News on our Adoption and prayer request

Heart Surgery for Sarah Mei on Friday June 27: Please pray for this special little girl!!

Lainie, Lilly, and Sarah Mei back in April of this year

Sarah Mei was Lilly's orphanage mate and came home shortly after Lilly did. We stay in touch with her family and ask that you please pray for healing for her heart. This will be her second heart surgery in about 9 months, and it will be more difficult due to scar tissue. The doctors will be trying to repair one of her heart valves. Please pray that the surgeons would be able to use Sarah Mei's own tissue rather than a metal valve. The metal valve would not be ideal for such a young child with a growing heart and would mean more surgeries in the future. Thanks for lifting up Sarah Mei to the Great Physician! If you want to check out updates on Sarah Mei, you can check her family's blog: thehortonhome.blogspot.com

Now for a little news on our adoption of Ellie:

Thanks to all of you who have left comments or sent encouraging e-mails. I have indeed felt your prayers. First, the document is now on its way to Beijing although it was not shipped until Tuesday- yet another disappointment. But that's o.k. I have recovered from that one as well and poor David is really glad it's today and not yesterday. Let's just say I was not a happy camper! The agency representative who resides in Beijing should receive it no later than Friday, and I have been told twice now that she will deliver it to the CCAA the day she gets it! Let's pray for that!

The director of the agency met with the CCAA and did advocate for us- praising God for that! She let the officials know that the document was enroute and would be delivered promptly by the end of the week. Unfortunately, she was unable to find out any news on our LOA. Hopefully it will not be TOO much longer. This LABOR has to end soon! (I've decided physical labor/ childbirth is much easier than "labor of the heart" during adoption, and I did it all natural twice!)

I save the best for last. . . The director has Ellie's update and photos in her hand!!! Praising God for this wonderful and desperately needed good news. She said about Ellie: "She has grown so and is so beautiful!! She looks great." The director will return to the US on Friday and will overnight the update to us! Is it Saturday yet???? Can't wait. New pictures will definitelty be the next best thing to our LOA.

Prayers Needed

Please Pray for Our Adoption of Ellie This has been a week full of disappointments in our adoption journey to Ellie. First, we were informed on Tuesday that the CCAA had requested a letter from us regarding my being a stay-at-home mom. I knew I had already submitted the letter to our agency back in January with the rest of our documents for our dossier. I was shocked to find out that the letter was not included in our dossier. The notarized letter was not sent to China but instead sat in the agency's office. Now our adoption is on hold until this letter can be authenticated and sent to the CCAA. As far as we know, the letter should be on its way back from Washington D.C. to the agency. The agency assures us that it will be sent out on Monday for China. Please pray for this document to reach the CCAA by the end of next week and that the CCAA officials would promptly issue our LOA upon receiving this required document. The director of the agency will be in China next week, and we also pray that she would be a strong advocate for us as she will be at the CCAA on Monday. We also are still waiting on the update on Ellie that we were suppossed to receive a month ago. Again we ask for prayer that the agency director will receive some encouraging news regarding the update.

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:22-26

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him." Isaiah 30:18

The commentary in my Bible explains this verse: "What does it mean to wait for the Lord? It means to trust him when a situation looks hopeless- even when it seems he is gone."

Others seem to have such trouble free adoption journeys and sometimes I am tempted to wonder "why?". Why did our LID take 33 days? Why have we never received an update on our child? Why are we still waiting for LOA at day 75? And why oh why did our agency not include the notarized letter that I sent months ago? Yes, I would like to know the answers to those questions, but I can have hope and assurance knowing that my Heavenly Father does know and that His plans are always perfect. This is not the way I would have planned our adoption journey, but He is omnipotent and omnicient and so my faith rests in Him. My God is bigger than any orphanage director, any adoption agency, and the CCAA. As much as I want to have Ellie in my arms today, it is simply not time yet. God led us to this adoption, and I trust that He will lead us through it.

Thanks for praying!

Fresh Baked Goodies to Help Orphans

Last year when we traveled to get Lilly, Shelby and Katie had a suitcase full of items ranging from clothes to bubbles for the children at Chenzhou City CWI. We told the girls that this time we would not be able to take an extra suitcase full of items to donate due to the fact that we would have Lilly as our travel companion. The girls still wanted to do something so they have started making brownies and cookies to sell at their daddy's office. They have only made 2 batches of homemade goodies so far and have already made close to $20. They are prayerfully considering how to best use the money for the orphans in China. We may carry the money to China and then buy clothes for the children in Ellie's orphanage. We'll let you know the total $ earned and how they donate it right before we leave to go get Ellie!

No update on Ellie yet. The agency rep. unfortunately shared with the orphanage director that she was Fed Exing the update to us. It seems that this "offended" the orphanage director so she decided to mail the update to the CCAA who will then mail it to the agency who will then get it to us. That was VERY disappointing, and we don't really know if we will ever get it, but Lord willing, we'll get our Ellie girl later this summer! No LOA yet either, but we are hopeful that maybe next week will be our week! We are on DAY 60 of the LOA wait. The average wait is about 75 days with a range from 55 to 100 days. God is in control, and we know His timing is perfect!

Potty Training

Well, guess who is using the potty? Yes, it's Lilly! After coming home from our weekend camping trip (well staying in a rustic cabin is as close to camping as I get!), I decided that I would try potty training Lilly on Monday. It was Memorial Day and David was home so I thought that I might just need his help in managing everybody else while Lilly and me did the potty thing! It was so easy that I really didn't need his help, but we enjoyed his being at home just the same! She has done amazingly well! It's like she was just waiting on me to take off her diaper and put her on the potty. She loves wearing her big girl panties and those M and M's help a little too! I am so proud of our Lilly girl! A little news on Ellie: We have been told by our agency, Children of the World, that we are getting an update on Ellie including a recent picture. Their agency representative is in Kunming with another adoptive family and is planning to pick up the update and Fed-Ex it to us! It simply can not get here fast enough. We still do not know if her lip has been repaired. We are trusting in God's sovereignty, and if it has not been repaired, then that's ok. The pictures we have are 13 months old so we can not wait to see how she has grown. I am betting that she has a headful of beautiful black hair. We hope and pray we will receive it by next week at the latest. Still no word on our LOA (Letter of Acceptance). It could be only a week away or a month or more away. We just don't know. Once that comes, it will likely be at least another 6 weeks before travel. We are getting closer though!
I just have to add that our hearts broke last week when we heard about the tragic death of Maria Chapman, Stephen Curtis Chapman's adopted daughter. It was an article on the Chapman family's adoptions that actually first led David and me to consider adopting a child from China. We continue to pray for their healing and and for God's peace to surround them each and every day.

One Year as a Forever Family

Wow! It's simply hard to believe that one year ago today I finally met the little girl that I had prayed for and loved for months. This past year has been full of joy, delightful surprises, and new beginnings. Lilly has learned a great deal in the past year. She couldn't walk at all this time last year or even push herself into a sitting position. She had never heard English before meeting us. Now Lilly runs, jumps, talks in 3-4 word sentences, and is a bundle of energy always ready to go!
This past year we have also experienced many sad and difficult times. First, Lilly's illness in China and our "hospital tour" consisting of 3 different hospitals in 2 different Chinese cities. Lilly's continued fight for health once we got home, and her open heart surgery last June. We gained a daughter in the last year, but had to say goodbye to my dear grandfather. Lilly also had to part with her great-grandfather whom she only knew for 6 short months. Lilly loved her GG and called for him often after he died. During these difficult times, our faith saw us through. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
Our God is truly an awesome God. I feel so unworthy to have been given such a precious gift as Lilly. I am honored to be her mother. I thank God for giving David and me the courage to adopt. I thank God for choosing us to take care of one of his children whom he loves far more than we ever could. I thank God for seeing us through the trials of this past year. I thank God for healing Lilly's heart through the skilled hands of a surgeon at MUSC. I thank God that his power is revealed in my weakness. As Jen reminded me during our trials in China, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9 I hope it is obvious to all who know us or read this that our choosing to adopt a child (soon to be children) is not just something to do or a need to be filled. No, it is simply our choosing to be obedient to our God. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27 We serve a mighty God and without him, David and I could not even attempt to do this. Praise to him who makes all things possible! "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

This picture was taken one year ago today in the Civil Affairs Building in Changsha, Hunan China. This is the moment we first met our baby, Lilly Kaishu! What a blessing!

Here is our Lilly waking up in her crib in the orphanage. This photo was taken in February of 2007 when Lilly was known as "Su Su" and was about 16 months old. Adele at Blessed Kids made this and many other photos of Lilly possible.

Here's Lilly waking up this morning, a year after joining our family. A year ago today, Chen Kai Shu woke up in her crib in the orphanage in Chenzhou City, China for the very last time. Every morning since, she has woken up in a home full of love. A home filled with love for a precious baby girl born on the other side of the world and love for an amazing God who brought us together. Adoption is indeed a miracle and is the work of our loving Heavenly Father.

This picture was taken in early June last year when Lilly had only been home for about 2 weeks.

And here is our Lilly girl in the same chair on our porch not quite a year later. She has changed quite a bit and has grown alot! She has gained about 7 pounds and grown about 5 inches taller.

Lilly has always, from day one, felt my hair between her fingers as she is doing here. While she does this she also sucks her tongue, and it is just precious. We watched her "Gotcha Day" video today and saw her doing this while we were still in the Civil Affairs Building.

We are so blessed to have been chosen by God to be Lilly's parents. What a gift! "Every good and perfect gift is from above. . ." James 1:17 For this and all gifts, we praise our Father in heaven and offer him our hearts full of love and gratitude.

Lilly loves her Daddy and oh, does her Daddy love her! It all started a year ago today!!

Not only was today our first anniversary of being together as a forever family, it was also David's birthday! Here he is surrounded by all the little ones who call him "Dad". However one little one is missing, and David mentioned her today saying "we will be heading to China to get Ellie soon. " "Soon" just can't come soon enough when it comes to finally holding your child who has been in your heart for months. We're coming Ellie! We just don't know how "soon" it will be.

Country Living

Shelby and Katie taking a break to show off their piles of weeds. They are a huge help around the house and the garden! Thanks girls!!!

Shelby and Katie hard at work doing some serious gardening! It's a hot and dirty job but someone's got to do it!

Gardening by Fulton! He doesn't care for weeding too much, but he wanted to be included in the pictures. SO this one is pretty much a staged photo- LOL!!!

Fulton is better suited for picking blackberries- instant gratification. He and David picked a bucketful of blackberries from around our property. Yummy! Time to make blackberry jam.

Ethan helped a little and now he's tired and ready for a break- A cold Caprisun and blackberries!

Log In Date - WHAT???

We received our Log in Date (LID) this past Wednesday. It was quite a disappointment to say the least. We were dossier to China (DTC) on March 4. Typically a dossier is logged in within a few days to 2 weeks. Well, our LID is April 7. What a shock! We took some pictures of Lilly showing a range of emotions through her facial expressions. These pretty much sum up how we feel about this LID!


"WHAT? April 7?"

"Please say it isn't so!!!"

"This is not right! That's over 4 weeks!"

"I really want Ellie to come home soon!"

"This is just too much for a 2 year old to take!"

Our Chenzhou Reunion and a Birthday

We had such a wonderful time at Sarah Mei's family's farm. Thank you H. family for having us all! Here are all the siblings with Lilly, Lainie, and Sarah Mei. Adoption is so beautiful. To think that less than a year ago, these girls were orphans, the forgotten members of this world. Yet today, they are surrounded by loving families who cherish them. Now that is truly precious!

Lainie and Lilly having fun on the tricycle out in the barn. What cutie pies!

It didn't take long to figure out that Lilly and Sarah Mei are the "wild girls". Here they are zooming through the kitchen while Lainie, in the background, is content to stand with her mom.

Lainie, Lilly, and Sarah Mei reunited again. Aren't they precious? We sure think so!! All 3 girls were on the same Special Needs list with CWA back in December of 2006. They all had heart defects and lived together in the Chenzhou City Children's Welfare Institute in Hunan, China until the day they met their "forever families". Lilly is the oldest of the three. She turned 2 in October. Sarah Mei was 2 in January and Lainie is the baby of the group as she turned 2 in February. As you can see, they are all doing well now.

Fulton was celebrating his 7th birthday with his family. He had a great time and received lots of cool gifts. I must tell you the story of this cake. I tried and tried to make white icing red and forgot how difficult that is. That's why the icing is hot pink. Fulton was very kind and said that he was really glad that it was a family party and not a friend party. He said he would have been embarrassed had his friends seen his pink cake! Can't say I blame him!!! Things get worse. . .

I put the cake in the oven instead of covering it to preserve all the icing, but I forgot it was in there. I turned the oven on to have it ready to keep the pizzas warm. Well, needless to say, I didn't remember that the cake was in the oven until I opened the oven to put the pizzas in. Thus we had a "twice-baked cookie cake". That explains the flattened look of the baseballs! What a good laugh! And most importantly, it still tasted very yummy!

Fulton is thanking future-Uncle Nick and his Aunt Michelle for his present. Michelle and Nick got engaged a few months ago and are to be married next April. Michelle is my sister, and we are so happy for the two of them.

Ethan's slam-dunking already!!! Well, not really! Ethan's future Uncle Nick had the great idea of holding Ethan up and doing some "trick photography" so you couldn't tell. Ethan had fun!

As we wait for Ellie!

As we wait for Ellie, we have been very busy! Here is a glimpse of some of the fun we have all had over the last several weeks! Missing are pictures of David and the boys fishing- forgot to take the camera-oops! Also missing are pictures from baseball games. We have been out at the field quite a bit, but again we have forgotten the camera! We' ll do better, and yes, we have plenty of games left to capture Fulton doing his thing!


My dear friend Cyndi invited us to go along with her to the Casting Crowns concert. Cyndi rode with another friend so I don't have a picture of her. Here are my good friends Sharon and Kim.
It was a wonderful evening and and a very moving time of worship for me. Thank you, Cyndi!

Getting a hug from Katie before going to the concert.

David playing his role as the "strong" father! Here he is man-handeling Lilly and Ethan as we were attempting to get everybody in position for a picture with friends of ours who were visiting. They have 4 children so it was quite the task!

Lilly had quite a good time playing in a puddle on our patio. It was just the 2 of us at home, and it was so fun watching her delight in a simple puddle of water.

Have I ever mentioned that Lilly loves to climb? Well she does. Here she is taking a rest on Mimi's coffee table. Notice the Easter candy she is waiting ever so patiently for some sweet soul to open for her.

Shelby and Katie opened up "S & K Nail Salon" on a recent Friday night. I received a pedicure and manicure as well as a massage. I was treated marvelously I might add. When I was finished, little Miss Lilly had to be pampered as well!

Just minding her own business as her cute little footsies soak! Like they needed it! Feet don't get much cuter than her little size 4s!

Lilly really enjoyed soaking her feet in the tub. "This is the life, Mommy!" Too bad Ellie was not here to join in on the fun!

Now Lilly is all the way in the foot tub! Can you tell she had a blast at her first "nail salon"?

Happy Resurrection Day!

We had a wonderful day celebrating the resurrection of our Lord. Our church's sunrise service was beautiful. Each year it is held down by the pond, and it is so amazing to take in all of God's creation. We hope that you also had a special day with family remembering the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross over 2,000 years ago, and that He lives today!


What a lovely little group except that we are missing Ellie. Next year there will be 6- WOW!

Ready to go to the sunrise service. Thankfully it started at 8:00 not 6:00, so we made it on time- no small feat for this group. Here Lilly is practicing showing that she is 2 years old. She has a little trouble holding down that other finger. Oh well, she will be ready when she turns 3!

Ethan and Lilly enjoying the candy from their eggs that they found at our church's Easter egg hunt.

Lilly looks a little confused, but she had lots of helpers who spotted the eggs and then led her straight to them. Thanks to Katie and Mary Francis for helping Lilly find her first Easter eggs.

It was quite a brisk morning since Easter was celebrated so early this year. Ethan also had a great time hunting for eggs.

Fulton showing off his loot. He found more than most children and with a little coaxing, he did share a few eggs with his siblings and others.

Katie and Lilly taking a break from finding eggs. Lilly sure enjoyed her first Easter Egg hunt.