China bound!

So, What have I been up to the last week?  Oh, just packing to go to China in 4 days....yep!  Down to 4 days!  But, you know what, even amongst the craziness of booking plane tickets, booking hotels, wiring money, stressing about our dwindling bank account, trying to get my kids situated, packing for another child, attempting to pack for me, stocking up on food while I am gone, making sure my dog is taken care of, thinking about missing the first day of Kindergarten, First and Second grade, missing my 8 year olds birthday, trying to get Avery's room finished, dealing with a mal-functioning air conditioning unit (joy!), finalizing all the last minute paperwork (insurance stuff, consulate packets, passport id's, etc), picking up meds, and so much more that my head is spinning.....I actually feel a sense of PEACE that could only come from God!
It will be difficult leaving my kids for 15 days, but I know they are in great hands.  Tag team consisting of Nana and Grandad and Meme and Pop!  I think I have everything organized, but you know what, they will survive. 
I have taken the time to write about 6 letters and 6 small treats to be opened while we are away.  I think that will be special to read a letter from us every few days.
So, it is imminent...we are spending our last few days as a family of 6!  We have dreamed about this day and longed for it for so long and God has finally brought us to this point. 
I think about little Avery in the Fuling Orphanage.  She has NO idea what is about to happen.  Life as she knows it is about to change--BIG TIME!  We are expecting her to not be too thrilled when she is placed in our hands because the only life she knows is in an institution, but we know we are her parents and she belongs with us. 

We invite anyone who is interested in praying for us and following our journey to follow my blog!  We will try to update daily while we are there.  I will post our flight information and itinerary before we leave.
Can't wait to share the final chapter of this journey with you!

Birthday. Lake. BIG announcement!

We have had a whirlwind last week! Gray turned 3...Happy Birthday little man! We celebrated at home and then headed up to the Lake house to celebrate with all the cousins!

This was our 3rd annual lake trip. Everyone on my side of the family (my parents, all my sisters, their husbands and kids) come up at some point during the last 2 weeks of July. At one point, we had 13 kids (11 and under) and 11 adults in one house....SO FUN and SO LOUD!

My kids had so much fun. I cannot even put into words how much fun they had with their cousins, but here are some pictures:
Tubing on the new "hamburger" was by far the fave thing to do!

HAPPY 3rd Birthday Gray!

So....while at the lake, I get THAT phone call.  The one I have been anticipating for days!

  WE GOT TRAVEL APPROVAL!! 

Hip Hip Hooray!

Here's the crazy thing!  We leave for China in

10 days!

well, now 8 days!  Oh my goodness.  It is a crazy in my head right now of everything I need to do to get ready. 

But, Praise God!  We are almost there. 

GNO

To take my mind off the fact that I am checking my email and looking at my phone a gazillion times a day checking to see if I got TRAVEL APPROVAL, my sweet friends had a little celebration for Avery last night.  It was small and intimate and we had a great time. 
We sat outside and visited until the place closed down!  It was such a fun special treat to be with all my best friends celebrating Avery coming home.  Although, I requested no gifts because, come on....this is baby #5, my friends apparently do not listen.  I got some really cute "new" things for Avery. 
The whole night was so special and I feel so blessed to have such amazing loyal friends and family that have been praying for our family throughout this whole process. 

I will post pictures for you soon.

From Here to There

I have said it before, adoption is not for the faint of heart.  I had to learn this the hard way.  You see, I like to know what is next when I am jumping into something "major", something "Life Changing"!  Fly by the seat of my pants?  NOT ME!  Now, I can deal with it and put my big girl britches on when things don't go as planned.   As a mom, you have to, or life would be pretty tough (and very stressful).
One of the many reasons we chose to adopt from China was because it was as well of an oiled machine as you could get in the world of adoption.  Not a lot of surprises.  Predictable! 
Yep!  Sign me up for that...predictable!
Well...It has been far from "easy".  Far from comfortable.  Far from predictable. 
It has been an emotional roller coaster.  Uncomfortable.  Trying of patience.  A lot of work.  A lot of
WAITING! (And WAITING and WAITING and WAITING and WAITING).
Now of course, it has already been worth it up to now.  And God only knows how blessed our lives will very soon be because she will be in our arms, but the waiting is hard.  The waiting is emotional.  The waiting is uncomfortable!  I am holding onto the promise that God is preparing her for His perfect timing for us to receive her into our family.  He knows.  His hand is on this...it has been all along.
TRUST.  PATIENCE.  OBEDIENCE. 
We sit and wait for that phone call or email to tell us "it is time to come".   Any day now.  So, we wait and wait and wait!
Here is a run down of everything we have had to do over the last 10 months to get to where we are right now....I am exhausted just thinking back on it!
Initial Application
Lifeline 1st Meeting
4 Home Study Meetings
Home Visit
Required Readings
Required Online Course
Fingerprints (State)
Child Abuse Background Check
2 Medicals
Passports
I-800A Approval
Fingerprints (FBI)
Dossier Info (14 or so documents make this up)
Dossier to China
Referral
Travel Visas
PRE -Approval
LOI
Approval
LOA
NVC letter
Cabled
Article 5
and lastly TA!  (Travel Approval)

Room.....check!

I finally finished Avery's room.  I have been slowly doing a little bit at a time, and other than a few tiny things here and there, it is ready! 

Because we are now at the point of just waiting for THAT phone call to tell us to "come on", we are all a little apprehensive every time the phone rings!

Here are a few pictures of her room.  I did good budget wise because I was able to use a lot of what I already had. 

 My mom gave me this sweet painting she found!  I love it....it is perfect!

It hangs above her changing table.

 Superman practicing with baby

 Kate and Emme...spending some time together this week.

First One Home!

The first of the "Red Thread Moms" has come home with their precious little girl!  We were able to be at the airport to see them come home to Birmingham!  It was so much fun to see a family of (now) 3 get off the plane.  We are so happy for their family!
The crazy thing of it is that I am next to go!  We are so close to holding our little Avery.  I kept thinking how it won't be long for Matt and I to leave, heading to China and bring home our number 5!
Here are some pictures from the homecoming!
Take a look at the shirts our group had made for each special homecoming over the next year or so....all these little girls coming home to Birmingham.

 My kids loved seeing Karyle.  They are so excited to get Avery home!

 RED THREAD MOMS! 

We are missing a few "moms"

Just Peachy

When you have young ones in the house, you find random things in random spots.  Although we are working on some "life skills" this Summer, we are still needing quite a bit of practice,  (or so it seems)!

Ummm...gross!  I guess SOMEONE decided they only wanted a few bites of their peach and would save it to offer it up to someone else.  AND the fact that our fruit bowl is right next to our precious hermit crabs is another post in itself!

2nd of the 4th!

Our annual July 4th beach trip was a big success this year!  We always have a lot of fun, but this year just took the cake.  I feel like all the kids are at a really great age and things are just, well....easier than in the past.  The boys spent hours in the ocean swimming, boogie boarding, and body surfing.  Gray and Kate had the most fun at the pool, but they actually seemed to enjoy the beach too this year.

We just took it easy!  We didn't go go go all the time...we just hung out and enjoyed spending time with family! 

Another change this year was that, I truly think this is the first vacation that my husband has ever fully taken.  In that, he was able to get away and not feel overwhelmed by the pressures of work.  He is such a hard worker and it is very difficult for him to let work go because he has so much on his plate, but he did it this trip and fully enjoyed every minute of it....we all did!

Loving this Summer!

 Fireworks in Sandestin were amazing this year!

 My little fish.  He actually learned how to swim a little without his life jacket.  The kid has no fear and it such a little fish.  He is a natural in the water!

 Best Dad Ever!

 Happy Hour at the pool!

The First of the 4th!