Hey guys! It's Grace here. :) I just wanted to do a practice post for you guys, because I will be the "official blogger" while we are in China. I can't wait to tell you all what is going on in our adoption journey. We are leaving in 6 days, (WOW) and I promise to post as much as I can. 

More bails 

Just a couple of the many (hundreds) of cotton bails.

Sibling pictures! Looking forward to adding two more to this.

Daddy, Marta, Shane and I in between some cotton bails.

I've been taking up photography lately, and this was one of my favorite.  

This was another, all at my grandma's house.

Jake and Noelle

Thank you Danae!  

Danae and Dan were able to meet Jake and give him more pictures of his forever family right after Thanksgiving.

They went to Jake's orphanage and brought his friend, Noelle, home to the USA!

Danae was able to give us some new pictures that we hadn't seen yet. 

In the group picture below, Jake is on the right side with the red, white, and blue short sleeve shirt and Noelle is standing right beside him with her cute pigtails.

   We sent Jake his first care package back in Feb, for his birthday.  And looked what happened!

Danae said, "I wondered where the cake came from for Noelle because we didn't send it."  Now you know why Jake has that expression on his face! 

Jake, when you get home, we will not make you share your cake!  

We will be meeting our new son on Jan 6th or 7th, 2013!  

Then, we'll leave Jake's province and travel to Joy's province!  Please pray for them as they are about to experience the "Big Change."  Your prayers for them and our family are cherished beyond words!

And yes, we are packing! Ok, practice packing and gathering all the things from the list that we need!  We can hardly believe how close it is now!

 

1 Trip, 2 Kids

If you're thinking to yourself, how are they going to make 1 Trip to get 2 children

in 2 different provinces....well, here's our plan.

First, Jake is in Xianyang City in Shaanxi Province and Joy is in Linyi City in Shandong Province.

Shaanxi Temple

Boat in Moat in Shandong (Jinan)

Amy, Grace, Shane, and Amy's cousin, Charles, will travel to China to bring Jake and Joy home.

We will complete all the paperwork in the children's individual provinces (this will take approximately a week in each province) and then we will go to Guangzhou, Guangdong and spend a week here (picture below).  We will complete the final paperwork and exit medical exams for Jake and Joy.

It will be a long trip (to say the least), but we will try to make it fun!  Have you ever traveled with 4 children on a plane?   


TRAVEL DATES

We are still waiting on our travel dates.  As of now, we are hoping to travel in Jan 2013.   The adoption agency says we should receive Joy's TA at the beginning of Dec. 2012.  The 3 week trip makes us put off our travel until January.    There are many positives for us in this time line and God's plan is perfect!

Jake and Noelle

We hope to have some more pictures of Jake soon via a new blog friend, Danae.  She & her husband are traveling to Jake's province to bring their new daughter, Noelle, home.  The will leave on Nov 22nd.  Jake and Noelle are in the same orphanage!  If you want to follow their journey, here's their address:
www.andsowearegoing.blogspot.com



Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers!  Please keep visiting the blog for updates!  Blessings,

New Pictures of Joy!

Thank you Crista!

Joy attended a camp with Crista, 

Bring Me Hope, this past summer in China.

Crista was with Joy the whole week.

She sent these pictures to us from 

CA!

"I'm getting ready for 

Arts and Crafts."

"I'm really working hard and I'm excited about my project."

"Do you like it?"

We are going to have 2 little fashion

models in the making.

Swinging with her friends.

Dancing the Hokie Pokie!

"Put your right arm in, take your right arm out."

We are so thrilled to have these pictures of our new daughter!  Again, we can't thank Crista enough for blessing us with a glimpse of Joy's personality.

(Grace says she's a dresser-upper, and that we are going to have another girly girl in the house.) :) 

Who Am I?

My Chinese name is Guo Fuxia.  

I'm 10 years old.  My birthday is March 25, 2002 (that was what it was decided to be by the orphanage staff).  I've lived in the orphanage my whole life.

I was left at the gate of the Welfare Institute for Children of Linyi City. 

I was found on June 3, 2002.  

I was left with a quilt.

My special need is dwarfishness.

I've been in the hospital for Physical Therapy. 

I did this in April 2011.
The PT helped me to walk much better.

I love to play just like other kids do!

I'm gentle and get along well with others.

I like to sing and dance!  

I like to recite poems of the Tang Dynasty.

Soon, I'll be the 3rd daughter of Amy and Tom Parker.

I'll live in Mt. Pleasant, SC with with my new family.

PS - My mom sent me a care package this week!

TA for Jake!

On Friday, while we were at a wedding reception, we got the call from Heartsent that we now have our Travel Approval for Jake!

However, we will not start booking any hotels or flights, until we have Joy's Travel Approval.  

We are so grateful and thankful that our GREAT God has worked it out that we may bring both of our beautiful children home at the same time.  This was the desire of my heart and my Heavenly Father heard my prayers.

Please pray that we will receive Joy's Travel Approval (TA)

before Thanksgiving.  Then we can travel after Thanksgiving and before Christmas.  It's a small window, but I know that God's timing is perfect.

And also, the answer to a big question,

"Who's going?"

We've finally decided that I will go with Grace and Shane and my cousin, Charles.  Tom and Marta will stay home.

This means that we will have a 3 week trip.  

We are so blessed to have many friends and family supporting Tom and Marta while they wait on us to bring Jake and Joy home. 

Thank you to all who are praying for us.

Thank you, Claudine Herodote and family, for the incredible Chinese lunch that you prepared for us at your house yesterday, Oct 27th.  Thank you also for the travel goodies and Mr. Rice!  May God bless you for your generosity and hospitality!

Xi'an, Jake's Capital City!

Xi'an (Chinese: 西安; pinyin: Xī'ān; Wade–Giles: Hsi-An, also spelled Hsi-an, Hsian, or Sian)^[1][2] is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty.^[1] Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, having held the position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history,^[3] including Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang.^[3] Xi'an is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army.^[1]
Since the 1990s, as part of the economic revival of interior China especially for the central and northwest regions, the city of Xi'an has re-emerged as an important cultural, industrial and educational centre of the central-northwest region, with facilities for research and development, national security and China's space exploration program. It's now one of the most populous metropolitan areas in inland China with more than 8 million inhabitants, including urban parts of Xianyang (Weicheng and Qindu districts).
According to a July 2012 report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, it was recently named as one of the 13 emerging megacities, or megalopolises, in China.^[4] The report pinpoints and highlights the demographic and income trends that are shaping these cities' development.

"Little Person" of America

    Our daughter, Joy, has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism.  I know we will find it quite common for both children and adults to have questions about her condition.  

    We wanted you to have a few basic facts about dwarfism:

•  There are over 200 distinct types of dwarfism.
•  There are no "cures" for Joy, although limb-lengthening has been used on some people.
• Over 80% of people with dwarfism have average-height parents and siblings.  We don't know anything yet about her parents, and we probably will never know.
• Joy's adult height will be some where around 4'2", about the height of an average-height first or second grader.
• It is extremely rare to have retardation in conjunction with dwarfism; only a few rare types correlate to any type of mentally handicapping condition. 

Terminology: the word "dwarf" is not used anymore among most of the short-stature community; it is seen as a derogatory, slang word.  We will use the terms "short-stature," "little person," or "having dwarfism" in our  home.

The LPA (Little People of America) Organization has been very helpful with information regarding the SN of dwarfism.  We will become members once Joy is home.  They have an adoption grant which we will apply for and should receive.  We are so thankful for this organization and their assistance!   If you'd like to visit their site,

please go to www.lpaonline.org.

Bringing Joy Home

Dear Family and Friends,

  This is our beautiful daughter, Joy, who we are hoping will be coming home with her brother, Jake.

Joy has been in an orphanage her whole life.  Her special need (SN) is dwarfism.  She is 10 years old and full of happiness and love.  The caretakers at her orphanage have stated that she loves to sing and dance.  I can't wait!  

  Our biggest obstacle to bringing Joy home with Jake is funding.  Tom and I are applying for as many grants as we possibly can.  

  Much to our surprise we received Joy's LSC (Letter of Confirmation) approximately 2 weeks after we had gotten the Pre-Approval (PA) for her adoption.  What this means in the adoption world is that the adoption can be completed in a short amount of time and we can make our travel plans sooner rather than later.

  Tom & I have been going back and forth over the last couple of weeks over our trip to China.  We couldn't decide if we were suppose to delay Jake's adoption to bring Joy home at the same time or if we were suppose to make 2 trips to China....one in Nov and then one in the spring.  The LSC really changed our thoughts completely.  This part of the process now gives us the ability to go sooner (Dec 2012) to bring them both home at the same time.  We totally believe that this is all part of God's plan.

 If you are feeling led in any way to help us bring Joy home, then Tom & I humbly ask you to send your tax-deductible contribution to our adoption agency:

Heartsent Adoptions Inc.

140 Brookwood Rd. , #100

Orinda, CA 94563

Please put on the memo line of your check,  Tom & Amy Parker.  We thank you in advance for any amount that you may contribute.  You are a blessing to us and our children.

Jake, New Pics!

 Here's our boy!  The date says Sept 4th, 2012!  

This must be outside the orphanage.

I remember seeing this little girl, his friend,

with him during his birthday party.

And here's the last one of the group of pics...

he's smiling a tiny bit.

We also received  his latest measurements & have determined that he's taller than Marta, but shorter than Shane.  He weighs about the same as Marta or close to it.

The other nice news in the update said that he's now in Grade 2 of Jiantan primary school and he is performing well.

Please continue to pray for Jake as he waits for his family to come.  Please Pray that the transition into his forever family will go "flawlessly."   

We also need God's direction regarding which of us will be traveling to China to bring Jake home.  We still aren't sure.

Thank you again to all of you who prayed for our yard sale this past Sat!  It was successful!  God was so good!

Children of God Video!

Third Day!  I knew I loved this group, now I know why!

As soon as I heard this song on His Radio, I knew it was an adoption song!

God Bless you Third Day for your beautiful message!

Letter Seeking Confirmation

Our LSC arrived this week!  We are so excited!  

Now to complete the I800!

Heartsent, our agency, said we should be 

traveling in Oct or early Nov!

Please pray for Jake and our family as we prepare 

for the "Big Change!"

LID & Shoe Carnival

AND SHOE CARNIVAL SALE!

MT. PLEASANT IS OPENING A NEW STORE THIS THURS NEAR THE OLD WALMART!

I HAVE COUPONS FOR THE VIP EVENT!

Do you need water aerobic shoes?  Does your child or children need new shoes before school starts?

And, Yes, we are logged-in!  Now more waiting!  Waiting for the confirmation letter that we will be Jake's parents!  Pray for us as we wait - we should hear in 2-3 months!

Marta and David

Friends Forever!

We have been so blessed to have the friendship of the Stewart family.  We first met them before we traveled to Guatemala to bring Marta home.  Regan & Nate had been to Guatemala a year prior to bring home their son, David, who was seven.

Marta and David have a love for each other that is beyond words!

We celebrated a birthday with them yesterday. 

Their oldest son, Jason, turned 14! 

Sorry no birthday pictures for the blog Jason.

We miss the Stewarts, who are living out of SC right now, but we have had some great summer memories this year!  Hope you guys have a great trip to DC!

We love you!

Jake on the playground!

Here's another pic of our handsome guy!

We've had this picture because it was sent with his file.  We were blessed to have many recent (2011) pictures of Jake when we were making our decision to go forward with the adoption.  We are praying like crazy that our dossier will be in China this week!

Please pray for us as we continue to ask God exactly who will be making the trip to China to bring Jake home.  We have 3 other children who want to travel with Tom & myself, but because of cost, we just aren't sure.  Yes, if we decide that God wants us to all go, then we'll most likely be having another fundraiser.

We're still waiting to hear from Show Hope regarding the grant that we applied for from them.  If we are awarded a grant from them, this will be another part of the money that would allow all 5 of us to travel to China.

Scrubs Camp 2012!

Congrats Graduate!!  And Thank You, Roper Hospital!!

Grace attended the Scrubs Camp this past week to learn more about the medical field!  She was one of 44 campers.  The amount of information that she got this week was incredible!  What an experience!

Nurse Emily and other Roper staff led the campers throughout the week through all sorts of departments: Perfusion, Cath Lab, Respiratory Therapy (YEAH!), Physical Therapy, Pharmacy, Radiology, Dietary, Laparoscopic Surgery, Suturing, Oncology, Cardiac Rehab, Wound Management, CPR (now she's certified) and First Aid!

Grace also won 2nd place for her ability to list the most number of occupations within the hospital that she could during the week.  She listed 59!  She won a nice totebag (see 1st picture).

Framed Artwork FOR SALE

FOR SALE: $200.00
Framed artwork - picture is by Victor Elford (signature is at the bottom right hand corner).  The frame was done by a shop in High Point, NC.

Please pass this along to others who may be interested!  Thanks you so much!  Blessings,