How do I know God loves me?

He hears my prayers..And he answers them.
When fear creeps in... if I follow him and trust him, he will show me his bigger and better plans for my life.

This is our first evening together,  we pegged this kid all wrong, we pegged her as the serious type, the mellow type.  We weren't expecting how outrageously amazing she is.  We were at dinner with another Mommy & her beautiful daughters.  When we first sat down Finn looked a bit concerned, new places, new faces, it had seemed we overwhelmed her.  But alas once she started CHOWING her dinner and half of Papa's dinner, we started to get some little smiles, which quickly turned into big smiles, which turned into her being a little copy cat and having a ball.  We were shocked that she has come out of her shell so quickly.  I could just stare at her for hours, she is a trip, Mina get ready baby, you and your baby sister are going to be quite the duo!  I couldn't sleep, so I had to get up and show y'all these adorable photos, I just couldn't resist.  Can't wait to soak her up some more tomorrow.   Thank you everyone for you super supportive comments, It means so much to have my little cheering section when I am so far away from home.  Love to you all!  

God is good! Meet Finn

I can't believe how amazing this last few hours have been. The dream I was scared to dream. Our little girl is so amazing.  The adoption affairs was filled with anticipating families, you could hear a room full of crying children.  Of course our guide wanted me to sit down and do paperwork... puh-leeze ...  As soon as I sat down I saw Finn walking out, being led by her nanny.  She is a serious and mellow little girl.  She watched me for a minute or two and gave me an intense stare-down.  She did cry but only for a little bit, she kept shaking her head "no".   She calmed down very quickly and I do believe that Cheerios were the key.  She finds great comfort in Cheerios.  She gave Papa some hugs too as he doled out the snacks and he got to hug on her while I completed the paperwork and while we walked through the local Carefour (just like Walmart).   So far she seems completely cuddly and relaxed.  I know these next few days will be a big adjustment for her and we are likely to see much more personality shine through.  We are looking forward to spending time in this beautiful little city as we get to know our precious new daughter.  

We are in China baby!

We meet Finn in 12 hours, so our next post will be of our BABY!
We made it to Guangzhou!!! It has been a loooooong day,for the past 25 hours I felt like a 10 year old who needed her Mommy to pick her up at sleep away camp. But the second we entered the Beijing airport I felt much better. We really love China, it's efficient chaos. It is beautiful and I feel like it is part of me now because it is part of my girls. I am not a world traveler, I wish I were. I would love to see every corner of this beautiful earth someday, now if I could do it without air travel and still sleep in my own bed every night... I would be all over it. We are still broken hearted that Mina is not here to experience China with us, especially now that I realize the travel warning had a much louder bark than bite. ( We received some pretty loud "barking" from the China adoption center) I am sure there is a reason that we changed our minds last minute and Mina is home having a great time with her Grandparents and brothers and sister. This will be Finn's one and only chance to be an only child and to bond with us... I am sure that will be a very precious time. It all seems a bit surreal, after months of waiting we will be handed our baby girl tomorrow. What will she be like, will she be frightened, or numb, or bond quickly. We already know we will love her to pieces. If you are following along please say a prayer for Finn's little heart, I am sure she will be very confused tomorrow, please pray that God fills her heart with his love and that she bonds quickly to us. Can't wait to post again,,,, with photos of Finn!!! We meet her at 2:30 tomorrow (so 2:30 in the morning US time).
Collin, Kobi, Jackson & Mina, we miss you like crazy already! I am the luckiest Mommy in the whole world! 

Getting on our final plane of the trip from Beijing to Guangzhou!

Marc's bloodshot eyes after 24 hours either on a plane or in an airport waiting for a plane.  

Leaving on a jet plane...

We are going to China! We are thrilled. My stomach is doing flip-flops. This crazy "pig flu" has seriously messed with our plans. We are sadly leaving Mina at home with the other kids and her grandparents. I really wanted to take her back to China for several reasons, but we feel it is the best option to leave her at home, since people that have fever symptoms are being quarantined in China. So, nerve racking to say the least. Please keep us in your prayers that we have safe travels and that we meet Finn on Monday and everything goes according to schedule. I will update daily as possible. We miss our kids already and no doubt I will be going in their room 10 more times tonight to kiss their sweet faces. Oh, how it rips a Mama's heart out. Here is Mina's Gotcha Day video I made from our travel last year. As much as we love China, and have been so excited about our trip, I can't wait to be home safe and sound and make Finn's adoption day Video! (I just noticed blogger cuts off some of the words but you can still see all the video, I'm to tired to try to fix it... gotta go get on that plane)

How do you know when your brain has reached capacity?

When you lose your day's to-do list 3 times before 8:00a.m. and you resort to 6th grade and write all over you hand so you can't misplace it and it is always "handy" (sorry, I had too, when I resort to being cheesy, you know I have truly lost it.  I even laughed at my husbands corny jokes yesterday.)    We are coming baby!

What up?

Things have been quite around this blog, because we are living the flip-side of quite.  So much for being prepared and packed and soaking up the last week of having only 4 kiddos.  We have run into a few snafus with our immigration paperwork (of which the Consulate in China had no record, which would mean either our travel would be delayed or we could possibly travel, but not bring Finn home.  It is the U.S. side of things that got all screwy but we worked it out)  and now this big "pig flu" scare.  I will admit that I got a little worked up yesterday,I caved and fell for the media hype with our upcoming travel and  fearing that the airports in China wouldn't intercept planes from the U.S. -hype.   I am laying all my fears and worries down, giving them over to God, and becoming more and more excited about meeting Finn.    The best $10 I have EVER spent,  on a super hot summer day about 3 years ago I bought one of those horrible looking little plastic pools.  Every year when it gets just hot enough out.. my kids beg to play in it and I drag it out of storage...  The thing won't quit and they LOVE it.  all of them, who knew?  Sorry, my wonderful neighbors (hi Chris) that you have to look at this ugly piece of blue plastic in my backyard.  

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

We are counting down the days, 9 sleeps to be exact before we load up all our goods and hop aboard the plane. 

Wooohoooo!  The suitcase is Zipppped and weighed (In China the luggage weight requirements are more stringent and much more enforced).  This is so stressful, I admit that I am an over-packer, I can't help it. Good thing there are strict requirements, it would be so easy for me to pack 2 times as much.  Only about 25% of this is clothes for 4 people for 14 days, the rest is Medicine, diapers, formula, bottles, sippy cups, toys, blankies, comfort food snacks ( I like shrimp flavored chips as much as the next guy, but sometimes you just need some trail mix and instant oatmeal, oh, and M&M's and skittles for baby bribery)Test run on Skyp*!  Check out the photo below of Mina Cracking herself up, doing her Little Rascals, Alfalfa/Froggy impersonation.  Such the performer, she loves a captive audience!  

I think I'm gonna be sick...

We got word today that Collin received the scholarship to study abroad next year, his Junior year of High School, he is going to be living in Beijing, China for 6 months, excuse me while I toss my cookies.  Am I supposed to be excited?  Not so much.. I am proud of him... but the over-protective (ask anyone that knows me, over protective is an understatement) Mommy that I am feels dizzy and scared for my not so baby. Come back to this blog around Christmas time of next year while we are packing his bags and help me pick the pieces of my heart up off the floor. I think we are at the point in life where I need him more than he needs me.  I am not ready to let him loose into this big crazy world, especially on the other side of it.  I can't even think about it all right now.  My Mommy emotions are in full gear.  Please pray for him, and me.  I pray that this experience is a positive one for him.  I know it will change him drastically, I just pray that it is for the best.  

Playing with my new camera.

SO,,, my girls came over last night, we ate and ate and ate, and then my girl, Mary gave me a run down on the SLR camera before my upcoming trip to meet my adorable baby.. WOOHOOO.  So I played for a bit today with my little twirps.  I like this one, Mina laughing at the silly faced kids. This is a photo that( for those of you who are photographically savvy, I am sure you are not impressed, but since I am a newbie) I love that Jack is all focused and adorable and Kobi & Mina are crawling around in the background all fuzzy like..  

Ok, I love these next photos, because I was just sitting in the back trying to figure out all the buttons on my new camera,,, and in the matter of 3 minutes I simply capture all of these smiles.. I have never seen a person or child that smiles with this much of their face,  I bet her toes are smiling.. and she was just playing with a simple beach ball and the dog..  Seriously, If you can look at these photos and not crack a smile... 

We have our dates!!

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Yippeeeee!!!, We just got word that we received our Travel Approval from China.  We are requesting our dates tonight, as soon as they are confirmed we can book our flights!  We are asking to leave in 2 weeks.  Hold on Baby, we are coming!  So stinkin' excited!!!! 

Happy Easter!

My baby requested Sushi for her B-day dinner, since her actual birthday fell on Easter we ended up making sushi for the family last night.. Quite the labor of love,  but my 7 year old daughter can make her own sushi roll from beginning to end.  We spend 3 hours yesterday rockin' out to Ta*lor Swift, her fave, and making California rolls, her 2nd fave.  I have so much fun with this kid!  As much as it pains me to be losing my baby girl, I can't wait to see what an awesome woman she is going to be.  

Yesterday

Kobi had her birthday party at the house yesterday,  we rented a bounce house for her and her friends,, but couldn't resist taking WAY too many photos of the kids before the party got started. 

The kids had a candy hunt, picking through the hay.. definitely an good party game, the kids loved it and it was super simple to pull off from a Mommy perspective too.

Anyone recognize this horrible contraption, you can read all about it HERE... definitely NOT worth the Mommy effort on this one.. Still the kids liked it, and I liked seeing it get demolished!

Right after her party we had to get to church, here we are looking a bit frazzled and rough for an Easter church service, but a photo of all of us together is priceless.. so here it is. It looks so incomplete to me.. I want my Finnnnnnnnnn!!!!!

Had to color our Easter Eggs, so fun.  I have to become inspired to make a bunch of deviled eggs or egg salad this afternoon.  I think it must be a sin to throw out that many eggs, but after watching this whole mess go down.. the last thing I want to do is consume these bad-boys... (The guy in the gray is James, he's our buddy that lives down the street.  I love this boy like one of my own... he loves getting in on our messes,,, he even showed up this morning 3o minutes after our egg hunt, what teenage boy wakes up and gets ready and is at your house at 8:00a.m. to look for eggs, ON A SUNDAY.  He about broke my heart, he thought for sure we wouldn't be out and done before 8:00a.m.  I almost called Mr. Easter Bunny and had him re-hide eggs so he could go and search for them.)  
Last year we were in Beijing on Easter Sunday,  we held Mina in our arms for the very first time the next day, on Monday.. This morning marked the last of the first's, as far as holidays go for Mina... bittersweet.  

I have been having fun with my new schmancy camera,  How handsome is my guy?  I had to throw random objects at him to get a genuine smile, otherwise he is a big cheeseball... He looks all growed up.. My baby... he's gonna kill me.
Kobi's birthday is this weekend, we got to paint the "spirit rock" in front of her school.  She has been waiting for this.  Girl is all about the process,  she is not one for surprises she much rather be in on it..  She is having more fun planning her party and getting things ready than she will have at the actual party.. That is just my girl, the process is the point.  

She is just a little proud of her masterpiece.. Note to self, next time bring paint and a brush,,, I think we all developed carpal tunnel and went through 15 cans of spray paint.. 

This has probably been a long time coming,, I have been coveting a new fancy pants camera, I know, I am ashamed to admit it. Now with our big upcoming trip to China to finally hold Finn for the first time, the trip where I am purposely selfishly rerouting our travel for the soul purpose of a photo op of both of my girls on the Great Wall of China. I went over to my girlfriends house today and messed with her fancy pants camera for all of 7 minutes.. I was SOLD!  So I finally caved and my new camera should be here in 5-7 business days!  I am soooooo excited! 

What do I do with this child's hair? I am at a loss? It is usually hidden under a hat? April Fool's, I am already mourning the day that my kids don't get such a kick out of simple stuff like making and serving dirt cups for desert on April Fool's day.  They thought they were SO funny when they passed these puppies out.  We all "eeeewwwwe 'd and grrrooooosss'd" and pitched fits because they wanted us to eat dirt.  Mina was a bit freaked out and wouldn't eat it... Someday they are going to think their Mommy's sooo lame, but right now I am a rockstar because I let them eat pudding, cookies and gummy worms in the same sitting...Oh, if it could just stay this easy....Layer number one in the first suitcase.  I am savoring my packing because I know the more prepared I am for our trip the more my arms will ache to hold my precious daughter.  The only thing that keeps me sane is my outrageous To-Do list!