Here we go!!!!!!!!!

We are leaving for China this morning and we are so excited to finally have our little Mia. I don't think I slept much last night, I kept having those dreams that you have forgotten something:( I know I have packed the most important things (all the paperwork) so if I forget clothes or something,well, you can buy it in China!

Trip Itinerary

Feb.11:Leave for China! fly from Roanoke to Chicago,then to Beijing.
Feb. 12: Arrival Beijing with UA851 at 4:25pm. Upon arrival, guide will pick you up and transfer you to Novotel Peace Hotel. Rest for the day.
Feb. 13: Breakfast at hotel. TianAnMen Square, Forbidden City, Lunch at a local family's house, Hutong Rick Shaw. Dinner. Acrobatics show.
Feb. 14: Breakfast at hotel. Great Wall, Lunch, Summer Palace. Dinner.
Feb. 15: CA1511 at 10:55am to Nanchang, arrive Nanchang at 1pm. Upon arrival, guide will pick you up and transfer you to Gloria Plaza Hotel. Gotcha at 5pm. Gotcha is when we get Mia!!
Feb. 16, 17, 18, 19: Paper works days. During these days, your guide will help you to finish all the China side paper works and make sure child's Chinese passport ready on time. If you would like to do some local tours or want to visit orphanage, please work it out with your guide and pay your guide for the expenses.
Feb. 20: Passport ready. Taking CZ3536 at 3:20pm to Guangzhou, get into Guangzhou at 4:40pm. Upon arrival, guide picks up and transfers to Victory Hotel.
Feb. 21, 22: Free.(we might try to visit Scots business)
Feb. 23: Medical check.
Feb. 24: Consulate Appointment at 9am.
Feb. 25: Around 2pm, your guide will take you to Consulate for Swearing In Ceremony. Your child's American visa will be ready around 4:30pm.
Feb. 26: CZ345 at 10am to Beijing, then take UA850 at 5:20pm back to States. We should be back in Roanoke by 10pm.

TA Arrived Yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hip Hip Hooray! We're almost on our way!!! TA (Travel approval) came on Monday!

With that said though, we will not be able to make our travel arrangements until our consulate appointment has been made and our agency is working on that. Hopefully we will know the consulate date later this week.

Our agency is giving us a tenatative departure date of February 13th. We had hoped and prayed for a December departure date, but I'm so happy to just have a date that we will take whatever we can get!

It won't be long until Little Miss Mia is with her forever family!

Mia's room is almost done!

Enjoy the pictures

We started Mia’s room in September 2008- and Wow has it grown since the beautiful baby showers my sister-in law, Julie,and my sister, Cynthia and long time friend, Ashley had for us.
We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family that have been so supportive and very, very generous. We are so thankful to everyone and overwhelmed with their thoughtfulness.

We just can’t wait to have Mia home, but until then we continue to go in her room and dream of the day we can go in and our little angel is sleeping peacefully in her bed.

Well, it looks like another Christmas without our little Mia. We hope to travel in January 2009. God always provides, and I felt this song from Third Day's Christmas Offering CD was a gift from Him. It so reflects our feelings of the heart right now. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas
Words by Brad Avery (also adopting a little girl from China)
Music by Third Day

There's a little girl trembling on a cold December morn
Crying for mama's arms
At an orphanage just outside a little China town
Where the forgotten are

But half a world away I hang the stockings by the fire
And dream about the day when I can finally call you mine

It's Christmas time again but you're not home
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone
So tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in His arms
And tell you from my heart
I wish you Merry Christmas

As I hang the tinsel on the tree and watch the twinkling lights
I'm warmed by the fire's glow
Outside the children tumble in a wonderland of white
And make angels in the snow

But half a world away you try your best to fight the tears
And hope that Heaven's Angels come to carry you here

Christmas is the time we celebrate the Holy Child
And we celebrate His perfect gift of love
He came to Earth to give His life and prepare a place for us
So we could have a home with Him above

It's Christmas time again and now you're home
Your family is here so you will never be alone
So tonight before you go to sleep, I'll hold you in my arms
And tell you from my heart
I'll tell you from my heart
I wish you Merry Christmas

We finally got our LOA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We finally got our LOA! We got a call from the agency on Wednesday Dec.9th that they had received our LOA and would FedEx overnight to us to sign and send back.
Thursday we signed the Letter of Acceptance that tells CCAA (China Officials) that we want to accept Feng Mei Xia (our Mia)as our daughter. When they receive our letter they will then FedEx it to CCAA. After that our agency can ask for our CA (Consolate Appointment) and TA (travel approval) that is when we will finally know when we will be traveling.
We are very excited!

Our first pictures of our daughter Mia MeiXia Maccormack

Thia is the information we have gotten to this point on our little girl-Mia Mei Xia

Feng Mei xia, female, was born on Dec. 6, 2006. On Nov. 13, 2007 she was sent to our institute, and her DOB was estimated by doctors according to her physical features. She was short, with sallow complexion, and was named by the children’s department of this institute. On admission, she was 75cm in height, 6.5kg in weight, 44cm in head size and 42cm in chest size. She was raised in this institute since Nov. 14, 2007 and is up to date on vaccination program.

Feng Mei xia was 11 months old when admitted. She can sit and play alone, is shy in front of strangers, would smile hearing her name called by people she is familiar with and turn her head to the direction. Her other physical development is normal. At 12 months, she shows the will of crawling, would reach out to get a toy nearby, and sometimes cries or shout loudly. At 13 months, she can walk by the go-cart, is closed with the caretaker. She would stare at other kid who is crying. Her bone development and growth are well. At 14 months, she could point at something she wants, hide the toy in her hands when you ask for, and push your hand away. She can roll over on the bed. She can walk following you with one hand being held, but is not bold to loose her hand. At 14-15 months, she can pick up a thread or some cloth on the ground, and would make the sound of “yiya” at happy. She would lower her head and cry in front of strangers, but is active and acts freely in front of familiar people. At 15-16 months, she has a pair of smart eyes, knows something around, could burble following under the direction of adult. She has good physical development and normal appetite. She has 4 meals of milk, once for 200ml. She has an egg each day, supplementary food with rice. Now, she develops well at all aspects. She is pretty and lovely. She responds to any words you speak. She would walk to you by the go-cart with shouting as long as you call her name, and wish you could hold her or give her something to eat.

Feng Mei xia still has milk powder plus rice cereal as staple food now and 4 milk meals per day with 200ml for each meal. Mealtime: 7:00-14:00-19:00-23:00, supplied with rice cereal, crackers, egg, etc. she loves crackers best, and is fond of taking warm water. She gets up at 6:30 per day and the rest time in the day is 10:00-11:00 and 14:00-15:00. She goes to bed at 19:30. She cries when sleepy. She likes to sleep on back in her cradle alone with lights off. She likes to sleep in a quiet circumstance. She wakes up at night for milk. She likes to take a bath. She is active, fond of listening to music, playing toys, quick in reaction, and extroverted. She likes to play with rag dog and run by the go-cart. She is closed to the caretaker.

Sender: XXX
Social Welfare Institute of Fengcheng City (seal)
Apr. 26, 2008.


On October 30th,2008 we got this update from Ann with www.RedthreadChina.com
Dear Luci:
Below is feng mei xia `s update measurement:
height:85cm
weight :10.5kg
head :46.5cm
chest :48cm
feet:13cm
teeth:up8 down7

She lives in the foster family
Nickname is :Xia Xia

That is all I got for you,love,Ann