The Harlow's

Fundraiser!!!!!!

2011-01-30T17:14:00.000-08:00

Hey guys - it has been quit some time since I posted. But I want to let you know about an amazing fundraiser going on with my friend Connie. Connie and her husband Clayton were our travel partners in China last year. They are a wonderful family who has stepped out in faith again to bring home another China doll. Please consider sponsoring their fundraiser.

Thanks!

30 Days Giveaway

2010-11-22T07:06:00.001-08:00

Not only have I been bad at posting to my own blog, but I have also been terrible at reading others blogs. This was always one of my favorite past times. It was so exciting to see how others were progressing through their adoption journey. Well, today I started checking out the dashboard for all the blogs I follow. I came across an exciting giveaway hosted by my friend at Ni hao Y'all. For those of you in the adoption community, you know her very well. Stephani has lobbied tirelessly for orphans around the world. In fact, our daughters, Sophie and Tessa were on the same waiting child list at Lifeline. She traveled about month after us to the same province.

Anyway, Stephani is hosting an amazing giveaway for 30 days. I am a little late to the party, but I did want to make mention of it. Just click on the cool tree link to the right and it will take you to her blog.

Till later.....

The Results We Were Hoping For

2010-11-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

Terry received a call from his doctor about the biopsy results. They feel the lump under his arm is just scar tissue from a previous surgery. YEAH!!!! They are going to watch it over the next few weeks to see if it changes. But for now - the results are very good!!!! I have so much to be thankful for this week!!!!

Thank you for your prayers. We felt each and every one over the past few weeks.

Till later....

Some Updates....

2010-11-18T14:20:00.000-08:00

Terry is home from the hospital and doing well. He is resting right now. The doctors said they should have the results of the biopsy in the next few days. Please keep praying.

Till later...

Please Keep Terry In Your Prayers Today

2010-11-18T07:32:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, Terry will undergo a biopsy today. The doctors located a lump under his right arm. We are not sure when we will have the results. I will post as soon as we know something.

Thanks!

I am still here....

2010-11-13T12:33:00.000-08:00

I will not try to promise that I will do better at blogging. Our lives have become so crazy over the past 7 months. I know everyone has craziness, but I think the Harlow household takes the prize this year.

So, you want to hear the updates??? Get ready - it is a long story. Well, as most of you know, Terry was diagnosed with Stage III melanoma in March. He has went through three surgeries and 6 months of chemo. He still has 8 months of chemo to go. As a prayer request, I would ask that you keep Terry in your constant prayers over the next week. Last week the doctors found another lump. They are doing a biopsy next week to determine if it is the cancer again. We have went through some difficult days lately.

Now an update on me. You know how people say never to ask "what else could happen"... well, they were right. One Sunday morning in late September I was sitting in church and my feet went numb. I thought I had just sat wrong. By that evening, both of my feet were totally numb. Within three days I had numbness in 70% of my body and was admitted to the hospital. A first, they thought it was a stroke. After an exhaustive round of MRIs and blood work, it was determined that I have Multiple Sclerosis. Yep MS - who could have ever imagined. I spent the next 12 days in the hospital, going through lots of different treatment programs. The doctors hoped to help me regain some of my feeling and coordination. The MS left me with partial paralysis on the left side and lots of numbness. Since then, I have been fighting very hard to get my strength back.

To say that this all caught us by surprise is an understatement. My life changed overnight. I have learned not to take things for granted. My children have been amazing through all of this. Their lives changed overnight too. This was not how I imagined Tia's first year in our family. I wanted it to be a happy time for all of us. But through it all, we have grown in our love for one another. I am crazy about these people!!!

Now, lets talk about happy things. Tia is doing great!!! We just celebrated our one year anniversary of gotcha day. It is hard to believe this is the same tiny little baby we met in China just one year ago. She has grown into an energetic, adorable little toddler. Her laugh is so infectious!! You can't help but smile when you are around her. I am posting a fun picture from Halloween. She was dressed as our little Mulan. She learned very quickly that the candy was the best part of the day.

I will post some more updates soon. Not making any promises of when I will post - but I will post.

Please keep us in your prayers.

Help Bring Kasidi Joy Home

2010-10-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Connie is working hard to bring home her youngest bundle of joy - Kasidi. Please consider supporting her amazing fundraiser. She is giving away a Cannon Rebel T1i. It is an awesome camera - and a great cause. You can visit her blog for more details.

Till later....

Diane

Our Fall Collection

2010-09-03T06:58:00.001-07:00

I am very excited to announce that our Fall 2010 Collection is now on line. In case you didn't know, we own a children's clothing company called My Red Thread. The company started 5 years ago during Tessa' adoption. What was a fundraiser is now one of my favorite hobbies.

So, stop on by and check out the site. You can also visit our blog for more details about a special coupon.

WOW - it has been a good day!!!

2010-08-31T18:59:00.000-07:00

As a parent, there are a lot of things in our children's lives that make us proud. Their first steps, first word, and the first time they called me mommy. But today I was reminded of what is really the most important step in our children's lives. Tonight, my youngest son Trenton prayed to ask Jesus in his heart.

I feel so blessed that God gave me the privilege to be here to witness this moment. I am over joyed and so proud of my little boy.

Please keep him in your prayers. As we all know, this will be the time that satan will try to trip him up. Pray for protection for my little man.

PRAISING GOD TONIGHT!!!!!

Put on your big girl panties and get over it.....

2010-06-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

Nice title to my post - huh.... Well, I guess this is my motto for right now. I have not been posting lately. To be honest with you, I have just been mad at life. Things have definitely not turned out the way I had hoped or dreamed. I have had the biggest pity party this side of the Mississippi. Sorry I did not invite anyone, but trust me - you would not have wanted to have been there. It was ugly!!!

Our lives changed overnight. What started out as just a little dime size spot on my husbands arm turned into a life altering illness. For those of you who are just now reading about all of this - let me catch you up. In March, my husband went to our local doctor for a physical. While there the doctor took a biopsy of a small mole on his arm. Within a week, he had the diagnosis of Melanoma. At the time, they thought it was just Stage 1. After a few surgeries, they determined it was Stage III. This meant the doctors needed to do a much more advanced form of treatment. He is now undergoing Chemotherapy. For the first month, he will go 5 days a week. After that, he will give himself chemo injections for the next 11 months. Yep - you read that right - 11 months. The doctors believe this is the best treatment for his type of cancer.

So, what have I learned through all of this? I spent the first month or so trying to determine that God was trying to teach me. Of course, it must be ALL ABOUT ME. But then our pastor - Brother Ron gave a message from Habakkuk. Not a book I have read very often - but some very powerful stuff. I realized much like Habakkuk, I thought God needed reminded of all the bad stuff going on around here. I wanted Him to show me what this all meant to me. And finally He showed me - sometimes things just happen. It doesn't always have to mean anything. What I have learned is that I am stronger than I ever imagined. Pity party and all, I am a very strong woman. It also helped me to realize how crazy in love I am with my husband. Maybe I had started to take him and our relationship for granted after 18 years. I have laughed more lately than ever before. I laugh at the silliest things. Things that before I migh have overlooked before.

So, for now - I will put on my big girl panties and get over it. I may have moments that I try to return to my pity party, but I promise I will move forward. Keep us in your prayers. We still have a long road ahead.

Tilll later...

The Latest...

2010-05-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting like I should - I guess I just don't know what to say. I could never have imagined that things would be the way they are right now. It has been a tough couple of months for all of us. Terry is doing really well. I know he has went through so much pain over the last few weeks. Just to get you up to speed on where we are right now -

Terry had his second surgery last Tuesday. Since they found a small amount of cancer cells in one of his lymph nodes, they have determined that it is Stage 3 cancer and they removed all of his lymph nodes on the right side. The doctor feels this will help prevent the cancer from moving any further. They have also decided to administer chemotherapy. The first round will be pretty intense, he will receive treatments 5 days a week for 1 month. After that, he will be able to give himself the injections at home for up to 1 year. We are hearing a variety of symptoms that he may experience with the chemo. It just depends on the person.

I know you all are praying - I can feel it. When I start to get really down, I feel this arm of encouragement wrap around me - and I press on. I have finally moved out of the place of asking why - and instead am looking to the future. I know that some day, we will look back on all of this and see how much we have grown and changed through this experience.

God is good - all the time.

Till later....

A good report

2010-05-07T13:11:00.001-07:00

We just received a call from Terry's doctor. They completed the surgery on Tuesday and the pathology report shows that the cancer has not spread to any other lymph node. This is the best news possible!!!

Thank you again for all your prayers and support!!!

Till later...

Taking a deep breath...

2010-05-05T20:48:00.001-07:00

I feel like I have been holding my breath a lot lately. Waiting for the latest reports from Terry's doctors. Ya know, it all just seems like a bad dream sometimes. This was suppose to be one of the most joyous times of our lives. We have just brought our precious little girl home from China. The kids are all doing great. Life was pretty good. But then, waiting around the corner when we least expected it was a lot of heartache. I was blindsided to say the least.

The doctors completed Terry's second surgery yesterday. This one was much more involved. They removed all of the lymph nodes under his arm. Since the cancer was found in the lymph nodes in the biopsy, the doctor felt this was the best idea. They have also decided to start chemo (Inferion treatments). This was a big shock to both of us. It made everything seem much more real.

It all started with just a small spot on his arm. You know the kind - it looks a little different, but you just keep putting off going to the doctor. I keep wondering the "what if??" "What if he had went 1 year ago, or even 6 months ago?" But I can't live in the what could have been and focus on moving forward.

Sorry for all the rambling, I think I just needed to get some of this out.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Till later...

My Red Thread

2010-05-04T20:10:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know that we own a children's clothing company. It started as a fundraiser when we were adopting Tessa. I have always loved children's clothes and sewing. Combining the two just seemed like a great fit. The business has grown over the past five years and we have now launched our first official web site and blog. You can check out our web site at www.myredthreadonline.com or the blog at www.myredthreadonline.blogspot.com . We have a "grand opening special giveaway on our blog, so stop by and check it out.

Till later....

I guess I spoke too soon...

2010-04-30T16:40:00.001-07:00

Just a few days ago, I was celebrating that Terry's test results had went very well. As the posting title suggests, I spoke too soon. After the pathology report, the doctors found some cancerous cells in Terry's lymph nodes. What started out as just a little brown spot on his arm, has turned into a nightmare. They have scheduled him for surgery again next week. This time, they will remove all of the lymph nodes under his right arm. Please keep all of us in your prayers.

Till later....

I'm Back!!!!

2010-04-25T17:09:00.001-07:00

I am not going to promise that I will blog everyday, or even once a week - but I will try harder. Let me catch you up on things -

Tia - is doing great!!! She is our little monkey. She climbs on everything!!! She is a lot of fun and we love her dearly. She seems to have adapted very well. Her two favorite men are her daddy and her papa. I think mommy comes in a close third.

Tessa is adjusting to having a little sister. While she loves Tia like crazy, she is a little jealous at times.

Trenton - Trent is playing soccer again with his Upward team. He loves to play and has really improved over the past year.

Tanner - is counting the days until school is out. I think he is ready for 6th grade next year. I am not sure if I am ready. It is hard to believe I will have a high schooler, a middle schooler and two kindergartners. It looks like it is going to be a very busy year.

Taylor - is doing wonderfully. She is such a blessing. I hope I tell her enough how proud I am of the young woman she has become.

And as for Terry and I. We are still rejoicing in the news from his doctor. That was a very tough time, but I know God has changed us through all of it.

Over the summer we have a few short vacations planned. We will travel to Holiday World in June for a vacation with our dear friends, the Lanig's. This is an annual trip that the entire family looks forward to.

I will try to update more often. I will promise some exciting news coming soon regarding our business, My Red Thread - so stay tuned.

Till later....

PRAISE GOD!!!

2010-04-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

Terry had his surgery this morning to remove some of the lymph nodes from his arm. The doctor said that they were slightly enlarged, but he does not feel that the cancer has spread. PRAISE GOD!!!! They will know for sure by next week. If this is the case, his chances of ever getting this form of cancer again is less than 5%. Those are pretty good odds.

Thank you all so much for your prayers!!!! We really felt your love and support today.

Till later....

Needing Your Prayers

2010-04-19T16:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in writing, but things have been far from calm lately. We can sure use your prayers over the next few days. Terry will be going in for surgery tomorrow morning. The doctors have decided to remove some of his lymph nodes to see if the cancer has progressed. Our prayer is that the lymph nodes are completely clear.

We really appreciate all the support we have received over the last few weeks.

Till later...

A Medical Update

2010-03-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

I know many of you have been praying for Terry over the past couple of weeks. As I wrote in a previous post, Terry was diagnosed with melanoma a few weeks ago. The doctor removed a very large section of tissue from his arm, in order to make sure they "got it all". We received a follow up call from the doctor today. The cancer was much deeper than they had originally thought. Actually, it was three times larger. We are now weighing our options for additional treatments and tests.

I have to be honest with you - I am not sure how I feel right now. I am very sad. Our lives have changed so much over the past few weeks. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Till later....

Help Bring Another Miracle Home

2010-03-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

I would like to post some information about an event for one of my friends here in Missouri. Staci and her family are eagerly waiting to bring home their daughter Ellianna from China. They are hosting a fund raising dinner/auction this weekend in Missouri. If you can attend or help in any way, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance....

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

4pm - 8pm

Full Chinese Buffet Dinner

50/50 Raffle • Silent Auction
Entertainment provided by the Chinese Language School

(Adults $30.00 / Children 12 & under $15.00)
** No walk-in seating available, RSVP Mandatory by March 20th **
at
Whitmoor Country Club
1100 Whitmoor Dr.
St. Charles, MO 63304

I am still here....

2010-03-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

I know, I am terrible at blogging. I will gladly take the award for the "Worst Blogger". I really did not clearly estimate how adding one child to our home would change things. WOW - it has been really busy.

Instead of trying to catch you up on the last three months, I will just move on from here. Things at our home our busy, but good. Last week, we were on vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was a little cool, but still restful. The kids did great on the 18 hour drive out there. Yes, you heard me right - 18 hours!!!! Thank God for iPods and VSmile games. We actually had hours of near quiet time. Tia was amazing in the car. For a little one who has NEVER spent that much time in a car seat, she was a real trooper.

We visited the ocean and the Wright Brothers museum. For my husband who is a pilot and all around aviation guy, this was a dream come true. Even I have to admit, it was pretty cool.

On a side note, I would ask for your prayers. I had debated about sharing this information. I guess there is a part of me that thinks if I say it - it all becomes more real. Before we got ready to leave for vacation, we were considering another adoption. I know - crazy - right?!?!?! But we knew that God has laid a very special little boy on our hearts. Terry went to the doctor for his adoption physical and asked the doctor to check a spot on his arm. The doctor was concerned about it, so he did a biopsy. The spot is malignant. The doctor said it is a stage 1 melanoma. They did the surgery today and removed a section of about 3 1/2 " long and 1/2" deep. I know - probably wayyyy too much information. I think we were both amazed at how much they had to remove to get all of the affected tissue. The doctor feels really good about his prognosis. Even though the procedure is over, we could really use your prayers. It has been a tough week.

Till later...

Remember Me???

2009-12-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving/ Early Christmas with my mom and dad

Taylor and Tanner's birthday celebration with their cousins

Tessa and Tia at Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family

Yeah, I know - it has been weeks since my last post. Things have been a little busy around our home lately. I remember when I thought that one more child would not dramatically impact the flow of our home - "Yeah Right!!!" What was I thinking?!?!?! I am sleep deprived, constantly trying to baby proof everything in our home - and loving every minute with this little girl. She is amazing!!! And most of all, I love the way she has melded into our family. Sometimes I forget what life was like before she came home. It is like she was always with us.

If you have a few minutes, keep reading and I will catch you up on our lives. Like I said, Tia is amazing. After our return home from China, I had the opportunity to spend 5 weeks at home with her. This is a new benefit offered by my company and I am very thankful for it. We had a chance to get to know one another and it was wonderful. I have never been a stay at home mom. My appreciation goes out to all of you. It is a tough job. I got to be there when the kids got off the bus and was able to hear all about their day. It was a very special time for all of us.

God once again amazed us with how His timing was perfect all along. Terry's company introduced new shifts. He works in aviation, so their hours tend to be a little unorthodox. But this time they worked out well for us. Terry is now working 3 - 12 hour shift each week. He works Friday, Saturday and Sunday - and then can be home with the kids the remainder of the week. No more daycare!!! This was a huge blessing for us. We really did not want to put Tia in daycare yet and the cost was way out of our budget. I have been using some of my vacation to be with the kids on Fridays, and then we are working on a plan for the future. It has worked out so perfectly!!! The new shift started right after I got home from China. Once again, God's timing was perfect!

We celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with my parents and Terry family. I was so happy when we walked in the door at my mom's house and Tia immediately recognized her. They will always have a special bond. We also celebrated Taylor and Tanner's birthdays while we were at home. It is hard for me to believe that Tay is 16 and Tanner is 11. They are wonderful young people and I am blessed to be their mom.

Trenton and Tessa are now at home with daddy during the week and we are homeschooling their pre-kindergarten curriculum. Once again, not something that we had planned, but it has been great. I love to watch them learn and they get so excited about school.

Many of you have asked how Tess and Tia are doing together. I will post some pictures that might give you a good idea, but I will also say they are doing great. Tess loves her sister and Tia idolizes Tessa. Tess and I were sitting on the couch one evening and I asked her if she was glad I brought her sister home. She said "yes", so I probed a little more. I then asked her why she liked her sister, to this she said "because she loves me all the time". I think that is a pretty good reason.

Okay, one funny story to tell you about - Trenton was trying to help Tia with something the other day and Tessa stepped in and said, "Just let me do it, I am Chinese and I know how to do it". Never a dull moment with Tessa.....

Enjoy the photos and I promise to TRY to blog more.

Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year

A Little Holiday Cheer

2009-11-24T06:27:00.000-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Coming Up For Air

2009-11-23T05:42:00.000-08:00

It has been two weeks since we returned home and life is finally starting to resemble some sort of normalcy. Tia and I have our nights and weekends figured out, which is a huge improvement.

The kids are doing great with Tia. Everyone fights over who gets to sit by her in the car and who she likes best. Tessa is so proud of her baby sister.

We have a lot of changes going on in our home. I (Diane) am at home on adoption leave. This is a wonderful benefit offered by my company. We did not have this when I adopted Tessa, so I really appreciate the advancement they are making to our benefits. Terry has opted to change his working hours to Friday - Sunday, 12 hour days. This will mean that the little ones are at home with him during the week, and then staying with a friend of ours on Fridays. Although we will miss him on the weekends, it will be great to have our children at home, instead of daycare. The preschool Trenton and Tessa attended is the best - all of our children have "graduated" from FBCA. But the opportunity to have the kids at home and save a ton of money on tuition was a good move for us. I started homeschooling the kids this morning. Wow - I have a lot of respect for homeschooling moms!!! My hat is off to all of you!

We will be traveling home to Illinois for the holiday this week. It will be the first opportunity for most of our family to meet Miss Tia. It should be a great time!!

As far as Tia goes, she is doing great. She has gained 1 1/2 lbs since we got home. She is happy and seems very well adjusted. She has a great appetite and has even discovered Mc Donald's. She has started taking a few steps on her own. I think she will be walking within the next few weeks.

I promise to blog more regularly from now on. Till later...

There's No Place Like Home, There's No Place Like Home...

2009-11-09T02:29:00.000-08:00

Boy did Dorothy have that one right. I am so glad to be home. When we stepped off the plane in St Louis on Saturday night, I felt such a relief. By the time we made it to baggage claim, where my family and friends were waiting, I was sobbing. It felt so good to hug my husband and kids. I think Tessa grew 3 inches while I was gone. She seems so grown up. Trenton was glad to see mommy, but also very concerned about what I brought back for him. Tanner just wanted to hug Tia. She was a little shy at first, but then she began to warm up to them. Taylor is as always, the most amazing big sister. She is wonderful with Tia.

There were so many dear friends at the airport. Thank you to everyone who has supported and prayed for us during this journey - we could not have done it without you.

Since we have been home, things have been a little tiring. I am suffering from some serious jet lag. It is 4:34 am here in St Louis and Tia and I are eating pancakes. I would love to blame it on the baby, but I was awake long before her today. We will try to get some naps later today.

Today, we are visiting our pediatrician. She wanted to see Tia first thing when we got home. I will share more details about the visit tomorrow.

Glad to be home.....

2009-11-07T12:12:00.000-08:00

click here to go to gatewayroadsters.com

00 DAYS UNTIL TIA COMES HOME!

Today is the day. JoAnn, Diane and Tia should arrive in St. Louis around 9:00 tonight! We are planning on leaving the house around 7:30 so if anyone wants to drive along with us, that's when we're leaving.

Diane's dad is here now and we spent the whole morning working on my van. We had to change the oil pan gasket, oil and filter, air filter and the serpentine belt. Doesn't sound like much but it took us about 4 hours. It seems to be drip free. Let's hope it holds.

Now......gotta clean this house. 4 kids and no mom makes for a dirty house!

Until later,
Terry...

2009-11-06T03:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's Saturday morning in China, I haven't heard from Diane since yesterday...but they're flying out today!! Their flight leaves anytime now (it's 9:00pm Friday here) and they have a full day of airline food and connecting flights. I haven't had any pictures to post but when they get home I'm sure we'll put several on this blog.

Until later, Terry...

2009-11-05T03:24:00.000-08:00

It's Friday morning in China and this is their last full day before traveling home. They leave around noon on their Saturday and they land in St. Louis around 9:00pm Saturday night.

It wont be long!

2009-11-04T03:31:00.000-08:00

Just a little news today. It's Thursday morning in China so they have today and tomorrow and then they pack up to come home. Tia has her US Consulate visit today and I think that is her last official appointment while in China. After that, they're just waiting to come home.

I'll post more pictures when I get them.

Terry...

2009-11-03T03:27:00.000-08:00

Diane and JoAnn went to the zoo today and sent us this panda picture. They are having a great time but can't wait to come home. They leave this Saturday around noon (that's about midnight Friday night --St. Louis time). They will be arriving at St. Louis Lambert International Airport at 9:05 Saturday night and their flight number is American Airlines 1795. If anybody wants to meet us (and them) at the airport, we will be gathering at the exit of the C concourse which is past baggage pick up and all the way to the right (on the lower level).

Until later.......Terry

2009-10-31T06:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. Since we landed in Guangzhou, it seems like we have been on the go. By the time we get back to our room at night, I am too exhausted to blog. I know - amazing that I am too tired to blog. ;)

Anyway, today (10/31) was our medical check. The added complexity of shots for us I 800 families is really tough. I have always hated getting shots for my kids. You just never know how they are going to react. Tia did great! She had 3 shots today and they will do 2 more on Monday. The doctors felt that since she is so small, they should break it up a little. She whimpered for a few seconds and then was back to her normal happy self. It was a very long morning and she did great!

We went to one of my favorite restaurants on the island - Lucy's. Their food is great, and very affordable. I also love their lemon ice tea. Today was also a paperwork day. That is one advantage to the I800, we do not have as much paperwork to complete. After this, we went shopping. My buddy Connie and I put the kids down for their naps and recruited grandma and her husband as babysitters. We did the first of some serious shoe shopping. Sherry's had squeaky shoes - 3 pairs for 40 RMB. That is 5.00 US for 3 pairs of all leather shoes. Not a bad deal at all. Tia can' walk yet, but she has the shoes to practice those first steps.

It is great to see all of the other adoptive families. Many I have met on line through their blogs and now we get to see each other in China. One in particular is my friend Gretchen. We have followed each others blogs since the very beginning and now we are finally here. She is a great lady and very proud mama. Her daughter Ashlyn is a cutie!!!

Since today is Halloween, I thought we would dress Tia up in costume. The one I brought was a size 12 month. It engulfed her, so we decided to pass on this one. I am looking forward to seeing the kids on Skype later, in their costumes.

Till later....

2009-10-29T03:32:00.000-07:00

Hello from Kunming!!! It is a much better day today. Tia is back to her old self. We are seeing her true character evolve each day. She is very strong willed, but will listen to her mama. She is such a snuggly baby. She is happy to have me carry her the majority of the time. She is great at be time. I lay her in her crib and rub her back and she is asleep in a few minutes. She sleeps all night, at least 6 - 8 hours.

We had a chance to visit one of the park here in Kunming. The area is famous for their parks. The climate is very nice and the park was full of people enjoying the nice weather. It was so interesting the watch the people exercising and dancing. There were some ladies doing a dance that our guide described as the dance of the minority people. This is an ethnic group that is prevalent in Kunming. The music and movements were beautiful.

Tia has learned to say mama, Tay Tay, bear and Daddy. I think this will melt his heart. She carries around his picture and kisses it. Yep, she will have him wrapped around her little finger in no time. :)

We have met so many wonderful families during our journey. It always amazes me how the adoption community can be so closely joined. We have had a few play dates with Tia's friend from the orphanage. The girls are so much fun to watch.

Tia is doing much better with her fever. We have learned not to skip a dose of Motrin. She had a slight temp this morning, but after the Motrin, she was fine.

I had a chance to speak with Terry today and he told me about all of the wonderful support from many of you. I can never thank you all enough.

We travel to Guangzhou tomorrow. Only 9 more days and we will be home!!!

Till later...

2009-10-28T03:24:00.000-07:00

What a Difference a Day Makes

As you can see from the photo, we have a very happy girl today. Tia is fever fee, with a dose of Motrin.

I won't go into all of the details, but will say that yesterday was one of the toughest days I have ever faced as a mother. I had a sick child in a foreign country and could not understand the doctors. It was difficult to know what they were doing to my child and feeling very afraid. I did however learn that I am the voice for my child and I will protect her at any cost. Yes, there are some real frustrations within me right now, but I don't feel comfortable sharing them at this time. Some day I might, but for now I am rejoicing that my child is doing much better and on the road to recovery.

I do still ask for your prayers for her health. We are flying out of here on Friday and she needs to be healthy for her physical. She is also facing some shots, so even more of a reason to covet your prayers.

Thank you so much for all you support

Till later

2009-10-27T03:07:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures to post today. It has been a very difficult day for us. Tia began to run a very high fever this afternoon. We contacted our guide, who took us to the orphanage hospital. The lack of translations and inquisition from the staff was horrible. They administered some medication, but we are unsure what it was. I am trying desperately to reach our doctor in the states, but cannot get in touch with her. I feel so lost right now. Please keep is in your prayers.
--Diane

2009-10-26T03:29:00.000-07:00

THE PRINCESS HAS ARRIVED

Wow, how do I start this post. Today has been so emotional for us. We started very early at the Civil Affairs office here in Kunming. Soon after we arrived, they brought Tia in. She was very quiet at first. She sat on my lap but did not make a sound. She looked around the room a few times and then looked up at me, as if to say "who is this lady".

She is tiny and petite.The size 12 month clothes that I brought are all way too big. We estimate she is approximately 17 pounds.She is very skilled at crawling, but still uneasy with walking

We had a lot of paperwork to complete for the adoption and she sat quietly on my lap the entire time. My Mom tried to take her from me once when I was needing to retrieve some documents, and she refused to leave me. Boy did that make this mamma feel good.

She eventually warmed up to my mom and began to show her true personality. There is nothing shy about this little one. We saw our first smiles within an hour or so.

After we returned to the hotel, she had a chance to explore the room. She is so smart. Within just a few minutes she had figured out the stacking cups and arranged all of them.

We had a short play date with one of her roommates from the orphanage. Charlotte is 8 days older than Tia, but quite a bit bigger. They had so much fun together.

We were able to Skype of Terry and Taylor this afternoon and they got to meet the little princess. She liked see them on the computer and even said Tay Tay.

She is napping now and then we are off to the Chinese Walmart for some additional supplies.

I feel so blessed to have her in my arms. The wait was long and difficult, but it was totally worth it all.

God is good!!!

2009-10-25T06:29:00.000-07:00

I just spoke with Diane and they are getting Tia around 8:00pm central

time, tonight! I am pretty much waiting by the computer and I hope to have some pictures posted as soon as I get them.

Ok, I just spoke with Diane and Tia over the Skype Video thingy and...here she is!! She is only about 17 lbs and not eating solid food yet. Tia was crawling around like crazy and can take 3 or 4 steps at a time. It's getting late so I better go. I'll post more pictures early in the morning. That's it. Pretty cool......

2009-10-24T05:09:00.001-07:00

Today was very busy!! We had the opportunity to see some of the most amazing architectural sites in the world. Our first stop was the Forbidden city. My mom said she has never heard me say "Wow" so many times. :)

The Forbidden City was built for the Emperors of China. Our guide is very knowledgeable about Chinese history, which is great because I know very little. Guess I should have listened a little better in the World History class during my undergrad years. Oh well, anyway - the Forbidden City covers more than 7 acres and has multiple courtyards and and room displays.

Next, we drove to the Great Wall. I honestly believe we spent more than 3 hours of our day sitting in traffic. The Highway 40 project in St Louis has got nothing on this place. You are constantly weaving in an out of cars, trying to advance a little closer. I have determined that the lines on the road are merely suggestions, and just there to amuse tourist. No one uses them. ;)

The Great Wall is enormous! We went to one of the sections that was recently restored. The climb is very steep and we did not make it very far. It is tough to take all of this in. Our guide said that more than 10,000 people visit the Great Wall each day. Guess this explains all the traffic.

And finally we had a quick drive by of the Birds Nest from the 2008 Olympics. This is a massive structure. I was amazed to hear that many of the buildings erected for the Olympics are not longer being used.

Tomorrow we will journey to Kunming. We are one step closer to Tia. Hang on baby - mamma is on her way.

Till later...

2009-10-23T03:20:00.000-07:00

Hello all and we are in Beijing!!! It is an amazing city. We have a wonderful guide named Carrie who is showing us around. After we arrived today, we had the pleasure of visiting the New Day foster home. I got to meet Miss Khloe. As you might remember from a previous post, Khloe is the little girl who stole our hearts months ago. We have been sponsoring her at New Day since. She is currently waiting for her mamma to bring her home.

We also got to meet Ethan, Kevin and Victoria, who also live at New Day. We were unable to see Drew, because he was at his foster home.

This journey made everything seem much more real today. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity. On Saturday,(Friday night U.S. time) we will be traveling to the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. I should have some great photos after that.

Only 2 more days until we meet Tia!!!

In Korea!!

2009-10-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

We just arrived in Korea for a lay-over and then we are off to Beijing. They have free Wi-FI at the airport - YEAH!!!

The trip is going great so far. We are tired and did not get a lot of sleep in the flight from LA. I think I am just too excited to sleep. For anyone looking to book their travel flights for China, I highly recommend Asiana airlines. I was worried when we chose to fly with them, but it was GREAT!!! The staff was wonderful!

I have attached a few photos from the airport. Trenton - I have Tiny the dog with me and he is really enjoying the trip. I took some pictures of him in the airport.

Next stop Beijing!!

Its D Day

2009-10-21T05:07:00.000-07:00

Wow - we are finally here. I have dreamed of this day for so long. I am not sure if it feels like a reality yet - but I am sure it will very soon.

I am going to be turning over the blog controls to my wonderful husband Terry while I am traveling. It seems blogger is blocked and I want to make sure to document this trip for our friends and family.

You can also check out our site on my adoptions websites. This is a wonderful company that offers customized web sites for adoptive families. Our link is: Our Journey to Tiana.

I will try to send some updates from LAX later this evening. Take care and enjoy the journey with us.

Diane

One More Sleep Before I Leave

2009-10-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

Wow - it is 11:00 PM and I cannot sleep. My head is spinning with all the things I need to do before I board a plane tomorrow. My stomach has butterflies and I have this fear I will forget something - like my paperwork.

Please keep us in your prayers!!!

Diane

Our Magic Number

2009-10-20T05:01:00.000-07:00

Yep, just one more sleep before I leave for China. I cannot believe this day is finally here. It has been a crazy week. Lots of things going on behind the scenes in our home. Please keep all of us in your prayers.

Todays Post Is Brought To You By The Number 2

2009-10-20T04:59:00.000-07:00

3 Days

2009-10-19T04:26:00.000-07:00

Only 4 More Days

2009-10-18T12:00:00.001-07:00

Guess how many days till we leave for China???

2009-10-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

Only A Few More Hours...

2009-10-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

We just have a few hours left on our auction. The bidding will close at 11:59 pm this evening. I would like to thank everyone in advance for your support.

Diane

6 DAYS!!!

2009-10-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

Just One More Week!!!

2009-10-15T04:50:00.001-07:00

Actually, we catch our first flight out of St Louis on 10/21 to LAX. So technically, I guess it is really 6 days - but who's counting.

O.K. me - I am counting every moment until I leave. :)

Wow - this was exactly what I needed today...

2009-10-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I am still amazed at times when God does things that totally blow me away. You would think that after all this time I would just come to expect that when I am at my lowest and worrying tirelessly, God has a plan.

But I loose site of that and start to sink into my own pit (for those of you who are Beth Moore fans, you will know what I mean by that). But anyway, I was up half the night - worrying.

Ya' see, we received our final costs from our agency and they were substantially higher than I had expected. I was blown away - to say the least. Immediately, I began to worry. How could we do this? Where was the money going to come from? It was painful - I was so distraught.

Then I clicked on a fellow bloggers site - and Mandi had this posted. And I was quickly reminded that He has a plan and I just need to be quiet and listen.

Till later....

Only 8 More Days!!!

2009-10-14T04:43:00.000-07:00

We are now in single digits...

2009-10-13T04:38:00.000-07:00

TRAVEL FUNDRAISER

2009-10-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

Now that we have booked our travel, the reality has really set in. The expense of the adoption has been a tough challenge for our family. We recently learned that we did not receive any of the grant we had applied for. This was really tough to hear.

To help defray some of the costs, we have decided to offer one last fundraiser. The auction style fundraiser will take place on a secondary site located at - Harlow Adoption . There are more details on the specifics of the fundraiser and how to bid, located on this site. The items featured have been donated by our family and friends or are items from our children's clothing company.

We would like to again thank all of our friends and family who graciously donated items for our auction.

Please spread the word....

10 Days and Counting!!

2009-10-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

A Special Little Girl

2009-10-09T04:01:00.000-07:00

Since earlier this year, we have had the pleasure of sponsoring a special little girl in China through an organization known as New Day Foster Home . The moment I clicked on their site, I saw the face of a beautiful little girl named Elise. Her smile could lite up a room. We chose to sponsor Elise at New Day, until she found her forever home. Since we had not been matched yet with Tia, it made the wait easier. I would receive monthly pictures of Elise. It was wonderful to watch her grow and pray for her as a family.

Fast forward a few months. Through the wonder of blogs, I had the chance to "meet" Elise' soon to be mommy. Elise is now Khloe (isn't that a beautiful name!) It has been a wonderful experience to walk through our adoption journeys together.

I had made a list of the things I really wanted to do while we were in China - other than GET MY BABY!!! At the top of the list was to meet Khloe. Well, my wish has come true. On Friday, October 23, we will be visiting New Day Foster Home and hanging out with these amazing kids. I cannot wait!!!

I encourage you to check out New Day's site and consider sponsoring one of this awesome children.

Till later....

We Have A Date!!!!

2009-10-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

I just received the call from our agency and our consulate appointment has been confirmed. This is our tentative itinerary

10/22 - Depart St Louis

10/23 - 25 - Site Seeing in Beijing

10/25 - Fly to Kunming City

10/26 - GOTCHA DAY!!!!!

10/30 - Fly to Guangzhou

11/4 - Consulate Appointment

11/7 - Depart for St Louis

We are still working on the final details with our travel agent. As soon as I have our flight information, I will let you know. We would love for any of you in the St Louis area to greet us at the airport.

Till Later...

A New Look

2009-10-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

So, what do you think?? I decided to put a "fresh coat of paint" on the ole' blog.

I am also excited to finally include a picture of Tia in the headline. It makes all of this seem so real.

And by way of an update on our travel - the C*AA reopens tonight (Chin* Time). Our facilitators in Chin* will send our request for a consulate date. Our hope is to leave St Louis on October 21. We will fly to Beijing for a few days, and then on to Kunming City to meet Tia. We will finish our journey in Guangzhou. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Till later....

My Two Favorite Letters....

2009-09-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

Gotta Love Those Little Faces

2009-09-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

I took a moment this evening when I was practicing with my camera to interrupt a tea party hosted by Trenton and Tessa. They had invited some of their animal friends and were having a wonderful time. I was able to get a couple of quick pictures.

Why We Are Doing This

2009-09-24T16:21:00.000-07:00

I was having a pity party today. I think I have refined them to an art form. I should just hold off wearing mascara for a little while, because it was smeared all over my face. This is not a pretty site.

Anyway, at the height of my lament, I received an email from our local FCC group. They had attached a new video from Holt International. The song was by New Song and is entitled Every Child Deserves a Home. Well, I cried a lot more. Definitely no mascara left today!!!

But after my pity party was over I woke up to the realization that this is not about me. I have forgotten why we went into all of this. God called us to adopt a child. This is not about how it makes me feel or my time lines and agendas. It is about a little girl who needs a mom and a dad. This is part of HIS plan, not mine.

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did.

Till later...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQjObgmNbmE

New Friends

2009-09-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

I have found that some of my closest friends are those that I have met in our adoption process. Some are fellow adoptive moms, others just love us and support the direction God has taken us. I had the chance this week to "meet" the mom that I believe will be our travel partner to China. I won't give too much detail, because I like to protect other people's privacy. But I will tell you that I know God crafted all of this by His plan. She has quickly become a special friend and prayer partner.

I would like to ask that you join us this weekend in prayer for our adoptions. We are praying for a "Miracle TA". We know that no matter when we travel to bring our children home, God had it all worked out before we even entered this process. So, my bloggy friends, I ask that you pray with us over the next few days. And as you know from my previous posts, I believe in praying very specifically. We are praying first of all for safety for our children. That they will know their parents are anxiously preparing to bring them home. Secondly, please pray that our Travel Approval arrives this next week. Let me tell you, that would be a miracle - but we know that our God is very much in the business of performing miracles in our lives. And last but not least, please continue to pray for our adoption fund raising efforts. We both have grant applications pending right now and every little bit will help.

Thank you my friends,

ARTICLE 5

2009-09-15T06:36:00.001-07:00

HURRAY - it is signed!!!! I just got an email from our agency that our Article 5 has been signed by the US Cons*late. So, now our documents are on their way to the C*AA for the last step.

Thank you all again for your prayers!

An Update

2009-09-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

O.K. - so this is where we are today. I spoke with our agency this morning and our documents have been corrected and are now able to be viewed by the Consul*te. They said they have given us "priority" status. I am not really sure what that means - but I hope it means they will approve our documents quickly and send them off to the C*AA. After that, we wait for our travel approval. Our agency still believes we will travel in October - they are just not sure when.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement.

PLEASE Start Praying

2009-09-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends - I am really needing your prayers right now. For the past few weeks, I have had an uneasy feeling about our paperwork. Maybe it was mother's intuition - who knows. Anyway, I received a call from our agency a little while ago. They spoke with the U*S Consula*e last night. There is an error with our file and they cannot process it. It seems that when it was uploaded from the National V*sa Center, there was an error. We were told that this was fixed on August 28, but apparently it was not. So, our documents have been sitting there this entire time, not going anywhere. So, what do we need to happen now???

1) Someone at the NVC needs to fix the file ASAP
2) The Consulat* needs to be notified that it has been fixed
3) The Consulat* needs to process our documents and get them to the CC*A.

I am so frustrated and tired right now. Please pray that someone in our government takes pity on us and gets to work on this today.

Thanks!

Passing the Time

2009-09-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

I decided that I needed a diversion to keep my mind off of the wait. So, I began to sew. For those of you who may not know, I own a children's clothing company called My Red Thread. Cool name - huh...

Anyway, I have finally started making clothes for my two little China girls. I tried to get Taylor in on a act, but at 15 she adamantly refused to wear anything I make.

So, without further delay - here are some of our latest designs.....

This is Tia's first backpack. We do a lot of these bags throughout the year.

I love this one because of the message - she is soooo worth the wait.

The Consulate wardrobe - all decked out in Red, White and Blue. This is a three piece gingham set that features the jumper, pantaloons and bloomers.

Yep - that is Tia's name in Chinese. We have approximately 900 girls names in our database. We can embroider the names on any of our items. This one piece romper is available in 4 colors and up to size 18 month.

And finally, my favorite. I have been waiting for quite a while to make matching "sister" clothes for my little girls. I love this set! it features a long sleeve t-shirt with coordinating leggings. This set is available up to size 5/6. I love the embroidery design. The two little girls faces are adorable. We have a variety of designs to choose from.

So, that is it for now. You can plan to see a few more designs over the next few weeks.

Till later....

Where was I five years ago today....

2009-09-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

The answer - St Luke's Hospital with my beautiful baby boy - Trenton. That's right, my baby BOY is now five years old.

Wow - where did that time go????

We started the day today with 5 powered sugar donuts with candles in each. He loved this!!! We also brought treats for his Pre-Kindergarten class. The final decisions have not been made as to his birthday dinner - I think we are leaning towards Chinese food. He did however make sure that I knew the "plan" for today.

Step 1 - Get up and go to school

Step 2 - Come home from school and eat dinner

Step 3 - PRESENTS!!!!

It was so cute to watch him hold up each finger and describe the "plan".

I feel so blessed to be his mother. Happy Birthday Buddy....

Till later...

The Words I Want To Hear

2009-09-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

I keep chanting this to myself - "The paperwork will be done soon...." I know all of you adoptive parents can empathize - this waiting is terrible. I am trying to enjoy the wait, but that is just not happening. I check my email daily to see if I have any updates from our agency. They have been wonderful, but this process is out of their control as well.

Please continue to pray that we receive some good news soon. Right now, we are waiting on our approval of the Article 5 by the US Cons*late in Ch*na. After that is received, our paperwork will go to the CC*A for our travel approval. After we receive this approval, we will be able to bring our baby home.

Till later...

So, what's been going on around our house...

2009-08-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been an eventful time with school starting for everyone. I have started my packing/purchasing for my trip to China. Wow - there is a lot of stuff to take on this trip. I think I had forgotten since last time.

I had a fun idea the other day to start sending my mom care packages each week before we travel to bring Tia home. The packages include some Chinese words and the phonetic pronunciation, some details about China and the cities we will visit, and some fun items for the trip. Her package last week included chop sticks and details about Kunming. I can't tell you about the package for this week because she reads this blog and I don't want to give away the secret - sorry MOM, you will just have to wait a few days. This has really been a great way for me to pass the time while I wait for our TA.

And speaking of our TA, I have some news. Our documents left the NBC and were sent to the Visa center and then to Guangzhou. Our agency expects our Article 5 later this week. I am still earnestly praying for a September travel.

Till later....

Schools Days

2009-08-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

It has been an exciting week. This is the first time we have ALL four kids in school. Needless to say, it is very hectic around here. Taylor is a sophomore, Tanner is in fifth grade, and Tess and Trenton are in Pre-Kindergarten.

That first day was pretty tough. I thought it would be easier to drop Taylor off at high school, since we went through all of that last year - but it was kind of tough - one me... I know, sad to say, but I got a little misty eye'd. I have a hard time seeing her grown up. We will soon be facing the fact that we have another driver in the house. I am not sure if I am ready for that one quite yet.

Tanner is in fifth grade -which is one of my favorite years. Our school district does a nature camp for the fifth graders. The kids spend one full week at a local camp learning environmental sciences. It also teaches them some very important responsibility lessons. The kids are tasked with keeping their cabins clean and doing chores while at camp. Taylor had a great time when she went. Tanner is also leaving this weekend for a weekend church camp. He is so excited!!!

Tess and Trenton are now in Pre-kindergarten. Tess was old enough for kindergarten this year, but we thought it would be best to have her wait one more year. They both have wonderful teachers. All of our kids have attend First Baptist Christian Academy. The staff and administration are wonderful!!!!

And Terry and I started back to school as well. I know, like we didn't have enough to do in our lives. Anyway, Terry is pursuing his second Masters - this one is in Procurement. I will be finishing my second Masters in May- this one is Management and Leadership and starting my Doctorate later this year.

So there will be a lot of homework going on at our home this year. Thank God for the weekends!

Till later....

It's APPROVED!!!!

2009-08-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

HURRAY!! I just received a call from our USCIS officer letting me know that our I800 application has been approved. This is great news! We were approved in 9 days! The next step will requiring some processing in China, which will be handled by our agency.

PRAISE GOD!!!!

The Princess

2009-08-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

I have posted a new picture of our little princess. Tess is spending the week with just mom and dad. Her older sister is on a mission trip in Kentucky and her brothers are at grandma's house. We realized that this is the first time Tess has had a chance to be an "only child" in the house. I think she is enjoying it a little too much - she may not want the other kids to come home. lol It has really been a special week for us.

On the adoption front, we have submitted our paperwork to the U*SCIS and they are processing our I 800* paperwork. Our officer is so nice - and you can tell she really cares about the families she works with. Our prayer is that the paperwork is processed next week and on its way to Ch*na. Our agency is estimating 5 - 6 weeks from that date before we travel - which puts us at the end of September. We are still praying for early September - and ask that you join with us in prayer. As always, we know that God has a perfect plan in all of this. We just feel so blessed to be a part of it.

Till later....

Three Simple Letters

2009-07-30T06:18:00.000-07:00

Yep, just three little letters that mean so much to me right now - LOA. Let me set the stage for this story. I have been cranky lately, just not a nice person to be around. This waiting in adoption is really tough for me. I believe it is because I am a control freak - and yes, God is working on me with that one. Anyway, our wait for LOA has been approximately 71 days. Not as long as some, but long none the less.

Last night, we had a meeting with our church's adoption ministry. These are some amazing people. At the close of the meeting, I asked them to pray for me. I explained to them how I had become tired and weary from the wait. They layed hands on me and prayed some wonderful words of encouragement. When I got home at about 11:00 PM, there was a message from our adoption agency. She asked that I call her if I was still awake. Still awake - I could not dial the phone fast enough!!! She let me know that our LOA is on its way!!! It was mailed from China earlier this week and they should receive it either today or tomorrow. PRAISE GOD!!!!

So, lesson learned - when I finally turn it over to Him - great things happen. I will probably need a reminder of this lesson again - soon.

Till later,

My Travel Buddy

2009-07-23T09:59:00.001-07:00

I started this post with a different title. I was going to lament about our wait - 64 days to be exact - but I decided to change the title. Me being frustrated about the wait will not change the situation. I do appreciate all your prayers.

Instead, let's talk about my travel buddy for China. Terry and I came to the conclusion this week that due to Tessa' medical concerns, he would not travel to China with me. So, I talked with my mom and she has agreed to go with me. I have to say, I am sad that Terry cannot share in this with me, but if he can't then my mom is the next best thing. She is a very special friend to me. I love my mom so much. I think we are going to have a great time. I also think this is a very special opportunity for her to bond with Tia. My mom is also one of my favorite shopping buddies, so look out China - here we come!!!

More later...

LOA PRAYERS

2009-07-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

I would like to ask for your prayers in regards to our LOA (LSC). Let me first say, I know our 59 day wait is nothing compared to the wait other have had. My concern is with our travel. As I just read on a blogger friends site, there is a Ch*nese holiday and a Trade Fair during the month of October. If we do not receive our LOA VERY soon, we would not be able to travel until late in October.

So, friends I ask that you pray - pray that God will show His mercy and grace on our adoption timeline. Also, I believe in praying very specific - my prayer is that we receive our necessary approvals and are able to travel in early September.

Thank you all so much for your amazing support!!!

Yunnan Update

2009-07-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

We just received an update from our agency regarding the earthquake. The China facilitator contacted the orphanage and they said they did not sustain any damage. PRAISE GOD!!! He is protecting our baby while we wait to bring her home.

Also, and update on our LOA. The CCAA said we are in the review room. They needed us to change ONE sentence in our paperwork. I made that change and the revised document is on its way to China. Our agency feels we should have our LOA shortly. We are still praying for September travel.

Thanks for all your prayers!!!

Please Pray

2009-07-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

We just learned that an earth quake has hit the province where our baby Tia is waiting. The preliminary reports are saying it was a 5.7 - 6.0 magnitude earthquake in the Yunnan province. We have contacted our agency to see if they can get us any details about Tia.

Please pray for her safety. I feel so helpless being a world away from my child and not knowing if she is safe.

I will post more later...

Tia's Birthday

2009-07-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

On June 21, we celebrated Tia's first birthday. It was a tough day for me. I know I will get to share every other birthday with her, but this first one was hard. The kids helped bake cupcakes and we had a little party.

Happy birthday baby, we will be there soon.

Love mommy

Where have I been???

2009-06-22T06:35:00.000-07:00

I know, I have been a bad blogger lately. Things have been very crazy and hectic around our home lately. I have many things to post about, but no time to do it today. I hope to be back to blogging very soon.

Quick update - still waiting for our LOA from China. Yesterday was Tia's first birthday. That was tough... We had a party for her and the kids helped to make cupcakes to celebrate. I will post pictures soon.

Till later....

June

2009-06-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

The month of June seems like a blur. The month of June was made up of the end of school, vacation, Father's Day and waiting for our LOA.

The kids were so glad to finish school for the year. Taylor had the opportunity to travel to Florida again with our church. The Big Stuff camp in Panama City is an awesome experience. Taylor made the decision to get baptised at camp this year. She had accepted Christ a little over a year ago, but had not been baptised yet. She got baptised in the ocean - how cool is that!!!!

We went on our annual vacation to Indiana. This is a wonderful trip we take each year with my best friend Julie and her family. We go to Holiday World in Santa Claus Indiana. It is a wonderful amusement park. The park is clean and very family oriented. We actually stay in campers. I know - I am not the camping kind of gal, but this is not that bad. It is always a great time to just hang out with our friends and family.

For Father's Day, we went to visit my Dad. It was really a great day. I love my Dad so much. He is an amazing man. I think this picture says it ALL...

This is a short update, but I will try to write more later...

LID

2009-05-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that we have our LID ( log in date). Our paperwork went to China in March, but our agency waited to submit it until we were matched with Tia. They have found that this can "sometimes" expedite the process to receive your LOA. This is our prayer for sure.

So, our LID is May 21, 2009.

What's Been Going on...

2009-05-27T04:49:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while since I posted about the other activities at our house. We have had so much going on around our house over the past few months.

So, let's get started....

MAY

Mother's Day was wonderful!! We had received our referral that week and the kids were so sweet. They made me some beautiful artwork at Sunday school. Taylor made me a very special surprise. I have a dollhouse that my parents gave me for my ninth birthday. It is beautiful, but in pretty bad shape. It has been transported to 5 different homes in two states over the past 16 years. Taylor surprised me by renovating that dollhouse. She was able to repair some of the damaged woodwork and give it a fresh coat of paint. It was a wonderful surprise.

May also brought Terry's graduation with his MBA. He has worked so hard to complete his degree and I am very proud of him.

Taylor had her last choir concert of the year. Her choir received 3 trophies at their last competition - receiving 99 out of 100 points. She has become a beautiful young woman.

We visited the zoo on a Saturday morning. Tanner made a special bear for his baby sister. He was really proud of it.

Trenton finished his first season of Upward Soccer. He really had a great time! I am not sure he knew what he was doing on the field, but he enjoyed it anyway. Now he is looking forward to basketball in the Fall.

And last but not least, Miss Tessa. Tessa is just loving life. She is one of the happiest children I have ever met. We always say that there is never a quiet or dull moment with Tess in the house. She has matured so much over the past few months. She will be a wonderful big sister.

And as so me, I am just running around trying to get everyone where they need to be. I am completing my second Masters and have decided to start my doctorate. Like we didn't have enough stress in our lives - lol...

Well, that is it for the month of May. I will post more later.

Waiting

2009-05-26T14:39:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt so blessed that you hated to ask for more?? That is how I have been feeling lately. God has blessed us so much in the past few months - I feel guilty to ask for more. I always like the verse in Psalms that says, "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. " I am sure you can guess what that desire is right now - three little letters, LOA. But then as I read more of the passage, I am truly convicted, "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him…". Oh yeah, that last part gets me every time. That waiting patiently is the really hard part for me.

I know our wait in this adoption process pales in comparison to what others have waited. The referrals that were received this past week were for families who were logged in on March 14, 2006. WOW - that is some serious waiting.

So, this is what I ask my friends. I believe in praying very specifically for situations. I remember when I was a kid, I would ask God to bless everyone - AMEN. I have grown in my faith to the point that I do believe in praying very specifically and seeking God's will.

Here goes -
1) Pray that God is able to prepare our family for our little girl
2) Pray for Tia in her foster home and the family who is caring for her
3) Pray our LOA defies all reason in its arrival. I am praying that people look at the timeline and can only say, "this is a miracle".
4) Pray for our finances. We have a lot of money to raise before we travel. I know God will take care of this piece - I just need to see His plan.

Thank you my blog friends, you are the best!

An UPDATE!!!!

2009-05-22T09:36:00.001-07:00

New photos of our beautiful little girl.

Till later...

PA!!!!! Introducing Tiana Jo Mei Harlow

2009-05-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

I am excited to say that our PA has arrived. For those outside the adoption community, this means that based on the information received in our preliminary application, the CCAA (Chinese government) has approved us to adopt our little girl. We now wait for our LSC (letter seeking confirmation). This should arrive in the next few months.

We will still be guarded with the information that we share at this time. But I do want to share a picture of our adorable little girl and a few details. Isn't she beautiful!!!!! I have to say that the minute I opened the first picture, she took my breath away. She is 10 months old and has a very minor heart condition. Our doctors feel her condition will probably have repaired itself before we bring her home.

Also, we have created a travel site that we will use for specifics about Tia. It is a password protected site, so if you would like to follow our journey, please leave a comment to this post with your email address.

Till later...

Now The Wait Really Begins...

2009-05-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

Our LOI (Letter of Intent) paperwork has been submitted to China for our amazing little girl. It is all I can do not to share more details - but I can't. uggh!!!! We will be launching a new Tia blog after we get our PA. The site is ready, we just need the proper approvals. My thanks to The Design Girl for creating the site.

We hope to receive our PA (Prior Approval) within the next few weeks. Just know that she is everything we had prayed for and so much more.

So, when we will travel?? Trust me, I have already asked our agency this question many times. The current estimates are 4 - 5 months following LOI. That would mean we might travel in September or October.

Thank you all again for your prayers and support of our family and this adoption.

Till later....

It A Girl...

2009-05-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

I wish I could share more, but just know that God is good and we have a little girl waiting for us in China. I will post more details after we receive our PA.

Thank you for your prayers!!!

Terry, Diane, Taylor, Tanner, Tessa, Trenton and Tia

The least of these....

2009-05-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

The verse from Matthew 25:40 came to mind today. The verse says "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' The verse really touches my heart today, but maybe not for the reasons you would think.

Ya see, with four (soon to be five) kids in our house, there is always that need for the family pet. We have had our share of the furry, adorable little dogs, a guinea pig, gold fish, and even a parakeet. For his birthday this year, Tanner asked for a hamster. We obliged, even though I really am not fond of anything that closely resembles a rat. But anyway, Bugsie became a member of our family. Tanner loved his hamster!!! He took really good care of her. Although he had one problem, closing her cage securely. You see where this story is going.... That's right, the cage was left open a few weeks ago, and Bugsie went missing.

We spent hours looking for her. We left out food, hoping it would encourage her to come out. After a week, we feared the worst. Tanner was heartbroken. We finally encouraged him to get another hamster. A week or so ago, Sam joined our family. Tanner likes Sam, but he would often comment about how much he missed Bugsie.

Now the story gets really interesting. In the middle of the night, Taylor came running into our bedroom. She had found Bugsie (ALIVE). Tay had dropped some crackers in the kitchenette in our basement. In the night, she heard something scratching and chewing. It was Bugsie - having a snack. She had lost a lot of weight in the past three weeks on her adventure and she seemed really happy to be found.

I don't know if I have ever seen Tanner so excited. He had tears in his eyes when he saw her.

What touches my heart the most is to see how God cared for even this little hamster. We had prayed when Bugsie first went missing that God would protect her and help us to find her. This is a great testimony for my kids to see how loving our God is, even to the least of these, like Bugsie the hamster.

By the way, Terry told me not to get too sappy with this story. He said he did not want to be know as the "crazy hamster family". Hope this was o.k. dear.

Till later...

Just waiting....

2009-04-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

I know many of you have been checking our site over the past few weeks to see the status of our adoption. I have hesitated writing anything, because I honestly did not have anything to share. We are currently waiting for the next list of special needs children to be released by the CCAA. They have generally followed a pattern of posting the list in the latter part of the month. We have been holding our breath for days - just waiting for the CALL. For those of you waiting, you know how tough this can be. I have run though a ton of emotions.

Anyway, I did receive a call from our agency this morning. The new list should be posted next week. Since tomorrow is a holiday in China, we know that nothing will be posted until at least Monday. :(

I ask that you pray with us. I just want to see her face. I know she is out there - I have total faith in that. My heart just longs to meet her.

Till later....

What a Weekend

2009-04-26T06:10:00.001-07:00

You may want to grab a cup of coffee - this will be a long post, it has been an amazing weekend. Let's start with Friday night, and go from there. On Friday evening, we just spent some much needed downtime. We went for a walk as a family and then hung out with our neighbors. Terry says we look hilarios when we all go for a walk. With all of our kids, we look like a herd of some sort. The kids played until after 11:00 pm. I think Trenton was asleep before his head hit the pillow. :)

Now, let's move on to Saturday morning. I have been registered to attend the Hope for Orphans seminar since the first of the year. Starting an orphan ministry in our church has been a desire of mine for a long time, but I just never knew how to start. This was an amazing training. Everything is so organized. They give you suggestions on a structure and help you see how this could fit within your church. Jason Weber from Family Life is a wonderful presenter and is also an adoptive father. I am very excited about the future for 2 Rivers Church and our orphan ministry. Stay tuned...

We also had the opportunity to conduct our raffle drawing for the fundraiser. I cannot thank you all enough. We raised more than $2,000 for our adoption. PRAISE GOD!!!! I am humbled by your love and support. If you would like to check out the winners list, visit our fundraising blog.

We will have other fundraisers going on over the next few months. We currently have other donated items posted on EBay. Check them out if you get a chance. We also plan to have a Yard Sale the weekend of May 15 & 16. If you live in the St Louis area, come check it out.

Now, let's talk about that concert. I had the opportunity to attend the United Tour concert with my friend Angie. Just a few words about Angie. She is a loving mother, wife and awesome woman of God. I feel so blessed to have her as my friend.

The concert was SOLD OUT and a packed house. We had front row - center tickets!!! That was so cool!!! Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith have been some of my favorite Christian artist for many years. Their music is real - it touches your heart right where you are. Michael share some very special thoughts about God's heart for us. It helped me to see a lot in myself. I may post more about that later - just not sure how to articulate it right now. But I was blessed! We also had the opportunity to hear from Geoff Moore regarding Show Hope. Geoff is a wonderful artisit and song writer. It was really neat to hear him talk about his little China girls.

After the concert, we had a chance for a meet and greet with Steven Curtis. He is a great guy and I hurt for all they have endured this past year. Please keep them in prayer as the one year anniversary of Maria Sue's death approaches. Theirs is a pain I cannot even imagine.

So, now we are headed off to church. It is the 10 year anniversary of 2 Rivers today. We are having a tent service on our ground. It should be a great day.

Enjoy the pictures - till later....

Michael W. Smith - even better in concert!

Geoff Moore - what an amazing guy!!!

Mr. Steven Curtis Chapman

SPRING IS HERE!!!!

2009-04-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

Finally, Spring is here. You can tell the temperatures are getting warmer in our neighborhood. It is amazing how all the families begin to venture out of their homes. It is almost like bears coming our of hibernation. :)

I took some new pictures of the kids this evening while we were out for a walk. I am practicing my photography skills. What do you all think???

Till later...

Adoption Ministry

2009-04-21T08:54:00.001-07:00

I am really excited about a workshop that I am attending this weekend. For months, I have felt that God is leading us to start an Orphan ministry at our church. The difficult part is knowing HOW to get it started. We have a lot of people in our church with a desire to get involved, but we were unsure of what we needed to do.

Family Life has developed this course to help enable churches to start an orphan ministry. It is being held at Calvary Church in St Peters, Missouri. They still have spots open, if you are interested in attending.

Till later...

An Amazing Birthday Present

2009-04-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

I had a birthday a few weeks ago. It was pretty uneventful, but still a nice birthday. We had dinner at O'Charley's and the kids sang happy birthday. Just a nice evening with the family. It had been a really tough week at work, so we kept things pretty low key.

Well, yesterday, I got a belated birthday gift. Through a charity auction, we won tickets and backstage pass with a meet and greet for... the Steven Curtis Chapman concert later this month. Yep, my girlfriend Angie and I will be sitting on the front row at the United Tour concert and then meeting Steven Curtis after the concert. WOW - that is the coolest birthday gift ever!!! Have I mentioned lately how much I love my family! Thanks guys!

Till later....

Adoption Update

2009-04-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share where we are with our adoption process. As you will read in a previous post, we did not receive a referral when the March Shared List was posted. I have spent the past few weeks feeling very defeated. I had gotten my hopes so high. Tessa asks constantly when we will go get her "baby Tia". Yep - that's right, we have a name for this little one. Her full name will be Tiana Jo (insert Chinese name) Harlow. But to everyone in our home, she is baby Tia.

So, for now we wait until the next list is released later this month. Please keep us in your prayers.

Till later...

Upward Soccer

2009-04-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

We have a new little soccer star in our home. Trenton has joined an Upward Soccer team. They are sooo adorable!!! I really don't think they totally get all of the rules of soccer, but they sure have a good time.

Till later....

The true reason for Upward - to teach these precious little boys about the love of Jesus Christ

False Alarrm

2009-03-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

I am not really sure what to say right now - my heart is very heavy. As most of you know, we have been anxiously waiting to hear news on our special needs referral. I received a call yesterday from our agency regarding a little girl. I think my heart skipped a beat when I saw their number on my caller I.D. They carefully set my expectations at the onset of the call. The child they were calling about had special needs that were outside of what we had listed on our special needs checklist. After listening to all of the information and spending some time talking as a family, we realized that this was not the right child for us. It broke my heart to say no.

Please pray that God brings our little girl to us very soon.

Thanks!

Got You Celebration

2009-03-15T20:08:00.001-07:00

Guess who she has wrapped around her little finger????

Our "Got You" celebration, as Tessa calls it was wonderful. She got dressed up in one of her prettiest dresses and went to dinner with her momma and daddy. She charmed everyone in the room while we waited for our table at Olive Garden.

I asked her what a Gotcha Day meant, she said that was when she "got me". And boy did she have that one right. I was smitten with that beautiful little face from the moment I first laid eyes on her.

After dinner we ventured to Toys R Us for a little shopping. Tessa chose a new baby doll that came with its own doctor kit. She said that this would help her practice for when she is a doctor some day. Wow - I had better get busy with that college fund NOW!!!

She also helped to pick out some Lego's for her brothers. Even tough it was her celebration, she wanted to share with them. Taylor settled for money :)

Till later...

Gotcha Day and DTC

2009-03-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

Wow - what mother could ask for more??? March 13, 2006 I was blessed to meet my daughter Tessa in Nanning, Guangxi China. The picture above was taken just hours after she was placed in our arms. Poor baby had cried herself to sleep. To look back now and realize how far we have come is amazing. It is hard to remember my life without her. I love you baby!!!!

My other excitement is that we will be Dossier To China within the next few days. After 8 months of paperchasing, we have finally reached this milestone. I cannot even describe the relief I feel right now. Just one more step closer to our baby.

Till later...

Let's Talk About the Fundraiser

2009-03-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

I want to take a moment to talk about our fundraiser. Yes, I would love your support. And in case you were wondering, you can visit our fundraising site by clicking on the logo. You could also help us out by posting the link on your blog. We are really hoping this will be a strong fund raising effort for our adoption.

But more than talking about the mechanics of the fundraiser, I want to talk about the blessings. Ya' see, we are just this ordinary family from the Midwest. We aren't famous people - just children of God who have been blessed with a house full of kids - and loving every minute of it. But the amazing part about this fund raiser has been the people that God has allowed to bless our family. Here's some examples - my husband called one of our local radio stations and told them about the raffle - within a day we had received a call from Ruth's Chris steakhouse with a donation. Here's the real cool part, they don't even know us, but were led to give. WOW !! Another example - I sent an email to the contemporary Christian group, Casting Crowns. Within just a few days, we received an email from them, offering to help. O.K. and one more - I sent a message to Kurt Warner's foundation - the same day I got a call from them offering to help. Did I mention that these people do not even know us - but they have chosen to come along side of us in this effort. Each donation we have received has a story just like this. People who care enough to see a little girl come home. I feel so humbled that God is allowing me to be a part of this. He has an amazing plan - I just can't wait to see it all unfold.

Till later...

Lifeline for a Lifetime

2009-03-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

The title of this post was borrowed from a fellow adoptive parent (thanks Jerry). What does it mean? Well, it means that after a lot of prayer we have decided to pursue our adoption with Lifeline Children's Service. They were the agency that we had the privilege to work with for Tessa' adoption. The staff at Lifeline are like an extension of our family. We thank God for their commitment to the families and children that they help to unite.

As a status update, our documents are being authenticated this week by the Chinese consulate and then our dossier will be off to China. We hope to be matched when the next list of waiting children is released by the CCAA. As I am learning every day - this process is totally out of my control and God has a plan.

Till later...

New Pictures

2009-03-01T05:58:00.000-08:00

I realized that I had not posted new pictures of my beautiful family in quite some time. We needed some updated photos for the adoption dossier, so without further delay - here they are...