Your Special Day, Stella!

Today we celebrate
Happy happy 4th birthday to you, Stella!  It's hard to believe that just about 4 years ago today, you were entering this beautiful world.  I wonder if you cried right away?  I wonder if your family counted your 10 tiny fingers.  I wonder if they kissed your little baby toes.  Did they even have a slight inkling of the changes to come in your life, as well as their own?  I wonder...

For us, your life was hidden.  We didn't yet know that you had drawn your first breath a half a world away.  No idea of the loss you would suffer at such a young age.  No idea that we would fall in love with you years later, before we ever laid eyes on you.  No idea that our God would give us the great responsibility and joy of parenting you.  Adoption was still tucked in the back of our minds.  We didn't even know that adoption would soon change our lives forever...FOR GOOD.  What if we had known...

We know you as much as a family can know a person through pictures and words typed on a page.  But you're not just any person.  We know that our love for you is continuing to grow as we wait.  We know that your brothers are anxiously awaiting your arrival.  And we know that our God created your life with a purpose...and with a smile on His face 'cause He loves you even more than we do (and wow is that A LOT)!  So, today we celebrate YOU, Baby Girl!    

If you're curious, what the day of your birth looked like here at home in Texas.  Here it is!  Your big brother was concerned about falling in the potty as he began potty-training!  

And your little brother...well, he was just a tiny tiny baby in his first mommy's tummy.  She likely couldn't even feel him move yet or know whether he was a boy or girl.  Wow, this little guy is a live wire now! He just might be your biggest fan as he begs several times a week for us to bring you home.  If only he could speak for a moment with the government officials and workers he would find a way to speed us through this process to you...

INTERVIEW WITH THE BROTHERS
Since our lives have been filled with bugs and toots and super heroes, we have much to learn about other interests of a daughter.  In case you were wondering about little girls, we have a guest interview with the brothers to enlighten 'cause they know everything (at least for now):

What do girls like to do?

Samuel: Do the slide

Joey: Dance really beautiful

What are girls' favorite toys?

Samuel:Guns and 'noculars (binoculars)

Joey: Shopkins and Barbie dolls

What should Mommy/Daddy tell Sister once we meet her?

Samuel: About Star Wars

Joey: Welcome to your new home

What will you teach Sister to do?

Samuel: Play with toys (cars)

Joey: Play minecraft

Bonus Information:

Samuel: Where’s Sister?  Sister not here.

Mommy: She's in China.  We will go get her soon.

Samuel: Go get her pleeeeeeeeeease.  Please, Momma, please!

Is there anything else about girls that Daddy and Mommy need to know?

Joey: Talk to her softly.  They’re beautiful.  They play shopkins.

So, if you catch a glimpse of our family speaking softly as we twirl around a room sporting guns and binoculars, eagerly discussing Star Wars and our next creation on Minecraft, you'll know why.  Aaaaaand, there you have it, Folks!  If anyone was curious, now you have the answers needed to successfully parenting a little girl!

The Paper Trail and the Name Game

And So the Paper Trail Continues...
GOOD NEWS!  Thankfully we're one step closer to bringing our little girl home.  Today is one day closer!  Just this morning, our agency notified us that they have received our LOA (Letter of Acceptance).  We will again state on paper that we choose to pursue the adoption of our little one and then return that paper to China.  Next, we will apply for immigration paperwork that will allow her to come home to the US. 

Are you curious about the updated pictures we received? 

The orphanage director sent them to our agency rep after receiving the package we sent for Sister.  We were not expecting a response at all, let alone pictures of our sweetie.   

She's pretty cute!




Her hair cut screams "Mini Dawn" as I'm somewhat convinced that my Dad and his roll of Scotch tape have taken a side job in China trimming bangs!




See?  I told you she was cute!!  That smile...

* We're hoping and praying that we're only 2 months from welcoming her home!

He Knows My Name
Long before Sister's first family saw her precious face.
Even before she became a tiny bundle in an orphanage.
And still years before we petitioned that she would be our daughter.
God knew her name.  He knew that we would be part of her story.  
And we're excited to share...

Stella is a variation of my family name "Stell".  It also means Star.  We're still a little unsure whether her middle name(s) with be Ann and Lyu (her Chinese name) or maybe we'll do a combination of those 2 middles names.  Either way, Ann will be given to honor 2 precious ladies - her grandmothers (Suzanne and Annie).  While she'll share a few letters from each of their names, I'm hoping in expectation that she will not only love Jesus as they do, but also be as crafty, creative, and talented as her SuSu and have the mad cooking/baking skills of her Hoo Hoo.  

Joey's Heart of Compassion
Joey's prayer a few months ago in Sunday school (1/25/15):
"Dear God, please be with the children who don't have parents on the other side of the world...Be a Dad to them. Amen."  I was shocked and humbled to hear this simple prayer come from his lips, the tenderness of his heart.  May God continue to soften the hearts of us and our children to desire that every single little one would know the love and security of a family!

Say It Isn't So

Say it isn't so
He gradated!  He graduated!  Thankfully it's just kindergarten and not high school, but still...he graduated!  What a fun ceremony put on by his kindergarten teachers and wonderful school.

Waiting for his moment in the lime light

Typical family picture when one child is begging to go home to watch 

Scooby Doo and the other feels like the star of the show

Look at that big kinder graduate

Just a Singin'

A little funny from Samuel.  He went swimmin' in "Denial".  On the way to the zoo (or just about anywhere else we drive between 10 and 11am), he found himself in a predicament.  Upon my urging to stay awake as we had almost arrived, he felt the need to convince me of a very important fact...

"I not sleep.  I SINGING!!!!"

Sure...  See the crossed arms?  Yep, very convincing.  

And alas..."the song" had ended and he was out!

(* DISCLAIMER: I was fully stopped at a red light when these pictures were snapped)

Once we arrived at the zoo, he was wide awake and ready to run.  His favorites on this day were the flamingos and the train ride.  It was quite possibly our last outing, just the two of us.  Hopefully Sister will be home before Joey goes back to school.  So, Samuel and I made the most of our zoo date.

Our little climbing monkey is about the 

size of an actual little monkey

His silly side

Once he noticed the live tortoises, he was 

anxious to point out "they move"!

The one thing he requested over and over...the train

Adoption Update

We wait!

As much as the program is very well laid out and organized, it will never move fast enough for this Momma and Daddy!  Our paperwork remains in China for now.  We're awaiting out LOA (Letter of Acceptance) from China which will allow us to again state that we accept Sister as our daughter.  I wish we could just nod "yes", give a thumbs up, or wave our hands in excitement over Skype.  It could save China the postage of mailing the LOA!  

"We learned that orphans are easier to ignore before you 

know their names.  They are easier to ignore before you see 

their faces.  It is easier to pretend they're not real before you 

hold them in your arms.  But once you do, everything changes..."  

-David Platt