I made this!

I found the awesome directions for this T-Shirt dress at Deanna's Blog. Until now most of my attempts at sewing have been sub par. Mother's coaching and Deanna's tutorial helped me make a dress that is hand made, but doesn't look home made. I am so excited with how this dress came together. Plans for a 2nd one are already in the works.

New Glasses

We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! 1 Cor 13:12

Charli is thrilled with her new glasses. They give her relief from the light sensitivity caused by her condition. And they are adorable to boot.

We met with her pediatric ophthalmologist this week. We talked for quite a while about different procedures and treatment options for Charli's eyes. Most of the options are risky and involve a good deal of discomfort. The doctor also said that the chances of significantly improving her sight are slim. Those were not easy words to hear, but we have peace. Charli does so much with the vision she has. She is content and joyful, so why should we be anything but thankful?

We are going to continue to persue advanced treatment options, keeping in mind the risk and her overall quality of life. Pray for wisdom for us and her doctors as we choose this next path. I feel like we are "peering through a mist" as we look to the future, but I know God has good things in store.

Garden Time

Tending the family garden isn't easy. Luckily, my grandfather had some help from Conner this afternoon. I remember my days of hoeing corn and picking peas for 25 cents a bushel. Thank goodness I have kids I can pass those chores along to. Conner's first garden job was tossing rocks out of the rows of corn into the woods. Charli and I stood out of the range of fire. Poor Pawpaw got beaned with at least one rock. Bless his heart.

Aim...

Fire!

Charli's story is live. Thank you Laura for telling it so well!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Our hometown hosted a "Fun in the Park" event today. A good time was had by all despite soggy weather. The kids have been in their fair share of bounce houses, but I wasn't sure how CG would react to the jumbo slide. As you can see it was a piece of cake. Whee!

Happy Mother's Day

A year ago today I was mother to two beautiful children. One here in the US and another half a world away. Any adoptive mother can tell you that loving a child from such a distance can be excrusiating. We were anxious about the condition of Charli's eyes. New pictures and mother's instinct told me that something wasn't right. We tried to secure medical care from within China, but were told that her only chance of treatment was here in the US. With the adoption process stretching out ahead of us we were beginning to lose hope. Our baby was thousands of miles and reams of paperwork away. We wanted to help her, but our hands were tied.

Then, almost by surprise, in steps our dear dear friends at The Grace Children's Foundation. That Mother's Day I spoke with Nancy Robertson for the first time. She set in motion the events that brought Charli Grace to the US and to the treatment she needed so badly. Chad and I believe with all our hearts that it was just in time to save her sight.

I'm not going to tell the whole story today. (Our local paper is doing an article featuring Charli's journey in a few days. So, I'll leave the story telling up to the professionals.) However I want to take the time to thank Nancy and TGCF here on my blog.

They are in the process of helping two very special girls, both with needs even greater than Charli's. Please take the time to visit their website and consider donating to the cause. They do an amazing work with little fanfare.

Nancy and Brooks, we love you and hope you don't mind a little fanfare from your friends in Alabama.

Charli Grace was dedicated in church today...

along with 23 other babies. Yes, I got a little misty eyed. Then Conner started shouting from the audience, "Go Mommy and Daddy. You can do it!" That boy of mine always knows just what to say.

Everyone else is looking at the pastor, but Chad only has eyes for his Charli girl.

An Early Mother's Day Gift:

Chad washed my stinky sheltie this afternoon. Apparently she had a roll in the organic fertilizer (chicken poop) my dad spread in the garden. Normally we send her to the groomer this time of year, but the stench was just too much to bear. She had to have a bath ASAP.

"How humiliating... no cameras please."

"Great, you blew me dry. Now I'll be poofy all week."

Hooray for Easy Knitting!

My knitting has to be super simple these days. My brain simply doesn't have enough bandwidth left over for complicated projects. And besides pattern leaflets don't stand a chance in this house. They just get scribbled on, torn, or dribbled with juice. If I can't memorize the pattern it can't be done.

I finished the Dropped Stitch Shawl this weekend. Very simple knitting... garter stitch, double yarn overs, and simple increasing/decreasing. I like the result so much that I started another in red Eco-Cotton. They are both going to be gifts for two very special friends.

I also finished some red wool socks for Afghans for Afghans. The garter stitch short row heels and toes are so easy and cute. I may never pick up stitches on a heel flap again. The yarn is Farrah's hand dyed from way back when.

Hooray for girls! Charli let me paint her toenails this evening. Don't they look adorable with her new pink sandals? She's being fitted for glasses next week. They probably won't improve her vision much, but will provide more protection from the sun. I'll post pics as soon as she gets them. Pray she will keep them on!

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Blog

We are home, and better yet I've finally recovered from The Jet Lag of Doom. I completely underestimated the effects of jet lag. Either my brain was asleep and my body was awake, or my body was asleep and my brain was going 100 mph.

Thanks to everyone who followed along on my travel blog. Your prayers and well wishes were felt all along the way. China is not for the faint of heart, neither is adoption... but WOW both are an amazing trip! Julie and I talked a lot on the trip about how important it is to step out of your comfort zone now and then and have an adventure. My view of the world is changed in ways that are difficult to put in words. China will forever have a huge piece of my heart. I won't ever be able to forget the little ones there who are still waiting for a family. I don't know if another adoption is in our future (Chad says he's hanging a "No Vacancy" sign on our door.) but do I know that God has placed in my heart an even deeper love and respect for the people of Charli's birth land. You could say that I've gotten tangled up in the Red Thread.

So what are the kids doing?

Charli is busy getting settled back into her routine. She LOVES her preschool class and being spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa while I'm at work. Conner is becoming our little soccer star. What he lacks in accuracy, he makes up for in speed and enthusiasm. In the mind of a 4 year old those white lines on the field are merely a suggstion. He scored his first goal this weekend... for the other team. Luckily, presoccer doesn't keep score.

Charli watches the action with Mommy and Granny Cocoa.

When can I play?

We have travel approval. Look out China here we come!

Follow our journey at my travel blog: To China With Charli.

You know that thing I do with the two sticks and string? Well I'm still doing it... just none of it has been really "blog worthy." I've been flittering from one small project to another; mainly dish cloths and a pair of stockinette socks. My attention span is microscopic these days... can't imagine why.

I did finish a modified Tulip sweater for my nephew-to-be, Ian Zack. The colorway is "Sweet Baby Boy" from Coldwater Yarn . I had just enough yarn left to improvise a sweet little hat. Of course I turned right around and ordered 6 whole skeins of Dream in Color in girly colors for Charli Grace. So... my yarn budget is blown well into 2009.

I had better get busy. I have a feeling it is going to be COLD in China when we get our TA. That adventure will definately be blog worthy. Pray with us that it will be sooner rather than later.

Buddies

Isn't is great to have a buddy? Big C has a new bug-catching-football-playing story to tell about his 2 best buddies almost every day. My first graders skip happily hand-in-hand with their best pals. Little friends are so important to children. I imagine that they are especially important to children in an orphanage.

Charli Grace has 3 special pals at her orphanage. Josiah and Daniel are home in America thriving with their forever families. Brent is still waiting for a special family of his own. Love Without Boundaries is offering a Tuan Yuan Grant to help with his adoption expences. We are hoping and praying that he too can be united with a family to love.

We are DTC!!!


We got the best news this week. Our dossier is in China! God willing, we are only a few short months away from the adoption. Please pray for: 1. Speedy processing of our dossier. 2. Funds for the last stage of the adoption. 3. Smooth transitions once we get to China.

Charli girl, you are one step closer to being an official member of this crazy family!

In the meantime I was touched by the adoption story of Georgia Bulldogs head coach, Mark Richt and his family. Almost makes me forget the "Blackout" incident. Almost...

Roll Tide!

Yipee! Our homestudy has cleared CIS. We were fingerprinted 2 weeks ago and our I-197 came in the mail Wednesday. I was so stunned to see it so quickly that I didn't realize what it was at first. I read the document 3 or 4 times before it sank in. What we expected to take 3-4 months only took 8 days. Nothing short of a miracle!

Our dossier will go to China in about 2 weeks. The CCAA is typically taking 3-4 months to process special needs dossiers, so we are looking at travel in early 09. Hang in there Charli Girl, you are getting a FOREVER family for the new year!

I don't have any new Charli Grace pics to post, but take a look at Big C. Couldn't you just eat him up?! He is really enjoying preschool this year. They have a great 3K curriculum, but of course his favorite part of the day is play time outside. This week he and his buddies caught nearly every bug on the playground. When I asked him what type of bugs they found he replied, "Worms and beetles Mommy, but I DIDN'T eat them." Thank goodness!

Check out the new baby doll I found for Charli. It's the Playskool Busy Basics Lil' Dragonfly. Aren't the eyes adorable?

God sets the lonely in families,
He leads forth the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun scorched land.
Psalm 69:6


Charli's little friend Josiah (on the right) was united with his family this week. We are so happy for the little guy who is in so many photos with our girl. You can read his family's blog here.

Nesting

We are spending the summer break getting Charli's room ready for her. My parents painted these adorable letters for her wall. I've been knitting away on her log cabin blankie. Poor Daddy-O has been doing the hard labor; hanging letters, moving furniture, etc... We are almost finished. Now all we need is a little girl!

A steady stream of dolls have been making their way to Charli's collection. Ling and Little Mommy came via Amazon and Ebay. Annie the rag doll came from one of Chad's students as an end of the year gift. I knit little Dolly myself. A girl can't have too many dolls. I'm sure Charli will have her own names for them. One can only wonder what they will be.

We *Heart* Summer!

Nothing says summertime fun like a ride in a rusty wheelbarrow. Aren't Big C and his Poppa cute? This photo was taken with my mom's AMAZING new camera. I'm not saying we're reaching Pioneer Woman heights, but photo quality is about to improve around here.

Taa Daa!

I finished my Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. The yarn is O-Wool Balance and oh is it ever so comfy. But you guys don't really care about that... Bring on more Charli!

We got a growth and development report on our little sweetheart today. Her orphanage was unaffected by the earthquakes. She appears to be doing quite well. In fact the report indicated that she is very lively (and maybe just a tad naughty!). Our dossier went off to our agency today so we are hopefully just weeks away from being DTC (dossier to China). We are so wonderfully blessed. Please pray for continued protection and healing for Charli. You are truly all "Charli's Angels."

Paperwork Update

Our home study is finally complete. Yahoo! Now we wait for it to clear DHR, then CIS, and then finally it's off to China. Pray that things will move quickly. Also pray for us as we gather the funds we need to get us to China.