WaaaaHooooo!!!! Our TA arrived!!

Yes!!!!! Our agency called my cell phone at 11:35 this morning and said that our TA arrived! I still can't even think straight!! She asked if we wanted to join the group leaving on the 13th and I of course, screamed YES!!!! She is going to make our consulate appt. and let us know as soon as maybe tomorrow or Monday what the official schedule is but......aaaahhhhhh........deep breath.....14 days from today. We'll be on a plane to China to pick up our daughter. I can't even get my brain around it. All I know is God is so good. He heard our prayers....HE did this. He deserves all the glory for this. Ok...gotta go think.

Thank you, God! We are so thankful......

We're coming, baby girl!

Update...

Are you wondering whats going on in the Woods world? Sorry! I have hesitated to post anything the last few days because I just KNEW I would have some news on the adoption front. I hate to tell you....I do not. However, I am not giving up hope! There has been a group formed with our agency that will leave for China on March 13th. And after a small attitude adjustment from my sister(thanks, Sara) I have gotten off of my *bottom* and started preparing to leave on the 13th! Yes, I am praying and asking the Lord if we could leave with that group!!! I did hear that we need to have our TA by Friday or Monday in order to leave with the group on the 13th. I would love it if you all would stand with us and pray for this as well. Obviously, we want what the Lord wants and KNOW that his timing is perfect. There are several families waiting for their travel approvals along with us so if you will pray for them too that would be great. Lots of sweet children being united with their forever families!! Soon!! Thanks!!! I believe!!!

19 months

About to pop!!!!

Do you see this picture? This is how I feel right now. Enough said....


*Disclaimer*(Thanks Tiffany) This is NOT me in the picture!! Just found a miserably pregnant woman on the world wide web because that is how I feel!!

Let's change the subject...

Brian and I have found a house that we like and are moving this summer!! Yeah!! It's on 3 acres and its a BEAUTIFUL home! Very much like something we have dreamed of having for years!! Thank you, Lord for this blessing! A whole lot of the house has dark wood hand scratched floors(I think thats what you call them) and I have no idea how to care for this type of floor. I mean the day to day sweeping I get. But I don't know anything about upkeep. Long term...you know? Do you have to have something done to them every so often to keep them looking good? What can or can't you put on them? Any ideas? Anyone? Bueller?

I have to BRAG again!!

Okay, Jennifer at Pink Armchair Designs has done it again!! If you haven't seen my new adoption blog (or even if you have) go and check it out. She designed me a fabulous new header for our adoption blog, The Road to Adiah. Thanks Jennifer!!

This just in...

*update below*
I have a drama queen for a daughter!! Seriously!! So I have this rule these days that the kids HAVE to make their beds GOOD before school. We are practicing because we will soon be putting our house on the market and I need their help keeping the house ready to show. So we practice! This morning, Natalie comes out of her room with a "shaky"voice near tears and she says this..."Mom. I can't make my bed." I say something like...yes you can. She says "But here's the problem...I don't WANT to make my bed!!" All of this is said with such drama. I say something like...here's the problem back. You will make your bed....blah, blah, mom stuff, blah. Now she's throwing a fit. She's 8, almost 9. Am I really still dealing with fits? Seriously...off to discipline. Happy Friday!!

Natie Bug told me she was sorry! I think she's tired from her week at school. But I thought that was pretty awesome that she apologized. She just needs some good lovin' this weekend!!

New Adoption Blog

I couldn't sleep so I decided to go ahead and start a new blog for our adoption journey. This is where we will be posting when we are in China getting Adiah. It is called The Road to Adiah. I have put a link to it over there on the side under Websites I Frequent. I can't wait!

Pink Dinner

Happy Valentine's Day! I just love this holiday! I love everything about it. Mushy love stuff is what I'm all about! Well...with my family anyway. So last year I did an all pink dinner for my family for Valentine's Day. I loved to do it so much that I've decided to try and make it a tradition. The deal is though that I do it ALL. I give little gifts, I make the fun dinner, I decorate. They just have to sit back and enjoy being *mushed* on! So last night we had to do the pink dinner because Brian is on call today. Not quite as romantic on the 13th but hey! Thats the life of a doctor's wife! I made a yummy dinner of heart shaped pasta with pink (vodka) sauce, strawberry spinach salad, and bread on heart plates with heart placemats. We also had pink lemonade. My friend Britney told me that the lady who started Sprinkles cupcakes(my most favorite in the world) was going to be on the Martha Stewart show making her strawberry cupcakes. So I got that recipe and that is what we had for dessert. Oh, I also made little place cards with everyone's nicknames since I was on a mushy kick. They loved it and loved their little gifts. I also love doing this for them. I'm a silly girl...I know!

New Look and Chinese New Year

First off- Do you LOVE my new blog design??? I'm so excited about it! Thank you to Jennifer T. at Pink Armchair Designs for doing this for me! Go check her out. She rocks!!

On Saturday, the kids and I went to my sister's house to celebrate Chinese New Year. Brian couldn't go because he was on call but we missed him!! Sara made an awesome meal for us which was chicken fried rice. My mom made an asian chicken salad which was great too. We ended the meal with banana pudding....not very Chinese New Yearish but it involved fruit and I believe they eat fruit over there!!! We then passed out red envelopes with cash to all of the kids. The tradition is that every unmarried person gets cash on Chinese New Year. Not sure why but we did it anyway. And then we went outside and did fireworks(you know, since fireworks were invented by the Chinese). We kept screaming Happy Chinese New Year. The neighbors thought we were crazy. They tried to give us a *hint* by turning out their lights in and out of their house. Needless to say, we kept doing them. It was a total blast and look forward to doing it next year with our new daughters! We've already planned to do it at our house next year. And here's a hint...*it won't be far from their house* (Lord willing and the creek don't rise!)


Red envelopes and gifts for the kids....they LOVE Chinese New Year because of all the stuff they get!

Sara and Noah...not sure why this was happening.

Matt helping Noah hold a sparkler

Ridgedon and Natalie having a blast!

Emily's seems a little out of control. We all had puffy eyes the next morning because of the smoke!

Finding ad

I got this picture a couple of months ago from a guy who finds finding ads of babies in China. In China, when a baby is found they have to put a picture in the newspaper to see if anyone knows that child or claims them. This is normally the earliest photo of your baby you will ever have. Most of the time the pictures are taken when the babies are just days old. This newspaper article ran on December 22, 2006. Adiah was born on July 25, 2006 but found on August 6, 2006. I don't think she is five months old in this photo. Maybe 2 or 3 months old. Not sure. But it is the earliest photo we have of her. I'll be honest, when Brian and I opened the envelope and saw the picture we both laughed. First, I thought "Are you sure thats her? It doesn't look like her." (Look at her ears! Compare them to the photo over to the side. Thats her!!) Second, we thought that was the funniest picture. She's looking up to the side at something. Maybe someone shaking a rattle? But Brian loved it because he said it looks like shes engaged in whatever is going on. Her brain is doing what its supposed to. If I haven't mentioned before Adiah's "special need" is a small head circumference with developmental delay. Its so hard to know without seeing your child how serious some of the issues are. This is why international adoption is such a faith building process!

Anyway, I was SO hoping to have some good news this week about our Travel Approval. I guess we still have to the end of business today to hear. Soon enough, though! Within a matter of weeks we will have our daughter! Thank you, Lord for that blessing!! Oh and Happy Chinese New Year!!

Please help...

If you've ever wondered how you could help orphans....let me tell you how. As many of you know, China has dealt with some pretty massive snowstorms this week. The southern and central provinces that are normally quite warm just weren't equipped to deal with such bitter cold and power outages. I have heard from a lady who has contact with the ophanage that Adiah is in and they are doing okay. But there are some orphanages where there is no power, no heat, no water and running low on food and diapers. A foundation called Half The Sky, who cares for orphans in China, is raising money to help with ANY orphanage in need in China right now due to this storm. Here is a part of an email from the executive director of Half The Sky. Above everything else please pray for the safety of the orphans and caretakers. Adiah and Hannah need them!! Thank you!! (By the way, I got this email portion from MyAdoptionWebsite...go check them out! They are awesome! Click on Family Websites and follow a few stories.)

" . . . But a moment like this really cannot be ignored. The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina in the US taught us that no matter how wealthy a country might be, its vulnerable citizens (old, poor, ill, and orphaned children) are the ones who suffer most when disaster strikes. Even as China seems to be entering the first world, a disaster like this is quite simply crippling. We know that orphaned children will be among those who suffer the damage most.

I say this because I think we should break one of Half the Sky’s rules and, if there are sufficient funds raised in the Little Mouse Emergency Fund, we should offer relief (water, food, diapers, quilts, clothing) to any orphanage where children need help. Let’s see how this goes. If people are as generous as I think they might be, we will work with the provincial Bureaus of Civil Affairs in every hard-hit community, and offer assistance to all welfare institutions where there is need.

Please lend a hand, however you can. You can donate to the Little Mouse Emergency Fund by calling us in the US at +1-510-525-3377 or in Asia at +852- 2520-5266 or by visiting us at www.halfthesky.org. Once there, you can click on “Donate Now” or go here to download a form to mail or fax. Donations are tax-deductible in US,Canada and Hong Kong.

Please forward this message and tell your friends and family.

I will be back with an update very, very soon.

Thank you!
Jenny

Jenny Bowen
Executive Director
Half the Sky Foundation
www.halfthesky.org

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
James 1:27