interior 3M notes

Next week at this time, we will be staring China in the eyes.  It will be one sleep until we depart, and I get butterflies considering one week from this morning.

We could be an advertisement for 3M post-it notes.  Except mine are invisible and are plastered all over the inside of my mind.  I'm quite sure there are filing cabinets with notes all over the exterior...cheery looking as they hang askew on the doors and drawers.

Jim and I have the my list/your list/our list deal.  Some things are just on his list because I have no more room to even wonder if they are done.  I trust him and what a relief to divide up and know our respective items will be completed.  My list looks a lot like organizing family life for three weeks in hotels, and family life for three weeks at home with grandparents and various and sundry friends for playdates.  Oh, goodness gracious.

Yesterday I worked on the day to day book for Anna and Luke.  It is a little booklet that they can read each day featuring the events of their day, and then pictures and a description of what our day will look like.  Writing about the Great Wall and finding pictures of the Summer Palace was so fun!  Sharing with them about Emma Day, and recalling for Anna the day we met her made my heart ache with joy and wonder.  Each day ends with a prayer, and our love.  As each day does end.

Today is eight days to China!

Jim is completing a closet system for the girls.  Anna and Emma are sharing a room, and a closet.  It will be done today!  So fun to put it back together with both girls belongings in it.  

Each project is a step closer to Emma, and a love letter to our family and our new daughter.  

My prayer for our little Anna is that with each thing she sees us doing, she realizes this is what we did for her, too! The love and longing is immense.  We loved and longed for her.  

Yesterday as Jim did the girls closet Anna was looking through a box of items, some school, some life, some her adoption trip.  She pulled out the little outfit she met us in, the little whirlygig toy her nanny gave her that day, and the darling pink shoes with bells that she wore.  She chimed as she walked, and it was such a fitting sound of joy.  As she sat on the floor looking at these things again, and I explained again what each one was and how special they are, Anna took those little pink shoes and tried to put them on her feet.  They only went on as far as her toes!  

When we were in China, we received an "adoption barbie" from one of the hotels.  It is a western looking Mom-barbie carrying a little dark-haired baby barbie.  All that Anna wanted to do in that hotel room in China five years ago was to put Mom Barbie's shoes on.  She was so perplexed that they wouldn't fit on her feet.  And she diligently kept trying one foot and then the other in an effort to make those high heeled shoes fit.  It is such an endearing memory for Jim and me.

Yesterday, my adorable Anna sat on the floor of her room, and laughingly tried to put her tiny little two-year old shoes on one foot and then the other.  Silly, sweet Anna.  It took me right back to that hotel room and the lovely memory of Adoption Barbie's shoes.  

The days are going by quickly.  Just at the right pace.  God is drawing us ever closer to the day we leave, and the day we all receive.  

"I am still confident of this: 

       I will see the goodness of the LORD 

       in the land of the living.

 Wait for the LORD; 

       be strong and take heart 

       and wait for the LORD."

                                               - Psalm 27:13-14

We do see, right now, the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  We see Him here.  Now.  And we look for Him there, with us with Emma when we are there.  His beautiful hand at work drawing our family together.  His incredible provision for each one of us.  

We wait on the Lord as we wait for the Lord.  And we take heart because He is our strength and our song, He is good, He overcame, He is worth enough and He was then, too, and He is our Father.  Our rock, our redeemer, our sustainer, our savior.  

Thank you, Lord, for this day.  For the day you have made today, where we are eight short long days from leaving for our beloved, Emma Kate.

Nine is a lovely number

Nine days!  We leave in nine days!

Yes, we do!

Coming soon to this blog near you:
The Silburns in China
featuring:

• Sara- the woman you don't want to know in China (think tired and flinching from all the staring, yearning for fresh produce, drinking coffee at 3am, totally in love with new daughter)
• Jim- water boy extraordinare.  Able to procure provisions in a single trip.  Able.  Ready.  Strong.  Crazy handsome.  Sleeps well while traveling.   
• Cooper- tall blond, blue-eyed teen.  Anomaly in China.  Much photographed.
• Jeb- tall blond, blue-eyed companion to aforementioned teen.  An almost-teen.  Handsome and also much photographed in China.
• Emma- adorable and darling little girl.  Wonders if family lives in hotel.  Finds new life odd.  Likes new dolls.  Especially likes the yogurt drinks her amazing Dad keeps bringing her. 

nine!

nine is a lovely number. 

nine sleeps

nine days

nine breakfasts

nine showers

nine times to make the bed

nine wake-ups

nine dinners

nine.

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9!

Three hundred twelve hours

or eighteen thousand, seven hundred twenty minutes.

or so.

Emma Kate!  We are coming.

10,403 miles between us.

Soon to be zero.

We would walk 10,000 miles and we would walk 10,000 more just to be the ones to walk 10,000 miles to come and find you at your door.

We are coming, Emma Kate.

In thirteen short long days we are coming.  And we will never, ever leave!

Forever.  Always.  Together.

And what do we do in the meantime?

• Your Mom picks up the passports with visa's attached at the UPS store!
• You Dad shoots a bunch of commercials in LA and wings his way home to shout, "13!" as he bursts through the door!
• Schedules are firmed up, with Christina our guide for Beijing confirmed.
• Final paperwork is copied and tucked into a special folder.
• Learn more sign language to ease our early communication efforts as a family.
• take note, Anna and Luke are stars!  We ordered breakfast in the kitchen today via signs and words!
• Again, I stare at outfit possibilities in my closet, wishing Christine were here with Chai tea to consider with me. :)  It takes a lot of thought to pick JUST what to wear to meet you daughter for the first time.  
• Purple dress with small gray polka dots: cute, subdued, yet cheerful and modest.  Says your mom is trustworthy, and can also hug well.
• knee-length A line denim skirt with pewter colored t-shirt and light pinky-purple 3/4 sleeve sweater.  Says, your mom is great with crafts and loves to read you books.  She is kind and loves to snuggle with you.
• jeans and white ruffle-necked blouse.  Says that your mom dressed up for you with her blouse and she is respectful of your nannies and the orphanage director.  She also respects her luggage restrictions, and it is cold outside today and there was only room for 2 pairs of pants so you get to meet her in jeans even though she is conflicted that she is wearing jeans for such a momentous occasion.  
• See?  This is hard!  And those are only THREE of the options.   
• Dad thinks you will be wearing your pink track suit.  He wants to hug you in it!
• There's so much more to do still!  
• stocking the freezer
• collecting the piles and reams of homework from school for your brothers
• packing us (you are packed!)
• dreaming of you
• hoping for you
• loving you
• praying for you

I cannot wait for the day I can pray over you.  In person.  What a day that will be.  

Love from here to there and back again 10,000 times!

TWO WEEKS to China!

14 days!
to God's beloved
our treasure
Emma Katherine YuXiao!

Two.weeks!

Fourteen.days.

Oh, my goodness gracious.  

I'm driving to get Emma tonight. Who's with me?

I have the funniest husband.  To me.


And he's really sweet, too.  


So tonight I receive the following email with the title listed above (I'm driving to get Emma tonight.  Who's with me?) and this (check out #s 14 and 30!):

By the way, China has lots of toll roads, apparently.  Wow.  Apparently they don't really want anyone to have access to travel...unless they are rich.  Super communist of them.  Power to the people and all.


Here's what you get if you google maps fuzhou china, and then click directions from your house, and then don't change the filter from "driving" directions.  I'm trying to decide if I like the kayaking suggestion more than the jet ski, or vice versa.  It's only supposed to take 37 days.  Who's with me!


Driving directions to Fuzhou, Fujian, China
Suggested routes
I-94 W
10,303 mi 37 days 7 hours
This route has tolls.- more info »
This route includes a ferry.- more info »




1. Head north on xxxxx toward yyy St
0.3 mi
2. Take the 3rd left onto County Rd zzz Blvd
1.1 mi
3. Take the ramp onto US-169 N
11.1 mi
4. Take the exit onto I-94 W
820 mi
5. Merge onto I-90 W
815 mi
6. Take exit 10 to merge onto I-405 N toward Bellevue
3.5 mi
7. Take exit 14 to merge onto WA-520 W toward Seattle
6.0 mi
8. Take the Montlake Blvd exit
0.5 mi
9. Merge onto Montlake Blvd E
0.3 mi
10. Slight left at NE Pacific St
0.8 mi
11. Continue onto NE Northlake Way
0.1 mi
12. Turn left at 6th Ave NE
79 ft
13. Turn right at NE Northlake Way
1.0 mi
14. Kayak across the Pacific Ocean
2,756 mi
15. Continue straight
0.1 mi
16. Turn left at Kuilima Dr
0.5 mi
17. Take the 3rd right onto HI-83 W
12.4 mi
18. Continue straight onto HI-99 S/Kamehameha Hwy
6.5 mi
19. Slight left at HI-80 S/Kamehameha Hwy
Continue to follow Kamehameha Hwy

2.1 mi
20. Take the Interstate H2 S ramp to Honolulu
0.2 mi
21. Merge onto I-H-2 S
7.9 mi
22. Merge onto I-H-1 E
4.7 mi
23. Take exit 13B toward Halawa Hts. Stadium
0.3 mi
24. Merge onto I-H-201 E
4.1 mi
25. Merge onto I-H-1 E
4.1 mi
26. Take exit 23 for Punahou St toward Waikiki/Manoa
0.2 mi
27. Turn right at Punahou St
0.1 mi
28. Take the 1st right onto S Beretania St
0.1 mi
29. Take the 1st left onto Kalakaua Ave
1.9 mi
30. Kayak across the Pacific Ocean
3,879 mi
31. Turn left toward 県道275号線
0.4 mi
32. Turn left toward 県道275号線
358 ft
33. Turn left toward 県道275号線
0.2 mi
34. Turn right at 県道275号線
0.1 mi
35. Turn left at 国道125号線
499 ft
36. Turn right at 県道24号線
0.6 mi
37. Turn left at 千束町（交差点） onto 国道354号線
2.0 mi
38. Turn right at 中村陸橋下（交差点） to stay on 国道354号線
1.0 mi
39. Take the ramp to 常磐自動車道
Toll road

0.3 mi
40. Keep left at the fork, follow signs for 東京 and merge onto 常磐自動車道
Toll road

23.8 mi
41. Take exit 三郷ＪＣＴ toward 首都高・銀座・湾岸線
Toll road

0.7 mi
42. Merge onto 首都高速6号三郷線
Toll road

5.8 mi
43. Take exit 小菅ＪＣＴ toward 湾岸線・銀座
Toll road

0.3 mi
44. Merge onto 首都高速中央環状線
Toll road

0.4 mi
45. Take exit 堀切ＪＣＴ on the right toward 銀座・箱崎
Toll road

0.3 mi
46. Merge onto 首都高速6号向島線
Toll road

5.4 mi
47. Take exit 江戸橋ＪＣＴ toward 神田橋・北池袋
Toll road

0.4 mi
48. Merge onto 首都高速都心環状線
Toll road

3.8 mi
49. Take exit 谷町ＪＣＴ on the right toward 東名・渋谷
Toll road

0.3 mi
50. Merge onto 首都高速3号渋谷線
Toll road

6.9 mi
51. Continue onto 東名高速道路
Toll road

189 mi
52. Take exit 豊田ＪＣＴ toward 東海環状・伊勢湾岸道・豊田東出口・土岐ＪＣＴ・四日市・新名神
Toll road

0.3 mi
53. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for 伊勢湾岸道・四日市・新名神 and merge onto 伊勢湾岸自動車道
Toll road

19.8 mi
54. Take the ramp onto 伊勢湾岸自動車道
Toll road

12.1 mi
55. Take exit 四日市ＪＣＴ toward 東名阪道・大阪・伊勢道
Toll road

0.6 mi
56. Merge onto 東名阪自動車道
Toll road

13.8 mi
57. Take exit 亀山ＪＣＴ toward 新名神・京都・大阪
Toll road

0.6 mi
58. Merge onto 新名神高速道路
Toll road

30.9 mi
59. Take exit 草津ＪＣＴ toward 草津ＰＡ・名神・京滋・京都・大阪
Toll road

0.2 mi
60. Take exit 草津ＰＡ on the right toward 名神
Toll road

0.5 mi
61. Merge onto 名神高速道路
Toll road

30.1 mi
62. Take exit 吹田ＪＣＴ toward 中国道・山陽道・宝塚・岡山
Toll road

1.1 mi
63. Merge onto 中国自動車道
Toll road

18.8 mi
64. Take exit 神戸ＪＣＴ toward 山陽道・岡山・徳島
Toll road

0.9 mi
65. Merge onto 山陽自動車道
Toll road

192 mi
66. Take exit 廿日市ＪＣＴ toward 山陽道・岩国・北九州
Toll road

0.9 mi
67. Merge onto 広島岩国道路
Toll road

7.3 mi
68. Take the ramp onto 山陽自動車道
Toll road

59.2 mi
69. Take exit 山口ＪＣＴ toward 中国道・下関・北九州
Toll road

0.8 mi
70. Merge onto 中国自動車道
Toll road

39.9 mi
71. Continue onto 関門橋
Toll road

5.9 mi
72. Continue onto 九州自動車道 (signs for 九州道・福岡・熊本)
Toll road

215 mi
73. Take exit 高速鹿児島ＩＣ toward 鹿児島出口・南九州道・川内・伊集院
Toll road

0.2 mi
74. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for 川内・伊集院・南九州道 and merge onto 国道3号線
Partial toll road

0.4 mi
75. Take the ramp to 南九州道
Toll road

0.4 mi
76. Merge onto 南九州西回り自動車道(市来~鹿児島西)/鹿児島道路
Toll road

12.7 mi
77. Take the ramp to 国道3号線
Partial toll road

0.9 mi
78. Turn left at 市来Ｉ．Ｃ入口（交差点） onto 国道3号線 (signs for 川内・串木野)
4.5 mi
79. Turn left at 串木野駅（交差点） onto 県道38号線
1.0 mi
80. Turn right
0.2 mi
81. Turn left
0.1 mi
82. Turn left
325 ft
83. Take the 串木野~里~中甑~鹿島~長浜 ferry
Toll road

40.3 mi
84. Continue straight
62 ft
85. Turn left toward 県道349号線
190 ft
86. Turn right toward 県道349号線
187 ft
87. Turn left at 県道349号線
7.0 mi
88. Continue onto 県道350号線
1.3 mi
89. Turn left
0.9 mi
90. Jet ski across the Pacific Ocean
486 mi
91. Continue straight onto 塘后支路
0.2 mi
92. Turn left at 塘后路
0.4 mi
93. Continue onto 淞宝路/淞寶路
0.5 mi
94. Slight right to stay on 淞宝路/淞寶路
0.3 mi
95. Turn left at 牡丹江路
0.1 mi
96. Take the 1st right onto 泰和路
0.8 mi
97. Slight right to stay on 泰和路
0.1 mi
98. Take the ramp on the left onto Ａ２０公路
22.6 mi
99. Take the exit toward 沪杭高速/滬杭高速
0.1 mi
100. Keep right at the fork to continue toward 沪杭高速/滬杭高速 and merge onto 沪杭高速/滬杭高速
Partial toll road

38.6 mi
101. Take exit 杭浦高速/嘉兴港区/宁波-杭浦高速/嘉興港區/寧波 to merge onto 跨海大桥北接线/跨海大橋北接線
Toll road

15.3 mi
102. Continue onto 杭州湾跨海大桥/杭州灣跨海大橋
Toll road

22.2 mi
103. Continue onto 沈海高速
Toll road

35.5 mi
104. Take the exit onto 宁波绕城高速/寧波繞城高速
Toll road

18.3 mi
105. Take exit 甬台温高速-甬台溫高速 toward 甬台温高速/甬台溫高速
Toll road

0.3 mi
106. Keep right at the fork to continue toward 甬台温高速/甬台溫高速 and merge onto 甬台温高速/甬台溫高速
Toll road

204 mi
107. Take the exit onto 福宁高速/福寧高速
Toll road

81.9 mi
108. Continue onto 罗宁高速/羅寧高速
Toll road

12.7 mi
109. Continue onto 罗长高速/羅長高速
Toll road

46.5 mi
110. Take exit 馬尾/福州-马尾/福州 to merge onto 104国道/104國道
Partial toll road

6.0 mi
111. Slight right to stay on 104国道/104國道
0.7 mi
112. Turn left toward 江滨东大道/江濱東大道
295 ft
113. Turn right at 江滨东大道/江濱東大道
1.0 mi
114. Continue onto 江滨中大道/江濱中大道
3.6 mi
115. Turn right at 五一南路
0.1 mi
116. Slight right to stay on 五一南路
0.8 mi
117. Turn left at 国货西路/國貨西路
0.4 mi
118. At the traffic circle, take the 1st exit onto 八一七中路
0.9 mi
119. Turn left at 乌山路/烏山路
0.4 mi

Fuzhou, Fujian

Dear anyone in Ch*na who has clout

We wanted to let you know that we are MORE than happy to come at any time.

And we mean that.

Any.time.

Because it is time.  Not just because we have been waiting a long time, but because it is time. 

Surely our paperwork is calling your name.  See that signature line, and the place for your official stamp?  

We respectfully and longingly await news of our Travel Approval.  And we very much look forward to the day that should be here now, when it is here now.

Sincerely,

Us

"Hey...it is September right now"...

and it is a really good thing Jim didn't utter those words at midnight last night as we lay in bed awaiting sleep that was elusive (at least for me).

Those were his words of greeting as we sat watching daybreak this morning.  Me with work computer busily humming away and him still digesting his many foods-on-a-stick from yesterday's state fair extravaganza (I know, I couldn't resist including that somewhere in here!  You DID eat three types of the pig, two potato variations and two versions of frozen heaven otherwise known as ice cream...and that's only what you are telling me!  All that, AND he says he demonstrated restraint.  Oh my lands!)

Back to the regularly scheduled post: words of greeting.

September.

It is here.

Oh my lands.  Repeat with me five times, slowly, while taking a deep breath between words.

When our plane took off for China to bring Anna home, I remember the words of a hymn playing in my mind.  It was so clear, I felt like the entire plane was worshipping with us.  

Jim's announcement this morning brought a line of music to my ears.  It might even have included deep, sonorant swells of the organ.  And they sounded like this, "Bah-bah-bum".  :)

Not quite a hymn, but a demarkation of time long awaited.  September.

We expect news ANY DAY.  Any.day.  Anyday.

Emma Kate, fall is here.  Autumn has come.  We've been counting the days since January.   Deep winter when days are short and evening falls early.  Spring's arrival as days lengthen, sunlight glances off lilacs and the world awakens to bright greens and the fecund smell of life budding again.  Summer's long, bright, joyful romp of days bleeding together in a parade of sunshine.

Now it is fall.  Autumn!  And soon...

This morning, I sing of His faithfulness and goodness.  And this psalm wells from deep in my heart, with joy and longing, thanksgiving and praise, Emma Kate, of our great and good God.  

Psalm 65

For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.

 1 Praise awaits [a] you, O God, in Zion; 

       to you our vows will be fulfilled.

 2 O you who hear prayer, 

       to you all men will come.

 3 When we were overwhelmed by sins, 

       you forgave [b] our transgressions.

 4 Blessed are those you choose 

       and bring near to live in your courts! 

       We are filled with the good things of your house, 

       of your holy temple.

 5 You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, 

       O God our Savior, 

       the hope of all the ends of the earth 

       and of the farthest seas,

 6 who formed the mountains by your power, 

       having armed yourself with strength,

 7 who stilled the roaring of the seas, 

       the roaring of their waves, 

       and the turmoil of the nations.

 8 Those living far away fear your wonders; 

       where morning dawns and evening fades 

       you call forth songs of joy.

 9 You care for the land and water it; 

       you enrich it abundantly. 

       The streams of God are filled with water 

       to provide the people with grain, 

       for so you have ordained it. [c]

 10 You drench its furrows 

       and level its ridges; 

       you soften it with showers 

       and bless its crops.

 11 You crown the year with your bounty, 

       and your carts overflow with abundance.

 12 The grasslands of the desert overflow; 

       the hills are clothed with gladness.

 13 The meadows are covered with flocks 

       and the valleys are mantled with grain; 

       they shout for joy and sing.

your sweet face

I cannot wait to see you. 

dog days

of summer, that is.

We are home from church camp, reading classes are complete, the flowers are looking a little bedraggled and leggy, Jeb put jeans on twice this week despite 85 degree days with massive humidity and I have an unexplainable longing for cardigans and corduroy.  Belgian mums are calling my name.

Cross country and football practices have started.  School meetings are underway and at church we are deep into recruiting teachers for Sunday School and spiffing classrooms for children.  The family binder is out and filling quickly with paperwork, schedules and such.  I even woke Cooper and Jeb up at 9:30am yesterday morning; time to prepare for the daybreak alarms.

I actually bought a pot roast to make this week.  Now that is going too far.

I had a dream last night that one of our adoption agencies called us and I was really happy.  I don't know what I was happy about in the dream, but I remembered it this morning as I looked at the calendar and wondered WHEN, oh when, we might hear news of our trip to China...

School starts in two weeks.  That is a good thing.  We are ready for the school year (at least I am girding myself for the homework and activities to begin again!), and we are MORE than ready to bring Emma Kate home.

Our agency is saying October now.  I am excited about the month of October.  I love October.  I'd go anytime they say we can go.  I just also really like September.  September is a good month, too.

If these are the dog days of summer, what is autumn called when I simultaneously want it to last forever because I love the season so, and also yearn for it to fly by so Emma Kate is in our arms?  Ambivalence has never felt like a nice word to me.  Feeling both things at once needs a different name; and not a soap opera name.  This isn't high drama, it is peace mixed with longing, and joy marked by wondering anticipation.

Waiting.  It has nuances of its own, that word.

We wait knowing there is a day.  And each day is a day closer.  Every single detail of our needs is well known and tended to by a God who orchestrates the length of the seasons and the very number of hairs on Emma Kate's head.  He knows.  And He is at vigilant work for her sake.  And ours.

Onward!

crowns, monograms and true confessions

Northern girl.  Born and bred.

Northern girls do not put large bows in their daughter's hair.  Nor do we curl, tease or grow their hair out to extreme lengths.  Nails are best left clipped short with clear polish, and ears are absolutely not pierced until 12.  Makeup?  On a child.  NO WAY.  Now I'm not saying my countrymen down south are part of those types of choices.  Well, except the hair bow deal.  Southern girls love them a big ole bow in the littles hair!  Up here, we go for a clip.  Cute, but a clip nonetheless.  Variety, the spice of the salad bowl (since the melting pot is out).

Scandinavian work ethic, sensible behavior, thoughtfulness and keeping things modest and quiet are watchwords of the north.  True north.  At least my version of true north (minus all the times I wasn't quiet).

There are aspects of what I refer to as "southern" that I have to say, with all honesty, I covet.  Maybe even yearn for.  The north could use a bit of gentility from our southern friends on occasion.  Some occasions.

Ask my Mom.  I am sure she recalls me practicing a southern accent anytime my aunt Marlys visited.  Alabama twang.  Virginia has its own melody.  Ah, so slow and thick, just like their sweet tea.

The accent is a fun accessory.  Which leads us to the "sayings".  I learned early on that "bless your heart" could actually have two meanings.  Not saying anyone ever blessed my heart the second way, however.  If your heart has been blessed the second way, keep in mind that it can be said in loving pity, not just righteous scorn.  There is power in the rendering of the word "ma'am" when said in southernese.  Truly.  Attend to the phrase "y'all" sometime, and it is so much nicer than the northern version of "guys".  As my aforementioned Mother likes to say, "I am no guy".

All that said, let me take you to the pinacle of southern gentility: the monogram.

Sigh with me.

Does it get any better?  A sweet Sunday dress for your little girl, with a personalized letter embroidered in swirling script front and center.  Crisp white-linen bedpillows with a soft blue monogram.  Starched napkins.  Shimmering silver flatware.  Monogrammed.

Oh, friends.  The loveliness.

Knowing how I covet the monogram, there is something slightly wrong with the fact that both of my daughters have four initials.  AEJS and EKYS.  Not possible for the traditional three letter monogram.
Whatever.  There is nothing wrong with a single initial.  Or what about a name?  Embroidered Emblazoned front and center on a coming-home dress (for instance).

You see where I am going now, don't you?

I have a friendship with Etsy.  If you don't know what Etsy is, you need to click on that link RIGHT NOW.  Yep, see you in eight hours.

Recently, two packages arrived at my front door.  They are harbingers of travel, and returning home!  Both contained goods that perhaps render me grafted in as a southern belle- on a small scale.  Nothing in them for those three racuous boys who grace our lives, for which I know they are thankful.  Because nestled inside, awaiting their debut on two sweet black-haired, brown-eyed girls were darling things.  Dah'lin, in southern.

Behold, the cuteness!

I love, love, love the embroidered initials and adorable embroidered name that arrived at my doorstep.  And I cannot wait to see my sweet Emma Kate in her new dress.  Or her "coming home shirt" that matches her sisters!  Her big sisters! :)

A little girls northern version of the monogram.  Minus the other initials.  Because that's how we roll.  

Love from way up north!  

Don't Think Now, Take the Road (to China)

Don't Think Now, Take the Road (My Utmost for His Highest, June 18)

"And Peter...walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid." Matthew 14:28-30

The wind was actually boisterous, the waves were actually high, but Peter did not see them at first. He did not reckon with them, he simply recognized his Lord and stepped out in recognition of Him, and walked on the water. Then he began to reckon with the actual things, and down he went instantly. Why could not our Lord have enabled him to walk at the bottom of the waves as well as the top of them? Neither could be done saving by recognition of the Lord Jesus.

We step right out on God over some things, then self-consideration enters in and down we go. If you are recognizing your Lord, you have no business with where He engineers your circumstances. The actual things are, but immediately you look at them and are overwhelmed, you cannot recognize Jesus, and the rebuke comes: "Wherefore didst thou doubt?" Let actual circumstances be what they may, keep recognizing Jesus, maintain complete reliance on Him.

If you debate for a second when God has spoken, it is all up. Never begin to say -- "Well, I wonder if I did hear Him speak?" Be reckless immediately, fling it all out on Him. You do not know when His voice will come, but whenever the realization of God comes in the faintest way imaginable, recklessly abandon. It is only by abandon that you recognize Him. You will only realize His voice more clearly by recklessness.

6ish weeks

We are going.

We are going to China.

We are going to China to bring home the sweetest girl.

We are going to China to finally be united forever with Emma Kate!

And we're going in about 6ish or so weeks. At least that is what the current time frame is from our agency.


I keep reminding myself how FAST that time will go.  Two weeks to Article 5.  Two weeks to Travel Approval.  Two weeks to travel.  2 + 2 + 2 = 6.

All that makes me alternately giddy and panicked.  I'm living in that tension of emotions that sound at odds with one another, but really are simply two feelings co-existing.  Maybe not nicely, but they are together.

Like jubilation and stark fear.  Or joy and total worry.  I know the months to come will hold some of both.  And not just for us.  It is Emma Kate who has the most change.  The biggest shifts.  The most to gain and the most to lose.  And I think about how we have a call to walk this well for her.  For her sake. And because Jesus knows we can and asks us to.

I think about the moment we finally meet and already feel my heart there leaping for joy and filled with hope and love.  I can only imagine for her what it will be, to say goodbye to all that she has ever known. How easy it is to forget that she hasn't been waiting for us all these months that we have been yearning for and dreaming of her.

Every night we pray for the Lord to connect our hearts even now, from afar.  We ask the One who can to prepare the way.  And no matter what it looks like when we get there, I make myself remember that He is ahead of us.  He is at work.  And He is MORE than able.

Every morning I pray for Emma Kate's slumber, and ask the Lord to stand watch and minister to her as she rests.  One day soon she will awaken with us and sleep with us; with Him there for it all.

Today is one day closer to that day.

Sixish weeks.
So short.
And yet so long.

packing list

oh, yes.  I have the list.

58 pages, condensed into one document.

You want it.

I'm not sharing...yet.  I have to tweak.

It was funny to read through people's lists.  One person actually brought Kentucky Bourbon as a gift.  That's just plain weird.  And since this is my blog, if you don't think that's weird, then feel free to quit reading!  Weird and wrong.

Nothing like a pint of bourbon to say, "Thank you so much for carefully and diligently tending YuXiao all these years in love.  Now, enjoy a good raucous par-tay and thank your lucky stars she's out of your hair. Oh, and have a great morning tomorrow with all those other kiddos in your care.  See-ya!".

At least that's what I think it says.

So.  We are not bringing bourbon.  We are however, bringing gifts.  And that's for another post.  Because YOU WILL WANT THEM TOO.

For a preview, click here.

You know you want three!  I do, too.
:)

cabled

Yesterday, we received an email from the National Visa Center.

And we actually WANTED this email!

They informed us that they had cabled our visa request for Emma Kate to Guangzhou, China!

We forwarded the email with attached form letter to our agency, who sends it along to their representative.  This representative walks the letter and another form we filled out weeks ago into another office in China.

Now we wait for Article 5...

don't even ask me what that means.  I just know to expect it in 2 weeks.

That's 14 days.

Which is really only about 336 hours.

I knew you were wondering. :)

clicking our heels doesn't get us home...

it gets us to CHINA apparently!

Hallelujah!  Our i800 IS APPROVED!

The United States has approved us to bring YuXiao home!

As of YESTERDAY!

I am beyond thrilled.

The next steps move quickly.  I can't keep track of it all, as we did not have to do any of this when Anna came home.

Here's what I do know:
We have HOPE (biblically speaking, hope is CONFIDENT EXPECTATION, not just a good, cheery feeling) that the Lord our God who called us to sweetest Emma Kate YuXiao is faithful and He will unite us on the perfect day in His most perfect timing.

Thanks be to God.

36 weeks

That is my new analogy.

As in:
Third trimester.  Visiting the OB for weekly progress.  Feeling very "due".

That's us!  We're ready to meet our baby.

Savoring the joy of preparation even as we dearly long to be there NOW.

oh happy day! LOA!

Yes it is true!

I JUST opened up email from up at the lake...and there in my inbox was the blessed and highly awaited news:

"Congratulations, Sara and Jim, on receiving your LOA today".

We are rejoicing and filled with joy!  Joy.  Joy.  Joy!

Thank you, Lord, for the huge leap closer to our sweet Emma Kate YuXiao.

Stacy...we are on our way TOGETHER I think!(!!!!- adding ungrammatical exclamation points because sometimes one is just simply NOT ENOUGH).

Christine!  You were right!

Hallelujah!

5 weeks and the suitcase

Just for the written record:

Our paperwork has been logged in for 5 weeks now!

That is 35 days...

And yes, I did succumb last night and spent hours a little bit of time on Rumor Queen reading about everyone else's wait.

That's Christine and Stacy's combined faults.  Thanks, ladies!  You've added an entirely new dimension to the next few months.  I'm surely grateful.  Jim, too.  Really.  He is.  He will love that I am going to start talking chart statistics.

I'm taking control.  The suitcase is coming out after the 4th.

Time to start packing: we're going to China!

When?  Oh, soon.  Very, very soon.

Wondering

Dear Emma Kate,

I woke up this morning wondering.

About you.

What are you doing at 5pm in Fujian?

Is it sunny there today, and did you play outside?

Did anyone give you a hug or smile just at you this day?

What are weekends like in your orphanage?  Do you miss the school week?

Are you feeling loved?

Protected?

Safe?

We are missing you and long to hold you.  Saturdays and Sundays here somehow aren't quite the same now that we know you belong with us.

Soon.

Soon I will KNOW what you are eating for dinner, what your hair looks like when it's sleep-tousled and fresh from bed, how you spend your weekends and the smell and weight of you in my arms.

Soon.

Waiting and wondering from afar will end.

Waiting and wondering together will begin.

Soon.

So we pray as we wait, knowing today is one day closer to you.  One less sleep to seeing you face to face.

Love to you, Little Jade, sweet YuXiao, this Lord's Day.

This is the day that our Lord has made, and we rejoice and are glad in it.

We love you.
Momma