One week tomorrow

The connections I have had in Gaungzhou haven't been the best and it has been hard to post pictures. I will have to do that when I'm home and settled.
This is what I've learned this week, Xiao Gang is pretty quiet. Sometimes when he's asked things(even in Mandarin) he will either just look or will mouth the words with no voice. Now, I know he can speak bc he will talk very softly from time to time. He willingly will hold my hand and smiles when we are out walking.
He has a sweet smile, he loves music( he breaks out in dance when music starts playing while we are out and about. He continues to show me his Kung Fu moves, thankfully no longer at 3 am,
He eats like any other Van Nostrand, so no help in the food buying department...lol.
Yesterday w
He completed his medical exam, which is needed to get his Visa to travel home. He handled it like a trooper. Sadly( to me) they asked if he would have his blood work done first, and he marched in rolling up his sleeve. While it was nice to not see him go in or come out screaming, it's sad thinking that he does it so well due to his past surgeries. He was just as brave while getting his 3 shots. Daniel, when we were there, needed 8!  I still think it is so crazy getting so many shots and not knowing what their reactions could be, all the while you are usually leaving a day or two later .
Today, another family and I went to Safari Park. The other families went to the zoo, where I didn't want to go. Last time I was there was in 2008 and I didn't really like it. Of course, Mazhu, liked it a lot, although not sure how much he took in while running laps there. Lol
Safari park is beautiful, the animals look very well taken care of and there is so much to do there
I bought food so Xiao Gang could feed the giraffes and I could get a photo op, but the giraffe pulled the entire branch from his hand. He had a great time and it was so much fun listening to him laugh so much at the monkies, and especially the white tigers as the jumped into the pool while retrieving their treats.
Tonight after dinner, I did get my first glance at him being upset. We were coming back from dinner and his water bottle fell into the street. He wanted to run and get it, but of course mean mother here said no!  He started yelling and pulling and I just held tight and said stop. Then he did "the squat" and refused to move. Oh little boy, you do not know this mom. Lol. I told him that this was something I had LOTS of experience in, and could wait it out. Eventually he started walking again. I did translate back in the room about listening when mom says no! He said he understood, and I'm pretty sure that will be for the moment, until the next time. Off to bed.

Made it to China!

Well, how would my life be if not mostly on the run.  Most people I know who travel this path will agree that time drags on forever as you " hurry up and wait" .....and then BAM! You are scrambling to get it all done to leave at the last possible moment. This time was no exception. I started to pack athursday night and then spent hours on Friday trying to locate the new passport pictures that we took and the huge amount of Chinese money I had left over from a previous trip ( as in maybe $6, but figured it could get me a bottle of water).
Ended up leaving work early to finish things up and make sure the crew didn't starve for at least the first few days. I did end up finding the pictures as they fell into a bag that had a shirt I was going to try to bring back
Saturday morning came and it was time to go.  Probably my fastest time through JFK. China southern 's newest route was good and efficient and I was able to make my connecting flight with time to spare.  I was met by my super- organized guide Jane who had me filling out paperwork while on the way to the hotel.
Monday morning and we arrived at civil affairs about an hour before Xiao Gang so we could exchange money and finish with papers. He is very sweet and quiet. He is sporting a huge scab on one side of his face as I was told it happened while on a motorbike with his foster family. He had the photo album I sent and the SWI sent some pictures of when he was younger. A definite treasure for us to have.
We spent that first day hanging around for a little while and then we went out to get water and snacks. Came back to rest since he was up so early and then we spent a few hours at the nearby park which is big and had rides and lots of walking paths. Had dinner and thought it would be a quiet night but this guy decided that 3 am was still a good time to be awake. He wasn't sad , had some stomache issues but just played quietly and then was waking me up at 6. This mom is tired!!
Today we finished the paperwork and it is official.  Hoping for lights out in 15 minutes and for a good nights sleep.

3 more sleeps!  My flight leaves Saturday morning at 11am, and I'm sure to be sound asleep once I buckle in..lol.  That's what happened last time, too.  I was so tired from all the running around, that I didn't even stay awake for take-off.

Family day is Monday the 12th.  Please pray that Marcus' heart is open for all the changes that will be happening, and that he is somewhat prepared.  Also, asking for prays that the kids at home will behave and not eat all the food in my first day gone!

I will try my best to post pictures and let everyone know what we are up to.  I do want to thank everyone who has helped us with our fundraisers, listened to me complain, prayed for our journey.  It takes a village, for sure.

To my special villagers, your friendship means the world to me!

Going to try to pack, I have work straight through til Friday afternoon.

Crazy hectic month!

Probably like most months in our house, but even more so while trying to fundraise and complete adoption paperwork, and re-count how many days from LOA to Art. 5 to PDF to TA, etc, etc.

Marcus is never far from my heart, my thoughts and my prayers.  We waited 6 weeks for an update on him, and finally got one.  It had 6 statements, and no measurements or pictures :(  I have to admit, while I was waiting for this abnormally long time, I was starting to worry that something was wrong.
I had also sent a letter from Ladybugs N Love, who I've used before, but haven't gotten anything back from there either.  Maybe the orphanage is busy, at this point I'm just hoping that when I get to China, he already knows that he has a family who loves him and is waiting for him.  That maybe, he has gotten the photo album that we sent , so he can preview what his new crazy family looks like.

One of the things that we were told in our sparse update, when asking about his health, was that he hasn't been hospitalized since February.  Not why, how long, if it is related to his needs, nada!  Makes this moms heart hurt for him.  Soon, little man!  You won't be alone any longer.

I did get TA this week, and yesterday booked tickets.  It is finally really getting real.  I'm the first to admit, how I always try during each of our adoptions to protect "my heart"  I am leaving 10/10 and will be home on the 23rd.  10/10 was the day Rich and I started dating.

Time to finish up getting our last 2 fundraisers going.  We are having a garage sale on Sat. 9/26  and I am going to spend this beautiful day getting all pictures uploaded for an auction I hope to have up by tomorrow night.  We are so close.

Making our announcement official!  It's been a long, bumpy journey, but we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was hoping to wait until we received an update, but like everything else, we still don't have anything after 3 weeks  Patience in timing, has only "slightly" improved, definitely not my strong point. This quote below, has gotten me through much of this wait, especially during the tumultuous beginnings.
For those of you who have traveled this journey, or those on it now for the first time, roller coaster doesn't even begin to describe it it!  Emotions run high, unexpected expenses come up (like in 3 weeks having 3 appliances and the car need huge repairs) and just the WAITING for things one has absolutely no control over.
I promised myself, and God, that this time I would trust his timing...wouldn't keep counting days, hours, minutes....but try as I might, I failed.  Guess that's what makes me human, I just want my child home.

Changing the balance

For anyone who has followed any of our journeys here, they will know that I LOVE odd numbers, and that I'm a horrible blogger.

Meet Marcus, he will be evening out our numbers.  We will now how 8 boys and 6 girls (although odd numbers for older vs. younger :)

Marcus is 121/2 and I hope to travel in October.  I will say, this has been the longest journey, we needed to start with a new homestudy agency and social worker, and returned to an agency that we previously used for Mazhu...WACAP.  Caren Peet, I miss you, my friend!

So, here we are, still filling out those reams of documents that need to be submitted, painting, cleaning out, getting ready for an auction and a garage sale. We are once again selling the Blessed by Adoption car vinyl and also have an adoption triad vinyl.

I am hoping to get an update and some new pictures this week, and will share when they come in.  Here is our timeline for those interested:  PA  2/4/15, DTC 6/5, LID 6/15 LOA issued 7/27 (waiting for hard copy)

Soon, as in a few years?

So obviously, since I just came on to review my blog, the "new pictures to come soon" didn't actually happen.  Sad, but I have said it before that I am a horrible blogger, and the fact that having a pretty busy life, doesn't get me even the few minutes of extra time to attend to the things I would love to get off my "to do" list.

So, here are some pictures from the past few years :)