For the Journey

Congrats Alison!!! HO scale electric train set by Life Like trains!

2010-07-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

Stock pen with pigs and cows
Log dump station unloads logs onto storage bin
Flat car with 3 detailed tractors
Giant 47"x38"track oval
Rerailer lines up wheels on track in seconds
Fast & easy to assemble Power Lock Track with molded road bed
new-in-box, never used
Retail price- $100

Bidding starts at $20

Congrats to Joy Loflin!

2010-07-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure of the name of this slide. It is new with tag, and has the 'lia sophia' stamp on the back. It is silver toned and looks to be pink mother of pearl in 4 little windows. This slide will fit on the Deb collar or your favorite chain or cord. 1" long. Bids start at $7.

Congrats to Sharon!

2010-07-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

These pretty earrings are genuine sapphire and light sapphire cut crystals set in antique toned silver. leverback. NWT retail- $22. Bid starts at $7.

Congrats to Cathy Jones!

2010-07-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

This cute slide in silver tone, anti-tarnish rhodium plating, with genuine turquoise, clear facet cut crystals, and glass cat's eye stones in pink, orange, peach, white, and green colors. This slide will fit on the Deb collar or your favorite chain or cord. 1 1/2" with bale. retail- $38. Bid starts at $10.

Congrats to Moya!

2010-07-09T16:44:00.000-07:00

Silver toned Rhodium plated, 15-16". Perfect Lia Sophia piece to wear all of your Lia Sophia pendant slides and removable pendants! One necklace to create a lot of looks. NWOT (box not included.) Retail- $46. Bid starts at $9.

Congrats to Teri!

2010-07-09T15:50:00.001-07:00

This necklace is a 16- 19 inch adjustable with 2 strands of beads and holds a large open round design non removable pendant with a lobster claw closure. 3 Small strands of wrap around beads hold pendant securely in place . Retail $78 Bid starts at $10.

Congrats to Alison!

2010-07-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

This is a really beautiful slide. The rings are all free moving. Electroplated in gold and rhodium. This slide will fit on the Deb collar or your favorite chain or cord. Approximately 2" in diameter. NWOT. Retails for $30. Bid starts at $7

Congrats to Sharon!

2010-07-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

This silver tone illusion necklace is sugared with beads of glass cat's eye stones and polished silver holds a drop of silver with a pink glass eye stone. Lobster claw clasp. NWT. 16-19" in length. Retail- $36. Bid starts at $10.

Congrats to Joy Loflin!

2010-07-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

Measuring 1 1/2 inches from eyes to tip of tail this adorable dragonfly pin has beads of amber, topaz and citron wrapped in antique gold wire that loops into wings studded with topaz cut crystals. NWT. Retail- $28. Bidding starts at $9.

Congrats to Heidi Thomas!

2010-06-12T06:18:00.001-07:00

Travel Approval!

2010-06-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

We've just been informed by our agency that our Travel Approval (TA) was sent from China on Monday May 31, 2010 (their time) and should be expected sometime this week! YAY! The long wait is *almost* over!

As I look back over this journey it is hard for me to believe it actually began nearly 4 years ago now. In July it will be 4 years that we stood in Taiyuan China and first met the little boy we knew as David from G's blog. Even then his quick smile and wit wormed his way into our hearts. I'll never forget that Matthew turned to me and said, "If we ever come back for a boy, I want it to be a boy like David." We asked if he would ever be available for adoption and were told they hoped he would be but they didn't know. It took 3 long years before his adoption file would surface and another long year before we would finally be on our way to finalizing his adoption.

I've had many people ask if Maddie knows we are adopting David. The answer is yes, she does. I had originally planned to keep it a secret until right before travel but that turned out to be impossible. James will be making this adoption trip alone. Maddie's biggest fear is that "Daddy will lose baby Duo in China with all the big boys". I don't think she'll ever stop wanting to take care of him.

It looks like the last part of July will be the earliest James will be able to travel. We are still about $5,000 short of what we need for fees but trusting God to provide what we need. I will keep you all posted, of course. Enjoy the pictures.

benefit concert with Ty Herndon!

2010-05-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

From the Union Recorder-

Almost there

2010-03-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

On February 26, 2009 we received David's adoption file from our agency. The day we had hoped and prayed for since the summer of 2006 had arrived. We were ecstatic...and a little scared. I started right away trying to locate an agency to begin our homestudy. I found one I liked and had begun the process but other things slowed us down. On March 4th our world stopped turning when we found out that our youngest, Sophie, had a brain tumor and cyst. We spent the next 3 weeks getting ready for her surgery and what we were told would be a 30 day stay in the hospital. She had surgery on March 25, 2009 and had an amazing recovery. We were back home on March 28. Just as things started settling down, about 2 weeks later my oldest, Matthew, was unexpectedly admitted to the hospital for emergency knee surgery to remove MRSA that had gotten behind his kneecap. He was hospitalized for a week. The day after he came home I went to the dentist for an emergency root canal where the infection was so bad it took 4 weeks to complete the procedure. It was completed just in time as the second week of May saw our sweet Maddie having surgery to create a p-flap and bring closure to her soft palate. She was a trooper and did very well but day 5 post-op we discovered the flap had torn open. The surgery had failed. We picked up our disappointment, dusted off our optimism and began to work in earnest to bring David home. (click here to read about Maddie and David's connection and how Maddie has prayed for David to find a family.)

Along the way we've had obstacles that popped up for seemingly no other reason but to slow the process down. Our homestudy was complete in September after waiting nearly 2 months for our background checks from West Virginia. We sent in our I800a application to USCIS and it began processing on September 24. We received our approval on November 16. We immediately sent the approval to be authenticated and certified and as soon as it returned to us we sent it on to our agency where it joined our dossier and flew to China on December 31, 2009. We were logged in on January 8, 2010 and received our LOA on March 26, 2010.

Now we are in the final stretches. We can expect Travel Approval in the next 30-60 days. We are still about $6,000 short of what we need. At the request of some I have put the Chip-in back on the page. We also have an account at Kingdom Kids if you would like to receive a tax deduction for your donation. I am trying to get together some last minute fundraisers as well. I will keep you posted here on those.

Thank you all for sticking with us on this very eventful journey. There are so many more things I would love to tell you. One day I'll be able to sit down and write it all out but that day hasn't come yet. We have dreamed about David being in our family since that summer of 2006 when we first met him. We can hardly wait to make the son of our hearts and official member of our family.

Praying for David

2009-08-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

In 2006 we traveled to China to adopt Sophie and had the amazing opportunity to visit the Taiyuan China Care Home to drop off donations. While there we met Jun Ping and Duo (and Mia Hope).

Jun Ping and Duo were best of friends, like true brother and sister. They played together, helped each other and even showed some jealousy when a toy we gave Jun Ping was picked up by Duo. We were able to go with them to the park and played with both of them for a while.

One of the volunteers commented, “I'd love to see them adopted together.” Unknown to anyone except that volunteer, we had already put in the paperwork to seek approval to adopt Jun Ping. I asked the status of Duo's paperwork and was told it hadn't even been started. It seemed that perhaps the orphanage didn't think he was adoptable. My 11 year old son who was in China with us stated “If you adopt a little boy, I want it to be Duo.”

The day after our adoption of Sophie was finalized, we received pre-approval to adopt Jun Ping. One year later we returned to China to bring her home. We call her Maddie Jun and she has never forgotten her friend, her brother, Duo.

We continued to look for Duo's file using what few China contacts we had to keep us updated on it's progress. Finally in 2008 we were told his file had been submitted. We put out word to adoption agencies and yahoo groups to help us watch for his file. No one could find it. Finally in early 2009 a friend wrote to me and recommended a specific agency. We had already tried another highly recommended agency and they would only tell us his file hadn't been assigned yet. We knew that. We wanted to know more. Where was it? Why hadn't it been assigned?

The second highly recommended agency took the ball and ran with it. Within days they responded letting us know his file was at the CCAA. They asked, “Do you want to adopt him?” My answer was a quick, emphatic “Yes! Yes! YES! A thousand times YES!” and there was much celebrating at our house that night. We decided it would be best to hold off telling Maddie Jun as she would never understand the timeline of the adoption process. When we talk about Duo in reference to the adoption process we refer to him as David so she doesn't know.

Maddie prays for Duo every night. She often asks why we can't get in an airplane and go get him. “You went to China for me and Sophie. Go for Duo. Be his mama.” Lately she has been talking to the moon...to Duo. She says things like, “Duo Guess what?!? I have mama, daddy, Matthew, Sophie, Olivia & Albert (our dogs)! Family Duo! I not forget you. I pray Jesus find you mama and daddy. Jesus loves you Duo!” A few days ago in the midst of tears she told me “Duo is sad. He wants mama and daddy.” She has also said “Why you no get him?” When I tried to explain it just didn't work that way she said “I go. I adopt him. I adopt him to me sister!” (meaning, she will be his sister.)

She talks about their favorite game (hide-and-seek) and what game she wants to show him (rock-scissors-paper). She talks about their favorite foods (shrimp and peas) and what foods she wants to give him (pizza). She says “I can play with Duo and pretend he has mama and daddy.” “How do you pretend that?” I asked. “The daddy goes to work and the mama holds you!” she answered. We have decided to wait until we receive Travel Approval to tell Maddie the news. I plan on video-taping it. I can hardly wait to bring this much wanted and loved son and brother home. We love you Duo.