Another addition to MSE's School Family

Introducing Meredith Abigail Grace, Michelle and Andrew's newest addition to their family. She will be called Maggie for short (note the initials). She is a happy, healthy girl and is simply beautiful. Congratulations Michelle and Andrew!!!!
 

Ross Family Reunion in Missouri

We've just returned from a family reunion in Missouri, and I must say it was a much needed vacation. Once again, while we were hundreds of miles away from home, God managed to work his magic in our lives. While we were at the park in Sedalia, MO for the reunion, some of the family members decided to continue a longtime family tradition and take a train ride through the park. Well, low and behold, who comes strolling up but a mother and her beautiful "China Doll." We were blessed once again to become acquainted with a lady from Sedalia who, along with her husband, has adopted from China. Elaina (I hope I'm spelling it correctly) was simply beautiful. We realize it was God's way of sending us a message to be patient and wait for His plan to be carried out. We were also blessed to witness Troy's 2nd cousin, Lydia, who was born premature and is now a healthy 7 year old, donate almost 200 Beanie Babies to the local LifeFlight helicopter crew. It was on a similar helicopter that Lydia was rushed to a larger hospital after her birth and her life was saved. The Beanies will be given to sick children who are also patients on LifeFlight. What a beautiful thing to witness.

 

More than a Name without a Face
Afraid at first to say it out loud,
for fear that it might not come true.
Then one day we referred to Karsynn
and everyone finally knew it was you.
A name, but no face
and we're sure some wondered why
we would even use if so freely.
Our dear China Doll, it is because we can imagine your face in our minds so sweetly.
We picture a round face
and dark, almond-shaped eyes,
dark hair and ivory skin,
a cute button nose,
cherry red lips
and a heart welcoming us in.
You are so much more to mommy and daddy
than a name without a face.
Sweet baby of ours,
you may not know yet,
but in our hearts
you've already claimed your own place.

Even More Photos!!!

 

More AHH Picnic Pictures!

 

AHH Reunion Picnic 2006

Finally, we're putting names with faces. The first couple are from Louisa, KY and have only been back a month with their "sweetie." The next couple will HOPEFULLY be in our travel group, and they are from Bardstown, KY. The last picture you're looking at is a couple that CANNOT wait to bring their beautiful China Doll home, Troy and I, of course. We had a great day filled with lots of observing, but next year we'll have Karsynn, so we'll be participating then. WE CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!! Hurry up, CHINA!!!!!!!!
 

Still Waiting...

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1 This verse was sent to me in our monthly update from A Helping Hand, our adoption agency. Just one more reminder that God has a plan for Troy and I, and Karsynn is out there waiting for us to come get her, all in due time. As for an update, Troy and I are registered to attend the annual A Helping Hand Adoption Picnic on June 24th. Basically, anyone who has adopted in the past through AHH is invited to attend. They have games, toys, etc. for the kids (those who have them) and they have getting to know you sessions and other fun things planned for the adults. Now, some may say we're crazy for putting ourselves through watching other adoptive families having a fun time with their babies while we still WAIT, but in some small way it will make us feel closer to Karsynn. We have been in touch with several people who could potentially be part of our travel group in China, and some of them plan to be there, too. So, it will be nice to get to know others who are "in our shoes" and are wading through this painful wait, too. I'm sure we'll have lots of pictures to post from the reunion picnic, so stay tuned. “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him.” 1 Samuel 1:27

Happy 5th Grade Graduation, Whitney Brooke!!

Whitney, it seems like just yesterday you were born, and here you are ready for middle school. Uncle Troy and I are so very proud of you! Do they offer Babysitting 101 in middle school? 

Back from the Beach!

Troy and I recently returned from a trip to Myrtle Beach with a couple of friends. We had an eventful trip, but overall it was great! We REALLY needed time away from the computer, work, email, cell phones, etc. It was nice to simply relax and have nothing to do unless we wanted to do it. Now, it's back to the real world. No updates to report on Karsynn, but we did run into a couple from Tennessee who have one adopted daughter and are in the process of adopting a second. Their little one was simply beautiful and they graciously allowed us to intrude on their vacation and ask them questions. God works in mysterious ways! 

The Wait gets Even LONGER!!!!

For many of you, I'm sure it's difficult to understand how and why this adoption is taking SOOOOO LONGGGGG. Well, the only answer or explanation we have for you is that we are at the mercy of the Chinese government. There simply isn't anything that we, or anyone else, can do at this point. We, along with thousands of other adoptive parents, simply wait. Another update was issued on CCAA's website today, and it's NOT looking good. At the pace they are going, it's difficult to predict when we might get our referral for Karsynn. In order to make this unbearable wait easier for Troy and I, we simply aren't going to make anymore predictions about our referral and travel dates. It's just too hard!! Please don't be offended if you ask about the adoption and we simply say, "We're still waiting." That's the truth and we don't know anything more than that. All we can do is wait and pray that God's plan involves a referral very soon, as our hearts break over and over again each month as fewer referrals are given. Thank you for being patient with us during this difficult wait.

CCAA Update

The China Center for Adoption Affairs has updated their website, and our worst fears have been realized. They only issued referrals for children for people who were logged in from May 31-June 6. Our LID is Nov. 4th, so we fear that our wait may be even longer than we had planned. We are trying to stay very positive during this long wait, but our hearts are saddened by this news. The emotions that we are experiencing during our wait are undescribable, so we appreciate how understanding and patient all of our friends and family are trying to be. There simply isn't anything we can do to speed up the process or help you understand the process any better. You have to experience it to understand it. Please remember Troy and I in your prayers. Also, we have many new friends who are waiting, as well, and may actually be in our travel group. Please keep them in your prayers, too. I've spoken with several of the "moms-to-be" lately, and they, too, are having some difficult days. It's nice, however, to have someone to talk to that's going through the exact same emotions. Karsynn, wherever you are (if you are even born yet), I know that God is watching over you. Mommy and Daddy will come and get you as soon as we possibly can. We love you with all of our hearts!!!

Welcome to the World Emily Adkins!!!

Buck and Susan finally welcomed Emily on April 18, 2006. We hope that Emily and Karsynn will be great friends. Now, we just need to bring Karsynn home.


 

Clothes, books, and yes, more toys!

We've waited 13 years for our first child, so "yes" we are having a blast getting ready for her! We've bought clothes of all sizes, tons of books, and yes, lots of toys. It looks like Karsynn already needs a bigger closet and another bookshelf. DADDY!!!!!!

 

Toy Update!!!

Yes, she's already SPOILED!!! Troy and I, especially Troy, simply cannot resist buying her toys. Oh well, we've waited 13 years for our first child, so it's our right!!!!  

Our Sonogram Picture

A friend of mine sent me our first official ultrasound picture. She said that every new mother needs a picture of her first sonogram. Just think, Karsynn is there somewhere in the big country of China.

Karsynn's Cousins

Karsynn will have two cousins. Whitney is 10 and Dylan is 8, and they can't wait for Karsynn to come home to us. They talk about her all the time, and they promise me that they'll help me take care of her, maybe even babysit one day? We'll see! 

Karsynn's Buddy

This is Bentley, our Yorkshire Terrier. He has been our baby for 3 years, and he will be Karsynn's "Best Friend." We also have an outside dog named Biscuit. 

Gifts from Mamaw and Papaw Davis

This is a picture of my beautiful white rocker that my parents bought for us. I'm sure I'll spend many countless hours rocking Karsynn to sleep or simply reading our favorite books in this chair. The rocking horse was a Christmas gift from Mamaw Davis. The horse neighs and its head and tail moves when you press its ear. Quite cute! Thanks Mamaw and Papaw! 

Gifts for Karsynn

We plan on sending the baby elephant with a care package to China when we know what orphanage Karsynn is in. We'll include a note that says when the mommy and baby elephants are back together, then we'll be a family forever. The baby doll was a Christmas gift from Grandma Teresa. She's an Asian doll with beautiful almond shaped eyes. 

Update

Well, 3/04 will make four months that our paperwork was logged in with China. That's four months down and ? months to go. We hope only 4, but we are at the mercy of the Chinese government now, so who knows? I'm sure they're doing their best to match waiting families, and we are so appreciative. Our agency did receive 22 referrals this month, so that means that 22 more "china dolls" will be coming home forever very soon. Over the past few weeks, we've been in contact with 8 or 9 couples from our agency who may possibly be traveling with us on our journey. They all seem so nice, and it's wonderful to be able to chat with those who know what we are going through. We hope to make some new lifelong friends during this process, not only for ourselves, but for Karsynn, too. Until next time...

Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XL Champs!!!

Karsynn-

Here's proof that Mommy did support Daddy's favorite team during the Super Bowl. 

Update on Karsynn

Well, the update is that there really isn't an update...UGHHHHHHHH! We haven't heard anything at all from China, and we don't anticipate hearing anything until July. Our Log in Date in China was 11/04, right now it is taking approximately 8 months from LID to get a referral. So, that would make our referral time around July. From that time, we will travel between 5-8 weeks, so I anticipate us leaving for China in August. This isn't exactly the timeframe we had hoped for, but we are not the One in control, now are we? This is something that Troy and I have come to understand during this process. We are at God's mercy and the mercy of the Chinese government. If, in fact, we don't travel until August, then Troy will probably take off the first two weeks of school, and I will try to take off at least 8 weeks. It will all depend on how things go. The sad thing is that we are teachers, so one of will have to work in order to pay the bills. I wish things were different, but oh well. We will make it work, so that Karsynn has what she needs. Again, thank all of you for keeping up-to-date by reading this blog. As we learn more, then we'll let you know. We have had email contact with several couples that will probably be in our travel group to China. They all have similar LIDs as Troy and I. One couple is from Walton, KY (near Cincinnati) and two others are from Indiana. We're very excited to get to know them and share in their journey.

Happy Chinese New Year Karsynn!!!!

Yesterday was a great day. Troy and I, along with my niece, Whitney, went to the Lexington Children's Museum and Explorium to begin the Chinese New Year celebration. We were entertained by four skillful dancers from Harbin, China, who attend the most prestigious dance school in China. Harbin is in Northern China where the temperatures reach 30 below zero. It is the home of the famous Ice Sculpture celebration. The dancers introduced us to many Chinese cultural dances that were simply amazing. My favorite was the one where the boy and girl danced together wearing stilts. WOW! There were also about 20+ young Chinese girls who attend a Chinese dance class in Lexington who also performed. They were so adorable. Troy was able to learn to do a bit of origami, and he made Karsynn a paper dog, since 2006 is the Year of the Dog. We watched the art of papercutting, viewed many cultural artifacts, and then participated in some fun activities in the Explorium. We all had a great time. My favorite part was seeing all of the adopted children and their parents celebrating a small part of the Chinese culture. This is very important to Troy and I. We want Karsynn to know about and be proud of her Chinese heritage. She will always be an Asian American, and a very proud one at that. Daddy and I will make sure of.

A Beautiful Adoption Poem

Legacy of an Adopted Child
Once there were two women who never knew each other.

One you do not remember, the other you call mother.

Two different lives, shaped to make your one...

One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first gave you life and the second taught you to live it.

The first gave you a need for love, and the second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name.

One gave you a seed of talent, the other gave you an aim.

One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears.

One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried your tears.

One gave you up ... that's all she could do.

The other prayed for a child and God led her straight to you.

And now you ask me, through your fears,

the age old question unanswered throughout the years...

Heredity or environment .. Which are you the product of..

Neither, my darling .. Neither…

just two very different kinds of love.

~ Author Unknown ~

Chinese New Year

Troy and I are planning to attend the Chinese New Year celebration in Lexington, KY this coming Saturday at the Explorium and Lexington Children's Museum. We will learn about Chinese music and dance. There will be Chinese performance artists to watch, and we will also participate in the art of calligraphy and papercutting. We plan on taking our niece, Whitney, and nephew, Dylan, so that they can learn about Karsynn's culture, too. Yesterday, we attended another parent workshop in Lexington at AHH. It was dealing with travel to China and cultural sensitivity. It was extremely helpful and very interesting. We want to be as prepared as possible for our trip to Karsynn's homeland, so that we do not do anything to shame or disgrace her culture and people. We've also been in touch with another couple who have the same Log In Date, and possibly will travel with us to China. They seem very nice, but we have not met in person, yet. It will be nice to get to know them. Please keep sending up prayers that China will soon speed the referral process back up, again.

Karsynn's Lifebook

I have finally started working on Karsynn's lifebook. Troy and I worked on putting our thoughts to paper until late last night. It was quite hilarious reflecting on our lives over the last 13 years. Yes, that's how long Troy and I have been married. We married young and have managed to make it work. It seems so strange that in a very short time, our dream of becoming parents will come true. As I wrote Karsynn's name into our Family Tree my heart smiled. Until now, our Family Tree has seemed incomplete because a very special person was missing...our Karsynn. I cannot wait until she is placed in my arms for the very first time. I can't even imagine the joy that I will experience in that magicial moment.

Happy New Year 2006!!!!

Dear Karsynn,

Daddy and I just celebrated New Year's 2006, and we can't help but wonder if you are somewhere in China, having celebrated earlier today. It's officially the Year of the Dog, and that means we're that much closer to you. This journey has been so long, but with each passing day we know that you will soon be a part of our world. 2006 will surely be the very best year of our lives. I cannot even explain to you, or anyone else, how ready Daddy and I are for you. I've always been told that one should never wish their life away, but the day we travel to China to bring you home forever cannot get here soon enough for us. Our wishes for the new year are for you to be healthy, happy, and for you to know in your heart that you have been a dream in our hearts for a very long time. You have been wanted from the moment you were born. God knew that we needed you and that you needed us, too. It won't be much longer little one, and Daddy and I will be coming to get you. Until then, I pray that God sends angels to watch over you every day and every night. I pray that he whispers sweet dreams in your ears at night. I pray that whomever is taking care of you is loving you as much as I do. We love you and we'll come and get you as soon as God allows.

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Christmas 2005- Our Last Without Karsynn!!!

Lord's willing and nothing happens, this will be our last Christmas and New Years without our baby girl. Hopefully, this time next year, she will be celebrating with us. Things sure will be different around here! She isn't even here yet, but she really "raked it in" at Christmas. Daddy spoiled her absolutely rotten!! She has a wagon, a dinosaur piano, a Mulan Barbie, UK outfits and a hat, and tons more. She will be absolutely rotten!!! Grandma Teresa bought her a Chinese baby doll for Christmas. She's beautiful! She looks so real. It will be a great training tool for Bentley. He doesn't quite know what to think about her yet.

Please continue to pray for a quick referral!!!

Troy and Sammi

Check out this Cool Website

www.thestoryofyou.com

When you go into the site, click on In China Now. These families are currently in China getting their darlings, and you can see pictures and read their daily updates about their journey. Troy and I are thinking of doing something similar when we go, so that everyone we love and share in our special moments with us. I check updates daily on this site. Somehow, I feel it helps make my wait a little easier.

Love to you all,
Sammi

Our Dossier has been Logged In in China!

We received an email from our agency that our Dossier (paperwork) was logged in with China on 11/04/05, so it took a little more than two weeks for it to all be translated from English to Chinese and reviewed. Our 6-8 month wait officially begins now. So, let me attempt to update our projected timeline:

10-14-05 Dossier sent to China (DTC) (Date to China)
11-04-05 Dossier Logged In (LID) Log in Date (It generally takes 6-8 months from the LID to get a referral
Projected Referral Time June 2006???????
Projected Travel Time Now August 2006????

Our timeline is a bit different than what we had anticipated, but God holds the plan, not us. If there's one thing I've learned throughout this entire process, it's that God's will be done! We'll go when he's ready for us to go. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

Rumors of Delayed Referrals...I Pray it isn't True!

I am on several different forums and chat groups that center around international adoption, and sometimes I wonder why I put myself through it. The rumor mill is running rampid that referrals that have recently been taking 6-7 mos. may now be pushed back to 8 or 9 months. I pray to God that this isn't true. We're going to trust that God has a plan already in the works for Troy and I, and "let go and let God." Only He knows when the perfect time will be when Karsynn is ready for us to come and get her. If you are a person of faith, then please say a prayer for us.

Being a Soon-to-Be Mom Changes Things

Being a soon-to-be mommy sure changes the way you view things in life. Yesterday, I underwent a minor surgery (lapraoscopy) to check on a few things, and thank God I came through just fine, only a few minor pains to mention. I can't believe how nervous I was to have the procedure done. The last thing I remember saying to the guy putting me to sleep was, "I have a baby girl in China waiting on me to come and get her, so you take extra good care of me in here today." Well, he did. No pressure, right??? Becoming a mother causes you to second guess everything you do, because now there's someone else in this world who is depending on you. To say the least, it was a very enlightening experience.

We are DTC as of 5:00 Today!!!!!

As of today at 5:00 P.M., we are finally DTC (Date to China). Our dossier was sent to China today, via FedEx, and should arrive in China by Monday or Tuesday. So, here is the timeline we can expect, unless there are any glitches in the process in China:

• Dossier will arrive in China Monday or Tuesday
  
• Chinese officials will translate all of the paperwork from English to Chinese, which can take up to two weeks
  
• Translated dossier will then be sent to CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs)
  
• At this point, we will be given a Log In Date (LID). From this point we can expect a 6-7 month wait
  
• When a child is matched with us, we anticipate this to happen around April or May, then we will be sent our Referral, which contains several pictures of our daughter, birth information, abandonment information, and health records.
  
• We should travel 4-8 weeks after our referral.
  
• We will travel to China and stay two weeks in Karsynn's homeland, before we bring her home forever!
  

From this point on, it is basically a waiting game, so you may not hear very much from us. However, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, and please pray that all goes smoothly and we can get Karsynn as soon as possible. Until next time...Goodnight!

Nursery Update!

It's official. I don't think there's one more thing that can even FIT into Karsynn's room. Papaw and Mamaw Davis bought us a beautiful, white rocking chair from Cracker Barrell. It is simply PERFECT! I sneak in there at night and rock, just imagining what it will be like when Karsynn finally arrives. It's the most peaceful feeling I've had in a very long time. Daddy put together a toybox, and we finally found a quilt rack and Time Out bench at the Apple Festival this weekend in Paintsville, KY. Now, all we truly need is Karsynn.

The I-171H has ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!!

Well, after many long weeks of checking the mailbox daily hoping to find "the final document" and nothing being there, our wait is finally over, but not without a few issues, of course. We received our I-171H on Monday of this past week. We were so elated, that we didn't even bother to check over it to see that it was correct, that is until later on that night. After checking it over, we found not one, but TWO mistakes. Troy's name was listed as Troy D. Harfield and my middle name was Rend and not Rena. After 72 days, you'd think they could at least get our names correct?? So, I made a phone call to Sen. McConnell's office to see if they could get things straigtened out for us in a timely manner, and they did. The updated (correct) version of the document arrived on Thursday, THANK GOODNESS. Troy took Friday off from work, and rushed our completed Home Study and the I-171H to Frankfort for authentication. Then, he stopped by AHH to see our Family Advocate, Ebbie. After checking things over, Ebbie felt that we were ready to FedEx our documents to Washington, D.C. to be hand-delivered to the Sec. of State's office for authentication, and finally to the Chinese Consulates office. When this has been done, the courier will FedEx the documents back to our agency, hopefully by this Friday, and our paperwork will be off to China. From the time China receives our Dossier, we have a 6 to 7 month wait for our referral, at which time we will see our first pictures of our daughter and will receive her birth and medical information. The wait will be long and difficult, but well worth it when they place her in our arms. To all of you who've said a prayer for us lately, we say, "Thank You!"

Day 71 and STILL waiting!!!!

Troy and I have been in contact with our Adoption Agency, Senator Mitch McConnell's office, and Sen. Ben Chandler's office, and still no I-171H. However, according to our Family Advocate, Ebbie, USCIS says that there isn't anything missing in our paperwork that would cause this holdup. Instead, USCIS has gotten behind on things, and our case is still being processed, whatever that means??? Wednesday of this coming week will make two weeks since Sen. McConnell's office checked on things for us, so if we don't receive the document by then, then we'll contact our liason with his office again. UGHHHHHHHH! Enough venting! Troy and I just got home from the UK vs. Florida football game. What a nightmare! The score was so dreadful, that we left at half-time and went shopping for Karsynn at the mall. While we were there, God sent us another "sign" by allowing us to bump into a couple with an adopted daughter from China named Lily. She was so full of life and was the cutest thing you've ever seen. They shared their story with us, wished us well, and they were gone. It's the simple reminders that God sends our way that keeps us strong during this long, tedious process. The reward in the end will be well worth the wait, though. I dragged Troy into every store imaginable tonight that had baby clothes. When Karsynn comes home, we'll never have any money. Oh well. It's not like we have much now anyway!!!! Good-bye for now. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Day 60 comes Tuesday, Sept. 13th

Well, Tuesday, September 13, will make 60 days that we've been waiting on our final document, the I-171H. I can't believe that Kentucky has dragged this out so long. On Wednesday, our Family Advocate at AHH, Ebbie, will be able to make some contacts to find out where our document is. Until then, all we can do is WAIT. I've been fine up until this point, but now I'm simply impatient. Ok, enough venting. On a good note, Troy and I received the most precious gift the other day for Karsynn. It was a quilt with Panda Bears on it that was purchased by a very special family in Beijing. Along with the quilt, came a beautiful picture of a baby girl from China and a story that I will carry in my heart forever. Let's just say that from this gift I've learned to rely on my Faith. Until next time...