Ashlyn singing

This is Ashlyn signing her Christmas songs from the recital that we will miss. Ashlyn did a great job singing!
We are also trying to figure out how to post videos from China since blogger is blocked. But You Tube might be blocked also?? Something else to think about!

What's new?

Well we are going to China in like 5 days!! Hard to wrap my brain around that. We have been busy with preparations for the trip & Christmas. The house is all decorated & a few Christmas presents are bought & wrapped under the tree. The schedules for the kids are pretty much done. We just need to do laundry & pack. And not stress out!
My heart has been heavy thinking about Sydney being taking back to the orphanage & her foster family grieving. She has been with the foster family a year this month. I just can not imagine the tears & sadness from them. Praying that Sydney has an easy adjustment with us.
A couple of people have asked how I think Sydney will react to us on Gotcha Day. Scream! Really loud. Not sure why I think she will scream. But this will be very traumatic & emotional for her.
Please pray for Philip & Ashlyn & the grandparents taking care of them. I'm really trying to not think about leaving them right now because it makes me cry. I'm tearin' up just thinking about it! I know they will have fun without us and the time will go by really fast. They have a lot going on. We are so close to being a family of 5!

Opening Weekend Pictures

PJ said he took this "artsy" photo for me!

Cute baby deer. And no they do not shoot baby deer.

Sharp-Shooter looks like a teenager here. Hurts my heart!

Philip in one of the blinds.

Short Version of this Past Week

On Monday, we received our consulate appointment (CA)--December 15th at 9am. How exciting! After you receive your CA, your travel arrangements can be made. We decided to let our agency book our flights. We knew that living in Amarillo makes flying more expensive. Everyone in Amarillo knows the joke--even when we go to heaven, we will have to go through Dallas. Lame I know! But we have to fly out to Dallas or Houston to get the other flights. So more $$. This is where the short version comes into play---four frustrated days later------PJ finalizes our flights. Huge relief!
We leave on Thursday morning (Dec 3rd) from Amarillo. Connections are Dallas to Tokyo to Beijing. Arriving in Beijing on Friday night. Later than we wanted but not a big deal. We leave Guangzhou (Sydney's current city) on Friday & fly to Shanghai. Then Tokyo to Dallas to Amarillo. Arriving back home on Friday night (Dec 18th) at 6:30pm!! If you live in Amarillo, come out & see us.
Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Travel Approval

We received our travel approval this morning. Yeah! Travel dates should be December 3 to December 18th. I think there are 21 families traveling together! How awesome to see 20 plus kids meet their forever families!
This week has been an emotional roller coaster--so thankful that it ended like this. God's timing is perfect! I want to thank my waiting buddies. Thank you for allowing me to vent! Can not wait to meet you in person.
Also, thank you to our friends & family for your support during this last waiting stage. And thank you to my hubby! You always know what to say. I'm blessed to be able to walk down this path with you.
Here we come Sydney Hope! Well in 4 weeks but we are coming!!

Halloween Pictures

Hot Air Balloon Festival

Demi Lovato from Camp Rock (aka Ashlyn)

Leaves Galore

Fall is one of my favorite times of year! I love sweaters, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, football, Thanksgiving, yummy outside colors and leaves. Well the leaves may have to go off my favorite fall items. It seems that all of the leaves in our neighborhood have decided to "hang-out" in our backyard! We do not remember this from last year (this is our 2nd fall season in our home)--are we getting old??!! No. We are not! The kids loved the mountain of leaves!

Philip & Ashlyn just hanging out in the leaves.

So handsome! Love this picture.

Ashlyn Grace--always beautiful & smiling!

Being silly!

Happy Birthday Sydney!

Happy 3rd Birthday Sydney! Miss & love you like crazy. We so hoped to spend this day with you. God's timing is perfect.

A Really Small Update about Sydney Hope

I have come in contact with another family (The Howards) adopting from Sydney's orphanage. Sophia Grace is a couple of weeks older than Sydney--so we figured the girls were friends or at least knew each other. We were hoping to travel around the same time so we could get the girls together. But that did not happen. Anyways, the Howards are in China now & sent me an email this morning. (I tried to paste the email but for some reason it would not work??)
They asked Mrs. Zhuang (orphanage coordinator)about Sydney. Mrs Zhuang knew exactly who Sydney was & said that she is still in foster care and doing very well! The Howards are unsure if Sophia recognized Sydney. They said she pointed to the picture & had many things to say but they could not understand what she was saying! That is so cute.
They also said that it should bring us comfort that Sydney is still in her foster care. The children in foster care are placed most of the time with families that they call "model" families. They foster 4-5 children & that is considered their job. They have no other employment. They treat their children as their own--feed, care & love them.
Sounds like Sydney is still doing great. Thank you Howard Family. Check out their blog. Sophia Grace is adorable! Love her name!
Still wishing our TA would come. Sydney turns 3 years old a week from today. Hope her foster family celebrates it!

Updates

Ashlyn is feeling much better today. Her energy level is not back yet but she is making up for that in the eating department. The cough is still painful but no fever for at least 2 days now. Ashlyn needs to be in quarantine til Friday. I think tomorrow will be difficult because she is feeling more "normal". The rest of us still do not show symptons or signs of this flu. Lets hope it stays that way! Eight kids were absent from Ashlyn's class today. Lets hope all of these kids recover quickly! (But stay home til they are well.)
We want to thank everyone for the comments on here, prayers, texts, emails, FB messages, goodies, phone calls and conversations. We appreciate all of you and feel blessed that we have wonderful people in our life.
No travel update. Nothing. Nada. I'm thinking that we will not travel in October like we have been told & thought. China is back open but no Vinyard TA yet! Come on China. Sydney turns 3 on the 22nd. Which brings me to the care package that we sent weeks ago. No news from the orphanage. We sent Sydney a birthday cake (seriously just wanting new pictures & thinking we would be flying back home on her birthday) a couple of weeks ago. I guess Sydney is still with her foster family so they will not send the cake yet? Which probably means she did not get anything that we sent with the care package--family photo album! Don't get me wrong. I want Sydney to stay with her foster family as long as possible before we travel. But I want to hear new news about her or see one new picture. Praying we receive our TA soon or hear back from the orphanage.
Wash your hands friends!