The Young's

Local Newspaper....

2008-06-10T11:19:00.005-04:00

Oh Soybean is a celebrity...lol! you can view the story at: http://www.timesgazette.com then type Sawyer Young in the search engine.

6/6/2008 9:51:00 AM

Sawyer Young and Shelli Young

Local boy receives Make-A-Wish gift

Imagine being born in China, being left in a children's home, being adopted, moving halfway around the world, then being diagnosed with a terminal condition, all by the time you were 3 years old. That is reality for little Sawyer Young.

Sawyer, the son of Shelli Young of Leesburg, has been diagnosed with terminal neurocutaneous melanosis, which affects neurological skills and can visually be seen as patches of pigmented skin.

"I thought I was helping him, when I brought him back to the United States," Young said. "But, I quickly learned that he taught me what love is really about."

Make-A-Wish provided a play set which was recently installed at the Youngs' home to help stimulate his sensory development. The festivities concluded with a reveal party that was provided by Good News Gathering church. The family would like to thank the Highland County North Fire Department for bringing a fire truck and ambulance for the children to explore, Kroger's for their donation of balloons and Brad's Garden center for their wish garden landscape design.

Make-A-Wish and its volunteers have made over 167,000 wishes come true since 1980.

Reveal Day....

2008-05-31T23:05:00.000-04:00

Oh what a great day...GNG had the best party ever! The menonite Church was so kind as to let us borrow their church because we were worried about weather. Kroger donated ballons, the local fire dept sent the fire trucks...we are so incredibly blessed!

Well...here it is!

2008-05-31T09:06:00.001-04:00

Just before the reveal party here is the new set all ready to go. It is absolutely beautiful! THANK YOU MAKE A WISH!

The playset goes up!!!!

2008-05-30T20:57:00.007-04:00

The Recreation's Outlet folks showed up Friday afternoon to install the playset...it took them until 10pm...but they got it done! It looks great and Sawyer just loves it...as do the other children! :-)

Getting ready for the playset...

2008-05-25T08:44:00.002-04:00

Well, only a few more days and the playset will become a reality in the backyard. The GNG Youth group came over to assist with the landscaping which was a huge help...my back is killing me!!! Check out Sawyer surveying the gravel pile and Soph doing a little gardening....

Make A Wish...Wish being Granted

2008-05-13T14:19:00.003-04:00

Well we are drawing near to the day of Sawyer's wish being granted...the new playset will be installed on 5/30 and we are going to enjoy a party to unveil the set on 5/31 at noon...PLEASE COME!!!!we are so excited...check it out!!!

Sarah's Birthday...WOW #8

2008-04-19T02:09:00.002-04:00

I can't believe my little girl is 8 years old...OMG! Check out the party photos!

My new job...

2008-04-01T14:15:00.000-04:00

Well, after 16 years I'm leaving my comfort zone, and venturing out into the corporate world. I have accepted a new position with WorkflowOne. I'm pretty excited and looking forward to the challenge....wish me luck!

Make A Wish Decision

2008-03-14T01:59:00.000-04:00

Well....the decision is an outdoor play set for soybean...he will love it!...as will the other children I might ad. We are going to be working with Recreation Outlet to determine the set and the things that would be suit him...yeah!

Check us out...

2008-02-14T00:36:00.000-05:00

Mini me and my little Soph together check us out at the tulip garden....

Make A Wish Foundation

2008-02-12T22:00:00.000-05:00

Well, we just received a letter from the Make A Wish foundation that Sawyer is going to be receiving a wish...not sure I am exstatic, not exactly something you want your child to qualify for, but we are happy for him. We will see after meeting with them what his wish will be....yippie!

Happy Birthday Soybean

2008-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Well, we sure know how to have fun and thank you Naomi and Hedda for sending me to Chuckie Cheese's with 5 kids...AAAHHHH, who loves you? LOL! Sawyer had a wonderful time as did the other children!

Just an update

2007-12-31T08:24:00.001-05:00

Nothing huge on Sawyer he is on Depakote sprinkles which seem to be
controlling his seizures for now. He still seems to have some small
seizures but I'm okay with the little ones after the big one! I was
going to respond to the email chain on the wonderful comments we
get...I was in the emergency room with him on Friday night because he
had a terrible fever that I could not keep down, it was 104.3 and I
was worried it would spawn a seizure. There was an older gentleman
that stopped, stared and then said "I sure hope that's not
contageous!"...sheesh. I sat there a second and responded with, "I was
thinking the same thing about your ignorance!". Some of the folks in
the place looked at me and smiled or winked. hehe!

We have another appt with Sawyer's Doctor in a week to review if we
will remove any of his questionable nevi. They halted due to his
seizures, but now I'm wondering with his prognosis if it is even worth
it to put him through it...we'll continue to pray and hope that God
will help us answer that question. How sleepy can playing with a string make you????

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T09:56:00.000-05:00

Well, although tired it was a great day for us all. Sophie's first US Christmas and she had a blast. Sawyer was very tired and uninterested, but I thank you all for the nice gifts for him! Sarah loved her webkins...thank you Kelly's! Samuel about passed out from the Ipod...thank you Wanderleigh's! and Naomi and Hedda...thank you so much for all making this such a wonderful Christmas!

We're back at Children's

2007-12-07T08:16:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm back at Children's, spent the night here. He had a seizure
that lasted an hour and 10 or 15 minutes. This is freaking me
out...sheesh. I think my children were more calm than I was. My 7 yr
old called 911 after the rectal diastat didn't work, she said "my baby
brother is having a seizure" and then hung up. Well they of course
called back and my 9 yr old son picked up the phone...he paused as if
to listen and then said..."Nope, you can't talk to her, she's freaking
out, what do you need." Isn't he funny. I immediately felt like "you
had better get your act together!".

He is getting poked and prodded today, not a happy day, he is pretty
sedated for now. I'll update when I know what they are going to do.

Shelli

Cinci Children's Bldg A, Floor 7 room 43

Diagnosis finally

2007-11-28T08:15:00.000-05:00

I heard from the Dr. after reading the MRI here is what he said. Sawyer is suffering from Neurocutaneous Melanosis when symptomatic or otherwise manifests neurologically, it carries a poor prognosis even in the absence of malignancy. Sawyer has multiple lesions that are deep seated within his brain. There is NO validation of malignancy. The problem with this disease is that you just don't know. The lesions can grow and cause neurological issues, which is where the seizures are coming from. Dr. Krueger will read the MRI to determine if there is any possibility of removal, however this is not often the case unless there are major changes in symptoms.

Forgive me if I have spotty info, I don't know a lot about the illness as it is considered a RARE disease. I have joined the Nevus Outreach and there are folks there that have children with this disease who I can network with.

Sawyer is in hospital...

2007-11-19T08:11:00.000-05:00

Sawyer has been having some seizures recently and was just admitted to the hospital for them. He will be having an MRI on the 22nd to determine if he does in fact have NCM, let's pray he does not! His condition was far worse than was known before his adoption. We know very little at this time but would like you to also hima and my other children in your Thanksgiving prayers as they go through these difficult times

Check out the family picture...

2007-11-13T07:46:00.001-05:00

We went out to eat at Brio and had a great time. The kids loved spending time with Papa Dick, Nana Suzie and Nana Diane. Sarah also got to see Brutus...hehe!

I love cookies!!! COOKIES!!

2007-11-03T23:52:00.000-04:00

Sawyer has this fascination with nilla waffers...don't we all! Wait until I add the banana pudding! He is starting to show signs of coming out of his little shell every day. We just absolutely love him!

To the petting zoo we go....

2007-10-30T07:48:00.000-04:00

We spent the day at Young's Dairy...not my dairy, but wish it was!!! The kids had a blast petting the animals, playing with water balloons and going through the corn maze...luckily I made it out with ALL the children!!!

My little cheer leaders....

2007-10-13T08:54:00.000-04:00

Sarah and Sophie love to watch Sam play football, he is so good at it! We love just coming to practice and sitting around and playing together as we watch him play. He is number 58 and is team captain...

I made it!

2007-10-07T05:01:00.000-04:00

Well, finally after all these years I'm a college graduate...yippie!!!! I think Sarah is also well on her way to looking good in a cap and tassel!

We're Home!!!!

2007-09-22T04:43:00.000-04:00

Well, Sawyer loves the swing...he is a real joy. I think just a few days and he seems to be coming out of his little shell!

Catching up folks...sorry

2007-09-16T10:17:00.000-04:00

I have been quite ill the past few days and still feeling under the weather, but I did not want to keep everyone in suspense. Sawyer has been adapting quite well and when we get out he is always the center of attention with the locals...lol! He is so extremely happy all the time. We had the medical exams today and the Dr.s wanted to take pictures of him because they had never seen anything like this before they were quite intrigued.

So we agreed and he loved the attention. We ran into another family that knew Sawyer from all the blogs and were quite excited to see him in person. He passed the medical as far as we know. We also filled out all the ppwk for the Visa, which only took a little while as well.

We took the babies to the Swan Room to play and Sawyer was the fun of the place, he would go to anyone that would bounce him and just laughed...he is quite the little charmer and he walks like a sumo wrestler. I have no idea who this man is, but Sawyer didn't mind. Sorry for the delay, I am still trying to get well so hang with me. Talk to you soon.

Riding the train September 13, 2007

2007-09-15T12:05:00.000-04:00

Well, I've never rode a train before in my life. The Wanderlingh's were going to Changchou City to see the outside of the orphanage where Nicholas was, so I decided to go, just because I wanted to ride the train. This was Sept 12th. We walked to the subway and then took that to the train station and rode the train for about an hour at 140 miles per hour...pretty cool!
Once there, we rode a cab to the orphanage, Nicholas went nuts thinking he was going to have to stay, although the guide had told him that we were just visiting. When the guard reached for his hand to say hello, I thought they were going to have to sedate the little guy. He is 5 years old. We left immediately, then the director called us and told us this orphanage was off limits. We were not allowed to view it...hmm. I could pretty much tell by the looks of it from the outside, why.

Sawyer playing more with blocks September 13, 2007

2007-09-15T12:03:00.000-04:00

Sawyer is taking some baby steps, he is playing with the blocks and toys more often, he is showing more facial expressions as well. He is also making more sounds as I beg him to say "Mama"...he just smiles at me. As with all my other children he plays with my hair when he is tired, nice to know he will carry on a family tradition...LOL! I was able to get a taste of his real temper last night. He was furious and boy can he yell...he wanted Pepsi...

Hmmm, cute dog! September 13, 2007

2007-09-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

This little fella belonged to one of the beggars, funny dog was in better shape than she was....

When we were in Changchou city a little girl about 6 or 7 was begging in front of one of the dept stores. She was very dirty, her hair was a mess and she was very skinny. I felt to badly for her that her parents had her out there begging. It was very difficult to see that.

Good Morning Sunshine! September 12, 2007

2007-09-15T11:57:00.000-04:00

Today started very well, Sawyer sleeps great and woke up with some angry screams. He doesn't really cry he is a whiner...preparing for adulthood, huh?? LOL. We ate breakfast, although I wasn't feeling like eating much this morning. We are getting less stares and it's funny that the Caucasian foreigners don't stare at all??? About 9:00 am we Micheal brought me some fruit and clean laundry and we were off to hail a cab to the orphanage. I took several pictures. Nanjing is very clean and the children appear very well cared for, however all the children in his class were similar in delay, with the exception a few, so I didn't feel so impacted. He also behaved much differently in his normal environment. He was very verbal, although nothing I could really make out to be words and very active and smiley.

Shopping at the Mall September 12, 2007

2007-09-15T11:55:00.000-04:00

We headed to the mall after the orphanage visit, myself and the Wanderlingh's. Dawn and I shopped while Al had a massage, just a regular massage...not a massage, massage. Hehe! He said later it was the worst massage he had ever had. They massage you fully clothed with a towel over your clothing and he felt as if they beat the heck out of him...lol! We headed to the hotel for some lunch, I didn't eat much at all, as I am getting progressively sicker as the day goes on. Sawyer is finally playing with some toys which is great and he has a string fetish, due to having limited toys to play with, he taught himself to pull strings out of everything in order to play with the string...There's a pretty good picture of him trying to give me a mean face when he finally realized I meant business.... :-)

The mean look! September 12, 2007

2007-09-15T11:48:00.000-04:00

Whatta you mean I can't pull the phone off the desk for the 10th straight time. LOL!

More Pictures of Sawyer! September 11, 2007

2007-09-11T16:00:00.000-04:00

Document Signing... September 11, 2007

2007-09-11T15:56:00.001-04:00

Well today was the day...Sawyer is now officially in the Young family. He did very well today and stayed on his normal schedule. He is having trouble with the change in food. He was being fed rice cereal and fruit, he can't keep his hands off the cookies and will eat anything in front of him. Oh those wonderful diapers!!! lol!

Brocade Museum Visit... September 11, 2007

2007-09-11T15:53:00.000-04:00

This place was really cool! Check out the looms, it takes these folks all day just to make 5 cm of fabric....wow! I purchased a really nice framed piece for Sawyer.

We just can't stop shopping.... September 11, 2007

2007-09-11T15:50:00.001-04:00

We decided we wanted some steak tonight. Al can sniff out the USDA New York Strip, we went to Henry's Place, cost $1.50 USD to get there via cab...unfortunately they only had one steak left..hehe, so I HAD to have the $6.00 USD Fillet, that tasted like $20.00 USD in the USA. Was very good. I'm having a little trouble finding something that Sawyer will eat aside from cookies...maybe since he is not used to having them. Orphanage visit tomorrow!

Cool City! September 11, 2007

2007-09-11T15:48:00.001-04:00

This city, once you get into the main streets is pretty cool. It was funny because all the lights and "Big City" atmosphere and wouldn't you know a man sleeping in his OOOOLLLDD pulling cart. Amazing

Go Bengals!!! September 11, 2007

2007-09-11T15:43:00.000-04:00

Sawyer fits perfectly into his Bengals shirt, but I have to tell you I cannot find a pair of shorts anywhere. I was completely disappointed at Walmart. Everything you buy at the Walmart in the states is made in China and not too bad of quality. Here, in China, a majority of the products are not near as good quality, help me understand that one.

Mommy and Sawyer! (& Coco)

2007-09-10T11:06:00.000-04:00

Bath Time!

Coco & Sawyer
Mommy ans Sawyer!

Hey how do you keep this huge towel on?

Sawyer being tickled...

Nicholas & Sawyer (Best Buds!)

2007-09-10T11:05:00.000-04:00

Bikes everywhere & I do mean EVERYWHERE!

2007-09-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

Pictures of the Nanjing City waterway

2007-09-10T10:55:00.001-04:00

Check out all these bikes (September 10, 2007)

2007-09-10T09:23:00.000-04:00

You just wouldn't believe all the bikes, okay, those of you that have never been here. Check out the picture...those cool little motorized scooters are only about $300 US here. Wish I could carry one home. lol!

Shopping in Nanjing City (September 10, 2007)

2007-09-10T09:19:00.000-04:00

We had a very nice day today, shopping and shopping some more. We also learned a lot about Chinese folks. We had some folks that would walk by and then double back, even bringing friends to take a gander at Sawyer...hehe! We just kept walking and laughed. It was quite funny. We had one fella that got right in front of his stroller and kept staring, then called his buddies over to look. I asked if he wanted a picture...Dawn and I got a real kick out of their behavior. I learned quite a bit about humility today.
Little Nicholas stuck with us, even dropping his drawers to do his business a couple of times on the trees lining the shopping street...this was hilarious and even though we know it's accepted Dawn and I would giggle and laugh to each other. It's funny how that didn't get near as much attention as Sawyer did..

Dawn and Al (September 10, 2007)

2007-09-10T09:14:00.000-04:00

Dawn and Al Wanderlingh are with me as well, here's a picture of them getting little Nicholas. This little fella was SSSOOOO happy to see them, it was so emotional. He just smiled from ear to ear. Neither one cried and off we went, like they had been with us for years.

I got him! (September 10, 2007)

2007-09-10T09:09:00.000-04:00

Well today was the day I got him!!! Yeah! He is so cute and Coco was very helpful. She gave me a book with pictures of his life since coming to the Nanjing SWI and his birthday party. Sawyer did not cry and he came right to me. I have to admit even though I am a veteran adopter, I was a little worried due to his orphanage delay, but after a call to Char, who is helping with my blog...thank you Char by the way, she assured me NOT to panic. If I didn't know better I would think he was 12 mos to maybe 18 mos. He is very small, doesn't say much that makes sense and his motor skills are delayed. I'm so glad to finally have him, so we can help him grow and advance. Well, off to Walmart!!!

I'm sick of flying! (September 09, 2007)

2007-09-09T19:37:00.000-04:00

Well we made it to Nanjing. I am travelling with Al and Dawn Wanderlingh...thank goodness. My last trip I went to the province alone, so this is very nice. We arrived late, so we settled into the hotel, a very nice hotel and we will then head out at 10:00 am to get little Sawyer...YEAH!!!
After receiving Sawyer I am heading to WALMART...DEB!!! LOL! to pick up a stroller and then we will send a boat load of pictures.

Lunch and the Friendship Store (September 09, 2007)

2007-09-09T19:34:00.000-04:00

Had a fun day today getting to know everyone. Dawn and Al Wanderlingh, Shannon and Jeff Beaver and Rhonda and Ryan Kelly. Had some lunch at the Friendship Store where I purchased my Jade bracelet and made the determination that after that I would be eating scraps the rest of the week...sheesh!

The Great Wall (September 09, 2007)

2007-09-09T19:32:00.000-04:00

Well, I saw it again, this time without ice forming on my eyebrows. It was very nice, but the exact opposite...HOT! Dawn and I ate a huge peach that was so good. I wish you could bring them back. They were the size of soft balls.

The Olympic Nest (September 09, 2007)

2007-09-09T19:28:00.000-04:00

Wow, this place is cool. It wasn't this far along when I was here in January. Thought you might like a picture of it.

Harley of Beijing (September 09, 2007)

2007-09-09T19:20:00.000-04:00

OH YEAH! Well, they gave in and took me to Harley Davidson of Beijing. They had 2 motorcycles at the discount price of $30,000 USD. The guide also told me that they are illegal to drive in the city, sheesh. He said in Nanjing it is $2000 USD to get a tag for your bike, WOW! This is due to so many deaths, and if you experienced any driving in China you'd understand! I'm surprised more bicyclists aren't killed. Oh well...I got my shirt.

Well Folks I made it....

2007-09-08T11:57:00.000-04:00

I'm in Beijing, yippie! I am devastated, I chose to come a day late because I didn't care to hit Forbidden City and the acrobatic show again, those stinkers went to Harley Davidson Beijing today.....WITHOUT ME!!! What a fatal blow, lol! Oh well, maybe I can con one of them out of their HD Beijing shirt...

talk to you soon!

Blow the nice people a kiss, Sawyer!

2007-09-06T16:08:00.001-04:00

Well folks this is it...leaving Friday

2007-09-04T23:29:00.000-04:00

I'm flying out Friday 09/07 from Dayton...arrive Beijing 09/08 @ 9:40 PM. It's going to be a LONG day friends. Gotcha day is 9/10...YEAH! Stay tuned.................................................

TA! TA! TA!.....

2007-08-24T11:26:00.000-04:00

GOT IT, can you believe only 2 weeks!!! YIKES, so much for a stress free vacation. Man, I have so much to do...now I feel bad relaxing. Sheesh!

A little vacation from the stress...

2007-08-20T11:25:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm heading south for a little vacation from the stress. Some friends and laughter before the big day...I head out 8/23 for Bristol TN.

More Pictures..

2007-08-09T11:09:00.000-04:00

Thanks RALPH!!!!

LOA back at ya...CCAA!!!

2007-08-07T11:19:00.000-04:00

Well, along with 3 others...Sawyer's LOA is on it's way back...signed and ready for TA!

LOA!!! for Xiao Cao - Sawyer!

2007-08-05T23:57:00.000-04:00

Sent: Monday, August 06, 2007 11:48 AM
Subject: LOA for Cao Xiao Cao!!!!!

Soon will be bringing Sawyer XiaoCao home....yeah

YIPPIE!

More wonderful pictures, I love when people travel!

2007-07-04T10:50:00.000-04:00

Sophie's 6 month follow-up!!!

2007-06-28T10:48:00.000-04:00

Sheesh, with all the excitement I almost forgot to get this completed...thank God I have a great homestudy agency who sent me a friendly reminder!

Gift of Adoption Fund GRANT!!!! YEAH!

2007-06-23T04:43:00.000-04:00

Yet another blessing sent our way, this little guy is defintely meant to be ours...Please rejoice with us!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM!!!! Can't forget my little guy! He's the Crocidile Hunter here!!! Love you Son!

YEAH! Shaohannah's Hope GRANT!!!

2007-06-13T07:35:00.000-04:00

We received notice today that Shaohannah's Hope has blessed us with $3000 towards Sawyer's adoption. This has been a wonderful journey this far...let's hope the CCAA doesn't find any reason to turn us down....

Finding Add for Sophie

2007-06-02T10:25:00.000-04:00

This was a really cool thing, I ordered the official finding add for Sophie. This included a picture of the newspaper add that is ran when they find an abandon child in China...it was a great keepsake item for her book! She is doing so well. Update on her, they will see her again at Shriner's after Sawyer gets home. The decision will be made at that time on when to do her first surgery to refine the cleft lip.

Yet more pictures!!!!

2007-05-13T10:54:00.000-04:00

DTC - Dossier to China Today

2007-04-28T10:29:00.000-04:00

Well folks, this is it...the big document is on it's way, unfortunately the CCAA is on Vacation the first week of May so let's see when the big Log-in-date comes back...fingers crossed!!!

PA!!!! & more pictures!

2007-04-27T05:44:00.000-04:00

Yippie, PA came today! My dossier is actually ready and will be on it's way Monday...with the CCAA being on holiday the good thing is it will be sitting in their laps when they get back!

New pictures of the little guy...

2007-04-18T17:38:00.000-04:00

I was lucky to get some new pictures from a Nanjing visitor...yippie! I so appreciate these folks!

WOW!!!! - Incredible Response

2007-04-06T17:36:00.000-04:00

WOW!!! There is no other word but WOW!!! You are a group of incredible people. You saw a way to make a real difference in the life of Cao Xiao Cao and came through for him. In just 4 weeks you raised $16,400 for his adoption. That's right... $16,400. This is such a powerful example of what individuals working together can accomplish and how every donation helps no matter how small.

You each deserve a huge pat on the back for this one. Shelli will have enough funds to adopt Cao and may have some left over to help with medical care after he is home.

I have met such wonderful people!

2007-03-16T17:30:00.000-04:00

I cannot beleive the outpoor of love for this little guy...I have met so many lovely folks that I know I will be in contact with for years to come...I thank God every day for this network of friends!

Pictures from Coco!!!

2007-03-14T23:23:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Hedda we have pretty revealing pictures of Xiao Cao...hopefully he won't be angry at me in years to come for publishing this one!!!

Grant Frenzy

2007-03-13T20:15:00.000-04:00

Well, we applied for every grant known to man! Shaohannah's Hope, Gift of Adoption fund, A Child Waits, China Care and fundraising galore! We are very confident that God would not have led us in this direction if he didn't have a plan, so ready or not here we come!

A Family Needs Your Help!!!

2007-03-08T20:11:00.000-05:00

It is not often that we make a direct appeal for help for one of our families but this is a special case. Many of you may have seen Cao Xiao Cao on our special needs list. He has been on our list for about five months and had already been sent to at least one other agency before he came to us. He has a condition known as congenital giant nevus with multiple satellite nevi. The photo above shows the effect on his face and upper body. There are more detailed and graphic photos below. If you would prefer not to see them, do not scroll to the bottom of the newsletter.

We don't show these to shock you but to let you know that it will take a very special family to give him a loving, welcoming home. Cao Xiao Cao doesn't know it yet but there is such a family. Shelli Young, a single mother with four children, has opened her home and her heart to this little boy. She has made the commitment to adopt him and her four children, ages 2 to 11 years old are just as excited as she is about Cao joining their family.

How can you help? As most of you know financing any adoption can be a challenge but it is even more difficult when you just returned three months ago with your last adopted child. This is Shelli's case. She has the heart and the love to adopt Cao but she is short when it comes to the money. We, IAAP, have eliminated all our agency fee but that still leaves thousands of dollars in fees in China, US Immigration, and travel.

Shelli and Cao need your help!! Without the funds Cao will not have a home. We have done what we can, we have eliminated our fee and will provide all our services for free. If you can spare a few dollars, or a lot of dollars, to see that Cao has a home, we would all be so very thankful to you. Cao can't say thank you yet but he will someday. He will know that so many people wanted to help give him a home and a future. You will change his life forever!

If you can help Shelli and Cao please send your contributions to:

The Shepherd's Crook Ministries
P.O. Box 773
West Chester, OH 45071

A fund has been set up for him so please mark your check "For Cao Xiao Cao" so we can be sure it gets to the correct account.

All your contributions will be tax deductible and will be used to help Shelli bring Cao home.

Thank you all for your help.

Dick and Cheryl Graham
IAAP

LOI on the way folks!!!

2007-03-05T03:09:00.000-05:00

From: Richard Graham [mailto:iaap@iaapadoption.com]
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 4:09 PM
To: shelli.young@abxair.com; shelli young
Subject: LOI

Your LOI is on its way to the CCAA today. They should have it by Thursday.

Dick Graham

Time for a Homestudy Update

2007-02-25T21:01:00.000-05:00

I have met so many nice people, Suzanne Mabee, sent me this cute little photo of Xiao Cao taken at the orphange by a very nice visitor...she also suggested I join the Nanjing Yahoo group...of course!!!

Let the games begin...

2007-02-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

We have received so much support from so many families who know of Xiao Cao and love him. He is so very blessed...we were fortunate enough to get some updated pictures of him too from Missy Brunner-Brown...what a great lady!

We are so grateful for those that send pictures! Thank you Missy!!!! We love you!

YES!!! We're in!

2007-02-22T00:36:00.000-05:00

From: shelli young
To: 'Richard Graham'
Cc: 'Hedda Forquer'
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 1:36 PM
Subject: XiaoCao

Get the hat out…can you make sure it’s a 16 gallon hat please?

YES!

Are you a Mom to 5 yet??

2007-02-09T20:46:00.000-05:00

Hedda, Hedda, Hedda...what kind of question is that? lol! After 6 emails from Hedda, the only way to get her to clam up was to respond with...NO...I am really torn concerning this little guy and my children and I don't really know if we are ready. We are scared, we are broke and we need to just think. I love my friend Hedda...and she is such a wonderful support.

More nudging....

2007-02-06T01:33:00.000-05:00

02/06/2007 - Cheryl is sure persistant...hehe! I just love her, she is straight to the point and not afraid to say it like it is. I think if it was anyone else I would question this leap I am about to take...without a net, I might add!!! She sent me a little video which is quite sad...poor fella!

God planted a seed

2007-02-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

On 02/05/2007 was the day that Cao Xiao Cao started tugging at my heart...really strong! I knew he was there, I looked at his picture almost daily, but until Hedda mentioned him in a taxi on 01/05/2007, I never dreamed he would become a part of our family.

Last day in Guangzhou...

2007-01-12T05:13:00.000-05:00

Our last day in China. Generally speaking, it has been a good one...Our main activity today, not including going some power-shopping and taking that infamous "RED COUCH" photo was going to the US Consulate for the oath ceremony. It is a very simple process. Our guide, Judy, handed us photocopies of our passports, which we then immediately handed to an agent. We waited for a spell and then the vice consul came out and gave us some information and did the oath part. Sophie slept through the entire process and although this was good for her schedule, my arm was killing me...it has been a long time since I toted 20 lbs around in this position. Well we then retrieved our brown envelopes from our guide and got the offical DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE, NOT EVER! GIVE IT TO IMMIGRATION! If you do, there are all sorts of problems getting your child into the U.S.. The whole "official" part was less than 5 minutes, it was actually quite emotional for me, I got all choked up...this was it, she was officailly a part of our family. We waited for around 40 minutes when all was said and done. Tomorrow when we go through the immigration line in Detroit, Sophie will become a US citizen when they stamp her passport.

For those meeting us at the airport, we are flying from Guangzhou to Tokyo China Southern flyt 0385, Tokyo to Detroit Northwest Airlines flyt 0026 and Detroit to Dayton Northwest Airlines flyt 3762. We are scheduled to arrive in Dayton a 6:40 pm. We layover in Detroit for 4 hours, I may try to catch an earlier flyt, but I will let you know Dad!

Please pray for the flights tomorrow. Soph had some issues with her ticket to Tokyo, and they have her 1st on the waiting list, so hopefully the agents there will look at the comments for our reservation and make sure we get on. I'd also like to return home with our eardrums in tact, so pray hard...luckily Dr Dwayne gave me some medicine for Soph so she will be more comfortable when we land.

Power shopping today!

2007-01-11T09:51:00.000-05:00

Folks, today was a great day! No meltdowns and just pure laughter and play today. We went to breakfast and then we had to stay in the hotel until Judy called and said our paperwork passed the embassy standards. Then Jason, his son, SoYo and myself took a taxi to the electronics market...WOW! The stuff they had....we spent 4 hours there and no outbursts...nothing. Sophie was great! She did take a breif nap on the way there and back, which I'm sure helped.

We rested up and the group decided to hit Lucy's again for dinner as a group, what a clan, then....power shopping! Shamian Island is a place where you can get some amazing deals compared to the other places where we were able to shop. For those coming to China soon, save most of your money for Guangzhou. You can get Beijing 2008 Olympic t-shirts here for 25-30 RMB ($3-4USD)--some of the other Olympic items only seem to be available in Beijing, though. Traditional Chinese outfits are great prices here also. I used a fairly simple bargaining tactic where I would get what I thought was a decent price for each item, but not commit. Then I would gather the items and get a total price, and then bring them down even further. I bought a relatively good suitcase for 80RMB, about $10USD. There were cheaper ones, but I figured I would buy one that would survive the trip home and then some.

We have such a wonderful group that we are traveling with. They have all been so encouraging as I dealt with Sophie's outbursts. She is possibly the most visible (or should I say audible) as far as issues go, but each of the families is dealing with something. Eating troubles, minor tantrums, not sleeping through the night, clingy, not talking at all. I have been able to spend some time talking with other parents and they just seem to understand, all have adopted at least once before. I am sure that it helps that each of the families has other adopted children.

Sometimes I feel like these are negative posts, but please understand that I am very much in love with our little girl. She is such a joy to play with and she has a wonderful giggle. As one of the notes from the orphanage suggested, she is pretty inconsolable. I am sure that a lot of love and attention with change this as she grows into our family. God brought us together and we are going to help her through the process. Her world has been turned upside down, and to top it off, we look funny. Please pray for us, especially that she will accept the love that we have for her.

Guangzhou...Medical Day!

2007-01-10T08:36:00.000-05:00

Today was medical appointment day. Let's just say it was an experience. Sophie doesn't mind taking it all off for the staff..ha! When the Dr. examined her female "parts" she decided to discuss this with him, asking questions it seemed and pointing.

We spent the balance of the morning shopping around Shamian Island, which is where the White Swan Hotel is located. The White Swan is where most adoptive families stay while in Guangzhou. As a result, a whole shopping district catering to these families has developed. There are some good bargains to be had as long as you are willing to bargain ruthlessly, and walk away if necessary. I love to barter...ever seen bambi in Chinese? :-)

We then headed to the grocery to pick up some snacks and juice for the kids. I also wanted to pick up a stroller...$18 for a nice little job that would be $50 in the states. We headed to KFC for lunch where Sophie had a meltdown when I put ketchup on her plate...it lasted for what seemed to be 30 minutes, but the group assured me it wasn't that long as they offered their support and understanding. She was unconsulable and I just wanted to shut down, just for a moment, but she needed me to be strong and talk her through it, which I did and we then walked back and ate, as if it never happened.

Part of the afternoon was filling in the paperwork for the US Consulate appointment. Its fairly boring, and a lot of writing. The guides walk you through the whole process. They have done hundreds of these forms. Like any government form, they spend too much time trying to figure out how to ask question in the most obscure fashion possible. Its really nice having the help through this process. Our group is fun and comical so that made the documents less boring to fill out!

During the paperwork time, Sophie and Hope were under the watchful care of John in the Mattel play area. We later went to dinner on Shamian Island at Lucy's Bar and Restaurant. Its a small place that serves western-style food. It was decent food, and Sophie liked the spaghetti.

I miss you all and we will see you soon...enjoy the pictures!

We made it to Guangzhou!!!

2007-01-09T07:34:00.000-05:00

Well, my return from eating dumplings at Steed's home was quite a surprise, I opened the door of my hotel room and I was pretty sure FTD had started up shop there. Remember the Dutch fella who offered me his car for the day, well it appears I have left quite impression on him...ha! lol! I don't think I've ever received that many flowers in my lifetime, let alone at once...ha! Needless to say when I went to the front desk to ask to speak to him, he had checked out and left me a note. "I've met many women, you are the only one to turn me down...If you ever need anything,I am your friend for a lifetime, Dierk." Oh well, he left one more gift and paid my entire bill for the week. Nice fella huh?

Okay, now on with the show. Today was basically a travel day. We made our way to the airport for our flight to Guangzhou. At this point, Sophie has been great riding around in the car, but most of our adventures have been a maximum of 20 minutes one way. She did great for the drive to the airport, which is about half an hour. She did become a little restless in the airport so I walked her around the small terminal. Since our flight was at 2:40, and she missed her nap we were in for a wonderful time, I was sure. She cried the entire take off, I'm sure her ears were not feeling well, but became calm during the flyt. When I ran out of skittles the breakdown occurred, but we got through that one.

We also ran into a little trouble when we started to descend and the pressure started to affect her ears. Some well meaning Chinese people tried to help by trying to communicate in Chinese to her--to no avail she is inconsolable when this happens. It took me getting up and rocking back and forth to get her to stop the meltdown. When is was finally time for me to sit down, she accepted some Cheerios and animal crackers. We landed and it was over...

The drive from the airport to the hotel was possibly the most like what I had heard about. Lanes don't mean ANYTHING! At one point, we needed to move across about 6 lanes of traffic. It was a very harrowing experience, to say the least. I am absolutely amazed that they don't shoot each other here. Similar driving in the US definitely elicit untold amounts of road rage.

We are staying at the White Swan Hotel, which is more like a resort. I was SOOOO happy to see my friends, everyone congregated outside my door in the hall until we felt as if we were getting stares from the staff to "break it up" haha! The room has a beautiful view, see the pictures! Most adopting families stay at the White Swan Hotel, and there are american families everywhere...Thank you Lord! I was so lonely in the province, but I am so, so blessed to have my friends back. All the babies are just gorgeous, we laughed and cried...they hit me about my OSU sweatshirt...thanks all, somebody coulda called me!!! 41-14..sheesh.

Sophie is really starting to open up, she was already a stinker, but I see iprovements in her trust level each day. She enjoys now being with all the other children. She loves to talk and play. At this point, she will say ee, uh, ee over and over, which is 1, 2, 1. She loves it when I repeat things back to her. Children coming out of an institution are usually developmentally delayed, but she says many things. Lay le ma...not sure if it is spelled right, but it means "are you tired?"

Well folks, sorry so long...I miss you all and will see you soon...post more tomorrow with pictures of everyone!

Touring in Lanzhou, final day....

2007-01-08T02:58:00.000-05:00

For touring today, we went to the waterwheel park. The Yellow River is a fast moving river and in 1556, Duan Xu designed a waterwheel to use for irrigation. It is very ingenious. The water pushes against the paddle like any waterwheel that we have seen, but there are small "buckets" that pick up the water and dump it at the top. The water is then channeled to the fields or to mills for grinding.

The Mother River statue was the next stop. The local folks wanted to be in our picture and take pictures of us. It is here that we were able to see some sheepskin rafts. These were used to cross the river. They simply take the hide from the sheep, sew up all the openings, and inflate it with air. 12-15 of these are used under a frame to make the raft. None of us were brave enough to go for a ride. EWWWWW! They were pretty gross!
You can see the amount of smog there is by the picture of the city of Lanzhou from the Yellow River.

We ended our touring at a park the has a number of dragon statues. I can't remember the significance but the amount of detail in the statues is amazing. It was nice to walk around the park. We went from there back to the hotel, Sophie fell asleep.

Today, Steed(our local guide)also brought the bulk of the adoption registration paperwork to the room. The main thing I was looking for is the official adoption registration certificate. It is printed on special paper with a photo of the two of us mounted on it, and protected in a special dark red folder. The passport was also brought to me today as well. He was going to bring the remainder of the certified copies of a few other documents, and the left over photos tonight. I have been invited to his mother's home to have Chinese dumplings and I'm excited about that! We will also be getting visit from the Orphanage director tonight, it is customary for them to bring a gift to the adoptive family.

Travel to Guangzhou tomorrow...yippie! I am really looking forward to moving to a warmer climate and seeing my new friends. I am also happy that time is ticking by so I can get home to see my babies, oh how I miss them. Thank you all for your supportive emails and notes, this has definitely helped me survive alone here.

2007-01-07T07:28:00.000-05:00

We didn't do much today, both Sophie and I were very ill after breakfast, we both slept from 4:30 pm until 7 am this morning up and down and it didn't get much better throughout the day. I took her to eat and she kept down some beef and noodles, this is bascially noodles with broth and some beef pieces. I have some pictures of her eating this with chop sticks....I should have let her feed me yesterday.

We stayed in and took a couple of trips around the hotel, I have to admit I'm ready to leave Lanshou. We did eat some more ice cream as you can see!I was invited to go see some sights today by a fellow who is staying here, he works/owns or some high paying position at the oil refinery. Since we didn't feel good I didn't accept, also hate to go riding around with someone you don't know. He later had the hotel offer their car to me, but we just weren't up to traveling today. Oh well, there goes my chance to meet a rich foreigner, huh? lol!

Tomorrow I think we may go out for a little while Sophie is the charm of the hotel. We usually see the same folks at breakfast and then dinner. They come up and speak to her and offer her cookies and candy when they see us out walking around. Even with the hospitality, I'm looking very forward to flying to Guangzhou on Tuesday morning. We ended our day with a bath...

I hope you all have a great Sunday, we miss you.

More sightseeing...Lanzhou

2007-01-06T01:43:00.000-05:00

Today was spent visiting the White Pagoda Mountain Park. We parked the car and crossed the Zhongshan Bridge, the first permanent bridge over the Yellow River. This river is considered the mother river of China. It passes through all China from east to west, but Lanzhou is the only city on the country it flows through. This and Lanzhou's location in the geographic center of China, are part of the reason Lanzhou is considered the heart of China and the birthplace of the Chinese people. Sophie has some pretty interesting history behind her! The White Pagoda was at the top of the mountain, and it was quite a hike to the top, although easier than climbing the irregular steps of the Great Wall. The views of the city were excellent - the smog was not that bad this morning. We went to a muslim restaurant for lunch--again the food was excellent. We are always the star attraction, American woman with a chinese baby. Steed feels odd, because all the people look down at him, since I am carrying Sophie and he is not. He sometimes feels obligated to help me in order to save his face with his people.

A lot of the restaurants that we have gone to have private rooms. Each room has one or two servers. Our room starts out that way, but quickly gathers more attention, because of Sophie and I.

Sophie has been getting used to me, she sings a chinese song at night and talks to me chinese and laughs when I give her a goofy face. She has been throwing a consistent fit when she is tired, which as gotten shorter, since she knows I won't tolerate it. Still quite frustrating, because I can't communicate with her well, this may add to her dispair. She cried when Steed offered to hold her while I went to the bathroom, I'm sure she thought I was going to leave her behind. I hate that. Most of the time she is very quiet and well behaved in public. She eats like a horse, so no issues there.

She woke up last night screaming, I picked her up and held her and she fell back to sleep. That was a frightening surprise in the middle of the night. Thankfully, I was able to comfort her and she slept peacefully aside from that.

A funny adventure when I tried to communicate with some local people, ever tried to ask for feminine products or panties to someone who doesn't understand? This was one opportunity to play charades that I wasn't going to accept...ha! Needless to say I wasn't successful, so then I had to send Steed in...really funny, poor guy!

Only a few more days in Lanzhou...Leaving to head south to Guangzhou and see my friends and their new little ones on the 9th.

Lanzhou Sightseeing...

2007-01-05T00:48:00.000-05:00

We went to the Five Springs Mountain Park this morning. Here's some history I found at this web site: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/gansu/lanzhou/5_spring.htm

"There are always legends and stories behind beautiful scenic spots in China. Five Springs Park is no exception. In the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.- 24 A.D.), a famous general, Huo Qubing, was dispatched by the Emperor to go on a punitive expedition to the Hun people, a minority group who lived in the northwestern part of China at that time. Since the troops had traveled from Chang'an (now Xian ), General Huo and his soldiers were exhausted when they arrived at the foot of Gaolan Mountain. They couldn't find any water nearby, so General Huo forcefully jabbed his horsewhip five times into the ground. Abruptly five springs spurted water into the air. Thereafter the locals called the mountain the Five Springs Mountain. While this story sounds surreal, the quality and the quantity of the five springs are true. They have flowed and served the locals for several thousand years. In 1955, it was officially opened as a park. Local authorities added a zoo, an amusement park for adults and another for children."

The zoo at the Five Springs Mountain has pandas and Sophie was ecstatic about seeing them. As we entered the zoo, she was trying to run, but she was so bundled she only tumbled to the ground...laughing. The zoo isn't very big and the animals are mostly kept in cages with fences, only the pandas had some type of true to life environment. The conditions were better than I was expecting, and I guess they aren't unlike our zoos, we just make ours prettier.

There were monks walking about and people were making offerings to the booda like fruit, vegetables, they were burning insense. According to Steed the strong smell reaches the Gods. Steed has his education in history and boy does he have it down. He is very informative and is very interesting to listen to. After the zoo we went to a little joint in a very small alley. He wanted to host me and take me to get Lanzhou beef and noodles...well eating noodles and beef in broth(a very spicey broth) was like starving to death with chop sticks. Everyone in the place was staring at me...ha!

The guides that we have had, Christina and Steed, have been absolutely wonderful. They are willing to help me in any way and they love the children a lot. We are very blessed to have them with us throughout this process.Sophie is the hit of the hotel...everyone speaks to her when we are walking around, here is one with the door man.

Sophie threw another fit--please pray for us and her. She is almost like a newborn infant in this regard. Unlike the local businesses, the orphanages are generally understaffed and we don't know how much attention she received and if she only received it by throwing these fits. I fed her grilled cheese, she also loves diet coke with lemon....caffine free. She wanted to be held for a while and then she laid down. She pops her head up every now and then to make sure I am still here. I will always be here...

Some pretty exciting news evidently Sophie's palate was repaired in November, this is wonderful! There will still need to be some revisions over the years, but this makes it easier for her to speak and eat. This is a great blessing!

Thank you all for your prayers and kind words, I couldn't have made it through my time here without hearing from you and recieving your support. Lanshou is a lonely city for someone who doesn't speak the language.

Shopping in Lanzhou...

2007-01-04T04:59:00.000-05:00

Oh what fun we had shopping at the local department store. You don't have to look for someone to help you, the ratio is 5 sales girls to every shopper, ha! Sophie, I've been calling her XiaoYang (Sheou yun), I thought it would help her at least feel some normalcy. We bought gloves, hat, scarf, 2pr of shoes; one that lights up and the other look like a pair of Steve Maddens, panties (by the way she was so excited when we returned back to the hotel to put these on...she danced around. She was brought here without any and she didn't want the diaper or pull up, she kept shaking her head no)...back to the shopping, snow bibs (the locals had a fit that I didn't have her in these) no stoller, according to the guide I would be looked upon unfavorably for pushing her in a stroller, she is old enough to walk...sheesh. She loves to draw so I picked up some paper and pens, I couldn't find crayons and finally a pair of long johns for her, all this for 380 Yuan or $49.

She is sleeping now, I'm here to tell you this one has a TEMPER! She has been great, however I think shopping wore her out, when I denyed her an egg roll cookie the kicking, screaming, throwing things when I ignored her, more kicking, more throwing started. I placed her in the chair 4 times before she realized I meant business, then she sat there and just flat out screamed, finally coming over to me and hitting me. Hard to reason with someone who can't understand a word you are saying, however I do know Bu, Bu which means No! No!. She immediately stopped and put her hands out, I picked her up and she was asleep in 30 seconds. Wow! Don't think any of the olders threw that kind of spiral...Well, she's had a rough day and a half, she'll make it as will I.

Well, enjoy the pictures...John and Pat are the couple, I've posted this for their Daughter who has been so kind.

Lanzhou - Registration day

2007-01-03T23:32:00.000-05:00

Sophie XiaoYang is 100% officially ours now. We went to get some photos done and then to the Civil Affairs office to register the adoption with the Chinese government. The whole process was about 1.5 hours to process. Most of the dialog was in Chinese and we were asked some simple questions. Sophie was great throughout the process, she cried when the orphanage director and Nanny tried to hold her. She grabbed onto me desperately.

We will likely take a walk in downtown Lanzhou while after while, Sophie is very tired and eating a grilled cheese sandwich, she has a hollow leg and LOVES french fries. Lanzhou doesn't see nearly as many westerners as other cities.

The orphange director said that she doesn't talk and I noticed around them she did not, but with me, she is talking my arm off, laughing, running, playing. She puts her hands together as if praying and knods twice when I give her a cookie, saying thank you. Its 12:23pm local time. I'm not familiar enough with Chinese to know what she is saying, but she will fit right with our family of talkers! She is watching cartoons and she will say "ma ma" and when I look she dances and smiles, she has the biggest dimples.

We are going to KFC for dinner tonight. I've enjoyed the Chinese food, but some good old greasy chicken will be a treat.

I miss all of you, I'll post some more pictures later, my internet is giving me fits today.

God Bless....

Lanzhou Family Day!!!

2007-01-03T07:54:00.000-05:00

This morning, I boarded a flight to Lanzhou. The flight was delayed, but overall, the trip into Lanzhou was very uneventful. I was in awe of the mountains, they were absolutely beautiful, I was amazed at how little green there is. The fields look like a patchwork quilt in shades of brown and gold. I was surprised at how many fields there are, when it is obvious there is little water to irrigate them.
! I checked into the hotel around 3:30pm and went to the to unpack and prepare for meeting Sophie. Steed said he was brining the nanny and the director from the orphanage around 5pm.

Sophie is now with me, I was completely full of emotion when our eyes met. Sophie was with her nanny and a couple of women from the orphanage, one of whom I am guessing is the director of the orphanage. She was given to me and did not cry at all. When I picked her up she said Ma ma, ask Dad, I called him and she said it. The orphanage staff gave me some absolutely wonderful gifts--her clothes that she was wearing when she was found, some dirt from her home town, photos of her at the orphanage and some other handcrafted items.

Sophie does not seem scared at all, she acts like she has been with me since birth. Her journey today consisted of being driven for a number of hours from PingLiang City to Lanzhou and then given to strange speaking woman and she doesn't care, "just gimmie some cookies!"

We took a walk with Steed to get her passport photo taken and purchase some juice and crackers for her, she is eating everything in sight. She is very tiny, 2T is hanging off of her. She is methodical when eating to make sure and get every last pc of rice, she even checks her clothing. She went through 2 bottles of juice and I had to cut her off. She appears to be potty trained. She also has some what were once some pretty severe burns on her arm, back and hip. When they brought her I felt as if she was a pc of furniture or something, after showing me the scars they asked if I still wanted her, asking for my forgiveness that she had been damaged and they understood if I wanted another child...sheesh. There was no doubt in my mind what I wanted to do as I grabbed her up in my arms.

It was seeming so surreal until last night. This process has been almost a year and even getting on an airplane didn't seem to make a huge difference. Last night it all started to sink in and this morning was a stomach full of butterflies. I've been rather emotional for the last couple of hours, and I don't think it will wane for a while. Sophie is now in our family. We are a family of five. God has brought us on a wonderful journey to get this far and its only the beginning. Today is a joyous day that we will remember forever! Thank you God!

I want to thank all of you for your emails, comments and prayers!

Last day in Beijing

2007-01-02T09:11:00.000-05:00

We started our day today at the Great Wall, this place is amazing and we walked up two levels. By the time we got to the top we were walking on rubber legs and our chests hurt from breathing so hard, but we did it!...I even got my "hero" card. Yippie! Such wonderful culture here and the history, wow!

We then went to Dr. Tea, where they explained some of the teas to us and let us do some tea tasting, this was very interesting.

Next stop was the acrobatic show, my joints are still hurting me from watching these limber folks bend and jump around.

Our day ended with Pizza Hut, we were all dying for some american food, along with one of the families sharing their time earlier this week at the Philip Hayden Foundation. They spent a couple of days playing and encouraging the children that have been brought to Beijing for treatment of their special needs. We are so blessed to be part of this group. We part ways in the morning to go to the provinces where our children are located. We will meet again in Guangzhou on the 9th.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. I fly to Lanzhou in the morning (evening for those of you back in the US and Canada). I will meet Sophie in the afternoon sometime. Please pray that she will not be scared! The last report indicated that she was somewhat scared when out of her room at the orphanage. She has a 5-7 hour drive from PingLiang City to Lanzhou, which combined with being handed over to some blonde haired woman who talks funny could make for a very scary situation for a 2.5 year old.

Forbidden City Photos

2007-01-01T17:02:00.000-05:00

Sightseeing in Beijing

2007-01-01T07:19:00.000-05:00

Today was spent touring some of the attractions around Beijing. We started at a Jade store. It was interesting, but everything was rather expensive--$50USD for a very small, B or C rated pendant. The detail in the carvings is stunning.

Our group is made up of 5 families from various parts of the US. Some of us are in our 40s with young children, others have grown children and are continuing to grow their family. The last few days have been a great bonding experience. We started to get to know each other through a Yahoo group that we set up once our travel group was determined. The initial discussions helped us feel like long-time friends when we finally came together in person.

This morning, we went to Tian An Men Square first. It very expansive space that is across from the entrance to the Forbidden City. Roughly 500,000 people can fit in the square. It is also the location of the Beijing 2008 Olympic clock and the Fuwa, which are the "friendlies" or mascots for the Olympics.

After walking through the sometimes very crowded Tian An Men Square, we entered the Forbidden City. This palace for the emperors is HUGE! You walk through gate after gate which each lead into a separate courtyard. The amount of detail is stunning. The Chinese people, at least in the past, did not spare anything with respect to ornate detail on their buildings. We were all snapping as many pictures as possible as we were herded through the palace. Throughout the Forbidden City, there are many small shops to buy souvenirs. One of the bookstores made our day--it had a Starbucks! Caffeine was definitely a help as almost all of us are waking up at various times during the night and up and about around 5am.

We ended the touring for the day by stopping at a pearl store. I got Sophie a little tiny freshwater (pink) pearl bracelet for $5 USD, Sarah a bracelet and earrings in pink for $39 USD and I picked out a white pearl bracelet which was $8 USD. The guide said China is the only place you will get freshwater pearls, as well as pink or purple. I loved this store!

Goodnight and I hope you all survived New Year's Eve!

Travel Day....I made it!

2006-12-31T18:40:00.000-05:00

Well folks, I'm here and for those of you that can remember the O.J. Simpson commercial...(was if for hertz?) I spent my entire day running from plane to plane. My day started at 0600, I arrived at Chris's house at 0700 and the airport at 0800, funny thing is I had four hours to kill before my flyt. They cancelled the flyt 30 minutes prior to departure, which was the beginning of my cancelled flyt day. I ran to the earlier flyt that was just getting ready to depart, and begged them, (by the way, I no longer have a first born, ha!)...to let me on. They did and on to Detroit. I sat to a cool guy, he was an archeologist. I don't think I've ever met one of those. His name was Seth and he said he started out in Forensic anthropology, but the samples were not dead enough for him, so he decided on bones. That's funny.
I sprinted to my next flyt, only to find out I left my coat on the earlier flyt...yippie! Good thing they cancelled this flyt because that gave me time to go back and get my coat. It appears they didn't cancel that next flyt because the plane was gone with my coat. Consistent with my day.
They were gracious enough on the flyt to Tokyo to tell us before we got there that our flyt to Bejing was cancelled, "thanks!". Finally, after bartering off my last born child, I made it on a flyt to Bejing. 2 of the other families were also on the flyt.
We landed and off to the Hotel. It was cool the streets were lit up for New Years eve and people were everywhere. One of the families had a little girl 4 years old they adopted last year from China, she was cute, they were adopting a 2 year old this time. This was their 12th child, 10 of which were brought together by marriage, 6 from him, 4 from her and 2 adopted. Another couple was here for their 2nd time, having been here 3 years ago. A very nice lady, her husband and their 8 year old son, one of 3 were here to adopt a 3 year old and finally an older couple whom were here last year with their daughter who was adopting their 3rd grandchild, decided they were so taken they would adopt...imagine that!
Well, my phone is working (regular number, just dial as normal), as well as email, so drop a line, it will be nice to hear from you. I'm headed for the forbidden city and some shopping. I'll talk later!

I leave on Saturday!!!

2006-12-28T16:11:00.000-05:00

I am in a daze. It's hard to believe that I finally leave for China Saturday morning. I have packed and re-packed. I have moved things around so many times, I'm not sure where everything is! It's all in there though! All the suitcases weigh in at or under 40 pounds, so I'm doing well. The packing list has been tripple checked to be sure we don't forget something important. My brother will be taking me to the airport. Hang in there, Sophie, I'm coming soon!

There is an ancient Chinese proverb that says:An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but never break. Well, the red thread that binds our hearts with Sophie is about to get a lot shorter!

I plan on updating this blogspot while in China, provided I can access the internet. The connections can be slow, so I may not be able to respond to emails until I get home. Thank you for all your encouragement, thoughts and prayers. They mean so much! Check back here for new posts from China, and we'll see some of you at the airport on January 14th!

Our Adoption Story Part 5.....

2006-12-28T16:04:00.000-05:00

Our Next Steps

The waiting isn’t over yet. Having sent the LOI (letter of intent) to adopt Xi Xiao Yang, we must wait for China to match our dossier with Xi Xiao’s paperwork and approve us to adopt her. China will then send us a PA (pre-approval) to adopt. They will then send our TA (travel approval) next. The time from LOI to TA is generally around 60-90 days, but there are exceptions to that rule.
Once the adoption agency gets the TA, they arrange consulate appointments with the US Consulate in Guangzhou (near Hong Kong), start booking flights to and from China and planning the itinerary. The time from receiving TA to travel to China is usually about 2-3 weeks.
First, we will fly to Beijing (bay-jeeng) and spend a couple days there, sightseeing and getting used to the time difference. Next, we fly to Gansu province where we will be united with Xi Xiao and spend a week there getting used to being a family. Third we fly to Guangzhou (gwahn-joe) for a few days of paperwork, consulate appointments and such. Finally, somewhere around 10-15 days after we first land in Beijing, we will travel to Hong Kong and from there fly back home. I hope to travel with some other families, but because we are a SN family, we may find ourselves traveling all by our lonesomes. Don’t worry – I won’t be entirely on my own. The adoption agency has staff and works with travel guides in China and they will be with us every step of the way.
And so we wait. Check the site every once in a while for new posts. Hopefully one of the next entries will be news of our much-anticipated trip to China! Stay tuned!
Isaiah 43:5“Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.”

Our Adoption Story Part IIII-

2006-12-28T15:55:00.000-05:00

Change of Heart

Any of you who had spoken to me early on, may have known I was undecided about where to adopt from, child age...etc. What happened to determine our direction? I had been talking with others and praying about being open to adopt a child with mild to moderate, correctable special needs. I looked at the lists of waiting children each month but no one stood out - until Xi Xiao. As soon as saw her, my heart melted and we knew we wanted this little girl to be in our family. She is none of the things we originally asked for, but she is everything we want.
When we found Xi Xiao on our adoption agency’s waiting children list, no one else had asked about her in 3 months. It was as if God had kept her just for us. The adoption agency sent us more paperwork to do in order to assess our preparedness and ability to care for a child with special needs. All our SN (special needs) paperwork was completed in April 2006 and our LOI (letter of intent) to adopt Xi Xiao was on its way to China the next day! Lord willing, she will officially be in our family in a few months.

About our little one:
Chinese Name: Xi Xiao Yang (Shee shee-ow Yung)
Meaning of her Chinese Name: Small Young Dragon
New Full Name: Sophie Grace Xiao Young
Born: 7 July 2004, 1.5 yrs. at referral
Height and Weight: 82 cm. (32”) tall & 11.5 kg. (20 lbs.) at 2 years old.
Personality: She is happy and energetic and loves music and toys.
Province: Gansu Province

1 Samuel 1:27“I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him.”
Our adoption adventure continues in, “Our Next Steps”.

Our Adoption Story Part III-

2006-12-28T15:26:00.000-05:00

A Child Waits

When China sends your adoption agency information on the child they have matched you with, this is a referral. A couple of months after accepting the referral, you will be on your way to China to get your child. Some families choose to go a slightly different route by selecting a waiting child. Waiting children are either older or have varying degrees of special needs (SN). Most families prefer healthy infants, so these special children wait. Because these children have already waited so long and because some of them need medical attention not readily available in China, families who choose them usually get to bring them home sooner than those who go the “traditional” route. After much prayer and discussion, we decided to choose a waiting child.
I found, Xi Xiao Yang (shee shee-ow Yung) on the adoption agency’s waiting children list. Xi Xiao was born July 7, 2004. She was diagnosed with bilateral cleft lip and cleft palate III degree. Her lip had been corrected. We will know more once we bring her home and our pediatrician examines her. From the limited medical information we have, her overall health is good and the doctor is optimistic about her recovery, but it will probably never be "normal". It's the first time in my life that I was ever thankful for my small sized lips.
Jeremiah 29:11“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
For more about our adoption adventure, look for our next post, “Change of Heart”.

Our Adoption Story Part II-

2006-12-28T15:16:00.000-05:00

The Paper Chase....

There is a lot of paperwork that comes with the decision to adopt. It is affectionately known as the paperchase in adoption circles. The following will give you a general idea of our adoption paperchase.
I registered for an adoption information seminar in the Winter of 2006, but that meeting got snowed out. The agency did not contact us at any point to tell us it was canceled and this cooled our enthusiasm to use their adoption services. I was beyond disappointed. A few weeks later, I was introduced to a woman from a local adoption agency in Cincinnati. We hit it off right away and she graciously answered my endless questions about adoption. A couple months later, in Feb 2006, I attended their adoption information seminar – the first step on our adoption journey.
The next big step came April 2006 when we had our first home visit and our home study paperwork began. Prospective adoptive families must have a social worker visit their home a number of times and write a report called a home study before the family can be approved to adopt. It sounds ominous, but it really wasn’t that bad. We had to have a total of 4 face-to-face visits for our home study. In addition to the home study process, we began gathering a multitude of documents required by our adoption agency, the US government and China. This was an adventure in and of itself, as we needed documents from all over the country. These documents then must be certified by the state of origin and then authenticated by the Chinese consulate or embassy. This process takes the average adopting family about 6 months or more to complete. We went a little faster than that. From the day we had our first home visit to the day our documents went to China was 4 months. We were DTC (dossier to China) on October 14, 2006. What can I say? My forth child was waiting for me and I didn’t want to dawdle over paperwork. Once our documents reached China, they were logged in their system. Our LID (log-in date) was September 1 2006.
Now we were officially enrolled in the University of Patience, Master’s Degree Program. The children and I began to study and research China and China adoption in earnest as we began our long, silent wait. Once your dossier gets to China, there is nothing for you to do to help the process along, and no updates from them as to where your paperwork is in the process. There are three main components of the process in China. The first is Translation – the dozens of documents in each dossier must be translated into Chinese. This takes a couple of months, as you might imagine. Second, documents go to Review. This is where China goes over every piece of paper in your dossier to make sure everything they want to see is there and is it correct. This is the longest part of the process. Finally, the third part of the process is called Matching – where China matches a child in their system to a family approved to adopt.
Psalm 139:9, 10“If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”
Our adoption adventure continues in our next post, “A Child Waits”.

Adoption Story Part I -

2006-12-28T15:06:00.000-05:00

This website has been a long time coming. We want all our family and friends to be able to follow us on our journey to adopt Sophie from China. If you haven’t been around from the beginning, or need a refresher, here is our adoption story. We’ll give it to you in parts over several days – it would be too much to post all at once.

In the beginning…
Once upon a time, in a far away land, there was a little girl named Shelli who wanted nothing more than to be a mama someday. As she grew up she cultivated relationships with families of many children and learned as much as she could about being a good mama.
In 1995 Shelli brought her first child Shawn into the world, in 1998 Samuel, then finally in 2000 Sarah. God have definitely blessed her.
Several years later, Shelli met a very good friend and together they talked about adoption and how wonderful it would be to realize such a dream for both family and child. Later Shelli had the privilege of participating in a mission trip with her church. On this trip, they visited an orphanage, and they left wishing they could have brought some of those precious children home as their own. This made the decision to adopt that much more gratifying!
Time passed and talk continued about adoption, but the timing and finances were not right. Although it was still felt adoption was a path Shelli wanted to take to add another child to her family, and believed that child was somewhere overseas. Shelli's heart yearned to welcome an orphaned child into her families lives, and finally her desire and God’s timing and provision intersected. In the spring of 2006 she began to actively pursue an adoption in China.
Psalm 126:3“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”
For more on our adoption adventure, see our next post, “The Paperchase”.

2006-12-28T15:05:00.000-05:00

hello all! Something wonderful is about to happen in our home! It is with much excitement that I write this letter, because I have just been accepted to adopt a little girl from China. This is the kind of adventure that I never imagined going on before now. Her name is Sophie and she is one and one half years old. I’ve enclosed a picture of this little cutie. Sophie is a special child - she has a cleft lip and palate which affects his ability to eat and drink. She’s a fighter, though, and is making excellent progress, but she needs to have surgery to correct these problems as soon as possible.

The one part of adopting that is most difficult, other than the waiting, is the expense of it all. Sophie’s adoption will cost approximately $18,500 when completed. This cost includes document preparation and translation, hiring of attorneys and other professionals in the U.S. and China, travel, hotels, passports and more. I am working diligently to save and I am excited to see how God will provide the remainder for us.

I feel truly blessed to be given such a worthwhile opportunity and I hope that you will share my enthusiasm and consider our situation in your giving so that Sophie can have a home for Christmas. There are two ways to do so:

Tax Deductible-
1) By check – made out to the non-profit organization “Kingdom Kids” NOTE** Please do not write our name on the check, due to IRS regulations and send to me in the enclosed envelope. Please include your full address with the check. This donation IS tax deductible and you will receive a document showing your donation. Kingdom Kids staff is available to you Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Pacific Time.) Please contact them at (509) 465-3520 or email them at Ministry@KingdomKidsAdoption.org. Their website is http://www.kingdomkidsadoption.org/

NON-Tax Deductible-
1) Online with Credit Card through Paypal at http://www.paypal.com/. Account CentsforSophie@hotmail.com
2) By sending cash or check made out to Shelli Young in the enclosed addressed envelope. Please be sure to include your return address information.
3) At any area 5/3rd Bank on Behalf of Sophia Grace Young.

Thank you so muc