Our last day in Nanning part 1...

The People's Park




The People's Park is really breath taking....





It is open to the public, people come to practice their their different forms of art (singing, dancing,painting or simply to take a stroll).




Only in Guangxi can you find the "Love ball". Baba and Selah sitting on a "Love ball".

Is this next shot you will see we are about to cross a bridge or so we thought.

A class of school children were on a field trip at the park and spotted us approaching and most of them had never seen real life foreigners. Their teacher asked if they could take a picture with us. We said sure...so you can guess what happened next....they surrounded us shouting "Ni Hao" and repeating our "Hello's." giggling and grabbing for hand shakes!! It was the cutest thing.

They we greeting Selah and telling her what lucky baby she was. When we crossed over the bridge we were met with an older gentlemen playing a saxaphone.











Then one of the school teachers came over to us knelt down by Selah's stroller and for the first time since we have had her in ours someone has asked about Selah's disabilities. "Does she have crossed feet?" I replied "Yes." There was a few more exchanges between us and our guide. She asked "Why did you not pick a healthy child?" I said " Because she is a beautiful and joyful child. Her life is just a precious as a healthy child. By then a HUGE crowd was forming. We said good bye and moved on. A few feet away I had Nathan stop the stroller so I could smoother Selah in kisses and tell her " Wo an ni " I love you.



A young girl painting along the lake.

Our daughter feeding koi fish by the lake.

Forever Baba Mama ...forever family!

It started with a taxi ride.

Selah loves a good taxi ride.

Her personality comes into bloom when she is OUT and on the go. Nathan had her on his lap ( please don't freak y'all, this is China you are lucky to find a seat belt let alone a car seat)

Ok, back to the good stuff.... Nathan was softly saying "Baba, Baba" and she looked up at him and responded with one word that would melt hearts,"Baba."

The look on his face was priceless so I snapped this quick picture. Is this not the face of man smitten by a little girl who has found her forever Baba.

The next day our guide took us to the Guangxi Minority Muesum. It was an amazing trip for so many reasons. It will have to be a separate blog. One of the many miracles that took place while there .... Selah would now call me Mama.



I am not exactly sure what prompted it but I have an idea. Moments early in the museum we passed a bunch of school children. She was entranced! When our guide motioned us to the next room Selah whined and arched to look back at them so I walked back over so she could continue to look. I told my guide " I think she misses her foster siblings, and the children and the orphanage." As I said this a large lump wheeled up in my throat. "Hold it together Alisa." I thought to my self. My guide said. " Oh yes, this is very true." I lost it. Selah looked up at me and blew on my face, as I had done to her before for comfort. Moments later as we were walking....she looked up at me and said said " Mama."

Sweet Nathan captured this picture of our moment.




So we are all excited ....Nathan and I, Selah and our guide Mary. Seconds later we all step onto this really steep escalator to go down stairs and POW!!! The building goes black, children are screaming and the escalator jerks to a stop almost throwing all of us down. We cautiously walk down to find out there is a storm now outside. It was sunny, in the 80's when we arrived and now it was pouring and freezing cold.

We rush are rushed to our driver who then takes us back to our hotel. When we got back, Selah walked over to the little couch we keep her toys and things on. She picked up her photo album that we had sent her months ago and she started pointing at the pictures. First to the picture of herself "Ya Ya" (it's her nick name), then she would point to herself. Then to my picture and then point to me ... "Mama" then to Nathan's picture and and point to him " Baba". Then she moved to the kids pictures, first Madelynn, "Jie Jie" (sister) and then Noah's picture and then she pointed to the door. As if to say... let's go home.

It's official.... OUR DAUGHTER Selah Coriell !!!

As of today 04/17/2012 our adoption has been made complete in the eye's of China. Today she is officially Selah Coriell!!!

We also celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary today. Thank you Jesus for the gift that is our daughter!

She is one amazing little girl who has gone through so much in her short 2 little years in life and in the last couple of days.

But she has has shown so much strength and so much bravery. In her times of grieving, she shows how us much she has been loved and learned to love . She amazes us by her ability to trust us in those moments, to let us hold her and see her through it.

She is blossoming before our eyes. Letting her guard down little by little. We were blessed to see first smiles and laughter by the evening and even a first word in Cantonese "Wa Wa" = Toy (it was a giant teddy bear that was in the dinner room that caught her eye.)

We look forward to the days and years ahead with our beautiful girl. Praise the Lord oh my soul!

"..and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." Isaiah 61:3

Adventures in Hong Kong!

We made it to Hong Kong! When we got into our hotel we managed to set up skype to to our kids for a little bit and crashed around 11:00pm. We slept hard tell around 4:30...then we were wide awake.

Shortly after sunrise I started my morning devotions.

View from our room.

Just after I finished writing these words in my journal " Tomorrow...she will go from fatherless to family. Everything we have will be hers. Praise be to our God!" I heard a load KABOOM and shouts from the bathroom!!! My straightener had exploded in Nathan's hand.

Nathan had been trying to figure out why our power converter did not work. He was trying to figure out why the computer was not charging (later realized the cord had blown a fuse) and was trying to test things out with the power converter and straightener when the explosion happened. Thankfully there was no injuries or damages to the hotel (just to Nathan's pride ;) )

So this lead to us hopping on the earliest shuttle to the outlet mall near the hotel. No guide, just Nathan and I. It was fun.

When we found the computer shop we learned that it did not open tell 11am and we had to check out by 12pm. So that was a no go. We decided to grab some easy breakfast (Mc D's) and had a seat on near by stairs.

This was our view.

Our outing was not a lost because had we not gone out we would not have got to experience a small piece Honk Kong .

We are now here at the airport and we found a store that sells the replacement cord that we need! Thank you Jesus! Please pray we get the problems with our power converter figured out. We would love to continue to have internet access and be able to stay in touch with the kiddos.

Oh and these last couple of pictures are for Noah. On the way back to our hotel there was a "car parade" of very fast, very fancy cars. Too many to count! We have no idea why they were but a man outside the hotel smiled at us, laughed and said "Welcome to Hong Kong." :)

1 day to go.......

I can't believe I just typed those words...we leave EARLY Friday morning!!! It just seems like yesterday and yet forever ago that I wrote about about the dream and how God would lead us to our little girl...Selah.

We did not know how we would get here but we stepped out anyways. God has given us miracle after miracle along this journey and especially in these final days opening the doors for us to come for Selah right now, when were being told it could not be done! Praise and glory to our God!!!


Selah sweetie we are coming!

Happy Birthday Selah!!!

Did you hear a scream this morning??? That would be me! It was still the last few hours of Selah's birthday in China and her orphanage had already sent these pictures to Ann who in turn sent them us! Through Ann we had a cake and a few gifts delivered to her orphanage.

I still can't type without crying so here are the pictures...




Eating cake with her friends.


A priceless picture of her foster family, singing happy birthday to her!!!

Feeding her foster mom...open up!



Sharing with her foster sister.




Happy 2nd birthday baby girl!!! We love you!!

More adoption lingo....Update.

The next step after our LOA from China was to get our I-800 approval from USCIS.

We found out on LEAP DAY of all days that our I-800 was approved!!!


The next step after that was our approval from the NVC (National Visa Center). I was not so pretty when I found out that my name was misspelled on our I-800. Oh but praise the LORD, His grace abounds! It was fixed in a matter of 24 hours and I feel so foolish that I let my heart go THERE so quickly. As of today Selah's visa petition was approved and we have been "cabled" to the U.S. Embassy in China!!!



Our in-China contact will be walking over our paperwork tonight (Friday 3/9 China time) to the US consulate where we wait for our Article 5 letter. This step takes 2 weeks.


After this we only have 2 steps left!!!!!! Article 5 pick up and then the much anticipated Travel Approval....NEXT STEPS:




Article 5 pick up - 3/23



Travel Approval -can come any time after that - but they have been coming in an average of 2 weeks, with actual travel as soon as 2 weeks after TA. SOOOO.....earliest possible travel being April 20th.

PLEASE continue to pray over our process, our family (health), against the spiritual warfare as we get closer to our daughter, the battle increases.

"...because greater He who is in us then he who is in the world." 1 John 4:4