We're On Our Way!!!

We'll be leaving bright and early in the morning (Weds. 6/16) on a 6:00 a.m. flight for China! I'm not sure how much sleep we'll get before then, but then again, we've got lots of time to sleep on the plane, I suppose! We have to be at the airport at 3:00 a.m. After several stops, we'll finally arrive in Beijing late Thursday night 6/17)...China's time of course. That would be Thursday morning some time USA time.

It's so hard to believe that this day is finally here! I'm a big glob of emotions right now! I didn't realize I would feel all of these overwhelming thoughts and emotions. I don't even know if I could explain them all if I tried!



Please continue to remember us in your prayers, if you would....for protection, an easy transition/bonding for Luke (and all of us), for Colt here at home, for our health, peace of mind, rest.....just cover us with your prayers! We're so thankful for all the prayers and support you've already given us!

While we're gone, I will be posting here. You can scroll down and see all the posts, with the most recent post at the end, or there is an option in the top right hand corner that says most recent post. I will post as often as I can to keep you updated and share our journey with you! I hope to even be able to put a link to a video or two as well.

You can leave comments on this post and I will be able to read them through my email(I can't view my actual blog from there because blogger is blocked in China) or you can click on the send encouraging words option at the bottom of the Journey to Luke site and it will send an email directly to me. And I will be checking my email daily in China...as its my direct line of communication to my family and friends back at home! I'd love to hear from you!

Okay, I think that's it. Next time I post, it will be from China!



Thanks again for stopping by and for the prayers and for following our Journey to Luke!

We're on our way!!!!

Lots of love,
~ Tammy ~

3 More Sleeps....

3 more sleeps.....until we board our plane headed to China for Luke! (Not that I can do alot of sleeping these days though). After all the seasons of waiting, once we received our TA, time has been moving right along. I knew it would be like that once I was working against a deadline! We've had so many things to prepare, gather, and pack. This weekend, we packed our checked luggage for the most part, weighing it to make sure we were within our weight limits for in-China regulations. We pretty much have it all ready with the exception of our carry-ons.




For those of you interested in following along on our journey to China, I will be posting to our Journey to Me Adoption Site....Journey to Luke.....which is also on the sidebar of my blog. The day we leave, I will put the link up on a post as well, so you can just click over there and read the most recent post there. At the bottom of that site, there is a place where you can click on Send Encouraging Words. That will send an email directly to me, which I will be able to access there.

Here's what we'll be doing while in China:

Wednesday 6/16 a.m. - Leave for Beijing. Arrive 6/17 p.m.
We'll spend 2 full days sightseeing there and adjusting to the time difference.

Sunday 6/20 - Fly to Hohhot (Inner Mongolia) - WHERE LUKE IS!!!!

Monday 6/21 - Forever Family Day (We meet Luke...FINALLY)!

Tuesday 6/22 - Thursday 6/24 - Spent in Inner Mongolia doing adoption paperwork and sightseeing and getting to know Luke while we wait on paperwork to be finalized.

Friday - 6/25 - We get Luke's paperwork and fly to Guangzhou.

Saturday 6/26 - Friday 7/2 - This week is spent getting Luke's medical exam and results, more paperwork, consulate appointment, swearing ceremony, sightseeing, and getting Luke's visa so we can leave!

Friday 7/2 evening - Train to Hong Kong.

Saturday 7/3 - Fly home (with Luke for good)! :)



Oh, and remember that China is 13 hours ahead of us (Central time). My goal is to post often, even if it's just a little, but I have no idea how tiring this schedule is going to be, but know I will post whenever I can!

Thank you all so much for remembering us in your prayers! I can't wait to share our journey with you! Thank you so much for your support and for following along with us!

I'll be back with a post either the night before we leave or I'll schedule a post for the day we leave. Until then, I'll be busy cleaning (coming home to a clean house is always nice) and stocking Colt up on groceries for while we're gone!

Until then.....

Blessings
~ Tammy ~

From the Workshop (Custom Order)

We finally finished up a custom order for primitive shutters. Well I should say Jason finished up an order. I really just helped him with whatever he needed me for at that time and with overseeing distressing! :)

These are working windowsill shutters for a home remodel project. The customer wanted them painted black and distressed with red.



I love the way they turned out!



Poor Jason. Anytime he gets a custom order, it usually turns into something that I want him to make for me! After sitting these in our windowsill and me seeing how wonderful and primitive they look in my house, I want some!



When we get back from China, we'll be putting a button on my sidebar for custom shutter orders, if anyone is interested.

I sure hope the customer (Ms. Darlene) likes them as much as I do! Jason enjoys creating and it's very gratifying to him to know a customer is happy with the order too! Glad we could get them all done and out before we left for China too!

Oh, and I'll try to get a post out soon on our China plans and schedule! Needless to say, it's been a busy week! And getting even busier.....

Thanks for stopping by! And thank you for all the comments on our "We're Going to China" post! Wow! I was overwhelmed by the kindness and the prayers! We appreciate it all so much, more than you'll ever know! Thank you all so much!

God bless,
Tammy

Joy's Dance Recital - (Video Marathon)!

Joy's dance recital was last weekend and I've had this post ready for a few days, but with all the news about China, it got pushed aside a little. Her recital was called "The Hottest Ticket in Town".

This is a snapshot Jason took of Joy after 13 hours of dancing/costume changing/waiting. (The mountain dew kept her energized I guess)! That's the flowers Grandmama and Pop brought her.



I've had some people ask about seeing Joy dance, so I finally figured out how to get the videos compressed enough to get them on here. And of course, I'd LOVE to show them to you! lol! They were already not that great quality because we were up a little ways in the auditorium. They are blurry, but you can still make it out somewhat. **WARNING** This is one of those posts where proud Mama pulls out the videos to make you sit through, except you have the option of clicking away! :)

This first one is her solo. She danced to Selena Gomez's, Tell Me Something I Don't Know. You can't see her ending because of where we were sitting and filming and where she ended the dance, but it's just the last couple of measures anyway.



This next one is from the Willy Wonka ballet play. This is where Violet wants the gum from the gumball machine and finally gets her way and chews the gum and blows up into a ball! So cute! Joy is one of the gumballs.



And this one is her tap dance. They danced to "Good Morning", from the musical, Singing in the Rain.



And if that's not enough, and you'd like to see more, Joy would be happy for you to come over to her blog where she has posted her jazz dance (race car themed, Hot Hot Hot Hot) and production number (Spanish themed Havana Heat) on today's post.


Thanks for stopping by! :)

We're Going to China!

Hello everyone! I've been waiting, it seems like forever, to post that title! :)

Our TA arrived at our agency yesterday and it's already arrived here at our home this morning via the Fed-Ex guy!



We have already got a confirmed consulate appointment as well. I woke up this morning to find an email in my inbox from our coordinator telling me that we were confirmed for the CA on Wednesday, June 30th for Guangzhou, China. We have to be in Hohhot, China on Sunday, June 20th (Father's Day), which is where we will meet Luke for our Forever Family Day. We will meet him either that day or the following day.

SO....this means we will be leaving here around June 16th or June 17th headed to Beijing first, most likely, for some unwinding and sightseeing! Those plans are all still in the works as we are checking out flights today and making travel arrangements. And oh my goodness, how expensive the flights are right now! Let's just say, we're WAY over budget! But God will take care of that too....He's taken care of everything else!

Thank you to everyone that prayed us through this process! We really appreciate you! Please continue to remember us for a safe journey there and back and for Luke's transition to us, that it would be an easy one and that we all bond quickly and naturally! And remember my Colt here at home. I will miss him terribly. The only thing that would make it more perfect for me was if he could be there with us too! He will be taking us to the airport and picking us up though! And remember the sweet foster family that loved Luke first and has taken such good care of him these past 2 years!

Okay, I'll keep you posted on the developments, but I just had to share this good news with you today (right away)!

God is good (all the time)!! :)

(A Little Something New) for My Sunporch

I've got a little something "new" for my sunporch that I just love! My daddy made it out of driftwood off the Mississippi River! I love birdhouses....of just about any kind!



I found just the perfect spot for it! He even put a light inside it, so it looks really pretty in the evenings out there!



I took these pictures on Memorial Day. We really enjoyed and appreciated the porch that day! Since it's been awhile since I've had any pictures of our sunporch on my blog, I'd like to invite you into our sunporch for a little visit!



This really is one of my favorite rooms. It's just a soothing place to be.



I just love everything about it....distressed concrete floors and all!



We walk through here everytime we come into the house from the carport. It's a nice transition from the outdoors to indoors!




And it really can be used year round since we added the heating/air mobile unit. It's not the prettiest thing sitting out there, but it sure makes a difference in our being able to enjoy it!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures (and my new addition to the porch). So glad you stopped by for a visit! Have a great day! :)

Spiderman?

Spiderman made an appearance at church Sunday........betcha didn't know he was a church goin', Bible-believin', drum-playin', Christian Superhero.....did ya? ;)