Saturday, December 26, 2009

Remember Me???

Thanksgiving/ Early Christmas with my mom and dad


Taylor and Tanner's birthday celebration with their cousins

Tessa and Tia at Christmas


Merry Christmas from our family


Yeah, I know - it has been weeks since my last post. Things have been a little busy around our home lately. I remember when I thought that one more child would not dramatically impact the flow of our home - "Yeah Right!!!" What was I thinking?!?!?! I am sleep deprived, constantly trying to baby proof everything in our home - and loving every minute with this little girl. She is amazing!!! And most of all, I love the way she has melded into our family. Sometimes I forget what life was like before she came home. It is like she was always with us.

If you have a few minutes, keep reading and I will catch you up on our lives. Like I said, Tia is amazing. After our return home from China, I had the opportunity to spend 5 weeks at home with her. This is a new benefit offered by my company and I am very thankful for it. We had a chance to get to know one another and it was wonderful. I have never been a stay at home mom. My appreciation goes out to all of you. It is a tough job. I got to be there when the kids got off the bus and was able to hear all about their day. It was a very special time for all of us.

God once again amazed us with how His timing was perfect all along. Terry's company introduced new shifts. He works in aviation, so their hours tend to be a little unorthodox. But this time they worked out well for us. Terry is now working 3 - 12 hour shift each week. He works Friday, Saturday and Sunday - and then can be home with the kids the remainder of the week. No more daycare!!! This was a huge blessing for us. We really did not want to put Tia in daycare yet and the cost was way out of our budget. I have been using some of my vacation to be with the kids on Fridays, and then we are working on a plan for the future. It has worked out so perfectly!!! The new shift started right after I got home from China. Once again, God's timing was perfect!

We celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with my parents and Terry family. I was so happy when we walked in the door at my mom's house and Tia immediately recognized her. They will always have a special bond. We also celebrated Taylor and Tanner's birthdays while we were at home. It is hard for me to believe that Tay is 16 and Tanner is 11. They are wonderful young people and I am blessed to be their mom.

Trenton and Tessa are now at home with daddy during the week and we are homeschooling their pre-kindergarten curriculum. Once again, not something that we had planned, but it has been great. I love to watch them learn and they get so excited about school.

Many of you have asked how Tess and Tia are doing together. I will post some pictures that might give you a good idea, but I will also say they are doing great. Tess loves her sister and Tia idolizes Tessa. Tess and I were sitting on the couch one evening and I asked her if she was glad I brought her sister home. She said "yes", so I probed a little more. I then asked her why she liked her sister, to this she said "because she loves me all the time". I think that is a pretty good reason.

Okay, one funny story to tell you about - Trenton was trying to help Tia with something the other day and Tessa stepped in and said, "Just let me do it, I am Chinese and I know how to do it". Never a dull moment with Tessa.....

Enjoy the photos and I promise to TRY to blog more.

Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Monday, November 23, 2009

Coming Up For Air






It has been two weeks since we returned home and life is finally starting to resemble some sort of normalcy. Tia and I have our nights and weekends figured out, which is a huge improvement.

The kids are doing great with Tia. Everyone fights over who gets to sit by her in the car and who she likes best. Tessa is so proud of her baby sister.

We have a lot of changes going on in our home. I (Diane) am at home on adoption leave. This is a wonderful benefit offered by my company. We did not have this when I adopted Tessa, so I really appreciate the advancement they are making to our benefits. Terry has opted to change his working hours to Friday - Sunday, 12 hour days. This will mean that the little ones are at home with him during the week, and then staying with a friend of ours on Fridays. Although we will miss him on the weekends, it will be great to have our children at home, instead of daycare. The preschool Trenton and Tessa attended is the best - all of our children have "graduated" from FBCA. But the opportunity to have the kids at home and save a ton of money on tuition was a good move for us. I started homeschooling the kids this morning. Wow - I have a lot of respect for homeschooling moms!!! My hat is off to all of you!
We will be traveling home to Illinois for the holiday this week. It will be the first opportunity for most of our family to meet Miss Tia. It should be a great time!!

As far as Tia goes, she is doing great. She has gained 1 1/2 lbs since we got home. She is happy and seems very well adjusted. She has a great appetite and has even discovered Mc Donald's. She has started taking a few steps on her own. I think she will be walking within the next few weeks.
I promise to blog more regularly from now on. Till later...






Monday, November 9, 2009

There's No Place Like Home, There's No Place Like Home...


Boy did Dorothy have that one right. I am so glad to be home. When we stepped off the plane in St Louis on Saturday night, I felt such a relief. By the time we made it to baggage claim, where my family and friends were waiting, I was sobbing. It felt so good to hug my husband and kids. I think Tessa grew 3 inches while I was gone. She seems so grown up. Trenton was glad to see mommy, but also very concerned about what I brought back for him. Tanner just wanted to hug Tia. She was a little shy at first, but then she began to warm up to them. Taylor is as always, the most amazing big sister. She is wonderful with Tia.


There were so many dear friends at the airport. Thank you to everyone who has supported and prayed for us during this journey - we could not have done it without you.


Since we have been home, things have been a little tiring. I am suffering from some serious jet lag. It is 4:34 am here in St Louis and Tia and I are eating pancakes. I would love to blame it on the baby, but I was awake long before her today. We will try to get some naps later today.


Today, we are visiting our pediatrician. She wanted to see Tia first thing when we got home. I will share more details about the visit tomorrow.


Glad to be home.....

Saturday, November 7, 2009

00 DAYS UNTIL TIA COMES HOME!

Today is the day. JoAnn, Diane and Tia should arrive in St. Louis around 9:00 tonight! We are planning on leaving the house around 7:30 so if anyone wants to drive along with us, that's when we're leaving.

Diane's dad is here now and we spent the whole morning working on my van. We had to change the oil pan gasket, oil and filter, air filter and the serpentine belt. Doesn't sound like much but it took us about 4 hours. It seems to be drip free. Let's hope it holds.

Now......gotta clean this house. 4 kids and no mom makes for a dirty house!

Until later,
Terry...

Friday, November 6, 2009

Ok, it's Saturday morning in China, I haven't heard from Diane since yesterday...but they're flying out today!! Their flight leaves anytime now (it's 9:00pm Friday here) and they have a full day of airline food and connecting flights. I haven't had any pictures to post but when they get home I'm sure we'll put several on this blog.
Until later, Terry...

Thursday, November 5, 2009

It's Friday morning in China and this is their last full day before traveling home. They leave around noon on their Saturday and they land in St. Louis around 9:00pm Saturday night.
It wont be long!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009


Just a little news today. It's Thursday morning in China so they have today and tomorrow and then they pack up to come home. Tia has her US Consulate visit today and I think that is her last official appointment while in China. After that, they're just waiting to come home.
I'll post more pictures when I get them.
Terry...

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Diane and JoAnn went to the zoo today and sent us this panda picture. They are having a great time but can't wait to come home. They leave this Saturday around noon (that's about midnight Friday night --St. Louis time). They will be arriving at St. Louis Lambert International Airport at 9:05 Saturday night and their flight number is American Airlines 1795. If anybody wants to meet us (and them) at the airport, we will be gathering at the exit of the C concourse which is past baggage pick up and all the way to the right (on the lower level).

Until later.......Terry

Saturday, October 31, 2009



Sorry for the delay in posting. Since we landed in Guangzhou, it seems like we have been on the go. By the time we get back to our room at night, I am too exhausted to blog. I know - amazing that I am too tired to blog. ;)

Anyway, today (10/31) was our medical check. The added complexity of shots for us I 800 families is really tough. I have always hated getting shots for my kids. You just never know how they are going to react. Tia did great! She had 3 shots today and they will do 2 more on Monday. The doctors felt that since she is so small, they should break it up a little. She whimpered for a few seconds and then was back to her normal happy self. It was a very long morning and she did great!

We went to one of my favorite restaurants on the island - Lucy's. Their food is great, and very affordable. I also love their lemon ice tea. Today was also a paperwork day. That is one advantage to the I800, we do not have as much paperwork to complete. After this, we went shopping. My buddy Connie and I put the kids down for their naps and recruited grandma and her husband as babysitters. We did the first of some serious shoe shopping. Sherry's had squeaky shoes - 3 pairs for 40 RMB. That is 5.00 US for 3 pairs of all leather shoes. Not a bad deal at all. Tia can' walk yet, but she has the shoes to practice those first steps.

It is great to see all of the other adoptive families. Many I have met on line through their blogs and now we get to see each other in China. One in particular is my friend Gretchen. We have followed each others blogs since the very beginning and now we are finally here. She is a great lady and very proud mama. Her daughter Ashlyn is a cutie!!!

Since today is Halloween, I thought we would dress Tia up in costume. The one I brought was a size 12 month. It engulfed her, so we decided to pass on this one. I am looking forward to seeing the kids on Skype later, in their costumes.

Till later....

Thursday, October 29, 2009









Hello from Kunming!!! It is a much better day today. Tia is back to her old self. We are seeing her true character evolve each day. She is very strong willed, but will listen to her mama. She is such a snuggly baby. She is happy to have me carry her the majority of the time. She is great at be time. I lay her in her crib and rub her back and she is asleep in a few minutes. She sleeps all night, at least 6 - 8 hours.

We had a chance to visit one of the park here in Kunming. The area is famous for their parks. The climate is very nice and the park was full of people enjoying the nice weather. It was so interesting the watch the people exercising and dancing. There were some ladies doing a dance that our guide described as the dance of the minority people. This is an ethnic group that is prevalent in Kunming. The music and movements were beautiful.

Tia has learned to say mama, Tay Tay, bear and Daddy. I think this will melt his heart. She carries around his picture and kisses it. Yep, she will have him wrapped around her little finger in no time. :)

We have met so many wonderful families during our journey. It always amazes me how the adoption community can be so closely joined. We have had a few play dates with Tia's friend from the orphanage. The girls are so much fun to watch.

Tia is doing much better with her fever. We have learned not to skip a dose of Motrin. She had a slight temp this morning, but after the Motrin, she was fine.

I had a chance to speak with Terry today and he told me about all of the wonderful support from many of you. I can never thank you all enough.

We travel to Guangzhou tomorrow. Only 9 more days and we will be home!!!

Till later...

Wednesday, October 28, 2009



What a Difference a Day Makes

As you can see from the photo, we have a very happy girl today. Tia is fever fee, with a dose of Motrin.

I won't go into all of the details, but will say that yesterday was one of the toughest days I have ever faced as a mother. I had a sick child in a foreign country and could not understand the doctors. It was difficult to know what they were doing to my child and feeling very afraid. I did however learn that I am the voice for my child and I will protect her at any cost. Yes, there are some real frustrations within me right now, but I don't feel comfortable sharing them at this time. Some day I might, but for now I am rejoicing that my child is doing much better and on the road to recovery.

I do still ask for your prayers for her health. We are flying out of here on Friday and she needs to be healthy for her physical. She is also facing some shots, so even more of a reason to covet your prayers.

Thank you so much for all you support

Till later

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures to post today. It has been a very difficult day for us. Tia began to run a very high fever this afternoon. We contacted our guide, who took us to the orphanage hospital. The lack of translations and inquisition from the staff was horrible. They administered some medication, but we are unsure what it was. I am trying desperately to reach our doctor in the states, but cannot get in touch with her. I feel so lost right now. Please keep is in your prayers.
--Diane

Monday, October 26, 2009












THE PRINCESS HAS ARRIVED

Wow, how do I start this post. Today has been so emotional for us. We started very early at the Civil Affairs office here in Kunming. Soon after we arrived, they brought Tia in. She was very quiet at first. She sat on my lap but did not make a sound. She looked around the room a few times and then looked up at me, as if to say "who is this lady".

She is tiny and petite.The size 12 month clothes that I brought are all way too big. We estimate she is approximately 17 pounds.She is very skilled at crawling, but still uneasy with walking

We had a lot of paperwork to complete for the adoption and she sat quietly on my lap the entire time. My Mom tried to take her from me once when I was needing to retrieve some documents, and she refused to leave me. Boy did that make this mamma feel good.

She eventually warmed up to my mom and began to show her true personality. There is nothing shy about this little one. We saw our first smiles within an hour or so.

After we returned to the hotel, she had a chance to explore the room. She is so smart. Within just a few minutes she had figured out the stacking cups and arranged all of them.

We had a short play date with one of her roommates from the orphanage. Charlotte is 8 days older than Tia, but quite a bit bigger. They had so much fun together.

We were able to Skype of Terry and Taylor this afternoon and they got to meet the little princess. She liked see them on the computer and even said Tay Tay.

She is napping now and then we are off to the Chinese Walmart for some additional supplies.

I feel so blessed to have her in my arms. The wait was long and difficult, but it was totally worth it all.

God is good!!!

Sunday, October 25, 2009


I just spoke with Diane and they are getting Tia around 8:00pm central

time, tonight! I am pretty much waiting by the computer and I hope to have some pictures posted as soon as I get them.


Ok, I just spoke with Diane and Tia over the Skype Video thingy and...here she is!! She is only about 17 lbs and not eating solid food yet. Tia was crawling around like crazy and can take 3 or 4 steps at a time. It's getting late so I better go. I'll post more pictures early in the morning. That's it. Pretty cool......

Saturday, October 24, 2009









Today was very busy!! We had the opportunity to see some of the most amazing architectural sites in the world. Our first stop was the Forbidden city. My mom said she has never heard me say "Wow" so many times. :)

The Forbidden City was built for the Emperors of China. Our guide is very knowledgeable about Chinese history, which is great because I know very little. Guess I should have listened a little better in the World History class during my undergrad years. Oh well, anyway - the Forbidden City covers more than 7 acres and has multiple courtyards and and room displays.

Next, we drove to the Great Wall. I honestly believe we spent more than 3 hours of our day sitting in traffic. The Highway 40 project in St Louis has got nothing on this place. You are constantly weaving in an out of cars, trying to advance a little closer. I have determined that the lines on the road are merely suggestions, and just there to amuse tourist. No one uses them. ;)

The Great Wall is enormous! We went to one of the sections that was recently restored. The climb is very steep and we did not make it very far. It is tough to take all of this in. Our guide said that more than 10,000 people visit the Great Wall each day. Guess this explains all the traffic.

And finally we had a quick drive by of the Birds Nest from the 2008 Olympics. This is a massive structure. I was amazed to hear that many of the buildings erected for the Olympics are not longer being used.

Tomorrow we will journey to Kunming. We are one step closer to Tia. Hang on baby - mamma is on her way.

Till later...

Friday, October 23, 2009





Hello all and we are in Beijing!!! It is an amazing city. We have a wonderful guide named Carrie who is showing us around. After we arrived today, we had the pleasure of visiting the New Day foster home. I got to meet Miss Khloe. As you might remember from a previous post, Khloe is the little girl who stole our hearts months ago. We have been sponsoring her at New Day since. She is currently waiting for her mamma to bring her home.
We also got to meet Ethan, Kevin and Victoria, who also live at New Day. We were unable to see Drew, because he was at his foster home.
This journey made everything seem much more real today. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity. On Saturday,(Friday night U.S. time) we will be traveling to the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. I should have some great photos after that.
Only 2 more days until we meet Tia!!!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

In Korea!!





We just arrived in Korea for a lay-over and then we are off to Beijing. They have free Wi-FI at the airport - YEAH!!!

The trip is going great so far. We are tired and did not get a lot of sleep in the flight from LA. I think I am just too excited to sleep. For anyone looking to book their travel flights for China, I highly recommend Asiana airlines. I was worried when we chose to fly with them, but it was GREAT!!! The staff was wonderful!

I have attached a few photos from the airport. Trenton - I have Tiny the dog with me and he is really enjoying the trip. I took some pictures of him in the airport.


Next stop Beijing!!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Its D Day


Wow - we are finally here. I have dreamed of this day for so long. I am not sure if it feels like a reality yet - but I am sure it will very soon.


I am going to be turning over the blog controls to my wonderful husband Terry while I am traveling. It seems blogger is blocked and I want to make sure to document this trip for our friends and family.


You can also check out our site on my adoptions websites. This is a wonderful company that offers customized web sites for adoptive families. Our link is: Our Journey to Tiana.


I will try to send some updates from LAX later this evening. Take care and enjoy the journey with us.


Diane

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

One More Sleep Before I Leave

Wow - it is 11:00 PM and I cannot sleep. My head is spinning with all the things I need to do before I board a plane tomorrow. My stomach has butterflies and I have this fear I will forget something - like my paperwork.

Please keep us in your prayers!!!

Diane

Our Magic Number

Yep, just one more sleep before I leave for China. I cannot believe this day is finally here. It has been a crazy week. Lots of things going on behind the scenes in our home. Please keep all of us in your prayers.

Todays Post Is Brought To You By The Number 2


Monday, October 19, 2009

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Friday, October 16, 2009

Only A Few More Hours...



We just have a few hours left on our auction. The bidding will close at 11:59 pm this evening. I would like to thank everyone in advance for your support.

Diane

6 DAYS!!!


Thursday, October 15, 2009

Just One More Week!!!


Actually, we catch our first flight out of St Louis on 10/21 to LAX. So technically, I guess it is really 6 days - but who's counting.
O.K. me - I am counting every moment until I leave. :)

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Wow - this was exactly what I needed today...

Believe it or not, I am still amazed at times when God does things that totally blow me away. You would think that after all this time I would just come to expect that when I am at my lowest and worrying tirelessly, God has a plan.

But I loose site of that and start to sink into my own pit (for those of you who are Beth Moore fans, you will know what I mean by that). But anyway, I was up half the night - worrying.

Ya' see, we received our final costs from our agency and they were substantially higher than I had expected. I was blown away - to say the least. Immediately, I began to worry. How could we do this? Where was the money going to come from? It was painful - I was so distraught.

Then I clicked on a fellow bloggers site - and Mandi had this posted. And I was quickly reminded that He has a plan and I just need to be quiet and listen.

Till later....


Only 8 More Days!!!


Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Sunday, October 11, 2009

TRAVEL FUNDRAISER


Now that we have booked our travel, the reality has really set in. The expense of the adoption has been a tough challenge for our family. We recently learned that we did not receive any of the grant we had applied for. This was really tough to hear.


To help defray some of the costs, we have decided to offer one last fundraiser. The auction style fundraiser will take place on a secondary site located at - Harlow Adoption . There are more details on the specifics of the fundraiser and how to bid, located on this site. The items featured have been donated by our family and friends or are items from our children's clothing company.


We would like to again thank all of our friends and family who graciously donated items for our auction.


Please spread the word....

10 Days and Counting!!


Friday, October 9, 2009

A Special Little Girl

Since earlier this year, we have had the pleasure of sponsoring a special little girl in China through an organization known as New Day Foster Home . The moment I clicked on their site, I saw the face of a beautiful little girl named Elise. Her smile could lite up a room. We chose to sponsor Elise at New Day, until she found her forever home. Since we had not been matched yet with Tia, it made the wait easier. I would receive monthly pictures of Elise. It was wonderful to watch her grow and pray for her as a family.

Fast forward a few months. Through the wonder of blogs, I had the chance to "meet" Elise' soon to be mommy. Elise is now Khloe (isn't that a beautiful name!) It has been a wonderful experience to walk through our adoption journeys together.


I had made a list of the things I really wanted to do while we were in China - other than GET MY BABY!!! At the top of the list was to meet Khloe. Well, my wish has come true. On Friday, October 23, we will be visiting New Day Foster Home and hanging out with these amazing kids. I cannot wait!!!


I encourage you to check out New Day's site and consider sponsoring one of this awesome children.


Till later....

Thursday, October 8, 2009

We Have A Date!!!!


I just received the call from our agency and our consulate appointment has been confirmed. This is our tentative itinerary

10/22 - Depart St Louis

10/23 - 25 - Site Seeing in Beijing

10/25 - Fly to Kunming City

10/26 - GOTCHA DAY!!!!!

10/30 - Fly to Guangzhou

11/4 - Consulate Appointment

11/7 - Depart for St Louis


We are still working on the final details with our travel agent. As soon as I have our flight information, I will let you know. We would love for any of you in the St Louis area to greet us at the airport.


Till Later...

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

A New Look

So, what do you think?? I decided to put a "fresh coat of paint" on the ole' blog.

I am also excited to finally include a picture of Tia in the headline. It makes all of this seem so real.

And by way of an update on our travel - the C*AA reopens tonight (Chin* Time). Our facilitators in Chin* will send our request for a consulate date. Our hope is to leave St Louis on October 21. We will fly to Beijing for a few days, and then on to Kunming City to meet Tia. We will finish our journey in Guangzhou. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Till later....

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Monday, September 28, 2009

Gotta Love Those Little Faces

I took a moment this evening when I was practicing with my camera to interrupt a tea party hosted by Trenton and Tessa. They had invited some of their animal friends and were having a wonderful time. I was able to get a couple of quick pictures.



Thursday, September 24, 2009

Why We Are Doing This

I was having a pity party today. I think I have refined them to an art form. I should just hold off wearing mascara for a little while, because it was smeared all over my face. This is not a pretty site.

Anyway, at the height of my lament, I received an email from our local FCC group. They had attached a new video from Holt International. The song was by New Song and is entitled Every Child Deserves a Home. Well, I cried a lot more. Definitely no mascara left today!!!

But after my pity party was over I woke up to the realization that this is not about me. I have forgotten why we went into all of this. God called us to adopt a child. This is not about how it makes me feel or my time lines and agendas. It is about a little girl who needs a mom and a dad. This is part of HIS plan, not mine.

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did.

Till later...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQjObgmNbmE

Saturday, September 19, 2009

New Friends

I have found that some of my closest friends are those that I have met in our adoption process. Some are fellow adoptive moms, others just love us and support the direction God has taken us. I had the chance this week to "meet" the mom that I believe will be our travel partner to China. I won't give too much detail, because I like to protect other people's privacy. But I will tell you that I know God crafted all of this by His plan. She has quickly become a special friend and prayer partner.

I would like to ask that you join us this weekend in prayer for our adoptions. We are praying for a "Miracle TA". We know that no matter when we travel to bring our children home, God had it all worked out before we even entered this process. So, my bloggy friends, I ask that you pray with us over the next few days. And as you know from my previous posts, I believe in praying very specifically. We are praying first of all for safety for our children. That they will know their parents are anxiously preparing to bring them home. Secondly, please pray that our Travel Approval arrives this next week. Let me tell you, that would be a miracle - but we know that our God is very much in the business of performing miracles in our lives. And last but not least, please continue to pray for our adoption fund raising efforts. We both have grant applications pending right now and every little bit will help.

Thank you my friends,

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

ARTICLE 5


HURRAY - it is signed!!!! I just got an email from our agency that our Article 5 has been signed by the US Cons*late. So, now our documents are on their way to the C*AA for the last step.


Thank you all again for your prayers!