Some News....

Our agency called today and said they have two travel plans for us..it will be one of these two plans:

PLAN A: leave here and fly to Hong Kong Thursday, July 30th and return home, Thursday August 13th...

OR..

PLAN B: leave here and fly to Hong Kong Thursday, August 6th and return home, Thursday August 20th!

OMG..I can't believe this is actually going to happen!!!!
Of course we are praying for Plan A just b/c we want to go get her ASAP..but we are okay w/Plan B too, and it will still give our Charlie boy a good wk home to get situated before starting first grade!!!

We want our sweet baby girl home NOW!!!

Today I sit here full of so much love for you my sweet baby girl.

Waiting for you has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. You are 7 months old right now, but to me that is just 7 months too long w/o us, your forever family.

I have an ache in my heart that is always there, it's constant, and I know it won't go away until the day they place you in my arms.

We received your shot records and a formal developmental report this week filled w/tidbits of info on you!

Here are a few things it read:
.."she can stand upright w/support under her arms"
.."when pulling her wrists lightly, she can sit up"
.."She can bounce on an adults legs while being supported under her arms"
.."she can sit steadily when leaning against the wall or w/her back supported"
.."she often giggles loudly" (oh how I love this one!)
.."her baby sounds consist of "yiyiyaya"
.."she knows her name and responds to Su or SuSu"
.."she enjoys bathtime and giggles throughout bathtime" (again, love this one)
.."she wants to be held often"(Oh I'll never put her down!)
.."..is very energetic..fairly open..and lively personality"(apple doesnt fall far..LOL!!!!)

Reading this report, with many more bits of info inside it, is bittersweet for me. It fills my heart w/such joy that it clearly sounds like someone kind and loving is taking care of her, and knows who she is thus far. There are other things in this report that indicate to us that she may very likely be in a home/foster home environment(which had been our prayer all along).
But as I said, bittersweet...I am filled w/an urgency to go get her NOW..especially when I read a/b "her"..I want to replace the words "she" and "her" with "Sophia", our daugther..not just another baby being reported on.

We are still dealing with the last couple wks of this wait, but at least the wait no longer feels endless as it did for so many years. Only a couple wks left. We are praying to hear a/b our travel approval this week, and should be getting updated pic's of her, so if you could say a prayer along with us that would be great!
Other than that..we are ready!
-suitcase packed, minus personal items...check!
-visa's issued and returned..check!
-$ ready..check!
-papers to travel in order..check!
-One very ready family ready to hold, snuggle, kiss, hug, love and care for one sweet baby Sophie forever...CHECK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We love you our Sophia Su Ruth, to the moon and the stars and the sun and back and back and back!!!!!!

Enjoying First Half of Summer Break 2009!

A basket full of pink, and that sweet smell of dr*ft!

Well, I did it...I FINALLY washed all her little 3-6mo and 6-9mo clothing...I FINALLY was able to rip those tags off those clothes and wash them KNOWING FINALLY how old she really is and what I can pack to bring for her! And as the laundry rolled around in that washing machine and then went into the dryer and that sweet smell of dr*ft blew threw the outside vent and into the backyard where we sat I was overcome w/emotion and graditude that I could FINALLY smell again that sweet baby smell we all know so well!!! I Praise God for that sweet moment I will forever cherish...it's those little things in life that make it all so worth while!!!

Happy 4th of July 2009!!

We are keeping busy during this FINAL home stretch of the wait for Sophie!!! Only 3 or so weeks left until we hop on a jet plane to China...
There are still so many moments this is all so surreal to me...I just stare at her sweet little face in those pictures and am overcome w/so many diff emotions....hard to put into words..but absolutly the most amazing feeling EVER and I am in love w/her EXACTLY as I fell in love w/Charlie the first time I saw him...it's just a miracle..and a most amazing blessing...Children..no matter how the Lord gets them to you..they are the biggest blessing a human being can ever receive..without a doubt...

So...as of Friday, all our papers were signed, notarized and fedexed off to our agency..our visa's are being processed as I type this today, Monday morning...and we should have them back in our hands by this Friday...
And then..we wait patiently for our Travel Approval which will be on it's way any time now....
Then after receiving our T.A, our agency makes our consulate appt at the Chinese Embassy and then we book our flights and we are off!!!
I have dreamed of that airplane ride so many times over these last 3yrs...several dreams of us sitting there in disbelief that we were finally on our way..and I truly believe that in 'real life' when we board that plane in a few wks it will feel EXACTLY that way...again surreal...

Oh Sophie Su..every bit of this wait is beyond worth it for you..I'd do it again and again just to receive your referral as we did on that magical day, June 22nd.

I was at the bank preparing the many bills we needed to order in "mint condition" to travel..and the lady at the window, (who has been waiting right along w/us these last 3 yrs), asked me if I'd ever do this again or if I felt after going through all this, was it worth it, and I was overcome w/emotion because I didn't have the words to express how much this has been worth it...SO MUCH!!!! I thank God EVERY day, sometimes multiple times a day, for leading us down this path of adoption. I thank Him for putting Sophie Su in my heart long before I ever saw her face. I thank Him for these plans he laid out for me and my family, I will forever praise Him and be grateful to Him, forever and ever!!!!

Another one of Sophie Su's future BFF's!!!

OK..so since this last week has been such a whirlwind..I have not had time to post another AMAZING happening last Monday when we got our Sophie's referral...
Some may know the story of me and Georgette...but here's a recap...

Back two years ago.one day I was sitting at my computer surfing the web of all the chinese adoption websites and blogs..dreaming of our Sophie girl..and I had something come over me(clearly now the Lord) to go to an old yahoo group I had joined the year before(but had long forgotten a/b)and send out a random post just asking if anyone else "out there" had the same log in date to Chi*a as us.... I normally do not do stuff like this..and still do not..but sure enough within a day..this girl...(or "lady" I should say..LOL)responded to my post and said YES..she too sent her paper work that same day in March of 2006....she and her husband lived in Nashville, TN and "one day" we chatted we'd probably meet when flying off to get our baby girls...
Well...who knew then that "one day" would literally be in a few weeks of this first email...
Two wks later from the day I "met" her online she writes me to tell me that her husband's being transferred to none other than where we live right now!!! OMG...what a small world I thought..here is someone I will one day go to chi*a w/and now she is moving here to my hometown....
But it gets better...
So the past two yrs since her and her husband have been here she and I have been able to be such a support system to one another...we've vented a/b this whole process on a daily basis..gone out to movie and dinner nt's w/the girls to get our minds on other things during the wait...shopped for our girls more than we should've...and then...and always dreamed our girls would somehow be together in Chi*a..(but knew that may not be an option, and prepared ourselves that that very well may not happen..it all depended on where our girls were born)so we knew we may not travel together b/c our girls could very likely be in diff.orphanages....
And that brings us to last Monday... that magical day last Monday..our refferal day..and Guess what?

OUR BABY GIRLS ARE TOGETHER!!!!

Right now..always have been since November 2008 when they both were born and dropped off at the SAME exact orphanage(what are the odds of this?? again...only God!)
And now we will be traveling together the entire trip and our girls will have been together from day one..and can come home here and grow up together from here on out and only live 10min's apart!
And all because I posted a question on a yahoo group two years ago!!!

OK..that's my recap...a "short" version for me!
So that's them up above out on referral night celebrating w/us at a local chinese restaurant!
OH..and Sophie's little BFF is..Jaden Elise!!! She was born only two wks before Sophie! I just can't wait to meet her!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Signing papers...rushing around..mailing checks..mailing packages...applying for visas....checking air fare..
That's been our life the past week since we saw our sweet Sophie's face!
I have a feeling these next four wks before we leave are going to fly by!
We are praying Sophie's nanny sends along more pic's and updates on her very, very soon!
It's so bittersweet looking at her picture every day and night....we are all so in love with her...but it's hard to not be able to hold her in our arms yet...
WE CAN NOT WAIT TO GO!!!!

Sophie's care package ready to go and one of her future BFF's!

Well, her care package is packed up and ready to go to her...I pray her nannies actually open it up and show Sophie Su the photo album I made her filled w/pictures of us! Charlie and I also stopped at an international store today and picked up a few fun Chinese goodies and candies...some treats for the nannies...a pink rattle and teeny, tiny ladybug blankie sprayed to death w/my fav perfume(and kearston, this is the special blankie you bought Sophie 3, yes 3, years ago!) Plus two disposable cameras so they can take pic's of Sophie right now and where she is and mail them back to us, or give them to us when we get her next month.

And yesterday, my sweet little Addie spotted Sophie's photo book on the kitchen table so she grabbed it, and then took it and laid down on the floor w/it and just stared for a while..then I caught her very candidly kissing "sophies" face in the picture and saying.."there's baby sophie!" How sweet is that!!!

YEAH the Fed Ex lady came!!

Okay, crazy day..had six kiddos here under 6! But we did manage to get Caden to take my photo w/the fed ex lady and Charlie videoed the moment!
The pic's don't look too diff from her original "mug shot", but it's fun to have more of her!
According to our agency, the orphanage that Sophie is at is very good a/b taking current pics each wk or 2 and sending them to us w/updates on her while we wait out this next few weeks before we go!

Photos from the actual phone call!!! And celebrating out!

Fuzhou City Social Welfare Institute..Sophie's orphange

Hard to see, but glad it's so "pretty" looking...this is where our Sophie Su is right now!

Introducing our baby girl, Sophie Su Ruth!!!

Here is the day I have dreamed long and hard of...the introduction of our sweet baby girl!!! This is the first pic we've received today, tomorrow Fed Ex will be bringing more pics, some of her in an exersaucer and such....I can't even believe this happened..and OMG...she was born on my birthday!!!!!! Novemember 26th 2008!!!
more to come, i can't think!

Today is the Day, June 22nd, 2009!!!!

Today is the day....this morning is the very last time I will Post on this blog w/o knowing who our daugther is....in the "real world" of course. I've known who she is in my heart for 3+yrs now. For 3+yrs, this baby girl was born into my heart and soul and has grown there. Through, excitement, and disappointment, through laughter and tears, through patience and frustration, we made it through this wait, this long, long wait.

Sophia Ruth Rogers we would not trade this journey to you for ANYTHING!!!!! Waiting for you has allowed God to make me just who I need to be for you and your big brother! And I couldn't be a more proud mommy!!!!

The first words out of charlie's mouth as he woke this morning and ran into my room and jumped on top of me were: "mooooommmmmyyyyy...guess who's picture we're gonna see todayyyyyy!!!!!!!!!"

Those words....priceless!!!!!

And now we wait one more time for that phone to ring....RING PHONE RING!!!!!!!

It's official, we will be seeing Sophie Ruth for the first time THIS COMING MONDAY...IN 3 DAYS!!!!!!!!!

6/19/2009
Matches Arrived!!!



We just received a group of matches today! The CCAA matched our families with log in dates of March 15, 2006! We also received matches for our expedited families due to Chinese Descent who were logged in through April 10, 2007! At this time, the CCAA has not updated their intranet website, so we do not know the official cut off date.

Congratulations to all of our families who were matched in this group! We are excited to be calling these families on Monday!

We will update this website when more information becomes available.



Again, OMG, OMG, OMG this is all that's running through my brain!!!!!
This is it, it's official, we will all be seeing Sophia Ruth THIS MONDAY, as in THREE DAYS!!!!! OMG!!!

HOLY CRAPOLY!!!!!

OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!!....agencies in Europe are receiving their phone calls!!!!! OMG, OMG, OMG....which for all of you out there that have not adopted..that means, European agencies, who are 6 or so hrs ahead of us, are calling their families that were waiting and rt now those families are getting the phone call and looking at their babies faces right now!!!!! So for us, since our agency is not even open today yet,they will be opening their mail in a few hours and it WILL have Sophies picture matched to us and they will be calling us......????? I'm going to be on the safe side and say probably not until Monday, but there is that slight chance our phone will ring tonight!!!!!....Or maybe Saturday?????

I just can't beleive this, I really can't....

Oh Sophie, you will never truly know until one day, when you grow up and wait to become a mommy how this love feels...how it is so real and alive in you...how you can love someone so completely that you have never even met yet. You are so, so loved..more than we will ever be able to probably have words to explain to you. This wait has been so long and hard, but I would NEVER trade it for the world. Knowing we are only days/hours away from seeing your sweet face, and then only weeks aways from holding you in our arms is absolutly priceless!

Keep watching ya'll!!!!!! She's on her way!!!!!

OMG!!!!! It's almost a/b to happen!!!!!!

Matches Completed!



We have learned the CCAA has completed the next group of matches. We do not know the cut off date for the next set of matches at this time. We do hope the CCAA mails matches soon!

We will update this website as soon as we have new information



This,above, is a direct quote from our adoption agency!! We are in, it's a done deal, WE HAVE BEEN MATCHED!!!!!
Now all we have to do is wait for them to be put in the mail in the next day or so and then we will get the phone call and see our sweet babies face!!!!!
I can't believe this is about to happen!
I do not even have any more words at the moment...I'm just silently FREAKING OUT(good freaking out..LOL!!!!!)

Enjoying the sunshine and early summer fun!

Praying this is the Week!!!

Well, so far nothing yet....BUT there are some rumors out there that papers are moving and in the air here from China for people's travel approvals from the last May 21st batch of families that received their babies...and USUALLY, once travel approvals come out..the next batch of referrals follow....WHICH WILL BE US!!!!!!

Trying to stay patient and calm..but rarely succeeding.....LOL

This past girls weekend away helped!
Thanks to you, Kearston, Jen, and Georgie;) I had the best time away w/the best girls around...I can't imagine going through any of this w/o the support of my amazing friends and family! Love ya guys to pieces!!!! I pray Sophia one day has friends like you all in her life too!!!

OK...please pray along w/us that one of the next posts you see our sweet baby girls face!!!!

Our official First Grader to be!!

Schools out for summer!!!!

Charlie had his little "graduation" last day of school party on Monday and it was so much fun! His teacher brought each of them up to the front of the circle time carpet and dedicated a special award with a folder full of treats! Then we headed outside to the field for rely races and an ice cream social!
Our sweet big boy is growing up so fast, and his daddy and I couldnt be prouder of what a amazing little boy he is!

We love you buddy to the moon, and stars, and sun and back and back and back! xoxox

And to my sweet Sophie Ruth....we will soon be able to begin all over again with you! This past three years of waiting for you has truly flown by....Your big Brother Charlie was only 3 years old at the start of this journey to get to you.....and back then we thought the two of you would be a/b 2 or 3yrs apart.....and here we are now...and you'll be 5 yrs apart...but I would'nt trade this age gap for the world..
I am so thankful to God that I've had these past 6 years to focus on your big brother and give him all the one on one we did..and now you my sweet girl will be able to get the same...all my one on one next year while your big brother tackels first grade!!! We will be able to have "mommy and Sophie" days just like I've had "mommy and Charlie" days the past 6yrs...oh how I treasure those days with him and will soon again w/you!
Any day now....any day now....we wait patiently(well some days I'm patient-LOL) and hopefully for the phone call that will change our lives forever....the introduction of sweet wonderful YOU!!!!
We are coming soon baby girl!!!
Mommy xoxoxo