..................~Graycn Kuaile~.................. ...bringing our little china doll home!...

Guess What???~ We are no longer in China!

2009-08-18T01:24:00.005-05:00

Okay...Okay...Okay.....I think I am "officially" off many of my friends' "Friend List".....We have been home from China for 5 months and 12 days and I am just now updating our blog of our "Journey of a lifetime" :) What is up with that? ~ Can I blame it on "post~adoption~partum"??? ha!

We have been having such a BLAST!!!! Our family is just giddy with our newest addition....I will update you with the details of ....well, we are almost speechless when it comes to describing how EASY this adjustment/bonding process has been! It has just been hand delivered by our sweet Savior!

Graycn is full of energy, getting more and more animated each day, has followed all growth and development milestones in order and with flying colors might I add! Over these 5+ months, she has learned to sit up, pick up toys, use her pincher grasp, smile, laugh and giggle, roll over and ALL around, crawl, blink on command, kiss and hug, pull to stand up, tell us her needs, blow kisses, say "mama" when hungry, drink from a sippy cup and a straw, eat ANYTHING and EVERYTHING, walk and fall and chase and fall, tries to repeat words you say, rocks her baby "Xia~Xia" (shaw-shaw)....and melts EVERYONE's heart that she meets!

I'll get some photos posted....that is the most important detail, isn't it? ha!

Love to you all and thanks again for all your love to us!
~w&h

The Final Countdown!!!!

2009-03-04T09:01:00.002-06:00

Only one more day of leisurely strolling down the streets of Guangzhou, window shopping at the market, getting suckered into a purchase here and there and seeing almond shaped eyes everywhere we go.

Today was a wonderful day. It was the first day Graycn and mommy got to sleep in! Daddy went to the city zoo and took lots of pictures and video for us. Mommy and Graycn woke up late (9:30), had breakfast w/ "Aunt Amy" (Gracey's mom) and came back to the room to play and get ready for the day.

We had a sweet time at the US Consulate ~ It was so fun to go up the escalators and see the American flag greet us! There were approximately 35 families taking the oath today ~ we all sat in chairs, waiting for our paperwork to be gathered, and then all of a sudden our names were called to get in line. We handed our paperwork to a gentleman behind a glass window and sat back down and waited. Nothing seemed too spectacular (no photos or video could be taken). Before we knew it, a lady came out and greeted us and congratulated us on our adoption being official and informed us that after the oath, Graycn would now be a "resident" of the United States of America! We received a brown envelope that has been sealed 3 different times (to ensure it's authenticity). We were informed to NOT open it ~ it contains papers we give to the immigration officer in Chicago that once filed and stamped ensure Graycn as a "citizen" of the United States of America!!!!!!! We all stood and held up our right hand ~ it was then that the ENGLISH speaking US Consulate employee shared with us that we are joining over 70,000 US families who have adopted children from China! The oath was a formality of promising that all the paperwork provided (over the last 3+years and current time) was accurate ~ WOW!!!! 70,000 families ~ that is a home for at least 70, 000 orphaned children..... Oh, I am just blown away that God has chosen us to care for this little sparkle ~ What a BLAST!!!!

We came home, did some shopping and met many of our Chenzhou families for dinner (we chose Italian tonight!) ~ Last nights' German was AWESOME!!!!!! oh~ I thought about it many times today!!! ha!!! ;) yummmmmmmmmmy!!!!!!

Graycn is tucked in....all fresh and clean! You should see her in the tub ~ she is hilarious!!!! She splashes....kicks....swings her arms....squeals.....and wiggles like a wild woman!!!! The whole time she is doing this, she is GIGGLING!!!! She is so fun!!!! Quite the perfect addition for our family!!!!

Off to bed we go......not sure if I will be able to blog any more until after we are home....if not, love to you all!

w&h

Red Couch~ Guangzhou's People~ Dr's Appointment

2009-03-02T09:53:00.005-06:00

Woooooooooooooooooo~Hoooooooooooooooooo!!!! The "Red Couch" photos are "official"!!!!! What a cool feeling to have gotten our sweet baby Graycn dressed in her EXTRA SPECIAL Chinese outfit for her most memorable "post~adoption photograph"!

The beautiful pink outfit she wore was soooooo precious to her mama! Some of you know, but there are MANY that do not know how that outfit came about........back in Spring 2007, one of my dear friends at Children's Mercy South ("Sha-nay-nay") told me about this sweet outfit she had bought for her sister's daughter and that she would ask her sister to save it for me for our little china bundle! Well................approximately 2 years later, it was "delivery" time at the Godshall houshold :) She was able to get her hands back on that outfit, but it had been a little worn (better known as "chewed up by the washing machine") ~ ha!!!! :) :) :) Anyway, another dear friend of mine at CMH~South ("Ramsey") saw this as a "challenge" and took the 'sad' little outfit home to provide some TLC ~ lo and behold........she performed a miracle!!!!! Graycn's outfit was the talk of the "Red Couch Fashion Pre~Show"!!!!! (Thank you girls for making this day even more special than it already would have been! ~ I love you all soooo much and can't wait for you to meet your Graycn! She has so many "Aunts" waiting for her arrival!)

We also had so much fun just walking the town of Guangzhou ~ it is such a quaint province. The people are so nice and seem very excited about their "girls" going to America. You will hear the older ladies telling you "good, good" as they give you a thumbs up. You can also hear them saying "happy baby, happy mama and baba" as they clap their hands.

We had been commenting on how there are NO obese people in China....I don't think there has been one! Today, I think we figured out why......for those of you receiving the snapfish albums, look for the photos of the park and you will see what age group is taking over the playground "equipment" and who is encompassing the majority of "free space". We were just blown away! I think each of us are making plans to retire in Guangzhou! It is as if time stands still! You feel so safe to walk around at any time of day/night ~ even by yourself (Don't worry, my UCC friends....I was ready to practice my "self-defense" moves!!!!!) ha!

We also had Graycn's physical exam today. She did so good! She was 6.1kg (definitely smaller than they measured with ALL her clothes on before she became a "Godshall"). They did actually use an otoscope to check the babies ears~ however, we did find it "funny" that all the people in the clinic (today was National Ear Day - EVERYBODY in Guangzhou was getting their ears checked today) "shared" the same disposable otoscope tip! (yummy!!!!) Dr. Rauf~ be assured that I am finding HUMOR in this.....not JUDGING the socialism of Graycn's 3rd world country!!!!! ha!!!! Also, on that note: I am so proud to tell you that Graycn passed her "hearing test"!!!!!! They held a brightly colored "squeak" toy by her right side of her face (she could see it) and then they "squeaked" the toy! Guess what????? eventually, Graycn looked at the toy as if to say "Are you going to hold it closer? I can't reach it!" She had the same response with her left ear :) ~ good thing I wasn't worried about "if" her ears were working :) ha!!!

Okay....off to get some pictures downloaded for ya...and then off to bed!

love to each of you!!!!!
w&h

We are at the WHITE SWAN!!!!!

2009-02-28T10:01:00.004-06:00

Graycn did wonderful on her first flight!!!! It was only about 70 min from Changsha to Guangzhou. She drank her bottle, played and played and played! She LOVES Cheerios.....she got to sit right by her best friend ~ Graycey (although she pretty much missed her whole flight!!!! Wade teased her daddy that "a sweet parent would have woken up their new little girl to make sure she wouldn't miss her first plane ride!")

The White Swan is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!! It is known for catering to adoptive parents since all adoptions end up in Guangzhou (that is where the US Consulate is located). We are SO excited to get our family's photo and our "girls" photos on that FAMOUS RED COUCH!!!!!! (Wade is sleeping right now so he can get himself "psyched" up to keep his eyes "open" during the photo shoot!!!!! ~ we are VERY grateful for our "digital" deleting we can do!) ha!!!!

Anyway, we are off to bed, but we wanted to share w/ you that we made it!!! We are on the LAST leg of our journey to bring Graycn home!!!!! YAHOOO!!!!!

Love to you!!!! (Jenny, Kari, Rachel and Lori.....You all are the BEST!!!!!!!!! You all have been such a PERFECT fit for our babies!!!!! Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for loving our kids so deeply....and for loving our sweet Graycn just as much!!!!) ~ imagine my LONG arms wrapped around ya!!!!!

xxoo
w&h

From embroidery to the "Spa"

2009-02-26T03:49:00.002-06:00

A tender "hello" to all of you! We are sooooooooo loving this infant stage! As you know, we were quite surprised and slightly caught off guard when we found out our Graycn was so young~ but oh, what a true joy it has all been!

She is just bubbling more and more each minute we have her! Wade and I were talking about how we feel as if we haven't lost any time with her. It has been so smooth ~ just perfect!

I am so sorry I haven't gotten a chance to update the blog....let's see: We did not go to the park today, but we did get to go to a beautiful embroidery store. It was a historical factory that we could watch people making all levels of embroidery pieces, learned the history of how the silk was made, dyed and then turned into exquisite pieces of art. We could not believe the details! Each province is known for something special. Some are known for pottery or porcelain, but Graycn's province is known for embroidery. I did not think I was much for embroidery, but WOW - Wade and I were really blown away! We found a really sweet piece for Graycn's room that we will give to her to take to her home when she grows up. It is a piece that you can see through. It has a beautiful flower that represents her life just blooming and growing as a result of God's grace....it also has a sweet butterfly that we thought would be a visual reminder of how much she has changed just in these 3 days and what is to come in the days ahead! :) We also found a gorgeous large piece to put above our family's mantle. It is a landscape scene of a farmer's field here in Hunan. It has a young farm girl leading one of her family's oxen passed an arched stone bridge ~ it is so beautiful! We loved it!!! It will be neat for her to see that even when she was born, her homeland was so simple without many modern amenities.

We had a nice day just hanging with other mom's and dad's ~ our girls are all doing so well! We have been blessed with some really wonderful families! What a joy it has been to meet each of them.

One of the mom's and I (Grace Lynn's {Gracey} mom) went to the "spa" today to get a 80 min foot massage {cost was under $13.00- and they don't accept tips} ~ WOW!!!! We were informed NOT to go to the "spa" on the 8th floor because it is "too expensive" (code word for "adult massaging") ~ Wade and I are just laughing at the thought of accidentally going to the "wrong" spa!)..... Anyway, we were asked if we wanted a man or a woman. We looked at each other and thought "a foot massage?".... we didn't care, just as long as we could keep on our time schedule so we could be back in time for dinner w/ the hubbies. So, we got escorted to a really comfortable room sat down on the beds, they served us "hot" water (really excited about being home and getting my first glass of something with ice cubes in it!) and then all of a sudden, 2 guys come in with buckets of hot water. They smile, but don't speak any English. They put our feet in this REALLY HOT water....then abruptly pull out our feet and dry them off briskly.....then ......OUCH!!!!!!!!! their tiny little hands just about rubbed every blood cell out of the tip of our toes......the entire toe....the ball of our feet.....oh no.....here comes my arch......augh...they found the instep......yep...the heel too!!!! Then they wrapped our feet up in hot towels and before we knew it, our bodies were bouncing up and down as they aggressively massaged our shoulder socket, our upper arms, forearms and then my hand....what in the world are they doing to my hand, I thought? I heard this "pop" and thought to myself....."did he just pop my finger off of my hand? I didn't think that was possible?" And then, just a quickly as they came in...they took the towel off our feet and left the room.

I looked at my friend and she said "was it just me or did that really hurt?" I said, "yes, I thought I was not going to be able to walk around and sight see any more of china!" She said, "It was hurting so bad that I had to practice my breathing techniques and go to my 'happy place'!" We sat there in a daze and just laughed. I said "Is it over?" She said, "I don't know?" ALL OF A SUDDEN ~ the boys were back w/ buckets of HOTTER water!!!!!! My friend, Amy, said that she kept trying to pull her feet out of the water, but he kept pushing them back in and holding them down and smiling. She said she thought it was some form of "foreigner's torture"! The bad thing is that my guy got to me quicker than her guy did, so by the time she is trying to get her feet out of the bucket, my feet were done and now, instead of getting them wrapped up or massaged, I find myself bouncing up and down AGAIN, but instead of my upper body being attacked, it was now my lower extremities! Oh my word.....I thought I was going to fall of the bed laughing.....I was trying so hard to look like I wasn't surprised, but when my friend let out a noise from the HOT water, I found myself giggling out loud!!!! (Please remember: What is it that Holly does when she is stressed? That's right........LAUGH!!!!!!) Oh, no.....now, I am bouncing, my feet are probably hurting but they are SCALDED, so I can't feel the pain anymore, and this guy keeps attacking me (not gently massaging....but flopping my legs around like they are fish getting battered)! Needless to say, when it was all done....and the room was quieted from the TORNADOES that had entered our world of "serenity".....we sat up, adjusted our hair, looked at each other and burst into laughter. I said, "I think I feel like I have been violated!" ~ she stood up and couldn't even walk to the door without looking like she was hit by a truck!!! (LOL!) She said "I thought this was supposed to be relaxing! It said it was a 'Lavender' massage!" So, the moral of the story is ...... we had no idea $13.00 could buy SO much in China!!!! and we have signed our husbands up for one tomorrow!!!! (some bonding time for the guys!) :)

okay....off to get some sleep......I'll try to post some photos tomorrow....still having technical difficulties with my computer skills...

Love to you all! We are so enjoying the Skype phone calls!!!! It is awesome!!! How fun to have our little Graycn seen by you ..... The emails are awesome too!!!! I am trying to respond to them, but sometimes I am limited on my computer time. Just know that they are all read, appreciated and longed for!

My sweeties are sleeping....our day starts early with skype conversations from our wonderful families who are watching our kiddos ~ you guys, I know I have told you thank you, but again.....THANK YOU!!!!!! It is so fun!

w&h

~No longer abandoned......adopted in love~

2009-02-24T00:41:00.003-06:00

As of today....our little Chen, Yan Xiu is now known in China as Graycn Kuaile Godshall.....she is no longer abandoned...she has a home...a mom, dad.....brothers......a sister......a family ~ a chance to leave a legacy........ a life touched by the "grayce" of God.

I am so emotional as I type this....I wish I could put words to what my heart is feeling....I am absolutely overwhelmed by such a gift ~ something so tenderly hand-made by God for our family.

Wade and I woke up early today.....not yesterday (our "gotcha" day), but today (our first morning with our daughter! Ohhhhhh..........just the reality of that is so intense! Anyway, I rolled over and saw our sweet Graycn snuggled safe and sound between Wade and me....I couldn't help but take a picture of her so content~ so unaware of her "new' surroundings......the flash went off and then her eyes opened and met mine.......

Graycn just laid there quiet....relaxed....not a sound. It was as if she was taking me in just as much as I was taking her in. Her eyes seemed to slowly "sparkle"....

Wade was now awake, and we found ourselves just watching her as we had our other "newborns"...we both said to each other, "we don't even feel like we have missed out on any time with her at all....it is as if we have just missed the hard part of a newborn and got to jump right into the fun part of infancy"!

We could have gone back to sleep, but instead, we just turned on the over bed light and found ourselves just playing. Graycn can't sit alone yet, so we propped her up with some pillows and watched her go to town with toys, chewing and studying photos in her photo album, cooing, wiggling and kicking.....

How did we get so lucky? We just keep asking ourselves....how did we get chosen to go down this road.....adoption is the most amazing thing we have ever experienced!!!! I just can't wait for you all to meet our doll.....she is (as Wade puts it......) a little princess :)

Graycn is currently in her crib...cooing and kicking away....she is wearing a hot pink pair of those adorable "Ramsey" socks!!!! (they were a HUGE hit today! ~ and they fit her perfectly!) she rolls side to side but can't quite get her arm out from underneath her to totally flip over. I would look at her size and development and put her at 5 months, but she is sooooooooooooo alert and playful....so content and, well, did I say she is PERFECT!!!?????!!!!! ~ she is!!!!

Blayne is the only "Godshall" that has gotten to see her, yet. We are hoping to skype with the Paytn and Haydn soon......thanks to Aunt Shea~Shea....they have been able to see their little sister!!!! Yeah!!!! Thank you again, Shea, for taping that for us!!! It will be so cherished! :)

Love to each of you......I'll try to download more photos..... the snapfish album of gotcha day is a little out of order, some how...I am trying to fix it b/f I send you all an invite :)

We are loving your emails....the skype phonecalls......your love and prayers!!!! Graycn is a BLAST and you will want to "eat her up!" :)

*we are off to take a nap........
w&h

*ps......she had her first "poopy" today.....yee-hawwww!!!! (you should hear her right now...she is soooooo talkative!!!!!) ~ oh, she is just like her mama! :)

Introducing......Graycn Kuaile Godshall ~

2009-02-23T08:27:00.002-06:00

We have our daughter!!!!!!! Graycn is beyond BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! We just can't even put into words how AWESOME this day has been!!!!!!! We are so tired.......but just soaring! :) I will post a few pictures.....that is what you all are dying to see! (ha!) I will post more details tomorrow, but need to get showered still and in bed. We have an early am and we are not sure what our first night with Graycn will entail...

Graycn is so huggy & so touchy~feely (just like her mama!!!)....she just melted into me when I fed her....when she is comfortable/happy, she wiggles her feet like Haydn....She hasn't cried hardly at all! She did AMAZING during our "gotcha moment"....not a tear...not a sad moment at all! She babbles all the time (like her mama)....and is sooooooooooooooooooo laid back like her baba......

She is sitting up in bed (propped w/ some pillows) and playing with some toys right now. She really loves anything that rattles....she sucks her left thumb (like her mama - mine was my right thumb)....she cuddles with soft/fuzzy things and holds them close to her face. When she wants to go to bed, she holds her hands together as if she was praying and just strokes her thumb with her tongue :)

oh....my.....goodness....we are soooooooooooooooooooooooo in LOVE!!!!!!

Sweet dreams to you all...I will load some pictures now and send most of them through snapfish :)

w&h
*please take time to thank our Lord for bringing us safely together......a "match made in heaven"!

25 minutes to go.......

2009-02-23T00:31:00.003-06:00

tick....tock.....tick....tock......

We are getting ready to walk out the door ....to load up on the bus.....to take our 20 min drive......to meet our daughters!!!!

Oh my goodness....we are unusually calm....it is a rainy, chilly day.....feels like a any other day - but our hearts are so full....complete! :)

We just wanted to shoot out a quick email....don't want to be late.....not good to be the "last" family to meet in the lobby :) As I type this, Wade is pacing the room w/ his coat on and the camera around his neck!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.......proud daddy is ready to meet his little girl :) (xx00x0x0x0x)

Our next blog will include greetings from Graycn Kuaile Godshall :)

w&h

11 hours to go! ~woo-hoo!!!!!!!

2009-02-22T12:38:00.002-06:00

It is 4:45 in the morning on our daughter's "gotcha day"......I had to get up to go to the bathroom (hee-hee!). I just wanted to share w/ "someone"... (my sweet "someone" is quietly sleeping in our "Lucy & Desi" bed) :)..... my heart is so quiet....so comforted in knowing that "This is the day the Lord has made...I will rejoice and be glad in it!"

~back to bed, but just had to share the "grayce" of God!

night, night......
hg

Only 4.5 hours drive from Graycn!

2009-02-22T06:38:00.003-06:00

Greeting to you from Changsha, China (the capital of Graycn's Hunan Province)! We have settled into our hotel....not quite as 5* as the Regal was, but in comparison to Changsha's appearance, it is a 5* indeed! ;)

Our flight was great...we are now divided into our "intimate" group of 11. Our other CCAI families have gone separate ways to meet their daughters. We are having so much fun with families who have traveled down this long journey! What a joy to be on this end of the "waiting"!!!!!

We met our guides for Changsha, Raymond and Jason. They are both natives of Changsha, but currently live in Guangzhou (that is where we will finish our trip). Raymond will leave after all the paperwork is finished on Wed and we will meet him again in Guangzhou, but Jason will be with us for the remainder of our time in China.

We received our schedule for the next few days: I will post it to the left of the blog. I'll title it "Changsha's Itinerary".

We are scheduled to meet our Graycn in a little less than 19 hours!!!!! We have our backpack packed with a few diapers, wipes, cheerios, a bottle, formula, rice cereal, toys and a blanket! (And of course, the cameras, gift for the nannies, orphanage director, and our VERY protected paperwork!!!!) :)

We are tired today.....planning on getting to bed soon.....So excited to update you tomorrow with our newest member of the Godshall family!!!!! We will get to "experience" the "Grayce" of God in just a few shourt hours!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!

Blayne.....Paytn......Haydn......We LOVE you!!!!!!! (all the way to the moon and back.....and the stars....and the sun......and even from China!!!!) :) :) :) ~ XXOOXXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

w&h

Sight~seeing, Sampan, Pearls and Dim-Sums

2009-02-21T02:24:00.004-06:00

It is currently Sat afternoon....we have had a wonderful day w/ our travel guide and families! We were able to tour Victoria Peak and it was beautiful (a little hazy today, but GREAT weather!) I'll download some photos for you all to see. Aberdeen was really neat too! We took a 30 min Sampan ride (Hong Kong's version of a gondola ride without music or the romantic vibe). It was a good way of being down on the water and get some great shots of the houseboats and living quarters of the local fisherman. We were then able to go to an amazing jewelry store where we bought Graycn a pearl pendant to give to her on her wedding day. It is beautiful ~ we are so excited about that purchase!!!!! We had already wanted to buy her something "pearl" from Asia, little did we know that "pearl" would be her birthstone! :)

We then had a very filling lunch of "dim-sums". Dim-sums are little dumpling like appetizers. They are usually served as 10 varieties per person, but our guide was afraid we would "pop" with that many, so he opted for 8 different kinds. Some were scary and some were pretty.....all were pretty uneventful to the taste buds and some were REALLY tasty!!!!!

We now have a few hours to relax at our hotel...wanted to catch up on blogging. We only have access to it for a few more hours and then we will have to wait to see what our options are when we arrive in Changsha tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if blogging will be tricky with the "firewall" issues - While in Hong Kong, it has been just as easy as it is at home! :)

love to you all ~ we are able to see our messages from you on our regular email ~ thank you so much for your words of encouragement and prayers......

If any of you see our babies.....give them hugs and kisses from us!!!! We love you guys and will soon have your little Graycn! :) ~ less than 2 days away from kissing her!!!! :)

w&h

We are in HONG KONG!!!!!

2009-02-20T09:04:00.002-06:00

Greetings to you all from Hong Kong!!!! We made it safe and sound:) We have had so much fun already! We slept great at the airport hotel, the night before leaving - only had a few “issues” with “excited diarrhea!! :) ha!

We arrived on time for each of our destinations, our luggage made it, and Wade has only said a few times “we are definitely NOT carrying this much stuff around when we are carrying around Graycn, I don’t care what we have to pay extra, we are paying it!” hee-hee :)

We were able to talk with Blayne and Haydn at school before our international flight, and left 2 messages for Paytn who was home sick - my sweet baby girl! - mommy/daddy love you guys sooooo much and are only 2 ½ days away from your Graycn!

We had so much fun with a Chinese family during our 15 ½ hour international flight :) He had us rolling with all of his “United Airline facts” of how the airlines have cut costs over the years. Here are just a few of his “tidbits” he generously and humorously shared with us: alcohol used to be free, and is now $6, they used to have a fruit snack, the salads used to have a cherry tomato and a cucumber (now it is just lettuce - only lettuce) and they used to hand out hot towels. He was also right on with each of the meal options to choose. For example: eat the beef, not the chicken! Pick the lasagna, not the ham and cheese sandwich (which was actually turkey, not ham). But the funniest moment was during our first meal, he reaches behind him (where his wife and kids were sitting) and brings forward a “to go box” from home. He opens it up and there is a HUGE platter of BBQ pork! I have NO idea where he was “storing” that!!!! It is as if he had just pulled it out of his armpit! :) (Brenna, you would have gotten a huge kick out of this next surpirse) Before I could get my composure, he pulls out another “to go box” and you will NEVER guess what was inside………..”DUCK TONGUE”!!!! - that’s right, “DUCK TONGUE!!!!” You could actually see the mandible and this little tongue connected at the base of the jaw. Needless to say, Wade and I looked at each other and said “Chinese cuisine……..here we come!!!!”

The hotel is just beautiful….we are getting ready to crawl in for the night. We have a 6:30am wake up call for breakfast. We hope to meet all our CCAI families tomorrow. We met about 2/3 of them tonight- This is just going to get better and better! So wish you all could be here with us to experience it! We will do our best to bring it all to you!!! So far, we have only met one guy going to our province. The other families are going to a province to the east of us- we hope to meet our other province families tomorrow.

Tomorrow (Sat at 8:15am our time/6:15 pm Fri for you) we get to tour Victoria Peak - it is supposed to be "one to the most spectacular panoramic views in the world". We will then tour Aberdeen, a fishing village known as a “haven of the fishing fleets and floating restaurants”. We with then go to a Aberdeen Jewelry Factory, where we will get to see the “artist carving on semi-precious stones and gold metals”. Our last stop will be at Stanley Market, known for it’s “bargain shopping and traditional handicrafts”. All of that is done by 1:15pm, because we are scheduled to eat at “Dim-sum” for lunch. (The rest of the afternoon is ours to “hang” and walk around, get to know the other families :)

We are scheduled to leave for the airport on Sun at 8:50am our time (6:50pm Sat- KC time). Our flight leaves for Changsha (Graycn’t capital city) at 11:55am (9:55pm Sat/ KC time). We do not know what time we will meet our daughter, but at this point, it looks like some time on Monday 2/23 :) :) :) :) :) !!!!!!!!!!

Oaky…..off to bed….I will try to down load some photos….hope you can see the blog!
Love to you all!
w&h

*keep checking the blog and we will try to add more during our "leisure" times
xxooxoooxooxoooxoooox

23 hours to go!!!!!!!

2009-02-18T08:47:00.002-06:00

Oh my word......this time tomorrow, we will have been in the air for 1 hour!!!!!! We are so giddy!!!!!!! We are still trying to fit about 500 lbs of "stuff" into (2) 40 lb suitcases.....hmmmmmm not sure how this is going to work, and still be able to bring home souveniers for our Graycn? :)

I think I have all your contact information w/ me, so we just need to pray that I can "pretend" to be a computer genius while in China :) ha!!!!

My precious friend, Heidi (and her husband, Jason) are having such a wonderful time in China with thier Tai! I am so grateful God has blessed us w/ knowing her and has allowed our paths to cross at this time in our lives! She has been such a great resource during these last few days of preparation :) ~ Thanks, girl!!!!!

Oaky....this post is kind of boring, but hope to have some fun stuff to add to it next time!

I'll do my best to bring China to you~ and a HUGE thank you to our friends/families that will be bringing China to our Blayne, Paytn and Haydn! :)

Love ya,
w&h

Counting Down!!!!!

2009-02-16T00:27:00.002-06:00

Only 3 days and 16 hours and we will be on our way to our sweet Graycn!!!! Oh my goodness....we are beyond any emotion we have ever experienced individually or together. Wade and I just shake our heads and find ourselves periodically giggling for no apparent reason.

We have the kiddos all packed...they are soooooo excited!!! I was walking into church today and someone asked us how many more days and I excitedly announced "5 more days!!!!" - Haydn squeezed my hand tightly and said "Mom, only 4 more days!!!!!!" ~ yipppeeeeeeeeeee!!!! Out of the mouth of babes!!!!!

Today was such a precious day! Wade had continuing ed classes today and wasn't able to make it to church, but I couldn't wait to share w/ him the gift of love our family received. At the end of Sunday School, even after the final class prayer, one of the couples in class asked me to come up to the front for a minute. I had no idea what I was about to experience........Wade and I are very new to this class - so new, that I could probably only call a handful of people by name, and yet, the love displayed to us was something we have never known. Time seemed to stand still and swirl all at the same time......I found myself surrounded and cradled in the arms of fellow believers ~Women that don't even know me.....weeping to my Lord on behalf of our family. I feel so humbled to have received such love as a direct result of Wade and I just "jumping out in faith and watching God's grace at work." Kindred Spirits in Christ~ praying for our Graycn....our kids, who we will be so far away from for so long.....our safety.....our health......our faith....our journey......our Saviour being honored and worshiped for what He has done and is doing and is going to do! I cannot even describe what that act of love did for our family! Our hearts are so full!!!!!!

Your prayers mean so much to us! We have no control on bringing our family safely home together.

Love to each of you.....please enjoy the blog......bear w/ any "computer glitches" that may occur.....

We would love to receive any comments on our blogs...just click on it and follow the directions!!!! otherwise, email us - PLEASE!!!!!

Off to bed.....BIG packing day tomorrow!!!!!!!
~w&h

Update on how to use the blog while we are in China~

2009-02-06T13:33:00.003-06:00

I just posted an update on our "China status" (it is at the top of the blog- before the new photos) - I didn't put it in a "post" format because I was afraid it would get missed since I had to put the pictures above the posts in order to keep the pictures big. My blog wont' let me put big pictures anywhere else, so when we are in China, you all may have to bear w/ the format and search the whole blog for anything new :) Apparently the firewall in China is pretty solid. What this means is, I will be able to update through the blog, but I won't be able to "preview" it before it is sent. I will have no idea where anything is getting downloaded to - I'll have to fix it when I come home.

From now on, the "posts" will be stored together (down lower on the blog) and I will probably keep adding the photos as the first things you will see (that way they can be in a larger format so you can enjoy them more).

XXOO
~w&h

We received UPDATES!!!!

2009-01-23T10:23:00.004-06:00

We just received some updated information about our little Graycn. We have 2 new pictures!!! Oh, she is so beautiful!!!! Wade and I are just in awe that God has made her just for us! :) WOW!!!! How blessed we are!! The kids are so excited and counting down the days - even though we don't have any "specific" dates, yet. We received news today that our Visa's are in the process of review and that we should receive our passports back sometime on Tues! Yee-haw.......I think that is the end our our "mailing" of paperwork! The next paperwork project is to ensure that we have all the necessary documents and copies required - not going to be too "convenient" to just "turn around" and get anything we have "forgotten" :) ha!

China is starting their New Years celebration today - Happy New Year, Chen Yan Xiu!!!!!!! It sounds like the governmental offices could be closed until the end of the celebration (2/28). We are not sure how much progress will be made in regards to our consulate appointment in Guangzhou. We are praying that they got a lot of work done before the holidays, so all they will need to do is "contact" our agencies when the holiday is over! :) :)

~Keep praying!! We are thoroughly enjoying this part of the wait - how fun it is to have a little face to pray for!!!!! ;) :) :)

Visas and Parties

2009-01-16T23:38:00.002-06:00

This week has been busy with getting our visa applications mailed- mailed with prayers to be delivered by Tues am. We mailed them to San Francisco where a courier will hand deliver them to the Chinese Embassy in California. They will then return to the embassy, pick them up when they have been completed and express mail them back to us! We need to have these documents in order for us to enter China. After the visas are complete, we then wait for an "invitation" to travel. Along with this invitation will be our date of departure, itinerary, and our "gotcha" date!!!!! EEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! We are sooooo enjoying this "birthing" process!

This week, we also had a HUGE celebration in the Godshall family - Haydn (our little "Boo") turned 6! On Wednesday, he had his first "in school" party with homemade cupcakes and sprinkles. Later that night, he and Blayne were able to participate in an awards ceremony for karate. Both the boys moved up from white belts to yellow belts! They are so cute practicing together in the house. Blayne does a great job of explaining and ensuring proper positioning when teaching/supporting Haydn. We topped off the "celebrating" with a delicious peppermint/chocolate blizzard from DQ! (Yum!!!!)

Tonight, was the "official" b-day party! Balloons, snow, pizza, coloring books, pasta, cousins, more pizza, pop, dessert pizza, cinnamon rolls and a little salad - now that sounds like a party to me! Thanks, Pizza Street!!!

We are so looking forward to a long weekend! The kiddos have big plans for just "hang'in" (our favorite past time!)

Thanks so much for your comments, words of encouragement and prayers! We are so grateful to share this with you!

Have a great weekend! :)

Making some progress ~

2009-01-10T03:01:00.008-06:00

This week has been so full of "new" things. Wade and I started out the week with downloading our Travel Packet II and getting back into the swing of the old "paper chase" :) We found ourselves on our knees praying, signing papers, getting them notarized, faxing, withdrawing $ from the bank, praying some more, shopping for care package goodies, emailing responses, phone calling for confirmation before mailing, mailing, praying, researching, meeting fellow travelers, 1 hour phone conferencing, praying and most of all - giggling all the way around town!

We are soooooo excited and can't believe it is finally here! Blayne, Paytn and Haydn are showing their Graycn's pictures to everyone who will pay attention :) She is so loved! Today after school, we were driving and talking about all the specific things we have individually been praying for in regards to her over these last 37+ months. It was so cute to hear each of them rattle off such details - everything from hugged and kissed to full and happy to fun and gentle to feisty and sparkly! I shared with them some of Daddy and Mommy's prayers for her: that she would be sensitive to others, a bright light in a room, someone that makes others smile and feel comfortable, a gentle leader, confident, humble, know how to love and receive love - giggle from the bottom of her toes - our prayer is that she fully enjoys the life that God has given to her and that everyone around her finds her joy contagious! The kids were so cute and quiet - I looked in the mirror at the 3 of them and Blayne's eyes were sparkling. I winked at him and said "God has gathered together all of those little details and wrapped them up with a beautiful bow that is labeled "Graycn" - He has been listening to each of us, and has perfectly built her for our family and while He was doing that in her life, He has been doing this same process in each of our lives!"

Love to each of you - please pray that our package makes it to Graycn and that the nannies are willing to take pictures of her first home. We probably will not be able to visit her orphanage, so it would be nice to have these photos for her when she grows up.

We finally have a blog set up to share our "journey" with you!

2009-01-04T23:52:00.015-06:00

Special greetings to so many of you! We have such exciting news to share! Our long wait is almost over! We should probably start with a quick clarification of the name you see as the title of our family's blog. We have decided to change Loghyn's name to something that represents the past 37 months of our life - "GRACE" - a sweet definition I recently read states "Grace is favor received from God." Our hearts smile at the numerous moments of "grace" we have individually experienced throughout this wait. Wade and I have watched our children truly "grow in the grace of God." Not many can say that at the age of 10, 8 and almost 6.

As many of you know, when we started this journey, we had only $48.00 in our savings account, had just put our first child in a local Christian school, had only one income with no chance of financial growth and yet God was calling us to do something so great- but humanly impossible! In July of 2005, we felt such a pull at our hearts for adoption. We had no idea where it would lead us. We signed our adoption papers on November 19, 2005 and buckled our seat belts for the ride of a lifetime!

We hope you will enjoy hearing about the path we have traveled so far, and we will try to update you on the things to come!

We need your prayers - although the "wait" has been a slow process, we have a lot to do before we leave for China in 4-6 weeks! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :) :)

Love to each of you!
The Godshall Family