We have a WALKER!

The long awaited video is here. Shepherd is walking - started really, really walking on AUGUST 9. He is "bigs"!

The 411 on Shepherd

I have a friend that wants to know about Shepherd, the person, the baby, the man he might become.

How would I describe Shepherd?

My own mother says, "He is the best baby I have ever seen".

That might sound like something alot grandmothers would say, but not my mom. She adores babies, but she has always reserved "the best" statement for my sister Julie.

Being the unattended, sad, pathetic middle child, you might think I would have been bitter over these years. Nope, not anymore.

"Mom, who was the best baby?" ( I have asked this question a million times trying to get her to sway from her answer)

"Oh, Julie was the best baby."

I have even asked this on my own birthday, hoping the guilt would make her say me, just once.

"Julie was the best baby ever". So much for birthdays!

"How about me?"

"Well, you turned out fine."

"I was the best 15 year old, was I not?"

"Yes, you were the best 15 year old."

Not anymore! Julie, your reign as the best baby is over. I called my younger sister, who also was obviously not a better baby than Julie (even though she was apparently much better than me) and told her the news. "The Best Baby has been dethroned!" She couldn't believe it either.

So what if he isn't biologically mine. Or that we had to go halfway around the world to get him.

He is simply the best baby in the world.

OK, he is also LOVING, CUDDLY, SMILEY, GOES TO EVERYONE, SECURE, DOES NOT CRY GOING TO THE CHURCH NURSERY, A GREAT EATER, DOES NOT MELT DOWN IF IT'S PAST HIS BEDTIME, CALM, CHARMING, HANDSOME, ADORABLE, HAS BEAUTIFUL SKIN AND HAIR, LOVES TO BE LOVED, LOVES TO LAUGH AND COO AND IS SO SWEET.

He is everything I personally prayed for. As many of you know, I didn't get to hold Hadley for so long. For that reason, most preemies are not snuggly (that's what they drs told us). Hadley is so energetic and has really not wanted alot of cuddling. SHe is LOVING, but not cuddly. I had asked God for a sweet, lovable baby that wanted to be held and rocked to sleep.

Bingo!

It's too good to be true. The way God just gives us so many little things (that are huge to us) is too good.

I love that.

The Chinese Stinkeye

I love that term.

My neice, Kathryn, who seems to come up with hilarious sayings every summer she visits us, has added this to her repertoire.

While in China, we noticed how the Nationals would stare at us. We ain't talking just a casual glance. I am talking full-blown, unabashed, the kind any Southern girl would get a pinch from her mother for STARING.

I guess it just isn't a big deal in China. They don't try to hide it like we Americans would. They bring it.

It was strange at first, but then I took on the Jolie-Pitt attitude and held my head high and walked on. Then, I realized my lips were not THAT puffy so I got down off my high horse and got all nervous again.

Well, we are back home and not really getting stared at anymore (unless I don't have on lipstick and everyone wonders if I am sick). But one night at dinner, Kathryn noticed that Shepherd was staring intently at her and she bursts into laughter stating that Shepherd was giving her "The Chinese Stinkeye".

Maybe he will outgrow it.

And if he won't, he might get pinched by his mother...

Can anyone say Jetlag

Ok, so they didn't really, touch on a very important part of this journey. JetLag.

They should have named is something much worse than that. It should be a four letter word. You know, something really bad because it has taken a toll on me, my personal hygiene and my blogging and phone abilities. I don't even know if I am spelling "hygiene" right at this point. Does it have an "i" in it? I'm too lazy to spell check so maybe my editor mother in law can tell me later...

We have been home 2 weeks and I think we are finally getting back to normal. My house isn't, that may take a little longer, like 3-4 years. Here is a glimpse of what has been going on and why I have not been on...

Shepherd was sleeping all day and wanted to be up all night (he's on China time)
Hadley wanted to play all day and play all night (she had to be forced to bed and that's alot of fun) - she's on US time
Candace wanted to sleep 23 hours a day and eat the other hour of the day. It's like I feel like I have HAD a baby.
Chad just wanted to get out of here and go back to work

Rudy is the most depressed. He is our dog and always got a ton of attention from me. I was worried about Hadley, but she doesn't seem that affected. Rudy on the other had needs that guy from the Animal Planet - Cesar? Is that his name? He needs some serious therapy about sharing the mommy.

Chad is wondering if the kitchen table will ever be cleared off again.

Shepherd appears to be happy as a lark and enjoying all things new, including the dog (he's never seen one). I wish Rudy was as intrigued with Shepherd as Shepherd is with him.

All things considering, everything is great. Shepherd has had no bonding issues and has no problems going to EVERYONE and ANYONE (especially cute high school youth group gals). He has already stayed in the nursery and charmed everyone by blowing kisses and cuddling.

We got the best baby in China, I am certain of it.

Yes, I'm Obnoxious, One More Video

Here are more pictures and one more video. Shepherd was brought to us by his very loving nanny and an interpreter. They were both precious, I wanted to bring them with us to Florida.


The picture where the Nanny is showing Shepherd a small piece of paper is her showing him a picture, his new big sister!

Gotcha Day, more pics and videos

More Gotcha Day Video...






Pictures from Gotcha Day!

Gotcha Day, June 17

Here is the big day everyone is waiting to see. Sorry it's taken so long, but with the internet problems in China and now this terrible Jet Lag, I feel very out of sorts! For example, I'm rarin' to go and it's 12:17... in the morning! On June 17, we all had to get up in Beijing and be on the bus at 5am. We each had flights to our provinces (like our states) to meet our children. Everyone was on time, imagine that!!!! We traveled with one other family that I will expound about more. Chad and Cheri Strange and their 3 girls, Taylor (9), Addison (7) and Chloe (2 1/2, adopted from China when she was 11 months). Their parents, Fran Strange and Bob and Carolyn Merrill also traveled with them. Fantastic bunch that is now family to us... I was glad to travel with another family for the company, but then thrilled because I found out that Chad Strange is a medical doctor. Not knowing what to expect, it made me feel secure about picking up our child that might have problems eating, or who knew what else. Also, they kind of new what would happen as they had adopted before. Not to mention the children they had with them were precious! Our flight was the first one of the entire group's that left. We left Beijing at 6:55 for the 1 1/2 hour flight. It was weird as we all parted that I would soon see these new friends with their brand new children. Imagine leaving 13 different families that were all expecting their babies at precisely the same time. It's almost overwhelming emotionally. We arrived at Tiayuain City ( I will fix that spelling later). We met our interpreter, Verena, a 22 year old college student at the airport. We then went to our hotel to check in. When we got to our room, there was a crib in our room and I almost cried! I was really happening! After lunch, we tried to rest before we met in the lobby to go to the Civil Affairs office to meet our children. Needless to say, I couldn't even close my eyes! We met in the hotel at 2:20 and left for the longest car ride of my life. When we arrived, we reported to this very plain, smoke-filled (thank goodness people can't smoke inside in the US, it's horrible!) office. We went up the elevator and got off in a really dim hallway and waited for the workers to return from lunch. As we were waiting, the other family saw their daughter, Jolee, a precious 9 year old emerging from the shadows, down the hallway. I think my heart completely stopped for a couple of seconds. On our way to the office we had been making our plan to meet our children. "You take our picture and video, we will try and take yours..." kind of stuff. We were prepared for a hectic hand-off of children as the Strange family had experienced before. God was great. The actual hand-offs were 15 minutes apart and we were the only families there to pick up children. We got to watch their new family unfold and it was precious. Here is their video
Then, someone said, "Here comes your baby!" I won't make you wait any longer. Here it is..

COMING TO AMERICA

We leave China on Wed. morning with a little someone extra.

Email and internet has been a challenge at times so I am sure we will catch everyone up when we arrive "back in the states."

Can someone Fed Ex me some Chips and Salsa, Ice and maybe a Porterhouse Steak?

It’s official, I am a spoiled American. I just didn’t really realize it until we got here. Although there is a guy in our group, Michael that seems to be up for trying anything (including many types of “see-through” white, wet, chunky type food), my stomach goes into “refuse” mode. Let’s just put it this way, I will be ready for bathing suit season when I return to Florida, well, until we found McDonald’s…. You will, however, be proud that we have tried the local fair many times. We have also been traveling to our province (like our states) with one other family. They are adopting a nine year old girl, Jolee. They are being very attentive to her eating habits, so we have tried many things that she chooses off the menu. I trusted her and loved the cabbage she chose. I had confidence until she chose (and I ate) donkey. Don’t tell PETA. It was actually pretty good. However, McDonald’s and Pizza Hut has been our staple. Hats off to our good friends that own McDonald’s, Colleen and Derek. We offer our most hearty thanks to you both, because as your song says, “I’m Lovin’ It!” Also check out the video of Shep getting a haircut.

Driver’s Ed needed in China ASAP!

You would not believe, and I mean, not believe how these folks drive here.
While in Tiayguan City, where Shepherd was, we almost got hit 30 times while riding in our bus. If I lived here, I would drive a Ford F150. I wouldn’t take any chances.
There were 3 lanes, which they turned into 7. They turn around in the middle of the road at any time. They constantly beep their horn, no turn signals for them…
Also, if you are not driving a teeny, tiny car, you are on a bike. You could be on a bike in 3 inch heels. I got respect for that. Anyone that can ride a bike in heels while talking on a cell phone, deserves a Big Mac.
Our biggest fear – crossing the street! Our guide would simply meander out into the street while cars are blowing their horns and whizzing by us. Many times we would just let her go. She would get to the other side and just laugh at us. She can laugh all she wants, I refuse to be someone’s hood ornament.
Besides all these things, here is the most bizarre. In China, 1 million pedestrians a year are killed! The rule? If you hit someone and they DIE, you are not responsible, since it was their fault they were in the street. BUT, if you hit someone and they do not die, you must cover their medical expenses. OK, I know this is a different culture, but that is just CRAZY!!!!

P.S. We are finally able to load a pic or two.

Chinglish

Do you not love that word? This is what the Chinese Nationals call their broken English. I love it!

For the most part, they are very friendly to us, and smile when we ask a question.

I am taken by their beautiful hair, of course! If you know me, you know I love to look at hair, and as far as I am concerned, these beautiful people have some of the best.

I walked up to a young woman yesterday to tell her I loved her hair. I said something like, "your hair looks great!" She knew I was saying something good, but couldn't understand until I started pointing to her hair. She then said, "you think I beautiful?" I smiled and nodded. I liked that.

Constantly, young girls were commenting on the young kids in our group, calling them beautiful and lovely. I have gotten away from such words. I have vowed to start using those types of words again, for they are much more "beautiful" than, "you look hot". Have a little class, please...

So, have a lovely day, all you beautiful people!

Chinese Culture through the eyes of a red head

Ok, I knew it would be different, but man! It is really really different!

1. Cell Phones - you hardly ever see anyone on them. We are in Beijing, a very "metropolitan" city with lots of young people. However, I have literally seen about 3 people on a phone. Very strange. In the US, you don't NOT see people on the phone!

2. Social Conscious - While visiting the cultural places yesterday, I noticed that people, young and old were also there to visit, kind of like us going to Washington DC. Very interesting thing - it was very, very quiet. People in groups traveling around, actually listening to their tour guides. Children behaving very well. Respect shown to these historic places. People were not gabbing on the cell phones or walking around exposing way too much skin! I liked that.

3. The Chinese Walmart - Chad and I went last night. Just the opposite of quiet and calm, displayed while we were sightseeing. Hurried, lots of chatter (I probably noticed more than a Chinese national because it sounds so different) and people grabbing what they need as quick as they can to get out of there. Although Chad feels like that in Walmart, I find it somewhat relaxing sometimes to meander through the store, looking, browsing - there was none of that. In, Out, on their way.

4. The general attitude of the people - While we were walking to Walmart, I noticed that people just seemed to be walking, getting to where they needed to be, kind of emotionless. It certainly made me think of their need for a Savior. I was talking to another fellow adoptive mom this morning and we felt like they simply looked like they were without joy. They really do. Now, I know that cultures are different, but you would probably have to see it to believe it. It is sad.

5. Food - I will comment on another post. There is alot to tell about this subject. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly!

Friday, June 13 Sightseeing

Yesterday, we met our group at breakfast and immediately got on a bus for a full day of touring.

We visited Tiamimens (Spelling) Square, The Forbidden City, The Summer Palace, The Pearl Market and ate some interesting food. Chad and I also made a quick trip to the "Carre 4" - the Chinese version of Walmart. I will now try and put into pictures some of the things I saw. I will add more details when we get the pictures up.

Actually, I will wait until we get the pictures up because it really won't make much sense to you until you see them.

Check back!

Why haven't I written?

We have had internet problems at the hotel, so we have been out of touch. It's amazing how used to connecting we are. It has frustrated the whole group, as everyone's family and friends are awaiting word!

So, all that to say, I am sitting in the business center, blogging, finally. I will be unable to post any pictures until we get our laptop working in our room, but I wanted to update everyone.

So, read on!

Mom, Daddy and Kathryn the morning we left...

Just a quick look at the morning we left and us going to the Knoxville Airport. As you can see, Kathryn wanted to come!!!

Our flight left at 11:10am from Knoxville on June 12.

We arrived here in Beijing at 10:00pm on Friday, June 13.

So, we are tired and going to bed!!

Leaving Hadley behind

I had tried to prepare myself.

I had rehearsed the moment a thousand times.

Just like something as dramatic as a Jane Austen Novel, I, the wise, thin, beautiful intelligent mother would stoop down to look at my perfect, clean, well-behaved daughter eye to eye. She would have big tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of me not being there for her. Chad would stand there, strong but a little emotional.
It would be a very moving scene.

Nope, as soon as we got to Chad's parent's house in Nashville, she opted to ask us to leave right then and there. She told us "she would be fine" and ran off to play with her cousin, Analayne.

Thinking it would get worse as the day drug on, I kept an eye out for any kid of insecurity she might show about the trip.

The only thing she showed was a desire to get rid of us as quickly as possible.

This was a classic example of me imagining that it would be much, much worse than it was. We have now talked to her twice and she tells us she loves us and she will see us soon.

No tears,
no tantrums..

Well, at least not from Hadley...

He Gives Good Gifts...

You know how you register for items at Target and Babies-R-Us? It’s fun to pick out all that stuff and hope you get it. I remember during our first pregnancy, Chad was equally excited about registering for our little one to come. We went to Babies-R-Us. We strolled in, hand in hand. I was glowing (I really don’t know that for sure, but it sounds nice) and Chad was so happy. We registered at the desk up front and were handed a beeping gadget to help us register electronically. So neat, we were going to go crazy with that thing.
Turns out, registering for a baby is a lot harder than registering for a wedding. When you register for your wedding items, chances are you will actually be somewhat knowledgeable about those items. What they are, how to use them, etc. Heading down Aisle 1 designated, “Bottles, Nipples and Pacifiers” started out with “Awwww…” and ended with “what in the world is that?” and “ I didn’t know there were so many different types of pacifiers, etc”. So ended our first trip to Babies-R-Us. We didn’t even make it through the first aisle before Chad handed that beeper back to the attendant and we went to get ice cream instead.
To any new mother out there, don’t take your husband, take someone that has a baby between 3 months – 1 year. Trust me, you will get a lot more done….correctly. Your husband will not mind, he will probably contribute to that other kid’s college fund he’ll be so thankful.
Now, on to my shower. We have gotten so many things for Shepherd. We have collected many things over this 3 year journey. People have also passed on clothes and I have had a couple of showers in Florida. Of course, people have also given to us financially to aid in the adoption expenses. I have been overwhelmed and even a little embarrassed at times.
There were, however, a couple of items that I either needed or wanted. We did not have a double stroller. I needed a haircut (you can’t meet a new child with bad hair) and there was a certain white shirt that I felt would make my trip more comfortable, not to mention stylish. I was trying to be frugal and practical – both I have a hard time with, especially for a once in a lifetime trip.
Well, here is what happened. I volunteered to go to the bank a couple of days before we left. Now, that in itself is a miracle. I literally can count on one hand the number of times I have been inside a bank since I have been married. It was something I was excited to give up. I don’t like dealing with banks and quite frankly, I still don’t like math. So, we needed to order a certain number of big bills to take as cash. I told Chad that I would go and he could swim with Hadley. Miracle #2. He let me.
I went to the bank and got out of there as fast as I could. I didn’t want to go home just yet, so I stopped into the store where the shirt hung. It looked so lonely. It wanted me, but then I looked at the price tag and new we could not be a couple. The price of the relationship was too high.
Enter Donna Boatwright. She is a minister’s wife at our church that I have recently gotten to know. We have nothing in common. She is calm, cool and collected, you know, everything I am not. I love group games, she does not. I like all that fattening youth group pizza and she does not! We couldn’t be more different. For example, she had a coupon.
I did not.
I ran into Donna in the store and she offeren to buy that shirt I loved, which ended up taking the price way down, where I could afford it! Thanks God and thanks to Donna, who cuts coupons…
Then, we were driving through a neighborhood we always drive through and there was a double stroller with a big sign on it that read, “FREE!”. I ran up to the gal and hugged her neck, telling her all about it. She had 7 children and was glad to get rid of it. I would have offered to babysit or something, but then I thought 7 kids. Just take the stroller and say thanks. And I did. It was also purple, which just happens to be my favorite color!
THEN, I went and got my hair cut. You can see that in the post. What I didn’t tell you was that it was a little pricey (it was a new girl cutting it), BUT my friend, Karen, had sent me just the right amount of m money in the mail to cover “something just for me”. I used it for the haircut. Right down to the last penny.
So, you see, God is into us. As scripture says, “He loves to give us Good Gifts!” AMEN!!!!

Every 5 Seconds!

On Tuesday, June 10, we officially started our trip. Well, I guess I should say that we started it the night before with Hadley asking every 5 seconds , “is it time to go to Tennessee?”.
You think I am exaggerating? Ask Chad. Ask Rudy, our dog. Ask anyone. The girl was fired up.
Chad told her that when she went to sleep and then got up, it would be time to leave. So, miracle of miracles, she put herself to bed. That last sentence sounds so promising. But it was not to be. She only went to bed to FAKE sleep and FAKE snore. She was distracting me so much that in the end, I had to tell her to get out of bed. We all ended up sleeping in our bed, but that was sweet, as our family of 3 is about to become a family of 4. Even Rudy got in on the action, snoring (for real) in the “big bed” with us.
So, at 3:30, I couldn’t take anymore. I got up, folded some clothes, finished cleaning the bathroom and prayed in Shepherd’s room by myself. I then watched some news, took a shower, fed the cat and got the rest of the gang up at 4:30. We were out of there at 5:15am.
Hadley was a champ on the trip. The weather was beautiful and even Rudy was cooperative. We pulled into Nashville around 6:15pm and were greeted by a very excited Mimi and Poppa – Chad’s parents.
We went to eat Mexican at a family favorite, Garcia’s. Shepherd, Mommy can’t wait to introduce you to Chips and Salsa! And, they have some of the best.
On Wednesday, we got up and didn’t do much of anything. Lunch, one last trip to Walmart (as if there ever is really a last trip to Walmart…) and the goodbyes began. Hadley didn’t seem to really mind our leaving. As a matter of fact, she was encouraging us to leave and smiling the entire time. I was so happy about that, as it made leaving a whole lot easier for the Momma and the Da-Da.
Analayne, our 3 year old niece on the other hand, was very upset. She begged to go to China with us! It was hilarious!
As we pulled out of the driveway, I strained my neck and eyesight until my little one was out of my vision.
Hadley, just so you will know, it killed us to leave you! We are so thankful, however for your wonderful grandparents that count it a privilege to spend this time with you.
It’s almost 5pm, in TN, where you are. I wonder what you are doing. I bet swinging or playing with playdough. I wish you were on this airplane next to me. Wait, hold on, we just took some “night-night” meds, that probably wouldn’t be such a great idea. Goodnight, sweetheart, we love you more than a plate full of hot biscuits!!

Getting Ready for the Trip... things only girls would understand

Well, Saturday, it was time to get into "almost everything is done" mode. My new friend, Kathleen Bryan and I went to get our hair "done".

Kathleen is a new staff wife. Her husband, Jesse is our new youth minister. They are getting ready to leave for Centrifuge after only 2 weeks on the job! That makes me tired just thinking of it. And a little envious. I love camp, especially FUGE.

We needed a break. We needed pampering. We needed the Yellow Strawberry.

We went together, chatted about our hair on the way over to the shop, you know, all those things men will never understand.

As you can see in these pictures, we certainly needed "a moment". Is a better way to build a new friendship than getting your hair done together? I guess this means I will have to add her to my Christmas card list.

Also, I wanted to look my best for the new man in my life, Shepherd!!! I didn't want him thinking, "those bangs are so last year..."

Don't hate us because we are beautiful...

Candace and Kathleen

This time, I really mean it!

We are really leaving! We received our 171H in the mail on May 22. I was on the computer, at the time, writing my Senator. I checked the mailbox before I hit send and there it was! I was shocked!

Now I know you all think I'm like the Boy that Cried Wolf. But I mean it. It's happening this time.

Now, comes a little anxiety. The biggest source of that feeling is leaving Hadley Keck behind. Yes, I know she will be fine. Yes, I know she will have a blast. It doesn't matter. I will miss her terribly. Being seperated as a family is hard. That is my biggest prayer request at the moment. Pray that we soak up these last days of "it's just us" and that we can have a great time on the trip, being confident that Hadley is fine. Pray that for us, especially for the mommy.

Now, in your mind, play that music from "Law and Order". That "Dun, Dun!" sound.

Dun - Dun!! We are leaving June 12 and will be gone until either the 25th, 26th,
27th or 28th!

We will leave FL on June 10 to drive to TN. We will depart from Knoxville on
June 12.

We will be in China for Father's Day! How Fun!

So many things to be done. I have a little work to do for Mom to Mom (my job I do at home), tying up duties at church, clean the house, make sure Shepherd's room is ready, wash all those little clothes, pack for all of us, including the dog as he is riding to TN with us... and of course, get our hair cut and locate Chad some cool looking shirts to wear (much to his dismay). I simply refuse for him to wear his favorite T-shirt - as he got it while he was in COLLEGE. (Can anyone say "let it go"?) Also, we have to lose those last 7 pounds and clean out the refrigerator. Ooops, as I look back at that last sentence I realizing that losing 7 pounds and cleaning out the refrigerator don't really go together. Guess it's time to invite the college kids over.

I would also appreciate the Democrats picking their candidate (although it looks like it's Obama). Since I will be out of the loop for a while, I need them to get this issue settled.

Well, there you have it. I must go now. I am starving and the only thing I can eat is Special K. Yum, Yum. But of course, I really want to impress the new man in my life, so it's all worth it, even the Skim Milk.

I love you guys....

Earthquake in China....

Thank you for all the emails regarding Shepherd and the earthquake in China. I have been watching the news and keeping up with several websites on the internet regarding this horrific event. Of course, you can imagine, I am more anxious than ever to go and get him... I have emailed the adoption agency to see how this will affect travel. I will keep you posted.

Please pray for China. Their efforts to save their people are considered "unparalled". To keep up with the latest, please visit www.chinaadopttalk.com and www.halfthesky.org.



Also, see this video of what is going on... http/:cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7793395&ch=4226714&src=news



Because we are adopting, I do feel a special concern for the country. Watching all those parents weep at losing their teenage students as the school collapsed is terrible. Hearts are broken to say the very least. They looked hopeless. All I could think was that I wanted to get on a plane today and go help.

So we pray...

Shepherd's Party and Prayer Time

We had a special party for Shepherd tonight. It's his birthday, so we had to celebrate. More importantly, we prayed, prayed, prayed:

For Shepherd's health and well being

That he would feel special today, his birthday

That our paperwork would get finalized so that we can go at the end of May


I got some beautiful pictures of our prayer time. I don't usually do this, but I wanted, for all of us, a reminder of our prayers to show Shepherd one day.

We also had cookies with icing and a couple of gifts. Shepherd got a car and a swim noodle!

Hadley had "Baby Shepherd" there to represent her brother. You can see "him" in the pictures.

Happy Birthday, Shepherd!

Remember to share "the little things"!

I got an email from a precious woman at my church. Anna Braswell sent me an email telling me about what Hadley said tonight at Cubbies... I wanted to be sure it was on the blog so she could see it in years to come. From the mouth of babes....

"Also, Hadley was so sweet tonight at Cubbies. We were asking in circle time for the kids to share anything you did this week that was fun, or special way God has blessed you, and questions like that, and Hadley said she was thankful for her brother Shepherd in China, that you are going to bring him home soon, later i asked her if you did anything special for shepherd's birthday today, and she said she blew out the candles, I didn;t quite get all of that sentence when she said it, but it is very obvious she is excited to be a big sister,and it blessed me to hear her speak tonight. Anna Braswell"

Hadley was referring to her blowing out the candles on Shepherd's birthday cookie. We explained that she got to blow out the candle because Shepherd wasn't here yet. She took it all very seriously.

The next time you notice something from your friend's child, be sure and tell them, you may never know how much it means to someone to hear the sweet words your child it saying....

Happy Birthday, Shepherd!

Today, our boy is turning 1! I wonder if they are celebrating it? My heart aches just a little at the thought. We are celebrating here, today with a bday cake and special prayer time tonight for him. Would you join with us today in praying for Shepherd? Here are some things to pray for, for him: That today one of his nannies would make him feel special today, that they are aware it's his birthday! For good health as we are getting closer to picking him up. For our 171H to be processed this week so we can travel at the end of May... For Shepherd, that he will accept us easily as his parents Just pray that he will be a happy boy, that chases after God! Happy Birthday, Shepherd!! We ALL love you so much! Take a look at Hadley singing Happy Birthday to her little brother! We had a special birthday party and prayer time for him tonight. Enjoy!

Update on the PROCESS!

Saturday, we had to leave during the garage sale to go and get fingerprinted for the 3rd, yes, 3rd time! I wanted to ask these folks if they thought my fingerprints might have changed. Chad said that I needed to keep quiet. I opted for his advice.

We showed up at the office. I am sure if I worked there, I would die of quietness. Is there such a thing? Everyone working there was quiet. Lots of rules - you cannot bring cameras, cell phones or any electronic devices. Obviously another rule was that you have to put on a solemn face, show no emotion and enjoy blank blue walls.

I will have to say, though, that the folks doing the fingerprinting were so nice. They even let Hadley do one of her fingers. She was thrilled.

That is the last hoop we hopefully have to jump through. Supposedly, the fingerprints will take a week to clear and then they will push our paperwork through.

If all goes well, we will leave May 22 or 23. Now, I am not making any promises (to myself or anyone else), but that is what we are hoping for.

We'll keep you posted!

Turns out, God does Garage Sales!

This weekend, we had a huge garage sale to help raise a little money for our adoption. I come from a long line of garage sale shoppers, but even I have never been to a garage sale at someone's home this big! My grandmother would have been so proud. She would have also walked away with the gravy maker.

Our church members made donations to the garage sale, and boy, did they come through! On Thursday evening, Chad made a bunch of stops at people's houses with the help of Mr. Jim Byler. By the end of the night, our garage was full and so was the big truck they had used to pick up all the goods!

At 5:30 the next morning an army of help showed up to help drag it all out. By the moon's light, they sorted everything from candleholders to Christmas items.
By 7:30, we were open for business and in need of coffee.

The following details some of the highlights of the sale.

1. April Vest knows Antiques: My friend and her husband, Dennis came to help work the sale. Little did I know that April knows EVERYTHING about antiques. It didn't take her long to spot 2 vases and some pyrex dishes that were worth a pretty penny. God sent us an antiques dealer to help us out!

2. Mrs. Terri and Fancy Nancy: Terri Burnside and Nancy Sarson are total workhorses. They were there throughout the entire sale and they work. Straightening clothes, talking to customers and best of all - entertaining Hadley!

3. My NightWatchmen: This is hilarious. I was concerned that we couldn't get all of the goods back into the garage on Friday night, so what could we do? I jokingly said that we needed to hire security, well once again, God provided. Kyle Burnside and Shane Stoltzfus who are sophomore in high school, came over and "camped out" in our front yard. Well, they slept on a couch a air mattress with a crowbar, bat and curtain rod to protect themselves and the boy and girl stuffed reindeers that were for sale... The picture you see above of the couch actually has Kyle laying under that blanket and the air mattress was home to Shane, under that blue sheet. Hanging out with them a little that morning over sweet rolls (hey, I had to pay them!) - confirmed for me that I cannot wait to have a son! What fun!

Thank you to everyone that donated, worked, came by just to say hi, petted our dog, loved on us, entertained Hadley, and encouraged us. You all went over the top and we couldn't be more thankful.

The Grand Total of our garage sale was $2,452 - AWESOME!!!

And the Winner is...

I just made the phone call to inform the winner of the IPOD Nano from our "Chip In" contest!

Amy Maze is the lucky winner.

Hadley picked the name, as you can see in the photos.

We would like to thank everyone for participating. I wish we could give you all an IPOD, no, strike that, I wish we could give you a cruise! Or a year's supply of Chick-fil-A sweet tea, whichever one floats your boat.

Congratulations, Amy! Now, all you need is to locate a 6 year old to teach you how to use it...

We are holding our breath!

I got an email from our adoption agency on Friday. They had written the immigration office in Tampa and got a response right away!

Now, keep in mind that we have called, emailed, visited 2 offices of our Congressman and even called his wife at home.

For 2 weeks we have carried around the "not knowing". That has been so hard, I will admit.

When they finally emailed them, I was relieved. I wish they had done it sooner. It might have saved me many hours of laying awake at night. Let me put it this way, I am very up on political matters, as I have watched about 10,000 Resmussen polls on FOX in the wee hours of the morning...

We know we won't travel on May 1 - but we are hoping to travel in the next group on May 22 or 23. We promise to keep you posted!

It is amazing, though, how, during the day, I have felt mostly happy. I have had my moments, but I really am thankful that the Lord has provided me many distractions, mainly a blonde headed 4 year old... She has been an angel and has made me laugh more than usual. Turns out, laughter IS good therapy.

One, little, bitty, tiny, miniscule piece of paper..

is standing between us and our son.

This particular piece of paper is in Tampa, possibly having a cocktail by the pool. I don't know what is going on with that paper, but I do know 2 people in Sarasota beside themselves with anticipation, waiting to hear.

On Tuesday, we get an email that states that our 171 H has not been processed.

This is the same piece of paper that we submitted earlier this year and they said it was "too early". Seems as though this paper is a little touchy if you ask me.

This means that we may not be going on May 1, that we may be in the next group leaving the end of May.

Yes, it's not that much of a wait, but at this point, I can almost feel him in my arms. I need to hold him. I need to go on May 1!

Would you pray that this situation will be resolved tomorrow? That God will do something only He can do.

This is emotionally draining. Chad even mopped tonight, we are all trying not to think about our friend, Mr. 171H.

So you see, what 1 piece of paper can mean. Right now, to me, it means the differnce of me eating or not eating, the difference of us going to China or not going to China, the difference of me getting to celebrate Mother's Day with my new son!

1 piece of paper.

We are leaving May 1!

It's almost time! We got the call today about our Travel Approval (TA). We are definitely invited to China to get our boy. Sometimes I feel like I can't breathe when I think about it. It's time. He's been away from us too long. It's time for momma to hold her boy. I dream about him almost every night and then I wake up and almost cry at the thought of leaving little Hadley for 2 weeks.

We are so excited to leave - We plan on going to TN on April 29th! One month to go!

Help Bring Me Home!

There's a new Sheriff in Town!

We are a family of women.

Strong, loud, lipstick lovin' women.

What in the world are we going to do with a boy?

I think he will rock our world and we will all be in love with him shortly.

Correction: We are all already in love.

The girls cannot wait to see him. My daddy is especially excited. There hasn't been any testosterone (save the son in laws) in this family since he was a child.

Even on Chad's side, there is a GRANDDAUGHTER! What is the deal?

Well, there's a new sherriff in town and his name is Shepherd.

Get ready girls, this is going to be fun!

This man came up with the name of my child...

Well, since you asked...

I have absolutely racked my brain (not to mention every site on the internet about names). I am kind of a name junkie. I used to be a teacher, so I know that has something to do with it. There are some names that make me cringe and others that make me beam with pride due to the person attached.

I also have lots of family members and friends that are teachers. Boy, do they have opinions about names! And then there was this huge news story on how what you name your child has a direct effect on their success in life! In LIFE, not elementary school, high school, but the whole kit 'n kaboodle!

Can someone say "Pressure"?

So, I got many people weighing in on names - many unsolicited, but that doesn't bother me, I like to see what others like.

Then, there is my husband. How can a mature, god-fearing man come up with so many seventh grade retorts?

It goes something like this:

"Chad, how about "Wells"?"

Chad: "Like Wells Fargo?"

Candace: "What about Payne?"

Chad: "Do I even need to go there?"

Candace: "What about Pryce?"

Chad: "Yeah, Pryce Keck, that would be good. "Pryce Keck on aisle 9... please woman!"

So, I got nowhere with him. Well, he named Hadley, so I decided it was my turn and just as long as he kind of liked it, that would be ok.

Then, one night, my daddy called me and piped in with a name. Odd. Daddy's don't usually get into this type of thing. He came up with Shepherd. I don't know if it's our sheep raising background or the fact that we love the newscaster on FOX, Shepard Smith, but we all liked it.

So, thanks, Daddy. It meant alot that you chose the name and that you got involved. Must be because this is the first boy anywhere in sight!

Shepherd Dang Keck... it has a ring to it...

Big Sister, Hadley

Hadley is excited about being a big sister.

Hadley: "I want to share my toys with Shepherd."

"But not my dolls. Boys don't like dolls."

"Mommy, what is that on his mouth?"

Candace: "Hadley, that's a little boo-boo he was born with."

Hadley: "Why?"

Candace: "That is just how God made him. Kind of like how you have blonde hair and that big tummy!"

laugh...

Hadley: "Mommy, why does he have that boo-boo?"

__________________

Yes, I have been over it a hundred times! Hadley doesn't understand Shepherd's condition but she has big plans for him. She keeps showing me how to hold a baby and feed a baby. It's tender and innocent and I love it. I think she will be a great big sister!

Our Adoption Journey

In 2003, we began our adoption journy. After suffereing the loss of 2 babies through miscarriage, we decided to adopt. Russia, it seemed, was where we would start building our family. We got a referral of a little boy we named Clay. He even had red hair! Adorable!

We then found out that we were expecting. We continued the adoption process and in March, prepared to leave to meet our baby. He was 13 months at the time. Less than 3 hours before getting on the plane, I suffered a pregnancy induced kidney stone. Chad rushed me to the hospital where I would stay for several days. We had to make the heart-wrenching decision to relinquish our little boy. They simply couldn't "hold" him for us. We were heartbroken!

About 2 months later, Hadley, our daughter was born at 25 weeks. Her days in the NICU as well as her care for the next 2 years kept us busy! So the adoption was put on hold.

Fast forward to 2005 - we had moved to Texas, Hadley was stable so we got excited about the possibility of a little Chinese sister. We started the process only to realize that all of a sudden the most stable adoption program in the world was slowing down to a crawl. Hey, I was in my late 30's, this gal needed to get on with the program!

We got on with the program alright. After 2 great years in TX, we moved to FL. Do you know what that means for a Paperchasing Family? MORE Paperchasing!

Finally, we had waded throught the paperwork and something hit us. Why not check into a child with Special Needs? It was like a light went off in our heads. We joined that group through our agency in October, 2007 and boom! January 9, 2008 we got our referral. Because we had checked that we would accept a boy, things really moved for us.

Dang Fu Jie, born on April 30, 2007 and found in a flowerbed at about a month old was to be our son. I laughed at his surname of "Dang" - sounded like a good 'ol Tennessee name to me!

They sent me his picture and of course, I was done! Chad was very excited and Hadley didn't know WHAT was going on!

Here are our dates. They won't mean alot to you, but for us, they are dates burned forever in our minds...

LID - Login Date (China had received our paperwork) - January 4, 2007
Referral - January 9, 2008
Accepted Referral - Jan. 17, 2008
Electronic Acceptance Submitted to China - Jan 25, 2008
PA (Pre-Approval) issued! - Jan 30,2008
RA (Referral Acceptance) - March 10, 2008
TA (Travel Approval) - March 31!
Travel Date - June 12-25/28

Shepherd's Special Need is Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate. He will have 2-3 surgeries when he gets home to repair them. We just think he's adorable already. I am sure you will agree! I am attaching his passport picture for you to see him!