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Ni Hao Y'all

when east meets south

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5 hours and counting…

until we meet Miss Poppy.

So grateful we got a good night’s sleep last night. I think I crawled into bed at 8:00 and other than a short span around 1:30 AM, I slept until 5:30. Seriously, a huge blessing for this mama who doesn’t do well without adequate snooze time.

Then we got up and got cleaned up. So glad to wash my hair after a 48 hour travel day.

And then onto the breakfast buffet, which was either really great, or we were really hungry.

Or most likely, both.

Then we perused the hotel grounds which includes, not-so-surprisingly, a beautiful garden. And, as any good mama would do, I made Zach stand in front of the waterfall so I could snap a quick picture on his phone.

Thank goodness we meet sweet Poppy today, I don’t think Zach can tolerate being the focus of many more pictures.

Our guide shared that Poppy will be making the drive up to Civil Affairs this morning.

Over a five hour trip. Sweet thing, there is no telling if she’s ever even been in a car.

And then, on top of that, she’ll be meeting some very, very strange looking people. And then she’ll have to leave all she’s ever known.

Praying that He gives me all the love, grace and patience to be all that she’ll need to comfort her on this day.

And praying for her sweet little heart, which surely will feel like it’s breaking.

So grateful for your continued prayers on our behalf… they are so appreciated, and definitely being felt!


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07.25.11 · Poppy, Poppy China Trip, Zach 44

Comments

  1. Kelly Payne says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:00 AM

    Praying for you!!!!! I cannot wait to see this precious baby in your arms!!!

    Reply
  2. Kristin B. says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:01 AM

    praying for you guys and Poppy! I’ve been following your sweet journey and thankful for your obedient heart! Yall are awesome!

    Reply
  3. Suzanne says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:02 AM

    Praying for you and your sweet Poppy girl!

    Blessings,
    Suzanne

    Reply
  4. Laurie says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:02 AM

    So excited for you. And your oldest boy is growing up. Praying for Poppy and her sweet heart and yours as you navigate this emotional day and al, of the crew at home. Blessings to all of you.

    Reply
  5. Julie D. says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:04 AM

    Praying for your sweet Poppy and for you and Zach! So excited that she’ll be in your arms today!

    Reply
  6. Maureen says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:06 AM

    Oh sweetie, we’ll be praying too! Can’t wait to see you holding her. bless you!

    Reply
  7. Football and Fried Rice says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:06 AM

    That means she is IN the car this very minute!!! Joining you in prayer for the heart of your ittiest bitty!

    Reply
  8. Fliss says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:06 AM

    Hoping that sweet darlin’ has a ‘smooth’ transition… hugs to you all

    Reply
  9. Melinda says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:06 AM

    Prayers! I actually checked your blog for any new updates about five minutes before you posted the link on FB. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Hoping that your meeting goes wonderfully and that your transition is smooth~

    Reply
  10. Patricia/nyc says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:06 AM

    Praying here! And SOOOOO excited for you!!!!

    Reply
  11. Wendy says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:06 AM

    EEKKK!!! It’s so close now!! Praying for you, Poppy, and Zach!

    Reply
  12. Terri says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:07 AM

    So very excited for you!

    Reply
  13. Chrissie says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:07 AM

    Will be saying a prayer for you (before heading to bed tonight ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Can’t wait to see pictures!

    Reply
  14. janet, kevin, ted, philip, and elijah says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:08 AM

    Praying here in Indiana for your day with Poppy to go oh so very well!

    Hugs,
    janet and gang

    Reply
  15. Robyn says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:10 AM

    SO excited for you! Praying for you & Poppy…

    Reply
  16. Kim says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:12 AM

    Praying for you here in Texas!

    Reply
  17. Katherine says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:18 AM

    Praying for all of you on this very significant day!

    Reply
  18. Mary says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:29 AM

    So many prayers for ALL of you, especially for that darling girl of yours. Praying you all feel God’s presence with you in these 5 short hours. Thinking of you…

    Reply
  19. Cyndi says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:35 AM

    What a blessing to be able to pray for your family on this special day and share in your excitement. Thank you for inspiring me and so many others! Can’t wait to see Poppy with her mama and big brother.

    Reply
  20. Rebecca says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:39 AM

    Lots of love and prayers. Can’t wait to turn my computer on in the morning so I can read all about her and meet her.

    Reply
  21. Annie says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:40 AM

    Oh Stefanie, I am just so excited for you! I wonder if you arfe holding her right now?? I just cannot wait to see sweet Miss Poppy in your arms!!

    Reply
  22. tish says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:41 AM

    counting down the hours with you! we keep checking china time!!! and matthew ran into the kitchen this morning and said, “it’s Poppy day!!!!!”

    Reply
  23. Kylee says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:44 AM

    Praying for your sweet baby girl as she leaves her familiarity and all she has ever known. Adoption is such a beautiful thing, but that in no way reduces the amount of pain that has to take place. Trusting that the Lord has His sovereign hand on her. Enjoy your precious meeting with her and cherish every hug and kiss you finally get to give her! I cannot wait to hear (read!) all about it!

    Reply
  24. Jennifer says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:45 AM

    Praying for you and your little sweetie!!!

    Reply
  25. Sarah says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:45 AM

    Oh my! It’s really getting close now…praying for you and for your precious girl.

    Reply
  26. Chris Lessly says

    July 25, 2011 at 2:48 AM

    Asking the Father to watch over you and Poppy during this time! Looking forward to pics from your Gotcha Day.

    Reply
  27. laura jones says

    July 25, 2011 at 3:00 AM

    Praying for you today on my morning run,
    then saw a poppy on the side of the road!
    It will be a great day!
    Love the photo from the garden hotel breakfast area!
    We’ve been there.
    much love
    press on,
    praying and praying,
    Joneses

    Reply
  28. April Z. says

    July 25, 2011 at 3:03 AM

    I’m so excited for you!! i can’t wait to see pictures!

    Reply
  29. Nicole A. says

    July 25, 2011 at 3:10 AM

    So very excited for you all! Praying that everything goes as well as possible. Can’t wait for you to meet sweet Poppy ~ finally! Have a wonderful day!

    (We’ll all be waiting here for pictures … no pressure, of course!)

    All the best,
    Nicole A., now in LA

    Reply
  30. Jill Shelton says

    July 25, 2011 at 3:18 AM

    praying for everything you asked!! have a sweet journey~

    Reply
  31. Sivje says

    July 25, 2011 at 3:21 AM

    Praying praying praying for you both and for sweet Poppy!

    Reply
  32. Leslie says

    July 25, 2011 at 3:28 AM

    Prayers for you and especially Poppy. You have waited so long. Can’t wait to see an update when you are able.

    Reply
  33. Eileen says

    July 25, 2011 at 4:05 AM

    Oh, I’m so excited to see you with that sweet Poppy! Blessings to you both on this momentous day!

    Reply
  34. Chris says

    July 25, 2011 at 4:08 AM

    Much praying back home. Jesus is GREAT! Give her a kiss from her dad.

    Reply
  35. sally says

    July 25, 2011 at 4:30 AM

    You are in my prayers! These hours right before are never easy no matter how many times you have done it!!!

    And BTW don’t you LOVE the Garden Hotel???

    Back behind the friendship store across teh street up the street is a Trust Mart (Mini-Walmart). We spent LOTS of time in there buying cheap presents to bring home and getting our food. If you need more specific directions, email me.

    The bakery across the street out the back door is yummy for an afternoon treat. Then the Italian Restaurant in the 3rd floor down past the Mcdonalds is very good too!

    Reply
  36. Kim says

    July 25, 2011 at 4:31 AM

    So excited for you. Cannot wait to see Poppy in your arms. Lifting you up in prayer!

    Reply
  37. Jill Meaklim says

    July 25, 2011 at 4:45 AM

    I am beyond excited for you… cannot wait to see Poppy through your lens, AND even more so, in your arms!

    God is good, always.
    Jill

    Reply
  38. j-chin says

    July 25, 2011 at 5:37 AM

    Finally! It is counting down to the last hours! I am so excited for your family, and most of all, for Poppy! God bless!

    Reply
  39. Hannah says

    July 25, 2011 at 5:57 AM

    I’ll definitely be lifting you all up. Praying for a smooth and glorious transition and attachment! I remember the hours before my sister was brought to us… so slow!

    Reply
  40. Aus says

    July 25, 2011 at 10:27 AM

    Morning Stef – by now y’all have had Poppy for several hours – I make it about 1830 your time Monday night – so…

    HOORAH

    Loved the Garden as well – but – the bathroom floors will get really slick after you shower – watch out for knocked heads!!

    Great joy for you guys – the kind of joy that only those of us that have had a gotcha day can know!!

    hugs – aus and co.

    Reply
  41. Doreen says

    July 25, 2011 at 10:44 AM

    Praying for a smooth transition. By now you have
    probably met and cuddled Poppy.

    Reply
  42. Martha B says

    July 25, 2011 at 3:37 PM

    Isn’t The Garden Hotel the Bomb!? We made a lot of photos in that garden area too.. We made some really great photos of our kids there…and it was a great spot for some photos of our daughter in her Chinese dress…

    Reply
  43. Amanda says

    July 25, 2011 at 8:24 PM

    I must break my lurker status to comment on this post! First of all, congratulations on finally getting to bring Poppy home! While I was student studying abroad in Hong Kong, part of our time there was an overnight trip to Guangzhou. We stayed in The Garden Hotel and took many photos in front of the waterfall. I think the lot of us were just _so_ impressed that there was a large waterfall RIGHT SMACK DAB in the middle of hour hotel lobby. During our brief time in the hotel, we were always coming face-to-face with western families with goofy grins on their faces and their new son or daughter in their arms. I found your blog late one night while clicking through blog rolls and was immediately overcome with gratitude of the blogger who linked it. While standing in front of that very waterfall, over half a decade ago, I made a wish, chucked my $10 HK coin into the fountain, and made the decision to make moves to adopt a Chinese baby girl once I was older and had a family to welcome her into. Your blog is an inspiration to me, every single day, to stay focused on this goal and to make the decisions in the present that will lead me to that faithful day. I regularly dream about the day I’ll stand in front of that waterfall with a baby girl dressed in pink, whom I’ll be able to call “daughter,” making good on a promise to my future and fulfilling a life-long dream of mine.

    Reply
    • NiHaoYall says

      July 25, 2011 at 8:34 PM

      Wow, Amanda! Thank you so much for sharing that beautiful story! Many blessings to you as you work toward your goal of bringing your baby girl home ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

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I'm Stefanie. Wife to one, mom to 13. Occasional blogger and t-shirt maker. Wannabe photographer and exerciser. Constant grace-needer and orphan advocator. more
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