I'm Here!

I have taken this trip two other times but always forget how tough it really is.  I estimate traveling time was about 28 hours.  When I stepped off the plane in China it was 5:00 am China time.  Met my guide, Miko (she is great).  She took me to The Garden Hotel, we had breakfast, went over paper work and sent me to my room, finally!!!

The Garden Hotel - pretty nice place to live for the next 2 weeks!

I was able to Skype with Jennifer and the kids around 6 pm, US time and told her that I would take a quick nap and Skype her again around 9ish.  Did not happen!!!!!!  Six hours later I woke up!!!!!  I think that is called "Hitting the wall!!"

I was able to talk to our friends from Church today, Jeremy and Candice Mullins. They are finishing up their adoption trip here in Guangzhou.  I get to meet their little boy in the morning.  Going to go and have breakfast with them at their hotel.  What a small, small world.

I have been getting ready for the big day tomorrow, Gotcha Day!!  Mary's clothes are laid out, the crib is ready with her new blanket.  Her toys are ready.  I keep looking at her hair brush with hair bands and clips and am just a little worried about how my daughter will look for 12 days!!!!  Don't worry.  Jennifer paired all of the outfits and hairbows together for me ahead of time. Please don't judge Jen on the way Mary may look while I have her.  Her mama will get her hands on her and make her look presentable soon enough.  Although, I have had lots of practice with Jillian, Mia, Lainie and Pearl, so I can't mess up too terribly bad!!!!
Ok, no more blogging until we have Mary!!!!!!!  2:00 tomorrow for me.  2am on Sunday night for you!!!   Praying she has a happy heart and warms up to me quickly!

Mary's clothes and toys are ready for her!

BTW, I have been able to log into facebook.  It is great to know that so many people and friends are praying for me, Mary and my family back home.  Love you all!!!!

Please see the update below for yesterday's blog:

When I touched down in Atlanta and who comes up to me but the same lady that told me that I could not save everyone.  She was sitting behind me on the airplane.  With tears in her eyes as we were about to exit the plane she told me that Jennifer and I had touched her heart. She just couldn't imagine people being so selfless.   I smiled at her and said that it was God's plan and we were just happy to be a small part of it.  I told her that I would continue to pray for her in her "quest" for something spiritual.  In our talk she told me that she was meeting a friend in Peru where they would be "one with nature."  Please pray for Lisa that the one true and only God will be what she finds. 

And the Journey Begins!

No more goatee.  Trying to look as "normal" as possible for Mary.

When Jennifer and I traveled to bring home Lainie, Mia and Pearl, you had the privilege of reading Jennifer do our blog and post great pictures of our beautiful children and the places where  they were born and grew.  On the trip for Mary, you get me!!!  I am not the greatest writer, not the greatest photographer and not the greatest planner of our duo, but I am all you have this time.

As our family grew and grew and grew, we knew that when God placed Mary into our home, our other children needed a parent home during the trip to China.  We drew straws and I lost, or did I win?  I did win.  I am loving the idea of seeing Mary for the first time.  My prayer is that she sees my big, bald head and clean shaven face and falls madly in love with her Daddy.  I know she will.

27 years ago today, my wife, at 17 years of age, won a familiar pageant in Oakboro, NC.  After the pageant, I was hoping to see her and ask her on a date.  After looking for her for what seemed like forever, I saw her getting into her families car.  Thinking this would be my one and only shot at a date, I ran as fast as I could through the parking lot and thankfully tracked her down.  I asked her to go out that night and she said YES!!!  Twenty seven years,  and 6+1 children later, I am so thankful she said yes!!!!

We laugh sometimes about where God has taken our journey but know we are exactly where he wants us to be. Ironicaly I just talked with a lady about my journey to get Mary and I got the traditional, "you can't save them all" comment.  I looked her in the eye with a smile and said '"I'm saving this one and that is all that matters to her!!"

I am one hour away from flying to Atlanta.  Please pray now that everything that I do in this journey to get Mary will glorify God!!! 

When I arrive in China it will be around 5pm on Saturday for you.  I will meet Mary sometime the next day (Sunday for you).  I will be 12 hours ahead of US time.  Can't wait to post from China!

Bobby

My plane for the first leg of my journey.

Packing up.....

Yes you can pack for 2 weeks for a grown man and a toddler in a carry on !!!  We did it with a wee bit of room to spare. 

and we wait....

All of our paperwork is in China and we are officially logged into the system.  Now we wait........  

Better Than One Designs

Usually I have more time to post our happenings during the summer.  Not so this year.  My friend and I started a custom wooden sign making business in June to raise $$$ for Mary's adoption and has taken off!  We are beyond amazed and blessed, but crazy busy!  This is our newest creation.  Check out more of our items on our business blog.

www.betterthanonedesigns.blogspot.com

Post and Welcome sign $50

Leave a comment if you are interested in making a purchase.  All of our items can be personalized and customized with words and colors of your choosing.  100% of our profits go to bring our sweet Mary home!

HELLLOOOOO SUMMER!

We love summer around here!  No more backpacks, homework, early bedtimes, school lunches, permission slips and most importantly.......NO MORE SOCKS!  I hate socks in my laundry.  Each day our family produces 16 dirty socks.  There seem to be socks everywhere.  So, summer brings bare feet and flip flops!  LOVE!

We started our summer with a wonderful trip to the beach.  Thank you to some generous friends who let us use their condo!  It was such a great time of hanging out and enjoying each other.  We haven't been on a vacation with just our 'little' family in years.

Trey had the honor of serving as a Junior Marshall for graduation.  He just had senior portraits done last week.  We are busy having conversations about SAT scores, college visits etc....  Makes me feel sick. He looked so handsome the night of his Junior prom.

Jillian had a great time at her 8th grade dance.  We can't believe she is headed to high school next year! She is busy attending basketball and volleyball workouts this summer.

Will finished elementary school and will be in middle school next year.

Mia was chosen as Student of the Year for our entire school.  She is so deserving.  Her dedication to learning amaze us every single day.

Lainie continues to be our energetic bundle of joy!  Her much awaited water day is her favorite day of the school year!

Pearl received the "Most Talkative" award in her preK class.  She has amazed us by how much language she has picked up.  She still has tons of speech therapy in her future, but progress is progress. According to her orphanage Nanny, she never spoke a word in China her entire 4 years.  She's come along way with that considered.

I have been busy trying to generate some funds for our upcoming adoption of Mary.  My friend and I have started a cool little business called , Better Than One Designs.  Our speciality is making really cool looking vintage custom signs.  Check us out on Facebook:  BetterThanOne Designs.  We'd love to make a custom sign for you!

Let us design a custom sign for you.  Favorite verse, saying, name....  we can do whatever you wish!

Better Than One Designs

The Way We Should Go......

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life."  Psalm 143:8

Isn't it really each Christian's desire to know the way that God wants them to go???  That has been our desire as we have sought after God's plan for our lives and the life of our family.  That road has taken us on journeys we certainly thought we'd never experience.  As you know, God's plan for our family has included adoption.  3 times.  We didn't plan that one folks.  Not. At. All.

In fact each time God has revealed his plan to us for adoption, we've doubted.  We've struggled.  We've said things like,
       "Not right now God.  We've got a lot going on here."
       "Can you come back later God."
       "When we have more money God."
        "If you haven't noticed God, we're pretty full here.  Pick on someone else."
        "We've done our part Lord.  Don't ask more of us please."
        "We're tired Lord."

Thankfully, God in his unfailing love, and his persistent desire for us to know him more, has continued to knock on the door of our hearts.  And in a myriad of ways, he has revealed to us the way we should go.  And each time, we have experienced his unfailing love in ways that you can't even imagine.

You'd think that after he reveals the way we should go, we would rest in His love for us as we watch his plan unfold.  Not so friends.

There are moments of tears, anxiety, fear, doubt, and moments when we are simply scared as heck.

And because we are human, there are moments when we grow extremely weary of being so, so, so UNordinary.  We want to be normal.  We want to NOT attract attention every where we go.  We do not want to be THAT family.  We want to go places and blend in.  Sometimes I want to hide.  Sometimes it just gets me down.

 And the world.  There is no encouragement from the world.  Instead MOST people tell us we are crazy.  They say things like...
"Are you sure you want to do that?  Again?!"
"Are you really being responsible?"
"Why would you do that?"
"What are you trying to prove?"
"What about your other kids?"
"Are you crazy?"

Crazy?  Who wants to be labeled as crazy.  Not me.  Unfortunately, in my weakness, these words of the world begin to seep in and cause me to doubt our decisions.  I begin to listen to those whose lives seem so much more comfortable than mine.  I begin to listen to those who are living the status quo.  I begin to listen to those who are focused on the here and now.  I begin to listen to those who are saving for college funds, vacations, retirement......  I begin to think that a comfortable, normal, "don't rock the boat"  life seems much more sane.

Then I remember.  We aren't called to be comfortable.  We aren't called to be the status quo.  We aren't called to not rock the boat.  He wants us to listen to Him and not to the world.   We can't listen to both.

Who will I listen to?  Will I listen to the doubters, the naysayers, the worriers?  Will I just be happy with the status quo too?  Will I answer God's call on my life by saying, "That's too scary.  That's too hard.  That requires too much.   That's too crazy."


If you've read the stories of the Bible, you know  how it ends for those who doubted God, for those who gave into the doubt of those around them.  For those who allowed the doubt to seep in and prevent them from going the way God called them to go.  They missed the Promised Land.  They missed the blessing of obedience.


Will will be like those people, or when he knocks on the door of our hearts will we say, "For I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." Psalm 143:8 

The verse we've sort of claimed for our lives are the words of Jesus in John 10:10.  "I have come that you may have life and have it to the full."  If we believe that, then we believe that God's plans for us are good.  His plan is for us to have live to the fullest extent.

Friends, we know this to be true.  We have followed when it didn't make sense.  We have followed when we were tired.  We have followed when we were scared.  We have followed when there was no money.  We have followed when the world said, "no, no, no."  And we have found every time that he does not leave, he does not forsake.  He keeps his promises.  He gives life to the full.  

These words have been spinning in my head for quite some time.  But today, they are more true than ever before.

He has knocked on our hearts again.  He has told us, "Go this way." And we have entrusted our lives to him as we follow him in another adoption.

Around this time next year we will be bringing home this beautiful child.  Now an orphan, soon a beloved daughter.  

Go ahead.  Call us crazy.

She is named for my precious grandmother, Mary Anna Russell 

and Bobby's dear aunt, Mary Barbee Little.