tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-190137512012-02-01T15:20:31.048-05:00an online chronicle of the ongoing adoption process of our daughter in ChinaDrew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.comBlogger661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-28916503671039057892012-01-22T16:24:00.002-05:002012-01-22T21:23:42.948-05:00

Currently I am listening to the unhappy cries of an over tired baby on a Sunday afternoon.  She falls asleep in the sling at church, tired and in need of rest, yet she is in that in between stage of not needing a morning nap everyday.  So when she is tired for her afternoon nap, she doesn't think she should be, doesn't want to be held, rocked or laid down in her crib.  So she cries, rubbing

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18263226677830687390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-5171516808642547332012-01-20T07:11:00.001-05:002012-01-22T22:08:55.548-05:00

Two weeks have passed since we landed in Chattanooga with Salem.  This shook me last night.  The time has moved at warp speed and I am finding myself suddenly realizing that the well meaning words "it goes by so quickly" are TRUE!  I remember as a little girl my Gommy telling me that when you get older, times moves more quickly.  I have thought of this over the years.  When it first hit my young

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18263226677830687390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-19040077477749639932012-01-17T07:15:00.000-05:002012-01-17T07:15:36.980-05:00

The past few days I have wanted to write, but the time and words have eluded me.  In the adjustment, I find myself making lists, doing laundry, feeding sweet little faces, helping a rambunctious little boy learn to be gentle with his little sister, and mentally trying figure out the next step of my day.  Yesterday was good.  On the heels of a few very exhausting days, we are seeing fruit in our

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18263226677830687390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-89614095288597709492012-01-13T06:57:00.002-05:002012-01-13T07:03:08.165-05:00

I guess I should mention, in my journey of humility this week, that my valiant efforts to dodge the shames and blatant opinions given by the elderly Chinese women regarding my clothing choices for my child, have met their demise.  I laugh at it now, but in the moment, I felt an initial "Oh, Man!" run through my head and felt a tinge of failure.  What was ironic about it was twofold.  It was

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18263226677830687390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-42930541895357273022012-01-12T07:20:00.002-05:002012-01-12T07:20:28.214-05:00

It is 7:20, and Salem is still asleep!  We are grateful for rest and thank you for your prayers regarding this! 

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18263226677830687390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-46610184208651618472012-01-12T07:19:00.000-05:002012-01-12T07:19:03.109-05:00

It is a grievous feeling to hurt those you love and to feel the weight of wrong choices.  Exhaustion has set in and when it visits our home, it would be wise for us to be on guard.  Feelings are heightened and words are flung about without filters or discernment, often landing in the face of the undeserving.  On guard, I was not.  Lacking sleep and energy, my day began with a self-sufficient

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18263226677830687390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-88944191694617494932012-01-11T05:37:00.002-05:002012-01-11T05:37:55.359-05:00

Once again, I have been awoken by a crying baby.  My body seems to crash easily in the evening throwing me into deep sleep, and I fell asleep fully expecting an uninterrupted night.  At the sound of tears, I glanced at the clock to see one something on my clock.  Really?  Maybe this will pass.  She did this last night then fell back asleep.  No, the cries intensified and my loving husband rolled

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18263226677830687390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-2735928231904338482012-01-10T11:09:00.001-05:002012-01-10T11:09:11.292-05:00

(This post was started in the wee hours of the morning after being woken at 3:30 by a jet-lagged baby) This morning, I am by myself. It is 6:32 am and I am blessed beyond measure. Salem came home last night. She is here, in Chattanooga, fully apart of our family. Suddenly it dawned on me that this long chapter of our lives is over. We have waited for so long and now it is here. All the

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18263226677830687390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-77061481923609204802012-01-09T02:36:00.000-05:002012-01-09T03:10:39.135-05:00

This post was started on Thursday night, somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. Currently we are airborne, somewhere over the northern most parts of the globe. Our plane is not equipped with the gadgets we had on the Delta flight two weeks ago, so we aren't able to access GPS capability at the touch of a finger. Salem is being greatly entertained by a sweet little 5 year old girl,

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18263226677830687390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-77894113379162153112012-01-08T00:31:00.000-05:002012-01-08T00:45:55.622-05:00

We have safely arrived home and are so thankful to everyone who kept up with us and prayed for us. I'm sorry that we haven't posted in several days. Two days of traveling and two days of recovering still has us in a weary state, but Amy is planning on posting an update by tomorrow night. I'll also get our last China days and our homecoming pics up. Please check back with us then. If you know us

Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137067242740397090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-91295273595310607142012-01-05T10:31:00.003-05:002012-01-05T10:40:26.134-05:00

Tonight, Drew, Amy and Salem join big brother Jonathan in Chattanooga TN. Please pray for safe travels and uneventful flights. They are currently en route from Shanghai to JFK (NY). They should land in Tennessee before 10pm tonight. Thanks for caring and praying!

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-51420737147849599622012-01-03T22:38:00.001-05:002012-01-03T22:38:37.644-05:00

Big thanks to Chris for keeping our blog up. I caught a good connection this morning (rare to be this good) and thought I'd post some pics I took on a stroll while Salem was napping.  Waiting for Delivery Back Streets in Guangzhou Chinese New Year supplies Local oranges for sale Meat market on a TV tray Turtles, lizards and eels! Oh my! Purchasing eel for dinner

Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137067242740397090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-76004164908058843122012-01-03T12:51:00.001-05:002012-01-03T22:16:34.373-05:00

Daddy Car Seat The Crew goes shopping (roll soundtrack) Tonight it feels as if I am in high school again with a looming paper needing to be written. Tomorrow is the due date and I am pulling an all nighter. Not that I dislike blogging, but in the midst of packing and a long day of last minute doll shopping (which ended up a fail) I have seem to successfully acquire another sore throat

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-19792053893787315772012-01-02T10:34:00.018-05:002012-01-02T11:03:19.900-05:00

I am REALLY thinking about changing the name of the blog to "Amy with Salem in a Sling." It would be truth in advertising. I could easily just post pics of Salem in Amy's sling, Salem in Amy's Baby Bjorn, or Salem playing on the bed and most of you would be happy. Plus, we're a day behind on blogging and tired enough to make it two days behind. But since so many of you have been checking in, I'm

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-86854156015905812892012-01-01T09:38:00.003-05:002012-01-01T10:03:27.401-05:00

Writers block has seemed to plague me for the past few days and even now I struggle to find the words to do justice to this experience. Fatigue and one little girl have kept me busy with sleep and play, and the added weight of her body attached to mine in the airport, plane, taxis, and shopping for seven hours has given me much room for grace when choosing between sleeping and typing. Today, I

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-81583777822257029942011-12-31T10:27:00.013-05:002011-12-31T19:41:00.120-05:00

Hey folks. Long, long day. So tired. Can't stay up to watch the pork dumpling ball drop in Tienanmen Square at midnight. That's what they do here, right? Even though Chinese New Year won't arrive until late January, Folks here are more than happy to celebrate a new Roman calendar. Tomorrow begins a three day holiday around here. Too tired to give the usual rundown of the day. Amy will send

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-10230882924514631702011-12-30T11:36:00.008-05:002011-12-30T11:50:34.809-05:00

Today was a travel day. We received Salem's Chinese passport and her final Hague Convention documents this morning, and that's all we needed to move on to Guangzhou. We said goodbye to our friendly hotel staff (they let us keep the bib from the Galactic Hotel) and our great Bethany field rep, Cabbeen. Cabbeen looks like a villain from a James Bond movie when he looks serious, but he's a great guy

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-38547786908352695392011-12-29T10:16:00.003-05:002011-12-29T10:18:11.466-05:00

We started this day with a little girl who still complained when we gave her tummy time. She couldn't roll over, but she could spin around. During this afternoon's tummy session, Salem figured out how to roll over and did it with abandon all over the bed. She even attempted to crawl. She was elated, giggling and so proud of herself.Well, when bedtime came, Salem was bouncing all over the walls.

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-61516651238939741452011-12-29T08:22:00.008-05:002011-12-30T18:15:41.467-05:00

The past two mornings have started with a warm bottle and Skype. When Salem awoke up yesterday around 6:00, we decided to surprise her Papa and Nana with an early evening skype at the house and this morning we introduced her to her cousins and Aunt Corie. Each morning Cabbeen has taken us to see the city. Yesterday, he arrived at 10:00 to take us to the Teng Wang Pavilion, a local attraction

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-20378486616800234732011-12-28T13:11:00.002-05:002011-12-28T13:16:44.004-05:00

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-73072995505936277032011-12-28T12:21:00.004-05:002011-12-28T12:43:49.149-05:00

Today was a free day, or so the schedule said. That means that we don't go anywhere. I don't think you ever get a free day as a parent, but it has been nice to not be on a time clock with more appointments. After dinner at the hotel, Salem took a bottle and went straight to sleep around 8:00. As soon as her head hit the pillow, I crashed on the bed in the sea of baby paraphernalia. Two hours

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-2725107927277666252011-12-27T10:33:00.003-05:002011-12-28T13:34:42.287-05:00

Waking up in Beijing came as early as the day before and I laid in bed praying pondering what was to await us. The nervousness was gone....a silent peace swept over me. I got up and began preparing to say goodbye to this leg of the journey. With luggage in tow and 20 minutes to spare before having to depart for the airport, we quickly jumped on the computer to Skype call my dad. Jonathan and the

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-38501504979779352192011-12-26T12:52:00.009-05:002011-12-26T18:17:50.536-05:00

After years of waiting and several sleepless nights, "Gotcha Day" finally arrived! We were awake long before the alarm went off this morning, and we left the hotel at 5:40am not knowing what to expect of this day. We said goodbye to our new and dear friends at the airport as they left for their girls in their respective provinces, looking forward to meeting their girls on the 30th

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-87648091212983117692011-12-25T08:05:00.003-05:002011-12-25T08:21:05.448-05:00

Riding through HutongMeeting Mrs. ZhangDrew in Forbidden CityIt was an interesting Christmas here today. We had to keep remindingeach other. Thankfully, my thoughtful and always electronicallyprepared husband brought his battery operated Zune speaker for the vanwhich set the mood.Driving into Tiananman Square was sobering. I wasn't sure how tofeel...it felt strange to be spending my Sunday

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-26578574454316823192011-12-24T17:59:00.005-05:002011-12-24T18:09:24.375-05:00

Merry Christmas from Beijing! Happy birthday to our King! Ha:)...it seems fitting to begin the day with singing:) Well, to those of you celebrating Christmas Eve, we are awake with you. I have been awake since 2:00am our time and Drew in and out all night. What woke me was an unsettling feeling in my stomach. Of course, the first thing that came to mind was a stomach bug...an all too familiar

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-80639819544876583092011-12-24T10:21:00.004-05:002011-12-24T10:40:55.288-05:00

What an incredible day of experiencing China first hand! We are completely zonked yet so grateful for beautiful weather and the opportunity to experience our daughter's country and culture. After our fill of the ultimate chinese breakfast buffet, we metJasmine for a tour of a lifetime. First, we drove for what seemed like over an hour to the Cloisonne factory only to find out that it was closed

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-76761587316127234472011-12-23T10:48:00.006-05:002011-12-23T11:10:50.270-05:00

Amy here:) Here are some pics to post and an update of our day.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Travel to the eastern hemisphere has been long, yet suprisingly we seem to be close to catching up to a 13 hour jump into the future. After landing in Beijing around 9:00, we had managed to stay mostly awake (with the exception of a few short

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-12321269680102971712011-12-22T10:41:00.000-05:002011-12-22T10:42:19.852-05:00

We landed an hour early, and arrived at the hotel around 10:30 tonight. We're 13 hours ahead of you guys. We'll go through orientation tomorrow, and then we'll get our head around the next few days. We met one other family in our group of five. They were in front of us in the security line, and we got to know them while waiting on luggage and riding to the hotel. They are from South Dakota. Other

Chris Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02121396352097511558noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-60183265806063745122011-12-18T13:58:00.001-05:002011-12-18T14:04:56.817-05:00

Well, all our documents are in hand, and we are a few days away from the 35 hour trip to Beijing. We're very thankful for so many people who are holding the ropes while we are away for two weeks. We've got house sitters, subs, and extra help all over the place. Now that we have the official travel invitation, we can share Salem's picture online. Of course, the only pic we have is now almost

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-42844629145482481972011-08-31T08:34:00.006-04:002011-08-31T08:53:38.460-04:00

It's finally here. We received the referral package on Tuesday, and we hope to travel before Christmas to get Salem and bring her home! She was born in January of 2011, so this will be her first Christmas! Our agency has encouraged us not to post the picture right now, so bump into us and we'll share her beautiful face with you. Yesterday, I realized that most people in Chattanooga have known us

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-68917849497816113092009-04-16T00:33:00.004-04:002009-04-16T00:38:33.117-04:00

We had a beautiful Easter Day and took lots of pictures.....it was a worshipful morning, remembering the ressurrection of Jesus, and celebrating Christ risen to live in us daily!!!

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-63505891983060555542009-03-31T22:54:00.006-04:002009-03-31T23:08:49.985-04:00

Consignment sales are great when there's something you've been wanting and you actually find it there...such is the case at the Scott house with J's new Little Tikes Swing...oh the joy of a little boy discovering new exciting adventures...only one of the many he has yet to delight in:)There's just nothing sweeter than the laugh of your child...enjoy with us!

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-66178718870368462772009-01-16T18:01:00.004-05:002009-01-16T18:12:11.470-05:00

Can you believe it? Little baby Jonathan is a big 6 months. Our little boy is 28 inches tall. It's been a while since we've added anything - December was a whirlwind. I've got a few videos I'd like to get up in the next weeks.In the meantime, you can enjoy some more of Diana Simpson's photography! She came by today to photograph Jonathan at 6 months. Go to her blog for more pics and a

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-74945234831332184192008-10-25T16:14:00.000-04:002008-10-25T16:14:06.802-04:00

Saturday was the day Amy's been looking forward to for a long time! We suited Jonathan up and ran over to the Y for a little free swim. I think he liked it.

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-84385561426310332742008-10-25T15:12:00.003-04:002008-10-25T15:15:17.155-04:00

We took a trip to the park last week to take some 3 month photos of Jonathan. Drew did a great job of capturing his budding personality.He is smiling and laughing a lot---loves to look at any face, and will talk to you if your commit to having a conversation with him:)Daddy picked out the alligator toy. He and Jonathan became friends very quickly!

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-81505140531720910442008-09-16T22:25:00.005-04:002008-09-16T22:41:01.765-04:00

We enjoyed a couple of relaxing days with our friends Todd and Diana at their folks' lake house last weekend. Jonathan turned 2 months, Daddy turned 408 months, and Mommy turned a couple of 360s on a kneeboard. It was a lot of fun.

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-60246179951324958392008-09-10T09:08:00.004-04:002008-09-10T09:46:17.820-04:00

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-62807385680279587282008-08-14T20:56:00.015-04:002008-08-14T22:17:47.155-04:00

We've completed the first month of our new homeschool class, "Parenting by the Seat of Your Pants." Jonathan is one month old, and we are enjoying every day. He is getting more cheeky, and we realized he's put on a nice round belly. He's starting to fuss a little more, so it turns out we don't have a "freakishly perfect baby." I'm learning the upside down principle of tired babies: if baby gets

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-5304937025920158792008-07-29T01:57:00.007-04:002008-07-29T02:29:25.712-04:00

We're gearing up for our first family road trip since Jonathan came home. Gone are the days of two duffel bags and "if we forget it, we don't need it." Jonathan has been sleeping well, so we are eager to see how he does in multiple venues.We're going to a conference north of DC with Sovereign Grace and we are excited. A great conference will become a bigger adventure as we enjoy it with the

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-14101558146061937992008-07-16T21:04:00.004-04:002008-07-16T21:15:12.194-04:00

Our friend, Diana Simpson, is an amazing photographer. Just to prove it, visit her site to see some pictures of Jonathan. She spent Tuesday morning with us, and we had a blast. I had no idea a photo shoot could be so much fun. You can look at more pics as a slide show on the same site. Thanks, Diana!Amy's mom and Drew's parents have been with us for the last several days, fixing up the nursery

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-62279283266556986242008-07-16T10:01:00.007-04:002008-07-16T10:17:15.830-04:00

A funny thing happened on the way to finding Salem. And it happened quickly. We'd like to introduce you to our son, Jonathan David.We'll post more in a bit. We're all doing fine, although a "good night's sleep" now has a different standard of measure. Thank you for praying for us as we receive this amazing blessing. And don't forget to pray for Salem. With the Olympics and other issues in China

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-34298312622752552752007-10-09T08:11:00.001-04:002007-10-09T08:45:35.162-04:00

Hello all. I've been looking forward to posting some info about our work over the past 5 months getting the house ready for Salem. I've also had several thoughts I wanted to write out. All very cheery, very hopeful stuff. However, reading this heartbreaking article prompted me to post it first. Thanks to Tim Challies for the reference.From the article:The demand is so high that child

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-59650196877032405712007-09-29T12:22:00.000-04:002007-09-29T12:55:20.536-04:00

Hello to all:) I must say we are so blessed to have such wonderful friends who are faithful to pray and check in on us, even after taking a 10 month hiatus from our blog. You guys are great:)Today I woke up feeling a little puny, so I am having a sleepy Saturday. The Scott's (Drew's parents) are here for a week to help with the house project. They are in the back of the house getting the walls

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-59647762749442882282007-09-16T15:37:00.000-04:002007-09-16T16:25:02.098-04:00

Well, we are back with good news today:) Drew surprised me today with a hard copy of the CCAA website stating that all dossiers through July 31, 2006 have been reviewed and are now in line for referral placement!!! Needless to say, tears followed with a HUGE sigh of relief:) We were with the Nichols who adopted their daughter in May eating at SouperSalad. It was great to rejoice with Salem's

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1162956122457808442006-11-07T22:06:00.000-05:002006-11-22T08:21:45.176-05:00

I cannot begin to describe how the Lord is weaving Salem into our hearts already. I'm not sure, because I am not a parent with a child in my arms yet, but I am beginning to understand the love that a parent has for their child, and we haven't even met her yet. This is truly a God thing and I am enjoying it so much. We love her so very dearly, and cannot wait to share our lives with her.As a

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1159901843193586532006-10-03T14:46:00.000-04:002006-11-22T08:18:29.940-05:00

Two things bring shame on a home. One is dressing pets up in costumes. It's simply inexcusable. Look how sad this dog is. Cody goes limp when you put a hat on him. Why? He doesn't want our neighbor dogs to see. And they shouldn't have to. It's just wrong.The other great shame is a blog that goes over a month without an update. But it is a shared shame. We started this blog to keep people up to

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1154915456340766082006-08-06T21:26:00.000-04:002006-08-06T21:53:45.286-04:00

Well, we got our last official word of progress until we get our referral letter. Bethany called to tell us our dossier was LOGGED IN on July 14, 2006. This means our dossier is officially "in line" to be reviewed and then (and most importantly) matched. This news should be tempered by the fact that this line is very long, and has been moving slowly. We anticipate at least a year-long wait until

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1151959478988104392006-07-03T16:30:00.000-04:002006-07-03T16:55:49.290-04:00

We are excited to inform you all that TODAY we received the document in the mail stating that our dossier was sent to China (DTC) on June 29!!! For the past few weeks, it has been in between leaving our fingertips and being sealed up to leave on its Salem-bound journey to the orient. Grand Rapids has been successful in processing our paperwork and now its finally on its way:) Now we wait to

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1151587399060586862006-06-29T09:13:00.000-04:002006-10-03T15:01:12.566-04:00

Our friends, Stephen and Suzanna Nichols (who are about 6 months ahead of us in the adoption process), had a section of their blog dedicated to helping those reading the updates know how to pray for their daughter. We thought it was a great idea!!!The following is a weekly prayer guide. Drew and I invite you to pray with us for Salem and her journey home. I'm going to cut and paste it onto a

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1150395957150763822006-06-15T14:15:00.000-04:002006-06-15T14:25:57.160-04:00

God is good!!! If you read the previous update, then you know that just yesterday we were anticipating another week of waiting on test results for the final preparations of our dossier. However, when I came home from church last night, there was a message on our answering machine from Laura, one of Dr. Duff's nurses, to inform us that our test results were ready for pick-up!!! So, it turns out

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1150299849861998392006-06-14T11:27:00.002-04:002006-06-14T12:10:49.750-04:00

After relinquishing all of our documents into the hands of others, we were relieved to be in the official last stages of waiting. However, yesterday, I received a call from Mary that revealed a minor setback.I was excited to hear that our dossier had made it from Nashville to Grand Rapids, meaning it had received the Great Seal Of TN. But, in their detailed scrutiny of the dossier before

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1149254850037385502006-06-02T09:18:00.000-04:002006-06-02T09:27:30.050-04:00

As if this situation has ever truly rested in our hands... Today, we will drop off the last fragments of paperwork to our local Bethany office. Whew. It really hasn't been too bad. It would be a breeze if we didn't also have daily and weekly responsibilities. Then again, we've been helped by many friends and family members in an attempt to gather all our documentation. Thanks to you

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1148094036617088402006-05-19T22:31:00.000-04:002006-05-19T23:02:46.990-04:00

We got it!...Permission to bring Salem home:)A few weeks ago, we spoke with our postman on his daily rounds and told him about the important envelope. He's been looking for it almost as earnestly as we have:) The doorbell rang yesterday afternoon, and I opened the door to reveal the postman with a package. (We leave for Peru tomorrow on a mission inquiry trip and the parents of one of the

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1146836076254544822006-05-05T09:13:00.000-04:002006-05-05T09:34:37.283-04:00

Our wait for the paperwork from the INS was expected to take 6-9 weeks, give or take some. But, when the 13th week rolled around, we started getting nervous, wondering if it had been lost in the mail or in the shuffle of credit card applications. I called Mary to let her know. I thank the Lord for prompting me to call when I did. As we have said before, we have prayed for a peace that passes

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1146527036928975992006-05-01T19:28:00.000-04:002006-05-01T20:11:06.586-04:00

Yeaaaaaa:) The 30s are fabulous already! I was going to post on my actual birthday, but mom came into town to celebrate with us and wanted to spend as much time with her as we could. Thanks, Mom!!! And thank you to Drew and all my beloved friends who helped to make the day special. To be able to celebrate this day on a Sunday was an extra gift from our Father:) Waking up to worship the One who

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1144550855708213552006-04-08T22:19:00.000-04:002006-04-08T22:50:45.486-04:00

Hello again:) Sorry for the looooooooooong silence. The hustle and bustle of paperwork and interviews a few months ago had us updating more, but for the past 8 weeks we have been in a long holding pattern. Every day, we are searching our mailbox for a big yellow envelope from the INS that holds the I-171. This is the last document that we need before we take all of our certified documents to get

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1140106271054250602006-02-16T10:54:00.000-05:002006-02-16T11:11:11.066-05:00

Well, Nashville went well. One lesson learned - all our friends who were fingerprinted on Wednesdays waited HOURS for their 5 minute fingerprinting. We showed up on a Thursday and were in and out in a half hour. Would have been less, but my arms were "uncooperative" with the computer taking fingerprints. It has to be just right or they do it again. Who knew I had over 40 fingerprints?But now

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1139345926078618952006-02-07T15:54:00.000-05:002006-02-07T15:58:46.086-05:00

I would have used an exclamation mark, but the top row of keys on my keyboard stopped working two weeks ago. [need to go to staples...]We got our home study back today thanks to Mary, our awesome case worker. That means we're heading to the INS office in Nashville on Thursday to get our fingerprints taken by the Feds. This is great news, as a lot of couples spend a lot of time twiddling their

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1138940932184934042006-02-02T23:07:00.000-05:002006-02-02T23:31:44.576-05:00

Sorry for the long moment of silence on the blog. We have been working to get our home study finished so that we can travel to Nashville to have our fingerprints taken for the INS. Last week we received the invitation to come, but we have to take our completed home study with us when we go. So far, we have everything but a few documents, and we hope to have it all in place for Mary and Peggy to

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1137986022287439442006-01-22T22:05:00.000-05:002006-01-23T23:01:00.910-05:00

We have received emails from several of you responding to our blog. We love hearing from you and would like to know who else has decided to join our journey online. At the end of each entry there is a comment link. Instead of flipping back and forth to your email accounts, you can post a comment right here. Just go to the bottom, click "comments", and a box will pop up for you to enter your words

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1137712231425374432006-01-19T17:35:00.000-05:002006-02-08T15:03:43.696-05:00

What a day it has been! A good one I might add:) We had a full schedule with my individual interview with Mary at 10:00, then our joint interview at 11:00, lunch at Chili's, and a 3 hour doctor visit. Yes, the medical examination requirements are so extensive that they even suprised our doctor! But we are moving right along and are being amazed at every turn how the Lord's plans are

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1137389842890882272006-01-16T00:16:00.000-05:002006-01-16T00:41:43.286-05:00

Ok, if there was ever a reason to reorganize every important scrap of paper on your life, this is it. We've finished the poking and prodding of the "self-study," a rather thorough questionnaire about us, what makes us tick and every aspect of our life together and apart. The social workers use it as an advance snapshot for our pending interviews (the home study). That wasn't too tough, since we

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1135364833153821922005-12-23T13:42:00.000-05:002005-12-23T14:07:13.163-05:00

Many of you may be visiting this page as a result of our Christmas card. We are excited you chose to join us on this journey and we wish you a very Merry Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus. I'll take just a few lines to share what has happened since our last post...Our case workers, Mary and Peggy, have been hard at work furnishing us with a five-month timeline

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1137713422411764392005-12-20T18:10:00.000-05:002006-01-21T12:32:42.403-05:00

Dear Loved Ones,There is so much we could share with you about this past year, and I could fill many pages attempting to do so. However, in our brief letter to you this Christmas, we would like to give testimony to what the Lord has been and is teaching us about Himself in the midst of our journey.Many of you know, as our last letter to you solicited prayer on behalf of our family, that Drew and

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1132461111652637272005-11-19T22:47:00.000-05:002005-12-18T23:21:17.113-05:00

It is so exciting to share this wonderful story with all of you. We give thanks to the Lord above all Who knows the plans that He has for us. As we have already learned to do, we will continue to trust in Him and lean on Him every step of the way. It is all becoming so real! With each new day, we are reminded that somewhere out there, growing in the womb of her birth mother, is our daughter,

Amy Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07439642490115783241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19013751.post-1132111366375112432005-11-16T01:20:00.000-05:002005-11-15T22:51:57.790-05:00

This will be the main place to find out what is going on as we work to find Salem, our daughter who we will bring home from China. This will be a place to read news and prayer requests, or give us encouragement or shared info. We want to share this experience with our family and friends as God gives us faith and courage.

Drew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13057215528710593438noreply@blogger.com0