Playing in the Snow - Feb 2007

This wasn't the first time we were out in the snow; however, it was the first time we built a snowman. Actually two, although they were very basic. They ended up with a body and stick arms, and that was it. I think the snow started melting the very next day, very rapidly.

There were places where the snow was several feet deep, and places where it was only several inches deep. It was so cute to see her walk on the three feet snow and only go down a couple of inches into it. It was so funny when she was in snow only a few inches deep and she fell over to where her feet and hands were in the snow. She didn't know what to do. So cute!

Chinese New Year - 2007

We attended the fairly new Illinois FCC group as well as Life Link's Chinese New Year Party. It was great! I loved seeing Liana playing with the other little girls. We met some very nice, local people, which was fantastic. Liana had a great time!

Sun Glasses

Liana really enjoys wearing her sun glasses

Cutie Pie

Liana in a Dress

Liana in a dress next to her Dora pull out sofa. It must have been after church!

Christmas 2007

Liana had a good time at Christmas. She loved opening presents; however, it was also the time she started not wanting me to take pictures. Whenever I would attempt to take a picture, she would turn away or put her head down. She does alright now if I ask her if I could take her picture, sometimes!

Dec 2007

I am still practicing on how to post, even though it is pretty simple, I continue to mess it up! It makes me sad to realize that it is the last outfit we purchased in China that fits her.

Dec 2007

Christmas Party 2006

Baking Cookies

With all the talk on the CHI Singles yahoo group about family traditions, I was inspired to bake with my daughter Liana. Mary's blog post about her baking experience with her daughter also motivated me to get to it! I am not a baker, or a cook for that matter, so it was box cookies. Actually magic cookie bars (newer version of seven layer bars). It was so EASY out of the box! Liana helped me and it was terrific baking with her! I recently purchased a tower for her to stand on in the kitchen so she was higher up and could see what was going on. It worked out great for her to help me.
Today I also started filling out Christmas Cards with Liana's help. I set her up on her table in the Living Room with the tree lights on. I worked off the coffee table. I gave her some Christmas cards to color on so we could send Grandma and others a card from her, while I put the ones with our picture on it into envelops. That worked out great for a few cards anyway. We may try again tomorrow or Monday.
Last week Liana helped me put up the Christmas tree in the Living Room. That was fun.

2006 Christmas Card Picture

I had intended to go back and add posts about various stages of our time together since my last post; however, I am going to start now and work from there. I am going to add a picture that our friend Lori took of us at the Governors Mansion. It was decorated with numerous trees for Christmas. Liana wouldn't smile for any of them. She would look away and not want to get her picture taken AT ALL! I one of the pictures to order Christmas cards through Walgreens. It turned out very nice.

Journey to Liana

Today starts the Journey to Liana! I left Springfield, IL, this morning and traveled north two hours to stay with the friend who is traveling to China with me. We leave at 7:30 in the morning for O'Hare Airport. Please pray for us! It won't be long before I am holding my precious little girl!

Picture at Liana's Referral!

Journey to Liana

Only a little over two weeks and we will be flying to China to my daughter, Liana! I am so excited! Time is flying by and I have to concentrate to ensure things get done that need to be accomplished before we leave.

Here are some things that have happened so far. On July 1, 2004, Children's Hope International (CHI) opened to receive applications from single applicants. Due to the quota on single applicants China has enacted, only eight percent of an agencies applicants can be from singles. I was ready to mail my application to CHI a couple of years ago, when China enacted a quota on single applicants. Since most agencies already had enough applications in the system for a couple of years, I started looking at other options. By the time I had researched Guatemala, there was a year wait to receive a child. I then looked at CHI's special needs program. As I was researching this option, I was informed that CHI would be opening on July 1, 2004, for single applications. On July 1, 2004, I was at the St Louis CHI office before they opened. I was the first there, but Carla was also there. Carla ended up adoption Jerusha from the waiting childrens list and is very happy with her new daughter. I was accepted for Dec 2004.

To speed this up, I will leave out all of the prep work that went into the paperwork collection. Suffice it to say that my dossier was logged into China on Jan 31, 2005. I received the referral of my beautiful daughter Qi Jia Xia, now Liana Jiaxia, on September 1, 2005. She was born on October 30, 2004. She has a thick head of dark hair and the cutest cubby cheeks I've ever seen.

Liana, my friend Julie who is traveling to China with me, and myself are booked on a flight leaving O'Hare on October 8, 2005. I am going to stay with Julie and her family overnight, then an agency is going to take us to the airport. We are traveling a couple of days earlier than the group to sightsee. Julie is a wonderful friend, and part of my family, even though we aren't related. She will keep me sane and laughing, while dispensing motherly advise. She has two fully grown daughters! Her daughter Marianna will be the nanny to my daughter when I go back to work.

There are so many things I want to accomplish before we leave for China, but all I can think of is Liana and the trip to her.

I welcome you to read about our journey and become part of our experience. My intent is to keep everyone informed, or see if Julie :) would be interested in telling everyone about our trip. If my actions fall short, please forgive me, and hopefully I can catch everyone up eventually.

Good night for now,
Patty

INTRODUCTION

I am Patty, mama to Liana. Welcome to our journey to becoming a family. Liana is in foster care through Qichun Social Welfare Institute in Hubei Province. Julie and I leave O'Hare airport on November 8, 2005, to bring my baby home! We are going to Beijing first, Wuhan, then Goungzhou.