I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!

As much as I am writing this for everyone else, my target audience is my daughter and this permanent record she will be able to read when she's interested- so pardon if I ramble on sometimes. Also excuse the typos as I'm writing under extreme jet lag. I'll try to upload the pics in order but I can't make any promises. The 15 hour plane ride will definitely be my least favorite part of this journey, HOWEVER, I felt completely covered in prayer- I did have alternating moments of peace in between my moments of panic. For most of my waking moments (and even some of my "in and out of sleepy" moments) I was either reciting scripture or singing worship songs. I was bummed bc I couldn't get wifi and therefore catch up on my reading through the bible during the flight. Regardless, the flight was uneventful and we made it safely to our hotel and to the breakfast buffet by 6:00 AM. We are 13 hours ahead of everyone back home so it's actually Thursday here! Smog is crazy-just like the pic Dr. Chuck showed several weeks back. It looks foggy but it's pollution. I'd say about 10% of people wear face masks. It may be more but there are so many people and everyone is in a hurry! It made me feel like my home life is on island time as fast as these guys move! One of the reps from our adoption agency (CCAI) picked us up at the airport. After she helped us check in the hotel, we were given the rest of the day to have some free time. We probably should have slept but we were too excited! We actually were able to navigate around via the subway so we saw a lot of the city. That is why it's 5 PM here, which is actually 4 AM there and I feel as if I just worked a night shift at the hospital. Of course we rode all over town looking for a restaurant recommended by someone and it was worth the search (Anthony Bourdain and Eric would be proud)! Anyway, here are some pics from today! BTW, I don't believe there was a moment people weren't staring at us. Not sure if it was our blond hair or our giant feet, either way we noticed it for sure. We asked for assistance with directions a few times. Several people actually kept walking or would shake their head as if to say no speak English. Others were extremely helpful and enjoyed practicing their English on us!

Last pic as a family of four

The scorpions and beetles are still moving

Candied strawberries on a stick

I can not believe we are here! So surreal

Couldn't find Starbucks but McDonalds was just as good

Jasmine and fruit tea 

Thought the boys would like this. Took this pic at a 7/11

Our hotel

GL cafe

It truly is the Real Thing!

Yes! That is the girl's potty

The alley of street vendors goes on forever

A Catholic Church across from our hotel. Loved the tree as well

Alll the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:16

I love that verse! God can speak to us through anything,right? Yes, I believe, even through a fortune Cooke! At the end of last year, right before we were matched with our baby (ok toddler) Steve received a fortune cookie that stated "you will soon enjoy a trip to Asia" strange one huh? Much different from the usual "friendship will find you if you look for it " kind of thing. Pretty strong prediction, even for a fortune cookie, if you ask me.  A few days later we received "the call" and were told we were going to China to pick up our daughter. A few weeks later when I was cleaning out the house I found a letter I had written to my mom. I remembered the purple stationary with the teddy bear at the top but not the letter's content. I wrote the letter when I was around 11 years old so my parents had not even had my brothers at the time. The letter was about am older girl who lived in an orphanage. All she wanted for her birthday was to be adopted. Well, in walk a couple ages 41 and 42 (Steve and I are not quite that age yet) just Saying- anyway the couple was getting older so they didn't want a newborn, they wanted an older child!
I can't get over that story and how I found it at just the right time. God's timing is perfect even if it doesn't match up with ours! It's still amazing to me that God knew long ago and placed the desire to adopt in my heart long before I even knew it.  He already knows , He's already there!

TRUST AND OBEY

For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus than to TRUST and OBEY! I've listened to a dozen podcasts this week all from Craig Groeschel, on our words, our thoughts. He suggested choosing a word, phrase, and verse to define your year. EASY! Without effort, the word  "trust" came to mind and bc everything in my mind runs to the tune of a song, the first thing that came to mind was the old hymn Trust and Obey.   My verse, probably my favorite,  is Romans 15:13. May the God of hope fill you with all peace and joy as you trust in Him. This part of the adoption process is moving in fast forward and although I'm thankful, I must admit I am a little terrified (if it's possible to be terrified just a little). Some of these thoughts occasionally cross my mind while others sit there. HOWEVER, I trust in a God who is constant. He has been faithful and will continue to be faithful. Groeschel said, " you don't have to understand completely to obey immediately." I am so glad we chose to obey!

What's in a name?

Ok. So since we started this process, Steve has been calling her Ping.  Why? I don't know. However, he felt she needed a name and bc I couldn't bear to give her a tangible identity back then, he gave her the name Ping. Also through this process, others have known her as Joy. I knew we wouldn't actually call her Joy but Le-the Chinese name for Joy. Last summer I think we came to the agreement that we both liked Lola Le. HOWEVER... after seeing her, we knew she wasn't Lola. Tu Qian Ai is her given name-pronounced "two chin eye" and I wanted to keep at least part of it. Steve knew Emma Kate was my Granny's name and was my "girl" name before we even had the boys.  I agonized over her name and spent  much of my prayer time thinking about her name.  Steve called me a week after we saw her and told me "her name is Ai-Le Kate"-pronounced eye lee. I loved it instantly! I spent that weekend still in prayer over it and had total peace about it, even after realizing we were pronouncing Le a little differently than the actual Chinese word. So with all that said and without further ado... Ai-Le Kate Wright

We're having a toddler!

The last day of Christmas break I took Luke and 3 friends to play at kidcity. We stopped to get an Icee on the way home. 11:53 AM we were getting in the car and I could hear my phone ringing. I assumed it was Steve but as I got in the car and looked at my phone I saw Denver,CO and I knew...I frantically corralled the boys and yelled at them to be quiet bc I was taking a very important call. All I know is the car was or at least seemed silent the entire time I was on the phone. I answered and was told they had a file they wanted us to look at and asked if we wanted to see it. Duh! Of course. She proceeded to tell me about this little girl for over 4 minutes and all I heard was a slightly clearer version of Charlie Brown's teacher. I immediately called Steve and told him he had to come home right away!!! 45 minutes later and we open her file. Actually Steve took too long coming home so I had to sneak a peek at her picture! Even Steve was in awe and kept saying she was perfect! I quickly began sending her file to my "team of experts" however for me that was merely a formality. She was already planted in our hearts.  Monday morning our good friend Paul, who was reviewing her file as well as consulting his colleagues, called me. Paul confirmed what Steve and I already knew...she was perfect and she was ours!!!

The Waiting Game

Only it is definitely NOT a game! It has almost been 3 months since our LID. All my hopes were in the fortune cookie I got many months ago assuring me I "will have full contentment my summer's end." School starts in 2 days, summer is officially over and no referral. If that fortune was from God then I was looking to the wrong thing for contentment. Obviously that was the case anyway but seeing how I am the type of person who wants everything to happen yesterday, I know my test is in the wait...trusting in Him...depending on Him...living today...not worrying about when or how or what will come...
Thank you Father :
for being patient with me even in my impatience
for being faithful even when I have doubts
for giving me confidence to trust in you, knowing you are in control

               

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

A lot has happened over the last 6 months. Originally I thought I would go back and blog 
for each specific detail but the thought of that stressed me out so I opted to give a synopsis
instead and then move forward from here. If you've adopted before, you'll understand and
if you haven't, you should be thankful for the condensed version. Our homestudy took MONTHS longer than expected. of course our social worker says this never happens. Although i have been in panic mode, Steve always, ok most of the time, knows just what to say. He told me God has already picked out this baby and it doesn't matter if it takes a little longer because she will still be there waiting for us. I know he is right. I just pray she is comfortable and loved. Friday at 11:02 AM, I
received an email from my agency friend and Dossier specialist, Sarah, stating our dossier
had been checked-in, meaning our agency had just received our complete dossier. I know
that was a terribly long sentence but sometimes I don't have the energy to edit my blogs.
Let the record state, however, that I am, like my BFF Allison, a grammar Nazi. I am not
 an eloquent speaker like she is AND I use similar sounding words interchangeably and
incorrectly. Even with that being said, I DO do it with correct grammar! Anyway, back to
the story. From this point our agency has 9-11 days to thoroughly inspect our paperwork
 for missing pieces, have it translated into Chinese, and get it signed, sealed, and delivered
 to China. Come on, I know you're now singing it too! I'll keep you posted! Even though
we know each step has totally been in God's hands, now there is nothing else for me and
Steve to do except wait for THE phone call, keep saving our pennies, and pray!
Please pray with us!