Christmas Pictures with Santa

When we started talking about adoption, Scott and I had no idea how we would be able to afford the expenses, we just decided that together we would make it work and we would not let the financial aspects interfere with our dream to adopt our daughter. 

Everything would fall into place...

Blessing have continued to change our lives, dear friends Perry & Lisa Silvas owners of La Mia Bella Pet Salon have opened their hearts and provided us the opportunity to participate in their annual Pictures with Santa event.  When they initially called we thought they wanted our help taking the pictures with a donation to the Lottie Lee Fund.  We were so excited.  But it doesn't end there!  Perry and Lisa told us the entire event was dedicated to Lottie Lee and with all their help we hope to make this years Pictures with Santa the best one yet!

If you live in the Austin Area please join us for a fun filled day and get your picture with Santa!  Happy Holidays to all we certainly have more blessings than we ever expected and are so thankful!

50 Thank yous

The best things in life are not things, the best things are people like you... Thank you for all the love and support.  Each day we find ourselves overjoyed with all the love.  Friends, family, and even strangers have come together to help us raise the funds to afford Lottie Lee's adoption. 

Our favorite "Thank you" story this month, is while visiting family we couldn't pass out the gift cards fast enough ( we actually ran out of gift cards) the love we felt was like nothing else. The enthusiasm to meet Lottie Lee and welcome her into our family was present our entire visit.  We felt so lucky to have such a wonderful, loving and supportive family!  For all of you we are so blessed!

Wrapped in LOVE

Scott and I received this beautiful handmade shawl from our dear friend Georganne Chamness, it is a prayer shawl that has been blessed for our sweet Lottie Lee.  Words cannot describe the love and support we receive everyday, but tonight this beautiful handmade gift represents the tangible love.  We will cherish this gift and wrap ourselves in the love from our family and friends as we patiently wait to meet our baby and we will take this beautiful gift to China wrap ourselves in it as we fly across the world, we will cling to it as we wait to see Charlotte for the first time and we wrap Charlotte in it her first night with us. 

Prayer of Blessing

May God's grace be upon this shawl...

Warming, comforting, enfolding and embracing.

May this mantle be a safe haven...

A sacred place of security and well-being...

Sustaining and embracing in good times

As well as difficult ones.

May the one who receives this shawl

Be cradled in hope,

Kept in joy,

Graced with peace

And wrapped in love.

Blessed be!

St. Philips ACTS, 2011

Love you Baby

As October draws to an end, we realized that our sweet Lottie Lee has been born. According to all the timelines for our adoption and friends we have met through the blog world we can expect Lottie Lee to be around 9-12 months when we travel to China in the Summer/Fall of 2012. 

Although many factors can change and everything about adoption is unpredictable it is comforting to have reached this milestone, as we have already been dreaming of this baby for 7 months.  It's a surreal feeling to know that across the world our baby is here and waiting for us. In the past few months we have spent many nights talking about Lottie Lee and all the wonderful things we hope to share with her. We cannot believe how fast time is passing us by, although we wish it would go faster so that we would have our sweet baby in our arms, we are trying to cherish the moments and enjoy this time as we wait.  

As Halloween neared, we made several pumpkins for Lottie Lee this one was the easiest-no carving involved, the Chinese characters read, “Love you Baby”, next year Lottie Lee may be here in our arms and we will be able to tell her everyday how much we love her.

98 Thank Yous

"How beautiful a day can be
when kindness touches it!"
~George Elliston

We are beyond words of gratitude and thanks. Cannot believe that in 30 days so many people have reached out to help us fundraise to bring Lottie Lee home to us! We feel so blessed to have all the wonderful friends and family that surround us with love and support every day throughout our journey.

September was an amazing month and with the help of CoupAide, friends, family and even strangers 98 gift cards were purchased in honor of our sweet baby. As each day passed we sat in wonder how so many people became a part our journey and more importantly a part of Lottie Lee's story.

Sadly we won't know much about her birthparents, actually most likely her birthday will be an estimate. We won't know why her parents chose adoption or is she has any brothers or sisters. But what we can tell her is how her story started with us.  How much she was loved even before we saw her picture.  We can share all the messages, cards, and well wishes. We can tell her that old friendships were reunited, and because of her new friendships began. We can share our journals and how that not a day went by that we did not think of her.  Most importantly we will share how so many people came together to make it possible to bring her home from China.  

Thank you to everyone, every thought, prayer and well wish has not gone unnoticed. Thank you for all the love and support!

The littlest one that ever sole my heart

You are the sweetest gift, my little pearl.

You are a bright young thing and the

whole world is in front of you.

Take things as they come and you will

weather well.

Go everywhere. 

Be brave and stong and free.

Keep your eyes and ears and heart wide open.

Look for goodness all around you.

And when you feel small in the

great big world, be still.

Think of your beautiful roots. 

They are deep and true and will

allow you to stretch far.

 So go into the world and let you little light shine.

And always remember you are loved

and blessed and the littlest one that

ever stole my heart.

~ Rebecca Puig

Dancing with the Dragon

We were able to watch our first Dragon Dance, while enjoying the 2011Moon Festival. It was beautiful, facinating, and rich in Chinese culture. Here is some information about the traditon, from Wikipedia.com.

Dragon dance (simplified Chinese: 舞龙; traditional Chinese: 舞龍; pinyin: wǔ lóng) is a form of traditional dance and performance in Chineseculture. Like the lion dance it is most often seen in festive celebrations. Many Chinese peopleoften use the term "Descendants of the Dragon" (龍的傳人 or 龙的传人, lóng de chuán rén) as a sign of ethnic identity, as part of a trend started in the 1970s. Another derivation is from (農的傳人) i.e. the descendants of Shennong, the legendary first king of the Chinese people who taught them agriculture, law and medicine, the foundationsof civilization.

In the dance, a team of people carry the dragon — which is an image of the Chinese dragon — on poles. A dragon can be composed of up to 50 people. The dance team does mimic the supposed movements of this river spirit in a sinuous, undulating manner. The movements in a performance traditionally symbolize historical roles of dragons demonstrating power and dignity. The dragon dance is a highlight of Chinese New Yearcelebrations held worldwide in Chinatowns around the world.

Dragons are believed to bring good luck to people, which are reflected in their qualities that include great power, dignity, fertility (sex), wisdom and auspiciousness. The appearance of a dragon is both frightening and bold but it has a benevolent disposition, and so eventually became an emblem to represent imperial authority.