Our Story
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Were there nothing else but our love for each other,
I would still have all I need.
--E.B Michaels

As a Mother, I have been blessed with two very beautiful daughters both by childbirth and adoption.

I am a single parent, having adopted my first daughter Megan Minshan from the Peoples Republic of China Jiangxi Province in October of 1996. Megan was 9 months old at the time of adoption and now is 10 years old.

April 19, 1998, my biological daughter Emily Marie was born. She is now 8 years old.

I have to say that both are experiences in building a family I would not have wanted to miss. I am very thankful that I have “my girls”.

We live together in Upstate New York. I am employed by the United States Postal Service. Megan is in the 6th grade and Emily in 3rd grade.

I attended an adoption seminar in Cortland, NY in October of 1995. The seminar was sponsored by New Life Adoption Agency in Syracuse, NY. It was on that very night that I submitted my preliminary application to that Agency for adoption in China. The adoption of Megan Yuan Minshan was completed exactly one year later with that agency.

I traveled to China with my mother, Sandy, to complete the adoption.

Adoption has been a life long desire for me. The main reason that I chose to adopt from China is because they accept single mothers into their program. In China there are many healthy babies that need homes as well as children with special needs. Most of the children available are girls because of the social pressure in China to have a son.  In many parts of China there is a one child per family policy and parents will try to have a son to secure economic security in their older years.

Although abandonment is in fact illegal in China, it is common. Parents often choose to seek out populated areas such as markets, parks and social welfare institutions to leave their children where they will be found and cared for.

This is a social system we as Americans do not understand, however it is a way of life in China.

One thing that I do know from my own experience is that these children are in fact loved and valued by their parents. For this reason, they will quite often risk consequence to themselves in order to leave their children in a place where they can have a home and a future.

Many of these children are adopted by American families as well as from other countries. At this time many are being adopted within China as well.

I am very thankful to China for allowing me to adopt my daughter Megan and for accepting my application to adopt Jade.  As a single mother I consider this a special privilege.

When I considered yet again adoption as a way to build my family – it was not this time only my decision, but a decision to be considered by Megan and Emily as well.  Both daughters are very excited about having a new baby sister from China.  We were especially interested in China, as it is important to Megan to have a sister who shares her own heritage.

We began the process to adopt Jade in the summer of 2005. The process involves the “paper chase” to acquire all necessary documents required by the Agency and the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs in Beijing China. Such paperwork includes, but is not limited to Medical clearance, Financial Reports, Home Studies, Photos, Birth certificates, letters of reference, and the list goes on. All official documents must be notarized, certified and authenticated for accuracy and truth. These documents had to be sent to our Agency. Dillon International Adoption Agency is servicing our family for this adoption. They are located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Once documents are completed and checked by your Agency, they are forwarded EXPRESS to China! When China receives and documents the paperwork, they acknowledge this by giving you a Log in Date, hereafter referred to as our LID. This very important date for us was January 23, 2006. 

After your log in date, you wait for your referral. A referral is the photo and paper documentation of the child matched with your family for adoption. Once you accept your match, you then wait for travel dates.

At the time of our LID, we expected to wait about 10 months – traveling to China in approximately October of 2006. Sadly, it seems that the process is taking longer than expected. At the current rate of adoption paperwork processing in China, we expect to be traveling in the spring of 2007… March/April?? We are dreaming so.

Megan and I plan to take the trip to China together with my mother Sandy.  Emily will stay home and share her time between her Grandfather Bernie (My Dad) and her father’s family.

I hope that you will follow us on our journey. We have subscribed to this site so that our family and friends can see the progress and make the trip with us via the internet.  Check our website for updates – we will post the nursery, as well as more family photos and quotes soon!

Love & Hugs from Sue, Megan, & Emily

 

Update
November 12, 2006

The Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs has now reviewed all applications received by them through January 31, 2006 . According to Dillon International it is safe to say that we have made it through the review process ! We are now onto the matching room. The matching room is where they will choose a child for our family. We look forward to a referral !!

 

 

Wishing you Holiday Hugs
December 2006

 

Update
January 23, 2006

Greetings from Our house! The snow has arrived!

This is our "one year anniversary" of our dossier being logged in to the Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs in China.

We have been informed by our agency that the process has become lengthened (again). At this point they are projecting a referral for us in July or August with travel in September or October 2007. Allthough this is very disheartening, we have many things to be thankful for. China has now passed new regulations for their adoption program and have eliminated single parent adoptions beginning in May 2007. Because our paperwork has been in China already one year, the new regulations will not apply to us. I am sad that this amoung many other new regulations have been implemented but can be thankful that we are still able to adopt Jade.

We are enjoying the snow in Upstate New York. Here are some photos .

 

 

 

SO - WE WAIT.. But we will have fun while we wait. ! I think that this time of waiting could be best used spending precious time with Megan and Emily. We have many things planned to do together. While contemplating the long wait, and making family plans, a writing came to mind given to me by Emily's Grandma Carmen when she was a baby. I would like to share it - it is certainly something to think about!!


Something to Ponder

To my Child:

Just for this morning,
I am going to smile when I see your face
and laugh when I feel like crying.
Just for this morning,
I will let you choose what you want to wear,
and smile and say how perfect it is.
Just for this morning,
I am going to step over the laundry,
and pick you up instead
and take you to the park to play.
Just for this morning,
I will leave the dishes in the sink,
and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon,
I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off,
and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.
I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the
ice cream truck., and I will buy you one if he comes by.
Just for this afternoon,
I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.
Just for this afternoon,
I will let you help me bake cookies,
and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.
Just for this afternoon,
I will take us to McDonald's
and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.
Just for this evening,
I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born
and how much I love you.
Just for this evening,
I will let you splash in the bath tub
and not get angry.
Just for this evening,
I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.
Just for this evening,
I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.
Just for this evening,
when I run my fingers through your hair as you pray,
I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift given.
I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children.
The mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms.
And mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside they can't handle it anymore.
And when I kiss you goodnight I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer.
It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing except
ONE MORE DAY.

Lisa J. Rhoads

Update
June 23, 2007

We are now at our 17th anniversary of our log in date.

Unfortunately, there is still a delay in China for completing adoptions. We are still waiting with great anticipation – but have discontinued guessing travel dates! We simply do not know at this point, and have no predictions. Agencies are stating that there could be a 3 year wait for families in the China program. This is up from just 6 months in 1996 when we adopted Megan!

The delay is rumored to be caused by several factors. Such factors include the lack of “paper ready” children in relation to the applications from adoptive families. Another is rumor is a possible quota as to how many Chinese children are allowed to be adopted internationally in a calendar year. The 2008 Olympics scheduled in China could also be cause for a slow down.

The CCAA (Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs) previously limited orphanages in China to certain ones that could submit paperwork for children within their orphanage for adoption internationally. It has been reported just this month that the CCAA has now opened the process to all orphanages in China.

We are praying that this will speed up the process. What we do know is that we have to wait our turn! The baby that God has chosen for our family will come in his own perfect timing.


Because of the time delay, we have had to update our home study and re-do our immigration paperwork and fingerprints. This was an added unplanned expense but we are grateful that all necessary paperwork was processed and approved in a timely basis so that we can continue our journey to Jade!

Meanwhile, Emily & Megan are growing fast!!

Megan has completed 6th grade as a high honor roll student throughout the entire school year. Way to go Megan! We are so proud of you! Megan is dedicated to education and anticipates her 7th grade year. She is a typical “pre-teen” and enjoys her computer and ipod! She enjoys spending time with her Grandparents as well.

 

Megan

Emily has completed 3rd grade and is so excited that school is finished for this year! Emily does well in school, but much prefers the outdoor life over homework! She enjoys her 4 wheeler, collecting bugs & rocks, and spending time with her horse Ginger. Her last week of school included “story telling” where she told a story in front of parents and students. Wow! I couldn’t do that! She sports a new hair cut and is shown below ready for her 3rd grade concert!

Emily Ready for her Concert

 

Emily and Ginger

We enjoyed a family vacation to Lancaster Pennsylvania Memorial day weekend. It was a relaxing weekend with Grandparents, Great Grandparents and family friends. Activities included miniature golf, swimming, camping and eating plenty of yummy Amish foods.

 

 

 

Father's Day was spent at Tully Lake, NY with family. We all enjoyed tubing and fun on the jet ski!

 

 

 

 

This past weekend, we enjoyed a trip to Springville, NY and Niagara Falls Canada. We went camping, took a beautiful bike ride along the edge of Niagara falls as well as a breath taking ride on the Maid of the Mist. Awesome!

 

 

 

We were reminded on our way back through the border of the importance of homeland security and of our proud heritage as American Citizens. The border patrol checked the passports for Emily & Megan. These were obtained when we first applied to adopt from China. The girls hardly look the same! All went well. Thank goodness!

Megan & Emily have many summer camps to attend including soccer camp, Baptist youth camp, and community day camp.

We certainly wish that we had precious Jade to share these experiences with. We are making plans already for next year and know that she will be with us to enjoy each one of them.

If you haven’t signed our guest book, please feel free to do so! It is great to know who stopped by.

Here is hoping and praying that our next update will bring you referral pictures of Jade!!

Happy Summer from our family.

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