care package for our 6 year old son{journey to junyu}

My friend and fellow adoptive mama was leaving to meet her new son about 2 months before we were traveling to adopt Junyu.  Her son was from the same orphanage as Junyu so I asked if she would mind bringing along a care package for him.  She happily agreed and gave it to the nannies that accompanied her son so that they can bring it back to him at the orphanage.  We were so excited to shop for the presents ourselves this time.  We sent Ruby Mei a care package as well but we used a service that time(a wonderful woman in China will shop for adoptive families and send them things you pick out on her website).  We bought Junyu: glow sticks, pop rocks, a picture book about lions, a stuffed lion, a disposable camera, Cars stickers, dino jammies, a Cars shirt, and a Lightening McQueen car.  I also threw in a package of gummy snacks and gum.  I laminated a family picture for him to look at and our Chinese teacher kindly translated a letter for him which I also laminated.  I made tags with his picture and his name in Chinese characters to attach to the camera and also the outside of the gift bag.  My friend said the nannies received the package and happily agreed to pass it along to Junyu when they returned to the orphanage.

I have since found out what happened once he got it so I thought you may be interested to learn about that too. As far what he had on his person when we met him: he had the lion, the pajama pants(not the top), the Cars shirt, and the camera(the letter had told him to take pictures of his friends, ect but the camera had hardly any photos taken already when he pulled it out on gotcha day).  He also came to us with a wonderful baby book full of pictures of him over the years.  This was a wonderful surprise. 

I recently asked Junyu(now that he knows English) what he thought of the package when he got it and what happened to everything else. Just out of curiosity! :)  He said he only received the jammies, the stickers, the camera, the pop rocks, and the little car.  He never saw the picture or the letter. :( He also said that the nannies put the jammie bottoms, the car shirt, the lion and the camera right into his backpack that he couldn't have until he came to meet us.  He never saw the lion book, the glow sticks, or the gum, or the gummy snacks.  Who knows why the nannies took that stuff out and didn't read him the letter or show him our picture.  I wish they had but that's just the way it goes.

LOA!! {Journey to Jun Yu}

This is big!  I stared out the window and down the street ALL. DAY. LONG.  I had everything ready on our end so we just had to sign it and then get it back in the mail to our agency with the other paperwork.  Once they receive it, the next parts of the process begins which is the final stretch.  It also means we are now allowed to send our little guy a care package!

it's a boy! {our journey to Jun Yu}

We are so excited to share with you that we officially have PA(pre-approval) from China to bring home our 5th child, our 3rd son, our 2nd adopted sweetheart: Su Jun Yu.  

He is 6 years old and from Pan Hua Zhi, Sichuan Province.  

 I will never forget the first time I watched his video while looking through the list of kiddos that our agency has orphanage partnerships with.  There was just something about him that overtook me.  I began to cry while watching it and I had no idea why!  I just fell in love and I knew he was the one.  I couldn't wait to show John.  He felt the same way and after watching all of his videos, staring at all of his pictures, and reviewing his file that we requested from our adoption coordinator we sent word that we would love to have Jun Yu join our family!  We had to wait until we had been home with Ruby for 6 months before proceeding(it's our agency's rule) but it all worked out and he is now our soon to be son!   Our entire family is thrilled and we are busy diving headlong back into the ocean of adoption paperwork... and I don't mind it one bit. :)  

Look at this handsome fella in his fancy suit!  I cannot wait to give him a million big hugs and kisses.

And oh my goodness.  Here is a picture from when he was a little toddler.  We are so sad to have missed such a big chunk of his childhood but we are choosing to focus on the years we have ahead with him.  And there will be many!  We know he will be a perfect fit- all of his information is very detailed and he is described as a kind, happy boy that loves to play games and is very active.  He smiles all. the. time.  We can't wait to see those smiles in person!