A Baby Changes Everything!

I stole the title of this entry from a song by Faith Hill, I think it's Faith Hill, anyway, it's a Christmas song and if you haven't heard it---you should.  Obviously we are back from China.  China was beyond description.  Maisy is a miracle.  I love her so much that if I contemplate it for too long, it takes my breath away.  She has always been mine.  I truly believe that before time began, God gave us Maisy and he delivered her in His time.  We are blessed beyond measure. We had some jet lag, but got over it in a couple of weeks.  Maisy is thriving and had a super 1st birthday and Christmas.  There were two baby showers---my first ever, given to me by my friends and colleagues at the Appeal Tribunal and then another thrown for our family by our church family.  We are richly blessed with friends.  Yaya and Pa and Aunt Laura met us at the airport along with Bobby and Abby.  I was sooooooooooo glad to see my family after being gone so long.  Maisy adores her Yaya and frequently picks up the tv remote, holds it like a phone, and says "Hi, Yaya".  It is seriously cute.  Aunt Laura was the first to get to hold Maisy after we got home and she has not let anyone forget it.  She has turned MeiMei into the best dressed baby in OKC! Maisy has been to the doctor three times and it looks like it will take 2 or 3 surgeries to remove the nevus.  It is not cancerous and we are very optimistic!!  And I will leave you with this---to quote Cary Grant's character in Penny Serenade (one of my favorite movies of all time), to Irene Dunne's character as they gazed at their newly adopted daughter, "We got the best one."  Thank you, My Lord and My God for giving us Maisy.  I am so grateful. Glory to God in the Highest, Amy In order to spend time with my family and not feel obligated to blog, and after much thought, I have decided that this will be my last entry.  I don't want to miss my baby growing up because I'm in here typing away....I had to prioritize and the blog just did not make the cut.  In 3.5 or 4 yrs. I'll start another blog as we endeavor to return to China for our second adoption and fourth child----tentatively-- Josephine Susanna "Josie Sue".

Almost Gone!!

This time tomorrow we will have been in the sky for 10 minutes, if our plane takes off on time, that is.  We are packed, unpacked and repacked.  I have determined that if Ben takes one pair of pants and a toothbrush, I can take a lot more stuff!!!  We have packed everything from batteries to cheerios.  We've also packed oodles and gobs of power bars (odwalla--they're pretty darn good), dried pineapple, crackers and peanut butter/cheese, cookies and some candy.  From what I can tell, we are going to need those power bars because "duck blood soup" and "braised duck gizzards" are specialties in Nanjing.  I'm just not so sure I can eat that.  We will fly into Nanjing on Nov. 1 and get Maisy in the Civil Affairs Office at 2:30 the next afternoon.  She must have to travel a ways since its so late in the afternoon before we finally get to hold her.  I think yesterday was actually 48 hours long---it took forever.  So, tomorrow we fly out of OKC and into Newark.  I'm told there will be no breakfast---What?  I might starve to death in 4.5 hours.  GOOD THING I HAVE POWER BARS!!  We fly from Newark to Beijing and then do the tours and stuff until Nov. 1, when I'll be singing "Stop, it's Maisy Time"!!!  I am so thankful to God that this long journey is finally coming to a great and glorious conclusion.  My precious girl is coming home!!!  Everybody here is excited---Bobby and Abby are ready to "help", Aunt Laura can barely contain herself and Yaya and Pa are prepared with hugs, kisses and cookies.  My mom insists that Maisy "looks like she likes cookies."  Judging from those little cheekies, she definately likes something!!  Our friend Paige mailed Maisy a book called "The White Swan Express."  It's really cute.  Abby loves it.  She calls it the "China Book" and insists that one of the babies in it is "Sister".  The White Swan is the hotel we'll be staying in when we are in Guanzhou.  From Guanzhou we go to Hong Kong by train (about 2 hours) and then fly out of Hong Kong the next day at 11:30 AM.  We will land in OKC at 6:20 PM on Saturday, Nov. 14!!!  Please continue to pray for Ben and I as we travel, Maisy as we welcome her into the family (she already resides in our hearts), Bobby and Abby (I've never been away from them this long) and Katie (our super kid-watcher, who will be staying with Bobby and Abby), your prayers are wonderful, priceless gifts that we appreciate with all our hearts.  I doubt I will be able to post to the blog while I am in China.  We are not taking the laptop (more room for power bars).  I'll post lots of pictures when we get back.  May God bless you and keep you.  May His face shine upon you and give you peace. Joy Unspeakable and Full of His Glory, Amy