Happy Halloween!

For the first time in 11 years, we were not able to have our annual Halloween party, because I am sick. Phillip manned the door AND took the kids trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. It was sad, because our house ROCKS at Halloween time! Our whole family comes over and we celebrate family with food, laughter, dancing, and lots and lots of candy. We do it for the kids but we adults have just as much fun. Next year Quinn will get to dress in some outlandish costume as well. I can't wait for her to join our family!!!!! The countdown is getting closer. We leave in 13 days!!!

A Letter To My Sister: From Donovan

Dear Qian Yu,
I hope you'll like it here in America. If I want to sit by mom to I will pick you up and put you on my lap. Ok....Anyway, I'm really excited for you to get here. I really looooooooooooooove you!!
Sincerely,
Donovan

Inside China Travel Itinerary - Quinn, Here We Come!!

We received our itinerary today!! Here it is:
November 13 - Leave from Indianapolis to Detroit. Detroit/Tokyo/Guangzhou
November 14 - Arrive in Guangzhou. Stay at The Victory Hotel. Our local guide is "Helen".
November 15 - Free day
November 16 - Free day
November 17 - GOTCHA DAY. Arrive at the Civil Affairs office to receive our new daughter.
November 18 - Go to Civil Affairs office to fill out paperwork, notarization and registration procedures.
November 19 - Pick up the registration card and go to the Public Security Bureau to apply for Quinn's passport.
November 20 - Free day. I think we will go to Quinn's orphanage today.
November 21 - Have visa picture taken and medical exam performed.
November 22 - Free day
November 23 - Free day
November 24 - Free day. Afternoon we will get all notarized paperwork and passport for Quinn.
November 25 - "Helen" will submit the visa application documents for us to the US consulate.
November 26 - Group oath will be taken at the US consulate. Quinn will receive her travel visa and become a US citizen!
November 27 - Leaving Guangzhou for Tokyo to Detroit to Indianapolis....Just in time for Thanksgiving dinner!!

Problem.....

With 18 days until we travel, I have developed what appears to be the mumps!!
My daughter had it swollen glands a couple weeks ago...no big deal. Then my son got it. His right gland under his jaw gotten really swollen, and it was bacterial, so they treated it with anti-biotics. I got it a few days later (coming up on two weeks now). My glands in front of my right ear and below my jaw have gotten bigger and bigger each day. I look like Charlie Brown! It is very painful; like an icepick is stuck in my neck! I see a doctor in Indy on Wednesday, and they'll either do a biopsy or say, "Yep, it's the mumps, now go home!" Anyway, please keep me in your prayers. I just want to be healthy enough to get Quinn with the rest of my family!!!

A Letter from MaryKatherine - sister

Dear Quinn Yu,
I am excited for you to be here. I hope you are going to be here in a short, short short time. I heard that you are going to be here in a short time actually. When you get home I hope I get to hold you and feed you. I am going to teach you how to play with Barbies. Can you be here right now Quinn Yu?
I heard my mom is your mom now. I think that's good!
love,
Mary Katherine

21 DAYS!!!

We are confirming our travel arrangements today!!
So far it looks like we are leaving from Indianapolis on November13th and going to Detroit. From Detroit we fly to Tokyo. We'll have a two-hour layover there and then we will fly into Guangzhou. Our consulate appointment is November 25th and then we fly out on Thanksgiving day. Our plane comes in at 5:00 p.m., just in time for Thanksgiving Dinner!! WooHoo, I don't have to cook this year!! Poor little Quinn is going to freeze to death when she gets home. I guess the weather has been in the upper 80's....Today's high here at home is 58! I can't wait to bundle her up in all her pink stuff!!

23 More Days !!!!!!

I am so excited, but at the same time very nervous!! I am hoping that little Quinn accepts us. I grieve for her birth mother.....I always try to think "why". Why did she abandon her? Of course I'll never know. I'll never know her medical history or if she favors her mother more or her father. I've never seen her first step, or her first smile, or her first word. I will always wonder if her birth mother thinks of her. I secretly say a prayer of thanks to her every day for making the decision she made. I know it must have been hard for her to leave her baby girl in a little basket at the car repair factory. I hope she knows that a family has found her who will love her unconditionally forever and ever. Now, she will have new firsts that i WILL get to see.....her first bite of pizza, watching her wear my shoes around the house....glamming it up with her sister in the bathroom, and playing in the garden in the summer. Our lives are so blessed with three beautiful children who are smart and just good human beings. I can't wait to add one more to the mix!!!

We Have TA!!

We got our Travel Arrangements on Friday!! Looks like we will tentatively leave on November 11 and return on Thanksgiving Day!! Maury, our coordinator, is requesting our consulate appointment on November 24th. I don't know when our Gotcha Day will be yet. Hopefully we'll get a definite itinerary pretty soon. In approximately 24 days we will have a new little Asbell in the family! The kids are so excited. I haven't told any other family members yet, but plan on doing it tomorrow at our family picnic. God is so good and we are very blessed!

Here is a map of the province Elizabeth QuinnYu is from.

UPDATE PICS!!

Jennifer, a very nice lady from my Yahoo group sent these pictures to me Saturday morning. I am so grateful to her for thinking of me while she was at the orphanage. I know it was probably hectic that day. I honestly thought she would send "a" picture, but when I opened up my email, there was 25!! pictures waiting for me to open up!! I will only post a couple today, but my little photo album that I thought would only have a few pictures from "the wait" is going to end up filling it up and another one too. I am so blessed to have my Yahoo friends! Well, we are hoping to get our TA soon, but Phillip and I are guessing that we'll probably travel sometime in November.....cross your fingers!! The kids are getting sooooo excited! She will absolutely be here by Christmas this year! I can't believe it's going to finally happen.....God is soooo Good!