We have a confirmed Consolate Appointment!!!!

We have a confirmed Consolate Appointment. We will meet Jacob on Monday Sept 15th. Yeah!!!!!! 2 1/2 weeks until he is in our arms. Still working on travel dates for us to travel. Most likely we will be leaving the US on Wednesday Sept 10th to go to Beijing for a couple of days prior to meeting Jacob. It will give us a few days to get use to the time change too. That was a killer for me last year. I am looking forward to seeing the birds nest and the water cube. Ok.......lot's to do. Last year we only had 2 days notice and got everything done. This time I have two weeks, yet I surprisingly feel a little STRESSED!!!!! I would imagine lack of sleep is the reason. Annabel has decided she all of a sudden doesn't like sleeping in her crib any longer. No no no...not a good time for that to happen. You can all just laugh now. I know you are picturing in your head two toddlers smashed between Mark and I on those little Chinese hotel beds. Start your prayers now....we are going to need them. :) haha I am tired...but very very blessed and still smiling through it all..........God Bless.

TA is here!!!!!!!!

I am so pleased to say that our TA is here and we will soon be headed to China. We are still working on dates but should know within a day or two. YEA!!!!!!!! It looks like we might be leaving in TWO WEEKS!!!!!

The Waiting Child

This poem brought me to tears. Just had to share. Please remember to say a prayer for all of God's older children waiting for homes.

From The Waiting Child

I saw you meet your child today
You kissed your baby joyfully
And as you walked away with her
I played pretend you'd chosen me.

I'm happy for the baby,
yet inside I"m aching miserably
I want to plead as you go by,
``Does no-one want a child of three?"

I saw you meet your child today
In love with her before you met
And as I watched you take her out
I knew it wasn't my turn yet.

I recognize you from last year!
I knew I'd seen your face before!
But you came for a second babe.
Does no-one want a child of four?

I saw you meet your child today
But this time there was something new
A nurse came in and took MY hand
And then she gave my hand to you.

Can this be true?I'm almost six!
And there are infants here you see?
But then you kissed me and I knew
The child you chose this time was me.

by Debbie Bodie

Another Jacob update

It is amazing how the littlest of news can give us so much hope. I have been communicating with an American who is working for a month in the Orphanage that Jacob lived at for his first two years. I know that the kids in foster care go to the orphanage occationally and some go there daily for preschool. We are not certain if that is Jacob's preschool or if he goes somewhere else. But never-the-less, she met him yesterday and was kind enough to send me a quick email. I sent her his pictures the other day so she has been on the lookout for him.
Hi Tamara,
I met your son today! I happened to be in the office using the fax machine when he came in with his foster mom to get some paperwork done. I thought I recognized him from your picture so I asked his foster mom what his name was--it was Jianshan! He was such an amiable little guy; he said "ni hao" to me and smiled away as he sat on his foster mom's lap and played with her purse and occasionally looked up to smile at me or her. I know that's not much to offer since it was such a brief interaction but I just thought you'd like to know that he looks happy and healthy and seems to be doing very well. Best of luck with your upcoming trip!
Best,
Sarah

Praise God for the people He has planted along the way of our journey that have been able to give us so much hope and encouragement. They are definetly like angels to us keeping watch until Jacob is in our arms.

Happy 4th Birthday Jacob

Well, today Jacob is officially 4 years old. I sent some money to my contact at the orphanage to purchase a cake for him and take it to him to celebrate with all of his other friends. He told me he would video tape him and email it to me. So hopefully within a couple of days I will have another video. We have truly been blessed with all the contact we have had with Jacob. I have not known of any other family receiving as many photos and videos as we have. Not to mention just having someone that I can email from time to time and ask questions such as "How much does he weigh this month? and Does he sleep in a crib or a bed?" These are very important questions for me as his mother. So check back in a few days for an update. I am sure he will be grinning from ear to ear being the star of the day. Praise God for His blessings.

Video of Jacob opening his care package

God has definitely been pouring out His blessings on our family over the past 2 weeks. So much so that I could not contain the tears today in Church. As we started into Praise and Worship, the tears started to flow. First it was just because I was feeling so blessed and thinking about how God loves us more then we can even comprehend. Then of course it turned to sheer desire to go and get my son. It amazes me how in the process of adoption that you can fall madly in love with a child you have never even met. That is just another example of God's amazing power to work in our lives in ways that we just can't understand. This video of Jacob was taken just a few days ago when he received the care package we sent him. I am so happy because it is very clear they have been doing a great job of preparing his heart for us. I love him so much and cannot wait to wrap my arms around him.

Another updated photo

Excited to find this photo last night on Jacobs Foster Home website. We are counting down the days!!!!!

LOA has arrived!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you tell I am bouncing off the walls with excitement?????? Our LOA (letter of acceptance) for Jacob has arrived on day 71. Praise God!!!!! What does that mean? That means that China said YES Jacob is absolutely positively going to be a part of our family. And that means we could very well be on our way to China in 6-8 weeks. Oh my goodness. Pinch me because I feel as though I am dreaming. Thank you God for your provision and faith in us to raise this precious little boy.