A Look at our Trip

We received our itinerary today. Whoo hoo! It is starting to sink in that we are going to be flying to China soon. I can't wait to meet my sweet kiddos. My eyes are wide open about how this trip is going to be. Lily's adoption was picture perfect. She was so easy to bring into our family. I have no hopes for that to happen again. I have a feeling that Mae will be one very scared little girl. I'm not so sure about Nate. We will see.

Here's a brief look at our trip-

Day 1- Drive to the Bay Area and spend the night with family
Day 2- Fly out of San Francisco to Shanghai, China and then to Zhengzhou, China (we arrive close to midnight)
Day 3- Free day in Zhengzhou (more likely recovering from jet lag!)
Day 4- Meet Nate and Mae
Day 5- Adoption registration
Day 6- Visit orphanage?
Day 7- Free day
Day 8- Leave for Guangzhou, China
Day 9- Medical exams and TB test for Nate
Day 10- Free Day
Day 11- Have the TB test read
Day 12- Consulate Appointment
Day 13- Leave Guangzhou for Hong Kong
Day 14- FLY HOME!!!!

Our last trip was three weeks, so this trip seems like it will fly by.

I do have some specific prayer request if you would like to know how to pray for us:
1. We would like it if we met Nate first. We would be able to explain to him that we are adopting two.
2. Pray for the transition of the kids and patience for them as we love them through their grief.
3. Pray for our children staying home and for my mother-in-law who is watching them.
4. Safe travels.
5. Ease of getting from the airport in Zhengzhou to the hotel. We are on our own for this transition.
6. Pray that we will go with the flow. Flexibility is the key to an adoption trip.
7. The long flight home with two children!
8. Jon and I to be patient with each other. This could be a high stress trip and we need to be a united front.
9. Finally, our transition home. I have a feeling that Lily is going to have a very tough time adapting to two little kids needing me.

Leaving for China in 15 Days!

We received our travel approval on Monday! Whoo hoo! Today we received the date for our consulate appointment and booked our flights. We are so excited to finally be at this point. The plan is to leave on the 5th and return home on the 18th.

An Amazing Gift!

Albinism is rare. 1 in 17,000 people in the U.S. have albinism. Statistically speaking, that would be 27 people in our town.

Being Chinese with albinism in the U.S. is probably more uncommon. I have no basis for that other than speculation.

Being adopted is becoming much more common, but is still not the norm for our society.

Home schooling is growing, but still not mainstream.

Being a follower of Christ seems to be becoming less common today than it was years ago.

Now, what are the chances of meeting someone who falls under all those categories? An adult who is Chinese with albinism, adopted, home schooled all the way through graduation, and a Christian. I would say our chances are pretty slim.

However, God has placed that exact person into our lives. I feel so blessed. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine was at a conference purchasing something at the book store. She noticed that the girl helping her was Chinese with albinism. I am so thankful that my friend took the chance and connected with her. I have now been communicating with our new friend. She doesn't live too far from us, so it will eventually be more than just an online friendship. I can't even express how huge this is.

What an amazing gift!

Completely Frivolous Post About Hair

As most of you know, I endured was blessed with twelve years of only boys in my house. If you know me well, you know that I am not girlie. Hardly a shred of girlie-ness exists in me. My mother despaired over the fact that I would not wear dresses to school. The only time a dress touched my skin was on school picture day or for a school concert. I dislike shopping, wearing make-up, and big bows. I do not wear perfume, curl my hair, or think about what shoes go with my current outfit.

So, it comes as a complete surprise to me that I am obsessed with different hairstyles for my sweet Lily. I love, love, love fixing her hair. I plop her on a stool, turn on Barney, and away I go. I have done it enough, now, that she tolerates me pulling on her hair.

The next few pictures are some of the hairstyles that I have been working on. Some of the pictures are older and you may have seen them already.

This picture is to remind you of what I was starting with. Yes, her head was shaved!

Eventually, I was able to pull it back some. 

We then had to cut the back so she would not have a mullet. I really love her hair this short, but if I kept it this way I wouldn't be able to play with it!

My first attempt at something creative. Pretty horrible, I know.

This style was pretty cute, but I was still learning to make it look decent.

Her hair finally was long enough to do some cool things.

I love this one!

This one is a little funky, but fun.

Not my favorite. It did keep her hair out of her face.

I call this one her beauty pageant hair.

This one is here just because she's cute! Silly girl.

Of course, one of my favorites is just a simple, double french braid.

Now, I can just hear you. "Wow! She is so creative." Just stop right there. I am, and forever will be, a copycat. I get all of my ideas off of the internet. Specifically this website.


Thanks, Carol Young, for sending me that link so long ago. My girls will blame you for all the hair tugging they will have to endure! :)

We are Leaving for China Next Month!

I can confidently say that next month we will be on an airplane headed to China. We had some important paperwork picked up from the US Consulate in China on Thursday which will be sent to Beijing. Our next step will be to receive travel approval. Travel approval typically takes 2-4 weeks. Once travel approval has been issued we would leave within two weeks. I am starting to FREAK out!

These precious children will soon be part of the Grabowski clan. I can not wait to make them smile!