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

Last half day of school ever!!!

Well, this past Thursday was my baby's last half/two hour day of school EVER! I can't beleive kindergarten is over...where oh where did those 9 months go?
Tomorrow morning he will walk one last morning as a kindergartener to go have his final day and graduation....I already packed my kleenexes:(
And then it's official summer break and official prepare to go get Miss Sophie Ruth!

We are praying and keeping our hopes up that this week we hear good news that referrals are on their way!!!!!!

It's so thrilling and overwhelming and yet calming all at the same time to know that one of my very next few posts will include the introduction of our daughter and her beautiful face!

Happy Memorial Day...and WE ARE NEXT!!!!

As biased as I am....isn't he the cutest thing ever?!!!!

Poor Charlie....I know he secretly hates that his mommy is a photo taking/scrapbook making nut....-LOL!!
But oh how sweet he is to comply w/me and endure my make shift photo shoots out in our yard!!!

Hope everyone had a blessed Memorial Day weekend celebrating the wonderful men and women that served the very country we are all blessed to live in!

Oh..and WE ARE NEXT-LOL!!!!!! (I wake up every day now telling myself this w/the biggest smile on my face!)

We are coming soooon my sweet baby girl to be!!!!!

We Are Next!!!!!!!!

Well...as much as I've said these last couple months.."I think we MAY be next"...today, I can finally say with 100% certaintly...WE ARE NEXT!!!!

People logged into the program through March 14, 2006 receieved there baby referrals yesterday.....and if you havent memorized it by now(lol)....our log in date is March 15, 2006!!!! NEXT, NEXT, NEXT DATE IN LINE!!!!!!

The when factor is not completley determined at this point...some rumors are pointing towards the next week or two...if all goes well, and the CCAA resumes sending out referrals as they always did...we should start hearing something towards the end of next week!!!!!!
I can't believe we are next...I can't believe it!

Somewhere..across the world today...two files sit.....
One w/pictures of us...
One w/pictures of her...
Two files matched together at last...

Oh Lord, keep her safe...please guard her with your angels...
guard her mind, body, soul and spirit....
Oh keep her safe, our sweet Sophie Ruth...

Hold on tight sweet baby girl...your forever family is coming soon!
Love mommy xoxoxo

Positive Rumors...ladybug signs and Thankyous!

Well, FINALLY after 3 wks of waiting to hear SOMETHING we are hearing "some" things....all good...all pointing towards things moving along again w/baby referrals(fingers crosssed)....no word that we are IN this time...but HOPEFULLY if things do resume...we will be in the following batch!

Last wk was a hard one with everything going so still and quiet b/c of the swine flu(even thought the CCAA does not admitt to this being the reason)..but anyway, I had to dig deep and do lots of "talking" w/God to help get me through that quiet uncertain wk last wk and as ALWAYS, He did answer me in SOOOO many diff ways...(too many to share on here)...but one quick way I can share....he sent me so many ladybugs...and as all of you out there in adoption land know, ladybugs are a good luck sign in the land of Chinese adoption....so each day since last Monday I have not only seen them, but a few days, including yesterday, they've landed directly ON me out of no where!!!

"But as for me, O God, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more"
- Ps.71:14

And lastly, a big thankyou to all you out there that have called/emailed us daily the past week and a half to check on us and offer sweet encouraging words! You all are a big part of this wait w/us and your support and encouragement have meant the world to us...we are so blessed w/the best family and friends around, thankyou, thankyou!

So heres to more hope, more faith and more praise that Sophie Ruth IS on her way SOON!!!

You are six..my first love..my first joy...

Dear Charlie,

Here you are six, six today...
I love watching you play...
My first love, my first joy...

Apple of my eye...
My love for you surpasses the sky...

Love Mommy xoxoxo

Oh Swine Flu PLEASE go away.....

I feel like I'm in a bad dream....one I desperately want to wake out of....

How can it be that we were RIGHT there...so close..NEXT to be matched....
And then, as life would have it, the Swine Flu is introduced...and has now thrown China into a hysterical panic...one in which they are manhunting down anyone that has had flu symptoms and quarantining them until it's gone.....one that the gov't is not even letting parents in or out of schools to pick up their children....one that is taking temp's of every human on that land and having it reported to their gov't....one that is denying visa's to travel to most places in China.

So as you can conclude...we probably wont be going to get Sophie anytime soon(or as soon as we had thought)....not even a match.....Is it possible to get through this...of course it is...are we giving up...of course we are NOT...but does it suck and make my heart ache daily and my stomach a ball of nerves....YES..a thousand times YES.

Someone said to me on Monday.."I don't know how you can go through this and wait anymore..if I were you I would have pulled out of the adoption program long ago"
Is this someone a good friend, NO.....but still.....it just goes to show they have no clue how we feel a/b Sophie, and it made me so mad.

Sophie may not be "real" to any of you..but she is to us. We feel God planted her soul into our hearts 3+yrs ago and since then she has been growing....growing into a love like the love we have for our first....it's no different....

I said nothing to this person..just shrugged...but what I wanted to say..what I should have said was this...

Imagine carrying a child..being pregnant....(maybe as long as an elephant-LOL)and then that child has to be taken out of you for whatever reason...and taken away for awhile...you can't hold this child..you can't see this child..you cant smell this child....but you are told all you have to do is wait...how long you say? No one knows for sure...but if you wait, you will get to her....

And I should have said to this person, "would you wait" -OF course you would wait..it's your child...your baby...the baby the Lord made just for you....
And that's what Sophie Ruth is to us..our child....our child the Lord made just for us....and we will wait...through my tears and aching stomach I will wait and be strong and keep my faith......
Sophia Ruth I will NEVER give up on you....Love mommy xoxoxo