Many, many thoughts just spinning around my head. . .

Katelyn and I were on a little trip this weekend to Chicago. We were originally going to go to American Girl in Chicago on the weekend before Katelyn’s birthday. Things were up in the air until we got our TA and knew when we were traveling. Amazingly enough we were able to reschedule everything for this weekend. Thank you Jack-jack for a wonderful birthday weekend for Katelyn!!! I am so glad she was able to have her special weekend before we went to China.

We stopped on our drive down and picked up Josh’s 11 yr-old sister Anna. It was so fun going to the Cafe’ and the Theatre. The girls in the American Girl Revue are amazingly talented in both singing and acting. They each play a part of one the historical dolls. The story line held the attention of everyone there, children and adults alike. They put on a fantastic production! It was fun seeing all the little girls running around the place with their dolls. Some of them looked very well loved and played with!

This past week, I got a wonderful package from a dear, dear friend. It seems like we have known each other forever. I won’t tell you how many years as that may make us feel too old, and we are young, so very, very young! Right?! Thank you, Sarah, your package was a wonderful surprise. Each and every item was so carefully and lovingly chosen! It truly filled my heart with joy. Katelyn just loves her new Cabbage Patch baby, and she brought her along to Chicago as well.

As we were driving down to Chicago, Katelyn and I were re-visiting an Andrea Bocelli album. Back in the fall of 2005, we were all in the car driving Katelyn to school one morning and were listening to the song "When a Child is Born". It is actually a Christmas song, but the song echoed what our hearts were feeling at the time as we hoped and dreamed of a little girl being born in China that would some day become a part of our family. Here are the lyrics to the song.

"When a Child is Born"

A ray of hope flickers in the sky

A tiny star lights up way up high

All across the land dawns a brand new morn

This comes to pass, when a child is born

A silent wish sails the seven seas

The winds of change whisper in the trees

And the walls of doubt tumble tossed and torn

This comes to pass when a child is born

A rosy hue settles all around

You start to feel you’re on solid ground

For a spell or two no one seems forlorn

This comes to pass, when a child is born

It’s all a dream, an illusion now

It must come true, sometime soon somehow

All across the land, dawns a brand new morn

This comes to pass, when a child is born

A ray of hope flickers in the sky

A tiny star lights up way up high

All across the land dawns a brand new morn

This comes to pass, when a child is born

This comes to pass …

So many times over the last year the walls of doubt were built high, very, very high. We wondered and watched to see if our daughter would ever come to be. Now we are on the cusp of meeting our Emma Mei Yi Shan for the first time and all of our lives will be changed forever. We are no longer counting the unknown and endless months and weeks. Now it is down to the days. It seems nothing short of a miracle, really. The almost 7 anxious and heart-wrenching months of looking at our little girl’s pictures are going to dissolve into pure joy when we are able to see, hold and love her in person. I simply cannot wait!We received our itinerary this weekend. We are flying out of GR on this Thursday, June 21st and returning on July 4th about 6:00 in the evening. Anyone who wants to come out to the airport when we come home is welcome. Hopefully our flights will be on time. I will have to figure out a way to let everyone know if there is a delay or change. We will not know until we get to Nanjing if we will meet Emma on Sunday the 24th or Monday the 25th.

I think about our girl and how much her life is getting ready to change. She has no idea what is coming. I pray that somehow she will have some recognition of us from our pictures and that she will just know that we are her mama, baba, and jie jie. I pray that we will be patient and know how to help her adjust to everything that is happening to her–that all of the tips and articles and things we have read, will come to mind when they are needed.

Be brave little one

Make a wish for each sad little tear

Hold your head up

Though no one is near

Someone’s waiting for you

Don’t cry little one

There’ll be a smile where a frown used to be

You’ll be part of the love that you see

Someone’s waiting for you

Always keep a little prayer in your pocket

And you’re sure to see the light

Soon there’ll be joy and happiness

And your little world will be bright

Have faith little one

'Til your hopes and your wishes come true

You must try to be brave little one

Someone’s waiting to love you

Someone’s Waiting For You ~ Disney’s "The Rescuers"

Comment posted by Tracie
at 6/19/2007 11:14:25 AM

Greetings from Lake Ann! I managed to get my first break here Tuesday at noon, and I too, have tears in my eyes reading your thoughts, and especially the poem at the end. I want to copy it and put it with Emma’s picture, which I have in the nurses’ office where I can see her all day long. My love and prayers are with you, and how I wish I could be at the airport to greet you, but I’ll still be up north. I guess I’ll have to wait for Emma’s church debut when I’m back. I’ll be following your journey as often as I can get away, and praying for you always. Truly, this is a miracle and I praise God whenever I look at Emma’s picture and think of all you’ve been through.

Comment posted by Lisa (girlygirls)

at 6/18/2007 7:04:39 PM

I’m so excited for you. Just reading your thoughts brings tears of joy to my eyes. I can’t wait to meet Emma and she all of you.

Comment posted by Rhonda

at 6/18/2007 12:20:25 PM

I can’t explain how glad we are for you. You are in our prayers continually, dear friends!!!! Your FOREVER FAMILY dream comes true in just 6 or 7 days!

Comment posted by Grandpa & Nana

at 6/18/2007 10:49:05 AM

Your Dad & I are so excited and thrilled. We can’t wait to love on our Emma and try our best to spoil her as much as we have Katelyn. Enough to make them both feel very loved!

Comment posted by Sara

at 6/18/2007 7:34:59 AM

Ah! I’m so stinkin excited for you all… just sad I’m not there…

What a long road it’s been, eh? I remember the first day you told us about wanting to adopt- it was the day Jon left for Iraq, as we were going to dinner right after we had said goodbye. How amazingly long ago that seems! It seems like a lifetime has happened since then… And it has- Emma’s! You know, sometimes I hear Steven Curtis Chapman (ANY song) and get teary because it reminds me of “All I Want for Christmas”- I’m so glad you will all finally be together as one family!!!!