in China!!! (Journey to Gianna)

We are safely here in China!!! It was a long travel but God got us here!! woohoo!!

(sorry, not many pics yet because internet is so spotty, I will add  many more later when we get to our next hotel!)

Getting off the airplane, my first thought was “THANK YOU JESUS, YOU GOT US HERE!!!!”

It is still hard to process the amazing fact that we are here as a family, and we are so grateful to have the blessing and gift of having Brian’s parents (Grandma Pat and Papa Buddy) with us too….what an amazing help and supprt they are! Its awesome to see them experience our daughters’ birth country for the fist time.

Stepping of the plane, we experienced one of the biggest miracles of our lives. It brings me to absolute tears to just write about it as I remember our feeling of shock and awe as we stepped out of our gate and saw a vision of beauty! It was our Gianna Lilyfaith in the arms of her Foster home director, waiting for us. Can you just imagine our surprise! We couldn’t even process what was happening, I was in complete “mouth hanging open” amazement!
THERE WAS OUR DAUGHTER!!! There are just no adequate words to describe our joy and amazement!

She is perfect!

She was a vision of beauty and perfection. An absolute dream come true.

We all rode back to our hotel together and we spend that 1.5 hour drive getting to know our Gia. What a gift!

We have spent the past three days serving and visiting in Gianna’s foster home, Harmony House! Its an amazing “family-style” home where the children are truly loved like sons and daughters! I am so thankful that our Gianna has been at Harmony since she was 7 months old. These amazing caretakers have truly stood in the gap for our girl in ways that make us overwhelmingly grateful!
What an honor and privilege it has been to visit and see, first-hand, the Christ-like love here!! My kids have all been having the time of their lives loving on the children here and playing with them and cuddling them! To see my children use their gifts and sweet tender hearts to love on these precious children at Harmony House has been amazing! They have all bonded deeply to them. It is going to be a sad day to leave them on Sunday.
Brian and I would watch them interact and pour love over these kiddies and we’d just look at each other and say, “this is why we moved heaven and earth to try and get the family here together….THIS is why God had us together!” 

We would literally just stop ourselves for a moment to take it all in. We’d both think, “are we really all here together?” Look what God has done!
There is no better joy then to serve as a family at Harmony and to be together to receive our Gianna. Such a miracle from HIM!!
However, the first day our Gianna got very sick and even had to go to the hospital! It was scary! But, it seemed to be a bad virus that took a good 24 hours to clear.  One amazing thing through this is that we did get the gift of observing how well she is cared for, first-hand we saw them nurse her back to health….so thankful. Her favorite nanny went to the hospital with her.  When they got home she immediately gave her a bath to get her fever down. Then cuddled and rocked her. I was close by Gia’s side ….singing to her, praying over her and touching her and telling her how loved she is. 
She loves her nannies fiercely. Especially her favorite nanny. I am so thankful, beyond words, for how she has been taught to love and be loved DEEPLY and attached strongly. This is so good for her!!!!
However, I have really been struggling with knowing what Monday will hold. She will grieve VERY deeply when Gotcha day comes. And my heart aches to know the pain and sadness she will go through. It is very different when you get to witness first-hand “the other side”….seeing her relationship with her nanny for my own eyes makes it that much harder for me as Gianna’s mom to know what she will go through,

Adoption is so hard, yet so worth it. Her foster family have been an amazing temporary miracle- provision of love, security and attachment in her life while she waits for her forever family.They have been HIS hands and feet while he waits!
To see how she loves with all her heart and to observe how passionately she is loved back…..its been so amazing. To witness the light and love of Christ so fully in a dark country….to just be in the moment and reflect on the gift of how this Harmony family has stood in the gap for us. God is so powerful and big. I am at a loss….. I just don’t have adequate words right now to explain my awe and gratefulness of this miracle (let’s just say I coudn’t stop hugging her nannies and weeping ,and i was so thankful they loved to hug back. The love felt mutual…….I am humbled at the power of God.

 But, in her eyes…she has NO idea why we will be taking her away from all she knows. My prayer request is that she finds comfort, security and a peace that surpasses all understanding in our arms and that we can win her trust quickly, I know it will take time, but pray for her heart…..it’s going to break surely. I weep uncontrollably every time I think about it. I am praying hard for that day….I know the Lord will restore her broken heart….so, I am clinging and trusting Him. I saw what He has done with Tolly’s heart…..its a testimony for sure! But, to see her experience another loss, as her mama, is very hard to swallow.


Our hotel here in Langfang is just gorgeous! But, the best part is that it is just a short walk from Harmony House! What a miracle to be here!!!

 We are actually staying here with another Harmony House family who is also in our agency travel group! We are able to tour together and visit Harmony together and bond with our babies together. 
 I am so thankful to be able to share this experience with another Harmony House mama, it’s one of those experiences/miracles that will bond our two families forever!! 

On the second day we were here the nannies all prepared an amazing lunch for us. We were so humbled and grateful for this amazing gift of hospitality! The food was amazing too! My kids have been champs with trying new food! SO proud of them! 

These are some very special and amazing people and servants of the Lord.
What a privilege to get to know them. 
We were then able to present them with gifts. Though, we took special time to pick out special gifts, whatever we gave them just does not compare to what they have given us in being Gia’s foster mamas….no comparison. I only pray and hope they see our gifts as a true expression of our gratefulness!

angels in disguise

Yesterday, Lily took us all to the Great Wall!! 
This was another one of those very surreal experiences where you just can NOT believe you are where you are. Standing on the GREAT WALL OF CHINA with your family. ahhhhh, incredible!

The Great Wall is such a symbolic place for adoptive families to visit while adopting their child in China. Standing on that wall as a family represents how the Lord has brought down each and every mountain and got us over the great wall of obstacles to get us to Gianna….truly an amazing picture of our journey!


We got to ride the chair lift up the wall and then climb the wall before taking a TOBOGGAN back down!!! It was very high up!!!
Tolly was not scared one bit! She got off saying, “THAT WAS AMAZING!” LOL

 It was so much fun!! Such a fun and memorable way to experience the Great Wall of China!!

Then we got to eat lunch at the chinese SUBWAY right there at the bottom of the Great Wall! Such an experience!

Afterwards we went to the Pearl Market for a little shopping!

We then went to dinner at a tasty little Chinese restaurant that Lily arranged for us! The food was good! Tolly was out like a light! Such a long day for her! She has been such an amazing trooper and it seems she is really having a blast!!!

When we came back from our Great Wall adventure, we got to play with our Gia for a little while before she went to bed! It was the best bonding family time we had with her up to this point because she was feeling SO much better!!! PRAISE THE LORD! (answered prayers)!

We even got some smiles. Oh this girl….this girl is precious beyond words!!!! I still can NOT believe we get to be her forever family, she is ours and we are hers. My heart is bursting with joy at this miracle! We are so in love!

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LAST DAY  IN LANGFANG, CHINA

Today was the last day at Harmony and our Last Full day in Langfang……

We started the rainy day touring the Forbidden City with Grant’s family and Lily! It started off as a rainy day but that made for more fun!!! The Forbidden City is incredibly HUGE!!! We had learned about it in homeschool History this year, so you could say that his was the ULTIMATE field trip!!! 
We were in awe of the enormity of this palace…..

 KIDS were considered Rock stars and stopped every 5 minutes for photo-ops!!!
Chinese families would shove their adorable Chinese children in with our kids then start flashing their smart phones….which then would turn into a paparazzi mob!! NO JOKE!!

  THIS SIGN!!!! We were relieved to see it, have i mentioned how LONG it takes to get through the Forbidden City!?? Try 3 hours of walking!!!!

 After the Great Wall, it was American Dinner at SIZZLER!!! And, Sizzler is pretty expensive in China, more than America (when Sizzler existed in America) ha!

Then…..we got to go back to Harmony …

Tonight there were lots of tears as we had to say goodbye to the Harmony Family. It was so hard. We got back to the hotel and my kids all wept. They really gave a huge piece of their hearts away to these precious children these past few days and we”re so proud that they didn’t hold back in any sense of the word. None of us did. My babies loved these Harmony children fiercely with all they had and now their hearts are very broken to leave them. What a beautiful thing for a mama to witness. It’s been a miracle and honor to serve along their sides. My heart is full.
It was so wonderful to just have all the Harmony Kiddies draped all over us….they are so precious!!!

We also got Lots of bonding time with Our Gianna, she is so fun and was feeling 100% better!! THANK GOD!! We enjoyed sitting on the floor and chasing her and laughing and giggling and tickling and feeding her!! 

 GIANNA’s FAVORITE Nanny!! I love her so much, she taught Gia how to love…..

THIS IS RUDY! He is wating with Holt Agency and he is a LOVE BUG!!! He needs a forever family!

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We are safely in Tiajuan, Shanxi…The capital city of Gianna’s Birth Province! This is where the official adoption happens!!!!!

We took the speed train! It was an awesome experience for the family to see REAL China this way!

However, it was an exhausting day. We awoke to start our packing….then we headed out and Lily picked us up for the airport! We had to fit all of us and our luggage into the smaller van because the larger van wasn’t available. It was quite comical!! But, where there is a will, there is a way!

It was very emotional to say goodbye to our daugter’s China home. The place where God hid her for us and kept her safe and provided His hands and feet through the loving nannies…..

These are truly doors of HIS PROVISION…

Harmony House is miracle for us.

The kids were so sad that there wasn’t enough time to drop in on Harmony House and say goodbye to the Children one last time.

Though, God had another purpose for the my kids. Lily had to bring a sweet little girl to the Hospital in Beijing on the way to the Train station. This little one is very bonded to my kids and she sat on Bella’s lap the whole way there….we prayed over her and kept Isabella applied cool rags to her wrists and head. Helaina and Ashy played stickers with her. Ashton gave her one of his lovie stuffies.

 By the time, we had gotten to the hospital..she was feeling a little perked up, smiling and  better. But, please pray for her, she has heart complications! She is so sweet and precious!

I am so thankful for Lily bringing us to the train station and navigating us through all the craziness!! We have so much luggage between the 9 of us, so it is no easy feat!!!

Once we were settled on the train, we enjoyed the 2.5 hours of rest.

Then we arrived and had to find our way out to the exit….while dragging a ton of luggage! (note to self: pack much lighter next time!)

Then, our guide was really late (there was a mix-up in times)..so, as we were waiting we became the side show movie star attraction as EVERY SINGLE Chinese person was staring at us and taking pics.

We were so relieved to see our guide, finally…..that is until she said that we now had to drag ourselves and all our luggage through the streets to the van, a 15 minute WALK!!!! UGH!!!

So, we pulled our luggage, back packs and I carried Tahlia and we walked (Brian had the back, Papa Buddy had the front)….through uneven streets, dirt, puddles, gravel….etc)

NOT EASY

We were so tired, but I am so proud of my babies! They pressed through!!!!! I am so thankful we are all here together….These children have crossed oceans and every other terrain imaginable to get to their baby sister…And, they know full well: SHE IS WORTH IT!

Once we got to our amazing hotel, we all CRASHED!!!! It was a relief to finally be here!!!

TOMORROW IS FOREVER GIA DAY!!!!

and now……..
Its 3am in China…on GOTHCA day….. and I feel like a mama in labor. Can’t sleep, woke up and I am wide awake with excitement…praying especially for our little girl who’s world is about to flip upside down. I can’t believe God has gotten us here….every mountain, He has faithfully crushed through. Unbelievable, It took us 8 months to get to our Gianna because our GOD IS SO BIG!!! Tomorrow she will be placed in our arms by her “China foster mama, Lily” who we love dearly…..Its going to be very emotional. How does one prepare for such a miracle?? There’s no way to prepare for such a miracle except to Praise Him for what HE HAS DONE. This has been All by His power. We are so thankful we did not miss this blessing…..to think that fear almost won 8 months ago. Thank you Jesus for the gift of Gianna Lilyfaith, wow…that you would choose us? We are so blessed…she is a dream come true. Thank you for praying for us tomorrow, please be praying for her heart especially..that we would win her trust and that she would have peace in our arms.
sharing this video again that documents our journey to our little girl this year….I am humbled by God’s miracles