Leaving on a jet plane!

Our Travel Approval is here!   That means that I will be leaving for China on November 1st.   ZoraLin and I will be leaving KCI at 1:50pm flying into Detroit with a 4:47pm arrival time.   After a few hours hangin' in the airport there (which is a pretty nice place!) we then hop on a Delta Boeing 777 at 10:20pm which arrives in Beijing at 12:15am on November 3rd.

We meet Linzi Rose MingShan on November 5th!!!!   We will travel to Tianjin to her orphanage where we will meet her.    We stay in Tianjin for at least a day and I am hoping maybe two days.   I really want to visit the Prince of Peace Children's Home and Philip Hayden Hands of Hope Wall while we are there.

Then we will go back to Beijing until the 8th when we fly to Guangzhou to finish up the adoption.   I will be posting at Journey to Me while in China as I don't have a VPN or know how to use one!   We will be arriving at KCI on November 18th at 4:30pm.   Home for my birthday and Thanksgiving!!  And what a blessing it will be!

RaeAnne was just a little mad that she is not going to China this time.   This is the reaction I received when I asked her if she would miss me.

Guess not!

The girls do not have school Friday or Monday.   I am not sure if the teachers tried to cram more work into the shorter week, but Kendalan was exhausted tonight.   She crawled up on the couch and I told her a couple of times that she needed to go to bed.   The next thing I knew I looked over and found her and Oreo sleeping together.  I think maybe Kendalan had been admiring her pretty fingernails when she fell asleep or maybe showing them to Oreo!

Little Miss Kendalan is just as beautiful sleeping!   

It finally happened!

Kendalan lost her other front tooth yesterday!   She is still pretty cute even without them...but of course, I am biased!!

We saw Tessa's cardiologist this week and her echo was good news.   The aneurysm has not changed in size!  

And on the adoption front...our Article 5 was picked up from the US Consulate in Guangzhou Tuesday.  Our agency think that we will travel in November!   Yay!!  Linzi Rose MingShan will be home for Christmas!!

Blankees

I have been cleaning or you may call it rearranging things.   Many years ago after suffering some water damage to things that were stored in our basement, I became a Rubbermaid kind of gal.    By that, I mean I had everything stored in Rubbermaid containers.    And I do mean E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.   And because we didn't have any children.....yet.   I was very anal in my storing things.   Every container was itemized!   There was a index card on the outside of the container that was kept inside of a ziplock baggie.    Everything was listed.

We moved from Edmond, KS to Wichita and my things were easy to find and my containers kept the bugs, the moisture, and the stuff clean!   I bought containers that were all the same size and they stacked so easily.

Then we moved to Keller, TX.   All was well until Mark took a job back in our home state of Kansas.   Not only did I have to leave a job that I loved!!    When the movers came to pack...unbeknowst to myself...they took things out of my itemized, well kept, well organized containers and packed them into boxes!     They then stacked all the containers together...with the ziplock baggy still hanging on the side.    Ackkkkkkkk!!   Did they have any idea of what they had done to me??!!    I have never gotten over that.    I have never been able to get my life back to organized as it was.   I am again trying....please pray for me!

I hope to have a garage sale for a few hours Saturday morning.   I need to move out some clothes that we have an abundance of.    I am calling it the mostly $.50 cent sale.   Just about all the clothes will be
$.50 each.

So the point of this post...other than to make everyone think I am really anal...I am.     During my re-organization plan I came across a blanket that I had made for RaeAnne before she was home with us.   I have one of those names that you can never find spelled right on many things.    Our daughter's have the same problem.   Especially RaeAnne and ZoraLin with our play of capitals in their names.   So when I found this great site for crochet blankets with your child's name throughout the blanket...spelled right.   Well, I just couldn't resist!!   That blanket has been put away.   I know why have it if they can't use it.  I didn't want it all snagged up...sorry!    So RaeAnne was snuggling with her blankee today and now I have a couple of others who want to know where is their blanket??

This is the company Blankees and I will probably be ordering a small one for each of the girls.   Oh the things we do for our children!!   Let me count the ways I love you....

Recipe post

I hopped over to stalk check out a new post on a blog that I follow today.   Lori at Joy Unspeakable had posted asking for recipes.   How convenient that I had made one of my girls' favorite foods today!   They have been begging me to make this for a couple of weeks.

Bowtie Pizza Pasta Salad

1 lb. large bowtie pasta

16 oz shredded pizza cheese

4 oz turkey pepperoni cut in halves

1 10.5 oz package grape tomatoes cut in halves

6 green onions thinly sliced

1/2 C. red wine vinegar

1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 C. vegetable oil

1 tsp salt

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

     Cook pasta per package directions.  Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.   Place in a large bowl and let cool.   In a medium bowl (or salad shaker) combine oil, vinegar, oregano, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper.   Mix well and chill.  

      Mix the tomatoes, pizza cheese, onion and pepperoni into the pasta, toss until well combined.   Pour dressing mix over the pasta and toss until evenly mixed.   Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

My girls consider this a meal in a bowl and will stuff consume several bowls each!

I think that the original recipe called for sliced black olives and regular pepperoni, but my food critics are not too keen on black olives and I think that the turkey pepperoni is probably a little more healthy.    They give it
5 thumbs up!

Happy Birthday Linzi Rose MingShan!!

Linzi is SIX years old today!!   We so wanted to spend this milestone with her, but since we couldn't we did the next best thing.   We sent her a Care Package!!    So she received a cake today and a bunch of goodies for her, the kids and the orphanage workers.    We also sent a couple of disposable cameras which we really hope that the nannies use to catch the action!!   We received 10 photos of the party.   Unfortunately the quality of the photos is not the best in the world.   But some photos are better than none at all!!

This will be the L~A~S~T birthday that Linzi spends without her family!!   It still looks like ZoraLin and I may be traveling in November to bring her home!!    We are keeping our fingers crossed and sending a few prayers out for speedy and safe travels.

We also sent a letter to her telling her that she has a family and we are hoping to be there soon to get her.   I so hope she is prepared as well as she can be to accept us into her life!  

We L~O~V~E you Linzi Rose MingShan!!   We can't wait to meet you and have your join our family FOREVER!!!

Combination post

First of all, we want to thank everyone who participated in our Thirty One Products and Scentsy Fundraiser!!   Also a Great big Thanks to Jennifer and Tammy for going out of their way to help us with the parties!!   We are so thankful to have friends and family who took the time to look at our fundraiser and order something!   Thank you SO much!!

Last Saturday found the girls testing for their yellow decided belts at TaeKwonDo  Unfortunately, Mom had to work Saturday.   But I was off Monday for the awards ceremony.  The Gym was packed as they were doing awards for all the different stages of belts.

Each one of the girls were called up to receive their belt.   Both Mr. Lee and Mr McClellan took time to pose with our newly decorated warriors!!

~P~A~R~T~Y~ ~T~I~M~E~

We are having an on-line party to help raise some of the funds we need to complete our adoption of Linzi Rose MingShan. It is hard for us to ask for help so this way you get great products and we get money to help pay for things like travel, room reservations, etc.

Come join the fun!   The Scentsy party continues through the 30th.   The Thirty One Party is over :(

The Scentsy Fundraiser, BRING LINZI HOME is already on my website for anyone who would like to place orders. Here is the link: https://tammykachel.scentsy.us/Scentsy/Buy?partyId=100269053

Come and browse through all the things. Shop til you drop!! 100% of the commission goes toward our bringing Linzi Rose MingShan home! Thank you! And please pass this on to anyone who you think would like to help!   We want this blessing home where she belongs!!

Blessings from the VanCamp Family!!