctor appointments done, we can submit our paperwork for our homestudy and get that going. Once the homestudy is done, we can submit our 1800A. And we also need to apply for passports once the name issue with the documents has been fixed.
I am learning why it is called a paper chase. There are so many places you have to go to get these documents that are needed, and then you have to bring them to a whole bunch of places to get them authenticated. I guess the good news is that after this, there will be no mistaking who we are LOL
It's a learning process. And boy, are we learning! And it is just getting started!! In the end, it will be well worth it.
Ending on a bright note here...
Joey came home from work yesterday, and as usual, he asks me if there were any interesting news from the day. I didn't have any, so he began to share his. His face lit up, as he started to tell me about all of the people he told about the adoption at work that day and how EXCITED they were for us. I can't express how much a smile and encouraging words can do for a person. Especially a person who is going through the agonizing wait that is associated with adoption. We have waited for about 7 months now to be able to get started with the paperwork and it will be another 5 months before we will be able to submit this paperwork. Then we must wait another 3-6 months to go to China to pick up our child. That's 15-18 months of waiting, and we are just on month 7. And the reality of it all, is that it could take longer. So thank you to whoever it was that lifted mine and Joey's spirits yesterday. Thank you to all of you who continue to pray for us and lift us up in prayer, and especially to those of you who are praying for our little Wu.
We are grateful for each and every one of you who are supporting us. We are grateful to the wonderful God who has blessed us with this child. We are grateful for Wu, and for all of our children.
Feeling blessed and praying His blessings upon each of you,
Tasha
Wu, Still thinking of and loving you from a distance. We are coming close to only 5 months away from seeing your face, and learning more about you. We continue to pray for God's love and work to surround you, our precious child. Loving you, Momma
Friday, March 18, 2011
Application Approved!!
So tonight, we received wonderful news: our adoption application to a placing agency was approved!! So we now have a placing agency working with us!! We are over the moon!!
One more step closer to you our littlest love...
Love you,
Momma
One more step closer to you our littlest love...
Love you,
Momma
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Do I look any different to you???
So, our family made a trip to the post office today, and what I really want to know is: Do I look any different to you?
Here is why I want to know:
WE ARE PAPER PREGNANT!!!!
Just 6 months left until we see our little one's face in a picture. And this verse from a song has been my comfort today:
Even when it feels like there is no one holding me, be still my soul HE is.
Forgive me, I have sang this song many times and cannot remember the name of it or who sings it. And I am a little too lazy at the moment to look it up.
For now, I just want to enjoy this feeling. We are all so excited!!
Oh, and I promised names in the next post, didn't I? Well, drumroll please....
For a girl: Libby Kate
For a boy: Lee Michael
After their "American" name, we plan to include their Chinese name somehow.
Until next time,
May God bless,
Tasha
Here is why I want to know:
WE ARE PAPER PREGNANT!!!!
Just 6 months left until we see our little one's face in a picture. And this verse from a song has been my comfort today:
Even when it feels like there is no one holding me, be still my soul HE is.
Forgive me, I have sang this song many times and cannot remember the name of it or who sings it. And I am a little too lazy at the moment to look it up.
For now, I just want to enjoy this feeling. We are all so excited!!
Oh, and I promised names in the next post, didn't I? Well, drumroll please....
For a girl: Libby Kate
For a boy: Lee Michael
After their "American" name, we plan to include their Chinese name somehow.
Until next time,
May God bless,
Tasha
Monday, March 7, 2011
It's Started...
Our application goes in the mail today! Gosh, I can't believe today has finally come. Exactly 6 months from tomorrow, my hubby will be 30 and we will hopefully know who our child is. WOW! Amazing! I know all too well that 6 months flies by faster than a blink of an eye.
And this mommy has a fun filled summer planned for all of the little ones. We have decided that in lieu of a big family vacation this year, we are going to go on mini vacations (i.e. a few things that we can get season passes for the family to). Like our zoo extravaganza, and the aquarium. These are MUCH cheaper, and we are all about the cheap stuff.
So what about the big family vacation that we had planned this year (AKA Sea World)? Well, we will go next year, and possibly even the vacation that we had planned for next year as well (AKA beach). We have decided that vacation would be more fun with our new little one in tow, and it would allow us to get away for a little while and have quality family bonding time. Joey is saving as many days off as possible for next year, so we can enjoy some quality time together AWAY from all of our ordinary household distractions. I for one, cannot wait!!
It is so much fun to think of our family as a whole doing things together. I am enjoying my family now, but I can't help but wondering if Wu would enjoy all of the things we do. Like, when we went to the movies this past weekend with some gift certificates given to the children for Christmas. As I glanced over at my children, all with their popcorn and drinks, and smiles on their faces, I couldn't help but wonder if Wu would enjoy the movies.
I guess it is different, because I know in my heart that Wu is alive somewhere in China. I am missing out on all of these important times with him/her. I wish that I could be there to comfort him/her through the sad times, and to rejoice with him/her through the happy times. I want them to know me as mommy, and Joey as daddy, and to know the immense love1 of his/her sisters and brothers. I want to protect him/her, and I wish I could do all of this now. It is like a piece is missing. Sure I know that I didn't know about this missing piece not that long ago, but now that I do know that they are there, I am aching for this little person to join us. So I can KNOW that they are well cared for. It is all of the UNKNOWN that drives me a little bonkers.
Don't get me wrong, I am a fully functioning parent right now, but there is always this part of me wondering about Wu and hoping that he/she is receiving the BEST care until I can get there; until we can get there. I am sure I will go on and on about the unknowns until there is more known. Then when there is more known, I will share all of the parts that I can share. I just can't wait to be out of the know, and to be in the know.
Until then, our constant prayer is that Wu is receiving the best care possible. That God sends our child our love through their caretakers, and that they are getting hugged often and loved on. Another prayer is that once we receive our LOA, that somehow our travel plans are expedited and we get TA not long after. I have read about how some people have somehow had their waiting time shortened from 6-9 months to just a little over 3, through no action of their own! WOW! Would I love to be one of those "lucky" ones, and somehow bring our baby home this year. One can hope, right? So if you get a chance, please ask God to expedite our process. I for one, know that it is never too early to ask God for anything :)
I think this is it for this post. Maybe next post, I will unveil baby Wu's real name choices. Yes, Wu is just a nickname. hehe We do have American names picked out for our child, and they are good ones. :)
So, until next time,
May God bless,
Tasha
And this mommy has a fun filled summer planned for all of the little ones. We have decided that in lieu of a big family vacation this year, we are going to go on mini vacations (i.e. a few things that we can get season passes for the family to). Like our zoo extravaganza, and the aquarium. These are MUCH cheaper, and we are all about the cheap stuff.
So what about the big family vacation that we had planned this year (AKA Sea World)? Well, we will go next year, and possibly even the vacation that we had planned for next year as well (AKA beach). We have decided that vacation would be more fun with our new little one in tow, and it would allow us to get away for a little while and have quality family bonding time. Joey is saving as many days off as possible for next year, so we can enjoy some quality time together AWAY from all of our ordinary household distractions. I for one, cannot wait!!
It is so much fun to think of our family as a whole doing things together. I am enjoying my family now, but I can't help but wondering if Wu would enjoy all of the things we do. Like, when we went to the movies this past weekend with some gift certificates given to the children for Christmas. As I glanced over at my children, all with their popcorn and drinks, and smiles on their faces, I couldn't help but wonder if Wu would enjoy the movies.
I guess it is different, because I know in my heart that Wu is alive somewhere in China. I am missing out on all of these important times with him/her. I wish that I could be there to comfort him/her through the sad times, and to rejoice with him/her through the happy times. I want them to know me as mommy, and Joey as daddy, and to know the immense love1 of his/her sisters and brothers. I want to protect him/her, and I wish I could do all of this now. It is like a piece is missing. Sure I know that I didn't know about this missing piece not that long ago, but now that I do know that they are there, I am aching for this little person to join us. So I can KNOW that they are well cared for. It is all of the UNKNOWN that drives me a little bonkers.
Don't get me wrong, I am a fully functioning parent right now, but there is always this part of me wondering about Wu and hoping that he/she is receiving the BEST care until I can get there; until we can get there. I am sure I will go on and on about the unknowns until there is more known. Then when there is more known, I will share all of the parts that I can share. I just can't wait to be out of the know, and to be in the know.
Until then, our constant prayer is that Wu is receiving the best care possible. That God sends our child our love through their caretakers, and that they are getting hugged often and loved on. Another prayer is that once we receive our LOA, that somehow our travel plans are expedited and we get TA not long after. I have read about how some people have somehow had their waiting time shortened from 6-9 months to just a little over 3, through no action of their own! WOW! Would I love to be one of those "lucky" ones, and somehow bring our baby home this year. One can hope, right? So if you get a chance, please ask God to expedite our process. I for one, know that it is never too early to ask God for anything :)
I think this is it for this post. Maybe next post, I will unveil baby Wu's real name choices. Yes, Wu is just a nickname. hehe We do have American names picked out for our child, and they are good ones. :)
So, until next time,
May God bless,
Tasha
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
New Stage
So the classes are done, and we are now starting the application phase. Once we get the initial application done, we will continue with more paperwork (it's called a "paper trail" for a reason) while we complete our homestudy.
On the way back from our LAST class, Joey turned to me and said, " I am so excited." And that just about sums it up for me as well. Excited- to have our first step completed; to have the paperwork needed for the next step in our hands; and to be on the verge of finally being old enough to begin our "paper pregnancy."
I would like to note that we are also excited to begin our homestudy. I dreaded it at first. And I will admit, a small... teeny tiny part of me is still uncomfortable with it. BUT, after the classes and finding out what exactly a homestudy entails, we are excited to begin the process. As with the classes, we intend to cooperate fully and try to get the most that we can out of the experience. It helps to have met the social workers, and honestly, I can say that our agency has some really knowledgeable and friendly people on their staff. They really opened our eyes to things we never thought of before, and I believe we will be better parents to all of our children because of this course.
Until next time, Tasha
Wu~ Momma and Daddy are constantly thinking of you. Your brothers and sisters are excited about your arrival. The Wii has little "me" characters in both a boy Wu and a girl Wu, and your siblings enjoy "playing" with you. They also are sure to pray for you every night. It is such a blessing to be your family already. We are so curious about who you are, and look forward to seeing you, meeting you, and caring for you. Until we meet, we will be loving you from a distance, but will be keeping you close in our hearts. Love you! ~Momma
On the way back from our LAST class, Joey turned to me and said, " I am so excited." And that just about sums it up for me as well. Excited- to have our first step completed; to have the paperwork needed for the next step in our hands; and to be on the verge of finally being old enough to begin our "paper pregnancy."
I would like to note that we are also excited to begin our homestudy. I dreaded it at first. And I will admit, a small... teeny tiny part of me is still uncomfortable with it. BUT, after the classes and finding out what exactly a homestudy entails, we are excited to begin the process. As with the classes, we intend to cooperate fully and try to get the most that we can out of the experience. It helps to have met the social workers, and honestly, I can say that our agency has some really knowledgeable and friendly people on their staff. They really opened our eyes to things we never thought of before, and I believe we will be better parents to all of our children because of this course.
Until next time, Tasha
Wu~ Momma and Daddy are constantly thinking of you. Your brothers and sisters are excited about your arrival. The Wii has little "me" characters in both a boy Wu and a girl Wu, and your siblings enjoy "playing" with you. They also are sure to pray for you every night. It is such a blessing to be your family already. We are so curious about who you are, and look forward to seeing you, meeting you, and caring for you. Until we meet, we will be loving you from a distance, but will be keeping you close in our hearts. Love you! ~Momma
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Less than a month away...
...until we are paper pregnant! We are over halfway done with our Hague accredited courses. We are learning a bunch and preparing ourselves to be the parents that our little Wu will need us to be.
It is snowing in Beijing tonight. It is exciting to know that we may get to experience snow when we go to China to get our little one. I wonder what the Great Wall looks like, covered in snow? I bet it would be breathtaking, but not as breathtaking as seeing our little one for the first time.
We are anxious and excited to begin our paperwork, and homestudy in the next month. We are getting things ready around the house. And soon I will be gathering the necessary documents needed for the paper trail.
Thinking of you little Wu, and praying that you are warm and well cared for. We all can't wait to warm you with our hugs, and surround you with sweet kisses and blessings before you go to sleep at night. Just thinking of the day, brings tears of joy to my eyes. Love you baby!
~Momma
It is snowing in Beijing tonight. It is exciting to know that we may get to experience snow when we go to China to get our little one. I wonder what the Great Wall looks like, covered in snow? I bet it would be breathtaking, but not as breathtaking as seeing our little one for the first time.
We are anxious and excited to begin our paperwork, and homestudy in the next month. We are getting things ready around the house. And soon I will be gathering the necessary documents needed for the paper trail.
Thinking of you little Wu, and praying that you are warm and well cared for. We all can't wait to warm you with our hugs, and surround you with sweet kisses and blessings before you go to sleep at night. Just thinking of the day, brings tears of joy to my eyes. Love you baby!
~Momma
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Through the Storm: Weathering Judgement
I know that people judge, and unjustly so. It hurts to hear others judge us because of decisions that they themselves have made. I hate to hear that people are negatively judging mine and Joey's JOINT decision to answer God's calling for us IN CHINA.
I also know that we will have to learn to live past this judgement, and not let it bother us. And we will do it, because there is always beauty after the storm. For us, the beauty lies in holding and loving our little Wu for the rest of their life.
People talk. This is true. Let them. I have heard about discussions regarding our "decision" to not adopt domestically. "There are so many children here," they say. "It's rediculous," they say. Well this is what I say:
The "decision" you refer to was not ours but God's. He lead us to this adventure we are currently going on. He placed this child in our hearts. We both, yearn for this child. And no matter where they are, we will go.
So how did we hear God's calling? This is our testimony.
When I was 13, I felt a calling to the plight of the orphan in China. I told anyone who would listen about how I was going to adopt a little girl from China one day, and name her Emily. One of my sisters would laugh at me, but she knew I was serious.
Flash forward several years... Joey and I have dated through 2 years of high school, and 2 years of college. We are now engaged, and going through a marriage preparation class. Several questions are proposed for us to discuss on our own. One of them was regarding family size. Joey wants 7 children, and I want 3 or maybe 4. Secretly, I think he is crazy, but looking back, I believe God may have put that number in his heart. I bring up the subject of adopting from China, IF the opportunity would present itself when we became of age. Joey agrees that this is something that he would like very much.
So we begin our marriage. Over 9 years, we have 4 beautiful children, and we are building a house. Our lives are BUSY. I am checking my email, which is a daily ritual. We had several orders coming in for the house, and I was tracking them down. When I log off of my email. This featured article pops up on the screen, and there is this photo of this adorable Asian child. I read it out of curiosity, and discover that Joey and I were on the verge of being elligible to adopt from China.
Joey gets home, and I go back to show him this article. It wasn't there! How could that be? Featured articles are usually there for the entire day and into the next. It's only been 2 hours! So I search for the article, and find that it dated back to 2007. Weird. Or so I thought at the time. Anyhow, Joey and I pour over it. We decide that this is something we will consider further.
Over the next few weeks, we decide that this is something we would like to do until we saw the expense associated with it. I am not going to lie... it is expensive. And with 4 children, it didn't seem feasible at the time. So we brush it off and commit to trying to conceive our 5th child when we move into our home.
Well, I don't think God liked our response. He came gently knocking. Through various forms. Mostly via the radio and internet. All of a sudden the radio was featuring families who had adopted, and they were speaking mostly about orphans in China. One story that sticks out in my mind at the moment, was that there was a little girl who was adopted from China making blankets for the babies in the orphanages. You see, many orphanages are without heat or air conditioning. So after hearing these stories, we ignore them. It's just coincidence we say.
What happens when Someone knocks on your door, they know you are home, and you don't answer? They knock HARDER. I am dropping Joey off at work one day. His brakes in his car went out. And I turn on the radio as he steps out, and an announcer states, "If only 7% of Christians in the WORLD would adopt ONE child, there would be no orphans. If God is calling you to do so, then you know what you need to do." Then the announcement broke, music played, and the subject was never brought up again on the announcer's show. Could this be a message from God? Have I been ignoring Him? This is rediculous! How can we afford it? Joey and I crunched numbers, and it just does NOT seem possible.
I am now back at the apartment. And I find myself at the computer, once again researching about adoption. I watched a video called, "China's Lost Girls." It was created by national geographic. There is alot to learn from it. Now there is a day in a China adoption, which is well known as being the "gotcha day." This is the day, that your child is given to you in China. I am finding several videos of babies joining their forever families on youtube. It is beautiful. I am crying. But as beautiful as it was, I still did not see how we could do it.
Up in the corner of the screen, there is a feautured video. And I watch it. It is called "The Dying Rooms." This video is disturbing. It shatters my entire world. How it was featured on a page filled with joyful unions, is beyond me. Looking back, I can see how God used it to move me. Even now, as I attempt to write about the content of the show, I cannot. I will not. If you are curious, then go to youtube and search for it.
You see, it was way beyond my comfort zone. I could not see what was in that video, and not feel altered. God knows my heart, and He knew I was being stubborn, so He sent that video to get me going. But He was not done... He had one more message. And it was in the form of yet another featured video.
This one was about a beautiful union of a family with their child in China. They included photos of her life here in the US, and at the end of the video, a message appears accross the screen. And it states, "Your daughter is in China. Go get her." Now I realize this could have been a very generic statement, but Joey and I both believe this was a message from God. Now I know you may know what I am talking about, if you have ever listened to a message from God. You get a tingle. It's like some body part you never used before starts flowing something through your system. I knew at that moment, this message was meant for us.
I needed to share this message with Joey. But how? We had closed this topic. It was unthinkable, because we would need the money. Joey gets home, and he hears about what I have seen, what I have felt, and about God's message to us. And you have to understand, my husband is feeling extremely burdened at the moment. Things are going on at work, something with the house wasn't going right, and we have 4 children that require our attention. He says "no." I am torn. He won't look at the video. I am a mess. We argue. He states that there are orphans in the United States, and through foster care, they are free. I hear his points, and I know that there are beautiful children available through foster care, and it would be easy to go into the foster care system. But I also KNOW what God has said to me.
We argue. And my friends, it was not pretty. I am ashamed that it escalated to the point that it did. But there was quiet. I prayed to God, asking Him that if He placed it in my heart, then please place it in in his. And after the storm, there was beauty. My husband, my best friend, understood and felt God's call. He agreed to watch what I had seen. And he too felt what I was feeling. Our child, was in China.
You see, God doesn't draw boundary lines when it comes to His children. He looks after ALL of us the same. We were ALL adopted by Him, our loving Father. Jesus, Himself, was adopted by Joseph. And if God's only Son was adopted, then how do you think God feels about the subject? He does not delight in the homeless, the fatherless, motherless, or widows. He asks us to be His hands and feet. He asked us to be His hands and feet for a child in China. And I admit, He does not always ask us to do what is easy either. But we both knew that if He led us to it, He would lead us through it.
This is the part we are working on: Being led through it. I tried to avoid sharing our testimony. But I realize I needed to. Too many people are thinking that it's their place to make decisions for us or to comment negatively about our situation. Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but God is the only One who will ever make decisions for us. Make your ripples in the water, I prefer to surf on God's waves.
So friends, please feel free to rejoice with us! For a child has been conceived in our hearts. We are overjoyed, and we will only entertain the positive from now on. We look forward to the day that our little one will join us physically. No matter how long the journey, or what little bumps may lie on our path, we will press on until our Wu is with us.
May God bless you,
Tasha
I also know that we will have to learn to live past this judgement, and not let it bother us. And we will do it, because there is always beauty after the storm. For us, the beauty lies in holding and loving our little Wu for the rest of their life.
People talk. This is true. Let them. I have heard about discussions regarding our "decision" to not adopt domestically. "There are so many children here," they say. "It's rediculous," they say. Well this is what I say:
The "decision" you refer to was not ours but God's. He lead us to this adventure we are currently going on. He placed this child in our hearts. We both, yearn for this child. And no matter where they are, we will go.
So how did we hear God's calling? This is our testimony.
When I was 13, I felt a calling to the plight of the orphan in China. I told anyone who would listen about how I was going to adopt a little girl from China one day, and name her Emily. One of my sisters would laugh at me, but she knew I was serious.
Flash forward several years... Joey and I have dated through 2 years of high school, and 2 years of college. We are now engaged, and going through a marriage preparation class. Several questions are proposed for us to discuss on our own. One of them was regarding family size. Joey wants 7 children, and I want 3 or maybe 4. Secretly, I think he is crazy, but looking back, I believe God may have put that number in his heart. I bring up the subject of adopting from China, IF the opportunity would present itself when we became of age. Joey agrees that this is something that he would like very much.
So we begin our marriage. Over 9 years, we have 4 beautiful children, and we are building a house. Our lives are BUSY. I am checking my email, which is a daily ritual. We had several orders coming in for the house, and I was tracking them down. When I log off of my email. This featured article pops up on the screen, and there is this photo of this adorable Asian child. I read it out of curiosity, and discover that Joey and I were on the verge of being elligible to adopt from China.
Joey gets home, and I go back to show him this article. It wasn't there! How could that be? Featured articles are usually there for the entire day and into the next. It's only been 2 hours! So I search for the article, and find that it dated back to 2007. Weird. Or so I thought at the time. Anyhow, Joey and I pour over it. We decide that this is something we will consider further.
Over the next few weeks, we decide that this is something we would like to do until we saw the expense associated with it. I am not going to lie... it is expensive. And with 4 children, it didn't seem feasible at the time. So we brush it off and commit to trying to conceive our 5th child when we move into our home.
Well, I don't think God liked our response. He came gently knocking. Through various forms. Mostly via the radio and internet. All of a sudden the radio was featuring families who had adopted, and they were speaking mostly about orphans in China. One story that sticks out in my mind at the moment, was that there was a little girl who was adopted from China making blankets for the babies in the orphanages. You see, many orphanages are without heat or air conditioning. So after hearing these stories, we ignore them. It's just coincidence we say.
What happens when Someone knocks on your door, they know you are home, and you don't answer? They knock HARDER. I am dropping Joey off at work one day. His brakes in his car went out. And I turn on the radio as he steps out, and an announcer states, "If only 7% of Christians in the WORLD would adopt ONE child, there would be no orphans. If God is calling you to do so, then you know what you need to do." Then the announcement broke, music played, and the subject was never brought up again on the announcer's show. Could this be a message from God? Have I been ignoring Him? This is rediculous! How can we afford it? Joey and I crunched numbers, and it just does NOT seem possible.
I am now back at the apartment. And I find myself at the computer, once again researching about adoption. I watched a video called, "China's Lost Girls." It was created by national geographic. There is alot to learn from it. Now there is a day in a China adoption, which is well known as being the "gotcha day." This is the day, that your child is given to you in China. I am finding several videos of babies joining their forever families on youtube. It is beautiful. I am crying. But as beautiful as it was, I still did not see how we could do it.
Up in the corner of the screen, there is a feautured video. And I watch it. It is called "The Dying Rooms." This video is disturbing. It shatters my entire world. How it was featured on a page filled with joyful unions, is beyond me. Looking back, I can see how God used it to move me. Even now, as I attempt to write about the content of the show, I cannot. I will not. If you are curious, then go to youtube and search for it.
You see, it was way beyond my comfort zone. I could not see what was in that video, and not feel altered. God knows my heart, and He knew I was being stubborn, so He sent that video to get me going. But He was not done... He had one more message. And it was in the form of yet another featured video.
This one was about a beautiful union of a family with their child in China. They included photos of her life here in the US, and at the end of the video, a message appears accross the screen. And it states, "Your daughter is in China. Go get her." Now I realize this could have been a very generic statement, but Joey and I both believe this was a message from God. Now I know you may know what I am talking about, if you have ever listened to a message from God. You get a tingle. It's like some body part you never used before starts flowing something through your system. I knew at that moment, this message was meant for us.
I needed to share this message with Joey. But how? We had closed this topic. It was unthinkable, because we would need the money. Joey gets home, and he hears about what I have seen, what I have felt, and about God's message to us. And you have to understand, my husband is feeling extremely burdened at the moment. Things are going on at work, something with the house wasn't going right, and we have 4 children that require our attention. He says "no." I am torn. He won't look at the video. I am a mess. We argue. He states that there are orphans in the United States, and through foster care, they are free. I hear his points, and I know that there are beautiful children available through foster care, and it would be easy to go into the foster care system. But I also KNOW what God has said to me.
We argue. And my friends, it was not pretty. I am ashamed that it escalated to the point that it did. But there was quiet. I prayed to God, asking Him that if He placed it in my heart, then please place it in in his. And after the storm, there was beauty. My husband, my best friend, understood and felt God's call. He agreed to watch what I had seen. And he too felt what I was feeling. Our child, was in China.
You see, God doesn't draw boundary lines when it comes to His children. He looks after ALL of us the same. We were ALL adopted by Him, our loving Father. Jesus, Himself, was adopted by Joseph. And if God's only Son was adopted, then how do you think God feels about the subject? He does not delight in the homeless, the fatherless, motherless, or widows. He asks us to be His hands and feet. He asked us to be His hands and feet for a child in China. And I admit, He does not always ask us to do what is easy either. But we both knew that if He led us to it, He would lead us through it.
This is the part we are working on: Being led through it. I tried to avoid sharing our testimony. But I realize I needed to. Too many people are thinking that it's their place to make decisions for us or to comment negatively about our situation. Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but God is the only One who will ever make decisions for us. Make your ripples in the water, I prefer to surf on God's waves.
So friends, please feel free to rejoice with us! For a child has been conceived in our hearts. We are overjoyed, and we will only entertain the positive from now on. We look forward to the day that our little one will join us physically. No matter how long the journey, or what little bumps may lie on our path, we will press on until our Wu is with us.
May God bless you,
Tasha
Thursday, January 27, 2011
First course!
So we have had our first Hague adoption course, and it was wonderful. I can't talk about what went on or the content, because we signed a confidentiality agreement. But I can say that it is helpful to be in a room full of positive people. Even though we have 4 children already and have had numerous adoptions in our extended family, we are learning. I am beyond over the moon with having this journey started. Our official paper start will begin soon. And that is the next amazing stop on this journey to you, Wu.
Loving you little Wu,
Momma
Loving you little Wu,
Momma
Friday, January 21, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Hague Courses!
We are super duper excited because we are about to start the Hague accredited courses, which will allow us to begin our homestudy for the dossier! One more step closer to you, little one. The courses total 10 hours, and are held once a week for 2 hours over a period of 5 weeks. When we finish the courses, we will be 1-2 weeks away from being old enough to submit our OFFICIAL application to our child placing agency. We are so excited to begin the process to finding you. Can't wait until we see your face!
Until then,
Praying for & loving you,
Momma
Until then,
Praying for & loving you,
Momma
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Hey there little one
Guess who .... that's right its Dad-e-o this time. Mom's filling out paperwork for you as I type. We are hoping and praying for you to get the best care by others at the moment and you can bet that there is a whole bunch of loving ready for you from team Robichaux (Mom, I & your brothers and sisters). Our time with you now seems so far away yet closer than ever before. Can't wait for the day when you're here. Its late so good night and God bless my little one in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit (you'll soon see that this will be our night time routine after prayers and harmoneous whining of not wanting to go to bed).
Finding Balance
A piece of my heart, or parts of my heart are hidden in China. And parts of my heart are here... I have been consumed with blogs from families who have adopted from China. I have searched their timelines, hoping to see someone that has experienced our issue- not being old enough yet to start the paperwork, but just inches away from being able to do so.
On our prospective agency's website, it clearly states that we have to wait until we are both at least 29.5 years old to apply. Yet I search to see if I can start something else early. Are there forms that I can get a head start on? Could we take the classes for adoption early? Once we get started, what will the timeline be like? Answers are what I am in desperate need of, and there are so many questions left unanswered. And if you know me, then you know that I don't do well with the unknown. Not for this long anyhow. And I know we are just scratching the tip of the iceburg here, if that much.
My lateset "research" has produced a list of common abbreviations associated with China adoption. I will post these in the sidebar. This way, I can abbreviate common words, and you don't have to feel like I am speaking... well, Chinese! ;) Technically, it's Mandarin, but anyhow... LOL
A proud moment for me yesterday, was when I was watching an adoption video and the baby was getting their handprints and footprints taken for their adoption certificate. The lady who was printing the baby was speaking Mandarin to him, and I UNDERSTOOD what she was saying!! Joey was proud of me as well! See, she was counting for him. It was a simple 1-2-3, but I understood it. I am hoping I will learn much more Mandarin before picking up our little Wu, so I can understand some of their needs that I wouldn't otherwise know of. And I am hoping it will give them some comfort to hear their native language a bit, even if it is just at a toddler level (that's okay, because they will be a toddler too).
I can't say enough about my teacher... a little game for the DS called My Chinese Coach. It is probably one of the most effective tools I have ever encountered for learning a new language. It still amazes me that I can learn a new language on a video game!
Well, my presence is requested at the refrigerator. Seems as if there is a great need for cheesesticks at this very moment. lol
Little Wu, we are loving you!
God bless,
Tasha (aka Momma)
On our prospective agency's website, it clearly states that we have to wait until we are both at least 29.5 years old to apply. Yet I search to see if I can start something else early. Are there forms that I can get a head start on? Could we take the classes for adoption early? Once we get started, what will the timeline be like? Answers are what I am in desperate need of, and there are so many questions left unanswered. And if you know me, then you know that I don't do well with the unknown. Not for this long anyhow. And I know we are just scratching the tip of the iceburg here, if that much.
My lateset "research" has produced a list of common abbreviations associated with China adoption. I will post these in the sidebar. This way, I can abbreviate common words, and you don't have to feel like I am speaking... well, Chinese! ;) Technically, it's Mandarin, but anyhow... LOL
A proud moment for me yesterday, was when I was watching an adoption video and the baby was getting their handprints and footprints taken for their adoption certificate. The lady who was printing the baby was speaking Mandarin to him, and I UNDERSTOOD what she was saying!! Joey was proud of me as well! See, she was counting for him. It was a simple 1-2-3, but I understood it. I am hoping I will learn much more Mandarin before picking up our little Wu, so I can understand some of their needs that I wouldn't otherwise know of. And I am hoping it will give them some comfort to hear their native language a bit, even if it is just at a toddler level (that's okay, because they will be a toddler too).
I can't say enough about my teacher... a little game for the DS called My Chinese Coach. It is probably one of the most effective tools I have ever encountered for learning a new language. It still amazes me that I can learn a new language on a video game!
Well, my presence is requested at the refrigerator. Seems as if there is a great need for cheesesticks at this very moment. lol
Little Wu, we are loving you!
God bless,
Tasha (aka Momma)
Saturday, January 8, 2011
2 months Until Paper Trail
Only 2 months left until we start our official paper trail! Daddy and I are really excited! We've been reading blogs, going over SN (Special Needs), and praying about whatever decisions we need to make to lead us to you. We know that God knows who you are, and He has chosen you for us, and us for you. We just need to follow Him on this journey to finding you. We can't wait to see your face, and to meet you!
Loving you,
Momma
Loving you,
Momma
Monday, January 3, 2011
We look "GREAT"
Happy New Year baby Wu!! This year is already shaping up to be quite fantastic. Today, I received a phone call from an agency we are interested in, and they said our pre-application looks "great!" I feel a step closer to you already, and it makes my heart jump leaps and bounds! Mommy and Daddy will send them a little more information, and we also hope to schedule an orientation meeting this month with the social worker who will be visiting us soon.
Sending our love to you, and thinking and praying for you often,
Momma, & Your Family
Sending our love to you, and thinking and praying for you often,
Momma, & Your Family
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