IT IS OPEN!!!

Hi everyone,

Sorry for that I forgot to change the permission setting on our Auction Blog. It is now OPEN. Go take a peak and don't forget to grab the button and become a follower so you can be updated. Thank you so much!!

Auction Blog To Raise Funds To Open Today

Hello,

Just wanted to let you know that my Auction blog should be ready to go be tomorrow. Just so you know I am listing things as I can and will do these lots of clothes and then list more as I go along. So PLEASE PLEASE always check back on that blog as the items will change as I auction things off. Even better yet become a follower!!!

If you would love to help me out advertising by taking my button I would be eternally grateful!

<center><a href="http://littleonefullofgiggles2.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="From One Princess..." src="http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/customblogdesigns/jodyB/pinkaliciousbutton.png"/></a></center>

Take Off in 36 days and counting....

Oh my goodness.... We leave in 36 days for CHINA!!! I can't believe it. A million things are running thru my head as we prepare to leave. We will have Jon Jon in our arms in 38 days from now. I am just so over whelmed with love for the wonderful foster family that has been taking care of him. I am hoping and praying that they are preparing him for his new family. I hope that they have him look at our pictures in his book and tell him who we are. I hope he grieves and does have a hard time with us initially. I want that because then I know he will attach to us. Pray for us and for Jon Jon. Pray for his foster family.

Consulate Appointment Is Official!

I am like floating on clouds right now!! We have our official Consulate Appt date which is Monday March 8th!! I just can't believe this is all happening after all these years of waiting and thinking maybe we weren't suppose to adopt again..... Maybe God was not leading us down this path. In my heart of hearts I could not let go of the little voice telling me to have faith and believe in me. God does everything in his time and there is a reason why. We may not know why until we are gone from this earth and meet him in Heaven. I just praise him for giving us our son that we may now be a family of 4 after March 1st. Such an amazing gift and so worth the wait.

Thank you dear friends for all of the sweet comments!! You all mean so much to me and have made waiting so much more fun! I continue to pray for you that are waiting that your time will be soon!

Much Love,

Our Gotcha Day Will Be.....

Just got off the phone with our agency. We will be flying into Hong Kong Feb. 28th at 10:50 pm spend the night there in a hotel. The next day March 1st we will be taking the only flight from HK to Changsha around noon and getting in around 1:30. We will literally have no time to go to the hotel! Our Gotcha Day is March 1st!! I can't believe it ..... We are so excited and nervous at the same time. Basically I think we will be up all night in HK preparing for it. It means we might have to do some rearranging of things in our carry on bags to have items at hand we might need when we meet our SON!! That feels so right to say...

How do I explain what I am feeling right now? ELATED, EXCITED and so ready for this new adventure to start!



I need to keep calm. The thought of a cupcake right now just doesn't sound so good on my nervous tummy!!




This is the Zhuzhou SWI . Jon Jon was found at the front gate..... My heart just breaks for his family. It must have been such a tough decision for them. They had him until he was 6 months old. I pray for them nightly that they will know that he is going to a good family that will and already does love him so much!



Look at those expressive eyes and little furrowing eyebrows. I am so in love with this adorable boy!! Got to go make our seat reservations on Korean Air!

So Sorry For The Cliff Hanger!!! (long post)

Okay my life is just a little bit crazy right now! After I wrote the previous post I went to the Orthopedic Surgeon for my follow up appt. I am doing very well and he is pleased with my progress. I will start PT in 2 weeks and will be walking around more with out the cam boot on and just an ankle brace on. I actually am starting to alternate my steps on the stairs which is fantastic!!

While I was gone FED EX dropped off a package for us! Guess what was in side?



Our Passports of course with our Visa's inside!!



I love that Red seal on everything!! It makes it so official looking.



So, I really thought getting TA was a big thing like you got another formal letter or something. Not so, I just got an email from our agency saying they had it on Thursday night 1/14/10. So it is official and we can begin to plan our trip for China!

The next step is we are waiting on our Consulate appt. Which will take place in Guangzhou.
Once we get that hopefully the first of this week we will confirm our flights and hotel reservations etc.

Initially we wanted to travel during CNY arriving in Changsha Feb. 21 and having Gotcha day Feb.22 stay there through the week and fly to Guangzhou over the weekend and CA on March 1 and return home March 5th. Well that would have been fine but I then realized that I forgot to think about dear Princess and what was best for her. See she has Mid-Winter break Feb. 14-22. We would have been leaving right during her vacation time. For some kids that would have been fine but for her it is not. It could completely throw her off and make it a miserable time for Auntie taking care of her. Yes we finally have some one to watch her. Auntie KK will becoming from NY to stay with Princess and keep her on her routine and also have fun with her!! We bought a web cam actually 2 so we can Skype with them while we are in China. Hubby is testing it out now as I type this. So, ms. E we can skype you too! It is a free service which will be great to have after we get home to use with our parents in CA.

So tentatively our schedule is to leave on Sat. Feb. 27 and arrive in Hong Kong Feb 28. Stay over night and then take a flight to Changsha on Monday March 1. Not sure if Gotcha day will be later that afternoon or the next day. Stay there for the week and possibly weekend depending on when GD is. They need 4 days to get the Passport ready for Jon Jon before we can leave for Guangzhou. We will then go to Guangzhou and have his medical exam one day then the CA appt. stay for a few days until his Visa is ready and then leave to come home.

We have reservations on Korean Air but have until Tuesday at noon to change them if needed. There is one other option that we might consider which would allow us to fly into LAX,CA and see our family coming home. We could actually stay a night or 2 with them in Newport Beach and then return to Seattle area. It all depends on our Translator making appts. for us etc.

I will keep you in formed though and map out our schedule when we know for sure.

Another neat thing happened. I meet a new family at our church that adopted from China beginning of Dec.! They have a precious 13 mos. old daughter named Sophie! I am so excited to have another family at our church to connect with. Sophie is just adorable and is a very happy girl. She continues to get stronger everyday and has such a cute little giggle. The family was a March 2006 family.

Today I made hubby go to the garage and pull out the Peg Pergo Stroller, the Britax car seat(we will have to replace it as it is over 6 yrs. old) the Baby Jogger, and the Off Terrain stroller. I am so very excited to be able to use these again. I made sure when I got them for Princess that they were not girly as you never know what is going to happen!! Well, I think that was a good choice!! They are all gender neutral. He will look just smashing in them!!


I love that the stroller is front or rear facing for him! Isn't Katie cute? This is Princesses life size doll that Auntie got her when she was 4 yrs. old. At the time Katie was taller than Princess. LOL!!

We also got our new I 171H form with our new fingerprint Expiration dates of 03/30/2011.
Happy Weekend!! Hubby and Princess are off tomorrow. We are going to work on Jon Jon 's room maybe sleep in.... yeah right!

TA!!!

Just wanted to let you know we have TA!!! Off to my Orthopedic DR. Post more later. I am so excited!!

What Have We Been Up To?

Well lets see, we are waiting for that illusive TA. We are now on day 37. We have been filling out paper work for our agency about what we would like for Travel arrangements. We sent our VISA applications to a courier in San Francisco,CA. We hope to have them back next week. We are looking at flights and how to use our mileage to book our flights. I have an awesome Mom and Dad that have donated 189,350 miles to our accounts that I will combine with my miles. We are hoping to have enough to fly business class both ways. I will keep you posted. Talking over everything with our agency it looks like we will be leaving around Feb. 22nd? possibly. CNY starts Feb. 14th and we new I could not travel before then with my ankle.

We are talking about staying at The Victory Hotel in Guangzhou vs. The White Swan. We hope to stay in the old annex which has been remodeled and has large rooms compared to the WS.
It is alot cheaper and will save us some.
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Next I want to share with you this adorable little girl named Gwynne she is 1 1/2 that we are sponsoring for a year through Pearl River Outreach linked. I so fell in love with her! Don't you just love her curls and her gorgeous smile? She is now a Bamboo Baby and is being taken care of in Changsha, Hunan. I am so hoping and praying that when we are in Changsha that we can go and see her and take her a gift. Trying to arrange it all now. I so pray that she will find her forever family and she is just precious and so full of life!

If you would like to help out a child please go to the site as they have a few that need sponsors.









Now I have got to go and work on Jon Jon's room some more! So much fun!! I have not given up on getting my auction site up. I am overwhelmed with arranging rooms and getting things ready. I promise it will open this week with a few items!!

Blessings to everyone. Thank you for all of your sweet and caring comments!! I love to read them and you are all dear friends!

Jon Jon we are so anxious to have you here with us! We can't wait to come to your homeland to see your beautiful country and bring you home to your new home!

All About Jon Jon!!

Where do I start about this precious boy that has stolen our hearts? Yesterday he turned 20 mos old! Happy Birthday little one! You are just the cutest thing there is! I love your big eyes that are so expressive and have so many things that they are waiting to share with us.
I love your sweet little smile hiding your 6 teeth. Can't wait to hear your laugh and giggle. To have a first kiss from you and a wave hello.... I dream about these everyday.
Your adorable pudgy hands and of course those sweet baby cheeks that I so want to kiss!
You were meant to be ours from the day I saw your adorable face staring back at me from my computer.

Yes you have special needs, but in the scope of life don't we all? Some are just well hidden or just seen as a quirky trait. In my eyes I love your face and your little peanut for an ear. You can hear out of your ear which is fantastic. We will have you see some doctors to fix your ear and your jaw. I know it will hurt but Mommy and Daddy will be with you as well as our GOD who will protect you. Will life always be a bed of roses for you? No.... But we will be here for you to help you understand and to look past the people that may treat you unfairly. Because in our eyes you are perfect and so loved!!

We have gotten 2 updates just in the last few day on our son. Oh how lucky are we to have this information!!

The first update was from Ann with Red Threads China who sent Jon Jon his package. We asked 10 questions that his Foster family answered.

xia yi wei sleeps with his caretaker .
xia yi wei likes all kinds of new toys ,such as toy cars .
He does not have any foster brother or sisters .
Meal time :7:00 am ,12:00,18:30
Sleep time :13:00 and 20:30
His right ear still can hear sound.
When he is sad ,play with him,talk with him or hold him or pat his back touch his head ,then he will be fine .His personality is quite sweet and gentle .
He is not picky with his food ,but he does like to eat sweet food and good smell food.
He likes to play outside ,or go to his neighbour`s houses to play ,he does not need to play in the orphanage !

I noticed that he likes to eat sweet food. To funny that he has a sucker in his hand for the photo!!

The next update we got this morning from a family that had been to Zhuzhou for a return trip with their daughter that they had adopted from the orphanage.

"We did not get to see Jon Jon. Because
of road construction, it now takes his family 7 hours to get to the ZZ SWI
instead of 1.
If the roads hadn't been a problem, we probably would have seen him because
there was a Christmas
program when we were at the orphanage, and many of the ZZ foster kids were
there.

We did ask about him, and the word they used to describe him is "active."
Apparently, he says hi to
everyone and wants to be picked up by everyone. This was not meant as a
negative--he just seems to be one
of those kids that everyone knows because he is so outgoing. No one had anything
to say about his SN--just lots of
smiles and giggles when I asked about him."

I am so very excited and happy !!! To get all of this information is so amazing to me.
That he is a happy and well loved little boy is so amazing. That he is active ,says hi and wants to be friendly is a good thing. We will obviously keep a close rein on him at first so he knows who Mommy and Daddy are before we start introducing him to friends etc.

Each day I keep on falling more in love with you sweet Jon Jon! May God keep you safe and healthy until we come to bring you home.

Come on TA!!!