Sam I Am

Isn't God Stronger than Super Glue?

2011-10-10T17:54:00.005-05:00

This is just one of 500 questions Sam asked today. He is very inquisitive, my curious son, and sometimes he stumps us with his questions. This question came up after he wanted his Daddy to glue back a cape that had fallen off one of his action figure heroes. I caught him climbing up on the shelf reaching for the super glue (that all parents of young boys must have on hand in infinite supply). I told him that super glue was only for grown ups because he might accidentally glue his fingers together and they would be stuck forever. Several minutes later, after some serious thought about this, he asked.. "Isn't God stronger than super glue"?? He had come up with a perfect solution in case his fingers did get stuck together forever! You got to love his faith!! He knows at such a young age that no matter what the problem you can give it over to God and trust that He will help.

It's been a long time....

2011-10-05T10:16:00.002-05:00

Since I last posted on Sam's blog... but I finally found my password!!!!! I will update again soon with the New Adventures of Sam.

Jesus Loves You

2009-08-19T19:20:00.004-05:00

Here is Sam singing Jesus Loves Me.. of course his version is "Jesus Loves You" which is also good! Enjoy... and be sure and go down to end of blog and turn off the music (on the right side). I cried the first time I heard him sing this. Thank you Jesus for this precious child!

Magic Kingdom

2009-08-19T18:56:00.013-05:00

We had a wonderful and blessed time at Disney World Magic Kingdom. Sam really enjoyed it... especially meeting some of his favorite Disney characters. We first met Mickey Mouse. Sam hugged and kissed him and the whole crowd together said "AWWWW"! We had an autograph book so Sam also got everyones signature. We went into the Princess tent. Sam said "I don't want to see the Princess... I want to go home!" We were not sure why he was scared of these pretty girls. Belle (of Beauty and the Beast) noticed Sam and came over and calmed him down. You could tell that she was smitten by "Prince Sam". He fell head over heels for Belle!!! I was not intending on having my picture made with the pretty princesses, however, Sam would not let me leave him.. so here I am with my visor on and all my makeup sweated off! Oh well.. Sam says I am still a Princess (LOL)!
We also made reservations so we could eat lunch with Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore. We just had a ball!!!
As you can see.. we were very exhausted by the end of the day.

God Bless America!

2009-07-12T15:28:00.005-05:00

Scroll down until you see the music playlist (bottom right)and pause music so you can hear the video.

Beach Vacation 2009

2009-07-10T14:08:00.009-05:00

We went to Fort Walton Beach for the 4th of July. We stayed at a new condo that had 4 swimming pools with water falls, splash pads, and even a lazy river. We all had a wonderful time. Sam loves to jump in the pool and loves to go underwater. He is practicing holding his breath longer and longer. We also took Sam for his first go-cart ride on The Track. He rode four times.. twice with Nick and twice with me! He rode the toddler choo-choo train and airplane all by himself!! We ate lots of seafood (and popsicles) and made lots of sand sculptures!! We saw beautiful fireworks from the top deck in the parking garage. We could see them from Destin, Navarre Beach, Pensacola, and of course from Fort Walton's Landing.

Sam's Birthday Bash

2009-06-10T12:09:00.007-05:00

Before watching the videos.. scroll to bottom of screen and pause music.

The first video is Sam with his GiGi and Paw Paw. His Paw Paw is speaking a unique version of Chinese to Sam. As you can see, Sam loves it when his PawPaw talks to him in his native language!

The other video is Sam turbo mowing our house. We just pray he is this enthusiastic about mowing when he gets older. Thanks Aunt Dot for the terrific gift!!!

The pictures are from our birthday dinner with Sam at a local Chinese restaurant.

Sam Turns 3!

2009-06-07T16:54:00.007-05:00

Sam’s 3rd Birthday Party

Maestro Sam

2009-05-25T16:47:00.006-05:00

The Montgomery Symphony Orchestra held a concert Friday evening downtown by the State Capitol. We carried a picnic and our lawn chairs and enjoyed an evening of beautiful music. Aunt Sherry and Uncle Pat joined us. Sam found a stick and quickly learned how to conduct music. The video below shows Nick and Sam wrestling with each other. I am so blessed to have so much free entertainment!

Boys will be Boys

2009-05-12T11:00:00.006-05:00

It is in their DNA.. they loves cars and trucks.. the bigger the better! Sam looked so cute when he put on his fire chief hat and pulled out his big firetruck (he has smaller ones). I had an amazing Mother's Day (and weekend). We went to a Biscuits game Saturday evening (notice Sam's hat?). We had such a nice time. Sam ate a hot dog, roasted peanuts, popcorn, a snow cone, and dippin dots. We walked around the ball park and let him play in the children's area.. and then we topped off the night with spectacular fireworks! Sunday we woke up early because it was our day to volunteer at church (Nick drives shuttle and I work in the nursery). Sam LOVES riding the shuttle with Nick... so we rode with him twice before going into church. After church, Sam's adopted grandparents (GiGi and Paw Paw) treated us to lunch. When we got home Nick and Sam gave me their cards and presents! I am so BLESSED!!! I could not help but reflect about Sam's birth mom and the priceless gift she has given me! God Bless her wherever she is and may God give her peace. I know she has to think of him often... especially since he will be celebrating his 3rd birthday soon. My little boy is growing so fast!

Look Who's Driving Now

2009-04-13T09:29:00.005-05:00

We gave Sam this Power Wheels Jeep and he LOVES it! He had a ball driving around hunting Easter eggs!! Easter is such a glorious time to celebrate. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is risen! Hallelujah!! We had a great day of worship and fellowship. Thank you Lord for all our blessings.. AMEN!

Wednesday Evening Concert

2009-04-08T19:01:00.004-05:00

This is Sam singing along with Elmo and his friends to Oh Suzanna! Who needs to pay for entertainment when we get this for free! Make sure you go down and turn off the music at the bottom before listening to the video.

Do you play golf on TV?

2009-04-06T10:52:00.003-05:00

We have been having some cute conversations with Sam lately. Here are few that are amusing!

Nick is watching golf on TV. Sam says "Daddy play golf". Nick says "Yes, Daddy plays golf". Sam "Do you play golf on TV?"

Sam looking up to me after sitting on the potty with an upset tummy: "Mama, my hiney makes noise."

Sam watching Ni Hao Kailan on Noggin.. points to her grandfather who she calls YeYe (chinese for grandfather): "That is Kailan's Pop-Pop"

Sam watching Little Bill on Noggin.. points to his great grandmother: "That is Lil Bill's Nai-Nai" (Nai Nai is Chinese for paternal grandmother).

I hear Sam crying one morning. I run to see what happened and he is pointing out the window to the garbage truck outside that just picked up our trash. I said what is wrong? Sam "That's my garbage.. they take MY garbage". He settled down after I explained to him that we did not want to keep our garbage.

Updated: I tell Sam that he is Prince. He quickly shakes his no and says "I not a prince Mama.. I a boy"!

Bowling Night

2009-03-30T09:27:00.004-05:00

We went bowling this weekend with some friends. We all had a great time.. especially Sam. He is growing so fast. He is getting taller, but not wider. Bless his heart, we have to wear belts because his 2T pants will fall off of him! He is constantly pulling up his pants. He is talking in full sentences and loves to ask the question "What's that Mama"??

Drum lessons

2009-03-14T11:10:00.003-05:00

As you know, Nick played drums in a rock band and in his High School Marching Band. We got Sam a little tikes drum and here is video of Nick giving him lessons. Sam learns pretty quick!

Pictures from Valentines Day

2009-03-12T13:39:00.008-05:00

I was looking through my pictures today and remembered I had not put these up. I just love the one with Sam and his buddy Matilyn... aren't they just the cutest?? Sam got a hot wheels loop for Valentines Day... which he loves. He is all about anything that has to with cars, trucks, and trains. The last picture shows me holding Sam and Julia Day. She was also adopted from China. We were celebrating her 2nd birthday on Valentines Day. She is so very sweet. Happy Birthday JD!!

30 Years Ago

2009-03-11T11:00:00.004-05:00

Nick was the drummer in a band called Idlewind South. One of his classmates sent this picture to him. They are planning their 30 year high school reunion. Nick is the cool one on the right with the hat. Nick also played in the high school marching band. He has had so much fun catching up with all his old friends. I think the reunion is set for July in San Destin.

Snow!

2009-03-02T08:27:00.007-06:00

We woke up to snow Sunday morning. Sam was so excited. He was screaming.. "Mama, Daddy.. it nowing, it nowing"! We quickly got dressed and went out to play in the snow at 7am. We ended up getting about a 1/2 inch... but it was wonderful while it lasted! After a hot breakfast and hot chocolate we got ready for church. The snow was coming down hard, but it wasn't sticking to the street so it was the best of both worlds. We had such a fun time. I also have to share a story with my blogger friends. Nick and I recently joined FaceBook. Nick is new to social networking and is not use to the lingo that we use. For example.. lots of people have been writing him and ending their sentences with LOL. Last night while reading an entry he asked me what does LOL mean. I told him it meannt "laughing out loud". He said the only thing he could think of was "love our Lord"... we were "laughing out loud" over that one!! Now, every time I read LOL I will always think "love our Lord"!!

Cowboy Sam

2009-02-12T11:24:00.005-06:00

Nick's parent came to visit us last weekend. Sam LOVES his Pop Pop and Nai Nai (Nai Nai is Chinese for paternal grandmother). The feeling is more than mutual. As the picture and video shows, Nai Nai will do just about anything to make Sam laugh!

48 is GREAT

2009-02-02T09:35:00.004-06:00

Nick celebrated his 48th birthday Sunday Feb. 1. He was thrilled because it was also superbowl Sunday! I started the day by making some heart shaped apple cinnamon muffins then it was off to church. After church we had a nice lunch of some barbecue followed by birthday cake and ice cream. We ended the day watching the big game. Nick is such a loving father to Sam. It is amazing how much they are alike. I am very blessed to be Nick's wife. He makes me laugh and I love the fact that he has a HUGE tender heart!! My dear husband, you are loved very much!

The week in Video

2009-01-31T11:52:00.007-06:00

Sam is growing up so fast. The videos show him helping me bake his Daddy a birthday cake, reading his favorite book "Brown Bear Brown Bear" and counting to 20. Of course he really isn't reading (yet) he has pretty much memorized the words... but it shows how quickly he absorbs everything around him. He has an awesome memory and he loves to learn new things. Can you tell we are proud parents?? Be sure and go to the bottom of the screen and turn off the volume on the music so you can hear the audio.

Chinese New Year Parade in Fairhope

2009-01-24T18:48:00.004-06:00

Local Chinese New Year Celebration

2009-01-18T20:25:00.001-06:00

Week in pictures

2009-01-14T19:59:00.001-06:00

Mommy Moment

2009-01-07T15:11:00.003-06:00

I prayed recently for God to open my eyes to my many blessings and to let me really appreciate all that He has given me. Last night after Sam went to sleep I looked at him and my heart skipped a beat because I realized Sam is really my child! I know that sounds strange because he has been with us over a year... but for the first time it really sank in that Sam is mine. WOW... what a gift! I prayed to the Lord and he answered my prayer... more abundantly than I ever imagined. In all honesty I can say that Sam is the sweetest, smartest, and most compassionate child I have ever known! Nick and I are so thankful that God gave us this opportunity to be Sam's parents. Now for an update on Sam. He is completely potty trained (he has been since November), he has started calling me Mommy instead of Mama, his favorite new book is Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See.. He is learning the alphabet and his numbers and can get most of them correct when asking him to point to them... he is speaking in full sentences and we can actually carry on a conversation... he has graduated to the older two's class right on schedule.. he is drinking out of a big boy cup. I will post updated photos soon.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T08:50:00.006-06:00

Sorry it has taken us a while to post our Christmas photos! Like everyone else we have been busy with family and friends. We had a wonderful Christmas. Sam really enjoyed everything.. from seeing everyone, to shopping, to eating, and of course Santa. Sam was so grateful for each gift he received... even clothes! He is such a sweet boy. Christmas morning he woke up and said "Happy Birthday Jesus".. then he saw the lights of the tree were on. He got excited and screamed.. "Santa come to see me"! He loved his Thomas the Train Choo Choo set and played with it for a long time before he realized he had other presents! Enjoy the videos and photos. The first picture above shows Sam wearing my reading glasses! The last video is him singing "Happy Birthday to Jesus" before he reaches for my camera because he loves watching and looking at his picture!!

Sam's Christmas Celebration at School

2008-12-17T13:59:00.005-06:00

Sam's daycare put on a Christmas program today. We were so excited and couldn't wait to see Sam perform. His class was to sing three songs: "Happy Birthday Jesus", "Jingle Bells", and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". We had tried to prepare Sam by telling him that we would watch him sing his Christmas songs. When they walked into the fellowship hall Sam spotted us right away and yelled out loud "Mama.. Daddy"! Everyone laughed.. it was so funny. After he spotted us he would have no part in singing.. he wanted to come to us. It didn't take long before he started crying "mama... daddy" and reaching for us. The teacher had to pick him up and try and comfort him. After they sang the songs, he came and sat with us and was very happy!! It was a priceless memory and we cannot wait to share it with him when he is older... we have it all on video tape! He is a mama's boy!!

Ringing the Bell

2008-12-13T19:34:00.009-06:00

We rang the bell for the Salvation Army at Sam's Warehouse Friday evening. We had a good time and enjoyed helping others. We want to teach Sam early about the importance of serving others.

Polar Express

2008-12-08T19:19:00.005-06:00

Saturday evening we went to ride the Polar Express. It is a real train ride at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera. We had arranged it so several families who had adopted children from China would be on the same train. It was so great to meet other families and to visit with our friends. We arrived at the train about 4:15 and we departed for the North Pole at 5pm. Sam was so excited! Aunt Marcy, Isabell, and Grand Mary came up from Mobile to join us and to spend the night. Sam and Isabell wore matching "twas the night before Christmas" pajamas. They looked so cute and everyone thought they were twins. When the train started they read the Polar Express to all of us. Then we sang Christmas songs and looked out the window until we arrived at Santa's warehouse. Santa and Mrs. Claus was waiting for us to arrive. Some elves came on the train first and gave jingle bells to everyone. We rang our bells and continued singing songs until Santa and Mrs. Claus came aboard and visited with all the children. Sam saw Santa and was yelling at the top of his lungs "SANTA"! We had so much fun. Below is video of Sam ringing his bells.

Disco Elfs

2008-12-08T12:27:00.002-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Sam and Santa

2008-12-08T09:23:00.005-06:00

Friday evening we met Mary Grace and Leigh Ann for dinner. It had been a while for Sam and Mary Grace to visit. Sam is always very shy when he first gets around anyone, but after a few minutes he warmed up and him and Mary Grace had a great time of eating and playing. After dinner, we went to visit Santa at EastChase. We were thrilled to see it was the same one that Sam had visited last year right after we came home from China. Santa remembered Sam and was thrilled when Sam came right to him, gave him high five, and started talking to him. Sam was not shy at all with Santa and was very happy to let Santa know that he wanted a choo choo train for Christmas. I hate the video is dark, but I took it with my camera and there was not much light.

Roll Tide!

2008-12-02T08:50:00.003-06:00

One Year Ago...

2008-12-02T08:28:00.007-06:00

NOvember 26, 2007 Sam was placed into our arms. He was frightened and scared. He cried and reached out desperately for the Director of his orphanage to take him away. Director Gu and two other nannies had traveled with the children from ZhangJiaGang orphanage to the civil affairs office in Nanjing. It was obvious that Director Gu had a special relationship with Jin Hao (Sam) and he wanted to go back into the safety of her arms and the only home he had ever known. The first two pictures above show us with Sam on our gotcha day. It did not take very long until Sam adjusted to his new family and home. He is a very loving child who freely gives kisses and hugs. He knows colors, shapes, and can count to five on his own and ten with a little help. He can speak in complete sentences and loves Dora, Diego, Backyardigans, the Wonder Pets, and Little Einsteins. He also loves choo choo trains, airplanes, helicopters, cars, riding his bike and swimming. We celebrated our Gotcha Day by getting a new hair cut (check out the spike), going to the zoo and then going out to dinner. We are so thankful to our Heavenly Father for the miracle of Sam. "Do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them," says the Lord. Deuteronomy 4:9

Operation Christmas Child

2008-11-23T13:22:00.006-06:00

We do this every year, but this year was special because we have Sam and we wanted him to start learning to serve others and to give to those less fortunate. We selected a boy two-four years old and filled the box with lots of goodies. We also included a picture of Sam and our address in case someone wants to write us back. By the way, we signed up to ring the Salvation Army bell at Sam's Warehouse Friday Dec. 12 from 6pm-8pm.... so if any of you are out and about that evening please stop by and give a donation to help those who need food and shelter.
Potty training is going very good. This is our third week and Sam has made great improvements. In fact, except for when he is sleeping, he goes every time in the potty!! This week is going to exciting for us because Wednesday we will be celebrating our one year "gotcha" day. We have a wonderful family day planned. We will post all about it later. I pray all of you have a very blessed Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for and we all need to pause and thank the Lord for His grace, mercy, and love for each of us.

Happy Birthday Mama!

2008-11-17T21:49:00.004-06:00

Today was my 46th birthday and Sam really enjoyed helping his Nai Nai bake a birthday cake for me... then of course the best part was eating it (the boy loves chocolate)!! I was in New Orleans all weekend for a Crimestopper workshop. It was my first time away from Sam. He was so sweet when I got home. He hugged and kissed me and held me tight for a long time. After my homecoming we had a small birthday celebration. Sam has on the Mardi Gras beads I got him.. and he is playing with his yellow school bus. Enjoy the pictures of my birthday party with my wonderful family!

Tailgating at Troy

2008-11-13T14:07:00.006-06:00

We went to Troy University's homecoming came last weekend. It was Sam's first football game. We had a ball tailgating with Aunt Sherry and Uncle Pat Pat. Nick is an alumni of Troy and it was exciting for him to bring his family to his old "stomping" grounds. The last picture is Sam after a long day of football fun. That is his penguin "Ping"!

Bye Bye Sweet Barney

2008-11-10T21:22:00.004-06:00

Goodbye sweet baby boogie bear Barney. You were such a good boy and we loved you very much! Our hearts are breaking and our pain is deep but we thank the Lord and rejoice because we had you for 18 years and you gave us so much joy and unconditional love. You will forever live in our hearts.

Little Ninja

2008-11-02T21:20:00.004-06:00

Sam first halloween was fun for all of us. It did not take him long to see that it is a day of lots of treats and candy. Sam was sick and stayed out of daycare Thursday and Friday with a very upset tummy... which was followed by major diaper rash. By the way... my new miracle drug is resinol... it works wonders and cleared up his diaper rash overnight!!! Keep us in your prayers.. we are going full time potty training on Monday. We got the big boys underpants and we are prepared to stay the course. We told Sam we had no more diapers. He doesn't seem to mind wetting himself... because we gave it a trial run Sunday and we went through 2 pairs of underwear in 1 hour!!

Carving our Pumpkin

2008-10-28T13:49:00.004-05:00

It was a beautiful fall afternoon so we decided to carve our pumpkin. Sam of course loved it because it was all gross and yucky pulling out all the stuff. In the end, we got a good face carved out and Sam was very pleased with the final product.

In Search of the Great Pumpkin

2008-10-26T20:21:00.014-05:00

This weekend we had alot of fun. We made Halloween cookies, rode our bike in the wonderful fall weather, and we went to the Grand Ole Pumpkin Patch in Clanton. We took Sam Sunday after church. We stopped and got some chicken and had a picnic in the park. Sam had so much fun collecting sticks and falling leaves at Goose Pond Park in Clanton. We then went to the Pumpkin Patch and we rode the Twactor Twain, petted the farm animals, ate Cotton Candy, watched the helicopter take off and land a hundred times (Nick wanted to take him on a ride but I convinced him to at least wait until Sam is 3). Sam loves airplanes and helicopters and he was so fascinated with the helicopter! We then rode the covered wagon to the pumpkin patch in search of Sam's first pumpkin. We searched for about 10 minutes until we found a good round one. Of course, we were the only ones in the patch pouring water and cleaning our pumpkin with napkins (those of you who know Nick understand)!! One of the pictures above show Sam and Nick cleaning it. One of the pictures above also shows off Sam's uncanny talent of stacking and balancing. While we were getting ready for church this morning Sam was getting our shoes out of the closest and stacking them in a very symmetric fashion... notice how he puts his at the beginning and at the end! He did all of this by himself and we were astounished when we discovered this. He does this frequently with all kinds of objects... cans, blocks, food, etc.. the boy has talent!! The other picture that has nothing to do with pumpkins is the picture of Sam with his spider man helmet!! Thank goodness he loves to wear it and he needs it while riding his bicycle... he is always trying new stunts and takes lots of tumbles while turning around too fast! The helmet came with knee and elbow pads. Sometimes I think he should wear all it even when he is not riding his bike!!

Sam at the Fair

2008-10-12T21:04:00.008-05:00

We took Sam to the fair this weekend. Our friends, the Huey's (Shannon, Wayne, and Alison) joined us. We visited Grandpa's Farm and got to see pigs, cows, goats, bunnies, and baby ducks. We then walked around the midway and checked out the rides. Sam was not happy riding the carousel, but he loved riding the Choo Choo Train! He won a stuffed animal playing a fishing game (Nai Nai and Pop Pop would be proud)

Sam and His Friends, Isabell and Bryson

2008-10-06T20:56:00.006-05:00

We have had a very active week. Thursday evening we attended a family picnic at Sam's daycare. You will see some pictures of him and his good buddy Bryson. We then went to Perdido Key. October is a perfect time to go to the beach. The weather is nice and it is not crowded. While we were there we got to visit with our good friends Martha (who Sam calls Aunt Marci), Isabell (Sam calls her A-Bell), and Grand-Mary. Sam and Isabell had a ball! They played in the sand and water and ate lots of food! Of course they are two years old and we frequently had to resolve conflicts (we heard the word "mine" alot)!! But, Sam and Isabell are the closest that each of them have to siblings. They are from the same town and they will always share a special bond (along with Cole who is getting ready to leave for China to go and a brother). Enjoy the videos. For some reason Sam loved falling backwards into the sand.

Look What Sam Can Do!

2008-10-01T21:05:00.008-05:00

Sam's teachers had been telling us how much he loves riding the tricycles at school.. so since the weather has been so nice we went ahead and got one for him. Needless to say... he LOVES it! He is so cute peddling around. We take walks and he rides his bike and has so much fun. He has also developed quiet a southern accent when he speaks. When you ask him where something is at, he quickly answers "rite dar" and points to the object. He is learning his shapes, colors, and numbers and he continues to be a wiz at building, stacking, and examining how everything works! He loves watching Blues Clues, Backyardigans, and The Wonder Pets. He has also shown a little interest in movies.. (he calls them bovies). His favorite foods right now are shrimp (yes, the boy loves seafood!), chicken noodle and egg drop soups, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese, oranges and pears. God continues to show us blessings in all that Sam does. Our hearts are overflowing with love for our son... and our Heavenly Father who all praise and glory belongs.

Born to Be Wild

2008-09-21T20:36:00.006-05:00

Above is a video of Sam riding his Kawasaki. He loves riding it and we frequently take evening walks while Sam becomes a master with his driving skills!! Sam is loving football and can proudly yell "Roll Tide Roll"! Last weekend his Nai Nai and Pop Pop came to visit. Sam really loves them and the feeling is mutual. I am attaching a picture of them having a picnic. The other picture is of Sam and his Uncle Tony (the police officer). Tony is a dear freind of mine that I work with closely at CrimeStoppers. Sam enjoyed going to the police station and seeing the police cars and officers.

Evening Swim

2008-09-05T20:59:00.007-05:00

Friday evening we cooked out and it was a nice time for Sam to finish a busy week with a swim in his pool. He loves to play in the water and slide. We have been giving Sam some cough medicine this week and he really enjoys taking his medicine. Tonight after we gave him his dose, he got the medicine dropper and went around giving all of his stuffed animals (and his Mama and Daddy) pretend medicine. We definitely think it is a sign that he wants to be a doctor!!!

We Used The Potty!!!

2008-09-01T20:03:00.007-05:00

September 1st, 2008 was a big day at our house. While most people celebrated Labor Day, we celebrated the fact that Sam used the potty for the very first time. We danced and sang through the house and celebrated by keeping a promise of letting him eat a few M&M's. I don't think he fully understands yet the whole potty concept, but this is the first time and we are so proud of him... and I know he will evenutally get the hang of it. Another first for Sam.. he watched his first Alabama Crimson Tide Football Game. He quickly learned to yell "Roll Tide" and "Go Bama"... and as you know Alabama won! He looked so cute in his Alabama shirt and hat (just like his Daddy)!! Sunday we went over to Sherry's and Pat's and cooked out and did a little swimming. Below is some video of Sam swimming from his Aunt Sherry to his Daddy.

Sam and Noah

2008-08-25T12:12:00.007-05:00

The Smith Family (Becky, Jeff, and Noah) came to visit us Saturday. Becky and Jeff were in our original travel group with our adoption agency. The Lord had other plans and blessed us with our boys (Sam in November and Noah in March). This weekend was the first time for all of us to meet since adding our new additions. Noah and Sam had a good time playing with each other. We ate pizza and watched the boys play. It was so good to finally meet Noah after following his blog. We are going to try and get together again soon for another play date. Aren't they cute!!!!

Weekend Fun with Friends

2008-08-10T21:00:00.009-05:00

Before I get to our weekend.. I wanted to talk about the first picture. So many people ask how Sam and Barney get along. It was a long road, but they have finally reached a mutual respect and tolerance for each other. Barney is 19 years old and deaf. He was our only child for 18 years. He was not happy with the addition of Sam. Sam wanted to hold Barney and as you can imagine... that did not go over well. Anyway, after 8 months of living together we finally got that illusive photo of them together!! It is a rare event so enjoy!!
We had a great weekend visiting and spending time with friends. Saturday evening we went out and ate Chinese with our dear friends Jo, Ted, Shannon, Wayne, and Alison. After dinner everyone came to our home for dessert and coffee. Some other dear friends, Debra and Mike, joined us and watched our Gotcha Day video which was followed by us cheering on Michael Phelps as he won his first gold medal of these Olympic games. Sam and Alison (who is 14 months) have so much fun playing together. Sam LOVES Alison and he wants to do whatever she is doing. For example.. she crawls.. he crawls. If she squeals... he squeals. If she walks and runs... he walks and runs. He really is a ladies man!!
Sunday after church our dear friends, The McNairs, came to visit us on their way to Gulf Shores. Greg and Nick have been very good friends since we all worked together at WAKA TV (about 22 years ago). Greg is a freelance videographer (he used to work for HGTV). Greg, his wife Sandy, and their children now live in Maryland and we haven't seen them in a long time. Sam instantly took to Duncan (10) and Molly (6).... especially Molly. When they left Sam was crying "Mawy"... he wanted to go with them so bad! We hope to see them again next spring or summer.

08/08/08 The Olympics Begin in China and Cowboy Sam

2008-08-09T11:56:00.004-05:00

Did any of you watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing? They were spectacular! We videotaped Sam watching them. He would clap and say YEAH after each performance. We honor Sam's heritage and we want him to always be proud of where he was born. China is changing and the world is noticing. We will take Sam back one day so he can see first hand where he came from and witness all the history and culture that China has to offer.
Sam is doing great. He is speaking more each day... and his personality is really starting to shine. He has a very easy going temperment and he loves to laugh. He makes friends easy and adapts quickly to changes. He obeys most of the time... but then again he is two and he can test our patience on some days. He loves books, puzzles, cars, airplanes, and helicopters. He also loves play dough. The other day he was pretending a broom handle was a horse so we got him a play cowboy hat. Above is a picture of him with the hat. Doesn't he make a cute cowboy??

Ready for Church!

2008-07-27T20:37:00.006-05:00

Sam looked so cute this morning that we had to take his picture before leaving for church. He has on his name badge and backpack... and you say "Sam, are you ready for church?" and he quickly says "ready, mon Daddy, mon Mama"(for c'mon).He started talking more in two and three word sentences this week. He had done this randomly for the last few months, but boy this past week he really starting talking in sentences. It is so exciting watching him learn and grow. He also can apoligize if he does something wrong.. he learned quickly that he can get out of trouble if he says "I'm sorry".. and then hugs your neck. He is such a stinker... it takes all we have not to laugh or smile when he looks up with those big brown eyes and says "I sorry"!! The other pictures are from Sam playing Saturday. Notice his shirt says "Prince Charming" (thanks Ashley and Aimee!).

A Boy and His Popsicle

2008-07-24T20:46:00.002-05:00

Happy 50th Anniversary Nai Nai and Pop Pop

2008-07-21T13:33:00.008-05:00

We went to Florida last weekend to celebrate Nick's mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary. Our niece and nephew invited us over to their new home. We cooked out, rode the Rhino, and had good fellowship with everyone. The picture above is of Nick's family at the get together. Sam had fun riding (and driving) the Rhino. He also got some new toys and clothes for his birthday.

Backing up before the visit to Florida... Sam was sick last week. He had a virus that caused fever and a bad sore throat. Sam is not sick very often and, I guess as with all toddlers, he was quiet grumpy when he is not feeling good (grumpy is putting it lightly). Needless to say, we are very glad that he is doing better. I also think he may be getting ready to cut some of those two year molars.

After dealing with Sam's illness last week, it reminded me just how much I depend (and need) the Lord to comfort me and to make all things right in my world. Just as Sam wanted me to make it all better... I seek out the arms of my heavenly Father. Isn't it great to know that we have that comforting, unconditional and forgiving love of our Lord Jesus Christ? We can't forget His mercy and grace... Can I get an amen?? I realize now how important it is for parents to seek God on a daily basis because it is easy to get overwhelmed and stressed out. We are His children and He is there for us when we are sick, weary, and burdened. He also shares our laughter and joy in good times and is always there for us with guidance... all we have to do is ask.

My good friend Jo pointed me toward these verses and I feel they speak directly to those of us who need comfort and healing...

Psalm 33:20-22 "Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You."

Happy Birthday USA

2008-07-07T19:22:00.008-05:00

We hope all of you had a safe and happy 4th of July. It was a special time at our home because it was Sam's first Independence Day as a U.S. Citizen. We went to the lake, ate good food, and watched fireworks. It seems that Sam is very patriotic.... he loves waving the American flag. He continues to grow physically and developmentally. Last week he started gymnastics on the Big Green Bus. He had such a good time that he did not want to leave.

China Beach Babies and Father's Day

2008-06-16T19:27:00.014-05:00

Talk about a picture worth a thousand words!!

China travel families reunited

Renee gave them these cute t'shirts with their names

Happy Birthday Isabell, Cole, and Sam

It's not the red couch but it will do for an updated photo

Father and son enjoying the "ohsin" (Sam's version of ocean!)

My dad is the man!!

Happy Father's Day!

WOW! What a beach baby!!!

I tell you we cannot praise our Heavenly Father enough for children. They are amazing, wonderful, (exhausting), and a blessing. We got together with the families we traveled to China with (the Gallahue and Schmitt families) to celebrate our children's birthdays. All of them turn two almost within a month of each other. It has been over six months since Sam, Isabell, and Cole joined our families. They are all from the same region in China and we want to make sure they remain close because of this connection. We had a great time and all three of the tots seemed to enjoy the water and fun in the sun. We threw them a little birthday party with hot dogs, cake, and ice cream. The weekend was perfect to celebrate Nick's first father's day! Sam made him a necktie that he colored and put a sticker on it that reads "my dad is neat"! He also gave his daddy a picture of his footprints and it reads "Here is my little footprint. One day it will fit your shoe. I watch what you are doing because Daddy I want to be like you". Nick was thrilled. Sam even let Nick sleep to 8:30am!!!! Father and son had a fun time on the beach. Nick is a terrific father. He is so loving and patient with Sam. He is a wonderful teacher to Sam and takes pride in showing him how to do things. Sam just turned two... but Nick has already taught Sam wonderful habits... like wiping his feet before coming in the house, how to wash his hands, and to wipe his mouth when he eats. I love watching the two of them together and I am very lucky that Nick is the father of my son. I love my Honey and Sam loves his Daddy!!

Sam's 2nd Birthday Party!

2008-06-07T20:59:00.014-05:00

We had a birthday party for Sam today. He turns two Monday and we celebrated with family and friends by having a party in our backyard. Sam had a great time playing in his swimming pool with his friends. He loved eating chicken nuggets, cheese puffs, and of course ice cream!! It was so much fun celebrating this day with everyone and thanking God for Sam. He has been home six months and has grown so much during that time. He talks more each day. It makes our head spin because he is learning so much so quickly. He loves the water... whether it is his backyard pool, Aunt Sherry and Uncle Pat's pool, the lake, the ocean, or the bathtub! He says "hold you" when he wants to be held. He also will say "open it", "I'll do it", I'll get it", "Nognan" (for Noggin), "outside" (which he loves to say since he wants to be outside all the time)!!

Congratulations Hunter!

2008-05-23T16:47:00.006-05:00

Congrats Hunter!

Pat, Sherry, Hunter, and Josh

Panda Pals at the Zoo

Sam holding hands with Anna Lei

Hunter is the son of one of my dearest friends, Sherry. He graduated from High School last night and we are so proud of him! He is a wonderful young man with a bright future and we know he will do many good things. He was also a nominee for the Jimmy Hitchcock Award this year.

Changing subjects... we had a playdate with our Panda Pals at the Zoo. We had a great time and we love spending time with all our friends. Thanks Anna Lei for helping me with Sam... you are so sweet and a great babysitter (plus I think Sam has a crush on you!!)

May Happenings

2008-05-19T19:21:00.014-05:00

One proud Aunt!

My two beautiful nieces!

Sam asleep on his new bed

Our first meal as a family of three at The Back Porch in Destin

Playing in the sand

Dipping his cute little feet into the ocean for the first time

Having lots of fun

Loving the "Oooh-sin " (and holding one of his cars in his hand!)

Busy building castles and burying mom and dad's feet

Totally exhausted!

We have so much to talk about in this post. First of all, let me say Congratulations to my niece Shannon (affectionally known as Prissy by me). My mom nicknamed her Prissy when she was just a baby and I have always known her as my little Prissy. Well, my little Prissy graduated from High School last Friday evening. We are so proud of her. It is a major milestone in everyone's life to finish High School and my little Prissy has grown into a beautiful, intelligent woman with a WONDERFUL sense of humor.

Now for an update on our little man. He is now sleeping in his own room on his big boy bed which happens to be a car! Tonight is his 3rd night sleeping by himself and he has done great so far. He wakes up happy... and makes a quick trot into our room... telling us "UP". Of course he did this at 4:30am Saturday morning!!!

Another milestone to mention... we took Sam to the beach for the first time.... and he LOVES it. He had so much fun... playing in the sand... running up to the waves in the ocean... and swimming in the pool. We discovered he loves to jump in... so you have to hold on to him every minute... and keep a life vest on him at ALL times! His new word is "ocean"... he is so cute when he pronouces it "Oooh-sin". He cried when he had to say goodbye to the ocean.

We are going back in June for a reunion with our China travel group. We are looking forward to seeing everyone and to let the kids play together now that they are 6 months older than when we got them. By the way, when you look at the pictures you may see a "boo-boo" on Sam's nose. He fell from the slide at daycare last week. He is okay but he loves to get sympathy!

My First Mother's Day

2008-05-13T16:36:00.008-05:00

The perfect Mother's Day Gift!

Sam showing off his cars to Summer

Mother and son on Mother's Day

Sam giving Nai Nai a kiss for Mother's Day

WOW! After years of waiting to be a mom, I finally got to celebrate my first Mother's Day as a "mama"! It was wonderful. Sam was real busy because he got me several cards, a big nice straw purse, a gift certificate to buy some clothes, and a pedicure! Sam was a good boy all weekend because his Nai Nai and Pop Pop were visiting. We also got to visit with my niece Summer. She was so sweet to bring me a mother's day gift. She also got Sam some clothes and a car that he played with all weekend.

Here are some of my thoughts on being a mom. It is the most demanding job I've ever had... and it is also the most rewarding. It takes a lot of patience, energy, and enduring strength. It requires some sleepless nights (and forget about sleeping past 6:30am ever again)! It is also the most wonderful thing in the world to hear him say "mama" and to have him wrap his legs around my waist and squeeze me tight..... to feel his breath on my cheek as he drifts off to sleep... to hear him laugh with joy... to see him run, jump, and play.... to hear him speak new words... to get a big wet kiss... and to watch him and his daddy play. Children are a heritage and gift from God. I pray the Lord gives me all the wisdom, patience, and guidance I need to raise this gift that I have been given.

Our Eyes Adored You!

2008-05-05T12:51:00.006-05:00

Our first pictures of Sam!

Play date with Nalani and Ray

Our new potty!

Wednesday will make one year since we first laid our eyes upon Sam. It was May 7, 2007 around 4:30pm when our Adoption Agency Director, Pat, called us and asked "would you be interested in a boy"? Those words changed our life forever! It is hard to believe that has been one year. Of course, it took us 6 months before the Chinese government gave us the green light to go and get our child, but it was on May 7 that God answered our prayers and gave us the most precious gift of Samuel Duron Moss! Lord, how we love this boy! Now for an update on Sam.... the cast has been removed!!! YEAH!! It has been replaced by a splint that comes off so he can have a nice bath. You should have seen the look on his face when they removed the cast and he saw his arms and fingers! He kept touching them with the other hand to make sure they were really there. You can barely see a scar where he had the extra thumb. We also got a potty chair. Sam is getting use to the idea of using the potty... but right now he mostly enjoys playing with it because it plays music, lights up, and sings songs. We also just ordered Sam a car toddler bed (have we mentioned how much Sam loves cars??). We are hoping it will make the transition of moving out of the crib a lot more fun. He climbed out of the crib a few weeks ago (it was more like a fall, but Suze caught him before he hit the ground). We lowered it to the lowest point, but it is only a matter of time before he will climb over again.

Visiting Nai Nai and Pop

2008-04-21T13:14:00.012-05:00

A nice stroll at the park with Pop and Nai Nai

Looking for ducks with Nai Nai

Reading a peek-a-boo book with Mrs. Ann

Showing Pop his picture book

Sam loves Aimee!!

Just a swingin'

We went to visit Nick's parents in DeFuniak Springs, FL for the weekend. We had a nice time and Sam met lots of new friends and relatives. His cousin Aimee has been keeping a scrapbook of our journey to becoming a family and she gave it to us this weekend. WOW... what a great gift... it is priceless! Thank you Aimee for being so sweet and thoughtful and for taking time to put together all the pictures and entry's from our blog. She labeled the book "Sam I Am" and it is something we will forever treasure. By the way... Sam is completely in love with Aimee (as you can see from the pictures).

He is adding new words to his vocabulary and one of them is car. He says it just about every time he sees a car, so you can imagine how many times we heard it this weekend while driving to and from DeFuniak Springs!! He is also telling us when he needs to use the bathroom so we are buying a potty chair today. One more week until we go back to the doctor and remove his cast.... YEAH!!!!

Welcome Julia Day and Happy Birthday Jo!

2008-04-13T20:24:00.011-05:00

Sam feeding Julia Day some Teddy Grams

Aren't they sweet??

Jo showing off her great sense of humor!

Happy Birthday dear friend!!

Sam's goldfish (from left to right: Ming, Ling, and Ping)

Father and son watching the Masters

"See son, you will be playing on that course one day!"

His future is so bright he has to wear shades

Sam had a play date last week with our Panda Pals newest arrival.... Julia Day Turman. Julia is so sweet and Sam seemed very shy at first. He later warmed up after he fed her some Teddy Grams. Julia is 14 months and loves to eat (just like Sam)!

Sam continues to do great with his cast. We have had it almost 2 weeks and we have 2 more weeks to go until we go back to the doctor.

My dear sweet friend Jo is celebrating 50 wonderful years of life! Jo is a very special Sister in Christ. She lets her light for Jesus shine very bright. She is such an inspiration to me and everyone who has the pleasure of knowing her. She also has a contagious sense of humor (as you can see in the picture above)!! Happy Birthday Jo... you are loved by many!!!!

Sam's Surgery and Recovery

2008-04-03T14:03:00.005-05:00

Sam with his club (I mean cast... LOL)!

Doing one of his FAVORITE things... closing doors!

Sitting on his spiderman couch with his blanket while eating goldfish

Let me start first by thanking all of you for the prayers, cards, phone calls, and emails concerning Sam's surgery to remove his extra thumb. The thumb was removed Tuesday, April 1, at Children's Hospital by a Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon. The surgery was very successful and in fact it was not as extensive as we originally thought. The doctor did not have to put a pin in the bone because there was not much reconstructive surgery. She said Sam would have a small scar where the thumb had been. Even though the surgery was on the hand, they put a cast up to the elbow so the main thumb cannot move. This cast is HUGE... and he has already whacked us and himself with it several time (not on purpose). We keep a sock on it to make it softer. Sam adapted immediately to the cast. We told him he is very special because not everyone has a cast on their arm. Sam did great the day of the surgery. We could not give him anything to eat or drink and we had to wake him up early for the journey to Birmingham. After we were there one hour we were pleasantly surprised when his "Mimi" showed up at our room!! Thank you Mimi for coming up to stay with us during this difficult time!!! We will never forget your kindness, thoughtfulness and love for us!!! His surgery was delayed by about two hours but Sam played and took a nap... he was hardly fussy at all. Before they took him into surgery they gave him some "giggle juice" to take off the edge. We wish we had Sam on tape while he was "under the influence".... it was hilarious!! The doctors came in and gave us updates. Everyone at Children's Hospital was so very nice. After recovery they carried him back into our room and he was very alert at first, then drifted back off to sleep (after drinking lots of water). We left the hospital at 5pm and got home around 6:30. Sam was very hungry and ate his fill of mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. He went to bed at the ususal time of 8pm and slept through the night without a peep. He is so funny because you ask him to show his arm to someone and he raises the arm that does not have the cast! He is such a trooper and has proven to us once again that he is a survivor and a fighter. Most importantly he rolls with the flow and makes the best of any situation.

Sam's First Easter

2008-03-24T20:11:00.013-05:00

Enjoying Easter cookie at MDO

Checking to make sure all eggs are in the Elmo basket

Sam and Daddy Easter morning

Mama getting an Easter kiss from Sam

Sam and Mama having some fun in the backyard

Hunting eggs Easter afternoon

Daddy giving Sam some egg hunting tips

Sam and the Easter Bunny (Sam is getting candy)

Mama insisted I pose with these bunny ears!

Handsome boy ready to go to Eggstravaganza!

Easter egg hunt at MDO

What a cutie!!!

I think it can be said that Sam truly enjoyed his first Easter! He took his Easter egg hunting very seriously! We had a blessed Holy week and Easter. It was so nice to share all of this with Sam. Thursday he had his first Easter egg hunt at his MDO. Thanks Ms. Deb for taking pictures! Saturday we went to our church's Eggstravaganza. Sam really liked the puppets and he also got to meet the Easter Bunny! Enjoy the Easter pictures!

Spring is in the air

2008-03-17T20:06:00.008-05:00

Sam likes the Carolina Jasmine

Two of Sam's favorite things... his wagon and sandbox

Practicing for the ultimate sandbox... the beach!

Feeding cornbreak to the ducks at the Museum

(After throwing it, Sam will pick up chunks of cornbread

and eat it if they do not come and get it quick!)

Fun at the Museum with TaoTao and Juliana

Sam is really enjoying this nice warm weather. He is definitely an outside boy. He loves playing in his sandbox, pushing and riding in his wagon, playing on the slide, kicking his ball, and now his new favorite pastime... hunting Easter eggs!! He loves to find them, put them in a basket, then laugh hysterically while he dumps them on the ground and they roll everywhere! Easter is my favorite time of the year and we are so excited about sharing this very special holiday with Sam. As he gets older he will understand the true meaning of Easter and the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus Christ did for us up on that cross and the miraculous resurrection that followed. We cannot wait to share our faith with Sam. He is so cute when we say our prayers. When say amen.. he always throws his arms up in the air and yells "Yeah"! We are going to visit Sam's Nai-Nai and Pop-Pop for Easter and we will post pictures later. Last week was spring break and we had a play date with Juliana, Madilyn, and TaoTao at the Museum of Fine Arts. He also spent alot of time with Mimi and PawPaw. Oh by the way.... thank you Aunt Tami for the Easter care package you sent Sam.... he loved the marshmallow bunnies/chicks and the books. Sam has been growing and is getting taller. He weighs about the same, but his pants are getting shorter. He continues to pick up new words (you have to listen close to understand him) except when he says "ByeBye"... that is strong and has the cutest southern accent to it! Last week he put together a two word sentence twice. He said "Da-Da Bye Bye" and "Da-Da Bath". He has started saying "Mama" more and seems to enjoy saying it when he wants something!

Chinese New Year Parade

2008-02-17T18:36:00.009-06:00

Isabell and Sam having fun in the tub

Throwing beads at the parade

Ready for the parade to start

Playing in the suitcase

Rub a dub dub

We had so much fun this weekend visiting "Aunt Marcy", Isabell, Gran Mary, and seeing all our friends at the Children of the World Chinese New Year parade. We spent the night with Martha and Isabell (our travel mates from China). Isabell and Sam are from the same orphange. They got along very well especially while taking a very bubbly bubble bath! The next morning we drove to Fairhope where Sam and Isabell participated in the Chinese New Year parade. The people of Fairhope are so nice and supportive. Sam and Isabell had a great time throwing beads and candy from their wagons! We also ran into the Meeks, the Ungers, and our other travel mates from China.. the Schmitt family. The parade ended at a very nice park and Sam discovered the slide!! It was a tunnel slide and I lost count how many times he went down the slide!! Needless to say he loved it and we will be going soon to get him some fun backyard play equipment. I also must bragg a bit... Sam learned how to blow his nose this weekend!! It makes things so much easier! One more thing... it seems that he is a Johnny Cash fan. I got one of those musical cards that plays "Ring of Fire" for Nick for Valentine's Day. Sam loves it and plays it all the time. You should see how he dances to it. Tomorrow we go to see an Pediatric Orthopedic surgeon at Children's Hospital to see what is involved with removing his extra thumb.

Introducing the next Tiger Woods

2008-02-13T10:28:00.006-06:00

This is how the pro's do it!

Choosing the right club is a tough decision

Daddy is a GREAT Caddy

Look out Tiger.. it seems you will have a new competitor in about 20 years! We have had great weather recently and it was the perfect opportunity for Nick to begin teaching Sam the sport of golf. As many of you know, Nick is an avid golfer. We purchased this little golf set a couple of years ago and it was so fun to finally put them to use. Sam seemed to enjoy the lesson although he had a hard time choosing which club to use! This is the first of many father and son golf outings!

20 Month Birthday

2008-02-08T16:04:00.001-06:00

I love spaghetti!!!!

See all my teeth???

Pucker up!!

Boy, it's hard keeping this house clean!

Tomorrow (Feb. 9) is Sam's 20 month birthday and I thought it would be a good time to update everyone on his progress! Sam is very bright and has a vocabulary of about 10 words. They are Daddy, Mama, Kit-Kit (for our cat Barney), Nite-Nite, Bye-Bye, Hey, Yeah, Pop-Pop, Nai-Nai (his grandmother), Eyes, and Out. He can point to the following when you ask him... nose, mouth, ears, eyes, hair, toes, hands, and bellybutton (he really likes showing that one!). He can also make the following animal sounds or imitations when you say: Monkey (really cute), Duck, Cow, Sheep, Lion, Fish (he puckers his lips), Cat, Dog, and he is learning to do a Frog. He can also hold up 1 finger when you say 1 and he says something that sorta sounds like one!! He is getting a mouth full of teeth. He likes playing outside, going bye-bye (especially to Aunt Sherry's and Uncle Pat's or to Mimi's and Paw-Paw's house), and taking a bath. He loves to eat and his favorite food seems to be anything with noddles, especially spagetti with Rotini noodles. He also loves fruit (pears, banana's, madarin oranges, peaches, and applesauce). He seems to have developed an addiction to the game show "Deal or No Deal". He loves to clap and say "yeah" along with the people on the show. He also likes it when the banker calls with a deal (he loves the phone). Nick thinks he likes the show because of the pretty girls!! Enjoy the pictures and we will update again next week.

Chinese New Year Celebration

2008-02-03T20:51:00.001-06:00

We attended a Chinese New Year celebration Saturday evening at Frazer. We had so much fun. We really want Sam to be proud of his heritage. We also have great appreciation for the Chinese culture because of Sam. Sam really enjoyed playing with the other children from our Panda Pals group... and you should have seen his expression when the traditional "Lion Dance" was performed! One tradition is for the children to receive a "money" envelope. He got two silver dollars. The actual New Year is this Thursday, Feb. 7th. In two weeks we will go to Fairhope and participate in our adoption agency's Chinese New Year parade. We will decorate Sam's wagon for that event!! Have I mentioned lately how blessed we are???? This evening as I was holding Sam in my arms before he went to bed, I could not help but think of his birth mother and father. They must have both been very handsome because Sam is so darn cute. I said a prayer for both of them, especially his birth mom. She gave us the most precious gift.... one that we truly love and cherish. My prayer for her this New Year is for God to grant her peace and happiness. I wish she could know how happy and content Sam is in his new home and how much he is loved by so many!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2008-02-01T09:25:00.000-06:00

Nick is celebrating a wonderful birthday today! We helped him celebrate by cooking cupcakes, giving him some great gifts (including tickets to see Ronnie Milsap in the new Alabama Performing Arts Center). Sam's favorite part was the cupcakes and the party favors!! He would clap everytime we would give his daddy a gift or sing happy birthday. We are getting ready to celebrate Chinese New Year which is February 7th. For those of you keeping score.. this is the year of the Rat! Tomorrow we are going to attend the Chinese American Association's Chinese New Year festivities at our church. Sam is going to wear his traditional Chinese clothing.. I will be sure and post lots of pictures. Now, here is a message to my dear sweet husband on his 47th birthday: To my Honey, I am so thankful to our Heavenly Father for you. He blessed me with such a kind, strong, and tender hearted husband. I love you with all my soul and I am so happy to be sharing my life with you. Sam loves his "Da-Da". I love to see how his eyes light up when you enter a room. We both love you very much and we love celebrating this day that you were born... a day which changed our lives forever. All my love, your Honey!!

Recognizing God's Many Blessings

2008-01-20T20:21:00.000-06:00

Sam and his Aunt Sherry

It seems the Holy Spirit is in Sam!

Getting ready to be baptized

Precious gift from God

Pastors Barry Carpenter and John Ed Mathison perform the Baptism

Sam and Mary Grace (how cute is this??)

Sam and his Pop-Pop

Sam with his Nai-Nai and Pop Pop

World's smallest snowman!

Boy, this snow is COLD!!

Hey look at me.. I can climb!!

Big boy sitting still for his first hair cut

We have so much to update about Sam. We had a very busy week.. a week full of firsts! Sam had his first hair cut Thursday. He was a big boy and decided that he would sit in the chair all by himself! Michelle did a great job and Sam just looks so cute! We also received Sam's citizenship certificate in the mail!! We celebrated the haircut and the certificate by eating Mexican. Sam loves cheese qasadillas!! Saturday we had a beautiful and very rare snowfall. We all enjoyed playing in the snow and building a very small snowman. Sunday was a very special day because Sam was baptized!! It was emotionally overwhelming for us because it seemed like this was what we had waited on for so long.... to have our son with us and dedicate his life and our raising him to our Heavenly Father. We had several friends and family attend and our Sunday School class was all there supporting us and witnessing this very special moment. Sam did very well (he really liked the water and wanted to play in it after he was baptized)! On our videotape we can hear Sam's friend Mary Grace say "Hey, Sam"! Mary Grace was adopted from China last March and she and Sam are so cute together. The sermon during today's service partly focused on giving God thanks and recognizing Him for our blessings and success. We will forever give all the Glory to God for Sam. It seems we fall more in love with him each day and we know the Lord will continue to guide us in raising this precious gift. Enjoy the pictures!

Sam's First Day at Daycare

2008-01-07T15:26:00.001-06:00

I'm going where???

Looking good!!

Today I started back to work (Nick started last week) and Sam started Mother's Day Out. He looked very cute in his safari overalls. He did very well and we are so very proud of him. He has done great in our church nursery so we had a feeling he would have fun with the other children. He loves to make people laugh and seems to have a great sense of humor. Sam seems to be right on target with children his age. He is very active and is learning to climb (heaven help us!). He also knows where his ears, nose, and bellybutton are located!! He seems to be attaching to both of us. He is a very loving child and freely gives kisses and hugs. He is getting baptized Jan. 20th. We thank the Lord for Sam everyday!

Our first Christmas with Sam

2007-12-29T19:32:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas with Sam. He was such a trooper! Sunday we were invited to Aunt Sherry's and Uncle Pat's. Monday we traveled to Clanton to visit with family and then ended the day at Aunt Becky's and Uncle Richard's. Christmas morning we traveled to DeFuniak Springs to visit with Nick's family. Sam's favorite part was the food. He loved the peas, butterbeans, and sweet potatoe casserole!! He got to meet lots of friends and family and was very busy playing with his new toys. We are learning more about Sam each day. He has a wonderful sense of humor and he is a very strong willed individual which we feel will help him be successful later in life. He enjoys laughing and he continues to be very loving and compassionate. Glory goes to God for bringing this child into our lives!

First Week at Home

2007-12-18T08:07:00.001-06:00

Sam and his MiMi

This is the way we brush our teeth

Peek-a-boo

Mama and Sam are very glad to be home after 30 hours of traveling

Meeting Nai-Nai and Pop Pop for the first time!

So glad to see these loving and friendly faces at the airport!

We have had severa firsts this week and lots of doctor's appointments. Sam brushed his teeth for the first time, he attended his first Christmas party, and he went to church where he stayed in the nursery. They said he got upset one time, but they walked him around and looked at the fish aquarium and he calmed down. He was asleep when we picked him up. He opened his arms wide and came running to us as soon as he opened his eyes. Sam does not like visiting the doctor's office (who does??) but so far he has gotten good medical reports. We are learning that Sam is very strong willed and impatient!! He is a happy baby... laughing and smiling very frequently. He loves music and he also loves to eat. He is learning new things everyday and we are amazed how quick he picks up on things. He is saying DaDa, Mama, Cat, Bite (to eat), and he waves bye-bye. He also loves to play peek-a-boo. Sam is a true blessing. All glory to God for this child.

We're Home and Update on Sam's Heart

2007-12-11T14:15:00.000-06:00

We apologize for not posting sooner! The jet lag has been pretty rough and we have been resting and letting Sam adjust to his new home. We were thrilled when we arrived and about 30 dear friends and family were at the airport to greet us. It really meant the world to us to see so many lovely and friendly faces!!

Sam has been doing wonderful considering everything he has been through. He was having trouble sleeping at first, but we adjusted our sleeping arrangements and he is now doing very well. We also visited the Pediatric Cardiologist this morning and he says that the Chinese doctors did a very good job patching the hole in Sam's heart. He says everything looks great and he does not need to see Sam for another year. Praise the Lord!! Another answered prayer!!

We will post again very soon. This is Sam's story and we will post every week to update everyone on his progress.

Thank you all for following our journey.. and we are especially thankful for all of your prayers!

Coming Home

2007-12-05T08:32:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone!
Thanks for following our journey.
We are scheduled to land in montgomery December 6th at 8:40pm on Northwest Flight 5904
Susan

Last Day in Beautiful Guangzhou

2007-12-04T14:34:00.000-06:00

Today was a free day for us. We had no appointments.. we just had to wait by the phone for an hour and a half just in case the consulate's office had any questions for us while reviewing our file. While we waited we went and visited with Martha and Isabell Gallahue. Sam loves the ladies and he is so sweet to Isabell.. he freely gives kisses to all the Gallahue women!! Later, Nick stayed with Sam in the room while I went shopping on the island. We stopped at Starbucks for a snack. The weather in Guangzhou has been perfect during our visit. Shamian Island is so nice. It has alot of greenery and parks. It has been sunny and the weather in the upper 70's. I was gone for about 4 hours and I really started missing Sam (and Nick too). I got a huge blessing when I returned. Sam was playing and when he saw me walk through the door he came running toward me, squealing with delight with his arms wide open. He jumped in my arms and gave me several kisses!! Gosh, did it melt my heart!!! This evening we ventured back out to pizza hut where Sam ate his first spagetti. So far he likes all the food he has tried. We are also sending pictures of his bath this evening. He really enjoys the water now and likes to put his face under the facet. I think he is going to be a great swimmer! Tomorrow we have our swearing in ceremony at the U.S. Consulate's Office at 2:30pm. After that the whole group is going to eat at Lucy's again for our last meal in China. We leave bright and early Thursday morning (5am) for the airport. We cannot believe that our time here is almost over. We are looking forward to starting our lives with Sam in Alabama. We know he is going to love everyone. I do not know if I will get a chance to post tomorrow. If not, we will see all of you once we get home. Thanks for joining us on this amazing journey to our precious son.

One Week Ago Today

2007-12-04T09:47:00.001-06:00

Sam was placed in our arms one week ago today! It is true what they say about time flying when they are babies. We started the day by getting our medical exams. Sam was not happy about it at all. There were three stations during the exam. The first one was a doctor who examined him all over and listened to his heart. He felt for hernia's and checked out his limbs. The other station Sam was weighed and measured. He had gained 1 pound in a week (we were not surprised). The last station was the ENT doctor. We are glad to report that all three babies passed with flying colors. After the exam we got on the bus and went to the Jade Market. After that we had lunch then visited the Guangzhou zoo. Sam loved looking at all the animals. The panda bear was asleep so we could not get a good look at him. Sam continues to win everyone's hearts. He has so much personality and is so loving. He is quiet the lady's man!! Tomorrow we have a free day except we have to hang around the phone from 11am-12:30pm while Pat goes to the Consulate's office with all our paperwork. Wednesday is our swearing in ceremony. Thursday we come home!! Our flight leaves around 8:00am Thursday morning (China time.. 6pm Wednesday night in Alabama). Our flight is scheduled to arrive in Montgomery Thursday evening at 8:40 (if nothing is delayed). I cannot wait for everyone to meet Sam! Enjoy the pictures of the day!

Giving Thanks

2007-12-02T09:27:00.000-06:00

We started the day by walking back over to Shamian Island to the White Swan Hotel. Pat had arranged a Service of Thanksgiving for Adoption. It was a real sweet service where we thanked our Heavenly Father for our precious children. This is one of the prayers: "May God, the Father of all, bless our child Samuel and we who have given to him our family name. May we live together in love and affection through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." After the service we took our famous "red couch" photos. It is a tradition for all the adoptive families to take pictures of their babies on the red couch. It was quiet amusing trying to get all of them to look at the camera at one time. The White Swan is a beautiful hotel with a large waterfall. It is really nice all decorated for Christmas. After the Thanksgiving service we walked a block to a Church of Christ. They have two services one in Chinese and the other in English. Both services were packed!! Praise God. We met a young chinese lady who was sitting in front of us. Her english was excellent. She actually teaches english at a local University. Anyway, she has been to Montgomery and she spoke at First Baptist Church (isn't it a small world??) She works for Campus Crusades but she says in China they cannot tell anyone it is Campus Crusades.. they call it Human Resources. The church was really nice and they sang lots of Christmas songs. Sam got to praising our Lord a little to loud and we were asked to leave (LOL). We went outside and Sam fell asleep in my arms while Nick was approached by a Chinese television crew and asked if they could interview him about being a Christian and what Christmas is like for him as a Christian. After church Doris and Pat gave us a New Testament Bible in both english and chinese. We then went and ate at the Cow and Bridge which is a Thai restaurant. Nick, being the adventurous eater that he is, order a seafood noodle dish. He really enjoyed it and had ate almost all of it when he saw something with "suction cups" and tentacles at the bottom of the bowl. It was either a baby Octopus or Squid (see picture). We were also approached today by a group of about 6 chinese girls who wanted to practice their english on us. Our young girl was Jenny (she is pictured above with Nick and Sam). She spoke excellent english and was so polite! We did a little shopping today.. and I bartered as best as I could. I got Sam two chinese outfits and 3 pair of squeaky shoes. Let me tell you, he LOVES those shoes... he just dances and jumps so he can hear them squeak! Tomorrow we leave at 8:30 to get Sam's medical exam and then we will go to the zoo. Sam seems to really be enjoying strolling through the streets and seeing all the sights. That is all for now. We will write again tomorrow. Love to you all.

We Made it to Guangzhou

2007-12-01T13:55:00.000-06:00

We are here in Guangzhou and the weather is very nice. It is sunny and in the high 70's. There are lots of tropical flowers and palm trees. Sam did okay for his first plane ride. He is a boy and he can get fussy when he has to be still for very long. None of us could sit together because the flight was so full so I had to sit with Sam in my lap between two other people. One of them asked to be moved which was a blessing because it gave us more room. Anyway we made it safely and please pray that Sam sleeps alot on our way home to the U.S. We are staying at the Holiday Inn and it is VERY nice. It is a large room and Sam is having a ball running around checking out his new home for this week. I guess he thinks we live in hotels!! After we unpacked we went for a walk over to Shamian Island. On our way there we walked through a street market where we saw alot of unusual items for sale... lots of puppies and kittens, dried seahorses, live snakes, live turtles, live eels, aligators, all kind of herbs. China is very crowded! Wherever you go there is always lots of people.. and they are all fascinated by us. Tonight they were taking pictures of us as we were taking pictures of the sights. We ate a favorite local spot called Lucy's. Sam had mashed potatoes and grilled cheese and of course he loved it!! He is also experiencing all of this for the first time and he is as fascinated by all of it as we are. Tomorrow morning Mrs. Pat is giving us a Thanksgiving service to thank God for our beautiful children. We will also go to church then have lunch at the Cow and Bridge Restaurant. The pictures for today include a picture of all three babies in the airport before we left for Guangzhou, Nick and Sam in front of the Christmas tree in the lobby, Doris (our facilitator) and Grandma Pat with Sam in front of gingerbread house in lobby, and the other two are us eating at Lucy's. We are starting to get homesick. We cannot wait to see everyone and have them meet our little man! Please continue to keep us in your prayers... we truly feel them. God has blessed us so very much! Oh by the way Sherry.. there is a shop here called Sherry's place and it is located right next to Susan's Place!!! Tell Hunter we got his message about Sam's hair and we are really going to try and keep him looking "cool"!!

Last Day in Nanjing

2007-11-30T08:06:00.001-06:00

All our bags are packed and we will leave for Guangzhou at 10am Saturday morning (8pm Friday night in Alabama). Weather.com reports it is Sunny and in the 70's there so it will be a nice change of scenery. Nanjing is a very busy, bustling city and I think Guangzhou is more laid back. This will be Sam's first plane ride and we are a little anxious to see how he reacts. Today we relaxed and got out a little bit this morning for a stroll to the river walk. This time it was just the three of us and again we drew crowds. I attempted to buy a banana for Sam at this little stand and I could not make the lady understand I just wanted the banana like it was.. she put batter on it and deep fried it, then put it on a stick for me. Nick and I can not eat the fruit here and Sam did not like it. I gave it to a man who was digging in the trash for something to eat. We've seen a few homeless people and some ask us for money. They are starting to put up Christmas decorations in our hotel... and last night a Chinese lady delivered a Holy Bible to our room! It is a new translation version with both english and chinese. I would really like to keep it. I could not understand the lady who brought it to our door.. I do not know if we can keep it or if we have to leave it for the room. Regardless, we are praising God that a window of opportunity is opening here in China for Christianity. We had sent the orphanage two disposable camera's to take pictures of Sam and we got them developed last night. Unfortunately only 9 pictures are all that developed. Something was wrong with our film. The Schmidt family's pictures turned out good and Sam is in some of those pictures with their son Cole. They were kind enough to give us a copy. The pictures you see of Sam and Cole were taken at the orphanage. Sam is in the red and blue. The other pictures today are of Sam playing in our room this morning. That is all for now... we will write again from Guangzhou.

Having fun with Sam

2007-11-29T13:10:00.001-06:00

Sam opens up to us more and more each day. Lets just say he is 100% boy!! He is walking everywhere and is curious about everything. He is very observant and learns things quickly.. do we sound like proud parents or what?? We are having so much fun with him. We laugh so hard at him at times when he is running around and playing. He is also having lots of fun... giving us deep belly laughs. You can get him squealing and laughing when you tickle his feet or his stomach. Today we went on a tour of the Nanjing Wall. Nanjing used to be the Capital of China many years ago and they built a wall around the city. There is a tale that the mortar in the wall is made of rice!! We also went back to the notary office and picked up our Red Book which is the official adoption documents. On the way back to the hotel I was christened as Sam's mom.... he wet on me!! Sam got a little fussy on the ride back to hotel so when we returned we went straight to the room and made him some instant cheese grits that we bought from home. He really loves them! He also likes taking off his clothes. So here we are in the middle of China with a baby with only a diaper on and cheese grits all in his hair and on his face. He might have been born in China but he is a Southern boy through and through! After he ate he was like turbo toddler... running around the room.. laughing and playing. We had so much fun with him. He also played in the tub tonight without crying.... it was a major breakthrough! Everyone in our group agrees he is right on target developmentally with his age. We also had our laundry done today. It came back so pressed and tightly folded. Sam is now asleep and we are happily exhausted. Good night for now and we will write again tomorrow. Enjoy the pictures of the day!

Hanging out in Nanjing

2007-11-28T10:16:00.000-06:00

We had a free day today and it was good to relax and rest. We are waiting on the babies passports which will be ready Friday. When we get the passports we will fly to Guangzhou Saturday morning at 10am. They say the weather there is nice and in the 70's. The high in Nanjing today was in the low 50's. Sam continues to thrive. He is sleeping really good. He is taking long naps and still goes to bed at night right at 8:30. Nick and some other members of our group went back to Walmart today. They took a cab ride and had quiet an experience. Those of you who have been to China know how crazy the traffic is... I mean it is really nuts.. people everywhere on bikes, mopeds, and everyone going in all different directions. Lets just say Nick will never forget his taxi ride to Walmart! We are about a block from a river and there is a riverwalk next to us. We went looking around this evening with another family in our group. Boy, we were stars!! Everyone stopping, staring, pointing, and talking. When we would stop for just a minute we were quickly surrounded by lots of spectators. It is quiet amusing. The first picture iI am sending is of Sam waking up first thing this morning. Another picture is of Nick changing his first diaper!! One of the pictures is Nick and Sam with Nick Schmidt and their son Cole. Cole and Sam were playmates at the orphanage. The pictures from the orphanage show them playing together at a playground. Rene Schmidt is a nurse and she checked out Sam really good. He seems to be in good health and we are praising God! Another answered prayer is that Sam seems to be bonding to both of us. He has also developed an attachment to both of us. Today we walked around alot with Sam just holding his hand. He can really work up a trot. We have noticed he is a little shy when he is around new people... but once he gets to know you his personality really shines through! We fed him cheese grits this morning and he LOVED those... of course there is not much he doesn't like to eat! One thing he really hates is getting a bath. That is all for now. We are exhausted.. but it is a happy tired! We will post again tomorrow. P.S. One more thing.. for those of you waiting to come to China please remember to bring salt and pepper.. we have had problems finding both!!

Sam is Officially Ours!

2007-11-27T08:13:00.000-06:00

This morning we went back to the Civil Affairs Office to complete the paperwork for the adoption. They asked us questions like why we wanted to adopt from China and if we promised never to abuse or abandon Sam. We then had to print our right thumb in red ink and stamp it over our signatures. We gave them all gifts. The orphanage director was there along with two other care givers. We gave them gifts. Director Gu presented Sam with a jade pendant on a red string. The pendant is a dog because Sam was born in the year of the dog. She also gave us a copy of the note from Sam's birth mother. It seems she did name him Hao.. and it also has his birth last name which is VERY unusual!! I am attaching a picture of the note. She also gave us a picture book with pictures of Sam they had taken at the orphanage. Sam was asleep until the very end and when he awoke and saw her he started crying really hard and arching his back. She kissed and hugged him. We thought he was upset because he wanted to go back to her, but she said no... he is upset because he thinks I am going to take him back to the orphanage. It absolutely broke our hearts to think that he thought we were giving him back. After the Civil Affairs office we went to the Brocade Museum. Nanjing is known for their hand made brocade material... and it is very lovely. We saw some awesome costumes worn by former Emperors. Sam is still eating very well. This morning for breakfast he had yogurt, congee, watermelon, and eggs. For lunch he ate noodles, rice, and steamed eggs. Of course in between meals he ate cheerios, gerber graduates sweet potato puffs, and gerber fruit treats. That boy can put down some groceries!! He also takes a bottle with formula first thing in the morning. He is so sweet and lovable and he smiles alot. He loves to give us kisses. Right now as I am writing this Sam is taking a nap with his Daddy. Nick is head over heels for Sam. I can't wait for everyone to see the two of them together.. they are really alot alike in their personalities! Sam started walking for us this morning. We have to hold his hands because he is a little wobbly. We will not be visiting the orphanage hometown because the road between here and there is under construction and it would take five hours with the detour. Instead we are going to sight see some more around Nanjing. We fly to Guangzhou Saturday... and then home next Thursday. By the way we love getting emails and comments from everyone. Enjoy the pictures and we will post again tomorrow.

Gotcha Sam! (Part 2)

2007-11-26T10:22:00.000-06:00

Sam is asleep now and we wanted to send you some more pictures! He is EVERYTHING we prayed for. God has outdone himself!!!!!!! He ate his first french fry tonight and he loved it. He had one in each hand eating as quick as he could! He is a good eater! We gave him a bath and he did not like that. When it was time for him to go to bed we laid him in his crib and he went right to sleep. He does suck his thumb when he needs comforting. He has a callus on his left thumb from sucking... we think he is left handed. The orphanage director said he could walk, but he has not done so for us yet... although he stands. One of the pictures is of him and Isabell, Martha Galluhue's little girl. We will write again tomorrow!
Love,
Suze and Nick

Gotcha Sam!

2007-11-26T10:18:00.000-06:00

Gotcha Sam!
We have our son!!! WOW... what a day. Nick and I are so thankful to God for this precious gift. He is beautiful and so sweet and so lovable!!!!! We got to the civil affairs office about 10am. We waited in a room with two other families (besides our three) who were also getting children. They bought their babies in first then about 10 minutes later we saw them walking outside and coming in. Sam was first and we recognized him immediately!! They walked in and said "Jin Hao" and Nick was the first to hold him. At first he just looked at us... then the water works started and he cried very hard for about the next hour. They were huge tears and it just broke our hearts! He was very close to his caretakers and he was confused and scared when they gave him to us. It was really good for him to cry because it means he can attach to his caregivers and that is what we want. After 30 minutes we got back on our bus and headed to Walmart. Sam was so exhausted from crying that he went to sleep in my arms. I waited on the bus while Nick went with the others to buy water, formula, and a stroller. Sam slept the whole time and awoke when we got to the hotel. In the room I took off the three layers of clothes (he was soooo hot... his hair was wet). We changed his diaper and then he ate yogurt, congee, and cheerios! He loves to eat (YEAH)!! He is now sitting on the bed playing with his daddy. He is smiling and playing. He is also very lovable... he hugs on us and lets us kiss him!! Nick and I are so in love with him!! He is walking and he loves the stacking cups and his ball. We have to go back to the civil affairs office in the morning to start the adoption paperwork. Thanks to everyone for your prayers!! He is a gift from heaven and we couldn't have asked for a sweeter baby! Nick just goot him laughing! I can't wait for everyone to see him! Love to you all... the Moss Family of three!

Great Day, Great Wall

2007-11-25T17:22:00.000-06:00

Ni Hao! We are writing this while waiting in the airport in Beijing for our flight to Nanjing which has been delayed! We are having a wonderful time in China! We got up this morning and after learning how to brush our teeth with bottled water and keeping our mouths closed while taking a shower, we went downstairs and had breakfast in the hotel buffet. They had lots of good food.. just like in the U.S. (scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, waffles, etc.). We even got to drink the orange juice and the water! After breakfast we went to a local store and purchased some bottled water and snacks for the day. People are everywhere walking and riding bikes…. And the drivers in China would fit right in driving down Atlanta Highway and Talladega!!! After we checked out of our hotel we went and had lunch at The Friendship Market which is connected to the Cloisonné Factory. The food was great… it tasted just like Ming’s or Asia Bistro!! We ate shrimp, pork, chicken, vegetables, and noodles. We then toured the Cloisonné Factory. The art of making Cloisonné is very tedious but the finished product is absolutely beautiful. We did some shopping afterwards and I got some awesome Christmas ornaments. Our next stop was the Great Wall. The wall is manmade but the mountains surrounding the wall were designed by God and they are beautiful!! It was very windy and cold but we managed to climb up a little ways. The steps are very steep and uneven. We then came to the airport and since our flight was delayed we ate dinner at KFC!!! This KFC was huge.. about the size of a grocery store! Doris, our guide, had to order for us. It tasted just back home! By the way, our guides, Mrs. Pat and Doris, are taking great care of us. Doris somehow managed to talk the airport baggage person into not charging us an overweight fee. She told them that our extra suitcase was donations of medicines and they did not charge us! The Lord is truly looking out for us and we can feel everyone’s prayers! We just learned that we will be getting Sam at 10:15am Monday morning… that will be 8:15pm Sunday night Alabama time. Please be praying for all three families as we start bonding with our children. The other families are the Schmidt and the Gallahue families. Well I guess the next time I post we will have our precious son!! We cannot wait to hold him!

They Have Landed!

2007-11-24T12:08:00.000-06:00

(Sherry- Posting on behalf of Nick and Susan)
Nick and Susan are in Beijing. I spoke with them this morning around 9:30 am our time and they had just arrived at their hotel. Susan was having trouble posting on the blog so she emailed the message to post to me, however I still have not received it. Hopefully I will get it soon and can post on the blog for her. Until then I will try to keep you informed on their behalf. She was happy to finally be there and she said everything went fine. They plan on touring the Great Wall tomorrow.

(The email they sent for today finally came). Here it is.

We have arrived!

By the grace of God we have made it to China! I never thought the day would come when I could post that!! God graced us with safe travel. We made it to Beijing 24 hours after we left Montgomerry airport. All our flights were on time and everyone was very friendly and helpful. And to everyone who knows Nick and were praying for his anxiety..., let me tell you those prayers were answered!! He was so calm and cool as a cucumber!!!! We were both so touched (and surprised) by all of you who sent letters (via Joetta) for us to read on the plane. We felt each of you with us. Our family is so blessed to have all of you in our lives! We get to sleep in a little tomorrow. We do not leave to tour the Great Wall until 11am. Our flight leaves for Nanjing at 8pm.... and of course the big day comes Monday morning. We still do not know the time... and we will not know until we check into the hotel tomorrow night in Nanjing. We should get Sam around 9 or 10am Monday morning which would be about 7 or 8pm Sunday evening in Alabama. We will post again tomorrow night. Love to all of you and keep those prayers coming!!!

Ready, Set, Go!

2007-11-22T17:50:00.000-06:00

We are so relieved that our bags our finally packed and we will soon be leaving for the airport. We had to repack and shuffle around a bunch of stuff to get all the bags under 50 pounds. We each have 2 carry-ons and a total of 3 checked bags. We are leaving for the airport at 4:30am. Our flight doesn't leave until 7am, but our travel agent wanted us at the airport by 5am. While we are in China you can email us at suzedmoss@yahoo.com. The next time we post will be from China. Love to all of you!

Counting it all Joy

2007-11-19T19:40:00.000-06:00

Sam's Baptism Jumper

Donations for Sam's orphanage

Kim and Suze

Promoting Adoption for National Adoption Month

5 days until we leave and time is really passing quick! Today, a dear friend of ours, Kim Hendrix, interviewed Suze on WSFA's Alabama Live to promote adoption. November is National Adoption Month. You can watch the interview by clicking http://www.wsfa.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?clipid1=1942379&at1=News&vt1=v&h1=Local+Family+Prepares+for+Adoption&d1=352867&redirUrl=www.wsfa.com&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage . Above are some pictures. We also wanted to send a special thank you to everyone who donated medicine for Sam's orphanage. We know they will be very grateful for the supplies. Also pictured above is the outfit that Sam will be wearing when he gets Baptized. Thank you to our dear sweet friend Dot (Aunt Dot to Sam) for purchasing the suit.... it is such a special gift and we will forever cherish it! We also want to send a special thanks to Judy and Jerry... (Sam's Mimi and Papasan).. we love the both of you very much for and we Praise God for Him bringing you into our lives! Our Sunday School class prayed over us yesterday and you could truly feel the presence of our Heavenly Father. God's timing is perfect and we know there is a reason for us to be getting our son during this season of Thanksgiving! Please pray that all of our flights arrive and depart on time (and that our luggage arrives with us)!!God Bless you all! We will try and post again before we leave!! We should be able to post every day while in China.

Giving Thanks

2007-11-17T14:58:00.000-06:00

Suze and Jo having "Royal Tea" at Gracie's Tea Room

Ray and Sandra Grace having breakfast with COTW families

Lindy, Mae Mae, and Grandma Pat

Beautiful Mae Mae

Having dinner with our dear sweet friends from church.

(Left to right) Nick, Judy, Jerry, Suze, Brad, Gayle, and Dot

Psalms 107:1 "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever".

We are so blessed! This is such a great time of the year: changing of the seasons and Thanksgiving. What a perfect time to get our son! God's timing is perfect and in less than a week we will be off on our incredible journey of a lifetime! We have been very busy packing and buying last minute items. I am sure we will pack and repack many times before we get it right. There is a 44 pound weight limit on all checked baggage in China! We have got Sam's suitcase packed and we are starting to work on ours. Today is my (Suze) birthday. To honor the occasion, Joetta treated me to Royal Tea at Gracie's Tea Room. It was so much fun and very relaxing!! Earlier in the day, several Children of the World families enjoyed at reunion breakfast at Cracker Barrel. We can't wait for Sam to be part of this wonderful COTW family! Our agency director is affectionately known as "mama" or "grandma Pat". She has helped unite hundreds of children with their forever families! She will be traveling with us next week and so we will be in very good hands!! Friday evening, our dear friends Judy and Jerry treated us to dinner at Sommer's Place. We were joined by some other friends from our Sunday School class. God has put so many wonderful people in our life over the last year! Today for my birthday, my "twin" Sherry took me to lunch and then we went shopping for some last minute items on our packing list. Tonight, Nick and I will just relax and order pizza. We are enjoying every minute of preparing for Sam! I will post again in the next few days before we leave!

Sam is growing!

2007-11-09T17:31:00.000-06:00

We got good news today from our agency. They got an update on Sam's measurements! Weight - 10 kg (22pounds), height - 80 cm (32 inches), head -46.5 (18.6), chest- 48 cm (19.2 inches), foot - 12 cm (4.6 inches). That means he has grown 2 inches and gained 2 pounds since our last report in August! We are praising God for Sam's growth and obvious good health. He is 4 inches taller than the other children in our group!! We also found out we will be visiting his orphanage. It is a 3 and 1/2 hour drive from Nanjing so it will be an all day excursion. God has laid it on our hearts to give something to all the other children who are still waiting on families. Pat, our agency director, says they can always use infant and children's Tylenol/Motrin and diaper rash cream. We are going to collect some donations of these items from our Sunday school class, family, and friends, and take to the orphanage.
We also have our itinerary.
Leave Montgomery 7am Friday November 23 (fly to Atlanta, Detroit, Tokyo, then Beijing)
We will arrive in Beijing on Sat night
Sunday morning we will visit the Great Wall and the Olympic Venues. We will depart to Nanjing in the afternoon.
Monday morning - Gotcha Day!!!! (this will be Sunday evening Alabama time.. please keep us in your prayers between 8-10pm)
Tuesday - Complete the Adoption process
Wed- visit the orphanage
Thurs - Sight seeing and pick up notary books
Friday - pick up passports and depart for Guangzhou
Sat - Medicals, zoo and jade factory
Sunday - Church - lunch together at the Cow and Bridge
Monday - go over consulate paperwork
Tuesday - consulate app
Wed -Swearing in ceremony at the consulate
Thursday - return home (we will get back in Montgomery around 8:30pm)
14 days until we leave!! WAHOOOOOOO!!

Leaving for China November 23

2007-10-24T11:08:00.000-05:00

WOW... talk about something to be thankful for!!! It is official.. we will be leaving the day after Thanksgiving to get our son. He will be placed into our arms on November 25! What a beautiful day that will be. I do not have our exact itinerary, however, I do know a few things that are scheduled. We leave Montgomery Friday the 23rd and arrive in Beijing Saturday evening. We will get up early Sunday morning and tour the Great Wall and visit Olympic venues. That afternoon we get on a plane and fly to Nanjing which is the capitol of Jiangsu, Sam's Province. Once in Nanjing, we will go the civil affairs office and receive our son. He will be carried in by the Orphanage Director and his caretakers. Once he is placed in our arms I hope we get to talk to his caretakers and ask them questions regarding Sam's schedule, what he likes to eat, his sleep routine, etc. After that we take Sam back to our hotel and then return the next day to start the paperwork on our adoption. After a few days doing adoption paperwork and waiting on Sam's passport, we will fly to Guangzhou where Sam will get a medical exam and we do more paperwork to finalize the adoption. Our consulate appointment is on Tuesday Dec. 4 and our swearing in ceremony will be Wednesday Dec. 5. We will return home on Thursday Dec. 6 to several friends and family who cannot wait to meet Sam. By the way, Sam will become a U.S. Citizen once our plane touches ground in the United States! I will post more information as soon as I get it!! WAHOOOOOO!!!

The Power of Prayer

2007-10-21T14:12:00.000-05:00

1 John 5:14-15 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." Isn't that scripture WONDERFUL? It is so comforting to know that God loves us and wants to spend time with us. Of course, prayer is the best way to spend time with our Heavenly Father. It is a special time to communicate and talk with Him... the creator of the universe! Yesterday I had the honor of being in the presence of about 18 beautiful sisters in Christ who came together to pray for me, Nick, and Sam. My dear friend Joetta hosted the prayer brunch at her home. Above is a picture of me and Renae (sitting down) and Joetta and Shannon (standing up). Renae, Shannon, and Joetta are an example of an answered prayer that the Lord gave me last fall. I met them at a bible study callled "Let Prayer Change Your Life" and they have been true and godly friends to me ever since that study and I know God will continue to bless our friendships. Yesterday, God really gave us a blessing as all of my prayer warriors came together to pray for all three of us, for our travel, for our health, and for God to prepare Sam for us. Joetta had put our prayer requests on chopsticks (see the above picture)! Isn't that so creative?? Each person took a prayer request and will pray specifically for that one thing while we are in China. Nick and I have total peace about our journey because we know that our friends and family will be praying for us and God will be listening! Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

We got our Travel Invitation!!

2007-10-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

Praise our Heavenly Father... the wait is almost over!! All the families in our travel group got their travel invitations today from China. This means our agency director can make us a consulate appointment and we can make travel arrangements. I will post as soon as we get specific travel dates.. it is looking like we will leave either November 23 or November 30! If we leave November 30, it will be two years to the date that we decided to adopt.. and November 30, 2006 was the day our dossier (adoption application) was officially logged into the system at the China Center for Adoption Affairs!! Wow... what a significant date!! Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we prepare to travel.

October Update

2007-10-12T12:17:00.000-05:00

Our agency director is saying we will probably travel the last of November or first of December. We ordered our visa's and put our entry date as November 15. Visa's are good for 3 months after the entry date. We are praising God that we will have Sam home before Christmas! We sent him a care package through Blessed Kids. He received it October 1. In the package was some pictures of us in a soft "who loves baby" photo book.... so I guess he now knows what his mama and daddy look like!! We have not gotten our travel invitation, but I think it will come next week. We continued to be blessed by friends and family who are praying for all three of us. Last week we had friends Ted, Joetta, Shannon, Wayne, Renae, Jason, Debra, and Mike come over to our home. We prayed inside and outside our home in every room. We asked God to bless our home as we prepare to bring Sam home. It is comforting to know that our Savior is in control and present in our lives! We are also thankful to CrimeStopper Board of Directors who gave us a gift card from Toys R Us. We used it get Sam's car seat. Boy... that was job installing it in our car.. but it is there waiting for Sam... safe and secure.

Baptism Scheduled

2007-09-27T16:09:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: WE CANCELLED THIS DATE DUE TO TRAVEL. WE WILL RESCHEDULE FOR SOMETIME IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY. We are trying to stay busy while we are waiting on our travel invitation to China. One big thing we scheduled is Sam's Baptism. Our little angel will be baptized, Sunday December 9, during the 11 O'Clock Traditional Service at Frazer UMC by Rev. John Ed Mathison. We are very excited about Sam being baptized. Sam's baptism is very important to us because we want him to grow up learning about our Heavenly Father's love, grace, and mercy. Next week, our bible study group is coming to our home to pray over Sam's room... and about a week before we leave our dear friends (Ted and Joetta) are hosting a prayer brunch for us. We are waiting on our travel dates before we schedule some of his doctor's appointments. On a another note... the last family in our travel group has received their Letter Seeking Confirmation so we are all waiting on our Travel Invitations. We are still praying we travel the end of October or the first of November. We are so thrilled that all of this is finally starting to happen. What a blessing it is going to be to finally see Sam in person and to hold him for the first time!!!

Aquarium and Care Package

2007-09-20T22:02:00.001-05:00

Sunday, Nick and I went to Atlanta. I was invited to speak at the 2007 National Project Safe Neighborhoods Conference. While in Atlanta, we went to a Braves game and visited the aquarium. WOW! It was amazing! Enjoy the pictures of the big sea turtle and the beluga whales.
We ordered a care package for Sam. We used an organization called Blessed Kids. We sent him a Panda Bear and some pictures of the two of us. The package also contained a translated letter, candy for the children and the caretakers, and two disposable camera's for the caretakers to take pictures of Sam. They will give us the camera's when we get him. We will not know our travel dates for a few more weeks. I will post them as soon as we know something.

Letter signed and returned to China

2007-09-20T21:32:00.001-05:00

Here is a copy of our Letter Seeking Confirmation. It arrived at our home last Saturday (Sept. 15) at 9:45am by Federal Express. We signed it and we were going to over night it back to our agency, however, we talked with Martha Gallahue (Martha is adopting a precious baby girl from the same orphanage) and she volunteered to hand deliver it to our agency first thing Monday morning. Martha lives close to our agency and we had already arranged to meet with her Saturday afternoon in Prattville. Martha and her mom will be traveling with us to China. They attended the International Adoption Clinic in Birmingham and stopped by to meet us while on their way back home to Mobile. It all worked out perfect!

WE GOT LOA!!

2007-09-14T15:09:00.000-05:00

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSING FLOW!!
On day 102 we got the letter that we have been waiting on... our Letter of Acceptance/Letter Seeking Confirmation. This is the letter from the Chinese government asking us if we officially accept Zhang Jin Hao as our child. I got the call today around 11:30am while at working lunch meeting with some of CrimeStopper's Board of Directors. My answering service called and said that Children of the World had called and they needed me to contact them as soon as possible. I could barely dial the phone number and speak intelligently to Olga who was giving me details. I immediately Praised our mighty God and then called Nick with the news (who was over-joyed and so relieved). Our agency is sending the letter to us over night federal express. We will get it, check the yes box that we want him, sign it, and then send it back to China. We now wait on our Travel Acceptance which usually comes 2-4 weeks. We are looking to travel late October or early November. Sam would be the perfect birthday gift (my birthday is November 17). Thank you all for your prayers! We are so happy! Thank you Jesus for this precious son sent from heaven!

100 Days

2007-09-12T15:19:00.000-05:00

With the wait longer than we anticipated, we decided to go away to the beach last weekend. The weather was perfect and we had a wonderful time. Of course, we were thinking about Sam and how much fun it will be to take him to the beach.

It has been 100 days since our Letter of Intent was given to the CCAA. It seems like a year since we first saw Sam's cute little face. The closer we get the harder the wait becomes. We continue to be faithful that God is in control. He is giving us all we need to get through the wait. We are praying that we will travel in November. In the meantime, Sam's story is a testimony of God's love and purpose. Our friend Nancy, who is also adopting from China, wrote a wonderful story about our adoption in our church newspaper. We also gave our testimony about how our church family has helped with our adoption. The testimony was videotaped and was played during church services last Sunday. The purpose was to push several new Sunday School Classes and to get people involved in a small church group. We give all praise to our mighty God who continues to shower us with His blessings. One miracle that God has performed has been the fact that He took away Nick's desire to smoke cigarettes! That's right! Nick has been smoke free since May 29! PRAISE GOD! I am so proud of My Honey! I know it was a very hard habit for him to break and he could not have done it without God's help. He wanted to quit for me and Sam. What a great gift to give his new son!