GREAT NEWS and of course more great photos.

Yesterday was so busy/crazy I didn't do much of anything and didn't have access to blog. We have officially moved 4 times and are NOW settled in an apartment for the rest of our stay! We are staying at the Somerset Hoa Binh Hanoi. It is VERY nice and too darn expensive! But that is just the way it goes!! OH WELL, I have to sell LOTS of Synvisc when I go back to work! I think Halle-Grace can increase my sales? What do you think? She is so cute!

SO, the GREAT news!!! As you know 40+ families with children in TQ received a RFE on July 19th asking us (the adoptive parents) to prove our children are, in fact, orphans. The ads completed their run-time on Aug. 31st...NO one came forward! We adopted Halle-Grace on September 1st! The first family to submit their rebuttal HAS RECEIVED AN APPROVAL!!!! Jason woke me up the other morning about 2am with the GREAT news! Here's the thing, we all received the "same letter word for word"...so you are probably thinking SUBMIT YOUR REBUTTAL!!! We wanted to wait on the ads to complete their run-time. Michael Valverde with USCIS sent all families an email telling us we could use copies of the affidavits vs. waiting til mid-September to submit originals! PLEASE GET ON YOUR KNEES AND PRAY! I am so serious! I know prayer works and all of the families need to bring their children home! IT IS TIME!!!

I will have Jason type about the "apartment hunting experience, Shannon & Halle-Grace lost in a taxi in Hanoi" and so on

THE DEVINES IN VIETNAM!!!

Judy *GRANNY*, give Gabby some extra love for us!

Watch our for HURRICANE HANNA...I read on Yahoo news it is coming for the Carolinas!

INTRODUCING...Princess Halle-Grace Khanh Devine

Somebody is a HAM, the "life of the party", loves to have her picture taken...and is already spoiled!!! You would NEVER believe this child left an orphanage 72 hours ago! It's amazing! She is saying DA DA...what is up with that?? Mama is the one who is going to live in her birth country until her leave is over...and she gets a visa! HATS OFF TO MY MANAGER, KANE ROGERS & GENZYME for being so supportive!!!
Today we are getting Halle-Grace's Vietnamese passport (could not do that yesterday). She just took her second dose of antibiotics and is feeling SO much better. No more smelly nose! WE FOUND AN APARTMENT....when you are waiting on a visa it is much less expensive to stay in an apartment that will rent by the month, etc. vs. a hotel room AND the hotel room is cramping wild woman's "new princess style"! She knows she is princess now!

We love you all!

Shannon, Jason & Halle Grace (keep praying for her US visa so you can meet her)!

Just another day in Paradise...Halle-Grace land!

WOW! Halle-Grace is just so darn adorable! I know I have said this 100 times but she is the BEST BABY! She is so funny and last night she entertained the restaurant while we had dinner at a restaurant at Hoan Kiem Lake. BOY, it was busy...at least 10,000 motor bikes again! It's amazing they sit 3-4 on a motor bike and little kids just hang on for the ride! We had dinner with another CAS family who adopted their son, James from the Da Nang province (Kaitlyn's province...WE LOVE KAITLIN! Sherri, I know you read here so I will tell you now...the baby back pack is the BEST, the toys...Halle-Grace loves and everything you told me has come in so handy. I can't thank you enough. I know what Kaitlyn she will say when we ask her "where was Halle-Grace born?" She is too cute!)

So while we are having dinner with George, Mary and James this older Vietnamese lady took about 5 photos of me! It made me feel weird! I know it's not because I was looking nice...none of my hair products work here, my hairdryer barely, my curling iron or straightening iron..NOT! And it is SO hot, there is no reason to have make-up running off your face so that part was bad too! Maybe she is doing a documentary on how Americans should not look in a foreign country! Jason said it was OK that he is doing the same thing. I said what do you mean, his answer, "taking pictures of everything that is strange looking/out of the ordinary...such as the sea of motor bikes..." Well that made me feel good...NOT!

So, back to the most important thing...HALLE-GRACE! She's amazing!!! Have I said that yet? Yesterday she had a BIG day. We had a bath in the sink. She is so tiny that it was too big for her. She loved her bath and was amazed with it! I am not sure if they took baths at the orphanage. Don't get me wrong the babies are clean but it is probably more of a process such as a pan and a wash cloth type of deal, but maybe she was just excited to be in the sink too. She splashed around and her daddy doesn't want nudie photos so I had to cover her privates up! HE IS NOT RIGHT!!! Speaking of the "little ham" she went with her daddy to the super market in the Baby Bjourn and she LOVED it (Thank you Lori this has been a handy dandy). She talked to everyone and Jason said they need to leave 30 min. early next time because everyone stops and says "beautiful" and clicks at her. They make a clicking sound to the children.

She is still sleeping like a wild woman but is so peaceful when she does so. I am getting ready to call Miss Hannah who has tried to call many times. She wants to talk to Halle-Grace so bad! She told me that she sleeps like her and acts like her too. She is not enjoying being called "Hurrican Hanna". Hunter tells me he is enjoying middle-school. He is playing football for the first time this year and loves it...but he is still going to play basketball at Carolina (Tarheels that is!!!)

More later on our tiny miracle.

Love,

Shannon, Jason & Halle-Grace

She is PERFECT!

SHE IS THE PERFECT BABY!!! She is funny, laughs A LOT! Is a SHOW OFF in the restaurant and wants ALL eyes on her! I have no idea where she got the idea of "being a ham"....no comments! LOL!

She found the mirror and loves it! She sleeps just like her mom....all over the bed! She also found Vietnamese cartoons on TV and yelled at them forever!!! Everyone loves on her when we are out! They all say "BIG EYES"! She is just amazing!!! I can't begin to describe God has revealed HIS perfect plan! She is our baby and He has always known exactly when & where!!!

More blogging & photos later...she is napping with her daddy!

More adoption day pics...then it's bedtime

Bedtime for mom...Halle-Grace has been sleeping since 9pm...its 12:30am now! More tomorrow. She is OUR TINY MIRACLE!!!

ADOPTION DAY!!!

WHAT A DAY!!! I promise to type all details tomorrow. You can see from the last photo who is already asleep back in Hanoi! She is precious, beautiful, amazing and the BEST baby! She is so happy and laughs a lot. Check back tomorrow for more photos

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

Photos of Day 1: Hanoi

Photos...Hanoi from our hotel room, Jason carrying bags, power line nightmare, the streets of Hanoi, the outside of our hotel....




It's a rainy day! We went to breakfast downstairs in the hotel and it was really good. Omelet station, pancakes, and some awesome passion fruit juice. We met a couple in the restaurant, another CAS family who adopted an adorable baby boy from Da Nang province. They are waiting on his US visa. We told them we were one of the TQ families with RFE and their response "You guys are brave"!
We made our way to the Hanoi Star Supermarket and bought water, formula, clothes detergent, dish detergent, peanut butter & jelly/bread...we also have tons of snacks in the room.
I have attached photos of "Hanoi city sights". Lots of motor bikes, and the power lines. WOW!!! No wonder they have frequent power outages in this city!!!
Jason talked to Ninh and he is picking us up in the morning at 6:30am for the trip to Tuyen Quang to officially adopt Halle-Grace. Tuesday is a holiday here so we will get her Vietnamese Visa on Wed. and find a "home away from home" a realtor is picking us up to find an apartment (I'll do good Mer)
Tomorrow, I will post photos as soon as I can and video, etc. I am so excited I can barely stand it. The trip to Tuyen Quang is an ALL DAY TRIP. 4 hours there...G&R...kiss all of the babies and the nannies....Ninh getting affidavits signed (YEAH!!!!! all the CAS families and hens will scream when they read this)....taking lots of photos....then 4 hours back and sleep all night with Halle-Grace (I will stare at her all night)! God is GOOD!

Love you all!

Shannon & Jason (soon...Halle-Grace too)!
Gotta run...I have to pack her diaper bag and get all set for tomorrow!
PLEASE keep our family in your prayers!

HELLO HANOI

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

15 hours and we are in Korea! G&R set for LABOR DAY!!!

Jason & I left Atlanta and flew Korean Air to Korea! 15 hours later we are anxiously awaiting our flight to Hanoi. That is only 4 1/2 more hours in the air! That's a piece of cake! I have to tell you I LOVE KOREAN AIR! My goodness they feed you like a Queen...US Airways needs to take some lessons! They bring you hot towels, a personal kit with a toothbrush, socks and night blinders. They also shut all window shades and turn the lights out to help you get on "Korean time" which is one hour behind Hanoi time! By the way, Vietnam is exactly 12 hours ahead of eastern standard time. GOSH, I am going to miss the ASU/ LSU game...GO APP STATE. Hunter, you watch it for me and tell me all about it!

The Korean Air crew dresses in "Tiffany" blue and they look beautiful! They bow to you and they are SO friendly! Normally, I am afraid to fly...not today! I was so excited that I cheered when the plane took off! Jason & I stayed with Caitlin-Brooke in Atlanta and that was a nice treat! I can't believe she is 15! They grow up so fast...never miss a moment...which brings me to GOOD NEWS! Originally, we were told our Giving & Receiving Ceremony was scheduled for Sept.3rd. I received an email from our AWESOME coordinator at CAS, Allie...she reported MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1st! That's Labor Day in America...and Halle-Grace day for us! I can hardly contain myself! Jason & I will have to catch up on our sleep and get ready for our precious Halle-Grace! You can see her in the video in the posts below! She is just simply adorable! We are praying about meeting our daughter, we are MORE than ready. I hope God prepares her little heart for all the love!!!
We will be off to Hanoi soon. When we step on Vietnamese soil, we are standing in Halle-Grace's birth country...how cool is that going to be. I will probably cry...Suzie is crying just reading this (I know my sister)!! AND I love her so much!

Oh...Jason was sleeping but woke up to call his mom to make sure Gabby is getting her Atopica! He is going to spend a million dollars calling at 6 & 7 (am & pm) making sure Gabby is getting her meds!

Talk to you all from HANOI, VIETNAM!!!!

GOD BLESS YOU ALL..HALLE-GRACE PHOTOS COMING SOON

"Waiting for me in NC" by Halle-Grace

My cousins...Hunter, 11 & Hannah, 7. Hunter is in middle school this year and plays football for the West Lincoln Rebels. Hannah cheers for the pee-wee team and is a 2nd grader!They are SO excited about my arrival home! Hannah is going to teach me how to dance, cheer and she has even bought clothes for me with her "spending money". My aunt Suzie is VERY special. She has always included my mommy in every part of their lives. Hunter & Hannah have NEVER missed calling my mommy on her birthday or any other special occasions. They were SO excited to see my first picture and each one after has brought tears of joy to their eyes.

My mommy is going to miss them while she is in Vietnam adopting me! I can't wait to see my ENTIRE family!

Love,
Halle-Grace
(translated in English by my mommy who I will finally be united with very SOON)!

Our Vietnam Visas Arrive, let's pray Halle-Grace gets her US visa this quickly!

I cannot believe I am SO close to holding my baby girl!!! Words cannot express the feeling!

Counting down the days!

Packing, preparing, praying!