First...

AnnaBelle had some first today I wanted to note...
She had cheesy macaroni and cheese.
Big first  she fed  herself independently!
She used her sippy cup today.
She wore her first tutu with Big Sis Joy and danced together.
We played outside and Joy pulled her on the trike. She is too short to reach petals.
She saw Louis for the first time. (She is afraid of him)
She watched Joy take a bath and hopefully will decide to join her soon.
She walked in the grass with shoes on, just a few steps in. Don't think she had ever seen it.
She played with her Big Sister!
She blew kisses today and waved bye saying bye bye!!! (Precious)
She wore her first rain boots and liked them. Was hilarious to watch her navigate with them on.
She had a food allergy reaction and has her first red rash.
Today was her FIRST day with her Forever family!
As I watched the girls play and run and giggle, I couldn't help but wander what AnnaBelle was doing without us and what were we doing without her?
I am so thankful God wrote our story with hers!!

Home Sweet Home

Guangzhou

We made it home late last night. We were welcomed by sweet friends and a loving family! Funny thing was, AnnaBelle was fussing the last 15min of the flight from Houston and had done so well. And she went to sleep mid fit. Really she did. Everyone was waiting to see her sweet smile and she fell asleep right before we landed. I strapped her in the ergo and she stayed asleep while everyone greeted her with happy tears. She fussed about her carseat ride, first time until Dumas then fell asleep. We were weary travelers! It was about 30 hours home, 12 time zones, a stop in Tokyo and many meals on the airplane coming home. AnnaBelle was a peach on the 12 hour flight Tokyo to Houston. She was so good. She slept most of the long flight home. She is teething both bottom molars and those have really hurt her. Especially the pressure flying. We made it though! Natasha Nightengale was a huge help, she was my banker, my pack mule and great company to laugh with at the end of the day. So thankful for her being my travel companion. Oh yea and she was always hauling dirty diapers to the airplane "lavatory". Big thanks Tasha!! By yesterday AnnaBelle was saying "Tasha". Very sweet. Today was our first day at home. AnnaBelle and Joy played hard together. She gave Joy her first kiss. AnnaBelle had not kissed anyone until today. Then she started blowing kisses and waving bye bye. Melting your heart yet? She babbled to Joy through both meals and we just giggled. She made many messes with the refrigerator magnets and dumping things out.  It was so fun to watch her play and hear her giggle and smile.  The trip was long, it was long in country but it was worth ever bit! Watching the girls dance silly in their tutu skirts from Meemaw today was so sweet. I am so glad to be home with my family!  And Im thankful to live in the USA. 

Clinic Day and the Zoo

Sweet smile!

It's Monday night here. We had clinic day today, each child was seen by general dr, ENT and wt and size taken by nurse. Then they drew labs for TB test. That was so
traumatic! They whisked the kids away and the parents waited outside. My AnnaBelle
was very scared when she came out. Our group went on a water boat cruise tonight and
had dinner. It was nice. The food was interesting but the ride was beautiful! 
AnnaBelle is busy playing and babbling beside me. Babble in Chinese is so funny to
listen to. Very sweet. She was so busy today. At lunch she dumped her bowl of rice
when she was finished. She has shown more independence and wanted down to walk more.
She has the sweetest giggle ever. 
Guangzhou has 17 million people here. It's closer to the coast so it's humid and
rainy. A very pretty city and much cleaner. I am counting down the days to leave for
home. I cannot wait to see my Joy girl and be home with both girls. AnnaBelle has
such a sweet disposition. When she plays she lines things up then moves them and
lines them back up. She is still sleeping with me which is interesting and will have
to be dealt with at home. For now we are snuggling. I bet she has never been
snuggled so much, if ever! It's bath and bedtime. 
The kids in our group are feeling better. Several have been sick. AnnaBelle was sick
first and others had different sickness. Goodnight from the noodle and sticky rice
nation. And millions of people. You cannot imagine the traffic and people. 

Clinic day

Natasha, AnnaBelle and Mommy

Tuesday at the zoo

Morning its Sunday. We are in Guangzhou for the last leg of the trip. I am so eager
to be home. AnnaBelle is doing good. We are working through nighttime sleep
disturbances. Been a little rough. She is smiling and babbling things I cannot
understand. Yesterday on the plane she was talking babble Chinese to the man next to
the window. He pulled the window closed which she didn't approve.  I love
seeing her smile and babble!  Her smile is so sweet. This week we will have a clinic
day, a tb test done, VISA interview and then print the child's vISA. Friday we
come home!!!  There are options for touring each day. 
Milton is stuck in Denver due to a snow storm overnight. Pray he gets home quickly.
He is traveling alone and Joy has been waiting for his return. She was teary when we
did FaceTime.  I'm equally missing her! 
Today I have to get diapers and wipes. That will require a taxi to Walmart. Should
be interesting. 
Our plane was very delayed coming here for a lightening storm. Natasha had a long
delayed flight coming in. 
We are good. I hope this week is Godspeed! 

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday

Thursday;

Yesterday and today have been transition days. She hasn'tt felt since we got
her.  AnnaBelle really clings to me which makes simple things like bathing hard. She
is beautiful. She is sensitive. She is tiny. She is a good eater. She doe not like
bathes. She is timid. Last night we had dinner with our friends from travel group
and kids. AnnaBelle  enjoyed the  kids and was 
 content watching them. We had real Chinese food and it was good. And we enjoyed the
company of new friends. I am missing Joy and jealous of Milton's return home
Saturday. AnnaBelle has enjoyed walks in her Ergo carrier and often naps. A woman
came up to me today with her in the Ergo. She was a local and started chatting
mandarin at me. She wasn't reprimanding me but could have.  She wanted to know
the gender of the baby and was in my space. Removing the blanket over sleeping
 AnnaBelle. I finally said, girl.  Americans stand out because of our skin and hair
then add a Chinese baby!! The whispers and looks are no secret. 
Today the paper trail was our guides busyness. Gathering passports for all the kids.
And a thick brown envelope. The Halfv Sky Foundation had worked AnnaBelles floor at
the orphanage and created a scrapbook. It's all in Mandarin so I will need
translation but had pictures we never saw. Glad to have it!  AnnaBelle played the
most we have seen. She seemed more content and ate more. She likes steamed eggs. She
took two smaller naps and a big one.  I know she has grieved as her entire world has
changed! I have grieved with her. I have cried for the length of time it took to get
her. I have apologized to her.  It's been a big week. Emotional. 
Today was sunny but cool. The wind cleared the smog.  It's so full of people
and buildings, traffic. I braved leaving AnnaBelle with Milton to go
 to the locals market street for little girls shoes. It was interesting! If there
isn't room on the street people drive on the sidewalk! They have the right
away. It's bizarre. Locals have booths of fruit to buy. And local restraints
to eat at. I never would because of sickness. It was poverty stricken. Sad to see.
Dirty dirty. Where we are in the city it's clean and someone is always
cleaning.

Finally Friday! 
Milton was packing to leave. AnnaBelle had a great day! She played
and walked the halls today. Tmrw he flys home and I fly to Guangzhou for 
AnnaBelles visa. 

Saturday.
Too pooped. Boarded the bus at ten am.     Got here at 730 with tired,
hungry, dirty wild kids! AnnaBelle walked again today. She laughed 
and smiled.  I'm so tired.

Adoption Finalization Day and Adventures in China

Is Wednesday here and today we have a free day. Yesterday we did some traveling for
ppwk in the city and in Louyang. It was a long day and we were so ready to be home. 
We have enjoyed the other couples in our group so very much. Several of the kids are
around three and they are so full of energy! Yesterday was the adoption
registration. Making all the adoptions final!!! Each child is so very sweet. 
We didn't visit any orphanages yesterday but could have. The kids had been in
the van such  a long time and it would have been additional mileage for them. As a
group we chose to return home. Our guide recommended we did not go yesterday as its
hard on them. It can make them feel very insecure not knowing what's happening.
Based on time, mileage and advice of the guide, we came back to hotel   They were
willing to take us if we wanted. One of the guides talked about cost of housing, history, 

marriage, etc. very interesting  we saw lots of farming outside the city. I can assure you, 

there was no large equipment to do the work like a combine. People laboring by hand.  

There was a lot of wheat fields yesterday maybe in 20 acres increments. 
Funny facts about yesterday:
I had to go to the bathroom so bad in Louyang and we were getting ready to leave for
the >two hrs return home. AnnaBelle has really been clingy to me.  So We braved it
and handed her to Milton so I could use the China potty chair! Yes squatting  over
the porcelain hole. And no toilet paper! So I hurried into the bathroom and
instantly AnnaBelle starting crying LOUDLY in the hallway. Lets just say he got some
looks from the locals. Some people smile and are very kind and some people are not
as much when they see our group with children. So I squat over the potty and
AnnaBelle is in a dead scream in the hall. 

Yesterday she said her first words...they were usually in moments of stress....she called me NiNi. 

Which means Grandma. I will take the name because to her it means caregiver.

The ride home was long. AnnaBelle got carsick and it was downhill from there! 

She was screaming and the taxi driver was trying to navigate the van in crazy traffic.
He kept saying something in Mandarin I can only imagine what it was. Bad timing for
a screaming child.  She is slowly warming up to Milton and let him hold her for the
first time. She is eating good and sleeping good. Today we don't have to be
anywhere. Tmrw or Friday we will get her passport picture and passport and adoption
certificate/ birth certificate. Her adoption certificate will say AnnaBelle
Culbertson!  Yesterday when we walked into the Immigration offc the locals really
studied us..then just as they do one came up to me started talking in mandarin and
it seemed like she was telling me to zip AnnaBelles coat. Did
 I mention we had layers on and a flannel blanket around her. And she sweats like
crazy.  AnnaBelle is trusting us more each day.  She laid beside me last night in
bed to fall asleep. Se nestled in and went to sleep then pooped in the night
so.....it was noisy for a while when changing her.  She went back to sleep easily.
She is so tiny and has a sweet nose and face. She is so still..I have not
experienced a still child like she. Joy has always had so much energy! We are
really missing Joy. So on the road home she was fussing, and she was fighting
sleep. So we gave her this bread the kids like here called biscuits..they look like
twinkies but no filling. So she ate the biscuit and was holding a little foil pack
called mumums she clearly wanted me to open it. She holds onto the last bite
always. She won't eat. Most likely a issue from being hungry before. It's
interesting and saddening to watch. We are so ready to come home! Goodnight from
 sticky rice land! 

Gotcha Day Part 2

Gotcha Day! On the bus ride home from civil affairs offc. 

In another picture we took our picture in front of a large red door with Chinese

words. Our guide, Rita said it means "you are married".We laughed and said good thing we got married again! Takeout food is "take away". AnnaBelle took a nap on me yesterday and snuggled. It was an emotional day. AnnaBelle slept in her crib and is still asleep. It's 530am here Tuesday. I am praying for a peaceful today. Today we travel by bus for adoption registration. It's about a three hr drive by van. 

Pray for the three kids and us, and another set of parents going. We feel very safe and our guides are terrific! It is going to be a long day. There are many more 

Americans here adopting. Yesterday in our group 10 kids were matched. 

Each one was special!! We are so thankful to be adding this sweet girl to our

 family! 

Ps. I am missing Joy terribly and her laughter and joy. Saturday Milton returns home. And me and Sister 

fly  south for immigration offc. We have a group of 9 parents here from our agency but we met a couple from All

Gods Children at breakfast yesterday. Awesome Group of people we are with. God is so good. We have a set of 

Pediatricians in our group.

Gotcha Day for AnnaBelle

Yesterday we flew from Beijing to Zhengzhou as a group. Love our group. Nice
families each one. Met a couple at baggage claim adopting from here. They live in
Nebraska. We are so outnumbered. The locals whisper to each other about us because
Katherine and I are blonde. Flight instructions were in Mandarin. :) short flight
but bumpy.
Today we met in lobby to load the bus for Civic affairs offc. To get our kids! There
were families from other agencies there. A family from Spain I met. AnnaBelle came
late. The Nanny she had, she had a long time. AnnaBelle was dressed wearing pjs mom
got her. She had three layers on and was sweaty. She is beautiful and so tiny. She
ate a lot when we got to hotel. She has cried a lot and is waking crying.love to
all. Pictures to follow! We got a picture scrapbook of her! XOXO
Strange things about China
1.they don't sell DEO. Period.
2. They serve noodles and sticky rice for breakfast. Always. 
3. They sell pork sausage in mini wiener size that taste like nothing, says Milton. 
4. I had to buy a mini round brush because I or got mine. It's a size for a
baby. Only option.
5. The traffic is insane..you just honk when someone is in your way or to alert them
of you. This means bicycles/pinkish, pediatricians have to fun for themselves.
Traffic is bad!

Please pray for AnnaBelles transition and her health. She has a wet cough. We will
see what it does overnight.

We made it!!!

Morning friends! We made it to China yesterday, totally exhausted. It's 3am here as
I type this. We went to bed at 8pm when getting here. The smog is stinky and you
cannot see the sun. The traffic is unreal and the amount of people! Milton and I
just smile at each other while they talk Mandarin loudly to each other squeezed into
the elevator or train like sardines!!! We meet our travel group today and fly to
Zhengzhou with them all. There are 8 families and 10 kids will get a forever family
tmrw! Beijing is unbelievable. It's so big and the banks and residential housing are
together. Most of which are very old, residential and are probably middle class
families. The tall buildings which are homes are endless! I sat by a woman named Gia
from China, coming home for her fathers funeral. We had the best visit. She told me
she came to the states twenty yrs ago with her husband and daughter. She helped me
write down some communication phrases for AnnaBelle. 
 Milton and I didn't sit together, United messed the seats up and had changed seats
and the plan was full.full of about 400 people mostly locals from China. Gia was so
kind. We talked about everything relative to adoption, parenting and their culture.
She asked me questions too. She said she was a Christian but her husband was not,
YET she said. We prayed together before unloading the plane. God is so good. That
almost 11 hour flight is really long! Tomorrow we will meet AnnaBelle!! 

Packed and ready!

4 bags checked in at 46# each...2 bags for orphanage and 2 for personal. AnnaBelle has one FULL bag to herself with footed pjs, pink hair bows, shoes, toys and snacks, etc....
We are at the airport waiting!!
I don't think we slept a wink but hope that Joy slept great at Nannys house. She was jumping on the bed when we left last night. Tear tear for momma.
Our travel group is in Beijing waiting...8 families in our group and 10 kids are getting forever families!
We are so anxious to meet our sweet girl! She has just two more nights in the orphanage. As Joy says we will "nuggle" then.
China or bust today!!

Spring to China

Clean clothes for AnnaBelle!

My spunky four year old, Joy.

Today is our last day at home. This is our last day as a family of 3- soon we will be 4!!
In three days our sweet AnnaBelle will have a mom and daddy and a BIG Sister!! Oh the anticipation is overwhelming at times. I am sure gonna miss my Joy Ann. She is so funny. Yesterday she had the best time watering with her new watering can in her summer polka dotted orange dress!! I have to say, she was looking so big and cute. I have felt like I was "soaking" Joy up the last few days. Taking all I can in of her...
Today: Finish cleaning house. Wash rugs. Complete Joys toy bag to take with. Go to the park. She packed it so full a few days ago, it wouldnt zip. Funny, she packed her tamborine. Music anyone? :) 
We leave very early tomorrow morning for an 19 hour travel route. Arriving in Beijing on Saturday at 430pm. We meet our travel group and on Sunday leave for Zhengzhou. Overnight in Zhengzhou and Monday we will be united with sweet AnnaBelle! (Our Monday- your Sunday).
Happy Spring everyone!
Prayer request:
AnnaBelles transition (no fear)
Joy at home with family
Mom away from Joy
Health for our travel group and kids
Health for Joy
Travel safety

Its time.

March 11-12th, 2013
As I sit down to write this, Im not sure where to start...
Another day closer to leaving- can you say ANT-ICI-PATION?
Our friends and family have been so kind to us. They have brought cards by with gifts for orphanage luggage fees, "extra cost" on the trip, etc... very sincere and generous gifts. Its overwhelming. Thankyou to each of you for your blessings, your encouragement, your cards, and gifts, you have BLESSED us! One of my dear friends came and prayed with me last week over AnnaBelles room for her transition, for peace and restoration. I know many others have been praying for this trip for some time and for the details of it. Thankyou. I can see the body of Christ in front of me in so many ways.

                                          AnnaBelles bag is packed, full!!

China- the keyword around here! Someone should be collecting a dollar each time we say the key words, China and AnnaBelle. Paid all the bills today and working on getting things settled down to be gone. A big thanks to family and friends who are helping do so many things for us! And my family for taking care of my spunky, energetic, question asking, snuggle bunny- Joy Ann. I am going to miss her terribly. We have made contact with our travel group and its been so fun to hear their stories, see their kids faces and know their names. We are praying for them each day and the big trip! I believe they will be some of our long life friends. Each mom with anticipation of leaving her children at home and going to rescue another.

It was a week from Sunday, that we will be holding our sweet girl! The "stork" will have delivered her! I wander about her transition, her demeanor, her fears and expressions. I pray she will know quickly we love her and she can trust us. That she will somehow know deep within that our relationship will not end. We will not leave her just as Christ doesnt leave us. He is constant. I cannot wait to see AnnaBelle smile, hear her laughter :), watch her and Joy play together. Joy told me she was going to tickle AnnaBelle in the mornings. We will see how that turns out. Joy likes to be tickled in the mornings after she wakes, isnt that silly?

I need to keep moving. Im packing, laundering, paying bills and processing what this adventure looks like! Praying our sweet girl feels loved and cared for today. Also be praying we get to go to her orphanage next week. Next week Tuesday, we will be holding AnnaBelle and entertaining her on the bus ride back to her providence to the court house for the adoption registration and possibly visit the orphanage. Im trying to imagine the chaos and noise, the bumpy bus ride, the thick smog, what the land looks like- what that adds up to be? Adventure. Im not the most adventurous person..at all. And we are going to China? God has been so good to bring confidence, certainty and show me that he has written this story. He is the author. And He is good and He is trustworthy. I see the faces of the children in the beds lined up in the orphanage and I can almost hear the words of the woman who blogged after coming back from China, with two daughters. She said "the orphans are voiceless, powerless" if a family does not come for them. And "the guilt" of taking two girls but leaving the other children behind. As she did, I will also do, encourage people to pray about adoption. If a family does not come for the child- nothing changes for them! Can you imagine 600 children in one orphanage? 6 floors tall full of kids who need a home, love, a family.  Some have never played outside.  They are waiting to be called a "son" or a "daughter".

I have loved packing AnnaBelles bag. Stacking her clean clothes, matching her hairbows, packing Joys first babydoll for her. Joy and I went to the store and bought her a hairbrush, all the while thinking this is probably her first "very own" hair brush. Which she may not like at all!! :) I have been daydreaming about how she is going to learn and grow and thrive as children do when they are loved and cared for. One night I dreamt I was hearing her giggling in Joys room. I am so thankful the Lord has made a way in every detail for us to bring home our daughter, AnnaBelle. I pray she will grow up knowing she is our daughter, she was planned and she is loved.

Prayer request:
Pray for safe travels for all of us.
Pray for Joys health and well being while we are gone.
Pray for wellness and health over our travel group, each child.
(7 couples going from all over the US)
Pray for AnnaBelles transition. Pray she wont be afraid but will feel safe and peaceful.
Pray for the LONG trip home.

                                           April 2013

                                    Nov 2013  First package sent to Louyang China to AnnaBelle!