A Legacy of Hope

Crazy Kids

2011-04-03T12:57:00.001-04:00

Showing Off Mommy's New Tires

2011-03-23T12:56:00.001-04:00

Parker did this pose all by himself when I said I was going to take a picture of the tires for Daddy. I could just gobble him up!

Not the right "Ma"

2011-01-18T11:34:00.004-05:00

We had a little relapse last night. When falling asleep, Parker started whining and then that turned into full-blown hysterics. It lasted about an hour and there was nothing we could do to comfort him. I wasn't the right "Ma" that Parker wanted. It is so heartbreaking, but I love that my little guy knows how to love.

The picture above was sent to me yesterday. In my heart, I think this is "Ma." I am not ready to ask Parker yet, but I look forward to the day when he is comfortable enough that I can show him.

Love You

2011-01-18T11:28:00.002-05:00

Harrison and Piper went back to school today and I am back at work for my second day. Mike just called me a little bit ago and I could tell that he had stopped by the house. When we were getting off the phone, Mike said, "I love you," and in the background I heard "Love you." It was Parker. Mike was so excited that he tried to get him to say it again, but Parker had stage fright.

In addition to "Love You" Parker's English vocabulary consists of the following:

Screaming NO and pointing (I think he got that from me)
Mama
Piper - although it sounds very funny and it takes you a while to realize he is saying her name
Bye Bye
Dada - although he won't say it directly to Mike
and Parker - which is a huge improvement from what he originally called himself - Barker.

h1n1

2011-01-08T09:10:00.001-05:00

Sorry there has not been a post since we got home - or a catch up post with all the pictures. We came home and immediately caught the h1n1 flu. It is terrible and we are still not 100%, but we hope to be better soon so we can update!

Red Couch - Zhengzhou Kiddos

2010-12-29T07:28:00.002-05:00

Taking pictures on the red couches at the White Swan hotel is an adoption tradition. We took our traditional red couch photos today. I love watching the progression of Parker as you scroll from the top.

Red Couch - All Kids

2010-12-29T07:01:00.000-05:00

Here are the red couch photos of all the kids in our group. From left to right - Charlotte, Grayson, Lilianna, Gloriana & Parker.

Red Couch - The Laniers

2010-12-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

Red Couch - Other Families

2010-12-29T06:37:00.000-05:00

Red Couch with Siblings

2010-12-29T06:34:00.001-05:00

Here are all the siblings with their new additions!

Dec 28th

2010-12-28T06:40:00.003-05:00

Today started out a bit like the movie, Groundhog Day - more french toast at the White Swan. After breakfast we had to wait in our room while Maggie went and handled our paperwork at the US Consulate. At 10:30 a.m. we got the call that our paperwork was ok at the Consulate and we could leave the room. Since Piper was not feeling well last night, she and Parker stayed home for a special day with Daddy and Harrison and I went with the group to the Pearl Market, Pet Market and Medicine Market.

I did not expect to buy anything at the Pearl Market - oops - instead I bought about 6 things at really great prices! Then we did our favorite thing - we walked through the markets. I have so many great pictures that I will have to update once we get home. Harrison and I loved the adventure and I am so glad we went. We saw puppies, kitties, turtles, hamsters, bunnies, fish, scorpions and sadly, tiger paws.

On our walk home we passed a man without any legs who was begging for money. I walked by and Harrison was so appalled that I just walked by that he stopped me and asked for money to go back. I dug around and found him some and back he went. That was the first time I almost cried. Then, we rounded the corner and time #2 hit.

As we finished crossing the bridge, there was a woman pushing a child in a wheelchair with a sign that the young boy was holding. I knew that it was a sign begging for money, but what got me is that when I looked at the little boy he had a serious case of hydrocephalus and he was probably 3. I knew that under other terms that could have been my babies. Parker has hydrocephalus and I just kept seeing his face in that little boys. It was very hard to walk past him, but I didn't want Harrison to notice.

We rushed back and loaded up for our visit to the US Consulate. It was all kids over 2 and there were TONS of amazing kids and their new families. LOVED seeing all of them.

Once back, we headed to the Japanese restaurant in our hotel. Our travel mates had raved about it, but we did not really like it. Now we are snug back in our hotel room - have I mentioned how great and worth the money the suite is? I am about to take a bath in our huge soaking tub with the bath salts and the candle, then I am going to snuggle in and read my book. I figure it may be the only peace that I have for a while. Stinker Butt - aka - Parker is into everything so I know going home is going to be tough. We are going to have to put Harrison's Legos under lock -n-key.

Oh, and its my birthday. Happy Birthday To Me!

Shamian Island

2010-12-27T07:01:00.002-05:00

Sorry I have not updated. The internet at the White Swan has been going in and out. Also, now my pictures won't download from my Iphone - my only camera since the other one broke. Here is a little breakdown of what we have done.
.
1. Eaten way TOO MUCH french toast at the breakfast buffet.
2. Played and made way too much noise in our room.
3. Gone to Lucy's 2x - maybe that was 1x too much.
4. Walked the Island and shopped a bit.
5. Fallen for one little stinker butt.
.
Today, I spoiled myself and went to the Chinese Medical Massage place on the Island for a back and foot massage. Last time, two of my travel mates went with me, but this time no one would come so I went alone. It was wonderful. 70 minutes of massage for $16 US - including tip. I totally want to go back tomorrow!
.
Tomorrow we head to the US Consulate to take the citizenship oath for Parker. We also have an optional pearl market tour and Pearl River Boat dinner cruise. Plus its my b-day! Piper came down with a fever of 101.8 tonight. Our great guide walked off island to get children's Tylnol. It worked great and broke her fever. We also started her on antibiotics.

View from our living room window

2010-12-25T09:04:00.001-05:00

The night lights are great on the Pearl River. I will try to get more soon.

Our Christmas Baby

2010-12-25T09:02:00.001-05:00

Tonight I got my first kiss. Totally starting to fall for this little guy. He is such baby in so many ways and at first I was not prepared for that, but now I love that snugglie little diaper butt in footie jammies! The pictures are Parker playing with his blocks that Santa brought to China.

Playing on Christmas

2010-12-25T08:56:00.004-05:00

Piper posing with the Barbie that Santa delivered to China for her.

Harrison posing with my "grand children." I swear we have a whole suitcase of stuffed animals.

Harrison wanted a fashion shoot with his pals.

And then so did Piper.

In the elevator - always a constant fight for button pushing.

Unfortunately, today did not really feel like Christmas. What is usually a lovely tropical island - Shamian Island - had a cold front hit and its a low of 40 high of 60 and rain. The town is also

hopping with locals. Its like New Year's Eve and they come into the hotel for pictures. But, we did have some great new friends over to the room today to play and the kids really loved it.

Daddy and Parker Michael on Christmas Night

2010-12-25T08:54:00.001-05:00

Parker is starting to warm up to each of us a little more each day. Here he is with his Daddy on the way back to the room after Christmas jammie pictures.

Christmas Jammie Pictures

2010-12-25T08:48:00.003-05:00

Below is Harrison's imitation of Parker's face when he is upset.

Frosty The Snowman

2010-12-23T21:45:00.002-05:00

Our hotel has done a great job with getting everything ready for Christmas. There is a huge tree in the lobby and a gingerbread house you can walk into and shop. By the restaurant there is also a real frozen Frosty The Snowman. We love to rub our hands around him and try to melt him a little. The best part - every night at 6:30 the staff puts on choir robes and signs Christmas carols on the steps. We have great video of that!

We leave this afternoon for Guangzhou. Next stop - The White Swan. Very excited for their famous breakfast!

Hanging out in our room

2010-12-23T21:43:00.001-05:00

These were from this morning, which is our last day in Henan. Both of my kids were born in Henan and I can guarantee this will be our last time here for quite a long time. Its sad because only in the last 24 hours have we really been able to leave our room, so we did not even get to enjoy it.

What Harrison and I saw on our walk

2010-12-22T23:40:00.000-05:00

We took a walk yesterday in the bitter cold - the temp has really dropped. Harrison and I saw some great things, but without a camera I could only use my IPhone. The first one is a guy on a bike with a bazillion things on it. The second one was really beautiful. It was a peddle wagon going down a culvert. Would have made a great picture with my Nikon - bad bad Nikon. The last one is the bike guy again moving along.

Walmart in China with 3 kids

2010-12-22T22:37:00.000-05:00

We went to Pizza Hut for lunch and decided to "run into" the local Wallie for a sippy cup. It was our first Wallie trip with 3 kids. We got the cup, but Parker doesn't know how to use it. The kids love the flat escalators.

We woke up to playing

2010-12-22T21:36:00.000-05:00

Thank You God!

2010-12-22T18:08:00.002-05:00

We woke up to smiles and laughs. I feel the tide turning. He is now in bed playing - yes, playing which is something that he was unable to bring himself to do. YIPPEE!!!

Evidence of Happy Boy - if even for a moment

2010-12-22T18:06:00.002-05:00

This is it --- the magic picture above. A smile was actually on his face and there was some laughter. This is from our walk in the park. Then, he noticed me taking a picture and I got this look below.

The Best Medicine

2010-12-22T18:04:00.002-05:00

These two little people kept us sane for 2 long and hard days. While we wished they were not here to have to experience the trauma, I know Mike and I would not have made it without them.

First Bottle with BaBa

2010-12-22T18:01:00.000-05:00

After the initial start, he let Mike hold him. However, he hasn't been real fond of bottles since then. The report from his foster mom states that he takes 3 bottles a day. We are lucky to get in one.

Playing in the room

2010-12-22T17:59:00.002-05:00

Learning to play with Harrison and Piper. Small steps...

Parker Packing to Leave

2010-12-22T10:28:00.005-05:00

This was the first night that Parker was with us - Dec 20th. In between his screaming hysterics, he decided to pack to go home. After he got everything in his backpack, he went to the front door and screamed for Ma to come get him. He had to sleep that first night with his backpack on. The next night, he was holding it and tonight it is across the room and he has not looked for it. Progress!

The Last 2 Days

2010-12-22T07:13:00.002-05:00

I have not been able to post for the last 2 days because I honestly didn't know what to say. Things have been so hard. Harder than Mike and I were prepared for and at times, most of the time, we felt like we were failing miserably. Parker has been screaming since he arrived. Every moment. Every day - and, just as a reminder - he has been with us since noon on the 20th. When we hold him. When we sit with him. When we walk with him. Every single second. The kids have done great. Mike and I have not. But, this afternoon we had a glimmer of hope or perhaps a glimmer of who Parker is. We were at the end of our ropes and we decided to go for a walk. When we got outside, Parker stopped crying and actually played in the garden with Harrison and Piper. He was acting like a normal child and, most importantly, he was not crying or screaming. It was then we knew he would be ok and we just needed to make sure we would be ok dealing with everything until Parker felt comfortable with us. Tonight there was still crying, but it is different. The screaming seems to have stopped. Mike and I are still exhausted, but our spirits seem a little better. I will try to post some pictures and a more positive update after Harrison watches his nightime movie.

Parker Michael - Iphone Pictures

2010-12-20T02:17:00.002-05:00

The picture above is the crib that the kids decorated with their animals for Parker. The notes we have on Parker state that he sleeps with his foster mom, "Ma," so we will probably move the crib out later today.

We had to wait until noon, so while we waited, the kids got in bed together and talked about how they would act when Parker came. Unfortunately, we were not anticipating the level of terror he had when we came :(

This is how Parker was for the first hour or so, when I was not trying to hold him. He thinks his foster mom, "Ma," is in the closet and he bangs on it and looks through the crack screaming and begging her to come get him. When I open the door, he crumbles to the ground and screams. This is so hard to see. The kids did great - we took them out for two breaks, but other than that they were here. The only good aspect to this is that he obviously loves Ma very much so hopefully attachment will go well after he grieves.

Parker came to us in the traditional Chinese winter outfit - many many many layers of split pants. He even is wearing the big bib quilted overalls. He was fighting me the whole time I was trying to get him undressed. I would have given him more time, but it was so hot in here and he was so hysterical that I was afraid he was going to throw up. He seemed to feel better once I got off the 4 quilted layers.

Once I got him undressed (the kids were on a break) I put him in just a t-shirt to cool down.

More of our morning - sorry the pictures are so bad. We only have our IPhone since our camera broke. Uggh!

After the bath, we set him down in the bed and he FINALLY stopped crying. Poor little guy is just heartbroken and terrified.

Mike was the first one to be able to break through to him and it happened over a pair of Sponge Bob shoes. I had showed them to him, but he hit them out of my hands. Mike tried about 30 minutes later and he let him put them on his feet - all while screaming. We could tell he liked them because although he was screaming, he would rotate his ankles so we could see him.

Do you notice what is in his hands. He came to us screaming and gripping Percy and a cargo train. We had sent them in one of his packages. He has refused to put them down since he got here. When Mike pretends he wants one, Parker screams and puts his hands behind his head. Now that he is sleeping, we can see just how sweet and adorable he is. Thank goodness I brought the Vaseline for those cheeks. They feel like sand paper.

Getting Nervous

2010-12-19T21:38:00.001-05:00

The time is ticking and I am getting nervous. The kids are playing and Mike is watching a movie in the bed. Me - I am just randomly pacing.

We get Parker Today!

2010-12-19T18:14:00.001-05:00

We get Parker today at noon, which is 11 p.m. EST. The internet is really slow here, but I will try to do a catch-up post while we are waiting for him.

The Great Wall of China

2010-12-19T02:34:00.002-05:00

Piper and her Ayes at House of Peace

2010-12-17T16:57:00.005-05:00

These pictures are in the exact order of our journey into the House of Peace, where Piper lived for a year. I wasn't sure whether her ayes (nannies) would remember her, but boy was I wrong. Not only did they remember her, but her main aye was in Beijing and immediately rushed to come to Shepherd's Field to see her. They also showed us the 3 pictures they still had on their wall of her. To just say that these women love the kids seems so understated. I am so happy we were able to show them the end result of all of their hard work and compassion.

As you can see, Piper immediately bee-lined through the house. Then she turned and told me that she remembers.

At first, she was nervous when they tried to hug her and talk to her. They spoke Mandarin to her, but she did not answer in Mandarin. I wondered, but now we know its completely gone.

These were the first few hugs before I explained to her that they all wanted to hug her and talk to her. Once I took her aside for a bit, she was much better.

Finally, she is more relaxed.

And with this aye, she was really comfortable. Look how perfect they look together. It makes me wonder what she would look like with her birth mother if they were in this pose.

This was one of the pictures upstairs still hanging. Ting Ting is in the photo above her and is stuck in the same situation as Jacob Jai - great family waiting, but an orphanage that will not do her paperwork. The other picture of Piper was one of her and Jacob Jai, but I was getting a little misty eyed at that point that I couldn't take a picture of it.

This is Piper in her old bedroom. She was in a bed like this and seemed to really enjoy going back in her bedroom.

Starting to say goodbye, but then we all gathered later outside/

This is her main aye who came from Beijing to see her. All of the ayes said they couldn't believe how much she has grown and how talkative she is. They said when she was there she was so shy - umm, not so much anymore!

Overall, for me these moments were the highlight of my trip. I loved getting to show Piper where she used to live, but more than that, I really loved being able to see how the ayes reacted to her. Just priceless on so many levels.

Eating in the new dining hall

2010-12-17T16:55:00.002-05:00

PHF has a new dining hall and school since we visited in 2009 and both are amazing. Here are some pictures of our lunch at the new dining hall. To learn more about this amazing place, please visit www.chinaorphans.org and consider being a monthly sponsor.

Mike and Cody from Phillip Hayden

2010-12-17T16:51:00.003-05:00

Both times we have visited Shepherd's Field, a little boy has taken to Mike. Last time it was Christopher and this time it was Cody. Cody has Down Syndrome and is so lovable. When he saw Mike, he immediately went to him and asked to be picked up. Mike pulled his back out so he tried to pick him up, but then had to put him down. The ayes explained to Cody that Mike couldn't pick him up because of his back, so Cody pulled a chair next to him and sat with his hand on his knee. So many things tugged at my heart during this visit, but seeing this little boy with DS understand Mike's injury and pull the chair over so they could still be close just melted my heart.

Phillip Hayden Kids Continued

2010-12-17T16:50:00.001-05:00

Moms and Dads of PH Kiddos,

I am so sorry that I could not get more/better pictures. Our camera broke so we were using our Iphone and we also did not get to visit every house. I have downloaded everything that I have and I really hope that your little one is in there.

Phillip Hayden Kids

2010-12-17T16:30:00.008-05:00

My handsome sponsor child, Jacob Jai. So Big Now!!!

Phillip Hayden Foundation

2010-12-17T01:15:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone,

We made it to Beijing last night, but I have not been able to post anything yet because our VPN was not working. Just signed up with a new company and we are good to go. I have some pictures from my IPhone, but we have not been able to find a camera yet. Hopefully tonight or tomorrow.

We leave the Inn in a few hours to go to our hotel downtown. I will try to catch up then. We are all doing well, just a little tired and hungry :)

Beijing and VPN

2010-12-17T01:00:00.000-05:00

We are in Beijing today. Actually we arrived last night and are staying at the Phillip Hayden Foundation Inn at Shepherds Field. The VPN we signed up for is Go Trusted, but it doesn't do a thing when I click on it in my programs. Any recommendations?

PS Someone leave me a comment so I know if this posted through my email.

Good Morning Hong Kong

2010-12-15T18:03:00.004-05:00

Personally, I cannot stop looking at the view. Last time we were here, we stayed on Lantau Island which was stunning. This is our first time staying in the city. If we came back, I think I would pick a view of the mountains and Sea, like we had at Lantau, but TST is stunning in its own way.

The kids got up very early this morning chanting that the sun was up. They are WILD this morning, but it is probably from the tons of sleep they have gotten since we left. They slept on the plane, through the first night here, about a 5 hour nap yesterday and 6 hours last night.

Jack should be in surgery

2010-12-15T13:49:00.002-05:00

Jack was due to head into surgery at 1:30 today EST so he should be just beginning. I had a lovely talk on Skype with his surgeon and we are praying all goes well. The surgeon was very optimistic, which really helped calm my nerves. The surgery is pretty extensive and should last about 5 hours. Thank you to the many wonderful friends that have checked up on him.

Hong Kong Christmas Decor Plus Adorable Children

2010-12-15T13:35:00.002-05:00

The 3 pictures above were taken in our hotel lobby, which is nicely decorated for Christmas. I need to get a better picture of the nativity scene. I was SO EXCITED to actually see a nativity scene, but I had to laugh a bit. See how Mary, Joseph and the wise men are all creamy and painted. Well, the baby Jesus is a bright plastic naked baby doll, that is half hanging out of his bed. It certainly catches your eye.

The below two pictures are the kids checking out the Christmas decorations next door. Love the carousel.

Mike & the Monk and other Hong Kong adventures

2010-12-15T13:26:00.004-05:00

More pictures from our room window. Cloudy and dreary, but still beautiful.

Because I am married to my wonderful hubby, it is necessary to take a picture of all emergency vehicles while traveling in other countries. See below for Hong Kong fire truck :)

And, don't forget the Hong Kong police wagon.

This beautiful Christmas tree is right next to our hotel. The shopping center is so pretty.

So, as I am taking pictures of the tree I wonder where Mike is. When I turn around, this is what I see. Umm, is he giving the monk an autograph?

Oh great, this is the typical Mike questioning and explaining look. So, I rushed over to find that Mike was actual bargaining for a bracelet he was selling. We are now the happy owners of a wooden bead bracelet.

Hong Kong Dec 15th

2010-12-15T13:07:00.004-05:00

Today was rainy and cloudy, but look how beautiful the Harbour is? This is across the water from us and it looks like something out of a magazine. Just stunning.

The Harbour has tons of ferries, but then we stumbled across this little boat. The water was getting rough and they were just hanging out.

This is one of the trees that I mention below (I could not get the pictures to move). Look how the roots grow into the side of the wall. Harrison and I think they look like octopus tentacles.

The picture below is walking by a back street in TST, the section of Hong Kong that we are staying in. Notice how everything at street level is colorful, then as you go up it is all gray. Most of this area is very new and sparkly so I figured this must be an older building that reflects what the area looked like before the glitz and glamour showed up. And, there is TONS of glitz and glimmer - apparently Tiffany & Co needs to be on every corner in case you missed the previous store.

I love this picture below because it shows what the streets look like when you peer down.

Here is another tree picture from Kowloon Park. We say several artists drawing pictures of the trees.

We had to stop and take a picture of the scaffolding. Piper is too young to really appreciate the difference between here and the US for these sorts of things, but Harrison thought it was so neat that they were holding up the building with sticks.

The top of one of the trees at Kowloon Park.

Today was a rainy day in Hong Kong. We woke up and headed down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast, which was really good, and then went to explore the area. We had planned to take a tour at 1:30, but because of the weather we skipped it. The kids really enjoyed going through some local shops and a local grocery store. We tried to go to the Space Museum, but it did not open until later so we just walked around until we stumbled onto Kowloon park.

The park had some amazing trees. Harrison and I were fascinated by the roots of the trees and how massive they are. The park also had a bird aviary that we walked through. While at the park, a local class walked by and we started to hear "English" over and over so I said, hello. Well the kids got so excited, they said "hello" and one older child stopped and said, "It is nice to meet you." When I said, "It is nice to meet you too" she started jumping up and down and clapping. By the time they got to Mike, who was a bit down the path, they were talking and waiving like he was someone famous. So cute!

PS - The Tradition

2010-12-14T19:12:00.002-05:00

Just cannot break traditions ---the Nikon just broke! Can you believe that? CRAZY!!!

The Salisbury

2010-12-14T19:07:00.001-05:00

The top two pictures are from our living room window. Great views! You can see the kids immediately destroyed their room unpacking all the crafts I had packed. The last picture is my room. An awesome hard and comfy bed. I swear I must be the only one that loves a hard bed!

We are off to go see Hong Kong. Have a great night everyone!

Hong Kong Airport and Cathay Pacific

2010-12-14T18:58:00.003-05:00

We arrived safely at Hong Kong not withstanding some crying hysterics from me on the plane. We had a bunch of turbulence and that, mixed with the emotions of leaving Jack, were just too much. So, while I would rate Cathay Pacific LOWER than Korean Air for overall rating, for psychological services they are #1. We were excited to see what Cathay Pacific was like because they are ranked in the top 5 airlines in the world for services, etc. The conclusion is that they are nicer than our US carriers, in our opinion, fall short of the spectacular service on Korean Air.

The "Clubhouse" at JFK

2010-12-14T18:55:00.001-05:00

Jack

2010-12-14T18:52:00.003-05:00

As most of you know, my step-dad Jack suffered a serious injury Saturday night. This was the morning of his accident. The kids were so thrilled that he came with us. We had to leave Jack as we could not change our departing tickets because the airlines were filled. This was so incredibly hard for us, but knowing that so many friends and family are looking after him has made it so much easier.

Pancake Breakfast with Santa

2010-12-14T18:47:00.002-05:00

The Saturday before we left for China, we went to the kids' pancake breakfast at their school. They were so excited their grandpa came with them!

Hong Kong

2010-12-14T07:21:00.001-05:00

We have made it safely to Hong Kong and we are getting a quick bite at the Burger King. Next stop The Salisbury Hotel, which hopefully has free access.

Happy Birthday Parker!

2010-12-01T12:36:00.003-05:00

Parker turned 2 today! We wish we were with him, but we know we get all the rest of the birthdays so that makes it ok. I hope that his foster family is cherishing these last few days with him.

We only have 3 pictures of Parker and very little information. The picture above is his "baby picture" and was his referral picture. I hope he is that happy once he gets to know his new crazy family!

Travel Dates to Parker

2010-11-30T13:18:00.002-05:00

I need to get back up to date on the blogging before the trip!!!

We received a very quick travel approval, but for some reason we did not qualify for the first travel group. So, we are spending CHRISTMAS IN CHINA!!!

Here is the itinerary:

Dec 13th - leave Atlanta
Dec 14th - arrive Hong Kong
Dec 15-16 - tour Hong Kong
Dec 16- fly to Beijing
Dec 16-17 - visit Philip Hayden Foundation (Piper's 1st foster home)
Dec 17-19 - tour Beijing
Dec 19 - fly to Zhengzhou
Dec 20 - meet my new mini man
Dec 20-24 - hang out in Zhengzhou
Dec 24 - fly to Guangzhou
Dec 24-30 - hang out in Guangzhou
Dec 30 - fly to Hong Kong
Dec 31 - celebrate New Year's Eve in Hong Kong, New York and then ATLANTA!!!!!

When I receive more details on what we will be doing every day, I will do an update!

Table For One Please

2010-11-02T14:41:00.003-04:00

I was really craving a salmon sandwich today from a local restaurant, but no one was in the office to go with me. So, I went alone. I am not a huge fan of dining alone - something that my hubby loves to do - but I do enjoy doing it a couple of times a year. Today it was cold and windy, which is my kind of cozy. Tucking away in the corner of a restaurant with my yummy salmon sounded so so perfect. When I sat down a was a little shocked...

What shocked me the most was when I sat down I looked at a little sign on my table, which had the following phrase:

He who eats alone chokes alone.

WHAT? How is that for ruining my lunch. I had to over chew every bite!

The Dudes

2010-10-31T12:49:00.002-04:00

My little man had his two besties spend the night last night. They had so much fun, but what I did not expect is that the guys would call each other "Dude." The whole night all I heard was: "Hey Dude," "Way to go Dude," "Dude," etc. It reminded me of college!

Halloween Eve

2010-10-31T12:00:00.009-04:00

The art teacher from the kids' school puts on a great haunted house and pirate ship. We went for the first time last night and we had a blast. We all went through 3 times and then the boys came home for a sleep over. It was so much fun! Mike and I miss decorating so much. Now we live so far from the street that no one dares venture down to our house!

Looking for a vacation home?

2010-10-25T14:41:00.003-04:00

We are selling our first home - an adorable mountain cottage in Ellijay, Georgia. It is located in The Coosawattee River Resort and is even cuter in person. Prices are so low now (insert stomach flop) that someone is going to get a great deal. If you know anyone looking for a second home for under 100k, please let me know. If we could sell it before the adoption, it would give us the remaining funds we need.

How will Parker fit in?

2010-10-20T11:51:00.002-04:00

We are all getting very excited for Parker to come home. Harrison is THRILLED that he gets to share a room with him. Piper is devastated that she has to sleep alone. She cried last night and told me to ask her daddy for a little sister.
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We talk with Piper daily about how she will need to help Parker and show him how to do things. I think she will be a great big sister, but I have no doubt that it will take time. Knowing my girl, probably a lot of time!

Parker Michael

2010-10-19T17:31:00.005-04:00

We finally confirmed our little guy's name: Parker Michael Gang Lanier.

Gang is his Chinese name and Michael is his daddy's name. The kids call him Mikey Parker so I am hoping they are willing to switch it around. I cannot wait to meet this guy in person.

Thank you God for choosing us to raise another one of your children. We are truly honored.

Hui Hui - Focus on an Eagles Wings Child

2010-10-14T11:03:00.004-04:00

Hi Everyone,

In an effort to spread awareness of the need for support of the orphans in China and the fantastic work that the Chinese Orphan Assistance Team Incorporated (COAT) is doing, I am going to start highlighting some of the residents of the Eagles Wings Foster Homes. Please consider donating to COAT. Visit http://www.eagleswingschina.org/ for more information.

(I cannot get her picture to post so I will update soon. Visit the link above for more information on Hui Hui).

Hi COAT family,

There are lots of you who love Hui Hui, so I will send this to all of you on the list. She is fully sponsored (a big thank you to all who sponsor her), which is great, but even better, she is a happy, loving little girl. Yes, she is diagnosed with autism, but this doesn’t manifest itself like it used to. Jenny Nai Nai “tamed” her and Chew Gim is keeping up the good boundaries in which she is secure and confident.

She doesn’t like to miss out on anything that is going. She has settled well in the new school at the new orphanage. It is run on a much higher standard than it was before COAT took control of the school….. COAT improved the school greatly and then handed it back to the orphanage and they are doing well with it.

Hui Hui has always loved school, but she ran into a big problem when we put her in the village school. The village teacher had never heard of autism, let alone know how to deal with it. It is much better for Hui Hui to be where she is understood. This way, she has a better chance of growing into the fulfilled adult we desire her to be.

So thank you for your love and your yarping over this precious little girl. Because of many of you loving her, she is a great kid today. She tried to keep a straight face for this photos, but got the giggles and I captured this lovely smile.

Linda Shum

President of Chinese Orphans' Assistance Team Incorporated (COAT Inc)

"I raised you up on eagles' wings and brought you to myself" Ex 4:19b

http://www.eagleswingschina.org

donations over $2 to COAT Inc in partnership with Global Development Group approved aid & development project J587 COAT are tax deductible in Australia and the USA’

LOA

2010-09-22T13:26:00.003-04:00

We have been granted our Letter of Approval to adopt Dang Gang today, on what would have been my mom's 65th birthday. I never expected such a great gift on this day. We are thrilled with the timing. We will be busy praying for December travel so that Mike can come to China and meet his son (and hold my hand on the plane).

Thank you God!

Help Bring Sophia Home!!!

2010-07-19T17:13:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone,

One of my dear friends from our trip to adopt Piper is adopting her 3rd child from China, a little girl to be named Sophia. Mandie, my friend, is holding a raffle to raise funds. TRUST ME - every dollar is needed and appreciated. Please consider going by and entering the raffle.

http://www.bringingsophiahome.blogspot.com/

Please Pray for Jacob Jai

2010-06-15T11:32:00.004-04:00

Jacob Jai is our sponsor child at Phillip Hayden Foundation and was one of Piper's dear friends when she was there. We instantly fell in love with him as we waited for Piper and noticed that he was in all of her photos. We went early to China to meet him, feeling that we would be pursuing his adoption when we returned. He is AMAZING. The picture below is the first one we saw with Piper where we fell in love.

Obviously, that was not meant to happen.

We came home and Piper had problems bonding with daddy so we delayed. Then, months later we felt comfortable and started moving forward. We had many agencies looking for his file and one in particular went above and beyond - even calling China on many occasions. The foster home reps were also helping us, but everyone's story was the same in the end....the orphanage prepared his paperwork and then sent it to the local provincial office, which allegedly it has sat on the officer's desk for over a year. All contacts claim there is nothing they can do. I was heartbroken, but then we got the call about Dang Gang and I thought maybe it was meant to be that Jacob Jai be the son of another family. To date, there is no movement on his adoption. His file is probably still sitting on that desk - I am afraid to ask or check whether he is on the shared list - because then what would I do.

Today I received our sponsorship update report and many pictures of Jacob Jai. I just cannot look at him and not feel that he is meant to be a part of our family. It is very hard. Mike said that there is no way we could adopt another child after Dang Gang. I hope that he changes his mind and said that if I EVER hear that he is on the list, I will come asking.

So here is my request...I need prayers that his paperwork will be found and processed through the system, and that a wonderful family will step forward, and that wonderful family will have a blog or something where I can get a glimpse of this amazing kid's life.

He is amazing - a child that stands out and captures your heart.

Scottish Rite Test Results

2010-06-07T12:49:00.002-04:00

We found out today that Piper's tests from Scottish Rite all came back PERFECT!!!! We are so happy. Now we just need to pray for Monday at Eggleston Children's Hospital - for Piper to not be afraid and have a good recovery, for the doctors to have very steady hands as the operate on my sweet girl's eyes and for Mommy to find some calming medicine so that I don't cry all day :)
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I promise I will tell our new son's story soon. Thank you for being so patient!

Piper's Prayer

2010-05-17T18:56:00.004-04:00

This was Piper's bedtime prayer last night:

God, thank you for food, thank you for a family, thank you for saving Jesus.

So sweet and so heartbreaking in many ways. Piper had come up to me the day before and asked me to promise that mommy and daddy would never leave her. Those words just shot through my heart. When I mentioned it that night to Mike, he said that when he was talking to her about going to the hospital for some tests, that she asked if we all go with her and not leave her. When he said we would all go and would not leave, she said, "everyone leaves me."

Piper has now been with us longer than any of her four previous "homes." I realize that at a little over a year, she must now be dealing with so much.

Little Brother

2010-05-11T16:00:00.000-04:00

Meet Harrison and Piper's little brother. Isn't he just edible?

Happy Anniversary Piper

2010-02-14T07:38:00.002-05:00

Piper,

A year ago today we landed in Atlanta and you became a United States citizen. We are so proud of all of your accomplishments over the past year. This past year has surpased all of our hopes. I look at you and see the face of my little girl that I have dreamed about since I was your age only you are more perfect in every way then I could have ever imagined. We love you!

Our Snow Day

2010-02-14T07:32:00.003-05:00

We do not get much snow in Atlanta, but when we do we try to make the best of it. Luckily Mike passed a man selling sleds, which is a rarity here and we were able to get 4. Once he got home, we bundled up the snow babies and headed out. We learned several things. First, that it is hard to catch a sled with two flying kids on it. Second, an adult weighted body should not go head first down the hill straight for a tree because the only way to save yourself from a snapped neck is to do a back flip in the air and land in the woods. Third, I should ALWAYS keep my camera out in case my dear husband does the second. Shoot!

I need a Mommy & Daddy

2009-10-28T10:34:00.003-04:00

Fu Wei is Piper's Foster sister and is on our agency's list. I have meet her in person and have pictures and video of her. Piper even calls her on Skype. She is adorable & spunky. She has a form of dwarfism. I will try to post a picture, but please spread the word. This little girl needs a Mommy & Daddy!

Fu Wei’s name has been sent to the adoption agencies in America. She has been seen there by a few folk who look there for us. Now we have to yarp the right family in for her. This is Zhang Ying’s report on Fu Wei for the adoption agencies. I have not corrected any English errors because how it is is quite cute… you will have to look up Midgestim J or work it out from the photo below. We did think her bio mother and sister were coming to visit her, but the sister recently assured me that they were not really related by blood. She was one of the first children in Eagles’ Wings and she is thriving and a normal little girl in every way. Love changes things. She is fully sponsored and loved by many.

Fu Wei Report

Fu Wei is a girl who was born on 20^th Oct 2000. Midgestim.

She was deserted on 12^th Nov 2001 and came to Jiao Zuo orphanage.

She has been living in COAT eagles wings 3 from 2006.

Now she is a 9 years old girl and grows very well. You could hear her “bird” sound before you meet her.About putting on clothes,showering,having meals,she is very independent.She had meals in the same table with babies before because of her height.However,she thought she is an adult and asked to sit around the same tables with big children.she puts two stools togertherJ. After each meal,she tries her best to help ayis do some cleaning. For example: clean tables,sweep floors. She is a girl who likes ayi to work on her long hair every day to make it beautiful.In fact,Her hair is the longest in our girls.

Now she studies in XWLY from Monday to Friday and has good points each time.Her favorates is painting accord her thinking.Most of time,she shows others her pictures and gives to them as gifts. She doesn’t mind whether they are nice pictures or not. May be in her heart, all of pictures that she drawed are nice. As long as school has art programme,you could see her. She is good at dancing!

You could understand her words much better than before. She used to speak quickly so most of persons can’t understand her.The ayis tought her how to speak slowly and clearly,she tried her best to learn that.So we could communiacte with her well at moment .

In one word,she is a nice,happy girl and we love her much.

She is nine years old going on 19… here she is pushing Qing Qing home from school for lunch. Fu Wei’s hair comes down below her bottom. It is beautiful as is she. She is also the loudest kid in all of Eagles’ Wings J

Christmas in China

2009-09-17T12:19:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone,

I am so sorry that the blog has been so quiet. We were all hit with the seasonal flu and are just now getting back on our feet.

I wanted to let everyone know that we are starting back up our big fundraiser and toy drive for the kids at Piper's foster home in China, Eages Wings. Eagles Wings is an amazing place run by people who are some of the most amazing people that I have ever met. Last year was a huge success as we were able to send tons and tons of presents as well as several hundred dollars that we raised. We are hopeful to raise even more this year.

If you would like to purchase any SMALL gifts such as DVDs, babydolls, games, etc. I will send them over at the end of November. I will also ask for a "wish list" so we can work on some other items too. The easiest, of course, is money that we can directly wire to them for their own shopping in China. Every little bit helps, so if have $5 to give, we would LOVE it.

Please visit the widget to the side to contribute. If you would like to send gifts, please leave a comment with your email and I will send you my mailing address.

Beach Pictures Fort Morgan

2009-07-25T10:51:00.006-04:00

The Beach Summer 2009

2009-07-25T10:39:00.005-04:00

Piper's "Bestie"

2009-07-24T16:28:00.002-04:00

The girls have not seen each other for 5 months. After a few very shy moments on Piper's part, they love to be side by side again. More to come, but I had to steal this one from Rivers' mom's blog.

URGENT - Adorable 15 Month Old Girl - File Going Back July 15th

2009-07-09T20:17:00.002-04:00

Friends,

We received a file of a little girl who is 15 months old. She is adorable and sassy in every way. She has bilateral microtia/atresia. A CAT scan has been done with a good prognosis. Unfortunately, we decided not to pursue this little girl. I have asked and received permission from the agency to advocate and see if we can find a family ASAP.

I have photos and contact information if anyone is interested. I KNOW that this little girl has a family waiting for her. We just need to find them....in 5 days.

Please friends, help me spread the word about Min Wei. Email me or Wasatch for more information.

Happy Birthday Piper & July 4th

2009-07-05T15:40:00.009-04:00

Holy Smokes Batman

2009-06-21T13:21:00.001-04:00

TODAY - Tanner's Christening

2009-06-14T21:27:00.004-04:00

Piper was not into the pictures today in case its not obvious from all of the pictures. She was more interested in where wa wa was and where her blanky was - two items that are never far from her.

I have missed so much in my blogging lately. I wish I could say that I have been doing something outstanding to keep me occupied, but I have just been a lazy blogger. I miss checking up on everyone and I miss showcasing the kiddos. Today was Tanner's Christening and I completely forgot to take any pictures except for in the parking lot. The kids were not thrilled about having their photos taken, but at least I got 4.

We have some VERY exciting things coming up. There are big changes going on right now with jobs, family, priorities, etc. and I am excited to see how things turn out.

Going Solo to Faith

2009-06-14T21:23:00.002-04:00

Mike was working the other weekend, so I decided to be brave and take the kids to church solo. My neighbor was going to come, but she stood us up. (Kim, enter guilt trip here). We actually had a lovely time and I really like this little church. The people there are so nice and have done so much for our family. We decided that we are going to join so we are very excited about having the kids baptized and getting more involved in this little small community church. Now, onto what I am always talking about.....AREN'T MY KIDS RIDICULOUSLY DELICIOUS?

Playdate at PTC Park

2009-06-14T21:20:00.002-04:00

We met Chan and Lana at the park a couple of weekends ago and it was so much fun. The kids seemed to get along great together, but it was HOT HOT HOT. Ava and Harrison loved haming it up for the camera. We need to schedule playdates more often!

Harrison's Mission

2009-06-14T21:16:00.002-04:00

(Please disregard the 1000 bags of chips behind Harrison's head)

After saying goodbye to Mr. Johnson, we waited until we knew they were asleep and went to hang signs and yellow ribbons in their yard and ours. Harrison dressed himself for the mission.

Gotta love the picture that Harrison drew of Ava to hang outside. Notice the mean mouth :)

Mr. Johnson's Last Night

2009-06-14T21:11:00.002-04:00

Our neighbor received a last minute deployment so we did not have time to plan a real get together. This was our last night together when we were saying goodbye. Do you notice who thinks that they are part of the Johnson family? The funny thing is that she looks perfect in the family pictures. I keep trying to use them to convince them to adopt a little cutie!

Harrison needed to get into the action too. You cannot really see them in the picture, but Mr. Johnson had dog tags made for Harrison and Ava with his information on it. I didn't realize until he had left --- uugggh, tear jerker!

What I See When I Drive The School Bus

2009-05-21T10:54:00.001-04:00

I call Momma Drama Momma's car the school bus because it can hold the whole clan. When I have the chance to watch Ava and we need to go somewhere, I get the school bus too and it is so much fun to drive. Here are some scenes from our recent trip.

Drama Mama and Momma Drama Mama

2009-05-20T10:52:00.000-04:00

My camera is still a bit "sick" from its fall on the Wall, but I am trying to figure out exactly what is wrong. We went to Pizza Hut the other day and I got to test it out a bit on the Dramas to see what was going on. I still have not figured it out, but here are some cute photos of our testing.

Tug-O-War

2009-05-19T23:12:00.002-04:00

Random Field Day Pictures

2009-05-19T23:10:00.000-04:00

Water Balloon Fight With Hunter

2009-05-19T23:08:00.000-04:00

Harrison and his big buddy, Hunter, playing the water balloon toss. I wish I could have been there, but thankfully Super Hubs took the camera.

Harrison's First Field Day

2009-05-19T22:58:00.002-04:00

Mike's poor mom got stuck with Piper the whole time. Apparently Piper was in LOVE with the rice in the buckets. I know what I am going to get for those boring summer days.

The kids below in the towels after the water balloon fight.

My Minnie showing off his medal. We are so proud of him!

And his certificate....look how tired those eyes look!

Finally, my Minnie got a free Chick-Fil-A meal and cow. Not sure where it went, but I see it in the picture. I think it got "lost" in Hubs' car.

Mom, She Is So Beautiful

2009-05-19T22:46:00.002-04:00

Piper is beautiful and one of the most amazing people in my life, but this post is really about my Minnie Mr. When we were looking at his field day pictures on the computer we came to this one. Harrison said,"Oh mom ---she is so beautiful."

That little Minnie Mr. just melts my heart. He loves his sister so much and things are so much better and more perfect than I could have ever imagined. I know that my Minnie is going to be a good hubber to some lovely lady. He is sweet, gentle and pretty darn funny.

I have loved him the longest and have never been more proud of him than I am today. Harrison, thank you for being the best big brother in the world.

Six Flags Fun

2009-05-19T22:39:00.002-04:00

We took the kids on their first trip to Six Flags. We found out a few things...

1. Piper will likely be my roller coaster companion

2. Harrison has more of his Poppa and his Daddy than me when it comes to rides (chicken)

3. Six Flags with two little kids is a bit fun

4. Hubby really is a lot nicer than me because he watched the kids while I rode the rides

5. The front row of the Superman ride is the BEST and Super Duper Scary

6. Its fun to ride the coasters with my neighbor because he laughs at me laughing and screaming hysterically

7. People call you a "chicken" and "Weak" when you get in the ride and hop out before it starts

8. Random people sitting in front of you on the Mine Train can be angels for your scared and crying son

9. Phones and cameras have a hard time working when the fall in the lemonade or vice versa

10. One cannot have too much popcorn and cotton candy in the unlimited bucket.

Zoo Pictures

2009-05-16T13:48:00.002-04:00

Blogspot is freezing on the second load of photos so I am having to post more than 5 pictures separately.

More Zoo Atlanta Pictures

2009-05-16T13:42:00.002-04:00

The Monkeys at Zoo Atlanta

2009-05-16T13:37:00.004-04:00

My hot Minnie Mr. in his "baby beater" riding at the park.

The Drama Mama "caught" in the tree.

The massage chair was a HUGE hit.

The kids have been having a ball at Zoo Atlanta thanks to our 100% deductible season's pass (yes, I still have not finished my taxes). It is about to run out because it was my Mother's Day present next year, but we have chosen Six Flags seasons passes for this year. Fun fun fun!

Darn Yankie Mommy

2009-05-16T13:35:00.001-04:00

Yes, I am completely outnumbered by southern sweet tea drinkers in my family. I will happily sip an unsweet tea, but ugggg....the Mrs. Winners sweet tea makes me want to gag. Apparently it has the opposite effect on my hot babies after a day at Zoo Atlanta.

Harrison's Wish

2009-04-27T16:04:00.003-04:00

This past Sunday we enjoyed a great day at Zoo Atlanta. It was a breezy and beautiful day and I have great pictures to post soon.

While we were there, Harrison, Piper and Ava wanted to put coins in the donation tub that spins the coins around the funnel. As they did this, Harrison made a wish. He wished for....

"another Mommy."

I immediately felt the breath suck out of me and I froze for a second. When I felt like I could speak, I asked him what he meant. He said...

"I need another Mommy to come to be with me when you go to work and then when you come home, that other Mommy can leave and you can come back."

I have ALWAYS had tremendous personal guilt for working. I know everyone has their opinion, but regardless of how successful my career is or has been, I have always wanted to be home with the kids. Unfortunately, financially it is not a wise decision for our family and so I am a working mom. I had a stay at home mom and I know how great that is. I do not know what it feels like to be shuffled around every day, but my kids do and Harrison has always had a tough time with it. If I did not have enough guilt already, I sure do now after hearing my Minnie Man's wish. He was not being mean or hurtful, just matter of fact.

So, I am hitting the lotto tonight which is my current answer to this dilemma.

The Aquarium with Meili

2009-04-26T20:48:00.004-04:00

Last weekend we were so excited to meet some friends that were visiting from out of town at the Aquarium. It was so good to see everyone. Poor Piper was a bit exhausted with missing nap time, but all in all everyone did ok. Piper and Meili didn't realize fuss that much with each other, but Meili was hilarious and every time someone would say China, she would get all excited and say she is from China. So cute!

The Mountain House

2009-04-19T21:01:00.001-04:00

Here is a small glipse of the Mountain House. We try to go up two times a month and hopefully we are headed there this weekend. It is Harrison's favorite place to go!

Mike Hates This Outfit

2009-04-19T20:58:00.003-04:00

When we were waiting for our referral, I bought a Baby Phat sweat suit for Piper. I love it. I know it is tacky, but I just think it is too cute on her. Mike cannot stand it and it drives him nuts when I dress her in it. What do you think?

Police Officer Day at Faith

2009-04-19T20:46:00.003-04:00

Also known as....Daddy Day! Mike has been going to Faith for 3 years now and this year, Harrison was in the class. I was lucky that I also got to attend and take pictures. Doing little things like this makes me realize how much I have missed over the years. For how hard everything can be at times, I am really happy that we are working towards living a more simple life so we can have more family time.

The Fireman Comes To Faith

2009-04-19T20:41:00.002-04:00

Harrison loves Community Worker Week at school because there are always fun people coming to school. This year, I was able to join the class for fireman, doctor and police officer day. Of course, it helped that I am related to two of those workers. Hmmm, wonder why there wasn't an attorney day? Probably because I would try my best to discourage anyone from being one :)