journey to alison

Here it is August 09

2009-08-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that I have not in soooo long. Things have been very hectic, we moved in April and here we are in August just starting to feel settled. School starts in a few weeks and South and I are off to China in a few months. We received a referral for a precious 7 month old baby..we cannot wait to go and pick her up.

Alison is so excited to become a big sister and I really feel that the timing will be perfect.

We will start a new blog for the little one soon..still trying to find the perfect name for our new daughter.

The sweet smell of Fall

2008-10-06T03:46:00.000-07:00

Life in the Lynn house has been full of fun and super busy...Alison started school and is having the best time. She absolutely loves going to school and seeing all of her friends.

Our family grew by one with the addition of a wonderful little puppy...little Penelope (Penny) our Goldendoodle puppy is a true joy..she is great with Alison and full of life and mischief.

Here are a few new pictures of all of us.

Summer is on the way

2008-05-28T16:10:00.001-07:00

I looked at the blog today and saw that it had been a long time since my last post. We have been very busy getting our house at the beach ready to go for the summer. We had a great Holiday weekend...my brother and his little boy Edwin joined us for four days of perfect weather and lots of fun.

Alison and Win got along so well it was a joy to see...here are a few new shots of our little angel..

Two Years Ago Today

2008-02-13T15:45:00.000-08:00

So hard to believe that our little pride and joy has been with us two years. The day I look back on quite often, our Gotcha Day, seems like it was so long ago. Alison continues to surprise on a daily basis and is really such a great little girl to be around.

We are looking forward to her third birthday coming up on Feb. 24th. She has been saying for the last few weeks "my birthdays coming up soon"...very cute.

February here already?!

2008-01-31T16:43:00.000-08:00

Time is flying and our little one will turn three in just a few weeks...so hard to believe that we have been together two years this coming 13th of February, a day I will never forget and one of the best days of our lives.

2008-01-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

2008-01-11T03:45:00.000-08:00

Well, another year has come and gone...with our lives made so much better with our little one in it. Alison continues to thrive and gets more precious and delightful everyday. School has made such a difference in her life..she loves it and looks so forward to going everyday.

As we head into the new year we continue to wait impatiently for Alison's little sister in China...the wait continues to grow every month and we could wait over three years maybe four. This is very hard to process and we continue to pray that the wait shortens. We had a great surprise over the holidays, our friends the Thompson's were in the DC area for a wedding and came for a visit...it was wonderful to see the girls together..

Our lives are very full right now and we look forward to spring.

Here are some pictures of our little angel...

Halloween

2007-11-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

Halloween has come and gone....we had a great time..just a few shots of the little kitty cat...

Fall is finally in the air....

2007-10-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

Well today finally feels like fall, just two days ago it was in the 90's and now in the 60's and very windy. Life has been great with Alison growing like crazy...she is now in school and seems to change on a daily basis. She loves going to school and hanging out with all of her friends and teachers. I was hesistant about having her start school before she turned three but I now see it has been the best thing for her. She is very independent and loves to try new things. She potty trained her self about four months ago, which was great, and adjusted to school in just a few days. She continues to amaze us everyday and bring such joy into our home.

Here are a few new pictures of our little one...

Narvanna in Nantucket

2007-06-21T09:00:00.001-07:00

We just returned from our first true family summer vacation and we had a blast. First and foremost Alison had the best time, her grandmother was able to join us along with her boyfriend Young who is like a grandfather to Alison, she adores them both.

Nantucket is probably one of the most beautiful places in the world, I have travelled a lot and being in Nantucket was like being in another country, it is still so pristine and the beaches incredible. We stayed for ten days and it was very relaxing. We drove out to a private reserve beach that is only accessable by 4 wheel drive and had the beach to ourselves for as far as the eye could see. Our only company were harbor and gray seals that would surface about 10 feet off shore and look at you with great big eyes...Alison loved them.

I am including some photos of our trip

Spring has sprung...or has it?...

2007-04-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

Easter has come and gone and we all had a great time, even though it was very cold with snow the day before. Alison continues to grow like crazy and is just the best little girl in the world. We are looking forward to a nice long, WARM, summer and plan on spending lots of time down on the Chesapeake Bay.

We just completed a huge milestone, we submitted our Dossier (all the paperwork) for Alison's sister Scarlett. We hope to travel to China again in about two years...it's a long wait this time, but we know it will be the perfect time when we go.

Here are a few shots of our little gem Alison.

Our first birthday party for Alison

2007-03-04T05:13:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, February 24, we had THE BIRTHDAY PARTY....what a blast. We lucked out with the weather, the day before it was freezing cold and on Suday it snowed about 6 inches. On Saturday, it was almost 50 and sunny. We did a party for both children and parents so we had almost 45 people. My dear mother flew in from New Mexico to help with everything which was great. Alison had the best time...she loved the ponies and the facepainting..here are a few shots.

The day our lives changed forever one year ago

2007-02-13T04:30:00.000-08:00

Well today is the one year anniversary of when our Alison was put into our arms...I will never forget that day as long as I live. We could not believe that this little tiny girl was ours. She was the most beautiful little thing that you had ever seen and she has continued to blossem into a wonderful two year old, full of life, laughter and love.

We are getting ready for Alison's two year birthday...there will be pony rides and lots of kids for the party. Also we are getting very close to submitting our dossier to China for Alison's little sister..we can't wait.

Hello 2007

2007-01-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

So much has happened in 2006 and so much of it has been wonderfully life changing. The addition of our little angel Alison has been the best thing that possibly could have happened to our family. She has continues to bring so much joy to our lives.
Christmas came and went and it was great to watch her open her presents and ride her new pony Butterscotch which she loves.
The following week however was filled with great sadness, we lost our beautiful friend and companion Boomer. The last fourteen years of my life have been blessed with the best dog anyone could ever hope to have. Boomer lost his battle to cancer on Friday the 28th of December and it was very hard for us all.
Alison looks at his picture every day and wants to kiss it and give him a pat. I know she misses him very much. Thank god for our other two little dogs who fill the house with love and companionship for us all..Alison loves them.
The past few weeks have been a little hectic..we have officially started paperchasing for Alison's little sister. We are hoping to have our Dossier finished by the middle of April and then expect to wait around 16 months for our new little treasure. We are very excited and I know Alison will love having a little sister to play with.
I am posting some new photos of our beauty along with a few of our beloved Boomer.

Almost Christmas

2006-12-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

The time seems to fly when you have a little one to watch grow...it really is amazing. Alison has literally grown two and a half inches since late summer. Our first Thanksgiving was wonderful, we had 23 people for a sitdown feast at our house.
My mother was here from New Mexico and it was so great to have her help. Alison had a great time with all of her relatives and we truley gave thanks for all that we have. Christmas is just around the corner and we are trying to get all of the shopping done...a tall order.
Alison is a true joy, her understanding of everything is incredible..I am astounded on a daily basis.

Alison and Sophia Clark...her buddy

2006-10-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

October..where has the time gone?

2006-10-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

We cannot believe that our little girl is now 19 almost 20 months old..she continues to amaze us with her intelligence, wit and love. Alison is growing like crazy and has become her own little person..she has quite a personality and loves being out and about. It is almost Halloween and we are trying to figure out what our little pumpkin will be....maybe a horse..she loves horses just like her namesake.
Life as a family of three is so great, when you see life through the eyes of your baby it seems so much more joyful and interesting...
Once a month we get together with our dear friends Maria Clark and Sophia, Sophia is the little girl who was Alisons' friend at the orphanage in China. We are so thankful that Alison (and I) have a close friend here in the area to see and share all of our adventures with.
Here are a few new pictures of our little treasure.

Having a great summer

2006-07-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

Life at the Lynns' has been great this summer, time is flying by and our little Alison is growing leaps and bounds. It is hard to believe that when we returned from China she could not even crawl..now she is running and getting into everything. She is very curious and extremely smart, understands so much and is starting to talk. We will have been home five months on the 24th and she will be 17 months on the 24th. We spend every weekend at our house on the Chesapeake Bay and Alison loves it there. All ii all we are so happy and Ali is such a joy, she has added so much to our lives.
I am attaching some photos of our little cutie..

Ten weeks later...

2006-05-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

Well..it seems like a year ago since our journey to china..little Alison has fit into our lives so perfectly. She is definitley our daughter, the matching room could not have matched us with a more perfect little girl. She is doing so well and is a happy, loving, outgoing child who is the light in our lives. I am posting some new photos of our princess..

More photos

2006-02-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

More photos from yesterday...really cute.

Japan here we come..

2006-02-22T18:09:00.000-08:00

Hi all, we leave China today and fly to Japan where we will be staying overnight and connecting to our BIG FLIGHT tomorrow. Our flight today will be 4 hours and should be a good test run. Tomorrow's flight will be 11 hours and that is not something we are looking forward to. Hopefully business class will make a difference with little Alison. Yesterday was our last full day and we went to the American Consulate where we took the oath of allegiance for our baby. It was really neat. We took a bunch of group photos before we went and of course the red couch pictures where are a must for all adoptive families. Can't wait to get home and settle in...it seems like we have been in China for a year. See you all soon.

Some more photos

2006-02-21T20:25:00.000-08:00

Just a few more photos...

Our last day in Gaungzhou

2006-02-21T20:10:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone...the days have been flying by as we wait for our consulate appointment which is today. Things have been pretty restful here and we have felt like we are on a bit of a vacation. The city is very nice and in the last few days the weather has turned tropical and humid.
We have had quite an adventure and Alison has fit in perfectly to our family. She is full of spirit and is always smiling these days...that is what her Chinese name means..happy baby, and now we can see why. She is such a delight and joy to us. We have been sleeping a little bit better but cannot wait to get home and get the little princess on a schedule.
The last few days have been spent enjoying different sights and sampling fantastic Cantonese cuisine. This region is famous for the best seafood but some of the restaurants have some really horrific sights..Snakes, turtles and alligators abound and of course everything is alive until you point out your lunch and it is killed. They really appreciate fresh food, needless to say we are sticking with the lobster and fish.
We are so looking forward to coming home..just a few more days. Take care and see you all soon.

Paradise found in Gaungzhou

2006-02-17T23:42:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,
Sorry there have been no new posts for a few days..the weather in Nanchang was terrible so there were no good pictures...we left Nanchang yesterday which I will compare to the hills of Appalachia to hit Gaungzhou which I will compare to Manhattan. That is how stark the contrast is between the two cities. It is absolutely beautiful here although the bad weather from the north followed us down here. They are calling for sunny and in the 80s tomorrow, I cannot wait.
The flight from Nanchang was our first test flight for Alison. It was only one hour long but afterwards South declared he will never travel coach with a baby again, for all who know South, that says it all. She really was not bad, just very restless and the seats extremely small. We are praying that she will sleep for some part of the journey back home.
Today we went to the medical examination. It was very short and not very in depth...our little pumpkin was one of the smallest in the group weighing in at 16.4 pounds, but deemed very cute and healthy. The clinic was on Shaiman Island which I have to say is just gorgeous, we can't wait to go tomorrow and walk around and explore. It is almost a combination of Europe and the Islands, very lush.
We are at the Marriott hotel and it is very nice, such a contrast to the last hotel and Alison seems to love it....like mother like daughter.
I am sending some pictures and will post more tomorrow....till then..

Tomorrow Gaungzhou

2006-02-15T22:09:00.000-08:00

To say that we are anxious to get to Gaungzhou and begin the final stage of our journey would be an understatement. We collect Alison's passport tomorrow and leave for the airport at 2:00. We had an interesting day today, we went to visit a typical Chinese village to get an idea of what kind of life our child would have come from. It was a true eye opener. Even though the conditions were on a poverty level the people seemed happy and their children loved. Most of the children were boys of course, I was so saddened to think that this would have been the life for Alison if she had been lucky enough to have been kept by her parents.
The weather was cold and rainy with high winds so we were happy to make it back to the hotel and get some lunch. We are dreaming of Cactus Cantina and Houstons...two great restaurants back home. Chinese food in China is completely different than Chinese food back home.
Alison continues to thrive, she is such a true gift and treasure and we love her so much.
I am sending some pictures of the day..till tomorrow..

First Full Day in Nanchang

2006-02-14T17:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a pretty light day all in all. Our first appt. was at 2:30 so we had time to enjoy some walking around the hotel in the morning. The weather was really nice, around 75 and sunny with some haze. We had our first official appt. with the notory to prepare Alison's passport for travel out of China. It was very quick, the lady asked us if we were happy with the baby we received....of course we said yes. After that we ventured with the group to Walmart. It was like nothing we had ever experienced. There were tens of thousands of people..I kid you not. It was so packed and everyone in china seems to be in between 20-30. You rarely see elderly people. We were expecting people to be staring at us but we were in for quite a surprise, everyone was looking at Alison. We think she is incredibly beautiful, but the chinese must think so too because they would just stare at her and then grab whoever they were with and point at her. She took everything in stride in her stroller, she loves being around people and activity.
Today we had some sight seeing planned but we opted to hangout in our room. I have had very little sleep the last few nights because Alison has a cold and is waking up every few hours.
All in all, things are good...talk to you all soon.

Our Treasure from China

2006-02-13T17:43:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone..sorry we did not get a chance to post yesterday but things were a little hectic to say the least. We left cold and smoggy Beijing from the tropic like temps of the south, Nanchang. We arrived to the hotel at 3:00 and were told that the babies would be here at 4:00. We needed to complete paperwork and prepare our gifts for the nannies so everyone was running around like crazy trying to get everything done before 4:00.
When went down to the conference room we could here the babies crying..Alison was not...at all. She never cried one during the whole Gotcha moment. She is without question the most beautiful little girl anyone could hope for. We brought her upstairs and tried to settle her in..she was a little shellshocked, to be expected, but she adjusted very well. Last night was ok..South slept really well, me not so much..she slept a little and cried a little but all in all we are so blessed. I am sending some pictures...We will post later today about our first afternoon as parents.

7:30pm...last night in Beijing

2006-02-12T03:12:00.000-08:00

What a day...the Great Wall was everything we've heard about and so much more. I thought that I was in pretty decent shape, definitely able to hike for miles...well that all changed when your faced with climbing the Great Wall. It was much more steep than either of us imagined and we had our work cut out for us.
We started the day with a tour of the Jade Factory, very cool...some of the carvings were amazing. Then lunch, the amount of food that they have been serving us is really out of control, the platters never stop coming and the dishes have been excellent. We followed lunch with the Great Walk...up the stairs of the Great Wall, great timing, perfect to walk off the huge lunch. The one thing about Beijing that were not really prepared for is the smog..the pollution is really terrible and we cannot imagine spending too much more time here. You will be able to see the smog in the photos..we woke up to it and it never went away.
Well tomorrow is the big day, GOTCHA DAY, and I am so excited and a little bit nervous. We will receive our babies at 4:00pm at the hotel which is great. We will be able to talk to the nannies that have taken care of our baby and get her schedules for feeding and napping. Our flight takes off at 11:10 and we will have a few hours to get situated before Alison joins our lives forever...we are so happy.

Today the Great Wall, tomorrow Alison

2006-02-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a fantastic day...the weather could not have been more perfect and the scenery spectacular. All of the sites we have heard about for so many years were even better in reality. We spent the day touring the Forbidden Palace, the Summer Palace and Tiananmen Square. We had a great lunch and and then off to the Pearl Factory and the Silk Factory. We bought Alison some great outfits and cannot believe that the day we have been waiting for for more than eighteen months is about to come tomorrow. We pray that she is healthy and happy and look so forward to holding her in our arms.
We will update later today with photos of the Great Wall...

Sunny and Clear in Beijing

2006-02-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

Hello to all from Beijing....we are just getting ready to head out and explore the city with our group. We will be touring the Forbidden Palace, the Tiananmen Square and the Imperial Palace. It will be a packed day and we will not be back to the hotel until 7:oo tonight.
We have adjusted after the brutally long flight...I will never again think that going to Europe is a long trip, it has become a shuttle flight in my mind...after experiencing the flight yesterday. I will be posting pictures later today so stay tuned..we have met up with some of the people in our group at breakfast this morning and everyone seems to be very nice.
Ok...we are off..

The long flight to Japan

2006-02-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

Well, 5 hours into the flight I cannot imagine another 9 hours...So far so good, the flight has been great thus far, the service unbelievable. We are both reading and enjoying some peace and quite, looking forward to the not so quite soon to come.

JAL@JFK

2006-02-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

Here we are...enjoying the pre-flight ammenities..South is enjoying a few beers...

Business Lounge in JFK

2006-02-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

Hi there all...we are sitting in the JAL lounge in JFK...lounging..We are so excited and ready for the trip..our flight leaves at 12:00 so we have about an hour to kill. We are enjoying soba noodles and some Kirin Ichiban beer for brunch and just relaxing before the 14 hour leg. After we land in Japan it will be another 5 hours to Beijing..Truly a journey of a lifetime. All I can think about is our little Alison waiting for us..just a few more days to go.
I will be posting from the plane. Take care for now.

5 Days and Counting

2006-02-04T13:14:00.000-08:00

How time has flown. Here it is Saturday night and just knowing that next Saturday we will be treking around Beijing is just amazing. We have been waiting so long for this trip it almost seems surreal that it is just around the corner. Everything is pretty much taken care of at this point, Alison's bag is packed, and we will attempt to get our bags semi packed tomorrow. We were thrown for a loop this morning when we saw that temp's in China will be much warmer than anticipated....I was just thinking yesterday as I was walking in 60 degree weather that it would be so nice if Beijing was not 12 below..low and behold it looks like it will be in the high 50's..gotta love it.

Ancient Chinese Proverb

2006-01-13T14:56:00.000-08:00

The red thread belief is a ancient Chinese Proverb that states: An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.

Waiting for Ali...27 days to go

2006-01-13T04:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, 27 days to go and I am truly a wreck...things are moving sooooo fast and I am so excited. We leave for China on the 9th of February and return on the 24th. I am trying desperately to get ready, baby clothes washed, prescriptions for the baby filled, bags packed...the list goes on and on. I did make headway today though, I was able to get all of the nannies presents and stuff them into one of the suitcases that I will be bringing...South of course would love to go carry-on, but that's a different story.

This is our little girl Alison, currently waiting for us in the province of Jiangxi. She was born on 2/24/05 and will be just under a year when we see her.