It's Official!

Her first night she slept very well.  She did wake up once, but fell right back to sleep when we put her in our bed.  Before she went to bed she really came alive and we started to see a lot of her personality!  We were so excited to see that.  She woke up happy and seemed much happier all day.  The first day she just was unsure of everything and would cry here and there.  But today she did much better.  We are loving every minute and she seems to be very comfortable with us.

Today we had to go back to the Adoption Office to make the adoption final.  We signed the adoption paperwork and had to put our fingerprint over our signatures.  So, now our Chinese paperwork has been completed.  We will fly to Guangzhou on Friday to complete the paperwork for the United States.

Then they took Bella Mei's footprint...

She didn't like that at all!

These are the orphanage workers and the director.  I could tell they really loved Bella Mei and were so happy for her!

My friend Julie that I met online also had her appointment today and so we let the girls play.  She is from Wisconsin and her little girl's name is Amaya.  She is just precious.  They were both in the same orphanage so it will be very special to keep in touch with her as our girls get older.

Amaya and Bella Mei... special friends!

She loves to play and will play with the same three toys forever!

She has already figured out that my phone is the best toy!

Stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!  1Samuel 12:16

Gotcha Day!!

Our day started very early... we didn't get much sleep!  This picture was taken right before we left our hotel to meet Bella Mei!

And then we saw her......

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows-this is God, whose dwelling is holy.  God places the lonely in families.  Psalm 68:56


I can't even begin to tell you how incredible our day was.  She is beautiful and just perfect!  She was playing on a little rocking horse when we got to the office.  I wanted to pick her up right away, but I didn't want to scare her.  So we just sat next to her, kissed her and played for a little bit.  We were able to talk to the orphanage director and she gave us a photo album of some pictures she had been collecting.  That was priceless to me.  I am so glad I have some pictures to share with her when she is older.  After we left the Adoption Office we had to go get her passport picture.  Then it was a trip to the Supermarket...very interesting!  The rest of the day we spent at the hotel just getting to know her.  She was very tired and fell asleep for about an hour.  These are some of the things we already know about our sweet little girl...

          She loves to be held...

       

       She loves to play with her daddy....

She loves music and Daddy's IPad...

This one's for you, Aunt Kim...

She is a really good eater...

And, she HATES the bath!!!

We have had a really great day!  We were able to Skype with our kids so they could see her.  Right before bed she began to open up a little more.  She is a little peanut and thankfully fits in the clothes I brought her.  We are in love already!  Tomorrow we go back to the Adoption Office to sign the official paperwork.  Today has truly been a blessing!  Thank you for all of your prayers.  We have felt them today!  Thank you Lord for all you have done!  

Finally!

It has been a long 24 hours, but we are finally in Wuhan and unpacked.  The flight was not too bad, but it was long!  We had about a five hour layover in Beijing before catching our plane to Wuhan.  Our guide told us that our appointment will be at 9:30 in the morning.  Please say a prayer for Bella Mei.  She will go through a lot tomorrow that she will not understand.  I am reassured tonight knowing that this is the last night she will go to sleep without her forever family!  We are very tired, but so excited to meet the child we have been praying so long for.  I will post pictures as soon as I can.  This just made my heart happy when I walked in our room.  That crib won't be empty tomorrow night! Thanks again for all your prayers!

Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.   James 1:27

Great is Thy Faithfulness!

God will make this happen.  For he who calls you is faithful.  

I Thessalonians 5:24

Here we go!  It seems so surreal that it is finally our time to go!  I have followed so many other adoptive families as they leave to get their children and it is finally our turn.  The Lord has worked out every detail so perfectly.  We will be home before Christmas which was truly a miracle.  Our kids are so excited that they will soon see their baby sister.  It seems like it has been a long two years, but we knew that God is faithful.  There have been so many people praying for our family these last two years.  We are so grateful for all the love and support our friends and family have shown us.  We knew that when God called us to adopt Bella Mei she would be a blessing to everyone.  Please pray for us, our kids at home and our sweet Bella Mei.  Her world will be turned upside down on Monday.  Our prayer is that the Lord will prepare her heart for what she will go through!  Her mommy and daddy are so ready to hold her and love on her!  Our next post will be from Wuhan, Hubei!!  We will arrive Sunday night around 9:30(China time) Sunday morning 9:30 our time.  

Pack...Weigh...Repack!!

We were up for hours packing, weighing and repacking our suitcases!  It was very hard looking at the list of everything we needed to bring and only being able to pack one suitcase each.  We are visiting three cities in China and the weather is very different in all three cities!  Finally at 1:00 in the morning we were packed and happy with the weight!  We are ready to go!!  Nothing else can fit!!

Our Miracle- We have Travel Approval!

Today was Day 9 of our Travel Approval wait time.  I knew it was a long shot, but I was praying that today would be the day.  At 12:30 my phone rang!  I ran to the back of my classroom praying I would see my agency's name.  Sure enough, it was them!  My students got to see the excitement on my face as I was told that our Travel Approval had arrived!  God is so good!  He has been so faithful to us since the day we obeyed the call.  I don't know why I ever doubt or worry!  So, now we wait two more days to find out when we will leave.  For now there are many things to pack and get ready.... too many to even comprehend!  Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!  It has been a great day!

Officially Waiting for Travel Approval!

Our Article 5 has been picked up from Guangzhou and is on it's way to Beijing!  So now we just wait for Travel Approval.  Some families have received TA in 9 days and others have waited 20 days.  I am really hoping and praying we will get ours by November 30 so we can leave December 12.  Please pray this will come quickly!  We are overwhelmed with what we need to do before we leave, but are so ready to go!  God has been so faithful.  We feel so blessed!