A Little Update!!!

Isaiah is doing great!  He is adjusting wonderfully playing with all of his brothers and sisters.  He's very tired because we all are still on China time, but I know once he gets rested up he will do even better.  I thank God for all of the many blessings he has given us!  I thank God for bringing us home safe and together again as a family! 

Home Sweet Home!!!

We made it!!!  We flew into Charleston, WV at 9:30pm.  We were welcomed by my  parents, Josh's parents, our kidos, Tiff, Hailey, and our friends....Christy, April, and Brinlee.  I was so excited to see everyone that I just couldn't hold back the tears.  I thank God with all of my heart for maintaining our safety throughout our journey, and for preparing Isaiah's heart and mind and our heart and mind.  There was a big sign on our home made by all the kidos....Welcome Home Isaiah!!!  Isaiah hasn't skipped a beat since we got home. He is loving all of his brothers and sisters!  He has played and played and is still eating his favorite....sour cream and onion pringles.

Almost Home!

We made it safely to Hong Kong at around 8:30 pm. I thank God for a safe trip here. There are NO traffic laws here so driver was clocked at 120 mph at times, no Stop signs, and NO traffic lights. I am glad to be sitting here typing this lol. We fly out at 11:50 am and should arrive in Charleston at 9:15pm. Can't wait to see my babies!!! I thank God for our journey and I thank Him for this opportunity, and for giving us the desire and love to adopt orphans as He has commanded us to do.

Leaving Hong Kong

We all met in Florida's room and each of us had a humbling prayer. I thank God that He brought us all together on this adoption journey and we will all have a lifetime remembrance of this special day! We will be leaving on a van for a 3 hour drive to Hong Kong. I can feel God's presence and His peace with us as we are almost about to begin our "real" journey at home together again as a family.

Guanghou and Shamian Island....

We made it to Guanghou late last night and met our rep, Kathy.  Her personality is full of life as we all need this right now.  We went to clinic today and the babies got checked out by the doctor.  No more shots since they passed the new Hague law so now they will catch up on their vaccinations in the states.  Another family and us walked around the island today.  It is so laid back there, and I so enjoy talking to the store owners.  Their businesses are in jeopardy since the White Swan is under renovation, and will be for a year.  I went to visit Hebe, but she was at the Trade Fair.  I so hate that I missed her.  I wanted her to meet Isaiah. 

More Pictures...

Loves playing with the phone!

Welcome to toddlerhood and terrible 2's.

Isaiah is doing great!  He is just a little rotten.  Let's see what all he's done so far...at least not on the same day though.....pulled the plant over and dumped out the dirt, splashed Allie and me in the bathtub, pulled his spaghetti bowl off and broke it, and was caught dipping his stacking cup in the toilet.  I remember a little Connor who acted just like this.  We'll have a little work on that when we get home, but right now we just have to get through.

Touring Kaifung City

I thought she was cute!

At Kiafung Orphanage...scared and would NOT let me put him down!

Take a close look....Yep its a bug in our room....Whew!!!

And More!!!

On the way back from Orphanage....

Cookies!!!

More Pictures!!!



Playin toys at adoption registration.

Worn out!!!

Pictures!!!



Check out his foot through the rail.



Lovin her lil brother!!!

Kaifung Orphanage

Baby in Orphanage...

Kaifung Orphanage...Director and Officer

 Still Wed morning here.  Our family and Chicago's family are going to visit the orphanage.  This is where Chicago's son is from.  Isaiah's orphanage is a 4 1/2 hour drive one way so too far to go.  We'll post more pics later.

Breakfast..

Well, this morning, he did great at breakfast.  He fed himself with a spoon while sitting on my lap.  As the Chef was preparing my omelette, Isaiah wrapped his little arms around my neck and gave me a kiss right on the smacker.  I was so not expecting that, and I almost cried right there.  It takes them a little while, but then I think they know, hmmm maybe this ain't so bad afterall.  He started to call me Ma Ma today.  Awesome!  We love him so much!!!

Adoption Registration...Take 2

We went back to Adoption Registration yesterday so now he is officially Isaiah Min Zhong Bradford, and he is officially ours.  Then we went to notary office and walked up 6 flights of stairs.  Right now he cries when Josh tries to carry him so I had to pack his little rump up all those steps....whew!  By about 4th flight, I handed him over to Josh crying or not or I was gonna go into cardiac arrest lol so I'm glad there's a doctor in the group...jk.   Should've brushed up on that exercise after all.  We all took our picture with the notary officer, then we went back to hotel to rest....Around 3pm we all went to Lotus Center to buy things babies needed.  We tried letting Josh take him, but still crying...he will get used to him soon.  And, Josh and I don't like to make a scene as if we don't stick out as it is, so I packed his little self all over the Lotus Center because he would NOT ride in the buggy.  He's a little stinker....when he did sit in buggy for a whole minute, everything I put in the buggy, he would throw back out lol.  We sweat our way through there, and was back on bus.  Needless to say, I was exhausted when I got back to hotel so Josh gave him a bath, he ate, and was out for the night.

First Bath...

At first he didn't like his bath, but then he got used to it a little.....after I put the toys in.

Already Smiling!!!

He was cracking up when I took a cap full of water and gave it to him to drink.  He thought that was so funny!!!

Saying Goodbye...

He is looking outside of bus window, but no more tears!  I know his little heart is breaking right now, but he will soon be happy again!!!

Loving her baby brother...

Allie is feeding her brother cheerios, puffs, and yogurt bites.  He acts like he is so hungry.  I know they have taken wonderful care of him at the orphanage, and I think they are always passing him a snack.  Wait til mamaw gets a hold of him lol....a lot more snacks and good food.

All Four Families...Two girls and Two boys.

Four families...They go like this from Left to Right....Florida girl, Chicago boy, WV boy, Wisconsin girl..

Adoption Registration

The officer and the Orphanage Director bring all of the babies in as they arrive.  Isaiah is from Luoshan Orphanage 4 hours away so they spent the night here in a local hotel.  He was the first to be delivered and I can't believe we missed it on the video.  We were just too excited to think clearly. 

Here He Is!!!

When they first handed him over, he screamed and cried.  Right now he has bad mosquito bites on his little face, but we should be able to clear them up quickly.  He really liked the officer of the orphanage....she told me "he is a good boy"  He seemed very attached to her.  When she left, she said goodbye to him, kissed him on the cheek, and he screamed and cried  for about 15 min. And, we cried too.   So far he is attached to mommy, and of course, I'm ok with that!  He is a little chunk lol.  We love him so much.  He had his first bath and has eaten very well. 

Baby's Crib!!

The nice little Chinese lady just brought in the crib!!!  That's always when reality sets in, right!  Whew!!!  Well, I was doing great til now lol...butterflies in my stomach...normal right?  Anyway....will post when we get him!!!

Waiting...Almost Time!!!

It's 8:50 am here.  In just 40 min. we leave the hotel and will be on our way to meet our son, Isaiah.  I have God's peace in my heart.  Within just a few minutes, our lives will yet be changed again...another child, diapers to change lol, taking care of another little one just fills my heart with joy overflowing and tears of emotion.  Allie is so excited that she didn't even sleep last night.  She slept yesterday from 3pm to 8pm last night and none since that so I am waiting for a major meltdown any second lol.  So far we have refrained from her wrist strap since she is staying right by our side.  A Chinese lady was rubbing her face yesterday at the airport feeling how soft her skin was.  They smile at her as though she is a little princess, but we have tried to instill a little fear in her due to the fact that she is fearless.  We just don't want her outta sight...that's just a mother's nature period!  And, Josh is worse about it than I am so sometimes I just have to look at him and say stop!!!  It's ok!!!  And, he'll take it down a notch or two.  I'll post pics. when we get back with him.  Let's pray that God will prepare his little heart and mind as he is about to be given to us,  as strangers to him, and taken away from the nannies who have loved him and cared for him for  22mos of his little life.

Our Travel Group

Our travel group all met up in Zhengzhou.  They are all very nice, and it is remarkable that ALL 4 families are Christians.  The other families are from Wisconsin, Florida, and Chicago.   God is what drives us ALL here!  I love hearing the stories of how God lead us here to adopt!  It's 5am here, and we cannot wait to meet Isaiah.  Just a few more hours!.  I found my video camera in my backpack last night of "Gotcha Day" for Caden. It is so AMAZING of how far he has come!  God is so AMAZING!!!  I had the privilege of having a long conversation with our Rep here.  She is pregnant with her first baby.  She was telling me about why China abandons their child with special needs.  Their families will NOT accept this child.  The people laugh, point, and they feel that they are being punished badly for having this child, so to prevent all this... the laughing, mockery, pointing, etc., they leave them behind.  Imagine how this mother feels...We are so fortunate to live in the US and don't even know it!  We take so many things  for granted.  Most of all, the opportunity to serve our almighty God!

We Made It To Zhengzhou!!!

We made it to Zhengzhou, Isaiah and Caden's province (Henan),  at 11:30 am welcomed by Rita, CCAI rep.  We finally get to meet Isaiah in the morning.  We leave hotel at 9:30 am China time so count back 13 hours d/t daylight savings time.  We got an update on him this am.......says he likes to play as a spoiled child lol.  He loves outside, a naughty boy sometimes, but usually  a good boy, loves to play ball and laughs when he plays ball.  And, he is a very cute boy....he loves to take a bath.  Allie says, "Mom, I think he has mine and Connor's personality lol."   We can't wait to meet him!   

We Made It To Beijing!!!

Not only did we have a 6 hour delay, but once we got on the plane there was another 2 hour delay due to a minor computer printer glitch.  Glad they figured that out before take-off.  I thank God for a safe flight here.  Our CCAI rep, George met us at the airport.  Made it through Beijing airport without any problems.  We fly into Isaiah's province at 8am.(Zhenghzou).  We will finally get to meet him some time on Mon.  Please continue to pray for us as we continue on our journey.  We all can't wait to meet him!  Allie has done great so far, and she can't wait to meet her little brother!

In the Air...

Thanks to Jeff, we made it  to the Charleston airport.  We arrived in Chicago this morning at 6:30AM,  had a 6 hour layover! 

Why International Adoption???

I get asked this question frequently so here's my answer......I have a strong feeling in my heart that this is what God has called "US" to do.  We prayed about this several years before Caden, and the morning I found Isaiah, I wasn't on CCAI's website looking for another child, but God drew him to my attention, just as he did Caden, and it was that moment that I loved him.  I know it may be hard for people to understand this, but I know with all of my deepest heart that this is what we are supposed to do.  Please know that Christian faith is a rare occurrence in China and they never hear Jesus' name.  We, Americans, take this for granted!  However, I do know 2 little boys that will hear of Jesus.  And if you would hear our son, Caden fold his little hands together, bow his head , and close his eyes, and say "Thank you, God for the food....Amen"  if this doesn't touch your heart, then what will it take?  So I give God all the praise and glory for giving us this great opportunity to adopt these babies. 

Travel Approval!!!!

We finally have Travel Approval...after waiting 21 days!  I am so excited!!! I can almost hold our son forever  in my arms!!!  We are leaving on Fri., Oct. 14 and returning on Oct. 26.  Follow our journey to Isaiah!

Article 5

Okay....We finally received Article 5 on Sept. 7!  We are now waiting for Travel Approval!  Yippee!!!  Let's pray that God will prepare Isaiah's heart and mind along with mine and Josh's as we are about to take him away from his culture and the foster parents who love him and have been caring for him.  However, little does he know, he will meet his "forever family" who will love him unconditionally and raise him knowing our most loving, merciful, forgiving God that provided us with this great opportunity!  Isaiah will have never heard Jesus' name if he had lived his life in China.  China is not given the "right" to worship our God who died for us and saved us!  Jeremiah 1:5.....I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb.  Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.  Praise God for what He has done for us!!!  And Praise God for this opportunity!!!

NVC Letter!

Received NVC letter from Homeland Security!  Now we wait again for Article 5....HOLD on Isaiah....almost there!!!

I-800 Provisional Approval

We finally received I-800 Provisional Approval on Aug. 11, 2011 and it was faxed to CCAI...thanks to Brandi.    Next step....NVC!

Bring Me Hope!......Adoption from China.

Children of God

LOA!!

We received LOA(Letter of Acceptance) on July 14th.  Next wait is Provisional Approval, then Travel.....Still waiting to hold our little boy "forever in our arms."  God meant for us to have him for some reason...can't wait to see God's plan for our little Isaiah.   God has blessed our family and I thank God daily for giving us the opportunity to adopt these children.  And, NO I haven't lost my mind lol, I am only obeying God's word...John 14:18 I will NOT leave you here as orphans...I will come to you: and following God's plan and will for our lives.   It's not about ME.  It's about God and following his will for our lives.  Look what HE did for us....that is something WE can NEVER repay.

Log in Date

Yahoo!!! We are finally LID. Now our time actually starts. We should travel in either Oct or Nov. We will just wait and see.

Dossier to China

We were finally DTC and our dossier has been delivered into the CCCWA(China)  on May 25, 2011.  Now, we are anxiously waiting for our Log In Date, then our waiting time officially starts then.  Lets pray for a speedy process.

"Little Stinker"

Update

We received an update today on Isaiah.  He has changed so much.  He has lost his "baby" look and now looks like a little boy.  He is walking on his own and potty training.  Mosquitos are really rampant there right now and foster family says if he gets bit, his skin gets very inflamed so they are trying to prevent it.  He has been in foster care for 5 months now.  I can't wait to meet him!

Final Document

CCAI finally received our I-797 today.  Now, our dossier is in translation and should hopefully be finished early next week.

Our Son...

Our son is 17 months old at this time and is in Luoshan Orphanage in China.  We are anxiously waiting for the day we can hold him "forever in our arms."  John 14:18 I will not leave you here as orphans...I will come to you.  God has blessed our family so much and I thank him every day.  Psalm 127:3 Children are a gift from God...They are his reward.  God has given us 5 beautiful gifts and we love them so much.

Where We Are....In The Process.

Right now we are waiting on DTC, which is Dossier To China(13 compiled documents that has to be sent to China).  Once China receives our Dossier, then we get a Log In Date, and our time officially starts then.  Usually, travel is 4-5 months after LID(Log In Date).  We received our last document, I-797 on May 13, 2011 and it is on its way for certification, authentication, then to our agency, CCAI in CO.  From there, all of those documents go to CHINA! 

Here We Go Again!

We returned home from China with Caden on Nov. 20, 2010.  In January I was looking on CCAI's website which I never do.....and I fell in love with this beautiful boy.  My heart was already connected.  I prayed to God realizing this was not logical, and wondering myself...What am I doing?  And how in the world am I going to convince my dear husband.  I requested his file, and later my SIL told me "they just put him on there."  I began preparing my husband by showing him videos and together our hearts break.  So, the next day I sprung the news on him, and Yes, he thought I'd lost my mind because 1.  this is our 5th child and 2. we just got home from China with our son.  Needless to say, I shed A LOT of tears that week, NO SLEEP that week, and A LOT of prayer!  The last day my husband took the file with him to work...And this was my prayer..."God, if it is meant for us to have this child then change Josh's heart and mind; and if it is not then please help me to get over him,  let him go, and move on."  Well, when Josh got home that day, I anxiously wanted an answer.  So he said "YES!"  Well, he really said email the lady at CCAI and tell her OK lol.
.