So, what's been going on around our house...

Well, it has been an eventful time with school starting for everyone. I have started my packing/purchasing for my trip to China. Wow - there is a lot of stuff to take on this trip. I think I had forgotten since last time.

I had a fun idea the other day to start sending my mom care packages each week before we travel to bring Tia home. The packages include some Chinese words and the phonetic pronunciation, some details about China and the cities we will visit, and some fun items for the trip. Her package last week included chop sticks and details about Kunming. I can't tell you about the package for this week because she reads this blog and I don't want to give away the secret - sorry MOM, you will just have to wait a few days. This has really been a great way for me to pass the time while I wait for our TA.

And speaking of our TA, I have some news. Our documents left the NBC and were sent to the Visa center and then to Guangzhou. Our agency expects our Article 5 later this week. I am still earnestly praying for a September travel.

Till later....

Schools Days

It has been an exciting week. This is the first time we have ALL four kids in school. Needless to say, it is very hectic around here. Taylor is a sophomore, Tanner is in fifth grade, and Tess and Trenton are in Pre-Kindergarten.

That first day was pretty tough. I thought it would be easier to drop Taylor off at high school, since we went through all of that last year - but it was kind of tough - one me... I know, sad to say, but I got a little misty eye'd. I have a hard time seeing her grown up. We will soon be facing the fact that we have another driver in the house. I am not sure if I am ready for that one quite yet.

Tanner is in fifth grade -which is one of my favorite years. Our school district does a nature camp for the fifth graders. The kids spend one full week at a local camp learning environmental sciences. It also teaches them some very important responsibility lessons. The kids are tasked with keeping their cabins clean and doing chores while at camp. Taylor had a great time when she went. Tanner is also leaving this weekend for a weekend church camp. He is so excited!!!

Tess and Trenton are now in Pre-kindergarten. Tess was old enough for kindergarten this year, but we thought it would be best to have her wait one more year. They both have wonderful teachers. All of our kids have attend First Baptist Christian Academy. The staff and administration are wonderful!!!!

And Terry and I started back to school as well. I know, like we didn't have enough to do in our lives. Anyway, Terry is pursuing his second Masters - this one is in Procurement. I will be finishing my second Masters in May- this one is Management and Leadership and starting my Doctorate later this year.

So there will be a lot of homework going on at our home this year. Thank God for the weekends!

Till later....

It's APPROVED!!!!

HURRAY!! I just received a call from our USCIS officer letting me know that our I800 application has been approved. This is great news! We were approved in 9 days! The next step will requiring some processing in China, which will be handled by our agency.

PRAISE GOD!!!!

The Princess

I have posted a new picture of our little princess. Tess is spending the week with just mom and dad. Her older sister is on a mission trip in Kentucky and her brothers are at grandma's house. We realized that this is the first time Tess has had a chance to be an "only child" in the house. I think she is enjoying it a little too much - she may not want the other kids to come home. lol It has really been a special week for us.

On the adoption front, we have submitted our paperwork to the U*SCIS and they are processing our I 800* paperwork. Our officer is so nice - and you can tell she really cares about the families she works with. Our prayer is that the paperwork is processed next week and on its way to Ch*na. Our agency is estimating 5 - 6 weeks from that date before we travel - which puts us at the end of September. We are still praying for early September - and ask that you join with us in prayer. As always, we know that God has a perfect plan in all of this. We just feel so blessed to be a part of it.

Till later....

Three Simple Letters

Yep, just three little letters that mean so much to me right now - LOA. Let me set the stage for this story. I have been cranky lately, just not a nice person to be around. This waiting in adoption is really tough for me. I believe it is because I am a control freak - and yes, God is working on me with that one. Anyway, our wait for LOA has been approximately 71 days. Not as long as some, but long none the less.

Last night, we had a meeting with our church's adoption ministry. These are some amazing people. At the close of the meeting, I asked them to pray for me. I explained to them how I had become tired and weary from the wait. They layed hands on me and prayed some wonderful words of encouragement. When I got home at about 11:00 PM, there was a message from our adoption agency. She asked that I call her if I was still awake. Still awake - I could not dial the phone fast enough!!! She let me know that our LOA is on its way!!! It was mailed from China earlier this week and they should receive it either today or tomorrow. PRAISE GOD!!!!

So, lesson learned - when I finally turn it over to Him - great things happen. I will probably need a reminder of this lesson again - soon.

Till later,

My Travel Buddy

I started this post with a different title. I was going to lament about our wait - 64 days to be exact - but I decided to change the title. Me being frustrated about the wait will not change the situation. I do appreciate all your prayers.


Instead, let's talk about my travel buddy for China. Terry and I came to the conclusion this week that due to Tessa' medical concerns, he would not travel to China with me. So, I talked with my mom and she has agreed to go with me. I have to say, I am sad that Terry cannot share in this with me, but if he can't then my mom is the next best thing. She is a very special friend to me. I love my mom so much. I think we are going to have a great time. I also think this is a very special opportunity for her to bond with Tia. My mom is also one of my favorite shopping buddies, so look out China - here we come!!!

More later...

LOA PRAYERS

I would like to ask for your prayers in regards to our LOA (LSC). Let me first say, I know our 59 day wait is nothing compared to the wait other have had. My concern is with our travel. As I just read on a blogger friends site, there is a Ch*nese holiday and a Trade Fair during the month of October. If we do not receive our LOA VERY soon, we would not be able to travel until late in October.

So, friends I ask that you pray - pray that God will show His mercy and grace on our adoption timeline. Also, I believe in praying very specific - my prayer is that we receive our necessary approvals and are able to travel in early September.

Thank you all so much for your amazing support!!!

Yunnan Update

We just received an update from our agency regarding the earthquake. The China facilitator contacted the orphanage and they said they did not sustain any damage. PRAISE GOD!!! He is protecting our baby while we wait to bring her home.

Also, and update on our LOA. The CCAA said we are in the review room. They needed us to change ONE sentence in our paperwork. I made that change and the revised document is on its way to China. Our agency feels we should have our LOA shortly. We are still praying for September travel.

Thanks for all your prayers!!!

Please Pray

We just learned that an earth quake has hit the province where our baby Tia is waiting. The preliminary reports are saying it was a 5.7 - 6.0 magnitude earthquake in the Yunnan province. We have contacted our agency to see if they can get us any details about Tia.

Please pray for her safety. I feel so helpless being a world away from my child and not knowing if she is safe.

I will post more later...

Tia's Birthday

On June 21, we celebrated Tia's first birthday. It was a tough day for me. I know I will get to share every other birthday with her, but this first one was hard. The kids helped bake cupcakes and we had a little party.

Happy birthday baby, we will be there soon.

Love mommy

Where have I been???

I know, I have been a bad blogger lately. Things have been very crazy and hectic around our home lately. I have many things to post about, but no time to do it today. I hope to be back to blogging very soon.

Quick update - still waiting for our LOA from China. Yesterday was Tia's first birthday. That was tough... We had a party for her and the kids helped to make cupcakes to celebrate. I will post pictures soon.

Till later....

June

The month of June seems like a blur. The month of June was made up of the end of school, vacation, Father's Day and waiting for our LOA.

The kids were so glad to finish school for the year. Taylor had the opportunity to travel to Florida again with our church. The Big Stuff camp in Panama City is an awesome experience. Taylor made the decision to get baptised at camp this year. She had accepted Christ a little over a year ago, but had not been baptised yet. She got baptised in the ocean - how cool is that!!!!

We went on our annual vacation to Indiana. This is a wonderful trip we take each year with my best friend Julie and her family. We go to Holiday World in Santa Claus Indiana. It is a wonderful amusement park. The park is clean and very family oriented. We actually stay in campers. I know - I am not the camping kind of gal, but this is not that bad. It is always a great time to just hang out with our friends and family.

For Father's Day, we went to visit my Dad. It was really a great day. I love my Dad so much. He is an amazing man. I think this picture says it ALL...

This is a short update, but I will try to write more later...

LID

I am pleased to announce that we have our LID ( log in date). Our paperwork went to China in March, but our agency waited to submit it until we were matched with Tia. They have found that this can "sometimes" expedite the process to receive your LOA. This is our prayer for sure.

So, our LID is May 21, 2009.

What's Been Going on...

It has been quite a while since I posted about the other activities at our house. We have had so much going on around our house over the past few months.

So, let's get started....

MAY

Mother's Day was wonderful!! We had received our referral that week and the kids were so sweet. They made me some beautiful artwork at Sunday school. Taylor made me a very special surprise. I have a dollhouse that my parents gave me for my ninth birthday. It is beautiful, but in pretty bad shape. It has been transported to 5 different homes in two states over the past 16 years. Taylor surprised me by renovating that dollhouse. She was able to repair some of the damaged woodwork and give it a fresh coat of paint. It was a wonderful surprise.

May also brought Terry's graduation with his MBA. He has worked so hard to complete his degree and I am very proud of him.

Taylor had her last choir concert of the year. Her choir received 3 trophies at their last competition - receiving 99 out of 100 points. She has become a beautiful young woman.

We visited the zoo on a Saturday morning. Tanner made a special bear for his baby sister. He was really proud of it.

Trenton finished his first season of Upward Soccer. He really had a great time! I am not sure he knew what he was doing on the field, but he enjoyed it anyway. Now he is looking forward to basketball in the Fall.

And last but not least, Miss Tessa. Tessa is just loving life. She is one of the happiest children I have ever met. We always say that there is never a quiet or dull moment with Tess in the house. She has matured so much over the past few months. She will be a wonderful big sister.

And as so me, I am just running around trying to get everyone where they need to be. I am completing my second Masters and have decided to start my doctorate. Like we didn't have enough stress in our lives - lol...

Well, that is it for the month of May. I will post more later.

Waiting

Have you ever felt so blessed that you hated to ask for more?? That is how I have been feeling lately. God has blessed us so much in the past few months - I feel guilty to ask for more. I always like the verse in Psalms that says, "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. " I am sure you can guess what that desire is right now - three little letters, LOA. But then as I read more of the passage, I am truly convicted, "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him…". Oh yeah, that last part gets me every time. That waiting patiently is the really hard part for me.

I know our wait in this adoption process pales in comparison to what others have waited. The referrals that were received this past week were for families who were logged in on March 14, 2006. WOW - that is some serious waiting.

So, this is what I ask my friends. I believe in praying very specifically for situations. I remember when I was a kid, I would ask God to bless everyone - AMEN. I have grown in my faith to the point that I do believe in praying very specifically and seeking God's will.

Here goes -
1) Pray that God is able to prepare our family for our little girl
2) Pray for Tia in her foster home and the family who is caring for her
3) Pray our LOA defies all reason in its arrival. I am praying that people look at the timeline and can only say, "this is a miracle".
4) Pray for our finances. We have a lot of money to raise before we travel. I know God will take care of this piece - I just need to see His plan.

Thank you my blog friends, you are the best!

An UPDATE!!!!

New photos of our beautiful little girl.

Till later...

PA!!!!! Introducing Tiana Jo Mei Harlow

I am excited to say that our PA has arrived. For those outside the adoption community, this means that based on the information received in our preliminary application, the CCAA (Chinese government) has approved us to adopt our little girl. We now wait for our LSC (letter seeking confirmation). This should arrive in the next few months.

We will still be guarded with the information that we share at this time. But I do want to share a picture of our adorable little girl and a few details. Isn't she beautiful!!!!! I have to say that the minute I opened the first picture, she took my breath away. She is 10 months old and has a very minor heart condition. Our doctors feel her condition will probably have repaired itself before we bring her home.

Also, we have created a travel site that we will use for specifics about Tia. It is a password protected site, so if you would like to follow our journey, please leave a comment to this post with your email address.

Till later...

Now The Wait Really Begins...

Our LOI (Letter of Intent) paperwork has been submitted to China for our amazing little girl. It is all I can do not to share more details - but I can't. uggh!!!! We will be launching a new Tia blog after we get our PA. The site is ready, we just need the proper approvals. My thanks to The Design Girl for creating the site.

We hope to receive our PA (Prior Approval) within the next few weeks. Just know that she is everything we had prayed for and so much more.

So, when we will travel?? Trust me, I have already asked our agency this question many times. The current estimates are 4 - 5 months following LOI. That would mean we might travel in September or October.

Thank you all again for your prayers and support of our family and this adoption.

Till later....

It A Girl...

I wish I could share more, but just know that God is good and we have a little girl waiting for us in China. I will post more details after we receive our PA.

Thank you for your prayers!!!

Terry, Diane, Taylor, Tanner, Tessa, Trenton and Tia

The least of these....

The verse from Matthew 25:40 came to mind today. The verse says "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' The verse really touches my heart today, but maybe not for the reasons you would think.

Ya see, with four (soon to be five) kids in our house, there is always that need for the family pet. We have had our share of the furry, adorable little dogs, a guinea pig, gold fish, and even a parakeet. For his birthday this year, Tanner asked for a hamster. We obliged, even though I really am not fond of anything that closely resembles a rat. But anyway, Bugsie became a member of our family. Tanner loved his hamster!!! He took really good care of her. Although he had one problem, closing her cage securely. You see where this story is going.... That's right, the cage was left open a few weeks ago, and Bugsie went missing.

We spent hours looking for her. We left out food, hoping it would encourage her to come out. After a week, we feared the worst. Tanner was heartbroken. We finally encouraged him to get another hamster. A week or so ago, Sam joined our family. Tanner likes Sam, but he would often comment about how much he missed Bugsie.

Now the story gets really interesting. In the middle of the night, Taylor came running into our bedroom. She had found Bugsie (ALIVE). Tay had dropped some crackers in the kitchenette in our basement. In the night, she heard something scratching and chewing. It was Bugsie - having a snack. She had lost a lot of weight in the past three weeks on her adventure and she seemed really happy to be found.

I don't know if I have ever seen Tanner so excited. He had tears in his eyes when he saw her.

What touches my heart the most is to see how God cared for even this little hamster. We had prayed when Bugsie first went missing that God would protect her and help us to find her. This is a great testimony for my kids to see how loving our God is, even to the least of these, like Bugsie the hamster.

By the way, Terry told me not to get too sappy with this story. He said he did not want to be know as the "crazy hamster family". Hope this was o.k. dear.

Till later...