Kung Hei Fat Choy! –
Happy New Year!

It’s the year of the Dog in the Chinese lunar calendar. It’s also the year we bring our baby home!

It’s been a while since the last update. This has been a hard month for me. For so long we really thought we would see our daughter’s face in January then things started slowing down. Now I don’t know when it will be. Really, *we have no idea how long it will be!* It could be anytime between April – July before we even get to see her picture. Now you can see why I haven’t updated. When our six month log in date anniversary arrived it hit me like a brick. That was the goal…we just had to wait six months and then we’d see our daughter’s picture. It seemed easy enough at the time, well not really. Nothing about this process has been easy. Actually, this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The daunting paperwork, interview process, the money, the stress and worse, the total lack of control over the situation!

Okay, enough complaining! Let’s see if I can think of something interesting for this update. Oh, yes! Our dossier is finally in the review room at CCAA in China. This means that our file, with all the other July files, is undergoing “critical review”. This is where they make sure everything is in order. If there is any question about anything…health, finances, employment, etc., CCAA will contact our agency and we’ll have to supply more information. This is a *very* important step in the process. Once this is done, we just wait to be matched with our little girl. Please pray for all of us in this process.

My friends, Shannon and Jolene, received their referrals in late January. Shannon’s little girl, Mia is just 6 months old. Jolene’s little girl, Emma is 10 months old. They should be traveling to China in early March to bring them home. Also, my friend Lori should get her referral late this month or early March. These are very exciting times for them and it’s nice to share it with them.

Last thing, we’ve decided to call our little girl Gracie. Her name will still be Emma Grace (whatever her Chinese name is) Maharrey. It’s just that there are so many little girls named Emma…at least 4 that I know. Also, I love the name Grace and truly it’s by the grace of God that we’re going to add a little girl to our family so we’re going with Gracie! It’s become a habit of mine, at night just before I go to sleep, to say “Goodnight Gracie…I love you!”

This is all the news I have for now. Here’s hoping the next few weeks will be filled with lots of progress and great news. Again…Kung Hei Fat Choy! :)

Another song I love, I think this is what it will feel like when we see Gracie!

Angel, Rodney & boys


At Last
~ Etta James

At last
my love has come along
my lonely days over
and life is like a song

Ooh At last
the skies above are blue
well my heart was wrapped up in clover
the night I looked at you

I found a dream
that I could speak to
a dream that I could call my own
I found a thrill
to press my cheek to
a thrill that I have never known

well

You smile
you smile
oh and then the spell was cast
and here we are in heaven
for you are mine at last

I found a dream
that I could speak to
a dream that I
could call my own
I found a thrill
to press my cheek to
a thrill that I have never known

well

You smile
you smile
oh and then the spell was cast
and here we are in heaven
for you are mine at last

ooo yea
you are mine
you are mine
at last
at last
at last
at last