Wheat Harvest 2008

Well, it has started.... and Elle spent the day with Daddy, Grama, Grampa, and the boys - soaking it all in. She wasn't so impressed with cleaning out the back of the trucks, mostly because she couldn't see out and that was a little frightening. She took no nap, but watched carefully as she rode with Daddy in the combine. Learning to go down the ladder correctly has not been easy and I'm sure tomorrow they will be teaching her all over again. She walked by herself across the yard for supper, very proud of herself. She is a farm girl, for sure!

The Last Week

Here are photos of Elle and Dayton on the sit and spin as well as her trying to help him with his car seat. The third photo is of her scratches from a fall while racing Daddy. The last photo was taken at Conlee's last baseball game of the season on Wednesday. It was HOT - over 100 degrees - YIKES.

I Know, Its Been Too Long

I'll put little snips on here tonight of events from the last week or two. Here is a video with Elle reading the keychain on her hotwheel. She is all about letters and what words start with each one. She always says A is for Alex, B is for Bryant, C is for Conlee and Chris, D is for Dayton and Daddy, E is for ElleAnna, G is for Grampa and Grama and Granny.... M is for Mommy (thank goodness I am not totally forgotten - SMILE), R is for Ranelle.

Around the World on June 18, 2007

On June 18, 2007, the same day that we were reviewing the new documents and photos from our adoption agency, this same little girl was suffering a tramatic experience in China, on the other side of the world. We knew nothing of these events, and even what we know now, is very sketchy and incomplete.

It hit me like a ton of bricks the first time I took ElleAnna to the bathroom in China - on November 19, 2007. The first time I saw her right leg bare, I started to cry. I tried to hide my emotions from her and called Ken to peek into the bathroom so that he could see without her knowing. They were fresh scars, healed, but still intensely purple. On her tiny leg, there was a long, four to five inch incision about mid-thigh. There were also five holes, some very deep and pitted. Two were in her hip, two were just above her knee, and one was towards the back of her leg, just behind the long scar. It was obvious that the injury was recent.

We asked our guide in province what had happened and he seemed very disinterested. We assured him that this injury did not change our wish to adopt PanSuo. He didn't understand why we were concerned or what was driving our need to know anything about the wounds. We tried to explain to him that we needed to know if she had any rods or screws in her leg. We explained that we'd have to get her the appropriate medical treatment at home if there were any ongoing concerns. He still didn't have any push to get answers for us. Basically, he asked the orphanage and was told that she was kicked by another child and her leg was broken. He claimed that there was nothing left inside her leg and that it was all healed. In his mind, that was all we needed to know. End of story as far as he was concerned. We, however, still had questions and didn't feel as if anyone was responding to them. We already loved ElleAnna, but knew we that our brief time in China would be our only chance at getting information about her injury.

It was not until we got to Guangzhou that we were given any specific information. Our guide there understood our concerns. She got records faxed to her from the orphanage and translated them for us. Basically, we learned that the injury happened on June 18, 2007. Elle was sitting on the ground and another child (an older boy who had some mental issues) kicked her in the leg. Elle did not complain about the injury until late that evening. She was taken to the hospital and it was discovered that her leg was broken. An external fixator was used and she hospitalized for several weeks.

The injury/scars were an ongoing problem as we worked to adopt her. It was not listed anywhere on her documents that our government or the CCAA had. It was a red flag that could have kept us from being able to bring her home. We had to assure the doctors in Guangzhou that it was not a problem for us and that we were comfortable with proceeding with the adoption. We prayed hard that the officials just let it go through and didn't raise it to the level that they could have. We were not to discuss it with anyone for fear that it would jeopordize the proceedings.

It certainly has not effected her ability to run or play. The first time we put her in shorts, however, she was fascinated with the scars - kept poking in them, scratching, etc. As we thought about it, we realized that she had probably never really had an opportunity to look or touch them. In China, children are dressed in layers and all skin is covered - regardless of the temperature or weather. Elle probably had not been able to explore the wounds before, until we came into her life. Even now, if you ask her about any owie she might have, she always has to show you her leg.
.
Its amazing how on the same day, in the United States, we were excited about adopting her, but this poor little girl in China, was suffering and frightened. She was in a hospital, all alone..... and neither of us knew about the realities of the other....
.

One Year Ago - June 18, 2007

Last year, on Monday, June 18, 2007.... We got a reply to the e-mail that we sent on Friday the 15th, when I requested a copy of "Samantha's File". In it, our agency sent an attachment with three photos of a very sad, frightened looking little girl. There was another attachment with eight pages of information about this sweet child, whose Chinese name was PanSuo. It talked about her height, weight, daily routine, favorite activities (playing outside, singing songs, and also listening to music), eating habits, favorite foods (fruits and milk), and favorite toys (barbie doll). It briefly discussed her medical issues and health concerns. It talked about her height and weight each month while at the orphanage. The photos and documents were already out of date - done in October and November of 2006. Above are the photos that we received that day. I was told by our agency that no other families had requested information about this child, so we were "first".

Our agency's system was that families who were already LID had the first opportunity to review files on the special needs children list they recieved each quarter. Families who were interested were then prioritized based on the LID. Those who had been LID the longest were first, etc. We'd been through this process many times since we'd logged in on July 12, 2006 and this was the first time we'd been first. Often, we were second or third, but always, the families in line before us proceeded with the adoption. We had prayed that God would guide and lead us to the child He had chosen for our family. It was our wish that He would make the decisions for us so that we didn't make the wrong one as human's often do. When our agency told me that we were the first family for her, it seemed as if God had spoken.

That evening, as a family, we reviewed this file and talked about this little girl. The boys, Ken, and I all agreed that we would move ahead - and proceed with bringing "E" home by making PanSuo our sister/daughter. It was a decision guided by God - and one that we have never regretted.

.

One Year Ago - June 15, 2007

A year ago today, we saw our first photo of the little girl who would become our daughter. She and another little boy were the only two children on the new special needs list posted on our agency's website. They were calling her "Samantha" for the purpose of identification only as they could not list her with her Chinese name. They said that she was two years old with a repaired cleft lip and palate. They indicated that her birthday was March 12, 2005. I immediately e-mailed our agency that we would be interested in learning more about her. This was a Friday, so we had all weekend to wonder about her.... and also to know that there could be many other families with out agency also requesting information about her.

We'd been on the roller coaster ride often. Seeing faces of children on our agency's special need site, requesting their information, and being told that there were other families in line before us. We'd get our hopes up that maybe this little girl or that little girl were the daughter destined to be in our family. Then, we'd get our hopes dashed again.... This time, however, would be different. This little girl they had called "Samantha" on our agency's latest list was going to become ElleAnna Suo!

Above is the first photo that we saw of her! This picture was taken in October/November 2006, so it was already outdated when we saw it in June of 2007.

.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass — it's about learning how to dance in the rain.
.
.

LID - 23 Months Ago Today

Its interesting how the Chinese adoption process has changed over the years. It used to be that China prided itself on how fair and organized their system was. Parents applying to adopt a child were matched and had their new family member home within a year. So many things have come into play, however, and now, families adopting from China are faced with a huge wait time.

When we started the process - requesting a daughter, under the age of two, with no medical issues - we were told that we'd have her within the year. Our application packet, known as a dossier, was logged in (LID) July 12, 2006 - 23 months ago. Obviously, we changed course and have a beautiful daughter who is older and has medical concerns, but that has been the best choice we ever made!!

For other families who logged in on the same date that we originally did, however, they are no where close to having their children home. China just matched families who were LID from January 13, 2006 thru January 20, 2006. That means they are still 177 days away from July 12, 2006's families. The rate that they have been matching would estimate that those families will have to wait until November or December of 2010 to even see a photo of their new family member. I cannot even begin to fathom having to wait that long - especially given that we were all told it would take 12 months.... NOT four and a half years! That is beyond belief.

The waiting in itself is bad enough. The complicated part is that during those four and a half years, these families will continue to pay their adoption agencies and the US Government to keep their home studies updated, fingerprints valid, and immigration paperwork current. Its almost as if they are rubbing salt in an open wound nearly all the time.... It is forcing these parents to make very difficult choices. Some are dropping out all together, some are adopting from a different country, some are changing to a special needs China adoption. Regardless, I pray that each finds peace in whatever choice they make - and that waiting children around the world find a family to love them and bring them home.

Pix from June 7 and 8

Busy, Busy Weekend

Well, its Monday morning and another busy weekend has come to a close. I'll give you the narrative here and then, will post photos of the various activities later today.

Saturday - We made a rushed trip to a bigger town, about 90 miles away (OUCH GAS IS EXPENSIVE). Elle got her first real haircut and did wonderfully! She sat still on Mommy's lap with the cape on and everything. We hurried around to a few stores for Father's Day gifts and some groceries. Elle ate a breakfast/lunch of pancakes which she loved. Then, we raced back home for Great Grandma's 101st birthday party. Elle was amazed by the birds in the aviary and pretty much terrified them. She and Daddy walked to the highway and back from our house in the evening and picked up trash along the road.

Sunday - Conlee had his Vacation Bible School program, so we went to watch him. Elle was a bit out of sorts in a new place with too many different faces, but she enjoyed Conlee up on the stage singing his songs. She also quickly spotted one of her friends that she played with at the school when she goes there with Daddy. For lunch, we all went for pizza with my sister's family and my parents. It was good. Then, we went to the lake for the afternoon. My sister's family had been camping there all weekend. The kids played in the water/mud and the guys went fishing. In the evening, we went out for supper and then, went to see Kung Fu Panda.

Trampoline - Just for You, Kathy!

Tomorrow Marks 28 Weeks With ElleAnna

Look how much Elle has changed in 28 weeks. She isn't that terrified little girl anymore! Look how much Bryant has changed too :-). Alex thinks his hair is different from then to now, but I don't see it.... Regardless, they all look remarkably more happy now though, don't they? A lot has changed in all our lives in the last 28 weeks to say the least!