A Joyful Reunion!

In May 2007, 16 families met up in various locations, some in the airports and some in Beijing.  In gathering together, we had one common goal.  To receive the children that we had been praying for and thinking about for 2 years.  But with that, something funny happened, we became very close friends.  The families gathered in that little conference room at the Fuling SWI in Chongqing, China and shared a very intimate moment with the other families that were there, the "birth" of our children.  We watched as those before us were handed their children and didn't see another thing once they called our name, except that beautiful child that was just placed in our arms.  What a joyous time it was.

It was time for us to gather together again.  This time, a little over one year later, 12 of those families met in Sevierville and picked up just where we left off.  It was the strangest thing and felt as if we had never been apart, like old friends that had know each other all their life. Not much change, except there were smiles on those little Chinese faces this time and not tears. And yes, their hair was a little longer. Over the last year, as parents, we watched these children blossom into little people with their own personalities and charm.  What a joyous reunion it was to share in that change with almost everyone. The families that were unable to be there were deeply missed.

We left here on Sunday morning and met up with the families at Hidden Mtn. Resort.  Our cabins were joined together by a breezeway and the two cabins shared our own pool.  It was a blast.  The girls and Jordan(our only little boy that every Mom wants to arrange a marriage to their daughter) played and swam and "reconnected".  I don't know if they have a clue, but their parents sure did.  We realized how important it is to keep this bond strong with this group of children.  They will forever be connected as children from Fuling SWI who were placed in the arms of their parents on May 13, 2007.   Their parents are extremely proud of their own and of everyone elses.

Mostly, we just hung out.  We did attend the Cirque de Chine at the Music Mansion on Tuesday.  It was great, what memories it brought back.  The children were so well behaved for the 2 hour show.  Some watched intently, some napped.  Jadyn was mesmerized and kept waving at the acts when they would come to the front of the stage.  After the show, we gathered at a Chinese restaurant and had dinner together.  It was a great day.  

We feel so blessed to be friends with these people. Thank you, Fuling Families, for what you mean to the Hoods.  We share a common bond and we genuinely enjoy being with you.  

We are already talking about making plans for next year!  We are so grateful to God for bringing us together as a group and as Him to continue to strengthen the bond between these children of Fuling.  Here are a few pictures from our time together.   Enjoy!

Gotta Love Me Some Peanut Butter and Jelly Toast!

Mmmmmm, guess who loves PB&J toast.

Press On

Adoption is not for sissies.

That has been my catch phrase for a long time. Unless you have been there, no one really knows just how hard it really is. Take a look at some of the time of my posts and emails. It's hard. It tends to cause a lot of sleepless nights.

When families go into the adoption process, no matter how many times you are told this, you never know until you actually get into the thick of things just how hard it really is. I've labored for hours (many hours), only to end up with a c-section and I've experienced the labor pains of my heart, and I will openly and honestly tell you that the pains of adoption are far greater than the pains of labor.

There is so much uncertainty in the world of adoption, both domestic and international. I know so many families who have struggled in both areas. They have had failed placements where birth mothers have changed their minds, families who's children have died in an orphanage before they could get to them, families who wait and wait and wait for a miracle with a foreign government to happen. And still we press on.

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Phil 3:14

That's exactly what we do, we press on toward the goal. Sometimes that goal seems just within our reach and then it seems as though the goal is moved. Sometimes, we only have a faint glimmer of the goal ahead, we know in our hearts it's there and therefore we just trust. If you are reading this and you are in the midst of pressing on toward the goal of adoption, then you already know that it takes more faith that you ever dreamed you had. You are more dependent on God than ever before. And, you, for the first time in some cases, realize that you really aren't in control of anything. I am so grateful to serve a God that is in control, complete control. Knowing this gives me a great peace as I press on.

As we are waiting for that coveted I171H to send our dossier to Ethiopia, all of those "why" questions roll around in our minds. We do this because this is what we are called to do. Having been through this once before, I know first hand that it's not an easy process. But, oh how sweet the end results are. We have a precious little soul waiting on us in Ethiopia. We will press on and bring her home. We will love her as our own. We will give thanks for her life and pray every day that God will use her in a mighty way and call her to serve Him. For all of this, we will press on.

Six Word Memoir - I've Been Tagged

Wow, try summing your life up in 6 words. It's not very easy. My friend Laura, who also has her very own Jadyn from China tagged me. So, here goes...

Adoption Changed My Heart, My Life

Without a doubt, a statement about adoption sums up my whole life. We eat, sleep and breathe adoption. It is by far the sweetest thing we have ever done, but don't be fooled, it's also the hardest thing that we have ever done.

To keep the fun going, I tag the following...

Ashley
Becca
Alison
Gwen
Terri

Happy Anniversary Chief

June 29, 1985, was the day that we promised before God and our family and friends to love each other for the rest of our lives.

23 years ago today, wow, it seems like a lifetime ago and then again, it seems like only yesterday. There have been many ups and downs in our marriage, but one thing remains true, we have continued to love each other with reckless abandon and live life to the fullest. What changes 23 years has brought us, spiritually, personally and physically. We have grown in our faith and our relationship with the Father by leaps and bounds. We have grown as individuals and as a couple, I love Pat more today that I ever did the day we married. It's amazing how love grows like that. 23 years ago, I didn't know that I could love someone like that, I can't wait to see what the next 23 years bring. :) Oh yeah, and we're in our 40's now, so if you are there, you know all about the changes physically. A wrinkle or two here, a pound or so there! But I must say, it all gets better with age.

Pat, you are the love of my life. Thank you for being my husband and my best friend. You're the one that I share my hopes and my dreams, my struggles and my frustrations, and my victories and my excitement with. We just get each other. Who would have ever though that we would be beginning again with a second family, traveling the world (COME HOME!), and still enjoying every minute that we're together (okay, most every minute).

Sometimes we argue, disagree and we always think that the other one is at fault, but one thing's for sure, we always love. I can't wait until you are back home with us, I've missed you terribly. Happy Anniversary Baby, I love you with all my heart.

Fun Creations

I am ramping up my sewing business and have several things in the works. My dear friend Terri sent me this precious design that she found on a websites list of free designs. It's a new technique that I had never tried and oh, it turned out so cute. I LOVE it.

Let me know what you think, especially all you lurkers that never comment!

Thanks Angie!

My old friend Angie, well, she's not old because she is my age and that is certainly not old, just reminded me in her comment that I failed to post the link to Alison's site for the rest of the pics. So, if you check the post below, it now has the link.

Thanks Angie, my really YOUNG friend who has been my friend for A LOT of years.

Annual Red Thread Picture

I had the bright idea of taking or having Jadyn's picture taken for Pat's Father's day gift with the "red thread" in her hand. The picture at the top of this blog is the one that I took from last year.

This year, I took her to have Alison take the picture for me, but as you have already read, she acted like a total barbarian. It was quite the fiasco. Oh well, it's really a beautiful picture of our very beautiful girl. The picture looked beautiful framed in a black frame with a large white mat. Here is the picture so you can see it. So, what do you think???


And yes, I made the dress.

He's Baaack!!!

Finally, after 6 months Seth has returned to the good ole U S of A. It is wonderful to have 3 of my children back on the same continent. We've still got one or two missing, but they will come in time. By that time, Seth will probably be somewhere in Southeast Asia again.

It was a great homecoming and I think he is really enjoying being home. After picking him up at the airport, next stop was Cracker Barrel. He decided on the Sunrise Sampler, by the way. We enjoyed burgers on the grill followed by cherry cobbler and ice cream. It was a very good day. I am very relieved to have him back safe and sound and am so thankful for God's protection over his trip and travels. Here are a few pictures from the day. Thank you all for your continued support to be me and Seth. He was so encouraged by your comments on his blog and I am so grateful for all the prayers on our behalf. God has done such a work in Seth's life. I am continually amazed by him. He came home so mature! I guess it was all the weird foods, it'll make a man out of you!

Thanks again for loving on my boy. Continue to pray for him and his journey as he begins school, work and has a full plate.

Happy Father's Day

I couldn't let the day go by without saying Happy Father's Day to all you Dad's. My Dad is celebrating today with his earthly Father and his heavenly Father and I miss him very much. He was a great Dad and he and I had a very special relationship, I was the baby you know! Dad's are very special, especially to daughters. I am thankful that Pat now has a daughter to share that special father/daughter relationship. Thank you God for blessing me with such a wonderful Dad and thank you Pat for being the Father of my children. I love you.

Happy Friday the 13th

I just don't put much stock in the whole Friday the 13th thing, but the title seems to fit.

Today has been quite the interesting day. I took Jadyn this morning to have some pictures done with my friend Alison. Well, let me just tell you, it was a disaster. I just hope and pray that we have a good one or two. Jadyn behaved like a barbarian, she is truly a descendant of Ghengis Khan. I have found out that I have very little tolerance for that nonsense too. Leslie and Addie met us over there and maybe, just maybe, Alison got a couple of pics that were worth her time. Addie was great, a real ham for the camera. She is a natural. So, we'll wait anxiously to see what sort of pictures we have. According to Alison, every one's photo shoot was a little on the sour side. Maybe there is a full moon? Or, maybe it's just Friday the 13th!

Any ways, happy day!

Picture of the Week

Feeling a little sentimental today, so I thought that I would show you a picture of our sweet girl, before she came home with us. We were blessed to have MANY pictures of Jadyn while she was still in the orphanage. We were very fortunate to get these, alot of families don't get anything except 2-3 referral pictures. So, here is baby J.



What a difference! I've got many others that I will share as time goes by.

Have a great Friday!

Our Little Nudist

We CANNOT keep Jadyn's clothes on her. Every time I turn around, she
is butt naked! It is absolutely driving me nuts. I dressed her 4
(FOUR!) times yesterday morning. She strips down and goes on about
what ever she was doing. Yesterday, she was sitting in a chair at her
kitchen "cooking", naked. I explained the dangers of cooking naked,
it will always get you more than you bargained for! ;)

Now, she has learned to take her shorts and diaper off and put her
shorts back on. Imagine our surprise when we "discover" that she has
on no diaper. Nice.

Since she has learned the art of removing her clothes and putting them
back on, she also changes clothes quite often. The combinations of
clothing is quite the sight sometimes, but I don't know what I am
going to do with her. I hope that this is not a glimpse of things to
come! Oooh, that's scary!

Summer Fun in May!

Jadyn absolutely LOVES to be outside. She is perfectly happy digging in the mulch, mud, grass or whatever she can find to dig in. She writes on EVERYTHING with sidewalk chalk, including the dog, grill and patio furniture. And, she constantly wants the water on. She loves the water. I can't wait until she's old enough to ask her Dad to put her in a pool. Maybe when we get her sister here they can tag team him. I grabbed my camera yesterday and took a few pics of the water fun.

Here's my fav!



Thanks for reading,
A

How I Got My Grooves Back

Great news!
Today, Fed Ex delivered a wonderful surprise.  My completed FBI clearance, and it WENT THROUGH!  Woo Hoo!  No arrest record (no big shocker there) and everything is clear.  Now, just pray that I pass through the USCIS fingerprinting system without a hitch.  I go for my re-fingerprinting appointment on 5/27/08.  Stay tuned as the saga continues.

Working My Fingers To The Bone

Apparently, I am working way too hard.

So here's the deal.  I went on 5/9/08 to get fingerprinted for the USCIS.  While I was there, the lady doing the fingerprinting said "don't be surprised if you have to be re-fingerprinted, you have worn off your fingerprints."  WHAT??? I didn't know that you could do that.

So, I kind of blew it off.  There VERY next day, in the mail I received my fingerprint packet from the FBI (different set of fingerprints).  Pat's sailed through, mine, REJECTED!!!  Talk about an insult.  So, I went back to the Smyrna PD and had my fingerprints done AGAIN, overnighted them back to the FBI and I am waiting to hear back on the 2nd set.

On Saturday, I received an office letter from the Department of Homeland Security, looking suspiciously like a fingerprint notice.  When I opened it, it was a fingerprint appointment scheduled for 10/27/08 at 10:00 a.m. because my first set of USICIS fingerprints were REJECTED also.  So, what do I do?  I can't believe that I have worn my fingerprints off.  I've been using lots of lotion but my hands are very soft, if I do say so myself.  This is making me nuts.  Why is it always one thing right after another?  Some one encourage me, please!  Tell me to quit working so hard or some other wonderful words of wisdom.  Maybe I should hire a housekeeper, yeah, that's probably the answer.  Now, I just have to convince Pat.  

Anyway, pray that my fingerprints return, from where ever they have gone.  Pray that I have no big issues on Tuesday and that they are able to get this done this time.  

Thanks for reading,

Amy

(BTW, I am risking wearing off more of my fingerprints just by typing this post, now that's a committed blogger)

One Year Ago - Part 4

May 19, 2007 - We returned from a long, but wonderful trip to China.  We arrived at the Nashville airport and were greeted by wonderful friends and family.  What a very special time for all of us.  It was such a joyous and happy time for everyone.  I only have a couple pictures from that day, because I was not the one with the camera!  But, here is one of them.

More later,

Amy

Photo of the Week

Sorry, I'm a little late on getting my pic of the week up and running. Here is one of my favorites.


How handsome is he? He is finishing his freshman year, just got his learner's permit (AAHH!), and is a blessing to us all. He's a fun-loving, always good for a laugh, and REALLY, REALLY cute 15 year old. If I do say so myself.

My brother took this picture while we were having our big birthday bash in Knoxville. Thanks Vern!

Amy

One Year Ago - Part 3

Today was the day that Fu Bao Jun became Jadyn Grace BaoJun Hood. We gathered in the Civil Affairs office and had our first family picture made, signed the papers, stamped our thumbprints in red ink and ta da, she was ours, FOREVER!

Gotcha Day Letter

My dearest Jadyn,

When I was a little girl, my Daddy took me to a local bicycle shop and bought me a brand new Schwinn bicycle.  I'll always remember that bicycle.  It had training wheels and my goal was to learn to ride that bicycle.  Day after day, Daddy would spend time teaching me how to ride that bicycle, time after time, I would try to ride it and he would come along behind me and hold the back of the seat.  There were two words that I can still hear him say to me that helped me to know that I was safe.  "I've gotcha" was all I needed to hear to give me a sense of safety and comfort.  I knew that as long as Daddy had the back of the seat, I was not going to fall.  I was completely safe.  The day that you came into our lives is commonly know in the adoption world as "Gotcha Day".  There's lots of people that don't use this term for various reasons, but it speaks volumes about the greatness of that day.  We will always come along behind you and hold you up.  We will try our very best to not let you fall.  I want you to have the feeling of security and safety as I had when my Daddy spoke those words to me many years ago, I've gotcha.   Many years have gone by and a lot has changed.  Unfortunately, your will never meet your Grandaddy as he is in heaven, he would have loved you so.  But, one thing will always remain, Jadyn, I've gotcha, your safe now, and loved more than you can ever imagine, and you will never be alone.   I will protect you, be there for you, and help you not to fall.  

I cannot believe that it's been a whole year since that day in Fuling, China when your Dad, your  brothers and I gathered, along with our travel buddies, in that crowded conference room to get our first glimpse of you in the flesh.  We had stared at, prayed over, and shed many tears longing for the day when we would hold you in our arms.  Finally, that day came and it did not disappoint.  We were so taken by you.  Your sweet, round face and beautiful black eyes and hair just captured our heart.  You were such a scared little girl and our hearts broke knowing the fear you must have been experiencing.

Being able to visit the place where you had lived for the past 13 months and seeing first hand the other children and caregivers gave us a great deal of comfort.  It was evident that you were loved and cared for and that made us very happy.  Spending that time there had a profound impact on all of us.  We left there better people than when we arrived.  

Jadyn, I simply cannot put into words the joy that you have brought into our lives.  Your sweet smile, your silly laugh, and the sound of your voice still makes my  heart skip a beat.  You were placed in my arms on this day, one year ago, and that feeling of happiness and gratitude are just as strong today as they were a year ago.  You are truly a gift from God.  The name Jadyn is Hebrew for "God has heard" and He truly has.  He heard my prayers of 5 years and He was faithful.  He allowed you to be born to another family, but to be delivered into our family on May 13, 2007.  We are so very thankful that He did.

My prayer for you, sweet girl, is that you always love the Lord.  You are truly a blessing and we are so thankful for your life and for the country where you were born.  Someday, Jadyn, you will do great things.  God has a plan for your life and I am so very thankful that He allowed us to be a part of it.  Thank you for being our daughter.  Thank you for being such a joy and light in our lives.  You have brought excitement, love, laughter and life to our home that cannot be described by mere words.  Never in a million years did I think that I would look around my house again and wonder how it could get so messy, so fast.  It's filled with babies, blankets, plastic fruit, and dishes.  Thank you for the constant source of joy that you are to us.  I love you, sweet one, with all my heart.  I pray that you will always know how much you are loved.

You make my heart smile.

I love you,

Mommy