Link to Andrea's posts in China

Hello Blogger Followers!

Andrea asked me to send out this message on her Blog, since she is unable to post on this site from China, she is posting photos and stories of their journey to bring Adam home on this site:

http://www.youbelong.net/thaggfam

Adam is beautiful and they are doing great!

Andrea's friend,

Lisa

Day in Hong Kong PART I

We began the day by just looking out our back window--skyscrapers galore... cruise ships, barges, Chinese junks.

Andrea, the bird whisperer, finds a dove.

Stacy with our hotel in the background.

Andrea overlooking the harbor.

Stacy at the "Walk of the Stars"

Andrea reluctantly gives her opinion.

Boardwalk near our hotel

Bruce Lee's star

Jackie Chan

Statue of Bruce Lee

Bruce again

Taxi ride from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island

Hannah likes Porsches and the color blue.

End of Part One.

PART II

Stacy requesting directions from the concierge.



Hollywood Road shops on Hong Kong Island

Mammoth ivory carvings.

Browsing in the shops.

Inner city playground.

Road to Victoria's Peak.

View from Victoria's Peak.

Strolling along the roof at the Peak Galleria.

Harbor view from Victoria's Peak

My beautiful bride

Chinese junk in the harbor

Bright lights, big city. Our day is done.



We love you, Caleb, Hannah, Ben, Rachel, and Mary Elizabeth! Thanks to the Covingtons for keeping our children safe.

FINALLY!!!!!!

Here we are, self-portrait, shortly after take-off from Los Angeles to Tokyo.

My beautiful wife.

Japanese cuisine compliments of Japan Airlines.

Origami bird, prior to being confiscated by Andrea.

Japanese soda.

I've got a golden ticket!

The kind folks from Japan Airlines did a passenger shake-down, looking for swine flu. If you passed the health inspection, you got a golden ticket and were allowed to deplane.

Here we are, safe and sound on the ground in Hong Kong!

We carry on, despite dismal conditions at our hotel.

Our hotel bed, prior to being broken in.

We love you, Caleb, Hannah, Ben, Rachel, and Mary Elizabeth. Thank you, Layton and Riley ( and Joe and Mali) for watching our children this weekend.

We will call you tonight.

Daddy & Mama

Last Post before We Leave.

I am Excited! Ok..there I said it!
I have been trying to be really cool..basically acting like a female FONZIE every time someone asks if I am excited....But the jig is up!
I am pumped.
I wanted to take a few minutes and ask for specific prayer requests while we are away.

Pray for our children that we are leaving.
It will be hard for the little ones and the big ones..
although I doubt they will admit it.

Pray for Adam and the adjustment period that he will go through.
Pray that he is not terrified.
Close up I am pretty scary...even when I am holding a lollipop as big as your head.

Please Pray for my attitude.
If he is afraid and he does reject me..please pray that I do not act like a spoiled child "who didn't get the doll that she asked Santa for".
HEY!..I'm human people..just keeping it real.

Pray for Stacy to have a safe trip home.
He will be leaving ALONE on the 23rd.
Life without him would be unbearable for me.
I am his rib and He is mine.

Pray for Me and the BABY.
We will remain in China until JUNE 3rd..no that was not a type-o.
I am actually looking forward to an adventure.
A Mommy of 6 does get many of those in her old age!
OH.... the things we do for our children.

Pray for our caregivers.
We really do not want our kids to drive them crazy
so that they will volunteer again (when we go back for our daughter)!

Pray for Adam's Nanny.
She loves him. She was the one who called LWB every
day begging for his surgery to come soon.
She knew it was life or death for him. I know how much
she loves him and because of that I want her to LOVE me.
So if you can ..Pray that I am especially charming when I meet her. ;)

Pray for Karla at LIFELINE.
I really want this to be easy for her.
There is so much going on in China right now and I know that she
will worry.
She is a precious thing.

Pray for Lily and Rebecca- our in country guides.
Our greatest hope is that we can develop a life long friendship with them
and share our faith with them and maybe- just maybe -give them a little glimpse of how wonderful life is when Jesus is in it.
THAT, my friends, would be COOL!

Pray for every single child that Stacy and I have to leave behind.
You will never be able to comprehend the agony that one feels when you get on that plane
knowing that you would take them all if they would just let you.
You know that it is ridiculous... but you would try ;if given half the chance.
There are tons of children waiting for parents to love them.
Waiting to be matched, waiting to be picked up, waiting to be loved...Adam is only one of thousands.
Stacy and I would appreciate you asking God to give us an opportunity
to do something out of the ordinary for these kids while we are there.
If you could join us in asking HIM to show us what HE wants us to do....
It would be a blessing to us.

Please Pray for our health.
We just want to stay WELL. PERIOD!

So there they are
I am afraid that I will get so busy that I will just pray about the basics
and miss the rest.
Help me out guys!

We love you all.
If you want me to text you a picture..leave your cell phone number in your comment.
I'll hook you up!

hey...Did I mention that I am EXCITED?!?!?!?!?

Last Day of Riding, My Other-Brother Has A Birthday, & The Song of The Week

Today is the last day of riding lessons.
They all went to the Agri-Center and everyone turned out.

I dropped by at lunch time to take everyone BAR-B-Q
and I swear it looked like everyone in Lauderdale County
had dropped off their kids!

Everyone was smiling and NO-ONE wanted to go home.

That is when you know that you are doin' it right.

I am going to miss these kids....
Of course..I am not going to TELL them that..but I will.



Today is also OTHER BROTHER'S Birthday.




3 years ago , during their father's fight with Cancer,
Rick had a massive heart attack.
We all treat him like a 3 year old who isn't allowed
trans-fats or artificial ANYTHING.
It is really sad the way we all hover over him and monitor his salt intake.. LOL!
..but not quite as sad as the thought of life without him.
We love him and his birthday's are a gift to him and us.

And Finally.....
The Song of the WEEK. After hours of deliberation
we have decided on

"LEAVIN' ON A JET PLANE"






Cause that is what we will be doing on Saturday morning.....

Going to get our baby.

Don't ask how..cause I don't know.

Don't ask who...cause I really couldn't say......
just call them Angels from Afar .......

All I know is that prayers were answered
with trumpets and a full chorus..............

God is and has always been good to us!

Stay Tuned.

So.....
How is your day going?

Not Leaving.
Consulate says they are booked on the 26th..Dragon fest 28th from 31st and the Consulate is not taking appt's from the 27the to the 1st. Some provinces are closing dates for bookings, due to swine flu. Parents have TA's and CA's but the local offices are saying "no go". and has been making it difficult for agencies to get appointments.
Rumor is Guandong is one of those, although our agency has not heard this.
Consulate says the closest date for appt. is June 9.
That is the WORST possible time for us to go.
So basically we have no idea when we will go...
Things do not look good for May or June.
Stacy has gone to State Rep.s Office to see if they can get us on the plane- Doubtful- but will try anything at this point.
Not a good day.

Happy Married Day to me and Happy Mother's Day to Ya'll!

This is what the kids call it.

When Caleb was little we would drive by the chapel where
we were married and we would ask Caleb if he knew what that place was.
He would say, "Yeah,Daddy- that's the place where Mama put on that dress and MADE you get married.

I just love this picture...He is just a pretty, pretty ,man.{SIGH}

Happy Mother's Day to all .

I hope you have a great one.

TO MY DEAREST SARAH

BEFORE


AFTER




I had a basket of things that didn't make the cut.......
which included my BLACK SHOES(SOB)..but I am trying to
remember that I am going to China and NOT Milan.

There is a problem, though:

These things are heavy.

Stacy seems to think that I am going to be stressed and exhausted by the time we leave Meridian and he doesn't want me lugging a 40 pound carry-on around 5 different airports,

so he is voting that we check my bag and pack a few things for us and the baby and he carry's that bag and the computer/document bag and I just carry my sling and (as he puts it)"my pretty little self".

A few more days like the one I had today - and I am going to agree with him.

So we may be 2 carry-ons and 1 small checked.....

Either way it is 5 less bags than we took last time...so that's cool.

And I promise we will post the whole time.

You guys are going to experience the comedic stylings of Stacy .

He did all of the posting last time and he was hilarious.

I really do dig him.

SOOOOOO..........

Our TA was dropped off at our agency this morning.

Now they are trying to see if we are still going to be able to get the same Consulate Appointment.

We will know on MONDAY

if we are to catch a plane

on WEDNESDAY!

FUN, huh?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,BEN!

My little man turned 8 on Monday!



He wanted a "small party with lots of presents"...so that is what we did.



The Pettey girls made his cake for him and it was YUMMY!




He got lots of loot and lots of MOO- LA!
So... he was a HAPPY CAMPER!

Happy Birthday ,PICKLE!

We love you!