We are going to China

We have our travel dates! Thursday, May 13 (Yes, that is two weeks from tomorrow for those of you counting.) at 6am we will be leaving Boise to arrive in Hong Kong 23 hours later. We will stay in Hong Kong for a couple nights to sight see and adjust to the time change. We will go to Guangzhou on Sunday evening. Monday we will finally get to hold our daughter in our arms!!!! They will bring the children to the hotel we are staying at- in China we don't go to the orphanage to get her. We will stay at the hotel with Olivia for the next couple of weeks as paperwork is being processed in various government agencies. We will arrive home in Boise in the evening of Sunday, May 29th.

We are so very excited about this time and adventure, however, here in the middle of the rush to get everything ready it is very stressful. We are getting things settled for our absences at our jobs, getting Cambria and Joshua ready to spend two weeks at Grandma and Grandpa's house, getting the things together that we need for Olivia in China and when she comes home, getting ourselves ready for the trip, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, and trying to spend some time with Cambria and Joshua so that they don't feel abandoned right now! Please pray that all of this happens well and that we don't forget anything major!!!!

We got some updated info about Olivia today- at 6 months she weighed 12.6 lbs, and she is 24 inches long. She is sitting up with assistance and does not have any teeth. Just a side note- if you don't know Cambria, Joshua, and myself really struggle with excema. One of the notes that the orphanage workers put on her papers was that she struggles with it also- she is made for our family :) I am going to post the new pictures of her that we have.

Thanks for all of the prayers and support- we could do this without our loved ones!

Patrick and Donna

We are going to China

Tentative travel days

We got a call today saying that we will probably travel on May 13- May 29th. We will fly into Hong Kong and stay there for about 3 days, adjust to the time change and then go to Guangzhou which is the capitol of the province. We will get Olivia on Monday, May 17th when she will be brought to Guangzhou. AHHHH! This makes me so excited that we have a date that we will finally hold her in our arms. All of this is contingent on receiving a US consulate appointment and that being confirmed during this time frame. The US consulate is where we will take our oath- when we officially have adopted her. I will keep you all updated!

Donna

P.S. We are waiting on our Chinese visas to come back- please pray that this will come soon!

Picture of Oliva Zi Hong Gray

Here is our beautiful girl!!! This is at 4 months of age.

WE HAVE OUR BABY!!!

Today at 11:00, as I was in the middle of teaching a reading lesson, my phone rang. It was our adoption agency, CCAI, calling saying "Congratulations, it's a girl!" I ran from my room to the office and got someone to cover my class so I could hear all about her. Here are the details that I know so far:

Name: Zi (pronounced zhe) Hong - this means great or magnificent tree

Age: 6 months

Bday:10/5/09

Height: These numbers are when she was 4 months- 23 1/2 inches

Weight: 4 months- 11.6 lbs

She is rolling over and responding to her name. She smiles easily and enjoys the caretakers at the orphanage. Her favorite toys are ones that make music. She is a deep sleeper.

She lives in the Guangdong province of China which is the same one as Hong Kong. She is up the coast a little bit. She is in an orphanage in a city.

I was crying at this point so I think I missed some information but it will all come to me tomorrow when our papers arrive.

At this point we only know that we will travel sometime within the next 5-7 weeks. After we formally accept her (which we will do tomorrow when we sign the papers) and they are sent back to China we will start knowing a more definite time table.

God is so good to us! We were praying for a young child- 6 months is the youngest that they adopt out. We were praying that the timing was right with Patrick's new job and school ending- Patrick will have enough leave time and I will only miss the last 3 or so weeks of school. We wanted Olivia and Joshua to be in different grades in school- done. The power of God amazes us every time we think of this process and the timing of it all in the big picture.

Prayer Requests:

1. Olivia's continued good health.

2. Adjustment of Cambria and Joshua as we begin to get things ready and while we are gone.

3. Financial

Thanks for all of your support! I am going to try to post her picture here!

Donna and Patrick