HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY, FEI!

"For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Plans to give you hope and a future." 
 --Jeremiah 29:11--

Four years ago today at 1:45a.m., Fei Isabella was born in Shenzhen, China.  While we don't know any of the details surrounding the months in her biological mommy's womb, her labor/delivery or her first month of life, we do know that she weighed 4.8 pounds and was just over 17 inches long (little peanut!).  She's grown so much in her social, speech, and motor development...she's on the go constantly playing, jabbering, taking care of babies and keeping up with her sibs.

Today, while on a walk with Fei riding her scooter (a favorite activity these days!), God placed Fei's biological mom on my heart.  To the extent that we can't remember life before Fei, laugh at her "seriously?" comments and marvel at her observations, melt with her hugs and giggle at her belly laughs...to that extent of loving her so much, her biological mommy must wonder each day about her precious daughter.  As we celebrate this amazing girl and the four years that the Lord has given her, we want to give thanks for those involved before we came into the picture.  Please pray with us for Fei's biological mommy-for peace, health and the opportunity to know Christ's unconditional love.  Also, please pray in thankfulness for the orphanage staff who cared for her during her first 2 years of life, the Holt International staff who matched us and most importantly, for the Lord and His amazing plan of bringing us together.

"WHAT WERE WE DOING ONE YEAR AGO TODAY?"

Same ice cream, different country
...one year later!

Here's to Gotcha Day!

Well, here we are...reflecting on a year of being a family of six, as today marks Fei's First "Gotcha Day" Celebration!  Over the past week, many of our family conversations have centered around the question, "What were we doing one year ago today?" as we've retold stories, read our blog posts and reminisced over pictures.  In some ways, the trip is still so fresh that it seems impossible that a year has passed; however, when we begin to think of the growth we've all experienced, it's amazing to realize that it has only been a year.

Happy Birthday!

Just a month ago, Fei celebrated her 3rd birthday, readily enjoying the music, cake/ice cream and presents, with no indication that this was a new experience.  Earlier in the week, we told her that we would be celebrating her birthday, along with Nana's birthday, so all week long, she sang, "Happy Birthday to Fei Fei...Happy Birthday to Nana".  Now, any time we sing "Happy Birthday" for anyone, she chimes in with verses for both her and Nana!

Fei has continued to adjust well into her daily routine and has even elongated her sleep at night and naptime.  She continues to LOVE food, just like the rest of the family, and really has no aversion to anything, except radishes.  Whenever we are getting out plates/bowls, she always asks, "blue bowl?" but is excited with any color.  She also likes to comment in the car, "this way?" and if we go a different direction, she'll follow with, "that way...mo; this way...yeah!" (translation, "mo" is "no")  Fei is continually naming things and putting 3-4 words together, having made great progress the past few months as she's been in speech therapy.  Her first phrase (initiated on her own) was "may I be scoo pease" ("May I be excused please?") and the first week, she said it everywhere because she got such an enthusiastic response from all of us!  Some other favorites are:


Hugs for "E-Ay"   

• requesting Toby Mac's song "Spee Yi" any time we're in the car (translation: "Speak Life"), as well as asking for us to turn the music "up peas" if it's too low
• squealing as we pull into our church parking lot, she'll start singing "He is the Li" (translation: "He is the Light") and clapping
• true excitement at spending time with "maa-ma" (Big Kiss Grama) and their Starbucks ritual (including a cookie, of course) before going to play at the park
• yelling "BABA" and "NANA" every time we pull into their driveway
• enjoying every minute of her Mom's Day out program...taking care of babies, creating art projects, and playing outside (especially the water table)....having adjusted so well to sleeping longer and becoming more independent. Her teachers are absolutely amazing and have done so much to facilitate her transition!
• her funny sense of humor as she teases us with bites of her cookie or telling us we're the opposite gender (all with a smile & gleam in her eyes)..."dada-girl, mama-boy!"
• her amazing ability to take care of her babies...putting them to bed (singing to them and praying with them), feeding them in their high chair, taking them for a walk in their stroller and even putting them in time out when necessary...hmmm
• cleaning up right away (most of the time), once the "clean up song" starts...she'll keep going until everything is put away...wow!

Piggyback on Big Sis "Eh-yee"

"Oh-wee" loves to give her kisses

The weekly routines this spring for school, neighborhood group, church, and Saturdays at the soccer field have gotten increasingly smoother for all of us as Fei is adjusting to the familiarity of them.  She is very social and enjoys being in groups, even making others laugh, once she is comfortable with the situation/people.  Ellie, TJ & Owen have been incredible teachers, playmates, and consistently loving siblings that have eased her transition into our family.  We've been amazed at her innate ability to lovingly care for her babies and believe that it's a reflection of the care she received and observed her first few years of life...an answer to our prayers!  It is also so incredible to watch her love for God unfold through her initiating prayers and singing to God at the top of her lungs...a peek into her tender heart that is capable of loving and receiving love from Him.
Over and over, we have experienced examples of God's faithfulness over the past year as we reflect on the unexpected challenges, timing of His provisions, and gentle reminders of His love...whether through scripture, music, encouraging words or the loving actions of those around us.  We've seen it in relationships that have developed with other adoptive families or ones about to embark on their journey... an encouraging word from a stranger...the big kids getting an extra dose of attention from their grandparents...God's infinite love & grace expressed through music...opportunities for date nights to recharge our marriage... Fei's level of comfort that allows her to talk/sing as she's laying in bed...each one at precisely a moment of needed assurance.  Fei continues to develop into a confident, silly, trusting and loving little girl, observant of everything around her and so desiring to engage the world around her; we anxiously await her speech to develop to gain deeper insight into this precious daughter.  As she has grown, so have each of us...in our self-awareness, ability to be flexible, relationships with each other and our dependence on God.  We look forward with anticipation to what the next year holds, both individually and as a family, and continue to press into God each moment.

Lifesong for Orphans

Adoption can be an overwhelming thought on so many levels, one of which is financially.  We were so excited to learn about opportunities through the non-profit organization, "Lifesong for Orphans" (www.lifesongfororphans.org), including fundraising assistance, grants and interest-free loans; they also partner with churches to set up accounts for donations/support for adoptive families.  A testimonial of our experience with Lifesong was featured online in January 2014...read below to see how God blessed us in so many ways as we partnered with Lifesong:

"Thankful for a new year and the opportunity to share more adoptive family testimonies with you! Listen in this week and Chris and Kirsty share from their journey to their daughter Fei from China. We were blessed to be able to partner with this family by providing them with an interest-free loan and fundraising support. Join us in rejoicing with this forever family…

It was truly remarkable to share our adoption journey with family and friends through our fundraising, allowing them to participate in the process if they so chose.  Further, the opportunity to share both the need of and Christ’s challenge to care for orphans and widows allowed us many conversations about God’s work in our lives and his consistent faithfulness. God had laid adoption on our hearts for a long time, though we were uncertain as to how the details would be worked out.  He used Lifesong to bridge the financial gap and bring our daughter home!
The day we were matched with Long Di Fei (Fei Isabella) had God’s fingerprints all over it!  First, it was our 15^th wedding anniversary and Kirsty was home to immediately receive the initial call from Holt International, which was atypical for that particular weekday.  Shortly after hearing from Kirsty on the phone, Chris was walking to his car and saw a HUGE rainbow in the sky…without any sign of rain…in the middle of the Arizona desert (her room was already decorated with Noah’s Ark items)!  Upon watching a video of her that night, we realized her first name was Fei (“Fay”), also Kirsty’s grandmother’s name, who went home to be with the Lord years earlier.  Finally, for the first time in years, immediate family (who live out-of-state) were all in town that week, allowing us to share the news about our newest family member in person!  God’s fingerprints were so obvious, even in each moment…we were convinced that this little girl was the daughter the Lord had chosen for us!
We had heard about Lifesong early on in our adoption journey from a friend who was so excited to share what a blessing Lifesong had been to her family.  It was over a year later before we had a chance to experience ourselves the encouragement, support and guidance of an organization that made such an impact by coming alongside us to fundraise, as well as provide us an interest free loan.  The Christ-centered materials, guidance and professionalism of the staff enabled us to feel completely comfortable requesting that family and friends use Lifesong for their tax-deductible contributions.  Our Family Account Manager was consistently helpful and encouraging, as well as incredibly efficient in the turn-around time of reimbursing our expenses.  We have confidently referred other families exploring adoption to Lifesong, particularly if they are concerned about expenses, while encouraging them to not let finances stand in the way of God’s plan."
-Chris & Kirsty, adoptive parents of Fei from China

- See more at: http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/blog/2014/01/why-its-good-to-share-your-adoption-journey-family-friday/#sthash.UQmejL6H.dpuf

A NEW YEAR ON MANY LEVELS

"Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."    --Psalm 25:4-5

Saturday, February 1 was an absolute beautiful day with the Arizona sun shining brightly and a briskness to the air.  Though Fei had no idea what was to come, we were excitedly anticipating the celebration later that day at Baba and Nana's house (as she affectionately calls them)... a celebration officially welcoming her, as well as her dedication to the Lord. Much thought and preparation had gone into the event that would include 76 extended family and friends (some family from CO and CA!), enjoying an incredible Chinese meal together, sharing stories about Fei, and reflecting as Pastor Brad Shank described the significance of us all being adopted through Christ.


A taste of China and Fei's journey

The décor was themed around the timely Chinese New Year and uniquely Fei... pictures of her from the 2 years before we knew her, a traditional Chinese chop etched with her Chinese and English names, a banner hand-made in China with her names in calligraphy, and  a map indicating her birthplace of  Shenzhen, China.  Ellie had created a collage of pictures she took on our trip that provided stories and chuckles...English-translated Chinese signs from parks, subway stops and a safari park.  A small bowl held the little red envelopes which guests were asked to bring (some even sent them!), filled with a message/prayer/blessing for Fei to read as she grows.  It was fun for our family to share the Chinese New Year tradition of giving red envelopes to the cousins and children who came, filled with $1 and scripture that we've prayed over Fei (Psalm 25:4-5), even before we knew her.  What a true joy for us to introduce Fei to so many family members and friends, some for the first time; those that have heard about and prayed for her for so long were able to get a glimpse into her past through pictures and stories, while engaging with her that afternoon.  Fei was absolutely adorable in the traditional dress ("Qi-pao") that the grandparents had bought her while we were in China, though quickly decided that she wanted to be in something more comfy! 



Pastor Brad leading the dedication

We were excited to include her dedication in the celebration that day, as it allowed family and friends to take part in a special family event that we've typically done at church.  We got to know Pastor Brad and his family before we were matched with Fei and they have known about her before we brought her home.  It was so meaningful to have him facilitate her dedication, particularly in the backyard setting of her grandparents' home.  Brad's words offered a perfect word picture in explaining how a new life in Christ is possible only through our adoption by a loving God into His family, not based on anything we could hope to do.  We then shared our desire to dedicate Fei...an opportunity for our family to affirm our commitment to raising Fei in the biblical teachings of Jesus, to help her understand how much she is loved by Him and dedicating her to the Lord and His plans for her.  Truly meaningful to be surrounded by this community of loved ones!




Cousin Rhonda and Aunts Jane, Shirl, Marge and Arlene

Several special aunts served the food with such contagious enthusiasm...beef & vegetables, chicken fried rice, noodles, mandarin orange salad and almond cookies have never been served with such warmth, laughter and entertainment!  Mom & Dad did such an amazing job feeding such a crowd and they even blessed so many others as leftovers were passed along to neighbors, co-workers and friends all over the city...no kidding!  Of course, Tsing Tao beer was in full stock, in honor of the fond memories from our trip...a favorite during nightly Happy Hour in Guangzhou!  Owen noticed that almost everyone took chopsticks and though they may have ended up using forks, most at least tried using them; he will tell you that a friend named Delaney, as well as Ellie, used chopsticks for their entire meal!



You'll love broccoli, Uncle Flip!

Fei and cousin Bri

It was such a special time for all of us as we could express our heartfelt gratitude to our family and friends for all of their encouragement, love and support as we brought Fei into her forever family.  Snapshots of Fei eating fortune cookies with her cousin, Bri, as well as playing and laughing with other little friends seemed somewhat surreal, yet so natural, even nine months after coming home.  Introducing her to out-of-state relatives was so special and watching her interact with them was priceless; it was so touching to us that they would make the effort to celebrate with her.  At the end of the night, Fei was sitting on Uncle Flip's lap and eating (again!), trying to get him to eat broccoli with her; what a joy it was to see both of their faces erupt in laughter as he resisted and she persisted!  We are so grateful that Mom and Dad (Nana and Baba) hosted this memorable celebration and that Fei is so loved by our family and community of friends, both near and far!  We hope that Fei's presence in your lives offers opportunities to learn more about the Chinese culture, a little girl's journey to her forever family and most significantly, the hope we have through a relationship with Christ!



Chosen and dearly loved!



HOME

 

Fei's AZ Re-finalization of Adoption (12/4/13)

Last night, we quietly hit a significant milestone.  We were out to dinner with some friends and as we were getting ready to leave, Fei asked, "Home?"  She consistently wants to know what is next on the agenda and we try to prep her ahead of time as much as possible.  However, last night, for the first time, she asked if we were going home without any prompt.  She's said "home" before (pretty clearly too!), but always after hearing us say it.  Chris pointed out that it was the first time she had said it in her own initiative...indicating to us that she is starting to feel settled, comfortable and has a place to confidently call home.  We took in that moment with big smiles and swelling hearts.


1st Tricycle Ride!

She has certainly experienced many firsts the past few months, including celebrating family birthdays, beginning to ride her tricycle independently, riding in the bike carrier, starting potty training, celebrating holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas), enjoying Christmas lights (and candy canes!), decorating a gingerbread house and meeting more family members.



Ellie & Fei at Hearing

Our travel group of 9 (6 of us, plus 3 grandparents) celebrated yet again on December 4, as Fei's adoption was finalized in the state of AZ through the county courts.  While it was a quick 15-minute hearing with the judge, the big kids got out of school that day and we continued the fun at a little Vietnamese restaurant for a celebratory lunch!  The day before Christmas, we received a bonus gift as Fei's Social Security card finally came in the mail...we had been waiting for it since we had returned from China.  That was the final piece of official documentation...amazing!



Christmas was special for all of us for sure, as a family of 6, and Fei jumped right in with unwrapping gifts!  It was incredible to look back on last year's pictures, memorabilia and even the kids' letter to Santa...all reflecting the fact that we waited in great anticipation for Fei  (asking Santa to sprinkle a little blessing on her in Shenzhen!).  How fun to see her playing with her siblings, cousins and grandparents while enjoying her first Christmas with her forever family.  While we are continuing to be amazed at the blessings of 2013, we can't wait to see what God has in store in 2014!

Fun with the boys

Decorating a gingerbread house

BREATHING OUT YOUR PRAISE

"And I'm breathing in your grace...and breathing out your praise...and breathing in your grace, forever"

There are a few reasons why today (11/6/13) is significant in the life of the St Clair Family; most importantly, it marks the 6 month date since we welcomed Fei into her forever family...wow!  It was also a year ago this week (11/8...our anniversary!) that we first found out about her and were matched with our newest family member.  It is really hard to wrap our heads around both of those milestones--it still seems very surreal that we were all in China together 6 months ago.  Some days it seems like yesterday, as we began to watch her every move with anticipation of what personality trait would be revealed and other days, we sing "The Wheels on the Bus" 20x over, like we never had a 4 year hiatus since singing it with Owen.

While God continues to reveal more about this precious little one to us, He also continues to reveal more about Himself and allows us insight into how He is shaping us.  We, both individually and together as a family, have grown in ways we never considered and have been blessed beyond imagination.  As Fei has experienced new people (and animals, like dogs and turtles), a whole new language, strange foods, a different schedule, and a new home, we too have had the opportunity to experience a new normal...navigate life with a 2-year old (whew...a bit exhausting!), learn sign language, be reminded of the significance of structure/routine, and refer to ourselves as a family of SIX!  To hear her hum, "Jesus Loves Me" with us as we put her to bed is amazing, recognizing the eternal significance of her being introduced to her creator through music, prayers and conversation.  Listening to her laugh as Owen makes silly faces, right now next to me, is such a sweet sight; Fei unexpectedly kissing him is even cuter!

Here is a little glimpse into the past six months:

•  Aspen, the family dog, is now a beloved friend, whom Fei enjoys petting and feeding...great gains from the initial screaming upon them meeting
• Her first word was "Ka-Ka" ("quack, quack"), said when she saw a duck in the shower...it also morphed into the same word for "Da-Da", though now more distinguishable
• Multiple times a day, Fei tells us that "Da-Da" is at work (by signing "work"), and proceeds to say "Ai-ee", "Eee-ay" and "Oh-Oh", expecting us to fill in "yes, they are at school"
• Ellie, TJ & Owen are definitely her favorite playmates...she will grab their hands and pull them to play, snuggle with them, seek their help and jump on them...all in a period of a few minutes!
• Whenever the door "beeps", she assumes it's Chris and yells "Da-Da", running to the door
• Her sign language continues to grow as she knows so many words (water, please, thank-you, boy, girl, apple, grape, banana, cracker, milk, food, hungry, yes, no, and her favorite ..."stop", which she likes to say emphatically!)
• She loves all food--haven't really found anything she won't eat, even salads, veggies & raw spinach!
• We learned this summer that she LOVES the water...the pool, slip & slides, shower, bath time
• Favorite songs to sing include "Wheels on the Bus", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Jesus Loves Me", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "One Potato, Two Potato"
• A true 2-year old, she has learned to say "mine!" and reminds us often
• "May-mees" (babies) are her favorite thing to play with and take care of...and notice anywhere!
• So observant, Fei likes to point out birds, planes and helicopters, as well as ants and other insects
• A true StClair, she loves to go to Costco and gets very excited, pointing out when we come upon a sample
• She likes to name everything (sign/word) , or ask what they are, then wave & say "hi"
• Fei loves her "school" (a Mom's Day Out program she attends 2x/week), especially doing art and playing outside
• Shopping and long walks with mom are fun as she makes friends by waving at others, enjoying snacks and playing with the buckle

We are often reminded of God's provision for each day...breathing in His grace, peace and strength as we navigate challenges and charter into new territories.  How even more important it is that we are marveling at the growth and progress in not only Fei, but each of us...breathing out His praise...FOREVER! 

Consulate re-opens

The rush to the US Consulate was yet another great adventure.  Following a subway excursion to the grocery store (one of our favorite sites that never gets old) we were enjoying a soda and got the calls & emails...the Consulate will open in 1 hour for a special session just for the adoptive families.  Thank you to the efforts of many in our gov't back home!

It was a mad scramble for cabs, buses, and anything that moves as ~ 100 families from multiple hotels tried to make their way across town to the US Consulate during the beginning of rush hour to make the 3:30 appointment.  It was some of the best people watching we have seen in years as the flood of emotions came out through a wide range of personalities.  It was like the Amazing Race.  By the way, we think if there is ever a family version of Amazing Race, we want to challenge you...just think of it, you and nine of your relatives (all ages!) turned loose to navigate your way through a far away land... talk about a unique and amusing adventure. If any of you are wondering...not that we are competitive :)...our group was first to go through security, following a cab battle and sending a runner to bring our official China medical forms to meet us in front of the security entrance.  Great teamwork!

Bath time... not crying anymore with this experience...notice the belly that is new :)

We followed the security process, including no cameras, phones, or backpacks; this means it is you and one diaper for the next 2 hours, good luck.  The Consulate typically processes, at most, 12 Visas at a time and instead they were working 100 in a special closed-door session.  The immigration oath with 100 families in unison was really cool as the kids all quieted down for the first time in 2 hours and the parents, all in unison, verified the accuracy of their paperwork on behalf of their child.  A really fun moment.

It was great to watch as names were called of many of the families we have met over the last couple weeks...we would smile and sometimes cheer loudly...not sure they knew what to do with the St.Clair crew.  It has been amazing to get to know a number of families from around the US, sharing this experience and developing fast friendships in our short time together.



Hanging with a new friend..Cormack...bilingual 5th grader...playing UNO and goofing around is international.

Now that all is done, we have about 36 hours to await our final document packet and our return trip.  If all goes as planned we will land in PHX on Sat 5/18 around 11 pm AZ time.  We will attempt to slow our pace and take in the significance of these last few hours before travel.  Today, it seems so apparent that there are moments in life that we often have to force ourselves to slow down and take in the relationship or the experience that is happening.  Our prayer for you is that you will find those moments daily...we believe they are not only in China, but those moments are often there for all of us if we slow enough to see the Lord working and join in...  

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!