Journey to Jordyn and Jailynn

New blog...new life!! 1st post to the new blog!!

2011-12-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

Please follow our journey to complete our family. ;o)

You can click on the picture above, or on the title below. It will take you to our new blog!

Bags are packed and.....

2011-12-05T23:08:00.000-08:00

Bags are packed and.....

Well almost...I am still working on it just taking a break.

And....We are fully funded!!!!!!!! We now have every thing we need to bring our daughter home! God has shown up at the 11th hour in just the way He loves too so that all the Glory and Praise belong to Him!!!! We were hanging on by a thread quoting scriptures, praying, and fasting for a miracle and God has answered! I just wanted to share that we have everything we need and we are so excited to be in this place about to bring our daughter home. Things did not happen the way we thought it would but all that matters is that it has happened and come through. Nothing is going to prevent us from bringing Jaidyn home and God has proved His faithfulness and answered our prayers!! Next update from the airport!!!

Small Step, Faithful God!

2011-11-24T01:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I took a small step forward or giant leap, however you may want to view it, and booked our airline tickets. I have been watching the internet prices closely over the last two weeks because I knew that the airfare would increase due to the holidays. We are only working with a certain budget and I was praying for the airfare to stay within that budget. I mean praying, pleading, begging God to cause the airfare to go down in price....WAY down in price. God is so Faithful and He really does answer prayers and perform miracles today even for me! I asked our travel agency to try booking the flights one day early to see if that would get us a better deal and guess what?? The tickets were the exact amount that I had asked God for!! The exact amount! That may seem like nothing to some people but it was a HUGE answer to prayer for me! Our tickets are $1000 per person round trip and our daughter's one way ticket is under that amount!! HUGE!
I also believe that God sometimes likes to show off just a little bit and He really did that for me. I was scared and discouraged and not sure how this is going to come together and happen. But that is not all that God did. Right after I got off the phone with the travel agency I recieved a call from my dad telling me that he had a check to give us to help with our adoption. My sweet Dad has a lawn care business and one of his customers will pay him for the whole year and usually pays him in the summer. This year that customer decided to pay him this month instead and my Dad is donating that money of $1400 to help Jaidyn, his granddaughter come home. I know it is taboo to talk about money and I know that I mention it more than most people, but to me, that is the hardest part to all of this and the scariest part. Today, God showed me that all I need to do is get out of the boat and keep my eyes focused on Him, not the waves crashing all around me, and He will be Faithful to provide and bring our daughter home!!!! God's heart is for the orphan and when we step out of the boat of safety and security, He will show up and show off!! Thank you God!!!

Consulate Appointment and Travel Schedule!

2011-11-24T00:40:00.000-08:00

Here is our Schedule for China!!
12/07 – Depart US

12/08 – Arrive in Beijing to participate in the tours on 12/10

12/10 – Arrive in your province, if you’re skipping Beijing. Can arrive anytime on this date.

12/11 or 12/12 – Gotcha Day! This will be finalized on your inner-China itinerary!

12/16 – Fly to Guangzhou

12/17 – Medical exam/TB Test in Guangzhou

12/20 - AC appointment – Oath Taking Ceremony

12/21 - Family goes to AC to pick up passport with visa at ~ 3:30 pm

The frenzy has begun and now I gotta start packing?!? I am so far behind that there are not words to describe it! Not to mention Christmas?? How will it all get done? I have no idea.I only know that The Lord is my strength and through Him I can do all things! I am praying that scripture over and over. I am schedulesd to work until November 30th with only two days off during that time including Thanksgiving. I have to do list within the to do list. Get travel homestudy updated- need new physicals, new budget list, paycheck stubs, and police reports again because everything is over one year old and don't forget the Visas!! Nevermind the things I need to do at home. And making all the arrangements for children on who is staying with who. I will never know why this happens like this every single time. I will never know how I manage to get it all done, but somehow it works out. I only know that God will come through, give me strength, energy, wisdom, provision, and help me get to my daughter on the other side of the world because He loves her more than I could even imagine. Stay tuned and watch the miracles unfold!

Finally got the picture!

2011-11-19T18:53:00.000-08:00

Here it is: the Kindle Fire that you can win with just a small donation to help Jaidyn Grace come home and be with her forever sisters Jordyn and Jailynn!! I just wanted to post a picture that we have the Kindle in our hands and will give it away on December 1st. Just $2.00 for one ticket or $5.00 for three. Post the give away on facebook or your blog and get another ticket! We need help to bring Jaidyn home for Christmas and reunite her with her sisters. She has been waiting for a family for a long time! Please consider being a part of her story and help her come home!! Jordyn and Jailynn

Another fundraiser for all the Scentsy fans!

2011-11-17T21:52:00.000-08:00

As you all know...we’re in the midst of our adoption from China and we’ve set up a fundraiser to help Jaidyn come home for Christmas. Scentsy makes beautiful wax warmers that use a light bulb to MELT fragrant wax, not burn it. They’re so much safer and healthier than candles! Visit https://jennc.scentsy.us/Buy?partyId=61522587 to find some great Christmas gifts. The page should say “Kerr Family Adoption.” Please repost this on your pages. Thanks! I am sorry that I have to do this. We are three weeks away from travel and in need of a miracle for Jaidyn.

Win A Kindle Fire: Help Jaidyn come home for Christmas!

2011-11-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

Here is the Kindle Fire for our fundraiser. Sorry for this picture but we actually have the Kindle Fire on hold until it comes out on the Nov 15th. As soon as we have it in our hands I will post new pics. SO here is how it works: one ticket is $2 or 3 tickets for $5.00. Also, if you post my fundraiser on your facebook page or blog you will get 2 free tickets. Just leave me a comment that you posted it ;).I will also put tickets in for the support that we have already received. Every dollar raised will help Jaidyn come home for Christmas and it is all for her. She has been waiting for us for a long time and we are ready to have her home for her first Christmas.Please consider helping Jaidyn and spreading the word!! We want you to know that this is for her and not us and we are so thankful for every prayer lifted up and every donation.

Product Features

•7" color multi-touch display
Great for viewing movies and TV shows. Brings colorful magazines and books to life.
•8GB storage (6GB for user content)
Provides space for storing books, magazines, TV shows, movies and music.
•Cloud storage
Access to Amazon's cloud storage with free storage of all Amazon digital content.
•Amazon Silk browser
Cloud-accelerated Web browser is ideal for streaming video, music, games and more. Supports Adobe Flash.
•Built-in Wi-Fi
Allows you to connect to Wi-Fi at home or to hotspots on the road.
•Amazon.com Kindle Store
Offers more than 1 million books, magazines and newspapers plus over 18 million movies, TV shows, apps, songs, magazines and books.
•Whispersync technology
Synchronizes your last page read, bookmarks and annotations across your devices so you can always pick up where you left off.
•Apps and games
Includes Facebook and thousands of apps and games to download.
•Up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback with wireless off.
With the included lithium-ion battery.
•Weighs 14.6 oz. and measures just 0.45" thin
For easy portability.

Just imagine how happy she will be to spend her real first Christmas with Jordyn and Jailynn and her forever family. Thank you for helping Jaidyn!

We have the Kindle Fire in our hands and I will post a picture of it soon! Please consider purchasing your tickets for a chance to win and help Jaidyn come home for Christmas!

Exciting Times Ahead!!

2011-11-12T03:23:00.000-08:00

Add caption

That's Right!! We have our second TA!! We are all so excited. We hope to leave on Dec 8th so Jaidyn can be home for Christmas. We need lots of prayer to see this happen. So the frenzie to travel begins!! And the To Do list never ends!! We are also going to have a some items to give away for a fundraiser. Please know that we appreciate every prayer and every dollar that is raised and we do not ask lightly. If you feel led to help Jaidyn come home for Christmas we will be eternally thankful. I will post the details for a give away for a Kindle Fire and other awesome items.

Mums and a Ninja

2011-11-10T21:22:00.000-08:00

Jordyn and Jailynn with their homecoming mums watching the homecoming parade.

SO I only have two pictures to post from Halloween and homecoming right now but at least it is something. I worked on Halloween night so I did not get to take the pictures. DH took everyone trick or treating in a neighborhood close to where we live. We usually do not go trick or treating and instead go to a fall festival, but due to my work schedule this was better than nothing at all. So who is the Ninja???? My sweet little girl Jailynn. Gone are the days of princess costumes and dress up. Now it is all Ninja fighter and power rangers. She is so funny. I think she just wanted the ninja costume for the play swords. The next day everyone came home to find that Noah raided everyone's candy stash. He figured out all there hiding places and went into each room eating two or three pieces throughout the day. He was a very sneaking little guy. I told them they had to learn to find a better hiding place and to watch him more closely. He knows how to get what he wants!!!

All about the names.

2011-11-01T01:15:00.000-07:00

So I feel the need to explain my thinking behind the names. First, I have a weird compulsion to stick with A names and J names. I have no idea why except that I started with my bio kids and felt that I had to continue the trend. My first son was named Joseph after his dad and his middle name is Edward after my father. I stuck with Joseph because, one it is a Bible name and I happen to love Bible names and, two,because it was after his dad and my dad. Name problem solved and we call him Joey. Five years later, I was remarried and we were having a girl. I was beyond excited and one day during a Bible study the Lord whispered to me that her name would be Anna Joy and she would be a Joy to all who meet her. The name Anna was special to my husband because that was his grandmothers name. That is where the A and J trend began. andA and J just had to stick. So, four years later we are expecting another baby and I was beyond excited again. I really thought I was having a boy that time and his name would be Andrew Timothy. I was shocked when we had the sono and we found out she was a girl. I had no idea what to name her and we just thought of Amanda Hope at the doctors office and knew that was her name. Just this year we had someone email us our family ancestor's traced back to 1600 from Scotland, and I saw that one of the women from 1800's was named Amanda. I thought that was kinda interesting. Four years later we are expecting again and this time we are having a boy. We chose the name JonMarc Timothy after John Mark from the Bible. Ok, so that is why we have A names and J names.
When it came time to choose names for our girls from China, I really struggled with what to name them. I wanted to keep their Chinese names as well as give them an American name. Mainly because Jordyn's Chinese name was You He and difficult to pronounce. Her nickname was HeHua after the lotus flower and it has a beautiful meaning that her life would blossom into beauty although she had a tough beginning. I loved that and felt it was important. I tried really hard to find an A name for her but we could not all agree on the name. At that time we were big fans of American Idol and Jordin Sparks was one of the contestants. We all liked her and liked her name. I was also reading a book about crossing the Jordan as a Christian and into the promise land that God has for us. So we prayed and felt that her name was Jordyn Faith and that we were taking a leap of faith to bring her home. This was our first adoption and there were tons of obstacles for us. God met us where we were and provided miracle after miracle to bring her home. Back to the names, we added her Chinese name as well so her full name is Jordyn Zohe Faith Hehua Kerr. There you have it. Zohe means life and I felt that it was special to add that to her name and kind of incorporate the her Chinese name into. Two years later we are adopting again, from Jordyn's same orphanage, her little friend. Jordyn is ecstatic and cannot wait for her to come home. Her Chinese name is You Yu and again we decide to continue the trend and give her an A name or J name. The J name Jailynn is chosen for her because Jordyn really liked it. We heard of her name from an adoption journey video we had from our agency and felt that it fit. We chose the middle name Charity from the Bible to continue the Bible name trend and because we had a already felt a deep love in our hearts for her. So we named her Jailynn Charity Yu. Now here we are again adopting the third little girl from their same orphanage and what do we do about the name?? I really wanted to name her with an A name this time and I had my picks: Allison, Addison, and Avery were my favorites. However, the a names were voted a no by the majority of our clan and the J name won: Jaidyn Grace Anfeng. I did not fight against the name because I absolutely love the meaning behind Jaidyn: which meant in Hebrew "Jehovah has heard". That meant so much to me and confirmed He had heard our prayers over her. Besides I won the A name battle when we adopted Noah. I changed his name to Andrew Noah. I know that it does not really go together but I was not sure if we will go down the adoption road again and I still had the name Andrew in my heart for a boy. All the names can be quite the tongue twisters and I have to confess that I usually call them all by the wrong name. Try saying Jordyn, Jailynn, Jaidyn, Anna and Amanda really fast! I usually get them mixed up and get the eyes rolled at me and the look of aggravation. I love all their names and more importantly, I love the individuals behind the names!They are all blessings and I could never imagine my life with out them! That's my story and I am sticking to it!!

Thinking of Jaidyn

2011-10-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

Not one day goes by that I do not think of sweet Jaidyn. I think about her at the orphanage, getting ready for school, coming home from school, doing her school work, eating her supper, and getting ready for bed. I long to hold Jaidyn in my arms and give her a big hug. I can't wait to see her reunited with Jordyn and Jailynn. I know that she will be so excited and happy to see them. I also wonder if she even realizes that her life is about to change forever. I am sure that she knows something is about to happen because she has seen it happen before to Jordyn and Jailynn. First there was a cake sent to them seemingly out of no where. A special cake with presents and pictures of strangers. Then Jordyn was gone from the orphanage. Two years later the same thing happened to Jailynn. A cake appears with presents and pictures, then in a few months, Jailynn is gone. Now, Jaidyn has received a cake of her own. There were presents and pictures and a letter. Soon, she will also leave the orphanage and she will be with her best friends. They will be sisters forever. I hope that she realizes that we are coming soon. That we are working so hard to bring her home. Most likely she does not really understand what is about to happen. Jordyn told me that she did not have a clue about what adoption meant. She thought that she was going on a vacation with some people she didn't know. She told me that she was very scared and did not know what was happening to her. That explained alot about her reactions and behaviors. Hindsite is 20/20. Jailynn was just so happy to be with Jordyn that I don't think she cared who we were or where she was going. She is very smart and she understood alot about what was happening. Jordyn is also very intelligent, she just was not prepared. She was told that she was going to be adopted but that was it. She did not know what adoption meant. Just makes me wonder how much Jaidyn understands and how her transition will go. I hope and pray she will have a smooth transition, and I hope that it will help having Jordyn and Jailynn by her side. However, I also know from experience that adoption rarely goes the way we hope and imagine it to go. I am certain, though, that these three girls are meant to stay together. I know the bond they share is stronger than bonds of siblings and they can not wait for Jaidyn to come home. I think about how long this adoption process has taken and all the bumps along the way and I wish that it had gone faster. I wish that Jaidyn was already home and this was all behind us. All I can do is keep fighting to bring her home, and keep praying for God to help us bring her home. I know that the fight is worth it. I know that she is worth it and she deserves to be home. Every orphan deserves to be home growing and thriving in the love of a family. Everyone has a unique and different story. Jordyn was almost adopted before we knew about her when she was 3 or 4 years old and for reasons that we do not know, the family was unable to adopt her. Jordyn has the special need of cleft lip and palate and she is Hepatitis B positive. Jailynn had cancer at 8 months old and almost lost her life. She had emergency surgery and treatment and she is now cancer free. Jaidyn has Cerebral Palsy and Hydrocephalus. She has had physical therapy and treatment and her CP seems to be a mild case. However, there are never any guarantees with any child adopted or biological. So this is their story. All three girls had their own unique struggle to overcome and they overcame their struggles together. Jordyn remembers when Jailynn was taken to the hospital at 8 months old and she was with the Director and Nanny when they took her to the hospital. Jordyn and Jailynn both remember when Jaidyn was getting therapy and treatment for CP. We have heard their stories told by them and we have seen their love for each other which also caused our hearts to grow in our love for them.

2011-10-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

I just want to say THANK YOU! To everyone that is visiting my blog and giving a donation to help Jaidyn come home. Seeing the kindness of people that we don't know help us to help a child in need of a family brings me such encouragement. I was very discouraged over this adoption because it has taken us so long. I have felt that this mountain was too much for us and that it was impossible. But seeing the donations lifted my spirit so much and made me realize that God is in this with us. That we will bring our daughter home and this is gonna happen. The day that I posted on Adeye's blog I had little hope, but I felt a nudge from the Lord that I should just put the link to my blog on it and prayed. I also prayed that it would rain where we live because we have not seen drops of rain in a long time. We have actually had fires around our home in our neighborhood. Thankfully, not one house was affected and the fires were stopped. So, I prayed that God would send the rain that we need so badly and help our family bring Jaidyn home. Well, the next day it rained for a long time. A good soaking rain! I was so suprised by the fact that it rained the very next day and I remembered that quick short prayer. I felt in my heart that God was speaking to me that I am not in this alone and He is on my side. Now, I know and believe the scriptures and pray and quoted them in my quiet time. I know that He is for me and not against me and that through Him all things are possible.But to really see it happening is just so exciting. I felt joy and hope and peace rising back up inside my heart. I know that He called us to keep the three girls together. I felt it when I was in China and we took the picture of the three girls sitting together at the school. I just had this faith rise up in me that they would all be in our family.I also quickly tried to reason that it was crazy thinking to try it, and tried to just remove it from my mind. I also know that during one of my times of prayer asking God to find a family for her I heard His voice speak to me that we are her family. We knew her, met her, and prayed for her and He was placing her into our family. So thank you for giving and helping Jaidyn. Thank you for being the hands and feet of the Lord. We will pay it forward in return. I just hope to convey how much this means to me and to our family. We are so very thankful!

Jaidyn Grace

Jaidyn at school

Thank you from all of us!

Update on Jaidyn

2011-10-12T02:02:00.000-07:00

       First of all, I just can't believe how fast time seems to be moving and how slow at the same time. I feel like the days are spinning by me and I am getting no where fast. We had to request a new TA for Jaidyn. I was so sad that we had to push back our travel and so disappointed. But the truth is that I was not ready, we were not ready, and our funds were not ready. How can we be this far in to the process and still not be ready?? I really just don't know anymore at this point. I only know that thanks to the audit on our tax return we did not have the funds available. Now my heart breaks as I think about Jaidyn still waiting for us and still waiting be with Jordyn and Jailynn.
      Rather than risk not being able to bring her home at all, we decided to request a new TA and hope to travel in November or early December. So now we wait. We are waiting for a new TA. While we wait, I am working every extra shift I can as a RN to save money for travel. I took matters into my own hands and decided that I would make this happen one way or another. The result is not very pretty. I am working 5-6 days a week and missing my family sooo much. I am also fighting fatigue and a sinus infection. I know that this too shall pass and she will be in our arms in a few short weeks. The days and weeks feel soo long like time is standing still. I am not feeling sorry for myself or this situation. I got over that about a month ago. No, I am thankful to have a job where I can work extra and I know that this too shall pass.
       I also believe that God will provide for Jaidyn to come home in spite of me. I know that I have taken this into my hands and I am trying to make it work, but I also know that God is bigger than the money we need to bring Jaidyn home. God is the one that provided for Jailynn to come home and Jordyn to come home. When we adopted Jaidyn, I was literally walking on the water with Jesus. Because I did not have all the funds together for travel. I still needed the several thousand dollars for the in country fees. I was praying and praying on the way to the airport. Suddenly, the money came in from different places and different special people in my life. This time around I had made a promise to myself that it would not happen that way again. What happened to my promise to myself??? I had a really good plan that just did not go as planned. I had no control over the circumstances and it threw me for a big loop. I know that I am just going on and on. I don't mean too. I am trying to make sense of it for myself I guess.
     The truth is that adoption funding is hard. I have tried fundraisers and not done so well. Raising a family and working to bring home a child from the other side of the world is hard. Things happen that are not planned for and unexpected. I have heard comments and felt or sensed the judgement that we should have all this planned out ahead of time before starting the process. In an ideal world that is the best scenario. However, when we began adding to our family through adoption we stepped out in faith believing that this was God's plan for our family. We believed God for a daughter from China. An older child that would not have a chance for a family. We stepped out in faith and God met us every step of the way. Little did we know that He would ask us to adopt another waiting child, and another. We never dreamed of coming this far and keeping three special girls together. Forever sisters. How will God provide this time around? I am not sure. I know that He will, even when I mess things up and make mistakes. Even when my plans don't work out. I believe that we will bring Jaidyn home and it will all be to the Glory of God. Does it make sense? No. It is something that seems impossible to me, something bigger than us, something more than what we are capable of doing.?Yes.Somehow, that is just how God does things. He calls us to do something bigger than ourselves so that we can see His Hand at work in our lives. I know this to be true. I also know that He is teaching me to let go and let God. I know that through all three adoptions I have grown closer in my walk with Him and I have grown as a person. I know that I just have to trust in Him and wait for His timing and for His help. In the mean time, I will work to get ready to bring my daughter home.

Jailynn and Jaidyn together in China before we adopted Jailynn.

Jordyn, Jaidyn, and Jailynn in China when we were adopting Jailynn.

Jaidyn waiting to come home.

Kicking off Anna's Senior Year in Drill Team and Band

2011-09-10T00:40:00.000-07:00

Jailynn with the Mascot Panther

Anna plays the Flute in Marching Band

There she is in her drill team costume with her flute.

Anna is also Leut. of Blue Bells Drill Team. She hopes to be in Drill team in college.

David and Anna

Anna, Jailynn, and Jordyn

We are so proud of Anna in all that she does. She is a very busy girl taking college credits in high school, advanced classes, drill team, marching band, and robotics. She is a wonderful big sister and role model for her younger sisters. She will be very much missed when she takes her next step in life: college. I am not sure how I will hold up because I am already starting to grieve over the fact she will be leaving the nest.

Celebrating Jordyn"s 12th Birthday and four years together.

2011-09-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

Sweet Jordyn

Jordyn loves school and she is a straight A student.

Jordyn requested to celebrate her 12th birthday with a shopping trip with Mom. Awe, melt my heart.

This girl's a fashionista in her new outfit!

Amanda,Jailynn, and Jordyn in a beauty pageant this summer.

A natural on the stage!

Jordyn shines in the spotlight!

Three beautiful sisters!

So Blessed to know you, Jordyn, as my daughter!

In aw of my beautiful daughter. Jordyn is beautiful inside and out.

Jailynn won our hearts too!

Jordyn loves her family, her sisters Amanda and Anna.

Jordyn loves her big sister Anna.

Jordyn has brought so much love and joy to our family. She is a beautiful young lady and the love of Jesus shines through her. She is such a wonderful daughter. We are blessed and honored to know her and be her family. We adopted Jordyn four years ago and because of her love for her friends she left behind we adopted Jailynn in 2009. Soon, we will have Jaidyn home to complete our family. Jordyn has blossomed into a beautiful, sweet, caring young lady. She has touched my heart and I am blessed to be her mother.Adopting an older child can be intimidating and has challenges, but the rewards outweigh all of it. I cannot imagine my life without sweet Jordyn. I thank God for the opportunity to know her and the privilege to be her mother.

Summer Days Gone By....

2011-09-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

Noah's favorite thing to do.

He loves playing at the beach.

Jordyn and Jailynn enjoyed the ocean.

Can you tell how much he loves the water!

Playing in the sand.

JonMarc rarely came out of the water.

On the ferry together with Grandpa, sister Andrea, baby Jonah,
Jailynn, Jordyn, and Noah.

Noah had fun on the ferry with is Grandpa.

Jordyn and Jailynn.

I loved spending time with my sweet girls.

Amanda, beautiful as always.

Three sisters looking out into the ocean.

Amanda, Jonah, and Noah.

More summer fun by the pool.

Noah 4th Bday! He loves his Dora cake!

Drama, Drama, Drama!

2011-08-15T01:01:00.000-07:00

Finally, we have heard that our check is going to be sent to us with in the next 30 days. If we had it when we were supposed to have it we would have already traveled and brough Jaidyn home. So frustrating. But I should expect all this by now that no matter how hard I try to have it planned out things just arent going to go as planned. The news now is that we have to travel on Sept 15 because our TA will expire on Oct 6th and families cannot travel after Sept 15 because of the fall festival. The IRS siad we will get our check with in the next 30 days as of last week. We have to have the money in our hands on Sept 1st to travel on Sept 15th. So IN FAITH, I asked our agency to request our consulate appt and that we will travel Sept 15. I am just praying and believing that we will get a miracle and can bring her home in September because if we cannot travel on Sept 15, then we have to request a new travel approval which will set our travel back by 8-10 more weeks. I am hoping and praying that does not happen because that is not fair to Jaidyn and I am ready to bring her home and get all this behind us. I am tired of this and it has taken sooo long this time. So I took a big step of faith and I am believing that we will have the check inour hands by Sept 1st. There just has to be some sort of drama even when I try really hard to not have any drama!!! So we wait and see what happens.

Hoping, Praying, and Believing that we will bring Jaidyn Grace home in September!!!

Time is Ticking...Waiting on our Tax Credit for Jaidyn

2011-07-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

Time is ticking by on our TA while we wait for our adoption tax credit from the IRS. This is the money we planned to use for our travel expenses to bring Jaidyn home. Our family really urgently needs prayer over our last adoption and our travel to bring Jaidyn home. We are still waiting on our adoption tax credit from the IRS. They have sent us another letter asking for our original adoption decree again.. We have sent this letter with our homestudy and a letter from our social worker at least three times! We just sent the letter and paperwork to them in June. Also We sent it with our original tax return. I dont understand how this can be lost three times? I don't understand why this is happening. This is our last adoption and we have our travel approval now. We have until October 15 to travel and not having this money is causing our travel to be delayed. All I know is that we need a miracle from God to finish this adoption. We stepped out in faith like Peter did when he stepped out of the boat to meet Jesus walking on the water. We could have stayed in the boat too and not adopted a third time. We knew it would be difficult and a financial strain. But we also knew that these three girls deserve to be together and have a family. They all have their own unique story and a bond of closeness that is evident when they are together. I saw that bond on our last trip to China when we adopted Jailynn and we visited Jaidyn at school. She was so happy to see Jordyn after they had been seperated for over 2 years. I just had a feeling in my heart that we would be back to get her. I knew that it was impossible and something only God could orchestrate. I did not even want to ever adopt again at that point because it is stressful and hard and emotional, ect... I also felt in my heart that they are supposed to grow up together. Sometimes when God calls us to do something and we look at the natural circumstances it seems impossible and beyond our ability. It looks overwhelming and like it could never happen. We only started with a small ope that someday we could adopt a little girl from China. We never imagined that we would truly do it because we already ad 4 children. But the dream never left our hearts and now we trying to bring home our third little girl from China. When we adopted Jordyn and found out about the other two girls it was impossible to adopt from the same orphanage again. That was in 2007 and then in 2008 the CCAA created the waiting child list of all the older or special needs children. Now, that was a God thing!!! We were able to adopt Jailynn because of that change in the system and now Jaidyn. I know that this was meant to be and that we were supposed to adopt all three girls. I believe that we will complete this last adoption in spite of the IRS. We are asking for prayer support for God to provide the travel funds that we need. Our IRS return is $12,000 which will cover most of our expenses. Our plan is that Tim will travel alone to bring her home to help cut the expenses down. We would appreciate all prayers on this issue. Here is an updated picture of Jaidyn that we just received. Here birthday was July 26 and we sent her a cake and care package so that she will know we are still adopting her.

Jordyn, Jaidyn, and Jailynn in 2009 when we adopted Jailynn

Thank you and Blessings,

Melanie

Fundraiser for Jaidyn

2011-07-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

We are having a fundraiser to raise money to bring Jaidyn home. We will send out a samaritan card to anyone that donates to help Jaidyn. The samaritan card can be used for discounts for resturaunts, entertainment, movies, travel discounts, flowers, and grocieries. I just need an address to send the card. I will post pictures of the card. Also, we will have a drawing at the end of the fundraiser for a digital camera and printer.

We understand this is alot to ask and Any help or donation to bring Jaidyn home is appreciated beyond words. I hate to even have to do this when I thought we had this adoption all figured out and covered. However, that is not at all the case. Please keep our family in your prayers.

Update....We Have T.A.

2011-07-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

Yes. It is true. We have T. A.!! We are happy and excited that we finally have our T. A. However, things are not going as planned. We are still waiting for our tax return from the IRS and that is our travel money! UGG! I am still in shock that we have our TA but we do not have our funds to bring our daughter home. We are in serious need of prayer that God will part the red sea and send us the check from the IRS. We are stuck and cannot move forward with out our tax return. I wish that things were different and that we were ready to travel tomorrow...but that is not how things have gone. This is out of our control and we did ot expect to have this road block. I believe that it is happening for a reason. I believe that this is happening so that we can witness a miracle when God shows up with His provision for us to bring Jaidyn home. We await for our miracle. I believe that it will be a miracle and that we did not get this far to fail. I also appreciate everyone's prayer that we will have our check inour hand to complete our adoption and bring Jaidyn home

Apology

2011-07-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I have to write this apology to everyone that reads my blog for several reasons. One, we were not able to go through the process to adopt Xiao Lei and get approved to start the process. I had hoped and prayed that we could raise the money quick enough to send in our LOI (letter of intent). However, that was not the case and my heart was broken over it. I am not sure if he found a family and I stopped blogging because I could not write this and face the fact that we could not bring him home along with our daughter. I know that it would have been difficult in reality, but my heart was already involved. Then, when it could not happen, I just ignored everything to do with adoption including our adoption. I guess I had to grieve over the failed dream and that it was just not meant to be. I hope he found a family. The truth is that adding two children at once to our family was probably too much for us to begin with. At times, we still have struggles with our children getting along and sometimes it seems like we have not adjusted or bonded at all. We have in fact bonded and adjusted to our girls, Jordyn and Jailynn, but we still have some bad days at times. After having committed to him in my heart and then realize we could not commit to him on paper, after I sought support help to raise the money, was just really hard. I grieved hard. Now, the reality is that we are still adopting our third daughter from China and I cannot ignore that fact any longer. Secondly, I need to apologize for asking for support before we had our LOI. I am sorry. I did not intentionally mislead anyone. Please feel free to email me or message me if you need to talk more about this situation.
Next, I just want to give an update. We have our Article Five and are waiting for our Travel Approval. I do not feel prepared or ready but now I have to face the fact that we are adding another child to our family. On one hand I am excited, but on the other hand, I know what we are about to face. She is our third daughter from China so I should be prepared right? Well, actually, I am nervous and apprehensive. I know what all is involved with adopting an older child. I just hope that she will adjust to our family and things will go smoothly. I am also getting better emotionally and trying to become more prepared. I hope that everyone will forgive me and understand.

Christmas Pictures of Jaidyn Grace!!!

2011-01-08T18:16:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures we receiveed from an update on Jaidyn Grace! We sent her the Christmas package with a decorated tree, santa stuffed toys, our pictures, a letter, and a fabulous cake!We sent her a carepackage from http://www.giftstochinawithlove.com/ which is a carepackage company that my friend started. They are very good and try very hard to get updates on your child. I am so thrilled to see her pictures.
Blessings,
Melanie

Heart Torn In Two....

2011-01-01T22:42:00.000-08:00

All about a boy.....

I saw his picture and I was smitten. I was moved. His sad eyes just piercedmy heart and Idreamt of a miracle. Maybe we could rescue him from a life of desitution. A life marred by the fact that he had no family. A stigma that would follow him the rest of his life and take away all his chances for college and a career. In China, if you are an orphan, then, you are unlucky. No matter what, people see you as unlucky and then they are afraid that you will bring them bad luck to thier family or thier company. Life becomes very difficult to find a job or a place to live, a lonely life. I have read about the stigma of being an orphan and aging out of the system. So when I saw his picture and read his story I thought that maybe we could help him. Maybe we could be his family. Maybe we could at least do everything to try....and so we did. We tried. We talked to our agency and our SW. I sent tons of emails to advocate for him. We finally were tild that we could go for it. We would only have 5 weeks to make it happen. We would need a miracle and lots of money. Money was already starting to come in from people that were touched by his story. However, it was not meant to be our family. Another family has stepped up and they are going for it and working hard to bring him home. In the end, it was not us, but, HE. HAS. A. FAMILY!!! That is what is important. My heart will mend, altough I am forever changed. I know he will grow up in a loving home with a loving family. I will not forget him or the other orphans like him. I will pray for him and for the other orphans out there. I hope that everyone will pray for the hurting orphaned children because they all have a story and they all deserve love and a family.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T16:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas at our house!

Anna and some of her gifts...she loves to read!

Jordyn and Jailynn are happy with their games and cd's.

Noah loves to open his presents and anyone else' that he can grab!

No, Amanda did not get diapers for christmas! It was a coat and that was the only box that fit...ha! ha!

Noah enjoying the presents!

Jordyn and Jailynn with their barbie house! Noah wants in the picture too, Please do not look at the mess!

A Country Christmas Parade and Tree

2010-12-13T01:53:00.000-08:00

Noah on the parade float with his school.

Jordyn waiting for the parade to start.

And the Christmas Parade Begins.

Blue Bells Drill team...Anna is the prettiest girl with the biggest smile!

Anna is the second Belle on this side.

High scool band and Friend Sara.

Here is David from the side view.

High School Cheerleaders

Miiddle School Cheerleaders

Noah's school float

Here is Noah adn Jonmarc is sitting behind him.

Jailynn is on the end in pink PJ's

Little Brother Jeremy watching the parade with us.

You can't have a country parade without John Deer.

Ahh...isn't that the cutest sadest face ever??

At the Christmas Tree Farm trying to get a good Christmas card Pic

Still Trying for that Picture

Oh Well...almost perfect.

Jailynn can't wait to get a christmas tree

David is Anna's boyfriend and practically part of our family

On the hay ride to find our tree.

Noah found the perfect place to sit and look at the trees.

Tim and the Charlie Brown tree he wanted to bring home

Searching for the perfect tree.

Still searching

Anna and David

Noah found his favorite tree

Tim cutting down our tree.

Here we are in front of our little tree.

Still trying for the Christmas Card Picture

And this what our tree looks like in our country living room with country blue carpert...Ain't it pretty Yall??

Win a Wii or XBOX 360!

2010-12-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

We are extending our Fundraiser for Jaidyn Grace...
We will have a drawing for winners choice of a game system in time for the Holidays...

Win a Wii or XBOX 360!!!

Every Donation will go towards bringing Jaidynn Grace home from China. Please consider entering our fundraiser and helping Jaidyn come home to her forever family. She has been waiting to be adopted since 2007 when her file was submitted. She watched her two best friends leave the orphanage with their forever family in 2007 and 2009. We adopted Jordyn in 2007 and Jailynn in 2009. We have prayed for Jaidyn to find a forever family too. We never would have guessed that we were her forever family! We are so excited to have her as our daughter and to grow up with her forever sisters! Please help us bring Jaidyn home!

Blessings
Melanie

One Step Closer to Jaidyn Grace!

2010-12-03T20:50:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Holidays to everyone! I am very excited to anounce that we are finally DTC (Dossier to China!!!)!!!!!!

I am just so thankful to everyone that has prayed for our family and supported us as we grow our family. We are one step closer to bringing home Jaidyn Grace and reuniting her with her sisters!! Jordyn and Jailynn are both very excited as we get closer to brining her home. We will likely travel sometime next year to bring her home. We still have a ways to go but I am just so relieved to have the paper chase behind me. This has been the longest paper chase yet. When we first staretd this adoption, I was naive to think that we would have already brought our precious daughter home by now. Well, at least we are done wiht the paper chase anyway. I actually drove to Austin today to our agency to provide one more document that was needed for the package to go to China. I could have just sent it by mail and then we would be DTC next Friday, but I just could not stand to wait another week. I guess that is the adoption hormones flaring up. I wanted to get this done. So I drove to Austin while my children were in school. It was really a good drive because I spent time just talking to The Lord about all this and asking Him some soul searching questions. Well, He actually comforted me through the drive. I met the staff at our Agency including the Director Snow Wu. It was all just really sureal to me and then when they told me the Dossier was actually on the way to China...I just could not help but break down in tears.I had the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders at that moment. Then, on the way home I really praised God and thanked Him that we are over the paperchase. I was the crazy woman worshiping God in the stop and go trafic. I was just so happy and full of joy! So I hope that you will all rejoice with me as we have our DTC!!!

Blessings!
Melanie

2010-11-21T00:54:00.000-08:00

Princess and Tiger posing with a Clown.

Playing at the pumpkin patch

Jailynn makes friends with the goat

Hay Jumping!

Noah 's idea of jumping in the hay!

Noah still had fun!

Jailynn's first pony ride!

Jordyn posing and riding!

Noah's first pony ride!

Noah rides the tractor train.

JonMarc practices his boxing skills. ( I think I need one of these at home.)

Jailynn wants to try her boxing skills too, (yes, I need this at home for the moments that need a better agressive outlet instead of fighting each other they can take it out on the punching bag...yeah, we have those moments.

Noah loves thee tractor train!

JonMarc and Jailynn enjoy some sibling bonding time on the tractor train!

Anna dressed up as Bella at the Twilight Convention...on stage with other TwiFans.

Anna as Bella standing between another Bella and Jane!

I thought she was the best the Bella and should have won first prize!

Win a Wii or XBox 360 and Hlep Jaidyn Come Home!

2010-06-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

We are having a Raffle to help raise the money we need to bring Jaidyn Grace home. For a suggested donation of $5.00 you will be entered into the raffle for 1 ticket. Donate $10 and you will get 2 tickets for a chance to win. Donate $20 and get 5 tickets and so forth. For your generous donation you will have the chance to win your choice of a Wii or Xbox game system and help Jaidyn come home.

Asking for help is always difficult and hard, however, the truth is that we are asking for help. We have been working hard at raising the money we will need to travel to China to bring Jaidyn home. We have had two fundraisers this month and decided that we should have another Raffle. We had a booth at Celebrate Freedom with a Raffle for a game system and raised $700.00. We are excited to have the chance to meet so many people, raise awareness about adoption, and give the game system to a family that were truly blessed to have it. Unfortunately, we did not break even with this fundraiser due to the cost of the table, the purchase of the game systems and other supplys that were needed. However, we believe that we planted seeds for adoption and we had a lot of fun meeting people, face painting for the kids, and enjoying the festival. Due to the need to break even and continue to raise funds we decided to start another Raffle. We hope to have continued support and participation. Thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity, I know in today's economy every little bit is precious.

We will post a video of the drawing to the blog on August 30th. Good luck!! Please feel free to pass this info on to your friends and family. The more the merrier because we still need to break even for the cost of the game systems!!

THANK YOU!!!

2010-06-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT CAME TO EAT AT JOE WILLYS!!!!
Our grand total from the fundraiser is $500.00!!!!
We were so blessed to have such great support. We are having another fundraiser at
Celebrate Freedom with a Raffel to win a WII or PS3 Game system. Hope to see you at Celebrate Freedom at South Fork Ranch. We will be in the tent with a booth all about adoption. Raffel tickets will be $2.00 per ticket or $5.00 for 3 tickets. We are praying for a successful fundraiser to help Jaidyn come home.

SAVE THE DATE!

2010-05-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

How? Come And Eat For The Kerr Family To Help Bring
Jaidyn Grace Anfeng Home (She is in the Middle)
When? June 7th Monday Night 5pm-9pm
Where? Joe Wilys In Rockwall at 2006 S Golliad St
From 5:00pm to 9:00 pm

Why? Because Jaidyn Needs your support! She is 6 yrs old and She is waiting be reunited with her family and forever sisters Jordyn and Jailynn. Jaidyn grew up in the same orphanage in China as her sisters. She has waited for a forever family as she watched her sisters get adopted. The Kerr family has felt that the girls should have the chance to stay together and grow up together. This is where YOU come into the picture!! Come, eat, be happy, have fun and support the Kerr’s! All tips and donations go to bringing Jaidyn home from China.

Oh For The Love of Little Boys and Puppies!

2010-04-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

Noah just loves these little puppies! He plays with them, chases them, holds them by thier tales and ears...
He can't get enough of them. He calls them "here puppy,puppy, puppy" He lays on top of them. And now they are big enough to chase him back and bite his little toes. And Noah just laughs and laughs. How fun is that? Soon, the puppies will have new families and little boys to play with...but until then...watch out for Noah!

HAPPY EASTER!

2010-04-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER FROM THE KERR KLAN!
Easter is by far my favorite Holiday. I love everything about Easter. It is in spring and all the grass and flowers are starting to appear. New life is in the air. Renewal. Refreshing. And most of all, Easter is a time to reflect and celebrate what our Lord and Saviour Jesus did for us. He removed the veil by becoming an innocent sacrafice. He was the lamb that was slain for our sins, chastized for our transgressions, by His stripes we are Healed, and above all, now we are made spotless and blameless to hte Father. We can have a relationship with God our Father. That is what God wants more than anything. Communion and friendship with each of us:
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not reiceived the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the Children of God: And if children, then heirs: heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ: in so that we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:14-17

How Awesome is that??? We are adopted by God as his children. We are the Heirs of God! We have inherited from God. This makes me think of my adopted children and how they are mine through and through and they have inherited everything that I have just as my bio children have. How much more have we inherieted from God our Father that we do not even realize??? I hope this post will encouage you this Easter to think about your relationship with God theFather and His Son Jesus, and all that you have inherited as a Child of God,

Blessings

Crazy Love

2010-03-31T03:50:00.000-07:00

FYI...this post is in response to Crazy Love at http://www.aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/ in case you are wondering :0

Sometimes God calls us to do things that normally just do not make sense...or, rather, from a worldly, human perspective does not make any sense at all. Sometimes, there is just a decision or choice to obey or not obey whatever God is calling us to do. We can not always understand why God asks us or calls us to certain things...it is just a matter of obedience, trust, and faith. That is where we are. So here is our story of Crazy Love and our need:
We are stepping out in faith and trusting that God has the details already figured out :) If you read our blog often then you know that we have 3 bio children-Anna(15), Amanda(11), and JonMarc(7) and two adopted daughters from China Jordyn(10) and Jailynn(7). Our oldest son does not live at home right now, and we are praying for him that He will turn his heart back to the Lord. We also have Noah(2) our precious grandson with us, and Ivy(16) our exchange student from China. So that is a total of 7 kiddos under our simple 4 bedroom roof, Makes for exciting times! Anna and Ivy are exceptional and awesome teens. Ivy has also given her life to Jesus since she has been with us and was babtized. Anna and Ivy both have a Bible study at thier public school to lead their friends to the Lord. Just to brag on them a little.
Last year in May while I was in China completing Jailynn's adoption Tim and I both lost our jobs at the same time which was quite devestating. My job let me go while I was on leave of absence adopting my daughter one day before my one year aniversary. If I had remained employed I was getting an employee adoption reimbursement of $ 5000. Talk about a convenient layoff timing??. Tim was just laid off due to the economy. Now we did not really share about our needs at the time. We were just trying to make it through each day and adjust with Jailynn. That was a difficult time that I do not like to think about. Anyway, I am a RN so I bounced back quickly and we made it and we are still making it. Tim is still looking for a permament job:however, he has loved being home with the kids and if I didn't know better I would think that was part of God's reasons and how he used it for our good. The kids are closer to their daddy and we have learned what is important and what is not. We moved back to a small town in a DW with cheap monthly bills. Hey, I'm down with that. No shame here in a DW home! Tim and I have always been givers and tithers and involved in church. Although we have not been able to give as much as we like. Currently, We belong to Lakepointe Church and we are active in the adoption ministry. We felt that God called us to join Lakepointe when we moved to TX in 2006 which was also the beginning of our first adoption of Jordyn. She was 8 yrs old when she was adopted and she accepted Jesus as her saviour before she could speak fluent English. Jordyn is like she has always belonged with us and we adore her. Jailynn was 6 yrs old when we adopted her and she is a firecracker!! Very spunky, funny, spicy Hunan girl. She brings more laughter and joy into our home. Jordyn and Jailynn came from the same orphanage and were very close like sisters. Jordyn missed her so much and we prayed that God would open the doors for us to adopt her. In 2008, China made the Waiting Child SN list and that was our open door that we went barging through. God provided miraculously for both our adoptions through our church, grants, family, and friends. We just paid off some of Jailynn's adoption and only owe 5500 more. Thank you God.
God is good. Now, He has asked us to adopt another hunan spicygirl that is also from the same orphanage. I had thought that we were finished adopting but this child has stayed on my heart. I thought that we could not possibly do this again but here we are with our PA and in the paper chase phase. Our need is with adoption expenses. We are planning some fundraisers and saving like crazy. I hope that someone will read our story and consider helping us reunite the three girls and bring Jaidyn home. We are also working on our grandson becoming permament and so we actually have 2 adoptions at the same time. YIKES!!! But I know God is faithful to provide when we step out in faith. And that is what we have done. We are in need of Noah's legal fees of 2000 as well as the funding for our third China adoption. That is all I will say. I know this is long. Thank you for readng this and if we are nominated or recieve any gifts we will be forever grateful because you are helping us save two children. Blessings.
http://halfadozenandcounting.blogspot.com/

http://onemorehunanprincess.blogspot.com/

Jordyn and Jailynn.

Jordyn and Anna

Anna and Jailynn

Anna and Amanda

Ivy

Noah...needing a haircut.

Sweet Anna

JonMarc

Why are we doing this again? Don't we have enough kids already??

2010-02-25T23:19:00.000-08:00

How does an adoptive parent answer the above questions? How can you explain having a heart for the children left as orphans to fend for themselves? How do you explain to someone that you have known for three years that a child you saw in pictures is your daughter? How do you explain the sadness felt at not knowing your child as a baby and the joy of watching thier first steps because you adopted her when she was 8 years old? How do explain how lucky the newborn that just came into the world is because he is wanted and loved by his parents and born in America? How do you reconcile the feelings that you feel over all the unwanted, hurting orphans in the world? I don't know. But, I do know that the love and joy I feel for my adopted children is real and they are just as much my children and meant to be in my family as the ones that I gave birth to. I also know that I had to fight for them to be here just as much as I had to carry my other children in my womb for nine months. I also know that I will fight for this new child as well. Fight through the red-tape of the paperchase, fight through raising the money to bring her home, fight through the convincing of whoever needs to be convinced that she is my daughter...fight through the travel, jet lag, emotional rollercoaster and whatever else comes my way. Because she is born in my heart and she deserves a mother to cherish her and love her as much as my other children.

Jailynn holding Feng-Feng's hand.

Answered Prayers!!

2010-02-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

I am Praising God for answered prayers tonight!
Little Reese and the other adopted children from Haiti are on their way home tonight! Their story was featured on CNN last night and tonight. God intervened and families are being brought together!

Next is our answered prayers....

We have PA (Pre-Approval!) for our third Hunan Princess!! Thank you Lord! Can you hear our celebrations?? Jordyn and Jailynn were s excited they screamed in unison and began jumping up and down!The picture below are the three girls together for a brief reunion when we were adopting Jailynn. Feng-feng was so happy to see them. She told Jordyn that she got big and gave her a big hug. God has heard our prayers and the three girls will grow up together as forever sisters!
More to come soon!

Prayer Needed for a Family in Haiti!!

2010-02-21T20:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Bloggie friends,
Please read this post and pray for this family as they are detained while trying to get their child and other legally adopted children out of Haiti. The situation is just in urgent need of God to move on behalf of this family and the children. Please pray!
http://debraparker.typepad.com/just_one_girl/2010/02/please-pray-for-this-family.html
http://www.thethackerpack.blogspot.com/

Will you please pray for our situation right now?

On Friday morning, I flew into PAP on an Agape flight. I was met at the airport by two escorts from the orphanage and six children. I was coming to help escort my son, Reese, age two, and five other children home to the United States. We waitied all day at the US Embassy for the last military flight out of there. (It was so wonderful to be with Reese) All of the children were cleared to leave, signed off by the Prime Minister, etc. The flight was cancelled. Big surprise. We were told we could make our own private arrangements b/c there would be no more military flights out. We arranged to have Agape flights fly us out on noon on Saturday. We stayed with the children in a guest house on Friday night.

On Saturday morning, we packed up the kids in a taxi and headed to the airport. Minutes after the taxi dropped us off, we were attacked by an angry mob of men saying that we were trying to steal the children. They tried to take the kids from us. The Haitian police came and detained all of us. It was horrible until the US Embassy got there.We sat on the street with the children outside of the airport for six hours while the Haitian police, border patrol, immigration, and the US embassy had a huge pissing match. It was unbeliveable. Then they took us down to a police station for three hours while they continued to sort things out. Thye let us go, but they took the children from us and they are sitting in a Unicef tent camp. I'm writing this out and I can't even believe that this has happened. I am staying at an international doctor's house. The US Embassy is "working" on it. Actually, I'm pretty sure that Hillary Clinton has gotten involved. It escalated quickly. I know for sure that my senator from MN is heavily involved. My husband is in Florida right now waiting for us to get out of Haiti. He was going to meet the plane on Saturday afternoon!

I am a strong believer and Jesus' supernatural peace is comforting me right now, but my mind seems so muddled that I can barely from coherent words to pray. Will you please pray on behalf of Reese and the other children?

Fun In The Big Texas Snow!

2010-02-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

Jailynn's Birthday Pictures

2010-02-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

Jailynn's 8th Birthday

2010-02-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

Today 2/03/2010 is Jailynn's 8th birthday! The pics are from the summer when we had a special welcome home party for Jailynn and I never got to post them so I will post pics of Jailynn's party soon. I just really wanted to blog this on time :)

I am so happy to celebrate her 8th birthday with her. We sent her a birthday cake in the orphanage but did not get to celebrate with her on her 7th birthday. This is a very special day for her and she is very excited about Her Birthday!

So today I am bringing special cupcakes and party favors to her class and I am going to take pictures of her class party. Then, tonight we will have cake and Icecream for her at home with her birthday presents. Then, Saturday, we are having a party at Nana's with a cookout and playing at the park and more presents. Finally, next weekend...we will drive to Houston Tx to celebrate with my sister and her family. Why so many celebrations for this little girl? Because she has only celebrated her birthday once, in an orphanage with a cake. We sent her a care package with presents, but she did not get to keep any of it because it became orphanage property. So, clearly, such a special and beautiful little girl deserves to have these special parties. I am keenly aware in the back of my mind what my spicy Hunan princess missed out on in her life. She did not have a mother to hold her and feed her a bottle, kiss her hurts away, and rock her to sleep. She was a small baby that learned to survive and comfort herself until she was old enough to use her cute self to charm her caregivers. I do believe that they took good care of her as best as they could, but it is still a lonely place for a baby to grow. As I think back on the times I missed with her it makes my soul sad. But God sent a little Angel to be Jailynn's comfort...her big sister Jordyn. The bond they have is evident every day. Being the spicey girl that she is, Jailynn is a surviver, a comedian, and a charmer. She is s character and she brightens up our life and our family!

Happy Birthday Dear Jailynn!

Jailynn's First Christmas (A little late post)

2010-01-25T01:41:00.000-08:00

This was Jailynn's very first Christmas and her first Christmas with Jordyn!

All six of my clan sat on the couch and patiently waited for thier turn to open pesents. They were genuinly happy as they watched each other open thier gifts. This was a Christmas first... usually it is chaos as everyone ope presents at the same timeand paper flies everywhere!

Jailynn was exploring the gifts!

Santa brought Jordyn a DSI...just what she asked for.

Santa brought Jailynn and JonMarc a nintendo ds too!

JonMarc loved his toys from Santa!!

Jailynn loved all her gifts from Santa!!

Before all the presents are opened....

After the presents are all opened...

Christmas was beautiful and we even had a white Christmas morning n Texas. It was a Christmas Miracle. Christmas was so very special. The pictures do not do any justice. We had a special time together and everyone absolutely loved it all. Christmas was very special due to generous Angel and my sister. I pray a special for them. I know this is about our Christmas together, but my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti. I am even more thankful for our blessings this year and pray for the recovery process for Haiti.

Trimming the Tree and Holiday Fun!

2009-12-14T00:04:00.000-08:00

Jailynn and Ivy's first time to Decorate a Christmas Tree. Ivy was amazed that we do this every year and undo it all after Christams. We explained the true meaning of christmas and the christmas tree.

By the way...the red skirt that Jailynn has on is actually the tree skirt that goes around the Christmas Tree! She was reluctant to take it off because she thought that she found a new christmas skirt!

My beautiful Anna!

We also went to the Gallaria Mall for Ice skating and shopping. This was Ivy's first time to Ice Skate and she learned very quickly. Jordyn and Jailynn are naturals on the ice. I am thinking that I need to get them lessons!

Jailynn Loves To Ice Skate!!

Jordyn has wanted to go Ice Skating again for the longest time. She loves it. Ivy also had a great time!

JonMarc skated his litttle heart out and is exhausted!

Jordyn is tired and ready to go home after 2 &1/2 hours of skating nonstop!

Jailynn wants to keep on Skating! She is not tired at all!

This is where Noah played while everyone was on the Ice.

Jailynn's First Halloween (a late post!)

2009-12-04T06:59:00.000-08:00

Jailynn dressed up asa Bat Girl. She absolutely loved her costume.

Jordyn was a Bride wearing black lipstick.

Amanda was a 1950's girl. Sooo Cute!

Posing for the camera!
Anna and Ivy had fun dressing up as Harajuku Japanese Grils.

Anna loves to take pictures making different expressions!

Too Cute!

Two little exhausted girls crashing on the couch after halloween fun!

You Know You're An Adoptive Parent When...

2009-10-22T02:31:00.000-07:00

You Know You're An Adoptive Parent When...
1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.(Many,many nights)
2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family. (every time i look at Jordyn and Jailynn)
3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing. (had to stop watching...too heart wrenching)
4. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you. (Too True...)
5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption (lots and lots of free time...also looking at waiting children pics on adoption sites...ever heard of RainbowKids?)
6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about adopted child's 'real' parents. (Am I not real enough?)
7. You have ever been 'pregnant' with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth.(2 years!)
8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide. (So far we did it two times and thinking about starting the third time...gulp, and double gulp!)
9. You have ever taken an airplane ride half-way around the world with a child you just met. (twice so far!)
10. You believe God's heart is for adoption. (No Doubt about it!)
11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth. (Very much so)
12. You know what the word 'Dossier' means, and you can actually pronounce it!(had to put it together on)
13. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.(more than once...and it is very scary)
14. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life.(blessed,blessed,and then some!)-Author unknown
Ok...this is a repeat...but it is just so true. I love reading this because it is so true. What more can I say! I have found my purpose in life and that is being a mother to my children. And maybe one more if we can convince the agency and SW ;)...more on that later.

Room for one more??

2009-10-22T02:00:00.000-07:00

Do we have room for one more? My heart says yes. The little girl standing next to Jailynn is the third oldest Youxian darling. We know her name and we have heard all about her from Jordyn and Jailynn. Her little face has not left my mind for some time now and I have told myself over and over again that we cannot adopt another child...that we are not adopting her...that I am not her mother. Then...my DH looked at her picture and said..."we should get her too." Well, that did it...my strength and resolute stance just melted away...and thoughts of her continue to flood my heart and mind. I think about the fact that she is in the orphanage and her two best friends and sisters are gone. Who is watching out for her? I think about her at the orphanage and wonder...who does she play with now? I also think about her and wonder...is anyone else thinking of her? Is there another family for her? Is there another Mommy for her? That cares about her and wants to hold her, kiss her, and wipe away her tears? What if God is calling me to be her Mommy too? Do I have room in my heart for one more Youxian Darling? Do I have room in my home for another child? What if I am the only person in the world that cares about what happens to her? I can't get her out of my head. My heart aches for her. Soooo....I decided to take a step and then I asked the agency to see if they can find her file...gulp. Well, they found her file. Her file has been placed in a stack, shoved to the side and placed on hold because she has been waiting a long, long time. Now...we are waiting to see if we can get her file...and now I am praying...asking...and waiting. I am praying that if this is God's will for our family and we are meant to be this little girls family that God will open the doors for us. I am praying that our SW will support us. I am praying that God will provide the finances for another adoption. I am praying that if this is not God's will for our family that another family will step forward to adopt her. Now...we wait for answers. Please, keep our family in your prayers as we wait for our agency to make a decision.

Chinese Culture Day

2009-10-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

The Dragon Dance was Awesome!

So cool...the kids loved it!

All Dressed Up and Together!

I feel so blessed! Jordyn and Jailynn

Anna and Ivy look so Beautiful in their Dresses.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND HAPPY POST PLACEMENT!

2009-10-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

Can't wait to eat cake and open presents!

JonMarc is happy celebrate too!

Noah loves to eat cake and ice cream!

Anna and Ivy are happy for Jordyn and Jailynn!

Jailynn and Jordyn celebrated together!
They love their presents!

We had a party for Jailynn's 6 month post placement, Jordyn's 2 yr post placement and Jordyn's 10th Birthday. Jordyn was 10 years old on September 4th and her 2 yr Gotcha day was September 18th. We had Jailynn's 6 month post placement too which will actually be November 5th. I wanted to celebrate them together because they are very close! I am amazed that we have had Jordyn for 2 years. Time goes so fast it seems. Jailynn is thriving and loving school. SHe is learning English very fast. She is already speaking in sentences and can hold a conversation on the phone. She is also learnig to read. Jordyn is very happy to have her sister here.

Celebrating 5 Months With Jailynn: What has she been up to?

2009-09-19T00:47:00.000-07:00

...playing tiger with Jordyn

...and Anna

..."oh no! the tiger is caught!!"

...but not for long!

...swimming in Nana's new pool

...learning how to do a flip in the water!

...still flipping...

...almost...

...wow! Look at me, Mom!

...look! I can swim!

...big sister, Jordyn, the fashion Diva in the pool!

...Amanda plays with Noah in the water...

...who's feet?? Daddy's signature move in the water...hand stand!

...Grandpa and Noah are swimming too...

...Jailynn loves swimming with Nana...

...and JonMarc...

...and Nana...

...Too Pretty To Get Wet...Anna and Sarah...

...hanging out and being silly with Daddy, Jordyn, Amanda, and Anna

...still hanging out...

...Jailynn's coolest hero:Daddy

...and Uncle Pat...hmm maybe they both need to work on thier guns??

...learning to ice sckate with Anna...

...ice skating with Anna and Jordyn...

...look!! I'm skating by myself, Mom!!

...three forever friends: Jordyn, ELizabeth, and Jailynn

...ELizabeth helps Jailynn skate

...playing babies with Jordyn...

...taking pics with friend Sara...

...Here's Jailynn...

...and Anna and Jailynn...

...balloon fight!

...oh and don't forget to jump on the bed!

...awe, cuteness,sweetness, and fun...all wrapped up in one! Jailynn!

...getting to know Ivy...our exchange student from China...

...Jailynn loves to play with Ivy...but not speak chinese mandrain to her please...so much for Mom's idea of helping with the language issue...well, it was a good idea...i did not know she would not think so.

...Jailynn meets Scooby Doo or is it Scrappy Doo?

...and Wylie Cayote...

...with Mom at Six Flags!

...Ivy and Anna and Lolly Pop...

...Noah and Jailynn hanging out with Scrappy or Scooby again...

...Noah loves Anna's Lolly Pop...

...Jordyn and Jailynn: Forever Sisters and BFF!

...Jailynn's first day of school...why does the summer have to end? We have had so much fun...and now you know why this post is so long over Due!

SIX FLAGS! MORE FLAGS...MORE FUN!

2009-06-19T18:00:00.001-07:00

Almost the whole gang...minus Amanda and Anna on the Train.

Grandpa bought everyone six flags season passes for the summer. Thank you, Grandpa! Jailynn had a blast and loves all the big rides. She was not afraid of anything and felt very insulted if she could not ride the roller coaster because she was too small. We all had a great time, except for the hot Texas weather!

Life with Jailynn

2009-06-19T17:19:00.001-07:00

We are enjoying our life with Jailynn. She is spirited, determined, loving, fun, and full of life. Jailynn is not afraid to tell us when she is mad...more like show us...she is always the center of our attention...she loves exploring her new home and playing with her brother, sisters, and pets! Jailynn is a joy to be with and we are all happy to have her with us. Not to say life is all peaches and cream...we have had adjustments to make and still making some adjustments. Adopting an older child is an adventure and it is important to consider the childs perspective when dealing with behavior issues. Asian children are not taught the same as American children when it comes to social skills. They are not always taught to wait thier turn, share, respect others, boundaries, ect..ect.. Growing up in an orphanage environemnt also has a big impact on behavior issues. Then add a huge communication and culture barrier, taken away from the only home the child has ever known and you can have a recipe for disaster. The important thing to remember is to keep a certain perspective in mind when issues come up and have a sense of humor and relaxed attitude, giving lots of love and limits and it is posible to get through to the child. Jailynn is making huge strides and she is adjusting to our family. She is speaking some English and learning fast. Jordyn is adjusting well to being with her sister, but she has had to realize that we are Jailynn's parents and she is her sister. In our house, we can have to many chiefs running around and not enough indians. Jonmarc, Jordyn, Amanda, and Jailynn all try to be the boss! Then we have a lot of chaos!! To say the least...we have a very interesting time...and try to add fun. I hope this makes sense...I just wanted to share a little from my heart. Adopting an older child takes work, effort, commitment, love, and understanding. My heart breaks when I hear of an adoption being disrupted or not working out because of the issues involved. When we have a bad couple of hours or day...I think about Jordyn and how far she has come. Jordyn went through a hard time because she was afraid and grieving and did not fully understand what was happening. Now, Jordyn is such a sweet, loving child. She has adjusted to our family and dearly loves her family. She is so attached to us and to her famiy. I know that Jailynn will continue to attach to us and bond with us.

Jailynn's First Trip to the Beach

2009-06-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

We were blessed to spend the weekend with my sister and her family at the Galveston Bay in Sea Brook. My sister lives right on the Bay and we could just walk down to the beach. We had loads of fun bonding together at the beach. Jailynn loves the water and the waves. The second day we played in the sand and built sand castles.

Homecoming Pictures! Jailynn is Finally Home!

2009-05-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

The longest flight ever! Jailynn handled it very well and comforted her sister.

Finally meeting DiDi!

Awe....I hope the love and bonding continues!

Jailynn loves her Daddy and Didi!

Loving her Daddy!

meeting big brother Joey

Joey, Kym, Phoenix meet Jailynn

Mommy, Daddy,JonMarc, and Jailynn at JonMarc's Birthday party!

Jailynn hadfun at the party playing games.

JonMarc is 7 yrs old!

Jailynn and jordyn loved dancing at ChuckieCheese

Happy Birthday to JonMarc!

More Birthday Fun!

Playing with Big Brother

More Dancing fun!

Two princesses aslpeep in their princess bed and pink room. Warms a Mothers heart!

Visit to the Guanzhou Zoo

2009-05-13T04:53:00.000-07:00

We decided to be brave and take our own taxi to the Zoo. The bravery paid off and the girls had a wonderful time at the zoo. This was Jailynn's very first time to visit the zoo and she loved it. Her favorite animals are Lions and Tigers. She loved them and kept calling out to them. The weather was very hot and humid which is why Jordyn was not to into getting her picture taken. Then we found the fountains and they could not resist to play in the water. I even ran through it a couple of times because we were so hot. The onlookers got a laugh out of us. THe picture of the blurry animal is a Huge Panda Bear. He was taking a nap and reminded us of Kung Fu panda. I wish that we had a better picture. We had a great day and Jailynn passed out in the taxi on the way home. Thank the Lord that the taxi had air condiion!

Fun at the Park on Shamian Island

2009-05-12T21:00:00.001-07:00

Remembering our time in Changsha

2009-05-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

Saying Goodbye to our guide Amy. She was wonderful and we will miss her!

Our last lunch together in Changsha...Anna and Jailynn

Jordyn is tired and hungry.

Mommy and her girls in front of the Museum.

Random people like to take picture with American family...They think Anna is very beautiful and that she is.

Not for the faint of heart...this is a 2000 yr old mummy lady that was discovered in a tomb in 1972. Her scientific autopsy revealed she had recently eaten watermelon before she died....very good to know. People ate watermelon 2000 yrs ago.

This is her robe from 2000 yrs ago. Everything was well preserved in the tomb because of the way it was buried. We now know how this special family lived. Interesting info.

This is a replica of what she may have looked like. This was an important family perhaps a govenor of the region.

Jailynn thought she was very beautiful.

Anna, Jailynn, and Jordyn in front of the museum.

More pics in front of the Museum.

Anna gives Jailynn a piggy-back ride.

Jailynn and our friend from the Dolton Hotel. We remember him from when we adopted Jordyn. We called him the Hi, Hello, Goodbye man because that is what he always said to us.

Meeting Susan Ma at the Hotel. Susan Ma is a very special family friend and we enjoyed meeting her. We have sent many emails to Susan and she has been very helpful to us. Thank you Susan and we hope to meet again someday.

Amy and Jordyn at breakfast.
Anna found this kitten at the amusement park and wanted a picture. The poor thing looked too young to be away from it's momma.

Again...the next pics are not for those with weak stomaches....Jordyn enjoyed eating authentic Chinese food again.

This is the fish we ate. yummy.

more pics of the food we tried. We were brave and discovered that we actually liked some of it. There is a very distinct flavor in the Hunan Province and some foods are very spicy.

Anna eating the vegtables.

More fish. MMM.

More pics of the food. This was pork and it was very good.

This is what the fish looked like before it was on our plate.

Jordyn and Jailynn's first meeting each other again. They were so happy and still are.

Ok...in case you did not see enough of the food...here is some more.

Jordyn cannot wait to eat.

Anna and Jailynn at dinner.

Jailynn and Jordyn

Walking hand in hand....which is what they do everywhere we go.

Jailynn and Anna

Anna took this pic of her new dress. She had fun shopping in Changsha.

Awe...true sisters at last in every way!

2009-05-07T07:03:00.000-07:00

Fun on the Bumper cars! Jordyn and a sweet little boy that wanted in on the fun too!

Jailynn and Anna

Jordyn and Jailynn loved riding the rides together.

Fun on the bumpy cars!

We rode the scary roller coaster! JAilynn and Jordyn were brave girls.

Entrance to the Park

Jailynn loves ANNA

Mommy and Jailynn

How to entertain a bored 7 yr old?

Bubble kisses of course!

And Pics with her sister

Asleep after a busy day....too tired to make it to the bed.

So sweet and beautiful!

A Beautiful Day!

2009-05-05T03:27:00.000-07:00

Jordyn having fun swimming!

Jailynn caught on fast!

Anna and Jailynn

Jailynn wanted in Jordyn's float! She is a funny girl!

This is Jailynn's first time to ever go swimming...we had a great bonding time.

Three Happy Sisters!

Playing in the water with Big Sisters Help.

Sisters finally together again!

Jailynn is happy on adoption signing day!

Getting her hand print for the final paper work and adoption agreement.

Signing final adoption Agreement. It is officail today!!!

Signing the Agreement.

Getting my thumbprint! This is really happening!

Getting ready to sign teh paperwork.

In the hotel lobby with our guide Amy. Today is the day to complete the paperwork!

Anna and Jailynn on Gotcha day.

GOTCHA DAY!!!!!!

2009-05-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

We are so happy to have Jailynn and finally meet her! She is beautiful, sweet, and funny! She is so happy to be with Jordyn and told our guide that Jordyn is her best friend! Jailynn can speak a little bit of English and showed us her pictures that we sent her. She can point to all of us in the pictures and say Mommy, Daddy, Brother and Sister. She is a very active little girl. Jordyn and Jailynn are catching up quickly. Jailynn is teaching Jordyn some Chinese language and Jordyn is teaching Jailynn English. They are sooo cute together. I will try and post a video later. Thank you to everyone that helped make this day happen. I am forever grateful!

Hello From Beijing!

2009-04-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well, We made it! We are in Beijing! The day that we left was the biggest fight to get her that I have ever experienced. I honestly was afraid that things would not come together and that we would not make it. But! I serve a mighty and awesome God that cares for the orphans and He showed up! Everyprayer was answered! Every dollar that was needed was provided! Praise God for the dear friends that we have and the family that supported us. Everyone that pitched in to bring Jailynn home will forever be in my heart and prayers! Everything worked out at the 11th hour and 59 minutes! No Kidding! God is awesome and really hears our prayers and meets our need.We just have to be willing to ask Him and then Wait on Him. Here are some pics of us on the flight, airport, and hotel.
More to come later.
Counting down to Gotcha day on Monday May 4th!

Two more days left till we are on the plane!

2009-04-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well, we are continuing to pack and repack! Laundry is finished and clothing is packed...prescriptions and meds and travel size shampoo are all packed! Snack food packed! Little teddy bears and gifts from friends are packed! We are so close that we just can hardly stand it. I am trying to imagine what it will be like having another precious daughter running around the house, laughing, and playing and I just can't wait. I am nervous too. Waiting as patiently as possible on the Lord, and I have to say that He is faithful. I have a feeling that tomorrow we will have good news to report that the funds are all available and there will be no worries. We have received donations from wonderful and thoughtful people on Jailynn's behalf and cannot thank them enough. This has been a huge lesson on so many levels that I will have to write about it someday and give the details of all that has happened. I have learned to trust in God and truly believe in Him that He will provide. We are still trusting and believing. I have learned what it means to have faith of a mustard seed and what it means to walk on water. This has seemed like an impossible journey that would not make it and I know with all my heart we are meant to have Jailynn and we WILL make it. I have learned to look to the Lord to meet our needs and not to myself, my paycheck, or my plans. God has had different plans and in the end, He will have all the Glory for bringing these two girls together. I have also learned that more than anything else...I am called to be a mother to the children that God has given me and a wife to my husband. I have always looked for another call on my life like being a Registered Nurse, my career, or ministry. Now, I know what my call in life is and that is to my family. I have put them in the wrong place in the past and after the last few months and even the last few days...I can say that I Know my calling is with my family. I am looking forward to bringing Jailynn home and becoming her mother. The mother that she has not had growing up in the orphanage. I am looking forward to the day that I can hold her in my arms and tell her that I have loved her from the moment I saw her picture standing next to Jordyn.

Five Days and Counting Down!!!

2009-04-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

Five days and counting till we are on our way to bring Jailynn Home! I found this picture of Jordyn and Jailynn in their room. Jordyn had it on her dresser and had decorated it with my scrap book pages...she wrote on the bottom of the page: "I love you!" This picture was taken in China before we brought Jordyn home. We never imagined when we started the process to adopt Jordyn that we would be bringing a sister back for her two years later. When we saw the pictures of Jordyn and Jailynn together for the time we immediately felt in our hearts that the two girls should be kept together. We knew that it would be next to impossible for this to happen so we did the only thing that we could do: we prayed. And Praise God because with God all Things are possible!!! Now we leave in five days to bring home Jailynn! We are still praying and beleiving God for his provision.When God gives the Vision He brings the Provision! It may happen in the 11th hour, but it will happen. Keep us in your prayers!

More Easter Fun!

2009-04-23T18:21:00.000-07:00

Our Prom Queen!

2009-04-19T06:33:00.000-07:00

Anna was asked to go to Prom with Ryan for his senior prom. Ryan is my friend Sheri's son. I worked with Sheri at the Baylor Hospital in L&D. Sheri and her husband began their adoption journey to Leilah while we were in China adopting Jordyn. Now, they are stepping out in faith to bring home a sister for Leilah. Anna and Ryan are good friends and Anna was thrilled to go to prom. Anna is homeschooled and she was so happy to get asked to prom. I was happy that she was asked from a friend of the family that we knew very well (otherwise she may have had to wait another year or two). We had a special mother/daughter time getting her ready for Prom. She looks sooo beautiful and has grown up so fast!

Jordyn's Passport and Our Visa's!!!

2009-04-18T00:28:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that I am back from Austin and Houston tonight and we have Jordyn's American Passport and our Chinese Visa's. We drove to Austin on Wednesday to get one last document State Certified and arrived at the Secretary of State office just minutes before they closed. Wew...It would have been terrible if they had closed because I had to get that Document done which was the Power of Attorney for one parent traveling. I still can't believe that I am going without Tim. I know it will be fine, but I will miss him and I will be sad. From austin we drove to Houston to get Jordyn's passport and the Visa's. We stayed at my sisters home in Seabrook TX off the Bay and it is beautiful there. To hear the Bay from her deck and see the Ocean and smell the salt water...that was very therapeutic during a stressfull couple of days.
The plan was to get the document done on Wed and the passport on Thursday, but there was a complication. I personally have decided that some people just do not understand adoption and are determined to make the red tape process difficult. The lady at the passport counter wanted to send the passport to me in 5 days. I cannot afford a 5 day delay. Granted, I should have gotten Jordyn's passport sooner and not procrastinated (yes, I admit it...I am the queen of procrastination) until the very last minute....I still need the passport TODAY! Now! I have to get the Visas and that takes 4 days unless you pay an arm and leg to expedite them and I do not have the money or time to make a second trip and expedite the visas! Then, the lady started to give me a hard time because Jordyn's adoption certificate was written in Chinese and does not have the words "Adoptive Parents" in English on it. I am sure that it says it in Chinese. Then, she said it would have to be translated. So I told her that is fine, Is there a passport employee that speaks and translates Mandarin? Of course not. I think she was really giving me a hard time on purpose. I was extremely polite and I was praying the whole time for God to intervene. I have learned from the past that sweetness works better than anger in these situations. Oh, and prayer too ;> Finally, she said I could pick up the passport the next day which was still not what I wanted or needed. But, I did not want to push it with her. So now, I am paying a courier to get our Visas for us and they will be mailed back by next week. I am just relieved to know that is done and not hanging over my head on my TO DO LIST.
I am also praising God for His protection during our trip. We had one very scary close call that would have been, could have been an awful accident. I am not exaggerating one single bit. We were very close to being involved in a terrible accident and I truly believe that Angles were protecting us. Two cars were speeding and swerving in and out of traffic and I mean a high speed race or chase or something. They had to be driving at least 90 miles an hour. The second car sped past us, weaved between two cars trying to change lanes and lost control of the vehicle right in front of us! He spun around through 4 lanes barely missing a car ahead of us and then spun back across the interstate into the HOV lane and came to a stop. I thought that he was going to stop on the other side after the first spin and kept going. My dad was in the back seat and started saying slow,down, slow down, slow down. I started to put on my brakes as he was coming back across the lanes and almost had to come to a complete stop to avoid hitting him. I do not know how to explain the fact that he was able to drive away and that we did not hit him. We were just millimeters from hitting him. It seemed as though the time/space/speed velocity continuum went into slow motion. It was so scary...I was reaching over to Jordyn bracing for an impact! I am thanking God and Praising God that I am still alive and breathing today. I am thanking God that I will see Jailynn and hug her in China. That I will see Jailynn and Jordyn reunited as sisters and that I can still be their Mommy! That I am still here with my family. Maybe I sound ridiculous, but that seemed like a near-death or serious injury accident to me. I know that God still has a purpose for me here and that is to be a mother to my children. I am not done yet!

You Know You're An Adoptive Parent When...

2009-04-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.
2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.
3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.
4. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.
5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.
6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about adopted child's 'real' parents.
7. You have ever been 'pregnant' with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth.(2 years!)
8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide.
9. You have ever taken an airplane ride half-way around the world with a child you just met.
10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.
11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.
12. You know what the word 'Dossier' means, and you can actually pronounce it!
13. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.
14. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life.

-Author unknown

Random Pics!

2009-04-13T00:29:00.000-07:00

Jordy, Amanda, and Anna at Nann's house. Where are teh smiles??

JonMarc, cousin Elijah, and Jordyn at the Galvaston Bay having fun in the sun!

So Much to Do and So Little Time!

2009-04-13T00:16:00.000-07:00

So this is what all I did today....wake up early and finished the Easter baskets...run to the store for film and bunnies that I forgot yesterday...do laundry...paint eggs with kids...do laundry...clean room..do laundry...have egg hunt...do laundry...paint Jordyn's room with help from Kym and Jordyn...do laundry...feed kids...do laundry...clean jonmarc's room...paint JonMarc's room with help from Kym and Jordyn...do laundry...clean kitchen...do laundry...
Who ever said a woman's work is never done was absolutely right! Wew...I am exhausted and still not finished. Tomorrow is another day with a new list of it's own. I am going to take Noah and Jordyn to a Doctor's appointment...Joey to get his TX ID ( pray that he can get it so he can find a job!)...take Kym to look at apartments ( please pray they find a great apartment at the right price with a move in special)...pick kids up from school at 2:30...fix dinner...and then get ready to go to work.
I am helping Kym and Joey find their own apartment to move out. I am praying that they find the best place for them close to Kym's school and praying for the finances. I am also praying for supernatural strength to get through the next two weeks! I have sooo much to do and soooo little time to do it!
I packed Jailynn's suitcase tonight and went through her clothes...I am getting so excited as the time is getting closer.
17 days until I am on the Plane!!!!

HE IS Risen!

2009-04-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!
I love Easter! This is by far my favorite holiday because it has such a special meaning to me...celebrating the day that Jesus rose from the grave. Many people do not believe that this truly happned and think Christians are crazy to believe it. When you believe in Jesus...He makes His presense known to those that seek Him. Just try and you will see. Ask Him to make himself known to you and He will.
With that said, I want to share that I am thankful this Easter that my son Joey has rededicated himself to the Lord! I felt that it was important for Joey and Kym to come to church with us this Sunday and I was praying that they would come. I knew that there would be oppositional force against me and believe me there was. Not from Joey and Kym...but from the enemy. We have been under spiritual attack for a while. And it always seems the worse on the day we are going to church. Well, the important part is that Joey and Kym came to church and Joey made a life changing decision. I am praising God for that.I have been praying for Joey and Kym since they have moved in with us...and before that too. I will keep praying for their family as well. I am just so thankful that Joey has taken the first step to get his life together and i am excited to see where the Lord leads him.
Hope that everyone had a Happy and Blessed Easter Holiday!

Timely Encouragement!

2009-04-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

I love my little daily devotional on my blog! Yes...I love it because a times the message is so encouraging and just what I need to hear! Todays message just strengthens and encourages me to keep the faith and keep believing that God will provide the way where there seems to be no way. I believe that God is going to provide for us to bring Jailynn home. I do not know when, how, or where, but I know that He will. I am sorry that I bring this up...but these are my thoughts and where I am at right now. We have run short on the money we need for many reasons, but God is the one that has called us to keep these two precious girls together, and he will enable us to do it. He will provide more than enough. I believe it with all my heart. I will letyou know how he does it and how the miracles happen! Read the below message on that is on the devotional:
Willing, Ready, Enabled

Hebrews 11:11 NIV: By faith Abraham, even though he was past age-and Sarah herself was barren-was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.

We hold in our hearts a great and remarkable power. It is a power that overcomes adversity and brings us victory over the most difficult of situations. It is a power that is found simply through complete trust in Christ, with the smallest of things unto the greatest. There will be times that God will ask something of us. It may be to do a ministerial work, or to simply extend His grace to someone in need. Sometimes His call comes to us when we least expect it--when we are at our weakest. We wonder where we will find what we need to do what He asks. But even as He asks, He also enables. He does not ask you to have all the answers, or to find it within yourself to do His work. For "my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." He simply asks that you be willing to do what He asks, ready to follow Him, and that you trust Him. He will enable. He will equip. And He will provide.

Bragging on My Kiddo's

2009-04-07T22:47:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post a little something about my kiddo's. I love each and everyone dearly and I am truly blessed to be their Mommy. Each one is a gift from God!

Jailynn Charity Yu Kerr will be with her family on May 2nd! We cannot wait to see her and hug her! I cannot wait to see her reunited with Jordyn and see their reaction together. More to come...soon!

Jordyn Zohe Faith Kerr was adopted on September 18, 2007 from China. She is our Spicy Hunan Darling. Sometimes I call her my little sassy girl. She has personality and wisdom beyond her years. She is beautiful and loving. She has embraced our family as her own and shows her love to us everyday. My favorite thing that Jordyn does is that she sends me sweet little emails when I am at work. She usually writes: dear mommy...ilove you...do you love me? I love God...do you love God? That makes my day and metls my heart. Jordyn makes the A and B honor role and she is now reading on a second grade level. Jordyn learned to speak English phenominally fast! Jordyn cannot wait for our trip to China to bring Jailynn home.

Amanda Hope Kerr was born on September 20 1998, Amanda is such a blessing to us. She is so beautiful and has a sweet spirit. Amanda is funny and very smart. She is nominated to the gifted and talented program in school for the 5th grade. She makes straight A's and loves to write. Amanda is kind and caring. She loves animals especially wolves and horses.Amanda collects breyer horses and makes videos with her horses. She has also created her own animal website. Amanda is also very creative and artsy. She loves to write and draw. Amanda also loves to sing and her favorite singer is Taylor Swift.I cannot say enough about her and how much I love her and how proud I am to be her mommy.

JonMarc Timothy Kerr was born on May 17,2002. He is a daddy's boy all around and loves his Mommy. JonMarc loves to play his playstation and he loves to play games on the computer. JonMarc is smart and funny. He has the best sense of Humor and loves to make you laugh. He has a contagious laugh. JonMarc's favorite thing is dinner time. That boy can eat! He love lasagna, spaghetti, and Pizza. JonMarc really loves to play with Army men and loves the Incredible Hulk. He is all boy! He also loves animals and has four dogs that he enjoys playing with outside. My favorite conversation with JonMarc happened when we were in the car driving home last year and he aske me "Mom, why do people work? to pay thier bills, eat, live was my reply..."Mom, what will kind of Job will I have when i grow up?" I said that I did not know but he likes to build things...then he said "Mom, when I grow up, I will be a home builder and I will build you a big house!" Such a sweetie that loves his Mommy!

Anna Joy Kerr was born on July 25, 1994. I am very proud of Anna. She is a beautiful, smart, and helpful daughter. She is in Homeschool in the 9th grade and making straight A's. She hopes to become an author and write a novel. Anna is a self motivated person. She can be a little type A and I have to tell her to slow down. She loves the Lord with all her heart adn witnesses to her friends. Anna has led her friends to know Jesus and i am very proud of her for that. It is not easy to be a teen and to stand up for what you believe in and she does. She also helps me with chores and makes her own schedule. I have to tell her not to do some things at times because I worry that she does too much. Anna also loves to dance with Jordyn and they practice together every day ontheir dances. So cute! Anna is very loving and compassionate.Such a sweet heart and I am blessed to be her mother.

Noah Riley Turner was born on June 13, 2007. Noah was born premature and had gastroscesis- where there is a hole in the stomache wall and the intestines come out. We have had Noah since last year in August and he will be adopted after Jailynn comes home from China. Noah is a sweet baby and he is very smart. He loves to eat! Noah also loves to sing and dance and loves it when we play our music. He also loves to dance with Anna and Jordyn. I have finally been able to get his insurance in line and will be taking him to see specialists. I am afraid he has some hearing loss and needs a hearing aid. His speech is not where it should be. However, he can let you know what he wants and makes his presence known quickly! Noah has brightened up our lives and Jordyn loves to play with him!

Do yo think Jailynn has enough siblings??

New Revelation and Understanding!

2009-04-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

PimpingYourSpace.com Rules!

I just want to share a couple of things that God has been teaching me this week. I am so thankful to have a relationship with the Father and that He is renewing my heart and mind, and teaching me how to Trust in Him. These are concepts that I should know, I know in my head, i have heard before, and now God is giving me revelation knowledge of His Truth! God is so good to us! When we ask.. we receive. When we knock.. the door opens, and when we seek we find! I have been seeking God and asking for a deeper relationship with Him and He has answered my prayers. The truth that God has revealed to me is that I have been in bondage thinking. I have thought that God does not truly hear my prayers, that I am not worthy, or that He just chooses not to answer me to teach me a lesson. The truth is that He has heard my prayers, He is answering them whether I see it or not, and I am worhty through His Son Jesus! I have also realized by His gentle nudging, that I have had a poverty mindset. I have operated in a state of lack, not having enough, not able to make ends meet, etc...etc.. Maybe this is harder to explain than I thought. What I am trying to say is that God has set me free from a wrong way of thinking, and He has opened my eyes to the truth. God is a loving Father and wants to bless me and my family. He is capable of providing More than Enough for us so that we can in turn be a blessing to others. I am not talking about name it and claim..I want a BMW thing (by the way...I do not want a BMW, this is just an example, I am a minivan Mommy). But that God can and will provide more than enough for our family when we learn how to see Him as our provider and not our paycheck. I read a book called Prosperity with A Purpose and I Highly recommend it. I understand now the Godly and Biblical truth about Finances and Prosperity that I did not understand before. I can see a clearer picture of how God wants to use us and bless us. Maybe I am babbling away and not making sense, then I apologize. I am thankful to God for His revelation of truth to me and I can now declare in Faith that I know He will provide for us More than enough!!
Now if I can Humor you just a little longer...I want to share about what happened in church tonight! First of all, my glasses were misplaced by a certain little toddler running around our house. We were a little late for Church trying to find my glasses! I looked everywhere and could not find them so I had to go to Church half blind. We had a special speaker tonight and I have really been looking forward to this service. I was disappointed that I could not see but I was listening really closely. Maybe more so because I could not see! The speaker was Jim Cavziel, the actor who played Jesus in The Passion of The Christ. I highly recommend watching that movie if you have never seen it before. His message was soooo good and he is so humble. Well, we got to meet him and he signed a CD of the Bible on CD we purchased. I can honestly say I was star struck as I shook his hand and tried to communicate with Him. All I could say is that he was awesome and his message was awesome! My hands shook and my voice shook as I spoke to him. Yes...I admit it...I am a goofball. Anyway, my point is, I wonder how I will react to seeing Jesus face to face in heaven? Will I be able to speak at all? Will I fall down in worship? Or will I jump up and down in worship and praising Him? I think I will probably not be able to speak and fall down at His feet. But I really just want to give Him a big HUG! Happy Easter Week and I hope that everyone reading this knows Jesus on a personal level and will go to church this Easter!

Praising God!!

2009-03-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

We are officailly purchasing our airfare today! God has been so good to us and we have the money for our airfare. We have recieved a covenant loan for a total of 6000 which is covering our travel fees and airfare. We are still praying for the rest of the money we need which is about 7000 for the orphanage donation fee and legal fees. I know that it is sooooo much money to be in need of at this time. The reason that we need so much money is because the travel fees with our agency is at least 2 times more expensive than when we adopted Jordyn. We are also saving money and I am working extra shifts at the hospital and I am sending out letters to all our family and friends. I know that God has opened the doors for us to bring home Jailynn and I know that He is faithful and will provide for our family. Please keep us in your prayers! We will travel on April 29th to Los Angelas and then to Bejing! Here is our Itenerary:
Tentative group travel schedule:

4/30 - Depart U.S.
5/1 - Arrive in Beijing
5/2 - Beijing Tour
5/3 - Fly to your province
*If you skip Beijing you must be in your province by 5/2 *
5/4 – Gotcha Day!
5/9 - Fly to Guangzhou on the morning
5/12 - AC appointment
5/13 - Family goes to AC to pick up passport with visa and take oath in the afternoon5/14 – Earliest you can depart from China

Hold on Jailynn...we are coming soon!!!!

Care Package to Jailynn

2009-03-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

We are sending this really big care package to Jailynn. She is getting pj's, dolls, books, colors, blanket, and paint set, and candies. I am also sending camera's and hope to get pictures. The littel girl standing next to Jailynn is getting one outfit, doll, book, and blanket. She is also Jailynn and Jordyn's little friend and I just wanted to send her something special too.

Our Travel Dates are set for April 30th! We are going on the 30th to bring home Jailynn! I am so excited to know that this time this is it. Next week I will drive to Houston and get our Visa's. I may be going with just Me, Jordyn, and Anna. Then, I have to file paperwork for just one parent going to China. I am so sad to go without Tim, but then he can stay home and take care of the house, dogs, and other kiddos. The most important thing is just bringing home Jailynn. We also got update measurements on Jailynn:
I got you yu`s update measurements this afternoon ,below is the detail:
height :114cm
weight :17.3kg She wieghs 38 lbs!
feet :17.5cm
head :49.5cm
chest :52cm

One of those days!

2009-03-18T00:21:00.000-07:00

Today has definately been one of those days! A day where nothing seems to have gone right. I had a bright idea on Saturday to rescue a puppy from the shelter because I had a momentary laps of reason. JonMarc has been asking for a puppy for the longest time and I think I was tired of hearing him ask. I found a cute australion shepherd mix at a shelter close to Fort Worth. It was quite a long drive but I thought it would be worth it to get go for the drive. The adoption fee was very low. That should have sounded an alarm right there. We saw the puppy and thought he was to adorable to pass up and adopted him. The shelter was a little dirty and the animals were not kept in very clean kennels. Another alrm should have went off. He had his vaccinations and so I assumed he was healthy. Everything seemed to be going well. The kids adore him and he is a sweet little guy. Then today, I noticed he had lost some weight and was not eating or drinking. The poor baby is sick with parvo. I have been giving him imodium and pedialyte and praying that he makes it. Parvo is the worse thing ever for little puppies and the smell is horrible. I am up all night nursing this poor baby to health and praying for him to make it. My kids will be sooo upset if he doesn't make it. Please pray for this little baby. The other part of this story is that we also have a cat with a broken leg that is not healing well. I was just at the Vet office with our kitty and found out that his leg has to be amputated. At the worse possible time when I am trying to save, save, save money to bring Jailynn home. The cats leg is not healing properly and will never function at all and has to be taken off. Poor Kitty, Poor puppy, oh and Poor Me! So what more can go wrong? The washing machine has decided to flood on every rinse cycle, that is what else can go wrong for me. I am not complaining. I am thankful that I am off work for the next 2 days to deal with the kitty, puppy, and washer. Just keeping it real.
God is always so Good. I did get an update on Jailynn from the orphanage. We are sending her a care package this week and Susan from Red Thread Adoption Gifts sent me an update:
You yu is in preschool and lives in school ,she will be back to the orphange when she has no classes ! Also You yu is doing very well with her school too.
So it is a small update but encouraging to hear bout my darling. I did not know that children can live at a school. I was suprised that she is not in a foster home like Jordyn was. I hope to find out more soon and have some pics of her care package and of her!
We are still praying for God's provision and waiting to hear our updated travel dates. Until then, keep praying!

Looks Like May and Ice Skating fun!

2009-03-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I am pretty sure we will go in May. I am disappointed and sad for Jailynn, but maybee in the end I will see that it is for the best. We need to save more money and raise morw money. ALso, the extra time will give me more time to get my house ready and her room ready. I hope to paint and decorate her room. I am just going to focu on everything I need to do to get ready. Then, I will be less stressed and feel much better. I am also sending a care package to her on Friday so she will know that we are coming and we are thinking of her.

I finally got more of our Christmas pictures developed so her they are:

Grand Baby Phoenix

Amanda Concentrating Hard on Skating

Anna Loves to Ice Skate!

JonMarc is having fun!

Grandson Hayden loved going Ice skating

Jordyn was a natural at skating and loved it!

Noah wanted in on the action too!

Do you think they are related by any chance?

Anna chasing down the runaway baby.

Ahh...me and my sweetie!

Still Praying for a Miracle

2009-03-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

I am still waiting and praying for a miracle that we can travel on March 26th. We have limited window of time to make the decision (by Monday at the latest) in order to keep the consulate appointment. I know that with God all things are possible and I am not giving up yet. The worst case will be that we have to postpone until May. If that happens, I am going to send Jailynn the biggest and best care package possible with toys, candy, and clothes> I am going to send her a letter so she knows that we are still coming, and that we are thinking of her everyday. I am also going to send her new pictures of her family and of Jordyn. I am also going to go into nesting mode and paint and decorate her room. Preparing myself this Way will help me to overcome the devastation of having to wait another 6-8 weeks. I know that it will go by fast, but I just feel like it will be forever away and more waiting. I am so ready to be on the plane and on our way to bringing her home. I believe that a lot can change in the next few days and God can do a miracle. So I will keep waiting, hoping, praying, and believing. Please pray for us and pray for Jailynn.

Blessings,
Melanie

We Have Our Travel Dates!

2009-03-11T13:15:00.001-07:00

We have our travel Dates to Leave on March 26th! I am happy to know that we have these dates. In order to confirm the dates we have to purchase our airfare in the next 2 days. I am praying for a miracle that our funds come in on time in order to purchase our airfare. Right now at this moment in time, we do not have the money available, yet. I am praying that the money comes in because if it doesn't, then the worst case scenario is that we have to push our travel dates back until May. I know that we should already have this money saved up, I know that there are alot of reasons why it is not there and it should be. All I can say is that everything happens for a reason, and I am praying and trusting God that we will provide a way where there seems to be no way. I am trusting God for a miracle that only He can provide. I am very sad that the money is not in the bank account right now, I am sad that things have happened that has been unavoidable. I will be very sad if we have to push back our travel dates. Not sad for me, but sad for Jailynn. All I can do is pray and wait for God to move a mountain for us. Please pray for our family and for Jailynn. Please pray that God will provide for us the money we need for our airfare and pray that our travel will not be delayed.