Sky High!!

We, little guys plus mom, went to see the Discovery launch down in Titusville... So coooool..
What power....go USA....the people...water..osprey...dolphins...and more people then finally the glowing red and the cloud!!  Up and up and away it went...right over our heads...the people cheering...me cheering...my boys cheering... so cooool.  and to realize that God is sooo big that I will never get my head, my heart, or hands around Him---NOW that is out of this world feeling!!!

When stuck in going nowhere fast kind of traffic---got the email---NVC letter!!!  woohoo..
Now, that is a sky high feeling...one step closer... to our daughter... one step closer to China...a country around the world from us.... God has chosen us as her family....that is cooool...

my guess today:  travel May 6th.....

Will our baby girl come home with her butterfly shirt??

The boys were asking what will she have when we get her.  I was explaining only the clothes that she has on at the time.. which maybe up to 6-7 layers because they bundle their babies even when it is hot.  But I don't think she will have that many in May...
They all agreed that they wanted her to wear the pretty butterfly coat.  They feel that Andi really likes this one and so do they!!
Such sweet boys.  I had thought of the same thing.

John thinking of his little sister

I was looking over John's book order for school when I noticed Bible Stories for Girls was circled on his form.. "John, why did you want this one?  It says it is for girls."  His reply, "Mom, that is for our baby girl. She will like it."

Meeting the Woman in purple and the Man in green at Joseph's Pizza

What a meeting!! So enjoyed their stories from China... Shelley has held my hand every step of the way.
So thankful for the love and excitement Shelley has had for baby Andi coming home:)

No photos of Andi today

Lynne just emailed a lengthy email explaining how today's visit to the SWI went for them.  They were not allowed to go around to visit the children even after asking specifically about Wang YaChang.  The director did accept the gifts I had sent with Lynne to give to Andi.  I sent her little giraffe blanket that Santa brought to her, a collage of photos of her family and our names and her name in Chinese, a letter written to the Nannies, and a camera for them to take photos prior to our arrival in China.  Lynne said that when the Nanny handed Joni over to them that a bag was given with the things that Lynne had sent over to Joni.  So this is good news...but no photos or the whisper in her ear.....but maybe it is even better than Lynne whispering to her----her Nannies whispering in Chinese so that she understands:)  But God also can/is whispering to her that she is loved by the King.. and her forever family:)
Yes, I am up at 3:30 checking the web for an update from Lynne...and while I was checking Lynne's email came thru.  Now, I can go rest for the remaining of the night....and dream of the day we get to hold Andi...
THANK YOU Lynne:)

Possible new photos this week

Lynne will be going to visit the SWI tomorrow and she posted this in her blog:  

Meg, I hope to give your daughter a big HUG and KISS from you, I'll be sure to whisper in her ear that her family loves her very much and will come to get her soon!.....
http://www.theprinzingfamily.blogspot.com/

Wow...I do pray that Andi knows in her heart that she is loved and that we are coming for her soon.  So cool to know that someone might actually tell her this!!

A date with Andy at a Chinese restaurant in Clemson

Maybe this date was the beginning of our road to adoption from China:)

Andi's China Sister --Joni-- meets her family

the LOA arrival on 1-24-11

The update in Dec

On Dec 13, 2010, I had gone out shopping when I heard my new email ding on my phone.  I looked (at a stop light of course) to see who the email was from---My agency with the words update!  Oh, my.. I have to pull over -- new photos of our Andi!!  I couldn't get internet service so I pulled into a bike shop.  I went to ask if I could use their internet to download my photos on my phone.  It would not work because I did not have the password and neither did the bike shop worker.  He offered his computer for me to use.  So I logged into my gmail account!! and there she was!!  so sweet... I couldn't call Andy to tell him because he was home sleeping after working a night shift.  I called Shannon---look at your email!! quick--look--hurry---What it didn't go thru---sent it again.. Finally Shannon got the photos!! and we enjoyed a sweet time looking at the photos.. I then sent them onto Lynne --who is adopting a daughter from the same SWI (Social Welfare Institute).  She calls me to say she thinks one of the other girls in the photo is of her Joni!!
Really?? wow.   Well, we are not sure if the little girl is Joni BUT we will find out this week.  Lynne should be receiving her daughter in her arms right about now in China---on Valentine's Day.  Now, we will know if the little girl is Joni.

zoo, lady, and baby girl continued

I forgot to mention that Steven was especially interested in watching Michelle's little girl.  The toddler was running around and playing in the dirt having a good time.  Steven just had this sweet, sweet smile on his face.  He asked me when we were leaving, "Will our baby girl be as fun as that baby?  I like her."

The lady at the zoo

The boys and I were at our monthly homeschool zoo classes on Nov 17 (Andy's birthday).  During one of the breaks, I was listening to a conversation between 2 women that both had Asian children with them.  They were speaking of when they traveled to China---they said there was even a dad all by himself picking up his child in China.  Well, I listened---felt a nudge to introduce myself--no, no, that would be admitting I was listening to their private conversation.  Besides Andy always told me when we were out and bout with the twins that everyone that had twins did not want to take to me!!  So I am thinking not everyone that as a little China girl wants to talk with me... But the inner nudge kept at my heart.  I kept trying to convince myself not to say a word...  Holy Spirit?!  and I am trying to ignore the HS...
Ok, I broke down and admitted I was listening in on the conversation.  I think I asked about their stories (I hope I did), but I know I told them about mine...mmmm, seems a bit selfish on my part--all bout me... ugh.
Well, Michelle was just a delight to listen to.  She had just come back home from China with her daughter in the last 6 weeks!!  and the SAME agency as ours!  and she dropped a doctor's name that had reviewed their file!!---could it be?  that the doctor was within Andy's office??!! no way, so I asked did you mean Dr. P. S.?  Yes, she did!!  wow, a friend of ours helped them review the medical file...
So Michelle kindly gave me her cell and said call anytime with questions, help, advice, support and PRAYER.  Did I mention that her husband is in ministry?!!
This meeting happened to be just 6 days before we would receive our referral!!
WOW----God is in the details...  moreover, He reveals Himself to ME... wow...  I now know it was the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart...  Wow... this journey of adoption just blows me away....  God is big and He is good all the time.  and His timing is perfect.

McDonalds and Dobson and Chapmans

It was 5 years ago that I cooked supper for the family, but I went out to grab a salad from McDonalds.  I was on a low carb diet and I was out of anything that was protein filled and I was hungry now...
So while ordering the salad, James Dobson came on the radio (around 7 or 7:30pm---I never listen to the radio at that time of night because we are usually not in the car then).  It was Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman speaking on adoption.  Well----something pulled at my heart to pull over in a parking place and listen..so I enjoyed my salad and a seed of adoption was being watered.  I came home to tell Andy all about the show...  Let's adopt!!

birthdate

Andi has the same birthday as my dear friend, Suzanne Godwin!!  Suzanne is with Jesus.  She died the year she graduated from high school.  Suzanne was very full of life and laughter.  She lived down the same street from me.  We both attended the same church and school.  Suzanne loved pink.  Wonder if Andi will like the color pink too?  Suzanne's mom taught both Andy and me math in high school.  Miss Claire has a special place in my heart.  Andy calls her Aunt Claire because you see they are related....both Godwins..
I think they are like second cousins.  Our John was named after John George Godwin which was Andy's great grandfather and Mr. Page's (Uncle Page) grandfather....Oh, boy... I may not be exactly right on that lineage.  There are a lot of Godwins from where we come from-----I just hope I am not related to them -hehe...

October 9, 2009---Andi's birthday

name--Julianne Eloise

Julianne means youthful.
Eloise means famous warrior.
Andi means warrior.

Julia was Andy's maternal grandmother Julia Carolyn Chapman Andrews---called her Carolyn.
Eloise is my (Meg's) middle name, my mother's middle name and my grandmother's name---Mary Eloise.
  Both my mother and grandmother were called by Eloise.
We added "anne" to Julia to give her Andy's name too...  Julianne!!

Andy came up with calling her Andi.  We had been set on a girl's name for years.  We never got to use it since we have all boys.  We had thought about Ellie, Elle, Julia, Juls (?not sure of how we would have spelled it)... and when Andy came up with Andi, it was a done deal!!   I am sure Miss Ann cannot believe that we agreed on a name so quickly.  You see, we left the hospital without a couple of our kids being named.

name-- Wang Ya Chang

wang ya chang is Andi's chinese name.  In China the surname comes first.

Wang means king or monarch.

is a Chinese family name and the most common surname in the world.^{[citation needed]} It is ranked 8th in the Hundred Family Surnames, and first in the People's Republic of China's National Citizen ID Information System (NCIIS). Wang is ranked as the most common surname in mainland China, with 92.88 million people bearing this surname.^[2][3] Translated into English, Wang literally means "king" or "monarch" (see Chinese noble#Wang; see also King (surname)). However, bearing the name has no royal implications in most cases.

Ya means elegant

Chang is a boy name meaning smooth

When we first got her referral photo (not posted here yet), we all thought she looked like a boy because she did not have any hair.  She actually looked like a bio Godwin boy!!  We are uncertain if she was a bald baby or the orphanage shaved her head.

2009 Year of the Cow

China is celebrating Chinese New Year right now.  2011 is the year of the rabbit.  But Andi was born in 2009 --- year of the cow.
The 3 little guys' favorite webkin right now is the cow.  Thomas got a baby cow from Santa.  John got a big cow from Thomas as a Christmas gift... and John already had a cow.  I think the webkins have original names like---Big Cow and Little Cow:)  I am sure these boys will share their cows with baby Andi...

Jan 27th-"I think I have something that might put a big smile on your face"

That was the title of the email that sent me on cloud nine for days!!  It was from a mom that is going to China Feb 10th to meet her new daughter, Joni.  It so happens (God's story!!) that Joni and Andi are at the same orphanage!!  They might even be in the same photo together!!  The mom made a donation to Love without Boundaries (LWB) over Christmas.  The ministry sent her a thank you note with two photographs of a little girl holding the diapers that were bought with the donation.  That little girl was our sweet Andi!!!
From what I can see from the yahoo group of her orphanage, there has not been an adoption since 2007.
But there are going to be 2 in 2011---our Andi and my friend's Joni...
God is in the details.  And the grace He gives in giving me glimpses of how His hand is working is soooo coool to me.  God is revealing Himself to ME!!  The story of Andi's adoption has been amazing.  As a dear sweet friend says, "when God goes after the heart of your child, He is getting 3 hearts."  The child plus his parents!! and that is definitely what is happening here in the Godwin family...

Andi's stocking

My dearest friend, Shannon, made Andi's stocking for her!!!  It arrived the Monday after Christmas.  Just in time to put the little blanket that Santa brought her in it and hang along with the others.  The boys were so excited that Andi had a stocking.  Shannon did find out the FedEx has Christmas Eve as a holiday, otherwise it would have been here for Christmas morning...

I-800 receipt!!

Got our receipt number.  The immigration officer is a no fun and no help kind of person so she said she couldn't look at my application until she got the number... I know from a nice officer that she could look it now and approve it BUT noooo I have to wait on the grouchy officer.  I have thought about sending flowers and chocolate --- so we wait some more.

More Sharing:)

I called to share with Kathy--you know she could have been my kids' mom!  That is another story for another day.  I asked Kathy if she wanted to go to China with me to pick up our little girl --- she went to into nonstop cheering!!!
Sweet Jenny caught my call while she was driving her kids to all kinds of places---she quickly exclaimed this was the best news she had heard in a loooong time.  She went on and on about what the joy the boys would have in having a sister.  She did inform me that I did not know how to shop for girls so she would show me!! and wants to have a baby shower---I told her that "baby shower" sounded a little weird.  I think we should call it a celebration, but Jenny insists it is a baby shower..  Now baby showers I feel a little old for...
Then the text came from Steve L that a little bird had told him "we were changing the boys to girl ratio!"
He texted this was "awesome" and wanted to know the arrival date.  We, then, connected by phone.  He remarked that Andy's heart would just melt having a girl.  That having a girl was way different than having boys especially when it came to discipline --- He said when he looked at his little girl's face that his heart just melts...