Today, my baby turned five years old! We sang "Happy Birthday" to her and she just grinned. Besides being Mia's 5th birthday, today is also the day that I am officially her Mom, according to the Chinese government...God has truely blessed me!! She has really come around more today - she definitely is bonding with me, as you can see in the pics of me and her. In the adoption world, you long for the day that your baby wraps her arms around your neck, as this is a good sign of attachment, and as you can see, my baby is defintely attaching to her Momma. She is beginning to understand more and more commands and short phrases. I actually got a glimpse of the "true Mia' this evening in the play room at the hotel, as she was running, giggling, and being a very NOT shy five year old - it was hillarious! So, tomorrow we are off to the police station to apply for the childres' passports, then on to their medical exams. Please pray that all the babies here remain healthy throughout the stay here.

Also, I would like to add that my child is a GENIUS!!! Mom was coloring with her last night, and wrote Mia's name and she traced over it - well, I gave her a magnadoodle today, and without any prompting at all, she wrote Mia - spelled correctly...OMG!! Then I wrote Momma and went over it with her twice, and she wrote the home thing from memory...GENIUS I tell you!!

Please continue to pray that all will continue to go smoothly, and that we have a safe journey home. Also, please remember the other children in our group, as some of these children are grieving and having a hard time, as is their parents. We miss our family and friends and can't wait until we are back home in the great state of Tennessee.

Ok, I just typed an entry and lost it, so this one is short, and I will post more later. Everything is going well with Mia - didn't start out so good, but we have come a long way the past four hours, and she is doing well. Enjoy the pics for now.

Crazy Day

What a wild and crazy day!!! We left the hotel at 9:20am for our 12 noon flight to Guangzhou, and when we got to the airport, our flight had been cancelled. So, they booked us on the 11:00 am flight, and it was 10:15am...OMG!!!! Needless to say, the four families traveling to our province were running to get to the gate, and thankfully everyone made it. What was to be a 2 hour 40 minute flight turned out to be a 6 hour flight. The pilot wasn't able to land in Guangzhou due to bad weather, so we were diverted to some Province in the middle of nowhere, about an hour outside of Guabgzhou...panic began to sink in!! We sat on the plane for about an hour, then we were allowed to turn around and fly back to GZ. Needless to say, all of the traveling families are exhausted tonight!! Our guide, Elsie, gave us the itinerary for Monday, June 29th - MIA DAY!!! We will meet our children at 2:00pm tomorrow afternoon (1:00am TN time Monday). Please remember Mia and me in your prayers that Mia will have an easy transition and that I will be able to comfort her and make her feel safe and loved.

Also, please remember my friends Tammy and Chris as you pray. They received their daughter, Ava, today and she is having a tough time...bless her little heart, she is so very sad. Tammy and Chris are in another Province, but will be back with us on Friday.

Sorry no pics today, but it has been a very long day today, and I am about to call it a night. FYI - the Great Wall was amazing, something you defintely have to see to believe.

Tomorrow is the big day, and I am so ready to meet my girl!! Finally, after waiting for over three years, I get to hold my sweet baby in my arms!! God is so very good!!!

Until next time, Peace and Grace to all!!

Friday, June 26

Today (Friday, June 26th) we went out with some of our travel-mates to the Olympic Park and the Pearl Market, let me just say that thank God we survived the taxi ride there and back...OMG!!! What they say is true, no traffic laws in China!!! We got high quality fresh water pearls for less than $10 a strand, after some pretty good haggling from your truely. In the pics you can see that the girls at the pearl market are tying each one of our pearls on our necklaces, so that if one breaks, then we won't lose them all. We also got to see the bird's nest and the water cube from the Olympics - pretty amazing to see all of that.

And, what you have all been waiting to see, the famous squatty potty, and no I did not attempt that as there were western toilets available - thank goodness!!

Dad is famous!! This Chinese boy asked to have his pic taken with Dad - we think because he had on a hat with the American flag on it, but he also asked me to take a pic with him, too.

Everything is going great, food is good (we are eating in the hotel...lol!), the smog is terrible, and my sinuses are a mess!!! We are going to Tinnamen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall today, then we will be leaving for Guangzhou on Sunday - Mia Day is Monday!!

We miss home, but this is turning out to be a great adventure and experience. Remember us in your prayers. Until next time, Peace and Grace to all!!

We are in China!!

We are in China!! We had a very uneventful trip - very long but uneventful. It is now 3am, and our body clocks are a little messed up, but at least we are rested and feel pretty good this morning. We are going to the Forbidden City, Tinnamen Square and the Great Wall tomorrow (Friday), and today we are all just going to recoup from the long travels over the past 48 hours. Hope you enjoy the pics. Until next time, Peace and Grace to all!!

In 8 hours...

I will be on a plane for the first leg of my journey to Mia. I knew this day would eventually come, but I still can't believe that it is finally here. I got to spend today with ALL of my nieces and nephews - they got to have their auntie all to themselves one last time before I become Mia's Mom, and it was GREAT!! Please continue to pray for our journey and that there is no Swine Flu on our flights, because if so, then we will be quarantined. Also, please pray that Mia's transition is an easy one. I cannot comprehend what this little child must be thinking. I just hope that she will come to know just how much she is loved. So, now I must wash a few dishes, put clean sheets on the bed, take a shower, then maybe catch a little nap before the alarm goes off. Until next time, Peace and Grace to all!!!

One Week To Go...

I can hardly believe that I will be on a plane, somewhere over the North Pole, this time next week. Our travel group received final travel arrangments this afternoon, and here is the itinerary:

Thurs, June 25 Arrive in Beijing
Fri, June 26 Free day or optional sightseeing
Sat, June 27 Group Sightseeing in BJ

Sun, June 28 Fly to Guangzhou

Mon, June 29 Go to the adoption Center - Mia DAY!!!!!
Tues, June 30 Begin adoption procedure - Mia's 5th birthday!!!

Wed, July 1 More adoption procedures
Thur, July 2 Sightseeing
Fri, July 3 Sightseeing
Sat, July 4 Medical exam for children
Sun, July 5 Free Day
Mon, July 6 Free day
Tues, July 7 ACS Appointment

Wed, July 8 Oath ceremony

Thur, July 9 Return to the US

I only have two more days left at work, then I am officially on maternity leave until mid August - I am so excited!!!! Please continue to remember us in your prayers!

Until next time, Peace and Grace to all!!!