Waiting for Melina

Some Updated Pictures

2008-06-02T19:47:00.002-05:00

Here are a few updated pictures from our trip to Disney to celebrate our 1 year anniversary since "Gotcha Day". We had a great time. I realize that one of the pictures is sideways, but unfortunately do not have the time to fix it. I will post more later.

For Melina's Birth Mother

2008-04-05T21:54:00.001-05:00

I saw this on someone else's blog and I can't help but cry as I think of Melina's birth mother. I think of her often and pray that some how she knows that her little girl is being loved and well cared for. I pray that by God's power and a miracle that she too would hear of His love and come to know Him. What a powerful, wonderful song. I had to share it.

Wonderful Progress!

2008-04-05T21:16:00.005-05:00

It has been a while since I have blogged. Melina is doing wonderful. Since Barry has been home she has been making a lot of progress. For those that don't know, Barry took a job that was away from us. He came home on the weekends, but for 4 months was gone during the week. It was a long 4 months. It took some time for Melina to reattach to him and we are still working on that. Now that he is home for good she is doing much better. I have actually had a couple days where I have been gone all day and she has done well. We have noticed that she is beginning to play by herself for a little while, maybe 5-7 min. Hey, I'll take whatever I can at this point! She is still sleeping in our room and primarily in the bed with us. I know, many of you are gasping. I have thrown out ALL my rules with this little one! She is truly precious and she will eventually be in the bed with Jie Jie, i.e. Meredith.
I have noticed that she is going to be a very independent little girl. She wants control and to do things herself. Typical little girl, huh? I don't think she gets the control thing from me. Hee! Hee! Hee! (Don't ask my husband.)
I am sooo thankful for her and the joy that she has brought to our household. She is a testimony of God's love, His care, His grace, and so much more.
Our biggest progress came last week when she stayed in nursery the entire time and was happy! She didn't even cry! I actually got to hear a message. She likes church and all the people. When we got there she made a bee line for the nursery and said, "Play, play.." So when she was contently playing I snuck out and she had a great time. It helped that Pat played with her. She really takes to men. We are going to have to watch her.

Oh My Goodness, I am Tired!!!

2007-12-11T19:19:00.000-05:00

Melina is NON-STOP. Did I say how busy she is?? I am so tired and cannot get anything done. I am hoping that sometime soon I can get some Christmas pictures done. It seems next to impossible to get the 3 of them together. The older 2 no problem, but the little Melina is a challenge. I am having a difficult time getting her to be still long enough to take a picture. I told Grandmommy they don't make a camera fast enough for her. As you all know my first 2 didn't sleep much and I thought for sure if we adopted I would have one that liked to sleep. That didn't work! She is truly one of my girls! Right now she is making a pure mess of my room as I type. She is a hoot. She is also cutting her molars which makes her all the more pleasurable. :)
Here are a few pictures I have been able to capture at the spur of the moment over the past few weeks. Notice how my girls are growing up!!! I don't think I am ready for this.
All three girls are very precious to us and we love them very much. I am thankful for each one of them.

Covenant Child!

2007-10-27T18:10:00.000-05:00

Melina was baptized last month and I am just now getting around to putting it on the blog! It was wonderful. I think the entire congregation was holding their breath in anticipation of her screaming once I handed her over to Ted. However, our prayers were answered, and she did great! She did not cry one little peep, but instead kept her eyes on Ted and took it all in stride.
What peace there is in knowing that it is up to God to change our children's hearts and not our own. Yes, I understand our responsibility, but for me as a control freak it is something I have to preach to myself regularly.

Amazed

2007-10-27T16:06:00.001-05:00

Oh, how thankful I am for our family and this special little girl! I thank God and I am amazed at how He carefully chose her for us. She is growing. She is now 15 mo. old. This week she had her well check and her pediatrician of course was pleased. She has gone from a little girl that could barely sit up on her own and 3 months behind to a little toddler toddling around, getting into everything, saying new words everyday, and is now closer to an 18mo. old. I am not bragging, just so amazed and so in love. We all are.
The older girls have a lot of fun with her also. It gives me joy to see these sisters enjoying each other and learning how to work and play together. I am thankful they have each other.
Today Barry said," Mommy needs to start the paperwork for #2!"
We'll see....

Sarasota Trip and New Email Address

2007-09-14T19:11:00.000-05:00

Sorry it has been such a long time since we last posted. We have been busy living our lives with Melina and the rest of the girls. We are really enjoying it too. Melina appears to be no different than any other little girl her age. She is crawling around now and soon she will be walking. She has a little mind of her own and we have to tell her "No." even though it doesn't seem we've had her long enough for that. Nevertheless, she is into everything, just like any other child. She is so funny. She will go toward something we have told her "No" to and when she gets close, she stops short, normally, looks up at Mommy or Daddy with a questioning expression, and shakes her head "No." Sometimes she actually does turn away and sometimes she doesn't - pretty typical.

As we were eating supper tonight, I made the comment that the Chinese government really did a good job of picking Melina for us. Shanna corrected me when she said, "God chose her before the foundation of the world." How true she is. I pray that we would be worthy stewards of this amazing gift.

By the way - our email has changed. Our new email is bsginn@embarqmail.com. Shanna and I will try to do a better job of keeping you posted on our family. Please forgive us for the long time between posts. All is well here at the Ginn household.

The collage above are pictures taken from our trip to Longboat Key in August. Remember, you can click on the picture and it will open the picture up in a larger window so you can see it better.

Happy Birthday Melina!

2007-08-17T22:16:00.000-05:00

We are settling in nicely at the Ginn Residence. It was tough there for a while. Melina was not sleeping well which means we were not sleeping well. I'm glad that's settled a bit lately.

Since the last time we posted, Melina has turned one year old. We had a great party for her. We enjoyed Chinese food - Shrimp Lo Mein, Moo Goo Guy Pan, General Tso's Chicken, and egg rolls. Melina also dug into some birthday cake. Check out these photos.

More to come later. Hopefully, not so long next time.

Barry

Melina's First Trip to the Mountain House

2007-07-13T19:23:00.001-05:00

Home for One Month!

2007-06-27T20:45:00.000-05:00

As you can see Melina is adjusting well. She is such a joy and a wonderful blessing. She is attaching well to me,("Momma")and she loves her Daddy. I think we have finally settled in to a little routine and she is sleeping well at night. She is very active. Her legs and hands are constantly moving, even though she is not crawling yet. I am trying to get rested up for the big day because it won't be long. Today she was up on her hands and knees rocking back and forth.
Sorry I have not been good at updating the blog but it has been an adjustment trying to keep everything together and the blog was the logical thing to let go. We will try to do better. I know it is the pictures you really like anyway so we will periodically add some new photos.
It is very hard to believe that today it has been one month since we got home from China. Time is just getting faster and faster!
We are thanking and praising God for our little miracle and we thank you all for your continued prayers.

Day 12 - Guangzhou Hot Zoo

2007-05-23T08:06:00.000-05:00

Wow, it has been so long since I have blogged I think I have forgotten how. Barry has been monopolizing it so far....Actually it has been a joy watching him and hearing his side of our story. For most of our journey he was pretty quiet and now he is hooked! I will say, he has had the more exciting end of it though. I am not sure what he shared the last time, but we do apologize for not blogging every day like we were. We are not very pleased with the hotel we are at right now. We have to pay the equivelent of about $15 per day for internet access. It is pretty pathetic. Also, all of us, but Barry have been sick. Just about everyone of us in our group as had a swore throat, cough and head congestion. I think all the babies from our Lianjiang orphanage have been to the clinic at least once and most were diagnosed with bronchitis. Last night I couldn't sleep unless I had a throat lozenge in my mouth. I don't really recommend sleeping with one, but sometimes you just got do what you gotta do.
Today we went to the zoo here in Guangzhou. In the words of little 5 year old Olivia, "The zoo was sweating!" Even our ice cream cones were soggy! The humidity is just about unbearable and we were all dripping. The poor little babies were miserable, but they were all great little troopers. We saw a panda, bears, a lion, tigers, monkeys, an elephant, hippos and rhinos. Even though it was hot it was good to get out and finally do something. Meredith was glad. It also made the pool feel even better today.
Meredith has been such a wonderful help and we are so proud of her and how she has travelled. She is really enjoying all the babies and the other children that came on the trip. In the afternoons when we are waiting for the pool to open many of the families hang out in the hallway since there isn't a common area. We call it a hall party. People bring out their snacks, babies and toys and we all just sit around talk and play. It is so amazing to see how all of the babies interact and love their mommies and daddies.
It is also amazing to think that we have had Melina now for 8 days. It seems as if we have had her from the beginning. She is so precious to me. When I hold her she will intently study my face and sometimes mimic my mouth movements when I talk. She has the sweetest voice. I love her dearly. Well, enough of writing, I know it is the pictures you really want! By the way, there is a baby panda in the background in one of the photos with Meredith. Make sure you click on the photos so you can see him.

Day 11 - Several Rainy Days

2007-05-22T01:08:00.000-05:00

We haven't posted in a few days so I thought I would take a few moments and provide a few pictures and give you guys an update on what's going on here. On Sunday, May 20, we had to switch hotels from the White Swan to the Dong Fang hotel. We believe we had to move because of renovations. It sure sounded like they were going to come through our ceiling several days while we were there. We actually like the room here at the Dong Fang hotel better than our room at the White Swan. But all in all we much prefer the White Swan. The pool here at the Dong Fang is cool though. See the picture.

Sorry we haven't posted the last couple of days. We haven't been busy. In fact, its been pretty boring. It's been rainy that past several days so we've had to stay in our rooms a lot. Also, for some strange reason, that beautiful pool is closed between 10:30 am and 3:00 pm. We totally don't know why this is. This sure makes it difficult for those of us who have older kids like Meredith. We've tried to make the most of it though. In fact, we had a little hall block party this afternoon waiting for the pool to open. One high point of our trip needs little caption. See the picture. We were actually quite glad to have a burger from McDonalds. Taste the same to me. Thanks for caring so much for us. Continue to pray for a safe trip home and a smooth transition to our normal lives. We love you all.

Barry, Shanna, Meredith and Melina

Day 8 - The Famous Red Couch

2007-05-19T08:31:00.000-05:00

We started our day as usual with a great breakfast after Melina slept for about 10 hours. We then went to Friendship Park where we played our breakfast off. The afternoon was rainy so we napped. But this evening we had a birthday party for the kids who have already turned one and we took pictures on the famous red couch in the White Swan Hotel with our new additions.

I am still amazed at how easily you can make friends. Meredith met this little girl at the park and they hit it off well. The little girl only new a few words of English, but she and Meredith played so well together. When the little girl wanted to do something different, she would simply wave to Meredith to "come on" and there they went. This little girl was probably about 10-12 and full of life and energy.

As I mentioned earlier, we also took pictures on the famous red couch. Enjoy the photos. We will post again tomorrow night after we move from the White Swan to the Dou Fang (not sure how it's spelled) hotel. Much love to all.

Day 7 - Lots of Shopping

2007-05-18T05:08:00.000-05:00

We finally had a day where we did not have to go anywhere and do anything. And so we didn't - except shop. We have presents for lots of people. Because this has not been a very exciting day - going here and there and everywhere - we don't have a lot of new pictures. But I thought I would post a few items for you nonetheless. There is a video at the end though that is precious.

Have I mentioned that we have had a wonderful breakfast each day we've been at the White Swan? I really don't know what I am going to do when I get home. I've had scrambled eggs, bacon, apple juice, watermelon, oranges, hash browns, etc. every morning since we've been here. Shanna and I were talking about this at breakfast and she said that I had to get all I want now because it's Raisin Bran and Rice Crispies when we get home.

We did see a couple who apparently are getting married so I took a picture of them with Meredith.

Hope you enjoy. We do.

Day 6, Part 2 - Melina Laughing

2007-05-17T08:24:00.000-05:00

Here's some video for you to check out.

Love to All.

Day 6 - It's Gettin' Better All the Time

2007-05-17T05:25:00.000-05:00

As you can see from these photos, we are all doing well. It's only been a little more than 48 hours since we got her, but we all, including Melina, seem to be doing well. She is a good baby. Like most babies she cries when she's hungry, tired and when it's time to poop. Sounds a lot like me.

Even though its been seven years since we've had a baby, Shanna hasn't missed a step. She is a natural mother. Even though Shanna is great, I really think we should attribute the success so far to all the prayers we and you have prayed for the past two years. After all, God has been hearing all of our prayers now for a long time and He is simply being faithful to answer our consistent prayers. Praise God with me. Can I get an Amen?

It really is quite amazing. Melina does not seem to have any attachment issues at all. She comes to each of us easily and loves her sister Meredith who we will likely nickname "Jie Jie" which means "Big Sister" in Chinese. Madeline will likely be called "Sissy" which is what Meredith already calls Madeline.

Today we went to obtain a Chinese passport for Melina. She is not a US citizen until we touch down in LA. We also got our Adoption Certificate from the Chinese government which makes our adoption absolutely final in China.

No more words and a few more pictures. I've got to finish my sweet and sour chicken from last night. Talk to you soon and enjoy the photos.

All our love,

Barry, Shanna, Meredith and Melina from China

Day 5-It is Official!

2007-05-16T02:21:00.000-05:00

Today, Melina is officially and legally ours, in China! We had our two interviews today at the Civil Affairs office this morning and "promised to never leave her or abandon her." I had tears in my eyes as we promised. This whole process is such a beautiful picture of our relationship with God and how He is the One that sought us out. He is the One that loved us first and He is the One that promises never to "leave us or forsake us" no matter how much we mess up. God is so good.
It was quite funny at our first interview. Melina smiles and made raspberry noises at the lady. Some of the others in our group were saying that was Melina's way of saying, "Goodbye, I'm outta here!" I thought that was funny. Tomorrow morning we have her medical exam and in the afternoon we will apply for her passport.
Last night was a great night. She is like clock work! She is following her little schedule they gave us to a tee. She went to sleep at 9 PM and at 4 am when she normally has a bottle she woke me up feverishly sucking on her thumb hoping to get something, I guess. I debated whether to feed her or not, because she wasn't crying, but I decided to feed her to let her know we are here to take care of her. She had her bottle and went right back to sleep. We actually had to wake her this morning so that we could get to our interview so I don't know how long she would have slept. I think we woke her up at a little after 7. It took a little work too.
Right now everyone is sleeping but me. I just returned from dropping off laundry and a little shopping. :)
So far things are going very smoothly. Barry is being such a big help and Meredith is always there ready to help also. In fact she did not go with us today, but stayed behind with another little girl and her GM and I missed having her two little hands!Barry is so sweet. He has already said, we are probably going to have to do this again!
PS: Linda can you email me because I have a question for you and I forget your email.

Addendum to Post - Added a few photos at about 9:30 pm our time. Hope you enjoy them. Love to all.

Day 4, Part 3-Answered Prayers!!

2007-05-15T08:47:00.000-05:00

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!! They are flowing today! Melina is such a precious gift and a very sweet baby. The "Ning" part of her name means peaceful and I think she really is. I am happy to say that she did cry quite a bit with all the events of the day, but she also endured some major changes too. All the little babies in our group had made a 6 hour drive that morning and Melina did not sleep so she was exhausted! After her cry she settled down a little and slept a little then woke up, looked at me, a stranger, cried some more and then went back to sleep. The next time she woke up though we were able to get some little smiles out of her!! What joy that brings! Unfortunately, every time I went to take a picture the red eye reduction light would distract her and I kept missing her smile. She seems content, especially when we hold her. She is very receptive to us. She enjoys feeling my skin, licking me and rubbing me with her tiny little hands. The pictures are very deceiving. She is quite small. She is 9 1/2 mo. and can fit into 3 mo. clothing. Right now I have her in 6 mo which is a little big, but I am sure not for long. As you can see from these pictures she loves her "Jie Jie" (big sister), Meredith. I am confident she will also adore her "Sissy", Madeline, too! God has been so good during all of this and has certainly answered prayers! All along we and many of you have prayed that Melina's heart would be prepared for us and ours for her and God answered! Thank you!

Day 4, Part 2 - Melina Has Arrived

2007-05-15T03:35:00.000-05:00

Here she is. We are now a family of 5. Unfortunately, we will be unable to do much writing here. I've got to go down and get some rice cereal. But I did want to provide a few pictures. More to come later.

Day 4 - Gotcha Day Before Melina

2007-05-14T17:53:00.000-05:00

I got up a 6:00 am this morning after a great night's sleep. I was so tired last night I was probably asleep by 9:30 (am your time pm our time) and I was ready to get up. It's now about 7:00 am and I've gotten my shower, checked the email and now I am posting a blog to share my excitement.

(By the way, thanks so much to Linda and Huey Register for sending a comment every time we post. It means so much to us to see those of you who are reading the blog when you leave us a comment. If you are reading the blog and not leaving us a comment, you need to. It takes nearly no time at all.)

I just wanted to remind all of you that tonight, while you sleep, we will be getting our little girl. When you wake up tomorrow morning you will get to see the first pictures of her and us together, our new family of 5.

I also wanted to send a special thanks to the folks on this building. If it weren't for them, we would likely not be able to share this experience with you all.
The picture was taken in Beijing when we first arrived and I thought it was appropriate to take a picture of the Microsoft Building since without their accomplishments in technology, much of all this would not be possible.

Sleep well tonight and hopefully we will have time to post some pictures and video by the time you wake up.

Day 3-Guangzhou

2007-05-14T08:41:00.000-05:00

This is finally the last night without Melina. This morning we awoke early for our flight from Beijing to Guangzhou. We arrived after lunch some time and headed to the famous White Swan Hotel. I did not get to see much of Guangzhou on the way in because we were all anxiously listening over the grinding of gears to our in country coordinator as she gave us a few details of what is to happen over the next few days. Once again we were a little misinformed and we will get the babies tomorrow afternoon, not morning like we were all anticipating. I did not hear very well because Barry and I were toward the back and the bus was very loud. We are looking forward to our meeting in the morning that will give us a better picture of what to expect. Basically, we know the most important part and that is when we get Melina!! It was a neat feeling to walk into our little room and have the crib all ready set up waiting for us. I got that rush in my stomach feeling again. I unpacked and tried to get things settled and organized so I would have a little idea of where things are when I need them. We took a little stroll around the hotel, took Meredith swimming, and walked a little around a few shops on the island. We did not get very far and look forward to looking around a little more while carrying our sweet bundle with us!
We have had such a wonderful trip so far and it is only going to get better. I am so looking forward to holding Melina. I have packed the diaper back pack and that is wierd! It has been forever and I am not sure I know what I am doing anymore!!
Well, I need to get to bed. Excuse the not so smooth post tonight...
By the way, Barry has done an outstanding job of blogging lately hasn't he? I assume you all can tell which one of us is blogging? His are more coherent these days than mine. He is really enjoying it and enjoying China and our trip much more than he ever thought he would. I am sooo glad!
Love you all and thank you so much for your prayers! We will have plenty of pictures for you tomorrow! I can't wait!!!

Day 2, Part 2 - Just for Madeline

2007-05-13T16:58:00.000-05:00

Madeline,

Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you. You were so beautiful at the recital. We saw the pictures that Uncle Kent sent and all Daddy can say is "WOW!" You are growing up on us very quickly. Do you think that you could slow down?

We have already heard that you and all the other girls danced wonderfully. Ms. Leisa Reed said that she and Brooke saw the recital and Brooke is now interested in dance again because of you.

We love you and miss you terribly. Wish you were here with us.

Love you much.

Mommy, Daddy and Meredith

Day 2 - Beijing - Tianamen Square, Forbidden City & Great Wall

2007-05-13T08:45:00.000-05:00

First, a big Happy Mother's Day to all of you. And when I say "big", I mean Forbidden City big. We walked for nearly two hours in the Forbidden City and did not step on the same stone twice. The place was "gi-normous."

Second, a big "Thank You" to all of you who are checking in with us on our blog and leaving us comments. And when I say "big" I mean Great Wall of China big. We can view the emails but unfortunately we cannot view our own blog, only post to it. Your words of encouragement are great. Thank you for sharing our excitement with us.

Third, it looks like it will be one more day before we wrap our arms around our little Melina. We had thought that we would get her tomorrow, 5-14-07 (Monday), but it looks like it will be 5-15-07 (Tuesday) instead. We'll keep you posted and be sure to share pictures with you when we can.

Obviously from the above comments, we had a "big" day. We first started by having a "big" breakfast, we rode a "big" bus, we visited a "big" square (Tianamen), a "big" city (Forbidden City), and a "big" wall (Great Wall of China). Instead of boring you with a "big" blog, here are a few pictures. We need to get to bed tonight so we will give you the "big" blog tomorrow.

Day 1, Part 2 - Chinese Linedancing and Suggested Lanes

2007-05-12T17:08:00.000-05:00

I did forget to mention a few things about our first day in Beijing. While we were at Beihai Park, Shanna made a new friend. It is so amazing that a smile in any culture seems to communicate "Will you be my friend?" Shanna smiled at this lady doing Tai Chi (we think this is what it is called and spelled) and the next thing you know her face was lit all up and Shanna was linedancing. She had so much fun. And it is pretty obvious that this lady was also having fun. She did not know a word of English, but fortunately for Shanna, about halfway through their dance, Shanna recognized some words the lady was saying. The lady was counting and Shanna realized what she was doing and then began to really catch on. Since I took some video of this also, we are planning to teach Melina "Tai Chi" to preserve a bit of her heritage.

Beijing has also taught us something that we take for granted in the United States. You could easily lose your life on the roads here. Everytime you go somewhere, regardless of how you get there - walking, biking or driving - you really place your life in the hands of another person. This is a trusting in Jesus thing here. I'm reminded of those NASCAR teeshirts that say "Rubbin' Is Racin'". These guys are crazier than any NASCAR driver. They duck into spots that look like a car only 1/2 the size of the one we are in could fit into. And forget about the lane lines - they are merely "suggested" for consideration - no one seems to use them except at intersections.

So far it's been great. We will be going to the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China tomorrow. More pictures to come. Love to all. Only one more sleep until we get Melina.

Day 1 - Beijing On Our Own

2007-05-12T02:55:00.000-05:00

Normally Shanna does all the blogging, but today I thought I (Barry) would write a little because I'm excited about our first day here. First, Shanna and Meredith were up at about 3:30 am Beijing time. They were up that early because they were tired of sleeping. When we finally got to our hotel at about 1:00 pm on 5/11/07 we were all asleep by 2:00 pm. Shanna woke up briefly at about 6 pm and asked if we were ready to get up. When neither Meredith nor I responded, she went back to sleep until we all woke up and about 10:30 pm. Needless to say, we were all tired from our traveling.

We were up for a couple of hours, eating some snacks that Shanna had packed. We were even watching the National Geographic channel - in English. If it were not for the Chinese subtitles, we would have thought we were at home.

Today, we got up early. We would have made Charley McGuire happy this morning - we were awake at about 3 am. But we wanted to get onto a normal schedule so we forced ourselves to stay in bed until about 5:30 am. We all got showers, got dressed and went downstairs for our complimentary breakfast. There was one thing that I thought I would have the most difficulty with and that was the food. I have been pleasantly surprised by the food. Our breakfast was delicious. Meredith and I had one of our favorite dishes - pasta - for breakfast along with ham, Chinese grits (which seems to be watered down rice with bits of ham in it), a rice dish with peas and egg, a very delicious tea, and a great breakfast pastry thing.

After breakfast Shanna and Meredith made a friend at one of the gift shops. She gave Meredith a little present and we tried to go down a little later to return the favor. Unfortunately she was gone, so we will try again tomorrow. We also wanted to do a little walking and we were told by Sim, our Beijing tour guide, that there were some shops and things down an adjacent street from the hotel. We went walking seeing the sites, at least near where we are staying, and did some shopping.

We then went to Beihai Park which was a lot of fun. It has been a beautiful day. Temperature here was about 80 with a stiff breeze. The Chinese people are very talented. We saw a guy writing in English and Chinese "Welcome to Beijing." Both the English and Chinese writing were very artistic - much better than my scratch. Shanna also participated in a dance/exercise. I got some video of this so Shanna can teach Melina when she gets older. Here are a few pictures from our time at the park.

Ted Strawbridge - check the cheek.

Madeline - we miss you very much. We hope you are doing well. We know that Aunt Susan and Uncle Kent are taking good care of you. We will be going to dinner at 6 with some folks from Kentucky. After that we will try to call you at Uncle Kent's. We love you.

We Are Finally Here!

2007-05-11T00:09:00.000-05:00

WOW! We are finally here after 45 hours of traveling and Meredith did absolutely fabulous. We are thoroughly exhausted and ready to crash. We began our journey at 4 AM on Wed. We flew to LA and had almost a 12 hour layover. We were able to rest in a room for a little while before eating supper and getting back to the airport. Our plane left LA at midnight....our battery is going and we don't have the right converter. Real quick, Barry had to buy a new computer because his crashed the very first day. :( We had no way of getting in touch with our family so he/I got a birthday present.

Madeline, we love you and wish you were here. Later today you have your rehearsal. I know you will do well.

Please leave a comment on how Nana is doing with her chemo.
We are in Beijing. Tomorrow is a free day and we will do our site seeing on Sunday. Hopefully we can find a converter soon so we can get on the computer again.

Good Morning!

2007-05-08T09:28:00.000-05:00

Only 14 more hours before we head to the airport! I am doing last minute laundry and straightening and showing Madeline all her daily chores and how she can help Nana. This day will go by quickly, I am sure.

One and Half More Sleeps Before Take-Off!

2007-05-07T20:39:00.000-05:00

WOW! It is finally happening and I am still having a hard time believing that it is truly happening. When I do realize and allow my mind to stop and think, "We are leaving in just a day basically and we will have Melina very soon" I feel this rush of something go straight to my gut. It must be adrenaline..I don't know and I have to stop thinking and get back to what I am doing.
We are packed and ready and I hope I have everything! While we are gone we will miss Madeline's ballet recital (Meredith's too, but she is also missing it). It should be very beautiful. For those in town that can please find the time to go see it and encourage her while we are away!! We would love it!
We found out today that there has been a change in our hotel stay and we won't be at the infamous White Swan hotel the whole time, but will have to switch on May 20. This will probably save us some money, but I did notice that breakfast is not included with it and it is at WS. It is a good thing I brought lots of instant oatmeal!
This past Sunday our pastor asked if the girls and I could come to church early (Barry was already there). What a special blessing it was to have the elders gather around us, lay hands on us and pray for us! I am so excited about bringing Melina to church for the first time! I imagine holding her in her little asian wrap and her hopefully clinging to me and learning to know I am her mommy. Oh how I yearn for her and to bring her home! I pray that she cries...that she has not yet learned that crying is futile, but if she has, that she would learn to cry so that we can comfort her and show her love.
I probably won't post until we get to China so be sure to keep checking! Hopefully, I won't have trouble viewing it so that we can post and keep you all up to date.
P.S. I saw ML in the grocery store and it is such a great feeling having so many of you excited for us. So thank you so much for rejoicing with us when we are rejoicing and for grieving with us when we have grieved! We have had the spectrum of emotions this year, haven't we? You all are the gospel!!

Only 2 Weeks to Go!

2007-04-26T10:26:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe that the time is finally drawing near. It does not seem real to me yet. I know there are things that I should probably be doing, but I am not really sure what they are. At the same time I don't want to get things ready too early. I am pretty much packed. I have this fear that I will get all the way over to China and slap my head because I forgot something important!
Things still left to do: Go to bank and get money; pack for my daughter that is staying behind-this is the task that is overwhelming more than anything. Isn't that funny? Double check and make sure I have all the gifts needed; and so much more.
We received a skeleton of an itinerary today. Here it is:

May 9 Leave for LA early in the AM
May 9 Leave for Guangzhou at midnight
May 11 Arrive in Guangzhou and fly to Beijing-arrive at 11:55 am
May 13 Tour Great Wall and Forbidden City
May 14 Leave for Guangzhou and I think it is also our "Gotcha Day".
May 15 Legal process
May 16 Local sightseeing
May 17 Orphanage visit (maybe)
May 18-20 I don't know
May 21 Obtain legal documents
May 23 Medical exam
May 24 Consulate Appointment at 10:30am
May 25 Obtain visa for Melina
May 26 Come home!!

Here is an update on Mom. Last Friday her WBC was 0.3. (It should be 5) On Sunday she had a fever of 101.8 so I had to take her to the ER. Fortunately I have some wonderful friends at the hospital that were able to help us and get her isolated right away. I was not wanting her to have to wait for 5 hours in a germ infested ER with no WBC! The short story is they don't know what caused the fever, but it subsided around Tuesday with antibiotics. She has been in the hospital all week because of other complications, but she is being well cared for and should be home maybe Friday or Saturday. This round of chemo is much more difficult than the first. Please pray that she will be able to tolerate it better. If not, I think they will have to make some adjustments.
Anyway, even though so much of my life right now seems like a blur I pray that I would, like Mary, mother of Jesus, be able to treasure all these things in my heart. I so want to remember and tell my children, "Look and see what the Lord has done! This is how He has shown Himself faithful...!"
"To Him be all glory, both now and forever!"

We Have Our Consulate Appointment!!

2007-04-19T18:27:00.000-05:00

It is finally official! Our consulate appointment (CA) has been confirmed for May 24 at 10:30 am! We will be leaving the States on May 9 and arriving in Beijing on May 11. That will be one day before we are supposed to be there but they said our coordinator would be there to welcome us. We are so excited and ready to go! Our return flight is scheduled for May 26, but we can change it to May 25 if we are not rushed and get Melina's visa in time. I think we will probably be ready to get home by then. Melina, here we come!! Please pray for us as we prepare for our trip. More to come when I have more time to sit and type!

TA Arrived Via FEDEX!!

2007-04-16T13:32:00.000-05:00

TA arrived today! I did hear about it on Friday, but I haven't had much time to post. I will say I was a little disappointed in the way that it came. I was told by my coordinator that she "would call me as soon as she had it in hand." All day on Friday I had my cell phone glued to my hip. I was out of the house pretty much all morning and most of the afternoon so as soon as I got home I checked email. Nothing. Every few hours I checked. Nothing. I began to worry because others had gotten "the call". Where was ours??? Finally, when it got to be after 5 I checked email again and at 4:45 my coordinator had emialed me that she had sent it to me. UHGGG! When I checked the tracking info. it had been sent at 9:30 that morning!!
Well, we have it and that is good, but it will be GREAT when we get our consulate appointment (CA) which we are hoping for today. However, I don't count on too much with our agency. We will see and it will be all in God's timing, right?! I am peaching to myself constantly.
Next Post: Baby Shower

10 Years and a Day Ago

2007-04-16T13:21:00.000-05:00

Ten years and a day ago our precious daughter, Madeline Elise was born! I just can't believe she is 10 years old! Am I old enough to have a ten year old?? She is growing up quickly and over the past year I have seen some wonderful changes in her. She is going to be such a big help with Melina! She adores babies and loves to give them a bath!! We celebrated her birthday a week ago at a gymnastics place and we all had the time of our life! Yesterday, she was able to spend some intimate time with her best friend, Emily. Her favorite way to celebrate her birthday is with tea and scones, so that is what we did. Daddy even showed up with his blue blazer on-granted it was over his NC State shirt and shorts, but nonetheless, he was handsome! We tried to keep manners going, but we just sort of broke out in silliness and had fun!
Madeline, happy birthday and we love you! We pray you grow to seek God and love Him with all your heart!

7 Years Ago Today

2007-04-04T15:15:00.000-05:00

Seven years ago today, at about this time of day (4:30pm)I was convincing my obstetrician that my baby was coming "today". He wanted to send me home. He looked at me and asked, "What do you think?" I replied, "She's coming today!" Sure enough, she came and by 7:47 PM we were holding our second daughter, Meredith Ann, in our arms. What a joy she has been! She is full of life and laughter! She goes nonstop from the time she gets up to the time she falls asleep. Sometimes that doesn't happen early enough for Mommy! :)
So today we have celebrated her 7 wonderful years of life. It began with pancakes, sausage and eggs for breakfast, care of Daddy. Because it was her birthday she only wanted to do "a little school" so we only did math today. Well, she also went to writing class which she loves. At lunch, her local cousins came over for McD's and cake and ice cream and "a show". We have had a great day.
We are very thankful for our "little Meredith" and the joy she brings to our family. We are looking forward to watching her as she learns to be a BIG SISTER soon!
Come on TA's!!
(Okay, I wanted to post some pictures of Meredith, but I will just have to add them later.)
Happy Birthday,Sweetie Pie!

She Shall Be Called...

2007-03-29T20:43:00.000-05:00

She shall be called: Melina Ai Ning Ginn.
I know many of you are wondering and asking. For so long she was to be Melina Grace, but once we got a little insight into her name and why she was probably called that we wanted to keep it. Of course, we had planned on possibly keeping part of it from the beginning if it had a special meaning, but thought that it would work with "Grace" in there too. Well, it just got to be too long and we are really fond of her Chinese name. Therefore, "Grace" was dropped. Maybe the next one we adopt can have that one!!!( I am already working on Barry!)
Today is the day that our package should have arrived. I pray she got it and that the things bring some sort of comfort to her. I pray also that her nannie will be able to take the time to share our pictures with her.
April is just going to go by way too slow!
Tryin' to chill like this ladybug while we wait for our precious ladybug!

All Kinds of Stuff Going On

2007-03-29T13:03:00.000-05:00

This was supposed to be the nesting post, but that has passed. Other things have taken precedence over organizing! I did thoroughly organize our little teeny weeny closet that my husband and I both share. All those clear shoe boxes were well worth the $20! The rest of the house is a mess, but my closet sure does look good!
We are still waiting for Travel Approval (TA). I am hoping for an early week announcement next week.
I am thoroughly enjoying the blogs of other adoptive families that are currently over in China getting their daughters. It is so moving and exciting. I feel very unprepared and wonder if I will even know what to do.
Here's a quick update on mom. She has been back and forth between my house and Susan's. (We only live 2 streets apart!)
Bone marrow biopsy came back clean so she would be a candidate for Bexxar treatment.(a miracle)
Saw new radiologist oncologist-loved him
Basically overnight developed a very large lymph node in cervical area
Monday-Emergency CT scan
Tuesday-meeting with doctor; blood work; chest x-ray for surgical prep
Wednesday-Biopsy of lymph gland to determine if cancer transformed to more aggressive type.

Now we are waiting for the report and will find out something hopefully on Monday. What it all boils down to though is that she will not be a Bexxar candidate and she will have to undergo the standard 4-6 month chemo. All of this has happened in a span of 3 days!!
Amazing isn't it? One of my recent favorite books is entitled, When Life and Beliefs Collide. It gives an example of how Jesus teaches Mary, Lazarus' sister, "about faith and frees her from 'the incessant need to understand exactly what he is doing before [she places her] confidence in him.' And she discovers that he can be trusted in the worst of circumstances, that no matter how chaotic and hopeless things appear, he is good and nothing is beyond his control."
That is a quote of a quote from Joni Eareckson Tada and Steven Estes, When God Weeps.
I am learning to trust God during this time when I have NO clue to where He is leading or what He is doing! One day at a time.
P.S. I can't figure out how to underline my book titles! I am sure my grammar is all wrong. Please forgive me!
My girls are begging to go to Aunt Susan's swimming so I have got to leave the computer!

VISAS ARE IN!!

2007-03-20T22:20:00.000-05:00

We got our Visas today! We are excited. This is just one step closer to Melina! We are still waiting on Travel Approval (TA) which I assume will be a few weeks more. It is very late so this will be short. I just want to say that God is good and He has been so faithful through the sorrow, pain, and just all that is going on. I will catch you all up later on Mom and her appointment with the oncologist.
Thank you all for your wonderful comments and encouragement. I am slowly replying. I will get there. I think I must be developing some sort of carpal tunnel symdrome! All this typing is hurting my wrists.
Look forward to my next post entitled: "Nesting!"

Catch Up Time

2007-03-18T19:57:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I have posted. As many of you know a lot has been going on and it is taking a while to get back in the swing of things. Today is Sunday and it is "good to be in the house of the Lord." It has been a month since we have been to our own church and it is good to be back! Our Women's Ministry Council blessed my sister, Susan and I, with a sweet sympathy card and gift certificates for dinner and a movie with our husbands. Babysitting included!! They are awesome! Thank you, Ladies!
Since I last posted I was able to meet a new friend named Yi. She is from China and was able to help translate some of our referral papers. I didn't realize that I would receive some from the agency later, but I am so thankful for her time. She was able to give such wonderful descriptions and insight into our little girl that we just couldn't get from a written translation. It was delightful to meet with her and I feel as if I know my baby better.
I was able to get my care package off to China thanks to my great postman! I sent it USPS and saved over $150! Sorry Jay! Brown was just way too expensive! :) I included Mary Kay products, Dove chocolate, and Florida Salt water taffy for the Nannies, and blankets, sleepers, socks, teethers, photo album and a stuffed animal for Melina and other babies. The photo album and animal was for Melina only, of course. I had everything necessary labeled in Chinese and Melina's picture pinned to the items I meant for her. I hope the nannies show her our photos so she is somewhat familiar with us when we get her. Oh yes, I also included a disposable camera for the Nannies to take pictures of her during our wait! It will be great to have pictures of her from before gotcha day!
It has been almost 2 weeks since our referral and I suppose we will have our Travel Approval in another 2 weeks. Many of us are guessing we will not travel until the first of May due to the Trade Shows that go on in China during April. It makes the place even more hectic and stressful as well as more expensive. They say it is better for baby even to wait.
I applied for our Visas last week and those should come either this week or the next. It is getting closer and I feel WAY behind in preparations! I haven't done a thing! I take mom to Shands tomorrow to see a new oncologist and after we know more what path we will take with her I will better be able to prepare and think more clearly...hopefully. Is that possible??

Apology

2007-03-11T13:37:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, I have offended someone and I am very sorry. Please understand that I meant NO harm with referring to Asians as having "yellow" skin. I suppose it comes from "Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World." If it is a harmful "stereotype" I regret saying it. I guess I don't think of being stereotyped when people refer to me as "white" even though my skin really isn't white either...well, maybe a few parts are really close to that, so please understand that I did not want to offend anyone and I have thought more about what you said and I will be more careful next time. I have removed that portion from my last post. Thank you for your comment.

Our Little Sunshine!

2007-03-08T22:38:00.000-05:00

Here she is! We think she is adorable! Our hearts have been growing in love with her for a long time now, even before we knew who she was. Now we are captivated! Madeline and Meredith carry her picture in their pockets so they can show any passer by their new baby sister. She has already been such a bright spot in our lives as we journey through the difficult loss of my father. It is amazing to see God's grace in it all; in the timing of her coming, in His provision, in her beautiful eyes, in the choosing of her name and many others. We have had her name picked out for a while now and I am so glad we chose it. Melina means bright yellow. I imagined her to be such a bright spot in our lives. I also prayed that she would spread sunshine where ever she goes. I have also found recently that her name can mean "honey". I can already tell that she is "sweet as pie!" or more appropriately, "Sweet as honey!" I can't stop looking at her!

The Stork Has Landed!!

2007-03-06T18:15:00.000-05:00

The Stork has landed and we have a baby girl!!
Her name is: Lian Ai Ning.
DOB: 07/23/06
Province: Guangdong
As you may notice I misspelled her name in the emails. Crazy! The anticipation of this phone call has been HUGE. I told Barry I feel as if I have been induced with pitocin for 2 days and she finally is here. I can remember the feeling of when Madeline was born and how they told me they needed to induce labor,and it was 4 weeks early, how emotional I was. This was just as emotional and maybe even a little more exhausting!! I guess it should have been seeing as it has been an almost 2 year pregnancy!: )
We don't have any other information, but it should arrive via FedEx on Thursday. We hope to have a picture tomorrow. I will be sure to post it as soon as I get it!

From Madeline

2007-03-06T17:51:00.000-05:00

I cannot actually believe that we got a phonecall from Mommy and Daddy's agecy! This is so cool,they are going to the province of Guangdong!

Referral, Where Art Thou?

2007-03-05T14:53:00.000-05:00

Referral, Where Art Thou? It is 3:00 PM and I am almost sick with waiting. My darling daughters and niece could tell I was getting a little uptight and so hid themselves to make cute little notes of encouragement for me. One said, "China, Here we come." Another one said, "Rejoice!"
I am still waiting to hear that phone ring!

Referrals Are In! Will We Get Our Call?

2007-03-05T12:11:00.000-05:00

Oh my word!! I don't know if I can handle this! The referrals are in and a few people have already received their calls today! Will ours come today?? I am so hoping and praying that it does. I need to run errands, but don't think I will make it out of the house today. Phone- RING,RING,RING!

Half the Wait is Over

2007-03-01T10:51:00.000-05:00

The waiting is over. My Dad has no more oxygen lines, no more catheter, no more struggling for each breath and no more 50 thousand pills to take each day. He went to be with his Saviour this morning at 3:00am. I am so sad, but glad that he is not suffering any more.

A Dichotomy-Waiting for Life and Waiting for Death

2007-02-28T22:17:00.000-05:00

My life these days is explained well as a dichotomy-"a division into two usually opposed parts."
We are waiting for life....the life of our daughter, Melina, and at the same time waiting for death...the death of my father. We have been on a rollercoaster with both. We hear news that it is going to be soon that we hear something from China, then it is no, not for a few more weeks. Hospice says, it is going to be soon. We have been told several times,"two weeks" and then " a couple days" and it has been 2 months. It is nothing but waiting...and more waiting.
I am so glad that there is comfort and hope in it all though. I am thankful for this past week that I was able to spend at my parents helping take care of my father. Depsite his condition I had a great week with him. I enjoyed reading to him, praying with him and had wonderful conversation with him. God blessed the time we had and it was good.
Hospice Critical Care is back and Dad has been ready to meet His Saviour and be rid of his failing body. Pray that his prayer would be answered.
I am so ready to hear the good news of our little girl and to see her face. We are all hoping for a call in the next few days or by the early part of next week, but I am bracing myself for another 2 week wait. It is hard. My emotions inside are so confused! We watched a video of families receiving their children and we all cried. I cannot even imagine what that day will be like, but I am so ready for it.
As I have thought a lot about my dad I have thought a lot about one of my favorite Psalms and that is Psalm 73. I will not quote the entire Psalm, but it is a great one. Tonight, the verse that gave me comfort was a different one than usual...it is, "But as for me, it is good to be near God."

My Wonderful Covenant Family

2007-02-12T20:33:00.000-05:00

I apologize that this is old news, but with all that has been going on with my Dad I have not had the time I wanted to spend on this one.
Earlier this month the Ladies in our church organized a garage sale to help raise money for our adoption. We had so many wonderful families donate a LOT of stuff and many that helped organize and price and then sell on Saturday. The forecast for that Friday and Saturday was NOT good, but it was great to see how God provided for us in giving us good weather...at least not rainy weather! He also provided financially. I was going to be thrilled if we made $1000.00 because I never do well with garage sales. Well, we made $2600...at a garage sale! Can you believe it!! Then someone also donated an extra $500. I still have a saddle that needs to be sold and I am waiting on 2 interested buyers!! Pray that it sells!
It just blesses my heart to be a part of such a wonderful church and I am overjoyed at being able to bring Melina into such a sweet covenant community. I am thankful that she has families that are already excited about her coming and are praying for her. Thank you Good Shepherd Church!

Making Preparations While Waiting

2007-02-12T20:19:00.000-05:00

Today was busy with our little home school co-op, ballet, and gymnastics. I heard on one of my yahoo groups that there could possibly be a batch of referrals coming out this week. I have a hard time believing it, but it did get me moving a little. I washed some PJ's, blanket and socks that I had purchased for Melina. I am trying to get together a care package that I can send to the orphanage as soon as we know where she is. I packed some Mary Kay lotion, eye shadow and lip gloss, and some candy for the nannies and then the things I washed for Melina along with a cute stuffed bunny. I was able to find a free translator page online so that I could label all the things for them in Chinese. Now we just need to know who our little one is! Waiting patiently....

Update on Dad (a.k.a. Pop Pop)

2007-02-11T17:26:00.000-05:00

First, the picture is of Pop Pop at Christmas.

Kelly and I got to Mom and Dad's on Wednesday and Dad did not look good. It was an emotional few days. However, by Thursday afternoon he was looking better and actually wanted a little something to eat! PBJ of all things! That is my favorite,too. Each day he looked a little better, stayed awake a little longer and ate a little more. Hospice Critical Care is probably going to pull out which is great but leaves us with a little dilemma. He still can't really move on his own because he is so weak and anything puts him out of breath and Mom is not able to help him. They still need someone there with them so Susan or myself will be taking turns, I suppose, to help them out.
I am currently back in Ocala for a few days. We will see what happens. Thank you all for your prayers during this time.
We are almost halfway through February which means we are getting REALLY close to having a picture of our little girl! I will be absolutely amazed and excited if I get to drive to Rockledge and show Pop Pop a picture of his new little girl!
There are a thousand things to do since I got back so I will post more later.
Happy Valentine's Day!!

Dad

2007-02-08T07:34:00.000-05:00

This post is difficult to do. It is going to be choppy so bear with me. Dad took a turn for the worse this past weekend. I so wish I had a picture of Melina to show him, because he probably won't make it to March. Hospice is here around the clock now. Dad is on 2 oxygen tanks. Yesterday I got here with my girls and Susan's children. Susan was already here. Kelly flew in last night. For never really having a very affectionate father as I watched Dad lie there sleeping I just wanted to wrap my arms around him and hug him. I was able to feed him a little apple sauce and a boost and it breaks my heart. Yet, I am so glad that I was able to do that and that he had a little "alert" time where is eyes were opened. He told me to take good care of mom and her accounts and that his water cup should go to mom because she needs one. (hers broke in their car accident 4 years ago and she hasn't been able to find another good one!) I love him and will miss him.

Referrals, Friends, and Feelings

2007-02-01T21:47:00.000-05:00

The referrals are in! No, we were not included and that is very okay. It is so exciting to see the pictures of all the little girls and to read others' stories. It is also exciting because we will definitely be included in the next batch! We can confidently say next month we will have our daughter's picture and name! O Happy Day!
Today I was able to spend time with a friend that adopted her little girl a little over a year ago. Thank you, Linda! It was wonderful. More than anything it gave me peace. As I have been reading online about attachment issues and other things I began to get a little overwhelmed. God was able to use today to simply remind me not to be anxious. He is in control and no matter what, it is going to be okay. It blessed my heart to watch as my girls played and interacted with Mikayla. They were sweet and gentle and will be a blessing to Melina and me!
I also had the privilege of seeing another special friend that is in the process of adopting a little girl from Kazachastan. I love being around her excitement!! She is so much fun and I need more of you, GRETA!! :) As I left her house and reflected on all the different emotions I have had I realized for the first time that there is something else mixed with my excitement-an ache. Today, for the first time, my heart ached for my little girl. I am ready.
Just a little longer, Melina, and you will then be with your forever family!

The Tender Heart of a Child

2007-01-28T21:28:00.000-05:00

Oh,the tender heart of a child! Meredith had been tucked in and prayers said and now it was Madeline's turn. As I go to Madeline's room Meredith is getting back in bed. As I tuck her in for a second time I notice she is hiding something under the covers. I look. It is Meredith's favorite outfit that she wore at her first birthday that she hung in her closet for Melina. She is longing for her "little sister". I tell her that she can't sleep with it and bend to kiss her when she bursts into tears crying for Melina! I am amazed at the amount of love that she already has for her little sister and the longing in her heart to have her here. We prayed together for Melina through her tears, but as I sit hear typing I can still hear Meredith talking to God and Melina, expressing her desire for her. I am thankful for how God is shaping our family through this and the love He is growing in our hearts!

Rollercoasters and Baby Detergent

2007-01-28T15:58:00.000-05:00

Let the ride begin or should I say continue? Just as quickly as we get excited about the possibility of being in the February batch we find out that we are not. It seems as if we are going to be waiting until March for our referral. I am at peace with that and know that God is totally in control! His timing will be perfect. As time continues the longing to meet, see, hold, kiss and love Melina only grows. She is in our thoughts and prayers daily. I can sometimes imagine what she may look like and then it is gone. It will be nice to have a picture of her precious face to put with her name and our prayers. I imagine the wait will be even more difficult once the referral comes. At the same time it will pass quicker with all the preparations for travel needing to be done. At least we will be doing something to bring her home.
Speaking of doing, this past weekend Barry got a few totes of baby clothes down from the attic. I had given just about everthing away and that which I did not give away unfortunately reminded me just how much of a spit up baby Meredith was! When I put it away they were clean, but it is amazing how over 7 years spit up shows up again! YUCK! Most of them went in the trash. There were a few things that I could save and those I washed. As the girls and I walked through Target to get baby detergent I was wondering if there was such a thing as HE baby detergent. I was surprised to find the Method brand that is high efficiency compatible. It is wonderful! Let me tell you, they have come a long way in the last 7 years. I just remember the Dreft that hardly had any scent to it. The smell of those clothes is divine. There is something wonderful, peaceful and warm about the smell of baby. It has been so long and we are ready to welcome all of that. You should see the girls. Meredith was eagerly hanging up Melina's outfits in "their" closet and putting things away in her dresser while Madeline had baby blankets pressed up to her nose inhaling the wonderful smell of baby. She wants to hold her and be able to bathe her and have a "baby sister".
So we are ready and while we are waiting we will pray and enjoy the wonderful smell of baby detergent until she gets here! Then it will be stinky diapers! I can't wait to see how eager Madeline is then! :)

"Rumors" are Flying!

2007-01-24T20:42:00.000-05:00

The rumors are flying from the Rumor Queen! The Rumor Queen has a website called ChinaAdoptTalk.com and she somehow compiles information that she gathers from different adoption agencies about referrals, dates and travel appointments. She then rates them on how "reliable" they are.....Well, "rumor" has it that there are at least 3 agencies that are saying the October 17th IS included in this next batch of referrals that will probably be out next week!! I am getting very excited...a very controlled excited. Even after the extremely long wait I am having a hard time believing that it is actually happening and that we could be going to China very soon to bring our little girl home! She is in my thoughts constantly and it is difficult to concentrate on other things.
On Feb. 3 our church is having a garage sale to help raise money for our adoption. I am so grateful to all of you for your hard work, your excitement in our excitement and your love and prayers.
This week I have been at Mom and Dad's helping. Mom had a stint removed from her kidney. The cancer is not gone so she will have to resume chemo in several weeks. We are not looking forward to it because it is a very toxic one. Please continue to pray for her. Dad is still hanging on. He has good days and bad. Susan and I have been able to help with bills and office stuff for him, but it sure causes him much anxiety. The hope of him being able to meet Melina is definitely there especially since it seems likely that we will be in the next batch.
I was telling Barry on Sunday that I am more ready than I have ever been before. I have heard others talking about "their daughter" that they needed to bring home. I don't know if I can articulate the feeling, but I had not understood that exactly. I couldn't think of her yet that way. I knew we were adopting a child, but I didn't have a connection, even though we/I had been praying for her and her birth mother for a while. For some reason, this Sunday I was overcome with an urgency of needing to get to her and realizing that "our daughter", the daughter that God had chosen for us before the foundation of the world, was waiting for us to bring her home.

New Links

2007-01-13T21:55:00.000-05:00

I have added a new link to our church that I have grown to truly love! I also had the link for Shaohannah's Hope wrong so I think I got that fixed. Please visit our church website and follow the link to resources and download Richard Pratt's messages. I have not been able to listen to them all, but they have ministered and encouraged Barry and many others in our church. Also check out our Worship Leader's new album. It is fabulous! You will not be disappointed. I don't want to offend anyone, but it is not your typical church release...it is very professionally done.
Today, I finished staining a new dresser for Meredith and Melina's room. It is not perfect, but I like it. I told a friend today that I threw out my perfectionism a while ago. Life is more enjoyable if things don't have to be perfect! Most of you all will admit I still have some recovering to do, I know!
"My name is Shanna Ginn and I am a recovering perfectionist and Oh! so much else!" :)
I love you all and thank you for your prayers.

What to Pray For

2007-01-10T17:26:00.000-05:00

As the time nears my emotions are so up and down. In order for us to be included in this next batch the CCAA would have to process 20 days. They have not processed that many days since September of 2005. They have processed 19 days twice since then, but all other months were below 19. So, my prayer is that by some miracle they process 20 days and we are included in this next batch that will probably come out the first week of February. My father's health is declining. I think it would be very special for him to at least get to see Melina. At the same time I know in my heart that God's timing is perfect and I am trusting Him on that!
Also, please pray that Melina's heart is being prepared for us. As I have been reading on attachment issues it makes my heart break to think of all the loss that she is going to be experiencing and has already experienced, even in receiving a family! I pray that she will be able to bond with us and that family and friends will be understanding of how we have to treat her simply because she has had so much loss. I was telling my girls how I would let them cry in their cribs if they didn't want to go to bed when Mommy and Daddy wanted them to. And it was okay. They would eventually calm down and go to sleep, but we will not be able to do that with Melina. She needs to learn that we are not going to leave her, that she can trust us and we will be there for her.
I am also reading all the lists of what to bring, what to remember.....it is overwhelming!! Please pray that we will be able to get everything together and that our trip will be a pleasant one. We will be taking Meredith with us and I pray that she will be strong and be able to persevere without whining through the long days. She is so excited and she is going to be a big help! I cannot wait to see her face when she finally gets to meet this precious sister of hers that she has been praying for for so long! For Madeline: that she will be a big help at home to Aunt Susan and she will not be anxious. She will learn to trust in Jesus.
There is so much going on...I wish I could include everything. Please remember us in your prayers and I am so thankful for all of you!

Mounting Excitement!

2007-01-03T19:24:00.000-05:00

Ooh Boy! The excitement is mounting. I have suppressed so many emotions these past 15 months that as it gets closer the emotions are swelling up as lava in a volcano!
I just visited someones blog that received there referral today! How exciting it is to see other families finally hearing the news about their girls! This particular family's LID was September 26,2005. That is only 21 days away from our LID. There is news that the latest batch of referrals includes September 28th! If that is the case then we might be included in the next batch! Whew! What will I do?
The CCAA (Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs) has not updated their website so I do not know the official dates. Oh, I am excited! I suppose that now might be a good time to start getting ready. I am ready to do some shopping!

God's Call to "Maintain Justice"

2007-01-01T15:10:00.000-05:00

5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,

only a day for a man to humble himself?

Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed

and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?

Is that what you call a fast,

a day acceptable to the LORD ?
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe him,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness [a] will go before you,

and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness

and your night will become like the noonday.

Isaiah 58:5-10

The reasons for adopting are numerous and difficult to include in just one post. The reasons listed in this post go far deeper than simply wanting a larger family because I think they are more fun. It goes to the heart...my heart and also Barry's. It is a yearning to know and understand the heart and love of God and do something that doesn't come easy for me: to love another. I know God loves me and I have to continually preach that to myself throughout the day and life in general, but I certainly do not understand "how high, or deep, or long or wide His love is for me." I wish I did. If I did understand, life would definitely be different and my reaction to life would be different too!

God loved us even when we were not His own. By that I mean of the chosen Israelite heritage. He adopted us in and made us His. In Hosea, God says, "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one.."

In a sense, we are calling Melina "our own" and "our loved one" though she is not "ours".

And so, we desire to "loose the chains of injustice, to feed her, to clothe her, to shelter her, and to love her" .

I long that through this adoption of "Melina" that God would fill our family's heart with such a deep love for her, though she is not flesh of my flesh, and that we would all be nearer to God, and the understanding of His great love for us. Also, by doing so, we are bringing in one who was "outside" into our covenant family, into the wonderful covenant blessings that will also belong to her. I pray that she would grow up to know and understand also how great the Father's love is for her and desire to serve Him.

Do you hear the change in tone or see the light getting brighter as you read the above passage at verse 8. It is so hopeful and exciting and I love it. God has used this passage more than any other to encourage me in our process. When I have wondered through this long wait if I am doing the "right thing", I read this and say, "Yes! This is the heart of God and I long to know it!"

A Message From Daddy

2007-01-01T13:19:00.000-05:00

Much of what has been written to date on this blog has been the thoughts of my wonderful wife. She has done a great job of sharing "our" reasons, thoughts, feelings, etc. However, I thought I might also write a few words as well to provide a male perspective to those who may be interested.

I can say honestly that when we started the whole adoption process I was quite content with the little family God had given me. I was not as excited about this as Shanna was because life was comfortable. There were many thoughts that kept going through my head - "God has given us two wonderful kids. Why do we need another? I work hard enough to support the ones we have. Will I have to work harder to support another? How will this affect our current family dynamics. I enjoy the relationships I have with my girls. Will this adversely affect my relationships with them."

One day Shanna showed me a video about the waiting children in China and I was moved to act. It stirred me to my soul. I had to do something about what I saw. So I told Shanna I was ready to move forward with the adoption process. We moved ahead and Shanna got all our paperwork done - I just signed where she told me to.

Almost since the time I became a believer I have believed in the doctrine of adoption - God adopting us into his family, making us his children. I saw this as an opportunity to quit thinking about the gospel and do something about it. We are to be agents in bringing God's Kingdom to the world around us. By going to China and adopting a girl we know nothing about, we believe that we are fulfilling God's command "to be fruitful and multiply." Since God has not given us more biological children, we have taken a path that we believe will produce more spiritual children. By taking in Melina, we are taking in a child that may never have heard the gospel since she is coming from China. In my own words, these are not Shanna's, I believe that we are on a "rescue" mission to bring one of God's own children home. My prayer is that we would love and nurture Melina, show her Jesus and she would produce "spiritual" children of her own and extend the Kingdom of God.

Some of the Why's

2006-12-19T14:32:00.000-05:00

Hey All! I am excited about figuring this out. I thought I should probably start our blog with why we are adopting since that is generally the first question people ask, followed by, "Why China?" I will attempt to keep my thoughts clear and coherent however, I have so many thoughts racing through my mind all at once it will be difficult.

My adoption journey began a very long time ago when I was just a child. I have 2 adopted sisters and I simply thought that when I grew up that I would also adopt! I can't imagine what my life would be like without my 2 adopted sisters, especially Kelly, who is only 18 months older than me. We were the best and worst of buds. She enriched my life and I thank God for her.

As I grew up and got married I dreamed of having lots of children. God graciously blessed us with 2 wonderful daughters. Our first came as a very unexpected surprise and the second with a lot of effort, time and prayer. Our "secondary infertility" has been a journey in and of itself and could have its own blogspot! God has used it to grow my husband and me in many ways. I have come to understand that I am not being punished for some past sin and that I am blessed. He loves me and everything He does is good. There is nothing physically wrong with either one of us, we just happen to be in that 10% of unexplained infertility. We did not want to pursue extravagant medical help understanding that it is God who opens and shuts the womb. (Please understand that I am not against the medical help, it is simply not where God led us.)

Through that journey, adoption became more and more of our focus. It took several years for us to finally take the plunge and go for it. In the process of deciding how and where to begin we agreed on China. Again, this I believe has been a lifetime process for me (Shanna) because even as a young child I wanted to have an oriental baby. I had a dear friend through elementary and middle school that I cherished. I loved his family and how they all took care of each other. God uses so much in our lives to lead us. It is God who led us to China.

In April of 2005 we began our adoption full force. Our home study was the very first thing that we got done followed by the massive amount of paper work that comes with it. We completed our dossier, which is all the paper work that gets sent to China, in August. In September all our information was sent to China and we were officially logged into there system on October 17, 2005! That is our very important date known as our Log in Date (LID). It is the LID that we watch to see how far China has gotten in the matching process. Right now China has placed children with families that have LID's through September 8, 2005. They have been processing about 2 weeks worth per month. There is approx. 5 weeks between that date and our LID so we can possibly expect our referral sometime in early March. However, as I have learned, it is God who is in control, not the Chinese Gov't. They may speed up a little bit or could slow down again. Who knows??? Only God. Partly as a means of self preservation I have been able to suppress much of my emotions through out the up and down of this unexpected very long wait! As many of you know we thought we would have had Melina in May of this past year. Again, I have learned and I hold on to the sovereignty of God. It is in His perfect timing!

The Beginning-Welcome!

2006-12-17T22:53:00.000-05:00

Welcome and Merry Christmas! This is just a test for me to figure out what I am doing. I have wanted to start a blog spot so that I could keep everyone informed with what is going on in our long process of adoption. This is the beginning of what I hope will become a favorite place for you all to visit as you journey along with us to our little Melina.