Flights to China!!!

Our flights are booked! We leave on August 27th and return with Levi on September 10th. We do not have all our other "in China" travel arrangements, hotels, etc...lined up yet but it sure feels good to have a way to get TO China and get HOME! I will post a more detailed schedule sometime in the next couple week:)

Slip 'n Slide!

The kids spent the day going from the slip 'n slide to the trampoline:)

They had a FUN day!

Lance and I spent the evening trying to find ideal flights to China and back. WOW...so many options and price ranges. We gave up for tonight. Maybe tomorrow...

TA...

Stands for Travel Approval!!! Nicole (THANKS Nicole!) with our agency AAC, called today to let me know that she had our Travel Approval Document in hand:) This means we are now officially given permission to go get our boy. It would be nice if we could just jump on a plane tomorrow but nothing about International Adoption is THAT easy. Our first and most important step now, is to get an appointment at the American Consulate in Guangzhou, China. Everything else is scheduled around this appointment. Lance and I have gone over schedules (ours and the kids) and have come to the conclusion that leaving the 27th of August will be the best time for us to travel. This would make our Consulate Appointment on September 7th or 8th. We should know tomorrow or Monday, at the latest, if we were indeed granted an appointment on one of these requested dates. Then we can book our flights:) Yesterday was exactly one year since our agency sent our Letter of Intent, asking them permission for us to adopt Levi, to China. It has been a loooong paper pregnancy for me but it is almost time. I am SO excited!!! Hang on sweet boy...your Momma is coming soon!

Can't wait to smother this precious face with lots of kisses...

I will keep you all posted!

Happy Birthday My Love!

Yesterday, the love of my life, celebrated his 44th Birthday:) I know I have said it before but Lance is such an amazing husband and father...to SEVEN kiddos! He takes such good care of us all. Actually, he SPOILS us! He works so hard and truly does it all for us and others. He has the biggest heart and is SO giving. I am in awe of the way God has worked in our lives. We owe it all to Him! Thank you Lord for my husband.

Lance wanted to take our gang out to Cerulean for dinner. We enjoyed the delicious meal as usual and also some refreshing sangria. We had a GREAT time!

Liam drew daddy a picture at dinner...

Liam really enjoying his sushi...

Snuggling with dad...

A couple of cheesy smiles...

We ALL love you SO much Lance!!!

It looks as if Landan is continuing to have a GREAT time at camp:) I found these pictures of him, taken during paintball. Leytan has been kinda quiet and mopey this week. I know he is a little lost without his big brother:( We will all be happy for him to come home tomorrow evening. I can't wait to hear all about his FUN times and how God has worked in his life this week. What a blessing this camp is to my son and so many children!

Landan in the grey Adidas sweatshirt...

Exciting News...

This is what the Subject line said for the email I (along with a few other families) got from my adoption agency today:) And here is how it began, "We got a heads up from CCAA (Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs) that your TA’s (Travel Approvals) are on the way. We should have them by the end of this week. Feel free to start looking at flights to get an idea of when you would like to leave." SO...we should get a call SOON! Then we can start booking all our appointments, flights, hotels, etc. I am beyond ready.

Other exciting news...Landan is at Camp With An Impact @ Camp Adventure. I dropped him off Sunday evening and will pick him up on Friday evening. He went last year too and absolutely LOVED it! This year they are posting pictures on Facebook, so of coarse, I had to get back on a couple weeks earlier than I had planned:) I found a couple pictures of him already. It makes having him gone so much more tolerable for me. I know he is having a GREAT time!

Picture of Landan with his group...

Evening worship...

Landan coming off The Blob...

And, not so exciting news...LOL! The other kids and I spent our afternoon at the pool. It was a great pool day and the kids had lots of fun. Here is a video I took with my new Flip Video:) I think it will be GREAT for China. It takes up to 60 minutes of video and it is SUPER small.

Leytan, Liam, Lorelle and their friends showing off their diving board moves...

A special "THANK YOU!", to Andy and Lauren, for taking the kiddos to the movies this evening. Lauren took the girls to see Ramona and Beezus. Andy took the boys to see Sorcerers Apprentice. Lance is gone at a business dinner so here I sit in a completely quiet house. SO...what do I do?! BLOG of coarse! It's not like I have anything better to do:) LOL! The next month is going to be CRAZY! But WONDERFUL:)

Brickyard 400...

Lance took Liam, Leytan and Leytan's friend Mason, to the Brickyard 400 today. They left about 8AM this morning and returned home about 7PM. This was both Liam and Mason's first Nascar race. They both really enjoyed it. Lance also said he thought they were both pretty surprised by how FAST and LOUD the cars were. It was a HOT day but they took a cooler of drinks and our squirt bottles with fans, that we got at Disney World last year. They helped:) We were a little concerned about Liam and all the walking but Lance said he did GREAT and was a real trooper! All three of the boys were exhausted from being out in the sun and heat all afternoon. They were each asleep before Lance even made it out of Indianapolis;) They all had a FUN day!

Just arrived, parked, and walked about a mile to the track.

Made it to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway...

Liam and Leytan trackside...

View from their seats... Let the racing BEGIN!

Liam was "into it"...

Nice rapper look Liam:) WORD! LOL!

Liam lovin the action!

Dirt Bikes!

We took the kids to ride their motorcycles today. The kids have all moved up on bike sizes and this is Liam's first year riding. Lilyan still has no interest in riding. She just hangs out with me and watches:) Landan and Leytan are both on Kawasaki 140's, Lorelle is on a Honda 70 and Liam a Honda 50. Landan has been riding the longest, is the most aggressive and getting some air on jumps. Leytan is really getting the hang of the 140, has mastered the gears now and is doing really well on such a big bike. Lorelle is a little pro. As usual, she picked up riding very quickly and easily. She is really aggressive and goes pretty darn fast. I know I have said it before...but this girl can do ANYTHING she decides to do and do it GOOD! Liam was so nervous last time we rode but by the end of our time today, he was feeling really confident. He followed Landan around the track and was feeling so proud to be riding with the big boys:) We are SO proud of him too!

Leytan and Lorelle...

Landan coming off a jump...

Landan just landing a jump...

Lorelle and Chip taking a Gatorade break...

Lorelle...

Liam...

Close up of Liam...

The kids all had a BLAST and are begging to go back out SOON! Especially Liam:)

The kiddos showing us their stuff...

Landan getting some "air"...

Today...

We went to visit with Chuck. Chuck E. Cheese, that is:)

Lorelle hugging Chuck...

Landan shooting Aliens...

Liam making a Deal or No Deal...

Lilyan enjoying the chicken wings...

Liam, Lilyan and Leytan playing...

After our lunch at Chuck E. Cheese's, we stopped by Ultrazone for a game of laser tag. The kids enjoyed their day:-) I am mostly just obsessed with checking my phone at this point. I NEED my agency to call with my Travel Approval! Pray that it will arrive VERY soon!!! Please Lord!

Zoo!

Sunday we woke early and were on the road to the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo around 8AM. We wanted to beat the heat and the crowd:) Ashley and Angela wanted to visit our zoo again this year and my kids are always up for another trip to the zoo. Even Lauren and Andy joined us. Our African Journey began with a Sky Safari ride. Then off to see all of the amazing animals. They were very active and entertaining for the kids.

The triplets loved the mongoose...

The lion stretching...

He walked right up to the glass to check out the kids...I am pretty sure he was thinking SNACK:) LOL!

Leytan and Liam feeding the giraffe lettuce...

Next stop the Indonesian Rainforest and then the Australian Adventure where the River Ride is always a favorite.

ALL of the Perry Kids...even Lauren joined the fun:)

The boys with the new zoo mascot...K-Zoo:)

Lauren and Andy on the train. Did I mention they are now "Promised" and have exchanged rings to prove it!?! I am SO happy for them!

Last stop was the Indiana Family Farm. The kids always really enjoy all of the farm animals.

Lilyan and Leytan petting the donkey...

The goat wanted to snack on Liam's shirt:) LOL!

Group picture by the pond...

We had a great day! The kids spent the next day and a half swimming in the pond, pool, fishing, jumping on the trampoline and playing. They really enjoyed their time together.

Shadow Lakes Beach...

These were taken at our neighborhood beach. Aunt Mindy and cousins, Angela and Ashley came for a visit on Saturday afternoon. They will be here until Tuesday morning...yay! The kids had a blast playing together in the pond. Saturday evening Grandma and Grandpa Perry joined us for a lasagna dinner. Then we decided to go to a movie. The kids saw Despicable Me in 3D. Mindy and I saw Knight and Day. It was really good. The kids enjoyed their movie too:)

All 7 kiddos...

Even Chippy thought the water felt good:)

Action Shots!!!

The kids and I spent about 4 hours at the pool today. What a perfect day for it! I practiced my action shot, photography skills while I watched the kids swim. Here are a few of my favorites...

Leytan jumping off the diving board...

Landan doing a cannonball...

Liam and his peace signs off the diving board...

Lorelle diving...

Catch it Lilyan...

What a FUN day!!!