Chloe and Megan

Sisters

2011-12-27T20:11:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Megan and Chloe are loving being sisters! Our family is adjusting well, and made it through Christmas!

December update part 2

2011-12-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

Streets of Taipei

Many 7 Elevens!!

Back home!

These are just a few of what we have. Will update more later.

Is it December already??

2011-12-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

It is amazing that two months have gone by. Megan is an amazing part of our family and fits in so well. Ever since we got home, she has done great adjusting and adapting. She loves to follow her sister around! In fact, she started walking one day and by the end of the week, she was only walking, no crawling. Now she is practically running to keep up with Chloe.

We finally got all our pictures of our trip and here is a quick view of them. Enjoy!!

Chloe on the plane to Taipei. Mommy and Chloe at a great breakfast buffet in Taipei

Daddy and Chloe at the computer in Taipei

Tainan, Taiwan. On the way to Megan's orphanage

At Megan's orphanage

Our first time with Megan

More pictures from Taiwan

2011-10-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

Megan is doing great! We all enjoyed time this week getting closer to each other and loving each other.

Pictures from Gotcha Day September 26, 2011

2011-09-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

Thurday going home with alot of travel

2011-09-29T23:03:00.000-07:00

Thursday began with Megan feeling better. Did I mention she has molars coming in right now on top of the stress, adjustment, and poop issues? She is doing great with all of it going on. Chloe is also dealing with it well. We went out last night and bought her whatever toy she wanted at the mall.

Enjoyed our last buffet....will miss them.

Megan loves to eat off our plates!

Did a quick trip to the park ( very hot this morning). Got a lunch of Taiwan dumplings, tomato soup, and other assortment of tasty items.

Had a last look at the city from the garden on the roof of our hotel.(20 floors), and took taxi an hour to airport.

Found some great decorations for Megan's room at a shop, and had the long flight home. Megan and Chloe slept almost the whole flight!

Grandparents were waiting for us at airport, and we were all glad to be back together ... PLUS 1 !

Time to rest. Great, amazing, blessed, God - led trip. Would never want to give back these days!

Our family is now complete...and ready to be happy together for a lifetime!

Wednesday in the park

2011-09-29T22:54:00.000-07:00

Wednesday began early again. We have figured out Megan's sleeping patterns finally, and are sleeping pretty good now. Still, getting up around 5 am. Early job of constipation duty for us all before breakfast.

We found out that there was a park within walking distance of the hotel. It was great to soak up some of the local sites....Taiwan style gazebos, alot of food shops, and the many Chinese advertisement signs that are lining every street . Chloe found a playground and had a lot of fun.

Megan takes an afternoon nap, so most of our days have that keeping us around the hotel.

Got VISA, and are ready to go tomorrow.

Caring for both girls is taking up all sightseeing time. The main priority is them and getting us safely home. Anyways, we like the local, fun activities better!

Most nights we fall asleep very early. Really tired most days.

Tuesday--VISA and health issues

2011-09-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

Tuesday began early again. We had an appointment with immigration for 8 am. Paperwork was in good order. Process lasted about an hour and a half.

Megan pretty cranky at appointment and feel asleep while being walked and calmed down.

The afternoon was spent trying to get Megan to be healthier. She had the worst case of constipation, and we spent 2 hours trying to help her go. After that, we were all pretty drained.

Spent the rest of the day and evening giving her foods to get her more regular, trying to keep her and Chloe ( who is getting pretty tired of the trip) happy, and going out to look for more need items for Megan.

Arrival of Megan!

2011-09-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

Good morning all,

We are pleased to tell you that the Schaefer family is 4 - - - officially!

Sleeping Sunday night was, of course difficult. Sarah and I remember all to well the nervous feelings we had that kept us awake alot.

Woke up finally at 6 am. Had breakfast....actually eating somewhat this time around.

Took taxi to St. Lucy Center and arrived a half hour early. Very pretty center! We were taken into the main room for meetings, and were asked for the clothes Megan would wear today. Sarah gave them one of the 12 months clothes we had. Nanny came back and said that they did not fit! Our baby Megan was in size 18 months! Luckilly, we had one 18 month old outfit.

Spent time getting alot of info on Megan, and then met her! She was a bit overwhelmed...and cried. Really did not want to see Daddy. After about 15 minutes and it was just us, and the nanny, Megan calmed down. Was willing to be held by Mommy and Daddy.

Had lunch at center with very tasty dumplings. Taxi to train station at 12 pm

Train to Taipei was very soothing to Megan. We enjoyed spending time bonding.

Arrived in Taipei and found out our hotel was right next to train station.

Ate comfort food , Mc Donalds for dinner.

Daddy had to go out and find clothes for baby Megan. After help from very nice hotel staff, Daddy found some clothes.

Sleeping was ok. Megan was awake and fussy at 4 am.

She is adjusting well. Eats great. Working with us on getting a different schedule for eating and sleeping.

Love to all

Update day 2

2011-09-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

Sunday began with a wake up call by our bodies at 3 am. We had a nice family morning with relaxing, great breakfast ( great to have asain buffets again), walking around the outside of a aviation museum and enjoying a nice day.

Train to Tainan was at noon. Very nice and fast. Arrive at 1:20 and took a 30 minute bus ride to hotel.

Hotel is 5 star...and amazing!!

Jetlag getting the best of us caused us to stay close to room until sleeping early at 7.

Tomorrow is Gotcha day!

wow the jetlag!

2011-09-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

The airport and flight was very smooth. We arrived in Taipei at 6 am. Through customs fast and at hotel ( near airport) by 6:45. Since we are around 40 minutes from downtown, we had to deal with jetlag more this trip. Normally, we just go out. But, Sarah slept all morning, and I fell asleep at 1 pm. Girls went to bed at 6 pm. and I am up writing at 11 pm.

Chloe and I had fun in the pool. Good idea to bring swimming clothes.

Chloe's dvd player was a great idea and she is using it alot.

Turned on tv and found the Angel game on live!! It was in Chineese, and I think that they were showing it cause Hideki Matsui played for the other team. Wild going across the globe and finding the Angel game. They were losing in the 9th inning .

Hotel is nice....weather is overcast most of the time....with wind.

Leave for Tainan by train at 11 am. In Tainan a couple hours later.

Very excited....when we have sleep :) Can't believe we have 36 hours until going to St. Lucy!!

Crib to be filled soon!

2011-09-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

So here is entry # 1 of Megan's journey. I looked back on what I wrote the day of traveling to get Chloe. Much different trip....same emotions. I have very vivid memories of how I felt the travel day then and today. Pretty much the same. All things are set and ready. We are trying to keep busy before leaving tonight for LAX at 9 pm. Chloe got to go to school today and had a good day there. Thanks to Sarah, we have plenty of activities for Chloe before she has her new playmate, Megan! We will arrive Saturday morning at 6 am, hopefully will be able to check in to hotel, and maybe see Taipei.

Will update as soon as we can. We are also using facebook, so look for us there, too.

Family reflections

2011-09-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite songs! It is appropriate to post today....2 days away from leaving.

Sending this out to all men leading their families!

Dedicated to Sarah, Chloe, and Megan!

I love you !

Journeys - - - - learning about our Heavenly Father

2011-09-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

As we prepare for our trip next week, here are some thoughts.

Our heavenly Father is loving us every second of every day! Sometimes, we need to sit and think about how kind and loving He is. He is with us always...and has a plan for lives that are beyond our understanding. Many times when we look back, we see how amazing the plan was....and still is.

In 2006, our little Jenna being taken home to Jesus opened a door to start the journey for our girl Chloe.

In 2009, our selling and buying of different houses opened a door to having room for another child.

In 2009, meeting with the head of our agency opened the door to start the journey for our girl Megan.

Being able to do all of this on one income.

Having guidance from the Holy Spirit to make these decisions.

God is truly amazing and always present. Take some time to look back and see His hand in your lives.

And the best is yet to come when we all are together at Jesus' feet praising Him.

Thanks for following us on the journey!

Happy birthday to our little girl!

2011-09-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

Today, September 6, is our little girl Megan's birthday. We are sad not to be with you, but pray that you had a fun, love-filled day! We will go out for some ice cream and celebrate your blessed day! We are coming soon!!!!

We love you very much and miss you,

Mommy, Daddy, and sister Chloe

Traveling to Taiwan!

2011-08-19T19:17:00.000-07:00

We got travel dates today! We will leave California September 24 and get Megan on the 26th. The same day, we will take the high speed train back to Taipei for a government appointment on the 27. We plan on leaving on the 29. Very smooth and quick trip....just like we thought! We praise and thank God for His blessing!

Getting closer!

2011-07-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hello all. Megan's paperwork has been in the Taiwan courts for about a month. Praying it will be soon to travel. Here are new pictures.

New pictures of Chloe and Megan

2011-06-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

These are the most recent pictures of Megan

Graduating from Mommy and Me class. Off to Kindergarten!

Spring 2011 update

2011-03-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here comes the 4 year old!

2010-11-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

Hello all, it is hard to believe that Chloe will be 4 in one week. Here are some picture updates.

Halloween 2010....Miss Ladybug!

Chloe, Pooh, and Jakie

Chloe and Grandpa building a train.

L.A. County Fair

Is the 3 or 13??

Chloe, Daddy, and Boots

For adoption day 2010, Chloe went to play on fountains and got more Legos.

The waves were much bigger this year....so Chloe needed watched them from afar.

Our beautiful three year old

2010-07-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Time to give an update!

2010-04-07T16:01:00.001-07:00

After the Pasadena Marathon. Only Daddy ran it....Chloe was there to cheer him on.

Auntie Em and Grandpa taking a nap....or are they??

Christmas with Grandma Schaefer

Chloe also loves sticker books!

Our engineer! Legos are her latest enjoyment!

Chloe got some flamingos for Christmas.

Chloe loves eating Popsicles!

It is story time.

Fun at the park with Mommy!

Happy Birthday, Chloe and Les!!

Our little cowgirl!

Hello all,

Sorry it has taken so long to update. Things are busy, as with all of you.

Our family enjoyed a blessed Christmas. Since it was the first one in our new home ( a year old, last weekend!) , we had plenty of room to have the tree, presents, and room to play with them. Grandma Schaefer came out to visit and we had a great time.

Our Easter was also very blessed. We had a great group of 14 people over for the celebration of Christ's resurrection!

Chloe is involved in gymnastics, crafts, writing words, and learning everything she can think of ( from bones to maps)! She also can say the Pledge of Allegiance and the Lord's Prayer all by herself. She is quite an amazing girl....and our family has a blessed life!!!

What has autumn been like??

2009-11-11T07:51:00.000-08:00

We have had a busy autumn! As you can see, Chloe was a cowgirl for Halloween. She really got the hang of trick or treat this year. Our neighbors even gave her special treats!

Chloe has been busy doing summersalts, writing her name, typing many words on the computer ( by herself !) , can recognize all letters and numbers, and is working on spelling words!

Our house is filled with the joyful noises of a little princess that will soon be three!!

Our summer together

2009-08-21T16:10:00.001-07:00

Greetings all,

As you can see, Chloe got to go to the beach and play this summer. We had a great time as a family playing together, enjoying our new back yard, Chloe riding her first tricycle, seeing friends, going on the Metro to LA for Mommy's birthday!

Chloe at 2 1/2.....where is our baby??

2009-07-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

Our new house!!!

2009-05-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Alot has happened since we last updated the blog. In February, we decided to put our condo on the market. Little did we know that God had our new house picked out for us. We sold our condo in three weeks and moved in to this new house Easter weekend. Chloe has her own backyard to play in. Here also are many more Chloe pics.

2009-01-27T15:23:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS! WE PRAISE JESUS EACH DAY FOR OUR BLESSINGS!

2008-12-31T16:18:00.000-08:00

fall days

2008-10-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Here are some pictures that have been in our camera for a while.

Chloe is the talking master these days. Mommy and her enjoy going to class twice a week. You will see some of the artwork she has done lately.

Daddy is looking forward to the end of the season so he can be with his girls more !

august 2008

2008-08-24T12:53:00.001-07:00

Chloe and Pooh watching their favorite show

A future runner reading her magazine?
At the park on Gotcha Day

Gotcha Day!!

2008-07-30T08:26:00.001-07:00

A year ago, July 31, Mommy,Daddy, and princess Chloe were forever united! Gotcha Day is a common term used to remember this day. We thought you would like to see how Chloe grew this past year.

Tomorrow, we will spend the day having fun together, telling Chloe the story of her adoption, looking at photos, eating Vietnamese food, and of course, Chloe will have a special gotcha day present!

ENJOY!!!

mommy's birthday

2008-07-28T08:45:00.001-07:00

These are some pictures of Mommy's birthday trip to the LA arboretum. It was a very beautiful, special morning. We enjoyed looking at many trees, flowers, ducks, peacocks, and turtles.

wisconsin trip 2008

2008-07-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

Visiting Les' friend Jeff and family
Chloe's new friend Lexi

Chloe with her new cousin

Cameras are fun!!

Visiting relatives in Sheboygan
At Lake Michigan with Grandma

At the park

summer with the girls!!

2008-06-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Well, it is summer vacation! Daddy and the girls are enjoying alot of time together. Trips to the park, looking for cats outside, and alot of fun!

Enjoy the pictures of our growing girl....and her second appearance at a race ( Daddy's 4th half marathon)

may 2008

2008-05-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

new toy!

2008-04-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago, Chloe played with this new toy at her friend Zachary's house.
While at Target yesterday, Mommy and Daddy could not resist getting one for Chloe.

cheeto girl

2008-04-05T19:21:00.001-07:00

easter 2008

2008-03-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

It seems a long time since we wrote here. I guess with a 16 month old, there is no good time to write.

Easter was very special for our family. Last easter, we just received the news about our new baby girl waiting for us in Quan Nam. It was a very joyous day. But this easter was more joyous having her in our laps in church ( when she wasn't walking around pulling hymnals and Bibles out of the pews).

This past week, March 26, was the anniversary of receiving her picture, etc. We decided to go to Wahoo Tacos restaurant to celebrate. Last year, Mommy and Daddy went there after leaving the agency. We spent alot of time remembering that day and sharing the stories with Chloe. She may not have understood this year, but next year maybe she will.

We are very blessed!

Readoption day!

2008-03-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Today, I am glad to say that Chloe has had her named changed officially by the U.S. courts. Until now, all legal records had her Vietnamese name. We had to more paperwork and have an appointment with a judge to change her name and have a California birth certificate with Chloe Lieu Schaefer and Sarah and I her parents.

It was a great day! Grandpa and GG Schmutzer were able to be there and take alot of pictures.

From now on, when she goes to the doctor, etc. she will have her records as Chloe Lieu Schaefer!!

Chloe's first race

2008-03-13T21:50:00.001-07:00

On Feb 10, Daddy got to do his first half marathon since returning from Vietnam. With cross country season done in late October, Daddy started training for this one. Unfortunately, he got a sinus infection which ended his training for 6 weeks. He still did a great job, after only getting solid training from Dec 21 until the race. This is the Ontario half marathon and Daddy broke his old time by 5 minutes! Mommy and Chloe were waiting for him at the end.

Fun eating for Chloe!

2008-03-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

Alot of noodles got into Chloe today! It may look like a mess, but we are glad she is eating!

Always busy!

2008-03-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

Having fun!

2008-01-21T09:52:00.000-08:00

Holiday pictures

2008-01-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

The first Christmas

2007-12-24T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

We pray that you all are feeling the loving glow of Christ's birthday.

On this very special day, the three of us would like to wish you all of God's blessings! We think back on the blessings of this year, and are amazed! Not that it could compare to the miracle of Jesus' birth, but our little miracle is making this year ( and all the rest of them) awesome! We are in awe many times!

We again thank the many people who think of Chloe and, we agree, she is an amazing miracle!

We pray for all waiting adoptive parents, those who are traveling as we write this, and those who have come home. We also pray for all the children who are waiting. Trust that God is with you and He is graciously in charge of everything.

Love,

Les, Sarah, and Chloe

Merry Christmas 2007

2007-12-04T18:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to our little blessing from God!

2007-11-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday, little one.

I am sure that you will read this when you are older, because you like looking at the blog so much now ( and you can't even read yet!). Mommy and I love you so much! You are growing so fast, and we are forgetting how little you were when we first had you in our arms. It seems like forever since that happened.

You are so big now walking all around the house and pushing your Pooh car. We remember how long we waited for you, and look forward to every single day we spend with you. Holidays are now exciting and joyful. We enjoy your laugh so much and cannot get enough of you smiles and kisses.

Happy Birthday, baby girl.

Mommy and Daddy

Our big girl!

2007-11-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

Well, Chloe is not the little baby we got a couple months ago. We are so glad that we got to see her at that stage in her life. Now, she is so grown up! Most of her playing time revolves around walking, stacking objects, and putting things in and out of places. She seems so different! We feel blessed every day.

Chloe has two more teeth coming in ( which makes six). No baby food for this girl! She loves using her new teeth.

We are all getting ready for her birthday, and the upcoming holidays. God has put so much joy in our lives....we cannot even think of how life was without our little girl!

My first Halloween

2007-11-03T16:39:00.001-07:00

2007-11-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

Step aside - Active Baby Walking!

2007-10-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

So, today was the day we have been expecting.

Daddy came home and Mommy said that Chloe has a suprise for me. She can stand by herself whenever she wants to and will take two or three steps toward you! We were pretty much in shock. Our little girl who did not crawl in late July is now walking to us in October. Oh my!

She is pretty happy being so mobile...and pretty proud of herself! She is so smart! Actually, when she stands by herself she acts like it is really nothing special. She even was standing and clapping her hands.

One more week of cross country practice and Daddy will be at home with the girls by 4:15 every day. We are all looking forward to alot of family time after a busy fall.

More baptism pictures

2007-09-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

Heartsent picnic 2007

2007-09-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

Today we went to our 2nd Heartsent picnic. Last year, Sarah and I went with Grandpa and GG. We still remember how nervous we were going last year. The picnic is a yearly occasion for all adoptive parents and parents to be to meet and have fun. We were excited to see old friends and share our stories of the past year. Chloe had fun seeing all of the other children and spent some time in the swing at the playground.

It rained for a while, but most of us stayed and waited until the rain stopped. It was fun to eat some authentic foods again!

We rejoice with those who have finished their journey, and pray constantly for those who are finishing their paperwork and / or waiting to travel.

Baptism day!

2007-09-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

More new teeth

2007-09-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Hi

We just found Chloe's second tooth today. She gave us alot of signs of the possibility, and so we stuck our finger in and found another one!

Again, she is great when it comes to new teeth. She can get whiny, but it is only occasionally.

We also now have two nights in a row of sleeping through the night.

We are all anxiously awaiting Grandma Schaefer and Aunt Sue to arrive on Thursday and Friday. Her baptism is this Sunday.

Our growing girl

2007-09-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Chloe is growing up so fast! People hear about development setbacks with adopted children. There are none that we see with Chloe. I will give you some updates.

> She has her first tooth coming in
> She is crawling faster than we expected
> She found the stairs and can crawl up them. Our gates are now in place and she is watched very carefully
> She is drinking from a cup
> She is able to 'cruise' . If that term is unfamiliar ( as it was to me), I am sure you can find the definition on a baby web site.

Chloe still has some dreams that cause her to wake up crying. Actually, she whimpers in her sleep and it wakes her up. Many times, we can get her back to sleep in her crib. But, there are times when she will fall asleep in the rocker and if you try to move her, she grabs on to you and won't let you go. Great attachment! Bad for sleeping sometimes. :)

It is still amazing that we have only been back three weeks. There are times when Daddy is craving Vietnam food! We think back fondly of our trip and are truly amazed that God led us through this journey.

Mommy is enjoying her time at home with Chloe. They are going shopping, swimming, and to the Mom's group at church. It is fantastic for Daddy to drive home and see the two of them playing on the lawn in front of our house.

Let us know if you would like to visit Chloe. She loves visitors!

A day at the doctor

2007-08-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hi

Today, Mommy and GG took Chloe to the doctor for her first U.S. check up.

Since she has to start from scratch with immunizations, she got three shots today. She has begun with age 2 months. So, Chloe will be getting shots pretty frequently until she catches up. :(

She also needs alot of blood work to check on any other possible diseases she might have. Since we don't have any record of family history, all these tests need to be done. But, we thought she had enough just with shots today.

She cried for 5 minutes at the hospital and then was fine. She even slept well, considering all shots she got.

She is now sleeping through the night in her crib, just like in Hanoi.

Chloe is also moving away from random sounds and saying ga ga, ma ma, and sometimes da da!

Our little girl is growing up so fast already! I keep telling her that I don't want her to walk yet cause I still enjoy my little girl crawling around. Of course, she is not listening and trying hard to keep on her feet as much as possible.

Unpacked, sleeping, and work

2007-08-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Sorry we have not written sooner. It took three days just to unpack!

Daddy is back at work today, and Mommy and Chloe woke up to see him off.

Chloe had some problems with jeg lag ( as did all of us). She is now sleeping most of the night. She does not like her crib much right now at night. But, we are doing whatever we can to get some sleep.

Her baptism will be on September 16th. Grandma Schaefer and Aunt Sue will come out to be with us. We are very excited for them to see the new little girl.

Chloe travelled great across the ocean. Daddy was air sick most of the trip back and Mommy did not sleep at all.

We are now just enjoying being home.

leaving saturday the 18

2007-08-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

Hi

Well, as of yesterday, all families we travelled with are gone. We reminded ourselves of the realities of this trip. Most people have delays. Other families are now here and we are enjoying seeing their children.

Yesterday, we went out to buy more things for home. We got some good things for us and for Chloe's room.

Today, we went to the Army Museum. Very interesting, but hot. Even at 11 AM, we were ready for a rest after an hour and a half. We have many pictures of U.S. planes, tanks, and helicopters captured during the war.

Later today, we hope to go back out and enjoy the afternoon.

Our flight will leave here at 11AM on the 18th, and will land in LA at 2PM.

day 17 - - apointmnents done, now what?

2007-08-13T02:56:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Sorry, we did not post yesterday. There really was not much going on.

This morning, we had Chloe's medical exam. She is very healthy ( we already knew that), according to the doctor. She currently weighs 15 pounds. Every day, she is very active.

At 2 PM, the three families went to the second interview at the Embassy. Things got wrapped up and all three children will have their visas for the U.S. by tomorrow afternoon.

The Lockwoods will be on a flight out tomorrow evening.

Currently, we are on a waiting list for the 16th, with holding confirmation for the 18th.

The latter afternoon was spent looking for a flight earlier. Not possible.

So, Mommy said " If we are going to be here anyway, let's live it up!"

So, instead of spending money on new tickets, we will take advantage of the city with a massage at the hotel, buying more souvenirs, etc.

We will still call the airline everyday, and pray that we will at least get a flight on Thursday morning.

day 15`- - appointments

2007-08-11T02:24:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

It is good that we waited to write this a bit later today.

After a rainy morning, we left to go get some baby formula. It was cooler walking, but when we were done, we still took a cab home.

Chloe is doing fine. We think she is doing major teething right now. She is not as happy as the past couple days, but she is still pretty perfect.

Late this afternoon, we got a phone call saying that we have our medical appointment confirmed for Monday morning. We also are confirmed for the second visa appointment for Monday afternoon. Also for sure is that we will have Chloe's visa on Tuesday! We are officially clear!

Our flight is still leaving on the 18th. We call every day looking for earlier flights and our escort told us today that she will work on it on Monday.

This is very good news. Please thank God for our blessings and pray for a flight earlier than the 18th.

day 14 - - more travel changes

2007-08-10T02:24:00.000-07:00

Hi

Today, we got more information about travel. Since we knew we would not be leaving on the 11th, we started working on changing our tickets.

Flights out of Hanoi are very difficult, we found out.

We called China Airlines and they told us the soonest to leave would be the 26th. We talked them down to a waiting list for the 18th. An hour later, we got confirmed on the 18th.

We are also calling every day to see if a cancellation will show up for the 16th or 17th. We are not even looking at the 15th yet because the weekend is coming up and so far we do not have definite dates for government approval.

We all knew this was possible, but the thought of being away for another week is hard.

We thank God that there are no real commitments for Mommy and Daddy next week in the States.

After nap time, we went to find an Amerian B2 bomber that crashed in a nearby water area in 1972. It is almost completely submerged, but we saw it.

Very hot walking today. We are staying close by the air conditioning the rest of the day.

For those of you wondering about rain, there has not been much. But last night, we watched a great thunderstorm from our room. It lasted over 2 hours!

pictures

2007-08-09T00:08:00.000-07:00

day 13 - - the wait for VISAS

2007-08-08T23:57:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Well, we could not go the the appointment today because Chloe's passport was still not ready. It is arriving today. However, the doctor for physicals is off this afternoon and tomorrow. So, we think it will be Monday.

Also, our second appointment for the VISA to leave the country is delayed at least until Monday the 13th. Possible plans are to have her VISA the morning of the 15th and leave that evening.

Please be patient. We are glad to have support families around us.

So, after all this news this morning, we spent the day around the hotel. Yesterday, Chloe did not get a good nap. Today, she got a good one until 2PM.

This evening we will go out and look at the city some more. It is always nice to find new restaurants. Chloe will have to get used to eating food at home when she gets in the States.

Since we will be later coming home, we have included more pictures, thanks to Kevin!

Love you all!!

day 12 - - change of plans

2007-08-08T02:10:00.000-07:00

Hello,

We received a call last night around 8PM from our escort saying that we would not be going to the medical appointment with the others. Chloe's passport was not ready yet, since her paperwork was begun a day after the other two children. We will be going tomorrow at 1 PM.

This does not effect our second Embassy appointment, though. However, we are not very confident that things will be wrapped up in order to travel on the 11th. We keep praying, though.

So, this morning we slept in late and went out to look at more shops. After a nice lunch with the Lockwoods, we continued shopping until 2 and took a cab home.

The afternoon was supposed to be nap time. However, after a bottle, Chloe was more energetic than ever. So, we played all afternoon.

Not much else going on. Except to say that we are finally getting rain at least once a day. The thunder and lightning is still very far off in the distance, so the rain does not last long. We enjoy it, though.

In fact, walking back to the hotel last night in a mild shower was pretty fun. Chloe was singing all the way!

day 11 - - seeing the pagoda

2007-08-07T00:50:00.000-07:00

Hi

Today, we got moving earlier beacuse we wanted to go in to the city before it got too hot.

We walked to the nearby lake, crossed a nice bridge , and saw a very beautiful pagoda. We spent sometime on this little island in the middle of the lake.

Lunch was very nice in some air conditioning, which we needed alot.

We then did some good shopping and got some deals. We are doing well walking the streets today.

Back to the room by taxi and had some playing time.

Evening will be quiet. Tomorrow morning, the babies have physicals for their VISA 's.

We miss you all and pray that we will be home soon.

day 10 - - U.S. Embassy

2007-08-07T00:44:00.000-07:00

Hi

Today, was a busy day at the Embassy.

The morning was very typical with sleeping late, going to breakfast, and playing.

We all had our first appointment at the U.S. Embassy at 2:30 PM.

Everything went smoothly. We are now waiting for the second VISA interview. We will not know when that will be. It could be on Thursday, Friday, or next week. Alot of clearance checking going on.

When we got back, it was time for a bit of quiet time and dinner.

These days seem to go by very fast because of the scheduled events.

day 9 - - warm clothes for Chloe

2007-08-05T20:58:00.001-07:00

Hello all,

This morning, the three of us went searching for long pants and clothes for Chloe for the plane ride home. On the way over, both Mommy and Daddy had to use blankets to be comfortable.

A cab took us to the big mall. All American stores in a 5 story mall. Unfortunately, the prices were also American. So, we went walking looking for a steet that is known for baby stores. We had a nice walk along the lake, and happened to be at the same restaurant as a couple nights ago.

After lunch, we tried one more time to find the street. We finally found it, but they had no clothes. But, Daddy is getting pretty comfortable crossing the steets with traffic coming at him.

We came home and Chloe took a nice nap. She spent the rest of the afternoon playing and watching the Sound of Music. She really enjoys musicals!

Dinner was with the Lockwoods in the city. We finally found a small shop that had clothes for baby Chloe!

She likes playing more before bed time, and is not as eager to go to sleep as a couple day ago. But, she finally went down and we put her in her crib for the first time at night.

The three of us slept straight through to around 7 AM.

Chloe is doing great and charming anyone she sees!

2007-08-04T23:49:00.000-07:00

Hi

Here is a link to the web site of another family we're traveling with, in case you want to check it out too:

http://thelockwoodhome.com

day 8 - - a morning with the kids

2007-08-04T23:37:00.000-07:00

Hi

Well, the women of the group decided to go shopping this morning before it got too hot. So, the two dads took care of Chloe, Clara ( daughter of another mom), Eli and Katie ( the two year old). Luckily, the experienced dad of Eli and Katie was there to handle most of the work. It worked out fine, and the women got some good clothes. They began to learn the fine art of negotiating with the shopkeepers.

Daddy and Chloe got some good bonding time.

The afternoon was an adventure into the big city of Hanoi. The three of us did some shopping on the streets. After an hour of sweating, we took a cab ride home.

The evening had a nice meal in the restaurant.

Chloe is now completely mobile. She crawls around a lot and is very happy. Restaurants are now more exciting because she wants to move around so much. More fun for Mommy and Daddy.

We really love our girl and look forward to seeing you.

day 7 - - keeping entertained

2007-08-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Today was a good day. Chloe is getting us used to her eating, sleeping, and playing habits. After a great breakfest, we played in the room all morning. It is nice to play with her instead of distracting her so she won't be upset.

Lunch was with the families at a local restaurant.

The afternoons can get long for all of us, when there is no nap. Around 3 we went to the lobby to give all three of us some distraction. Chloe loves to climb on Mommy and Daddy! It makes sense that she gets bored with just the two of us in a room all day. She is used to alot of action and people around.

Evening was spent at a restaurant on the river. All of us enjoyed the warm evening.

Bath time, feeding,and bed followed and wrapped up around 8.

Day 6 - - busy travelers

2007-08-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

What a busy day! We left for the airport at 11:30 AM. All families were ready for a day of traveling.

We arrived in Hanoi around 4 PM. Following advice given about takeoffs and landings, we had two bottles ready to be given to baby Chloe. She ate the first before we got on the plane, though. She was working on the second when we took off, and of course fell asleep soon after. She was out until we were at the gate in Hanoi. She is now referred to as the perfect traveler!

Hanoi is much different from DaNang. We got to see alot of the city on the ride to the hotel. This will be a nice place to stay for awhile.

The hotel is very big and fancy. We have alot of room for movement and keeping everyone happy. There are other adoptive families here, so this must be a popular place for waiting for Embassy appointments.

After arrival at the hotel, a hungry Chloe looked at the lobby with Daddy while Mommy had to do a half hour worth of paperwork for the appointment. We did not get to eat until 6, and by that time, we were in nitetime mode.

We have been informed that the Embassy is backlogged with paperwork. Our appointment is on Monday, and we have to wait for processing until we leave. They said not to be suprised if it takes a week. So, that would mean that our arrival in the States on the 11th might not happen. We will give you further updates on this next week, but for now, we are going into relax mode and enjoy the country of Vietnam.

Chloe is all smiles now! Be prepared to have your hearts melt. She has a large assortment of faces, smiles, sounds, and actions that will steal your heart.

Still eating great and sleeping 10-12 hours at night.

Chloe say hi to all of you and look forward to meeting you !

We miss you all.

day 5 - - the first 24 hours

2007-08-01T01:22:00.000-07:00

Hello,

First of all, we would like to thank all of you who have followed us so far. The pictures were taken by one of the other families with us. Thanks to them, and their thoughtfulness.

Chloe had a nice evening with the other family ( as did Mom and Dad). She went to sleep at 7 PM, got some formula at 4 AM, and finally woke up at 6 or 7. She is eating well, and sleeping great.
Her schedule is off, though, so we are having some problems with naptime this afternoon.

We all went for lunch at a restaurant on the river. It is cooler today.

Tomorrow, we leave for Hanoi at 11:30 AM. This is our final destination, because it is where the U.S. Embassy is. Everything is on schedule for now.

We made it through the first 24 hours, which they say are the hardest. A few smiles today, more vocal, and atttaching nicely. In fact, she likes close contact all the time. She holds on tight most times. Oh, and she got her first bath today! I guess with a busy day like this, she would be a little grumpy in the afternoon.

first day

2007-07-31T04:05:00.000-07:00

day 4 - - the new parents!

2007-07-31T01:47:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I am pleased to let you know that the new Schaefer family is safe and healthy! We left the hotel at 7 AM for a 2 hour drive to the orphanage. It is located in the more rural area. Saw many rice fields and people with water buffalo.

We pulled up to the orphanage around 9 and were greeted by 10 or so children ages 5 to 8. Very excited to see visitors. Chloe was brought out....with no tears. She looked exactly like all the pictures....we even have her red checkerboard scarf that is on her head in pictures on this blog.

We spent 20 minutes at the orphanage, then went to the government office for the ceremony. Very nice ceremony. Papers were signed, pictures taken, and speeches given.

We then went back to the orphanage and stayed there an hour while our escort went to get Chloe's VISA paperwork started. At this point of the day, Chloe is now legally ours!

Nice visit and we took around 30 pictures there alone. Chloe got to spend some last minute time with her caregivers.

She slept the whole ride back to the hotel. No tears, nothing!

Well, we knew that would not last long. In the room, she realized what happened and got a bit upset. It did not last that long. We risked going to the restaurant in the hotel, since the two of us did not eat much yet today. Chloe ate some cereal before we went. It was good that we did go, because she found all these new toys like spoons, straws, etc.

She is taking a nap now, which is nice for all of us.

You will be amazed how she is doing normal 8 month old things! The caregivers spent so much time with these children. They are really talented and caring. Her development seems to be right on target.

I am sure tomorrow there will be some smiles. But for now, we are happy she is holding on tight to us, and taking in all the love.

Day 3 - - The excitement mounts

2007-07-29T19:11:00.000-07:00

Hi

Well, it is now Monday morning. We slept later than yesterday, but it seems that we start thinking about our big day very early in the morning ( like 3 AM). At that point, we just try to sleep as much as possible until 6 AM.

Da Nang is very different from Saigon. Moutain ranges, big river, and we are pretty sure we saw the South China Sea. The motorbikes are still around...but not as many of them. We are still glad we let other people do the driving.

Last night when we arrived, we went to the orphanage for the other families. They just left for the receiving ceremony! Chloe's orphanage is an hour away from this city, so we did not visit last night. The orphanage we saw had many caring, smiling, friendly caregivers. All the children looked healthy. We also got a reality check for tomorrow. Babies cry alot when they are given to strangers. We are all prepared for the adjustment process, though.

We received pictures of Chloe this morning that were about two weeks old. The first picture had her STANDING , holding on to a crib. She is going to be pretty active around the hotel, I guess. She looks great, has alot of hair, and has that same peaceful look on her face like all the other pictures here.

We are taking it easy this morning and going out to look around.

Day 2...Resting accomplished!

2007-07-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

Hi

Well, we are much rested. Yesterday was a long day, since we had to stay up and keep busy to get our body on this time zone. We made it till 6 PM and slept straight through till 3 or 4 AM. We finally gave up trying to sleep around 5 AM. We were hearing some music/band practice outside in the city around 5 , but did not see anything. Around 6, it got really loud, so we went to the window. To our suprise there was a funeral procession going down the road! We quickly grabbed a camera and got the end of it on film. That was very different for a Sunday morning!

We are staying around the hotel until 2 PM. One of the families is going out sightseeing again.
We told them to be careful because yesterday the lady adopting got hit by a motorbike! She is fine except for a big bruise on her elbow. The other family is also staying in. They have a 2 year old daughter along and she is down for a nap until 1 PM. Previews of our life in two days.

Not much else. Arrive in Da Nang tonight. Getting Chloe on Tuesday. Leaving for Hanoi on Thursday.

Smooth trip.....different world!

2007-07-28T02:13:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Sarah and I arrived safely in Saigon. The plane ride to Tapei was good....and the extra flight to Saigon was worry free.

We definitely realized that we were somewhere else when we got in our taxi ride to the hotel. Very exciting! We saw pictures of the traffic and heard much about it. But one really has to experience it!! As many motorbikes as you can think of sharing one road!

We are doing pretty well staying awake. Arrived 9:30 this morning and we completely lost Friday due to time changes.

We went out in the city with one of the other two families adopting with us this week. Good expericence! Very exciting to see such a different culture. Spent some time in a pagoda! Spent some time in the rain! Now are going to spend some time resting. We leave for DaNang at 2 PM tomorrow.

Getting ready in one week

2007-07-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it is pretty interesting getting ready for this trip in one week. Good thing we got paperwork to San Francisco last Friday because our VISA did not arrive until today. Even the agency was concerned about getting it in time.

We have had very few hours to do things other than trip stuff since last Thursday. Chloe's bag has more in it than our sutcase which includes both of our stuff. Then again, 100 diapers and enough baby stuff for two weeks will take up a lot of space.

We receive information about the trip each day...and still we don't know everything. At this point the only thing we know for sure is that we will arrive in Saigon on July 28, leave for Danang on the 29, have our receiving ceremony on the 31. Chloe's orphanage is an hour and a half away from Danang, and it sounds like we will visit the orphanage.

That is all we know about the trip so far. We are scheduled to leave Hanoi on August 11. However, if Chloe's VISA is not done on the 10th, we may have to stay a couple days later.

This will be our last update until arrival in Saigon. We arrive at 9 AM.

Travel date set!

2007-07-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I am happy to tell you that we got our travel day to receive Chloe into our family! The receiving day is July 31. So, working backwards, we need to arrive in Saigon on July 28. We have only one week to prepare...but that is fine with us. We were told to expect two weeks, but I don't think that either Sarah or I could wait two weeks. Needless to say, we are pretty excited.

Our travels will take us from south Vietnam (Saigon) to middle Vietnam (where Chloe's orphanage is) and then up to the north (Hanoi) where we will leave. We are scheduled to leave Hanoi on August 11, but that day could change.

All of our hotels will have computers available. So, please join us on our journey. We will update as much as we can. Of course, with a new baby, time to write may be limited. :)

Continue to pray for us....all three of us!

NEW PICTURES

2007-05-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

We are in contact with someone else who is adopting from the same orphanage that Chloe is at. She has a friend who went there recently and took tons of pictures. So, here are some recent pictures for you to enjoy!

The best dressed girl in town

2007-05-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well, Chloe will surely be the best dressed in our town! Thank you to all who were at Chloe's showers and were so generous! Sarah had to take some vacation time just to get Chloe's new stuff organized and put away! Everything was so great!

We look at all the things that she will use and wear and feel closer to her than ever. It helps us realize that this is really our daughter and we will be a happy family very soon.

We still do not know when we will travel. In many ways, it is easier to just expect to travel in July and not expect sooner. Emotionally, it is hard to expect something every day and then be dissapointed when the day is done. Actually, that is the way it got in March of this year.

Thanks again for the support, prayers, and love.

April 25,2007

2007-04-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

Waiting is the hardest part about adoption. It would seem that after the long waiting for an unknown child's referral, it would be easier now. Not the case. Now that we have a little girl, looking at her picture can be happy or sad. Think of how it would be if you were separated from your child and not watching it grow. At times like these, it is best to think on two things. One, Sarah and I are blessed to have each other. God blesses us daily and we constantly say to each other how blessed we are. Second, we think of how closer we are than a month ago. Back then, we were getting pretty discouraged. The happiness of the referral day needs to be in our minds whenever we get lonely for Chloe.

Meanwhile, we are doing alot of planning, shopping, and putting together furniture!

Thank you for all your thoughts and continue to pray for us!

April 11, 2007

2007-04-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all who have written comments! It is amazing how much love and support we have.
Well, since we last wrote, we had some paperwork problems. Our medical exams were only good for six months. This is the seventh month! So, the day after the referral, Sarah and I had to battle with our HMO to get a doctor to document that we were still healthy. It was a rough couple days, but God took care of it. Unfortunately, this meant that the paperwork was not sent off to Vietnam until today. But, it is all off in the mail now.

We can now officially say that the wait is on.

april 4,2007

2007-04-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

This is our first post on Chloe's blog. Wow! That sounds so strange. After waiting for a child since July 2006, it is nice to write such a sentence. Another suprise was that we were expecting a boy. We did not specify boy or girl....and the agency said that girls take more time to get. So, we had the boy name picked out and even were referring to the baby in December as a boy. On March 26,2007 a referral of a girl 4 months old is available. One look at the picture and we knew she was ours! Her name came around a week later....since we did not have it ready for the referral day.

We will be traveling to get her anytime from June 2007 to August 2007. She was born on November 20,2006 ...the day after daddy's birthday!

So, now we are busy getting her room ready and preparing for her arrival.

God has blessed us indeed! We can see the light ahead of us and He is guiding us to a child He picked out for us long ago.