War Eagle Baby Girl

Hi all!
First things first,
I wasn't very good this year but
Santa Daddy got me my 1st iPhone.
I'm actually posting from it now,
SqUeAL!!!
Who knew??
Ok, so I knew I wanted the iPhone.
I actually held onto my dinasuraus phone longer than necessary.
It was all in the name of love.
And now that my LOVIE is home,
it was time for mama to get an upgrade.

Talk about perfect timing.
It just so happens that my mini-me
just inherited her 1st apple product.
That means she doesn't touch my phone because she has her own.
And if I touch hers??
Let's just say I get a good scolding!

So now that I have this handy dandy blogger app, you can look forward to more frequent postings.
Yes mom I know, it's about time! ;)

Now onto the real reason for my post.
Check out this sassy little Auburn cheerleader.

When I asked her to let me take her picture I got this.

Uh MOM can't you see I'm texting right now?!

Luckily after a few mommy-monkey-motions I snapped my sweet girl.
She absolutely lights up our home.
And her pink?
Let's just say it's taking over!

Now I'm off to rescue the boys.
They were trying to throw the baseball.
That is until a charming lil' sister lured them into swinging with her instead.

God's blessings on your afternoon
& War Eagle,
One Blessed Tiger Mama :)

Emily Margaret in 2 Pics

If I were to pick two recent pics to sum up this precious wild child of mine, these are the two. :)
We absolutely adore this girl!

Quick Update :)

Yesterday we had our appointment at the International Adoption Clinic.
We were a whopping 24lbs and in the 3rd percentile.
(That's ok, Nanny will fix that!)
We bombed our first round of hearing tests,
as we out smarted the system and started responding
before the sound was actually made. :)
We got the compliment of best clinical presentation
of bonding and attachment. :) :)
AND when we had our 10 vials of blood drawn
we refused to pull our sleeve down so that
EVERYONE could see our boo-boo!
Yep, that's my child all right. :) :) :)

Today we're heading back to Birmingham
for another round of hearing tests.
Today's test will be more precise as it will determine
exactly how much auditory brain response she is having.
Please pray for my girl.
She was a trooper yesterday
as she charmed the staff &
won new found admiration in the heart of her mama.

Gotta run before my princess wakes up without me!
God's blessings, Sarah :)

No Place Like Home

Good morning all!
I'm still sporting my jammy tales
as we enjoy this lazy Saturday.
While the boys continue to play catch up
with their homework assignments
and baby sister helps them,
I'm sneaking away for a quick blog update.

First off I gotta say,
Dorothy got it right when she said
"There's NO place like HOME!"
This first week home has been b-u-s-y,
but nothing the comforts of home can't soothe.

Emily Margaret loves it here.
She knows our routine
and thrives on it.
She doesn't even cry when we
take her "bubbies" to school anymore. :)

We're still figuring out the nap thing.
But more importantly we got the
sleeping all night under control,
HOORAY!!!
She even slept late with me this morning.
We'd wake up, snuggle and go back to sleep...
PURE BLISS!!!

Today she's already learned to
give eskimo kisses.
She's rough as a cob but loving as an angel!

We had our first home study
follow up on Thursday.
Stella said Emily Margaret's doing great.
I think the biggest help is all the
sign language we've been teaching her.
There's something to be said for effective communication.

We're using the Signing Times videos
thanks to the recommendation of a friend.
We have episodes 1 and 4
and we watch them A LOT! :)
If I had a life savings,
I'd gladly trade it for the remaining
DVD's, flashcards & books.
Yes, they're making that much of a difference. :D

I'm off to see what my munchkin is up to.
I promise to be back soon with
lots of pics & details.
If I owe you a phone call or email
please be patient with me.
My little diva requires mommy's undivided attention. ;)

One last thing.
Thank you for all your prayers.
They have been heard and answered.
Our heavenly Father has been raining down
the most abundant grace imaginable.
We sing His praises daily!

God's blessings loved ones,
The Hinson Family of Five!!! :)

Another Update!

Hello All! I got to iChat with Sarah this morning-- they were getting ready to go to bed. They had their visit at the consulate and took their oath and EMH is officially a Hinson and a US citizen-- once she touches down on US soil. 

They took her to the zoo afterwards and she loved it. Sarah said she is mischievous but extremely loving. She had her physical and they pronounced her with perfect hearing... Sarah informed me that their hearing test involved squeaking a rubber duckie by her ear. So scientific! ;) Andy says she can't hear a lick... Sarah seems to think that it's some hearing loss as well as selective hearing. :) She is totally paying for calling my girls DIVAS! 

They've been to the circus and played in the park. EMH is very active and apparently quite the busy body!

They went on a river boat cruise last night. Joseph had his first run in a cougar. ;) Sarah said that the locals are a little on the rude side and are quick to tell you if they think EMH doesn't have on enough layers or if they are feeding her things that they don't deem "acceptable". They told Sarah and Andy that they were going to make EMH fat and implied that they wouldn't get to keep her if she did! Sounds like an interesting time, for sure. 

I don't have any pictures... I think things have been a little crazy for them. They leave for Hong Kong tomorrow, spend the night there and then they get to come home!! YAY! They will be home Friday evening. I'm not sure when she will have time to post an update-- James' birthday is Saturday. 

Also, for those of you who don't know, Andy's dad passed away yesterday morning. He has battled cancer for years and been in and out of the hospital. I am not sure of all of the details, but I do know he was in the hospital when he died early Tuesday morning. Andy does know and his sister Christine has flown in from Hawaii to help his mom out. They are cremating him and his memorial service is Sunday afternoon. 

If you would, say a prayer for Andy and his family. They could also use some happy traveling vibes.. I feel certain a 14 hour flight with an active toddler is going to be quite the adventure! 

First Airport Experience

I received an e-mail from Sarah that was this post, complete with captions! Enjoy! 

Hello. My name is Emily Margaret. I'm from a small province of about 3.5 million people. 

Today is my first flight. Mama made sure to layer me up, so as not to ruffle the locals. They are quite opinionated. Mama always gets stopped on the street. At lunch, the waitress even told Mama I looked kinda Chinese. Umm. yeah, ya think?!?! Anyway, laundry was running scarce so Mama did the best she could. :)

While my people were acting dignified, Mama and I had a little airport picnic. 

I'm SO glad GiGi got me this handy dandy cup/snack bowl. 

And Nana keeps me full of REAL goldfish crackers. See, I LOVE goldfishes. :)

And yes, just to keep Mama on her toes we multi-tasked. We snacked, played toys, and learned a few new signs. After all that fun, I was ready for a nice long nap on the plane. Hooray for family fun!!! 

Last Day in Jinan

Everyone went site seeing in Jinan on their last full day. 

Pa Bill is never in front of the camera!

The River where everyone gets their drinking water

Sarah and EMH got tired and went back to the van

The site where they found EMH

Mama and daughter where she was found

Daddy, Mama, and daughter

Celebration kisses

Emily Margaret helped James with his homework.. how stinking cute is this?!?

I know everyone is hoping that their next stop is more tourist friendly. :) Sarah is so thankful to have her in her arms and would like for everyone to keep the prayers coming! I know they are a little worried about EMH's first flight, so keep them in your thoughts! :)

Lazy day at the pool

Hi all! Rachel again.. sorry I've been a slacker with the updates, my life got a little crazy with decorating for Christmas, kids, running a business and all that. As I sat down to write this post, Sarah sent me some more pictures! Geez.. ;)

They spent the day swimming in the hotel pool. Mom said it's like a third world country once they get outside of the hotel and aren't venturing out too much. They leave for Guangzhou tomorrow. It's been snowing in Jinan too and supposed to be in the 60's in Guangzhou, so I know they are ready to get to warmer temperatures! 

EMH during nap time

 The boys had to wear swim caps, per hotel rules.. They are stylin'! 

How sweet is this picture?!?

Umm.. Hinson face, footie pajamas, purse on her arm, hand in some chips. 

She is behind developmentally, but seems to be picking things up very quickly. I think she is giving Sarah a run for her money and I think Sarah is ready to take back calling my girls divas. :)

A Quick Update

Hi all! It's Rachel again...

I finally heard from Mom last night. She said they ended up crashing all day. I begged for some more pictures for you guys. 

She said EMH's first night went awesome! She slept in between Sarah and Andy and went to bed with zero problems! She loved her bubble bath too. 

They have officially signed the adoption paperwork and she is officially a member of the Hinson family! The next few pictures are of them doing all that. 

Doing her handprints

getting on some princess make-up

signing the final paperwork! 

Mom says she is ready to come home. The culture is very different! The only offer chopsticks as eating utensils and they don't give you napkins in restaurants-- you have to pay extra for those, which are really just kleenex if you can get them. She also says that Diet Pepsi is very hard to find. She has also been washing clothes by hand in the bathrub- crazy! 

The boys went out with the tour guide while the girls stayed around the room yesterday. 

She said that EMH is slowly warming up to the rest of the group and will almost let Sarah get out of her sight. She seems to have some hearing in right ear. She had been mouthing the word "Mama" to Sarah and in the e-mail from Mom last night she said she actually said the word!!! 

Mom also said she just wants to cuddle her up but EMH gives her the silent scream face-- which Mom said was losing it's effectiveness on her. ;)

All-in-all, I think they are having a good time and spending lots of quality time with the family. I'm ready for them to get home! 

The Day is FINALLY here!!

Rach here again! I am happy to announce that EMH is with her family and doing great!! 

Mom said she is super sweet but the guy that brought her to them said that "She could be a little naughty". I think she'll fit right in! :)

They said she loves to climb and appears to just be extremely interested in everything that is going on. She started the cry when the guy left, but they brought out the goldfish crackers and Twizzlers and she was all good. (She is TOTALLY a Hinson, right?!?) 

She is playing with the boys and is bonding with Sarah already-- sitting in her lap as they play. She loves her hair bows, too! At one point, she had 4 on at once. 

Mom said she does appear to have some hearing loss, but CAN hear. She hasn't spoken yet, but is full of giggles and smiles. 

First jammies! 

James was blowing bubbles at her and she loved it. 

I am hoping to have some more updates and a LOT more pictures soon! 

Thanks again, everyone! I know the Hinson's now feel complete with their family of 5! 

We made it to China!

Hi All!! Sarah's sister, Rachel here! Just wanted to give you some updates on how the Hinson's are doing.

They made it to China.. great but exhausting flights! Sarah sums it up best by saying, the gal who bathes twice a day, went TWO days with NO bath and they slept in chairs in the Beijing airport. 

They did get up and do a little sight seeing on Sunday.

By the time I am posting this, they DO have Emily Margaret! I am posting some pics of that next!

Sarah would like to thank everyone once again for their support and prayers and e-mails. I know it really means a lot that so many people care about her FINALLY getting her sweet baby girl! 

Thankful

Dear loved ones,
I'm writing this in advance
because there a just a few words
I need to share.

You'll be reading this on Thanksgiving Day.
So I'll format this post to share how I'm thankful. :)

First off I thank GOD the Father
for all He's done for me.
But above all else I thank
Him for sending His Son,
Jesus Christ.
Because of Jesus,
my sins are forgiven.
I can skip through this life
loving & laughing
as I follow God's calling.
I find peace in knowing that
I don't have to be perfect.
God's grace was and is enough.
And for that, I am thankful.

I give thanks today for
all who have joined me on this journey.
Your prayers, kind words,
donations in every form, love & support
were always sent by God
at exactly the right time.
And for that, I am thankful.

For my family
and yes, I mean
every-single-one-of-you,
I am thankful.
You've helped shape me
into the woman I am,
the woman God's created me to be.
I wish I could list each of you by name
{but then I'd be flying to China without packing my panties.}
So, you know who you are
and for you, I am thankful. <3

To each of you reading this post.
I can't tell you how much your
prayers and emails of love will mean to us.
My heart is full,
and for that I am thankful.

Now go,
eat your turkey and dressing.
Sing our special turkey song
and gives thanks to God the Father.
Because God is good my friends,
ALL THE TIME!

See ya soon!!!
God's blessings, Sarah :)

Attention...

Attention, attention...
in less than 24hours
Emily Margaret's 6 turkeys
will be on their way to China.
One word for ya,
Gobble, gobble!
(Wait, maybe that's two??)
Well regardless,
in celebration of our Thanksgiving trip
I leave you with a song.

To the tune of Thanksgiving Day...
"A family boarded a 777
as they sang this happy tune,
Thanksgiving Day is coming
gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble
and we'll meet Emily Margaret soooooon.
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble,
gobble, gobble, gobble
we can't wait to fly away.
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble,

gobble, gobble, gobble

it's almost our Gotcha Day!!!"

Big smiles!!!!
GOD IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One Happy Turkey Mama :D

Once Upon A Time...

Once upon a time there was a mom.
And way across the ocean blue there was a daughter.

The mom knew all about the little girl.
She loved her,
caressed her cheeks in photos
and prayed for her daily.

The daughter lived her life unaware.
She played,
grew bigger and stronger
and soaked up everyday joys.

The time has finally come for one dynamic
mother/daughter duo to come together at last.
The mother worries about silly things like
going days on a plane with NO bath... gasp.
And the daughter,
she continues to on, same as usual.

I can't help but giggle every time I catch
myself panicking about insignificant things.
But the big things?
Nah why worry too long about those,
because they always fall right into place. :)

It's sinking in that God's got these two Hinson girls
right in the palm of His mighty hand.
So really there isn't any reason at all for them to worry
their pretty little heads.
Nope, not even for one minute.
God's providing all the grace they need!

Emily Margaret, mama loves you.
James' is X'ing off days until the final leg
of our journey begins.
Joseph is coming to grips with the fact that his
REAL boss is about to clock in.
Daddy taunts me by saying he's gonna be your favorite.
And then there's a whole slew of family and friends
that are lifting us up in prayer.

Baby girl, we got this.
It's gonna be rocky.
I'm bound to stink...
you're bound to cry.

But the God who authored this story
is about to finish knitting our lives together.
And when we look back years from now
we'll realize we got through the hard part,
TOGETHER!

God's blessings sweet prayer warriors,
The Hinson (Soon To Be) FIVE :D

This Face

This face,
is the face of a mother.
In it you will see tender lines.
Mostly from smiles but
a few from worries untold.

This face,
is the face of a child of God.
The love sent down from heaven
have lit up this face too many times to number.

This face,
is the face of a woman.
A woman who has worked
hours on end in preparation
for her new arrival.
A woman surrounded by family
and friends who kept her going this week.

This face,
is the face of things to come.
In the upcoming weeks this face
will see sorrow and joy.
Pain and peace.

This face,
is the face of a newly adoptive mother.
A face that just can't wait
to be pictured with this gorgeous face!

I wanted to take a moment to say,
we're running like crazy people
and singing GOD'S praises all the way.
Thanks for all your sweet words & prayers.
Please continue to pray for Emily Margaret.
That the sorrow she feels over the loss of the life she knows,
will quickly be soothed by the love of her family.
This has been a long time coming,
and I'm glad to see we're getting to the good part. :)

God's blessings, Emily Margaret's Mama <3

Praising HIS Name

We just got our confirmed consulate appointment!
Gotcha day planned for Sunday November, 27th!!!
Praise be to the God and author of this beautiful story.
I'm going to get my daughter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God's blessings & Love,
The Happiest Mama in the World :D

Two Letters for Ya!

Hi all,
I'm here to share just two little (but very important) letters with you.
Are you ready??
T-A!
That's right sweet friends,
that'd be the two letters that equal Travel Approval.
Holla!!!

Please join me in prayer for a supernatural moving
that will allow us to travel Thanksgiving weekend.
I'll be back as soon as I know more!
God's blessings, Sarah :)

Happy Halloween Baby Girl!

Today I'm here with 

a Boo for my baby girl.

Sadly Emily Margaret won't be joining us

for Trick-or-Treats this year.

***Insert Charlie Brown's voice 

saying"I gotta rock." :(

Because that's pretty much how 

us Hinsons' feel.

Every celebration is merely bittersweet.

Good thing we'll have lots of

candy to drown tonight's hallow-sorrows. ;)

When Emily Margaret FINALLY comes home

this will be her 1st Halloween costume.

TaDa...

a lucky ladybug! 

So, when you see the newly formed Hinson 5

 trick-or-treating the Christmas tree, 

just know it was bound to happen.

Because next year she'll need a whole new costume. :)

 Happy Halloween

Baby Girl,

your Mama loves you more

than a hog loves slop!!!!

The Good, the Bad & the UGLY

Hi all it's me,
Emily Margaret's weary mama.
I wish I had the wit to make this post more palatable,
but I just don't have it in me.
So I give today's update in the form of
the good, bad and ugly.

The good: Emily Margaret's Visa came through today.
Talk about praising the Lord.
This mama even busted a couple of touch down dance moves!

The bad: We're still 2 weeks away from our Article 5
and then another 3-4 weeks away from our Travel Approval.

The ugly: When I asked for a possible travel time,
the answer was mid-December.
Not the October I was praying for
or the November I was told,
but December.

Believe me when I say there aren't words that could describe
the roller coaster of emotions that today has ridden.
I feel sorry for myself.
And then I remember that it's really my daughter
that's paying the price.

Emptiness,
disbelief,
sorrow.

So I come before you to ask for prayer.
Please pray for Emily Margaret,
her fast journey home
and strength for our family.

God's blessings prayer warriors, Sarah

I800/I800A Approval!

Good afternoon all!

In the past 30mins

we've experienced some yucky moments. 

Joseph just shattered the screen on his new ipod,

James is kicking my booty in Monopoly 

and we're all prepping for a rainy football game.

So in the midst of all the boo-hoo,

why are we all grinning ear-to-ear

and praising God??

Because our I800/I800A approvals 

just came in the mail.

Praise GOD with me,

HOLLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm off to scan the originals for Karla

and find my rain gear for tonight's game.

Watch out Emily Margaret,

we're getting C-L-O-S-E-R!

God's blessings, Sarah & The Boys :) 

Welcome to Emily Margaret Land

Good morning all!

I'm here with a quick tour of 

the only pink room in our house.

We'll call it Emily Margaret Land. :)

If you remember,

this room used to belong to James.

In the ultimate big brother sacrifice,

he & Joseph gave up their solo rooms.

Last year we combined them into Joseph's room.

In return they gained the man room as their den

and MOST importantly, a SISTER. 

Here's how it came together.

Shortly before school started back,

we were blessed with a wonderful contractor.

In three days he replaced Emily Margaret's ceiling

and repainted everything in her room.

*For those in our Sunday School class

this is the perfect example of how God

takes something bad {April's tornado} 

& uses it for good {Emily Margaret's room makeover!}*

Here's the Hinson clan basking in our new found P-I-N-K.

Ok, so maybe Mama was really the one glowing.

It's funny to me that James didn't mind

Emily Margaret inheriting his room,

he just wanted her to keep it blue.

Poor guy's lived in a boy world for so long

he just can't understand the whole girly concept.

Now I welcome you to 

Emily Margaret Land...

Upon entering you'll be graced 

by her over-the-top,

mama made chandelier.

I seriously LOVE it!

One perk of this being a 2 year pregnancy,

is that I've had plenty of time 

to collect fabulous ideas & thrifty treasures.

If you look to the left you'll see her closet

and all her awaiting hair bows.

SqUeAL!!!

Once inside Emily Margaret Land

you'll probably want to sit and stay awhile.

I foresee lots of time being spent 

rocking, reading & cuddling

with our princess in this cozy corner.

Speaking of the princess,

here's {a work in progress}

where she'll rest her sleepy head

OR

pile all her stuffed animals.

You know, which ever she prefers. :)

And when she wants 

to rock her own babies,

this is her Emily Margaret sized rocker.

{This rocker was mine as a child.}

Last spring it got a total-girly makeover.

The dresser is another piece that 

benefited from a girly touch.

This was James' nursery dresser/changing table.

Remember forever ago when I posted 

about dressing up Emily Margaret's drawers??

This lamp is awaiting it's frills as well.

It'll have black & white polka dot trim 

added to the top & bottom of the shade.

You know, so it matches the chandelier shades.

As you can tell, 

it's a work in progress.

I'm getting there, 

just at a slow pace.

The best news is that this room 

has finally transformed from the blue room with the door closed,

to a pink wonderland that smiles as I walk by. 

Oh, but before we go, one last pic.

WHEN the TA arrives, we have these bags

ready to be stuffed full of Emily Margaret's goodies.

Wonder how I'll ever fit all her hairbows in one bag?!

Today when you pray for us,

please thank God for homeland security issuing 

a fast & seamless I800 approval. 

After a long 2 week delay,

I'm ready to sing some praises!

Now I'm off to tackle the day.

I hope you enjoyed your tour 

and by all means, 

let me know what you think.

God's blessings sweet friends, Sarah :)