We are HERE!!!!!!

Well, we arrived safely! The flights over were were not that bad, just long!

After a few hours of sleep, we are ready to explore Bangkok on our own today. We are e-mailing this from a tiny internet shop right by our hotel!

Tomorrow morning at 10:30 we will meet our social worker and then we MEET SHAUN!!!! We will have a few hours at our hotel with him and then we head to Bang Sai to meet the foster family.

We cannot tell you how much we miss Abby Liz! We know she is having fun, but we DO miss her lots. Today I am hoping to find her some nice treasures!

We WILL post more later.....we are anxious to see this city.

K and K

Midnight In Bangkok!

Hello all fellow followers!
I just received a call from Kathleen. It is the middle of the night in Bangkok and in Kathleen's words, "It is HOT here, hot like China." Ah, memories....
She asked me to let you all know they arrived safely and have already spoken to Abby Liz today who is with Kathleen's nephew. All is well!
They are going to try to get access to the internet and blog tomorrow, which I guess will be our tonight or tomorrow night or yesterday's afternoon:))
Thanks, Kathleen! Next time, I will carry the phone with me when I go down to get the laundry! Sorry I missed your call :( ...........Happy to hear from you!:)

leavin' on a jet plane......

..........And we will be back home in 11 days!( with more luggage!)

Well, Gang.....it's our last post before we leave for Thailand in the morning. Kevin and I would like to thank all of you for supporting us through our long journey. It has been hard for us the second time around, but it is because of the support that we have been able to follow through and find our son. What lucky people we are! .....10 years ago, we never would have thought we would be so blessed.

We are all packed! We are ready! can you believe it is time? We hardly believe it either...LOL!

(somebody pinch me!)

UNTIL THAILAND..............

Abby's travels

On Tuesday morning we all woke up super early (5am) Dad had to go to work, while Abby and I had to start our trip to Cleveland to meet Aunt Val and Kyle.
As you can see, she is very excited to be taking that last chain down! Dad and I were a bit sad....

Aunt Val, Mom and Abba-dabba! Meeting in Cleveland!

The note we found on the table......she is just too sweet!

(notice that she is holding a baby in her drawing!)

Kyle, Aunt Val and Abby!

Saying good bye was hard for Mom.....

Abby is now safe in NY with her loving family, playing with her cousin Eric and having a blast!
11 more days and we will have our children finally in the same place!

CHRIS AND TERRI

CHRIS AND TERRI !!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

She is beautiful!!! Please e-mail me privatly so maybe I can get on your blog (kevleen94@yaoo.com). I would love to follow you all.... and that beautiful little girl! I bet the boys are so happy! I saw your post tonight on the agency forum!!!! I have been thinking about you and your family!

Counting down the days..and hours ....and minutes!

Every morning after Abby finishes breakfast she takes another piece off of her paper chain! Abby and I made this chain the day we found out when we would be leaving for Thailand. Every day she gets more and more excited! (this chain started out with like 60 something pieces!)

7 more days!

12 more days...

It is true that time slows down....12 more days and we will be flying to Thailand! The past week has felt like a month to us as we anticipate our family changes. I have been trying to keep myself busy, I have been organizing like crazy each day only to find I have created another mess someplace else............AGGGHHHHH! So needless to say I feel like I am doing the same thing each day.......all while thinking I won't have much time for stuff like this after we get home.
I know daily life will change, and I am ready for it. Abby Liz has become so independent in her 5 3/4 years! Sometimes it seems like she is all grown up and doesn't need me as much anymore, which I know is not true...she just needs me in different ways.

It's hard not to think of our son ever minute. Wondering just what he is like. Is he ready for our family? Will he bond as quickly as our daughter did? Will they bond with each other? I know the answers are not there just yet........I know that we will handle it all as it comes to us. I am so ready for all of it!

Yesterday I spent a good amount of time in Shaun's room. It is so relaxing in there and I quickly found myself rocking a stuffed animal in the rocking chair. :) I just closed my eyes and thought of my boy, it was great! I could almost feel him with me, maybe he was in a deep sleep dreaming of this woman on the other side of the world rocking him, comforting him. I LOVED rocking Abby, watching her drift into sleep. I remember she used to put the palm of her hand on my cheek and keep it there......almost as if she needed to feel me. Or the way she use to stare at me eye to eye while she drank her entire bottle. Closeness that came to us fast.
I'd like to think it is because of the people Kevin and I are. That we were prepared enough, relaxed enough.....READY enough. I feel the same confidence now, although at times I do worry. It is harder having a child already........when you have to travel without them. I mostly worry about that. Will she be ok? YES, I tell myself, she will be ok! She will be with family that loves her, she is going to have a great time....truth is, I ask myself more if I am going to be ok? Will I be ok without Abby at my side? It's hard to explain the confidence SHE gives me, but she does! I will miss her terribly and think of her constantly, just as I think of the child of mine not with me now. Being a mom is hard, being a mom with kids on 2 opposite sides of the world is heart wrenching. I cannot wait for the day our children are both in the same place, in our arms, making our family sandwich!