happy birthday baby

Sunday was our beloved Baby’s birthday.  It was sweet how we all thought of her the very first thing, much like every day, but somehow more so Sunday morning.  My dear friend and her Auntie Dawn sent the most charming card.  It made it so real that soon we will hold her and celebrate life, and birthdays and holidays as a family of 6.  What a joy it will be.

The Father has spoken to me over and over the last few days that her heart is waiting for us.  I have thought of her so much in the physical.  Holding her, touching her, rubbing lotion on her skin, but of late it has been her heart.  I can tell that indeed the Father has all things in his perfect time as I needed to pray for her inside and out, and that has just begun.  Her peace when she meets us, her joy when she learns of the heavenly Father, and her comfort when she knows we will never let her go.

We wished her a happy birthday with 2 balloons and a note.  All were there, including Grandpa.  I will fondly look at these pictures every birthday to come.  Know you are much loved my little china girl, from inside out!

DOLLY

It was 2 years ago last summer.  Lily and I were at a garage sale and found this little China doll.  I picked her up, and put her down, and picked her up again.  I wanted her;  I just wondered if the seed of hope that had been planted in my heart would flourish, and if one day I would have a little China doll to hold and to love.

I bought her;  I think she was all of $2.  I was intrigued by her Asian eyes, amused by her funny little haircut and enchanted by her kissable cheeks.  She has sat in an old high chair in my dining room, waiting for a little girl to come and love her.  


Yesterday, quite out of the blue, a wonderful woman emailed me saying she had just been to Luohe orphanage.  She was sure she had seen my daughter and she offered me a dozen photos.


                   (dolly)

There on the very top of the photo;  beautiful asian eyes,  very kissable cheeks, and a new little hair cut   -   my china doll.


God is an incredible Master of details.  He plants the desires within us and takes joy in fulfilling them - in greatly profound and very beautiful ways.


We are coming dolly!

20 Days and Counting...

 Great News!  We received our Consulate appointment confirmation and tentative itinerary!!  All my travel planning experience is coming in handy.  Though, all I have to do is get my clan to Beijing!   We will fly from Chicago to Beijing, with a few days in Beijing to get acclimated to the time zone (and to see a few sights, like the Great Wall!)

 Then we will take a flight  to Zhengzhou, where we will finally meet our baby daughter, we will spend a fews days in the Henan Provence while paperwork and a Chinese passport will be issued.  This process will take approximately 5 days or so, this will be a good time for family bonding time!  And maybe, a few excursions in the area.

 The final internal China flight from Zhengzhou to Guangzhou where we will visit the U.S. Consulate to take the citizenship oath and get a U.S. Visa.   Lily is wondering why she doesn't get a visa like her baby sister... she thinks it's for shopping!

We'll take a two hour car journey to Hong Kong, for our final couple of nights in the Far East!

Cathy and I would like to thank all our friends and family for your prayers, love and support during this whole process!

Keep praying!
Brian

April in China!

It was back in January, when we received our LOA that I counted out the days,  best case in yellow, worst case in blue.  Best case we would be traveling Wednesday, March 21, worst case, we would miss her birthday on the 25th of March, and also Spring Break.  


Yesterday, as I walked and prayed, I finally said it, I told my heavenly Father this timing was ALL His, I would stop trying to predict and control and pretend I understood the timing better than Him.

At 3:00 o’clock yesterday afternoon, Brian rushed into my office.  Unbeknownst to me, he too felt yesterday might be special.  He called our agency.  I think without saying it we knew this Sunday would be hard, without her and without a travel date.  The agency quickly identified who we were and said, “WE ARE JUST WRITING YOU AN EMAIL, WE HAVE YOUR TRAVEL APPROVAL.”  
As Brian entered my office, he just said 3 words, “WE GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”


If yesterday is any indication, I need to buy some waterproof mascara!!!


We wait for a Consulate appointment and then we set our flights, on or about April 11.   God is incredibly GOOD.


The children came home from school.  I met them just after 4.  We stood and held hands in my bedroom, where we pay for Baby Sister every night and asked, “what have we been waiting for for 2 years?”  Beau said, “travel?”.  And the hoopin and hollerin began!


The Hills are China bound and we couldn’t be more joyous!  
We thank our heavenly Father for His boundless mercy and His perfect timing.


“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”  Eph 3:20-21

China on our mind...

Our family attended Lily's 2nd Grade Open House.  Lily's country project was China... I recall hearing a brief conversation a couple weeks back between Cathy & Lily discussing what would be at the display.  Lily desperately wanted to have her baby sister sitting at her booth.  However,  since we are in the waiting period for our travel approval and travel date Lily put a photo of our little one on her display board.





China is on our mind and a precious little one is in our heart!    


         Brian

Sweet Gotcha ... turtles and faberge

Our beautiful Lily celebrated 7 years with us today.  We are so grateful for the wonderful gift of her and the amazing gift of adoption.  LIly received a backpack and a Kazakh wooden egg. She was tickled with her day.

A surprise guest was this guy that visited in our back yard.  He was out moving from one pond to another.  He was absolutely huge and so much fun watch.  





One week from today is our little China bird's birthday.  So much to celebrate in March!  We anticipate with great fondness the gotcha day to come.

Packed and Ready...

Honestly... not fully packed.. but we are fully ready! 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

We know God has His perfect timing in all things.. including the perfect timing of holding our precious little one in our arms. 

Saturday.... pictures of love

We are spending our Saturday morning, loving on our little girl... packing books in her little china bag.
                                            Brian

Waiting...

"THOSE THAT WAIT ON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH”. ISAIAH 40:31 NKJV

 This scripture and a beautiful devotion was in my in box yesterday morning.  I smiled and thought, “I got that” as I was determined by the end of the week we would have travel dates and my “waiting” would be very close to over.

How God must have chuckled at my over confidence and “figuring out” the Chinese government and for that matter Him.

Within 2 hours we had an email saying the next step is “Travel Approval”.  Okay, I kinda thought we had that, but alas, we don’t and once again, we wait. 

We wait for the Travel Approval and we wait on the Lord to indeed renew our strength, to keep us from anxiety and impatience and to reassure us, His way, His timing and His plan is indeed more than we can ask or imagine.

Wait for us dear Jello Buttercup.  Our hearts are already in China, our bodies just need to catch up.

Mother's Coming

An email arrived early this morning from the US Consulate General in Guangzhou, China.  They Advised us our Article 5 was in order, and also told us how they are looking forward to meeting us and our new little one in the near future. 


Our file is now in transit from southern China up to Beijing to the China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA), which will issue the travel approval inviting us to come to China to finalize the adoption.  We should have our travel dates confirmed within a few days or so.  This doesn't mean we are leaving in a few days... we will have a notice of two - four weeks.  We are hoping for the two weeks!   We will update our blog with the information once we get the call!                                                                                Brian

"We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life.

But those who make their journey home across time & miles,

growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them,

are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us

by God's very own hands."

--- Kristi Larson

March

March is here... and we are waiting for the call for our travel date to get our little one.  The bags are out and ready to be packed, lists are made and we are thrilled beyond words.   Standby with us!

  Brian