Dinner Out!!!!

This has been a fun weekend so far at the McDade house. We started the day off by drinking some coffee watching the sun rise. It was so nice to see the sun shine for a change. I am so tired of all this cold weather. I am so ready for the summer. I will miss our jet ski though. This will be the first summer without it and not going to the lake. We will have to get some type of pool for Summer to play in.

Then we went outside to play soccer with Summer. She starts playing in a couple of weeks at Hope Church. She played last year and did pretty good. I will post some pictures of her playing shortly. Mark and Summer washed both cars. They were so dirty from all of the snow that we have been having. Looks like we might have a pretty day tomorrow too.

Then we all went to out to eat at some Chinese restaurant for dinner. Summer ate very well. She liked all of the vegetables and the chicken. She even ate with chop sticks. The waiter thought Summer was so cute. She kept coming by to watch us use the chop sticks then probably went laughing at me behind my back. Oh well, we had a blast!!!! Before we left we all got fortune cookies and here is what they said.
Shannon's fortune cookie said " Your random act of kindness today will spread quickly to other."
Mark's fortune cookie said " You will be traveling and coming into a fortune."
Summer's fortune cookie said " You will take a pleasant journey to a place far away."
I really do not get into all of the superstitions or things like that but it was kinda weird. I do believe that God has a purpose for our lives before we are even born. He knows what we need and sometimes we need encouragement no matter how strange it might be. I say this because God calling me to adopt has spread to others who are encouraging and very helpful. I have met more people now through adoption that I would have ever met. Mark is traveling with me and Mia will soon be his fortune that he would not have without us adopting. Mark and I have decided about a week or go to let Summer travel with us to Taiwan to get Mia. I believe it will be a good thing for her to go get her little sister. I want to say that God is always working His greatness. I have experienced it more through this adoption. Maybe because I am trying to focus more on God and what He wants me to do than ever before. I thank God everyday for the life He has given me and for His son that died for me. Even though I am not worthy ;He still gave it to me.

That is all at the McDade house for now. We are going to put Summer to bed so we can get up early for church in the morning. Next time I will have pictures of Summer and Mia's bedroom. Later.......

Got the Form I-171H from the government

I never thought I would get so excited over getting a letter in the mail before today. I screamed very loud and Summer thought I was hurt. I just told her we got the letter that we have been waiting for. Now we can get our dossier sent off to Taiwan. I called Mark and he was also excited. I emailed our social worker and she wanted a copy of it and needed our Cathwel application done. I was going to try to get it to her but was not sure if it was going to be on Friday or Monday.

Kathza my sister came out to our house around 12:30 and played with Summer for a while. Summer was so happy to see her and to play with her. We talked for a bit while they were playing. We had a great time just hanging out. Kathza left around 3:00 and I decided to go and take all of this stuff to our social worker on Friday. I am so hoping tat we will get everything sent off to Taiwan soon.

Went into town and took the two things that our social worker needed. We talked for a while and she was happy to say that we would get it sent off to Taiwan on Monday. Now all we can do now is WAIT and to SAVE money to get Mia. We are trying to save as much money as we can so we can take Summer with us. Mark and I both think it will be a good thing for her to go and visit another country. We are starting to buy Mia things that she might need little at a time. Some clothes here on sale, socks, baby wipes, tooth brush, anything that she would need once she is here. We do not know her size or how old she will be yet. We try to buy things 3T or smaller that is out of season so it will be on sale. We did this for Summer when she was a baby and it really helps until she gets into bigger kids clothes. Summer helps pick thing out to dress Mia. She is so happy to be getting a little sister.

We are going to celebrate Valentines Day today. Summer got some candy and a cute pink bear with hearts on it from daddy. Mark got me flowers. They are very pretty!!! I made Mark some huge chocolate strawberries for desert. I am making Cornish hens for dinner with vegetables. We all got Mia some pants, a shirt, skirt, and a pack of wash clothes to take with us. I love being with my family on Valentines Day!!!

My Husband Mark (Happy Valentines Day!!!!)

I have the most incredible husband that anyone could ever ask for. Mark and I were best friends for almost eight years while working together at UPS. One day he asked me to marry him on the beach in Pensacola Beach , Florida. Our lives have not been the same except we are still best friends and I love him very much.Mark is so patient, caring, loving, and kind. He would do anything for me and his family. For Mark to buy me an engagement ring he sold his 1971 convertible VW beetle. He loved that car. It was restored and pretty. However, he loved me more and wanted to get me a ring.





Here it is eight years later and Mark is helping me sell all kinds of things that we both enjoyed for our adoption. Shortly after we got married he got decided to restore the 1973 VW Super Beetle that was in his family for over 37 years. Mark's dad, Mark, and Mark's brother Paul all drove this car. We were excited to restore it and keep it in the family. Then one day we were talking a bout adopting and he said, " Why don't we just sell the bug?" It had a new paint job and really looked great. So we did. I wanted to cry when he sold it, because that was the second car he gave up for me and my calling to adopt. He really didn't say much about the car except that he wants to get another one later on down the road. Yes, that would be great. Hopefully, we will not have to sell this one.

Mark and I just sold our jet ski that we had for about three years. We had a lot of fun on it. We would go to the lake with all of his family and would spend most of the day tubing and riding the jet ski. Summer liked it too, but she was little to young for it. Mark thought it would be good to sell this too and he did not get mad about this either. He is the most amazing person that I know. He puts God and family above all else. I thank God everyday for bringing him into my life.

Mark is a great father too. He makes sure that Summer is well taken care of. He helps at night time after being gone all day on the road driving for UPS. He makes sure Summer brushes her teeth, reads a story to her one from her Bible and another short story that she can pick out. While he is reading I am tickling her back or sitting by her on the bed. He makes sure that she says her nighttime prayer and kisses her on the head. I know he will be a great dad to Mia when she gets here. I can not wait until the day when we go to get her and he sees her for the first time. I think he will cry just like he did when Summer was born.

I just want people to know how much I appreciate my husband and all that he is doing to help me during the adoption process. He could be angry, resentful for all that we are selling. However, he is the opposite. I think now he would love Mia to be here so we could be a family of four. I hope Mark has a great Valentine's Day!! I love you!!!

Got Fringerprints Done!!!!

This is how our day starts today. Mark and I got up at 5:30 to drink some coffee before Summer woke up. I think Mark hit the alarm clock three times before it finally went off. We got ready, and Summer ready. I let Kramer and Sassi out to use the bathroom and then feed them. Sassi is limping really bad. we are going to have to take her to the vet sometime today.

We stopped by McDonald's drive through for breakfast on the way into town to get our finger prints done. Dropped Summer off at her Mimi's house for a bit.

Now it is around 8:15 and we have to be at the Us Immigration Office by 9:00. Mark and I are thinking we will be there way early. We turn onto Summer Ave and the traffic is backed up as far as we can see. The time is now 8:40. We are getting into panic mode because we do not want to be late for this appointment. We both took off work to make this appointment. Mark is saying the devil is trying to make us give up on this adoption. Mark says, "No way are we going to quite now!!!" We made it to the appointment meeting around 9:02. We are running inside thinking that we will be turned away if not right on time. No. They were ready when we got there but not pressed for time.

At the Us Immigration Office we see a family that is Chinese. They have a little girl who is four years old. She was so cute. She kept smiling at me and talking to me while I was waiting on Mark to get his finger prints done. God is so good. He makes every opportunity to show us how good He is. Most of the time we are in such of a hurry, we might miss what He wants us to see. I am glad we saw this family and this little girl to help keep us going.

Now we wait to see how long this takes to pass us through immigration so we can send off our dossier to Taiwan. I hope it does not take too long. I am so ready to get our papers to Taiwan so a family might pick us soon. Anyone that reads this please pray for us and our family during this time.

It is now 12:05 and we are about to take Sassi to the vet. I hope nothing is too wrong with her leg. We are having to drop her off and leave her until later on, because Summer has to get a checkup at her doctor's office at 3:00. Then we are taking her to get pizza after she gets her shots. FUN!!!!! Glad we have all this to get done in one day!!!