Sunday Snapshot: The Days of China - 2007

This week I am reflecting upon the days and nights we spent in China....
The days and nights of Shea!!!

We were there three years ago....from February 24 until March 7....
The first week we spent in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
The second week, of course, in Guangzhou!
I still can't believe she has been with us for three years!!!!

Oh, how deeply she has embedded herself into our lives and especially our hearts!!!

I do believe I left a piece of my heart in China....

I can't begin to understand the complexities of China....
The history...
The culture....
The people....

But, I can appreciate and respect the history, the culture, and the people of China.

How can I not be in awe and wonder of the country in which Shea was born????
I am forever changed....
I am forever grateful.....


Please join me in this stroll down Memory Lane.....

First week in Chengdu.

 

Our first photo together.

Getting ready to put on a new outfit.

Our baby!!!

Already laughing!!!

Lovin' her bottle & Elmo

Goofing around with our beloved guide, Natalie!

Sleeping....finally!!

Second week in Guangzhou.

The dreaded medical exam!

Our last night in China....

Thanks for indulging me....

Flashback Fridays!!!

I have noticed that a few of the blogs I follow are doing this 'Flashback Fridays' thing.

I think it is a really cool idea!!!!
I mean, who doesn't enjoy a flashback????
They're fun...
They bring back some good memories....
(If not, at least some good laughs!!!)

These next few posts I write will be focusing on Shea.
Three years ago, we were in China....trying to get to know each other.....trying to bond.....
Becoming a family!!!!!!

Those days were some of the most amazing, emotional days of our lives!!!


So without further ado......

Here are the pictures of a little girl who captured our hearts and thus began our incredible journey to our darling daughter!!!

We first saw our sweet Shea on May 31, 2006!!!
She was 12 months old in these referral pictures.

Look at all that cuteness (and layers)!!!
How about those split pants!!!!
Gotta love it!!!



Things were done differently 'back in those days'!  Ha-ha

We filled out the required paperwork of SNs....
Then we waited to be matched.

I will never forget the day when we received the phone call on that last day of May in 2006!!
Of course, I wasn't home.....
So, Faith & I listened as Kate (our case worker)-via answering machine- gave us the news that we had a daughter!!!

Kate:
Hey, Chris & Dave....
Good news!
You have a little girl for you!!!!
Your daughter!!
Please check your email....
And get back to me!!!

Tears were streaming down my face....
I was shaking....
Faith was jumping up & down....
We ended up doing that hugging/dancing thing!!!!!

And then finally,
I opened up the email...

TRUTHFULLY....
I was smitten...
I was in-love...
I knew I was going to move heaven & earth to get to her!!!
She was my daughter!!!!

My husband was in California....
My boys were....?????.....gosh, I can't remember!!!!
So it was just Faith & me...
Celebrating!!!!

I sent my husband the pictures of Shea...
He was totally on board!!!
My sons thought she was the cutest thing ever!!!
Of course, Faith was in-love with this sweet baby-cakes!!!!

And the rest is history...
so goes the saying!!!!

Happy Flashback Friday!!!!!!!!

P.S.  It only took me minutes to call Kate back with a resounding YES!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, yes, yes!!!!

Shea Day!!!!!

Three years ago today, this little girl entered my life....

And life has never been the same!!!!

She is a joy.....
She is more than I ever hoped for....

She blesses me every day!!!!
I love her hugs...
I love her kisses....
I simply love her!!!!

She is sweet,
lovable,
compassionate,
and
a whole lot of fun!!!

She can be sassy....
demanding....
bossy....
and darn right naughty.....

But, this kid cracks me up!!!!

I mean, look at her....
dancing in the kitchen this morning.....
celebrating HER day....

shaking her little booty.....

enjoying life to the fullest!!!!

This is my Shea....
lovin' life!!!

Happy 'Shea Day' my sweet, darling little girl!!!!

( I need a new camera...
and I need to learn how to take better pictures...
but, I think you get the idea....)

Have you ordered yours yet?????

I'm talking about the Hope for Haiti t-shirt!!!
This one right here:

I finally ordered mine yesterday!

I absolutely can't wait to get it!!!

Can't wait to wear it!!!



Oh, and I ordered this one, too...

Just because....

Just because I love these T-shirts!!!!!


Remember that if you order a Hope for Haiti t-shirt...

100% of the profit goes to help the people of Haiti.

Woo-hoo, that's so cool!!!!

And if you decide to order a different t-shirt,

10%  of the profit will go to Mission: RescueLIfe charity.

Again, really cool!!!

These Wild Olive T-shirt gals are super-great!!!!

Go check out the site and while you are at it....

order a tee or two!!!!

Shea-Dell & La-La

Huh?

Let me introduce to you....


Shea-Dell....

Otherwise known as Shea, who we affectionately call 'Shea-Belle'.







And here is La-La....

Also known as Avery. Who she affectionately calls 'La-La'!



La-la must have been a nick named she acquired while living in the orphanage.

Makes sense, since her Chinese name is Zula.

Apparently, Avery missed the 'b' sound in Shea's nickname...
~maybe she didn't hear it correctly the first time
~maybe it's not a natural flowing sound for her
~maybe she just doesn't care
and now that it's Shea's 'new' name, it will be a habit that is hard to break!
(who knows what goes on in an almost 4 year old's mind that is absorbing the English language????)

Apparently, Avery feels comfortable enough with us to share her special name!

I don't know???

But, I do know that  it is so stinkin' cute the way she refers to herself and Shea.
It makes us all laugh.
And now, we are all using these 'new' names!!!

It is a interesting transition that is occurring as far as Avery's acquisition of English is concerned.

First off, let me say that she is a talker...big time!!!  Doesn't matter if it is in Chinese or English!!

A couple of weeks ago, she only spoke to us in Chinese.  God only knows what she was saying to us....
But, she was (and is) expressive, demonstrative, and very much filled with opinions!

Now, she is speaking less & less Chinese ( which is kind of sad), using more & more English words...
mixed with....
ummmm....jibberish!

Like I said....
Very interesting stuff!!!

Her receptive vocabulary is remarkable.  I mean, she totally understands what we are saying...
In fact, what anyone is saying.
Today at Walgreen's while we were waiting for my prescription, she picked up on the store's announcements.  Noticing words like 'please' and 'special' and of course, 'candy'!!!

She can sing the whole Wonder Pet song and knows most of the words to Elmo's World....
She can pray the common table prayer all by herself!
And started singing in church with us this past Sunday!!!
I guess I could go on & on, but I don't want to be accused of bragging!!!
 No...
Not me!!!!

Bottom line.
I am utterly amazed by this child of mine!!!

She is indeed a blessing!!!!

One month later.....

Has it really been a month since this little stinker has been a part of my life?????

(She is left-handed....so I guess this is how she 'plays' the guitar!)

A month ago...
our lives were for ever changed....
hers...
mine....

I have been so blessed....
I can't believe I have the privilege of calling her daughter!!!

A month ago...
I was trying to get prepared for our first meeting...
She probably didn't have a clue...
Oh, she probably was told that she was 'getting' a new family...a new life....etc....
But, I still don't think she had a clue!!!!

Our first meeting was rough....
That is an understatement....to say the least!!!

It was horrendous...
heart-breaking....
soul-ripping...

She was scared beyond belief....
crying, kicking, screaming for her nanny.
She was filled with panic....
filled with anger....

I was filled with self-doubt....
wondering if this was the best thing for her????
wondering if I could be the mother she needed????
wondering how in the world she could ever love me, want me , trust me????

I think I was scared beyond belief!!!!

It was a long first night....

My oldest daughter, Faith, wrote the post that night...
She choose the words and pictures to convey our first encounter...
She did a wonderful job!!!!

Here are a few pictures from that evening when there was a brief 45 minute reprieve....

I think she was curious...

I think her little self was wondering....
who is this person?
is she safe?
is this for real?

It's amazing what a month can do!!!

We all made it through that first night.

And the days following were filled with wonder....

acceptance...

laughter...

trust...

silliness...

happiness...

love!!!!

We are now a family!!!!

A beautiful,

loving,

not perfect

family!!!


"Delight yourself in the Lord,
and He will give you
the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37: 4