Rector~ Party of Six

Start of School & Fall Sports

2011-10-10T14:36:00.000-04:00

August 2011 started yet another school year for all 4 kids... Zachary now is a 7th grader and is playing football. Jared will start his last year of elementary school and is in the 5th grade. Olivia is a 3rd grader and Anna will be in kindergarten again.

Our excited 7th grader, who has to get up so early and go to school in the dark.

And our 3 elementary kids so excited for school.

With the start of school, also means the beginning of Middle School Football & weekend softball tournaments. Also, a new adventure for Jared- his first year of playing football with his dad coaching. And with all of this means- no weeknight or weekend free..busy, busy, busy!!

The 7/8 Falcons played 4/5 weekends in August/September and had 1 first place finish, 2 seconds and a 3rd.

And the MV Colts so far have a winning record and in 2nd place. Jared has done OK as a first year player and continues to improve and learn the game.

And a big shout out to our #85 for an amazing season in football!!! WOOT! WOOT! Zachary started on JV, in which the team went on to have an UNDEFEATED season!! Way to go COUGARS!! And also a couple of games into the Varsity Season got to dress out for 4 quarters and start for them. The team finished out the rest of the year with "W's" and they went on to the HCAC championship game against Hunter. Zachary started in that championship game on both Offense and Defense, and we couldn't have been more proud of his performance. The Cougars WON that game and were HCAC champs!!! Already looking forward to next year... oh but wait, basketball has already started......

And last but not least, our little cheerleader... who fearlessly attends all the games rooting for her big sister and brothers. More to come on these photos....as mom & Anna had a photo session for "Mom & Me", so that she could have a picture collage like her siblings when they were a baby.

Summer 2011- 2 Words---Kangaroo Cups!!

2011-08-12T14:40:00.001-04:00

The end of school in May marked the beginning of a very busy summer. Literally the day after school ended, Anna had her left hip (the China repaired hip) rebroke and aligned back. This did help the length differential some and time will only tell how much with her gait. She was in a wheelchair for 4 wks, then a walker for a couple of weeks. She quickly ditched the walker due to being self conscious about it. She has regained her strength back sooner after this surgery than last. Despite not being able to walk most of June, she was able to swim in her grandparents pool!!
Also, at the end of May, our local Kangaroo gas stations offered a cup for $6.99 for unlimited refills (cokes or icees) the WHOLE summer till September...Needless to say, we bought 5 and they have paid for themselves over and over. Some days due to Camp All Star, the kids would get 3 refills a day!! And all summer their motto has been, "don't leave home without it". We have literally mapped out Kangaroo stations on our way to softball tournaments and even out of state to see if we will be close to one. Looking forward to next year in hopes they do it again. And, we still have managed to keep up with all 5.

Playing the Home Health Nurse all summer has been a challenge, and have never been so excited for school to start back.
*Anna had her surgery on May 24th, and was non weight bearing/wheelchair for 4 weeks, then started Physical Therapy 2 times/week.
* Zachary slipped at the lake dock on Memorial Day and cut a chunk the size of a quarter out of his foot. I was having to clean/dress it 3 times a day because it couldn't take stitches due to too deep, and had to heal from inside to out. It took 7 weeks to fully heal and scab over.
*Olivia had to have her tonsils/adenoids removed in July.
Throw some camps, softball tourneys, and work-outs in there~BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. Ready for school 2011-2012.

Easter 2011

2011-06-26T16:06:00.000-04:00

The Hunt at Mamaw & Papaw's with cousin Addyson....Makinley was taking a nap at the time. You can tell everyone was so excited...well, except for maybe Jared.

Checking out their color coded eggs. Lots of fun!!!

The girls handmade smocked dressed by Aunt Pam.

Easter Sunday

Olivia's 8th & Anna's 6th Birthday

2011-06-26T15:41:00.004-04:00

OK, so I am a couple of months behind....So here I am to catch up for at least 1 month.
Olivia's 8th birthday party theme was from one of her all time favorite movie and book~ The Wizard of OZ.

I made a Wizard of Oz cake...and to go along with it some Ruby Red Slipper cupcakes, munchkins, and "Somewhere over the Rainbow" punch.

New shades, purse and earrings...What a girl really wants!!

For the past year, or since Anna's last birthday, we have heard about her NEXT birthday. She honestly has talked about it all the time, all year around. We did a Tinkerbell theme and of course, she had a blast. However, I have very limited pictures, because my computer crashed and wiped out several months worth of photos, not to mention the past 2 years of my FLIP videos :(

The cake...3 layered fondant cake...first time I had ever made this type, and turned out pretty good, she loved it.

And she had been wanting a new purse... Thanks Missa Potta who loaded it up with lots of goodies! And she has become quite the note taker, or scribbler....or just writing whatever.

Cheesin for the camera. She was so excited!!

As her shirt says, " My birthday ROCKS"... Her birthday was fabulous, and she's already been talking about next years :) Thanks to our family & friends for making it so special!

March Madness & More

2011-05-03T19:48:00.000-04:00

Yes, we had more than our fair share of bracketology and March Madness in our household, and so glad it's come and gone. (although sad to see the Lady Vols go down the way they did, and we just won't talk about the Men)
We did enjoy a fabulous Spring Break in Gatlinburg at the Westgate Resorts. We celebrated with my parents in going to the Dixie Stampede, Zip-lining, MagiQuest, Go-Karts, and more.....It was a fun-filled week with lots of things to do...Oh, including the water park onsite.

Part of our room at the Westgate Resorts- it was so high up and overlooked downtown Gatlinburg, so pretty at night. We played lots of games of Hearts and other card games at that table.

The girls with one of the Southern Belles of the Dixie Stampede. It was a little windy...

Mamaw and kiddos at the Dixie.

Papaw and Liv edging out Jared in go-karts.

Ready to go to the Zip Lines. The kids did great and Anna was the only one that had to tandem. I was so proud of them and it will be a repeat activity next time.

Sweet Sisters!!!

We had a night full of laughs at Dick's Last Resort...they try to make it kid friendly.

Zachary was also playing JV baseball at his middle school. (Although he didn't get to play many games because of rain, rain, & more rain) Maybe next year it will be drier :) He played outfield & got a hit his first at bat. I was just glad he swung and that the first game jitters didn't overcome him.

Fun Filled February

2011-03-17T15:05:00.000-04:00

For the past 2 months, we have had jam packed Saturdays of basketball. We have the routine down by now. Olivia's game(s), Zacharys game, RAFAELS for pizza, and then Jared's game(s). For eight weeks I have been doing this with the help of my parents and friends while Mickey is running the elementary basketball league at church. I know, I signed up for it~ call me crazy! But I want the kids to stay active and involved. Anna is along for the ride cheering, playing her DSi, or dancing..whatever she prefers. We have had 2 Saturdays with 5 games. Exhausting!

Jared with the ball

Olivia playing some "D"fense! She rocked it against the big girl.

Anna rocking it out to some Miley Cyrus.

And then Valentines. Anna had a great time filling out her Valentines for her class at school and at church. She did very good for the first time, we were proud. When the kids got home from school on Valentines day, I had made some heart shaped pizzas, cherry almond mousse cups for dessert and some red party punch. The table was decorated in red and pink, and they were really excited.

Coming to America Parties

2011-02-21T19:50:00.001-05:00

January 18th marked our "Gotcha Day" in China. However, we actually celebrated the day we were "home" in a couple of "Coming to America" parties.

We celebrated the first one in Anna's Kindergarten classroom. We brought our scrapbook album loaded with lots of China pictures and also some souvenirs to show her classmates. We had an interesting Q&A time as well, as you can imagine with 5/6 year olds :) We topped it off with mini cupcakes that I made in the shape/colors of the American flag, cookies and juice. We enjoyed getting to share with the kids where Anna is from and a little bit about her birth country.

And then on January 30th, the official "WE'RE HOME~in AMERICA" day, we celebrated after church with friends and family at the Chef Lin Chinese Buffet. They have the widest selection of Chinese food around here, and some American food as well to satisfy the finicky eaters. Our friends and family have been so supportive of us throughout this whole experience, and have made our lives alot easier over the past year through many different circumstances. We thank them for their love, friendship, and support!

1 year ANNAversary for "Gotcha Day"

2011-01-18T13:58:00.001-05:00

From a tiny seed God planted in our hearts over 18 years ago.....Cultivated with mounds of paperwork, hours of prayer, interviews, travels for fingerprints, anxiety beyond belief, researching medical issues, fear of the unknown and 3 years of waiting...FINALLY, we would get to meet and see our daughter. On this day, 1 year ago today- January 18,2010....we held AnnaMei Grace Rector for the first time in Shanghai, China. I cannot express the emotions we were feeling and the emotions in that room. She came to us, we sat down and colored, and the rest is history.

A year of medical issues with dr's visits, surgeries, and procedures would not slow this little girl down. Starting preschool and later kindergarten in the past year. She has bonded amazingly with our family and has a perfect place in it. Thank you Lord for allowing us to be a part of her life!

Merry Christmas

2011-01-14T12:27:00.001-05:00

How exciting it is to see someone experience Christmas for the first time, and at 5 years old. From putting up Christmas decorations, having a Gingerbread party, buying a tree, decorating a tree, wrapping presents, going to see Santa, Christmas program at church on stage, Rock City Enchanted lights, and learning the story of the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. WOW-it's been amazing. And then on Christmas morning, waking up to see her excitement along with the other kids- priceless. Anna enjoyed all the festivities surrounding Christmas. And to top it off, God sent a blanket of snow on Christmas morning. It just doesn't get much better than that.

From our family to yours, wishing you and yours a blessed 2011!

A Blessed Thanksgiving

2010-12-10T16:32:00.001-05:00

We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving & have truly been blessed this year. We got to attend the "feast" for the K-1 classes. This was Anna's first Thanksgiving meal, and what a great meal it was. The classes sang songs for us as they were dressed like little Indians. Anna's Indian name was, "Little Star", and OH! how fitting that name is. (Since the whole school practically knows her)

We hosted the Rector family for Thanksgiving and had a great time as usual!!! The girls were a big help in trying to get the table ready for everyone.

Tyler REALLY enjoyed his Thanksgiving meal.

Jared & Anna at Thanksgiving lunch!

Korey, Mary, Ruby and Kristin Mobbs.

Halloween & Hoops

2010-11-19T19:58:00.001-05:00

Anna's FIRST Halloween!! We went costume shopping on several different occasions, and Anna would always pick out the princess or fairie costumes. So she picked this dress and it even lit up. She enjoyed dressing up, but most of all going up and getting candy from the houses.
Here was her first stop~

And so PROUD of her treats she got.

Here was the Stonewall crew all dressed up and ready to go. (Jared, Anna, Savannah, and Olivia)

And we got to dress up again for Trunk or Treat at our church. Anna was amazed at this blow-up witch that moved up and down, she kept hugging it. Here she is with Kayleigh holding hands with the witch.

Most of our October and November has been tied up with Middle School Basketball. One more game to go, and then a break. Zachary's JV team will finish with a winning record- HOORAY!!!

First game starting at Hixson with the 7th graders, he was excited.

A much needed Fall Break

2010-10-24T12:53:00.001-04:00

Since Zachary started Kindergarten, we have made fall break our "family vacation time". Rates are cheaper, better weather and less crowds. We headed out for Gulf Shores for a fun filled week with family and friends (5 other families). This would be Anna's first glimpse of the beach. We videoed her first reactions looking over the balcony of our 9th floor condo, and all she could keep saying is "wow, beautiful!" It was priceless. We then headed out to get our toes in the sand. And this is Anna's first steps in the sand.

On Friday night, we attended the free Concerts for the Coast concerts for Bon Jovi and then on Sunday night saw Little Big Town and Brad Paisley. There is nothing like watching a free concert, on the beach, in beautiful fall weather!!!

Anna truly loved the sand and beach. She NEVER once complained or wanted to go in. She could sit and scoop sand up and put in a bucket for hours. She loved getting in the hot tub at the pool. She also loved hunting for shells in the sand.

Anna also got to ride on her first ferris wheel ride at the Wharf. She was all smiles! No fear.

The boys enjoyed playing anything that involved a ball-

For months now, Anna has seen several of our beach pictures throughout the house and would ask, " Where is Anna?" We would tell her she would be in this years picture and she would always say she wanted to be by Daddy. So we made it a priority (as dreaded as the kids & Mickey hate this) to do family beach pics.

Our Family

School Days & More

2010-10-05T20:05:00.003-04:00

It's so hard being a kindergartner.....can't you tell?

And yes, this is at school during reading time. Anna has fallen asleep several times during the reading time in the afternoon. Her teacher captured this photo one afternoon, as she took her a little 45 minute nap. I guess she must have been really tired!! There is no NAPTIME in kindergarten, but just to let you know, the naps have become fewer as the year goes on.

And, Anna got to ride the school bus home for the first time this week!!! Mickey has been going to pick her up due to her hip, so she hasn't gotten to ride the bus yet. So Friday she got to ride home and as soon as she turned the corner to our house, she was all grins and waving. We heard about the bus the whole weekend and she kept asking to ride it again, so she is an afternoon bus rider nowadays and loves every minute of it.

We were so excited to also have the privilege to volunteer for the Stephen Curtis Chapman concert. He was in town and we got to help pass out packets and assist at the table for "Show Hope". Anna is a "Shop Hope" kid. If you want to learn more about Show Hope or becoming a sponsor, please visit http://showhope.org/.
It is an amazing adoption aid organization that helps give waiting children from around the world loving families by sponsoring adoption and orphan care! And while you are there, check out Marias Big House!

Afternoon Naps & Pierced

2010-09-09T21:20:00.000-04:00

We have gotten into our school routine, and I must say- it is nice! Everyone is adjusting to their classes well and it has been smooth so far. A week into school, I told the girls to go out on the porch and swing while I finished cooking supper. When I went out to get them, here they were- passed out, asleep in the swing. They were exhausted.

Anna thinks she is in preschool still I guess, because occasionally during the afternoon reading time in Kindergarten, she falls asleep on the reading rug. No matter what time she goes to bed, which is normally before 9, she is one of the first ones up! Hopefully her little body will adjust to going to school all day- without a nap.
We have also been talking about getting ears pierced for the girls, so this past Saturday- WE DID IT.We selected birthstone earrings for their first pair. Olivia wanted to go first and did great- no tears and smiles all the way through! Then it was Anna's turn and I am thinking, as much as she has been through, this will be a breeze. She sits up in the big chair and the tears begin to well up and stream down her face in silence- even before the lady started doing anything with her ears!! She didn't say anything, just tears. But, after some convincing how quick it is over, she nodded her head to go ahead. After it was over, she just wanted a sucker. She is so proud of her ears now, and of course shows them off to everyone!

Summer fun is over, it's time for Kindergarten!!!

2010-08-12T15:13:00.000-04:00

The summer has passed by so fast!! Anna has enjoyed our new swing on the porch and the lazy days of summer. (especially since she has been side lined from her hip fracture)

But, it's time to embark on a new journey- Kindergarten. While Anna has been missing her preschool, (especially her teachers there) we have been talking up starting school and getting to go to school with her brother and sister. She is so blessed to be going to an amazing school, and will have one of the MOST amazing teachers, and we couldn't be any happier. Looking forward to this new school year and what it beholds.

Zachary- the new Middle Schooler

Jared (4th), Olivia (2nd) & Anna (Kindergarten)

So proud of her new backpack and matching lunchbox. Even thought it's almost as big as she is.

4 More Weeks?

2010-07-28T20:08:00.000-04:00

Dr Bruce said today, " Four more weeks not bearing any weight on the right leg". WHATTT? Oh my goodness!! I was shocked, but he said the break is still very visible and is just going to take some time to heal. We FINALLY got her wheelchair yesterday, which has helped. And I think she might have been in one before, because it's like the Daytona 500 in our living room. She has been doing laps around the furniture, turning 360's and racing. Here is a picture of her new wheels. We covet prayers for continued bone healing and growth, and hoping the blood supply was not interrupted when the break occured. If so, that could mean further surgeries.

And yes, that is Justin Bieber playing on the ipod touch! She loves the song "baby" and was the first pop song she learned.

"Anna broken"

2010-07-21T16:58:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday night, after a long day which included a swim meet and Zachary's baseball game in the World Series, Anna fell in her room. She said she hit the door and was complaining about her knee hurting. We didn't notice any deformity or anything abnormal, so we put her back to bed and the next morning, she was still complaining. I took her to the ER on Sunday morning (while Mickey had to preach) and she was diagnosed with a right hip fracture (the OTHER hip). She went to surgery within 3 hours to repair and now has another plate and 4 screws. She has done really well, but will not be able to put ANY weight on for a couple of weeks. So we are waiting on our wheelchair to get here so she can get around. The doctor estimates a recovery period of 4-6 weeks. Hopefully she will be well enough to go to school sometime in August.
When anyone asks Anna, what happened? She says, " Anna broken" and she puts her 2 hands together and acts like she is breaking something. And she says, "Anna can't walk"..... Thanks for your continued prayers, she actually had been showing some improvement in the strength of this leg, and now this....

Summer fun!!

2010-07-06T18:52:00.001-04:00

Anna is loving the swimming this summer. Between her grandparents pool and swim practice, she goes very often. She was a little skiddish at first, but after about a week, she asks everyday to go swimming. The swimming is also good therapy for her legs.

Which last Friday she went back for another procedure- an MRI of her full spine, under anesthesia AGAIN! So tired of that, cause she gets so sick and then runs a fever. Good news is- NO spinal abnormality. They were ruling out spina bifida or tethered cord. But, they did find a small anomaly with the lower part of her brain, that normally goes undetected in most people, but since they did the MRI, they saw hers. It is called a Chiari Malformation I. It is considered the least severe of the 4 kinds, and normally does not require any surgery or anything, just monitoring. So we will continue to do physical therapy and try building up those toothpicks for legs she has.

We have spent the past couple of months at the ballfield, several nights a week and also on the weekends for Zachary's baseball. Anna has learned what the concession stand is and wants to go often, and here is Papaw taking her. She says, "Give me money".

Anna and her pal Adam sharing Skittles and Popcorn together.

Chillin!

Anna and Dad fixing to get ready for July 4th fireworks.

Anna had a great time with the sparklers and loved waving them around. After all, pretty much all the fireworks are made in China. :)

Preschool Graduation

2010-06-07T17:22:00.001-04:00

Anna has been attending Abba's Academy since the first of March. She has made great strides in her language development, with alot of thanks to Mrs. Samantha and Miss Alyssa. They have taken her under their wings and have worked with her one on one when needed and we SO appreciate them. Anna loves school, her classmates and mostly of all~ her teachers. They have been so amazing to her. On May 17th, she "graduated" from preschool, even though she will be attending all summer, until she starts Kindergarten. They did a phenomenal job with the songs and program. Anna was hesitant at first to do anything, but once she found us in the audience, she participated very well.

Anna with Mrs Samantha

Anna with Miss Alyssa

Daddy with Anna & her cool shades and diploma.

Very Special Mothers Day

2010-05-20T13:51:00.000-04:00

On Mothers Day at our church, we had Anna's dedication. Since it was Mothers Day, I wanted to bring special attention to those mothers who have chosen to give their children up for adoption. As we have seen through Anna's birthmother's abandonment letter, I cannot imagine the pain she felt. We had Pastor Greg read part of the 3 page letter that her birthmother left with her at the police station when she was abandoned. As a mother of 3 biological children, I cannot imagine how hard it must have been for her to leave Anna. My hope and prayer for Anna's biological mother, is that she will have a peace in her that only God can give, knowing that Anna is safe, well cared for, and loved very much. Again, we are so honored that God chose us to raise her and care of her.

School pics & pottery

2010-05-06T20:13:00.000-04:00

Anna has been going to preschool 2 1/2 months and loves it. Most days she wakes up and says, "Anna go to school?". She has 2 fabulous teachers (Ms Alyssa and Ms Samantha) who she dearly loves, and they love her. They take very special care of Anna. We appreciate all they do and for working with Anna one on one!!These were 2 of the school pics she had made.

Also, when I was off with Anna, we took a field trip to my Medical Directors home that I work with at my job. He is a fabulous potter and I look forward to every Christmas, as he sends all of his nurses a special hand made piece of pottery. This is what he designed and made for Anna, to signify her adoption day with us. Also, there is a Chinese characture for LOVE he placed inside the footprint. Thank you Dr Vetne, we love ya and love this! It is magnificent!!!

AnnaMei Grace Rector, Adoption Day January 18,2010

Hip surgery done, doing well

2010-04-29T14:05:00.000-04:00

Tuesday 04/27, Anna had the plate and 4 screws removed from her left hip. Her recovery time is expected to be about a week, and 2 days post op we are still with fevers and not able to walk a whole lot.
This hardware has stunted the growth of her left leg and has caused the limp and some of the instability she has. Although it was necessary to be in place due to her congenital hip dislocation/dysplasia. We are hoping in the next couple of years the left leg catches up with the right one. If not, when she is 9 or 10 years old or if not before, she will have to have another surgery. We are hoping also we can start learning to jump and run once everything is healed. And YES, she got the hardware as a souvenir.

Sunshine always helps a speedy recovery!!

Anna's Birthday- 5 years old

2010-04-18T17:15:00.002-04:00

Anna turned 5 on Friday, April 9th. We celebrated by going to lunch at Chef Lin (Chinese buffet) that day, then had a party the following Friday. I think after just seeing Olivia's recent birthday, she was looking forward to her party and presents.
When Anna came home from school Friday, she saw the kitchen was decorated with balloons, the tableware and I was working on the food.
She walked in and said, " Anna's birthday party?"
I looked at her and said, "Yes, we are having Anna a birthday party tonight!!"
She looked at me, walked over and hugged me and said, "Ah, mommy! Thank you, I love you mommy!!"
Priceless........

Anna and her American Doll "Ivy" that Mamaw got

Anna proud of her birthday cake mommy made!!

The next softball diva???

Her new trike

Happy Birthday AnnaMei Grace, we love you so much!!!!!

Easter Week & Spring Break

2010-04-08T21:03:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Easter this week at church with a good Friday service at 7:30, a 10PM Saturday night service, and an awesome Resurrection Service on Sunday Morning. We also got together with the Rector family to enjoy the "world famous egg hunt"!!! My kids look forward to it every year because of the $$$$. This year there was probably over $300 worth of prize eggs. Anna had already been practicing egg hunting at her preschool. The kids totals: Anna- $14, Olivia- $32, Jared-$22, and Zachary-$64!!!

And the hunt is on.........

Anna disappointed that nothing was in this egg (there was, it just fell out. Plus she chose to sit in Pam's lap- look in Pam's right hand :)

Everyone's loot!

Pics of the family. The girls dresses were handmade by Aunt Pam and they looked lovely as always!

And now, SPRING BREAK with the Standefer families (my parents/brothers family) in Gatlinburg!

Heart cath went well...& in the local paper sameday

2010-03-15T22:02:00.001-04:00

This morning we woke up bright and early to give Anna her last meal before the heart cath, and awoke to the article about our international adoption in the local paper. We arrived at the Outpatient center at 10 and procedure did not start until almost 2....Luckily, we had a front row seat to all the action in OP center..(Very busy morning with lots of patients and no beds, so we got a hallway bed by the nurses station where everyone kept her entertained- thank you nurses and staff!!!)

(Giving Daddy a shot)

(giving herself a shot-pretend)

Everything went well with the procedure, although lengthy (2 hrs), she did fine. At this point, she will be treated medically, and not surgically (an answer to prayers!!) Once she got back to the room was a different story.....It was like a bull in a china shop trying to keep a 4 yr old flat and still, and leg straight-with no sedative. Needless to say, she has been asleep finally for about 2 hours. We should get to come home tomorrow if all goes well tonight.

(all hooked up!)

You can check out the great story on International Adoption from our Chattanooga Times Free Press paper this morning.
http://epaper.timesfreepress.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:ArticleToMail&Type=text/html&Path=ChatTFPress/2010/03/15&ID=Ar01101&Locale=

Thanks everyone for your prayers today, and for continued prayers as we work through these medical issues.

Procedure Monday, March 15th and another in April.....

2010-03-10T17:12:00.000-05:00

Got the call from the Cardiologist today, and Anna will be going in on Monday March 15th for her Cardiac Cath to evaluate her heart. We will have to stay in the hospital overnight and should get to come home by noon on Tuesday. Expected that call, but did not expect to have to go get her blood drawn AGAIN (which we just had done a couple of weeks ago), especially since she just had 2 shots yesterday and a TB skin test :( She may be wanting to get rid of us soon, but I hope not. And then, our phone rang from the Orthopedic MD later and her hip hardware removal is cancelled for the 23rd, and now rescheduled to April 27th.

She also started preschool this week and has done absolutely GREAT!!! I know that she enjoys the interaction with the other kids and activities they do, and so excited for her to start learning more and more….She is also proud that she carries a lunchbox and has her very own, just like her siblings.

Mickey and I were talking about how well she has adjusted and just become a part of our family, and we are so truly blessed. We never imagined it would be this easy and smooth. It is heart warming to just be holding her or sitting beside her and for her to just reach up and give you a big kiss- for no apparent reason!!! Or for her to wrap her little arms around your neck and just squeeze ya. She has become so affectionate with all of us, and it just brings so much joy to us all. She loves to play with her brothers and sister, and even just a simple game of hide and seek or ball thrills her.

A couple of weeks ago, I would have said her "I love you's" to us were just to be copying/repeating us. But I am convinced that she loves where she is at, and is loving life!

Update on Dr's visits this week

2010-03-03T14:47:00.001-05:00

This week we finally started our round of doctor’s appointments to the specialist.

Monday we saw the Orthopedic MD- he said overall the China doctors did a very good job. She has a plate (American made) and 3 screws in her left hip- and they need to come out. We will be having outpatient surgery on Tuesday- March 23rd to remove the hip hardware and for them to do a hip arthrogram (injecting dye into the hip to check things out). This is an outpatient surgery and she should be able to go home the same day, and about a week recovery. This will in turn let us know which surgery would be next. There are 3 options- and the worst would be to rebreak her hip again and be in a spica cast for awhile (and we really don't want that one) So praying for good news with that one. He was very optimistic in thinking she will be able to run some day and also will walk without a limp, or less of one.

Wednesday we saw the Cardiologist MD- he said the hole in her heart was repaired very well. There is still some pulmonary stenosis (narrowing) of one of her major blood vessels, but nothing needs to be done at this time on that. However there is some excessive tissue growth in one of her ventricles that may be obstructing the blood flow inside her heart and causing the pressure to be too high. So, she will be having a heart catheterization done. We are not sure if this will be before the other surgery, or after, or when- waiting on the phone call. She had an EKG and echocardiogram today and not one tear or whine- she did great. This procedure will be done and require one overnight stay.....
Your prayers are very much coveted during the next few weeks as Anna undergoes at least one procedure, possibly two.

A letter to the adoptive parents of Zhu Lan Mei

2010-02-26T11:23:00.004-05:00

When we received Anna on "Gotcha Day", we also received 3 pages of hand written notes from her birth mother. Our social worker translated the letters for us, and we also videotaped her. Here is what was on them.

On the first page was her birth information:
Name-Zhu Lan Mei
Nickname- Qi-Qi
Born 04/09/2005
Chinese Lunar year 2005
Born at 4:40

On the second page was the letter:
To anyone who will adopt her, a good kind hearted person, I am Qi-Qi’s mother. I love her very much. I had no way out, I had to abandon her. I and my boyfriend didn’t get married, and I gave birth to her. My parents from the very beginning rejected and opposed my dating him. My boyfriend and I raise her in a very difficult situation. At first we thought if we could save, and live in a frugal life- we could let her live a good life. But we didn’t realize she was sick. We borrowed the money from my aunt/uncle to take her to see a doctor. The doctor said she has a congenital heart disease, and also her leg- she couldn’t stand. We don’t have any money to treat her. If she followed us, it would be a road toward death. For her, I could only choose this way. Only this way may bring her some hope. She is very smart, and very lovely, and likes to laugh. Though I am already a mother of her, I myself am still a young girl. I beg you to save her; I thank you again and hope you can treat her as your own child. I will pray for her, for what you do, and blessings. And I will remember this all my life.

On the third page was her feeding schedule.
5am- 1 bottle of milk
7am- congee, rice noodles
10am- drank 150ml milk
12 noon- congee, steamed egg
2:30- 1 bottle milk
5pm- rice noodles, congee
7pm- 1 bottle milk
Midnight-1 bottle milk
Needs a pacifier during sleeping. Cries at bedtime, but if you kiss her hand, she is better.

Mickey and I are much honored to have been chosen as the adoptive parents of Zhu Lan Mei, now AnnaMei Grace Rector. Just as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ adopted us into his family, so shall we adopt her into ours as one of our own.

Needles, Okra and Barefeet

2010-02-22T18:05:00.002-05:00

We had another great week last week, and look forward to a great one this week. Last week we went for her ordered blood work and Chest x-ray ordered by our Pediatrician. It went as good as to be expected, but could have been better if not the 1 hour wait in the registration department :( Anyway, 7 vials later, the blood was drawn- just about every test that could be ordered, was almost ordered. But being a nurse, I was glad. And a friend of ours we know drew it and did fabulous- only 1 stick.

Last Friday we went and had lunch with Zachary, Jared and Olivia at their school. She loved it! She was able to get up at the lunch table by herself and enjoyed eating with the kids friends. She only ate corn, and wasn't too excited about the school pizza. Oh well, maybe that is an acquired taste.

She also enjoyed watching 2 nights of basketball and almost all day Saturday- she loves it, and asks almost every morning if we are going to basketball. Hope she likes baseball and softball as much, because they are just right around the corner.

We have discovered that she really may have some "southern" genes in her. Anna LOVES FRIED OKRA! She is going to give Olivia a run for her money, because Olivia often orders double okra on a veggie plate. Good thing my Uncle David was there to see her eat it, because that is where our okra and corn come from in the summer- his garden. She also is a big fan of corn on the cob! Mickey is thrilled we will be putting-up alot more this summer.LOL

We have been doing our own therapy in the house until we get our physical therapy referral. We have been working on going up/down stairs, and squats to try and build those leg muscles up.

We had a sensational Sunday!! We went to church and Anna made it all the way through Sunday school with no complaints. We then had a beautiful afternoon of sunshine and played out in the yard. However, Anna will not go barefoot. She thinks she has to have shoes on and won't let her bare feet touch the grass or driveway. So once the shoes were on, she had fun with throwing the baseballs like her daddy, sister and brothers.

Then our community group came over and Anna was the center of attention. Some of the girls pushed her on a bike, and she loved it. She had dessert first and got to eat with the adults in the living room, which is not characteristic of what the kids get to do in our group. She did amazing and continues to amaze us with her outgoing personality and her "go-with-the-flow" attitude.

***Next week on Monday, March 1st- we go to the orthopedic doctor at 9:15 and on Wednesday, March 3rd we go for the cardiologist appointment at 8am. Please be in prayer for these 2 appointments and pray that they will go smoothly, and give the doctors wisdom to know how to best treat Anna with the needs that she has.

Anna and cousin Addyson. It was so sweet Sunday when I went to get Anna from Sunday School and Addyson was getting picked up too. They hugged each other and held hands going down the hallway- too cute!!

Olivia with Addyson and Anna.

Happy Heart Day!

2010-02-15T16:26:00.001-05:00

Anna has still been doing great this week. Of course Thursday and Friday nights were spent at the gym for basketball games, and Saturday we went to Chick fil A and then to more basketball games. We had a great evening of watching the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics and cheering on the US as well as China Saturday night.
We had a great Valentines Day! We went to church and she got to meet alot of new people. She sat in Uncle Tommy's lap for the most part until she had to go to Sunday School. She lasted about 15 minutes in SS until the kids did an activity that scared her, so she ended back up with us for the service. She sat through it well, until she had to go potty......Oh well, we will try again next week.
We look forward to this week of just relaxing, before starting preschool next week. I look forward to seeing the progress Anna makes in preschool and the progression of her English as well.

A Perfect Fit

2010-02-10T15:38:00.000-05:00

We have finally all got our sleep clocks adjusted and back on schedule. Anna is now sleeping till about 8AM. She normally gets up right before to see the kids off to school. We have settled in a nice routine- breakfast (hard boiled eggs, cereal and milk), and she immediately wants to take a bath. She loves baths! Then its Sesame Street and some educational cartoons, then time for lunch. Still working on trying to figure out what she likes for lunch- soups, ramen noodles, but no sandwiches. She loves fruits- bananas, apples, etc. And she is learning to eat what we have for supper. She has done EXCELLENT potty training- actually, no accidents since Feb. 1st, so I am considering her day potty training- DONE. But at night she still has to wear pull-ups. We are working on it though.

We went to see our Pediatrician this morning for her first Well Visit- she was 26 pounds. Everything checked out great for the most part. She is up to date on shots, although blood work in a couple of months will determine if Chinas immunizations are up to date with our immunizations, through titers. She does have a murmur, probably from the heart defect/repair she had, so we will be following up soon with a Cardiologist. But the big concern is her hip. She has major instability of her hip, where she had previously had a dislocation, and then repair. However, the repair hasn't totally fixed everything. She still has a waddled gait when she walks, and at times will be walking, and her leg will give out- and she will fall flat backwards. For the most part she wants to get up on her own, and continue on. We are waiting now to go see the orthopedic doctor to see what our next plan of action will be.

Anna has just “fit right in” with our family. She just goes with the flow on whatever our busy schedules entail. Whether it is basketball practice/games, church, shopping, going out to eat, or whatever- it's like she has been with us all along. She has exceeded our expectations these first few weeks at home, and know that in the future our family will be blessed. She has yet to be just totally afraid of anyone at this point. Animals- terrified!!! She is scared of birds, dogs, cats, any animal- so we are working on that.

And we did finally get our family red couch picture the last day we were in China. I forgot to post.

Home Saweeettttt HOME!!

2010-02-03T17:13:00.002-05:00

Well, where do I begin?? Anna has slept through the nights since we have been home, however she keeps waking us up at 5-6AM. Still working on the whole time adjustment thing I guess. She has went down with ease all nights and Olivia has been a great big sister! We have tried to reduce naps and keep her up later at night, so hopefully that will help. Mickey and I are still trying to catch up on sleep, and I am battling a sinus infection- hopefully by the week’s end we will both be back to normal. Give Mickey 5 minutes on the couch- and he is out!!

I had been very discouraged since we got home, because Anna had refused to go to potty- on our home potties. On Monday I was determined to keep her in panties all day, and did- however she had accidents all day long. On Tuesday, a light switch turned on, because no accidents all day and today, so far- so good.(Maybe it was because the kids weren't here and she could focus more- who knows) She is so small and cannot get up and down by herself so far, but we will work on that with a step stool soon.

Anna loves her brothers and sister!!! She is thrilled to see them when she wakes up and when they get off the bus. From then on, it's non-stop playtime!

We have also significantly cut down on the whining/fussing that we experienced in China.

I forgot to mention that when we met Anna for the first time, she had two bags with her. 1 contained clothes, some keepsakes from the orphanage, and stuff we had sent to her, and the other bag contained diapers and FORMULA. Upon further investigating and talking to the orphanage workers, Anna was still on formula twice a day, and from a BOTTLE. Needless to say, I was not buying a bottle, or formula, and was not going to give it to her. She was 4 1/2 years old!! Needless to say, she did fabulous on milk in China, and is doing great on it here.

Also, a couple of days after we had Anna, our social worker had to check in with the orphanage about all of the adopted kids. She told them how she was doing and that she was bonding well, however they had forgot to tell us that "she can have a bad temper, and cries very loudly when she doesn't get her way!!" Wow, might have been helpful to know that when we got her. And we were always told she was shy/introverted- what a JOKE! Her fussing and fits have almost disappeared.

*She has broken out in some Chinese karaoke, courtesy of our guitar hero mic. (And it is HILARIOUS)

*She still prefers milk, but I am quite sure my home brewed sweet tea is growing on her.

*Loves to be the center of attention, and now has been deemed second loudest in our household (Zachary still holds the title for first)

*And I am so thankful for this great country I live in!

Here are some pics of Aunt Pam's and Uncle Ricky's visit.

Day 16, 17- Packed and ready, but had to resort to Plan B

2010-01-31T22:19:00.001-05:00

We were packed and ready to go on Thursday night...and time was passing slowly. We had to check out by 3PM at our hotel, but our flight was not until 9PM. So we pretty much stayed in the hotel till 3, and then walked to Subway for a sandwhich- and it is pretty close to the US Subway. I had the sub of the day- Turkey/Ham- toasted on wheat with Southwest sauce, and Mickey had turkey plain. Anna will not even try any part of a sandwich, so she had chips and milk. We then headed back to the lobby until our shuttle for the airport arrived at 5.

Inside one of the lobbies, statues made out of jade.

We then headed to the airport to wait on our flight. Anna had her last milk tea and a sucker(that she didn't like).

We boarded the plane and were off for a 12 hour flight. After our first airplane meal, I gave Anna a little Benadryl and she slept for at least 7 hours. She did fabulous!!! And when she woke up, it was time to eat again- so she was happy. "We hopped off the plane at LAX"....and went through immigration and customs. Anna was officially a US citizen since we had set foot on US territory!!!
We then had to get our luggage for our connecting flight, and then to the ticket counter. When we got to the ticket counter, we were informed that our flight ahd been cancelled from ATL to Chatt due to Ice/Snow, therefore they had cancelled our LA flight, and was going to put us up in a motel for the night and fly out on Saturday. (NOT- that wasn't going to work). We told them we had to fly out on the Friday night flight, preferrably the early one at 10:55 PM, and we would figure out a way home from Atl. We were originally scheduled for a 11:55 flight. But we were able to get the 10:55 flight out of LA to ATL, so we had a 5 hour layover instead of 6. We used that time in making arrangements with family and friends to come pick us up in ATL and drive us to Home.(which became plan B)

So off we were to ATL, where we arrived at 6AM. We had no luggage to get due to it being on the 11:55 flight. So we headed to meet Mike and Kay (Mickeys sister/brother in law). They were waiting on us and it felt so good to see family and finally be back in the SOUTH!! Mike and Kay greeted us (mostly Anna-with a balloon, stuffed animal, outfit and snacks). Mickey and I got snickers bars, and I got a beautiful rose also. We headed to meet the second leg of our trek home in the snow and ice, Dana and Shane, who were waiting on us in Kennesaw. Actually it had rained most of the night and melted the snow off the roads, so they weren't bad. We arrived at the Ricketts home at about 9AM, because we could not get to our home on the ridge due to the icy roads. We were welcomed by my brothers family and then later my parents, and the rest of the Bennetts. . . They had all made welcome home posters, and Lara had made breakfast (and SWEET TEA). It was good to be in the vicinity of my home, that was for sure. After a couple hours there, we finally were able to make it to our home - in 2 car loads(LOL- we were officially a family of 6). Our neighbors, the Slifkos, had taken this picture of our home, and texted us to let us know our power was out- but came back on about 30 minutes after we had been home.

Oh, home sweet home!!! We gave Anna a tour of her new home, and she was pumped. She had seen pictures and seemed very comfortable in it. She responded amazingly well with the kids, and I am sure the 2-a-day Skypes helped. She gave them a work out going up and down the stairs, and from room to room. We got an excellent early dinner of country cooking- (thanks Stephanie and Lara) and then headed to bed at about 10. Anna slept in her bed with Olivia across the way, and went to sleep with ease.

Day 15- Pick up Visa, Shopped a little more

2010-01-28T08:13:00.002-05:00

Same song and dance routine this morning. We headed out to town for a brief shopping trip to the mall after breakfast. We were in search of pearls that most every lady in our group had purchased. Most of the basement of this 7 story mall is dedicated to jewerly. We finally found the place and it didn't take me long to get down to business. My intentions were to get my girls a necklace/bracelet for when they get older, and for those special occasions. I hope that they appreciate it as much as I enjoyed shopping and selecting out the strands. Mickey had only exchanged a small amount of US dollars, so I was capped off in no time. They did accept credit cards, but I didn't go there. Below is a picture of them restranding them.

Here are some pics around the mall area.

Back to the hotel for a quick lunch-noodles from 7 Eleven, then Mickey took out for the 3rd trip to the Consulate to pick up Anna's visa.

It was a quick trip over there for him, but took 45 minutes to get a taxi, because it was shift change, and it is about a 45 minute ride back. Meanwhile, Anna and I were going to go to the nearby park/playground. So Anna did great until we actually got to the playground, and she pitched a fit. She shook her head no and did not want to go play. So we strolled around the block and came back, and she still didn't want to play. So we headed back to the hotel, for some playing and eventually a nap. We also watched the boats in the river- constantly boats are going up and down the river carrying various stuff. And yes, another smoggy day.

We then went to give Shiyan a gift from us for being such an amazing guide. She has truly blessed our lives and this experience. She is so professional and hats off to anyone who can manage 30 familes for 12 days and still keep their sanity(and dealing with several very difficult and selfish families). Off to Lucy's for one last time, can you guess what Mickey had? (Yep, grilled cheese, I had the club sandwich, and Anna had rice noodles). Took our last stop to 7 Eleven for some ice cream cones. Remember all of the little shops I told you about that were named after people, 1/2 of them are gone now- packed up and GONE. I guess they got word that most of the families left, and so did they. Mickey picked up his laundry he had dropped off that morning, and back to the room for the laser light show. I have enjoyed Shamian Island and the light show at night. There are various boats that are all lit up, some with BIG LCD screens that crusie the waters nightly. I also have missed our friends today (Pav's and Packs) as they are headed back to the US now on their flight. Someday we may meet again. Bob, if you are ever in Virginia- give us a call(wink, wink)

Tomorrow we check out at 3, take a taxi to the airport at 5, and catch our flight to Los Angeles California, where we land at 8PM EST. Layover for 6 hours,and fly out 2AM, in Atlanta at 7AM and back to Chatt by 11. Thanks for everyones nice comments and for praying for us. The journey is really just beginning!! I will be off the blog for a couple of days, but will catch you up on the homecoming, and the Rector family that has become 6.

Day 14- Red Couch and US Consulate, again

2010-01-27T06:24:00.002-05:00

We started out with breakfast by the river at the hotel buffet. Anna always eats well, but is distracted by all of the boaters and he many adopting families. All of the Bethany families were to head to one of the hotel lobbies for the "famous red couch" pictures at 10AM.

Need I say more on how that went? Anna struggles when she is with the whole group. Some of the older girls pester her, and she can't stand it. The Bethany babies went first and actually did quite well, and then our group. Well, as usual, some of the families were late, and with sitting there with all the camera flashing and pestering people behind her, she was fit to be tied!! She screamed almost the entire time. And we never even got our family photo on the couch.

All 14 Shanghai kids around the couch...

We quickly left the crew to get calmed down, and by the time we arrived to our 12th floor, all was good. The 3 of us girls(Robin, Coleen, and I) went back out to Jordan's place(shopping) and by Emma's place. When I was out, I needed to potty, but the only ones I could find, were like these- Chinese potties, AKA- Squatty Potties! Needless to say, I held it!

We went to Starbucks, and brought back sandwhiches for lunch. Anna doesn't like any sandwhich at this point we have found. Then off to the Consulate, again.

Very unusual traffic lights here, they have green /yellow U-TURN arrows. Anyway, on our way, our driver had a confrontation with a van that tried to cut him off. The van driver got out of his van, marched over and yelled at our driver, while our driver was inching up on him. He finally got back in his van, after straightening his mirror and our driver did get in front of him, as he should. I caught it all on video!!The consulate tour was another 3 hour event. When we got back it was time for supper and someone said a Subway was close, so several of us took out to find it, while Mickey and Robin were going to order PAPA Johns- again! I just couldn't take pizza again. We found it and it was very similar to the US, except they have very few toppings. Most of our friends are leaving for a 5 am flight back to the states tomorrow, but we are here till Friday night- 9PM flight out. Mickey is counting down the hours, and currently we are at 49.5 hours left till take-off :)

Day 13- Trial Run at Consulate

2010-01-26T07:33:00.009-05:00

*Pics are of Shiyan and Anna, corn on the cob being sold on the curb in Guangzhou, downtown (which the whole city seems to be under renovation in preparation for the Asian games), Sara Beth from ALA (one of her favorite buddies from the orphanage), inside our hotel and Anna strutting around.

We got another morning to sleep in, 6:45- not what I call sleeping in, but these beds are rock hard. There have been some interesting things about the hotels we have stayed in.
1) The double beds here, are like twin beds in America. Very small- we Americans need and require bigger beds. Can't wait to sleep in my comfy KING on Saturday night!
2) Even though we have 3 people in our room, and they KNOW this, we only get 2 wash clothes/2 towels.
3) The towels however, are gigantic, like beach towels
4) In reading about the hotel in the book they provide in the rooms, they always note; THE TAP WATER IS NOT POTABLE. In other words, don't drink the water!!!!
5) We have come accustomed to getting 4 free bottles of bottled water everyday- for brushing our teeth and drinking water. The maids come around in the morning and late evening to restock us.
6) This hotel provides us with complimentary white house shoes (2 pair). Also, at our mini bar is a free selection of various teas(milk tea, jasmine,green, etc) with a portable hot bot which boils water in 30 seconds. And on top of the bar are 5 mini size liqueurs you can purchase. Ours have remained unopened at this point.
7) At breakfast, don't order a coke, or it will cost 30 yuan- $5. However you can go across the street to the 7 Eleven, and get one for less than 50 cents.
8) We visit the 7 Eleven nightly for ice cream- they have the best nutty bars, even in dark chocolate- for less than $1.
9)Our night stand between our beds is like a control panel for the room. You can turn on/off most lights in the room by it,including the TV, as well as play a selection of 3 different music styles (classical, and 2 chinese stations).Pretty nifty, and would love to have one for my own room at home!
10) Some interesting items on the breakfast buffet: Fried Milk, beef balls, chicken nuggets, pizza, fish sticks, whole boiled eggs (which Anna loves!), omelet station, chinese noodles, Hot milk, tater tots, veggie egg rolls, seasonal veggie, and baked beans. Of course multiple breads, pastries, yogurts and juice selections.

We went to a few of the little shops after breakfast, but didn't find much, then we headed out at 2 for the consulate appointment. It was a 45 minute bus ride, and traffic was crazy again- the craziest of all 3 cities we have been in. We sat in a big room, and at 3:30 they started calling the Chinese names of the kids one by one to a counter to come and sign for the visas. All of the names were eventually called in 30 minutes, except ours. So we asked Shiyan, and she told us our appointment was for TOMORROW :(
Anyway, we had a trial run and got to see all of our friends go through, take the oath, and had a 45 minute bus ride back to the hotel. After we came back, I went to Shiyans room to let her interpret a 3 page letter Anna's birth mother had written when she abandoned her. We video taped her translating and I will put it on paper when I get back. It was very moving, and even brought Shiyan to tears. I will post it when I get it all wrote down.
Then off to Lucy's again for some Americanized grub. Mickey with the grilled cheese again, Anna with basil pasta and I had orange chicken.

Day 12- free day

2010-01-25T08:54:00.001-05:00

We had another free day today while our social worker went to the US Consulate to present all of the families paperwork. No wake-up call, no worries- we still are waking up at like 6/7AM, then heading to breakfast. After breakfast we went to the Swan Room, a play room they have dedicated here to the adopting families. Anna was sweating when we left, she had played so hard. We then came back and watched some cartoons (the most popular cartoon over here is about a goat and wolf).

Princess of the bed with her Barbie and ghost antlers given by the ladies at the Italian restraunt.

We then headed out to the antique mall where we were going to look at the pearls, but only found jade everywhere. We were at the center of the city which everyone said resembles Times Square at night. We had to make a quick stop for some Mickey D's- but still no SWEET TEA!! Which by the way, I will be brewing a pot of tea within an hour after I hit home to make some sweet tea, and let Anna have a taste of American tea- not Jasmin, green, or hot tea!

On our taxi ride back to the hotel, (which by the way we have only seen 1 wreck on our trip,which is amazing if you could see the driving over here) we had a small run-in. A van ran a red light and knicked our taxi on the front end. Our driver got out, the cop who was out directing traffic came over, and they all had a yelling spat and it was over. It taught us to WEAR the seatbelt at all times, even if it is a 10 minute ride for 10 yuan!! Thankfully we were fine, just a little adrenaline rush. I then went back out shopping because on our previous shopping excursion, I spent less than $1 on 2 bracelets for Anna to try to shut her up, because she hates riding in a stroller. Daddy's back is sore from carrying her when we go out, so we made her stroll.

There are many little shops around the hotel, and are all named by peoples names: (michaels place, sharons place, jennys place, etc) It's quite hilarious. And everyone does laundry, of course at 50% off. Another trend I have picked up on is all the women wear leggins and boots, a trend I hope doesn't make it to the US. All of the little shops are used to people bargaining and haggling with them, which I enjoy. I only found a few things, and I did get the flag for free below. Anna loved it!

We diverted again from the planned meal- Traditional Cantonese dinner. Instead- PAPA JOHNS delivered to our room, and we had dinner with 2 other familes and enjoyed a nice night hosting.

Anna has really opened up and has warmed up to me. Those first couple of days, I was a wreck and it was not good. We both said today we can't imagine not accepting her, and if we had rejected the referral, we really would have missed out on a very special little girl. We hope that once we get back to the states and settle in, that her limp can be somewhat corrected, and that some day, she will be able to run with her brothers and sister, and friends to come! She is a bundle of energy, a chatterbox, and at times very sassy (in Chinese). I was almost sure I got cussed out tonight in Chinese for telling her to do something. Luckily, it normally takes about 3 months for the kids to lose their Chinese once they get back to the states- looking forward to it, because it kills me not to know what she is saying.

Day 11- free day, final paper work gathering

2010-01-24T08:09:00.003-05:00

We got to sleep in today for the first time- no wake up call or early morning adventure- and it was so NICE! We went down for breakfast and sat by the windows again and it was so nice watching the boats go by on the river. Anna's eating has slowed down some, I think she realizes she can get 3 meals a day (all she wants- and more!) and is loving it.

And we went and picked up our laundry that we had cleaned. I had taken all of my clothes- shirts, jeans, socks and all...and all of Anna's, and then some of Mickeys. When we went and picked it up, it was in these shrink wrapped bags, neatly folded- undies and all. Very nice, and for next day service for all pieces- 200 yuan, which is about $32/US dollar. That is a bargain to me, and it beats rinsing things out in the tub and hanging them up to dry like some people have. And the humidity is so bad here, it takes things 3 days to dry.

I had to go meet for the final paperwork preparation in our social workers room, which took us all about 1 hour. Not bad. Then we went out to Lucy's, and Americanized restaraunt. Mickey had (of all things) a grilled cheese sandwich/fries, Anna had the kids meal (chicken wing, sausages,fries, fruit, ice cream) and I had Lucy's pan fried noodle dish- it was good.

We then headed back to our hotel, met in one of the sitting areas and played a few rounds of phase 10- it was a nice break from the room. Our hotel is very large and has lots of gathering places. Looking forward to tonight at 10PM when we get to Skype our church family :)

Day 10- Medical Exam for Visa

2010-01-23T19:55:00.000-05:00

So as our social worker Shiyan had said, this would probably be the worst day yet- due to going to a cramped and crowded medical office that was understaffed, with as many families as we had, it was going to take some time. Plus some of the kids needed vaccinations and CXR's due to + TB skin tests. We walked in, and it wasn't that bad. We went back to the waiting area and there were 3 stations we had to go throuhg- ENT, medical/surgical, and height/weight/etc room. We were called about #6 and went through ENT first- everything ok. Then on to the next station- Height- she had only grown 1cm since October, and had gained 6 pounds!!! ( I told you she was an eater!!) We then had to wait a bit for the doctors exam, but everything checked out ok. And best part of all- NO SHOTS!!! It took about 2 hours.

We saw a hummer on the way there, only the second one we have seen since our trip.

Everyone doing their Tai Chi- this is fairly routine for the adults to do "morning exercise". And as we were walking to the clinic, we also found an adult playground- funniest thing to see all these adults see-sawing and doing money bars.

We headed back to gather our laundry for cleaning, and I will let you know how cheap that was tomorrow when I get it back. Nap time and then off to supper to the Italian place about 4 blocks away. This town is very quaint and lit up at night, a big change from Shanghai. It has a small town feel to it. We are on a small island at the southern tip of China. It is warmer here for sure.

**On a side note, when we checked out of the hotel in Shanghai, the clerk thanked us for our adoption. And already here, Anna received her first Barbie doll- a Barbie carrying a Chinese baby- from Mattel in support of our adoption.

Day 9- Shanghai Zoo and Silk Factory, Fly to Guangzhou

2010-01-22T18:14:00.000-05:00

OK, so we left the motel for the last time in Shanghai! It was a very nice 5 star motel. We headed to the zoo, and it is still freezing and breezy. Needless to stay, we didn't stay long. We saw a few of the exhibits, the Pandas- which they have 10, and were headed back to the bus. Anna pretty much fussed 75% of the time. Thank goodness we still have our guide to put her in line at times.

Sorry, not many pics of the zoo, we took more video, and it was just not pleasant. She was scared of the animals.

We then headed to another "traditional Chinese meal", just what Mickey and some of the others have been waiting for- not really, it's a joke amongst us. Anna used chopped sticks in front of us for the first time, it's amazing. She wants a taste of every dish on the lazy susan.

And yes, that is a whole fish with head and tail bathed in sweet and sour sauce.

We walked down a flight of stairs and were at the Silk Factory, and got a lesson on the life of a silkworm and how to make silk, it was pretty neat.
Then we headed to the airport for our flight to Guangzhou. Anna did fine, until we sat on the runway for about 30 min, but due to the events of the day, she was asleep before we even took off. Slept for about 45 minutes, and then was ready to eat the lovely airplane cuisine. She never turns down a meal, and everyone keeps saying how puffy her cheeks are getting, so it will be interesting to see how much she weighs now.

The language barrier has at times been an issue. There are people in certain restraunts that speak little English, and at least a couple in our hotels know English. Our shopping trip earlier in the week trying to get 2 strollers was quite an escapade, and almost sent Collen over the top. I can only laugh about it know, but it was quite frustrating. I tried to incorporate sign language as much as possible.
Speaking of which- Anna knows- Thumbs Up!, I Love YOU, I want a drink, I want to eat in sign language. And can count to 3 in English!

Day 8- Shopping in Old Shanghai

2010-01-21T07:57:00.001-05:00

We left for shopping in Old Shanghai at 9:30. This is where everyone bargains shops and negotiates. We spent about 2 hours there, and our first stop was the best- STARBUCKS!! It was very cold and breezy and the cafe' mocha hit the spot, and Anna and Mickey had cheesecake! We then went to another authentic Chinese restaraunt for lunch- not as good as the day before, but the kids all loved it, including the seaweed. Got stuck in traffic on the way home, and you can see below what Anna thought about it. Later for dinner we went out for Italian- and it was decent. We had garlic bread, pasta carbonara and Mickey had pizza (for the 4th time). Tomorrow is the zoo and our flight out at 4:30, so will have to play catch up when we get time.

No we didn't drink the beer, but they saved the french fries for last- and Mickey was excited!!

Day 7 - cont.

2010-01-21T07:20:00.001-05:00

**Make sure you read more on previous blog- has pics.
So after lunch, we went on a river cruise for about an hour. Here are some pics. Then we came back to the hotel, and went to Papa Johns as a group. And guess what, they DO have garlic sauce, just not in a container, only in like a ketchup bottle. Anna ate 2 pieces, she will love Tuesday night at the Rector's!! Afterwards we went next door for a Dairy Queen Blizzard, and that is where she had her first ice cream cone. Think she liked it? We came back, exhausted and slept for 9 hours! She has been very easy to get to bed at night.

Day 7- Life of the Party

2010-01-20T20:27:00.002-05:00

Wow, it's only been less than 60 hours since we have received Anna, and wow, so much we have learned.
1. On all the info we were given, it said she was very shy and timid- NOT!! That is the biggest understatement!! Maybe it was just all of the prayers we prayed/and everyone prayed for her to have a good transition with us and open up. She is hilarious, and my kids have seen first hand through skype! She is going to be a perfect fit within our family due to her BIG personality.
2. She picks up on English very quick- can say Bye! Bye!, OK, Hello, our kids names- and a few others, mama, papa, and will attempt anything we ask.
3. Shanghai is NYC on steroids, x10!!! the traffic, people, buildings- unbelievable.
4. She is not potty trained, however, she has pee peed 2 times in potty so far- progress!
5. Mickey has taught her how to do I Love You in sign language.
6. The first 2 nights, Anna would not take off her shoes to sleep- I asked Shiyan (our guide and Bethany social worker) about it. She said she probably feels more secure with them on, or we think it might have been cold in the orphanage, since they bundle them up with so many layers- but last night- NO SHOES, I was able to take her shoes off, and she pulled the socks right off.
7. She still has a limp from her hip condition, but that does not slow her down, she is always on the move and wants to try and walk everywhere.
8. She is like a magnet- all the other kids, being 1-7 yrs older than her, are for some reason attracted to her. They are always coming up to her teasing her, and trying to hold her. And probably bc she is the most vocal. Alot of the time yesterday she spent just babbling stuff- talking about the cars on the street, driving, and counting.
9. She spent the first night with me, and somehow I made it through the night with all the kicks, turning sideways, and moving around. However, the next night with Mickey she fell out of bed, didn't cry, and just got right back in.
10. EAT! EAT! EAT! she has been called by other families- the Tank, the bottomless pit, hollow inside, etc. She is constantly eating, and Shiyan said she thinks she has already gained weight. I believe it, with as much as she has eaten. All the time she either has a drink in hand, or snack.

OK, so on to the sight seeing we did today. We went to visit the Pudong Riverside Blvd, where we saw a lot of ships carrying coal, cargo, and fishermen. We then went to the Oriental Pearl Tower- it is a 468 meter high TV tower , and the 3rd largest in the world. We went to the 259th floor and walked out on a glass floor that you could see all the way down below- about 30 seconds was enough for me- it was high, and Anna didn't care for it either, very windy.

Pics above are the Pearl Tower (and no my camera is not foggy, there is so much SMOG!), a vendor outside, all the Bethany adopted kids, a McD's kiosk for the summer, the explosive dog at the security gate in the Pearl Tower, and Anna looking out.

We then headed to an authentic Chinese restraunt for lunch. It was fabulous, except for the head on the fish that was cooked and bathed in sweet and sour sauce, and the shrimp with the heads still on. It was great, and Mickey did fine!

AnnaMei Grace is officially a Rector

2010-01-20T04:26:00.000-05:00

We headed out early this morning to the Shanghai Civil Affairs for the notarization and final paper work for our adoption of Anna. What was supposed to take about an hour, turned into a 3 hour ordeal- with a family picture, questions from the notary and filling out more paperwork. The kids did great, considering.

And now for the not so good news, in a way........Anna has really taking a liking to her daddy today, and like a leach. And she is only letting him hold her. We thought before we traveled that it would be the other way around.But is is not!! I told Mickey that I did not fly across the world , work so hard for 3 years on paperwork, to get rejected by a 4 1/2 year old, but that was happening, and it hurt! I was shunned for pretty much the whole day. After Civil Affairs we went to KFC for some chicken (I had spicy chicken sandwich, Anna had nuggets, and Mickey - just fries). She was clingy most of the day to her Daddy, so finally I had had enough. We went down to talk to the Bethany Social Worker who is here with us, and she talked to Anna. She is doing well with the kids and parents and talks to the kids very often about their parents. She said Anna knows who her mama and papa are, and she just feels very safe with Daddy. I can accept that, but think she told her more than that, because a light switch turned on. We went after that to the mall again to find Anna some "girl" shoes, because the orphanage shoes were very boyish. We came back and ate in the room, and she turned into a chatterbox. She finally opened up with me and let me paint her fingernails, color with her, and was laughing and giggling. Those were baby steps.....but that is fine.... Also, while we were at the mall, we had another experience with

there being 649 people on 1 elevator. Bob swore to never ride an elevator again in that mall, so we took the escalator down 6 flights. The 6th floor at the mall was dedicated to only kids, it was neat- Toys R us, Disney, Adidas, and more. And we found some khaki shoes that fit. And to the Kearney Family- check out the New Balance store in Downtown Shanghai!!

Gotcha Day Night

2010-01-19T20:06:00.002-05:00

We headed out to the supermarket to get some snacks and milk. We started walking to first get something to eat, and lo and behold a block away was a Papa Johns( no garlic sauce, but that was OK)!! We went and had cheese pizza and spin rolls, and it was very good. We ate with 2 other couples, the Pavlovec's (Bob/Coleen and their daughter) and the Packs (William/Robin and their son). The best part was when William ordered a large coke, cause he wanted to take some back to the room, and it came in a PITCHER. Then by the end of the dinner, Robin still had not received her bottled water, and they finally brought her out a pitcher of scalding hot water. There is still some language barriers to say the least.

We headed over to the supermarket and it was quite an experience. It was inside the 9 story mall area and very crowded. We finally headed back and Anna did great her first night, she only wimpered about 5 minutes and slept by me, and kicked me all night. But it was fine.

GOTCHA DAY

2010-01-18T05:12:00.000-05:00

We met in the lobby at 8:30 to head to the Shanghai Civil Affairs office. We had a great "western" breakfast, and you could tell the nerves were high.

We started with the never ending paperwork process that took abot 1 hour to complete, and with a total of 19 families (14 from Bethany)- it took awhile. Then the workers brought the kids in one by one and introduced them by their Chinese name to the parents. It was amazing to see all the kids, and not one cried. We have adopted the youngest child from our group, and before they brought Anna in, they told us she is so shy and will probably cry alot. It was the moment we both had been waiting for, for 3 years.........

She welcomed us with open arms. She was so hungry, and ate 2 bags of fruit snacks, stole some crackers from some of our friends, drank water and had a 6 pack of peanut butter crackers. I was running out of snacks. She did great while we were inside and was walking around checking everyone out, until we left the building. Then she had a melt down, but quickly calmed down once we got on the bus and started driving. New sites for her, as she had NEVER been out of the orphanage. We brought her back to the hotel and went across the street for her first Happy Meal at McDonalds. We then spent the next 3 hours at 2 different banks exchanging money- and all she wanted to do was walk around and eat, and not 1 meltdown. Pretty amazing I think!!!! She already can say Bye Bye, and has melted our hearts with her laugh and giggle. We are still however, working on the whole potty training thing. So off tonight we are to shop at a like- Wal Mart store for diapers, juice boxes and shoes. Thanks everyone for your nice commens and keeping up with us. Please keep us in your prayers, as I am sure the next couple of days could be challenging.

Day 4- Tinnamen Square, the Forbidden City, Hutong Tour

2010-01-18T04:53:00.000-05:00

We got off to another early start at 8:30, we went to see Tinnamen Square and the Forbidden City. It was far larger than I ever expected and amazing. The buildings in the Forbidden City were decorated in real gold leaf. It was FREEZING, in single digits (thanks Pam/Ricky for the coats) and our toes were numb by the end. The history with the emperors and dynasties were very interesting.

We were so thrilled to get back to the bus after about 3 hours of walking in frigid temperatures. We then headed for a tour of Hutong. Probably one of the funniest things so far, we got to take a Rickshaw ride. We went around the city on a guided tour and made 2 different stops. The last stop was at one of the residents home- and it was eye opening. She was very welcoming the 14 of us in her home and made us tea. We got to ask questions and she was so nice. And no HEAT in the home.

This was the womans mother doing laundry, very small washer, and she hung them up to dry-no dryers.

And her kitchen. We arrived back at the hotel at 3, sent luggage to airport, had quick lunch in the hotel(Mickey -fries, Candyce- club sandwich- and it was all good)and then took off for the Beijing airport at 4:30 to catch our flight to Shanghai at 7. Most all of us were over on luggage and had to pay, and almost missed the flight cause it took so long. Arrived in Shanghai and to her hotel by midnight.

Days 1-3- XXtra long flight, The Cloisonne Factory, and Great Wall

2010-01-16T08:52:00.010-05:00

Our amazing journey starts........We left out at Chatt at 7:15, arrived in Atlanta by 7:35 (20 min flight). Flight from Atlanta to Tokyo was supposed to depart at 11:20am, but did not due to a maintenance problem with a fan bearing (just what you want to know as you are sitting on the plane waiting to travel 6900 miles!) Departed Atlanta at 1pm to Narita Tokyo, arriving at 3pm(their time- 14 hours later). Departed there at 7:10pm and arrived in Beijing at 11:45pm, got to hotel at 1AM. In all a 30 hour excursion...

Woke up at 6:15 so that we could eat breakfast, exchange currency and eat breakfast. Breakfast was nice-pancakes, toast, omelet station, danishes, AND chinese breakfast cuisine (soups, dumplings, bean curd, and more).

We then headed to the the Closionne Factory, the home of anxient enamelware being made. Herbie our guide took us to several different parts of the factory where we saw the beautiful works of art. 1 small piece of art takes 30 different phases over weeks to complete. The working conditions were very poor, but the gift shop was amazing. Another interesting site was the bathroom. No seat or paper, luckily we were forewarned.

We then traveled 40 minutes to the Great Wall. The breathtaking views were overwhelming. The snow coverted terrain from the arctic blast last week was still evident. We rode a tram uo part of a mountain, and got out to walk. It was very steep, with many uneven stones covering the walkways. It was very windy and freezing cold, and so thankful for some great outerwear and pocket hand/toe warmers.

It was finally lunch time and we went to the Dragon Land Superior Jade Gallery. It was a family style lunch with a lazy susan. Authentic Chinese cuisine- steamed rice, dumplings, spicy beef, sweet and sour pork, egg drop soup, and more. And to throw a little extra in- french fries, corn, watermelon, and fruit salad. Mickey did well. We took a picture of the plate, because it was like a saucer. Very good food and we got to know some of the other families better.

We headed back to our motel, and traffic was terrible. It was worse than NYC- the honking,cutting off, and crammed roads full of car/bicyles/scooters. It was outragous. We had dinner in- Pizza Hut!! Yes, a cheese pizza, and it was great. Pizza Hut and KFC are big over here.

Our China Itinerary

2010-01-13T17:44:00.001-05:00

OK, so all bags packed and ready to go. The extra day I must say was a blessing!! Was able to do alot of last minute things and pack wisely. Here is our itinerary, of course subject to change. Thanks for everyones prayers, calls, and words of Encouragements. (And Pastor Greg, you knew it was Thursday ;) Also please pray for my Aunt Judy, my parents, Tommy/Stephanie, The Richardsons, and The Ricketts while they help take care of our 3 children while we are gone.

January 14- Fly from Chattanooga at 7:15AM, to Atlanta. Leave Atlanta at 11:20AM to Tokyo.

January 15- Arrive in Tokyo at 3:55PM, Board a plane to Beijing at 7:30 and arrive in Beijing at 11PM- Staying at the Chang'an Grand Hotel.

January 16- Visit Great Wall and Cloisonne Factory

January 17- Visit Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Hutong Tour. Evening flight to Shanghai at 7PM-9:15PM. Stay at the New World Mayfair Hotel.

January 18- Go to Shanghai Civil Affairs for "GOTCHA DAY"- where we will receive Anna

January 19- Go back to Civil Affairs to register adoption and notarization.

January 20- Visit Pudong Riverview Blvd, Oriental Pearl Tower and Huangpu River Cruise

January 21-Visit Old Shanghai

January 22- Visit Shanghai Zoo, receive Anna's passport in afternoon. Fly to Guangzhou at 4:30PM-6:30

January 23- Medical exam for Anna in the morning

January 24- Meeting to prepare for the consulate documents at 10AM

January 25- FREE

January 26- Visa Appointment

January 27- Go to the consulate to take the oath at 2:15PM

January 28- Go to the consulate to pick up Visa at 2:15PM

January 29- Flight at 9PM to Los Angeles, arriving at 5:50PM. Leave Los Angeles at 11:55PM

January 30- Arrive in Atlanta at 7AM, and back to Chattanooga at 10:45!!!!!

Traveling on THURSDAY, January 14th

2010-01-12T19:37:00.002-05:00

OK, so a whirlwind of changes occurred on Monday- no Visa's and no way to get them by Wed at 7am, when we were supposed to take out of Chatt....(unless we wanted to pay for someone to drive them from Washington DC to us for $1600- NOT)
STRESSED??? Understatement!! So I was in a fast and furious frenzy to gather all the important paperwork, passports, and money order to get shipped out to DC on Monday. The visas were approved today, and should arrive back to us on Wednesday morning by 10am . We were able to change our flights to Thursday, same ones... And the only thing we will miss out on is an orientation and Chinese acrobatic show in Beijing. :(

But, we saved $300 on the flights, a hotel night, and got to spend one more day/night with our kids- so it's all GOOD!

China BOUND!!! Whoo hoo, the TA (travel approval) arrived!!!

2010-01-08T22:46:00.001-05:00

Got the call this morning that we have an official consulate appointment (CA) for January 26th. We will be flying out Wednesday January 13th at 7am bound for China.....So much to do in so little time, but we will make it. We will arrive in Beijing on the 14th and sight see for a couple of days there. We will fly on the 17th to Shanghai, and on January 18th- we will meet our precious Anna, our official "GOTCHA DAY". Yeah!!! 3 years of waiting is finally going to pay off. We will stay there in Shanghai until January 25th, where we will fly to Guangzhou for our consulate app. We have to stay there 2 days until we get her passport, and then CHATT bound we are. We will arrive back in Chatt on Saturday, January 30th at 11AM. So excited!! Once we get our official itinerary, I will post it.

Tenative date

2010-01-03T16:10:00.001-05:00

Well, we have a tenative consulate appointment for January 27th at the embassy, hoping for the "big news" this week that we will travel in about 2 weeks. Our paperwork from Memphis sent on December 12th- is somehow still in transit. My parents are also leaving for Hawaii Jan 16th for 8 days, so going to be interesting for sure. I am posting this post because many who have recently traveled to China in Nov and Dec, say that blogger does not work due to the "great firewall", yet this is a workaround. Will see if it works....

Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.

Christmas Eve wish granted......

2009-12-24T23:02:00.002-05:00

The fingerprint approval that we have been waiting for since October, arrived today on Christmas Eve!!! I quickly faxed (twice-just to make sure) to our Bethany Social Worker, for her to notify the "China team" we are ready and waiting for an "official" travel date, and US/China Consulate appointment at the Embassy. Hopefully will know something within the next 2 weeks, and hoping to still be on that plane in January....God is good :)

Looking forward to 2010...

2009-12-20T20:04:00.003-05:00

Well, we are still waiting for our final travel approval(TA) to travel to China. Obviously, we will not have Anna this year for Christmas, and we are very disappointed about that. A part of us will be empty this Christmas, but we hope that will soon be filled in the coming months with joy as we hold our Anna for the first time. We know that 2010 is going to be a very special year for our family. We look forward to many Christmas's with Anna, and especially next year, her very first one in our 'forever family'.

We are hoping:

1) we get our fingerprint approval back this week, or VERY soon, so we can travel on JAN 14th. It has NEVER taken this long the other 2 times, and now that we are ready to go-we are waiting on this one document.

2) Jan 14th is the next group traveling to China, and we desperately want to be on that PLANE!!!!

3) If we don't travel in January, we have to travel in February, because one of our documents expires in March.

Will keep you posted as soon as we find out!

Another package for Anna

2009-11-19T17:58:00.003-05:00

We sent Anna another package through Anne at RedThread. We sent her a warm fleece outfit, and also a picture album. The picture album contained pictures of our home: outside, her room, the boys room, the kitchen, living room, our room, etc. Hopefully this will help once she arrives to our home, and it will be familiar to her.

The Girls Room......Olivia & Anna

2009-11-12T18:22:00.004-05:00

So here are a couple of pics of the girls room. They have our old master bedroom, which includes a walk in closet and a full bathroom....The closet space will hopefully be sufficient for 2 girls, especially going through the teenaged years.

LOA (Letter of Acceptance)

2009-11-09T17:00:00.003-05:00

Well, on Wednesday night November 4th, our official letter from China arrived!! This is one of the last milestones we are waiting on before we go get our Anna. I have attached a picture of this official document, as we do accept Anna as becoming our adopted daughter. Now what? We are waiting on our TA (Travel Approval) which we should know in 3-4 weeks. Looking like a December/January travel date, but really don't know until all the paperwork clears. In the meantime, we are composing another care package for Anna, which includes a picture book of our home. We will post updates/pictures of that when we receive them. Please pray for us, and the next coming months as we find out our travel date, and as we make arrangements for our 3 children here.

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock...

2009-10-27T15:23:00.003-04:00

So we are done with fingerprints for the LAST and FINAL time. We have painted 2 rooms, redecorated 2 rooms and are ready to go - to CHINA!!! But, we are still waiting on that call, that lets us know when. (I feel like a time bomb- ready to explode) We do know of 4 families leaving Nov 4th. At this point, praying for December travel date. Even though I would be disappointed in leaving my family during the holiday season, I know it would be worth it! (I have always been in HIXSON, TN for Christmas) Will post some pics soon of the new rooms. Thanks for continuing to pray for our Anna.

Fingerprints x3

2009-09-21T18:03:00.004-04:00

So we are waiting again (this is the 3rd time) for our appointment in Atlanta to get our fingerprints done! I mean seriously, how much could they change in 3 years, unless we lost one? Anyway, our first appt was sent for this Sat in ATL at 3PM, but due to 2 football games for the boys, and Mickey and the boys going to UT for the Vols game, we have sent for a reschedule....On a + note, some families are getting their travel date for Oct 22. Praying for these families as they bring their children home soon. How exciting they must be getting to start packing for their big trip. There was a total of 42 referrals accepted in August- How AMAZING!

Package to Anna arrived....

2009-09-05T13:25:00.003-04:00

We received confirmation from Anne at RedThread that our package was put together and delivered to Anna. Although the orphanage would not give any updates or new pics, Anna is getting her first glimpse at "the Rectors" and who we are. Below is the package contents that was sent to Anna.

Care package to Anna

2009-09-02T16:47:00.003-04:00

We sent a care package to Anna via Anne at http://www.redthreadchina.com/.
We sent her the PJ package (includes camera, set of PJ's, blanket, Candies to caregivers, a letter we wrote that she will translate, doll) We also sent 8 pics of our family that she will place in a soft photo album.
We are anxiously awaiting an update on her which Anne always provides to her customers. Check out her site, it's pretty neat!

Just some more bumps in the road...

2009-08-27T14:00:00.003-04:00

Prior to accepting our referral, we had sent off to ask 2 questions regarding Anna's cognitive state, and to rule out Cerebral Palsy(which one International Doctor said could be a possibility). Well, we got those answers back today with mixed emotions.
#1- A developmental test was done. In a nutshell, "child taken to room with doctor, very nervous and uncooperative, and doctor & caretaker said the results do not show a real her. Child very afraid of strange people and environment, very nervous and cried. " As you can probably tell, the test results were not good.......but I requested, they did it, and sent it.
#2- "When she goes to rehab. center to have therapy, the therapist states that this child does not have CP and her mental development is ok"

OK, so not the best thing you want to hear- nervous, scared of strange people and environment. (wouldn't we all be?)
Anyway, please keep praying for Anna...we pray that the transition from China to our new family will be as best and smooth as possible.

August 20, 2009- ACCEPTANCE- AnnaMei Grace Rector

2009-08-20T09:54:00.006-04:00

This morning, I am heading out to Bethany Christian Services to formally accept Zhu Lanmei as our new adopted daughter!!! Mickey and I have been praying ever since we received this referral, and most feedback from the medical field is optimistic. We know that we will be facing many challenges and adversity, but with the help of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we can do it. We covet your prayers, your continued support and encouragement, and look forward to this new chapter in our lives. More pics for you to adore!

WE GOT A REFERRAL!!!! July 23, 2009

2009-08-20T09:41:00.005-04:00

Amy from Bethany had left us a message and sent us an email about our referral for a SN's child. Her given name by her birthparents was Zhu Lanmei, and her orphanage name was Zhao Erya. She was born on April 9th, 2005. She had been abandoned on November 15th 2005 at the Zhabei Police station, with no success in finding the birthparents. She then was taken to the Shanghai City Children's Welfare Institute. It was quickly discovered on physical exam that she has a heart murmur. She later underwent a VSD, PFO, PS at the Childrens Medical Center from Jan 4 2007-Feb 2 2007. It was also discovered that she had a congenital hip dysplasia/dislocation and underwent another surgery Dec 24 2007- Jan 29 2008. Over the coming weeks we were provided with more extensive history and medical information, provided on August 10th . We have taken it to several doctors, speech therapist/physical therapist (thanks Andrea/Kevin/Lori/Dr Steve/Dr Vetne for your input) and have to make a decision by August 24 09.

2009-08-12T09:04:00.002-04:00

On the afternoon of July 22nd, we had reached out to our social worker to maybe start checking into different countries for adoption. We were checking on new programs, quicker wait times, etc. This was our third time doing this. Our social worker said that maybe if we upped the age that we would accept on a SN (Special Needs) child, we would have a better chance. So we upped our age to 4 years of age. The SN China team confirmed our request on the morning of July 23rd.
We enjoyed a night out with the family at the Genghis Grill and the Lookouts and when we got home at 10:30 PM that night, we had a message....

2009-07-31T08:23:00.001-04:00

Update from Bethany Blog:
CCAA Portal Update! LID’s through the review room: AUGUST 31, 2007 LID’s through referral: MARCH 22, 2006 CCAA has announced that families have received referrals with LID's through March 22, 2006 - only advancing 2 days. Bethany did not receive any referrals. Our next LID's are March 24 & March 28, 2006. There is no change regarding dossiers through the review room. We continue to match children from the CCAA portal, and have presented 6 children to families for consideration over the past couple of weeks.

2009-07-28T15:51:00.002-04:00

"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me..."
Matthew 18:5

We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life. But those who make their journey home across time & miles, growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them, are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by God's very own hands.

Still waiting, praying, and listening.

Steven Curtis Chapman Concert

2009-05-20T10:20:00.004-04:00

03/28/09

We had the pleasure of being volunteers for the Steven Curtis Chapman/Michael W. Smith Concert in Hixson on behalf of "Show Hope".

Show Hope is taking the place of Shoahanna's Hope. It is an amazing foundation that helps bring hope and life to orphans in China who desperately need surgeries and medical care. You can save lives and change the world for orphans through Maria’s Big House of Hope, a six-story caring facility in central China.

http://www.showhope.org/

It was an amazing concert, as well as a wonderful evening spent talking to families who have adopted, and who are also logged in to China like us still waiting.

After the show we got the pleasure of meeting Steven C. Chapman, and it was truly a blessing.

2009-03-02T08:09:00.000-05:00

On 02/27/09, our information was forwarded to the Bethany Grand Rapids Main office for the Children of Promise program (COP). This program is for parents who would consider a less than perfect child. They may have some sort of flaw/medical issue- scar, heart defect, asthma, deformites, to more severe issues.
Our hearts are open to this and know that God has for us the perfect little girl, whoever she may be. We are excited to be a part of this opportunity.

2009-02-19T10:56:00.000-05:00

As of 02/02/09:(Bethany's update)
CCAA Portal Update!
LID’s through the review room: March 31, 2007 LID’s through referral: March 2, 2006
Our next BCS LID's from 06 are: March 9, March 14, March 24 & March 28

2008-11-26T18:18:00.000-05:00

Here is the latest update from the China website November 14,2008- CCAA Portal Update!
LID’s through the review room: February 28, 2007 (no change)
LID’s through referral: February 17, 2006

(still over a year away)

2008-11-26T17:30:00.000-05:00

Our adoption journey began well before Mickey and I even married. We were at Cancun Mexican Restaraunt during the 1992 Olympics and were talking about the Chinese Gymnist. We both agreed that it would be awesome to adopt a girl from China(since the females are disregarded there). Who knew that 15 years ago those thoughts and that talk over chips & salsa would start us with the journey and process of adoption. We got married in May 21, 1994. Our first son Zachary, was born November 6,1998. Our second son Jared, was born December 12,2000. And our daughter Olivia was born on March 16,2003. We have been so blessed with 3 healthy children, who would have thought we needed any more?

It was a Sunday night in May 2006, a Bethany Christian Services social worker had come to speak and share a video. The video was titled "the lost girls of china". Mickey asked the social worker (Mary) who would in 6 months become our social worker to borrow it to show me. He brought it home, days later I watched it, and would consider maybe the possibility. December 2007 I was searching the internet and Bethany's site, in which I decided to request additional info for China Adoptions. Mickey stumbled up on me and asked me what I was doing, and he said he had requested info the day before on the same website. I knew at that moment, that God had called us to adopt. The seed he planted 15 yrs ago was slowly being cultivated in both of us. You never know what God is going to do in your lives if you just listen. (And Mickey and I both heard him calling LOUD & CLEAR!)

We met with Mary at Bethany and started the process of ALL the paperwork. We finally finished in May.
Here are our "important dates"
DTC(date to china) May 10,2007
LID (log in date) May 18,2007