tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54168019783226539652011-07-08T03:45:26.443-05:00the journey to a forever familyThe Majorsnoreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-40090868030506503932009-06-20T11:59:00.004-05:002009-06-20T12:05:04.180-05:00

I just realized that I had never put our new website on this page. Please visit us at our new site, www.majorsfamilylife.blogspot.com. Thanks - Sheri

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-86751434690590794322009-02-19T13:38:00.008-06:002009-02-27T21:57:43.727-06:00

Father/Daughter Valentine's DanceI know it is a corny title - but it is true! It has been four and a half months since we met Sara. This "bonding" thing is hard! It is physically and emotionally exhausting. We knew going into the adoption of an older child it would be difficult, especially not knowing much about her background and not speaking her language. We prepared the best we could, but

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-35836374886409139652009-01-01T22:41:00.002-06:002009-01-01T22:47:10.377-06:00

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-43520305526301586962008-12-30T21:39:00.000-06:002009-01-01T22:30:58.161-06:00

We have been home with Sara for over two months! In many ways it feels much longer than that, and then in other ways it feels as if we just stepped off the plane. I love this picture because the four of them look happy together. In my dream world, they would stay like this always. The transition has been difficult for everyone, but we are seeing the light. Sara has mourned the loss of her "family

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-74018088559026371702008-11-17T09:58:00.006-06:002008-11-29T22:29:35.399-06:00

Sara let me curl her hair! What a treat for me!Sean playing ball with G'ma Sue!Hat of the day!Dressing up like G'pa Jim! Cute!Did I mention Sara loves the dog? Oh - and Rosie the cat! This is our future house. We do not recommend adopting and building a house at the same time, but feel very blessed to be able to move out to this beautiful piece of land. We hope to move in late Spring.

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-15769865435173079652008-11-05T10:34:00.004-06:002008-11-06T18:37:17.512-06:00

When we told Sara about her English name, she was not too sure about it. It was difficult for her to pronounce and sounded very different from the name she was accustomed to being called (Jia Jia). The day after we met her, the official adoption paperwork was done. Sara was now her English name, and we were hoping she would like it sooner than later. I wrote to her on the translator that Sara

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-19485891810255229392008-11-05T09:59:00.003-06:002008-11-05T10:07:48.228-06:00

It was a great surprise this past Saturday for Sara to meet her Great Grandparents! The boys have not had much time to spend with them either - so everyone was very excited that they came all the way to our house! Debbie and Garry ( my aunt and uncle) brought them for the visit. It was a wonderful day. My grandparents celebrate their 68th wedding anniversary this December!!!!!!

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-77642537627489198862008-10-31T18:55:00.002-05:002008-11-06T19:03:15.441-06:00

"Halloween" - it cannot be described on a handheld translator. It just has to be done! We all had a great day. Sara loved the candy. It was good and plentiful! The day was full of laughter and fun. The kids all enjoyed dressing up and spending time together. Moments like these are priceless.

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-48351442369521701922008-10-26T15:45:00.004-05:002008-10-26T22:11:05.139-05:00

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-92144772289666891122008-10-22T15:09:00.000-05:002008-10-26T15:14:04.806-05:00

Sara loves the dog!

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-68583877896361203642008-10-20T11:48:00.008-05:002008-10-20T12:26:21.021-05:00

After the long flight, we made it to LAX. Unknowingly, we were to sit on that green bench for almost two hours awaiting Sara's "green card". But it did not matter. Everyone was happy to be one step closer to home. Although it was nearing midnight, it was smack dab in the middle of the day to our brains. After receiving the all important stamp in the passport, we spent the night at an LA hotel,

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-2769265650493595062008-10-20T11:40:00.004-05:002008-10-20T12:21:32.979-05:00

Our last day in China was quite a long one. Our flight did not leave until 10:50 that night, so we just packed and played around. We explored the huge park across the street from the hotel and as usual found new and exciting treasures. Sean enjoyed playing the shuttlecock with the locals - he is very quick on his feet. We discovered a soccer arena used in the Olympics that was breathtaking.

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-59804993237568247052008-10-19T00:38:00.002-05:002008-10-19T00:40:32.187-05:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know we made it home safe and sound. Will wrap things up later .......

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-16531800635557509322008-10-16T07:31:00.006-05:002008-10-16T09:44:31.114-05:00

We are alone in the hotel, now that most all the families we have gotten to know have flown back to Beijing to fly home tomorrow. It was great meeting people from all over the States who shared one big thing in common. Our flight to LA leaves tomorrow. We then spend the night in an airport hotel at LAX and then head to Austin the next day (whatever day that is!).Please pray for good health for

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-80433205878274723762008-10-15T03:27:00.011-05:002008-10-15T07:27:26.820-05:00

(Sara took the pics of the boys! - hence the looks!)Thanks for all of your prayers. I am really amazed by the support we have. I just feel it - across the entire world. It is an amazing thing.Sara has had quite a day. The first day we met her, back in Nanjing, she had held the side of her face. We asked her (through our guide) if she had a toothache, and it was said that she had a mild ache. She

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-7539354134194077992008-10-14T20:23:00.002-05:002008-10-14T20:32:07.441-05:00

Please pray for us. We have only made it to breakfast before the tears and shunning started. Sara woke up early as usual. After a couple hours in the room, Sara and I headed on down to breakfast while the boys got some extra sleep. The is nothing on the schedule today. She woke up in great mood and even played on the computer (her favorite starfall.com) while I slept in until 6:30. But the

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-21278464255628612212008-10-14T07:32:00.010-05:002008-10-14T10:03:29.177-05:00

Ok - I am running out of catchy titles! The days are really running together and the boys (and admittedly us) are starting to get a little anxious to come home. Sara had a couple of meltdowns today. Instead of coming in tears and sadness now, they look more like Evan's episodes (and occasionally Sean and Ryan's too). More like tantrums and screaming. I am sure she is exhausted. She is going to

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-5263155395591466392008-10-14T07:30:00.002-05:002008-10-14T09:47:35.240-05:00

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-51380869905728736522008-10-13T07:04:00.008-05:002008-10-14T00:12:15.071-05:00

Today definitely was not MY ordinary Monday. It was a girls day! Sara and I enjoyed it and the boys had a great time just doing "boy"things! Sara and I started out the day with breakfast for two. The boys slept in, while we snuck downstairs to start our day. Many families tried to get us to join them to eat, but we insisted on our cozy table. After a hearty breakfast we set off on the bus

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-78032306955167555262008-10-12T07:55:00.010-05:002008-10-12T08:33:37.583-05:00

Today was a relaxing day. We did not have to be at breakfast until 9:30. In the boys room, all was quiet until 8:15 - what a way to start a Sunday. The girls room, on the other hand, started the same as always with Sara being up at 5:30. This is the same time she got up everyday in the orphanage. She is like a robot. I am doing my post earlier tonight so that I can go to sleep.She had a hard day

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-24467418171648240902008-10-11T08:51:00.007-05:002008-10-12T04:57:09.943-05:00

We made it safely to Guangzhou. It has been a long, but uneventful day. It has been nice to see to see faces other than Chinese. Don't get me wrong, we love the Chinese, but wow! did we stand out in the crowd. Now we have joined 13 other America World adopting families, plus thousand of international peoples. We still draw some attention - but so does everyone else. I did not realize how much I

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-86711452310123287042008-10-10T08:33:00.007-05:002008-10-10T09:34:44.839-05:00

Sara woke up smiling. Such a great way to start the day. In fact, everyone woke up in a good mood - could not ask for much more.The weather stayed in the 70s, not much sunshine, but felt great. Our itinerary has all been moved back a day, so we did not fly to Guangzhou. Tomorrow begins with an early morning flight. We sure did not mind, it is beautiful here. This area is known for its trees and

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-70862867359124927002008-10-10T08:30:00.002-05:002008-10-10T09:47:02.663-05:00

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-20086069244928502502008-10-09T09:03:00.004-05:002008-10-09T09:50:05.176-05:00

Just completed yet another day! It is hard to believe how fast time is going. We are using every chance we have to learn more about Sara by just watching her in her own environment - like the foods she chooses, her daily routine, talking with her through our translator about her life at the orphanage, ect. She is making things difficult though, for she chooses to almost only speak English, she

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-3038524570977979612008-10-08T08:05:00.000-05:002008-10-08T08:05:01.038-05:00

I thought it was time for Dad to get online. It's the end of another great day -- the day that my oldest son, one of the all time great kids and any dad's dream come true of a son, turned 9 years old. I'm truly blessed as a father, and Sean is one of the five people I hold dearest in this world, and for whom I could never thank God in heaven enough. We spent this day visiting a Ming dynasty

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-88383837161672012562008-10-08T07:58:00.001-05:002008-10-08T08:02:19.805-05:00

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-9712200627612933372008-10-08T07:57:00.005-05:002008-10-08T08:21:19.784-05:00

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-88903492936595374872008-10-06T18:57:00.009-05:002008-10-07T07:56:30.994-05:00

Everyone is off to breakfast. I have a quiet, but brief moment to myself. We definitely feel God's presence. Sara fits right in. She has unique bond with each boy. She is caring and sensitive, loving and gentle. When we brought her back to the room yesterday, I showed her the suitcase of "stuff" just for her. She has yet to even go through. I had to find PJ's out of it for her to wear - which she

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-89965963855694337262008-10-06T07:45:00.001-05:002008-10-07T07:50:38.869-05:00

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-30065410079176172232008-10-06T07:20:00.002-05:002008-10-06T07:23:47.340-05:00

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-23862812579599699432008-10-06T06:07:00.003-05:002008-10-06T07:20:08.703-05:00

We met Sara this morning. It was a very surreal moment. We had breakfast and the met our guide at 8:30. He took us on a tour of the famous Nanjing Wall before going to the Civil Affairs office at 10:30. It was very chilly and misty. Sara was not there so we waited while and watched another lady pick up her little boy. Then she just turned the corner - like just appeared. She is beautiful, gentle,

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-85740542236983327702008-10-05T05:37:00.003-05:002008-10-05T06:02:02.056-05:00

We made it to Nanjing. Everything went smoothly and we are in a very nice hotel once again. We have a beautiful view of the Purple Mountains out our window on the 22nd floor of the Grand Metro Park Hotel. Our guide took us to a local grocery store to help us get some snack foods he thought she would like. He has never helped a family adopt a child Jia's age, but seems to look forward to the

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-13132702602312327922008-10-04T04:32:00.003-05:002008-10-04T04:53:58.402-05:00

Well right after I just wrote about getting ready for a great night's sleep, Ryan came down with some horrible epigastric pain. We cannot really blame it on the Chinese food for he had not really eaten a thing since we left. His pain got so bad that he was hyperventilating and screaming out. We had never seen him do anything like it. Right as we decided we needed to do something Evan started

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-2971050424297791942008-10-03T02:25:00.007-05:002008-10-03T06:08:31.556-05:00

We Are Here! All went well. We made it with all three children and all suitcases, no unexpected layovers, and everyone fared pretty well. We will post later. Off to explore the new surroundings.......Don't worry - the all anticipated airport pics yet to come!Hours later....we're back at the hotel starting to quiet things down for our first full nights sleep (hopefully). Our anticipation grows as

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-22173371877525267322008-10-01T11:16:00.005-05:002008-10-01T12:18:39.844-05:00

Departure Day is here. Mike's 40th birthday is today. Hmmm.. Do I were pink or black........ Mike's office did a great job of making him feel old. He still looks the same today. Take it from someone who has been married to this guy for 12 years - this man is someone VERY special. I hope his next forty years are just as great!We meet Sara in four days! Unbelievable. We got our final travel

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-14885749575694563162008-09-24T15:26:00.006-05:002008-09-26T10:11:51.555-05:00

Well, we are down to the one week mark! We have been so blessed by our family and friends during this emotional time! Both Mike and I are quite private people. We do not generally enjoy attention drawn to ourselves, but WOW! we have been humbled and amazed by the love and support of others. We are simply overwhelmed with the number of people who are rejoicing with us (and at times crying with me!

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-86060235923769960992008-09-09T15:15:00.003-05:002008-09-24T15:25:16.774-05:00

I thought a map would help us all picture exactly what part of China Sara is living in. I'll also throw in some interesting facts for those family members of mine who get excited by numbers!Sara lives in Lianyungang, which is on the coast of the Yellow Sea, 273 miles north of Shanghai. Once we finish her paperwork there in her city, we will fly down 883 miles to Guangzhou. Here we will complete

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-6965383351110051702008-09-06T20:41:00.007-05:002008-09-11T09:11:29.735-05:00

Since June when we accepted Hu Jia (Sara) as our daughter, many people have asked us, "Why a ten year old?" I did address this briefly in our opening post, but I'll mention it again. With the new referral system China has started, you have a very active say in the child you accept. While we were in China last summer helping older children get paper ready for adoption, we saw all these beautiful

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-53304650168522348012008-09-03T21:19:00.007-05:002008-09-04T08:29:26.657-05:00

We are to leave for China on Thursday Oct 2nd!October has always been a special month for our family. Besides looking forward to the start of cooler weather, three of us have birthdays this month! We depart the day after Mike's 4oth - I hope his old bones hold up ok on the long flight! Sean looks forward to celebrating his 9th birthday while in China. And unfortunately, mine is the weekend we

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-28472301599652536932008-09-01T09:46:00.010-05:002008-09-02T20:50:35.259-05:00

The wait continues for the last piece of paperwork. This paper will allow us to make our appointment for her final adoption paperwork at the Consulate in Guangzhou - our last stop before we fly home. The group we were hoping to travel with, mainly because one very nice family we have gotten to know is also adopting a ten year daughter, leaves on the 11th of this month. But we have no control over

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416801978322653965.post-73846362334250719202008-08-28T12:04:00.013-05:002008-09-01T10:21:44.805-05:00

The internet is so amazing! We are so thankful our family and friends have the opportunity to join us as we meet Sara and bring her home. The most amazing thing is that we have only known about Sara since June! (But we feel as if she has been a part of us forever!)For those who may not know our story, we will give a brief summary: Feeling a nudging towards international adoption, we started the

The Majorsnoreply@blogger.com5