Part 3 Favorite pictures from Adoption Day and Wide/Narrow Alley visit.

 These are my favorite pictures from Adoption Day and our visit to Wide/Narrow Alley.

Peter's 1 year Anniversary part 2

Happy "Gotcha Day" Peter!! It hasn't always been easy but some of the hardest pressed flowers give off the sweetest perfume! You are blessing from the Lord. You are fearfully and wonderfully made! You are the perfect combination of strong and tender, silly and serious. You love to sing and dance, music overflows from your heart!

Isaiah 55:12

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."




The morning of March 17th 2014, on our way to the orphanage....

The gate of the orphanage.

After we arrived we were brought to a conference room upstairs. The windows were open and letting in a cool spring breez. I could here the birds chirping in the trees outside and in my heart I whispered a prayer of gratitude. This is the day that the Lord has made.

While we waited for you to arrive we were given your " Half the Sky ". A book kept from the time you arrived at the CWI filled with pictures, notes, records and baby feet and hand prints. A treasure chest.

We soon heard a commotion by the door..... And there you were!

We only got a peek at you and you at us. You were a bit overwhelmed at felt more comfortable in the hall. We sent Madelynn out to you and she gave you a sucker. After a few moments you decided it would be ok to come in.

After a couple of offers of M&Ms from Mama you allowed me to hold you for the first time.

You were very solemn the rest of our time at the orphanage. Your foster father helped walk you out and put you in the van. Baba then stepped in the van and sat beside you. Just then the van started to pull away and it was as if a miracle took place before our eyes. You not only didn't shed one tear but your face lit up with the biggest smile as you looked up at your Daddy and said " Baba!"

You would call me "Mama" and Madelynn "Jie Jie"! We would tell you for the first time "Wo ai ni" ( I love you) and pray that seed would burry itself into your heart.

We love you Peter Benjamin Qiulin Coriell!! Happy first "Gotcha Day" son! 

To be continued...

Peter's 1 year Anniversary Part 1

I can't believe tomorrow will be 1 year since Peter came into our arms and forever into our family! Wow! It feels like a lifetime ago! In honer of Peter's first "Gotcha Day" I'll be re-visting our time in China and sharing never seen before photos from our trip. During our time in China last year we only had our ipad and were unable to download and share the photos taken from my camera. OH MY GOODNESS y'all! I did my best sharing what I could but y'all are in for a treat!!!

So let's start out with today one year ago....

We had just woken up in Hong Kong and made our way over from the airport hotel were we stayed in the night before. With the mix of jet-lag and excitment we only slept about 4 hours. In the airport we found some seats near the Starbucks and hung out for awhile. It was too early for even Starbucks and although I was dreaming of how good a chi tea latte would be at that moment I was going to be just fine. Madelynn was chipper enough for us all though! That and it was special just being there as this was the same place we waited at before we boarded our plane to get Selah.

We finally made it!! Chengdu, Sichuan China! We stayed at an apartment style hotel called the Somerset. We were incredibly thankful for the exrta space to move around. Below are some pictures of the apartment.

We crashed all too early that night. It would be more sleep before we meet our boy. We would go to sleep praying that God would go before us. That His spirit would be with him, He would be preparing His heart as well as our own.

2 Corinthians 12:9
 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. " Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

I love the heart of my Lord. The world despises weakness ( and it's many forms) but our Lord finds it the perfect place to rest His power!

To be continued....