Lots To Do!

Since the precious RA arrived on Friday, it seems that we have decided to kick it into gear and prepare to meet Lilly!



We even went as far as to "pose" some pictures for the album that we are sending her. I don't want her to have false expectations, BUT for the sake of a photo, I posed in the kitchen with a EMPTY pot and pretended to cook dinner. Yes, I really did cook dinner later that evening. We even had a "posed" picture of the girls playing "nicely" together in the playroom.



This is the first gift that we can send Lilly - a care package. The most important item is the album that we hope will be used to introduce us BEFORE we get there. There have been times that the gifts don't actually make it to the child before Gotcha Day, so we will be taking another album and video to use to introduce Lilly to her sisters and extended family and friends.

Did you know that you can actually buy a pre-made scrapbook? Why in the world did I buy all of that scrapbook stuff when all I wanted to do was go to the scrapbook parties and visit - not scrapbook?

Notice the 3 notes. Jay decided to send one and not knowing which Chinese translation to use he decided to send a note in Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and English!

WE HAVE OUR RA!!!

We have the RA, so now we can post pictures!!!! So the following cutie is Lilly Mei Thurman. Needless to say she has 3 very excited sisters. They are playing with her doll and redoing her hair for the trip as I type.

The Fair

Just wanted to brag about my girls' non-animal fair entries and awards!
They love to craft and bake, but unfortunately they have a longer attention span in those 2 areas than their mom!

Tidbits

Just a few things to update on:
1. As you can see from the picture, Friday was Homecoming. BTW- it was also Hat Day. The girls were able to wear their mums to school, but we had to miss the game that night to take a "quick" trip home for my 16 year Reunion...
2. The quick trip home was actually an 11 hour drive down on Friday and an 11 hour drive back on Sunday to go to my 16 year reunion. Yes, 16 year, because we did not have a very reliable class president to organize a 10 or 15 year reunion- ME. It was fun to see friends that I had not seen in 16 years! And, I have to say we all looked like we had not aged a day. If someone send pics, I will be sure to post.
3. Prayer of thanksgiving for our friends in China adopting Susannah. It looks as if they will be able to travel home sooner than planned and get little Susannah to the doctors ASAP.
4. Prayer of thanksgiving for our friends from here that have a 1 year old son, who just receieved a heart transplant. He seems to be doing really well, sitting up and eating a bit. They will have to stay down there at least 2 months to monitor how things go, but so far things look pretty good.
5. DAY 76 of WAITING FOR OUR RA!!!!! Trying to stay patient, but getting harder each day while waiting on Lilly. BTW- It has pretty much been decided on Lilly Mei for her name. From my little understanding, "Mei" is Chinese for younger sister. It had a nice ring to it and seemed very appropriate.
6. Got a VERY brief update on Lilly. I was hoping for updated measurements, but got this instead.
"... the girl is also from Kunming orphanage, she loves stuffing toys. There is a dog in the foster home, so she loves dogs. She has other children live with her in the foster home. She does not go to school yet, just gets basic pre-school education from her foster mother."
We laughed at the Chinese translation because it sounds like she likes to stuff toys rather than "stuffed toys" and it sounds that she loves dogs just because there is one at the foster home. Still, it was good to hear at least this much!

Follow Along and Pray

I have added a link to a blogsite that I have been closely following. This is the family that is currently in China adopting their daughter Susannah. She is the precious little girl that has a heart defect and the family is desperately trying to speed along the process, so that they may get her home for medical treatment. The blog explains it all.

Okay, okay, okay...

Jay just asked me if I was through blogging already. He knows that I don't do things for a long period of time, but NO I am not through blogging, just taking a break (sort of). I wasn't going to blog until I had some more pics and well, I still don't have any. But, I will fill in the gap since the first day of school.
1. School has gone well for the girls. Fortunately, not a lot of homework and it is good that when the girls have homework that they are much better than me at remembering to get it done early in the evening. Are there any parents out there that agree that there are much more important things to come home and do, rather than homework? ....like ride bikes, play outside, work with 4-H projects. Oh well, don't tell the girls!
2. Got a VERY BRIEF update on Lilly. I requested updated measurements and didn't get them, but we were told that she likes "stuffing" toys (translated from Chinese for stuffed toys?, there is a dog at her foster home so she likes dogs, and there are other children in the foster home, so hopefully she will be used to siblings. We continue to TRY to be patient as we wait for our paperwork (RA) back from China and get a better idea of when we may travel to get her!
3. Tri-State Fair is this week and the girls will be showing lambs and goats. They also had their first Livestock Judging contest. As chaotic as it was, and with very little practice, they seemed like it. Jay and I hope it is the beginning of something!
4. Prayer Requests
* Please pray that Lilly is being prepared for her "Forever Family," and that we continue to prepare ourselves for lies ahead, as well as a quick RA from China.
* We have good friends that have a 1 yr.old son that is currently waiting for a heart transplant. Pray that all goes well and that they continue to lean on God during this time.
* Please pray for all that were affected by Hurricane Ike. We have family and friends there and thankfully, so far it sounds that all are doing fine.
* Please pray for our "blogging buddies" that are currently in China to pick up their little Susannah. This is the family that I posted about earlier that has heard mixed reports of how their daughter is doing (medically speaking). They will meet her tomorrow and get to see and hold her for the first time!!!!!

Well, that's it for now......