mia's story

Final Post - New Blog

2008-09-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

Well, the time has come to end this blog. With two little ones at home, keeping up with two blogs is a bit much. It's easier to focus on one blog rather than two. We've had thousands of hits from all over the world on Mia's blog and I hope that everyone will continue to follow her story at our new family blog. You can find it at:

www.gigglesandcurls.blogspot.com

Thanks to all of you that followed our journey from our first post, to our trip to India to meet Mia, bringing her home and all of the adventures since. We've appreciated your support and encouraging posts. Please come visit our new blog! The story continues...

2008-08-15T14:23:00.001-07:00

Bollywood

2008-08-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

I saw this clip featured on CNN's website several weeks ago and LOVED it! I didn't even think about posting it on my blog until I saw it on another blog. Great idea...I'm gonna steal it! He, he, he! Anyway, enjoy a small taste of bollywood!

CNN's Larry King Live

2008-08-07T06:02:00.000-07:00

Steven Curtis Chapman and his family will be guests on CNN's Larry King Live tonight (Thursday). As some of you may know, Steven Curtis Chapman has been a huge adoption advocate and has adopted 3 daughters from China. They recently lost one of their adopted daughters to a tragic accident at their home. They will be speaking tonight about adoption, their recent tragedy and their faith.

2008-07-28T14:50:00.001-07:00

Happy 10th

2008-06-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today is our 10th anniversary! We would have never known 10 years ago how much we would go through together. Life has thrown us some curveballs at times, but more importantly we've been blessed by the greatest joys in life. Through it all we've had each other and for that I'm forever grateful.

The Ever Interesting Ms. M!

2008-06-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some new pics of Miss Personality. If you want to check out Mia's sister's blog you can find it at www.emysjourney.blogspot.com.

Coming soon...MIA'S FIRST CRUSH! Oh, and it's a big one!

Enjoy the slideshow!

OrphanCare International

2008-06-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

This is a video from OrphanCare International, an organization born from Dillon International. Mia (as a baby) is shown about half-way through the video (after the white screen that says "Act"). Ian, her little buddy, is also shown in the video.

Prayers for the Chapmans

2008-05-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

Tragedy Strikes Steven Curtis Chapman Family
May 23, 2008 12:05 PM
By Suzanne Kayian
LiveDaily Contributor

Steven Curtis Chapman's 5-year-old daughter, Maria Sue, died May 21 after being struck by a car driven by her teenage brother in the driveway of the family's home near Franklin, TN, according to a statement on the Christian singer's website. The girl was air-lifted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, where she died of her injuries.

A spokesperson for the Tennessee Highway Patrol said Maria was hit by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her brother, but police have not released the boy's name or exact age. Several children reportedly were playing in the area of the driveway. Police said the boy did not see Maria before the vehicle struck her. "It appears to be a terrible accident," said THP spokesperson Laura McPherson. No charges are expected to be brought.

The accident was witnessed by two other children; Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, have six children. Maria Sue was the youngest.

A public memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. at Christ Presbyterian Church. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Shaohannah's Hope Ministry, which was founded by the Chapmans after bringing their first adopted daughter, Shaohannah, home from China. The ministry's goal is to help families reduce the financial barrier of adoption and has provided grants to more than 1,700 families wishing to adopt orphans from around the world. The China-born Maria was one of the Chapmans' three children who found their parents via international adoption.

Chapman has called off his planned Saturday (5/24) concert in Orlando, FL.

_____________________

Before the this tragedy struck, Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter, Maria, inspired him to write this song. The words seem somewhat ironic now.

Steven Curtis Chapman is very well known in the adoption world for his courageous efforts to raise awareness for international adoption. Our prayers are with the Chapman family as they cope with this tragic loss...and especially for Maria's brother who will always live with the guilt of that tragic day.

Mia's B-day Party

2008-05-12T18:45:00.001-07:00

Mia's actual b-day is the 20th, but we celebrated early this year. Hope you enjoy the pics!

2008-04-30T19:58:00.001-07:00

Mia's Little Sister's First Laughing Fit

2008-03-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

2008-02-29T20:26:00.001-08:00

"Sometimes I'd like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine, and injustice in the world when He could do something about it...but I'm afraid God might ask me the same question." ~Anonymous

2008-02-19T14:40:00.000-08:00

2008-02-13T17:54:00.000-08:00

IMAX Movie - Mystic India

2008-01-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

New Pics

2008-01-16T16:49:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-23T14:26:00.001-08:00

Halloween and a Homecoming

2007-11-08T16:53:00.000-08:00

mia and her gramma... spencer, luke and mia

our fairy princess...fake eyelashes, glitter and all!

sisters...together at last!

after 3 months in the hospital, mia's baby sister finally came home!

The Wink

2007-10-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Mia's wink - sound affects included! With a click of the tongue you get two for the price of one!

2007-10-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

Mia decided to sleep in her rocker this afternoon! She really didn't want to take a nap and when I noticed that she was finally quiet I peeked in and saw her laying like this. Too cute, huh?

Hall's Hayride

2007-10-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

Mia and Blake at the Hall Family Hayride - A nice, friendly handshake before a rowdy game of "let's run circles around Hiley & Brian until we puke"

Mia on Uncle Dave's Tractor

India Camp 2007

2007-10-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

Mia's a big sis...three months too soon!

2007-08-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

Our new blog...

http://emysjourney.blogspot.com/

2007-07-31T14:54:00.000-07:00

June 2006

July 2007

Mia and her cousin Luke & Uncle Chuck

If you haven't yet seen Mia's homecoming video, it's on the previous post.

Mia's Homecoming Video

2007-07-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO POST THIS! This is a video of Mia's homecoming that my mother and I made last December. It's one of Mia's favorite things to watch. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Don't forget to turn up your volume!
(just click the arrow twice to play the video)

2007-07-10T13:11:00.001-07:00

It's A...

2007-07-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

GIRL!

Mia's going to have a little sister this November! I'll post the ultrasound pics soon...

Cancun Cutie!

2007-06-11T19:07:00.002-07:00

All in One - Our 1st Gotcha Day & Mother's Day

2007-05-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

These amazing pictures (in the slide) were taken by our friend, Carl. He is very talented and has an eye for creative and artistic photography. If you'd like to check out his other work just click on this link:

http://www.carlzoch.com/

I'll also attach his site to my links list to the right.

It's hard to believe that we've only known Mia for 1 year now. Sunday, along with celebrating Mother's Day, we also celebrated our 1st Gotcha Day with Mia. It was one year ago on that day that we first met Mia in Kolkata, India. As we left our hotel to take our cab ride to the orphanage we had never felt more prepared and yet unprepared at the same time. The moment that we'd been thinking about for 2 1/2 years was finally here. We pulled up to the orphanage and were escorted in. As we climbed the stairs to the offices, my eyes darted in all directions hoping that by chance I'd catch a glimpse of her. No Mia, just adults, but I knew with each stair step I was getting closer. Dustin and I made ourselves comfortable in two big chairs facing the administrative workers. Anju, the director, had not yet arrived so Dustin and I were left to wait...like two kids on Christmas morning...hearts pounding with anticipation. But this was no Oklahoma Christmas...this was the kind of Christmas were the air was so thick and hot you could almost taste it and we were practically sweating through our clothes. All of that faded from our minds when, as we waited, we could hear babies crying in the background. I strained to hear each one hoping to recognize her voice from the video we had received 6 months earlier. Just then Anju hurried up the stairs, apologized for being late and whisked us into her office. "Where's my baby?", I kept thinking, but I tried to restrain myself and pretend to listen to what she was saying. Just then I heard footsteps behind us. Heart pounding, I turned around and in the doorway, being held by an ayah was our precious Supritha. What happened next I only remember through video. The next thing I know she was in my arms. So tiny, so observant and not even crying...just studying everything. She was wearing a shirt that said "Marie", which I thought was ironic because "Mia" is a form of "Marie". Each day that has followed has only reminded us of the love God has for us that he would bring us such a gift. She is a part of us and was long before she was born. She was meant to be with us and us with her. I am a true believer in the plan God has for our lives...I can't wait to see the plan he has for hers.

Mia and Bear the day we met...

Mia and bear today...

Quite a Reunion & Big Big News

2007-05-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

What a day we had on Saturday! We traveled to Tulsa to visit with our friends Nadra and Charlie and their son, Ian and Grace and Shane and their daughter, Jadyn. Mia, Ian and Jadyn all spent the first part of their lives in the same childcare facility in Kolkata, India. Mia and Ian were crib buddies and Jadyn just came home earlier this year.

We had a wonderful time...we spent some time at Nadra & Charlie's before we headed out to the Tulsa Zoo. It was fun to see the little ones interact together! After the kids got their fill of the zoo (elephants, polar bears and the play ground) we all went to eat at one of our favorite restaurants, India Palace. Mia sure was tired by the time we hit the road! We all had a great time!

We feel so blessed to have such wonderful people & kiddos in our lives. I know there is a reason we've all been brought into each other's lives and I hope that someday our kids will feel that same special bond. Hopefully, this is the first play date of many more to come!

Okay, here's the big news....

WE ARE PREGNANT!!!!

Total miracle! Wasn't supposed to happen, but I guess with God anything is possible! I am almost 3 months pregnant! We had to postpone our current adoption due to the pregnancy, so that's why I haven't posted in a while. It was devastating to have to stop our adoption...in fact I took it pretty hard. I guess it was hard for me to switch gears so fast. The earliest we can start up the adoption process again is next summer, so that's the plan!

We feel totally blessed and excited! We are just so thankful that this didn't happen any sooner...we wouldn't have Miss Mia in our lives (such a sad and scary thought). God's timing is perfect! I guess you can say we will get to experience the best of both worlds!

The Curl Squad

2007-04-20T06:32:00.000-07:00

mia's new friend, katie...boy, if katie lived close these two would get into so much trouble together! they have the same energy level! mia had a great time! moms and kiddos...my friend from college, cori (katie's momma)...
curly girlies...looks at those curls! mia and katie are already getting into the college scene...checking those SNU mailboxes...

Happy Easter!

2007-04-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few random pictures from today and the past several weeks:

The children's Palm Procession at church last Sunday...
Grandma and Grandpa's Easter gift to Mia...her favorite...Elmo!
Hunting Easter eggs in this wonderful Oklahoma weather...
Speaking of weather...here's what a tornado did a week or so ago to some huge power lines not far from our house...click to zoom in.

If I have any new pictures from Easter Sunday I'll just add them to this post.

Happy Easter everyone!

Sweetest Story...

2007-04-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

One of the sweetest things I've ever read is from Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul. My dear friend Shaunna showed me the story today at lunch and I just about cried right there over my turkey sandwich. What a sweet story that can be appreciated by anyone who has adopted or has been adopted. Here's the story...

______________

A young woman named Mary gave birth to her first child, and because her husband was on military duty, she spent a couple of weeks after the birth at the home of her parents.

One day Mary mentioned to her mother that she was surprised the baby’s hair was reddish, when both she and her husband were blonde.

“Well, Mary,” said her mother, “you must remember, your daddy’s hair is red.”

“But Mamma,” said Mary, “that doesn’t make any difference because I’m adopted.”

With a little smile, Mamma said the loveliest words that her daughter had ever heard: “I always forget.”

Babies, Friends and Blessings

2007-03-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

mia's friend zachary (son of our friends scott & shelly) reading with the dads...
mia's aunt sarah and i right before luke came into the world...
introducing luke winston (looks like he's studying his momma's face!)
mia's uncle chuck with chuck's dad and luke (now it looks like he's studying his daddy's face)...

what a wonderful weekend! we started out thursday night by having dinner with our friends scott & shelly and their son zachary. we had a great time and it was fun to watch the kiddos interact!

early friday morning we received a call that our best friends, chuck and sarah, were having their baby...one month early! luke winston came at around 3:30 friday afternoon and he's perfect! what a blessing he is already! great pregnancy, great labor...wonderful kiddo! he's just the cutest thing ever!

we are so thankful for our friends and their kids. God just continues to bring such miraculous blessings into our lives.

weekend pics...

2007-03-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

helping grampa feed the horses... just being cute...
p.s. I'VE ADDED OUR SON'S BLOG SITE TO THE LIST ON THE RIGHT. ----->
right now it's called our prince of india, but that could change at any moment so don't save it!

Just a few pics from a fun weekend...

2007-03-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

dustin and some of our church members at the martin luther king, jr. parade (yep, it's a little late - it had to be rescheduled several times due to our great oklahoma weather)... mia and i sitting by the campfire...

mia and her grampa...
all of us around the fire...bright moon in the background...

Faithfullness

2007-02-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

mia in grandpa leapy's (leprevost's) old hat... mia with her aunt sarah & uncle chuck at their baby shower...

mia with gramma at the baby shower...

what a wonderful weekend this has been - such a weekend of celebration! yesterday we celebrated the soon-to-be birth of mia's long awaited cousin...baby mosley! sarah and chuck are expecting their first baby in april and we couldn't possibly be more excited! yesterday's celebration was not only a celebration for little baby mosley, but a celebration and recognition of God's love and faithfulness to those who love Him...and for that we are forever grateful. come on baby mosley...we're ready for you!

i also want to mention a few more celebrations going on around the states. four precious little babies were brought home this weekend from india. their parents, families and friends are finally seeing the object of so many prayers materialize into real life! the wait and the struggle to bring these little ones home was harder than anyone should have to endure. amanda and grace - our prayers are with you as you continue to bond with your precious little girls!

God bless all of the families celebrating this weekend! each are true examples of faithfulness to God and to the children He chose for them.

happy heart day!

2007-02-14T13:49:00.000-08:00

mia with her friends, hailey and maggie...

i want to mention what a special day this is for some of the dillon families that have waited a painfully long time to be united with their children. one family that i know of left yesterday and two are leaving today. for those that read this blog, please say a quick prayer for those families as they travel, and pray for a smooth transition for the little ones.

thank you and Happy Valentine's Day!

oh, i almost forgot...mia got her first valentine in the mail several days ago - a sweet little card from her buddy ian! oh so sweet!

play dates, puppies and pics

2007-02-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

mia and maggie snacking...

mia chatting away with spencer...

papa & nana's new puppy...

and i think we're done with the picture thing for now...

Mother India

2007-01-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

this picture was taken at the orphanage/facility where we first met mia. it's of an ayah changing an infant's diaper. i tried to quickly take this picture without her noticing (the ayahs are shy and don't like to be photographed i'm told). moments after this picture was taken we met our precious mia. this picture is my favorite. if i took no other picture of india, the country or it's people, this picture would have been enough.

And So It Begins...

2007-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

this is the blanket i'm making for our little boy...YES, we are starting the adoption process again! we sent in our application (part 1) last friday to adopt a baby boy from india! i just wanted to share the great news! we are more excited than words can express!

What they didn't tell me...

2007-01-17T11:49:00.000-08:00

She's fascinated by all phones...wait until she's a teenager!

Pigtails make her look WAY TOO grown up...where's my 1 1/2 year old?

Here are just a few things that have crossed my mind lately...

They said being a parent was great. Of course they were right, but here’s what they didn’t tell me…

They didn’t tell me that on a regular basis I would laugh so hard I’d cry.
They didn’t tell me that hearing Mia laugh and play with her dad in the other room would bring such a smile to my face.
They didn’t tell me that I would see everything fresh and new…I’d discover the world all over again with her.
They didn’t tell me that voluntary, random kisses would be worth more than silver or gold.
They didn’t tell me that I’d instantly become the biggest goof-ball just to make her giggle – no matter who is watching!
They didn’t tell me that I’d need a part-time job just to pay for all of those cute girl clothes!
They didn’t tell me that the sweetest sound in the world would be when she calls my name.
They didn’t tell me that she would bring such joy to not only Dustin and I, but my family, his family, and our extended family and friends.
They didn’t tell me that to our family and friends Dustin and I would cease to exist…we are now the people who bring Mia or take her away. We’re okay with it by now!

They said being a parent was hard, but this is what they didn’t tell me…

They didn’t tell me that taking my baby to the doctor and hearing her cry out in pain would make me cry with her.
They didn’t tell me that I’d be so angry at the world for it not being the kind of place I want her to grow up in.
They didn’t tell me that there’s no way to capture the look in her eyes when she is proudly showing me something or is calling out to me. They didn’t tell me that there’s no picture or video that can capture her smile when she sees her daddy come home from work. And they didn’t tell me that there’s no way to capture the feeling my heart has when she grabs my hand and leads me somewhere, anywhere…I don’t care where we go.

They didn’t tell me time would fly so fast.

They couldn’t have told me how much I would love her.

Christmas Moments

2006-12-30T14:01:00.000-08:00

the big reveal...

guess she likes it...
she's learned how to strike a pose already...

making cookies for santa...

mia's creation...

frustration (can't open them fast enough)...

exhausted from unwrapping so many gifts!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

2006-12-25T15:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas Cutie!

2006-12-21T21:35:00.000-08:00

looking too much like a teenager... next to our tree...
kissing her bear...

recently we had our friend shawn take some pics of mia. she did really well and we got a lot of great pics out of the shoot. many of you have been asking for his information so here it is...
www.shawnbrandtphoto.com

INTRODUCING...

2006-12-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

america's newest citizen! that's right...as of 3:10 p.m. today mia is now an official u.s. citizen! we went to court today to finalize her adoption and everything went really well. it was a very quick process. the judge walked into the courtroom and dustin and mia and i approached the bench. our lawyer said a few things and the judge signed off. it was as easy as that!

what a great christmas present!

'tis the season...to be thankful

2006-12-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

mia "praying" before dinner...
first time in the snow!!!our little snow angel...

okay, this is a really late thanksgiving update, but better late than never, right?! i guess i’ve put it off because there’s so much to be thankful for and i just don’t know where to start. this has been an amazing year for us. i don’t think it’s possible to put it into words.

i keep making the mistake of saying that we are so lucky to have mia in our lives, but it's really not LUCK is it? God has been in every part of this process for us and He has BLESSED us with our precious daughter. there couldn't have been a more perfect child for our family. God knows exactly what He's doing and for that we are eternally grateful.

we are also grateful for the family and friends that shared in our sorrow and joy during the past couple of years. they were essential during our wait for mia and we couldn't have survived without their prayers. i'm so excited to see mia grow up surrounded by such wonderful and loving people. thank you, to those who prayed for us...people we might have seen everyday, those we only saw once a week, some we only saw once a year and others we had and still have never met. thank you.

the entertainer

2006-11-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

what did we ever do for entertainment before mia came along? can i just tell you how smart my daughter is?

things that mia can do...
when you ask her where she was born, she says "india".
she knows her eyes, ears, nose, hair, tongue, teeth, knees, toes, chin, fingers, tummy and belly button.
on command she can, cry, laugh, be sad, be shy, and get angry - watch out hollywood!
she knows everything around the house and even tries to help me clean.
she also knows her animal sounds - a lion, cow, owl, doggie, cat, horse, turkey and baby chicks.
she knows who loves her: she says momma, dada, gramma, grampa, boo (uncle), hiley (aunt), nanna, pappa, danna (aunt), eddie (uncle), jason (cousin), sarah, chuck, aunt mimi (great aunt), g.g. (great gramma), paw (great grampa), she trying to say davie (great uncle) - we'll get there. she tries to say just about everything else.
she says thank you, please, waves and yells "HI" to every passing stranger in the stores & restaurants...and best of all...she says "i love you".
she does so much more and i'm sure i'll think of more later, but needless to say, we think she's a genius!

here are a few pics from the past few weeks...warning...beware of the vicious lion...

mia and i riding uncle dave's horse at the hall family hayride '06...

mia standing with her uncle boo and aunt hiley on the hayride...

mia loves her aunt hiley...
aaarrrhhh.....
mia and i with sarah and our friend lily from croatia...we hope to see her again very soon!

a diva is born...notice the boa, sparkling high heels, necklace and the cell phone...

Diwali and Dimples...

2006-10-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

mia and i at aero-space...
mia and her uncle boo at diwali celebration/dinner...
with aunt sarah...
faking a smile for the camera (still cutest thing ever)...
adores her grampa...

New Pics...

2006-09-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

Kisses from daddy...
Kisses for daddy...
Loves her Paw Paw...
Flirting with Carl (photographer)...Carl, thanks for the pics! India Fest, Tulsa, OK...

Crustaceans and Curls

2006-08-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

last thursday, sarah and i took mia to tulsa to visit the oklahoma aquarium. we had a great time. mia fussed quit a bit on the way, but by the time we arrived, she was ready to go. we stopped for lunch at zio's, did a little bit of shopping then headed to the aquarium.

it's a wonderful aquarium. i really wish they had something like that closer to our home. kids just eat up stuff like that, and i know that mia will enjoy it even more when she's older.

mia loved waving to the fish, but was a little leery when the bigger fish passed by (as you can see, she holds on tight to mom as the big fish approach)!

the longer mia's hair gets the curlier it gets. i just had to throw in a pic of those cute little curls.

India Heritage Weekend

2006-08-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

okay, i was finally able to upload all the wonderful pics from last weekend!

what a weekend it was! dustin, mia and i headed for tulsa on friday afternoon and were able to meet up with nadra, charlie and ian for dinner. it was great to finally get the kiddos together! mia really enjoyed flashing her frown/attitude face at everyone! she's just practicing for those teenage years! we didn't get to spend as much time with nadra, charlie and ian as we would have liked but it was a very crazy weekend. we do plan to visit tulsa quite often so there will be many more get-togethers with the conners.

india heritage camp was wonderful! dustin and i didn't sign up for any workshops so we ended up working in the nursery. that gave us plenty of time to see ian and mia play together. ian is such a happy kid! i think he smiled and giggled the entire time! i really enjoyed the time i spend with him. while dustin and i were in the nursery we were able to sneak a peak at some of the activities they had for the kids. there was a workshop were the kids could learn to play indian music, cook indian food and even learn to paint henna on their hands and arms.

one of the great things about this weekend was that ms. roy, the director of isrc, was attending the camp. we were able to visit with her and tell her how much we were in love with ms. mia. it was just 2 1/2 months ago that ms. roy introduced us to mia.

after the camp we headed to broken arrow (right outside of tulsa). mark, shelly and their son kyle live in broken arrow. my other cousin, brian, just moved to broken arrow with his wife, brooke and their two sons, sy and harry, so we thought it would be a good time to get all of the kids together. we had a great time! mia was very tired, but she did very well. we hope to have many more cousin (or second-cousin) reunions!

dustin and i had the opportunity to meet grace. she and her husband are waiting to pick up their beautiful little girl, jadyn. grace and shane have run into a pretty big snag in the courts in india and if you guys could keep them in your prayers, please do. we look forward to the day when they have their little girl in their arms. maybe ian and mia will have a new little playmate!

ang

pictures from top to bottom:

kylea, dhira and mia (i hope i spelled those correctly)
nadra, ian, mia and i
mia & ian (3)
the tuckers and the conners
mia's "attitude" look
ms. anju roy, mia and i
mia, sy and kyle

Picture Day

2006-08-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

yesterday, my mother and i took mia to get her first studio pictures. it was quite an event! changing outfits, fixing her hair and getting her to stay still - wow, now that's a workout! boy, did we make the photographer work for it! most of the shots he got were of mia running!

this weekend we leave for the indian heritage camp hosted by our adoption agency. we are very excited to see nadra, charlie and ian. we haven't seen them since we returned home with mia. it will be great to get the kids together. at the camp, we will also be able to reunite mia with other kids from ISRC (where mia spent the first year of her life). we have been looking forward to this weekend for such a long time. we will also be stopping in to see my cousins and their kiddos. after that we head to durant to see dustin's uncle from florida who has yet to meet miss mia.

it's going to be a weekend full of friends and family! i'll be sure and take a lot of pictures! i'll post them as soon as we return!

have a great weekend everyone!

Durant Shower

2006-07-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, we traveled to Durant for Mia's baby shower. Everyone was so generous, it was an amazing day. Mia received many wonderful gifts - I can't imagine having to buy her anything for years!

We had a great time visiting with relatives, some of whom had yet to meet Mia. It was a very special day. Dustin and I enjoyed it very much, and as you might be able to tell from some of the photos, so did Mia!

For those of you who read my blog you have probably heard me mention our friends Nadra and Charlie (Ian's parents). Last week, Charlie was very sick and had to be hospitalized. He is now home and on the road to recovery, but if you would, please say a quick prayer for the family. Thank you.

Sas, thanks for the comments you have posted on my blog! I've searched for a way to respond, but can't find a link to your email address or a blog that you have created. Anyway, I'm very excited to hear that you are adopting from India! It has truly been a blessing to Dustin and I (as I'm sure you can tell from reading my blog). You asked about how our dog was reacting to the new addition to our family...well, our puppy (10 months old), Charlie, has done quite well. At first, he was very jealous as any "only child" would be! But now I can hardly stop the two from giving each other kisses 24-7! Anyway, good luck with the adoption - stay strong - it can be a very hard and long process (but VERY worth it in the end)! Congratulations and I look forward to hearing from you again.

Thanks to all of you who were involved with the baby shower - we had a great time! I'll post a few pics below.

Durant Shower Pics

2006-07-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

Helping open gifts...

Mia and some of her cousins...

Who loves Mia?

Mia and her cousin Madison

2006-07-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

First time in a swing...

Fourth of July Pics...

2006-07-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

superstar...

fun with daddy...

fireworks...

Fourth of July Weekend

2006-07-10T12:46:00.000-07:00

over the fourth of july weekend, we drove down to durant with chuck and sarah. durant is dustin's hometown and sits right on lake texoma. this was mia's first visit to durant, usa - and we couldn't wait to show her off to all of dustin's relatives!

we met up with nathan, another one of our college friends who now lives in dallas. nathan spent 4 months in india for work. we had a good time swapping stories - i have to say that he had many more than we did!

the guys camped out at the lake, but the girls stayed at ed and vickie's home. this was the first time that mia had stayed overnight anywhere else since we've been back. i have to say that she did very well - she cried for about 5-10 minutes then slept the whole night through. amazing. i was expecting much worse! she's an amazing kiddo!

saturday we headed out to the lake. i was so excited to get mia out in the boat. she loved it! we had a great time and boy did she look cute in her new swimsuit! that night was the big fireworks show on the lake. mia was captivated! i wasn't sure what she would think or if she would even notice, but she couldn't take her eyes off of them. she even tried to reach out to touch them! i'll post a pic. so cute!

sunday, we visited the church dustin grew up in. everyone seemed very excited to see little mia. sunday night we drove down to sherman, texas to visit tracie, dave & hannah (more friends from college). dave is the new pastor at the nazarene church down there. dave and tracie adopted their little girl, hannah, last year. what a story that is - maybe i'll post her blog site soon. adoption is such an amazing thing. it touches so many people and you can almost see the joy just spreading. it's truly a gift of God.

monday we went out to the lake again. kim came with us and we just had the best time. it was the perfect day to be on the lake. mia ended up taking a nap on the boat - i just held her & covered her with a towel to keep the sun away and she was good to go!

we had the best time. it was a great weekend!

Tiptoes & Gerber Daisies

2006-06-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

tiptoes...

discovering...

deep thoughts...

Big Weekend Pics...

2006-06-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

God's promise

craig, linda, mom & dad

fun with uncle boo!

mia and my cousin ben

sarah and mia

jon and mia during her dedication

i'll post more pics as i get them...

Big Weekend!

2006-06-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

what a weekend we had! it was a great weekend - one of the best! we started off the weekend by going to an american cancer society relay to meet some of dustin's co-workers at the chickasha location. mia had a great time, and so did mom and dad. we just love to show her off!

saturday evening was mia's big welcome home party at my parent's house. we weren't sure how things would turn out because every weather forecast stated that thunderstorms would move in that evening. great! well luckily, the storms moved just south of us - the entire party was centered on being outside, so i don't know what we would have done! thank you God!

it was a perfect evening. the rain that had come earlier in the day had made everything lush and green. at about six thirty everyone started to arrive. the tables were decorated with hot pink, orange and red gerber daisies - colors that remind me of india. we grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and catered indian food from taj. i was so suprised to see the long line at the indian food table! we had frisbees, my parent's miniatures horses for the kids to pet and a moonwalk. i think everyone had a good time.

we had a pretty large crowd - relatives, church friends and college friends. it was wonderful to be reunited with people we don't get to see very much. midway through the party, someone pointed up and wouldn't you know - a beautiful rainbow was just starting to stretch across the sky. how appropriate - God reminded us of His promise to all on the night we were celebrating His gift to dustin and i. it was a VERY special night.

of course, sunday was father's day. it was not only special because it was dustin's first father's day, but we also dedicated mia at church that morning. she did very well and looked oh so beautiful in her indian outfit! we even placed a bindhi in the middle of her forehead. jon middendorf did her dedication. he did such a great job. for the past several weeks every time we saw jon, he would practice walking mia around the sanctuary. she's a pretty easy going little kiddo, but she won't just let anyone hold her, so we made sure that she knew jon before the dedication. she did very well (besides a small fascination with his lapel microphone)!

we ended the day by going to the park with sarah, chuck and carol to watch dustin play cricket. you heard me right - cricket! we fell in love with the game while in india, so dustin came back and joined up with a group of guys that play every sunday. i think chuck might start playing as well.

it was a very special weekend - it flew by too fast.

i'll try to post some pics.

Learning to Walk...

2006-06-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

Sweet Mia

2006-06-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

i never knew being a mom would be so great! i'm having the time of my life. i expected it to be wonderful, but there's so much more to it than i expected. it seems as though everyday, there's something new. she's so observant - she just picks up on things so quickly. i'll do things once or twice and before you know it, she's got it down! she loves the whole "patty cake" thing. when she "rolls it up", she puts her hands together, locks her fingers and rolls her hands at the wrist (kinda like when you imitate a fish swimming in water with your hands). that might not make sense, but let me just tell you now - it's the cutest thing in the world!

she's just about to walk - no, i take that back...sprint. i truly believe that she will go straight from crawling to sprinting! that girl is so active and what a wiggle worm she is!

we spent some time with gramma today. she drove us around town, just running errands. we went to an indian boutique and of course i picked up a few things for miss mia. we then went next door to the indian grocer and bought some cookies for mia - the kind she ate in india. bud called and wanted us to go to his work and show off his little niece. i was happy to do so! he's a proud uncle!

we will be dedicating her at church next sunday...yes, on father's day. how about that! i got her right before mother's day and we will dedicate her on father's day. perfect, huh?

Getting Into the Groove

2006-06-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

well, we've been home two weeks now. it really feels like we've been home longer. i think we've found a routine that works well for all of us.

mia's doing great. she's sleeping 12 hours a night and eating very well. call me crazy, but i really think she's gaining weight. either she's getting bigger or we are just getting use to her tiny frame.

mia is getting a little more social these days. she still takes it at her own pace, but she's getting much better. she loves her gramma and grampa, her great aunts & uncles, aunt hiley and yes, even uncle boo (bud). she loves aunt sarah, but still cries when she sees uncle chuck, but let's face it - most girls do! he, he - love ya, chuck!

church was great today. it was actually our second sunday. everyone wants to say hello to sweet mia & she does so well. she's a really easy going little girl. some new friends of ours at church just adopted a little boy from guatemala. he's adorable - and oh, so kissable! he's got the cutest little cheeks! they just got back last friday, but emailed me some pictures while in guatemala. hopefully, they will be at church next sunday. everyone is looking forward to meeting the little guy!

sorry, i'm so bad about updating my blog. i really haven't been good at checking my email either. sorry again! i'll try to get better.

i thought i would post a few pics of jacob from guatemala and some of mia.

i just can't get over how much God loves His children. His dreams for us are much richer than the dreams we have for ourselves. we are just so thankful for our mia.

Bathing Beauty

2006-05-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

well, we have a water-lover on our hands! the first time we gave her a bath, she didn't even want the water to touch her toes...but now, well she practically dives in head first!

yesterday, we took her swimming and she had the best time. i have to say, i've never seen anyone look so good in a swimsuit (diaper and all)!

anyway, i thought i would post a few pics of our little adventure.

2006-05-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

2006-05-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

Coming Home and Happy Birthday

2006-05-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

Yep, so I'm finally updating my blog! I'm just warning you, it's gonna be a LONG blog! I have a few days to catch up on! Thursday night, before we left India, we thought we would go down to the courtyard in the hotel and eat dinner outside. They have nice live music and the food is pretty good. Well, while we were waiting for the restaraunt to open, we couldn't help but notice (along with the rest of the block) that an Indian wedding was just about to take place in our hotel. Indian weddings are undeniably unique and different from anything I've ever seen. They are far more colorful and extravigant than American weddings. Indian weddings go on for days, and we just happened to be there for the final night of the celebration. The groom was outside of the hotel and made his entrance with a very loud marching band and an entourage of dancing relatives! Dustin and I tried to stand back and capture it all on video. Well, a few of the relatives introduced themselves and not only did they welcome us to watch the presecion, they INSISTED that we attend the wedding! They were so welcoming! Dustin and I moved to the lobby of the hotel to watch the groom approach and as the relatives piled in, several placed flowery leis around Mia's neck and on her toy's neck. They leis are usually reserved for the mother of the groom only. It was such a special moment - I'll never forget it. We went to the wedding banquet for about 20 minutes, but found out that the actual ceremony wouldn't start for another 3 hours. It was already 7:30 and we hadn't eaten dinner yet (or packed for the trip home), so we thanked them for their generosity and headed upstairs. This might sound silly, but I had prayed that we would somehow be able to witness an Indian wedding while in India. It's such an unbelievable way to experience the rich culture. I feel so blessed that it actually happened! I'll post a picture of some of the ladies at the wedding (notice the wedding henna on their hands).

Well, we left our hotel at 5:00 am the next morning. The airport experience coming into Kolkata was a breeze. Getting out with and Indian child was very scary. We were passed from government official to government official - all of them speaking broken English. At one point, they took our passport out of the terminal. We had been briefed on most things that would happen, but this wasn't one of them. It was very scary. We were getting very close to our boarding time. Finally, the immigration official returned with our passports and told us that it should've taken them an hour to complete our paperwork - thus we would have missed our flight. I'm pretty sure he was bluffing and just wanted to give us the run-around and get a tip for "saving the day". Well, that didn't happend! We just took our passports and bolted to the boarding line. Wow.

The flights back were great. We had a 10 hour flight from Kolkata to London, a 9 hour flight from London to Chicago and a 2 hour flight from Chicago to OKC. I'm pleased to say that Mia was a complete angel. There were children her age on the same flights that screamed until they couldn't scream anymore. BUT MIA, well she's special! People on each flight came up and talked to her and tried to hold her. They even commented on how well she was doing. I have to say that the flight back home was the only thing I was worried about. I know we had many people praying for us. Thank you from Dustin and I and thank you from all of the passengers on British Air!

Sorry this is so long...

We touched down in OKC at around 11:25 pm. We walked up the long quiet terminal, turned the corner and saw the beaming faces of family and friends! We were so glad to be home! A small group of family and dear friends greated us at the top of the escalator. I tried to have the grandmas and grandpas hold her, but she would have none of it (kinda felt good to me)! She just clings to Dustin and I. What we didn't know was that a huge group was waiting at the bottom of the escalator. Family, friends, co-workers and church members were there to welcome Mia home with balloons, signs and party hats (we arrived 20 minutes before her 1st birthday). Nadra, Charlie and Ian were able come in town for our arrival. For those that don't know, they adopted Ian who was Mia's little buddy at the facility in India. When they saw each other at the airport - they knew each other, I know they did. Mia was a little dazed, but Ian's eyes lit up and I know he remembered her. I'm so thankful that they were there.

At the stroke of midnight, someone led the crowd in singing Happy Birthday. I had managed to keep my composure up until that point. The tears started flowing!

The next night, we had a small gathering of family over to watch Mia dig into a tiny little cake. Who would have thought that watching a kid make such a mess would be so much fun!

Thank you so much to those who prayed for us and helped welcome Mia home. We will never forget such a special night.

I'm attaching a few photos. I'm attaching a picture from the Indian wedding, a few pictures from Mia's homecoming and a few from her 1st birthday party.

Two more days...

2006-05-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

We found out we will definitely not be traveling before Friday. Which I am sure works out for the best.

Last night was a pretty good night. She only woke up once. She is doing so well, I cannot wait for you all to see her. She is playing more and talking up a storm. She crawls everywhere and pulls herself up on the coffee table and on us and stands around (she will be walking soon). :o) :o(

Yesterday was good for the two stir-crazy parents. We were able to go to a nice government run market that was indoors and air-conditioned. We found lots of nice things to bring back. It was very good to leave the hotel and experience more of Kolkata. Mia was an absolute angel the whole trip. She smiled a lot and ended up sleeping in the sling around my waist. Our driver was the best yet. His name was Apaul (sp). He showed us a picture of his little girl Soonjeeta (sp). He was as proud of her as we are of Mia.

We took some pics of some roofers on top of the building next door. They were working very hard and it is very hot. We thought that the guys on dad’s crew would like to see how it is done in India. Pretty high tech (ha, ha).

Well Uncle Boo, it is now your birthday here in Kolkata and Mia wants to say Happy Birthday. She cannot wait to tell you in person.

Shaunna, soon you will know and I am dying to find out. Make sure and let me know when you get the news! :o)

As always, we miss you all very much and cannot wait to see you. Keep sending your prayers, they are very much felt and needed. Love you all.

More Glimpses of Beauty...and Charlie too

2006-05-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

We have had a few long days and a few long nights but things are going much, much better. Mia is coming around to Dustin now and that makes it easier for me to get some much-needed rest. He can now hold her and comfort her without her fussing.

It looks like we will not be able to come home any earlier, but that is OK. I know that some of you have already made plans to be at the airport Friday night and we cannot wait to see you then.

Mommy and daddy are going a little “stir crazy” in the hotel room. So, Dustin is going to go scout a market that another Dillon family suggested to us on the plane ride here (they happened to be coming to Kolkata to pick up their son). If it looks suitable for a family outing we will go on Wednesday or Thursday.

Before I forget, Mia wants to wish Aunt Hiley a late Happy Birthday, and remind her that Saturday is her 1st birthday. She keeps wanting us to find out what Hiley is getting her.J

We really miss you all and can feel your prayers all around us as Mia comes closer to us day by day. Keep our family in your prayers and we will see you soon.

We had to add a picture of Charlie because we miss him too.

Happy Girl

2006-05-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

we are in here in the computer room. it is about 7:40 am. we just got finished with breakfast and ang is sitting beside me with mia. of all of the toys we brought she seems happiest with the wrapper from a power bar ang ate last night. she loves the crinkly shinyness (don't worry grandparents it won't tear and she can't eat it).

she slept from about 11:00 last night until about 5:30 this morning. we got up and i tried to feed her, she ate a little but she is still coming along slowly with me. she loves to eat though, she ate a whole bowl of milk with baby crackers in it then when we went to breakfast she nearly ate everything on angie's plate.

after breakfast she began talking to us and everyone around. she keeps saying da, da, da, da. i know it doesn't mean what i think it does but don't spoil my fantasy!

today should be pretty uneventful. we are trying to contact our travel agent and change our flight plans to either monday or tuesday. i don't know if that can happen but we are going to try. we will let everyone know if it can happen.

well i think that she has just made her daddy proud, and we are not even on the tenth floor (chuck, that's for you). so we need to go back up to the room. we miss you all and cannot wait for you to meet this Happy Girl. we will keep you updated.

GOD is good...

2006-05-13T01:47:00.000-07:00

The City of Her Birth...

2006-05-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

i don't even know how to describe what we've seen today. people can tell you about india and try to prepare you, but nothing can prepare you for what you will see. it's a glorious city, and amazingly different than anything i've experienced. i have great love for this city, but it saddens me at the same time. from the first moment we arrived, one thing stood out...every living creature in this city seems to be fighting for survival.

we had an overwhelming experience at an outdoor market today. we gave our driver, nayeem, the address of a cool and safe market so we could get some shopping done. well, he ended up taking us to another market (i'm sure his friends own the shops). we were bombarded with beggars from the time we stepped out of the cab until we rushed back in. one particular elderly woman followed me for blocks, just tapping my arm and begging for something. everything in us wants to help, but we have been strongly urged not to give out money on the street...there's a chance you could get mobbed. so we practically sprinted from shop to shop. there is SO much more to this story, but i can't really go into it now.

this was our only day to do shopping, because once we have mia we are not allowed (and shouldn't) go out in public. now i understand why.

well, tonight's the last night that the tucker's will be a 2 member family...tomorrow we become three! our 2 1/2 year "labor" is finally coming to an end! how am i supposed to sleep tonight? we called anju today and she wants us to come by the orphanage at 11:00. so those of you still up at 11:00, send up a little prayer for the two of us and mia.

we love all of you...i will post again as soon as mia allows!

And So It's Here...

2006-05-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

the day we've been waiting for for so long is finally here! in just a matter of hours, we will be on our way to meet our daughter. it still doesn't seem real, but i'm sure it will hit us soon!

we don't know how to express our gratitude to those of you who have helped us throughout this process. the prayers, the phone calls, emails and hugs have just meant so much to us. we are overwhelmed to see such love from friends and family for a child that none of us has ever seen. we are forever grateful.

well, our anxiety about travel and the huge responsiblity of parenthood has transformed into sheer joy as we leave now for our journey...our journey to mia.

thanks again & we love all of you dearly.

i'll write as soon as i can.

We're Going to India!

2006-05-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

yesterday, dustin and I found out that we have been cleared to travel! we will leave on wednesday, may 10th at 5:15 PM and arrive in kolkata friday morning at 5:00 am. we hope to spend friday recovering from the flight, buying gifts and trying to see as much of the city as possible.

and so saturday...well, saturday is the big day! we will finally come face to face with the child we've only known through pictures. for us, i've pictured that moment as one of those hallmark, made for t.v. movie moments, but for her - well, her entire world will be turned upside down. everything she's known will be taken away from her, but she will soon find out that a new world awaits her - a world where she will be loved more than she has ever been loved. regardless of how things play out, it will be the happiest moment of our lives.

as many of you know, we arrive home on may 19th. we prayed and prayed that we would have mia home by her first birthday (may 20th). well, we arrive home just about 20 minutes before that big day! God sure does have a great sense of humor!

for those brave souls that would like to greet us at the airport when we arrive, we come in on AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 4090 at 11:34 PM. for those of you planning to go, if you have any questions - friends, call sarah - and family, call my mom or barb. i'll make sure they know if anything has changed or been delayed.

we love all of you. thanks so much for the prayers and support throughout this process.

Almost There...

2006-05-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

i spoke with jynger yesterday and all we are waiting on is an email back from the u.s. consulate in kolkata saying that they have received a fax of our approval. jynger will continue to email them everyday until they respond. she said that sometimes it can take 2-3 days for them to respond to her, but as soon as they do she will call us and we will be cleared for travel!

i'll keep you updated!

Have I Mentioned the Roller Coaster Ride?

2006-04-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

shortly after my last post, i received an email from officer brewer, the person who's handling our paperwork. she mentioned that we have approval, it will be mailed out on monday and that the u.s. embassy has already been notified! woo-hoo!

i left a message for jynger at our adoption agency but she's at a conference all weekend. hopefully, she will check her email and respond. she will have a good idea of when we will be cleared for travel! we hope to leave may 11th or 12th, but we really need to wait and talk to jynger.

thanks for all of the prayers! i will update you on our travel as soon as i hear something!

God is good!

Still Nothing

2006-04-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

we are just days away from may and we still haven't received our I-600 approval. i NEVER thought it would have taken us this long to get mia.

we've been at the far end of every single timeframe that the adoption agency gave us. they said it takes families 12-16 months to get a referral of a child - it took us 16. they tell families that it takes 4-7 months to receive your child after the referral and it has taken us 7 SO FAR. i know this is not the case for most of the families that have gone through the process. i've heard their stories and seen them receive their children is shorter amounts of time than it will take us.

i'm just having a hard time understanding why we seem to be the exception. i know there is a reason for everything - i know that. when we first heard that our paperwork was going to be delayed, i had a huge sense that there was a good reason. i just lose grasp of that at times - times like now.

God is still good - even though we don't know why we have to go through the things we go through.

Rollercoaster Ride

2006-04-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

okay, here's how yesterday went...no, first let's start with last week. on thursday of last week, i spoke with pat at congressman istook's office. she said that she has been trying to make contact with the uscis office in dallas (they have our paperwork). pat mentioned that she is having a hard time getting anyone to call her back. who doesn't call a congressman back? anyway, we figured that that wasn't working so we contacted kenny marchant who is a congressman from texas. we graduated from snu with his son matt. we figured that with our paperwork in texas, having a texas congressman contact the uscis office might be smart. on thursday of last week, deanna, my parent's pastor's wife, contacted congressman marchant's office. deanna is very good friends with kenny and his spokesperson ( i think her name is susie miller).

anyway, yesterday we got the response - but not the response i was wanting to hear. the uscis officer working on our file was just now looking at applications filed before january 15th. we filed on march 10th. this was devestating. that would mean that all paperwork was backed up 2 months. i didn't know WHEN we would possibly travel now. i just broke down. there have only been a few times during this adoption journey that i have just really wept...ya know, the ugly cry! yep, that's what i was doing.

that night dustin went fishing with a friend and i went to charleston's with my parents. before i left the house, i decided to check my email. three weeks ago, i sent an email to officer brewer, the person handling our paperwork in dallas. i waited and waited and nothing came...until now. officer brewer apologized for the delay in responding to my email and said that our file would be reviewed and a decision will be made THIS WEEK! can't believe it! wow!

so, now we just need to pray that all of our paperwork checks out okay. if it does (and it should), we will recieve our approval in the mail. we will then just need to wait for the u.s. consulate in kolkata to recieve the same thing and then we will be cleared for travel! finally!!!!

i've decided, after this is all done, i'm going to make t-shirts for dustin and i saying, "i survived the adoption process". we will wear it proud!

God is good!

Sorry, No News

2006-04-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

okay, so there's really no news. we are still waiting on the I-600 approval and then we can travel. we originally contacted state senator owen laughlin, who is my aunt's brother-in-law. from there, congressman frank lucas' office contacted us and now this week, we've been contacted by congressman ernest istook's office. each person that has contacted me has been very nice, and really seems to want to help. i just hope that they are persistent enough with the government agency involved to push our paperwork through.

this wait it getting very painful. the agency processing our paperwork is saying that it will take 60 days for us to get approval. that means we would travel in mid may. that's just not okay with me! i really want to have mia by her 1st birthday (may 20th). she's just growing up without us.

i'm asking those of you that read my blog to please, please, please pray specifically that those people who our working our file will process it quickly and that we are able to travel before the end of april.

thanks for the prayers and i will post again when i hear from congressman istook's office.

PASSPORT!

2006-03-24T11:02:00.000-08:00

we have mia's passport!!!

now all we need is for our government to approve us to bring her into the country! one stupid little piece of paper is the only thing holding us up! uugghhh.

earlier this week, i contacted owen laughlin's office. he's a state senator and is actually my aunt's brother-in-law. his assistant, guy, was very nice and seemed to really want to help. she mentioned that congressman lucas' office might be giving us a call. so, i guess now we just wait and see.

please, please, please pray that we will receive I-600 approval soon. when we get that, we're off to india!

by the way, doesn't she look ready to come home?

Oh So Serious!

2006-03-17T11:15:00.000-08:00

Legacy of an Adopted Child

2006-03-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

Legacy of an Adopted Child

Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.

Two different lives shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you the need for love. The second was there to give it.

One gave you nationality. The other gave you a name.
One gave you talent. The other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions. The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile. The other dried your tears.

One sought for you a home she could not provide.
The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied.

And now you ask me, through your tears,
the age-old question unanswered through the years.

Heredity or environment, which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling. Neither. Just two different kinds of love.

~Author Unknown

April Wishes

2006-03-10T06:45:00.000-08:00

Alright, there's a small snag in the adoption process...(by the way - isn't she the cutest?)

Okay, due to a mistake in our paperwork, we will now be filing Mia's I-600 (federal adoption stuff) here in the U.S. This means that there is almost no possible way for us to get her this month. We were originally going to file her paperwork in New Delhi which would have taken us a total of two days. Filing the I-600 here could delay the process by at least two months. The earliest we could travel now is mid-April. We plan on contacting Congressman Istook very soon. Hopefully, he and his office will be able to push things through a little faster than usual. Before sending off the paperwork, Dustin attached a photo of Mia to every page of the I-600! We are hoping that putting a face with the paperwork will speed things up!

We received a precious picture of Mia from the Conners. She's sleeping and oh so gorgeous!

Please pray that we will receive her passport soon and that her I-600 is processed quickly.

Welcome Home & Showers of Love

2006-02-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful week we've had! We received an email last week from Jynger (our case manager) that mentioned that they hope to have Mia's passport within the month...wow! We could travel before the end of March! Unbelievable!

Last Friday, Dustin and I were invited to the airport to welcome home Ian - I call him, "Mia's little buddy". What a special day it was! He's such a handsome little man! I was even able to hold him! Boy, was it the wrong day to forget to wear waterproof mascara! We felt very lucky to be part of such a special moment.

On Saturday, Dustin and I attended our first shower for Mia. Our hostesses did such a great job - everything was just gorgeous! The cake was so stunning - I didn't even want to touch it! I registered for blankets to take to the kiddos in India and what a sight it was to see all of them! I might have to ship the blankets to India rather than taking another suitcase! We really appreciate everyone that donated a blanket. They will be put to good use. We would also like to thank everyone who attended the shower - thanks for helping us welcome her home in this way.

Legals!

2006-02-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

Our legals are on the way! This means that the Indian courts recognize us as legal guardians of Mia! Now all we have to do is wait for her passport. That's the final step...I can't believe it. It could take anywhere from 1-2 months. After we get her passport, we're off to India!

After being in the adoption process for almost two & a half years, we are finally going to get our little girl. We feel so blessed that God chose us for this journey.

Okay, I need that passport now!

9 Months Old

2006-02-20T15:57:00.000-08:00

Mia is 9 months old today. I can hardly stand to know that she's growing older without us.

We received 6 new pictures of her today! She sure is a cutie! She's getting chunkier and her hair is getting so thick. Looks like she's a happy, healthy kiddo!

All Roads Lead...

2006-02-18T13:58:00.000-08:00

The days seem to be growing longer and my heart is aching more and more for my little girl so far away. Just knowing that Nadra and Charlie were able to see her and speak to her...well, it just breaks my heart that it wasn't me.

I've been on an emotional high since we received her referral in October of last year. Well, I think I've reached the top of that emotional hill, only to realize that the other side's journey holds only the pain and heartbreak of not having her in our arms.

But we have this...our road leads to India...our road leads to Mia.

God bless & please continue to pray that she will be in our arms soon.

Forever Families & Whispers to Mia

2006-02-17T08:09:00.000-08:00

Nadra & Charlie, the wonderful couple we met during this adoption process, met their precious son yesterday (about 12:45 a.m. CST). Ian now has his "forever family"! This has been such a long process for our two families, I'm just glad that their wait it now over!

While Nadra and Charlie were picking up Ian, they were able to visit with our precious Mia. I say "visit", but Mia was in the middle of a good nap. I believe they were able to get a picture of her. They told her that her parents were coming to get her soon. Thank you, Nadra & Charlie.

Last night I had a dream about Mia. We were in a car in India, and I turned around and said, "I love you Mia", and she said "I love you too". She was speaking very well for a 9 month old -- I always knew she was a genius! In some way, I wonder if I was dreaming that at the same moment Nadra & Charlie were whispering to her.

My good friend, Sarah, gave me a wonderful idea. I would like to ask that those of you reading this would pray that we are able to get Mia as soon as possible. Prayer is such a powerful thing.

Thank you & God bless.

What's in a name?

2006-02-14T09:19:00.000-08:00

on the day in which we celebrate love, i thought i would fill you in on the meaning of mia's name.

MIA

this word means "mine"...literally. it is the spanish word for "mine". dustin and i had this name picked out for the longest time. we thought it would be very appropriate. after all of this waiting, she will finally be ours.

SUPRITHA (su-pree-ta)

this is mia's indian name...this was the name given to her in india. the indian meaning for this name is "good love". we will keep this as her middle name. it is very important for us to acknowledge her heritage in this way.

so, when you put together both of her names it means...my good love. doesn't get better than that!

happy valentine's day!

Oh So Happy Valentines!

2006-02-14T06:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

i know this will be a very special valentine's day for a wonderful couple i've had the opportunity to get to know over the last year or so. today they are on a plane to india to meet their little boy for the first time.

i met nadra and charlie at a gathering at our adoption agency. we were there to meet ms. anju roy, the director of the facility in india, who had made a special trip to the u.s. nadra and i started emailing each other regarding our thoughts and concerns. having someone who knew exactly what dustin and i were going through was priceless. i'm so thankful that i had her throughout this process.

well, the time came when they were presented with the referral of their little boy and a few months later came the referral of our precious mia. we had waited so long...what a special time! in december of last year, we received a video of our little ones...they were sitting next to each other and were in matching outfits! i think God winked at us at that moment! come to find out, their cribs are very close to one another.

it's such an amazing coincidence. our adoption agency places children in homes all over the u.s. it's just amazing that i made a connection with nadra (who lives very close to me), and then for her to be adopting a little boy who mia already knows...wow, i feel so blessed.

well, next week, mia's little buddy will be on his way home. dustin and i are going to the airport to welcome them home. i can't wait to reunite mia and her buddy here in oklahoma. what a wonderful day that will be.

Our Happy Mia Supritha!

2006-02-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

The Long Journey

2006-02-13T11:22:00.000-08:00

wow, where do I begin...our journey started over two years ago. a journey we couldn't wait to begin...a journey that we knew would be rough at times, but would lead us to the child God had chosen for us. what an interesting and amazing journey it has been so far.

we decided to adopt from india in the fall of 2003. after much study and research, we found dillon international, an adoption agency in tulsa, ok. we anxiously started the process and were deep into paperwork by january 2004. after doctor's visits, home-studies, several adoption classes and paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, we were put on the waiting list in july of 2004. wow, when i sum everything up it sounds so fast! not so, believe me! once on the waiting list, we quickly moved from #9 in july, to #3 in november. i was positive we would have a referral by christmas.

okay, the one thing i know for sure about adoption is that nothing is for sure!

in december, we found out that the facility in india (where our little girl would be born), was trying to get recertified by the indian government. it's just a standard thing that every facility has to go through in india. well, we quickly found out that things don't work the same in india as they do here. our adoption was basically on hold for 9 months. this was an excruciating time in the tucker household! we had been presented with other opportunities to adopt other children or even switch to adopt from another country, but we KNEW that a baby in india was waiting for us. it's the kind of feeling when you know something to be absolute truth and you would bet your life on it. sometimes it's hard to understand why God does what He does. we struggled and prayed and struggled and prayed, and come to find out...God knows what He's doing! i know you're shocked!

on october 21st, we received a referral of a baby girl named supritha. she was born on may 20th, 2005. she's the most beautiful thing i've ever seen! she has the biggest eyes, the prettiest complexion and the cutest dimples! we received a video of her in december 2005 and she seemed so happy. that really put my mind at ease. God has truly blessed us with the perfect child for our family.

we are now waiting for the indian government to grant us guardianship and then we can file for her passport. when we receive her passport, we will finally be on our way to india. hopefully, we will travel in late march to early april.

thank you to all who have prayed for us and cried with us during this time. you will never know how much we love and appreciate you.