UPDATE - I 800 APPROVAL

Things are moving along for our next miracle daughter. On June 6th we received our I 800 approval. On June 11th, our approval was cabled to China. We are now waiting for our Article 5 which should arrive in 2 weeks. Than we wait for China to issue our Travel approval. So many steps left and my arms and heart are aching for our baby girl. We should travel in August....but wish it were so much sooner. I requested an update so hopefully we get a much needed surprise this week.

We are trying to keep busy to keep our minds off of waiting. We were finally able to make a trip to the beach today. It was a gorgeous day and Halainah was in all her glory. We gave her a choice between Sesame Place and the Beach...she chose the beach...she's such a beach bunny.

And since I haven't posted any pics. in a while of our beautiful Lainey...here you go:






We enjoyed a special family day today. But there was someone who is VERY special and VERY loved that was missing!!

Soon baby girl...I promise...soon!!

LOA - MAY 4th

Boy am I behind on blogging. I need to step it up because I am missing so many milestones in our adoption of our newest most beautiful miracle. And I really need to change my blog layout. How long ago was Christmas?

Ok...so our LOA (Letter Of Approval) from China was received on May 4th. It only took 34 days to receive it which shocked us to say the least. We waited an excruciating 92 days for Halainah's LOA. We are so excited and was shocked to hear that because of this we should be traveling in August instead of September.

We are currently waiting for our I-800 Approval. Which took a lot of extra work to get to this point. A new Home Study had to be done so that it included the age and specific special need our daughter has. Once we received our new Home Study we had to file a I-797 Supplement 3 to reflect the changes as well. Then we filed our I-800. It was certainly a different process than it was for Halainah and a lot of extra paperwork.

On March 28th, 2 1/2 years after Halainah initially saw her Cardiologist, he gave her a clean bill of health. All the tests he performed proved that Halainah's heart was healed and her small hole in her heart (PFO - Patent Foramen Ovale) had closed on it's own. She was released from his care and was now termed "100% healthy" instead of "special needs."

2 hours after we returned from her appointment we received the phone call that we had been praying for. We were matched with a beautiful little girl whose special need happened to be PFO, the same heart condition as Halainah. It was a sign straight from our Lord above. He found our daughter and brought her to us. He healed Halainah and certainly chose our daughter knowing that we could fully handle her special need. It truly is amazing and no words can truly describe it.

Halainah is very excited to be a big sister. She asks about her sister often and carries a picture of her in her little purse. She tells us that she will share her Mommy and her Daddy and her Grandma and Opa with her sister. Sometimes she says she will share her toys but she makes it clear that she will not share her Tinkerbelle bed with her sister..."my sister can have my crib."

We cannot wait to make the trip to the other side of the world once again to witness our next miracle. The one thing that I am not looking forward to is the heat. We hear it is going to be very hot in China in August.

Here are some updated pictures of our daughter. She is getting so big without us and I just want to hold her and love her forever.

ON CLOUD 9

God is AMAZING. Our journey to our second daughter is BEYOND amazing.

She was meant to be our daughter and we were meant to be her parents...there is no doubt about that.

I am so entirely blessed to introduce you to our daughter:

Chang Hui Xue
Born on 9-14-2009
Changchun City, Jilin Province China

So many details to share with all of you soon.

SEPTEMBER 2011

HALAINAH GRACE - A TRUE MIRACLE FROM GOD

Tony and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Halainah's heart was healed the minute we accepted her referral from China. God calmed our fears and he was in charge of her miraculous life.

When we arrived home from China back in January of 2009 we took Halainah to a very trusted Pediatric Cardiologist. He gave us great news that her heart condition was very minor, but could not give us a clear bill of health because she was too small. He wanted to give her more time to grow and he also thought that she would never sit still long enough for an Echo cardiogram (ultrasound of her heart). So he sent us home and advised us to return 2 years later.

March 24th 2011 has now become a very signifant day for our family. Halainah has been diagnosed as "100% healthy with a beautiful heart" by her trusted and well liked Cardiologist. Halainah has been healed by our Lord and Savior. We are eternally grateful.

Our Cardiologist also commented on Halainah's spirit. "She's such a beautiful little girl, so full of energy and life."

She truly is our miracle from God. We love her more than anything in this world and she loves us. She will kiss our hands, forehead, lips and cheeks all day long. She tells us she loves us a bazillion times a day. She truly is heaven on earth.

Last Sunday in church, an older woman approached us after mass was over and stated, "For the rest of my life, I will never forget your daughter kissing your hands and telling you how much she loves you." She told us it touched her deeply.

Thank you Lord for holding Halainah in the palm of your hand!!

A VALENTINE FROM GOD

"For God so loVed the world
that He gAve
His one and onLy Son
That who Ever
Believes iN Him
Shall noT
PerIsh but have
EterNal
LifE"

John 3:16

GUNG HAY FAT CHOY

Happy Chinese New Year - The Year Of The Rabbit

If you were born in 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, or 2011 - you were born under the sign of the rabbit.

I was born under the sign of the rabbit and it's said that like the rabbit, you are one of the cuddliest and sweetest creatures in the Chinese Zodiac.

Ok so I don't know about that because the cuddliest and sweetest little goofy goober I know is my beautiful Halainah Grace Qinyang.

Just because I thought it would be neat to see...here is my greatest gift from God through all the years we have been blessed with her.

2009

2010

2011

Our family is going through some very difficult times right now.
Please pray for us!
(It has nothing to do with a referral)