Aug 31, 2008 Hours Away...
Wow, what a night...Who would have thought Shannon would have slept so well and I was the one up all night. So many things even within the wee hours of the morning have transpired. We even just got off the phone with Michelle Bond from State Department who wished us well and congratulated us on our tiny miracle.She said she feels we have done everything we could have done to answer the RFEs. I took from that it is simply now a matter of time to get our approvals.
There are so many things I want to say that I will keep this brief and add when we return this evening. Currently I am afraid of shorting out the computer as I type a few words and then dry my eyes, type a few words and wipe my nose. We are going to get our daughter...even now, saying and typing the words seems surreal. It has been way too long in coming. But nothing worth having comes easy, and nothing in this world is worth more than "our tiny miracle." I pray I will bless her in her life half as much as she has already blessed me...and I have yet to hear her for the first time say, "I love you daddy!" Wow, talk about melting a heart. It is already a molten pile of goo...More to come later today. For now, thanks for the emails, thoughts and prayers. God bless you all. We love you!
Jason
Posted by Jason 8/31/2008
11 comments: made on 8/31/2008
So excited for you!!!!!
Dave & Teresa
Jason you will be a wonderful, loving father. I am so bless to have you and Mike as the best fathers in the world for my grandchildren. God is with you and Shannon and Halle-Grace today and everyday from now on. This is the day we have all been waiting for. God Bless you.
Nanny
This is the day that the Lord has made, and we are rejoicing with you. I told you and Shannon a long time ago, that God has special plans for you, and I still truly believe that to this day. I thank Him for His undying love for each of you, and just know that you all are going to be a great family. May God continue to Bless and Sustain you.
I love you all very much
Mom(Granny)
Gabby is fine!!!
To Halle-Grace
I love you little one and I can't wait to see you and to hold you. You are sooo blessed to have a Christian Mom and Dad who love their God, and they will teach you all about Him, so you will learn to love Him too.
Oh, and by the way practice these words ........GOOOOOOO DUKE!
Love,
Granny
I’m checking the blog hourly, we are sooo thrilled for you. Looking forward to meeting you Halle-Grace! :-) As always you are in our prayers.
We love you,
Jan, Shawn, Owen, and Gabriel
We are sooo excited for you! Halle-Grace is one lucky little girl to have such wonderful parents. We can't wait for pictures. Hunter says Nooooo Duke - Go Tarheels is what she needs to learn!:) We Love you and will continue to pray for you. Pastor Dale had me stand up in church today and give an update. God has answered our prayers!! You are getting your precious daughter.
Suzanne
Jason, both you and Shannon are an inspiration. You are going to be the most incredible parents, as a matter of fact you already are - You never gave up the fight for your baby girl. God Bless your family. much love from Doug and I.
Jenn Stehlar
Jason & Shannon: I have been anxious all day thinking of you and your journey to Halle-Grace. Know that we have prayed for all 3 of you and the other 40+ families so much these last few weeks! As I type I hope you are arriving at the orphanage for your ceremony to bring your beautiful daughter home! God has so richly blessed you and all of us through your journey! Love to all of you!
The Crow family
It is 12:30 am back in NC, and I just got woke up by the most beautiful sound, my cell phone saying, you got mail. I read it to find out .... I am a new Granny. Me and Gabby are so excited, our(her) tail is just a waggin. My heart is just a jumpin...
Can not wait to see you all.
God Bless.
Mom
God bless, Shannon & Jason!! Go get Halle-Grace!!
Kris Ann
Much love from the hens! :)
Shannon and Jason,
I work with Suzanne and she has kept us up to date on the progress of Halle-Grace's adoption. Hannah is in my class and has told the whole class how excited she is about her new cousin. She can't wait for you to bring Halle-Grace home! She is already loved by so many. My family and church are praying for you all. I know this beautiful little girl will bless both of you in more ways than you can imagine. Congratulations!
Emily
Aug 31, 2010
Aug 30, 2010
A look back...2 years ago, Jason & I were preparing to meet our daughter!
This week we are celebrating FAMILY DAY! We adopted our sweet angel 2 years ago this Wed. Sept. 1st/ This week, I want to re-post my blog entries with comments and remember as we celebrate....
HELLO HANOI (posted on August 30, 2008)
We made it! We made the first BOO BOO! DO NOT RIDE IN A TAXI that is not listed as one!!! LOL. We have NO idea who brought us across town last night! We are safe but and are laughing about it now. It is pouring rain, we are hungry...going to eat breakfast...going apartment hunting (they may be closed until Wed.) so Halle-Grace will maybe get to help us pick out a place. Will type more as soon I can. HUNGRY! Upset that ASU did not win:( Happy to be in Halle-Grace's birth country and a day closer to seeing/holding/loving her for the rest of our lives!!!! WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO
Love you all
Posted by Shannon Devine, "Miss Magic's Mama" at 8/30/2008
3 comments:
Mer (Lulu's Mommy) said...
OMGosh SHANNON
8/30/2008
Thank God you are safe. So does that mean that I should stay at the airport until daytime or is my wonderful son-in-law going to get me. I am counting the hours that you call or e-mail that she is in your arms. God Bless you, Jason and Halle-Grace. I love you all.
Moma
8/30/2008
halle-grace is pretty. I bet ya'll are happy that you hav her now.
By Lizzy love you
AND...the 2nd entry 2 years ago on this day
http://ourdevinemiracle.blogspot.com/2008/08/photos-of-day-1-hanoi.html
HELLO HANOI (posted on August 30, 2008)
We made it! We made the first BOO BOO! DO NOT RIDE IN A TAXI that is not listed as one!!! LOL. We have NO idea who brought us across town last night! We are safe but and are laughing about it now. It is pouring rain, we are hungry...going to eat breakfast...going apartment hunting (they may be closed until Wed.) so Halle-Grace will maybe get to help us pick out a place. Will type more as soon I can. HUNGRY! Upset that ASU did not win:( Happy to be in Halle-Grace's birth country and a day closer to seeing/holding/loving her for the rest of our lives!!!! WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO
Love you all
Posted by Shannon Devine, "Miss Magic's Mama" at 8/30/2008
3 comments:
Mer (Lulu's Mommy) said...
OMGosh SHANNON
8/30/2008
Thank God you are safe. So does that mean that I should stay at the airport until daytime or is my wonderful son-in-law going to get me. I am counting the hours that you call or e-mail that she is in your arms. God Bless you, Jason and Halle-Grace. I love you all.
Moma
8/30/2008
halle-grace is pretty. I bet ya'll are happy that you hav her now.
By Lizzy love you
AND...the 2nd entry 2 years ago on this day
http://ourdevinemiracle.blogspot.com/2008/08/photos-of-day-1-hanoi.html
Aug 26, 2010
Aug 23, 2010
Wizard of Oz & Monsters, Inc. Top 2 fav movies of Miss Magic
She still loves the Wizard of Oz...and Monsters, Inc. (haha)
Aug 16, 2010
Same Event Different Perspectives
This evening we took a trip to the toy aisle so Halle-Grace could pick out her very own “grocery store” set. This set includes a grocery cart full of food, the coolest cash register and twin baby girls that she has named Jessie & Ruby. After being home for a couple of hours…HG just now came up for air from her shopping spree. She has been everything from stocker to shopper to cashier. I think she has the most fun as a combination shopper/cashier…oh the discounts you get when you shop that way! Jason finds it funny that the same event is seen very differently from each of our perspectives. Same register, same activity, just a little different interpretation depending on whose eyes are viewing it.
Halle-Grace's view: Wow, this is AWESOME! I am having a blast. Not exactly sure what this loud beeping sound means when I press this little wand and hold it down but I really like it. Not only is it fun for me but both Mom and Dad enjoy it as well as they both put their hands over their ears when I hold it down non-stop for several minutes at a time. I think that must cause this high pitch beeeeeeeeeeeeeep to echo in their ears. They really seem to like it. They also love picking up all of these tiny items and they’re so nice to put them back into my shopping cart over & over again…
Jason's view: I know this is a game for her but it is really helpful as she is already learning proper manners while she plays. When she is the cashier she is asking her customer how she is, and saying thank you while checking her out. I am sure this is developing her imagination skills and creating neurons in her brain as we speak. She is even counting out the dollars correctly thereby reinforcing her counting skills. When she is the stocker she is reinforcing good work ethic and pride in task. I can see how much passion she has in placing the items in just the right spot on the shelves. Good choice for a toy/game.
Shannon's view: I wonder how long before she can actually do our shopping at Wal-Mart for real?? Anyone who knows me well, knows I do not enjoy trips to Wal-Mart...but how cool, Miss Magic LOVES to shop and she obviously prefers a credit card over cash!!! Her daddy loves her so much, how will he ever be able to tell us NO when it comes to future shopping sprees!!! Go HALLE-GRACE!!! I love this game/toy as well. GREAT choice!
Aug 8, 2010
Saddle Ridge Ranch/Fashionista
I cannot believe how much Miss Magic is growing. It seems like just yesterday that we were in Vietnam with 6-9 month clothes (mostly 9 month) when our tiny miracle needed 3-6 month clothing! Now, she is talking in complete sentences and knows exactly what she wants in her everyday life! I think she's going to be a plastic surgeon because she loves to put bandaids all over her arms and legs (even though there are no boo boos in sight) and she LOVES makeup, painting nails/toes, and tells me she looks gorgeous! She also knows and expresses which shoes, clothes and bows are pretty and so on...she is a Fashionista at 2 1/2!!!
Purple is her favorite color!
She LOVES her Ruby Red Slippers
This week she attended Bible School. The theme was "Saddle Ridge Ranch" and she loved every minute of it. She was so excited to attend each night. Friday night all of the children put on their cowboy boots and hats and put on a show for their parents/grandparents.
More photos coming soon...
*We are busy planning our 2nd Annual Family Day Celebration and Lulu is coming!!! We are so excited we can hardly stand it!
Aug 1, 2010
CALL TO ACTION! Your help is appreciated!
The International Adoption Simplification Act (S1376) passed the Senate last week and is awaiting introduction and passage in the House of Representatives. The legislation provides two very important technical fixes to the intercountry adoption process that are a result of the implementation of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, namely allowing adoptive parents the option of obtaining immunizations for their children after they enter the U.S. (which is standard procedure in non-Hague adoptions) and also allowing adoptive siblings over the age of 16 to be adopted. It is this latter provision that is impacting so many children who have been prevented from joining their adoptive families and siblings because of their age.
Please contact Representative John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and respectfully ask him to spearhead introduction and passage of the International Adoption Simplification Act. Contact information and a sample letter follow:
Telephone number: 202 - 225 - 3951
Email address: john.conyers@mail.house.gov
Fax number: 202 - 225 - 0072
SAMPLE LETTER.....
The Honorable John Conyers
United States House Judiciary Committee
2138 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Conyers:
I am writing you to express my support of Senator Klobuchar's International Adoption Simplification Act - legislation (S 1376) that was recently passed by the Senate and ask that similar legislation to be quickly passed by the House of Representatives. The legislation is needed to fix two unattended technical issues that resulted from the U.S implementing the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption in 2008.
The technical issues addressed in this legislation include:
- Allow adoptive parents the option to obtain their children’s immunizations after they enter the U.S., which is already standard international practice for children adopted from non-Hague compliant countries and a recommended procedure by most international adoption pediatricians.
- Restore the sibling age exemptions for children adopted by United States citizens in order that families remain together by allowing Americans to adopt siblings, even if one is over age 16.
The adoption community and many hundreds of adoptive parents have been working with Senator Klobuchar for more than two years to bring about this important fix to the intercountry adoption process. Your timely response is in the best interest of children and your efforts will be greatly appreciated.
Please contact Representative John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and respectfully ask him to spearhead introduction and passage of the International Adoption Simplification Act. Contact information and a sample letter follow:
Telephone number: 202 - 225 - 3951
Email address: john.conyers@mail.house.gov
Fax number: 202 - 225 - 0072
SAMPLE LETTER.....
The Honorable John Conyers
United States House Judiciary Committee
2138 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Conyers:
I am writing you to express my support of Senator Klobuchar's International Adoption Simplification Act - legislation (S 1376) that was recently passed by the Senate and ask that similar legislation to be quickly passed by the House of Representatives. The legislation is needed to fix two unattended technical issues that resulted from the U.S implementing the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption in 2008.
The technical issues addressed in this legislation include:
- Allow adoptive parents the option to obtain their children’s immunizations after they enter the U.S., which is already standard international practice for children adopted from non-Hague compliant countries and a recommended procedure by most international adoption pediatricians.
- Restore the sibling age exemptions for children adopted by United States citizens in order that families remain together by allowing Americans to adopt siblings, even if one is over age 16.
The adoption community and many hundreds of adoptive parents have been working with Senator Klobuchar for more than two years to bring about this important fix to the intercountry adoption process. Your timely response is in the best interest of children and your efforts will be greatly appreciated.
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