VISIT TO ZOEY'S ORPHANAGE

HERE ARE SOME PICTURES FROM ZOEY'S ORPHANAGE.

THE NANNIES AND ADMINISTRATION STAFF WERE VERY NICE. THE PART OF THE ORPHANAGE WE TOURED WAS VERY CLEAN AND ORGANIZED.

IN GOOD OLE' USA

WE ARE FINALLY BACK ON AMERICAN SOIL, IT FEELS WONDERFUL, CHINA WAS NICE BUT IS SURE DOES FEEL GOOD
TO BE CLOSER TO HOME. WE ARE SITTING IN THE AIRPORT IN LOS ANGELES, WAITING TO CATCH OUR FLIGHT. ZOEY IS FEELING MUCH BETTER. THANK GOODNESS. SEE EVERYONE SOON!!!!! YEAH!!

CONSULATE APPT TOMORROW

THANK GOODNESS WE ARE ON THE DOWN SLOPE! OUR FINAL APPT. IS TOMORROW ON DEC. 19TH WHERE WE WILL MEET AND RECEIVE ZOEY'S VISA, SO WE CAN BRING HER INTO THE UNITED STATES.
WE HAD TO TAKE ZOEY TO THE DOCTOR THIS MORNING AT OUR HOTEL, SHE HAS A THROAT INFECTION.
SHE HAS BEEN STARTED ON MEDS, AND WE PRAY SHE FEELS BETTER REAL SOON. WE CAN'T WAIT TO GET HOME AND GET SOME SOUTHREN COOKING!! WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH CHINESE FOR AWHILE. :)

WE ARRIVE IN BIRMINGHAM DEC. 20TH AROUND 1:00PM. ZOEY SENDS LOVE TO ALL! :)
PRAYING FOR A SAFE AND SOUND RETURN TO THE USA!

MEDICAL EXAMINATION

WE ARE BACK IN GUANGZHOU NOW. WE WENT TODAY FOR ZOEY'S MEDICAL EXAMINATION, AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. WE HAVE BEEN REALLY BUSY WITH PACKING AND UNPACKING, WE LEFT NANJING AND CAME TO GUANGZHOU. OUR TOUR GUIDE HAS SEVERAL THINGS LINED UP FOR US TO DO. WE ARE GOING SHOPPING ONE DAY AND THE NEXT DAY WE WILL GO TO THE ZOO. MONDAY NIGHT WE ARE TAKING A RIVER BOAT CRUISE ON THE PEARL RIVER. THERE ARE ALOT OF ADOPTION FAMILIES HERE AT THIS HOTEL WITH US, AND OF COURSE WE ARE LOVING SEEING ALL OF THE BABIES. ZOEY IS BEING A REAL TROOPER WITH ALL THE NEW ACTIVITIES. SHE IS STILL HAPPY AND A BUNDLE OF PURE JOY. SHE ALREADY HAS DADDY WRAPPED AROUND HER LITTLE FINGER. HERE ARE SOME PICTURES FROM THE MEDICAL EXAM AND IN THE HOTEL.

LEAVING NANJING TODAY

WE LEAVE NANJING TODAY AND RETURN BACK TO GUANGZHO, TO THE WHITE SWAN HOTEL. WE CAN HARDLY WAIT.
THEY ARE ALOT MORE FRIENDLIER TO AMERICANS WHO HAVE ADOPTED AND SPEAK ALOT BETTER ENGLISH.
WE VISITED ZOEY'S ORPHANAGE ON THURSDAY AND ALL THE STAFF AND NANNIES WERE VERY NICE AND FRIENDLY.
THE AREAS WE GOT TO TOUR WAS CLEAN AND ORGANIZED. I WAS SO GLAD WE WERE TAKING ZOEY AWAY FROM THERE ONCE IN FOR ALL. ZOEY SEEMED UN-EASY THE REST OF THE DAY, JUST NOT HER HAPPY GO LUCKY SELF.
WE WERE SO UPSET TO SEE HER LOOK THIS SAD. SHE FINALLY GOT BETTER THAT NIGHT AND SHE IS BACK TO HER OLD SELF TODAY. I HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD AFFECT HER THAT WAY. WE HAVE JUST BEEN DOING ALOT OF BONDING WITH HER IN OUR HOTEL ROOM. WHICH HAS BROUGHT ALL THREE OF US GREAT JOY!!
SHE WILL "MOCK" HAND GESTURES AND NOISES YOU DO WITH YOUR MOUTH. IT IS SO FUNNY. SHE IS STILL EATING GOOD AND SLEEPING GOOD. SHE CRAWLS ALOT AND CAN STAND WITH HELP AND CAN TAKE ABOUT 4 STEPS BY HERSELF. I WILL POST MORE PICTURES SOON. THE INTERNET HERE IS REALLY SLOW ON UPLOADING PICTURES.
WE WILL BE HOME SOON, AND CAN'T WAIT!! PLEASE CONTINUE TO REMEMBER US IN YOUR PRAYERS.
LOVE,
KEMP PARTY OF "THREE"

GOTCHA DAY PICTURES

NOW WE ARE THREE

WE WENT TO THE CIVIL AFFAIRS OFFICE ON DEC. 11TH 2006 WHERE OUR DAUGHTER WAS HANDED TO US! THIS WAS COMPLETE HAPPINESS! SHE IS JUST AS BEAUTIFUL IN PERSON AS SHE WAS IN THE PICTURES. SHE IS TINY, VERY SMALL HANDS AND FEET, REAL DAINTY. WE HAD TO DO SOME PAPERWORK AND THEN WE TOOK HER BACK TO OUR HOTEL AND DID ALOT OF BONDING TIME. WE PLAYED IN THE FLOOR WITH HER FOR HOURS. SHE LOVES THE TELEVISION ALREADY. THEY GOT TO WATCH TV FOR 2 HOURS EACH DAY WHEN SHE WAS IN THE ORPHANAGE.
SHE LOOKS JUST LIKE DOUG WHEN SHE WATCHES IT TOO, SHE IS FOCUSED ON THAT TV AND NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. ONE OF THE GUIDES HERE SAID ZOEY LOOKED ALOT LIKE DOUG. WE ALSO WERE TOLD THAT ZOEY LIKES HER MILK SWEET AND LIKES SWEETS IN GENERAL, "JUST LIKE HER MOM" :) AFTER WE TALKED TO TWO OF THE OTHER FAMILIES ABOUT THEIR FIRST NIGHT TOGETHER WITH THEIR NEW DAUGHTERS, WE FOUND OUT THAT ZOEY WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT. WE ARE TRULY "DOUBLE" BLESSED. THE POWER OF PRAYER, WE HAD BEEN PRAYING FOR A SMOOTH TRANSISTION FOR ZOEY AND SO FAR SO GOOD. WE WERE ABLE TO GET PICTURES FROM YESTERDAY AND I WILL GET THEM POSTED. THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS, THEY HAVE BEEN HEARD.

LANDED IN NANJING

WE ARE IN NANJING NOW, SAT. DEC. 9TH 2006. THIS IS THE CITY WHERE ZOEY LIVES NOW. WE WILL BE RECEIVING HER ON MONDAY. DEC. 11TH. JUST 1 1/2 DAYS. WE HAVE A VERY NICE ROOM IN THE MANDARIAN HOTEL. THE GUIDE WHO MET US AT THE AIRPORT, HIS NAME IS SHANE. HE IS ADORABLE, LAUGHS AND JOKES ALOT. WE ARE GOING TO DO SOME SIGHT SEEING ON SUNDAY, NOT SURE WHAT YET. WE ARE STILL TIRED BUT WE SEEM TO BE ADJUSTING SLOWLY TO THE TIME CHANGE. WE SURE DO MISS ALABAMA.

FINALLY ARRIVED

HELLO!! YEAH!! WE HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED IN GUANGZHOU. ARRIVED ON THURSDAY DEC. 7TH AT
4:44PM "ALABAMA" TIME., 6:30AM CHINA TIME. WE HAVE BEEN HAVING COMPUTER PROBLEMS AND ARE TRYING TO CORRECT THEM NOW. WE ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE EMAIL BUT UNABLE TO SEND ANY. WE LEAVE TODAY AT 12:30PM (DEC.9TH) HEADING TO NANJING WHERE ZOEY LIVES NOW. WE WILL BE THERE ONE WEEK AND RETURN TO THE WHITE SWAN IN GUANGZHOU NEXT WEEK. DOUG GOT SICK WHEN HE GOT OFF THE AIRPLANE IN CHINA AND HAD TO TAKE PHENERGAN AND GO TO BED. WE HAVE MET A WONDERFUL FAMILY WHO ARE ADOPTING ALSO. THEY ARE FROM MISSISSIPPI. THEY ARE KEITH & SHEILA HOWARD. WHAT A WONDERFUL FEELING IT IS TO MEET NEW FRIENDS. THE WHITE SWAN IS BEAUTIFUL!! THE CHINESE PEOPLE ARE AWESOME! SO NICE AND ACCOMODATING. WE FLEW A TOTAL OF 22 HOURS, AND LAST NIGHT WE WERE DEAD TIRED. TODAY IS MUCH BETTER. WE HAD SUCH PEACE WHILE WE WERE IN THE AIRPLANE AND FELT THE HAND OF GOD ON US THE ENTIRE TRIP. WE MISS AND LOVE ALL OF YOU!
I WILL POST AGAIN AS SOON AS I CAN.

ZOEY'S CHURCH FAMILY

WHAT A GREAT DAY! TODAY IS THE LAST SUNDAY BEFORE WE TRAVEL TO GET ZOEY.
WE HAVE THE BEST CHURCH FAMILY IN THE WORLD. THEY ARE JUST AS EXCITED AS WE ARE ABOUT ZOEY'S ARRIVAL. I CAN'T WAIT FOR HER TO MEET EVERYONE. I KNOW SHE WILL FEEL LOTS OF LOVE FROM EACH AND EVERYONE OF THEM. IT IS SO GOOD TO BE APART OF SUCH A LOVING GROUP OF BELIEVERS. WE HAVE BEEN SO BLESSED TO BE APART OF THIS CHURCH FOR 7 YEARS NOW. SOON ZOEY WILL BE ONE OF THE NEWEST MEMBERS.
"LOOK OUT" MRS. DARNELL YOU WILL BE ADDING ANOTHER ONE TO YOUR "FLOCK"
THANK YA'LL AGAIN FOR ALL THE LOVE AND PRAYERS WE HAVE BEEN SHOWN OVER THE YEARS AND CONTINUE TO RECEIVE.

NEW PICTURES OF ZOEY IN HER ORPHANGE

ONE OF THE FAMILIES THAT JUST RETURNED HOME, WAS ABLE TO TAKE PICTURES AT ZOEY'S ORPHANAGE, THEIR CHILD WAS IN THE SAME ORPHANAGE. IT WAS WONDERFUL TO RECEIVE THESE. ONE OF THE PICTURES LOOKS LIKE SHE HAS HER TONGUE OUT. :)

IN THE PICTURE WHERE THEY ARE EATING IT IS A MIXTURE OF CONGEE AND MEAT.
LOOKS LIKE OUR OATMEAL TO ME. THE ORPHANAGE LOOKS REALLY PRETTY AND CLEAN.
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN TAKING GOOD CARE OF HER.

TIME HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!

WELL THE TIME AS FINALLY ARRIVED! WE ARE TRAVELING TO CHINA TO GET "ZOEY"
WE LEAVE ON DEC. 6TH ARRIVING IN CHINA ON THE 8TH. THEY ARE ABOUT 14 HOURS AHEAD OF US IN TIME. WE ARE SO EXCITED! WE HAVE BEEN PACKING AND RE-PACKING.

I HAVE BEEN WASHING CLOTHES AND CLEANING, I THINK I AM NESTING. :)
THIS IS GOING TO BE THE BEST TRIP WE HAVE EVER BEEN ON, AND JUST KNOWING HOW
MUCH HAPPINESS THIS LITTLE GIRL WILL BRING IN OUR HOME. I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO GET TO HOLD & CUDDLE HER. DOUG & I WILL BE IN 7TH HEAVEN !!