it's all about the memories

We picked up the camcorder for our trip tonight. We'll both have to practice using it a bit as we've never used one before. I'll admit, I'm not nearly as fond of movies as I am of photos! Colin is officially in charge of it; he has been voted director, writer and editor. He just doesn't know it yet!

pink is the new black in our house

Anyone who knows me can quickly guess my favourite colour! No, I don't normally buy pink for myself! It looks like Lilah will definitely be a pink girl though, well at least until she can speak for herself!

packing and weather

This week I packed Lilah's suitcase, and then decided (after the fact) that she needs a bigger suitcase! Whoever saw that one coming! I'm blaming it on the two climates! In Guangzhou it will be quite warm, but in Beijing it will be colder. Not to mention I have no idea what size will fit our baby girl, so I have a lot of different sizes thrown in, just in case!

We also heard from our agency contact yesterday. She received a copy of the hotel reservation for Beijing, so now she has sent our passports and visa applications to the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa to have the visas processed. We hope to have our itinerary for our trip within China soon. 17 more days to go before we fly!

Weather in Beijing.

Weather in Guangzhou.

our flights are booked

Well when things happen, they sure happen fast! The flights are booked and the airline tickets were purchased today - there is no turning back now, not that we'd ever want to!

We are going to China!

As far as we know, we will get Lilah on Monday 15th December 2008. Forever family day, forever Lilah day; the day that we become a family! It's amazing, our dreams are finally becoming reality. Praise be to God, our Father!

given the go ahead

The letter of confirmation arrived today and the Justice Department has given us the green light. Wow, sigh of happiness!

Right now we just feel so blessed that this has all been made possible. In four weeks we will be receiving the greatest gift, our little Lilah. Our God is a great God.

tentative travel dates

Does this process get any more exciting than having tentative travel dates? Well yes it sure does, but this is definitely great news; it's probably as much as we can handle right now! So yes, the dates are December 10th - 23rd. We were expecting to have to spend quite a bit longer in China, however we will ask no questions!

As it stands, the Canadian Embassy (in Beijing) is a go and there are flights available. The only thing outstanding at the moment is the Justice Department, we will find out tomorrow if they give us the go ahead. So exciting!

miracle of the moment

Our 'miracle of the moment' was finding out (this morning) that our letter of confirmation was mailed last evening and is somewhere between Beijing and Ottawa! I think mail sent by purolator takes about three days to get here, so it should probably arrive on Thursday or Friday. We will find out more tomorrow regarding travel and dates...stay tuned! I think it is an understatement to say we are overjoyed; His perfect timing.

* * * * * * * * * * *
There’s only One who knows
What’s really out there waiting
In all the moments yet to be
And all we need to know
Is He’s out there waiting
To Him the future’s history

And He has given us a treasure called right now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about

And if it brings you tears
Then taste them as they fall
And let them soften your heart
And if it brings you laughter
Then throw your head back
And let it go, let it go

Steven Curtis Chapman
* * * * * * * * * * *

no letter yet

I thought I would post an update just to let you know we haven't received our letter yet. I spoke with our co-ordinator this week and we have one more week to get that letter - until Nov 14th; after that date we cannot travel before the Christmas holidays.

I know so many of you are thinking about us - your thoughts, prayers and comments mean so much to us. The waiting is hard, I don't know how we would cope without such caring friends, and the presence of our Heavenly Father, who continues to lead and comfort us.

I just want to say 'thank you'.

seventeen months old today

Seventeen months old today! Where does the time go? It seems like yesterday when we first heard all about our little 10 month old, yet there are days when this wait has felt like years instead of months. We're so ready for you baby girl! Love you.

care package - eating cake with my friends

Last weekend we decided to send Lilah another little care package through 'ladybugs and love from above'. We wrote a letter that Angela translated and sent to the orphanage staff, along with a cuddly panda and some money. The money was sent so the orphanage could buy a cake for the children to share and enjoy!

We decided on a cake because we wanted Lilah to have a little celebration while we too were celebrating our letter arriving. I thought we'd be celebrating together, however Lilah is a little bit ahead of the game, as we haven't received the letter yet! I also read in a few places that the orphanage staff (and children) really like to get cake. Here are the pictures to prove it all happened and they enjoyed the yummy looking cake.

More pictures here.

mmm, possibly my first taste of cake!

If there is a consolation prize when you don't get 'the letter', getting more photos is definitely at the top of that list! Our little princess looks like the belle of the ball in her little dress! She gets sweeter by the day! Just when we think we can't love her any more than we already do; a deeper love swells in our hearts. When I look at her, my eyes fill with tears and I feel my heart tighten - she takes my breath away.

if ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed

We've been waiting for our letter seeking confirmation awhile now and I've been thinking a lot about my faith - the wait has felt so incredibly long and I constantly need to be reminded to 'have faith'. On Sunday past I stood in for one of the Sunday school teachers in our church. When I was told the lesson would be about Sara having faith in God and His promise, I realized how much I needed this lesson myself.

Hebrews 11:11 - Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Faith is not just a mental thought; it's a mental thought that leads us to act and to obey. It really isn't until times of trial that our faith is tested; but we know it's these times that we are made weak, so that ultimately our faith in God will be stronger. We are so blessed to have a faithful Father in Heaven who knows our every need, and has promised in His Word that He will never fail us.

He knows the exact date and time our daughter will be placed in our arms. His perfect timing won't be a minute too early or a second too late, and I believe that with all my heart.

Matthew 17:20
If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Mark 9:23
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Mark 10:27
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

comfort shopping and ladybugs

Sometimes you just need to do something to clear your mind and relax. That's what we did yesterday when Colin picked me up early from work. We even ordered two baby gates, so it wasn't all frivolous spending! Our little Lilah is going to look so sweet in this outfit; children's clothes are adorable. This little skirt reminds me of a ladybug, albeit a reversed one! Ladybugs are a universal sign of good luck, especially in the China adoption world. You can read more about it here. I don't believe in luck myself, but I do believe that the Lord has blessed us beyond measure. I also know that some day soon the pain of waiting will be behind us, and we will be saying, she was so worth the wait!

The Ladybug

When strolling through the garden
You should chance to see
A ladybug out walking
Please say 'Hi!' for me.
For a ladybug is a good bug
And she helps the garden grow,
She's supposed to bring good luck
So be sure to say 'Hello!'

choice gleanings - today's reading

We didn't get the much anticipated letter seeking confirmation today - maybe next week. It's not a good subject to mention at the moment, lots of emotions. This reading was on the choice gleanings calendar website today though and it certainly helped. The amazing thing is that our Lord knows the end from the beginning, and His timing is always perfect. We just need to trust and be patient.

giving thanks for all our blessings

II Corinthians 9:14
Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.

Today in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for: our salvation, our family and friends, our health, our safety, and our daily needs that are continually met. We can't help but reflect on the past 6 months and praise our Heavenly Father for our precious daughter who we hope to see in 6 weeks. Every day we look at her picture and say 'thank you'. It humbles our hearts to know that she was placed into our family, not by chance, but because the Lord meant it to be this way, even before the foundation of the world. The Lord has richly blessed us. Thank you seems such a tiny phrase to say, but in our hearts it means so much more.