An Update From China!

Just a quick note... We made it to our hotel. 31 hours up and we are both ready 
to lay down and sleep! All went well, everything was on time, etc. 
Our guide, Penny was very nice and rode with us on the 45 minute journey to our 
hotel. The driving is very interesting to say the least. I'm really not sure why 
they have lanes as they pretty much ride in the middle, don't use turn signals, 
but do flash to bright lights frequently. The van was a stick shift... Kevin I 
thought you would especially find that interesting. :) 
We are exhausted, but here with our luggage so that makes me happy! :) 
We meet Chloe at 3:30 tomorrow! 

T-minus 8 hours!

One last post... tomorrow is the big day!  We leave in less than 8 hours!  PRAY, PRAY, PRAY that we have smooth flights, no delays, and few tears as we say goodbye to our 4 kiddos in the morning!  We love you all and can't wait to share this journey with you!
Our HOPE in Him!
Jeff & Katie

COUNTDOWN... only 4 days and we are OFF!

It all seems surreal!  I can't believe that we are leaving Friday morning!  Our bags are all packed so it's just a few finishing touches on the school supplies, kids clothes, grocery shopping for the kids while we are gone and I'll be ready.
While we are in China I will try to post updates, pictures, etc. provided that I don't have any internet problems.  I'm told that I won't be able to get on Facebook, so those of you who would like to receive updates, you can enter your email address near the top of this blog, where it says "subscribe" and you will automatically get updates as they are posted.  I have put our itinerary on the right hand side of this blog too, for any of you would like that info.  We are super excited to be flying into the Augusta airport on Sunday, August 11th at 8:03pm.  Please feel free to welcome Chloe home!  And don't forget to wear your RED, WHITE, OR BLUE!  If there are any last minute flight changes we will try to update the blog so that you know.
Please continue to pray for us!  Some specific things you can pray for are:

• No flight complications, delays, etc.  Especially on our way there this is extremely important since we are scheduled to get Chloe about 18 hours after we arrive in China!
• For our health, the kids health at home, and Chloe's health
• For our 4 kiddos that we are leaving behind and my sweet parents that will be taking care of them, along with some sweet friends that are helping too!  We couldn't do this without the help and support of so many
• For Chloe's transition, for peace, understanding and comfort
• For me that I will embrace this journey and not worry about my other 4 kids that will start school without their momma.. not to mention 17 days away from them will be very hard! 

And, one day soon, I will share this AMAZing story that I heard today!  All the way from Texas, a sweet family has been praying for Chloe, even raising money to go toward her foster care in China, and all the while, I had no idea!  But God did!  God painted a picture for me today, and once again I STAND AMAZED IN HIS PRESENCE, AND WONDER HOW HE COULD LOVE ME, A SINNER CONDEMNED UNCLEAN!  

Precious friends, when we are called, we must LOOK UP, don't look back... God's got this!  

Our Hope In HIM!

Jeff & Katie

TRAVEL APPROVAL!

The moment we have been waiting for.... TRAVEL APPROVAL!  It has been so cool to see how God works!  His hand has guided this entire process.  A little recap....
We received our I-800 approval on June 13th.  It was delivered in China on June 18th.  It was then picked up on July 2nd and the approval was sent so we could get travel approval.  Travel approval usually takes 2-3 weeks on average.  On Sunday night, July 7th I couldn't sleep.  (not too uncommon right now) I checked my email every 10-15 minutes... I had this "feeling" that we would be notified that we had gotten travel approval.  It was a crazy thought, it had only been 6 days.  I began praying to God.  I knew it was HIS perfect timing, not mine.  You see, we had exactly one week to get the approval, or we would have to wait another two weeks to find out because it just so happens the consulate in China, where our adoption will be finalized is closing for two weeks to move their office to another building.  And so, I continued to check my email, as it was Monday morning in China and I knew they were working.  So the night went on, Monday came and nothing.  And so, we waited.  On Tuesday I found out that my "feeling" was right on, God was moving mountains and our travel approval had been mailed from China!  So then, the next wait... for the approval to travel from China to California (where our agency is located), all before Friday so that our consulate appointment can be made.  In TWO DAYS, the approval arrived!!  Yes, God was flying that plane for sure! :)
So now what?  We wait for confirmation of our consulate appointment, but how things look is we should have her in our arms on July 29th!!
We have a lot to do, plane tickets, packing, etc.  We will miss open house and the first day of school so I will work on gathering all of their school supplies before we go too.  Anna Kate has cried and cried because she wants to go with us and she doesn't want me to miss her first day of middle school.  Oh how I wish she could go, but I she can't.  Please pray for her that she will be distracted and not sad the entire time we are gone.  Please also pray that the plane tickets are "reasonable" as this is the most expensive time to travel to China.  We had budgeted $5000 for both of our tickets and her ticket home but we aren't sure if we will be able to do that.
We are so blessed with friends that have prayed for us, supported us, and rejoiced with us through this entire process.  Praise the Lord for his goodness and mercy!
Much love to all of you!
Katie

P.S. - Some have asked if they can help.  Here is a link where you can make a donation (in any amount) if you wish to help us with this last part of the process.  https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=T5LJ4KSG5TRNG

Moving right along, or so we thought...

As long as this entire process is, lately everything seemed to be moving right along.  Our I-800 approval came in the mail on June 13th, and then the letter was hand delivered in China on June 18th.  Our Article 5 is scheduled to be picked up tomorrow, July 2nd. Most of you who are reading this are probably saying what? and huh?... I know, it's all this crazy adoption language. :)  The short of it all is that we are truly in the FINAL stages before we are able to travel to China.  The next step after tomorrow is to wait on travel approval (which generally takes 2-3 weeks) and then get a consulate appointment (which takes just a few days, if that), and then LEAVE FOR CHINA!  Yep, we are THAT close!  It's a dream, I've wanted, wished for, hoped for, prayed for, for so very long, and it's just around the corner..... or so we thought.
You see we knew that there weren't any holidays coming up in China that would delay our process at this time.  However, the consulate in China is closing the last two weeks of July to move their office.  That means, no adoptions will pass through during this time, as well as future appointments made, etc.  Two weeks from July 2nd (probably THE earliest possible date that we could get our TA (travel approval) is July 16th.  The office is closing on July 15th... and we need this in order to get our consulate appointment.
Please join me in praying that God moves mountains like we know he can and that we get travel approval in record time!  I would love to be leaving at the beginning of August, not waiting to get my date.  In the end, I find great comfort in knowing that God's plan is PERFECT, he knows whats best, and he is in CONTROL!
We are coming sweet girl, we are coming soon!  (I got this sweet picture of her today too so I thought I would share)

God's PERFECT plan...

Jackson, our oldest son was born in 2001.  Just 15 months later, Anna Kate was born.   Parker followed 18 months after that, and then Grayson 18 months after Parker.  Yes, they are close.  :)  It became a joke that I was always pregnant before the first birthday of the next child.  When they were younger, I got all kinds of strange looks and even the “Did you mean to do ‘that’, are they ALL yours??, and are any of them twins” types of questions.  The nurse that helped deliver Grayson in May of 2005 almost chocked when I told her my oldest had just turned 4 in January, Anna Kate would be 3 in three days, and Parker was 18 months old. :)  As “crazy” as all that might seem, when Grayson turned one I was so sad that I wasn’t pregnant again.  I wanted more and quite frankly felt very ungrateful for feeling that way.  I knew we had closed the door for us to have more physically, and we had been blessed with 4 beautiful, happy, healthy children, so why? why did I feel so empty??  Over the next few years I continued to have the “emptiness” feeling, and each birthday was hard, as it just symbolized another year, without another child.  I began to pray, Lord, PLEASE take this feeling away from me!  But he didn’t, and now I know why! 
As always, God had a plan!  Chloe was picked out for our family long, LONG before we knew it!  Can you guess how far apart Chloe is from Grayson?  YEP!  18 months!!  For you see, when Grayson turned one, I was “pregnant”, just in a much different way!  I’m so incredibly thankful that HE goes before us and paves the way, HIS plan, HIS way is perfect!  
Counting down the days until I can hold my daughter in my hands!  

Meet Miss Chloe Hope Taylor

     It's becoming more and more real that we are REALLY going to get to bring our little girl HOME!  It seemed so far "off" for so long.  It's been a long journey, but God has walked with us every step of the way!
     We got our LOA (letter of acceptance) on May 14th.  Up until then, we weren't really suppose to share pictures of Chloe.  I've also had many, many questions about what her "special needs" are and although I don't mind answering, I thought I would post it as well for those that don't know all about her. :)

     Chloe was found on the steps of a police station, and they guessed that she was about 3 months old at the time.  She then went to an orphanage, where she spent the first 5 years of her life.  She has a repaired cleft/lip pallet, and had surgery when she was 1 1/2 and 3 to repair her lip and pallet.  Last August, a family travelled to China to adopt Chloe, but once they got her, they realized she had more "needs" than just the cleft lip and decided to leave her in China.  As traumatic as this seems, I know God had a plan for her and he choose US to be her forever family!!  It also got Love Without Boundaries involved and they were able to put her in a special foster home.  She suffered from extreme malnutrition, she wasn't and still is not speaking more than 4 or 5 Chinese words, she wasn't potty trained, didn't feed herself or dress herself.  Her "special foster mom" has worked with her over the last several months and has taught her to eat more than just a liquid porridge, is mostly potty trained, and can even ride a bike! Although she will need lots of different therapies, we are blessed that God has chosen us to be her parents!  Here are some of the recent pictures that we got of her....