Powell5

May 2008

2008-06-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

Ben at VBS (HolyLand Adventure)

Pat, Suzanne, Ben, Zane and Emma

May 08

2008-06-04T06:06:00.001-07:00

Zane played baseball with the Kentuck Bats this spring.

Emma loves to eat popcorn with Daddy!

Ben and Zane with their piano teacher, Mrs. Carol

2008-02-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

GOTCHA DAY ANNIVERSARY!!!
On Feb.5, we celebrate Emma's one year anniversary of Gotcha Day! WOW, what a year! We couldn't have ever imagined how strongly she would bond with our family. She's just like one of us. We'll go out & eat Chinese to celebrate :)

Emma followed Zane right up into our fig tree. Then she didn't want to get down. Too much fun!!!!

Mini-Vacation to DeSoto State Park, AL

2008-01-30T06:06:00.000-08:00

We had a great time in the mountains of north Alabama. We had never been to Fort Payne before, even though we are big fans of the country music group ALABAMA. Emma loved climbing on the big rocks just as much as the boys did. She would wake up from her nap, immediately asking for the "big rocks." It was SOOOO cold there, but we loved it. Ben & Zane played in the woods, looking for the perfect sticks to be their "weapons." They found plenty!

If you squint real hard, you can see us on the top of this big ol' rock!

This quaint, little restaurant in Mentone has the BEST EVER Tomato Pie! WOW! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!!!!!!

Christmas '07 Photos

2008-01-17T06:07:00.001-08:00

Christmas Sunday at Emmanuel Baptist Church

Emma feeds a bottle to her new baby doll from Mrs. Pat Grey.

Pat preaches after our church-wide Christmas breakfast.

The children's choir share Christmas carols with us. (Ben-in the middle; Zane-on the far left)

Emma poses in her Santa dress. What a doll!

Emmanuel Baptist Church Staff & Families

2007-12-12T09:09:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2007

EBC, Tuscaloosa, AL

Peru Trip

2007-12-07T11:29:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos of Pat's mission trip to Peru in the summer.

The Kiddos

2007-12-07T11:15:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos of Ben (9), Zane (7), and Emma (2) taken during this year.

Adoption - Part 6

2007-12-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

The Early Edition In LA - February 15, 2007

Uncle Joe showing Emma photos of her new family

Signing the final adoption papers on Feb.6 in Haikou

Sealing the adoption with a red thumbprint

Emma likes 7-Up (at least I think that was it says in Chinese).

A little boy from the orphange comes up and takes Ben by the hand.

It's VERY early morning in LA. We have some serious jeg-lag! We are all wide awake at 3:00AM. Now we are just waiting to get ready for our flight from LA to Birmingham later today. I don't have any new photos, but I will post some that I couldn't fit in the previous journals.

Home Sweet Home - February 16, 2007
The last leg of the long 19 hours of flight to get home.

Emma is ready for her first day at church

We finally made it home!!! Hooray!! We don't want to fly on another airplane for a while. But all the long hours of traveling were worth it. She is precious!
In one way, our journey has come to an end; yet, in another way, it is just beginning. We are excited to see what God has planned for this special little girl, as well as for both of our big boys. Our prayer is that our kids will love God, love others, and serve the world. Each of them is a gift from God and a blessing to our family.
Thank you for joining us in this adoption process. It's been great to share this adventure with you. Thanks for your prayers and encouragement. To God be all the glory!
suzannepow@comcast.net
3601 Blackberry Lane, Northport, AL 35473
205-339-5755

Born in our hearts

Adoption - Part 5

2007-12-06T21:55:00.000-08:00

Wrapping It All Up - February 13, 2007

Our last group dinner with the six families from Wasatch International Adoption Agency.

Emma is now sitting in a high chair. Hooray!

The view of the city from our hotel room

Today consisted of getting a few last trinkets to remind us of our time in this beautiful country and eating together as a group tonight at a local Chinese restaurant, traditional family style. Large portions of various dishes are prepared and then set upon a huge raised tray in the middle of the table. When you want something, you just spin the tray and help yourself. It was all delicious. I was so proud of Ben and Zane for trying all kinds of ethnic food.
We check out of the hotel tomorrow, and then we go to the US Consulate along with about 40 other families. The visas will be issued, and then we go straight to the airport to catch a nighttime flight to LA for an overnight stay. Then it’s to Alabama on the 15th. Hooray!!
I’m not sure when we will be able to write again. I assume the LA hotel will have internet access, but I can’t promise I’ll have the energy after the 14 hour flight!!! I’ll try to get the Red Couch photo on this site as soon as I can. So…. farewell from China. Or as they say here, “Chy-chin.”

Coming to America - February 14, 2007
Rosie (almost 2), Audrey (2), Ian (2), Emma (1 1/2), and Lian (3).

The Red Couch photo with the moms.

The same photo without the moms.

The same photo after a couple of the kids decide they want their moms back.

We are glad be writing this journal entry from our hotel in LA. The minute our feet hit U.S. soil, Emma became an American citizen. Hooray! She’s totally ours now!!! (And since landing, we've also discovered that she likes Domnino's pizza as much as we do)
Here are the last photos we took in China.

Adoption - Part 4

2007-12-06T21:44:00.000-08:00

Good-Bye, Sanya.... Hello, Guangzhou - February 11, 2007

Emma sits for a long time, looking at her photo album from the orphanage

The boys wrestle while Emma climbs.. a common sight in our room

Getting more tickles from her big brothers

She stills likes to have her orange outfit from the orphanage in her bed at night time.

Emma stands beside her friend, Audrey, who is also being adopted.

After Pat led a little devotion for our group this morning under a pavilion in Sanya, we hopped on a plane & flew to Guangzhou, a city bustling with industry and people (10million, to be exact). We are staying at the well-known White Swan Hotel. WOW, they sure do pamper their guests!!!! Just as we were getting ready for bed tonight, a staff person knocked on our door and offered to ‘turn down our beds.’ He then gave us a Chinese newspaper (written in English!) and a bowl of chocolates. I could get used to this.
Many different stores and restaurants are on the main floor, and Chinese artwork and statues can be seen all over the lobby. This hotel is so famous for hosting adopting families that they even have “The Swan Room,” which is a play room for all the little kids running around here. Families travel to provinces all over the country to adopt, then congregate here in Guangzhou for the child’s visa to be issued. The street markets reflect this; tons of open air shops are loaded with souvenirs, traditional Chinese outfits, and lots of keepsakes for your little darling. (And bargaining is expected.) The hard part will be choosing among all the beautiful fabrics and artwork. Ben bought a traditional Chinese outfit for himself tonight. He can hardly wait to wear it.
We have no doubt that Emma is just the right girl for our family. God is perfect in all His ways, isn’t He?!! She loves to play, just like our boys, and her laughter is a common sound in our hotel room now. She has quite a personality, once you get to know her. She LOVES when her daddy throws her up in the air or chases her around the room. I wish each of you could hear her giggle. And she’s learning what “no” means, so we are making progress everyday. She still isn’t fond of high chairs or strollers, but that will take some more time. To my knowledge, she has never been in either.
We are just a few days away from leaving China. What an experience it has been! Life changing!!!! Even though ten days away seems long at first to stay in country, we can see in hind-sight that it is much needed to allow time for bonding.
Again, thanks so much for your prayers and encouraging words. We are so blessed to know people like you.

The City of Five Rams - February 12, 2007
Rosie, Emma, and Elainea waiting outside the medical clinic. Rosie's crib was right beside Emma's crib in the orphanage.

On our way to eat at our favorite restaurant, Lucy's Grill

Walking back from the medical clinic

Emma stops to smell the flowers

Ben & the Five Rams

Our first full day in Guangzhou (pronounced “gwong-joe”) has been great, although Emma didn’t really enjoy her medical exam which is required for her US visa. Each parent was holding a crying kid after the ear and throat check-up; the kids all have great lungs! But we are glad that they are showing normal emotions, instead of withdrawing and hiding their feelings. Each of the kids has their own personality. It is fun to see their similarities and differences.
In the Swan Room (aka play room) here in the hotel, Emma played with toys while I sat across the room and visited with other adoptive moms. That was the farthest she has let me venture without getting upset. She was so sweet playing and babbling to herself. Also, she loves to gives kisses; she brings such joy to our family, just like our boys do.
Pat and Ben went on the city tour and saw the Chen Assembly Hall, an ancient family temple. They also visited the Five Rams Statue, which is the symbol of the city. The people here believe that five gods rode the rams to this city and brought seeds for the barren land.Emma got a few traditional Chinese outfits today; she’ll be so cute in them. One of the ‘must have’ photos of adoptive families is the “Red Couch” photo. All of the kids from each specific agency are gathered together in traditional dress on the hotel’s red couch in the lobby. We’ll get that tomorrow night after our group’s last dinner together.

Adoption - Part 3

2007-12-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

Change of Scenery - February 9, 2007

Emma took a nap on the bus ride to Sanya.

The view from our hotel room

Our birthday boy!!!!!

Bath time

A local market in Haikou

It’s not every year that a February birthday boy gets to have his party beside a huge pool with palm trees swaying in the gentle breeze, two water slides calling your name, a gorgeous beach bordered by blue water, and lots of lounge chairs waiting just for you. That’s exactly what Ben got today for his 9th birthday.
We left the capital of the Hainan Province today and arrived in Sanya, a booming beach resort on the southern most tip of the island. A fresh cake topped with real fruit was waiting in our room when we arrived. We gathered around the pool and sang to Ben; then we ate cake and watched while he opened his gifts. His birthday turned out to be very special and memorable. He’s already proving to be a terrific brother to his little sister.
Emma still amazes us. She has shown us that she is indeed a normal 19 month old. She climbs and gets into everything in our room and giggles all the time. She would eat Kix and Cheerios nonstop if I let her. She likes to take baths now, and she can throw a serious temper tantrum when she doesn’t get her way (like not being able to play with the electrical outlet.) But it only lasts a minute or so, then she comes over to me and lays her head on my shoulder, and we cuddle. It’s so sweet. We’ve also noticed, as have the other parents, that these kids are very tough; falls or bumps don’t stop them. They just get right back up and go at it again.
Tomorrow is a “relax day” here in Sanya. One of my goals is to get our guide to translate a letter that I found in our photo album. It is from the gentleman I mentioned in yesterday’s journal. His Chinese name is pronounced “Joe” so we’ll start calling him “Uncle Joe.” He wrote this letter to Emma’s new family. I’m eager to hear what it says.
God continues to amaze us with His perfect way of weaving everything together. For over a year we had prayed that one of the orphanage’s nannies was holding Emma and loving on her, so that she would know how to bond with someone. He did even more than we asked or imagined, just like His word says that He will do. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Fun in the Sun - February 10, 2007
Daddy shares a sweet moment with Emma this morning

Mama & Emma in the pool

The boys had a great time playing in the South China Sea.

Laughter is medicine for the soul.

It’s been a great day, especially for Pat, who discovered that the hotel’s breakfast buffet included Cocoa Krispies (one of his favorite cereals), not to mention omelets, pastries, fresh pineapple and melons, bacon, ‘mantou’ (Chinese steamed bread), and lots of other yummy stuff. Of course, Emma still prefers the Chinese noodles with veggies for breakfast. I’m beginning to like it for breakfast myself.
Each day we learn more & more about our little China doll. She loves her speaking Dora doll and her photo albums. She will sit really still and look at photos of Uncle Joe and his wife holding her. She also likes to flip through the pages of her new family album and see the picture of her house and bedroom in America.
Other things we have learned include her being able to eat her weight in Kix. Also she knows who we are if we ask her. She points to Pat when we ask, “Where is Dada?” and points to me when asked about “Mama.” I don’t think she knows Ben and Zane’s names yet, but instead knows them as “guh-guh” (brother). When I ask her, “Where is Emma?” she just looks at me. If I say “may-may” (Chinese for ‘little sister’) she points to herself. It’s soooo sweet.
We are amazed at how smart she is. She learned two words in sign language today: “please” when she wants something and “more” when she’s still hungry. It’s definitely a start in our communicating with each other. What a fast learner!
Ben and Zane spent most of the day swimming in the pool with the other big brothers. They have become great friends. Ben and Zane have also become quite popular with the Asian people because of their blonde hair; they have been asked to be in many family photos. It’s so funny to see them pose with a family that we have never met before. Zane’s hair gets a lot of rubs. He just grins and bears it. We should start charging for these photo op’s. J Emma will now sometimes hold her big brothers’ hands when walking, which means she is beginning to trust them. But for the most part, she’s strictly a ‘mama’s girl.’
Tomorrow we fly to Guangzhou on mainland China, our final stop before heading home. We will leave China on Valentine’s Day after her visa is issued. We are anxious to come home.
(PS: I got the letter from Uncle Joe translated. He said that the day we got Emma was a day full of tears for him. He said that we were blessed to get such a lovely, clever little girl. He wished us a happy future together, then he gave his address so that we could stay in touch.)

Adoption - Part 2

2007-12-05T18:07:00.000-08:00

Our first full day together - February 6, 2007
Waiting to finalize the adoption at the registration office.

Since we missed the SuperBowl, Ben and Zane catch the highlights on Monday night on the British Broadcasting Network.

Emma slept with her coat from the orphanage on the first day.

What a doll!!!

Our first night together went great! She went to sleep very easily in her crib, and she out-slept all four of us this morning. We are still jet-lagging, which means we wake up around 3:00 AM because our body thinks it’s 1:00 PM. (China is 14 hours ahead of Alabama.)
For the first part of today, Emma has been still quite solemn, with a few smiles here and there. I can hardly wait to catch her ADORABLE smile on film, so all of you can see it. She looks at her photo album alot. For those who don’t know, we were able to send her this small album back in December in a little package called a “treasure box.” The nannies have been showing our photos while waiting for us to come and get her.
Emma goes to Pat and me very well, although she is still not sure about the boys. It will take just a couple more days before she warms up to them. Zane is very eager to hold her and play with her. She started smiling more this afternoon while Zane was tickling her. She is definitely warming up to the Powell family. She also likes her Dora doll that was given by one of my co-workers at the surgical center.
We went back to the registration office today to finalize the adoption, and Emma immediately began whimpering. She remembered being there yesterday with her nanny. We could tell she was looking around for her. Our guide told us that Emma is very clever to remember the location. While there, we got the paper that says she is ours for good!!!
Because the Chinese people are very concerned about their kids being cold, they tend to bundle the children in at least 3 layers of clothes, especially in their 60 degree weather that is their winter season. As a result, Emma does NOT like to be naked. She wasn’t very fond of her first bath in the hotel. If I pull up her pants leg or roll up her sleeve, she gives us a very pouty look, and we quickly cover her back up.
She seems to be bonding, but we can also tell it will take more time for her to feel completely comfortable with us. She tends to reach for me a lot in public, so that is a good sign of her bonding..
This morning she ate Chinese noodles, rice soup with pork (called ‘congee’), and milk for breakfast at the hotel buffet. Pat, Ben, Zane and I opted for the eggs, bacon, and banana bread. J One peculiar habit she has is holding on to her last bite of food in her little hand.. sometimes for hours! I have to pry the mushy cookie or French fry out! Our China guide told us that these children were VERY well taken care of in the orphanage, yet had very little variety of food. Therefore, she might tend to overeat if we let her, simply because it’s all a new taste. She really likes Goldfish crackers. Today for her nap, she was fussy and unhappy. After she pointed to the desk many times, I realized she was wanting some more Goldfish. She took one in each hand to hold on to and drifted off to sleep.

Pat and Zane try eating local Chinese food with chopsticks..... not an easy task with noodles!

Worth the Wait - February 7, 2007
A smile caught on film! It melts our hearts.Big brothers show Emma how to make her Dora doll talk.Eating lunch at McDonalds; our guide had to helpus order since we can't speak or read Chinese.Ben at the salonEmma loves to be held!!

Just to see Emma smile makes all the two years’ work and waiting worth it. She has opened up a lot more today, playing and giggling more. It seems that most of the kids are “coming out” of their shock of the past few days. New smiles are seen and little voices are being heard for the first time. It’s great!
Today we had the morning free, so we went to the hotel’s driving range in the back of the building. Pat, Ben, and Zane hit golf balls, while Emma and I strolled around and watched them. She loves to hold my finger while walking alongside me. We also had a fun time in the hotel lobby; Ben & Zane got on their hands and knees and chased Emma around. It's the first time she has really wanted to play. She laughed out loud sooooo much that we were all laughing along with her.
After lunch we headed to a nearby beach in Haikou, along with the other 5 families. Ben and Zane had a blast in the waves with some other big brothers. Emma ran and laughed as the waves hit her little bare feet.
Ben and Pat got their hair cut at a local, trendy hair salon in the market near our hotel. Ben came back with a handsome style, while telling me that he also got “massaged and scalped!!!” I think he meant to say that the hairdresser “massaged his scalp.” Pat said the relaxing hair wash and 20-minute head massage was worth coming to China.
We are happy to see Emma doing better and better each day. Thanks so much for all your prayers for us. We know that our Father will honor those prayers on Emma’s behalf. Also, thanks SO MUCH for the encouraging words you have sent to us. It is one of the things we look forward to each day.

What a day!! - February 8, 2007
In the hotel lobby in HaikouGetting tickled by her brothersThe whole group at the orphanageOur hotel,The Golden Coast Lawton, at nightWe love her giggling!!!

Today was an emotional day for all of us. We had the option of touring the orphanage where the children spent the first part of their lives. At first I had decided not to go, but instead to stay back at the hotel, not being sure how Emma would respond. However, our Chinese adoption guide said that she believed it was safe to go, especially since Emma won’t let me out of her sight… which is a good sign of bonding. This would be my ONLY opportunity to speak with her nannies about her routine, habits, and hopefully her birth story, if known. So, we made the decision to go, just like many of the other moms and dads did.
After pulling up to the building, we unloaded the bus and started to walk inside. The kids were fine, each one being toted by their mom. The orphanage director led us upstairs to a conference room. As we approached the top, we saw a nice gentleman, holding a gift. He immediately saw Emma and spoke her Chinese name softly, “Qing Xiang.” He had such love in his eyes when he looked at her. I instantly remembered the information we received about her back in November. It stated that she was very close to a male caregiver and his wife who worked with the kids. “That must be him,” I thought to myself. He was hoping we would come on the orphanage tour because he had made a photo album of her first 18 months for us. He gave it to me. Then he held out his arms, wanting to hold her one last time. I didn’t mind, and neither did Emma. As he whispered in her ears, he began to cry. Then Pat and I began to cry. What a touching moment it was! He spoke something to me; I asked JoJo,our guide, to translate. She said that Emma would sometimes go home with him and his wife to sleep at night. They were like a foster family to her. What a blessing for an orphan to have that chance to bond with someone! I was glad I had come. If I had not, I wouldn’t have seen or known how much she was loved and cared for or be able to tell her this story when she gets older. And he wouldn’t have seen that she was going to a family that loved her just like he does.
He took a photo of us with Emma, so he could keep it. He also told me that she was very smart. I think he’s right. J
When we all got ahold of ourselves, we sat down with the other families around a huge table. Emma sat with the gentleman, while the orphanage director welcomed us and expressed his desire to stay in touch with us through email so they could hear how the kids grow and change. Wow!! I was amazed at how much they genuinely cared for these children who were left in their care from birth.
During the brief conference, the caretaker took the photo album of our family; he pointed to Pat’s picture and said “Baba” (which means ‘daddy’ in Chinese). He told her I was her Mama, and the boys were her “guh-guh”…. Big brothers. She kissed him on the cheek. It was precious. He was still teary-eyed.
Next, we headed for the playground and the actual kids’ living quarters. She began to cry when we approached the door, so I took her back in my arms and headed back to the bus to wait for the rest of the time. I gave her Cheerios and Kix and some juice. Then she fell asleep on my shoulder while we all traveled back. When she woke up, she was fine, smiling and wanting to be held by me, just like she was before the orphanage visit. Since then, she has laughed and giggled with the boys in the room and has let them chase her in the hall. She runs to my lap and says, “Ma-ma-ma-ma….” I love it!!!!! She smiles A LOT now and her eyes look much happier, so we feel she is doing really well. God is good!!!
In addition to the photo album given to us by the gentleman, the orphanage also put together an album, a CD of photos, AND a baby book filled with paragraphs about her. Too bad it’s all written in Chinese. J I can’t wait to get it translated.
On a different note, Ben’s birthday is tomorrow, the same day we leave Haikou and travel to a beach resort on the southern tip of the island. The trip will be about a four hour bus ride. It will be in Sanya that we celebrate Ben’s 9th birthday. I have some gifts for him and have informed the other families that we’ll be having a little party for him. JoJo even called ahead to the hotel in Sanya to order a cake from the hotel restaurant. We love our guide, JoJo!!

Adoption - Part 1

2007-12-05T06:09:00.000-08:00

December 9, 2006 - Our referral!!!!!! HOORAY!!!
After waiting for 14 months since China received our paperwork, we finally got our referral. We are thrilled!!! This is Emma, our new daughter. We can hardly wait to get our hands on her.
SHe's from the Hainan Province, an island off the southern coastline of China.

One year old in this photo (July 06). It stays green here all year long. Her province is also known as the "Oriental Hawaii."

A family of four now.. soon to be five !!!! December 12, 2006
Here's our Christmas photo. This is the cabin at Pigeon Forge that we were staying at for a few days when we got "the call" that Emma's photo and info had arrived at our agency in Utah. We cried tears of joy and relief on the trolley from Galtinburg to Pigeon Forge. The bus driver wanted to know what we were so excited about. I was more than happy to tell her!
We quickly had the photo emailed to the lodge's main office; the ladies in the office were SOOOO nice to go the extra mile for me and print off the first photo that I would have of our daughter. I'll always think of this happy event when I think of Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg.

The secretaries surprised us with a beautiful flower arrangement to congratualte us on our good news.

Getting Closer.....January 17, 2007

We've got her room all ready!!! It feels so weird to see pink and lavender in our house! :)

The small island touching the southern border of China is the Hainan province, where Emma lives right now

We finally have our dates to travel.... We'll be leaving Alabama on Feb. 2 and arriving in China on the 4th. Then we finally get Emma on the 5th.... GOTCHA DAY!!!!! (as it is called in adoption circles) We'll spend 3 days in Haikou, the capital of Hainan Province, and then we travel to the southern most coast of the island, to a fabulous beach resort called Sanya. Ben's 9th birthday will be there, so we'll have plenty of reasons to celebrate on this trip! On Valentine's Day, we'll receive Emma's visa and passport in Guangzhou, then we start the journey home. What a great time we expect to have!!!!!

Endless Miracles January 17, 2007
Our next beach picture will include one more smiling face.

I keep telling myself that I must write down this incredible journey that God has chosen for us; it has His fingerprints all over it. We are the first to say that this adoption is a "God-thing." It's not something that we decided to do just to make the world a better place. No, He ordained it for our family; we are sure of it. In quiet yet powerful ways, He whispered to our hearts in 2004, "This is for you. This is for your family."
Back in 1995, while still engaged, we had mentioned that it would be great to adopt someday. Now, fast-forward to 2003, when we began to talk about adoption again. After praying for almost a year, we were ready to start the process, yet one obstacle stood in our way: the cost. How could we afford it? It seemed too big to even fathom. Of course, we know that no problem is too big for God, yet were we ready to put our faith to the test? At this point, we still kept our plans to ourselves.
In October of 2004, Pat was preaching one Sunday morning about the ten lepers who were healed. It doesn't seem that they were healed at the moment Jesus spoke, but instead got up to go to the priest, trusting that the miracle would happen along the way, simply because Jesus said so. And then it hit him.. like a ton of rocks! He continued to say that if the lepers had to act in faith, not knowing all the details of how it would play out, then our family must do the same. We must "get up" and start the adoption process, trusting every need to Him.... God wanted us to adopt, then the miracles would come.
So, that month we signed our first signature on the homestudy papers, which also required a $99 fee. No more than a few minutes passed by after signing the check, that the door bell rang. A dear church member handed us a $100 check as a gift to our family for pastor appreciation month. WOW! God is good, isn't He? Our whole adoption process is full of miracles just like that one!!!
Our family began praying soon about the child that China would chose for us. We asked God to guide their thoughts and give us just the specific little girl that would fit so perfectly in our family. Even though our waiting time extended from 8 months to 17 months, we NEVER doubted that God was sovereign through it all. Of course, we wanted to have her last year, but knowing that God is on the throne and His plans are perfect kept us strong.
What a faith builder this experience has been for us! And that God would let us be a part of adoption is very humbling! I came across this quote today as I was thinking about our journey, and it rings loudly with truth!
Stop telling God how big your storm is - Instead tell your storm how big your GOD is.--- unknown

Just a Week Away - January 25, 2007
Wow, just one more week before we board the plane to get Emma. It's almost unbelievable! We hope to get some Zzzzzzz's on the flight from LA to China, since we leave at midnight and arrive the next morning in Guangzhou. Then we hop on a short flight to Haikou, the capital of the small Chinese island. What a treat to go from 40 degree weather in Alabama to 60-70's! Too bad I don't have a tan :) But that's Ok..... We'll be on the beach anyway.. tan or no tan :)
I was reminded of a prayer that we began to pray back in 2003, while we were still living in Gordo. We asked that God would do whatever He needed to do in our lives so that He might receive glory from each of us as individuals and also as a family unit. I wonder if this whole adoption is a part of His answer to that. This is all so much bigger than us. And we know that the path He takes His children on is not always easy or smooth, but it's worth it. We have alot of learning to do and adjustments to make. Pray for us during this transition time for Emma, that she will bond to us quickly and feel loved from the very start.

We Made It - February 4, 2007
After 40 hours from the moment we left our house in Northport, we have finally arrived at our hotel in the Hainan province. We are pretty exhausted, even though we did get a few hours of restful sleep on the flight from LA to Guangzhou. Now we must meet with the other adopting families in the hotel lobby for our first meeting with our tour guide, "Jojo." She's been a blessing ever since we arrived!!!

GOTCHA DAY - February 5, 2007

Today was GOTCHA DAY!!! We had butterflies in our bellies all morning, knowing that Emma would soon be with us.
We met at a local registration office that was a 20 minute bus ride from our hotel. After filling out more paperwork in a tiny room that was holding 6 anxious families, someone came in and said, ”The children have arrived.”
We totally lost track of what we were supposed to be doing with the paperwork. Our guide, Jojo, said we could go meet our children now. Rushing down the hallway to the front entrance of the building, we were met by a whole group of ladies (nannies) with 6 adorable kids surrounding them. I glanced around, looking for which one was Emma. The only photo we had seen was taken back in July 2006. I searched each sweet face til I finally saw her. She had grown more hair and was a little bigger, but I immediately recognized her. What a precious face!!
Like the other 5 childern, Emma was very hesitant to come near us. The nannies placed Emma in my arms; I could hardly believe it. We were finally meeting the little girl who had consumed so much of our thoughts and prayers. She cried a lot, but Cheerios can do wonders for stifling tears. Zane even helped me feed her.
After “sealing” our signatures with our fingerprints—literally putting our red-inked thumbprints on top of our name— all 6 families hopped back on the bus and headed to the nearest photo stand for our first family picture… yet another requirement for the adoption to be final according to the rules in Hainan Province.
Emma is still crying off and on, but is taking naps and drinking her milk without problems. She clutches to her orange coat, as if it were her favorite blanket or stuffed animal. I suppose it’s her way of holding on to her life in the orphanage. I wish there was some way to let her know that it will all be OK. But since she doesn’t understand our language, we simply hold her and sing to her. She seems to like that a lot.

Zane feeding Emma Cheerios..

Pat calmed her down by singing to her. She eventually fell asleep with a cookie in her mouth.

Our first family photo together