Adventure... I think

Well after three hours in the air we are now back in Detroit. We had a control malfunction and couldn't completer the flight, we circle for a while before they told us we had to come back. Then because we had to much fuel and thus to heavy to land we had to dump fuel. Now there is something VERY wrong with flying in the air in a massive plain filled with ppl and watching out the window as fuel gets dumped from the wings for over an hour! Then we, upon landing, were met with fire truck, ambulances and police because it was an emergency landing... Now as far as we know they followed protocol and we were not in danger... At least that is what the pilot was selling lol. So here we sit in detroit with meal vouchers waiting to see if we will fly tonight or not... Adventure.. Yes... The kind I like... Ummm not really, although we passengers had some fun while waiting for enough fuel to dump.. Of course that could be because we were feeling woozy from flying in circles.

So to wrap this up, pray people, for safety, staying here a night won't hurt our plan, since we were early. I will update asap.

Love,
Woozy in Detroit
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Landed

We arrived in detroit, and for some reason the nerves have hit me. I am nervous about this next looooong flight and about being in a country soon were I cannot communicate Aaaaahhhhhhh!! We did come through the coolest tunnel ever between terminals it was like a giant plexiglass tube with cool sounds and a light show... If I hadn't been to busy trying not to fall on my face on the giant treadmill I would have taken pictures :) pray for us, for safety and good health and to calm my nerves :) and for all of our kiddos.

God thank you for safe travel and making this possible... All the glory is yours alone.

Now it's time for food...
Kathy

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Hey guys, this will probably be my last post before I leave.  I am soooo emotional right now.  So excited and overwhelmed with all that is taking place.  Keep us in your prayers... I dont want to forget anything important. My post will be via email from this point so I won't be able to link them to facebook, so check back for updates... feel free to pass on the link to the blog for people to keep up with us... Thanks for following us... back to last minute packing!

Love, Kathy

Blessings

Exactly two weeks from today we will be on a plane headed to China.  Somehow it doesn't feel real, like it is just some distant dream.  We are really going to China, that in and of itself is crazy, but to know we will actually be united with our daughter is overwhelming.  To be able to hold her and touch her, for the face in the photos and videos to be right in front of us, is the most beautiful dream. I have checked rechecked, and will probably recheck a million more times before we go, our packing list.  I am doing my best to not pull the suitcases out until one week away.  I can pack Ariana's stuff, hopefully that will help curb the desire.  I am sure I am bringing so many things we won't need, but I am bringing them none the less.  My type A side is running the show right now. :) Everyone please be praying for our trip, and for our first meeting.  Pray for this precious baby that it not be to hard for her, and for us that we know how to comfort her.  I have learned so much, I've read and studied and yet I know most of that will go out the window as we get to know her.  I know that God has been with us, and He alone will walk us through this time...

To my sweet Ariana Grace, I cannot wait to meet you, and although I know this time will be hard for you, I trust that it is for you good, I promise to love you with my life, to fight for you and teach you all I can... but mostly I promise to point you to God everyday.  To do my best to teach you that although I will fail, God will not. 

To Ashlyn and Destin, you are so precious to me, you have filled my life with joy and laughter,  I am so proud of you both.  So proud of the love you have both shown for this little one you have never met.  You have already become her big sister and brother. I am so excited to take this journey with you. I cannot wait to see you together.. I know she will adore you both.

To my hubby, my love,  words cannot express how proud I am of you.  You have worked so hard to make this possible.  Thank you for every moment, for fighting for her, and our family.  You have worked countless hours, and made a million calls, you have truly taken every step of this journey with me.  You could have stood back and let me handle it all, but you jumped in and carried the load.  I love you with all I am, and I cannot wait to see our baby in her daddies arms.  :)

For all these beautiful gifts... the glory belongs to God alone... thank you Father
Me

TA and travel dates

     Well we finally received our official dates to travel this morning.  I am a mix of emotion because we will be with Ariana very soon, but sad because it isn't as soon as it could be.  Of 5 dates sent for the consulate to schedule our appointment, they chose the latest one.  We will be traveling to China on October 7th, and returning on the 20th. I waited a little while today to post because I needed time to let my emotions subside a little.  I cannot believe that finally after all this time I will get to see her in person, to hold her and get to know her and her us.  It doesn't quite feel real yet, I guess because 3 and a half weeks feel like forever.  I know that is ridiculous because we have waited this long... but it feels soooooooo far away.  I think about her all the time, what she is doing, if she is happy, if she is safe, I wonder if they really show her the book we sent with pictures of our family in it. 3 weeks... that is all, just 3 weeks... after all the longing and wondering and praying and working (and worrying lol) 3 weeks until I see her, until I touch her hand for the first time and kiss her cheeks... 3 weeks until I can hold her and let her know she will be loved forever.  To show her she is someones daughter and sister and grandchild, someones niece and cousin and teach her what all that means.  I cant breathe for thinking about the moment we land and she sets foot on American soil and becomes a US citizen. 

God thank you for these blessings, for this beautiful life you hand crafted to be a part of our family, thank you for getting us through every moment of this journey, and thank you for teaching me you will be there everyday as this journey really begins here at home.  Thank you for each of my children, for those I can hold now and for those yet to come... I am truly blessed. 

I still have so much to do, packing is now on hold, at least our stuff,  but David had plans to build her bed, when we thought we were leaving earlier we picked one out to buy, now we are back to building :) I can do more to her room, I had settled on good enough but now I have a little more time to prepare.  I guess I need to check the list again and see what is left to do... :)

Keep us in your prayers and we prepare to go, and as we travel, I will update more on our plans as we make them....sorry for the rambling.
  Me

AMAZED

All I can say is God is beautiful and faithful and loves us so much. He has shown Himself so faithful throughout this process. As u know from the last update we had a God sized problem, YES I SAID HAD :) God has answered our prayers once again. We received a donation today that covers the balance we needed. God blessed some very special people, who in turn blessed our family. Through their faithfulness and generosity we are able to bring our daughter home. I wish I could write beautiful words that would display how grateful we are. Words that could give back to them some small part of what they have given. I feel so humbled and completely unworthy... sigh

I set out a challenge early on in this blog. I asked ppl to follow along on our journey, to watch God do miracles. To be here and see that He could take what little we had to offer and turn it into a God sized dream. My prayer has been that as you ride out this story with us your heart is shaken so to the core that you have to move, you have to do something. I challenged you to watch and see that if God can do what seemed impossible for our family, that you would take your own leap of faith. Don't wait until it feels right or you reach a certain place, these babies, and children and teenagers need us now! If God is drawing you to move... Then do like we did, Look to Him and say," Ok God, We are stepping out, but you have to do this because we can't" every time things have gotten hard I have had to tell Him that again. God still does miracles, He will be faithful and be with you every step of the way...

To the precious ones who gave to us... Again we say thank you, words cannot express our gratitude. Every attempt to say thank you feels so feeble and weak. I pray God bless you beyond your wildest dreams...

For everyone who has prayed and cried and held us... Thank you... God is writing Ariana's story her legacy and each of you are a part of it.

When I lay eyes on my baby for the first time, and as I am blessed to watch her grow, I will remember each of you and how you each in your own way helped bring her home.

Now we wait again, as long as our TA arrives by wednesday (it is waiting for one last signature and predicted to arrive Monday or Tuesday ) then we leave the 16th to bring her home... HOME!!!!

Thank you God for your faithfulness, for holding us and guiding us and loving us, for making our dreams come true... I am so unworthy of your love, yet so very grateful to have it. :)

Humbled beyond words, Kathy
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Disappointment... the ups and downs of adoption

This process is full of ups and downs, highs and lows... today is a low.  We found out today the grant we were told we got, isn't really ours... so we still need the final 5 thousand.  I am truly feeling so many things, frustration, anger, fear, exhaustion, and faith mixed together.  We also believe we will have our TA in a few days.  This puts us in the middle of a God sized problem.  We will be traveling in just a couple weeks if all goes correctly. We are choosing at this point to believe and trust that God is faithful, that this work HE started He will complete.  Please pray for us, for comfort and peace, and that God show us how to get the money we need. 

Thanks guys...

Me