Starting Over!

I am a horrible blogger.  For months now I have been formulating in my mind how to catch up or catch everyone up on our family.  I daydream about different ideas, some creative and some more practical, but still nothing is posted.  I finally am just trying to let go of my perfectionist side (a little!) and start and try to catch up somewhere down the road.

Even right now, I am having a fit because I can't get everything to align center.  See I didn't really do this blog on my own, as a matter a fact, I have little to do with it at all.  An online friend/artist created this little space for me.  Hopefully if I blog a little more, I will get the hang of it.  I am not really as much computer illiterate as I am impatient. 

Ok...so where are we now?

The "not-so-favorite-question" that we get asked the most,
"So how many kids DO you guys have now?"  You have to get the DO right.

The answer is: 12!  Yes, a dozen!

TJ - 24
Baylee - 15
Kennedy - 14
Max - 12
Christopher - 12
Hayden - 10
Addisyn - 7
Xia - 5
Harrison - 4
Havyn - 4
Samuel - 3
Reese - 2

All very much our own! We have three biological children and nine adopted children from the US, Kazakhstan, China and Ethiopia.  We are not so patiently waiting for Harrison and Havyn to be united with us as soon as their paperwork in processed by the US Embassy in Ethiopia.

"Saying their are too many children is like saying their are too many flowers." ~Mother Theresa

Christmas 2010

Harrison Kalid & Havyn Ayan

TJ

Baylee

Kennedy

Max

Christopher

Hayden

Addisyn

Xia

Harrison Kalid

Havyn Ayan

Sam

Reese



Our bags are packed!

The day has finally come!   We leave this evening and arrive home just after midnight on Sunday.  We are so ready to come home.

 

So pray that we have a safe trip home and we will see you all soon!

We have our papers!

As of early this evening we have received all of our paperwork from the US Consulate.  So we are finished both with the Chinese part and the US Consulate visa processing part.  I feels so nice to have all of their paperwork in hand.  We are ready to come home, so ready to come home!  What a long process this has been.  I know many of you were won dering if we were really adopting, well it has become a reality.

 

Welcome to the Smith Clan...

 

Addisyn Meiling Smith

 

&

 

Samuel Thomas Jun Smith

Happy Birthday Baylee!

Not only was yesterday our big swearing in day at the US Consulate but we also had another very special occassion to celebrate.

 

Baylee celebrated her 15th birthday in China!

 

It was a great day all around.  We got all of the adoption procedures completed and then it was time to celebrate.  When we got back to Shamian Island, Jessica took her to get a Frappacino.  In the meantime, Hayden and I went to pick up her cake from the White Swan bakery and pick up a chop we had carved for her.  She is the year of the pig.  The chops are pieces of stone that have figures carved on them.  So we picked out a pig and then they carve the bottom of it.  It makes a personalized stamp.  It comes in a little box with ink.  She was very surprised.

After running our errands we met up with another family we met and went to dinner at the "Cow and Bridge" restaurant.  In our opinion, the best restaurant on and around the island.  It is Thai food and absolutely delicious.  The other family was from Utah and had adopted a 2 1/2 year old little girl.  We were all in love with her within a few days.  She is such a sweetie.  They were nice company to share dinner with.

After all of that, we headed back to Starbuck's for cake and drinks.  The cake was delicious as well.  It was chocolate mango, it didn't sound the greatest but the mango was mixed into the filling and just gave it a little extra flavor.  By then we were stuffed and we took a little walk.

 

We are so proud of you Baylee.  You are a beautiful young lady that has developed a wonderful compassionate heart.  I pray this experience will continue to grow your heart for those less fortunate and build a passion....

 

"To make a difference!"

 

Love you sweetie!

Swearing In Ceremony at US Consulate

I don't know where the time goes.  I feel like I don't have time to even get on the computer some days.

 

So yesterday was supposed to be Addisyn's swearing in ceremony at the consulate, followed by Sam's the next day.  Sam's coordinator had turned his paperwork into the consulate early in the day and we got a call that his was going to be at the same time.  Good you may say, but a wave of panic arose as it was the going to be the mixing of the agencies, families and coordinators.  It turned out just fine, however and they were sworn in together.  We couldn't take pictures because it was the US Consulate.  I took one just before we went through security facing out towards the window and they made me erase the picture, luckily I figured out how to erase one photo.  I also tried to take one outside but the security guard was on me in a flash.  I really wasn't trying to cause problems, I just wanted one picture.  Probably is why we don't have one of Kennedy, Xia or Reese at the consulate either!

 

What a huge relief that part is all over and I didn't end up in a Chinese prison!

Another long story!

 

I have to share a couple more English Translations that made us chuckle:

 

(From the bathroom at the US Consulate)

Please don't flush and rush away.~not sure what that one means, maybe make sure the toilet flushes?!

Please keep feet on the ground not on the toilet seat.~squatty potty world