Happy 5th Anniversary of our LID!!!!

I have been very negligent about writing since we got home from China.  I have SO many things to share, but I devote every spare minute I have to Molly Kate, and I must say, I am LOVING it!!!!
Today is a special day for us, though, because it was five years ago on May 29, 2006 that we were officially logged in to adopt.  May 29 has been special for us each year since then, but we are so thankful to have the Molly Katherine Pierce we waited for in our arms this year as we celebrate!!!  We actually waited a little over five years for her from the time we began the adoption process, but we know with all our hearts and souls that she was DEFINITELY worth the wait!!!!  That's what I keep telling my friends who are still waiting for their precious China doll.  I may have mentioned this before, but I truly think we appreciate her more because we DID have to wait so long for her!!!  God had everything under control all along, and I'm so glad we were able to trust Him and truly believe that.

I hope to get caught up soon on entries I would like to add to this blog.  I also want to add pictures so you can all see how Molly Kate has truly bloomed in the three months we have had her.  Yesterday was our three month anniversary of her adoption.  It is unbelievable how much she has changed in those three months.  She doesn't even look the same---not that her physical features have changed that much.  She just has just come out of her shell!!!  She wakes up with a big smile on her face, and that smile is the last thing I see when I put her to bed every night.  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, DEAR LORD for blessing us with this child!!!!!

ONE MONTH LATER......

One month ago today, February 27, 2011, our lives changed forever.  It was on that day, that a crying baby was placed in my arms.  It was the day that she left the only life she had ever known----life in an orphanage.  She was not only handed over forever to people she had never seen before, but also to people who looked nothing like her.  I will never forget holding her in my arms as she cried her little heart out, but as I held her close and told her, "Mama loves you SO much!" she slowly stopped crying.  She allowed me to hold her close and she laid her little head on my shoulder. I truly think at that early moment, God bonded our hearts forever.  My love for her could not have been any stronger.  She may not have been conceived within me, but the truth of the matter is that I had carried her in my heart from the beginning.  I thought she was the  most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen----just like I had thought my boys were the most beautiful boys ever when I gave birth to them.

February 27, 2011

I don't think any of us truly realized what an impact Molly Kate would have on our lives.  I knew things would change for us, and I truly felt like I was ready for that change.  Okay, I have to confess that I wondered if we would bond, or if I would think she was cute.   I even allowed myself, one brief moment, to wonder if I was REALLY up to being a mother again----could I really handle it?  On the Saturday night before we left for China, I made a trip to Walmart---my "get ready for the baby" trip.  It took me almost two hours to get everything I thought we would need for our soon to be Molly Kate, and as I was standing in the check out line with my shopping cart overflowing with diapers, baby wipes, bibs, baby powder, baby lotion, butt cream, etc., and as others were looking my way and probably thinking, "She must be getting ready for a grandchild!" I looked up and said to myself, "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE WE DOING?!?!?!"  The day before we left I was SO stressed from having to get everything packed for our trip for everyone....I just looked forward to the moment we were finally on the plane!!!  Once I reached that point, though, I knew we were doing exactly what God wanted us to do, and what we had been waiting over FIVE LONG YEARS for.  The wee trace of doubt I had allowed to enter my mind (never my heart) disappeared.  WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO GET OUR BABY GIRL!!!!

Oh, how our lives have changed!!!!!  If life was any better, I don't think I could stand it!!!!  I can't explain what it's like to wake up each morning and look over in the Pack 'n Play next to our bed and see the sweetest little face looking up at me with the brightest of smiles, dimples showing all over her face.  And when she says to me, "MY MAMA," my heart melts.  Molly Kate is the sweetest, happiest baby!  She smiles and giggles.....she LOVES to cuddle and snuggle.  We don't share her to be held by a lot of people yet, because we want her to be totally bonded to us and know that we aren't going to leave her, but she sure has a lot of those sweet smiles to share with others----smiles so big that her eyes almost disappear.

March 27, 2011

SO, what does everyone else in our family think about Molly?  All three of her brothers are absolutely CRAZY about her!!!!  Evan gave up a trip to Florida for spring break (his senior year) to come home to spend the week with her.  He's already planning to come home again this weekend, and I don't think it's to see Roger and me!  The minute Keaton hits the door each day, he heads her way to do "the tickle monster" with her.  Even though I really don't like the phrase, I had to laugh the other day when Keaton had gone in to check on her as she was sleeping. When he came back out, he said, "Mom, she's just so FREAKIN' cute!"  Shea was crazy about her from the first moment she was placed in our arms.  He was the best help while we were in China, and even though he's gone a lot from home, he heads her way as soon as he comes in the door.  I saw an entry on his Facebook a couple of days ago that said, "Things are on the up and up, and I love my sister!"  You know, I think we ALL agree that she's a keeper!!!!  Even B.B. and Sophie Grace (our precious pups) and Allie (our cat) love her!!!!  She was terrified of them at first, but now she accepts their licks of love with giggles and squeals.  Well, SOMETIMES she still lets us know that she's had enough!!!

We have had so many people tell us that Molly Kate is such a lucky little girl.  I know I've said this before, but WE are truly the lucky ones.  Roger and I have been blessed with a precious daughter....a life that has already SO enriched our lives.  God is SO good!!!!!!

WE ARE HOME!!!!!---AND THE PARTY HAS JUST BEGUN!!!!!

I realize that I'm writing this almost a week after we actually arrived home from China.  The delay isn't because we have needed time to adapt and adjust to our new life----it's because I've just been having TOO MUCH FUN playing with our sweet baby girl, that I really haven't thought a lot about posting a message!!!
I guess since it's 2:00 A.M., and I'm having to pull the graveyard shift to do laundry, AND our baby girl is sound asleep, I can take a little time to tell you about our trip home.

We left Guangzhou at 10:30 on Thursday morning, March 10.  Even though I was VERY ready to see my family, friends, and pets, it was rather bittersweet to leave China.  I realized that we were taking our precious daughter away from her homeland---her heritage, but at the same time, I knew, without a doubt, that we were taking her to a NEW country---a NEW home where life could offer her SO much more than she could have ever dreamed of in China.

Needless to say, I dreaded the LONG flight home, with Molly Kate who absolutely hated riding on the bus every time we had an outing.  I figured if she didn't like bus rides, she probably wouldn't like plane rides, either.  I prayed A LOT about our trip home.  I just wanted Molly Kate to be able to rest, and not be miserable for so many hours.  My prayers were answered.  Even though she did fuss some, we really had a good trip---LONG, but managable.  We DID have one episode, though, that I MUST share.

Let me start out by saying, that we made a mistake by not buying a seat on the plane for Molly Kate.  I LOVED the closeness of holding her, but even had we not used the extra seat for her, had we had one, it would have been nice to set the diaper bag in to give more leg room.  We opted, though for the lap seat, so we had to make the best of it.  (The NEXT time I WILL buy a seat for the baby!!!!---the NEXT TIME?????!!!!!!!)  ANYWAY, I had held Molly Kate for quite some time, and she had taken a nap.  She woke up, though, and it was obvious that she was tired of being held, so I sat her on the floor right in front of my seat, by the diaper bag.  She was happy.  She laid her head over on the diaper bag, so I figured she was still sleepy.  She was hot when she woke up, and I had stripped her down to her shirt and diaper.  I put a blanket and my jacket on the floor, and had her lie back on it.  She immediately stretched out and fell back asleep.  I had a little problem.  She kept stretching her legs out, and her tiny feet would stick out in the aisle, so I had to stay awake and keep my foot at the end of her feet to keep them pushed in so they wouldn't get stepped on or run over by a food or drink cart going down the aisle. WELL, our little angel slept for FIVE STRAIGHT hours!!!!  It was GREAT!!!! When she awoke, she was in the BEST mood, BUT there was a SERIOUS problem!!!! 

Let me back up a little and tell you that Roger and I had done some problem solving before we ever started our flight home.  Molly Kate came to us potty trained---that is, she is potty trained, as long as she has her potty chair.  SO, we got the smart idea that we could remove the SEAT of the potty chair and I could take it to the bathroom on the plane, and set it on the commode seat, and Molly Kate could use the bathroom as normal.  Let me tell you, that may SOUND easy, but on my first AND last attempt to do this, I found out that it was quite a difficult task. Those bathrooms just aren't BIG enough to hold a baby, put at potty chair seat on the commode, take the diaper off the baby, and stand and say "Ba Ba'" for 30 minutes.  The noise in the bathroom from the engine of the plane, and the potty seat's instability on the commode were enough to convince Molly Kate that Daddy's and Mommy's idea just wasn't going to work.  That meant  we had to rely totally on diapers for the bathroom jobs.  Since we discovered from the beginning that Molly Kate could probably win any POOPING CONTEST against any other child OR adult, we were a little concerned about what might happen.

Back to the five hour nap......As I think I've already said, Molly Kate woke up in a GREAT mood,  but when I got ready to pick her up, it was obvious that she felt MUCH better, not simply because of the long nap.  She had pooped SO much, that it had OOZED out of the top of her diaper, all the way up her back, and UNDER her on the plane floor, SO much that there was a nice BIG pile of POOP!!!!  Needless to say, I couldn't just pick her up and carry her to the bathroom, because we would have left a poop trail all the way.  I did what any good mother would do.  I proceeded to sit down in the middle of the aisle on the plane and start cleaning her up.  Well, it didn't take long for the stewardess to approach with a can of spray deoderant and tell me that I couldn't sit there and change her---that I had to take her to the bathroom.  I tried to explain that I couldn't pick her up in the condition she was in---she insisted that I couldn't change her there.  I was rather ticked....I mean, what was she going to DO about me sitting there????---kick me off the plane?!?!  I continued to clean as quickly as I could, and then when I felt I got her to the point she wouldn't drip down the aisle, AND I had also cleaned up the floor as best as I could, I wrapped her in the blanket and proceeded to head to the bathroom---you, know, the bathroom that isn't big enough to turn around in while ALONE, much less with a child who has POOP all over her.  I got the changing table down from the wall, though, and eventually, I had a spotless Molly Kate.  I washed out her clothes, and I gave the poopy blanket to a stewardess and asked for clean one, which I took back to my seat, and then folded and put it on the floor over where Molly Kate had leaked (I did clean it as well as I could before I did that, so don't say, "Yuck!!")  And, where was Roger during all of this?  I don't exactly remember, but I'm quite sure he was either, playing games on the screen in front of him, listening to music, or snoring, which he did a lot of on the trip home.  Oh, well......

LUCKILY, Molly Kate didn't have another dirty diaper until we got to Atlanta, and was waiting in immigration.  We actually had to wait in immigration long enough for her to have had TEN dirty diapers.  Let me say that the evening shift gets in NO hurry there.  In fact, it took them SO long for them to open our "MYSTERIOUS SEALED BROWN ENVELOPE" that we missed our flight to Nashville.  By the time immigration got to us, and said their few words and sent us on our way, with our little girl made in China, who was now OFFICIALLY a U.S citizen, it was ten minutes before our flight was supposed to leave, and we hadn't even been through customs.  We were advised to rebook our flight.  Luckily, there was a flight leaving about three hours later, and we were lucky enough---no, BLESSED enough----to get the last three available seats on the plane.  In everything bad, there's something good (my favorite saying).  After we rebooked, we went to customs.  We were a little concerned about having trouble there, because of stories we had heard.  Roger had bought a set of golf clubs in Guangzhou, and I had 18 birthday candles that were actually a form of fireworks, spread out in our five suitcases....we weren't sure that they wouldn't be confiscated there.  I think, though, we looked a little ragged and worn to the main officer working customs, and I think, too, when he asked if there was anything else in Roger's golf bag, and Roger replied, "Only dirty underwear," he had mercy on us and just let everything pass through.  I honestly don't think any of our suitcases were even opened!

We arrived in Nashville sometime around midnight, and my mother and Phyllis, my sister-in-law, were waiting for us to drive us home!!!  It was SO nice to be able to ride and not have to drive ourselves.  I was concerned how Molly Kate would react to riding in a carseat for the first time.  She was as snug as a bug in a rug in it, and went to sleep.  She never fussed all the way home. 

When we pulled in the driveway, there were pink balloons tied to the mailbox, and a cute sign taped to our door welcoming Molly Kate home.  Our sweet neighbor next door had done the decorating.  Molly Kate is blessed to have a playmate who is only three days older than her.  His name is Tate.  The sign was from hiim!!

Once we got everything unloaded, we decided we were hungry.  We had food on the plane---YUCK---and we really needed some nourishment.   Roger and Shea went to Waffle House and ate breakfast, and then brought food back for me.  I got Molly Kate settled in the Pack 'n Play in our room, and by the time Roger and I got in bed, it was getting daylight outside.  We slept until almost noon on Friday.

Roger is still suffering from jet lag.  I haven't had time to have it yet, since we now have a little sweetheart to take care of!!!!   I'm glad to be home, and have that LONG plane ride behind me, but I DO hope to go back to China some day!!!!

I have new pictures of Molly Kate, but I will post those later.  I will add another entry soon, and tell you all about her!!!

OUR TRIP IS ABOUT OVER, BUT THE REAL JOURNEY HAS JUST BEGUN.....

 It is 2:00 AM in Guangzhou.  We are leaving at 10:30 AM for the airport to start our LONG trip back home.  It's hard to believe that it has been TWO weeks since I was running around frantically, trying to get everything ready for not only Roger and me, but also for Molly Kate for a two week stay in China, and NOW that two weeks is almost over.....

We are getting ready to take our daughter away from the country of her birth to a new home almost 8,000 miles away.  But you know, she left the only life she had known from birth the day we took her in our arms.  That was truly the day her new life began.  It has been amazing to watch Molly Kate as she's observed her surroundings each day.  When we were in Nanchang, she was SO quiet, and even when we were in public, or with the other families in our group, the only sound she ever made, IF she made any sound at all, was to cry.  Tonight when we were eating our evening meal with Greg and Tami Staut and their precious baby Marissa, (one of the DEAR families in our travel group), Molly Kate was babbling and smiling, and leaning over to me to give me LOTS of loving.  She was reaching out to Marissa and truly acknowledging that there was another child in her presence.  When we left the restaurant, we did some last minute shopping, and she smiled at every person who talked to her.  Ten days ago before Molly Kate was delivered to our hotel, we were given updated information about her.  We were told that she was shy, bashful, introverted, and cried when she saw strangers.  That information was very true.  I said, WAS.....  Our little lady has certainly come out of her shell!!!!  She is still cautious around strangers, and her real security is with Roger, Shea, and me.  We can tell that our bond with her gets stronger every day, and that's exactly what she needs.  If you are one of the lucky people who is going to get to meet our Molly Kate in person, please don't be offended if she doesn't want to be held by you.  We want to be careful not to overwhelm her.  We want her, though, to love everyone and just be a sweet, happy little girl.  With time, we truly believe she is going to be a little social butterfly!!!  I can promise you that when you see her smile, it will truly melt your heart.....

SO, our trip is just about over, but the REAL journey has just begun.  Molly Kate will always be our little girl "made in China," but once we land in Atlanta at 9:05 on Thursday night, she will officially be an AMERICAN!!!!! 

Roger and I can't thank you enough for all the prayers that we know have been lifted for us and for our sweet baby.  PLEASE don't stop praying for us now!!!!  We know we still have lots of adjustments and routines to get in to in the coming days.  Our life has been changed forever.... but, OH HOW MUCH SWEETER it is now!!!!!



How sweet it is to be loved by you....



RED COUCH DAY!!!!!

Can our smiles get any bigger?

We have had the BEST DAY today that we've had since GOTCHA DAY!!!!!  I don't think Molly Kate has cried once today----not even on the shuttle ride to the Pearl Market this morning.  That was our first destination of the day.  I came away with a strand of pearls for Molly Kate on her wedding day!  I also bought a couple of other gifts.   We were in an area of shopping that stretched for TEN city blocks.  After the Pearl Factory shopping spree, we walked the streets with the Greg and Tami and their beautiful adopted daughter, Marissa, one of the other families in our group.  Our window shopping was interrupted by rain, though, and the fact that Tami and I REALLY needed to use the bathroom, and the squatty potties in the public restrooms just didn't appeal to us!!!!

We took a taxi back to our hotel and lounged around awhile, and then we headed back out on another short shopping adventure.  We had laundry to pick up, as well as a couple of more items we had specifically intended to buy.  We made our stops, and then headed back to the hotel to get Molly Kate ready for the RED COUCH picture.  I think I explained that this picture is one that is made of all the babies in our travel group, as well as individual family pictures.  I will be perfectly honest---I had prepared myself for Molly Kate to be the ONE baby out of the group who would cry when the picture was made.  WRONG!!!!  I think our sweetie was actually the only one who DIDN'T cry.  In fact, she seemed to enjoy all the cameras flashing!!  I wonder if that could possibly be because we have taken no less than 500 pictures of her in the nine days we've had her!!!!!



Girls, the camera is this way!



Hey, Mom!  How do I look?

Do you see that cute little boy?

Dad, he's got his arm around me.
 Mason was adopted from Korea last July. 
His family is adopting a new sister from China.

I can't explain how much Molly Kate has changed since that first moment I took her into my arms.  She really is no longer the quiet, shy baby in the group.  She babbles and laughs and smiles, just like the other girls do.  She's actually becoming quite a clown, too, and she LOVES to snuggle and be smooched on!!!  I know I've said this a MILLION times, but she is just SOOOOOOO precious!!!!

"Mona Lisa Smile"
Oh yeah.... I'm loved!

Tonight, four out of the five families in our travel group ate at Lucy's, an American food restaurant by our hotel.  One of our families, the Newbill's, will be leaving tomorrow for Hong Kong.  This is sad for all of us.  There is no way to explain the bond that has developed among five families who, thirteen days ago, had never met.  Even though the rest of us will be going our separate ways on Thursday, we will be connected in our hearts forever and will have friendships that last for a lifetime.  There will be that invisible thread that stretches from San Antonio, Texas to Denver, Colorado, to Benton, Kentucky, to Woodbridge, Virginia, to Raeford, North Carolina.  It is a connection that only those who have adopted internationally can understand.  My life has been changed PROFOUNDLY since we first decided to adopt.  God has blessed me with true friends all of the country who have already been where we are now.  God IS so good!!!!!!

Our travel group.

THE PAPERWORK IS DONE!!!!!

The Happy Pierce Family!

Today was a big day for us.  It was the day of our consulate appointment to turn in all of our paperwork for Molly Kate's visa, and also the day that our group took "THE OATH."  It was an emotional moment for me, because I knew it was the final step we had to finish to be able to bring Molly Kate home with us, although she was officially ours----no giving her back or anyone taking her back---LAST Monday.  I was a little disappointed in the oath we took.  I wanted to raise my hand and promise that I was going to love my daughter with all my heart and soul and try to be the best mother to her that I can possibly be until the day I die.  Instead the oath was simply swearing that everything we had stated in our paperwork was true.  Oh, well.....I made the other promise in my heart, anyway!!!

We sat and waited for our name to be called to turn in the paperwork for the visa.  Usually, this is a long, grueling wait, but today it wasn't bad at all.  There were no problems with our paperwork, we paid the money for the visa, and we were DONE!!!!!!!  THE PAPERWORK IS OVER!!!!!!!!  Tomorrow, Maggie, our guide, will have Molly Kate's visa for her passport, and we will also receive the mysterious "brown envelope" that MUST stay sealed until we go through customs when we land in Atlanta.  As soon as our plane lands in Atlanta, Molly Kate will be a U.S. citizen!!!!

After we left the Consulate's Office, we boarded the bus to come back to the hotel.  Molly Kate HATES riding on the bus, so that meant she had a nice LOUD meltdown.  The minute we stepped off the bus at the hotel, she fell asleep.  We brought her back to the room, and she didn't even wake up as I was undressing her.  I had gotten her up around 5:45 AM, and she was simply exhausted.  After a three hour nap, though, she was ready for the daily shopping!!!!

OKAY----I have to confess.....I have bought 14 pairs of shoes for her in the last two days.  They are just SOOOOO cheap, though.  Where in the United States can you buy CUTE LEATHER baby shoes for $5?  NOWHERE!!!!  I'm just trying to stock up for the next TEN YEARS!!!!  Actually, I just bought her size now, and the next size.  Her feet are TINY, and the shoes look precious on her.  I figure if I don't have anything to go with the shoes I bought, I will just have to BUY something to go with them!!!!

We went to a store today that is my FAVORITE of all.  It is Guangzhou's Charity Store for China's Children.  Many of the products are made at the orphanages, and at the homes for the elderly.  There were SO many nice things.  I found some really special gifts there for Molly Kate, and for family and friends. I bought the CUTEST diaper bag, and I'm thinking I really want to go back and buy the matching baby quilt.  I would like to save it for when Molly Kate has her first child. 

Tonight, we went on a cruise on the Pearl River.  Let me tell you, Guangzhou is beautiful in the daytime, but at night, it is unbelievable!!!!  The cruise was nice.  A buffet meal was included.  All I can say about the meal is that I'm glad the food items weren't labeled because I have a feeling I would die if I knew what some of the things I ate really were.  It wasn't my favorite meal, but the cruise, itself, was worth the sacrifice!!!  After our meal, we went up on the top deck of the boat and sat outside to soak in the view.  I am going to attach some pictures.  One of the most beautiful sights was the Guangzhou Tower.  It is the second tallest building in the world.  The entire tower is covered with lights that change colors.  One minute it is a solid color, then another, and another---and THEN, it is ALL of the colors.  It was very windy and cool tonight, but it was such a peaceful happy time for me to sit there and snuggle Molly Kate, all bundled up in her blanket, while enjoying the view!!!

The Guangzhou Tower

  

The  bridge from the mainland to Shamien Island where we are staying.

 The bus ride back to the hotel was similar to the one back from the Consulate's this morning.  Our girl was NOT a happy camper.  It had been a LONG time since her nap, and she was just ready to get back to the room and strip down to her diaper!!!  I was quite ready for my PJ's, too!!!

Tomorrow morning we are heading to the Pearl Factory (I think Roger is a little stressed about THIS shopping venture!!!!)  Tomorrow afternoon will be the famous red couch pictures for each family and for our girls.  I can't wait for you to see the five pretty little ladies we have been so blessed to be with this week!!!

Pretty in pink!

LITTLE GIRLS AND GIGGLES!

IS THIS THE SAME BABY?????

I'm going to make this entry short, but sweet.  It doesn't seem possible when I think about it, that a week ago, our sweet, beautiful Molly Kate was a little orphan, living in an orphanage about four hours away from where we were in Nanchang, waiting for us to adopt her.  Roger and I were talking tonight----we can't figure out what in the world we did without her.  She has already brought SO much joy to our lives, and we know it's only going to get better.  I may have mentioned this in a previous entry, but I will say it again---it is SO amazing that in God's plan for our lives that he included a trip half way around the world to adopt a beautiful daughter, to go with our three wonderful sons.  We are SOOOOO blessed!!!!!

I am posting two pictures.  The first one I received around the middle of January.  It was an updated picture from the orphanage taken when Molly Kate was about 16 months old.  The other is one (of the many) that we took today.  Can you believe that the pictures are both of the same baby???  When I saw the picture in January, I thought she looked VERY sad, and it made me SO want to see my baby SMILE!!!!  Now, we are blessed with MANY sweet dimpled smiles each and every day!!!!!  God is SOOOOOO good!!!!!

 

DAY 8----THE FIRST DAY IN GUANGZHOU

We arrived in Guangzhou last yesterday afternoon.  What a BEAUTIFUL city it is!!!  In fact, it's the most beautiful city I've ever been to!

This morning we took Molly Kate for her physical.  Other than still being a little congested from bronchitis, everything checked out fine.  At 18 months, she weighs 21.3 lbs. and is 30 inches tall----VERY small for her age.  She is HEALTHY, though, and is an excellent eater!!!

After we were finished with Molly Kate's physical, we had the rest of the day to do whatever we wanted.  Of course, for me, that meant SHOPPING!!!!  We are staying at the White Swan Hotel---the final destination for all adopting families.  It is quite a luxury hotel, and is located on Shamien Island, beside the Pearl River.  We have the most beautiful view from our 9th story room of the the river.  There are blocks and blocks of shops here on the island with lots of REALLY cute clothes and shoes for babies.  I am in HOG HEAVEN!!!!!!  We did a lot of walking today, checking out the shops to see which have the best deals.  I did buy an authentic silk Chinese outfit for Molly Kate to wear for the RED COUCH picture of all the adopted girls in our travel group.  There is a red couch in the lobby here at the hotel----actually, there are a BUNCH of red couches here and every travel group takes pictures on it before they leave.  I also bought her three pairs of shoes.  It's hard to believe that the stores have the CUTEST leather shoes for little girls for $5!  Since all the shoes I've already bought for her are all too big, I have an excuse to buy MORE!!!!  I'm also trying to buy something special to give her each year on her GOTCHA DAY until she is 18.

I have to tell you about our BIG ADVENTURE of the day.  I can't remember if I've mentioned it in any of my other entries, but Molly Kate is potty trained.  In China, potty training is started at about age four days old.  The information we received about Molly Kate said that she used a potty chair.  The hotel in Nanchang provided potty chairs for the rooms.  It was obvious when we first sat her on it, she knew exactly what she was supposed to do.  Well, the White Swan Hotel DOESN'T provide potty chairs, so we knew last night we had a problem.  Molly Kate woke up twice during the night because of a dirty diaper, and it was obvious she was really distressed about it.  It was the first night she hadn't slept all night.  We asked Maggie, our guide, where we might be able to buy a potty chair.  She told us we would have to hire a taxi and she gave us directions written in Chinese to give to the driver to take us to a variety store that would have them.  SO, we set off on our journey, in a taxi---a story in itself----to the variety store to buy a potty chair.  We arrived at our destination.  Maggie had told us to go DOWN the escalator when we got there.  She just didn't tell us how FAR to go down.  Let me tell you, it's NOT EASY to find a potty chair in a multi-level store full of people who don't speak English!!!  Luckily for us, Maggie had written "potty chair" in Chinese on a piece of paper.  Even with that, though, it took FOREVER to find one.  Once we did, there were two choices---a small blue one that Molly Kate's little bottom would have fallen right in, or a nice pink and white one that looked like a minature chair.  We decided the pink and white one would be the best.  We picked up a few more items, and headed for the check out.  Sounds simple, RIGHT?  WELL, we couldn't find the checkout!!!  We walked and walked, until we finally found someone who spoke enough English who told us we had to go down a level to check out, which was actually in the grocery store. (By the way, I'm leaving out the details of me trying to get on an off and escalator NUMEROUS times with a stroller and a baby!!!)  We had already been there looking for the potty chair, and I had gotten Molly Kate's stroller stuck trying to go out of the store in one of the exit aisles.  ANYWAY, Roger paid for the potty chair and the other items.  However, in China, they don't use bags or sacks, so his option was to put all the additional items he had bought in the hole in the potty seat, and head out.  Let me tell you, it takes a dedicated daddy to walk down the street carrying a pink and white potty chair!!!!  I've included a picture, in case you can't visualize it!!!!



We rode in a taxi back to the hotel and went walking and shopping some more.

 Then, tonight we ate dinnerwith three of the other families in our travel group, and Maggie, our guide, at a really nice Thai Restaurant.  When we are with the other families, Molly Kate is usually VERY quiet and shy.  Tonight, however, she came out of her shell.  She smiled and laughed and babbled and beat her bowl with her spoon, just like all the other little girls were doing!!!  THEN, she ate a FULL bowl of chicken and rice porridge!  We went for a nice long walk after dinner, in search of a particular store that I never found.  Molly Kate fell asleep in her stroller, so we took an extra long walk, and then came back to the room.  She slept in her stroller for quite a while.


Shop Til You Drop!

 When she woke up, I stripped her down and sat her on her potty chair, in front of the TV.  It was SO funny---she sat there for at least 30 minutes watching TV and never fussed. I told Roger today that I think we have about as many pictures of her sitting on her potty chair as we do off of it.  She LOVES sitting on it!!!   She really is such a good baby.  I can't remember whether or not I told you this in my entry about our orphanage visit, but her nanny there told me (translated to me) that Molly Kate is beautiful, smart, and a very good baby.  She was SOOOOO right!!!





 

MORE MOLLY KATE

Pure Joy!

DAY 6 - A DAY OF CLOSURE

I know God is always in control of every day in my life, but today it was SO VERY OBVIOUS.  We left this morning around 8:30 to visit the orphanage where Molly Kate spent most of her first 17 months of life.  Evelyn, our guide, had arranged the trip for us---about a three hour drive one way to Ji'an City, with one of her friends, Coby as our guide, and Mr. Wong as our driver.  Evelyn had talked to the director of the orphanage on Monday when we were completing paperwork for the adoption about us visiting.  Normally there are some formalities that have to be taken care of before someone is allowed to go inside ANY Social Welfare Institute, but arrangements had been made to take care of these for us. The plan was for us to spend two hours at the orphanage, once we arrived, and have lunch there.

We had a good trip to Ji'an City.  Molly Kate slept most of the way, and was in a good mood once she woke up.  About the time we got to Ji'an City, though, Coby received a phone call from Evelyn.  It seems that a NEW director had been hired, and there were some complications and miscommunications about the arrangements for our visit, and we were no longer going to be allowed to go into the orphanage.  Evelyn said it was okay to take pictures outside the gates, but we couldn't go in.  When I asked if Molly Kate's nanny could come out, she said they had told her she couldn't.  I was disappointed that I couldn't meet her, because I wanted to thank her personally for taking such good care of Molly Kate.  It was just one of those things, though, that we had no control over.

We arrived at the orphanage, and Roger and Shea got out of the van to take pictures for me.  A guard walked up to the gate and told Coby that we couldn't take pictures.  Once Coby told him we had made prior arrangements, it was okay.  A few minutes later a representative from the orphanage, who we had met with on Monday to complete paperwork, came out to see Molly Kate.  We were standing there talking to him, when I looked up and saw a woman running toward us.  It was Molly Kate's nanny!!!!  What a sweet lady she was!!!  Of course, I couldn't understand a word she was saying, but Coby told me she said that Molly Kate was beautiful, smart, and very well behaved.  She reached out her arms for Molly Kate, but she wouldn't go to her. (WE HAVE BONDED!!!)

The Orphanage Gates

The Orphanage

Molly Kate's Nanny

I was just SO glad to be able to hug her nanny and thank her for loving and taking care of my daughter.  It's obvious that she WAS well taken care of.  More of the nannies and children began to come out to talk to us.  There were three other nannies who helped take care of Molly Kate, and they came to see her, too.  The children were precious, in their split bottom pants.  Even though I would have liked to have gone into the orphanage, I had already seen pictures of the inside, including Molly Kate's room, and and actual video of her in her bed.  I think God knew if I DID go into the orphanage, I would want to take every child in there home with me.

Before we left the orphanage, we got directions for how to get to the place where Molly Kate was abandoned.  She was found by a police officer at the gate of the Guangrong Old Folk's Home in Ji'an County on August 31, 2009.  There was a note left with her that had that date on it.  We had been previously been told that Molly Kate entered the orphanage on the day she was born.  However, we found out on Monday that she actually spent the first five months of her life in this home for the elderly, and was cared for my one of the ladies who lived there.As we pulled up to the gates, a flood of emotions passed over me.  Here was where our sweet baby was left by someone----a mother, a grandmother----no one knows.  I got out and took pictures.  One of the gates was open, and Coby said it was okay to go in and walk around.  It was a BEAUTIFUL place.  There were all kinds of flowers and trees planted, and the Old Folk's Home was HUGE.  It didn't matter who left my sweet Molly Kate there----it was obvious, though, that whoever did, loved her and cared about her very much, because he/she left her in a beautiful place, where it was known she would be cared for.  We walked on through the garden, and came upon an old man.  Coby explained to him why we were there.  The old man was very interested in Molly Kate.  We asked to take his picture, and I think it must have made his day.  We walked on to the back of the garden area where there was a huge fish pond, and then we decided we needed to be leaving.  I really wanted to go inside the Old Folk's Home----I wanted to know if anyone remembered Molly Kate.  I didn't ask, though.  It was such a BIG place, that I didn't really expect to find anyone who would remember her.  As we reached the gate, Coby looked back and saw the old man we had talked to coming our way, with an old woman almost running beside him.  We waited for them.  The woman was babbling something to Coby.  She told him she was the person who cared for Molly Kate for the 5 1/2 months when she lived at the Old Folk's Home!!!!!  She was Molly Kate's nanny there!!!!  She also said she was the one who sent her to the orphanage.  I had been told on Monday that children living in the homes for the elderly are not eligible to be adopted.  They had to first enter an orphange, before they could be made paper ready to adopt.  The old lady reached out and took Molly Kate out of my arms and hugged her close.  Again, Molly Kate cried and reached for me.  She was a sweet old lady, though, and I left knowing that not only was Molly Kate cared for her last 12 months, but she was also loved the first 5 1/2 months of her life, too.  That's all I needed to know....

The gate at the Old Folks Home

The Old Folks Home

 Molly Kate's Nanny

As you look at the pictures of these women who raised Molly Kate, you can see that adoption has changed her life greatly.  Even though I know she came from a good orphanage, I can't stand the thoughts of this beautiful little girl who is now ours, growing up in the places like she lived.  She deserved a family, and we are SO blessed to be the one God chose for her.  Little girls who grow up in orphanages literally have no hope.....  We are going to be able to give our little Molly Kate hope and a chance in life.  Roger and I are truly the lucky ones, though, to be given the great blessing of becoming parents again!!!

I will try to backtrack and share the happenings of Days 3 - 5 sometime.

HAPPY FAMILY!

MOLLY KATE - Tuesday

BEAUTIFUL MOLLY KATE!

DAY 3 - GOTCHA DAY!!!!

DAY 3 - GOTCHA DAY!!!!! (REFLECTIONS)

We left Hong Kong at 9 AM on Sunday morning and headed back to the Hong Kong Airport to catch our flight to Nanchang, which is in the Jiangxi Province of China.   I don't know if I mentioned it before or not, but there are five families in our travel group.  Mark and Tonya Newbill are from Texas (they have a 22 months old son named Mason, adopted from Korea seven months ago with them), Richard and Sheila Baldwin from Virginia (they have an 11 year old son, Ryan with them), Greg and Tami Staut from Colorado, and Keith and Christine White from North Carolina (they have a 7 year old daughter, Katherine with them, who was also adopted from China)   And then, there's Roger and me, with Shea.  Other than me,everyone in our group was pretty quiet (even Roger) as we waited at the airport to board our flight.  I was just downright giddy!!!!  I had waited for this day for over FIVE years, and I wasn't about to get nervous about it!!!!!

We arrived at the airport around 1:30 PM, and was greeted by our guide Evelyn, holding up the CCAI sign.  It was obvious from the beginning that Nanchamg was totally different than Hong Kong.  I can't explain how the traffic is here.  I've NEVER seen people drive like they do here, and it is CONSTANT horn honking, although all streets have signs that saying horn honking is prohibited.  It's somehting to see AND hear!!!  In fact, as I'm sitting here typing this message, there's hardly a second that I'm not hearing horns beeping. 

Evelyn told us that our babies would be arriving around 5:00 PM.  All five of us families had a meeting with her for important information about our babies, and also about the paperwork we would be completing the next couple of days.    We then went back to our rooms, and planned to return to the meeting room at 5, so we could all see each other's babies when they arrived. 

What a sight it was to see when the first baby, to be named Riley, was delivered to Mark and Tonya.  She was SOOOOOO cute!  Then came Keith's and Christine's baby, to be named Kiimberly..  She too was SO sweet.  Them Greg's and Tami's arrived---Marissa, another cutie.  Then, there were no more babies.  Evelyn tired to call the director of the orphanage, who was bringing Molly Kate.  They had just arrived iin Nanchang, but because it was rush hour, it was going to be another 15 or 20 minutes before they arrived. 

That waiting time seemed like an eternity, and then......there she was.......the baby girl who had been in our hearts and minds for over five years.  She looked SO tiny for her age, and as I've already shared, she cried when I took her in my arms----not for long, though.  She had on the little outfit I had sent to the orphanage in a care package.  The shoes she had on were too big, so they had them tied on with a string around her ankles.  She was clean, though, and dry.  It was just a traumatic time for her.  Despite the fact that she was scared and unhappy, she let me hold her close and snuggle her.  It was an instant bond, and OHHHHHHH how good it felt!!! 

A Mother's Love!

Daddy's Girl!

Big Brother Lil Sis!

She was still pretty solemn, though, until I was getting her ready for bed.  I started to pull her top over he head, and I stopped with it on top of her head, and there was something about that that made her giggle for the first time.  Then, when I put the hair bow on her and told her she was beautiful, I got that giggle and big smile again. 

I'm happy to report that our sweet Molly Kate slept all night long!!!!!! I think she knew her Mommy and Daddy were pretty tired!!!!  We had received the report, though that she was a good sleeper---words ANY mother loves!!!! 

I have a lot to tell you about Day 4, but I'm so very tired that I'm ready to go to bed.  It's only 9:40 here, and most of you know me......I'm usually just getting started at this time of the night.  I'm telling you, though, I REALLY do think time is longer HERE than it is at home.  It sure seems like it!!!!

I will write more tomorrow!!!!  Before I stop writing, though, I would like to throw in something that has nothing to do our adoption journey---well, actually it is connected to part of our adoption story.  There is a little 2 1/2 year old girl named Maya Rose who lives in Michigan, who was a roommate of Molly Kate's in the orphanage.  She is having surgery today to repair a cleft palate.  Please pray for her.  She is a special girl to us, even though we've never seen her in person, because she and Molly Kate were together for quite a long time.  Her mom, Kris and I are good adoption buddies.  There is a bond between people who adopt, that I just can't 'explain.....ANYWAY. please lift her up in your prayers!   

DAY 1 and DAY 2 OF OUR CHINA ADVENTURE

DAYS 1 - 2 OF OUR CHINA ADVENTURE

I know I've shared bits and pieces of what's been going on in our lives since we left for China.  I want to try to share a little bit more about what has been going on since we arrived here. 

We didn't get in to Hong Kong until almost midnight on Friday night, which would have been 10 AM on Friday at home.  It was quiet a relief to arrive at our destination after almost 28 hours of travel!!!  I don't think I had fully realized that we had literally traveled to the other side of the world to get our precious daughter, until this moment.  When we arrived at the Hong Kong Airport, our guide, Matthew, was waiting at the gates, holding up the CCAI sign so we would know our fearless leader for the next couple of days had arrived.  We headed to our hotel, which was the Hyatt Shatin Hotel.  It was quite a relief to be able to take a bath and crawl into a comfortable bed!!!  The hotel was probably the nicest we've ever stayed in.

On Saturday, we took a tour of Hong Kong.  Needless to say, it would  take DAYS to see everything in Hong Kong!  It really is a very pretty city---I just happen to prefer Benton!!!  We saw several historical sites, and then did some shopping at the Stanley Market.  We had a very nice authenic Chinese lunch.  I've learned that NOTHING in China tastes like the Chinese food in our LOCAL Chinese restaurants!  After lunch, we went back to the hotel, and---you guessed it----we all three took a NAP!!!!!!  That night we went with one of the other couples in our travel group and rode the train to a local mall.  It was something to see----SEVEN floors of stores!!!!!!  Once we got back to the hotel, I got everything packed to leave the next morning for Nanchang, and then I had a good sit down talk with God about the upcoming day.  When I finally went to bed, HE gave me a wonderful night's sleep so I would be ready for our GOTCHA DAY!!!!

Introducing Molly Kate Pierce!

IT'S GOTCHA DAY!!!!!

 

IT'S GOTCHA DAY!!!!

 

Our big day has finally arrived!!!!!!  I have to say it all seems like a dream, and I definitely think that time is slower in China than it is in the United States.  When I was packing for our trip on Wednesday, there weren't enough minutes in the day to do all I had to do.  Here, it seems like time stands still.  Could it be because we are finally just a few hours away from holding our precious Molly Kate in our arms?!?!?!

 

We are currently in the airport in Hong Kong, waiting for our flight to leave for Nanchang.  It will be an hour and a half flight.  I'm not sure when the babies will arrive to the hotel, but it is supposed to be sometime this afternoon. 

 

We have four other wonderful families in our travel group.  All of us have already experienced parenthood before this, but it's the first time to adopt for three out of five of us.   Somehow, though, I seem to be the only one bouncing off the walls with jubilation!!!!!  Roger is very happy, too, but I think he may have a few butterflies in his stomach at the moment.  Bless his heart....I think he had NO idea when he married me what kinds of BIG ADVENTURES I would take him on!!!!

 

As soon as we get our precious Molly Kate, I will post again, and HOPEFULLY, I will have pictures of our GOTCHA MOMENT!!!!  I would send a video, too, but I forgot the cord that connects from our video camera to our computer!!!! OH, WELL, at least I didn't forget any of Molly Kate's outfits and HAIR BOWS!!!!! I can't wait to show off our brown-eyed girl!!!!!

GOD IS SOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!!!

The FIRST of many days to remember.....

Roger and I had expected to receive our referral for Molly Kate in or before December.  We were expecting that magic phone call on November 29 or December 6 from our adoption agency telling us information about the daughter who had been matched with us.  We were anxiously awaiting the referral picture of her that was to be sent via email.  I was SO excited!!!!!  I handled it just fine when we didn't receive the call on November 29, because I just KNEW we would receive it the following Monday.  Since I was scheduled to substitute teach on that Monday, December 6, I decided I'd better call our agency and make sure they had my cell number so they would be able to reach me when they made the referral call.  On Wednesday, December 1, I made that call to our agency.  I couldn't believe what I was told, though.  The rep whom I talked with told me that they were only expecting referrals for the log in dates of May 24 - 26 of 2006.  Our log in date was May 29, 2006.  That meant that the referrals for December weren't even going to get CLOSE to our date.  I couldn't get off the phone fast enough.  For the first time in the almost FIVE years of waiting for our precious daughter, I put my head down on the table and I SOBBED.  I cried and cried, until I couldn't cry anymore.  You see,  my dad had just passed away the week before on Thanksgiving, and I'm sure some of the emotions were a combination of that AND the disappointment from being told we would NOT be receiving our referral in December.  I had SO wanted my dad to see a picture of Molly Kate before he passed away, but that just wasn't in God's plan. (I think God probably allowed him to get a sneak peek at her, though, when he got to heaven!)  I had wanted a picture of her for Christmas---just a picture to hang on our tree, and I had really thought that was going to happen.   It was truly heartbreaking.  HOWEVER, I finally stopped crying and did a reality check with myself.  There was NOTHING I could do about the situation.  We had been waiting for 55 months for our referral, so we were just going to have to wait another month for it.  Instead of it being an EXTRA MERRY CHRISTMAS, it was going to be a HAPPIER NEW YEAR.  I made my peace with God about it.  When my dad had been taken to the hospital the last time before he passed away, I was sitting in the waiting room with my mother and brother, when I noticed a painting on the wall with the scripture, "Be still and know that I am God."  Psalms 46:10.  I can't begin to tell you how many times I quoted that verse to myself during times I spent with my dad at the hospital during his last days of life.  I found that same verse to be a comfort to me after the disappointment of not receiving our referral.  Every night I would go in Molly Kate's room and sit in the rocking chair, with just the lights on her little Christmas tree on, and pray.  I would say that verse multiple times because that is what I was seeking to do, AND I prayed for God's perfect timing for our referral. 

The whole referral thing was very puzzling because on Monday, December 6, they weren't mailed to the agencies. On the NEXT Monday, December 13, they still had not come out for the month.  I asked my friend, Bonnie, who is not only my BEST ADOPTION FRIEND, but also my adoption EXPERT (she's adopted THREE TIMES from China), if she thought that they MIGHT be doing MORE referral dates since they hadn't been announced yet.  She said they MIGHT be, but since our agency had given me the dates for the referrals and told me our date wouldn't be included, that was probably the way it was going to be. I was just anxious for those referrals to come out, so that CCAA would begin to work on the batch for January and HOPEFULLY include our date.

THEN......on December 15, I was on my way home from an appointment, when my cell phone rang.  I looked at the number and didn't recognize it.  When I answered, it was none other that my dear friend, Bonnie.  We email each other just about every day, some days multiple times.  We don't talk on the phone a lot, though.  When I heard her voice,  I was SO surprised.  And THEN, she went on to ask me if I had looked that day on the internet at the predictions for referrals for the month.  When I told her I hadn't, she informed me that it was predicted, QUITE RELIABLY, that our LID date WAS going to be included in the December referrals, after all!!!!!  I think I asked her if she was SURE.....and THEN, I started BOO HOOING again, but THIS time they were tears of JOY!!!!

It was two days later, on December 17, 2006 that our agency confirmed referral packages had been received, and that we would get our referral call on the following Monday, December 20!!!!!  AHHHHHHHH....our dream was REALLY about to come true!!!!!

Why did the predicted 14-16 month wait for Molly Kate turn into a FIVE YEAR WAIT???

Luckily for you, this post won't be nearly as long as my last one, because my answer to the above question is simple----- I have NO CLUE why the wait to adopt a baby from China has become SO long! There is one thing I DO know, though.  I truly believe when Roger and I made the decision to adopt, God chose THE ONE AND ONLY BABY GIRL that HE intended to be ours.  It just so happened that she wasn't born until 3 1/2 years after we had applied to adopt, and for some other unknown reason, God wanted her to be 17 months old when we adopted her.  SO.....even though our wait for Molly Kate has been long, it has been bearable because we KNEW all along we were waiting for the baby girl who was going to be THE PERFECT ONE for us!!!!

Now, I have to admit since we've received our pictures of Molly Kate, I have looked at them MANY times and marveled as to why THIS child is the one HE chose for us.  Don't take me wrong---we think she is perfect through and through, and even though we have yet to see her in person....to touch her....to hold her tightly in our arms.....we wouldn't trade her for ANY other baby for ANY reason!!!!  But WHY THIS ONE?  Why did He choose a baby girl who was abandoned in the Jiangxi province of China to be the  perfect one for us?  It is just all so MINDBOGGLING and AMAZING!!!!  Of course, I think God threw a little humor into the match, too.....we've been told our Molly Kate is quiet, shy, and bashful----quite the OPPOSITE of all of us!!!  Oh well....we will SEE how long she stays that way!!!!!

SO.....When did the journey to Molly Kate begin?

Our adoption journey actually began in December of 2004.  Roger and I had never EVER talked about adopting a child.  As I said before, we were happy and VERY BUSY with our boys.  However, I think God was definitely working in our hearts about adoption, even though it had never entered our minds.

Roger was the principal at the Mayfield/Graves County Area Technology Center.  We decided to have a Christmas party at our house for all of his faculty, staff, and substitute teachers.  It was a great evening with lots of food, fun, and fellowship.  As we were all sitting around conversing, one of Roger's substitute teachers, Ricky Frick, started talking about mission trips that he took every year to Russia.  I was very interested in what he was saying, because I had envisioned that when Roger and I both retired, we might get to do some mission work---something I had always dreamed of doing.  Well, as the conversation went on, Ricky began telling about the children in Russia and how his mission team visited numerous orphanages each year, and how needy those children were.  I assume it was at that very moment that the little adoption seed that God had planted deep within me MUST have sprouted----I'm talking about BIG TIME sprouting!!!!  I looked at Roger and said, in front of EVERYONE, "HONEY...THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO....WE NEED TO ADOPT INTERNATIONALLY!!!"
Poor Roger!  What else could he say, but, "Well, if you think that's what GOD is telling us to do...."  I knew in my heart at that very moment, it WAS what HE was telling us to do.  SO began our jouney......

Ricky gave me the email address of a lady in Russia whom he said could get me information on adoption.  I emailed her, and she sent me the name and contact information for a family in Owenboro who had adopted two children from Russia.  I immediately called and talked to the happy mother and I was SO touched by her story---one of infertility, and numerous attempts to have a child through invetro fertilization with no luck, and then the blessing of a beautiful daughter adopted from Russia, and a wonderful son adopted a year later.  But when she shared the process they went through and the cost---possible multiple trips to Russia, with stays sometimes as long as a month, and a cost of $30,000+, I knew that was where our adoption journey to Russia ended.  I guess I was a little disappointed, but then, we had our sons, we were happy, I was 46 years old (I forgot to mention that earlier), everything was really okay with our life the way it was.  So, that was the END of the adoption story...or WAS it?

A couple of months later I ran into a local minister who had just gotten back from a mission trip to Romania, and guess what was there????----orphanages with children who desperately needed homes.  That little seed inside of me apparently sprouted a little more, because I began researching the adoption process and cost for that country.  Not only did Romanian adoption also involve long stays and astronomical costs, but Roger and I were actually TOO OLD to adopt from there.  HMMMMMMM.......  Again, I was truly okay with it and just decided that we really weren't supposed to adopt after all, but........

Some months later I was at Wal-Mart doing one of my mega-midnight shopping sprees.  (I LOVE to go shop there late at night when the only inhabitants there to challenge me are the buffers!)  Anyway, by the time I got ready to check out, it was around 1:30 A.M.  I proceeded to the one checking line that was open, and I encountered the only other shopper in the store I had seen, in front of me, with her cart piled halfway to the ceiling.  As we were standing there, we began talking.  It wasn't long before she shared with me that she was leaving in a couple of days to adopt a baby girl from Guatemala.  She told me all about her adoption, and THEN proceeded to tell me that her parents were already in Guatemala because they were adopting a little boy from there.  I asked her how old her parents were, and when she said her mom was 52 and her dad was 55.....WELL, that little seed inside of me sprouted again....Was God telling me we needed to check on adoption in Guatemala???  SO began my research on adoption from there, but the story again resulted in a dead end.  We just couldn't think about making the trips it would involve, nor did we have the money it required.  For the third time, I as really okay.  We had our three boys---the best three boys in the world, and they really were all we needed...so, that was the end of our adoption story AGAIN, or was it?????

One Friday night---the last Friday night in January of 2006, Roger and I went out to eat, and then I decided to go back to school and work on my lesson plans for the following week.  It was 6:30 P.M., and as I was walking through the door, one of my teacher friends, Mandy, was walking out.  We stopped and started talking---we were laughing about never really seeing each other at school to talk.  Then she asked me if I knew her cousin, Melinda.  I told her I did---that our sons had played baseball together one summer, and we had gotten to know each other quite well.  It was THEN that Mandy dropped the bomb when she told me that Melinda and her family were on their way home from China with a baby girl.  I looked at her and said, "Why are you telling me this?"  You see, she had NO IDEA that Roger and I had looked into adoption.  With this being the FOURTH time I had unexpectingly run into someone involved with adoption, I just KNEW God was trying to tell me something.  Adoption from CHINA had never crossed my mind.  Mandy told me she would email me the pictures of Melinda's baby.   

I went home and told Roger all about what had happened.  Bless his heart---I'm sure everytime he thought I was over this CRAZY idea, I'd pop back in with another possible avenue.  Every time he would just say, "If you think that's what God is telling us to do....."  THEN, on Monday when I got to school and opened my email, THERE was the pictures of 10 month old Sophie Elizabeth.  There was no more sprouting of that seed inside of me----it FULLY BLOOMED!  I KNEW GOD WAS TELLING US THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO ADOPT, AND OUR DESTINATION WAS CHINA!!!!  I forwarded the pictures to our home email, and when Roger saw them, his response THIS time was, "Why don't you call Melinda and ask her about the process."  A few days later I made the call.   I found out the process for adopting from China was very different from all the others I had looked in to.  It only involved ONE trip to China, and the cost was almost HALF of what it was everywhere else.  I got all of the information I needed from Melinda.  Roger and I talked about it, and we decided to send an application to CCAI---Chinese Children Adoption International.  This was the agency Melinda had used, and she and her husband had been very pleased with everything. I called the agency and talked to representative, and we received an application a few days later.   It was quite a lengthy application, but I finally finished it, and mailed it to CCAI on Friday, February 10, 2006.  On the following Tuesday, February 14---Valentine's Day---we received our call from CCAI telling us that we had been approved to adopt!!!!

WHEW!!!!  I'm am SURE you are tired of this LONG, DRAWN OUT story.  But that is how our journey to Molly Kate began----a journey that we were told would take approximately 14 - 16 months to complete.  YES, I said 14 to 16 months......SO, what happened?  I think the question is more, "What DIDN'T happen?---and that's ANOTHER story......