Yesterday Was Her Birthday

Lulu turned 5 yesterday!

I sent her a care package of a cake, pictures of our family, and a letter which will be sent next week. Prayerfully, I will receive photos from the orphanage of her party! I knew going into this that I would miss her birthday, Fu Chao's birthday (next month) and Christmas with them. Yes, it's hard, but I guess I look at things completely different than some people. Children from China don't understand birthdays or Christmas. I may be the only adoptive parent who feels this way: I do not want my children to come home and all of a sudden there are stacks of gifts and presents being given left and right. I want them to understand family first, understand WHY we celebrate the way we do, and then hopefully they can appreciate what they are receiving. I have already had issues with a certain little boy (ahem...Johnny) who thinks Mom and Dad work for Toys R Us! One day he looked at me and said, "Let's get rid of all these toys and go get a bunch of new ones." Really??? It's hard to believe that two years ago his only toy was a plastic pop bottle.

It would be different I suppose if I were in the middle of the journey, but I am so very close to the end. I am thoroughly enjoying life and the holidays right now with my children and it's nice knowing that I will be on a plane in about 6 -10 weeks!

For those of you adoptive parents who like stats, I just received my GUZ# and pdf last week and then filled out that blasted new Visa form for my kiddos. It was a breeze once someone gave me the help guide (which my agency did not have). 

And, of course, I've been in photography mode again! 

Here's a pic of Johnny, unedited. And yes, that's a Christmas tree behind him...I couldn't stand it anymore and had to put it up! I feel like Christmas goes by too fast so I'm going to rebel and start early from now on.

I have two more steps left until that plane ride...TWO!!! I just have to have my Article 5 drop off/pick up, which is a bunch of approvals being walked into a building in China, basically. And then I wait for Travel Approval!! That's it!! If I receive Article 5 in two weeks and then TA two weeks after that, I'll be headed to China in the beginning of Jan, but if either one of those takes three weeks, I'll probably go in Feb because I have 3 provinces to go to and everything is shut down for one week because of Chinese New Year.

All in God's timing!!!