HERE WE GO!!!

It's finally here!  Time to go get our boy!  Excited. Thrilled. Blessed beyond measure.  Thank you to all our friends and family for your support during this process.  We want to share with you the joy of the journey and will be posting pictures and updates often.  So check back!

Here's a brief (very) overview of our schedule:
Fly out of Atlanta tonight just after midnight.  After a stop in Seoul, South Korea, arrive in Guangzhou Saturday at 12:30 pm

Monday, 11/14 is "GOTCHA DAY"!!!  We get Kell at 2:30pm.  So when you all wake up Monday morning, Kell will be with his forever family! I'll try to get pics up quickly!

During the 2 week there will be appointments, paperwork, medical exam,  getting his visa and passport,  all the necessaries.  There will also be lots of free time with sightseeing, entertainment, and my favorite China activity...shopping!  I'm traveling with all men and they don't even like the word "shop".  But just wait til they see this shopping!  Of course the boys will be doing homework everyday.  All of our teachers and school administrators have been so gracious to us about the boys missing school.  The goal is to keep them up to speed and for them to have the experiencs of a lifetime!

11/22 is our consulate appointment.

We fly out of Guangzhou on Saturday. 11/26 at 1:35pm, fly back through Seoul, and land in Atlanta at 6:40 pm. Saturday 11/26.  Yes, that's right, it will still be Saturday, 11/26!  Flying backwards around the world will make for one looong day!!

When we pass through customs at the Atlanta airport,  Kell will be an official American citizen!  Praise God!

Our oldest son, Jack, signed to play baseball at the United States Air Force Academy yesterday.  We couldn't be any more proud of him!  He is growing into an awesome man of God and is a great example for his now "3" little brothers.

Jack's wonderful school, Arlington Christian, has been so supportive of us and presented us with a school hoodie for Kell yesterday.  Here's a pic of the signing and the hoodie.

Mills was not able to come to the signing.  He's in middle school now and about to go to China for 2 weeks...we didn't want to push it!  We sure did miss him though!

The next post will be from China!  Woohoo!

YIPPPEEEEEEE!!!!!

WE ARE.........

LOA!!

The longest wait of the process is over!  We received news of our letter of acceptance from China today.  It is dated 8-9-11.  Our names and his name on the same official document!!! 
The news came as I was in his room preparing it for the big transformation.  The room is underway, the LOA is here, tomorrow the NVC (National Visa Center)...there will be a sweet little Asian face calling me "mom" before we know it!! 
Here's a Godwink: LOA is 8-9-11.  8-9-05 is the date that started a miracle walk for our family with our oldest son. Hmmm.......

Getting Presents!

A sweet family adopting one of Kell's pals is taking a care package to him.  Hopefully, the "old friends" can get together now and again on this side of the world.

Sweet Henry did some translating for us, AGAIN.  We've given that language a shot and, well, we've decided that Kell will be meeting regularly with Henry just to chat it up in Mandarin.  I don't want him to lose the language.  Hoping to find a way to keep it up locally.  We live NOT close to Atlanta's Chinatown where there are Chinese schools. 

I mean, look at that! 
We are just not that smart able to attend mandarin classes at this time!

Christmas in July?

Before we know it Santa will be here and our boy will be ready!

Kell has a Christmas stocking ready to be hung by the chimney with care.  Thankfully, Ballard rarely changes their designs and I could get him one in the set we already have.  Otherwise, there would have to be six new stockings so we all match...just not in the budget this year!  We are thinking positively about the process...he WILL be home for Christmas!  Please, please, please!

What a great time to arrive.  He'll get to hear the greatest story from the very beginning!  December 25 Kell will attend his first birthday party in his new country.  A new country, a new family, and most importantly, on his way to new life in Christ.  What an honor for our family!

We've all agreed that it's the most important thing we can teach Kell.  So before any ABCs and 123s there will be Jesus and prayer and Bible.  I'm betting it's the first thing he hears because his mommy will be thanking Jesus out loud when I get my hands on that baby!!

Can't wait to share the love!  "Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ..."  Ephesians 2:4-5.  That's the "riches" we have to share with our boy...God's mercy, love, and saving grace.

One Less....

WE ARE.....

AND WE ARE......

YAY!  Our dossier went to China on June 8.  Our log in date is June 27.  We are now about to wrap up week 4 of the wait for our LOA.  While we're being patient, we're also praying that that our LOA comes...yesterday!  The closer it gets, the more excited we all become!  Burke and Mills have been setting goals for helping Kell learn our language, numbers, etc.   Everything else is a competition, so why not this?  I'm hoping they will challenge each other....who can teach Kell more first!  That would be way more productive than the usual "who can burp the longest" and today's "who can hit the other with the most acorns in 15 seconds".  The good thing is, they can easily entertain themselves during our 2 hour waits for ballgames to start!  Hey, how about reading a book, guys?

As you can tell from the pictures, we are at the beach this week...for baseball, of course!  Is there any vacation that doesn't involve a ballfield?  Not that I know about!  I love every minute of these baseball days.  Sadly, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for Jack's traveling baseball days....I don't want to go to the light!!  He'll be a senior this year.  I can't believe how quickly the years go (tear, sniff).

We are anxiously awaiting and are so thankful for our little "Asian Sensation"!  He's a rock star at our house, just as he deserves to be!  Hope his family is everything he dreams we will be!  He certainly couldn't be any more wanted and loved...that's for sure!

"Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Mark 9:37
Let the receiving begin....SOON!!!

Kell Berry #18

You know how I said in the last post that Kell is already a part of our days?  Check out the picture below for one example...

That's right, Kell Berry #18.  He's all set up on each and every video game system.  Mills and Burke just play for him when it's his turn...until he gets here.  Sometimes they even get beat by Kell.  Now that's love if I've ever seen it!  My boys are competetive!
And #18 is officially his number for jerseys.  A good friend who is #18 gave Kell a jersey and it became his official number.  He's all set for the gaming at our house!