Blessing after Blessing

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.  Let every creature praise his holy name forever and ever.  Psalm 145:21

When I think about what our little girl has gone through these past two months, it just amazes me!  It really does seem like she has always been here.  The first two years of her life have been so different than what she knows now.  I look at her several times a day and still just can't believe that she is actually home and adjusting so well.  
When we first decided to adopt a special needs child we were a little scared.  There are so many unknowns already with adoption and we really had to trust that the Lord would prepare us for whatever lied ahead.  We prayed that the Lord would prepare her heart for us and feel comfortable with us.  From the first moment we met Bella Mei until Tuesday we never worried about her ASD.  We fell in love with her and knew that the Lord would heal her heart in his timing.  I can honestly say we were never worried or stressed out about what we would hear at our first cardiologist appointment.  This past Tuesday she had an echo done and the doctor said the words we were waiting to hear.... She has a perfect heart... the hole has closed!!  Praise the Lord!!  It is hard to come up with the words that really express how we feel!  Blessed... is about all I can come up with!  Blessed that the Lord has allowed us to be her parents... Blessed that she is learning to love her forever family... Blessed that our family has been forever changed by the gift of adoption and Blessed that he has given us four very special children!  We love each one of them so very much!  To God be the glory... Great things he has done!!

 

Home One Month

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."         Psalm 118:29

Today has been one month since we have been home with Bella Mei.  Coming home six days before Christmas was an adjustment by itself.  The kids wanted to be next to her every waking minute.  It took her a little while to get used to them, but now she adores them!  She really has done so well and it seems like she has always been with us.  She eats just about anything now and is a great sleeper!  We feel so blessed that the transition for all of us has gone so smoothly!  Here are just a few pictures from this past month.

We had a very Merry Christmas!!

She loves to play...

and loves to eat...

She loves the kids and they love her too!

She knows Mama takes lots of pictures and has perfected her smile!

Our sweet girls!

         We are beginning to settle in and get used to our new normal.  God has been faithful these last two years.  It is exciting to see the blessing he had in store for us.  She is truly a gift!  Thank you for your continued prayers for our family.  

We know that she has brought so much joy not only to our family, 

but also to our friends and community.  

God is good!

An Amazing Homecoming!

So happy to see all of these faces...

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:31

Our new family of six!

Meeting someone who looks just like Mommy! I wonder what goes through her head when she sees Aunt Kim!

And now there are seven!  We officially have outgrown riding in one Suburban...maybe! :)

These last two pictures were taken after we landed in New Jersey.  Bella Mei became a U.S. citizen as soon as she stepped foot on American soil.  Since we only had an hour to get through customs, recheck our luggage and go through security, this picture was taken very quickly after we sprinted to our gate.  We were not going to miss the last flight home! 

Thanks again to all of you who followed our blog, posted such sweet comments and prayed for us.  We enjoyed reading all of the comments and they helped us get through the last few weeks.  I will continue to post pictures as soon as we get settled!  Bella Mei is doing so well with her big brothers and big sister.  They are having a lot of fun with her.  This will be a very special Christmas!

Goodbye China!

"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;  the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."  Numbers 6:24-26 

Our precious blessing from China

As we left China yesterday our hearts were heavy.  We knew that we were taking Bella Mei away from everything she has known for the past two years.  We also knew what was waiting for her at home.  There are so many friends and family members that have loved and prayed for her long before they ever saw her face.  All of our children are blessings from the Lord.  We know that Bella Mei has always been a part of God's plan for our family and we are so happy to finally be bringing her home!

Saying goodbye to Helen in Guangzhou.  We really enjoyed working with her.

One more hat picture... it was freezing in Beijing!

Someday we will bring Bella Mei back to China, but for now 

we are ready to hug our children and celebrate with a joy filled homecoming!  God has truly blessed our family!

Consulate Appointment

Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.  Isaiah 43:5

We had our appointment with the U.S. Consulate on Monday.  We had to take an oath to say that all the information we provided was true.  They make sure all of your paperwork is in order and begin working on Bella Mei's visa to come to the United States.  As soon as she steps foot on American soil she becomes a U.S. citizen!!  We can't wait to get her home!

She loves riding in the elevator

As I type this we are waiting in Beijing to catch our flight home.  Please pray that the next twenty four hours go smoothly.  We have a twelve hour plane ride to New Jersey and then another three hours home.  When we get to the car she will have to ride in the car seat.  That will be a new experience for her.  The Chinese do not use car seats!  We are so ready to be home and see everyone!  My next post will be when we arrive home.  

  

Shamian Island & Pearl Market

Shamian Island

They have many little shops on the island.  The landscaping and trees are beautiful!  They do wedding photos everyday.  Our facilitator told us that they take these photos six months before their wedding day and it is an all day event.  They pay a lot of money to have these done.

I have seen this picture on so many adoption blogs, so it seemed so surreal to have Bella Mei standing here to take her picture.  I always wondered how big she would look compared to the kids.  She loved the statues and didn't want to leave!

This was Jenny.  She sells the squeaky shoes...  She is also a Christian and we really enjoyed talking with her.  The shoes are very cheap here so....

We bought many pairs!!  We came to China with one pair of shoes that fit and we are leaving with enough to last a few years!!  They all squeak so you can hear her coming a mile away!

Lucy's is a popular restaurant on the island to foreigners and adoptive families.  They have American food and iced tea.  I have also read on many blogs about this place so it was really cool to finally eat there!

We actually took a taxi to the island two different times.  It was really pretty at night with all the Christmas lights.

The Pearl Market

This is a huge mall.  Not only is it like five or six stories, but they all sell jewelry!  Jade and pearls are very popular here.  Our facilitator took us to the two places that are very reputable.   

I wanted to see the jade bangle bracelets.  Our facilitator has one and it is very pretty.  Jade is an important part of Chinese culture.  It represents good luck and family unity.  The Chinese wear it all the time and it is supposed to fit tight enough where it won't come off.  My hands are big, so I was a little worried about getting it on.  

Daddy and Bella Mei waited patiently while I looked at all the bracelets.  

I finally picked one out and was ready to put it on.  They use lotion to get it on.  They kept pushing and saying it would fit.

I wasn't so sure, but it finally slipped on.  

My hand is still a little bruised, but I love it!  Good thing... because it is not coming off!

The other popular jewelry here is pearls.  The other family we were with wanted to get a bracelet, so we went and watched them string a few bracelets.  It was really cool to watch them do this.

Bella Mei trying some ice cream.  She liked the taste, but didn't like how cold it was.

She does really well in her carrier, but by the time we were headed back to the hotel she was ready to walk.  She stops to look at everything, so it takes her a while getting anywhere!

She was a trooper today while we shopped and looked around!

Loves the chips... just like her mama!