Qian Juan Xiu

2012-02-07T05:38:00.000-08:00

"Mothers who know do less.

They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally.
They allow less media in their homes, less distraction,
less activity that draws their children away from their home.

Mothers who know are willing to live on less

and consume less of the world’s goods

in order to spend more time with their children,
more time eating together, more time working together,
more time reading together, more time talking,
laughing, singing, and exemplifying.

These mothers choose carefully and

do not try to choose it all."

Julie Beck

2012-01-22T18:53:00.000-08:00

Alexis Nicole

4years 4 mo.

Happy Birthday Alexis Nicole

2011-09-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

September 20, 2011

April Pictures

2011-07-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

Time does fly and we can not believe we are celebrating two years as a family of four.

2009

April 2010

Easter Sunday

April 2011

Easter Sunday

March Pictures

2011-07-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Baptism

2011-07-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

“For you formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.” ~Psalm 139:13-14

7/10/11

We're Back

2011-06-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe last time I posted was at the beginning of the year and it is already summer! But it has been pretty busy around here and I will try to post pictures as I find them. Alexis and John are both doing well, Alexis is still enjoying ice skating and gymnastics and John is continuing his music studies and will begin working at the local hospital as a volunteer. We're enjoying the summer even though it has been extremely hot and humid!
In 2 days it will be the two year anniversary of receiving Alexis in our arms. It has been a wonderful journey and we are very fortunate to have her in our lives.
Alexis speech has improved dramatically, the last assessment she scored a 100 % in expressive language but it was recommended to start speech therapy again for articulation at Miami Children's Dan Marino Center. She will continue pre-school at the neighborhood elementary school , where she will also meet with a pathologist once a week.

January Highlights

2011-01-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a very happy and healthy New Year 2011

2010-12-29T08:57:00.000-08:00

Wishing you hope, love, joy, laughter,

the need to love again and again,

compassion, tolerance

and time to create happy memories.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T11:33:00.000-08:00

And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,
for he will save his people from their sins...

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Matthew 1:21 & Philippians 2:9-11 NLT

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T22:11:00.000-08:00

For All that You Give Us

Dear Lord,

On this Thanksgiving Day,

we are thankful

for all that You give us,

for all that You do for us,

for all that You teach us.

Thank You for guiding us

to live our lives

in Your will,

in Your purpose,

in Your plan for us.

Thank You for Your protection

from worldly influence and danger.

Thank You for bringing us gently

to a deeper knowledge of You

and what You want from us,

with Your love, mercy,

compassion and grace.

And thank you, Lord,

for the blessings

we are experiencing right now

at this very moment--

the food,

and the precious people

who are with us

to enjoy this meal

and this day.

Thank You, Lord. Amen.

By Joanna Fuchs

Halloween Pictures

2010-11-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

2010-10-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

An adopted child is not an unwanted child;

to the contrary.

They are a child who was searched for,

prayed for,

cried for,

begged for;

received by arms that ached,

making empty hearts full.

love was ment to be shared.

"author unknown"

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN

10/10/10

2010-10-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

Lincoln’s Letter to his Son’s Teacher

He will have to learn, I know,

that all men are not just,

all men are not true.

But teach him also that

for every scoundrel there is a hero;

that for every selfish Politician,

there is a dedicated leader…

Teach him for every enemy there is a friend,

Steer him away from envy,

if you can,

teach him the secret of

quiet laughter.

Let him learn early that

the bullies are the easiest to lick…

Teach him, if you can,

the wonder of books…

But also give him quiet time

to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,

bees in the sun,

and the flowers on a green hillside.

In the school teach him

it is far honourable to fail

than to cheat…

Teach him to have faith

in his own ideas,

even if everyone tells him

they are wrong…

Teach him to be gentle

with gentle people,

and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son

the strength not to follow the crowd

when everyone is getting on the band wagon…

Teach him to listen to all men…

but teach him also to filter

all he hears on a screen of truth,

and take only the good

that comes through.

Teach him if you can,

how to laugh when he is sad…

Teach him there is no shame in tears,

Teach him to scoff at cynics

and to beware of too much sweetness…

Teach him to sell his brawn

and brain to the highest bidders

but never to put a price-tag

on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears

to a howling mob

and to stand and fight

if he thinks he’s right.

Treat him gently,

but do not cuddle him,

because only the test

of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage

to be impatient…

let him have the patience to be brave.

Teach him always

to have sublime faith in himself,

because then he will have

sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order,

but see what you can do…

He is such a fine little fellow,

my son!

~ Abraham Lincoln

one, two, THREE!!!

2010-09-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

Alexis turned three last week and with that a lot of changes. No more ET, ST, Pull-ups, surgeries, zippy cups, bibs, high chair, wipes, etc.etc. done, done. I'm done.. Hello! boots, jeans,hats, purses, "I'll do it", "I'll get it", "my turn", 'I want..."
Her vocabulary has grown immensely. From "dog", "cat", and 'cow'; to "Alexis calculator", "Alexis underwear", "Alexis bicycle" '" etc. oh yeah, everything belongs to her around the house. The girl can't stop talking! when we reached the 250 words mark, we stopped counting. She reached the number of words expected for a child her age but she qualified for PK with a language based program which is part of the Exceptional Students Education (ESE).
This Speech\ Language program is for students who either have difficulty pronouncing letters or using grammar and language correctly. Fortunately the program is in the school that she is supposed to go by zone so we are happy that she will stay in the same school for Kindergarten. She started the day she turned three and so far so good. The best part of the day at school for Alexis is making the line for lunch. No surprise there. And now she is taking the bus to school and she is loving it.
We celebrated her birthday and enjoyed a sunny day by the pool. With kids all under three years old, we didn't have too much time to take pictures. Here are some pictures from the last few weeks.

Just Pictures

2010-08-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

First haircut

Alexis

2 years 10mo.

39lb!

Las Olas Riverfront - Fort Lauderdale

Surgery #3

2010-07-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

Alexis had her third surgery

and within a day she was pretty

much herself again.

It was a nose revision

and some laser. I will post more

about it later.

Before surgery 4:45am

At home trying to move around

with the arms restraints

Acetaminophen with Codeine... yeah baby!

Everybody is happy that the no-no's are out during the day.

She wears them to bed and in the carseat

God is good.

Look who I saw last week

2010-07-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

The male alligators produce a loud, low rumbling noise that is often mistaken for thunder. This roar or "bellow" can be heard up to 1 mile away. Females also make a bellowing noise, but it is softer and does not carry as far. This roar is used to establish territory and to call females for breeding. Young alligators make a chirping noise to alert others, as well as the mother, of approaching danger. They will also make a loud hissing noise by expelling air through their mouth as an aggressive gesture.
{turn music off to hear the video).

pretty cool huh?

See You Later, Alligator.

Hope everybody had a Happy 4th. We opted to stay home, had a BBQ and a small fireworks show in the backyard. Alexis loved the sparkles.

365 Days With You

2010-06-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

June 29th. 2010

One year ago today we hold you for the first time.

Lets Remember

June 29th.. 2009

It's been an incredibly beautiful journey. We love you John Francis and Alexis Nicole more than our words, actions, or lives could ever reflect. You are incredible gifts from God to us. May our lives together be a journey filled with grace, joy, and happiness.

Flamingo Gardens & Farmers Market

2010-06-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

The perfect place for color recognition practice with Alexis

Too hot! Let's go home!

Summer 2010

2010-06-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

Sooo.....Alexis is doing well. About surgeries,basically, we (once again) pushed it back a week to have a nice relaxing 4th of July. It will be the 12th instead of the 5th. Her pre-op visit was as always easy and short. The surgeon is amazed how well things are going with her. After the surgery, we basically visit the surgeon "from time to time". But he told us to just enjoy life and "check in every once in a while" as she grows.

We had a great Memorial day weekend. We stayed at a h.otel and it was sunny and beautiful. We were at a musical festival where John competed in piano and drums. He also was part of the pit at a play and with 2000 students, guess who was the real show of the weekend.... Ms. Alexis Nicole! She really is a people person. Hugs, kisses and smiles to everyone.
The week after Memorial day, John had a Classical Concert and Awards dinner and Alexis missed that one. It was a beautiful night where we enjoyed a nice meal and good music and conversation without running after a 2 1/2 years old. Alexis stayed with her aunt and future God-mother who she adores.

After almost a year with Alexis we still can't believe we have this precious child with us. And after a year I can say I missed China the day after our return and I still miss C.hina today.

Oh Blogger! what a great way to document and remember this wonderful journey. I'm not a scrapbooker! So this is what I'll have to recall these wonderful days. Here are some pictures.

World Science Festival 2009

2010-05-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

The Power of the Pentatonic Scale.
A worth sharing video

Kindness

2010-05-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

Just Pictures Part II

2010-05-14T05:02:00.000-07:00

Just Pictures Part I

2010-05-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Update

2010-05-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

Just some quick updates. It has been very difficult to keep up with this blog. How do people do this on a daily basis!
Anyway...Alexis and John are doing really well. John turned 15 last month and Alexis turned 2 1/2.. No big celebrations just family and few friends close to us.. Easter was celebrated the same way. Alexis got the hang of it and by the fourth egg hunt she was a master in finding those eggs. We are set with plastic eggs for next year that's for sure. It was a looong Easter weekend but we celebrated with everyone.

Alexis was supposed to have her third surgery in March but she was doing so well with her ST that we decided to postpone it until the summer (July 5th.) and concentrate on her speech. Her speech is going well and she really enjoys going every week to the DM center and "play" with J and Ms. S.
Her favorite words are CAR and YELLOW, but when she says Oh com'n! we just laugh. Too cute.

She is still eating very well and we have a 35lb. girl with a lot of energy. Her favorite foods continue to be vegetables. She does not like meat too much. Rice, all kind of beans and yogurt are her favorites and fruits like peaches and mandarin . Loves soups and not a big fan of pizza and fries..yea! We eat pasta.The only thing that she would not eat is mint.

Last weekend we drove up to Jacksonville and she did really well. John F. really helped keep her occupied. She had to sleep with us because she did not like the crib at the hotel. She's such a good sleeper at the house that we let her sleep in the king size bed. The hotel was conveniently located at a big shopping center with restaurants so it was great to just go down and walk everywhere with the stroller without the hassle of the car seat. We were in Jacksonville because John had State piano competitions and won a trophy. I'm going to try to post a video of him playing. but for now, you can view a You Tube video here and here and here from a couple of years ago{Scherzo in E minor by Karp, Tarantella by Pieczonca and Solffeggieto by Bach). Enjoy.

Easter 2010

2010-04-07T03:30:00.000-07:00

Easter blessings to all!

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Lunar New Year!!!

2010-02-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day +

2009-12-27T03:08:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Tree

2009-12-17T03:53:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the kids decorating the Christmas tree. Alexis didn't know what to think of such a big tree inside the house but she quickly got the idea and started to decorate, but first she tried to bite a couple of the ornaments to make sure they were not eatable.
Alexis had her first cold since coming home from China but she is a tough little girl and nothing stops her. She is very congested and with breathing treatments with Xopenex and dexphen she starting to feel better.She attended her first Christmas concert and she loved it. We had to hold her to prevent her from going onto the stage to dance. She loves music and there is no doubt she will be playing some instruments. She danced through the whole concert so dance lessons will be something that she probably will enjoy. The concert was beautiful but Alexis was the main attraction. We were at the Hotel for 6 hours and running after a 2 year old for that long was exhausting but she looked sooooo cute with her red dress!
So, we have a couple of parties to go on the 24th and then we will be having Christmas dinner at home with family and then we will fly to the Caribbean and have a much needed mini vacation.

Princess Alexis Random Pictures

December

2009-12-04T06:57:00.000-08:00

November was a busy but great month. We celebrated Thanksgiving twice. My nephew came from Syracuse the week before and we celebrated with my family an early Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving day, we visited with John's family and it was really nice. That was the first time they saw Alexis and it was like she knew them forever. She is not a shy girl for sure.

Alexis keeps adding more words to her vocabulary but last week was a big one because she said "touchdown'. For her brother this was the most amazing thing. He breaths football and I can not imagine his reaction if she says Go Colts! but for me, there is not a sweeter moment then when she said "ma-ma".

We saw her surgeon and we scheduled her third surgery for late February. This will be the last surgery and then we will start working with a pediatric dentist. Fortunately , she has all her teeth and they are pretty straight but we will have to work intensively with an orthodontist but that will be years from now. She's still healing from the surgery done in November but things are moving along. We just need to massage the area three times a day with Talsyn-CI which is a cream for scars. The area will look rather reddish for a while.

SO.... for now, our main focus with Alexis Nicole will be speech and fortunately Florida has a great "Early Steps" program especially in our County. Complementing that with the preschool she's in, this will help her immensely. The Early Steps program is an early intervention system that offers services to children with delays or conditions that make them have a delay in certain areas. To be eligible, the child needs to be evaluated in all areas. It is a great program and we had the sweetest service coordinator. When she turns three, she will be in another program and we will start requesting services in March so she can be ready to start by her third birthday.

Well, that's it for now. I will post more pictures in the upcoming weeks.

Getting Better

2009-11-16T12:22:00.000-08:00

The palate surgery back in August, being more invasive, gave us the impression it would be harder to deal with. Well, nose and lip revision was much more difficult for Alexis.
The reason for the surgery was to thin out the space between the nose and the lip. There was too much scar tissue. The stitches are dissolving and the two stitches on top of her nose will be gone pretty soon. Those stitches are holding cartilage inside of her nose.
The first CL surgery in China was well done but with old technology so you could see the scars left from the stitches and the surgeon also fixed that. We feel very comfortable with Alexis' surgeon and know that she will get just what she needs.
The hearing test was perfect so no hearing issues. For now just ST is the only therapy she will need. We feel blessed that she had an organization who sponsored her and a good doctor in China who performed the first surgery at six months. Fortunately, we have the names of the sponsor and the name of the doctor. We are fortunate to have this information and to know that she was taken care of.

Surgery Day

Day after surgery

Five days after surgery

Let's don't forget the hair.

It is growing and it's beatiful!

Seven days after surgery. It will take 30 to 45 days for all the

inflammation to go down.

Surgery # 2

2009-11-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

Alexis had nose revision and everything went very well. She also had ear tubes put in. The next surgery will be in 6-12 mo. and we're done ! I will post pictures soon.
The picture above is Alexis Nicole at 24 months. (30 lb. & 36 in.). She's a big girl and everybody loves her. She is our sweet princess who loves shoes, purses, makeup ,and football. The only kids TV show she still likes is Blues Clue's and football of course; so no silly DORA in this house(Thank God).

Alexi's First Halloween

2009-10-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

Just Pictures

2009-10-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd. Birthday Alexis !

2009-09-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

September smiles, hugs and kisses

2009-09-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 09.09.09

2009-09-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

Busy August

2009-09-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

August was quite busy around here.Doctor's appointments for everybody, Alexis surgery, John started school. Now we have a high school student in the house and a toddler; and it's working just fine. It is a challenge for my son to play the piano but I'm getting a four hands concert everyday.
Alexis got her Citizenship Certificate,social security and we are waiting for her passport to arrive. The first post placement visit went very well and the next one will be in six months.
Our dog Gwacy is realizing that Alexis is not leaving the house and that she has to get use to sharing us with the baby. The pool and the park have been a hit with Alexis. The park is just across the street so it is an
everyday thing.
Alexis stopped drinking from the bottle and went to a sippy cup and now after the palate surgery, she likes drinking with a straw. My fear was for her to stop drinking milk the moment she stopped drinking from the bottle but she still enjoys her milk. She also stopped sucking her thumb. Her vocabulary is coming along and she basically understands everything we tell her. She will start speech therapy soon. We met with the SP and we think it is going to workout.
We also visited a Montessori school we would like Alexis to go in the near future. Our son was in Montessori school for two years and he really enjoyed it. The other option is to enroll her at the family center at the
University. It would be convenient for us because our son is in High School at NSU and we know the system and the people.
Next on the list is to have her nose and lip revision. We already met with the surgeon and scheduled surgery. Birthday and baptism are coming up but we will have two different gatherings. Baptism will be strictly family and we have to plan a weekend where everybody is around and her birthday will be at our house. A small celebration but nice. It will be with close friends and a couple of kids. I don't think she would care how many kids are in the party. As long as there is food, she will be OK.
Well, this is what we have been doing. I will post pictures soon.

Two Months with Alexis Nicole

2009-08-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

Labor Of My Heart

I would have given anything
to be the one to know
the pain of bringing
you into this world
but it couldn't be...

Though I did not bring
you here still
I labored in my tears
through the long nights
I prayed
you would come to me...

You are the labor of
my heart with all
my strength I prayed
till they laid you in
my arms Child,
you are the labor
of my heart....

Blessed be the maker
of bone of other bone.
He made flesh of my desire
and today
I take you home...

You are the labor
of my heart Child,
you are the labor
of my heart with all
my strength I prayed
till they laid you in
my arms Child,

you are the labor
of my heart Child,
you are the labor
of my heart...
Author - Steve & Annie Chapman

Palate Surgery

2009-08-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

Alexis had her Palate repair and everything went really well. We are very happy with the surgeon, anestesiologist, and also with the Pediatric ICU at DiMaggio.

She is doing really well with the arm restraints. They are placed before leaving the operating room so it is heartbreaking to see her bleeding from her mouth and nose and having so many cables and on top of all that, to see her with them on knowing that she has to have them on for two weeks.
The first day was rough because of the pain but by the second day she was feeling better. The first day, she didn't want to drink anything but by the following day, she was hungry and wanting to eat. At home, she stayed in her crib all night but she would move and cry from the discomfort she felt and also trying to find the best position to sleep with the arm restraints.
My son went to the hospital the first night and he was so happy to see her but he felt so bad to see her in such pain but he needed to be there to really understand her moods and why she would be cranky during the following weeks . It was such a touching moment when he was trying to comfort her. I'm in LOVE with my kids. I love them so much that it hurts at times. After moments like these all those years of waiting for Alexis Nicole just melted away.
Here are some pictures.

THE MOUNTAINS WILL MELT LIKE WAX

BEFORE THE LORD OF ALL THE EARTH.

Our Daughter

2009-08-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

“An invisible red thread connects
those destined to meet,
regardless of time, place, or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or tangle,
but never break.”
~Ancient Chinese Proverb

Alexis Nicole has just been the most joyous blessing to this family and it is truly amazing how much love we have for this precious child.Enjoy the pictures.

One Month With Alexis Nicole

2009-08-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

Wow! We have been with Alexis for one month now. We can’t believe Alexis is here! At times this still seems surreal that she is part of the family; but at times it feels that she's been with us forever.
We are doing well and loving the new normal in the house. We are getting into the new routine. We already started our post placement reports, sent the info. our agency needed, had an assessment at Joe DiMaggio (I will talk more about it in a future post)and it went amazing. We are very pleased with their services. We also scheduled Alexis' palate surgery. It will take place in a couple of days and we will let you all know how it went.
Alexis Nicole is a sweet loving silly little girl. She is busy, busy all the time. She is very strong but a princess. She LOVES shoes and accesories.
Because we knew our wait was going to be long and we didn't know our daughter's age before referral, we did not buy anything. I know it is hard to believe but by the time of referral we just had a blanket and a swimsuit for her. We painted the room 6 months before referral and got the crib 4 days before leaving to China. My mom sent me a dozen outfits and half didn't fit her. Now we are enjoying taking her to get clothing and toys. We don't want to overwhelm her with toys so if a toy comes in to the house then a toy has to come out.
She LOVES her brother and gets so exited when her dad comes home. It is a beautiful sight to watch. She is very comfortable at the house and things are getting better with our Maltese little dog. Now they are best friends and the dog realizes that Alexis Nicole is the best chance she has to get some snacks. As soon as Alexis goes to the high chair, the dog goes for some droppings. She is still eating like there is no end and sleeping her 12 hrs straight and we love it.
Every time we go out we forget the camera so all the pictures are in the house. We may go to Orlando for a weekend before school starts and we will take lots and lots of pictures, I'm sure. Here are some pictures.

Blessed

2009-07-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

Today Alexis meet her pediatrician. She is my son's pediatrician and she is great Her office is 10 minutes from the house :-).Everything went well and no vaccines for the moment. The Dr.said that she was very healthy and on target for her age. I gave her the medical report and the vaccines history. She said there is just one vaccine missing. She change the milk to whole milk and order a hearing test and speech evaluation. She wants us to have the results ready for our visit to the Joe DiMaggio Hospital for her assessment. The appointment at Joe DiMaggio will be the 28th. Alexis will be examined by a plastic Surgeon,ENT, psychologist,physical therapist and a pediatrician. The appointment will take four hrs. I will let everybody know how it went.

Things are getting organized around the house and sleeping schedules are getting better. Alexis always sleep for 10 to 12 hrs. but when we came home she would sleep for 14 hrs. Yesterday she woke up at 1pm and today she woke up at noon. Much better.

2009-07-11T12:46:00.001-07:00

What time is it?

2009-07-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

Alexis is getting used to the time change but has been a bit of a challenge. I'm sure it will take couple of days to get used to the new time zone. She's full of energy, loves the pool and love to take baths. So far we tried the car seat and stroller and no problem. She just want to do something all the time. Does not like to watch TV but loves to talk on the phone.

Busy Aexis

Home Sweet Home

2009-07-10T10:52:00.002-07:00

Great to be home! We arrived Thursday night and we are doing well. We are not over from jet lag but trying to function the best we can. Our son John Francis is doing well and he already started music lessons and is getting ready for basketball camp.
I (Amanda) besides souvenirs from China also brought a nasty virus and a throat infection. I lost my voice so I communicate with Alexis thru sign language. And it is working!
Alexis is doing well and loving sunny Florida. Family and friends are so excited and happy to see her. Well, God is good, we have a beautiful and healthy girl. It was wonderful meeting so many families and spending time bonding with our baby with all of them. What a great group of families. All the children were beautiful and very special!
Well, we finally were able to update our blog, at least with pictures, we will add text each day.

Our friend Lenore picked us up at the airport.

2009-07-10T10:52:00.001-07:00

Day 16

2009-07-10T10:00:00.002-07:00

Guangzhou - Beijing - Newark - Fort Lauderdale

It was a trip of a lifetime. We loved China and hope to go back someday with our son and daughter.

John Francis and Alexis Nicole eating together at our home.
After 3 planes,19 hrs. of flying time we needed a warm homemade meal. Thanks Lenore for such a delicious fresh,organic and yummy food!!!We were eating at 3am, but who cares! We were starving!

Day 15

2009-07-10T10:00:00.001-07:00

Oath at the ACS - Get Visa

Day 14

2009-07-10T09:58:00.009-07:00

ACS Appointment - Farewell Dinner
The ACS appointment went well. The farewell dinner was fun but bittersweet because was the last time we ate as a group. The food was delicious but no pictures:-(
I think that day we also went to Lucy's and Starbucks. Actually, we went to Lucy's and Starbucks twice while in China and both times the food and the coffee was delicious. We eat pasta almost every day at home. I was craving for my pasta and I got it. It was a most needed break from Chinese food.

Adorable Alexis

Day 13

2009-07-10T09:58:00.007-07:00

Day 12

2009-07-10T09:58:00.005-07:00

Day 11

2009-07-10T09:58:00.003-07:00

Medical Exam

Day 10

2009-07-10T09:58:00.001-07:00

Hotel Playroom
Guangzhou Zoo
Market

Day 9

2009-07-10T09:57:00.008-07:00

The wait

Day 8

2009-07-10T09:57:00.007-07:00

Registration Certificate - Application for passport

Orphanage Visit

Day 7

2009-07-10T09:57:00.005-07:00

Registration - Notary
Adoption Day !!!

Day 6

2009-07-10T09:57:00.003-07:00

Guangdong Adoption Center
What a day! It was amazing. After 3 1/2 years waiting for our daughter
and sister I just have to say that was what we dreamed of and then some
more. We were all busy trying to capture every moment for each family,
but they called the families so quickly that we could not see other
families getting their babies. Our son took some pictures of the other
families. John also had a video camera so we got a bunch of pictures that
we will treasure forever.

Day 5

2009-07-10T09:57:00.001-07:00

Leaving Beijing - Arriving in Guangzhou

Day 4

2009-07-10T09:56:00.002-07:00

Lunch and a Bonus
TianAnMen Square
Forbbiden City
The Great Wall

John got to eat duck and he liked it! I couldn't do it.
Chicken was as delicious as the duck; I'm sure.
He also enjoyed seeing the Ice Cube and the Nest.

Day 3

2009-07-10T09:56:00.001-07:00

The sightseeing started! Just look for the CHI flag!
Temple of Heaven
Lotus Market
Private Residence
From a the sightseeing in China, the visit of a private residence was the most interesting. And to get there it was more far interesting. The owner hosted athletes for the Beijing 2008 games. The property;because of the location it has a market value of $7,000.00 the square meter.

Day 2

2009-07-10T09:55:00.001-07:00

Beijing Renaissance Hotel

Day 1

2009-07-10T09:54:00.001-07:00

Fort Lauderdale - Newark - Beijing

Surprise!

2009-07-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

As we were ready to take our dog to the kennel, I decided to get out of the car and check the mailbox. Surprise! An envelope from USCIS. I thought it was the copy of the 171-H updated with the Approval for SN. Well, it wasn't. They returned all our papers to us.
We were supposed to leave the following morning. We rushed to the kennel, told the receptionist TAKE THE DOG! See you in 2 weeks. We went to a a local USCIS office and they couldn't do anything for us. They told us the other USCIS office sent it back to us by mistake. Went to UPS and re-sent everything again.
The updated copy is needed by the embassy to issue our daughter's visa. We can adopt her but we could not bring her into the US.

We're ready!..Are we?

2009-06-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

And the golden rule is: If you want to add
something,you must take something out.

Beautiful centerpiece ....to the right.

Where is she?

Juan Xiu Update

2009-06-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

Here she is,

2009-06-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

Currently waiting for us @
Dongguan Social Welfare Institute
Guangdong Province
People's Republic of China

Timeframe

2009-06-06T19:23:00.000-07:00

05.13.06 - Adoption Meeting
06.06.06 - Applied with agency to adopt
07.28.06 - Applied Orphan Petition I600-A
08.01.06 - Employment Verification John/Amanda
08.17.06 - Medical John/Amanda
08.23.06 - Background Check John/Amanda
08.25.06 - Certification of Marriage
08.25.06 - Birth Cerfificate/John/Amanda
08.28.06 - Wrote LOI
08.25.06 - Financial Form
08.31.06 - Got Homestudy #1
10.04.06 - Fingerprints Approved
11.21.06 - Dossier to China
12.13.06 - Log in date
03.06.07 - Got Brown Envelope
12.19.07 - Homestudy #2 Update
04.03.08 - I-171H Expired
12.27.09 - FBI Fingerprints Expired
03.26.09 - Letter of Intend
04.08.09 - Pre-approval
04.15.09 - Letter of seaking Confirmation
05.07.09 - Got pictures from orphanage!(5 with Juan Xiu)
05.14.09 - Fingerprints #2 expire
05-06-09 - Got update from adoptive mom
05.18.09 - Got Juan Xiu Update from Agency
05.28.09 - Travel Aproval
06.04.09 - need new HS Update with SN info.
06.04.09 - Medical Exam #3 John/Amanda
06.04.09 - County Background #3 John/Amanda
06.05.09 - Sent SW Homestudy Update#3 docs.
06.09.09 - Received HS #3 Update
06.09.09 - Sent Homestudy update to USCIS
06.11.09 - Power of Attorney(Just is case..)
06.11.09 - Affidavit/Vaccination
04.13.09 - Referral
04.16.09 - Signed and sent SLC
04.20.09 - Homesuty Addendum SN
06.15.09 - Received Visas,SN bottles
06.15.09 - Got Juan Xiu video/Pictures update
06.24.09 - Leave US Fort Lauderdale/Newark
06.25.09 - Arrive Beijing,China
06.26.09 - FD
06.27.09 - Visit Tian AnMen Square,Forbidden City
06.27.09 - Visit Great Wall
06-28.09 - Travel to GZ
06.29.09 - Gotcha!
06-30-09 - Adoption Process
07.01.09 - Receive registration cert./apply for passport
07.02.09 - Sightseeing: Yuexiu Park, Chen Clan Temple
07.03.09 - Sightseeing: Guangzhou Zoo
07.04.09 - Medical Exam
07.05.09 - Free day
07.06.09 - Free day
07.07.09 - ACS Appointment
07.08.09 - Take Oath,Pick up Visa
07.09.09 - Return to the US

Is it time?

2009-06-06T17:47:00.001-07:00

A child sat on Jesus' lap in the splendor of heaven.
The child asked, "Is it time?"
Jesus parted the clouds,
looked and said,"No, not yet child.
"The child asked, "When will it be time?"
Jesus replied, "When lessons are learned,
hardships endured, and loneliness lived,
then it will be time.
"Time passed. The child asked, "Is it time?"
Jesus parted the clouds, looked and said,
"No, not yet child.
"The child asked, "When will it be time?"
Jesus replied,
"When maturity is reached,
self-worth affirmed
and spirits strengthened,
then it will be time.
"Time passed. The child asked,
"Is it time?"
Jesus parted the clouds, looked and said,
"Their love is strong and their hearts are open.
Yes, now it is time-
"Your family is ready.
"~Author unknown