Chinese New Year 2012

Tamara — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:48:50 +0000

Christmas 2011

Tamara — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:51:32 +0000

iSanta

Phil — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:00:07 +0000

Happy Gotcha Day, Little Man!

Tamara — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 13:25:01 +0000

Five years ago today, I got to hold my sweet baby boy for the first time! After years of waiting and praying I was finally a mommy! I remember sitting at the hotel that morning watching the time slowly pass until we could leave for the orphanage to pick him up. I remember the cab ride, and thinking, this driver is crazy, we’re never going to get out of this cab alive. If you have been in the back of a cab in Taiwan you know exactly what I mean! I remember walking into the nursery and seeing all the little black-haired babies in their cribs and thinking they all look the same. I remember walking right to his crib without being told and knowing that this little one was my son!

I remember picking him up and thinking, please don’t cry,please don’t cry, I’m your mommy! I remember him looking at me as if to say, “I know you’re my mommy and I’m going home today.” I remember leaving the orphanage and thinking someone is going to come after us and tell us it was all a mistake and that we had to give him back. Most of all I remember sitting by his crib back at the hotel and watching him sleep. Phil and I just stood there for the longest time just watching him.

I know we were both thinking the same thing. After years of tests, procedures, surgeries, crying, praying, and crying some more, God had answered our prayers. We were looking at our own little miracle. We are reminded every day when we look at our little Ai Chen Wu that God is faithful and that he hears our prayers and will answer them in his own perfect time and way!

Happy Gotcha Day, Connor!

We are so blessed to hear you call us Daddy and Momma!

Powerful . . .

Phil — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:31:55 +0000

Great video I saw today . . .

Phil — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:39:20 +0000

Our Baby Girl is 4

Tamara — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:00:16 +0000

Our little Savannah turns 4 today! She has been amazing us from the moment we first met her and has not stopped. I still have moments of overwhelming gratitude that God chose us for this spectacular little girl. I still cannot believe sometimes that God deemed us worthy to parent Savannah!

I cannot let today pass without thinking of Savannah’s sweet birthparents. I cannot begin to imagine what this day holds for them! I hope today they have an assurance that their sweet girl is loved! We hope they realize how much we love them both and that we thank God for them every day!

What a gift these past 4 years (minus the 5 months that she was here on earth before we met her) have been to us!

I am so excited to be starting Savannah’s fourth year and can’t wait to see what it holds!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET, BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL!! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Another great case for adoption . . .

Phil — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:18:44 +0000

Fall 2011

Tamara — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:19:30 +0000

Click to view slideshow.

Our little man, Connor

Tamara — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:56:36 +0000

I remember December 18, 2006, like it was yesterday. Phil and I woke up at some odd hour (still not quite on Taiwan time) . . . we knew our whole world was about to change. I remember the short ride in the elevator (it felt like an eternity to me) up to the floor our little man was on.

We could hardly believe that the little person sleeping in the crib was the same little person we had carried pictures of around for months. He was perfectly perfect in every way.

I remember actually looking over my shoulder as we left the orphanage. I was waiting for someone to run out the door and take him away telling us there has been a mistake. I could hardly believe someone trusted me enough to parent this little guy.

I remember the crazy hang-on-to-your-seat cab ride back to the hotel. He fell asleep on the ride back and Phil and I stared at his sweet little face the whole way.

Since that day Connor has kept us on our knees. Connor is the kid who walks on the grass instead of the sidewalk, who is playing superheroes and dinosaurs when he is supposed to be sleeping, who is full of life and energy at all times, who is so tenderhearted but yet so very stubborn.

He wiggles, he questions, he’s loud and he loves to have fun. I have spent many hours in prayer that God will give me wisdom to love him, encourage him, believe in him; but also deal with the things he does wrong, to realize when I mess up and do it right the next time.

So all of you who have a Connor trust God, love them a lot, give them lots of patience! They are bigger than life because God has great things planned for them. I love you my little crazy energetic guy and I can hardly wait to see what God has planned for your life.