Here we are in sunny Mexico...Puerto Penasco, AKA Rocky Point to AZ gringos.  I cannot believe that we have seen pictures of our precious Sojo several times.  We have tried Skype, but with the difference in time, have missed one another.  Hopefully, today.

 

What can we say about our beautiful Sojo...she is so sweet, so beautiful, so perfect, so loved.  Tara and Dale are posting beautiful pictures and beautiful words about their journey with Sojo.  Her homeland is beautiful and filled with lots of little tidbits about her life her first months.  They visited the orphanage and know that she was loved and cared for.  They know she is from the Miao minority tribe. 

 

It is hard for me to even write about her.  I find tears of joy constantly overcoming me.  I cannot believe we finally have our Sojo.  I cannot wait until we can see her and hold her in Washington.  We leave Washington the 29th of June.  Another whole month.  Thank goodness for technology.  At least we will be able to see her through emails, their blog and even Skype when we get home.  We can see her on Skype here but cannot talk ourselves.  If we could corridinate our times.

 

Bless you dear Sojo...enjoy getting to know your mama and baba.

In between packiing for Mexico, we keep checking the blog for news and pics of Sojo.  So far...NONE.

 

Today was Matt's birthday and we celebrated with him by taking him a cake and presents this morning after church.  He likes yellow cake with chocolate frosting.  Ron had it made before I got up this morning.  He is a good Dad.  He also had the traditional "hear ye...hear ye" made up so we could make the proclamation as we approached Matt's house of his birth 29 years ago and all the wonderful qualities he has.  Ron has been doing this for the kids since the 70's.  When they were young they loved it...toward adolescence and into their teens they didn't like it so much.  However, once when he suggested ending the tradition, they all quickly asked him not too.  They all agree that it will be a tradition they take into their own families.  We know that Tara and Dale will do this for Sojo.  Later, we met Matt, Cathy, Sean, Cathy's Mom Sue and Matt's friends Dave and Rachel and Paul and Nina for Sushi.  We don't eat Sushi, so we found another dish on the menu that was not slimy uncooked fish.  Then, back to Matt and Cathy for birthday cake. 

 

So, as we wait, we clean up dishes from making sauce and meatballs to take along...we finish packing bags and boxes and taking them to the car and we wait.....we are sure that Tara and Dale are getting to know their daughter right now.  And, signing lots of papers to officially claim her and make it legal. 

Just 4 1/2 hours until Sojo is placed in Tara and Dale's arms and they will become a forever family.  Bells will be ringing at this house at 6 pm Tucson's MST tonight.  Listen for them.  That is 9 pm for those of you on EST and it will be 9 am on May 28th for the Ethridge family of three. 

 

We have been floating all day at just the thought of this moment that will go down in the Russell/Ethridge family history as one filled with oh so much joy.  I am absolutely speechless.  Tears flow at just the thought.  I am impatient for time to fly.  I feel like my heart is outside my body. 

 

And so, I give thanks for a little baby girl who waits across the seas in a town called Kunming for a man and woman to approach her in a few short hours...a man and woman whom she will call Ma Ma and Ba Ba.  And so, we wait...for our turn to hold her.

 

And...we also give thanks for the baby boy in our life...our tall lanky 3rd born, second son, Matt.  We give thanks that 29 years ago today, he came into our lives and made us a family of five... 

 

Blessings to all children and all parents around the world...  No matter how they arrive or at what time, they are a blessing.  Children are sacred and holy and precious gifts from God.  Children are God's opinion that the world should go on.  Amen.

Well, we have one more wake up, but Tara and Dale are 16 hours ahead of us, so they are probably just now rising, checking their bags once and checking them twice to make sure they have everything they need.  Thanks to Sam Walton, there are WalMarts across the world, including Kunming, so anything they may have forgotten, can probably be found there. 

 

For us...it is one more wake up.  Tomorrow night May 27th, around 6 pm Tucson time, will be 9 am May 28th in China.  This is the time they are to have Sojo handed over to them.  We think it is pretty neat because Jo Jo Matt's birthday is tomorrow.  Even though, in China it will be the 28th.  Matt calls himself Mojo instead of Jo Jo, but we all know he is her uncle in any language.  Just like Sean is.  They are both thrilled to welcome little Sojo into the family.  Of course Matt...the youngest of this clan said ... now no one will remember his birthday.  Ha! Ha! fat chance!  Soooo.....anyway....we will all be looking for a blog entry tomorrow night before we head off to bed. 

 

We are headed to Puerto Penasco, Mexico early Monday morning and are taking lap tops with us to use wireless there and keep tabs on that little one.  We don't want to miss a minute.  We will even use Skype so we can see her in action, albiet a bit delayed and in very slow motion. 

 

So...Sojo...Ma Ma and Ba Ba are on their way.  They will be there soon and you will have them forever to love.  We will see you soon.

 

Blessings and safe travel to all....And, Happy Birthday to Matt and Happy Gotcha Day to Sojo.

Tara and Dale have received notification to travel to pick Sojo up.  They will leave Shanghai on the 27th for Kunming and have Sojo in their arms on the 28th.  They are so excited and you know who else is....Po Po and Gong Gong.  Yipee! 

 

They have recently discovered that Sojo is in foster care, so the powers that be have to go and bring her back to Kunming.  Everyone is thrilled that she has had a couple of months in foster care.  We are all sure she has been well cared for and loved.  We give thanks to the people at the orphanage and the nannies who have taken care of her there and in foster care. 

 

They will be in Kunming for a few days for paperwork and looking around and then back to Shanghai until it is time to go to Guangzhou to get her Visa for the trip to the USA.  They will both be on "maternity/paternity" leave, so they can just relax and get to know Sojo while they wait.  It is that infamous Homeland Security Form I-171H that they are waiting for.  Sojo cannot leave China without it.  They live in a real nice place with a beautiful pool and grounds to walk Sojo around on, so I don't think it will be a hardship for them.  It will be a hardship for us though.  We want to be with her too. 

 

Somethings they may do while they wait:

 

I have written about Yunnan Province and Kunming where Sojo waits before; however, I think it deserves more to describe it. 

 

I so wish we were able to go and see this place.  It looks so peaceful, so soulful.  All you have to do is look at Sojo's beautiful face and I think you see the soul of Kunming.  Someone recently looked at her picture and told me she has "presence".  I think Kunming has "presence".  That is probably why she has it too.

 

Yunnan Province has over 25 colorful Ethnic Minorities living there.  I am attaching a picture Tara used on her blog.  The women wear beautiful colored costumes (clothing) that remind me of the women in Cusco, Peru.  They strap the babies on their backs while they work in the fields.  Tara recently found out that the babies in Kunming rarely stay in the orphanage beyond 5 months.  We are not sure if that means Sojo is now in foster care or since she has been "placed", she is still in the orphange.  Tara and Dale like the idea of her being in foster care with a family of farmers.  They envision Sojo in a colorful, handmade embroiderd backpack, strapped on the back of a woman working hard in the fields.  She referred to Sojo, "resting against her heartbeat all day in the sun".  What a beautiful image.

 

Tara and Dale are thrilled that Sojo is from such a colorful part of China.  The know and appreciate the simplicity of developing areas of the world.  They miss that in China and were hoping that Sojo would come from a part of China with this type of history and presence. 

 

My research tells me that Yunnan is unlike most areas of China.  They do not limit the couples from having only one child.  Probably because it is in the country and they need the children to work in the fields.  One has to ponder, why would someone give up a child if they did not have to.  Maybe the mother still needed to do this for what could be any reason.  Maybe she could not handle one more mouth to feed.  Maybe she was unwed and ashamed.  Maybe her family could not help her.  Maybe she had been abandoned and was alone herself.  Maybe...  Whatever her reason, we give thanks to her for her unselfish love in wanting her daughter to have a better life than she could give her.  May Sojo always know that kind of love and may she always know the reassuring, comforting, unconditional love that Tara and Dale will give her.  We certainly give thanks to God daily for the gift of her life.  She is a blessing thousands of miles away.  She is a blessing that we have only a picture of.  She is a blessing we have never touched.  She is a blessing we hold close to our hearts. 

 

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift".  2 Corinthians 9:15

Sojo is 7 months old today.  I think of her and want to kiss her seven times seventy thousand.  How precious she is.  I stare at her picture and dream about holding her in my arms.  She is so precious.  I pray that all the mounds of paper work needed gets sorted and approved and returned.  I pray that every little duck gets lined up in a row.  I pray that they can go and get her long before she is 8 months old.  I pray that they will have her in their arms to celebrate her 8 month birthday.  We will be with her to share and celebrate her 9 month birthday.  Maybe even other members of the Russell family.  Including Barley...this picture reminded me of Barley at a birthday party.  Until then precious Sojo...we love you.

Well, that's what we want to know.  Suddenly this morning I realized that the novelty of knowing Sojo is in China waiting for T&D to get her has worn off.  A picture is just not enough anymore.  I want to chant, "we want Sojo" at the top of my lungs from the top of a mountain and let all the powers that be know that we want the process to speed up. 

 

The paper work that states, "yes" Tara and Dale want Sojo has been sent to the "powers that be" in Beijing.  They should get it by this evening our time and tomorrow their time (they are 15 hours ahead of Tucson's MST).  From then on, who knows.  Tara and Dale are hoping for best case scenario which would be 2-3 weeks from now.  Worst case scenario for someone in the US appears to be 2 months.  We are all praying that because they live in China, that the office in charge will let them go sooner than later.  They do not have to get visas or make elaborate travel plans.  They can just jump on a plane and get there. We are hoping they will let them do that SOON. 

 

The next hurdle is a form called the I171H.  This is a Homeland Security form that the US end requires.  They had to have their Home Study updated before they could submit this form for updating.  This is the 3rd round of paperwork for them.  This form got submitted a couple of weeks before they got their referral for Sojo.  Worst case scenario here could be 2-3 months.  That is not good.  That could mean they cannot come home for the summer.  Sojo needs a visa to come to the US and cannot get one without this form being returned approved.  They can pick her up and stay in China, they just cannot travel outside of China with her.  Again, we are praying for best case scenario...a few weeks.  As soon as they get travel approval to go get her, T&D plan to beg, plead and do whatever they have to, to get them to expedite that form. 

 

The next hurdle comes when they do come to the US.  They have to go through Hawaii to get Sojo naturalized as a US citizen.  It only takes 3 days there, as opposed to 6-8 months in the other 49 states.  Without her being naturalized as a US citizen, she cannot travel back to China or anywhere outside the US.  Since they have a contract with Shanghai American School in Pudong for the next 2 years, it is important that they get that done in a timely fashion.

 

So, what does all of this mean?  It means we get on our knees and we pray that all the things that need to fall into place, do so at a rapid speed.  We want to spend our summer in Tucson and Washington with that precious little girl, getting to know all about her.  We want to hold her and hug her and kiss her.  We want to feed her, rock her and play with her.  We want to take her for walks and talk to her.  We want to spend time doing everything and anything with her.  We want to show her the ocean, we want to show her lavendar fields, we want to show her the Daughter trees that are growing in their yard for her.  We want to kiss her toes and kiss her nose.  We want to love her as only grandparents can.  Hang on Sojo, mama and baba will be there soon to bring you home. 

Our Sojo was born in Yunnan Province in the southwest region of China bordering the countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Burma.  It is 152,000 square miles and has more than 42 million people.

 

The diversity of Yunnan Province's topography ranges from alpine mountains to tropical rainforests.  It has the most plant species of any other in China (more than 18,000).  It has many rare and endangered species of plants and animals.  It has amazing animals...the golden monkey, Asian elephant, red panda. 

 

There are 25 different ethnic minoritie in Yunnan.  It is the most culturally diverse province in China.  Yunnan celebrates life.  There are many parks, temples, festivals, rivers, lakes, forests, hot springs, valleys, farmlands, streams, vast skies and amazing clouds. 

 

Sojo was found in Kunming and most likely born there or nearby.  It is in the middle of the province at an elevation of 1,891 meters with mountains on 3 sides and the Dianchi Lake to the south.  It is said to have a pleasant climate all year with appropriate amounts of rain and sun.  With this type of weataher, plants and flowers bloom all year.  It is said to be the City of Eternal Spring.  It is believed that James Milton's Lost Horizons, was written with Yunnan in mind ... Shangri-la.

 

The orphanage that she waits in looks like a happy place.  It appears that the Chinese do their very best to provide a safe and healthy environment for the babies.  The picture makes it look like Disneyland.  I don't think it is quite that, but I have to admit, I feel good about where she is waiting.  I do think they are taking good care of her. 

 

Sojo has such a peaceful happy little face.  I think it must come from being born in such a lovely place.  I pray that someday we will travel to the place of her birth.  I pray that she will always feel the peace and serenity of her homeland.  I pray that she will always know the love and hope her biological parents had for her the day they decided to give her up.  I pray she will carry that love and hope with her always.   I pray that they somehow know that she will grow up in a family of great love. I pray that we have the opportunity to spend a lot of time with this precious and wonderful little grand-daughter of ours. I pray that God gives us many years to grow with her.

 

 

When I think about the blessings in my life, I am amazed and can't even comprehend the power of it all.  Do I deserve these blessings?  Absolutely not and absolutely yes.  No, because I have done nothing to deserve this joy.  Yes, because God doesn't care.  God gives these gifts freely and undeserved.  It is called "grace".  We simply have to look for it.  Did I want grand children earlier in my life? Yes!  Was it worth the wait? Oh, yes!  I look at a picture of Sojo (they are all over the house -- on the bathroom mirror, on the fridg, by the computer, in my purse) I am in awe at her beauty; and the feeling I feel inside that envelopes me like a cloud, is warm and soft and tender and real.  I cannot even imagine what I will feel the first time I see her in person and touch her tiny fingers and kiss her tiny cheeks.  I know I will have to temper my excitement so I will not frighten her.  Can you just see this wild and crazy woman running up the concord at the airport (against the law, I might add) grabbing this baby out of her mother or father's arms (can't you see the security guards now) and scaring the bejeepers out of the poor child.  Yes, I will definitely have to do some serious adjusting to my behavior.  I feel like a big ole pig wallowing in a big puddle of love.  Oh, Sojo...how we love you.  Oh, God...how we thank you!

 

P.S. Check out the pictures of our precious little one.

 

 

At 11:30 PM, Mountain Standard Time + Arizona's not springing forward, we got the call.  She is beautiful, she is precious, she is tiny, she is amazing, she is perfect, she is everything a first grand child should be.  And, we are thrilled beyond words. 

 

She was born in Yunnan Provence, which is in the Southwestern part of China, near the Vietnam and Laos border.  Tara and Dale are thrilled with that because it is an area they have heard much about and have wanted to visit.  Now they will when they go to pick her up.  We do not know when that it just yet.

 

I am speechless.  How do you put into words the joy that something like this brings.  The waiting is over and it was worth it.  You know why.  Sounds so simple, but you do understand.  She seems like she was the perfect baby for Tara and Dale.  She actually looks like Tara.  I know that sounds silly and when I use to hear people say that about an adopted child, I would chuckle inside.  Especially, if the child was from a foreign country.  But, she does.  She was hand picked by God, just for them. 

Okay...so I am a bit ditzy and am not always practical.  That's okay.  I am about to be a grand mother. 

 

I remember so well as I approached motherhood and my due date with my first child (the mother of these babies/baby we are waiting to hear about).  I was so practical...I had no choice.  Her father and I had just moved to NY and he was just starting his first real job with real money coming in for the first time.  I wasn't working.  Not because I didn't want to or we didn't need the extra money.  It was because there was no such thing as "equal rights" or "discrimination laws".  I was pregnant, plain and simple and no one, I mean no one, would hire a pregnant woman in 1968.  It was actually on the application, "are you pregnant" or "do you plan on getting pregnant".  Can you imagine that?  So, not being one who would lie about anything, least of all an official document on file, I decided to be a "stay at home" mom early.  Hence, the being practical.  Each Friday, when Daddy to be came home with his paycheck, we would divy up the money for rent, utilities, food, etc. and then decide what we could spend on "baby" things.  One week it would be a dozen diapers, the next a few undershirts.  It took us an entire month to save up for the crib.  No sonograms in those days so there was no idea whether it was a boy or girl, so each item had to be unisex.  No impractical purchases of pink or blue, just in case. 

 

So, call me crazy...we have a few extra bucks these days after working hard all these years...let me be impractical.  Let me buy tiny little crocs for tiny little feet that I haven't even seen.  Let me buy them in pink and green ... let me buy a big ole pair for myself.  Let me dream of holding two little hands, one on either side of me.  Let me dream of taking walks with them.  Let me dream of telling them stories of when their mother was a little girl.  Let me tell them stories of when their Uncle Sean and Uncle Matt were little boys.  Let me dream of holding them in my arms and hugging their tiny little bodies and kissing their chubby little cheeks.  Let me dream about taking off those tiny little crocs, giving them a bath, putting them into their jammies, tucking them into bed and telling them how much they are loved. 

One Hundred Random Things About Me

 

1. I was born in 1946
2. I grew up in rural Northwestern Pennsylvania
3. My parents divorced when I was about one year old
4. I was their only child
5. I was baptized in an Episcopal church as an infant
6. I knew from a very early age that God was the one I could count on
7. I have a half sister
8. She is 15 years younger than me
9. She has been married 3 times
10. She has two grown sons to her first husband
11. She has two BEAUTIFUL daughters to her second husband
12. She has several step-children to her third husband
13. She has 4 grandchildren
14. We are very different
15. We love one another very much
16. Our  mother was an alcoholic
17. She tried to commit suicide once
18. Our mother was an angry, sad yet wonderful woman
19. Our mother loved us very much
20. My father was my prince in shining armor
21. He taught me about a loving God
22. In my teens he fell off the pedestal I put him on
23. He loved me very much
24. My step-father treated me like his own daughter -- he protected me
25. He was a sad alcoholic
26. My step-mother was an amazingly gentle and kind woman who taught me to do my best at all things and never give up
27. Both of my parents and step-parents have passed on and I miss them
28. I have lived in a small town, in the country, a large city, a mid-sized city and a growing metropolis
29. I never met a Jewish person or an African American until I moved to Pittsburgh after I was married at the age of 20.
30. I am married to my best friend in the world
31. He is the very best man I know
32. He is the only man I have ever really loved
33. He was the second Catholic I had dated
34. I converted to Catholicism before we were married
35. My faith as a Christian, as a Catholic is very important to me
36. My life centers around my God, my husband, my children, my friends
37. I have three wonderful & amazing grown children.
38. They each drove me crazy in their own special ways
39. I love each of them fiercely in very different ways  -- no less, no more -- simply different
40. I have one son-in-law who has taught me many things about forgiveness
41. I have one almost daughter-in-law who has also taught me about forgiveness & trust
42. I know that moments in time slip by and if we hold on to them too tightly they can consume us
43. I have girlfriends from almost every stage of my life & I treasure each one
44. I wish I had nurtured my female friendships more over the years -- the older I get the more I learn from them
45. I never met a Hispanic person until I moved to Tucson at the age of 35.
46. I never flew on an airplane until I was 31
47. I never had a passport until I was 47.
48. I have been on 4 continents
49. I want to be a grandmother
50. I will soon be a grandmother
51. My daughter and her husband are adopting a baby in China
52. I respect life from the womb to the tomb
53. I cherish friends
54. I love to travel
55. I love to read
56. I miss my daughter who lives in China
57. I long for lazy days sitting on a patio or deck drinking coffee, chatting with her about everything and nothing
58. She was my first born
59. She is an amazing woman – filled with grace & wisdom  -- she teaches me how to be a better person
60. She is a 2^nd grade teacher, on her way to being a librarian
61. I am proud of her
62. I am proud of her brothers
63. My children challenge me
64. My husband challenges me
65. My faith challenges me
66. My friends challenge me
67. I love to be challenged
68. My middle son challenged me the most
69. He is an amazing man and a  source of tremendous joy
70. He is a High School Special Ed teacher to kids with extreme challenges
71. He is very good at what he does
72. My youngest child, a son taught me about flexibility
73. He is super flexible, adventurous & level headed, most of the time.
74. He is family oriented
75. He has his own business
76. I love to write
77. I write memoirs and prayers
78. I have discovered blogging
79. I like blogging
80. I spend too much time on the computer
81. I like to start my day with prayer
82. I like to start my day going to early morning Mass
83. My husband created a “sacred space” for me in a spare room
84. My husband adores me
85. I adore my husband
86. I hate exercise
87. I hate dieting
88. I love good food
89. I have high blood pressure
90. I have high cholesterol
91. I have the beginning of Diabetes
92. I need to diet and exercise
93. I need to get more healthy
94. I love a clean house
95. I hate to clean
96. I love a beautiful yard filled with flowers
97. I hate gardening
98. I love the mountains, deserts and streams of Southern Arizona
99. I love the warm climate of Southern Arizona
100. GOD IS GOOD AND I AM BLESSED