And they're off

Claire, Michael and Mike (Claire's dad) were dropped off at Orlando International at 6:45 Friday, 6/25. Three flights later --with plane changes/layovers in Detroit and Shanghai they'll should land in Nanning, China on Sunday morning around 1:00 AM.

Then get Sophia sometime Monday.
-- Bart

Almost on our way!

We fly out very early Friday morning, and some 3o plus hours...3 lay overs and 4 flights later... we will land in Sophia's province!

We will have a day to get settled and ready for our gotcha day. Some time late Sunday night, our time...Monday afternoon in China... we will get our little girl!

We will spend the next 2 weeks in Nanning and Guangzhou completing the formal adoption, immigration and medical paper work. We will end our trip with the swearing in of her American citizenship at the United States Consulate in Guangzhou! Then we will begin the trip home and God willing be home on July 9th.

TRAVEL APPROVAL!

We got the call today! Our agency has received our travel approval, and God willing we will be in China in a few weeks!

It has been almost a year to date since we saw Sophia for the first time. A year that has flown by in so many ways, but has also dragged in our wait to have our newest daughter home.

But God is good, He has seen us through the seemingly endless piles of paper work and red tape.

Just a few more weeks, and we will be Sophia's forever family. Pretty stinkin cool!

Claire

Room is ready!!! Give me my girl!!!

O.K.....

This wait does not get any easier. It has almost a year since we saw our sweet Sophia's face for the first time.

We are so very ready to have our little girl home.

I do have a few other things going on that keep me pretty busy, but she is always on my mind.

Most of you know that I turn my anxious energy towards home projects. Thankfully, Mia and Sophia's room was one that honestly needed to be done.

So, for the past few months I have completely enjoyed transforming my 16 year old son's "man cave", into a room fit for my two precious little girls.

Don't worry, Michael is happily settled in his new man cave. Even though I know Michael would prefer his own room, he has been great about sharing a room with Logan. And Logan is LOVING it.

Hopefully the noise coming from Mia and Sophia's room will be one of good times, minus the electric guitar wailing and random, odd odors.....

Claire

Happy Birthday sweet Mei Mei!

Tomorrow is Sophia's 3rd birthday. It is a bitter sweet day in many ways.

She is not home to celebrate with her forever family, and she is not celebrating with her birth family.

There are two women on opposite continents thinking of her, loving her and missing her. Two women who long to hold her, kiss that sweet face and hold that little body close.

To say that I will be forever grateful to her birth mom for making the decision to give her life is a huge understatement. But I will say that I will love her as my own for the rest of her life, and will cherish having her for a daughter.

I don't know the circumstances that lead to her becoming orphaned, but I do know that those days are coming to an end. We can not wait to get her home!!

Happy Birth day sweet girl. May it be filled with joy.

We love you!

some more pictures of my favorite people

Some of my favorite people

Zhang, 10. With China's blessing..our new daughter! She is said to be very sweet, shy and a hard worker. Hopefully home next winter.

Olivia, 14. Kind, benevolent and sweet.

Michael, 16. Quiet, sweet and an awesome guitar player.

Logan, 6. Brave, too stinkin cute, and all boy!

Mia, 4. Brilliant, beautiful,shy and always a mama's girl.

Sophia, 2 1/2....coming home soon!!! She is said to be very social, loving and not fond of sharing her candy. She is going to fit right in.

Here are some of my F A V O R I T E people in the world! Can't imagine life without them. All of the laundry, the dishes, the car pooling...and the love.

So... now that our paper chase for Sophia is over...and we thought we were settled as a family of 7... God had other plans! We have been blessed with a referral for a beautiful girl. If China gives us the o.k., we will have another daughter!

Crazy, but wonderful.

Claire