The Long's

Fort Myers Beach

2012-01-02T21:35:00.001-05:00

We had an awesome vacation on the beach for Christmas again this year! The weather couldn't be beat! It was in the 80's or upper 70's for the 10 days we were there. Very spoiled - and then unfortunately home to the 20's! The kids had a great time playing on the beach and even met a new friend - Hi Miki - aka the Mikster or Mario! We can't wait to get back to the beach next December!

Happy Birthday Hanna

2011-12-17T13:31:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe our little girl is 6! She has grown up so much. She was so excited about having her birthday and Christmas in the same weekend. In this picture, she was thrilled with her ribbons! She loves the little things.

Hanna's Kindergarten Christmas Program

2011-12-08T22:18:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas

2011-12-08T22:09:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! God Bless Everyone

3 years of Hanna Jo

2011-11-03T18:58:00.000-04:00

October 21, 3 years ago, we met a beautiful little girl! She was a little shy at first, but soon showed her playful side. She loves anything pink or princess or cheerleader! She loves kindergarten and can't wait to do her homework each night. She has become a giggly, girly, girl! We love you Hanna Jo

vacation memories

2011-09-26T19:14:00.005-04:00

We had an awesome summer vacation. We flew out to Phoenix Arizona then drove to see: the painted desert, petrified forest, grand canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, Sequoia National Forest, Yosemite, and Malibu California! Incredible - and the views just kept getting better and better. Jerry loved the Grand Canyon, Hanna loved Las Vegas (we stayed at Mandalay Bay - awesome wave pool), I loved Yosemite with its snow-capped mountains, and the boys loved the Pacific Ocean.

Her Heart's Perfect

2011-09-26T18:53:00.004-04:00

Southmont played at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night. Reese got to go out on the field and form a tunnel for the team to run through. He thought it was awesome - and South won! He's becoming quite the little football player!

We already knew that, but today we went to her cardiologist. He said that her heart looks wonderful. Her surgery was a total success in China. She can't play football - but come on, she's a girl and wants to be a cheerleader! :) God is sooo good!

First day of school

2011-08-19T19:11:00.002-04:00

Kindergarten, 4th Grade, and 7th grade! Wow! We are so fortunate because all three of them love school! Hanna's words - It was awesome!

New Pictures

2011-06-04T19:13:00.001-04:00

Here are some recent pictures of Hanna, YingYing

You are Invited

2011-04-17T12:59:00.002-04:00

If you don't already have a church home, you are invited to attend Rockpoint with us next Sunday at either 9 or 11! I don't know how to attach the link, but here is a video Rockpoint put together! Go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fthvD52tuQ Hope to see you all there! God is Risen!

Happy Birthday Mom

2011-01-10T22:41:00.002-05:00

I can't believe my wonderful mom is 65 years young - on Tuesday! I was supposed to attach a video of my kids singing to her! If we get the snow day everyone is predicting, I'll add it! If not, mom we'll call you! I love you and thank you for modeling how to be a great mom!

future tennis pro?

2010-10-04T22:39:00.003-04:00

Hanna loves to play tennis in the driveway with her daddy. She can actually hit 3 or 4 baskets full until she's done. Southmont#1 singles in 2021?!

Extra photos

2010-10-04T19:23:00.004-04:00

Here are some extra pictures I just found that I thought I would share. I'm still trying to get used to my new computer and trying to get all of our pictures in one place!

Princess Hanna

2010-10-04T18:43:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Hanna got to the be Homecoming Princess. She got dressed up in her beautiful dress (which it in itself made her feel like a princess) and walk down the track at a football game to give the queen her flowers. She wasn't sure when she got there if she really wanted to do it, but she did it very well! Jerry told Kyle (a high school boy) to hold her hand - and then she wouldn't let it go! She was thrilled when it was over and we got to get ice cream! It is hard to believe that my baby girl is getting so grown up. She is just beautiful - if you ask me!

Ladoga 8 and Under League Champs

2010-06-25T23:48:00.004-04:00

Reese's team, coached by Jerry, are the champs this year! The boys were so excited. They were jumping and hollering. Very cute! They only lost one game all season. Congrats boys! I'll post pictures later!

2 years today

2010-06-24T15:54:00.003-04:00

Two years today, Tara, our social worker, called during KungFu Panda to tell us that ShenMingYing was going to be our daughter and sister! I can't begin to tell you how excited we were and still are. She has definitely come a long way since then. She is absolutely amazing and shows love every day. She enjoys coloring, using my iPod, reading, and doing puzzles. I can't believe how quickly she can put together a puzzle! :) I know we are definitely biased, but she is so darn cute and smart! Like her mother (used to be about 20 pounds ago), she loves to have her picture taken. She can be quite the ham!

This weekend, we are traveling to Milwaukee to have a travel group reunion! We are excited to see how much the kids have changed. We will be going to a Brewers game (Rain stay away!) and just hanging out by pools. It should be a wonderful trip!

SUMMER

2010-06-03T22:55:00.003-04:00

Summer is finally here. We've had one week of wonderful weather (although some rain) and no work! It is wonderful not having to get up before 9! The kids have finally begun to sleep in some. I was actually the first one up today. We would love to get a few windows replaced in the house. That is our only big remodel plan for the summer. We've enjoyed the pool, so hopefully the warm weather will stay. We have 2 vacations planned. We are going to Milwaukee to meet up with friends we met in China. We are very excited. Then we are hoping to go to Michigan and stay in a "cabin" on Lake Huron. I'll post a few pictures and perhaps more later. I'm trying to figure out my new iPod for school and finish up a class for my license renewal! Happy Summer

Hanna's hair

2010-03-21T20:01:00.004-04:00

It has taken me about 2 weeks to finally write this post. Hanna had beautiful long black hair. I would fix it each day with pigtails or a ponytail. It was beautiful. Notice how I was using the past tense! Well a few weeks ago, she got up before the sun and I told her she could go play. Well, she didn't really play. She got out the scissors and cut off her beautiful hair. It is shorter than mine. Yes, she did get in trouble. Not really for cutting her hair, but more because she broke two rules. 1. She isn't supposed to play with scissors without permission. That is why we keep them up high. 2. She is only supposed to cut paper. I would never have dreamt that she would have done this. Anytime I would tell her that she needed a hair cut, she would cry and say, "No, girls have long hair". I was sad, but I'm getting over it. Some people even say that it is cute. I'm getting there, but not quite! :)

Surprise Reese!

2010-03-14T21:45:00.003-04:00

In January, Reese started asking for a surprise party for his birthday. I told him that he couldn't plan his own surprise party, but had it all planned out in my head. Last weekend, we surprised him with 3 of his buddies from school. They came over right after school and I brought Brooks and Reese home at our usual time. He had no idea! :) Jerry met him at the door and told him he needed to show him a new ping pong trick. As soon as they started playing, his buddies jumped out from behind the couch! It was priceless. Then I never told him anything about his family party. He kept asking when it was going to be, but I told him that we were busy and I didn't know when it would be. Friday night, he went home with Mamaw Albaugh and got to have a boys night. Then mom brought him home on Saturday. She blindfolded him after lunch and he was clueless! He walked up the steps to everyone standing in the kitchen. Boy was he surprised again when we took off the blindfold! Too precious. Being 8 is bliss! :) Happy Birthday baby boy! :) I can't believe he is 8! PS - I'll post pictures soon!

more pictures

2010-02-14T20:53:00.008-05:00

basketball and valentine's day

2010-02-14T20:36:00.004-05:00

Brooks played basketball for the first time ever for Ladoga. Their season just finished and they only lost 2 games! It was so much fun watching him get better. I know I'm biased, but he could be the most improved. I doubt he'll be an NBA star, but he sure had fun playing for the Canners!

We celebrated Valentine's Day pretty low key this year. Jerry and I went to Olive Garden on Friday night. It was nice to be out without the kids! We bought Brooks and Reese the newest release of their favorite book series and Hanna got the lip gloss she found at WalMart!

Jesus Loves Me

2010-02-14T20:15:00.001-05:00

Hanna learned a new song at school. Too cute! :)

Florida Vacation video

2010-01-24T18:40:00.002-05:00

Here is our video from our Florida vacation. We had a wonderful time. The weather was mainly in the 70's, but we had a couple of days in the 80's. It was just paradise! Sorry - our video is a little long, but it just shows how wonderful it was. Enjoy!

Happy Early Birthday Hanna

2009-12-14T20:33:00.004-05:00

Isn't she just beautiful?!

We celebrated Hanna's birthday early last weekend. We leave for Florida on her birthday and we had Christmases early, so... The poor girl thinks every weekend she gets to open presents! She is going to be so spoiled! :) She loved every minute of it. My shy little girl tore into packages like a pro (with help from Mommy) and said thank you after each one! She was truly excited about each one. Spoiled or not, at least she was thankful! It is hard to believe that she is almost 4. Time has certainly flown with her. I'm planning to post pictures of her from as early as we have until now, just to compare!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-13T19:29:00.002-05:00

We had 2 Christmases this past weekend because we leave for Florida on Friday. Unfortunately I don't have pictures yet, but hopefully I will soon. I bought the wrong battery for my camera. :(
Here are a couple of videos of Hanna and Brooks. Reese was too embarrassed. Merry Christmas!

leaves

2009-11-01T17:38:00.003-05:00

We spent an hour or so at my grandmother's house and I captured a few pictures of the kids playing in the leaves. I love fall!

trick or treat

2009-11-01T09:29:00.002-05:00

We got all three kids' candy bars!

This is only Reese and Hanna's loot!

2 Ninja's and a butterfly

Reese

Hanna

Brooks

Pictures from October

2009-10-31T13:54:00.005-04:00

We've had a very strange month. One of our beloved dogs died, I had to have an unexpected surgery (I'm fine now), flag football ended, soccer ended, Brooks went to Purdue every Saturday morning for an Electronics class, Hanna enjoyed preschool and a Noah's Ark Costume party, the boys and I had a book character dress up day at school, Reese got braces, and it goes on and on. We are all ready for the calendar to change again so it will almost be time for Florida. The boys are enjoying telling Hanna all about the beach and getting her excited about the trip. Oh and I can't forget Hanna's first night of trick or treating. She's excited about the candy! We're going to have 2 ninja's and a butterfly. I'll add pictures of that later. And it is not easy to forget that this time last year we were preparing to board an airplane that would unite our family. Our journey to get Hanna was almost over and our lifetime together was just beginning. Still difficult to believe we were actually there. Enjoy the pictures and more will follow!

One year Anniversary

2009-10-21T16:53:00.002-04:00

One year ago today, Jerry and I were in Shenyang China. We were waiting in a small dreary office room waiting on our daughter to be brought to us. She walked in with the orphanage director and just sat down in a chair like a big girl - even though she was just 2 years and 10 months. I walked over to her and knelt down beside her. I gained her confidence with goldfish crackers, necklaces, bracelets, and stickers. She was absolutely amazing. She had told her nannies earlier in the day that today was the day she would meet her American parents. To say that the year has flown past would be a huge understatement. She went from not knowing us to part of our family. She went from speaking and understanding only Mandarian to English in just a few months. She has gone from sleeping on top of me to sleeping in her own big girl bed. She's gone from being scared to death of the dogs to happily petting them and remembering them in her prayers. Our strong and courageous daughter is a true delight and I can hardly believe she has only been with us 1 year. It seems like a lifetime! Happy Family Day!

Happy Birthday Brooks

2009-10-21T16:47:00.003-04:00

Our baby boy is now 11. I can't believe how quickly time passes. He has grown into such a nice boy. He does well in school and makes me proud each day. Soccer is still is favorite sport and baseball comes in a close 2nd. If a mama can say so herself, he is growing into such a handsome young man. If only I could make time stand still for just a little while!

Flag Football

2009-09-12T20:29:00.006-04:00

Reese had his first football game this morning. He played hard, but unfortunately his team didn't win. He had a huge run, got 2 flags, and blocked like the best. We were very proud. He plays again next Saturday.

First Day of Preschool!

2009-09-10T18:11:00.003-04:00

Hanna started preschool yesterday. She was so excited. We signed up in the spring and ever since she's yelled, "Mom, there's my school!" whenever we drive by it. (It is just down the road from our house!). We prayed and worried about her first day and God certainly listened. I never imagined she would have reacted the way she did. Tuesday night picked out her clothes, got her lunch box, and her purple pillow/blanket for nap time. She chose to wear a pink dress so Miss Lana (not my friend Lana) would think she looked pretty! Wednesday morning we got a fog delay and when she woke up, she was actually singing, "I get to go to school!" We got ready, took pictures (I'll add soon), and left. In the van, she was a little nervous, but as soon as we pulled into the driveway of the church, she was excited again. She went right in, had Miss Lana show her where to put her pillow/blanket, lunch box, and backpack. Then she went with Miss Lana into the classroom to meet the other kids. I followed her and said that I was leaving and that dad would pick her up after her nap. She hugged me and said, "OK mommy!" Amazing. I prayed for her to love it, but never expected it. I fully expected tears (from me too), but none. I wanted to, but I was afraid the boys would laugh at me. :) She had a great day and never cried. She was happy to see daddy when he got there and is excited to go back tomorrow. She's going to on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Thank you God for giving her the strength and courage one would never expect in such a tiny girl! She is such a big girl...at heart anyway!

Pictures...Finally!

2009-08-28T19:17:00.003-04:00

I finally sat down and put our summer pictures into a movie. I hope our friends in China can see it. We had a wonderful summer and the kids have grown so much.

Back to school time

2009-08-14T19:57:00.003-04:00

We are officially back to school. It is hard to believe that Brooks is in 5th grade, Reese is in 2nd grade, and Hanna will soon be starting preschool! I don't know where the summer went. It was so fast, but we had a wonderful time. The weather was not the best and we didn't get to swim nearly as much as we wanted, but it is still nice being home as a family for 2 months. We are extremely lucky.
The big highlights from the summer include a trip to Kings Island. We had a wonderful time. Jerry and Brooks ran when the gates opened to ride the Diamond Back - the new big, fast roller coaster. They loved it. Reese didn't like the big roller coasters, but he enjoyed riding the smaller ones. He and Brooks rode the Fairly Odd Coaster (formerly the Beasty) several times...even in the front! Hanna's absolute favorite was Swipers Sweeper. It is a small oval that whips around the corners. She just giggled and giggled while riding. She still talks about it whenever she hears Kings Island! She cannot wait to go back. Much to Jerry's dismay, we'll probably be going again next summer. :)
Hanna continues to amaze us every day. She is just our daughter who happens to have been born in China. You would think that she's been with us forever and not just 10 months (it will be 10 months on Aug. 21). She can write her name as well as many other letters. We think she is advanced, but we're her parents and we're supposed to think that! ;) I promise I will update some pictures. I know it has been awhile!
We continue to pray for her China family and hope they are doing well. We think of you often. We are so thankful you were in our daughter's life. You are a blessing to us all. God Bless

Happy soggy 4th of July

2009-07-04T21:27:00.004-04:00

Wow, what a day! This picture pretty much sums up everyone's feeling for all the rain. Hopefully we'll get to see fireworks tomorrow.

Father's Day picture

2009-07-03T14:26:00.004-04:00

I just realized that I didn't post the picture I took of Jerry and the kids on Father's day right before we left for church. The dogs weren't asked to be in the picture, but it turned out great! Happy 4th of July! We'll be enjoying baseball all weekend. Brooks plays tonight, 3 games tomorrow, and at least 1 on Sunday! I can't wait to see some fireworks.

The boys are excited today. We are finally joining the 21st century and getting dish network. We've been using rabbit ears and converter boxes, but it is just awful. If a semi goes by, we lose reception and sometimes we lose it for no good reason. We're worried about them watching too much tv, but we'll set time limits or something. They are supposed to be here between 12 and 5. It's 2:30 now and no sign of them yet. I hope they don't let us down. The boys will be very disappointed (and me too! I finally get HGTV!).

referral-versary

2009-06-24T10:13:00.002-04:00

One year ago today, God blessed us with the news that our daughter was 2 1/2 years old living in Shenyang China! It is a day we will never forget. We love you Hanna YingYing and our hearts go out to her families in China. She is blessed with a birth family, a foster family, an amazingly nice orphanage with nannies who love the children, and a wonderful, loving sponsor family whom she calls her Chinese mommy and daddy. Thank you God for this amazing little girl and all You have blessed us with. Congrats to all of the other June O'Hanna(h) families as well! (Four Bethany families were matched today...one boy (Owen) and three girls (Hanna(h))! God is so good!

New video from today

2009-06-18T21:28:00.003-04:00

video

2009-06-18T18:26:00.002-04:00

This was from April, but it just makes Hanna giggle and giggle!

One year ago today...

2009-06-18T08:15:00.003-04:00

we saw Hanna's face for the very first time! I had just gotten home from a class and saw there was a new COP list out. I requested the file of a 2 1/2 year old girl whose file name was "Carlie." We went to a baseball game for Reese or Brooks before the file came, but when we got home it was here. I showed her picture to Jerry and he thought, "oh great. I'm going to have to tell her no again," but he didn't! He immediately asked to read her file and kept asking for more. When he was finished, he looked at me and smiled. Then he said, "She's our daughter! What do we do next!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. We immediately began praying. We had to submit our name to be matched with her through our agency and wait an agonizing 7 more days before we got "the call". What a year it has been. We can't imagine our life without her. She is perfect for our family. Only God could have brought us together 1/2 a world away.

Grandma D turns 84!

2009-06-04T19:44:00.004-04:00

Aunt Vicki and the kids

My mom and the kids

Grandma D and Hanna - Grandma's namesake!

Grandma D and the kids

My dad's mom turns 84 tomorrow. We have baseball and vbs, so the kids and I headed over to surprise her today. We had a wonderful visit. The kids enjoyed playing with the puppies again. In case anyone was wondering, the puppies on my last entry were Grandma and Aunt Vic's. We babysat them for the weekend while they were at my cousin's wedding in Florida. Hanna seemed her most at ease ever with everyone. The only thing that would have made the visit better is if only I felt better. My cold settled in my chest last night while at Reese's game. I'll be fine in a few days. Nothing hot tea, sleep, and advil won't cure!

Anyone read The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks? I just finished it a little while ago. I got it on Monday at the library and could barely put it down. Jerry was very excited to see that I finished. It was very good! I always get lost in his characters and this one was no different.

Summer at last!

2009-06-01T10:04:00.004-04:00

Summer is finally here। Being teacher's in the summer is awesome। (We don't have to work। We get to stay home with the kids each day। We have until August 12th off.) We are enjoying being at home and hanging out by the pool. I just wish the kids knew how to sleep in! They are all up by 7:30 or 8! Hanna is generally first, closely followed by Brooks, and finally Reese. Reese would stay sleeping if the other two were quiet! We've just received an email from Hanna's Chinese sponsor family! I love hearing from them. I just wish we knew Chinese...or they English. I want to let them know that we are all healthy. H1N1 has not affected us. I will post pictures later today. YingYing is enjoying swimming in our pool and reading books. Her favorite book now is called The Seven Chinese Sisters. Brooks and Reese are busy with VBS (vacation bible school) and baseball. Soccer is over for Brooks and he did well. He averaged 2 goals each game.

4 days and counting!

2009-05-19T21:17:00.003-04:00

I can't believe that another school year is coming to a close. I'm very anxious for summer this year. I can't wait to spend more time with Hanna and the boys. We have the pool open and are just waiting for warm weather to heat the water (we should have gotten that heater!). Hanna enjoys laying on her belly and touching the water. I pray she'll like it. I have a feeling we'll be spending alot of time on the ladder!

We are busy with soccer and baseball for both boys. Brooks loves soccer! He scored 2 goals tonight, but his team lost 3-2. His team played hard and had a great time. Reese got to play baseball in the rain on Saturday. It was freezing. Unfortunately his team lost 2-1. Almost! The boys are doing well in school and are anxious for the end. Reese is looking forward to his perfect attendance for 2nd semester and Brooks will get perfect attendance for the year! I'm so proud of them. We're going to send Hanna to preschol next year. Each morning when we go past her school, she says, "Mama, my school!" She is so proud. I hope she enjoys it!

Opening day of the pool! We all went in except for Hanna!

Victory Field - the boys won a ticket for another game playing one of the games!

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder! These "weeds" are Hanna's favorite flower. I can't tell you how many vases of dandelions we'vehad on our counter! Did I mention that she picked all of the tulip buds in the flower garden...before they got to open?! My mom reminded me that they'll bloom again next year!

Easter Fun

2009-04-16T21:35:00.004-04:00

We had a wonderful Easter celebration last Sunday. We were thrilled that Seaman, a Wabash student from China, came to church with us. After church, our family and friends came to the house for lunch and the Easter Egg hunt. Brooks found the golden goose egg! He was so excited. Unfortunately Hanna wasn't feeling well and slept through the hunt. Brooks and Reese slept through their first ones too!
Today was beautiful. The boys had baseball practice, so Hanna and I played outside with sidewalk chalk. She loved drawing pictures and running around. She got several kisses from the dogs too! She knows how to make many letters and numbers and she was proud of herself when she made them with the chalk. When her brothers got home, they wanted to draw too and boy she didn't want to share! We'll keep working on sharing!

Hanna with the flowers she didn't pick! Brooks made this! Look at Hanna's 2 and H.

Spring is almost here!

2009-03-31T18:07:00.004-04:00

I had fun last weekend taking a few pictures of the kids. We are anxiously awaiting spring break. Only 3 more school days and we get 9 days off! We aren't planning to do anything and we are so looking forward to that! I'm hoping for a trip to the Children's Museum and possibly the zoo. Tomorrow marks month 5 since Hanna came home. It seems so surreal that we actually have a daughter and we've been to China. She continues to do well...except when we have to tell her no! : ) She does get that from me! We are also trying to plan our annual plan our annual trip to Ft Myers Beach FL over Christmas. We are trying to get "our" house. We've stayed in it 2 or 3 times and just love it.

2009-03-10T19:22:00.004-04:00

Spring...Almost!
Posing before bed

Hanna and Dolly...best friends forever

Daddy and Hanna dancing to their favorite song...Just a Swingin'!

Hanna was a little scared of the cheerleaders!

Getting ready for the basketball game

She likes her brother's safety goggles

She thinks she looks so good

Just look at my girly girl and her earrings!

Brooks is so talented!

Her dress from her Chinese parents still fits!

Picture catch up!

2009-03-09T22:42:00.005-04:00

Reese in the tunnel
He loves Chuck E Cheese

Riding with Stuart Little

The Merry Go Round was a favorite

Posing with Chuck E Cheese himself!

In February, we went to Chuck E Cheese for my cousin's son's birthday. It was Hanna's first time to go and she loved it. It is one of the boys' favorite places to go...too bad they keep having private parties when they want to go there! ; ) Hanna's favorites were the merry-go-round and the slides.

I hope to post more in the coming days! Don't give up on us yet. Reese just turned 7, so I'll be getting that ready too! Being a mom to 3 sure keeps you busy!

We're still here

2009-02-16T18:03:00.003-05:00

I know it has been awhile since I last updated. We've just been busy with the kids and school. The boys are doing well. Brooks is anticipating the start of spring soccer. He is excited about the possibility of his essay being chosen for an award. He is excitecd about being one of the fastest runners in his class and all of Ladoga. He increased his record for a 6 minute run from 24 laps to 25 (this evidently is a school record - at least for this year). Reese is enjoying playing at Southmont with Jerry during the open gym hours. He gets excited when it is Tuesday and Thursday. He is getting better at baseball and Jerry is getting excited. He is hopeful for the future!! ;) Hanna is doing well. She is learning English more and more each day. It is awesome how far she's come. We went to the doctor today (she's been running a fever - probably viral), and the nurse was shocked at how well she's doing! She actually called her a whiz kid!! She is definitely a girly girl. Her newest favorite book is Fancy Nancy. She is learning her colors - finally. Sometimes I still can' believe that I've been to China and I have a daughter. It all seems so unreal. We've been home almost 4 months (we actually left 4 months today). She knows who baby Jesus is and can pick him out in her picture books. Amazing. I should also brag that she can make an H and an L and she recognizes 1, 2, 7, and O (she possibly knows more numbers, but these I know for sure!) OK, sorry if you think I'm bragging :)

Jerry and I are doing well too - just ready for spring/summer break. I can't wait to take the cover off of the pool and let it start warming up! I'll try to add some pictures and videos later. I got a few cute videos of the kids playing in the yard with the dogs and riding bikes.

Just a few pictures

2009-01-29T20:48:00.003-05:00

Just so you know, I truly do have three children. Hanna is just so new and if I do say so myself - very cute! Anyway, my grandmother wishes we lived closer so she could squeeze her (and Hanna would let her!) each day. She loves these bibs on her and called me today requesting a picture of her in them. If only it were warmer and I would have had her hair in piggy tails! We all continue to do well. Hanna is now officially calling herself Hanna Long. It is sad that she is losing her Chinese - but when she does say something in Chinese and I tell her I don't understand or when I say what? - she will just smile and say "Chinese!" It is too cute! She continues to amaze us every day!

Sledding

2009-01-18T18:15:00.006-05:00

Reese finally lost both of his two front teeth!

Reese went over into the creek sledding! Luckily he came up laughing!

What a great dad my children have!

Reese really liked sledding! He didn't complain of being cold once!

Hanna loved walking around in the crunchy snow!

All smiles

Brooks had a great time! What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

And off they go!

Eating...of course! Princess Hanna loves eating! Reese and Brooks are ready for some sledding fun!

Santa brought the boys sleds and snow gear for Christmas and we finally got some snow! It snowed on Wednesday, but it wasn't warm enough to venture outside until today. Hanna didn't like sledding near as much as the boys, but she did enjoy crunching around in the snow. We had a wonderful 4 day weekend and are now just trying to relax thinking about another long week of school. Do you think we could have more snow days this week - or better yet, just some 2 hour delays?! I want snow days without having to make them up!

To YingYing's loved ones in China - I'm sorry I haven't posted any pictures of her lately. She is doing great and is an absolute joy. She carries around pictures of you and refers to you as mama and baba. We are sometimes mama and baba and sometimes mommy and daddy. She calls herself the "princess"! God Bless!

Merry Christmas from the Long's

2008-12-29T19:20:00.003-05:00

Picture catch up

2008-12-28T15:52:00.003-05:00

It has been forever since I last posted pictures. Sorry Aunt Vick! I am on my computer every day, but I just don't take the time to upload pictures. We've had a wonderful Christmas - too wonderful for Jerry! We've missed going to Florida and vow we'll be there next year. We've been watching our home movies from this past year -dubbing them onto dvd's - and enjoying watching what all we did. What a year! I hope everyone had as blessed Christmas as we did! Can't believe it is almost 2009 - and I have to go back to work soon. I am not looking forward to it. Very sad - but soon it will be Summer vacation and it will be wonderful again!

Healthy Heart!

2008-12-23T11:40:00.004-05:00

Hanna had an appointment yesterday with a pedriatric cardiologist at Riley. They did an ekg, echocardiogram, and a chest x-ray. Poor baby - she was scared during the ekg, but a candy cane did the trick! The best part of the appointment was when the doctor (who has 2 daughters from China) said that she is healthy and her surgery in China was done very well! She doesn't have to go back to see him for another year. Her only restriction is that she can't play football (American Football...not soccer). That shouldn't be a problem, because we all know she is going to be a cheerleader! ;)

I need to post pictures about our Christmases we had over the weekend, but it will have to be later! I need to get lunch for my family! Merry Christmas everyone!

Hanna's birthday

2008-12-18T21:17:00.005-05:00

We celebrated Hanna's birthday at Old Town Buffet - a local Chinese restraurant. Jerry told our waiter that it was her birthday and asked if he would speak with her in Chinese. We are sad to say that she was scared of our waiter. We're hoping it is just because he is a stranger and not because he was speaking to her in Chinese. She loved the food there though! She was so excited to see noodles, egg drop soup, and jello! She was in heaven. The boys were equally excited about the fried donuts and jello, but not really anything else. At the end of our meal, our waiter brought out a cake and a candle! We all sang Happy Birthday to her and she blew out her candle. I think Hanna enjoyed her first birthday with her new family! God has been so good to us! We feel so blessed to have 3 beautiful and healthy children.

Shop at Cornett's

2008-12-18T20:45:00.005-05:00

I feel compelled to shout my praises to our local furniture store. Jerry, Hanna, and I went in there and bought a new sofa and chair. While we were there, Hanna found child size rockers in the window that she really liked. While Jerry worked out the details, Hanna and I sat in the window and played with the rocking chairs. She lined them all up, sat in them, and watched the traffic go by. She kept telling me that she liked them. Well today when they delivered our furniture, the first piece they brought in was a little rocking chair. The gentleman said it "Merry Christmas" for a sweet little girl! Hanna was thrilled. I could not believe it. I am still in shock. I thanked them up and down before they left. I called the store and almost cried as I thanked them. I told them that today is her birthday - and her first one with us. I am still is shock and awe! Please let everyone you know in Crawfordsville know what kind and generous people we have at Cornett's! If you are in the market for new furniture, please give them a try! Merry Christmas!

Hanna is officially 3!

2008-12-17T23:59:00.003-05:00

It just turned midnight and my sweet angel is sleeping. She is having more difficulty tonight than usual, but she is asleep upstairs in her butterfly bed! Our plan for her birthday, since we already had her party, is to take her to a local Chinese restraurant for dinner. Brooks loves Old Town Buffet, so we'll probably go there. We are supposed to be getting some weather tomorrow afternoon, but hopefully it will hold off long enough for us to go. We bought new furniture! It is supposed to be delivered tomorrow and I can't wait! I just thought of something. We bought the sectional - that is now in our barn - when we were pregnant with Brooks. We got the loveseat that I'm on now right after Reese was born. And now we bought a chair and couch very soon after Hanna joined our family. We still need a few new chairs - does that mean we'll be adding to our family again??! Never say never!
Hanna has learned to sing part of Happy Birthday. I suppose it is from her party, but there is also a very sweet song on K-Love that we've been hearing - Happy Birthday Jesus - by a children's choir. Everytime she hears in she breaks into her chorus of Happy Birthday Hanna. I hope you all enjoy the video. We think it is just adorable.
I'm getting tired and stressed just thinking of the week we have coming up. The boys and Jerry get out of school Friday at noon. We are having breakfast with our Wabash Student (at our house so I have to clean sometime!) on Saturday morning, then going to see Santa in Frankfort, and finally having Christmas at my mom's. Then Sunday we have church, Christmas at Jerry's parents' house, and then we're taking our Wabash student to the airport. He is going back to China for winter break. Monday Hanna has a doctor's appointment at Riley - just a checkup and we will hopefully visit the Children's museum. Tuesday is a free day - yea! Wednesday we have Christmas Eve at my mom's with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Thankfully we get to be home on Christmas. Now do you see why we like to go to Florida??! If we were going this year, we would be leaving Friday and would be on the beach Saturday. We would be on the beach every day! Christmas Eve we would go to church and then Christmas Day we would be on the beach! Ah, relaxing! Next year, next year....
I've gotta get to sleep. Hanna and I have a busy day tomorrow...at least in the morning. I have know idea how I would be getting everything done if I were working right now. I really don't want to think about that though, because I have to go back on January 5th.

Brooks' Unicycle

2008-12-12T08:29:00.004-05:00

Brooks got a unicycle last year for Christmas and never learned to ride it. After Jerry got to experience riding in China, he was determined to teach Brooks to ride. They go down to South each evening for about a half hour just to practice. They have a "block" set out that is their practice place. Brooks had a record of making it around in just 10 falls, then 7, and last night he called super excited to say he made it all the way around without falling! He is getting the hang of it and is really enjoying it now. He knows he is the same age as Jerry was when he first learned! Circus life here we come!!

Hanna news: a few weeks ago she decided that she wanted to sleep in her own room. Before I would ask and she would say no, but now that is where she wants! She started out not making it through the night, but would each night make it a little longer. Well the last 3 nights she has slept in her own bed all night until I wake her in the morning to take the GeGe's (brothers) to school! I can't wait for tomorrow morning when I won't have to wake her! She is also learning English very well. She adds new words each day and surprised me the other day while shopping with my mom when she said, "hungry mama, bites!" She is a doll and we are very blessed to have her.

Ladoga's Christmas Program

2008-12-10T09:56:00.003-05:00

Last night was the boys' Christmas program. This year they got to wear their "Sunday Best" and Reese was so excited! He loves to wear ties! I just had to snap a few photos of them before we left. Santa came to the program. Hanna didn't want to have anything to do with him, but she's been carrying around the sack of goodies he gave her smiling and saying "Santa". Perhaps there is a little hope for my Santa picture after all! I didn't take any pictures with Santa - only video. We'll go visit Santa in Frankfort when we have Christmas at Mamaw Albaugh's later this month. He's our tradition! ;)

Hanna is very excited about Christmas now. She understands presents and loves the music. When we are in the car, she either asks for Jingle Bells or Christmas (We wish you a Merry Christmas). Mr. Stout may not have thought my singing was good, but my daughter sure does! Tonight we are going Christmas shopping with Mamaw Albaugh in Lafayette. It is Senior Citizen night at Kohl's and we get to eat at O'Charley's!

Hanna looks so cute today - if I do say so myself. My friend Jenn gave us so many cute clothes! Jenn, if you are reading, Thanks so much! I'll get a pict of her later and post it so you can see. Looking cute in her new birthday dress coat!

Happy Birthday Hanna - early!

2008-12-07T20:50:00.005-05:00

Today we celebrated Hanna's 3rd birthday a little early. Her birthday really isn't until December 18th, but that is so close to Christmas that we decided to have her party early. We kept it a little low key so we wouldn't overwhelm her and she really enjoyed herself. She celebrated with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and a great aunt. It took her a few minutes to wake up, but once she did, she loved it. She really started getting into opening presents - boy she is going to love Christmas! She got a new chair for the pool, a swimsuit and cover up, a dress coat for church,a doll, purse, two pairs of shoes, a movie in Chinese, a book, and a drawing book. Mamaw Long made her a butterfly cake (she can say butterfly!) and I helped her blow out her three candles.

We had a nice weekend. It snowed and the boys enjoyed playing outside. They are hoping Santa brings them new snow stuff! Brooks has been practicing on his unicycle and is getting much better! He's hoping to break his record of now 7 falls around Jerry's hallway at Southmont!

December

2008-12-05T08:27:00.004-05:00

It is December! I can't believe how quickly time flies. I know that I'll blink and it will be time for me to go back to work! Hanna is doing well at Mamaw Long's house. I've been having her stay there for about an hour each morning this week (not Monday or Today) while I volunteer in my classroom.

She is amazing. Jerry and I can't believe how much English she is learning and how great her receptive language is. She seems to understand everything we say to her. Brooks is keeping me on my toes writing down the words she knows. Yesterday she kept asking for me to sing "Christmas" which is We wish you a Merry Christmas. She also knows Jingle Bells - when she hears the tune, she yells, "Mama - Jingle Bells!"

I've introduced her to Nihao KaiLan and she really likes it. She's actually asking to watch it right now! Very cute!

Well, I just wanted to update quickly and post a few pictures. Her wonderful family in China are reading the blog. They are wonderful people and we want them to see their YingYing. I'll update again and share stories of this past week. Gotta go now though!

A wonderful Thanksgiving Blessing

2008-11-28T15:02:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday. We had lunch at Jerry's parents house and then supper at my cousin Sheryl's house. Hanna did well. We had a nice visit with everyone. We came home and were suprised by an email from Hanna's Chinese family. Isn't she beautiful??!

Proof there is a little girl living among us!

2008-11-25T09:17:00.003-05:00

Not that I was ever a great housekeeper, but Hanna makes it almost impossible! I'll pick it up and as soon as she notices it is moved, she drags it out again!

She loves to play in my workroom that has been off limits to the boys for a long time now. Jerry says I should just clean it and put things away!

She loves to play with her dishes and food. There is a tub big enough to hold it all, but she doesn't like to put it away when she is finished! She is using the tub to store Brooks' video games for him.

She likes her doll house, but she really doesn't play with it. She makes it play music and then stores all of her finds in it! Reese knows to look here first for something he is missing!

Pink toothbrush and princess toothpaste!

Our movies and DVDs used to be in the right cases and in alphabetical order on the shelves!

Oh well, there is more to life than a clean and organized house! Thank God for the little things in life!

Children's Museum

2008-11-24T18:32:00.004-05:00

Our church gave us a year membership to the Children's Museum as a welcome home present! I was so excited. Last Friday - or perhaps the Friday before that - Jerry and the boys had a half day of school, so we decided to go. We had so much fun - I think Jerry would even admit that he had fun. Anyway, it didn't take Hanna long to warm up to the place and start running all over. Our first stop was the Science Water Works place. The boys loved playing in the water. Hanna did too until some other boys opened up the dam they had made and she got sprayed! She really giggled to go under the pond and see the fish! Reese and I had a great time putting together the arch - and destroying it. We made cartoons, added our voice to cartoons, drew dragons, and walked quickly through the dinosphere. Oh and we got to ride the carousel. That was fun! After the museum we got to go to our favorite restaurant, yep O'Charley's! It was Hanna's first time there. She liked it except for the lemonade, I don't think she liked it much. Brooks and Reese got way more rolls than I did (I had to share mine with Hanna). The waitress was supposed to bring us more, but she must have forgotten! We are very excited about the membership and I can't wait to go back. Hanna has a doctor's appointment in Indy in December, so I think we'll try to go then.

Thanksgiving is almost here. We are going to my cousin Sheryl's house. I'm excited for my aunts, uncles, and cousins to meet Hanna. I hope she isn't too tired or overwhelmed by the whole experience!

Just wanted to share!

2008-11-09T19:28:00.002-05:00

Here are a few photos that I just had to share. Hanna is doing great and the boys really like her. God is so good. He knew the perfect child for our family and found a way to have her join our famliy. She is sweet, cuddly, and ornery (sp??). She loves to tease! She is learning the boys better and knows who is who! This morning we asked her to go get the boys and she did! They said she came in and said something in Chinese, but they understood mama and baba, so they went with her! It was very cute! She has had a couple more firsts...she had her first trip to Culver's and we all went to church this morning! Thanks for being such loyal followers!

Home - Sweet - Home

2008-11-07T21:42:00.007-05:00

It is wonderful being home. We are all settling back into our routines and adding a new one! Hanna, YingYing, is adjusting well to being in our family. She's now slept through the night 2 nights in a row and I've slept through the night 1 night and hopefully again tonight! She is doing very well. If we could just get her to not be afraid of the dogs! She is terrified and yells at them -in Chinese!- each time they come near! The boys are doing great with her and want to do everything for her. They are very attentive and like playing with her. She seems to like them too, but is busy with learning everything new. She is catching on to English and I thought this morning I need to make a list of her words. She knows bye bye, hi, thank you, car, apple, potty, baba, mama. She can point to her eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair and fingers. She echos numbers to 10 and letters. We are working on colors. She recognizes grandparents and the boys in pictures and in person. I forgot - she definitely knows NO, but doesn't like it! She cries everytime we have to say it to her! Her favorite Chinese word is Boo Shong (I have no idea how to spell it, but that is how it sounds!) Shiyan told us it means No Way! She says it frequently! Some of Hanna's first so far are flying in an airplane, eating chocolate ice cream, drinking chocolate milk, flying across the Pacific Ocean, riding in our van, sitting in a carseat, going to Southmont and Ladoga El in the same day, shopping in the mall, swinging at the park, and going down the curly slide! We can't wait to continue to add more firsts to her list!

Family of Five!

2008-11-03T06:34:00.000-05:00

We are home

2008-11-02T05:13:00.003-05:00

After many grueling hours on a plane, we are finally home and got to sleep (sort of) in our own bed last night. We were welcomed home by the boys and grandparents (and Aunt Vicki!) and Aunt Tami, Uncle Dan, and the boys. It was wonderful seeing everyone. I will do a full re-cap some other time, but we are safe and sound at home. Hanna had a rough go of it on the 12 hour plane ride and then a melt down when it was lights out here at home, but she is playing now with blocks and happy as can be. We can't wait to see everyone. We're home...just call and come out. I'm taking off work until January, so I have plenty of time! Thanks again everyone for following us and for all of the prayers. What a blessing we have with Hanna and what a wonderful God we all serve! Here are the red couch photos I didn't have time to post before we left China.

Last Day in China!

2008-10-31T07:31:00.004-04:00

Today was our last day. Hard to believe we are actually coming home with our beautiful daughter tomorrow. We have to leave the hotel at 5:50 am (really 5:50 pm at home!) and go to the airports. Please keep us in your prayers as we fly home. It is going to be a very long day. We arrive at our home airport at 7:44pm on Saturday. We are very anxious to see the boys!
We had our red couch photos today! Hanna, of course, did great. We have some very nice pictures. I went shopping shopping for a few things after pictures and Hanna stayed with BaBa. Unfortunately she cried almost the entire time. 1st thing she is going to have to get used to! After nap, we went to the pool. She didn't really like it. She wouldn't take off her cover up and it took her a long time to want to sit on the edge. She did finally get wet, but didn't really like it. Then we decided to walk to dinner. We didn't find the restaurant we were looking for and ended up at Lucy's. We had a great meal though and Hanna loved the chicken congee. We met several of our travel mates there. Then we all took a walk down the river before we left to shop more. Now, we've had bath and are just waiting on the boys to call us. We are leaving so early in the morning and I still have packing to do. Hanna is going to go to sleep early!
Now for the thank yous!
Dan and Kelly - thank you for the luggage and all of the other things you gave us to help make our trip easier! We've found out luggage quickly!
Ladoga Elementary - thank you for supporting us during these long years waiting and now with the trip! It was been so wonderful that all of you are excited for us. Thanks for helping us keep in touch with the boys and for reading the blog with them!
Jerry and Sarah - thank you for your love and support and for keeping such great care of the boys. We can't wait to see you at the airport.
Sharon (mom) - thank you for your love and support. It has been hard being so far away from you. Thanks for taking my phone call in the middle of the night. Sometimes you just need your mom!
Thank you Karen, Amber, Laura, and Lana for the wonderful shower you gave us and for telling everyone the right size! 3T's fit perfectly! Thanks for everything!
Laura - thanks for taking such good care of my/our students while I've been gone. I know you are doing a wonderful job! Have fun with the smartboard!
Rich - thank you for taking care of Jerry's students!
A great big thank you to everyone who has been "stalking" us (as Carrie says!) for the past 2 weeks! It is great reading all of your comments. We look forward to that each day while Hanna is napping.
Paul, Stacey, and the Gross' - thank you so much for paving the path for us with adopting. I'm not sure we would have done it without your help and encouragement. It is like Hanna has always been with us (except she speaks alot of Chinese!). We know you have been praying for our family for so many years - thank you!

One more day!

2008-10-30T09:58:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is it! I really can't believe it! The time we've been gone seems like it has flown! Skype is so wonderful. I feel like I've seen my boys in person each morning! What a great way to end my day and for them to begin their's! Thank you all for helping us connect each morning, especially Mrs. Welcher, Mrs. Hoard, andMs. Mingus! We definitely appreciate it!
The consulate was really no big deal, but yes I did tear up. We just had to stand and raise our right hand and swear that all of the information we've given to the government is correct. Only the 2nd time in my life I've said "I DO"! Jerry laughed at me when he saw a tear, but I wasn't the only mom who did!
For tonight, I'll just leave you with a few pictures from today. Tomorrow is our group photo on the famous red couch! We are so excited to finally see it. We've read so much about it and seen it so many times in other people's pictures. It seems like a right of passage! Hanna will wear her new traditional silk dress. Then it is on to the pool and shopping! I have several things in mind that I want to get! I hope we have enough room in our suitcases!
Please keep us in your prayers as we begin our journey home. While all of you are trick or treating, we'll be flying! Just one more post until we get home and hug our boys!
Boys....we love you more than the chocolate ice cream daddy and Hanna ate while we talked with you on the computer! See you very, very soon! We are proud of you for being such great kids!

Consulate Appointment Today

2008-10-30T00:11:00.003-04:00

We have a small group, so Shiyan was able to get our Consulate Appointment for today instead of tomorrow! That means tomorrow is a free day! This is the last "business" stuff we have to do and if I am right, then she becomes an American Citizen as soon as we go through customs in Chicago! Sorry - that brings tears to my eyes just typing it! I can't believe our trip is almost over. We have such amazing children. We can't wait to get them all together and under one roof. It will be wonderful! Thank you all so much for your support and following our journeys. Prayers have definitely been answered. God is so good! He has blessed us more than we ever expected.

Just a quick update and then I'll try to do a complete blog later tonight. First, Aunt Vic - she loves the stroller, but the wheels don't work right. The store we borrowed from doesn't have another one for bigger kids. I still love holding her though (but my arms do ache some!). I'm trying to cherish all I can, because I know it won't be long before she won't want me to hold her!

Also, can you believe she lets and actually wants me to hold her, hum to her, and rock her to put her to sleep?! I'm so excited. I didn't expect her to want that, but she does! I definitely need to get that chair fixed mom! She's going to love sitting in it with me!

Carrie - I'll let you think the outfit will work for IU, but we all know better! ;)

Terri - yes, I do plan to keep this up when we get home, although it may not be everyday. We are trying to stay connected to her sponsor family this way. We are hoping they are able to view the pictures and movies though, because we can't from our computer. We might have to try something different. Done farming yet? We have one more who needs a turn!

Aunt Nicole - Jerry is sorry! He'll be back on Tuesday! I'm bringing Hanna in for "show and tell" on either Tuesday or Wednesday! That ought to make her happy!

Am - She is wearing "the dress" for her consulate appointment and no I didn't get one made to match! Also, you'd be impressed. We bought her Gucci sandals to wear with it! Knock offs probably, but they say Gucci!

More later! Thanks everyone!

Boys - we love you more than the breakfast buffet - but still no pancakes! We'll have to have them as soon as we get home! We'll try calling tonight! Just 2 more sleeps until we see you!

We are in Guangzhou!

2008-10-29T09:59:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was a travel day. We left our wonderful hotel in Shenyang and flew to Beijing for one night. The hotel there wasn't great at all - pretty yucky - and they didn't have internet. Jerry didn't do well on the flight from Shenyang to Beijing. His cold affected his ears and he was in pain. Luckily the flight attendants noticed and really helped him. She told him to sneeze and then brought him kleenexes and told him to blow. Finally his ears popped and he got some relief. We flew again today from Beijing to Guangzhou. He took medicine and his ears didn't bother him near as much. They still popped, but that is to be expected.
Hanna did well on the flights. Yesterday she just played with playdough or colored. She barely noticed we were in the air. Today she got a little mad that they made her sit in a seatbelt (just wait until we try to put her in a carseat!), but after a few minutes if even that long, she was fine. She played and then took a nap. We were glad for her to take a nap. We had to get up this morning at 5:30 to make breakfast and our flight.
Guangzhou is wonderful. Finally we have shorts weather. Sorry about all of you freezing in Indiana, but it was 85 here today and very humid. You sweat just walking outside! We are loving it. When we arrived in the hotel, we immediately went to see the family waterfall and fish pond on the inside! Pictures won't do it justice. It is awesome. My dad would have loved seeing it! The fish are just like the big one we had in our pond so many years ago, but there are probably 20 or 30 that size! I've got to figure out if and what we can feed them. We had Hanna's visa picture taken today - of course it was cute and went to her medical exam. Everything was fine. She was 14.5 something metric and I forget how tall. It is written down somewhere. I weighed her on our scales in the room and I believe she was right at 32 pounds like they told us. The people are amazed at how tall she is and the local stores don't carry shoes big enough for her! We are having to go to a department store tomorrow to buy her some shoes. She is going to wear a dress to the consoluate (which may get to be tomorrow) and she just can't wear tennis shoes! We went out to dinner tonight with our entire group. We've all met back up now. It is so wonderful seeing everyone again and now with their children. They are all wonderful. We went to Lucy's (a place where you can get American food). Jerry had sweet and sour pork and I had a chicken sandwich. Hanna had chicken congee. She loves that stuff. I've got to research on the internet how to make it at home! Sorry boys, but you're going to have to try something new for your sister! Then we went shopping. We got something for Reese and things for Hanna. We got her traditional outfit and another outfit to wear to Southmont basketball games! I can't wait to show that one off! It would also work for Wabash, but not football (not warm enough).
Thank you Miss Mingus and Mrs. Hoard for allowing the boys to talk with us after class. We've really missed talking with them the last couple of mornings. We should be fine for tomorrow - I'll email if our dinner plans are for too late though.
We are in the home stretch. Tomorrow is probably our consulate appointment, Friday will then be a free day, and Saturday we fly home! Ready or not, we're coming home!
Boys, we love you more than your sister loves congee! Have fun trick or treating. Don't forget to have someone take pictures of you in your outfits!
Mrs. Long's first grade and the rest of Ladoga - have a great time on grandparents day. Don't scare them too much - they're old! I'll see you when I get back. Hanna and I will come to visit.
I hear we have something new in our classroom! I can't wait to play with it!
A note for Mr. Irwin - Our Mountie Powercard didn't work at Pizza Hut or McDonalds!

Sorry about Sunday!

2008-10-27T07:34:00.003-04:00

Sorry we didn't post on Sunday! We went to bed early due to our colds and I didn't think about it. Sorry. I'll try to get you all caught up today.
Yesterday, we went to Shenyang Palace. It is the forbidden city of Shenyang. It was used when the Manchu people took over the dynasty and moved the capital of China here. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but all of the ancient buildings look the same now. Shiyan told us that the Manchu went to the forbiddent city in Beijing and copied it for their palace here in Shenyang. Hanna had a 2 year old temper tantrum at the palace yesterday as we were beginning to leave. I think she must have seen something, but then she didn't get her way. Boy was she mad. Then to make matters worse it was nap time and she was hungry. She does have a temper and she wasn't afraid to show it! Luckily she calmed down on the bus ride back to the hotel. Jerry left to go to a museum with the rest of the group while she and I had a snack lunch and then a nap. We both needed it after our morning!
When we got up, we needed to go shopping to finish the gifts for the sponsor family. It is the Chinese way to give gifts when you meet people. Shiyan told us that they would probably have more gifts when we meet them at the orphanage (she was right!). We shopped until dark and because we didn't have a planned group meal, we just ate at McDonald's. We learned that Hanna loves corn. They offer that as a side instead of apples. She ended up eating all of her nuggets and her corn - plus most of my fries!
Now for today...I didn't sleep well last night. My cold has really gotten me down, but more it was because of going to the orphanage and meeting the sponsor family. After that meltdown at the palace, I didn't want a repeat there. We got to see the boys before we left...thanks Paul and Stacey. It was nice getting to see them with my mom, Jerry's parents, and mamaw Beeson. It was good hearing about their weekend.
We had to drive out in the country a little to get to the orphanage. I recoginized it immediately when I saw the roof. It is the nicest building out there by far. We saw people out in the fields gathering straw (I guess) by hand. They were raking it into piles and binding them together. Talk about back breaking. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, I saw the family and immediately starting crying (them too). Hanna was so excited to see them and leapt from my arms. She hugged and kissed them. They were so kind and loving with her. They seemed very similar to Jerry and me. They liked playing with her and making all over her. They were very happy to see her again and only asked that they get to watch her grow. We exchanged contact information and hope to keep in contact. It is clear they loved her. Hanna didn't like going into the orphanage. She was afraid she was being left. She didn't want anything to do with Jerry and me for quite awhile. Then her sponsor parents handed her to us and went into a room with other children. They watched us play with her from a window. During our play in the hallway, we got our Hanna back. She smiled and laughed and seemed like the same little girl we've had for the last week. Shiyan told them that we were going to leave and they said they didn't want to upset her again and didn't want her to see them. That really meant alot to us. They are so kind and only want what is best for her.
She was alittle quiet and independent on the bus ride home, but has been our little Hanna ever since. We are so thankful to them for all they've done. God has been watching over our little girl and making her life very blessed. After meeting them, we feel as though she is now our daughter. We feel like they've given us their blessing and we were waiting for that. We felt such relief and our stresses just melted. God is truly wonderful for all He does. It is amazing watching her play and giggle.
We've been trying to pack as this is our last night in Shenyang, but Hanna doesn't like it. She keeps pulling stuff out as I pack it away! I guess I'm going to have to wait until she is asleep! I will post some pictures in a little while (after bed for Hanna and packing!). Thank you everyone for all you've done to make this miracle happen. We appreciate everyone's prayers. We are getting so close to being home!

A note for first hour: Do Your Homework!

Boys...we love you more than the dumplings we enjoyed again at dinner! Just wait until you get to taste them. They are delicious!

Saturday

2008-10-25T10:31:00.004-04:00

Today thankfully was a free day. We all have colds - luckily Hanna's isn't too bad. She just coughs a little. Jerry and I have it in our heads. It is yucky to be sick here. Luckily we do have some medicine. Hopefully it will start working soon. OK - on today. We went shopping again after breakfast. We started out for Walmart to get some pictures made, but evidently their equipment doesn't work. They told us that the other day, but we figured they didn't understand what we were asking. figured wrong. Then we went to a department store looking for something nice for the sponsor mom. We settled on a nice scarf. Then we got some hand lotions for extra things for the orphanage workers - we had been feeling a little cheap! We were excited to be making progress with the sponsor family gifts. Then we had snacks for lunch and nap. Hanna woke before Jerry and I were ready to get up! Our colds make us drowsy! Then we were off shopping again. This time we were looking for a place to make pictures. We asked at the hotel for a place and they wrote the address on a card for a taxi. The first 2 taxis didn't want to take us - wouldn't make much money because it wasn't far - and finally a very nice taxi with leather seats and a tv took us! We got our 3 pictures printed for part of the sponsor family's gift and decided to walk back to the hotel. That's when we went to the Mao statue. It is very near our hotel. We all went to dinner together again tonight. Shiyan is very kind to order for us and get things she knows we'll like! Paul - you'll like this one. My first bite looked like a pepper, but no one said anything, so I popped it in my mouth. We'll it was definitely a pepper and very hot! It cleaned out my sinuses! Sprite and Jasmine tea helped cool my mouth. The peppers were with some chicken. The chicken was good, but wow! I've included pictures of some of my favorite dishes. I absolutely love the Chinese celery. Hanna loves the dumplings (they are very yummy), and Jerry loves just about everything! He commented again tonight that he ate too much! The dishes are all served family style on a lazy susan. It is fun spinning it around until you get what you want. We try everything and enjoy it all. Brooks and Reese - don't worry. We haven't had anything that looks like bugs, has eyes, or is still alive! I think even you too would have enjoyed the dinner! Watermelon is always dessert!
We've enjoyed getting to know our daughter. She is learning more English each day. Potty, come here, water, where's your mama or baba, bye bye...just to name a few. She is so fun and has the sweetest laugh. We played out in the hallway tonight and Shiyan came out because she heard her. She explained to us what she was saying in Chinese. She plays with her stacking cups and pretends they are cakes! Mamaw Long, she likes making cakes! She also enjoys playing hide and seek! She gets tickled though and doesn't wait quietly for you to find her! She always jumps out laughing. BaBa taught her to monkey crawl tonight. I forgot, now she knows monkey (just not the animal!) Shiyan thinks that everyone will love her when she gets home. We told her yes they will!
Tomorrow we are visiting Shenyang Palace and then more shopping in the afternoon. Monday we visit the orphanage and get to meet the sponsor mom. We don't think the sponsor dad will be able to make it. Evidently they are both managers for Oreo!
The count down is on! We'll be home in less than a week! I'm really enjoying being in Hanna's country, but I'm really missing home. I can't wait to hug my boys! and see everyone else! Sorry I don't have many pictures today. More tomorrow. goodnight from Shenyang!

Boys...we love you more than SKYPE - and you know how much I love my computer and talking with you each day! Paul and Stacey said that we can use their computer again on Sunday, so we'll see you then. I'm guessing at 8pm just like last time. Have someone email me if that isn't right! I can't wait!

Friday - Beiling Park

2008-10-24T09:50:00.003-04:00

Nihao from China. Today we went to Beiling Park in Shenyang. It is a tomb for an emperor from the Qing Dynasty. It was huge with a lake and lots of trees. It is under renovations right now. The Clothing Police (older Chinese who make sure the children are wearing enough clothing to stay warm) got us twice today! Once this morning at the park and then later at Wal-Mart! We have to make sure her pant legs are pulled down when she is in the sling! There were people dancing there, getting their morning exercise. The Chinese like to meet to exercise and be social. We then ran into a group who were practicing riding unicycles! Jerry asked (rather had Shiyan ask for him) if he could ride. They loved it! Everyone was surprised that he knew how to ride. Cameras were flashing and everyone was laughing. One gentleman took an interest and had Jerry ride several times with him and pose for several pictures with his camera. YingYing and I even had to be in his pictures! He was quite the celebrity. They asked if any of the rest of us wanted to ride and laughed when we said we didn't know how. Too bad he didn't juggle for them too! I see Shenyang circus in his future! We'll have to check with Sarah tomorrow to see if she got any better pictures. I only have a few. Something to look forward to for tomorrow. The buildings at the park were very similar to the ones at the Forbidden City. Tomorrow is another free day and we are hoping it helps us all get over colds. The weather has turned colder here and much windier, so we took another trip to Wal-Mart for hats and gloves! It is just a 15 minute walk...we are beginning to know our way around better! Hanna won't let BaBa carry her, so MaMa gets that job. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but a break every now and then would be nice! :) I'm glad I have my sling to help take the pressure off of my arms. MaMa is her nurturer and care taker. BaBa is her playmate! She loves running up and down the halls in the hotel playing ball or crawling around on the floor. She is teaching us more Chinese each day... and we're teaching her more English!
We had dinner at a Chinese buffet tonight for Patty's birthday. We even had birthday cake! When we sang, the piano player played Happy Birthday too! It was delicious and great fun. What a way to remember this birthday for her. Chinese use very long candles on their birthday cakes. I'm hoping to find some before we leave to use for Hanna's 3rd birthday.

A note for Tabby: The China Daily Newspaper says that 75% of the Chinese people support Obama! Imagine if they could vote!

Boys - we love you more than the chocolate ice cream we had for dessert tonight! It is wonderful getting to see you each morning. We hope you have a great weekend and we'll see you soon! Thank you for being such wonderful boys!

Gotcha Day Revisited

2008-10-24T09:37:00.003-04:00

Our camera was set on some sort of strange setting and they all turned out black. Luckily, Sarah, one of the Bethany workers with us, took wonderful pictures. I thought that I would share them with you today. I think there are probably a total of about 50, but I settled on just about 18! I wanted Papaw to know that she has his sense of humor. I gave her a cracker and asked her to give me one. She got it close to my mouth and quickly put it in hers! We all laughed. We've taught her to say BaBa loves YingYing and MaMa loves YingYing. If I say one of them, she echos the other! She knows she is being funny and cracks up laughing! Enjoy these photos and I'll work on today's entry! Jennifer, Jerry, and YingYing

I think it is Thursday here!

2008-10-23T00:57:00.003-04:00

We are having a great time and YingYing (I think I pronounced it wrong yesterday - it is more like yung yung - but she answers us however!) She is such a beautiful child and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom. She is truly lovely. She understands much and is quite patient. Last night we went to a restrauant with our group and our tour guide ordered for us. It was delicious. We tried many new dishes and they were all yummy. YingYing even liked most of it. To all of the adoptive parents who may be reading, you'll understand more of why I'm writing about this next thing! While at dinner, she said something and pointed to her bottom. I decided she needed to use the restroom and well, do you know what. So I got our toilet paper and headed for the restroom. The first restrooms were just squatty ones, so we kept walking down the row until at last we found a western one! We were all celebrating this when we got back to the table! It was funny! Last night we also got to talk with the boys, Lana and the girls, and Nicole and our neices and nephew. It was wonderful. Richie still owes me a kiss though! Then we got to talk with Brooks' class and Reese's class. They all seemed to enjoy it and I hope my class did well on their spelling test. Did you remember your question mark and periods? How many more days until we come home? Did you count it up on the calendar? We also got to talk with our sixth grade and tell them more about the history of our trip. One thing I forgot to tell them was the reason Jerry bought that wonderful hat. There is a person in Chinese history who wore a hat like that. See if you can find out who and I'll tell you the answer in a later post. Hint...we've shared the answer already in an earlier post! Nikki - our dental hygienist - I wanted to let you know that Hanna likes having her teeth brushed!
Today, we got to start our day with talking with my mom and Aunt Vicki. That was wonderful. Skype is so incredible! We are seeing and talking to people on the other side of the world for free! So wonderful! At breakfast, YingYing had to play in the ball pit before she would eat. She played for about 15 minutes before she decided she was ready for her milk and watermelon. She likes to sit in a high chair and use a fork or spoon. Boys, we don't think she knows how to use chop sticks! Sorry! Then we decided we would venture out to find a mall or market. We borrowed umbrellas, just in case and sure enough it was raining before we got to the corner. So we had the hotel get us a taxi and tell the driver to take us to a shopping center. Guess where we went...WalMart! It was a nice adventure. Their carts are so much nicer than ours! We got Hanna and the boys some new videos that we are hoping are in Chinese. I think we got 4 movies, a music cd, and daddy some socks and it only cost 95 yuan...divide that by 6.7 and that is what we paid! Cheap!
Right now our King and his princess are sleeping. Jerry caught a cold or something and Hanna and I may be getting it as well. The Queen took a nap with them for a little while too! :) I'm not sure what we are going to do tonight, but we really would like to find a shopping center. Perhaps this evening we'll try again! Well, goodbye from China!
Boys....we love you more than the french toast we get to have for breakfast! We really love getting to see you each morning. We look forward to it every day! We are so proud of you and so happy you are doing well. Have you grown any??!

Hanna Jo Long - or YingYing

2008-10-22T01:40:00.004-04:00

Hanna is offically a Long, at least according to China! We got her passport and signed a bunch of legal stuff and ta da, she's a Long. For now we are calling her YingYing, which sounds like yay yay. I will post more later with pictures. I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who are following. We feel so blessed. We love reading your emails and comments on the blog! We may not have time to respond to them all, but we are reading them! Thank you so much! YingYing is taking her nap right now. She is such a sweet sleeper - our little princess! We learned this morning that she doesn't like pineapple (she kept it on the roof of her mouth for about 1/2 hour before I realized it and she spit it out!) but she loves watermelon! Love and kisses from China!
Boys - we love you so much! We can't wait to call you again tonight - which is morning for you! Brooks - How did you do at your soccer game? Did you score a goal? Did your team win? Do you feel any older?!

There is so much to tell, but I want everyone to know that our daughter has been richly blessed here in China as well. She had a wonderful sponsor family who loved her very much. Here are just a couple of pictures they gave us on a cd. I thought Brooks and Reese would like to see that their sister likes oranges and strawberries!

Hanna laughing

2008-10-21T10:22:00.002-04:00

Here is a wonderful video of Hanna laughing! Thought you would like to see her smile!

Gotcha!

2008-10-21T09:22:00.004-04:00

Wow. I really don't know where or how to begin. She is absolutely beautiful. She has been so well loved and taken care of. Her orphanage and her sponsor parents went through our picture book with her. You could tell how much she loved our book. She knew us by name and didn't cry. She gave us hugs and kisses and even shared her goldfish. She is ticklish and has a beautiful laugh. We are so in love! We couldn't have prayed for better. God amazes us each day with his blessings.
We got up early and flew to Shenyang. Neither of us slept well. We were too eager, anxious, nervous, and excited. It is hard to explain how we were feeling, but so wonderful. We had only 10 minutes at the hotel before we left to get her. Good thing I was prepared with her backpack! Another family with us is adopting a 13 year old girl. She peeked her head out and called me ma ma. I immediately cried and said No, Jodi! There is a third family with us as well and they told us our daughters weren't there yet, but then about 2 minutes later she walked in. I didn't cry, I just waved and waited for someone to call me over. Finally after a few minutes, I just walked over and bent down beside her and offered her goldfish crackers. Instant hit! Within minutes she was smiling, laughing, and allowing me to hold her. We tried not to force ourselves upon her, we just watched her cues. She bounced between her nanny and us. We were there forever (but didn't really seem that long at the time). By the time we left and got back to the hotel, she was tired and hungry. Everyone else was going to go out to eat, but we opted to stay in and see if she would sleep. She cried and was mad for about an hour. Jerry went to get us KFC (sorry boys!) and when he got back, she was almost asleep. We put some food on the coffee table for her, but she kept waving her hand no at us. Then finally she took a bite and got some water. That was all it took! She got up ate and played the rest of the evening. We had so much fun playing with her! She was running around the room laughing and having a great time. She is a good entertainer! She is amazing. She knows us by name and will imitate anything I say. She counted to 5, said the abc's, and says "where's ma ma" when I play peek a boo. Our guide is very impressed with her and tells us how beautiful and smart she is. We are definitely believing that! She takes after her mother of course! ;)
She didn't want to take a bath, but toys persuaded her. Then we put on lotion, got dressed, and got into our big bed. She fell asleep after I read her a story. Thank you all so much for your prayers. God definitely listened! He is so good. Please continue the prayers! God Bless, Jennifer, Jerry, and Hanna (YingYing)
Boys - First, happy 10th birthday Brooks! We are so proud of you. You are a great son! Reese, thanks for doing all of your homework! We love you more than KFC - and you know that's alot!
Coach Thompson - Hanna says something that almost sounds like IU, so I'm working on Purdue!

Forbidden City and Hutong Tour

2008-10-20T07:06:00.003-04:00

Wow! What an exciting and exhausting day. We started out at the North end of Tiananmen Square, walked through the Forbidden City, and finally went out the South end. I've never seen something so large. It is called the Forbidden City because commoners weren't allowed. It was strictly for the Emperors and high officals. It is truly a City and huge. It is surprising that it is still intact - especially when Beijing is growing so much. As we walked through the city today, it was hard to keep our minds focused on what we were seeing. We kept noticing all of the children. I had seen the little girl at the end of our slide show about 4 times before I finally took her picture. She is so cute. There were alot of pushy salesmen outside Tiananmen Square. Jerry got followed for quite awhile before the gentleman took the hint. We drew quite a crowd there as well. The people there thought we were part of the view. Several people took our pictures!
Next we went on a rickshaw ride through a Hutong District. That means we rode in a buggy on the back of a bike through an older more traditional part of Beijing. It was really neat. Our driver was comical and tried to beat all of the other drivers. We got to go inside one of the homes and an older woman described her life. I believe she said she was 71 and she was such a beautiful person. She has 2 grown children. She didn't speak any English, so our tour guide translated everything for us. I asked if she had any grandchildren and she immediately said "grandchildren, no!" She understood what I was saying. We all laughed. She is anxiously awaiting grandchildren, but her children keep telling her maybe next year. She was so pleasant and happy. It really showed us how spoiled we are and things don't bring happiness.
We came back to the hotel to get ready for tomorrow. Our bags are packed and we are very anxious! We leave the hotel at 7:30am (7:30 Monday night) to fly to Shenyang. We will go to a government building at 2pm (2am Tuesday) and receive Hanna. We will take all of our cameras and will post pictures and video as soon as we can. We aren't sure yet about the internet at our next hotel, but we will work as quick as we can to post. We know you are all anxious to meet our daughter and the boys' their sister! We are going to be a family of 5 soon! My mom is finally going to get her Granddaughter! God has blessed us so much!
Please keep Hanna in your prayers for tomorrow. She is leaving all that is familiar to her. She is bound to be scared and confused. We are praying that God grants us peace and wisdom to handle the situation as best we can. Jerry keeps telling me that I'll have to keep my emotions in check (I'm not supposed to cry! I don't want her to think I'm upset!). Pray God grants us all peace.
Coach Thompson - you will be happy to know there are 2 basketball courts inside the Forbidden City.
A note for 2nd hour - DEREK be quiet. Thanks Chelsea!
A note for Mrs. Long's class - Please be good for Mrs. Hoard. I miss you all and are thinking of you. Tell Mrs. Monts hello for me when you go to library today. I hope you all had a wonderful fall break!
Boys - we love you more than the McDonald's we had for supper - and that is alot because it tasted just like home!

South Wins!

2008-10-19T20:19:00.002-04:00

Congratulations South on beating C'ville! Awesome 3 game winning streak!

The Great Wall!

2008-10-19T12:21:00.004-04:00

We actually climbed the great wall of China today. It is still unbelievable. It was awesome. We could not believe the people there. We went to the Badaling station and rode in a gondola to the top and then walked the wall from there. We tried to get to the highest portion. We got into a huge mob of people, squashed together, with lots of pushing and shoving. We made it through a small door way and then realized we wouldn't have time to get up there before it was time for our bus to leave. So we turned around and squeezed and fought our way out! Adventure! We learned today that there are over 16 million people in Beijing and just 30 years ago, most of the city was rice fields! It is the largest city you can imagine. Indy has several downtown blocks with skyscrapers, Beijing has them everywhere for miles!
We went to the Cloisonne Factory. The time and energy put into making these copper pots and other items is crazy. 2 or more days just to do 1 step and there are several steps. And the workers don't make much money. We bought a couple of things, but couldn't afford most! Some of the pots were bigger than me!
We got to drive past the Olympic Village and see the water cube and birds nest. It is now a tourist spot. There were more people there than at the wall. Our guide said that they are going to sell the apartments where the athletes stayed to citizens. They looked nice.
We are still trying to recover from either jet lag or time change. We aren't sleeping much. Last night we woke around 3 and finally got up at 4. Would you believe I did some handwashing of laundry in the sink at 4am? Tonight we decided to try something different. We took a nap from 6 to 10. Then we got up to talk with the boys and update the blog. We're getting tired now and hopefully we'll sleep until about 7. We leave today for the Forbidden City. Then we come back to the hotel to pack to go get Hanna! We get her on Tuesday at 2pm, which is 2am your time. We are so anxious. It is hard to forget why we are here. We are drawn to all of the children and just watch them. They are so cute and love to wave at us. There is a 4 year old in our group who is probably Hanna's size. We can't wait to see them together. We'll post only one more time before we get her!
A note for Jerry's 4th hour class: I was playing with a knife and accidently cut myself. I'm in the hospital. Just joking Kristen. Good one Denny.
Boys - we love you more than and longer than the Great Wall!

Day 2

2008-10-18T07:11:00.004-04:00

Hi all! We got to talk with the boys! That was wonderful. They are having great time and Brooks already wants to spend his birthday money! Brooks - dad said he didn't care! Today, we had our orientation meeting with Shiyann. She was telling us what to expect when we get our children (there are 10 families travelling with us, but to 4 different provinces, I think). She was also telling us about writing down questions to ask about our children. We need to start thinking about them. I have a short list, but another mom on our trip has a list of 40!
After the meeting, we ventured out with a couple from Georgia. They also have 2 boys at home, are naming their daughter Hanna, and decorated her room with butterflies! We walked and walked until we finally found a department store and a pizza hut! The pizza was delicious - just like home. Then we decided to follow our map and find the McDonald's and KFC, just to say we did. We had been looking for an open air market, but hadn't found it. We'd seen several small areas where people had stuff set out, but nothing big like we'd been told. Then we stumbled upon it. It was so much larger than I've ever seen, with so many people. I didn't think that I would get to go to the Bridge Festival, but I found it in China! We stayed and shopped for a little over an hour and then we had to leave to get ready for an acrobatics show. We were sorry to leave. We really wanted to shop more. In our hour or so we were there, I'll bet we didn't even see 1/4 of everything there - probably less. We had just made it to a section that was really hustling, when it was time to leave. It is only open on the weekends and with going to the Great Wall tomorrow, we don't know if we'll have time to go back. Tonya and I are really hoping though!
The open air market had tons of Chinese artifacts. We picked up a Buddha statue, a fan with pandas on it, a compact mirror with the great wall on it, and a bracelet for Hanna. We looked for dragon statues, but didn't find one yet. Boys, we will still look! We also bought of lily shaped shoes like the ones women with bound feet used to wear - they are silk with butterflies embroidered on them. Jerry got good at bartering. There were asking $80 for our buddha statue and he got it for $15! Supposedly it is a 150 year old relic.
There is a couple with us from Oregon who have a daughter they adopted three years ago and they are adopting a son now. We're hoping Katie and Hanna will like playing together when we get to Guangzhou. They look like they may be the same size.
The acrobatic show was really neat. At one point they stacked 4 people on top of each other's shoulders! They amazed us with their gymnastics and flexibility skills. Then they showed us how to pack 13 people on one bicycle and still peddle in a circle! That's funny because we've seen several people riding on one bike in the busy traffic!
Boys - we love you more than our pizza hut we had today! We'll try to talk with you again tomorrow! Can you believe we get to climb the great wall?! Who do you think will get to the top first, mom or dad?
A note for Mr. Thompson - You need to get over here. There are six hundred million women your size or smaller!

We made it!

2008-10-17T08:45:00.005-04:00

We are finally in Beijing! We are staying in an amazing hotel. It is absolutely beautiful! We ventured out tonight, just the two of us, and found a Chinese restraurant. We ordered some chicken and bowls of white rice. Well - we only ate the rice! The chicken was cut into cubes, but it still had the skin and bones! I did try one bite, but couldn't do anymore - I had to spit it out...sorry mom I know you hate that, but I couldn't help it! Jerry wrote some on the plane that I'll share with you and then more from me!
The plane ride is interesting. About 2/3 of the people are Chinese, so we already feel like the minority. The food offered is both western (American) and Chinese. I chose roast beef and mashed potatoes. Jennifer went with the chicken stir fry (poor choice).
We are flying over the arctic ocean. We passed really close to the north pole (I took pictures!). The temperature is minus 50 degrees! We are flying 540 miles per hour. When you lift the window shade, you can see how frosted the plane and windows are. One doesn't realize just how much of the earth is covered by ice until you see if first hand. We're flying over ice as far as the eye can see.
We've met Karen and Eric, they are also adopting from Shenyang. Go figure, they are naming their daughter Hannah Shen! The couple sitting across from us is adopting one year old twins from Nanjing.
We are anxious to get Hanna, but scared of her reaction to us. I think she will be very scared. We're currently half way and it seems like we've been flying forever. We have great seats. We're behind the bathroom wall, so we have way more leg room than most. Plus we can stand comfortably whenever we want. (We also got to sit together and our new friends didn't). Six more hours and we will be there. It's taking about fourteen hours. We're coming to get you Hanna Jo!
Being around all of the Chinese people makes me feel big. They are so small and thin. We just ate a snack of noodles. We both ate with chopsticks (dinner tonight too!).
Another neat thing about this plane ride is that it never got dark today. We left at 12:50pm Chicago time and it's now 10:50, and it's still bright outside. The outside temp right now is minus 75 degrees - we're passing over the mountains of Siberia and we're travelling 556 mph.
OK - back to me! The flight was pretty good. We successfully watched one movie, but I don't remember the name. Something about a little girl who went missing in the park. We ate 2 full meals, lots of drinks, and 2 snacks. They treated us very well. We're going on not much sleep. I didn't sleep well at home and then not well on the plane either. I'm really hoping to get good sleep tonight. Tomorrow we only have an orientation meeting and an acrobatic show in the evening. I'm sure we'll venture out more. Jerry isn't one for sitting around.
We have encountered several people away from our hotel that do not speak English. It is a bit un-nerving not being able to communicate, but pointing, smiling, and head bows are working fine.
Boys - We miss you very much! We saw a giant model of an allosaurus at the Chicago airport and took pictures for you. We thought you'd really like it. Brooks, can you believe we only ate plain, white rice for dinner??! You'd have loved it. We hope you are behaving for Mamaw Albaugh and having a wonderful time. We can't wait to see you. Make sure Mamaw Albaugh takes you by the house...there are a couple of surprises on the counter! I love you more than Chocolate and Strawberries! Mom and Dad!
A note for my fifth hour class. I am as far away from Tabi's political campaigning as I can get. That feels great!

Brooks turns 10!

2008-10-14T17:43:00.003-04:00

Well, not officially! We had his birthday parties over the weekend since we will be in China for his real birthday. He had a wonderful time and got lots of $$$. He got a guitar - and he has been looking forward to that for a long time! It is hard to believe that he is 10 already. I remember the day so well...calling Jerry from the hospital and telling him that Brooks would be here soon! The Yankee's swept the world series and I watched while I was in recovery! Jerry was so nervous, he put the video camera in the bag still taping!

His soccer team didn't fair too well on Saturday. They experienced their first loss as they got beat 5 to 0! They are now 2 to 1. He plays next on his 10th birthday! I hope that brings him luck!

Reese's football team won and Reese scored a touchdown! He was so excited. He even got a flag during the game. He is so proud of his trophy!

around 36 more hours!

2008-10-14T17:37:00.003-04:00

Can you believe we leave in about 36 hours?! We have our suitcases packed and are just trying to sit still to see if God will tell us something we've forgotten! He's spoken twice so far - at least I believe he has. This morning he told me how to fix my computer (the wireless function had gotten shut off) and where to find a bill I needed to pay. I was stressed about both things last night and this morning, I just knew the answer to both!

We will try to update as soon as we can when we get to our hotel in Beijing. It may take us awhile to figure things out though ;) We'll try our best!

Please continue to pray for our family. We've never been away from the boys this long and even though we know we are leaving them in capable hands, it is still unnerving to leave them. 16 days is a long time. Pray for Hanna and her bonding to us. We know that she is going to be upset and grieve her loss. She is quite loved at the orphanage and it is the only home she has ever known.

Thank you everyone for your support. We love you all! Jennifer

AHHHH AHHHHHH AHHHHH

2008-10-06T21:09:00.002-04:00

Oh my gosh...we leave in less than 10 days! I am so scared. I hope that is natural and I hope all goes well. Someone needs to scream for us - and Prayers please!

Reese's Team Wins! Brooks's Team Wins!

2008-10-04T18:42:00.002-04:00

Both of the boys played today! Reese didn't get a flag, but his team won and he had fun. Brooks' scored 2 goals helping his team win 6-0! He had a blast. This was only his second game and his dad was very proud of him! He played hard and went after it! Congrats boys! Enjoy these pictures I've taken over the past few days.

Mom and I got Hanna's suitcase packed! It was so fun looking at all that pink and deciding what we should bring with us! When Jerry and I get packed, I'll post a picture of our luggage. We are trying to take everyone's advice of packing light! I hope it works out.

WOW - 13 days!

2008-10-03T19:09:00.002-04:00

We are leaving in just 13 days! We got our itinerary today, we have plane tickets, and the bank has our money! We are just waiting on our passports (we had to send them to DC to get our Chinese Visas!) and need to pack! I can't believe that in just 18 days Jerry and I will be hugging our beautiful daughter. It feels just like a dream. God is so good to us. We feel so blessed that He is trusting us to parent not only our two wonderful sons, but now this beautiful little girl. We are so blessed! Jerry and I are fighting over who gets to hold her first! You'll have to watch and see, but I'll bet most of you know who is going to win this fight! ME! I told him that it was only fair since he got to hold the boys first!

Brooks is very excited about his birthday. He is getting to have a few friends over next Friday night and the family party is on Sunday (3pm!). He is playing soccer for the first time and is doing very well. He had his first game last Saturday and he scored a goal! It was wonderful. I caught it on video, but no real good pictures. I asked Joe Boswell where he was going to be, but Callie had a game at the same time ;) I can't believe my baby is about to turn 10. We are so proud of him. He is doing very well in school and got a very good report card today. We love you Brooks!

Reese is jealous that Brooks gets to have his birthday while we are gone. He thinks Brooks is getting something cool and he isn't! Reese is playing football and doing well. He really enjoys it. He hasn't scored yet, but had a really nice carry last night. He said he blocked very well! He is also doing well in school and he got a good report card. He must have a good teacher ;) It is funny to hear him call me Mrs. Long when we are at school! Reese, you're our best bud! We love you!

Gotta go start packing! I'm going to China!

24 days

2008-09-22T21:36:00.003-04:00

We leave in 24 days! I can't believe it is coming so quickly. I think I've decided what we're bringing for Hanna. Now I am trying to get it all washed up and ready to put into suitcases! I've been working on my to do list and trying to get items marked off.

Saturday was my birthday. We went out to eat with my mom and Jerry's parents at our favorite place...O'Charley's. Then we went shopping and had cake and ice cream at Dan and Tami's house.

Brooks is getting excited about his birthday. I can't believe he is about to turn 10! We need to get his invitations made and sent out. He is getting worried! He has his first soccer practice tomorrow night. I hope he likes it!

Reese is doing well. He is enjoying football and school - he loves his teacher!! ;) He is excited about getting a sister. I hope both boys still feel that way after she is home and getting into their things!

Plane Tickets!

2008-09-16T21:55:00.002-04:00

We have our plane tickets (well e-tickets!) in our possession and one for our daughter! It is so cool to see a ticket with our daughter's Chinese name. It seems so surreal, but is finally sinking in. We leave in one month! I can hardly believe it! We will arrive back at the airport at 7:44pm on Nov 1! We will be exhausted, Hanna will be nervous, but we will be so excited to see our loved ones - especially our boys! I can't remember if I've said we received updated measurements. Hanna is about 37 inches tall and weighs 32 pounds. She is probably wearing 3T's and size 7 shoes! One more month!

Answer to questions

2008-09-12T22:38:00.002-04:00

We were able to submit a list of questions to China about Hanna. We just submitted them last week or earlier this week and we already have our answers! We found out that Hanna is not on any medication from her heart surgery and she has been healthy since surgery. She knows she is being adopted, but they don't know how much she really understands (hopefully her orphanage has gotten the care package we sent in July and are showing her our picture). She is potty trained and does not take a bottle. She weighs 32 lbs, is 37 inches tall, and probably wears a size 7 shoe. If the online conversion chart for clothing size is right, Hanna will be wearing size 3T. We didn't get new pictures with these answers, but this was a wonderful surprise. 39 days until Brooks turns 10 and Hanna day! God is so Good!

Flight Plans

2008-09-11T21:04:00.002-04:00

This is what we know so far... We leave on October 16 (first day of fall break!). We are using United Airlines. We will leave Guangzhou in the morning of Nov 1, fly to Shanghai in the morning then leave in the afternoon for the USA! We hope to get times soon! We still really can't believe we are actually getting Hanna! The countdown begins...34 days!

We are going to China!

2008-09-10T17:59:00.003-04:00

We just got the call from our Social Worker that indeed we are going to China! I will get our flight plans tomorrow, but we are leaving on Oct 15 or 16. We'll tour Beijing on Oct 17, 18, 19 and possibly 20. Then we'll fly to Shenyang on the 21 (actually maybe the 20) and receive Hanna on Brooks' 10th birthday! We checked with him to make sure it was ok for us to celebrate his birthday early! We will return home on Nov 1. Looks like we'd better shop for Halloween costumes early this year! The timing (other than missing Brooks' birthday) is really good. Fall Break begins on the 16th, so free days off of work! I will post more when we get more definite plans. Thank you Lord for all of the wonderful blessings you have given us. Your Love is unbelieveable! Thank you everyone for your prayers. God is soooo great! Funny, I kept singing I believe, I believe....I believe in the word of God all day yesterday! Words cannot express what I am feeling right now!

I haven't had a chance to mention that my wonderful friends threw us a surprise shower on Saturday! I didn't have a clue! It was absolutely wonderful. Hanna got so many wonderful things like hair bows, hair bows, and more hair bows! She also got some clothes, many books, and some toys! I'll attach a few pictures. God has given us so many blessings!

LOA

2008-09-07T22:20:00.002-04:00

I've forgotten to post the pictures of our LOA! You can tell by our expressions we are thrilled. Now we are just continuing to practice patience waiting for Travel! Come on China!

In Pictures

2008-09-01T20:22:00.004-04:00

I've created a power point with all of the pictures we've gotten of Hanna and put it to Alabama's In Pictures. Grab a kleenex if this works! Never thought this song was about adoption before now! It is perfect. We are still waiting on our travel appointment. Keep praying for news soon. Well it won't work. I'll have to keep trying! Have a great week. Don't forget to check back to see when we receive our travel appointment! Jennifer

LOA is on the Way!

2008-08-21T17:39:00.003-04:00

Our social worker called me at school today to give me the best news ever. I was teaching though and had to wait almost 2 hours before I found out and called her back! Luckily I didn't check my email until my kids were at art! Anyway, this is China's approval for our adopting Shen Ming Ying! We are now waiting for our travel appointment and then we'll be on our way! I'm finally able to share her beautiful face publicly! Can you believe how beautiful she is!?! Our God is sooooo good!

Quilt Project

2008-08-18T18:36:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to clarify the quilt project. I am going to add the pictures, poems, and well wishes to Hanna's scrapbook - to let her know who was thinking/praying for her while she was in China. I will use the material (quarter yard or "fat quarter") to make her a quilt. I also found out that you can purchase fat quarters pre-cut at JoAnn's Fabric. They have all different colors and designs! Just choose one you like and I know it will mean so much to Hanna! I plan to add a separate blog about the material I've gained for the project.

We are still waiting for our LOA, although not very patiently. I'm sure our social worker is tired of seeing our name come through on her email! We are praying we'll get it soon. We are almost 3 weeks behind the rest of our referral group now. September is almost out of the question now... so we'll have to start praying for October or November. Hopefully we'll be home with Hanna before her birthday. Please keep us in your prayers, but more importantly please keep Hanna in your prayers.

New Photos!

2008-08-02T16:23:00.003-04:00

I opened my email today with the delight of finding out a family had visited Hanna's orphanage in July and posted 3 pictures of her! The husband even got to hold her - we are sooo jealous! She is just beautiful. We couldn't be happier, unless we were there right now. We are still praying for September. We'll keep you posted. The photos are in the photo gallery. Email me if you need the password (it's the boys' initials!)

Good Wishes Quilt

2008-07-31T21:07:00.002-04:00

Many of you know that I am not very good on my sewing machine, but I would like to make Hanna a quilt and I need your help! I am asking friends, loved ones, and other adoptive families to send me quilt squares and then I'll assemble them (with some help hopefully!) into a quilt. This is what you need to do if you'd like to send Hanna a wish. I am asking for a “fat quarter” of material with a poem, saying, or bible quote, a family picture, picture of you waiting child if you have one, and your name. I will put the passage pic and a sample of the square in a scrapbook and quilt the material. A "fat quarter" is a quarter of a yard of fabric which measures 18" x 22" (in other words, 1/2 yard of fabric which is then cut in half parallel with the selvege); a regular quarter of a yard of fabric measure 9" x 44". Fat quarters are useful as you can cut a larger variety of pieces from them given their "extra" height and allows for more pieces to be cut on the vertical grain of the fabric. Just email me if you have any questions or if you need our address! Thank you in advance for helping send Hanna wishes!