After many technical difficulties, we're up and running and finally able to post. Sleep was a wonderful thing last night but Karen was up and ready to get started at 4 AM. We are at the Beijing Hotel. It seems to be right in the middle of chaos. It is truly amazing to watch the number of people, cars and bicycles all compete for the same space. We are here with 3 other families and will be joined by more by Friday. All of us are anxious to get our daughters.
We started our day at Lama Temple. I should have taken notes because it was very interesting. It was a Buddhist temple. The architecture was incredible and there were so many beautiful things to look at. However, neither of us want to smell incense ever again!
Our next stop was at the silk factory. That was so cool to learn what happens from the time the silk worm does it's thing to the time Karen decides we need to take something home. We ended up buying a beautiful queen size comforter (more like a duvet cover and insert) all in a red silk background with colorful hand embroidered birds on it. It is gorgeous and will be saved for a special gift when Callaway is older. I won't tell you how much we spent on that because it was a little bit painful on this end.
This evening we went to a very entertaining "The Legend of Kung Fu" show at Red Theater. For those of you who will be coming to China soon, this is recommended. I was honestly surprised at how enjoyable this was. It's good to stay busy right now. Otherwise we might be tempted to drive ourselves to Jiangxi!
Today we learned that the number "8" is very good luck in Chinese culture. It means good fortune. When I told our guide that Callaway was born 8/8, he said that was very good and she will have a lot of fortune. We already know her fortune is in Heaven but it's fun to learn about their culture. She was born in the year of the monkey and he said that means she will be very active. She'll fit right in.
Every time I see a little girl here, I wonder if Callaway will look like her. The girls are so pretty here, very soft spoken and delicate. I get choked up every time I think how close we are.
We are 3 days away from Callaway. We will fly out of Beijing on Sunday and arrive in Nanchang around 2 PM. We will have about 1 hour at the hotel before our daughter arrive. We are getting so close that it's hard to sit back and be patient any longer. We also were told that later next week we would get to go to her orphanage! That is a huge surprise to us and we are really looking forward to seeing where she has spent her first year. Callaway was left at the gate of Fenyi Social Welfare Institute with a note saying when she was born. We won't be able to take the original note but will either get a copy of it or take a picture of it. It may not seem significant to some, but it is very significant to us.
I'll try to post a couple of pictures from today but please don't be disappointed if there aren't any. The way things have gone, I anticipate a few challenges...and I'm tired.
Brian Jr, we miss you! Hope all is going well with you.
Prayer requests: That we stay healthy, our group stays healthy and all of our daughters stay healthy. That God works in Callaway's heart as well as ours to prepare us to bond and be a forever family.

Today puts us one day closer to our daughter. Only 2 days left until we get to hold her in our arms. Every face we see reminds us of why we are here.
We started our day at Tiananmen Square. That place was huge. We didn't stand in line to see General Mao in his crystal tomb because it appeared that at least half the population of China was in line. It is holiday time for schools and so it was very crowded today. It's hard to imagine the chaos in April, 1989 when a massive demonstration for democratic reform was begun by students and then brutally repressed.
We then visited the Forbidden City, also called the Palace Museum. The Forbidden City was built between 1406 and 1420 during the Ming Dynasty. It had been the imperial home of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It seems like we walked from one side of Beijing to the other. We can actually see the Forbidden City from our hotel room.
We are enjoying getting to see and learn about Callaway's birth country. There is such a long history here and our guide, William, is doing a wonderful job of sharing this with us.
Of note, we are unable to view our own website. I'm not sure why this is but hope the rest of you are able to view it without problems. It must be the server here or something. Maybe our next hotel will be different. We're still having problems getting pictures posted too. Can't quite figure that one out either but am not giving up.
Prayer requests: Brian has been sick this afternoon with his GI system staging a revolt. He has been in bed since early afternoon. Please pray that this passes quickly and we can enjoy the Great Wall and Summer Palace tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers. We know how blessed we are.

"My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you." Job 42:5
GOTCHA!!! She's ours and she is perfect! We are so unbelievably happy. We're tired though and need to go find something to eat. I'll post again when I can. Just know that all is well...very well.

Since Karen & Brian & Callaway should currently be in "Dreamland" and I'm the only one with publishing rights, I feel it my duty and privilege to speak for the entire family, "Welcome Home, Callaway!!! WE LOVE YOU!! You are such a pretty little princess and we can't wait to hold you and love you in person :-) I know I wasn't the only one with tears when I saw your pictures! You already look soooo inquisitive and well-adjusted--as if you were always meant to be--and, of course, you were ;-) Give your mommy and daddy lots of lovin' and smiles and a few dirty diapers! We want them to feel right at home too! I just know you're cuddly and smell of baby lotion and you've surely heard 'I'm A Little Teapot' and 'Jesus Loves Me' before you went to bed. I hope your first full day in our family will be full of surprises and laughter. Make sure daddy has figured out the camera and he and mommy take lots of pictures. I know that your new brother misses you terribly and can't wait to teach you lots of new things. God be with you, little one. We're so thankful that He brought you to us!" Oh dear, here come more tears . . .it runs in the family!

Love, Aunt Pam

Yesterday began in Beijing with a lot of anxious soon-to-be parents. Four of the families, us included, took a 2 hour flight to Jiangxi Province, city of Nanchang. We walked in our hotel rooms and there was a little crib all waiting for her. Where, oh where, do all these tears come from? We were told we had an hour before the babies would arrive and then we were to meet in a room downstairs. We scrambled to get all the baby stuff organized...where to put things, what to take with us. All the time with thoughts running through our head wondering what she will be like, will she like us, etc. The four families met as directed. Certainly no one was going to be late for this meeting. The tension was palpable. We were told the babies would arrive at 4:30 PM but 4:30 came and went without any word. At 5 PM, we were told they were just a few minutes away. That gave one of the guys time to run back to their room to get some tissues because I had started crying again. The first sign we had of their arrival was a cry. I think all of us jumped at hearing that beautiful sound. We probably all got teary. Then they were here. Each baby carried into the room by a different orphanage worker. You could hear mumblings of all of us trying to figure out which one was ours. I was pretty sure I recognized Callaway's cheeks. Sure enough, it was her. The orphanage director handed her to me and all I remember is crying, thanking God for this beautiful daughter and telling Callaway that I was her mama. Brian was to take the pictures of this but was shaking so badly that none of them turned out. I believe some of the other families got pictures and will share them when we get home. I finally let her daddy hold her. She was immediately amused by her daddy. Daddy can make funny sounds from his mouth just like her. We had a few minutes to ask the orphanage director some questions like what their schedule was and what they have been eating and then they left.
We made our way back to the room and got busy. We had more paperwork to do and quickly got that out of the way. We played on the floor and had a great time learning about new toys. Callaway was given a bath which she absolutely loved! She kicked and splashed to her heart's content. Brian and I were soaked as well as everything in the bathroom. What fun! We got her dressed in her jammies, went down for dinner but were really too tired to eat.
The first song I sang to Callaway was "Jesus Loves Me". I don't think anyone had ever sung to her before because I was holding her and she just froze and stared at me. Maybe it's just that no one had ever sung it to her in English before.

Now for today...Happy Birthday Callaway! You are 1 year old today!
Callaway slept through the night...mommy and daddy didn't. Every time she took a deep breath, daddy was sitting up in bed to look at her. She woke up this morning with smiles. We didn't hear her cry until naptime today. Well, daddy heard her, mommy didn't. No one can believe how good and happy she is.
We started our day with official paperwork, getting passport photo done, etc. She was so good through the whole process and all the officials seemed to get a kick out of her. She really has such a wonderful disposition.
This afternoon we have pretty much hung out in the room, taken a walk after naptime and played. This evening we will have a birthday cake and small celebration with party hats included!

Prayer requests: Thank God for this gift he has given us. She is truly an answer to prayer.

There aren't any words to explain the emotions we felt today going to the orphanage where Callaway spent her first year. I'm posting a few pictures but only a very select few. We will show the entire album to immediate family only.
The Fenyi Social Welfare Institute (orphanage) is a 2 1/2 hour drive each way from the city of Nanchang where we are staying. The director, Mrs Xu, seems like a lovely person. You have seen her in at least a couple of the posted photos. She always has a smile on her face and seems to know each child by name. Since there are 100 children at this orphanage, I find that truly amazing and is evidence that she is a "hands-on" director. There are many caregivers and each one has 2-3 kids to watch. We met at least 2 of Callaway's caregivers.
We were able to go into the room where Callaway had a crib. Standing over this crib, now filled with another baby, was one of the hardest things to do. I could not picture Callaway in it and don't want to either. It truly is heart breaking. There were 8 cribs in this room. Another room was adjacent to this room, which looked identical. Outside of these rooms was a common room where many babies were in walkers. None of them looked happy. The good news is that 8 of these babies were leaving yet today for their forever families.
Brian and I cried through the entire orphanage. It was heart wrenching but we know God is watching over each one of these babies. There are very few days in life that you consider pivotal. This was one. We will never be the same again and I thank God for that.
Callaway is sound asleep now. Sleep tight precious one and know you are safe and oh, so loved.

Please forgive us for the late entry for this day. It's actually 8/13 as I'm entering this. Friday was a busy day for us.
We got Callaway's passport! Her picture in it is so cute. It's a People's Republic of China passport and we will get her a U.S. passport when we return.
Callaway also had her very first plane ride today. What made it challenging was having an afternoon flight and not getting a nap in like we should. The plane was full, which only served to make it more fun. Then Callaway had a blow-out and that resulted in a complete wardrobe change. If our 1 hour flight was any indication of how our 24 hours of traveling/flying will be, pray for us.
We checked into the famous White Swan Hotel late in the evening. It is an incredible place but we were too tired and hungry to explore. Brian and I ordered room service...hamburgers. Note to self: don't order the hamburger again.

We're in Guangzhou now and this is the final stop of our trip. This hotel is incredible. You hear about all the adoptive families that come through here but you really can't understand until you go to the breakfast buffet and see all the families here with new kids. It is amazing. The hotel sits on Shamian Island and the entire island seems to cater to adoptive families. Our room looks out over the Pearl River and we're loving that. There are many shops here and I quickly realized we don't have enough time here to cover all of them! However, we're giving it the ol' college try. I'm trying my best to teach our daughter how to shop!
Callaway got her physical exam this morning and she was deemed healthy. She still has a bump on her head though. The doctor today thought it is a mosquito bite that got infected. It looks better than it did but I'm anxious for it to be gone. Callaway also got her visa photos done. One more step closer.
Callaway is doing fantastic. She is still so happy. She has started to cry occasionally when we're not quite fast enough getting food to her. Otherwise, she is so pleasant. She has the sweetest disposition. She loves people and shows no anxiety when people come up and talk to her. She turns on the charm most of the time. When we are out and about, ladies come up take her right out of my arms. They just want to hold her I think. It would be nice if they asked first though. You don't see babies very often here in China. The population is so high and that is why family size is limited. Of all the thousands of people I've seen here since arriving, I've seen 6 pregnant women. Think about that. Anyway, Callaway is saying "ma ma" and "da da". She may not know what it means yet but it doesn't matter. She knows we're there. She talks incessantly, we just don't know what her babbles mean. We know she is behind developmentally. She just hasn't had the opportunities to learn. That is quickly changing. When we got her just 6 days ago, she made no effort to roll from her back to her stomach. Well, today she figured that out!
This evening was more paperwork for mommy while daddy and Callaway got dinner and bath done. Callaway is sound asleep now and it doesn't appear that daddy is far behind.
There aren't many more spaces left on this page. Yippee! We have loved being in China and definitely want to return but, oh, we can't WAIT to get home.

Prayer request: Please continue to pray for us in general. We appreciate everyone's support through prayer.

This was a day without any paperwork or appointments...unheard of lately. It was a nice change. We went on one tour and saw the Chen Ancestral Hall, which was built 1888-1894. The artistry is truly amazing. Someday maybe Callaway will stay awake to see it.
Some shopping today, which mommy always likes. Callaway is quite a good shopper. She charms the shopkeepers so mommy can get good deals.
Every day we see more of her personality come out and learn more about her. She is quickly learning how to get what she wants from us. I'm trying to teach her what the word "no" means. Let's see...daddy has taught her how to stick her tonque out and how to blow air out your mouth so your lips make funny noices and spit flies. I'm so proud.
It's late and everyone is sound asleep so I'm heading there too.

Prayer requests: Callaway's infected mosquito bite on her head continues to improve and she fights off this cold she's trying her best to catch.

Not much happening today. Mommy is fighting off travelitis so we all took a long morning nap. Afternoon was spent doing a bit of shopping then mommy took Callaway for her first swim. She loved it! She really enjoys the water and doesn't seem to have any fear of it. Our challenge when giving her a bath is keeping her from dunking herself. We didn't stay in the pool long because the sun wasn't out and we didn't want her to get chilled.
We are so ready to come home. It can't come soon enough. If only we could skip the long flight...
Tomorrow is our U.S. Consulate appointment. Then we'll be officially free to leave the country and bring Callaway home. How sweet that will be.

Prayer request: That Callaway's infected bug bite continues to get better. That mommy gets over her "travelitis". Follow-up from prayer request for Grandpa George: Surgery went well and he is recuperating now. We appreciate continued prayers for his health and recovery.

This will be short and sweet as it has been a long day of doing last minute stuff, we're trying to pack and get settled for a short night. We must get up at 4 AM to get out of here and to the airport for an early flight.
Most importantly today, we went to the U.S. Consulate, got Callaway's visa and mommy and daddy raised their right hands and said their "I do's" since Callaway can't. Just like that, Callaway is an American Citizen.
Praise the Lord!

Okay, I'll be honest. I had to put the cursur over the time at the bottom of the computer to see what the date was. I wouldn't have even known what day of the week it was. Let me back up...
The flight went fine. At least as fine as a flight that never ends can be. We were all more than tired by the time we got to St Louis but were greeted with so much love and enthusiasm, we got a second wind. Brian Jr was there and got to hold her first. I think the pictures say it all here. The only way I can describe it is like they were best friends reuniting. I'm not sure who had the bigger smile. Grandpa Bob (Karen's dad) was there as well as Grandma and Grandpa Maine (Brian's parents). It was quite a celebration. Callaway turned on the charm and worked her magic.
One of the biggest questions we had was how Burga (our 90-pound German Shepherd) would do with Callaway. There was never any reason to worry. Burga thinks Callaway is her puppy. She watches over her, cries when Callaway makes a sound, subjects herself to little hands that aren't always gentle and stays awake nights as "mommy's little helper". When Callaway is able to walk and run, there will be no stopping the two of them.
Our first full day at home was met with Callaway getting sick. Maybe it was her turn for a little travelitis. She seems well now and we are thankful for that. However, her little internal clock doesn't know if she is in China or somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. She can't seem to get it that we are suppose to sleep when it's dark out. We're gradually working our way towards a normal schedule but she is not about to be forced. She can scream like the best of them. Last night she went to sleep at 3:30 AM so you can see we have a way to go. It's amazing what sleep deprivation can do to seemingly intelligent adults. We've been lucky to put a complete sentence together. So now you know why there haven't been any updates since we got home. I apologize for that but know those who have "been there" will understand. We hope to be unpacked by this weekend. That will be a huge accomplishment!
Callaway is doing very well and learning so quickly. When we got her (or she got us) she couldn't roll over. Now she rolls over like it's her job. She is so close to crawling too. I thought for sure she was going to reach that goal last night by using Burga as a prop. She'll probably crawl before we get everything unpacked. She'll be walking soon too. Now that she has the opportunity and encouragement, look out world.
We feel so incredibly blessed. We look at her and marvel at how perfect she is for us. My father asked me how many babies I could have looked at before finding one so perfect for us. It couldn't have been done. We know, without a doubt, God placed this child in our home. She is truly a joy.

"The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3