Another Email From Judene....

Yes, our experience with the foster families for the Bao'An Babes is very good. Many of their children go into foster care. It gives the children a much better opportunity to be in a family setting, to go to local schools and to begin adjusting to the outside world. Bao'An does an exceptionally good job of receiving the packages and sharing them with the child. Usually, the child comes back to the orphanage a couple of weeks before being united with their family so that they can adjust and be ready. When she comes back she will most likely be in the big activity room that I go to each Wednesday afternoon. Oh, I wish you could see this room. It is such a blessing. There are maybe 30-40 children...various ages...various abilities...various special needs...running, playing, screaming, fighting (of course), and just being children. It's great! Today, the Lord blessed me in this room in such a magnificent way. I do not have children of my own, but you will certainly know the feeling I am about to describe. We have helped several of these children through medical interventions. I have gotten to know them and have grown close to them. Every now and again one of them would stop what they were playing with and come over and just lean against me. Not that "starved for attention" feeling, but just wanting to be next to me. It is one of the many special things they do with me that is nearly indescribable. These kids are so great. Your Bao Xin Mei is going to be so fun for you. I'm looking forward to meeting you when you are here! Please keep me posted on your travel dates.
Blessings,
Judene Irvine
P.S. Today, my liaison spent a good deal of time telling me how much they miss their children when they go to foreign families and that they know they will maybe only see pictures of them after they leave, but they know that the children going overseas will have wonderful lives and they know the mothers and fathers love their children so much. I wish you could have been with me while she described the true joy they experience when their children are adopted by overseas families. After the families go back home, many of them send me pictures every now and again and I print them out and take them in for the caregivers and staff and children to see. Lots of laughing and giggles and "wow's" from everyone. Very cute.

Kennedi's Room.....

Okay, Kennedi can come home now! :) I finally have her room completed (minus the white chair railing that will eventually go around the room where the pink and green meet)! The ladybug for her bed and the ladybug rug I found today at Target (who doesn't LOVE Target!). Target is not where I found her bedding so I was so happy to see the ladybug things there today! The bed unfortunately is not the bed I want for her room (or the one that will stay in her room), it is the top bunk to Bradley's bunk bed and since we really don't have money right now for a new bed, it's going to be her bed for now! Eventually I'd like to have a cute white bed for in her room! Anyway, we are now ready for her to come home! Well, somewhat! We still need to complete Katelyn's room and the playroom so Katelyn has somewhere to sleep (for now she's sleeping in Kennedi's room)! We have an inspection tomorrow and then insulation can go in and then drywall! We're getting closer but we're cutting it close! Oh well, it'll get done, I HOPE! :) Stay tuned.........

Another Update

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Well, today has been a fun day and it's only 8am! I just received an email from Ann at Red Threads with this picture of a Happy New Year package I sent from Red Threads to Kennedi. She also said these words:
Dear Tina:
I made a call to the orphange for you today ,xin mei just went back to Shen Zhen city,so it is hard to get her update measurements for you now ...xin mei came to the orphange for a party yesterday ...she is in the foster care and she is in a speical school now ,there are some English teachers from abroad ,so they can teach xin mei English,your daughter`s orphange is going to prepare xin mei very well for you ,the nanny also said that xin mei was a very smart girl too...I mailed your package to her this afternoon!Love,Ann
She is Chinese (so that is why it is kind of hard to understand) and lives in Guangzhou. Wow, I feel so blessed to have this information! :)

Update on Kennedi!

I woke up this morning to an email from a sweet Christian lady named Judene. Her and her staff visit Kennedi's orphanage, and the other one in Shenzhen, every week and a couple weeks ago she was looking for us. She said at that point that when they visit the orphanage, Judene and her staff call Kennedi, Aimee. She was going to check in on her and let us know. Well, here is her email:
Your little Bao Xin Mei is a doll! We used to see her every Wednesday afternoon during our regular visit. Then a few months ago, she went to foster care. This is something the BaoAn orphanage does for many of their children that are being adopted. It gives these children an opportunity to prepare for being part of a family and living in the outside world. Anyway, Bao Xin Mei's foster family is involved with a local school so I know that she is attending that school and learning alot of English. She is healthy, happy and in a very loving environment. She is an adorable child and I'm sure she will be a blessing to you and your family.
So, she is with a foster family now. Many times once families receive their RA (which is what we just received), they put them back into the orphanage to prepare to leave. Talk about moving around! BUT Judene also seems to know the family Kennedi is with and says she is in a loving invironment and learning ALOT of English! That is great! So, I emailed Judene back to see if she will be returning to the orphanage and if there is any way we can stay in contact with the foster family. What a blessing Judene and her staff are!

Happy Birthday Mark!

Happy 40th Birthday to my wonderful husband, Mark! The best husband and father anyone could ask for! What a great present, to get our RA! Plus, he did get his new laptop in the mail today (so we can have one for China)! Happy Birthday Mark! Love Ya!

We're Going To China!

We are so excited to be able to post that we are offically going to China! We received our RA (referral approval) from China today, on day 99! This means that China has offically approved us to adopt Kennedi! We can now send her a package with pictures of us and gifts! Since Chinese New Year is in a couple of weeks, they anticipate us traveling in early March! Our next step from China is to receive our TA (travel approval) which usually comes in about 3 weeks but since Chinese New Year they think it may be a little longer. Once we receive our TA we travel just 10-14 days later! So we won't have definate dates until then! As for now, we are so excited and will begin getting things together for our trip! :)

Happy Gotcha Day!

Happy Gotcha Day to the Davis Family and to all the AWAA Special Needs families in China! Since it is now 1:15 on Monday in China, these families have, are, or soon will be meeting their children for the first time and their lives will all change forever! We are so happy for you all and cannot wait to see the pictures posted! I have a couple blog links for these families on this page (scroll down some and they're on the right hand side) if you would like to see their journey in China! Have a wonderful week everyone! :)

Help Us With Kennedi's Name

Okay, as the time for Kennedi to join our family gets closer, I think more about keeping as much of her Chinese heritage as we can especially since she is older and China is all she knows. So.... I have been thinking about keeping more of her Chinese name as her middle name. We have her name as Kennedi Mei (sounds like May) Salvador as of right now but I am wondering if we should add the Xin to it so it would be Kennedi Xin (sounds like shin) Mei Salvador. Cannot decide so tell us what you think by voting on the right side of the page!
We are currently on day 94 of our wait. There are families who left for China yesterday who received their referral in July, so 6 months, so that would put us at April for travel. Although the weather would be nicer then, I want to go now and bring our little girl home! We'll definately keep you posted! As for now.... finishing her room and finish building Katelyn's room! :) Oh yeah, and my friends from Maine, the Davis family, are IN CHINA as I type this (their blog is listed on the right, scroll down a bit) and our friends from Kerman are home safely from China, welcome home Barcelos Family! Have a blessed weekend! :)

Little Miss Mei's Room 1/2 Way Done!

Okay, I know what you're thinking.... "Only 1/2 way done!" but you have no idea how much work it has taken to get to this point! First of all, this is Katelyn's old room, so we had to kick her out, move her into Bradley's room with him, and then clean her MESS! Not to mention the addition we are trying to build before Kennedi comes home and all of the Christmas things we had going on this year. Also, the fact that both of us work full time jobs, I am PTF President at the kids school, and running our kids around to each activity! Since we have a mess in the garage and the house with building supplies, I had to keep the majority of Katelyn's things in her old room (Kennedi's room) and move them to one side to start on 1/2 the room. With that said, 1/2 of the room is now done! The first picture is the closet door and some of the wall which I painted white flowers like the ones on her bedding. The second picture is a picture of the pillow case. Her bedding has been on backorder since the SUMMER and has just now shipped to me. I was so afraid it would be discontinued but it's coming just in time! We are going to add white chair rail to the walls where the pink meets the green. So, this week, I am going to really try to FINISH her room now that I have moved Katelyn's things from the other side to the done side! WHEW!! Once I finish and get her bed in with all the bedding, I will post finished pictures. Tomorrow..... you know, DAY 90! :)

Kubo Staff Shower for Kennedi Mei!

My friend from work, Jenni, put together a shower for little Miss Mei and we had it today at another co-workers house, Shannon. Just about all the girls came and it was a great time! We ate of course and opened the wonderful gifts you see in the pictures! It's really happening, we're really getting a little girl! All the stuff we received was adorable and really needed for Kennedi. She'll love everything she got, I'm positive! A special thank you to Jenni and to Shannon for letting us use her house and to all the girls for their generous gifts and support during this exciting adventure. You all are the best by far!!! :)

Monday marks the famous 90 days waiting for our RA! We have told ourselves it will not be until 100-120 days but I can't help but think about Monday and the possibility that we can get the call any day now! My friend Tonya leaves this next week to bring home little Noelle and a week from Monday she will be in their arms! We love you guys and will be thinking and praying for you during this time! Tonya keeps saying we're "not far behind them" and I sure hope she's right! Keep us in your prayers and I'll be sure to keep you all posted!

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Northpointe Cast Party

Tonight we had the church Christmas Cast Party. Thank you to Kathy and Patrick Gerrits for a wonderful time! We snacked and played some fun games (our team "The Champions" won-thank you very much!). It was great to get to know some people from church. The kids all played, it was fun! Today is day 82 of the wait and we cannot go anywhere without people asking how much longer or "do you have that baby yet?". No, not yet. Soon, hopefully soon. Our friends, The Barcelos Family" are in China and as I type this it is Monday afternoon there and their Gotcha Day for Anna Joy! We are so excited for them! Next week our friends from Maine, The Davis Family, leave for China to bring home Noelle!
Soon that will be us.......

Happy New Year-The Year of the Rat!

Happy New Year all! I know, a day late, but yesterday I woke up with the flu-YUCK! Was in bed all day. I think once the holidays were over my body just said "STOP"! Not a good first day back at work today (came home early). Oh well, 2008 is the year our family will become a family of 5! Our friends from here in Kerman left yesterday for China to bring home Anna and the flu was going through their house (can you imagine!). Also, my friend from Maine Tonya, received their Consulate Appointment in China today and they leave for China on the 17th! We are so happy for them all!! Cannot wait to be in their shoes! :)