Sunday in Shanghai

Today we did a little bit of walking around here close to our hotel.  There is a park across the street.  You go up an escalator and across the street and then down the steps on the other side and walk just a short distance to get to it.  There is a teeny tiny Subway there. We got our usual Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sandwich.  Didn't taste quite the same but it was okay.
We went to the grocery store to buy some noodles and a few other things we can have in the room to eat so we don't have to go out every time we are hungry.  The forecast is for a good bit of rain the next few days.
It is almost 5pm here as I am typing this.  So thankful to be here and that we meet John Wesley in the morning.  We meet our guide in the lobby at 9am to go to the orphanage. Today was the last day he had to sit on that little wooden chair.  This is the very last night he will sleep in that crib.  The very last night he won't have a mommy and daddy to say prayers with him before he goes to sleep.  The last hours before he has a family of his very own.
Bailey, you would love it here in the big city!  There are buildings so tall!!!  And when we went to the stores there was music playing outside and I knew if you were with us you would be dancing!  Brinley, we have seen so many pretty things here that make us think of you! There were lots of earrings in one little shop but I didn't see anything I thought you would like. A lot of the girls have very long hair like you and they all wear boots like your brown boots.  Kristen......Tiffany's store right across the street!  I took a picture  of it.  Our guide Ming Ming has an MK purse a lot like yours.  I think about you every time I look at it.  Brice, we have seen toys that you would have loved when you were little!  Today we saw a flying remote control Iron Man! You would have loved that just a few years ago!  Looking for your laser pointer!

We are here!

We made it to Shanghai!  The flights werer very good.  Tell everyone that we are okay and we love you!  We will post more as soon as we can.
Jie Jie said that you all did a great job getting ready for school this morning.  Way to go girls!  Thanks for all your help, Brice!

We love you Josh, Mel, Kristen, Brandon, Keith, Lizzie, Brice, Brinley and Bailey!!!

Well phooey.

It looks like the Shutterfly site won't work for everyone.  So, we may just end up blogging here after all.  Sorry for the confusion!   We'll be here or there!  :)

How stinkin' cute is our son?? 

This is the oldest photo we have of him. Hoping the orphanage will have more for us!

Follow us in China

We have decided to make our travel journal private.  If I know you from a group or RQ please send me a message for the password.  martysharonm@gmail.com

5 DAYS TILL WE LEAVE!!

How Great Is Our God...

Absolutely amazed. Watch this and share it!

Officially Offical!

Our TA documents just arrived by FedEx!  We have everything we need now to bring John Wesley home! Just counting down the days!

Found out late last week that my friend Jan will be in GZ at the same time as us! Praise the Lord!  I'm so happy we get to share in this great adventure together. :)   I have a lot of adoption friends but Jan is special....she lives right down the road from us! Our kids go to school together! Her daughter gives horseback riding lessons to our girls! We can't wait to meet her beautiful Leiney Grace in GZ!  We will be on the same flights home. How amazing is it that God orchestrated this just for us?  Can't wait for the homecoming at the airport!

More great news!

Not only did we get new photos of John Wesley we also found out today that another family will be traveling with us to Shanghai to adopt their son.  This mom and I have become quick friends and we have really been hoping we would travel together.  Our timelines have stayed so close  until here at the end. Some how we got about a week ahead of them. :(  But today we found out that not only will we be in Shanghai and Guangzhou at the same time but we are actually flying over with them!  YAY!!!

Kim, have you packed yet??   WE ARE GOING TO CHINA FOR OUR BOYS!!!  :)

Final Official Update

This morning I opened my email and was surprised to find an update and two new photos of John Wesley. The measurements are still the same.  He really does look like a tiny guy.

Just look at that sweet face!!

17 more days till I get to hold him!

We interrupt this adoption blog.........

Interrupting this adoption blog for a quick announcement:

Our daughter is engaged!  :)

Brandon asked Kristen to be his wife Saturday night.

We are so happy for both of them! :)

I think this is him...

I'm pretty sure John Wesley is under all of those layers of clothing!

This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago at the orphanage.....inside.

My baby won't be living in the cold night and day much longer. 

See that countdown over on the right?  

Not much longer, sweet boy!

So sweet

I just can't wait to be the one holding that bottle for him! :)

Love the Winnie the Pooh socks!

It's Official

Yesterday we found out that we will meet John Wesley on January 30!  It's real, it's happening!  Our boy is coming home!

John Wesley's 7 & 8 year old sisters are extremely excited too!  I'm sure you're thinking "and why wouldn't they be with that sweet little chubby cheek brother coming home?".   Oh.....yeah......they're excited about him too.  The thing they are REALLY excited about is staying in their school's after-school program while we are gone.  Yep.  It is what has kept them going through all of these months and weeks of waiting and wondering when it would happen. I have been counting down the days until we depart and they have too.....so that they can stay after school.  <sigh>  Gotta love being 7 & 8.  ;)

They really are excited. We made this video when we told them our big news!

Blessings...

Every step of this journey has been filled with blessings and I know that our biggest blessing will be waking up soon in Shanghai.

I have met so many  wonderful parents who are also adopting from China right now and I am just thrilled that I will be meeting some of them on the other side of this big world soon.  What a blessing!

Today in the mail I found a card with a very sweet note and $100 to help us on this journey to John Wesley. She also included 50 yuan they brought home after they adopted their daughter so we would have some money to use as soon as we arrive in Shanghai.  I cried.  What a sweet, considerate thing to do for our family.  I hope she knows what a blessing this is.  I will never forget her kindness or the kindness of each person who has stepped in to say "I will help".  You are ALL such a blessing and we are so thankful for each of you!

Love Sue Sorrels!

If you are adopting or just need an awesome travel agent contact Sue Sorrels!  She has found us tickets at better prices than anyone else.  She has booked our tickets for all three of our adoptions now and she totally rocks! This time out of curiosity and trying to save some $$ I contacted other travel agents, cheapoair.com, travelocity.com and every other site I could come up with.  Sue beat them all and not by just a few dollars either!   Just send her an email if you are traveling!  ssorrels@sbcglobal.net

Sue, I know you will read this!  :)   You are awesome!

TODAY IS OUR DAY!!!!

Could today be our day???

Still waiting for our Travel Approval and PRAYING we will get the call today!!

No TA yet..

Still waiting......

I keep looking at my cell phone and saying "ring!".   So far, it's not helping.

Jan, thank you for calling to check on us.  So far the wait is going by quickly because we are staying busy.  Just really ready to get the call so we can make plans!

Talked to my friend Wanda this morning.  I could hear her little girl in the background.  She just came home a few weeks ago from Shanghai.  Can't wait till it's our turn to go!

Test

Test post

Faith Like A Child

Bailey skated over to me  yesterday and put these crumpled up bills in my hand.  It is all the money she has been saving in her pink piggy bank.

$10

She said, "This is for John John" and she gave me a big squeeze and skated away.

Full of faith and confidence that her donation will fix everything.

We are striving to have faith like a child.

Thank you, Bailey Shay.  I hope someday you will look back and read this and you will know that you made a difference. A difference not so much in the amount of money you gave but with the faith you had when you gave it.  I love you, my sweet Shady Lou!

Praying & Believing

Praying and believing that we will come up with the remaining funds needed to bring our son home.  Like a friend told me last night, God did not bring us this far just to have John Wesley wait needlessly for even one more day if it is His will that he come home now.

Thank you so much to each of you who have sent in a donation.  I literally cry every time I see an addition to our ChipIn.   We are so thankful for the kindness of friends and strangers who are now friends through this little crisis.  Blessings to all of you for helping bring this sweet child home to a family that already adores him.