Some more photos

It is now Wednesday morning, and we will not be going to the orphanage today. It turns out there is an outbreak of hand-foot-mouth disease, and they do not want Kaden to be exposed. We are bummed by this, but making the best of it. I just spent about an hour talking to my sons in CA - good to see and hear them again. Miss them terribly!!

So, for your viewing pleasure, I'm going to post some photos from the past couple of days. I'll do about 3 or 4 photos per posting, so I don't bog down the system too badly here.

Here you go:



Mommy and Kaden walking along the river walk right outside our hotel. It's about 94 degrees and 2 million percent humidity!



Signing and stamping the official adoption documents - he's ours!!



Our guide, Helen, taking us to "WarMar" - she pronounces "L" sounds fine, that's just what they call it.



Kaden playing, momma emailing and FaceTiming.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Tongpan Rd,Fuzhou,China

The next morning . . .

Daddy and son having fun with each other and the iPad camera







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Tongpan Rd,Fuzhou,China

First photo of our new son

Here is a photo I just took with our iPad of Annette and Kaden.
More to come - probably later this afternoon.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Tongpan Rd,Fuzhou,China

We've got him!!!

It is 1:30 pm local time, and we have our new son here with us!

Kaden and Annette are playing on the floor right now. There have been some tears and anxiety over leaving all that he knows for couple of strangers, but this is to be expected.

Please pray for good bonding, and as smooth a transition as we can.

He is a darling boy, and we are so awed by this whole thing right now.
His smile lights up the room, and his tears break our hearts.

More later.

- Steve


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Tongpan Rd,Fuzhou,China

We Are In China!

This is a first test of posting on our blog from China!
We can't view the blog from here, so we'll see if we can post.

If this works, photos will be posted later.

All has gone great so far - just a lot of time in airplanes and airports!

We pick up our son at 3 pm China time, so that will be midnight California time.

More later - bye for now!

- Steve & Annette


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Fuzhou

We're Leaving Tonight!!

It is amazing how so many emotions can be tied to one day!!

We are excited, nervous, stressed, sad - 

you name it, 

today is a roller coaster ride!

So sad to be leaving our precious boys home without us for 2 weeks,

yet so excited to be bringing home another treasure!!

When you think about us,

please pray for our 4 boys at home,

our little Kaden waiting for his forever family,

Steve's dad who is having a pace maker put in tomorrow,

safe travels and an amazing time in Ch*na together,

our awesome friends Alexis, Amador & their 2 kiddos -

for taking care of our guys at home for 2 weeks,

and that everything would go smoothly with no hiccups!

We leave late tonight and will arrive back home on the evening of Aug. 25th.

We'll update when we can.

So blessed by all of you

and honored that God would entrust us with another precious son!!

We Are FULLY Funded!!!

For ALL of you who have prayed for our family

and contributed your time & resources to helping us 

raise the necessary funds to adopt our newest treasure,

THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!!!!

We have been blessed beyond measure over the last 9 months

by the love that has been shown by each and every one of you!

THANK YOU!!

Psalm 68:5-6a

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,

is God in His holy dwelling.

God sets the lonely in families.

Traveling Soon!!!

Sorry to keep all of you hanging, we've been a bit busy around here!

Thank you to all of you who were praying for our consulate appointment - 

our appointment is on Aug. 24th!!

We leave a week from today on Aug. 11th and 

Gotcha Day will be Aug. 14th (Aug. 13th here in the US)!!


I'll update more before we leave.

9 Months Ago Today

Our TA (travel approval) arrived at our agency today, 

9 months to the day from when we chose Kaden to be our son!

We should know on Monday when we will be traveling
once our CA (consulate appointment) has been made.


Hang on little man,
you will be in your Daddy & Momma's arms
so very, very soon!!

A Quote from Jordan

"Satan is not welcome here for God's Word is Glorious"

~ Jordan

Just had to share with all of you a priceless quote from one of our treasures.

Jordan said this one day as we were sitting and talking about ways we are tempted

each and every day, and how we can fight off the attacks that come our way.

TA is on it's way!!!!!

We just received word that our TA (travel approval) 

is on it's way to our agency!!!!

Which means that any of the changes that Ch*na made regarding 

post-placement visits will not apply to our family

since our TA was issued before August 1st.

Thank you so much to all of you who have been praying for us!!

Please pray that we are able secure our consulate appointment for Aug. 23rd or 24th.

If we can get an appointment on one of those days,

then we are hoping to be able to travel on Aug. 11th.

YAHOO!!!!

Please Pray

Click here for Linny's most recent updates on Karl.
Thank you so much for lifting Karl up in prayer!!


Anyone interested in signing up for a prayer vigil for Karl 
can do so by clicking here.


Specific prayer requests for Karl - 
Please pray that the fluid from his brain would run completely clear.
That his agitation would stop.
That his lung infection would totally clear.
That he will continue to breath well on his own.
That he would open his eyes voluntarily.


UPDATE from Linny: 6pm Sunday
Karl is our of neurosurgery.
They put a shunt in to drain the mass bleeding.


I know you don't know him, but he is a treasure. Really.
We have met lots of young men over the years.
He rises above all the rest by the heights of the Himalayans.


Here's what we need anyone to pray specifically:
1. Brain NOT to swell. 
(6:20pm via Twitter - brain swelling - please pray it will STOP)
2. Pneumonia not to set in.
3. Complete healing.


"The LORD your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."




My dear friend Linny, over at A Place Called Simplicity,

posted an urgent prayer request this morning.

Her daughter Autumn's boyfriend was in a motorcycle/car accident this morning

on his way to pick up Autumn to take her to church.

Karl was airlifted to the hospital in Durango. 

They determined that he has some bad head trauma

and is now being airlifted to the nearest hospital with a trauma neurosurgeon 

and will undergo neurosurgery immediately.

Please pray for Karl's complete recovery!

Autumn & Karl