Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween everyone. This year to no ones surprise Lily was a cheerleader. She wore my cheer outfit from when a did rec league cheerleading. She was too cute! We stopped by a few of our close friends houses for Lily to trick or treat at. Our first stop was the Knight's house they have a little girl Mia who was adopted from China too. Lily had fun taking candy from the basket and putting it into her pumpkin.

Lily and Mia

WE HAVE A LID!!!

Finally, we have a LID. It is 9/2/2009. This is the same day we received Lily's referral last year. September 2nd will always be a special day for our family. Our case manager still thinks it will be sometime in January before we travel. One more step closer to my brother

Future Cheerleader/model

Lily loves to say Go Panthers which is our high school mascot. So today I got the idea to dress her up in an old Cheerleading uniform that I wore back when I did rec league cheerleading in Kindergarden and 1st grade. Lily had a blast as you can tell from the pictures she had fun shaking the pom poms and modeling for me in some of the pictures.

Go Panthers!

Stunt Time

My favorite picture Miss. Lily is running to do her tumbling.

One year ago yesterday

It was one year ago yeasterday that we received the phone call that we had waited 3 years to receive. "You have a baby waiting in China for you". It was not long after we recieved the call we recieved Lily's pictures and I saw my sister for the first time when I got home from school. Our lives have been changed forever and definitely for the better. Life before Lily has been forgotten and we look forward to everyday we spend with her. She has blessed our family more than words can ever express. She is truly our miracle that we thank God for everyday. We love you Lily!

These are the first pictures we saw of our BEAUTIFUL Meng Ran Yue/Lily Grace Starnes

A year Ago Today!

One year ago today we read on rumor queen that referrals were arriving in Europe and we had made the cut off. Our little princesses pictures and information were on there way to the states and we would know who she was very soon. Little did we know that a year later how changed are lives would be with her finally home after 3 years of waiting to read that for so long.

Dossier To China

We are Dossier To China as of yesterday. It offical our paper are on their way to China. Next step a Log in date hoping it comes soon so we can go and get my brother. Over the moon exicted.

A Must Read Story!!!

This story of Christina is very heart touching and is a must read for anyone. http://afamilyforchristina.blogspot.com/2009/08/beginning-of-story.html

Documents Complete

Words from Mom:
Our documents have been authenticated by the Chinese Consulate in Washington, DC and are on their way back to us. By tomorrow afternoon, our dossier will be on it's way to our agency to be prepared for China. The next group of dossiers to be sent to China will be on Monday, August 31st and ours will be in this group. Now the wait begins!

I797C Approval

We returned home from the beach today and in the mail was our I 797C approval. This means that the United States Immigration has given us permission to adopt a foreign born citizen. This was the last document that we needed. Monday our papers will be in Raleigh to be authenticated and then on to Washington to the Secretary of State, next to the Chinese Consulate in DC, then our dossier can be sent to China. One more step closer to bring home my brother. Yay

Beach Trip

This week we are at the beach and it is Miss Lily's first time and she is in love with the sand and water and very tired when we come in from playing. The first picture Lily was in the water and a wave knocked her feet out from under her. We all have had fun today swimming and playing in the sand. I got the fun of burring the princess in the sand it lasted long enough to take a picture and she was up again playing.

Swimming With daddy

I love the beach
Tay Tay Buried me

Can't keep me down

Sandy Girl

Ready to play

Hannah and Jeff building a sand castle

The finished Castle

Cheer Camp

As most of you know I attended cheer camp this week at Wake forest University. We had a blast between silly sting fights and flour fights woo messy. Today was awards for teams Piedmont Varsity Won Home Pom which is the dance we brought from home and competed with the first night. We also won the Extreme routine Dance award which is a dance UCA teaches us and we add on 8 counts to and Finally Varsity won the Leadership award. Our JV did amazing too they won everything we did minus the leadership award and they won 1st place for the cheer which we did not win but all of us had an amazing time looking forward to our season to start. Lily was too cute today while we were cheering and dancing she was cheering right along with us. Will post pictures when i get some didn't take my camera. no word about adoption process with the Prince.

Relaxing in Sissy's bed!

Lily enjoyed relaxing in my bed today and pretending to text someone on my phone. She never ceases to make me laugh each and everyday. pictures from my chinese camp will be posted soon i promise i have so many it hard to pick which ones to put on here. Please be in pray as me and Madison travel to Wake Forest for cheerleading camp tomorrow and no one gets injured this year. Be back Monday

Fingerprints are finished.

We received our fingerprinting appointment in the mail this week for August 12th. We will be out of town and cannot be there.so yesterday my parents and I were in Charlotte today and thought we would go by the Application Center and just ask if they would do it today. Well, they did! They were very accommodating to us. This is a big relief to have this part of the process complete. We are on step closer to my little brother. YAY!

The Waiting child

This is a wonderful video made by Love Without Boundries about the waiting children of China. Please have a look. Make sure to turn off my music at the bottom.

Tiger and number song

I have a youtube video from camp we are singing the Tiger and number song in chinese check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmq6Fcd6FAY

Purse snd Shoes

I haven't been around this week to take pictures so I am guessing that Lily was digging in Madison's purse, Madison caught her she acted like she hadn't done anything wrong, but Madison took the purse, she cried then decided the shoes were better anywhy who needs a purse when you have a nice pair of shoes.

Hmm... What is in here

Oh no I've been caught act cute

NO! Don't take it from me

Oh well i guess these shoes are ok

Adopting Again

Yes, you have read correctly. Most of you know that my family is adopting from China again so this announcement is not a shock. Our agency is one of three that the CCAA gives a waiting list of hand picked children to find homes. These children are not on any other shared list. My brother, yes it is a boy, is a healthy 7 year old beautiful boy. His is in foster care and his orphanage just recently started participating in International adoption, so this is why he is older. Our agency has sent us pictures as well as a DVD of him. Obviously we all are in love. We have received our home study and our I-800A will be at the Fedex office to be delivered to the USCIS office this week. Our case manager predicts that we will travel sometime between December 2009 to March 2010, depending on how fast our paper work is processed. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel down this road. We can't wait to have our little guy home with us!

Here is some of what I learned today at my Mandarin Class. Click on the picture to make it bigger to read.

Mandarin Class

I started Mandarin class at Queens University in Charlotte today. It was very interesting, it is quite over whelming at first but really sort of easy once you start to learn characters and how to say some words. We learned so much today. It is not as hard as it looks to draw the Chinese characters. My teacher taught us to break it down stroke by stroke and it is very simple. I have learned so much in one day I will post some pictures of my notes later for you guys to see what I am learning. We have a field trip next Friday to ride in the Dragon Boat at Lake Norman. Hope everyone has had a wonderful Monday

4th of July weekend

This weekend we to Georgia on Friday to visit some of our friends in the Llama community. Ken and Kathy have a July 4th BBQ every year for their close friends and family. This year was special because it was Lily's first, and of course she was the center of attention that everyone had to hug and kiss. But Lily was interested in kissing one thing, the head of a bald eagle on the Colonel Richard's cane. Lily called it a "chicken", so everyone else started calling it "the chicken".

One Step Closer

We recieved our homestudy today and will be mailing the I-800A to the USCIS office tomorrow to get their on Monday morning. We are one step closer to bring the Prince home YAY!

Leaving tomorrow.

Today has just been a stay at home day. Lily hasn't felt very well today and has not had a great nap. Please pray for our family as we travel to Georgia tomorow to visit friends for the Fourth of July. Sorry no pictures today. HOPE EVERYONE HAS A WONDERFUL 4th OF JULY ON SATURDAY!

Sand and Pool #2

Today I had Hannah over who is a good friend of mine. Her and Lily played in the sand together while I took some pictures. Lily enjoyed the cool dip in the pool after playing in the sand. Enjoy the photos from today.

Sand and Pool

Lily had her first playtime in the sand today and loved it. She liked the idea of getting dirty and sitting in the sand playing. She didn't even really seen to mind having to be hosed off before getting in the pool to go swimming. She had a blast and we can't wait until sand time tomorrow.

Hmmmm... where to sit

Hey there is no sand in this bucket

Yay i have a castle

I didn't mean to mess it up I promise.

Where's my sand?

Yay a new castle.

Cleaned up and ready to swim.

This feels good after being in the hot sun.

Look at that Smile.

Drying off on mommy's lap.


Smelling the lilies.