God Bless America!

On this Memorial Day weekend, along with the celebration and accompanying cookouts and family gatherings that are in abundance, there is a solemn note of serenity that arches over all the festivities. The idea that we live in a country that is free - hard fought freedom - won by our forefathers and carried on by those who answer the call to duty and to country each and every day. May we celebrate the lives of those who have graced our history with undying courage and strength to fight the good fight and save our liberty!


AJ's 5th grade class celebrated Famous Historical American Night by performing a concert of beautiful hymns showcasing America. Each of the children chose a famous American's biography to read (AJ chose William Howard Taft), then they wrote a book report, created a project to present to their class (AJ created a power-point), and lastly they memorized a speech. On this night, the children took their places in the hallways of the school and created a "wax museum".

President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft

(complete with judge's robe, gavel, and a pillow for some extra chubbiness - he had a mustache but it kept falling off. :)

Mamaw & Papaw listen to President Taft :)

Daddy, Papaw, President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft, Mamaw

 Billy Sunday and his Mom. :)

 

President John Adams

Famous Americans singing their hearts out! 50 States That Rhyme!

 AJ  had a special speaking part and was chosen to sing in a special ensemble group. So proud of him!

 As the parents and guests traveled through the Halls of Famous Americans, we pressed on their button and each of them recited their speeches. It was incredible! Then afterwards, we went to the auditorium to hear a beautiful tribute to America!

Our nation's history is full of AMAZING people! On this Memorial Day weekend, let us take the time to thank all those that have made America truly Beautiful!

Special Needs

Since becoming George Mason's Momma back in October, I've been quietly learning to speak a whole new language, meeting people who have journeyed the same path we are taking, and wondering how it will all work out in the end. I read this journal entry about what it is like to suddenly be the parent of a child with special needs. The only difference is that I am not suprised by where the journey is going to end up as we chose this particular path, but I am often surprised that we are even on this plane to begin with  - so aware of the obvious miracles it took for us to be here - and then to be honest, I do have moments of panic regarding being "good enough" to parent a child with special needs, not just any child, but MY child, MY son, MY Mason.

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by
Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this…


When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum, the Michelangelo David, the gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.


After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."


"Holland?!" you say. "What do you mean, Holland?" I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy.


But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.


The important thing is that they haven't taken you to some horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.


So you must go out and buy a new guidebook. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.


It's just a different place. It's slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around, and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills, Holland has tulips, Holland even has Rembrandts.


But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."


The pain of that will never, ever, go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.


But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.


Adopting a child who was born with special needs can seem overwhelming at times. Each need is so very specific to that child. How they will cope with their differences, how they will learn to adapt, how they will overcome obstacles  - also so unique to each child. But there is one commonality they all share, they are not "like everyone else" and that alone will always set them apart.

For all I know about parenting, there is just so much I don't know when it comes to being George Mason's Momma. Will we emphasize the differences or celebrate the similarities? Should we encourage him to be like us or help him learn to accept that he is different? I don't know all the answers. I can't really say I have a clue as I'm still learning so much. But what I do know, is that God had a plan for him and for us to be together - as a family. The changes that are coming are pretty huge for all of us. I don't worry about changing, but I do think a lot about what kind of parent he needs me to be. Praying for the Father to continually equip me for the journey ahead and giving me all that I need to parent this child well. While I didn't plan on adopting a child with special needs, I am so thankful that God granted me this privilege! I'm so grateful that He brought his sweet photo into our lives and this precious child into our hearts! When I look at our son's photo, my heart aches knowing we might have missed out on this AMAZING blessing! All of that emotion and he is not even home yet. :)

The last few weeks I've been reading in-depth discussions on whether to provide a child with a limb difference a prosthesis or not. Most moms agree that their younger children (toddler/elementary age) felt limited by the "fake hand" as it had no functionality, but was just solely for cosmetics. However, as they got older, most teens wanted the hook/pincher as it was useful for helping them perform daily tasks. These are things I've never thought about in my entire life, and yet, here I sit wondering how my little boy will learn to tie shoes. How will he learn to count change? How will he throw a baseball and hold a mitt at the same time? How is he going to play the Wii? Or hook on the dog's leash? Make his bed? Apply toothpaste to his toothbrush?

I think...no, I KNOW, I'm in for a lot of surprises as to what all he CAN do without my help. But, mostly I want so deeply for him to feel like he belongs, not just to us, but to society. I don't want him to feel different, and my heart aches that he will know that feeling of isolation. The feeling that says "I'm not like anyone else." I want to protect him from the awkward and uncomfortable stares. The questions of prying strangers. I know I can't change the world, but I wish for his sake I could make it a softer, gentler place to live in. Whether it's China, Italy, Holland, or the good ol' USA, I wish for my son's sake - that it all felt like home.

The Size of Things

 When we received the adorable new photos of George Mason, we also were blessed with new measurements. We learned that he is still growing on an upward curve, which is great considering how tiny he was at the start. I found this cool Growth Tracker Feature @ Gerber.com to plug in all the measurements and dates that we have received from either his records or from updates and it plotted all of the measurements on a growth chart to calculate what percentage he falls into and if he is steadily growing along the same curve. Then it gives you an option to print the chart, and I did so that I can include it in his baby scrapbook. :) It is an American growth chart, so it doesn't account for the differences culturally in terms of Ch*inese stature and weight, but in any case, it is really great to see that his curve is always headed upward and he is growing a little bit each month. These were his new measurements for 22 months and as you can see - he grew by 2s! :)

• height:78.5cm = 31 inches (grew 2 inches)
• weight:10kg = 22 pounds (gained 2 lbs.)
• head:47.5cm = 18.7 inches
• chest:51cm = 20 inches
• foot:12.5cm = 4.9 inches = 5.5 shoe size
• teeth:10 =  (has 2 more teeth = cuteness! :)

Below is a table for the average length and weight of a 12 month old in the U.S. to give you an idea of where he falls on our charts and clothing sizes.

Age**	Length**	Weight**
12 months	28-31 inches	19.75-26.25 pounds

**indicates 10^th to 90^th percentile range Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention



Here is what the typical American Growth Chart looks like. If you look at age 21 months, and then move down to find Mason's length (inches) and weight (lbs.) you can see where his plot marks would be and his percentile. :)

Below are two charts specifically designed to calculate the growth for Chinese boys. To find George Mason's percentile, start at the bottom of the chart and find his age and then you can see what percentile he is in based on his height (in cm) and weight (in kg).

So basically, he is in the 3 Percentile for both height and weight. :) I love watching moms at Target pushing their toddlers in carts and trying to figure out how big George Mason will be in comparison. I think we will bring both 12 month & 18 month clothing. Maybe 24 mos. too just in case the measurements are really off. :) So happy to finally be thinking about what to pack. It feels surreal, but in just 2 months, we could have our Travel Approval! And in just 2 months, our little guy will be celebrating his 2nd birthday! Wishing we could be there to hold him and as always praying for God's best plan. Right now, we are still awaiting our I800 approval and it was sent to USCIS on 05.19.2011... we could be traveling to Ch*n@ in August again. Maybe holding him on my birthday or his Daddy's birthday wouldn't be so bad either - I can't think of a more perfect gift! :)


And that my friends is about the size of things...

Call for Prayer

As our journey winds ever closer to traveling to Ch*n@, our thoughts are not far from our son and wondering about all the possible scenarios in his attachment and grieving. As most of you recall, our time in Ch*n@ with Jessa Li was heartbreaking, stressful, exhausting, and honestly, not at all what we expected or imagined. It was so very, very hard, but God was faithful, and He strengthened us for the journey through the ongoing support of wonderful prayer warriors. As we begin to imagine our journey to George Mason, we can not fathom going through another difficult time without each of you standing with us in prayer. For those of you who blog and would like a reminder to keep our family and George Mason in your daily prayers, I created a cute little blog button that you can grab and put on your sidebar.




<br /><a href=" http://www.heartheldhigh.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv30/wattasmile/liufayang_2-2.jpg" border="0" /></a>



Just copy the code under the button and insert it as a widget - html code - to your own sidebar.

We are specifically asking God for the following:

• Equipping us for the journey ahead - emotionally, mentally, and physically. That the Holy Spirit would guide our paths making them straight and God would continue to open wide every door to us.
• Supernaturally bonding/attaching with our new son. That he would allow us to comfort him and love him. Opening his heart to trust us and rely on us for his needs.
• Provisions - specifically that the IRS would release our adoption refund from the mandatory audit in time for us to use the funds for the orphanage fee. Praying that God would provide in miraculous ways all that we need for each step left of this journey. He knows the steps - we are trusting Him, our Jehovah Jireh - the God who sees and the God who provides, to provide "the manna from heaven" that we need to bring the child He gave to us home.
• Wisdom - God would grant us wisdom for knowing how He would have us fund the remaining costs.
• Practical Guidance - in what to pack for us and for him, plans for what to do for our children at home, and prayers for those that will be loving and caring for our children while we are traveling. That our children would feel loved and included in our journey through Skype. And He would direct us in hemming in all the details of the trip - the fees, the traveling, the accommodations, etc.
• Peace would reign in our hearts and in our home. That my children, specifically Jessa Li, would have complete peace in her spirit while we are away from her. Safeguarding them from harm and anxieties.
• Love for George Mason. That his transition into our family and that God would be even now preparing his heart and spirit to be open to us and allow us to comfort him and encourage him and love him. Our hearts are so blessed to have your prayers!
• Health and Safety as we travel there and back again. Airplanes, cars, vans, trains, etc. That our guide would be equipped to handle adoptions like ours and that she would be a comfort to us. That the day to day operations and process would go smoothly. God would bless us with supernatural health and place a hedge of protection around our entire family as we are away. Prayers that God will go before us shining a light on our paths and making it very clear in every circumstance how we should proceed.
• Blessings - that our trip would be full of wonderful memories with our new son! :) That we would be able to "Taste and See that the Lord is Good!" each day, and He would show up BIG even in Ch*n@ and we would be surprised by His love for us in brand new and exciting ways!
• Joy - that our hearts and eyes would shine Jesus to others. That each day would give us more happiness than the last! :)

Thank you for standing with us and supporting us through your ongoing prayers for our family and George Mason! ♥

First Gifts

Today we received photos of the care package that Ann is mailing to George Mason. We are giving him a little photo album with photos of us and descriptions for his nanny to help him to begin to transition into our family. I think it turned out so cute! My hope is that he would be able to recognize us when we meet for the first time- praying God prepares his heart even now for that big day!

We also included a little bear that plays music, a toy that features one of the most popular children's cartoons in Ch*n@ called Pleasant Goat, candy for his nanny, and a letter from us (translated) and questions about his needs/likes/dislikes that might help us as he adjusts to life in his new home. (also translated).

Very excited that he will be getting this soon and be able to hold in his hands for the very first time - a gift from his Momma & Daddy! ♥

So Blessed

Oh my heart! I LOVE MY SON! I can't wait to kiss those sweet little cheeks! If I'm not mistaken, I do believe the cutest boy in all of Ch*n@ is OURS! (hee hee! not that I'm biased or anything - lol!)
 
Yesterday, we purchased a care package for our little boy from a wonderful lady who lives in Ch*n@ and works for families who are adopting little ones. We purchased him a little photo book that will have photos of our family inside so that he can begin to learn our names and faces and prayerfully that will help him with the transition into our family. Along with the care package, she asks for an update from the orphanage, and I had no idea how fast the update would appear in our inbox!

I thought we would have to wait for the care package to be delivered, then the update written out, then mailed back to her, then to us. So I guess I was expecting months to go by or at least weeks. nope. ONE DAY LATER! So blessed!!!! I quickly forwarded the email to Dave at school and when we finally were able to talk about them, it was incredible how on the same page our hearts and feelings are about our son. David and I both had the same thought looking at our little boy.

 He still looks so sad and we can't wait to put a smile and giggle on his little face. And our next thought was the same too... 

"he needs his Mommy." 

"he needs his Daddy." 

We smiled and hugged knowing how miraculous this whole journey really is! Praise God that our hearts are united in our efforts to bring him home and that prayer that was lifted up at the beginning of this journey when David was struggling to say "Yes" to being a daddy again has been sealed with God's confirmation that we are both READY TO GO BRING HIM HOME!  BOTH of US are overflowing with JOY and so ready to hold him in our arms! Praise His Holy Name!

Just 8 months ago...we had no idea the journey God would lead us on. No idea that our son waited in Ch*n@. No idea the blessing God was ready to pour out on us. Just 8 months ago...we were both weak and wounded from the battle with the enemy over our precious daughter, both questioning God's plans for our family, both burdened by the results of unfilled expectations and wanting nothing more than a new beginning. Jesus' arms open and waiting to hold us. His plans so much bigger than ours. Holding our hearts high to Him, together, we marched down the mountain we had just recently ascended and decided we would follow Jesus back down it again to Ch*n@ to bring home our son. Trusting Him to lead the way. Wherever He led us. Whatever the cost. Whenever He asked. It has not been easy. There are days and nights we struggle to find our way. But as He promised, He has always been with us. Never left us. Not even for a minute.

As we await immigration approval to travel to Ch*n@, we continue to pray for His provisions to complete our journey to our son, and we know He will be faithful to meet every need however great, however small, in His perfect timing. For He has shown us through His word that He is more than able!

Psalm 20

1 May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the LORD grant all your requests.

6 Now this I know:
The LORD gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
9 LORD, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!

So blessed to believe in a God that not only cherishes the desires of our hearts, but actively pursues a deep and meaningful relationship with each one of His beloved children. A God who goes to battle for us, who chooses to bless us by working through us to do His good pleasure, what a JOY to serve THE KING OF KINGS! What a blessing to know He loves us! My soul sings!

O Lord my God,
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all
The works Thy Hand hath made,
I see the stars,
I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy pow'r throughout
The universe displayed;

Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!

When through the woods
And forest glades I wander
I hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze;

Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!

These photos just make my heart SOAR with LOVE and JOY!

LOA

 

Yahooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

We are officially approved by China to be George Mason's Mommy & Daddy! David and I are BEYOND excited! God has been so faithful throughout our journey to do exactly as He promised and open every single door for us! Praise His Name! I had a feeling pressed deeply on my heart that we would hear news this week. I can't really explain it - we should have waited 2 to 3 months for our approval, but I know God's ways are so much higher than ours, and there was a peace that this week we would receive our LOA. I have to admit all day today I've been a little sad thinking somehow I had heard Him wrong. It wasn't until this evening that things started to make sense...

you see...
 

Apparently, Nicole from AAC called earlier this morning...and well, the girls both decided that to TODAY of ALL DAYS they would be "helpful" and they both ANSWERED the phone call! And NO they are not supposed to answer the phone! And YES this is the VERY FIRST time they've ever done that. lol! I was in the bathroom of all places!

So our director at our agency told them "Go tell your Mommy that "Nicole" is on the phone and needs to talk to her." They both said "Mommy is in the bathroom." (nice! oy vey!) So she told them again to tell me and they said "Okay" and then she heard "click" as they promptly hung up the phone. lol! Now to their credit they did knock on the bathroom door and tell me that "somebody is on the phone" but of course I didn't IMAGINE that they had answered the phone. I thought they were just letting me know someone was leaving a voice mail - because we have a really, really, did I say REALLY, old answering machine and you can actually hear the person leaving the message. So I went on with my chores, bathed the girls, put them down for naps, jumped in the shower and got ready to go to Target to work. The whole time neither one of the girls offered up any IDEA that they had talked to someone on the phone. Nope...they never did deliver that message. Those little munchkins!

So right before I'm headed out the door to my evening part/time job, and I mean RIGHT BEFORE, keys in hand, purse on shoulder, walking out the garage door - Nicole calls back. And tells me the story of what happened earlier this morning..and then she says, "I have some EXCITING NEWS FOR YOU! WE HAVE RECEIVED YOUR LOA from CH*N@!"

And ever since 4:45 pm this evening, I haven't been able to erase the smile from my face. My cheeks actually ache! :) What a GREAT DAY! And to think, somehow, someway, God even worked all that chaos out for good too, because David was home from school when we finally learned the AMAZING news together, so I guess it all worked out in the end just as it should have.

We are so EXCITED! So it is official! We are PARENTS to the CUTEST LITTLE BOY in the WORLD! (not that I'm biased or anything...lol!)

AAC is Fed-Exing the all important documents to us, we sign them and notarize them and send everything back to them ASAP! Then our paperwork goes to USCIS for our I800 approval (processing immigration paperwork for his travel visa to the U.S.). We don't really know how long that will take. Could be weeks or a month or more. Then the wait for our Travel Approval. So we are praying that we can still travel before school starts. Wouldn't it be miraculous to be able to hold him on his 2nd birthday!?!

Praising God for another miraculous milestone completed on this journey to our treasured son!

100 Good Wishes

To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a custom in Northern China, to make a Bai Jia Bei or a quilt of 100 Good Wishes. When a baby is born, family and friends lovingly give the child's mother fabric scraps from old clothing with a wish for the new baby. The new mother makes a quilt for her child from the scraps, and it is said that the luck, energy and good wishes from all of the families and friends who contributed the fabric surrounds the child when he is wrapped in the quilt. The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.

As we were waiting to travel to embrace Jessa, we were blessed with fabrics & wishes from all of our friends and family members. What a treasure Jessa's 100 Good Wishes Quilt is to her! She LOVES it so much, and it is a special reminder of all the people who prayed for her and us during the long wait.

We would like to give George Mason the same reminder of our love for him. And with your help, we can! My niece, Kelly, has lovingly agreed to help make the quilt for him (she also made Jessa's and it is GORGEOUS!). Once all the fabrics and wishes have been gathered, I will make a little scrapbook to keep them in for him so that he can read all the thoughts, prayers, and verses, and wishes of those that loved, wanted, prayed, and thought of him even before he came into our family. What a gift!

We would LOVE for you to join us in creating this very special keepsake for our son. Here is all you need to do to be included in his quilt:

1. Please send to our home a piece of fabric.
• Your choice (only one guideline: it will be part of a little boy's quilt.)
• Size: A fat quarter is preferred.
2. Include with your fabric, a written or typed note on card stock or plain paper:
• wish
• prayer
• special Bible verse
• special poem or quote
3. You may also include a photo of your family if you would like too.

Thank you so much for helping us complete his quilt with your loving contribution! We can't wait to see him snuggled in his quilt safely home with his forever family.♥