first tales of a little sprout...

Sprout's first Halloween!  He chose an airplane costume &
continues to be fascinated by those big 'fay-gees'
flying overhead!

It seems the blog-blockers in China are NO MATCH for the blog-blocking energy and giggles of a recently immigrated four year old!  It's true, I didn't quite remember the wiggle and curiosity levels associated with little boys, so the fact that I am finally blogging after we've been home a week is quite a miraculous thing indeed!

Let's see...where do I begin?  First, I must tell you that every day I look upon this darling, busy little one and simply sigh with complete happiness.  He's here.  The little dumpling we've prayed for, cried over, prepared for, dreamed of...He's HERE.  The sweet smile I studied in pictures for nearly a year is running through our home, squealing at the dogs, zooming tiny cars across the windowsills, and giggling furiously over bubbles in his bathwater.  He's here.  We're home.  Life is sweet.

Of course, there have been some transitions...it's only natural, right?  The big kids are digging out from piles of make-up work, no one (except Sprout) has any desire for noodles or rice, and the dogs are learning new routes around our little preschooler.  Both M & B have assumed their much anticipated big sister/big brother roles...and all works well until somebody tries on the 'Mommy' role - at which time their littlest brother revolts!

As you can imagine, absolutely EVERYTHING is NEW...airplanes, strollers, magna doodles, slinkys, and bathtubs, to name a few.  Dogs and cats and hamsters were initially disturbing, but with a little time (and lots of coaxing), Sprout is now (just today) following the 'Tiddy Tat' (his words!) around the house, and petting B's fluffy pup with only minor reservation.  We all knew he'd come along and accept the pets...after all, he's a Ream, isn't he!?!  We're spending LOTS of time on puzzles and stickers and cha-cha's (you'll learn about that in a minute...).  Halloween was a real hoot for us all, and the candy bucket is a great bribe tool to get little ones to try new foods, if you didn't already know!

Communicating is easier than we imagined (and I bless the Lord for this miracle)!  Sprout plays and babbles LOTS in Chinese (oh yes - darling videos to come...), but when he really needs something, Sprout comes to me and tries 'English'.  Most times I just have him take my hands to 'show Mommy', and we always seem to figure it out.  And as the days pass, I must say that I am becoming faster at recognizing his needs and directions.  To date, he can say our family names - Mama, Baba (Daddy), M, & B...he's good at yelling to the dogs, "NO, LADY!" and saying 'Hi' or 'Hello' and then waving 'BYE-BYE'...he's saying 'juice', 'apple', and 'eat'....he can sing the first line of 'Twinkle Twinkle little Star'...and like any normal 4 year old, he doesn't like to say or to go 'night-night'...

And although we can't wait until we're listening to Sprout spout about in complete English sentences, it's been loads of fun learning, er, deciphering his Chinese words!  So what are some fun Chinese words you never thought you'd know?  'Bong-sigh' or 'bonsai' is a good to know bathroom word which can be used for code in public.  'Bok Choy' is something he says in the produce section at the grocery store, but we're pretty sure he's not referring to the actual vegetable.  'She-she' means thank you.  'Kumqat' means something, but we're not sure what.  (Again, we're pretty certain it's not in reference to the actual fruit.)  'Bolo go laca, B!' clearly means, 'Mom, when is it time to go pick up B from school?'  (Sprout begins asking this about 9:23 every morning!)  'PO' means 'Hold me, Momma'.  And finally, cars & trucks are 'Cha-Cha's'...So when you hear me tell him it's time to go for a ride in Mama's Cha-Cha...well, just don't get the wrong idea...

China Top Ten

Top Ten Things We've Learned in China

10. Your hunger level is directly related to the instant when your fingers miraculously become proficient to use slick plastic chopsticks...

9. Suckers on a stick is not what you think it is....

8. Two weeks sleeping on Asian mattresses gives much wisdom into the purchase and comfort of our Temperpedic back home...

7. Little brothers can out-eat their adolescent siblings by a 3-1 margin (especially if Octopi are on the menu)...

6. "Outstanding Public Toilet" is not a reference to cleanliness, but rather to function...

5. Ice cream treats from the Chinese 7-11 won't melt...

4. Preschoolers speaking Chinese sound very similar to the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi...

3. In America, fall is characterized by pumpkins and apples, but in China, fall is ushered in by hairy crab season...

2. No matter how hard you try to blend in at the public park, your family will still be photographed and videoed for the Chinese YouTube...

1. There's NO place like HOME!

See you soon, TEXAS!

October 22, 2011

Finally made it to Guangzhou...we're currently blocked from accessing our blog most of the time...UGH! Here's a few cute pics from our last days in Fuzhou...will try to upload pics from Guangzhou as soon as possible.

NickyQing's medical went very well...will return to clinic for TB results tomorrow (Mon)...consulate appt on Tuesday morning...heading home WEDNESDAY night!!!

In the meantime, we're teaching NickyQing to say 'HOWDY, Y'ALL!'....

A note from MADDIE....

Hi! This is Maddie! I am going write about my perspective (my mom’s word!) about China!

My mom is writing all this sentimental stuff, but what is really happening isn’t so warm and fuzzy… (Well, a lot of it is fun, but that isn’t the point!) I am going to tell you what really happened…

When we first arrived in China I was EXTEREMLY excited! Who wouldn’t be?! It was fun walking through the airport and listening to the conversations people were having as my family walked past. I couldn’t understand any of it though! We got our bags and did the normal “leaving the airport routine”…A bathroom stop, passport control, collecting bags, another bathroom stop, and declining all those offers for a taxi ride…you know, the normal routine…So after all that we met our guide Penny. It took an hour to get to the hotel because the airport is outside of the city. While in the car Penny said we would meet Nicholas thirty minutes after we got there! Brandte went crazy and started talking in his pie voice…When we arrived at the hotel my dad checked us in and my family went up to the rooms. At 4:30 we went to the meeting room and saw Nicholas for the first time. I probably said something really stupid like “Uh, that’s him right?” I mean it wasn’t like there were any other little Chinese four-year olds in the room! While my mom and dad were signing paperwork Nicholas and I played with the etch-a-sketch and his Tonka trucks. When all the signing paper work was done we went back to the rooms. Nicholas cried for about an hour, so we took him down to dinner. If you ever go to Fuzhou, China and stay at the Lakeside hotel, ask for the menu! Unless you like to eat baby octopus with its suckers still attached!! After dinner we went back to the rooms and had tickle time! Nicky Qing (pronounced Ching) has one of the most awesome laughs! It is SO SO SO CUTE!!! At about eight Chinese time I fell asleep…stupid jetlag! The next day (Monday) we went to go sign MORE PAPERWORK!!! After all the signing we went and had lunch at a traditional Cantonese restaurant. Their Calamari was AMAZING!!! Their tea was also amazing. I had like fifteen tiny cups! After lunch we walked back to the hotel and rested (did homework.) For dinner Penny ordered KFC!!! I was SO happy! There was only one problem, it didn’t come with french-fries. Apparently they don’t like french-fries to be take away because then they aren’t hot enough on delivery. I know…It’s weird. Then we watched the movie “Cars” and everyone went to bed. On Tuesday we went to the orphanage and had lunch with the director and two ladies from Seattle. They were volunteering. We traveled on a high speed train. It is like an airplane except it doesn’t fly in the air. Obviously! Also while we were at the orphanage we had a tour.The orphanage was VERY clean, but there wasn’t anything soft-…even their little beds were wooden with NO MATRESS OR PILLOWS. After lunch we went outside and took pictures. When it was time to get back in the van Penny opened the door. The director of the orphanage saw Nicholas’ new stroller and Nicholas loudly and proudly declared that the stroller was his. When we were all in the van we went to the hospital where Nicky Qing was found. After that we went back to the train station and waited for our train. While waiting we played with rubber band catapult airplanes and drove Nicholas around in his stroller. On the train I read my book and Nicholas put more goldfish in his plastic water bottle. Thirty minutes into the ride a Chinese person’s cell phone went off. I bet y’all would never be able to guess the ringtone…It was Justin Beiber singing ‘Baby!’ It was SO random and EXTREMELY funny! Once back at the hotel we ordered room service and everyone went to sleep. On Wednesday morning we all woke up and then went and had breakfast. Nicholas had been talking a little bit on Monday and Tuesday, but he really started talking on Wednesday. If we didn’t know he was Chinese my dad and I agreed he could be talking Ewok. (from Star Wars) Nicholas also likes to sing. I think the only song both my mom and him know is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I have tried to teach him The Ants Go Marching, but that effort failed miserably. Not really, but he won’t sing it, which is really frustrating because he will repeat almost anything my mom, dad, or brother says! Anyway, on Wednesday it was a waiting day. So we went to the park. The day we went I think it was fieldtrip day for the Kindergartens. There were LOTS of kindergarteners. Every time we saw a group of Kindergarteners Nicholas got extremely quiet and clung to my mom and dad. When we went back to the rooms he turned into a little wild man!! He is a normal four-year old!! While Nicholas was going crazy I tried to do homework. I only accomplished a little bit. Why did Ms. Cutbirth give me SO much homework!! Oh well…For dinner we decided to eat at the hotel restaurant. This time we asked for the menu! My burger was DELICIOUS!!! Nicky Qing kept stealing MY french-fries!!! I can understand why, the french-fries were delicious! After dinner we went back to the room and watched baseball. The Brewers played the Cardinals if you didn’t already know! After we watched baseball and ate dinner we all went to bed. On Thursday we went sight-seeing. First we went to Panda World. I had never seen a Panda before so it was cool to see one in China. We saw Giant Pandas, Lesser Pandas, and Asian black and brown bears. We also went to the Panda World museum. I don’t suggest you go there. At the museum we learned about Panda reproduction and panda anatomy. I got to see an actual Panda stomach (EWW!) and some…other things…After that experience I will never look at a Panda the same way again. (They are still cute though!) After Panda World we went to three lanes and seven alleys. It is shopping. I got some cool chopsticks as gifts. They also sold ice cream, but my mom wouldn’t let me get any!  After shopping we went to a tea house and a lady preformed a traditional tea ceremony. It was cool. She poured all the excess tea over a little Buddha. She did that because she wanted to…not necessarily worship, but to give Buddha a drink. I found that piece of information interesting because she kept doing it over and over and over again. We had Black Dragon, Green, and Jasmine tea. The Jasmine and Black Dragon are my favorites. My mom bought A LOT of tea! (My mom can buy a lot of tea, but I still don’t get ANY ICECREAM!) After the tea house we went back to the hotel. I did Algebra homework… L I also did my Spanish :D I LOVE Spanish! Anyway, after I did my homework my family went for a walk in the park. Any time we went to the park EVERYONE would stare at us and watch us. My mom, dad, and I are convinced we are the ONLY Americans in Fuzhou. It’s funny. After the walk in the park we came back and had dinner. I will never look at Wonton soup the same again. I ordered it and when I got it there were little baby shrimp looking back at me-with eyes and legs still attached!!! (My mom says they look like Sea Monkeys!) Let’s just say I ate French bread and French-fries for the rest of the meal. After dinner we went back up to the room and I watched “Cars” again. Today (Friday) we had nothing to do until 2:30, so we watched a Chinese version of Hannah Montana, Wonder Pets, and we watched snowmen defeat an evil monkey on the Chinese PBS channel. While watching that I started on this blog post. My parents decided we should go take a walk so we went an explored a part of the park we hadn’t seen. This time we explored we didn’t get lost! That was good. When we got hungry we went and ate at a Chinese restaurant. Then we went back to the hotel and I stated working on this blog post again! So now I am at the hotel sitting on a couch waiting for the Police officer to bring Nicky Qing’s new passport so we can fly to Guangzhou tonight!

I bet when I come home my teachers are going to ask me what I have learned. I have been thinking about it and so far, after one week in China I can honestly say…I learned that I don’t miss driving in front of oncoming traffic (Doha Days) and honking at old Chinese ladies crossing the road. I also learned that I like to eat French-fries with chopsticks and when I get home I plan on adding a frosty to the French-fry chopstick experience! I cannot wait to come home, until then…BYE BYE!-as my littlest brother says :D

Maddie                                                                                                                                                                  Jeremiah 29:11  

Prized Possessions...

There is little doubt that Sprout’s greatest (and likely first ever) possessions are all contained in his tiny Thomas the Tank Engine backpack: 3 Tonka Chuck trucks, 1 mini magna doodle, a sticker album of stuck-restuck-and-stuck-again stickers, and a water bottle now full of rainbow goldfish crackers (useful for both occasional snacking AND feeding fish in the lake).  As of today, Thursday, life is pretty darn good for our energetic little 4 year old at the Lakeside Hotel…

Recapping the week in Fuzhou, Monday was pretty much a ‘business day’ as we headed to the Civil Affairs Building and the Office of Foreign Adoptions just inside.  After a few signatures, an interview, some red thumb-printing to mark the occasion, and one more stop at the notary’s building, Sprout was officially a card-carrying member of Team Ream!  Our sweet guide, Penny, helped us end the day’s activities with a celebratory meal of KFC delivered straight to our hotel room!

There were two ‘hard’ days that we anticipated for Sprout, one being the shock of “Gotcha Day” and second being our visit to the orphanage on Tuesday.  As a family, we had discussed the range of possible reactions and emotions that he might experience when we arrived, so needless to say, we were prepared for tears…BUT prayers were answered, although he was really happy to see his best buddy, it was clear that Sprout had NO intentions of staying there!  In fact, as we were giving our good-byes at JinJiang, the orphanage director spotted Sprout’s snazzy new stroller in the van.  He watched her looking at it, and then firmly explained, “That’s MY stroller!”  I guess even though it doesn’t fit in his backpack, it’s a prized possession, too! 

The last two days have been rather laid back, and our family is spending lots of time walking around the beautiful public park across from our hotel.  It’s been pretty hilarious for us to go walk about, because I think we are the only Chinese-American family in the entire province!  The Chinese people can’t help but to stare at us, scratch their heads, and walk off wondering about the strange family pushing a little Chinese boy in a stroller!  We’ve had a couple of locals to stop us, but since we don’t speak the local dialect, we can’t offer much more than a ‘hello’.  So yesterday, I wore my ‘MaMa’ shirt with Chinese characters, and put Sprout in his matching ‘little brother’ one, doing my very best to help bridge the communication gap.  (Just hoping now that we don’t end up on a local YouTube version for strange sightings on the Fairy Bridge. J )

All in all we’re doing great…Sprout is taking on the challenge of our family quite well…we’re remembering that 4 year olds have an insane amount of energy!  We’re treasuring this time, too, allowing every moment to be tucked into the family folds of our hearts.  Watching Sprout discover the simplest of things – bubbles at bath time, getting pushed wildly in the stroller by big brother and grinning ear to ear the entire ride, the thrill of sitting between his big brother and big sister pedaling our paddleboat-is more crazy-fun than we ever imagined.  Just like my own little Sprout, if I could pack up these memories and tuck them into my own little backpack of motherhood, they, too would be some of my most prized possessions. 

We've got our SPROUT!

Gotcha Day was Sunday, October 16...a whole day early!  Our guide, Penny, told us when we left the airport that little Nicholas was already at the hotel waiting for us! What an AWESOME surprise!

Our time in the meeting room went really well, but once little Nicholas was up in the room with us...well, let's just say if you were a little guy carried into a strange place with 4 strange Texans, you would have cried too!  Fortunately, his tears only lasted a little while, and he found that Daddy's lap is a pretty comforting place!  We headed down to the hotel restaurant for dinner, where little Sprout out-ate his new siblings who haven't quite developed a taste for fish balls and tiny octopi. 

Back to the room for bath time, lots of giggles, and finally snuggling up between Mommy & Daddy for bedtime.  He's the only one who slept all night through...(darn jet lag).

Today (Monday) was a good day with no tears, and a crazy new affinity for his new Thomas backpack and Crocs...  He is officially a member of the REAM Team - paperwork signed, stamped and fingerprinted today!  Tomorrow we will all travel to the orphanage to have lunch and take gifts to the nannies and children.

I really wish I could attach pictures, but the computer/internet blocks are giving me a hard time (or tish + internet = crash)  I prefer to state that the internet access is goofy, so we'll post as we can from Fuzhou...Love to all from the Ream Team

Almost, almost there...

This is the post I've been blogging in my mind for months...'We're Off!' I'd write, and follow it with tidbits of humor and naivety, and possibly a quirky little scripture to boot.  But, let me tell you the same thing I was cautioned - adoption is NOT for the faint of heart!  Oh how terribly true!  Just last night, my household had run the full emotional spectrum from tears of joy to doubts of 'what if' to belly laughs of 'can't wait until'... Even the family pets were acting out - the bad puppy consumed a pink plastic ruler and the kooky kitty decided to 'mark' Miss M's bathmat in protest when she sighted the suitcases!  Perhaps, they, too, could sense our anxiousness, worry, and excitement.  I don't know what's gotten into them, or what's gotten into us!  But I do know that in the last 48 hours, my adoption pregnancy -this strange, wonderful, vulnerable journey - has surprised me with emotions that I never expected, nor did I experience when I carried my 'homegrown' sprouts!

And just when I think I've collected myself, dried the tears, and begin the next packing task, I find beautiful little messages written to Sprout from his big brother and sister...(names may be spelled wrong, but sweetest sentiment is there no less!)

Yep, I'm a mess.  I will most likely still be a mess when I deplane in Fuzhou on Sunday afternoon.  I'll definitely move from 'mess' to 'WRECK' when we reach the hotel and precious Nicholas is finally in our sight and within our arms...

Keep those prayers comin' my warriors!  And in the meantime, I'm packing waterproof mascara....

Gardening Success Secret #1: We've Gotta Start on Our Knees...

It's official - the Ream Team is traveling to China on Friday, October 14, and "GOTCHA DAY" for precious Nicholas is Monday, October 17th!  It's crazy to believe that in just 12 days, I'm gonna get to hold & hug & squeeze & kiss my sweet Sprout!!!

Thank you so much for your persistant prayers these last months!  But please, don't stop now!  While we may have climbed the paperwork mountain of adoption, I'm looking from its summit to what lies ahead (and long travels, basic trust, language learning, and culture changes, begin in the first days!).  Here's what I am praying for over these coming weeks. I'd be so honored if you would join me as I seek the LORD for:

1. Travelling mercies...restful flights...easy connections...no missing luggage...
2. My time is multiplied & productive while attempting to organize, pack, and prepare everything before we leave....
3. Good health, strong tummies, & surpressed allergies....
4. Ease of language & translation for Nicholas and for us - somehow, that we all can 'understand' and communicate despite the fact that our languages are so very different....
5. All fear is bound and never present; that peace & comfort & love are always evident....

And most importantly, please pray that our hearts & minds will remain open, receptive, & obedient to whatever God has waiting for each of us on this incredible journey!

A Seed Packet Surprise

If only our adoption were packaged neatly in one of those little packets of seeds from the garden center! You know, the little envelopes organized by flower or vegetable on the sturdy displays near the bird feeders and garden flags? I could spend hours just looking at all those delightful packages of planting potential! While I love reading the names like Heirloom and Hot House, or Sweet William and Shasta, I find the cover photos even more tantalizing, offering me a glimpse of what my garden might look like one day (after the season of snooping dogs and crashed bikes and record hot summers has passed, of course).
And in keeping with the idea that my life is just one big Grace-filled garden, it shouldn't come as any surprise that I think it would be great fun to spy a picture of MY SPROUT on the front of an envelope! Oh, YES, I'll take THAT packet to sow! Then, how easy would it be to simply read the back of the packaging so that I knew, without a doubt, all the care and maintenance required for my tender seedling? Let's see, how often should I fertilize? Three meals a day, plus snacks. How far should we space apart? Just out of brother's reach for road trips. Pruning necessary? Only when tired, try quiet time and a good picture book. Days to germination? Always sprouts on a surprise date for everyone.

So as I was piddling away with this blog post, rambling about how it would be so nice to know more about our sprout, what to expect, blah, blah, blah {insert major mommy curiosity compounded by months of waiting here}...Look what crazy, perfectly timed encouragement God sent my way: a little cyber-seed packet in my inbox! New pictures of our SPROUT and his MEASUREMENTS! (It's weird, but I have fretted for months about his shoe size!) Without a doubt, I think these are the most beautiful characters I've seen in a long, long time!

姓 名身 高 height 106（CM）

体 重 weight 17.5 (KG)

头 围 head 49(CM)

胸 围 54(CM)

足 长 foot 16(CM)

江建庆

Any ideas on what the extra Chinese characters say? Unfortunately, I can't read Mandarin yet, but wouldn't it be fun if they read, "See you soon, MaMa!"

Oh, the places we'll go...

It was only a few years ago when both hubby and I were looking at each other and groaning, "When can we get RID of this car seat?!" And now, just look at what my UPS buddy delivered - another ONE!

I never thought I'd be so excited to strap one of these into my momma-wheels again! Plus, after a few difficult days sulking about delayed travel, this was the perfect reminder that one day very soon there's gonna be another little dumpling riding around with us! Off to church on Sunday or maybe to take big sis & big bro to school, perhaps an errand or quick stop for groceries, and later, a spring hillcountry roadtrip to 'oooh & ahhhh' over the first bluebonnets! Maybe he'll even enjoy strolling around the farmer's market with me! Precious Nicholas, oh the places we'll go!

Nope, we haven't received any notice or insight about the specific date he'll come home forever, but in the meantime, we're gettting ready!

A Discouraging Little Weed...

It's Wednesday, and I'm 2 days further into my prescription of Typhoid immunization pills, but no nearer any news about our TA (travel approval)...alas, still waiting to hear when we can scoop this precious little dumpling into our arms forever!

Unfortunately, a weed of discouragement is trying to take root this week: our adoption agency gave me the 'reality' that we may not travel until the 2nd or 3rd week in OCTOBER! Absolutely deflating news, especially since we've been thinking that we could celebrate "Gotcha Day" sometime in September! Our coordinator explained that China celebrates a 'Moon Festival' the first week of October, and the entire country stops to celebrate - adoptions included. So if we don't receive our TA in the next week or so, then those important provincial and consular appointments which require scheduling 1-2 weeks in advance, won't be available for us to finalize the paperwork until mid-October.

Needless to say, it's been a teary couple of days around the house, and I can't shake the dismal feeling of being powerless to bring my son home any sooner. I turned to the story of Hannah this morning, knowing that I would find both comfort and camaraderie from this amazing woman of faith. Like Hannah, I am now barren, my body unable to carry any precious life inside of it. So her cries to the LORD, though difficult, also comfort me, as I understand her desperate desire to have a child. And Hannah's prayer, so bold yet silent, encourages me to persist, persist, persist in seeking the LORD to bring our child home much sooner than predicted.

Will you help me pull this discouraging weed today? All we have to do is ask FATHER:

Most powerful Father God,
Your perfect WORD, Father, reminds me that if I simply ask, then it will be given; if I seek, then I will find; if I knock, then the door will open because You give good gifts to Your children. Please, Lord Jesus, since You are the absolute best at moving big stones out of the way, I am begging that You move the rock that stands in the way of our travel to bring Nicholas home much sooner than anyone could have ever predicted or planned. And Holy Spirit, I am asking that you to pull the weeds of discouragement from my heart and replace them with seeds of comfort and joyful anticipation on this journey to sweet Nicholas. Above all, Father, I remember that You are this world's Master Gardener, and You provide a season for everything in perfect time. I submit that in all things, it is really not my will nor timing, but YOURS that will be done.
In Jesus' most precious name I pray,
AMEN

Waiting for our Sprout...

It's hard to believe that it's been nearly 10 months since we said, "YES! HE'S OURS!" It's all happened so fast, but when you're waiting to hold your child for the very first time, every day that passes lingers like eternity. For any adopting family, 'Gotcha Day' can never come soon enough. Never.

So as we wait for Nicholas' Gotcha Day to arrive, I thought it would be nice to sit a spell and reflect on where we've been...(or in garden-ese, let's take a gander at the row we've hoed this far...)

10/21/10 - Thursday morning, my friend shares a FB link to a blog advocating for 3 sweet little boys from China, all in need of their forever families: http://mycupoverfloweth.blogspot.com/2010_10_17_archive.html
I share the link with Rob, and we decided this was indeed a door to knock on...we both began praying that God would open it quickly...
(The story of these little boys is just incredible - read Stacy's blog above to learn more! We still can't believe that God has allowed our family to be woven into this beautiful tapestry of these precious little lives! And, Lynn & Stacy, your heart for the orphan has changed our lives forever - Thank you!)

10/22/10 - We submitted our adoption application to Wasatch, and received background information on this precious little boy named 'Parker'...

10/25/10 - Monday morning & there was no doubt for any of us that the little boy from the blog belonged with us! We begin referring to him as 'Pumpkin' until we receive pre-approval from the Ch*nese Center for Adoption Affairs...

10/28/10 - We receive pre-approval (PA) from CCAA, with a deadline of April 28, 2011 to submit our dossier. Sounds like a long time to compile the papers, but there is so much work to be done!

November 2010-January 2011 - We choose the name Nicholas Bennett Qing for our little boy...just like Miss M & Mr. B, there is a very special blessing in this new name...(I'll post more later on Nicholas' name! :D )

DOSSIER MARATHON begins! I begin organizing & compiling a mountain of paperwork: birth certificates, marriage license, physicals, financial statements, various verifications, police clearances both international & domestic, plus a homestudy, each needing to be notarized, authenticated by the State of Texas, and further authenticated by the Chinese consulate...

12/22/10 - HOMESTUDY! Our wonderful social worker gave us the best gift of the season, as she came to conduct our home visit just 3 days before Christmas!

2/1/11 - Homestudy is finalized! Whew!

2/11/11 - USCIS receives our I800A application to determine our 'suitability' to adopt a child from another country

3/18/11 - Biometric fingerprints at USCIS office in Houston

3/29/11 - I800A approved! We are found 'suitable'!

4/8/11 - Nicholas turns 4! We celebrated with little cupcakes in Texas, and we were blessed to be able to order a large cake for the orphanage to celebrate with him...we have the sweetest photos of Nicholas and an amazing Ch*nese birthday cake! Pictures confirmed that those little dumplings enjoyed every single bite!!!

4/13/11 - Our dossier is sent to China (DTC)...The wait for official approval begins...

5/10/11 - Our dossier is received or logged in CCAA, also known as our 'Log In Date' or LID...still waiting....

6/30/11 - APPROVED by CCAA to adopt Nicholas!

7/7/11 - USCIS receives our I800 Petition to classify Nicholas as an IMMEDIATE relative...a little wait here....

7/21/11 - USCIS APPROVED our 1800 Petition...wait a little bit more....

8/4/11 - We received a cable from the National Visa Center (NVC) that our petition has been forwarded to the US Consulate in Ch*na....waiting a little bit more....

So what's next? We're now waiting for this step entitled, 'Article 5', which is a letter notifying us that the US Consulate has received and reviewed Nicholas' visa application, and that all our paperwork is ready for the adoption to be completed. Once we receive Article 5, then we'll wait another couple of weeks for CCAA to authorize our approval to travel (TA).

Just a little more waiting...we've come so far! Little sprout, it won't be long and your forever family will be holding you close!

Prepping the soil....

Well, I've finally decided to blog, if only for a few weeks! As we prepare to travel to Ch*na for our precious little dumpling, I know that the usual ways of communicating with everyone via Facebook & email will not be available once we arrive in-country. Several helpful folks have suggested that I create a blog for the purpose of posting photos, sharing stories, and offering a seat to anyone who wishes to 'virtually' travel with us...

If you've known me for any time, you then know how much I love plucking around the yard, playing in the flowers, and puzzling about on my quest to grow peppers & tomatoes during a wicked Texas drought! (Thinking my years in Q should have prepared me for this, right?!) Well, it should be no surprise that some of my biggest faith-building lessons come from my 'Grace Garden', named so because anything that grows here, grows only by the grace of God! And I also know that God's hands are not only tending my garden, they are constantly cultivating my life - especially during this season of adoption! You see, God planted a wish for another child in our family's heart nearly 3 years ago, and now, finally, we are are about to see this fantastic wish sprout into a wonderfully-made little boy whom we'll soon meet...His name is Nicholas Bennett Qing.

My sincerest thanks to those of you who choose to share this journey with my family! I write for all of us when I tell you that we are most humbled that you wish to walk alongside us, and we are deeply touched by your support and prayers! With God as the gardener, you can be certain that spending time in this garden will produce an abundance of memories, sprinkle showers of lessons, and most likely, we'll work together to uproot any pesky weeds that attempt to take root along the way!

Well, it's time for me to roll up my sleeves, slip on some gloves, and grab a spade (or wireless mouse)...today we're planting a little blog, and very soon we're picking up a SPROUT!