One week from today, tentatively around 10:00am China time, Emme Jade will be escorted into our lives. My head is spinning with all we need to do before Thursday. We have been waiting for this day for a long time. We have been blessed with so many wonderful pictures of our baby girl. We have seen her beautiful smile light up our world from afar.. Now, we will nervously take her lead as she finds her way in our life. Our prayers for Emme Jade are plentiful. Is there truly any other way to prepare a heart for what is about to happen? Only God can whisper in her ear that she is going to be safe and loved. We have learned so much from our adoption experiences. And, one thing is for sure, they are all unique and special in their own way. There is no script and no rules for "Emme's Day!" We will take her lead. And, patiently on her terms we will watch the blooms on the flower unfold.

Thanks to Jeff, my Mom, and a handful of very special friends our new house is ready for Emme Jade to arrive. We pray she will be happy here. Her sweet lavender room houses the crib that Ainsley and Ruby came home to as well. I look forward to seeing her across the hall from me soon.

Thursday, Jeff, Ainsley and I jet off to the other side of the world. Sienna and Ruby leave two days later to a fun-filled trip to the desert. Even the dog is going to be spoiled for 2 weeks at Aunt Lisa's kennel and spa! God has blessed us with the most amazing friends.

On August 18th we will all be together again! This time as a family of six! Wow!

Until then, we appreciate your prayers for our family. Prayers for the details of our travel schedules, for good health, and for the rest we need to be ready! And, at the very top of our list, prayers for a very special little girl. She has 7 more sleeps until she becomes the mei mei of this family. She will be leaving all she knows.. A very special place where she has been loved. We think of it as an orphanage, but to Emme Jade it is her home. My heart breaks for what it takes to say goodbye to your roommates, your nannies, and your guardian angel! No doubt YuQiao will be greatly missed.

We are so thankful for an email that started this journey for us on December 31st. And, so very thankful that God's plans are always better than we could ever orchestrate or imagine!

Please join us on our third journey to China! I hope to blog a little. But, our main site will be with "My Adoption Websites" again. You will find us on August 8th here.. With a precious and beautiful gift from God to share! We hope you will sign our guestbook there. With grateful hearts we thank you for loving our family and for caring enough to share our journey and to lift us up along the way!

It is so hard to believe that our baby girl is five today! Seriously, how did she go from that little girl we met with two adorable teeth to this beauty so quickly!!!! What a joy life has been with Her Rubiness in it! We are so incredibly thankful for this special little girl!

Five is going to be a BIG year for Ruby Mei. This is the year she officially becomes a big sister! We are very excited to watch her embrace this special role. She is going to be an amazing Jie Jie!! As if that was not enough, Ruby will becomes a Kindergartner on August 29th! So many milestones in a short period of time!!! What a blessing it will be to watch her grow into each new role!

Ruby has told anyone who will listen that she is going to be five soon! She has picked a beautiful pink cake for her "Buca dinner party" at home. Her only request was a new blanket like Sienna and Emme's! Thanks to my favorite blanket lady, a new hot pink minky blanket is ready to be loved on by Ruby Mei!

"Her Rubiness..." We pray God's most beautiful blessings upon you this year! We love you birthday girl!!

There are really no words to describe what it was like to receive these photos taken at Emme Jade's birthday party in Yangzhou.. Just seeing the table decorated with everything we had sent made me tear up.. I am truly touched that Jeanne and her nannies would take the time to make her third birthday so special! And, knowing that the other children got to share in a good old fashioned birthday party just makes me happier than I could ever eloquently express here. According to the sweet note we received from Jeanne, they all had a wonderful time. She said the birthday girl was very happy!!! I hope on some level Emme will remember this special day with her Yangzhou family!

Emme Jade, this will be your last birthday without your forever family! We can't wait to be with you next year at this time! We love your birthday girl!!

While I was busy with Miss Sienna Grace, Jeff has been working hard!!! Thanks to great friends and my Mom who arrives on Sunday I am feeling like we might actually make this new house into a home before the airplane door closes on August 4th!

Sienna is doing AWESOME!!! I couldn't even get her to think about a nap... She amazes me!!

My next post most likely will have some Emme Jade cuteness in it! I received a note that they are getting ready for her birthday party in Yangzhou!!!! So, I am assuming they are celebrating it tomorrow (today in China!) God bless you Jeanne! We are so thankful for all you do for the children, and especially Emme Jade!

More soon from the madness over here!!