Another New Member of the Family!

Well, here's another exciting event in our lives as we count down the days until we meet Guan. We have a new lamb, the first one born on our farm! Not sure yet if it's a boy or girl, but the little guy is very frisky and happy-looking. We expect another lamb or two before we leave.

Sue and I have been pretty busy making travel plans, filling out paperwork, and working with our liaison to arrange all the official appointments when we're in China. Our current plan is to leave home on June 12, spend two days in Beijing, then fly to Guanzhou to pick up Guan. We'd have a little over a week in Guanzhou, possibly with a visit to Yang Jiang and Guan's orphanage, then a day in Hong Kong before flying home on the 29th.

Lots to do before we go! Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!

Scott

Happy Birthday, Mei-Mei (Little Sister)!

Today is Guan's first birthday! We miss being with her on this special day but look forward to celebrating many birthdays with her in the years ahead. Sue, Zoe, and I decided to celebrate with a cake and a candle even though Guan isn't home with us yet. We each made a wish for Guan as we blew out the candle.

We're also thinking of Guan's birth mother and the incredibly difficult thing she did a year ago in giving up her newborn daughter. We hope this anniversary brings her hope that her daughter has a good life.

Here's a picture of Guan and the orphanage assistant director taken yesterday by Penny, a friend we met through the Jiang Cheng SWI Yahoo group. Penny is currently in China adopting her daughter, who also was at the Jiang Cheng SWI. She visited the orphanage and kindly took pictures of the kids who recently have been referred for adoption.

And here are photos of two other girls. We think the first may have also been referred this month. The second is Jiang Cheng Cai, a two-and-a-half year old who is still in the orphanage. Director Tan of the Jiang Cheng SWI is holding these girls. All three kids were reportedly on their way to naptime when this photo op was arranged. They definitely look like me when I'm overdue for my nap!

Many thanks for the many good wishes and love you have sent our way! And our love to all of you in return.

Scott

Thank you all for your love and support

First, thank you to everyone who has emailed, commented and sent their love. It is so overwhelmingly amazing. We really appreciate it!

I found our photo page we submitted with our adoption application (2.5 years ago!!), so I thought I would post it for those of you who don't know us.. Here we are 2.5 years ago...

Zoe is about 1.5 years old in this picture. She is now 4. But this is what we looked like when we logged our application into China...

And this is what we look like now:

We had a care package sent to Guan today for her birthday. It includes a cake, a pillow with a picture of us, a photo album, and a disposable camera for the nannies to take some pictures for us. The stuff is all sent from within China, so she should have it by next week..

Thanks again for all your support!

Sue

Referral Photos and Maps- WE HAVE A DAUGHTER!

(you can click on picture to make it bigger)

Sue and I picked up our referral packet today. It included a form indicating our acceptance of Jiang Cheng Guan (also known as Mei-Mei!) as our adopted daughter, medical and developmental history, and the circumstances of her discovery on May 11, 2007. It also included three pictures of Guan, which we think were taken at the end of March. Sue and I quickly signed the paperwork and sent it on its way back to China and have been staring at the pictures ever since. It all seems so sudden, now that two-and-a-half years have gone by!

Guan is in Guangdong province (fuschia-colored area on map of China) on China's south coast. She is in the Jiang Cheng district of Yang Jiang city (yellow area on map of Guangdong), which is about a 3-hour drive from the provincial capital, Guanzhou (Canton). Sue has been in touch with another family who plans to visit Guan's orphanage in a few days, so with any luck we may get some current pictures of Guan when they return!

Thanks for all the kind wishes over the past few days. We feel very lucky and honored to be given a beautiful daughter and sister for our very own!

Here are a couple of pictures of the Orphanage where Guan is currently living.

Thank you for welcoming our new sister into our family and community!!

We are truly blessed...

We have a daughter....

We got the call Friday @ around 2PM.

Her name is Jiang Cheng Guan. She was found on May 11, 2007 at the back gate of the YangJieng City #2 Middle School. She was wearing a flowery infant shirt and wrapped in a red towel. At almost a year old she weighs 18 lbs. We don't have much more info than this now. Monday (tomorrow) we will go to the adoption agency and see the whole packet from China, including her picture. We will post immediately...

Her Orphange is the JiangCheng Social Wefare Institute in Guangdong Province. She is in the southern part of China (where they speak Cantonese) and is very close to the South China Sea.

The YangJiang Middle School gate where Guan was found.