Our China trip! ~Shanghai~

Sorry its taken this long to put pics up here of our trip, but the house has been a little crazy at the moment. This post is all Shanghai pictures. I'll try to get mom to write out something to up date you on how the kids are doing tonight.  But here at least are the pictures. Hope you enjoy them!

Zack on his first full day with us! 

Mom and Dad's room

It's official!

Happy happy happy!!!

I took this on a bridge that crossed from our hotel to the shopping area.

Mom and Amelia at some famous gardens in Shanghai.

Oh they learn so young! ;)

Eating dinner

Momma and I in our new hats!

Shopping area

Leaving Shanghai to go get Leah Mei in Nanjing!

                                                                                           ~ Mikaela

China 2011

Well, they safely made it to China! They got to Shanghai around 11:30 p.m on tuesday the 23rd. On thursday they the 25th they pick up Zack! So far they are having a great time!  

We are going to China!!!

Hello friends and family,
 
 On Friday Aug.12 we got our TA (travel approval). We just got our flights worked out last night. We leave Portland on Monday (Aug.22). We get to Shanghai on Tuesday evening. We have a day of rest and adjustment. Then on Thursday we get our Zackariah. We will be in Shanghai with him until Sunday Aug.28th. Then we will travel to Nanjing on Sunday Aug.28th. We get our Leah on Monday Aug. 29. We stay in Nanjing until Friday Sept.2. We fly to Guangzhou to work on their visa's to come into the country. We are there until Sept. 8th. Then we will go to Hong Kong. We will fly home Friday Sept. 9th. Which happens to be our 22nd wedding anniversary :) So, I will get to live that day twice!!! We are so HAPPY! Please keep us in your prayers. Pray for Zackariah and Leah's transition. Pray for our travel. Pray for the children left behind ( Ben, Johanna and Nathaniel). Pray for Clint and Felicia as they step in our place as we are gone. We will try to update as much as we can in China.
Love and blessings to you all~  Lauri


These photos are of our little Nathaniel! In the month of July, we marked the day that this sweet little blessing came into our family! It's been three YEARS! I am so thankful to the Lord for giving me such a sweet little man. Mikaela and him had such a fun it doing these picture's too!

~Summer 2011~

Okay folks! I know! I'm the WORST blogger in the world! But, here I am updating you again on things.

We are still waiting on that little paper that's called a travel approval, before we can make any big plans for going to China to pick up our little ones! Oh how we want them home! To hear their laughter, see their smiles! All we want to do is get over there!

For those who don't know, mom, dad, me, and Amelia are going on this trip. We have all agreed that Amelia would not be able to handle that long of a separation from mommy.  I'm going because, well three little ones is kinda a lot for mom and dad alone to deal with. So, I will be there to help, take video, and pictures, things a tourist would do. ;) We are all very excited about going!

I've been looking at hotels too! Here is the one (the one I'm really excited about) that we will be staying at in Shanghai. http://www.fairmont.com/peacehotel.


Again! Please be praying that we get our travel approval soon! We have been blessed with so many prayers from dear brothers and sisters in the Lord! Thank you so much! They are GREATLY appreciated!


Oh how faithful is the Lord! What a great peace it is to know that no matter what, He is in control. No matter how long it takes, His timing is perfect. 


Here are some summer time pictures! 


P.S I will post right way when we get any word on traveling.


~ Mikaela

Memorial Day!

Felicia and Johanna

Their so cute!

It is our favorite tradition to visit the cemetery on Memorial Day. 

Having fun on their new swings!

Felicia and Clint took Ben and I to a wedding in June of a good friend of ours. Oh, man we had fun!

Ben looking cool with his airsoft gun

Civil War time! 

Our camp site at Willamette Mission State Park.

Mom and grandma

Dad and Ben

Our VERY serious family picture

Happy again!

I LOVE our garden in the summer time!

Mom and I have been trying to make time every day to take tea on the deck. 

My beautiful mother

The lovely rose's in our garden

We dryed some mint this year, and canned 55 pounds of cherry's for pie filling, all in one night! Ummm! 

~*~Leah's new pictures~*~

                  I know it has been so long since I posted. I am such a bad blogger! Today I got these pictures of our darling Leah. She is growing and looks amazing :) I just want to jump on that plane and get her now! China still has not sent us Travel Approval ( last step ). I was really hoping today would be the day. Others have gotten theirs. I keep praying for the Lord to sustain me. It is stressful to keep waiting. I just want to know when I can get my darling children. Please keep us in your prayers. I will post some summer pictures soon. Though, for the NW it just became summer! Love to you all. God's grace and blessings~   Lauri