baby dolls!

This in tonight, from Stacy in China via her orphanage visit:


OHHHH, I forgot one more thing...when I asked the director what is something Emma likes or would want her family to know she likes...check this out....she likes BABY DOLLS.  All I could think about was that precious baby doll you bought her :)  She said to tell you guys how special Emma is and how much the staff really loves her :)


Oh, the joy!
Ah, the growing pile to pack of dolls and doll clothes! :)


We just LOVE you, Emma Kate!

Manna. More than enough

Our beautiful Emma Kate

sparkly and beautiful girl!

Stacy, Paul and Solomon gave us the most amazing of gifts.  The photos are from a special part of their visit to their sweet son's orphanage.  While there, they took precious time out of their own experience to see, meet and spend time with Emma Kate.  

Stacy wrote to us about Emma.  These are words to treasure for us.  I feel like Mary, pondering these things in my heart!  Here is what Stacy and Paul say:

We had the awesome, beautiful privilege of meeting your beautiful girl!!!!  She is wonderful mama...absolutely wonderful!!!  It was nap time but they called her out of bed for us to meet her.  She came running out with a huge smile!!  The nannies and teachers said she is a very good girl...that she is very sweet and calm.  We told them that her new name will be Emma and they LOVE it!!!  She loved hearing that she had brothers and a sister.  They were telling her that you were coming very soon and that you love her and she was ALL SMILES!!!!!!!!! She knows you guys are coming and that made her sooooo happy!!!

Manna.  Surely more than enough.  Quite possibly more than my heart can hold.  

Knowing that she KNOWS, is such comfort.  Evidence of God's abundant provision for Emma and for us.  His ways really are perfect and true.  He has MORE than answered the cry of our hearts.  I am having a hard time conceiving of all that this means for Emma as she awaits us. Seeing her friend, Solomon, with his family, and learning what it means when a Mom and Dad come and are united with you.  Seeing Solomon so firmly attached to his Mom and Dad, Stacy and Paul, and learning how love does indeed take you in.  Solomon, Stacy writes in her blog, was very clear about going with them, not staying in the orphanage.  That, after only four days with them!  

I have to believe that for Emma to have time knowing we are coming soon, and readying her heart for that, is huge for her.   I know she is only five, but the gift of knowing and not being taken by surprise is such a blessing.  

YuXiao, our Little Jade, knows her name has grown.  She is also, and will also be, Emma.  This is profound for her to know this information already.  And to know that her caregivers are pleased with it, and will pass along their pleasure to her, is amazing.  Another piece of God's abundant provision and lovingkindness for His child.  Another way she can already begin to bond with us, even from afar.  Her heart tendered toward a family that already knows, loves and treasures her.

The adoption road is so marvelous.  Filled again and again with mighty works of God.  I really believe He delights in delighting us; and He gets to show off in the most beautiful ways through adoption.  Adoption is a  picture of what believers all experience when they come to Him.  We all are orphans.  And God calls us home.  To Him.  He Himself refers to what happens spiritually when we are adopted as heirs to the promise.  I am adopted, by the King.  I am a daughter of the Lord Most High.  I belong, because He says so.  I belong because Jesus was and is worthy.  Worth enough.  Blessed be His name.  Blessed be His name in all the earth.

Oh, Emma.  Our dear, sweet YuXiao.  How we long to meet you, to hold you in our arms, to sing over you and dance as on a day of festival.  How we are filled with awe and wonder by you.  Our hearts are full of such deep love.  We are mighty for you, and the Lord is mighty for you!  And we delight in you, just as He does so perfectly.  You are a treasure.  We would walk 5,000 miles to come to your door.  We will cross seas, complete reams of paperwork, wait endlessly, and persevere in the promise of you!  Soon, so very soon, we will see the Lord complete His promise to us.  Soon, so soon, we will all be together.  

The Lord is our strength AND our song.   Our provider.  And He puts the lonely in families.  How lonely our lives would be without you here amongst us.  Why?  Because WE belong together.

We belong together.

And we simply adore and love you.

From here to China and back again.

From here to anywhere you are.

We really are counting the days, Emma YuXiao.

Love forever and always, dear one,

Momma and Daddy

delivered!

and received "happily".

Oh my stars.

Stacy and her family just received Solomon yesterday!  And when they did, they gave a letter with MANY pictures of us in it, to the orphanage director of Emma and Solomon's orphanage.

I awoke this morning to an email in our inbox relaying the following information (oh my lands!):

Hey Mama,

We gave Emma's album to the orphanage director yesterday...she was sooo happy to see it. It was fun watching her look through it!  We weren't sure if we'd be given permission to visit the orphanage so we wanted to make sure she got it.

What an amazing thing.  To know that the orphanage staff HAS the package is so sweet. To know they are HAPPY to see it, is another whole piece of sweet!  

Our hearts are so joy-filled this morning.  So excited to know that Emma Kate will know we are coming, and will have seen us before she meets us.  We are incredibly grateful to Stacy, and thrilled this made its way all the way to the hands of Emma's caregivers.  Those that have loved her ahead of us.

SOON she will be in our arms.  

We long for that day.

It's Chinese to me!

How cool is this?!  Emma Kate's letter.  And I know what it says since I wrote it myself!

亲爱的玉晓：
你好！我们很快就可以来见你并且和你成为一家人了。玉晓，我们非常高兴能够认识你并且成为你的家人！你的妈妈，你的爸爸，还有你的两个哥哥Cooper(库珀)和Jeb（杰布）会一起到中国来见你，接你回到明尼苏达的家，永远和我们生活在一起。库珀和杰布已经上学了，但是他们都非常想看一看中国这个你生活的地方，并且他们很想第一时间和你见面，所以我们会带着他们一起来见你！路克和安娜，也就是你的哥哥和姐姐会和爷爷奶奶在家里等着我们，因为他们都太小了，不能一起来，每个人都为你能够回家感到非常开心。
等着来见你是很难的！我们已经很爱很爱你，我们大家都非常感恩你将成为我们珍贵的女儿和妹妹。
我们想给你送去一些照片，这样你就知道我们长什么样子，并且知道你将在生活的地方是什么样子了。我们想你可能也会愿意把照片给你现在的朋友们看。我知道Susie小姐和你的其他的老师们都非常爱你，他们一定会想知道你将来和我们在一起的生活会是什么样子的。我们希望这些照片会让你感觉开心，玉晓，并且也会让你的阿姨们心里感到快乐！
1．这是你的房间！你将和你的姐姐安娜睡一间房，她也来自中国！这里有一张你们的床的照片，你床上的枕头上面有你的美国名字Emma（艾玛），我们将会叫你艾玛玉晓！好听吗？
2．这个娃娃是给你的！这也是我们抱着娃娃的照片，我们会带着这个娃娃和我们一起到中国来的见你的，她就是你的了！这个娃娃的身上也写着你的名字，你的姐姐安娜有一个和你的一样的娃娃她每天都抱着睡。每天晚上我们把她塞进怀里时，我们都为你祈祷，看着你的床，请求上帝保护你安全，帮助你感觉到被爱，被保护，还有感觉自己很特别。安娜7岁了，所以你将有一个非常好的朋友和姐姐。她非常高兴你将成为她的妹妹！
3．这是一张库珀和杰布的照片，他们都会和我们一起来见你！我们大家会一起在中国度过两个星期的时间才能回到明尼苏达的家，这对我们来说将是很特别的一段时光，在这段时间里，我们将互相了解，并且让你适应和我们在一起。
4．这是你的爸爸和我-你的妈妈。我们非常爱你！我们把你的照片挂在我们家里的每个角落，我们把它们做成了一本书，这样当你和我们一起离开中国的时候，你可以永远记得你在中国的生活，还有你爱着的人们！
5．这是一张你的家的照片！你的哥哥路克站在前面的台阶上！这也是你的房子！
6．这是我们的狗狗Swede（斯维德），斯维德是一只安静善良的老狗，它喜欢躺下小睡一会，斯维德从来不叫，它非常可爱友好。我们觉得你一定会非常喜欢它的。
7．这是我们大家拿着一张你的照片！我们爱你，玉晓！
我知道你还不认识我们，这一切可能让你想起来感到有些害怕，或者你也许有很多关于我们的问题和疑惑。我们保证我们会永远好好照顾你，会温和对待你，对你好，如果你感到害怕或者难过也没关系，我们知道这是你的感受的一部分，我们想让你知道我们会照顾你，爱你，就算你难过害怕的时候也一样。我们是你的家人，我们会永远爱你！我们知道你将学会相信我们爱我们。
玉晓，我们很快就可以见到你了！
来自你的家人的爱，
妈妈，爸爸，库珀，杰布，路克和安娜

final care package...via Cali!

My friend, Stacy, is going to bring Solomon home!

We thought we would be in China together, but the Lord has decided to send her ahead of us.

Stacy has quite the streamlined packing list.  Her luggage is dialed down to essentials, and extra space is precious.

This dear woman, has, nonetheless, offered to take a little package to Emma Kate for us; delivered directly into the hands of the orphanage staff from Solomon and Emma Kate's orphanage.  Her exact words were, "You send me whatever you want to and I will take it to her!".

I will not take advantage of her thoughtfulness!  What a gracious offer and such an act of thoughtfulness.  We are blessed by the kindheartedness of friends we have met along the adoption journey.  Kindred hearts who know the meaning of a letter for a much-beloved child a world away.

So off our letter went to Ladybugs n Love From Above.  More pictures, more words conveying (we hope!) our love.  Some of it reiterates things we have said before.  Somehow I don't think you can say these things too many times.  I pray they become etched on sweet Emma's heart in a way that eases meeting us.

Here is what we wrote (the numbers correspond to pictures):

Dear YuXiao,

Hello!  We are coming to meet you and become a family very soon.  We are so happy to know you and be your family, YuXiao!  Your Mom, your Dad and two of your big brothers, Cooper and Jeb, will come all the way to China to meet you and bring you home to Minnesota to live with us forever and ever.  Cooper and Jeb go to school, but they want to see China where you live and meet you right away, so we are bringing them with us!  Luke and Anna, who will also be your brother and sister, are going to wait at home with your new grandparents because they are too little to come.  Everyone is so excited to have you come home. 

Waiting to meet you is hard!  We love you already and are so grateful you will be our treasured daughter and sister.  

We wanted to send you some pictures so you know what we look like and where you will live.  We thought you might also like to show your friends where you live now.  I know Miss Susie and your other teachers love you very much, and will want to know what your life will be like when you live with us.  We hope that these pictures make you feel good, YuXiao, and that they fill your nannies hearts with joy, too.

1.  This is your room!  You will share it with your sister, Anna.  She is from China, too!  Here is a picture of your beds.  The pillow on your bed has your American name on it, which will be Emma.  We will call you Emma YuXiao!  Isn't that pretty?  

2.  This doll is for you!  These are also pictures of us holding the doll.  We will bring the doll to China with us when we meet you, and she will be yours!  The doll has your name written on her, and your sister, Anna, has a dolly just like yours that she sleeps with each night.  Every night when we tuck her in, we pray for you and look at your bed and ask God to keep you safe and help you feel loved and protected and special.  Anna is 7 years old, so you will be very good friends and sisters.  She is so glad you are her little sister! 

3.  This is a picture of Cooper and Jeb, who are coming with us to meet you!  We will all spend two weeks together in China before we go home to Minnesota.  It will be special time for us to all get to know each other and for you to feel comfortable with us.

4.  This is your Daddy and me, your Mommy.  We love you so much!  We have pictures of you hanging all over the house.  We have made them into a book, so that when you are living with us you can always remember your life in China and the people who you love, too!

5.  This is a picture of our house!  Your brother, Luke, is standing on the front steps!  It is your house, too!  

6.  Here is our dog, Swede.  Swede is a very quiet, kind and old dog.  She likes to lay down and nap.  Swede never barks and she is very sweet and nice.  You will like her very much, we think.

7.  Here we all are, holding a picture of you!  We love you, YuXiao!

I know you don't know us yet, and this might all feel a little bit scary, or you might have many questions and wonderings about us.  We promise we will always take the very best care of you, and will be gentle and kind to you.  It is okay if you are afraid or sad.  We know this might be part of how you are feeling, and those feelings are not bad ones, YuXiao.  Those are natural ways to feel, and we want you to know we will take care of you and love you even when you are sad or scared.  We are your family, and we will always love you!  We know that in time you will learn to trust us and love us, too.

We will see you very soon, YuXiao!  

Love from your family,

Mom, Dad, Cooper, Jeb, Luke and Anna

be blessed

Blessed by this

most adorable doll!
From Baby Be Blessed.

THAT is more than sweet.  That is truth!

Thank you, Christine.  We just LOVE the doll.
And we trust Emma Kate will love her dolly, too!

She's coming with us to China.
And home again.

our life in photos....or not

We are making a photo album to send off to Emma Kate.

It will be filled with photos of family life, our home, her room and each family member along with captions translated into Chinese so Emma Kate knows who and what she is looking at.

Ann, at Red Thread China, is doing the translating and compiling them all into a book to send to Emma.

We have a problem: good photos.

We actually have a lot of great photos, but out of context they would most likely give Emma great anxiety about her future life with us.  They are not great because of the perfect composition, or incredible photography.  They are special because they are memories.  Of us.  Our family and the life we love sharing together.

So how do you take this

and explain that it is the annual Father's Day water fight.  And that everyone is actually having a ball!  Even the neighbors lined up to watch they thought it was so fun and funny.  

The end result 

That just looks weird if you don't know what it is we are doing.

And then there is this

the annual 4th of July haircuts on the deck.  Each year one of the boys seems to decide it is time for a major hair change.  Last year Jeb chose a buzz.  This year Cooper went from a flippy hairdo to a short, tight cut.  Very handsome.  

Not a photobook picture, though.  Just a great memory.

We also have a bevy of images like this:

because what is beach play without burying one of the big kids in a giant sand hole?  

Probably not super encouraging, however, for the joys of family life if you don't already know how fun this is.  Looks more like a punishment than a treat!

And there is always the 4th of July Olympics, family style.  

Those look like this:

Oh, yeah.  Your Daddy has a lot of hot air.  He came in second to Aunt Kiki for the biggest bubble this year.  A prestigious placement.  She's a pro!

Besides bubble blowing we also have the sport of the water balloon toss.  It looks like this:

Really.  It is fun.  I promise!  We really, really do like each other! 

It is especially joyful to recall the fun of this lake sport:

See how that ends? 

Our family loves to play all together.  I don't know how unique or how common that is.  I just know it is us.  And I'm grateful for it.  The time we spend enjoying one another, celebrating life and making memories is sweet.  And makes us who we are.  

The annual picture of the really tall guy on stilts in the cabin's beloved small town 4th of July parade makes us all smile.  I don't think Emma would quite "get it".  Uncle Sam is odd enough, never mind a 14 foot tall Sam.  And why are the kids all crouched over near the ground?  One word: candy.

How to explain the joy and splendor of sitting on the dock and seeing who can spit a cherry seed the farthest?

Doesn't work in words.  Or pictures really.  And cherry pits?  That's strange.  Not really, though.  Not when you know how hard it is to find a watermelon with seeds these days!

It's context, people!  Good exegesis of our life in pictures.  Not really translatable in a photo book.

Soon, though, she'll be home.  Here.  With us.

And then, it all becomes her story, too.  Her stories.  Her experiences.  Our shared joys and laughter.  Life lived well together.

Soon, all the photos will make sense.  And a photo book will become a place for memories, not introductions.

Until then, we will omit these pictures, and include ones that need no translation.  Ones like this:

Cousin party.  Family love on a walk in matching dresses.  

Emma Kate, you belong.  You are so loved and we await the day you are home forever and part of all our silly pictures that record the fabric of our family life.  

Love,

Momma

Sent With Love!

Sunday afternoon and missing your girl all the way around the globe.  What's a mom to do?

Care package, of course!  And when it ends up bringing photos and an email detailing her loveliness, we call that priceless.

Here's what we sent!

The bright green pajamas featuring POLKA DOTS (no way! how great is that KTG and Jenn Jenn) are a donation for the littles in the orphanage.  The cookies are for her caregivers and teachers.  The pink jacket with hearts and stars is for Emma Kate, and I think she'll know we think she's a star and we love her each time she looks at her jacket/sweatshirt. :)  And the camera is for us.

Here is the letter we wrote:

Dearest YuXiao,

Hello and Happy New year, our dear daughter.  We miss you and hope you celebrated a wonderful New Year’s with your friends and caregivers.

This care package is for you and your friends you live with at Jinjiang.   We hope you enjoy some new pajamas to snuggle up with at night.  And we also hope your caregivers and teachers enjoy a sweet treat with the enclosed cookies.  Thank you to each of them for taking such careful care of you.  We are so grateful.  The warm jacket is for you to wear as the weather changes from winter to spring.  We hope it makes you happy and when you put it on it reminds us of you.

We hope that we are able to see some pictures of you and your life from the camera that is in this package.  It is hard to want to be with you and know you and love you, and also be so far away from you! 

We think of you every single day, Yu Xiao.  Each morning we pray for your day and each night your sister and brothers pray for your sleep.  Daddy and I talk about you all the time.  Cooper and Jeb are coming with us to China to meet you when we come.  They are your oldest brothers.  Luke and Anna are too little to come and are going to wait at home with your Grandparents.  Everyone here loves you so much already. 

Waiting to meet you is hard.  It must feel strange to you, too.   We know, though, that God is knitting our hearts together even though we are living far apart right now.  We promise to be so kind, loving and gentle with you.  We promise to take care of you forever and love you as our beloved, long-awaited youngest daughter. 

You are so beautiful to us, YuXiao.  Every time we look at your pictures we smile.  And we look at your pictures every day!

We love you,

Mom and Dad

Sara and Jim Silburn

Praying God delights her with this package, and blesses not only her but her caregivers, teachers and friends in Jinjiang with the contents.  

Love,

Sara 

First contact: CARE package!

We sent a care package to Emma through a wonderful service called, "Ladybugs N Love From Above".


Enclosed in the package Emma will receive:
a pink blanket with white flowers
a soft doll ( who looks five with short black hair!)
a photo album (shaped like a rooster!- she was born in the year of the rooster, and the woman putting the package together did this for her)
nuts and candy for her caregivers
a LETTER from us! (so odd to introduce yourself through a letter, that gets translated into another language, and read and received through the eyes of another culture. I'm trusting that LOVE translates itself through all languages)
a self-addressed stamped envelope so we can receive a letter back (pray!)
a BIRTHDAY CAKE! to celebrate her birthday belatedly
and
a disposable CAMERA!

It ships tomorrow and she will have it next week! I cannot believe it!

Even though I did not assemble that package, I pray the Lord's love enfold and wrap each item within, and that as Emma receives each item she experience Him washing in and over her with delight and joy, peace and belonging, love and hope. May His welcome knit our hearts together and forge bonds between our hearts- to know and receive each other through Him! God bless each hand that touches this package.

Kingdom business, people! Make way!

The picture of the care package I am attempting to put in with this post. Look for it in all it's cuteness. And please pray for Emma Kate as she meets us in this odd and strangest of ways.