Leaving for China!!!

I am leaving for China to adopt our 5th child.

You can follow my Journey to Joy on our adoption blog

Joy From the East

Much LOVE,

Dawn

Our Joy Overflows

Well, because I don't have enough to do or enough confusion: Not only do I have a website for Joy but now I have a blog for her too. My logic was this: The website is nice to have all the various pages for updates, fundraising, cost analysis, time lines, etc. BUT, when I travel to China the blog will be nice and simple (and easy) for uploading pictures and updates about our first few days together. BUT, since I started the blog, I have found it easy to use it to pour out my heart. I miss my girl. I have so many thoughts, feelings and words and very little outlet for them. A journal is hard for me anymore. For some reason, my hand cramps with extreme pain when I try to write more than 1/2 page in my journal. But, my blog allows me to type with comfort. Then as the year rolls to an end, I am able to copy/paste my words from my blog into a photo album, a keepsake for our Joy.

So here is her blog: http://joyfromtheeast.blogspot.com/

For now, the blog has only tidbits of info, a few pics and later as I travel it will be how I communicate daily.

Today, I was blessed beyond blessed to post updates photos of our waiting Joy to her new blog.



~ She is beyond precious. I am beyond blessed to have these photos. My heart is overflowing with pure Joy today! And, as I want to cry out in anguish over the wait, I try to focus on the thought that 'soon Mom and daughter will be united, soon'! ~

Thinking, preparing, dreaming

Hotels:
Thinking of hotels. Where I can stay and be safe. Where we can walk to dinner close by.

Shopping:
Where can we stay where shopping is around the corner. Shopping! She'll come with nothing. She'll be 9 years old and own nothing but the clothes on her back. I cannot pre-buy anything because she's 9. Not only do I not know here size, I don't know what she likes. So shopping, we will be shopping. She will need clothes immediately.

Things to do:
I hear there are many things to do in Xi'an. I look forward to exploring my new daughter's birth city with her. Since I'm traveling alone, I'll have lots of mom-daughter bonding moments. What's the city like? What will my trip be like?

Someone else took this photo. It's the Remnan Sqaure in Xi'an.


So much to think about.

So much preparing to do.

So much dreaming.

And lots and lots of praying.

Missing my girl today. Getting excited.