Stevans 40th Birthday Party

Happy Easter

Emilee's First week home

Pop goes the baby

The Starfish Story adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley 1907 - 1977

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean. He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?" The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean." "I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man. To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die." Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!" At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."

Joseph, Andrew and Emilee

Welcome Home

ON OUR WAY TO AMERICA

ONLY 16 MORE HOURS TO GO...... MY FINGERS ARE BETTER THAN PLANE FOOD ARE WE THERE YET?

CHEUNG SHA BEACH

Lantau Island Hong Kong- Victoria Peak

Cheung Sha Beach

BLESS THIS CHILD YUNTAI GARDENS

CHEN FAMILY TEMPLE

Guangzhou pictures

WE ARE OFFICIALLY A FAMILY

FIRST BATH

xuwen staff Jin Xius Nanny

GOTTA DAY-MARCH 29TH 2005

Tian An Men Square Summer Palace

Were Home….. After over four long years of waiting, paperwork, fingerprints, interviews, stress, country changes, numerous INS trips and reapplications, stress, more paperwork, country closings, redoing paperwork, prayers, stress, updating paperwork, a Chinese lottery slot, stress, even more paperwork, did I mention stress, I finally have my precious angel. I could not be happier. I hate to jinx it, but she is a dream. I could not have wished for more. There is a reason that we call this an adoption journey. It’s because it is process and there is actually no end. Yes, the adoption is completed but its effects last a lifetime. Your mind is changed, your heart is changed, and you are no longer the person you were when you began. Our flight to China was uneventful. My mom and I slept most of the way. There were five other GW adoptive families on the plane with us so the silver stork to China was a joyous one filled with love and anticipation for our children. Beijing was so different then I had remembered it. It was more built up and industrial in the 11 years since I was there. I almost didn’t recognize it. The city is massive and the building and construction is non-stop. My mom and I did all the touristy stuff including visiting the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, Tian An Men Square, the Summer Palace, seeing the Pandas at the Zoo and of course climbing the Great Wall. As all of you know I am an Olympic freak, but I am sad to say that I was disappointed on the lack of advertisement Beijing was displaying for the upcoming 2008 games. March 29-Gotta Day, after leaving the hotel early in the morning, we arrived in Guangzhou around noon after a 3 ½ hour flight. By the time we got to the hotel and was all checked in there was not time to really get ready. We just grabbed the diaper bag, cameras, and the donation money and were on our way to the Civil Affairs Office to meet our babies. All the parents were shuffled into a waiting room and the babies were brought in one by one by the orphanage nannies and director. What an incredible moment! There was so much emotion and I really don’t know exactly how to express what I was feeling. It was so intense, overwhelming and totally miraculous. Everything seemed to go by in fast motion. It felt as if you were on a carnival attraction and didn’t know which way to turn to try to absorb it all in. The exchange itself was very quick and there she was in my arms. All the sounds around me became muted and I could only see my daughter. When they brought her into the room she had the biggest smile on her face. She came to me with out any problems and giggled all the way. She has such a wonderful disposition. Holding her for the first time was a miracle. I will never forget that moment. The following day we went back the civil affairs office for our interview. The Chinese government wanted to make sure that all of our paperwork was correct and accurate and that they felt that we were good and kind parents. After reviewing my documents and asking me basic questions they asked me to raise my hand and swear that I would always love, and take care of Jin Xiu and never abandon her. That was they easiest question I ever had to answer. After getting our official photo taken and a big stamp from the Civil Affairs Bureau she was mine in the eyes of the Chinese Government. As the days went on Emilee became more attached to us. She was never an introverted child, but as time went on she began to blossom more and more. When she first came to us she could not sit up, with in a few days not only was she sitting up, but she was pulling her self up and trying to stand. It was amazing to watch. Emilee is such a flirt. She loves people and smiles at everyone. She even wakes up with a smile. On April 6th, the US Consulate declared that Emilee was now able to come to the US. It was such an emotional celebration. It took place at the US Consulate in Guangzhou. There were about 150 other adoptive families in the room and after they swore us in there was a roar of applause and not a dry eye in the house. On April 7th, Emilee, my mom and I took the train down to Hong Kong. Emilee toured with us like a pro. She never complained once and amused everyone else on the tour with her smiles and giggles. As you can see from all the pictures, we had a great time. The plane ride home went fast. It didn’t even seem like a 16 hour trip. Emilee loves to fly and played and slept the entire trip. When we landed, people came over to me saying that they didn’t even know that a baby was on the plane. She is a real trooper. In closing, I wish everyone who adopted a baby my congratulations and I am so honored I was able to share this experience with you. I thank everyone who shared this long and incredible experience with me. I hope that you can find the time to visit and get to know Emilee. She is hoping to meet all of you soon. A special thank you to Kathy for helping me share all of the many pictures I sent from China. Take care Staci, Rosalyn, and Emilee Madison Jin Xiu

The Bracelet This scarlet cord around my wristSymbolically it standsWith sev'ral precious meaningsThroughout the woven strands.Three different colors make the string:There's reds! ~not one but two.Each stand for someone special:One me, the other you.The interwoven golden threadsThroughout this scarlet stringRemind us there's a Greater Love(They represent what destiny will bring).Fate had connected us long ago, before we were,Before all time and spaceIntricately entwined our livesUnder gods love and guiding grace Before the bracelet was tied on me It had two ends that were apart They represent our lives together That when united created our start The circle represents our bond Entangled together, unbroken and strong It’s a symbol of my love for you So you know where you belongWhen I come to get you,The birds will sing that day The sun will shine upon us When I bring you home to stay!But now I wait impatiently Until the day arrives When you will be my daughter And fate finally unites our lives