December 5th - December 22nd
We will travel for fourteen hours on a flight from Chicago to Beijing... Leaving on December 5th... A few days to recover from Jet Lag, and then on to see the fantastic sights with our Group, like: The Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, and The Summer Palace... We will even have the opportunity to visit an International Church only open to passport holders from other countries... With our America World Group of adoptive families, all of us filled with joy and expectation, we utilize these days to prepare together for the BIG EVENT: Monday, Dec. 11th- Gotcha Day! Each family will go to wherever in China their child is from... We will go on to Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei, to meet my mei mei, Sarah Evangeline LuHua!! Then we will be off to the Civil Affairs Appointment... On Friday, Dec. 15th- We have an afternoon flight to Guangzhou. And then, Dec. 16th- 17th- Fill out Consulate Forms and have Sarah Lu's Medical Exam... We will have our U.S. Consulate Appointment on Monday, Dec. 18th. And then, Tuesday, Dec. 19th- Pick up Sarah Lu's visa. Then, we depart from Guangzhou to Hong Kong and come home on Friday, Dec. 22nd...
I will try to post everyday while we are in China, So stay tuned...

These past few days we have been at a Chinese Conference with our very good friends! It was great, and the best part was playing with our little friends (who are also adopted from China) Faith, Charity, and Joyeaux (who gave Sarah Lu her bed). While we were there, we were talking about Sarah Lu and showing the girls her picture, Joyeaux looked at her photo and proclaimed, "She is gonna be my BEST friend!" It was SO sweet!! I can't wait for all of the girls to meet! Us and the girls!

Joyeaux Li and Me!Chrissy and Faith

Pretty Charity Rose!

Joyeaux and Rachael

The twins, Charity and Faith!

Joyeaux Li!

An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will not break. ~An ancient Chinese belief

We got our Consulate Appointment!!!!!! We are SO happy!! We're going to China!!!
And, if you haven't noticed yet, this blog has a new look in honor of getting our TA! Sarah's oldest sister designed it! If you can't see it yet, press refresh. It looks awesome!! Thank You Rachael!!!!

It is with much JOY that I present my little sister

Sarah Evangeline LuHua

It's finally here! After 94 days of waiting we have our TA! We are all SO happy!! The call came at 1:51, I was actually the one to get the call! While both my parents were with Chrissy at the dentist the phone rang, and I saw, "AWAA", and I was shaking!! I answered the phone, but I didn't actually know that we had TA yet when "The Call" was over because she wanted to tell my parents first. So, then I had about 10 minutes of excitement and agony, until finally my mom called home and said that we had TA...Then I screamed!! I told Rachael and she was SO excited too! Chrissy was still under anesthetics when my parents told her. The entire dentist office was congratulating them!
Our tentative travel dates are leaving the 5th(which would be 2 days earlier than the rest of the group, so that we can have more time in Beijing), Gotcha Day being the 11th of December, which is Sarah Lu's half birthday, She will be exactly 2 1/2 on that day!! And depending on consulate appointments, we should be coming home the 21st or the 22nd, The 21st is Sarah Lu's oldest sister, Rachael's 21st Birthday! So if we came home on that day, it would be very fitting!! I will post some pictures of Sarah Lu on here soon, right now I better get started packing!

I am learning how to use our video program, so that once Sarah is home, I can make her adoption video! So, yesterday I made this video of our two dogs!

We found this adorable "Little Mommy" doll at the store and we just had to get it for Sarah Lu! We are going to take it to China with us and probably give it to her on "Gotcha Day"!

Today is Day 92 on our wait for TA...hopefully it will come soon! I want to get Sarah!!

We got a very special bed for Sarah Lu yesterday! It was given to her by little Joyeaux Li, who has just graduated into a big bed. I can't wait for Joyeaux and Sarah to meet. I know they will be great friends. They both share the common bond of being adopted from China, and not only China, but the same city as well!

Above: Baba putting together Sarah Lu's bed.
Below: Sarah's bed all put together.
(I will share pictures of her bed with it's super cute bedding
with the completed nursery pics soon!)

Thank you Joyeaux Li!Joy Li and me in April, during a visit to the zoo!

Focus on the Family has been doing a week long special on adoption. Tonight was an interview with Steven Curtis Chapman talking about his adoption of Shaohannah. It was an old interview, previously broadcasted five years ago (before the adoption of his other two daughters from China). When it aired five years ago, we were listening. That first time we just sat there, never daring to leave the room, and hanging on to each word. It was the first time we heard the song "When Love Takes You In." And a time we just felt that we had a little girl in China. It was so great to listen to that again, especially now, when we are SO close to bringing home our Sarah LuHua! (almost Day 89)
If you missed today's broadcast you can listen to it here.

This weekend we went to our place up North. There was somewhat of a snowstorm on our way there and by the time we arrived we all just fell into bed. But, in the morning we awoke to gorgeous scenes...a true "Winter Wonderland." Soon Sarah Lu will be coming with us up there, in fact probably next time we go, she will be with us! We are now on Day 86 on our wait for TA, we hope to hear something tommorrow...

Our two churches gave us a WONDERFUL Baby Shower!

Here are some of the great women from our church who await Sarah Lu's arrival!

Sarah LuHua received many beautiful gifts!

Sarah's three big sisters with one of her new pretty dresses!

A lovely handmade quilt for Sarah's bed!

We are overwhelmed! Thank you SO much, church family!