LID Confirmation and Updated Pictures!!!!

Wim and I are thrilled to have received official notice of our Log-in-Date (LID) with China, which is August 7, 2009.



This is the date that China received the full package of our paperwork to adopt Clara Rose and it is the date that officially starts the countdown.

With some luck it is possible that we might be able to travel and bring her home by Christmas-- but that is sort of pushing it. We'll see how the process goes.

We are also using an organization called Red Thread to send a care package to Clara Rose and they were able to get us updated pictures and information about her growth.



Look at this happy little girl! We may be biased, but we think she is absolutely adorable!





I will try to work with these pictures-- to make some of them bigger, but right now, this is what we have.

I checked her growth height is a little over 33 inches and wt a little over 27 lbs at ~19 months and according to what we have received, she is in the ~ 90th percentile for height and weight-- so her and Josie are similar in size for the ages.

Here is a picture of the care package that is being sent to Clara Rose from us. I made the photo album pictured on the left and mailed it to Ann at Red Thread. She added it to the other items purchased in China for the care package. The package includes new PJ's, a soft comfy blanket, doll, letter from us translated to Mandarin, disposable camera to take pictures, and several bags of chocolate for Clara Rose to share with everyone.

She looks like a little Gladiator! Oh boy, is she going to fit right in with her siblings!!!

The next step is for us to received the official referral from China, also called the Letter of Confirmation or Letter of Acceptance. Hopefully, we will have it within 80 days of our LID!

More of the Same Fun Stuff Plus a Faire

Hi Everyone,

The biggest news this week is that Wim, Grandma, Gabrielle and Xavier are on their way to Disney for the week. I am sure they will have tons of fun pictures and stories to share when they return. We decided that given Josie's young age and all, we would sit this one out and enjoy some one-on-one Mommy and Josie Dong Dong time.

We've had our share of fun the past few weeks. Nothing overly exciting, but fun all the same.

Josie was very excited to have her friend Grace come over to play one rainy weekend day.

She manage to talk Jie Jie into waiting by the window with her.

When Grace arrived it was full speed fun and action! Josie was more than happy to take Grace for a spin on her sit-n-spin. Followed by some gourmet cooking.

After the delectable banquet of plastic food, the girls sat down to play some ball.

Then Josie noticed that Grace was wearing a Kai Lan shirt like the one she has and asked to change her shirt--Followed by a picture request.

On non-rainy days, we did our usual romp to the beach. Josie and I had fun building a sand castle.

Jie Jie came to help out.

Later in the day, Daddy and Josie changed the castle into a volcano.

It was a really nice day this day. Not a good day for boogie boards or body surfing, but good for just laying and floating in the water.

Josie being super baby cool in her glasses filling up her volcano.

Both Josie and Xavier were tired when we got home from the beach. They snuggled-up together on the couch for a mini-snooze.

Earlier this week Josie got her first taste of carnival rides and discovered that she really likes them a lot. Her and Grace had a blast in this little car ride.






Josie laughed and laughed and then began waving to her public as she drove by. Grace was more serious and kept her eyes on the road.

Josie and Grace were rearing to try the next ride, a circus train. This ride was more daring-- it didn't really have a seat belt in it.







Josie wasn't too sure what to think of the genie guy just outside her cart.

Here is a more full shot of the train. Josie and Grace in are the car in the back car.











Josie had a great time and I am really looking forward to taking her to Story Land in a couple of weeks.

"I wanna go again!"

Another Milestone

This weeks marks another big milestone since our family was blessed to have Josie Dong Dong become a part of it. Josie was a little over 16-months when we adopted her and as of this week, she has been a part of our family longer than she has lived anywhere else.

I don't have much time for a lot of pictures, but here are a few of what we call, Dong Dong-isms:

Milp (now Milk)

Sandal flops (flip flop sandals)

Candy pop (either a lollipop or frozen ice-cream)

I wanna both (meaning she wants two of whatever--usually cookies)

I wead it (she will read the book)

I help Mommy (usually results in it taking me 5-times longer to get it done)

Mommy baby (she wants me to be the baby and her the Mommy)

swan dives into kiddie pools (enough so that she split open her knee)

Finding our: keys, shoes, socks, comb, brushes-- pretty much anything she see us using and is able to get without us noticing--in either her backpack, purse, play kitchen and some other place(s) we have yet to discover.

There are more, but that is what comes to mind off the top of my head.

Silly Summer Fun

Yippeeeee!!! We are finally DTC! July 31st!!! I am closer to bringing home my baby sister!!!!



This is our biggest news and while we had hoped to be at this stage a few weeks ago, we are very happy to finally have all our paperwork in order and on its way to China.


Josie Dong Dong and the rest of us are finding fun ways to keep busy while we wait for our official LID- log in date from China.

Here is Josie in her "muscle-man" swim suit.













I love this suit! I can be more independent in the pool!!












Josie is happy to have Gabrielle helping her in the pool. They have lots of fun together. Josie refers to the googles as "the nose glasses."

Wim and I took Josie to a little carnival themed fund raiser at our YMCA. The place was much busier than we had thought it would be. We ended up parking quite a ways up a hill in the woods
of the YMCA camp. Josie really enjoyed the ride on Daddy's shoulders through the woods. It was all down hill-- until we had to go back to the van.

There was a small petting zoo with mostly lizards and snake like creatures. Josie wasn't too interested in those. But she did enjoy the bunny rabbit.

After the animals it was time to really get the party started. Josie Dong Dong loved getting her hair-do done up with green and pink sparkly hair spray.



Next it was time for some tattoos- Josie Dong Dong wanted two so she could have one on both arms. That is her big thing now-- she always has to have "both."



We worked up an appetite and headed over to the cookie decorating table. It was the Yummiest in town.














Wim asked Josie if he could have a bit and she politely said, "No. It my favowite."


A sure sign of a good cookie-- how much is smeared around the lips.

Yup! This was a good one!









Saturday Wim, Gabrielle, Josie and I headed out to Buttonwood Farms. They grow fields of Sunflowers and once a year before the harvest they hold a fundraiser for the Make a Wish Foundation. We all had a great time going for a hayride, playing with sunflowers, and eating some of the best home made ice-cream ever!!!!

OK, Gabrielle is prettier than the flower-- but the flower is taller.





Josie liked riding in the farm truck. We got to feed some cows while on the hay ride as well.

"This is a really big flower!"

After the hay ride we decided to go for a little stroll through the sunflower field.

"I want a picture with Mommy sitting next to me."








Nothing like fields of Sunflowers to bring out the Kodak moment!

"I want to dwive it Jie Jie."

"This is fun, but it's hot. I'm ready to go home and swim!"