Its Arrival at China Time

We have arrived in China after a long 25 hours of either in the air or waiting in the airports. The longest leg of the journey was 14 hours trapped in a flying tin can!!!!!!!!!!! We ate supper at 3 AM ! We had a little snack of a Chicken salad sandwich later, and before we left the plane we were served breakfast. This was all on the Asiana Airlines. We once again was back on them again for our flight from Seoul, S. Korea to Beijing, China. What do they do, but serve us another meal. Now by this time, I am sick of eating. They kept taking my water bottle from me, but keep trying to push food into my body. Enough already. We all got a little bit of sleep on our 14 hour air plane ride. If that is what you want to call it. I watched 3 movies in route. In fact I watched Nims Island 3x's. Spencer didn't get much sleep. He finally crashed and slept in the Korean airport. Our person (Becky) from CHI met us at the Beijing airport. She informed us that the airport had been remodeled and was in the shape of a dragon. She was very pleasant and very helpful. We are all resting as much as we can. Time adjustment is a little tricky. We have been sleeping when we are usually awake and awake when we normally are sleeping. And this eating thing really has me all mixed up. Tomorrow we will be seeing the Great Wall, Tiennenman Square, The Forbidden City, The Water Cube, and the Birds Nest. How cool is that? I am so glad the kids asked Peggy and I to go with them. This is such an adventure.

Below are a few photos from our trip so far.

Double Decker Plane we took from Chicago to Korea

Korean Airport-Incheon

Spencer sound asleep in Korean Airport

China Airport

Rick and Spencer in Beijing Airport

Becky from CHI meeting Rick, Jen and Spencer

Checking in to the Radisson Hotel downtown Beijing

Peggy with her grocery store she had stored in her luggage!

Jen working on getting her blog posted

Hoping to be able to post again tomorrow. It all depends on the time allowance.

It is truly a blessing to be able to share this special event of their lifes with them.

Much love to all until we return.

B I N G O !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What?

Oh ... I am brain dead once again. I meant to say HOOOORRRAAAAYYYYYYYY!

We leave today. Just a few short (they will seem long) hours and we will be in the car on our way to Fort Wayne to start on our wonderful journey for the 'delivery' of that much anticipated addition to our family. I am sure Rick and Jen didnt get much sleep since I saw what time Jennifer posted her last blog. I have an image in my head of them standing outside their house already, with suitcases in hand, waiting on the 'arrival' of the taxi cab. As with any occasion that you have waited for, there is a rampant rollercoaster of emotions that go along with it. Please keep everyone in your prayers. For a safe journey, a calm adjustment for Malia, and that God's hand is entertwined in everything that happens on our trip.

Much Love to all.

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2- ONE!

I should actually put ONE sorta. Tomorrow ( October 29th) is the day we leave for China. We leave from Fort Wayne. Off on a whirl wind adventure. We will be adding a darling little girl to our family. I have made my list and checked it twice to see who is naughty and nice......wait.....that is a different time of the year. I get so carried away sometimes.

Does the term nervous, excited, concerned mean anything? This will be such an adventure. I am so blessed to be sharing it with my son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and Peggy - the other grandma.

Off to China tomorrow. There will be a lack of posting until we are able to hook up to the net.

Hoping that wont be too much of a problem

Please keep us in your prayers.

Countdown continues & Spending time together

The countdown is now down to 2 days ! Tis hard to believe. Soon we will all be flying high in the air - where Rick and Jen have been for a couple of months- to meet our new addition to our family. God has truly blessed us.

Tom and I had a very special weekend together. We went to Columbus, Ohio to the German Village, a very fun dinner theater and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The weather and day was perfect. We had a wonderful time walking around the charming German Village area. They have many many beautiful homes, a marvelous park, and lots of quaint shops and restaurants. We enjoyed a lunch at Bob and Erma's. We had a fun and regaling waitress by the name of Erica. The German Village area has so many historical points. The weather couldn't have been nicer. The atmosphere was engaging. Later in the evening we had a very entertaining dinner at the Cloak and Dagger Dinner Theatre. Bon soir, Bon soir ! The production for the evening was MURDER at Bedside Manor. Tom and I both were chosen to participate in the production-not by choice. I say that with a smile. They were very capable of absorbing the audience in the mystery of the evening (Who killed all the people?). The following day we went to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. It was Boo at the Zoo day. There were all sorts of goblins and other characters accompanied by their parents. They were as cute as they could be. We were so impressed with the zoo. It has a huge waterpark connected with it. We could see how it would be a fun place for people to spend a couple of days on a weekend. We had an amazing, fantastic weekend together. Thank you Tom for our time together.

Pictures of German Village

Murder - At Bedside Manor

Cloak & Dagger

Dinner Theatre

F I V E---------------------->

We are down to five days. Whew.....just doesnt seem possible. I will be absent from the net for a couple of days. Dont fret. I will once again be back online Sunday or Monday evening. I will probably be busy with that List I need to be doing ! I cant imagine how excited Rick and Jen are. They have to be not on cloud nine, but way above it. Heck they could probably fly to China on their own.

Soon Malia, we will all be there soon.

10-9-8-7-6---------

The countdown continues.

We now have six days until we leave. Seriously considering making an effort to start gathering things together. I should really get busy on my list! My sister Jane says to just buy when you get there. Good idea sometimes. Then you dont fret on what you may have forgotten.

On another note, Alex was involved in a rear-end wreck today. Her only complaint was her neck hurt. Will have to keep an eye on that. No real bad damage to her car. She will need a new rear bumper. Just thankful no one was seriously hurt. Cars can always be replaced.

Three Billy Goats Gruff

A group that Alex is in, presented a rehearsal of their play Three Billy Goats Gruff for parents and other interested people to view. It is intended for grade school children. It is a short play and very cute. Below are some pictures of Alex along with other actors in their play. Alex is fourth from the right.













Alex with her Grandma Wagoner











Here is a little snippet of Alex in the play.

S-E-V-E-N

We are in the final week. Next Wednesday we will be headed to China to add that precious little girl to our family.

The travel arrangements are all complete. All the flights are final, the hotels have been booked, inside China travel is all arranged, and appointments are finished. I need to get my list made so I dont forget anything. Jane always says, buy when you get there. Spencer needs to make sure he gets all his homework finished and turned in. It is so surreal now to think we will finally get to know Malia. How exciting!

Just a note: My sister Barbara's oldest son and his wife(Derek and April) added a little boy to their family today. He was born around 8 this morning weighing in at 8 pounds and 6 ounces. His name will be Jack Wallace Boggs. This is their second child. He has an older sister Chloe. Congratulaions to the Boggs family.

One less....

The clock is ticking. I can hear it. Tick Tock Tick Tock.
I know you can hear it too. Why am I listening to the clock? We are in the final days before leaving for China. We have eight, yes eight, days until Rick, Jennifer, Spencer, Peggy and I leave to add a precious little girl to our family. I am excited and nervous all in one. Can that be?

Lets see....what do I have left to do? I need to make one of those list. Check things off when I get them done. I need to make sure I have all my clothes. Shoes......what shoes shall I take? Brown ones? White tennies? Black loafers? I need how many outfits? I am going to be gone 18 days. So I need morning outfits and evening outfits? What is the weather going to be like. Cold or hot? Long sleeves or short sleeves? What about jewelry? Should I take jewelry to match all those outfits I need to pack. Pack? Oh My....! Where is my suitcase? Do I have one big enough? Do I need to take two or three? How many carry on items should I plan on? Should I take a jacket or a coat? And I cant forget all the little things that go in my make-up bag. Like camera, camera accessories, medicines, makeup, shampoo, hair rinse, hairspray, brush, comb, mirror, curling iron, hair dryer, toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth rinse, deodorant, umbrella, perfume, electrical outlets, books, face wash, foot cream, tweezers, hemorrhoid cream, motion sickness pills, jet lag pills, dental floss, rain coat, sun screen, bandana, binoculars, batteries, duct tape (dont ask), travel iron, Tylenol, diarrhea medicine, laxative, malaria pills, band aids, sewing kit, matches, flashlight, hat, sink stopper, insect repellent, water purification system. Whew......I am exhausted. I may need a day or two after packing to rest up so I can carry all this stuff to the terminal.

Eight days. Do I have enough time?

Holy Cow !

My goodness how time flies.

We only have 9 more days until we all leave for China.

It seems like it was only a few months ago that Rick and Jen were telling us they were planning on adopting a little girl from China. We had just left the Whites gym and I was coming back from doing something in our car. I was shocked to say the least. A happy shock! It seems like only yesterday since they came over to show the photo of Malia for the first time. It wont be long now. We all leave for China from Fort Wayne Thursday October 29th at 7 pm. We then head to Chicago. After a lengthy flight we will be landing in S. Korea for a brief change of planes. We will be landing in Beijing, China November 31st. They are a day ahead of us. It is almost surreal knowing that soon Rick and Jennifer will finally be getting that little girl they have waited so long for. Most pregnancies don't last 3 1/2 years. Rick said last September that Jennifer had a strange feeling. Maybe it was God letting her know that in His perfect timing she would soon be a mother again. 'Our' little bundle of Joy will soon be loved by many many people.

We are coming as fast as we can Malia.

Mom, Dad, Spencer, Grandma Peggy and Grammy.

Last Rose of Summer

As fall's beauty surrounds us, and we realize the encroachment of winter, there are a few single signs of the last bit of summer in tiny corners of our world. This evening as I was walking around our house admiring the exquisite setting of the sun, I happened to notice roses blooming on our rose bush. The rose bush has been with us for over 30 years. It 'came with the house'. It has been moved several times and never fails to provide us with stunning and fragrant roses every year. It looks out of place at this time of the season with all the yellow and golden hues that encompass our home. That Rose bush reminds me of the changing seasons once again. Spring with the promise of new life, summer in all its glory and health and life. Fall arrives with leaves turning colors and die and fall from the trees. Fall gives way to the harsh cold of winter. As spring once again arrives God gently reminds us of the promise of a new Life. So it is with our Rose. It maintains its beauty even in the autumn of our season. God gives us new Life and brings beauty and a promise of Eternal Life when we seek Him and allow Him into our hearts. Maybe that is why God created the seasons. A tender reminder that He offers us comfort and the knowledge and promise that if we are a part of Him, the warmth of the Son will chase away the harshness of winters in our lives and deliver Life unto us. I do not at all understand the mystery of Grace, only that it meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us.

"every eye shall see Him"

"Behold, the day of the Lord is coming "

Recently Amanda, Mother and I went to Warsaw to watch Cassidy play a volleyball game. On our way home there was this magnificent cloud formation. When I saw it, it immediately reminded me of the return of Christ in the clouds. The brilliance in the center of the formation was beautiful.

Revelations 1:7 tells us "Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him."

Mark 13:26 says "Then they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."

1 Thessalonians 4:16,17: "For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air."

Often there are times when I see the rays of the sun shining through the clouds. I can only imagine how bright the Glory of Christ really is.
When Jesus left this earth He was lifted up and a cloud took Him away. (Acts 1:6)
I dont fully understand the full meaning of clouds and the connection they have for Jesus. I do look forward to the day I can see His Glory face to face.

Below are the photos I was able to capture.

MOTHER ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Caught ya…………!

The state of Indiana is having their state corn shucking contest this weekend at a local farm. (Oct. 3). I am not sure what my Mother thinks she is doing. It doesn’t look like she is practicing to me. It appears to me that I have caught my Mother sneaking out of the cornfield that is behind our house. And she has bags of something in her hand. She is supposed to set an example for the rest of the family. Is that why we are all a little nuts or should I say “corny”? I know mother used to shuck corn with Uncle George when she was a little girl. She told me so. In fact they used to shuck the corn off of the corn stalks that the wagon bent over. She said they were small enough that they didn’t have to bend over much. Gosh amighty. She has worked all her life. Mom is a wealth of knowledge. But….Mother…….this? I guess I will have to come to the realization that my Mother loves nature and is only gathering some vittals for Dad’s birds this winter. She is so thoughtful.
I love sharing adventures with Mom. Thanks for the memories Mother.