Our Adoption Journey , Our walk of Faith......

100 Panda Bear Hugs!!!!

2009-08-31T18:46:00.003-04:00

I wanted to let everyone know to check out our new son, Noah's blog at www.heckyfamilygrowsinlove.blogspot.com ! I have published a children's book dedicated to Noah and there is a link that you can go to order it. All proceeds will help us bring Noah home. Take a look!!!!!! Thanks and God Bless!!!

Oh, I almost forgot, please pass on our blog to all you know!!!!!

Our Summer of Fun!

2009-08-19T09:08:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Finally, an update!!

2009-08-18T23:11:00.004-04:00

Well, as many have just found out and maybe you are just learning, we are happy to announce that we have found our little boy waiting for us in China. I have started a blog for his journey at www.heckyfamilygrowsinlove.blogspot.com which will explain how we came to find him and the next several months until we will finally get to meet him.

As far as what has been happening in the Hecky House.......we had a broken laptop which I finally got the other day, so I am able to download pictures and finally update everyone on our beautiful little girl, Mariah. I honestly don't know where to begin. We are quickly approaching the 5 month anniversary from the day that we met her in China. I still can't believe how fast the time has flown by and how amazing she is doing. Five months ago, the scared, distraught little girl we met has blossomed into the Totally English speaking happy, content Mariah Hecky. The little girl who didn't want to be within a foot of Chad and now has become the one who gets to the door faster than anyone to give hima giant kiss and hug from a long day at work.

She has become my hero. What this little girl has been through, what she left behind and what she has become is nothing short than a miracle and we our priveledge and honored to call her our daughter. She has been through more in the past 5 months then most 90 year old adults go through in a lifetime. She is my hero!

Everyone is doing wonderful bonding and just becoming a family. It is so amazing how natural things have been especially for all the kids involved. We have had many memories over the past 5 months and we are so overly blessed. Ryan has taken his role as big brother and I love watching him and the girls together. He however is very excited about getting a brother. Marissa is of course mother/sister and she makes me so proud the way she gives Mariah and Mya such a good example for them to follow. Mya and Mariah have become best friends. The other day, the two girls were taking a bath and Mariah said to Mya "Mya, do you want to be best friends?" and Mya, with her lisp and cute little voice said "SSSHHHURREEE, Aww Shanks Zhan Zhan (jon jon)" Mariah has actually changed Mya for the better and I was certain it would have had the opposite effect. They all have a very special bond and I almost can't wait to wake up each morning to see, what will today be like, come what may.

We also had a wonderful memorable reunion with 3 other families that we met from our travel group in China. I can't express how special the time in China was getting to know the families that were there sharing the same emotion climbs you are and how naturally close everyone becomes in a short time. We all have become a giant family and seeing them again was great! Even everyone's older kids became friends very quickly and we all just had a the best time together, once again. We enjoyed a trip to Rolling Ridge Ranch, a cookout and a China Feast (of course)!

Now trust me, there are bad moments, but for the majority, becoming a family of six has been a breeze! Now becoming a family of seven will certainly have it's challenges that we all are so excited to experience!

God is good!!!!!

To My Husband!!!!! We Love You!!

2009-06-21T00:07:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Little did I know............

2009-06-02T09:57:00.004-04:00

One year ago today God moved mountains. Today is the day that I was sitting at my laptop "surfing" and happened to click on a link for Holt Intl. Little did I know that within minutes, I would find my way to the "Waiting Child" list, little did I know that the first profile I would come across would touch my heart so close that I knew in my soul that she was my daughter. Little did I know that my husband would feel the same way when he came home from work that day. Little did I know that moment, we became a family of six. Little did I know that day would spark a swarm of new paperwork from Taiwan to China, but every piece of paper was worth its weight in gold for a little girl so priceless? A little girl that we still had no idea what she looked like until 2 days later, but already her image was in my heart. Little did I know that we would then have to wait 6 weeks because other families had wanted to adopt her also. Little did I know that we would turn two adoption files away still not knowing whether we would be the family chosen for this little girl who captured us. Little did I know that one year ago today would start our family on an exhausting, amazing, unforgettable journey across the world to China. Little did I know a year ago, little did I know a month ago, little did I know yesterday, little do I know tomorrow. I do know however that God moved mountains and continues to this very moment as we get to watch Wu, Miao Zhan transform into Mariah Zhan Hecky. I will remember June 2, 2008 forever!

Growing, Loving and Listening to your heart!

2009-05-20T09:31:00.004-04:00

So the little girl that we met nearly 2 months ago is far from the little girl that runs around the Hecky House giggling, singing and doing what little girls do best, have fun! I looked back at all the pictures and video of our first days together in China and I am just taken back by how much she has changed. First off, she is loving her longer locks of hair. This must be the longest she has been able to keep it, and every day she touches her hair to see if has grown from the day before. She just says she wants to grow it long, long, long! So needless to say, we may have a Rapunzel on our hands! "Mariah, Mariah let down your long black hair!" Mariah is definitely picking up more English and the language barrier is pretty much obsolete. I am still patiently waiting for the honeymoon phase to end, but I am starting to get the impression that she is just a happy, go with the flow, super sweet girl! Which is totally OK by me! When you adopt an older child, you read book after book about the honeymoon phase, the night terrors, the hoarding of food, the physical aggression, the emotional turmoil and we have not seen one and I mean one instance of any of these traits. There is also the "Gotta be perfect Syndrome" or they will send me back, but I don't feel that at all with Mariah either. I think she is just comfortable in her skin and knows this is where she belongs. Don't get me wrong, there are the sibling confrontations that she takes a full participation to and a few "No's" to mommy or daddy, but nothing that a few minutes and a little intervention doesn't clear up and then it is smiling Mariah once again.

I still have to admit that I am just amazed that the Lord chose me! Chose me to be her mommy. I can't even fathom how blessed I am! I could talk about adoption forever to anyone who will listen and if there is anyone out there even thinking that adoption is in their hearts, let me just say that it is so worth the sacrifices, the trials, the unknowns. The joy of watching your family grow closer and the love that builds mountains literally fills one's soul with the knowledge of "Why am I here?, what is my place in this world?, and what is my calling or purpose." It has for me, something that I struggled with for years. Whether the Lord chooses Chad and I again to adopt once more or if I volunteer with different adoption organizations, or who knows maybe someday when my kids are grown, involving and giving my time overseas at the foot of the orphanages. It's not by my choosing, its where I will be lead, and I will always be listening for what I am to do next! But for now, the Lord says rest, (well sorta) and enjoy my four blessings, watch them grow and smile every day of my life!

Enjoy the pictures of Mariah and Mya. They are really becoming best buddies!

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

2009-05-10T11:10:00.002-04:00

I can't believe a year ago I never saw Mariah's face before and now this morning, I woke up with her sleeping next to me! It is a Happy Happy Mother's Day for me! I am scheduled for a lots of hugs and kisses, a back massage, a foot rub and a bubble bath! I can't wait!!!!

I encourage all you special Mothers take a moment today and thank God for your little ones, for giving you the special title of Mother. Whether you have given birth to your children, adopted your children, fostering your children being a mother is such a precious gift. Hug your little ones and big ones extra tight today!

One Month Home!!!

2009-05-04T09:26:00.003-04:00

May 3rd, 2009 is the one month celebration of being home with our new daughter Mariah! It has been a wonderful month, indeed! And what better way to celebrate than walking for adoption at Brittany's Hope Walk of Love which raised over $25,000! It was a great time and we were honored to be a part of the cause! We walked 2 miles with 3 little girls in tow, so I thought we did pretty good! The girl's were exhausted!!!

I still can't believe it has been one month since we FINALLY got off the airplane:) and became a family of 6. Mariah is doing so well! She is speaking English ALOT and learns something new every day. It is so special to witness her "firsts" and see the awe in her eyes and the giggles she blurts out because everything is funny! She has opened up to Chad so much then before. We now can look back and say, remember when she wouldn't let you do this, or that? She has such a sparkle about her that you can't wait to learn more about what her personality has hidden inside. The girl loves to sing, and even if she has no idea what the words are, she can come up with the rythm and make up her own words! How sweet it was to see her at the Walk of Love, hold her little hand over her tiny heart and sing the National Anthem, in Chinglish, as we call it! I saw a tear or two go down Chad's proud face. And that man just won't stop! He is determined to become that little girls daddy if it is the last thing he ever does. I have never been more proud to call him my husband. The patience this little girl has taught him and the calling he now feels to help all in need. His passion is growing and growing, I think he might be out of control! For the past decade, Chad has been all about growing his business, work work work! I think he wants me to get the job so he can stay home with the family. What a month can do! The kids are still bonding well! Mya, I would have to say is struggling the most. The two girls spend the most time together and Mya has now realized Mariah is here to stay and she is going to make sure Mariah knows who was here first! We knew that would eventually come, but it's not out of control, but there certainly has been some struggles! Sharing struggles, Mommy time struggles, and Daddy time struggles! As to be expected! And Ryan and Marissa still seem pretty content with the new member and go about their daily lives happy!

I probably won't be updating as much as I usually do. We are such a busy family and with summer coming, well my main focus will be on my kids. I feel like the "adoption journey" is coming to a close and I want to focus more on the family journey. Its a nice feeling to finally be in this place and I can't believe that we have gotten this far! I have even decided to start a new blog, which I will let you all know. It will be more of a family blog that will focus on all the lives in the Hecky House! It may not be as exciting, but it will be truthful, hopefully inspiration and of course still talk about the miracle of adoption. Stay tuned!

Walk of Love

2009-04-29T15:14:00.002-04:00

I wanted to let everyone know that Chad, myself, Marissa, Mariah and Mya will be traveling to Elizabethtown PA this weekend to participate in Brittany's Hope Annual Walk of Love. Brittany's Hope is an organization that offers grants to families adopting waiting children. This organization is dear to our hearts and knowing that it will help bring a child to their forever family, well, I would walk to the ends of the Earth! If you would like to sponsor this event, go to www.brittanyshope.org and click on Walk of Love. Then go to sponsor a walker and search for Mary Hecky. All proceeds go directly to Brittany's Hope and to the waiting children around the world. PLEASE, a little bit can make a huge difference! Help these precious waiting children come home!

It's been a while........

2009-04-28T08:29:00.004-04:00

Yes, I know I am slacking on my updates. But as we settle into our new family, things just keep getting more normal by the second and I tend to put the "labor pains" of adoption behind me. But I promise to always keep everyone informed "regularly" of our journey. And as you seen by the video or will watch when you are done reading, our house has become a "palace" for princesses! There really is not a minute where there is not music playing, dancing, drawing, finger painting. You name it, we are doing it! I do have to tell you that I believe in my heart that Marissa and Mariah our soul mates! Their relationship reaches beyond sisterhood and I keep anticipating the "honeymoon phase" to abruptly disappear, but every day brings them closer and closer. I can't exclude Mya or Ryan in this chapter, because it seems that they all have with out a doubt, taken their new family role and naturally let Mariah into their hearts! I hope this all doesn't sound cheesy, or buttered up. I find myself trying to come up with some negatives, but honestly I can't find any. So enjoy the video of Marissa and Mariah's dance to the most appropriate song "Make you happy" and I apologize for the shaking of the camera, that is me crying! Oh, this dance is something they worked on without showing me until the performance, and this was the first time I saw their dance. They keep doing it over and over, and it has even gotten better but I wanted to post the first time I saw them dance together. It is so priceless and innocent. Love you all!!!!

Family Ties

2009-04-16T10:48:00.000-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Time flies when you are having fun!

2009-04-16T09:02:00.003-04:00

I can not believe that we have had Mariah in our lives for 24 days! Wow!! Every day gets better and better and with every passing minute we get to see our little girl shine brighter and brighter. Her laugh is contagious and she always is ready to smile! What a personality!! She really is coming around and as I sat waiting for her to wake up this morning, I realized that I could not imagine for a second her not being here. I guess that officially makes her forever in my heart! Not that she hasn't already been, I just haven't thought about it with trying to think about what it was like before she was here versus now. She has brought so much joy! She is very and I mean very ticklish. You can just touch her with a pinkie and she cracks up laughing! She loves bubble baths and can stay in there until her skin is completely pruned! She still prefers chop sticks over a fork! She is a total cuddle bug and will just run to you if she sees a comfy spot that she might snuggle up to! She is a TOTAL girlie girl! Between Marissa and Mariah, our house has become Diva Castle! I think she may believe that she is a princess! Well, she is! She is finally opening up to Chad (a little)! It is so funny because she loves when he is around, but just not too close! She loves playing tricks on him and she loves pretending she is the doctor and he is the patient. She pretends to give him shots! I can see that I will probably only be the favorite for a few more short weeks and then just like the other 3, she will prefer him, and I will just be stuck being the mom! Oh well, that's not so bad! As far as the sibling bonding, I can not tell you how wonderful that has been to witness! It was completely natural for everyone involved and I look forward to watching these four children grow and bond and be best friends for the rest of their lives. I am truly cherishing every moment! I am one blessed woman!

Giving Thanks to the Lord!!!

2009-04-14T20:09:00.002-04:00

I know most of you are wondering about how Mariah has been and how our family is adjusting, but I just really wanted to take this post and thank God for everything that He has lead my family through in the past year. We have always, and I mean always felt His prescense and His hand guiding every step we took since the second we decided our family was not yet complete. Adoption is such a miracle in itself, but when you trust the Lord with all of your heart and every single detail is placed perfectly in your lap, your faith grows so strong you just want to climb to the top of the highest mountain and scream thanks to the Lord. So this is my mountain, and I am yelling from my heart, "Thank you God!" Thank you for opening our hearts, planting the seed and taking care of all the details, down to the day where You put it in my heart to let Chad know I wanted to adopt. Thank you for opening his heart instantly and his feelings that he also had more love to give. Thank you for opening up Holt's website in front of my eyes where I instantly, and I mean instantly saw our daughter's profile as she waited months for a family. Thank you for having the other family that saw her profile 6 months before to decide that she was not their daughter. You knew she was ours all along. Thank you for guiding Holt's committee in making the decision to choose our family for Mariah when two other's stepped forward also. You knew she was to be ours! Thank you for guiding me through all the paperwork, the endless paperwork and giving me the perserverance to be organized (I am so not an organized person). I was able to get our dossier done in record time! You knew we wanted our daughter in our arms. You placed the right people, the right circumstances, the right weather, the perfect timing, everything was perfect in your timing, because You knew she needed to get home. Thank you for sending our warriors to our side when financially another adoption didn't seem possible, you sent them, and made it possible. Thank you for giving us "patience" in waiting for all the China Government steps. The wait was gruilling, but You never wavered. You were there, always! Your timing was more than perfect with our travel, Chad's work schedule. You knew we needed to be together when we finally met our daughter. It was worry free and the most unforgettable two weeks we have ever and I mean ever shared! Your perfect timing sent us to China with many amazing families who shared a passion for your orphans and we will remember them all forever! You brought us to our daughter, and even throught the hardship of our initial meeting, through the tears and grieving, the love was building instantly and we will love that little girl forever. You had no doubts! Your timing brought us home to our children on the day spring break started. How perfect is that? Ten days of togetherness, bonding, hugging, giving thanks! Unforgettable! You knew that we were all meant to be together. And together we are forever, a family of 6 and we give you thanks from the bottom of our hearts! Please continue to watch over us, guide us. We know that we have huge obsticles to overcome. We have several barriers to peel away from a heart that was without a mommy and a daddy 5 years. Help her see our love! Show her we are here unconditionally forever. Thank you and we love you. In Jesus Name, we pray, Amen!

2009-04-08T12:03:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Our First Days at home!

2009-04-08T09:47:00.003-04:00

Thankfully, things are settleing down nicely and we are happily becoming a family of six. I apologize for the lack of messages and photos, but after our crazy journey home, and trying to get over jet lag, we are almost back to normal and it feels great! After our homecoming which we did not go to bed until 3 in the morning Saturday, we had to wake early to take my son who qualified in a Rock Band tournament which he has been looking forward to for weeks. We could not let him down and we were so thankful we went because he got first place! He was so happy and it was so much fun. Mariah did so well being with all new people, which I was worried even taking her so soon. She just takes any situation and makes the best of it and it was our first family memory! The tournament was at a Harley Davidson store, so thus the pictures of the motorcycles!!! The next few days have been getting used to the time change and the obvious other changes! Which has miracously gone without many challenges. There has been tons of laughter, crafts, music, dancing, and a few tears here and there. All four kids have transitioned so well, sometimes I have to pinch myself. Mariah is such a helper. She loves to clean up, when asked and yesterday when I was sweeping, she wanted to use the vacuum. She was a little skeptical of the dog for the first day, but who could resist a 2 lb. Chihuhua? Not her, she is in love! She carries Jasmine the dog everywhere and cracks up laughing when they are playing. I have finally mastered Mariah's favorite food, congee and she has tried a few American items, but not a fan as of yet. She loves Lucky Charms (They are magically delicious) and also took a liking to plain pancakes. So that has been pretty much her diet. Congee, Lucky Charms and pancakes. Oh, and Ramen Noodle soup. I know that is cheating, but it works. It looks Chinese, it smells Chinese and hey it tastes Chinese. She gulps them up with her chopsticks like there is no tomorrow! Our master bedroom has come kind of a camp out of sorts. We did not want to single out any of our children and we left it up to them where they wished to sleep. We really felt like Mariah was not ready to take on her big girl bed just yet, and of course, Mya is a Daddy's girl, so she tends to sleep with us on a regular basis. So our bedroom looks like this: Two twin size matresses on the floor next to our king size bed. Ryan and Marissa have been sleeping on our floor and the two little ones tucked in our bed with us. It has been really special, although we have not gotten the best of sleep!!!

I am hoping that we can finally get into some sort of daily life routine that makes sense. We have just really been going with the flow, especially because the kids our on Spring Break. So I have been basically cooking, cleaning and playing my hours away. My house has been very unorganized as I still have a heaping pile of China stuff on my dining room. That stresses me out a little, but I know things will slowly improve. I just want normal and I can see it coming, I am just really ready!!!!!

Well, enjoy the pictures!!! And there will be more to come!!!!

We are home!!!

2009-04-05T19:52:00.002-04:00

I am sorry this post took a while to happen, but it has been very chaotic and exhausting since the second we left Hong Kong. Mariah of course was amazing, but that can't be said for our flight that was suppose to be an 18 hour journey!! At lift off we were told we we would be taking a different route to take advantage of the Tail Winds and going across the Pacific and the good ole USA. This made for a very turbulent ride, which made the flight seem forever. If you have flown before you will know that most planes now have a personal screen that you can watch whatever you want and there is also a flight plan map that you can watch the progress of the flight. This is a good thing and a bad thing like the old saying goes, "Don't watch a pot of water boil"! Anyways we literally watch our path as we flew over Cleveland where we would eventually land after our connecting flight in Newark. As we were about 20 minutes to Newark we began to circle the airport for a while and then all of a sudden the flight path changed and we were diverted to Cleveland. The pilot announced that there were bad storms in Newark and he needed to divert to Cleveland for refueling after our long flight from Hong Kong. Well Chad and I were so happy thinking that we would just get to go home a few hours early. Our hopes were lost when after we landed in Cleveland, just one hour from our house, but was told we were not allowed to get off of the plane because it was an international flight, and we sat in Cleveland for almost 2 hours. We then had to take a flight back to Newark, where we already missed our connecting flight to Cleveland. I haven't cried that much in years! After going through customs, we had to go stand in a line of angry passengers where after almost 2 hours we were told that we would not be able to leave until the next day because all flights were booked. We had the option of stand by, but so many people were opting, the odds were not in our favor to find 3 seats. We opted to be persistant and head to the gate where there was a very slim chance we could board, or we would have to get a hotel in Newark. We RAN to the gate and I signed us in for Stand By. The flight was to take off at 9:30 P.M. three and half hours after we were suppose to be happily sitting on our couch at home! Of course that flight was delayed and we sat and sat as they finally boarded the flight. We were told we had to wait and see if there were any seats once all the passengers boarded the flight. And to our surprise our names were called!!!!! We were going home to our family!!!! We started boarding our flight and then we were told that the people showed up who we were taking their seats and we had to get off of the plane:( It was devastating!!!! Our hope was lost and we walked down to the customer service to find a hotel. We started talking to all the angry people in line when we heard a man's voice yelling our names. Run, run, run, the pilot is waiting!!!! They found seats for us!!!! The airport guy picks Mariah up in his arms, people were cheering and yelling for us to run and we just took off running as if our lives depended on it! My heart never pounded so hard!!!! We literally had to run as fast as we could down the hallway to the plane and when we got on the plane the cabin door was open to the cockpit and the pilot peeked out and gave us a thumbs up! People were cheering on the plane for us, they gave up their seats so we all could sit together! It was so heartwarming and wonderful. It was the best flight ever! We arrived in Cleveland at almost midnight and to our surprise after all the plan changes we were greeted by the most amazing family and friends. It was so special to see everyone there and for Mariah to meet everyone. She was so excited and did so well, saying hello and giving complete strangers hugs. She was happy to be home, forever! And I am glad that trip is finally behind us!!!

As far as Mariah, she is doing unbelievable. She is totally obsessed with Marissa and wants to be by her side at every minute. She loves Ryan and hugs him every time she sees him. He has really taken to her as well! And to my surprise there has not been any drama between Mariah and Mya, which I have been secretly dreading. I know how overbearing Mya can be, but she has opened her world to Mariah and they get along very well. Praise God for that!!!! She still has issues a little with Chad, but it has gotten so much better since being home!!!

Mariah has truly fit right in and anyone who was at the airport or who has come by to visit will tell you the same. It is like we have known her forever and she is just the sweetest little thing!!!!

I however am totally overwhelmed with jet lag, so I will try to post some pictures tomorrow. It is the strangest feeling in the world to be so tired and incoherent. I want it to go away so I can focus on our new life as a family of 6.

Thanks for all the prayers!!!! And for following our journey!!!!

Last Day Pictures!

2009-04-01T10:20:00.002-04:00

Last Day Pictures!

2009-04-01T10:09:00.003-04:00

End of our Journey!!!!!

2009-04-01T09:47:00.002-04:00

I honestly can't believe that I am writing that we are spending our last night in Guangzhou China. We wake up tomorrow and have our EXIT meeting, then go pick up Mariah's Visa and have the Oath Ceremony. Then we run back to the hotel, gather our belongings and head to the train station for our 2 hour trip to Hong Kong. We spend a short night in Hong Kong and wake up and head to the airport!!! Then it is USA!!!! I think I am going to give the Customs Guy a Bear Hug when we land in Newark! Poor guy, he won't know what hit him!!! I enjoyed our trip more than I could have ever imagined, but I WANT TO GO HOME!!!!!

Tonight we went on the River Cruise which was so nice to spend some last moments with all the friends we have come to know very well!!! We also did the Red Couch picture, which is a typical Chinese adoption custom to have your travel group to take the children's picture sitting on the red couch! Lot's of screaming babies and there was Mariah total smiles and happy to show her underwear!! She is the biggest joker I have ever met. Not one serious bone in her body!!! We did some last minute shopping and everything is now packed! Now we just need a Visa and away we go!!!

It has been the most amazing journey for Chad and I. We have never gotten to share a moment like this together and we will remember it forever. If there is anyone out there even having the slightest desire to adopt, trust your heart! There are no coincidences, and God has put this upon you to care for His fatherless. As I look back from the very moment I felt the desire, I knew that God was working and there has been nothing that hasn't worked in His perfect timing, Nothing! He chose the perfect little girl that will fit wonderfully in our family and I bow my head tonight in prayer thanking Him with all of my soul that I can be her mother!

So, for now I say goodbye until we reach Ohio!!! Thank you all for all the prayers, support and dinners provided to my family at home! Thank you for following our journey, Our walk of Faith!

PS: Today is April 1st, 2009 exactly two years ago another miracle was placed in my arms in Taiwan. Our little Mya Min! I still can't believe two years has past. I remember everything like it was yesterday! I love you Mya Min. I am sorry we missed your special day, but Mommy is coming home!!!!

On the menu today. (no joke) Daily Special Guinea Pig!

2009-03-31T11:23:00.002-04:00

Out of order post!!

2009-03-31T11:19:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the out of sequence post, but I forgot to publish the incredible video we took the morning we left Nanning. We went to the People's Park early in the morning to see the people that gather each day for excerice, dancing and singing. It was incredible. We saw people doing Tai Chi, ballroom dancing, bands playing instruments and lots of singing. The culture the Chinese people live is so interesting and has lasted generations. It was epecially interesting to see the elders. Everyone is in amazing shape here and it is rare to see overweight people. I am definately going on the slim fast plan when I get home!!! Oh wait, I have been on that plan since we got here!!! Anyways, it was beautiful to witness!

Every morning at the park the people gather for Tai Chi!

2009-03-31T11:14:00.001-04:00

Nanning Park in the morning!

2009-03-31T11:04:00.002-04:00

2009-03-31T11:02:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Busy Busy Busy!!!

2009-03-31T10:18:00.002-04:00

Sorry I missed a day, but the last day in Nanning turned out to be a crazy one! We had to check out of the hotel at 3 p.m. but our flight was not until 8:20 p.m., so for 5 hours we were homeless!!! We then got to the airport and our flight was delayed, so we did not get to the Hotel until almost midnight. Mariah loved the airplane, but it was very sad because she kept saying Jie Jie (big sister Marissa) so she thought Marissa was going to be there when we got off. The translator explained that she will meet Marissa in a few days. (Note to Marissa: She looks at your picture all the time and pretends to talk to you on the phone. She says Wei (way) which means hello when you answer the phone.... Wei Jie Jie???) Now she pretends she is an airplane and says Jie Jie all the time. Hand tight Marissa, your sister is coming home! Anyways, we woke up this morning had breakfast and then it was off to take a Visa photo and Medical Exam. If anyone knows about the China adoption process, the dreaded Medical Exam is horrible for the kids. But it all went quick and Mariah did wonderful. The doctors all enjoyed talking with her in Chinese and could not believe how smart she is. (As if??) One crazy thing that happened to us today was we were standing all in a group from our agency and Chad kept looking at a couple and he said "Hey Mary, I swear that is Darren Marvin" (A guy that we went to school with). I just kept saying to stop and please dont walk up to him and embarrass me, because there is no way that we would be across the world adopting our daughter and the same time a friend from little Garrettsville Ohio would be there doing the same. Well folks, as small as the world is, it was him and we all just could not believe it. We actually graduated with his brother and him and Chad were very good friends. Isn't that incredible? They adopted a little boy. We are going to have breakfast with him and his wife in the morning. Just crazy stuff!!!!

Today after all the paperwork and appointments, we walked through many shops and Mariah got to pick out her Chinese Traditional Dress. Well, needless to say she is total girl and it took her almost 2 hours and about 10 shops. She wanted red with flowers and she needed a size 8, so you can tell that Chad is totally trying to win her heart, because he has never and I mean never shopped for on item for 2 hours! It was really fun. It is so awesome to see all of her firsts, even though she is 5. Her eyes light up with happiness and she is just so sweet your heart melts! She has turned the corner with Chad and actually got on his shoulders today with no prompts! He loved that! I can't wait for you all to meet her! All I can say is that this child giggles and giggles and giggles. She doesn't stop. She is always playing tricks on Chad and every time he goes to the bathroom she runs and turns the light off. And then of course she giggles!!!!

Well, the end of the trip is coming and we leave for Hong Kong by train on Thursday evening (Thursday morning your time). We stay overnight in Hong Kong and leave bright and early Friday morning (Thursday night your time). Our flight is due in Cleveland at 5:52 p.m. on Friday and I invite you all to the airport! I honestly think I will kiss the ground when we land. I am really aching for home and to see everyone! So if your schedule allows, then we would love to see you!!!! We are also having a Welcome Home Party for Mariah on April 18th, so if you can't make it to the airport, we would love to see you at her party! You will fall in love instantly! We sure did!!!

Chinese Writing Lessons for Chad!

2009-03-29T10:15:00.002-04:00

More Chinese Writing Lessons!

2009-03-29T10:06:00.002-04:00

Mariah can write to 100!!!!

2009-03-29T09:58:00.002-04:00

2009-03-29T09:46:00.002-04:00

100!!!!

2009-03-29T09:15:00.002-04:00

Every day gets better and better!!!

2009-03-29T09:14:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Our Last Full Day in Nanning!

2009-03-29T06:25:00.004-04:00

I can't even believe that we have had Mariah for 6 days now, and tomorrow we leave late afternoon for Guangzhou where we do the last of our paperwork. It has been the most memorable experience of my entire life. When I got Mya two years ago, her being a baby, I didn't experience the ups and downs and the emotions because she was so young. This week we have gone from happieness, to total sadness, to grieving, to liking, back to happieness and pure joy. We have come to know that Mariah is an amazing little girl who is totally goofy, smart, caring, very particular in everything she does. (I have another Marissa on my hands!)

Today we went sight seeing and of course back to the park where we rented a boat (Thanks for forgetting the camera Chad!) It is totally like you are movie stars. We must have said hello 500 times today to people walking past and saying hello to us. It is so bizarre to have people hurry and get their camera when you are walking past because they have never seen Americans before. Chad is usually a shy conservative kind of guy, but he sure does love talking with the people. It has been so nice to see him open up. And especially watch him fall completely in love with our daughter. Again, he is a changed man, spiritually and emotionally. I am such a blessed woman!

We spent alot of time in our room bonding today and I have captured some video of Mariah trying to teach Chad how to write in Chinese. It is hilarious because she was getting so mad that he could not do it right! She would check over his work like a teacher and her student and make the neccasary check marks. I can not believe that time that was put into this little girl and her school work. I watched in amazement as she wrote in English 1 through 100. I could not believe it. So not only is she fluent in Chinese Characters, but she has mastered the ABC's and our numbers. I hope I can help her keep her Native language. It would be so sad for her to forget all she has learned.

Well, I hope all is well at home and we miss everyone so much. Thank you all for the support you have given while we have been gone. I will remember it forever! I can't wait till you meet Mariah. She is heaven sent!

Yunling Village

2009-03-28T08:29:00.000-04:00

Yunling Village

2009-03-28T08:24:00.001-04:00

Another Busy Day, but a good one!

2009-03-28T08:03:00.002-04:00

We had a very busy day today. We actually didn't wake up until 7:30 am for the first time since we landed in China. We are usually up by 4 am, so we totally slept in.

Today we visited Yunling Village. It is nothing like the city and nothing like I would have ever expected. We got off the bus after about an hour bus ride and the first thing we encountered was a Village Lady bleeding out a chicken and there were several more waiting for their fate. If anyone knows me, I am a total animal lover, and yes, I eat meat, but the killing part is something I keep far out of my mind. Not today. My second witness was another lady placing a live chicken in a giant pot of boiling water. Then they were plucking and pulling and chopping and all sorts of barbaric things to them, and ducks and fish. And there was not a thing sanitary about any of it! Not to mention the smell! However I completed enjoyed the village children so happy to see us. They all ran up to us, greeting us. We had candy to share and Mariah was so willing to give each child a piece. They were all very friendly and completely content in their squabble. It was a very sad scene for someone who has so much, and we all take for granted. The women were washing their clothes by hand in the spring. The filth and the conditions we far beyond anything I had ever seen. I feel so guilty going back to the states, to our beautiful home, with all the amenities. Their small village home could fit in my bathroom and the floor was dirt, and their was no clean running water. But again, I must say they were all smiles and so friendly! That is all they know. The pictures do not even compare to seeing it up close. It was truly a self sufficient village growing their own crops and livestock. We would not even know where to start if faced with that situation. Their vegetables and fruit looked absolutely delicious, but of course, we could not eat with the fear of getting sick. I was happy to leave.

We did have a fun day with Mariah. She is opening up more each and every second. I can not even begin to tell you how much she giggles. If you just look at her funny, she just busts out laughing. She is a joy. We went back to the park again today, and we got her picture taken in traditional Guangxi style clothing. The pictures are beautiful. She loved to dress up. She is so girlie. Her and Marissa are going to be true best friends. She then got to jump on a trampoline bungee jump and I thought she would be afraid, but she was all for it. It was fun to see her so happy. She even let Chad kiss her a bunch today. She still clams up sometimes though, without warning. But it has only been 5 days. So she is doing remarkably well.

We have also had a blast with our travel group. We have all become friends and will probably try to get together and keep in touch. Our guide Jane is amazing, and her love for the children is so strong. She started to cry today when she was talking to the families about how we have changed the orphans future and they would not have a good life if we did not adopt them. Chad even teared up too! (Don't tell him I said that) I am going to miss her! Only Sunday and Monday left in Nanning, a city we have grown to love. Then it is 3 days in Guangzhou and then home!!!! I can't wait! I miss my kids!!!!! I can't wait for them to meet Mariah. I think once she is home, we will get to see her shine!!!!!! We are so truly blessed to have her as our little girl!

2009-03-27T09:19:00.002-04:00

2009-03-27T09:10:00.002-04:00

2009-03-27T08:50:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

A Brand New Day!

2009-03-27T08:16:00.003-04:00

We have had an amazing day today! We got up early (we usually wake up by 4 am anyways), and went to Green Mountain. It is a mountain park like setting. It was so beautiful. I can not express how gorgeous China is! The weather was very hot and humid today. It rained off and on but didn't matter because it was so warm.

Mariah had a fabulous day and is starting to open up alot, especially to Chad. She is still very hesitant to let him touch her, but they shared ice cream for dessert and she played with him all day. What a relief! She is so funny and laughs all the time. She knows how to write her ABC's which amazes me that they taught her so much about America. She even wrote 1 through 18 today on a piece of paper. She is totally ready for Kindergarten! She sings so many songs and is a such a performer. We are so blessed and she truly is going to fit in so perfectly with our family.

Tomorrow we get to visit a village about an hour away and see what the "Old China" is really like. No hustle and bustle! It should be lots of fun. We were told that Mariah was most likely from a village and not the city. She has physical characteristic known to villagers.

Well, I can't believe we have been gone for a week already. 7 more days and we will be on US soil! I will miss China though, for I have come to find that the Chinese people are kind, considerate and gracious. I will always have a spot in my heart for China and the culture.

Oh, we went back to the people's park today and saw a Chinese Man practicing with a Samurai Sword. It was so cool!

Stay tuned! More tomorrow! Oh, don't forget to leave a comment! I love reading them! We miss everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nanning Guangxi

2009-03-26T09:07:00.000-04:00

Having Fun in China!

2009-03-26T08:53:00.003-04:00

Today was not as good of a day for Mariah as yesterday. We had to wake up early and be in the lobby because it was Walmart day. I can not believe how excited I was about Walmart day! It seems that each time we go to the lobby and wait for the tour bus, something triggers in Mariah's mind about the day we met her and I instantly felt her hand in mine turn to a limp noodle. She was all tears and I don't know if she thinks we are taking her back, or wishes we would, but it would bring a grown man to his knees. It actually did!!! She was very quiet all day and really didn't communicate at all with me and most of all Chad. She gets very timid around him at times, which we were expecting, but today just seemed very hard for her. I think she woke up realizing this is forever and she needs to come to terms on her time. It is such a hard process that I can't even imagine going through at 5 years old. She is a brave little girl, that is all I can say. Oh, and did I mention she is very smart??? ha ha!! Only about a million times. But I can't help it, she is amazing. Today she wrote all her ABC's in English, and showed us some Chinese writing. She is so delicate with all her strokes and makes them perfect.

Back to the Walmart trip. It was very different to our Walmarts, and very huge. We were absolutely lost and there was so much stuff that we could not find alot of what we needed. But we let Mariah pick two outfits out, pink of course! Then we stocked up on Chinese DVD's and CD's. She watched a Barbie movie tonight and loved it. It is nice because she can understand it. We also got some interesting snacks for Ryan and Marissa to take to school for their classes. Both classes have been following our trip to China, which makes us feel very special. I miss the kids so much!

We also went to the People's Park about 8 blocks from our hotel. It is the most amazing park I have ever walked through. It is huge and beautiful with thousands of trees and flowers, birds, a lake. That is the place that we took the pictures of us on the rides yesterday. Today we just walked the park. We saw monkeys too! It was fun, but we did not get many smiles out of Mariah.

Well, we are hoping for a brighter day tomorrow for our little girl. It is all so unpredictable right now and until we get back home and into a routine, I don't truly think we will get to see her personality shine. All in good time!

I hope all is well with everyone back home. We miss you all and can't wait to be home in just one week! Wow is it going fast!

Love from China!
Mary

2009-03-25T09:07:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Daddy's little girl!

2009-03-25T05:33:00.001-04:00

Our Forever Princess!

2009-03-25T05:22:00.002-04:00

What a difference a day makes, and when prayers are answered. We have ourselves a happy, funny, goofy, singing, dancing, hugging, kissing, saying I love you daughter! It is truly a miracle, but Mariah went to sleep last night after what I can only imagine was the worse day of her life. She woke up a completely different person. She woke up Mariah Hecky.

We had to go back to the Civil Affair Office to finalize our adoption this morning. So we started our morning with a bubble bath, and of course the crown! When we got to the Civil Affairs Office to my dismay, Mariah had to see her caregiver once again, and we had to physically tell the Officials that yes, we indeed wanted to adopt her. (As if???) Once again, Mariah was completely devastated and I was so heartbroken, because she had woke up so happy. I thought we had lost her again, but by the time we got back to the hotel again, the tears had stopped and it was a complete transformation. It is a miracle, that is all I can say. A complete miracle!

Words can not describe how much we are in love with this little girl, and I can not even control the tears when I think of what our lives would be without her. We are truly privilege to have her as our daughter. She is the smartest 5 year old I have ever ever encountered. And she is mine!!!!!!! We get to watch her grow up, we get to watch her laugh every day, smile every day and we could not feel more blessed this very second. Thank you God!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you God!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have posted some videos and pictures and there is no doubt that you to will fall in love!

We are in love!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-25T02:24:00.001-04:00

2009-03-24T09:49:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Gotcha Day!

2009-03-24T09:04:00.002-04:00

Mariah is ours forever and ever! I just had the most happy and the most saddest day of my life! I witnessed a little girl's dream of having a forever family to love her come true, and I also witnessed the devastation and total heartbreak as she watched the only family she has ever know since the day she was found at Bus Station #7, say goodbye and walk away forever. I am emotionally and physically exhausted! Chad as well. The moment began as we waited for the officials to bring all the children in (there were 5 being adopted today). As soon as Miao Zhan (Mariah) walked in with her caregivers she gave me a hug and with the biggest surprise and the absolute sweetest voice you could ever hear, she sang Twinkle Twinkle little star in Chinese, then once finished, she began to sing it in English. The entire song she had memorized in both languages. Tears were streaming. We hugged and kissed and "talked" the best we could with help of the translators. She was so happy to finally meet us. Then the moment came where her caregivers needed to leave and that is when our daughter's heart was torn in two. I have never in my life witnessed such emotional pain. Tears upon tears streamed and streamed. I will never forget what agony she felt. The were all she knew and she loves them all. So Chad and I tried to calm her and she just kept saying a Chinese phrase over and over and over. After about 10 minutes, our guide happened to hear her and said she needed to go potty. Poor thing! She just needed to pee! Once that was over with, she quit crying. But as we left the Civil Affairs building I watched as she looked up at the giant building just waiting for them to come back and get her. I lost it. She is in complete mourning. Once we got back to our hotel room she was great! She was so excited to see all the toys and stuff I brought. I had the pleasure of a manicure with finger nail polish and half of my toes polished. I got a makeover with lots of lipstick and we were totally making progress. We had to go down to the lobby for some paperwork, and once down there, she was completely overwhelmed and just started bawling and these tears did not stop for 2 hours. We just sat in our room, I held her and she just cried and cried. We had to order a transformer for our room so our computer would work, so when the lady brought it to us, she could hear Mariah crying and talking in Chinese. She left, but a few seconds later, she knocked on the door and when Chad opened it she leaned in and said "She is telling you she is hungry!" OK, so we are the worst parents ever!!!!!!! I am definitely going to have to work on my Chinese! We immediately ordered room service, chicken congee and she gulped it right up! Then I busted out the play dough and we played that for a while. Then she got up and took her shoes off, as if to say, well I guess I am not going home, I might as well stay. I decided to get her PJ's on and I let her pick them out, and when I packed I also packed a ballet leotard in case she wanted to dance. Well, she quickly chose the ballet outfit to where and that is how she fell asleep, wearing ballet clothes and a princess crown. And she is still asleep!

Please pray for our little princess. She is grieving a huge loss, her entire past life. We knew this would happen, but nothing can prepare you for the devastation a child feels when their entire world is gone. She does not understand. I know tomorrow brings better, and we are open for what may come! We love this little girl so much. She is so smart. She knows how to write most of the English ABC's. Her drawings are unreal for a 5 year old It was so "funny" but she took out a maker, and some paper and drew the cutest little Asian person, but in the end she put a frown on her face. It broke my heart. I took the marker and changed it to a smile.

Thank you for your prayers and I will keep you posted.

Love,
Mary

2009-03-23T09:46:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Crazy Day in Beijing!

2009-03-23T08:46:00.003-04:00

Today started early with an orientation with our adoption agency. It was a meeting to let us know what was going to happen and when. Lots of information and we got 4 new pictures of Mariah! She gets sweeter and sweeter every time we see her!

Then it was off to Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City. It was an amazing tour! We had so much fun learning about Chinese Culture and history. I am sad that we are leaving Beijing, but so excited that we get Mariah tomorrow!!! YEAH!!!

After we got back from our tour, we met our group and went to, PIZZA HUT! It was so yummy!!!! After 3 days of Chinese food, it was nice to eat a piece of home! Our group is so great and we just had so much fun! We walked the Night Market and that is in a world of it's own. People were selling sea horses, squid, pork balls, fried kidneys, you name it they had it!!! It smelled so bad!!!

Well, sorry to make this short, but I have to pack. We have to be down in the lobby at 5:30 am. So hopefully I can put my excitement behind and get some sleep!!!

MARIAH HERE WE COME!!!

Love,
Mary

PS: I miss you Ryan, Marissa and Mya! Daddy says he loves you!

2009-03-22T06:38:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Our Day In Beijing!

2009-03-22T06:05:00.002-04:00

We have had an amazing first day in Beijing. We left this morning at 8:30 and got back to the hotel at 5:30. We traveled to the Great Wall of China which is absolutely stunning! We climbed up quite far, but I am horribly afraid of heights, and there were so many people I was starting to panic. It was unforgettable though! The people here are so amazing and very kind to us. I had two ladies ask me to take their pictures with them at the Great Wall. I am not sure if it my blonde hair, or they know I am a foreigner. The one lady held my hand in the picture! It was fun! Then we got to take a tour of the "real life" living in China. Hutong Lane is a residential area surrounded by buildings and to say the least, I will thank God for our home every single day of my life. We actually got to go inside a house which is literally a one room flat. It was very small, and usually would live a family of 3. A lady who lives in the home paints bottles from the inside, and are beautiful. I got Mariah one, and she painted her Chinese name on the inside. It is gorgeous! We also got to ride in a rickshaw too, which is a bike with two seats and a driver. That was great! Poor guy!! We also got to go and see ladies making vases from copper. It takes one month to complete one. The craftmanship is exquisite!

We are really having the time of our lives. It is such a blessing that Chad and I can share this time together. It has been a long time coming! We have NEVER experience anything like this together and the best is yet to come! ON TUESDAY!!! We have a great group here and have gotten to meet lots of new friends! They all have been so much fun!!!! Tomorrow we get to go the Tinnamen Square and The Forbidden City! Busy busy busy! I am exhausted! We are going to go get dinner and they call it a night!

We miss everyone and will post more tomorrow!!!!!

Love,
Mary

We are in China!!!!

2009-03-21T09:25:00.002-04:00

Ni Hao!!!!! We have made it to China! After almost 20 hours of traveling we have finally stepped on Chinese ground. The flights were pretty uneventful. Actually, I must have to say it was fabulous. Chad and I saved our points to buy our tickets and we actually had enough to fly First Class to China! It was like a dream. We feel like we are on our Honeymoon we never got to take! First off when we arrived in Newark for our connecting flight, we were shown to the Continental Presidential Club! Oh, that was awesome! We literally had our own private room where we hung out and read books and talked until our international flight boarded. We were literally in row 1 of the entire plane. ROW 1!!!! It was awesome. We were treated like royalty! We ate more food on our flight then we did all of last week. We had Veal!!! On a plane!!! Cheesecake, ice cream, fresh fruit! Non stop beverages. I had a few Mimosa's!!!! They literally would wake you up to feed you more! We even turned down some snacks cause we were so full!!! It was definitely a moment we will cherish! It was a blast!

Then we arrived in Beijing, which is just an amazing city! Hustle and Bustle!!! We had our guide Thomas waiting as we got our luggage and we boarded in a mini van with another family who our adopting a 2 year old girl. They have a little boy now, who is traveling with them! He is so cute! Anyways, Chad was in awe just looking at the buildings, the traffic. Most of you would not know, but the "lucky" few who have traveled with Chad in the past know he is a City Scape Fanatic! He looked like a kid in the candy store! He just keeps staring out our window at the hotel and taking it all in! I am so happy we could share this together. It has been so special already, I can't imagine us having the memory of seeing Mariah. I swear he is going to cry!

Our hotel is gorgeous! We are on the 12th floor! YIKES!! But we have a great view of the city and all the crazy traffic and people. You just have to be here to believe the things we see as people drive and pedestrians try to walk. It is organized chaos!

I got to meet my friend Angela. She is the lady who helped me send Mariah's packages! She has been such a wonderful support to me these past 8 months and I was so blessed to finally meet her face to face and give her a hug! She drove an hour to our hotel so we could meet. She is so sweet! Such a wonderful warrior for the Lord and the passion she has for the orphans in China! I will cherish our meeting!

OK, I miss the kids so much! I started crying at the airport in Cleveland. Ryan sent us a text that he loves us and I just started to cry! They have all given up so much to make this happen! Then I started crying on our flight to China, knowing it will be 2 weeks before I see them is heart wrenching! If I even think about it for a moment, I just start crying. But then I think about after 2 more days, I will get to hold our daughter Mariah and it will make this trip all worth it and more! So I just wanted to say thank you so much especially to my mom and dad! Thank you for watching our kids so we can do this! I know when we first announced that we were adopting again over a year ago, they both were the first to say, how can we help! I don't think they realized that they would be helping out for 2 weeks!!! ha ha!! But when other's questioned our reasons, they both have been so happy and helpful from the start! And to Ryan and Marissa and little Mya Min, we love you so much, if hugs could reach across the world, I would squeeze you right now!

I will post some pictures tomorrow and information on our tour. We will be gone most of the day!

Thank you all for your prayers!!!

Mary and Chad

We leave in one day!!!!

2009-03-18T21:01:00.003-04:00

Excitement, anticipation, fear, happiness, love, you name it, we are feeling it! And we only have one more day until we are on our way. I figured I'd better send a quick message since tomorrow will probably be total chaos with all last minute events! We will leave our house about 4 a.m. on Friday and be on a plane by 7:30! Thank you all for your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for my family, especially my 3 children Ryan, Marissa and Mya. I don't think they quite realize that they won't see us for 2 weeks. It might not seem that long, but when a family is used to their routine and something changes it abruptly, there are bound to be unhappiness and tears. That is my biggest fear. We get to experience it all, they get to wait still, for two more weeks! They have been just as big prayer warriors as anybody, and I feel they might be at their end of "Come on already" too! I can't even describe that I miss them already, but I do!

I will miss all of you!!! I think back this past year, deciding to adopt again, all the appointments, the awesome friends and family that helped us, the Chili Cook off, the Yard Sale, The Sub Sale. Each and every one of you will always have a part in our family. You helped us complete it! Can you believe now looking back, "Where did this year go?"

Hopefully once we all get settled, I can get back to what I like doing most. Spending every waking second with my family and friends! Helping when ever needed and having special visits. I feel like I have been a little secluded in my own misery, so to speak and it is a tremendous feeling to finally see our happy ending!

Well, I will try to update my blog daily, and please, please, please leave us a comment! I need your words of encouragement. I am not a great traveler and I tend to miss home the second I get to my destination. Even if it a weekend get away! There is no place like home and even though I am going to try to cherish every moment in China, I know my heart will ache for my home!

We love you all!!!! God Bless!!!

Love,
Mary

10 days to go! But who's counting?

2009-03-09T12:56:00.002-04:00

I can't believe that we leave in 10 days! It doesn't seem possible. We are so excited that words can not even explain. Our flights are booked, our trip is planned and in exactly 2 weeks, we will finally lay eyes on our little girl. I can finally give her a hug and never never never let her go. Wow, we have missed out on so much already, and that can drive a person crazy thinking about time gone by. Her future is in our hands and we intend to love her and cherish her every second of her life. Her dreams are now our dreams and we feel so blessed, so overjoyed that we have the honor of taking her into our family. Thank you God!!!!! If I could hug God right this second I would. A big old giant God Hug!!!! Thank you God for all that you have given me. An amazing husband, the love of my life! An awesome son, so caring and selfless! The sweetest daughter ever, so tenderhearted and would do anything for anybody. The biggest miracle that we could have ever asked for, our Mya Min who adds overflowing joy to every second of every day. And now Mariah, who even though we have never met, has already a special place in our family, just waiting to start our forever memories. Life is good!

Travel Plans and dates!

2009-02-27T08:21:00.003-05:00

I can't even believe that I am finally writing that our tickets are booked!!! I honestly don't think I have ever been more excited in my whole life. Of course, each of my children were special in the way they came into our family. But the anticipation and waiting for this to happen and the fact that Chad and I get to experience it together is surreal! I had Angela from ladybugsnlove send a letter and a dress to Mariah. She will get it Monday or Tuesday. I just wanted Mariah to know that we were coming, her family was finally coming! Hopefully I will get a few pictures this week too!

So here is our plans:

We leave Friday March 20th at 7:30 am from Cleveland
We arrive in Newark for our connecting flight and arrive in Beijing Saturday (time difference) at 2:00 p.m.

Saturday March 21st we will probably just try to adjust to the time change.

Sunday March 22nd Great Wall Tour

Monday March 23rd we meet with other Holt families and attend a seminar.

Tuesday March 24th we leave early in the morning for Nanning, where we will finally be united with Mariah Zhan Hecky. (AMAZING!)

Wednesday 25th, Thursday 26th, Friday 27th, Saturday 28th, Sunday 29th we will remain in Nanning

Monday March 30th we leave Nanning and go to Guangzhou

Tuesday March 31st Guangzhou

Wednesday April 1st (MYA's Gotcha Day 2 years ago) U.S. Consulate Visa Appointment

Thursday April 2nd Visa Issued
Take Late Train to Hong Kong

Friday April 3rd Leave for Home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We leave Hong Kong at 10:25 a.m. and return in Cleveland at 5:52 p.m.!!!!!

The way the the Lord worked His timing is just so incredible to me. This is the same exact week that I traveled to get Mya two years ago!!!! Sadly, I won't be with Mya to celebrate her 2nd Gotcha Anniversary, but there will be plenty of celebrating when we get home!

We are going to China!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Travel Approval!!

2009-02-23T22:24:00.002-05:00

"You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Luke 12:40 (One of my best friends read this verse when I called her to tell her our good news)

I was hoping to get the good news today, but after 1 o'clock went by, and I received an email from our agency that they had not seen it come through, my heart accepted the fact that maybe it would come tomorrow. I went about my afternoon. Well, about 3:30, I was talking to my sister on the phone and just started checking my email when I saw a message from Holt. I really wasn't paying attention because I was talking to my sister, but I was reading the message to myself and it didn't hit me until I read "We have your TA". I started screaming and crying. My kids came running, my sister was trying to find out what was wrong. "We got it! We got it! Mariah is coming home!" The Son of Man, our Lord came at an hour when I did not expect Him! Thank you Lord.

And at the grace of our Father's hand, it is perfect timing, of course. We will be going March 20th, and be home April 3. The amazing part of that is Ryan and Marissa start spring break April 3! So two weeks of all my kids together, my family together, celebrating the most special of Holiday, the day our King arose again! Wow! Easter is so significant in every day life, that sometimes we take for granted. Its a new life for Mariah, a new life for our family and we will have two weeks to bond and snuggle and laugh all together! What a great homecoming that will be! Praise God! Thank you!!!

Please pray for an safe trip for my husband and I. It is never easy leaving your kids, sometimes for even a dinner out. But 14 days is going to be so hard on us, on the kids, on my parents(ha ha). Pray for Mariah who is about to leave everything she has ever known, her caregivers, her foster family, her friends, her country. We will bring her here where the people are different, the smells are different, the tastes are different, the weather is different, sounds are different. What a long journey she will have, but she will be so cherished that we are hoping the transition will go smoothly. Keep her in your daily thoughts!

Well, stay tuned....... There will be plenty more to come!!!!

Thanks for all your love and support!

Our little butterfly!

2009-01-30T10:59:00.003-05:00

I decided to take a moment and reflect on the past 8 months when we saw for the first time our little waiting angel. None can fathom that she waited on this list for months, a few inquiries for interested families but the stigma of adopting a older child weighing heavy on their ultimate decision. The decision that would change our lives forever! Almost 8 months to the day, she became our forever daughter in our hearts! Even though the journey has been long and trying, one thing is for sure, there has never been one regret! And as we anticpate travel (PlEASE GOD) I started to think of Mariah as a butterfly. A beautiful butterfly!

You see, when I think of a butterfly, I think of a caterpillar traveling long distances, miles to find the perfect spot to make it's cacoon. Then it wraps itself up tightly, into a small enclosure changing inside and out while the earth awaits to see it break out and fly away brilliantly marked and spreading its wings! Mariah is my little butterfly in her cacoon, waiting, growing, changing with the whole world at her wings! Waiting for her mom and dad to hold her and help her fly to the unknowns, her new family, her new world, her new life. Our precious butterfly, Mariah! Spread your wings and fly!

Our little butterfly!

2009-01-30T10:57:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Be Careful what you pray for!

2009-01-24T22:23:00.002-05:00

I don't look at the calendar these days. I can't bear too! It is not fun to wish the month away, because you do have 3 other children and its like wishing their time goes by too! It is such a unexplainable emotion, but I will try the best to do so. Anyways, I do believe that through this whole year of adopting, this month it has really gotten to me! Although I actually left my house and had a wonderful much needed lunch with my wonderful friend Lena on Friday! But it has been weeks of getting in bed and a small voice in my head saying "Oh good, another day down." Sad sad feeling it is. So I started to pray for distractions. Something to keep me occupied, my mind off of well, the time. My distractions have been as such. We had the holidays, which truly saved me. We were so busy with family and friends. Oh and then there were the illnesses that plagued us all. That got me through November and December. But January has drug on and on and on.

So that left me praying for distractions! I couldn't anticipate what the Lord would do, good or bad but I knew my prayers would be answered. Well, I got distraction number one on Thursday afternoon. I will need to back up a few months ago when we visited Shriner's Hospital in Cincinnati to see if they would be willing to do a little reconstructive surgery on little Mya Min's ears. Both of her ears have a slight deformity that we decided would be best to take care of at age two then wait till she was older. Of course our insurance turned it down, deeming it cosmetic, but Shriner's which is a total volunteer hospital stepped up to the plate and offered their time and skill. When we went for the consultation we were told earliest would be June of '09. That would be ideal for us anyways knowing the months ahead would be taken up with bringing home Mariah. Well, I received a phone call that Mya needs to check into Shriner's on Sunday February 1st and will be there for 3 days. WHAT??? Take a deep breath! Distraction #1! How can I possibly fit being away from the comforts of my self inflicted self pity for 3 days? OK, that is 3 days that I will be completely distracted by caring for precious Mya and thinking of nothing else!

Distraction #2 came last night when I got a call from my sister (you know when your laying in bed and the phone rings and your heart pounds because you just feel that something is wrong) saying that Marissa (she was staying for a sleepover) had gotten bit by their dog (it was 11:30 pm) and she wanted her mommy! I flew there to find a pretty deep scratch across her lip and top of her lip. I completely panicked! All the visions of my beauty on her prom day, on her wedding day trying to cover up this slash mark. It is funny what crosses your mind in dire situations. Wedding day? She is 8! I knew that I needed to take her and have it looked at, so off to Akron Children's Hospital at Midnight where she received the most wonderful care! The first doctor explained that they usually do not close dog bites because of the bacteria and the way it looked, was the way it would scar. I said a silent prayer! Then an older doctor came in and looked at her and said "Well, if she was a son, most parents would say "battle wound", it comes with the territory but this is your daughter and I don't want to mess up her super model career." He explained that if left untouched the gash would definitely scar at the current state, but if we did use stitches the odds of infection were slim, and we could minimize the scarring greatly. So stitches it was! We finally got home around 3 am and Marissa woke up with a lip the size of a golf ball. But considering what could have been, my little prayer was answered. It was so nice to turn my complete undivided attention to my little girl Marissa. Nothing entered my mind for those hours except her and holding her little hand telling her how beautiful she was!

So I humbly walk away from my "distractions" realizing what God was whispering in my ear this whole time of my sulking episodes. "Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10. He is God, He knows what He is doing! So finally out of my own selfishness I am at peace! Finally Lord I am giving it to you! It is like a weight lifted off my shoulders and for once in over 12 months of the adoption roller coaster I am at peace. I feel so at peace with my true distractions, my impatience and anticipation. And I give it to you Lord! Thank you for opening my eyes!

Distraction #3 comes on February 14th. Ryan is having his 13th Birthday party at our house with 15, 7th graders. He turns 13 on February 26th, but we were running the risk of being in China, so we are having the party a little early. I still can't believe he is 13. My little baby boy. Only if time could be still............. (Do you see my state of mind?)

Anyways, my prayer now is for no more distractions!

The Lord, Life's Lessons and Love!

2009-01-09T09:26:00.003-05:00

Last night as I was going to bed it hit me! In about 6 weeks I am going to have 4 kids! 4 KIDS! Who would have thought over twenty years ago, two kids themselves, one in the marching band, the other a cheerleader, no path planned, just in love would three years later get married and enjoy Sixteen years of countless blessings which included giving birth to two amazing children and then have the privilege of being hand selected from our Creator to care for two of His children. What an honor!

But as I went to bed last night I thought about Ryan and Marissa. I actually went into Marissa's bed and snuggled up and we slept in a big bear hug. Here are these two great kids that have opened their hearts once again to a new sibling, with so much excitement and love to give, knowing full well that there goes more of mommy's time, more of "Wait a minute", more of "I can't right now"! But they want to give so much to Mya and Mariah, it just some how comes natural. Love, that's the only way to explain it. It really hit me when I walked into our bedroom last night and laying in our giant king bed was my husband sound asleep nestled beside him was a little black haired sleeping beauty tucked in his arms where only two years prior a little Blonde sleeping beauty would have laid. Of course there are many of nights where I am literally hanging off the edge of the bed because both sleeping beauties are sprawled about our bed. But for some reason last night really tugged at my heart that Ryan and Marissa would so willingly give up their time, their "bed space" their mommy and daddy time, knowing full well that what is gained is far better! They have such big hearts and I thank the Lord every day! They are already talking about a little brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have carried two children in my womb and I have almost completed the adoption process twice, and I sit here asking myself which one was far more emotional. They each have there moments, first you try and try (actually years) to become pregnant, there is that moment when you find out your pregnant and there is an instant joy and then a second later, fear sets in. You do everything in your power to not stretch too far, not use chemicals, not sweep (OK, maybe that is a myth, but it sure was nice to have my husband sweep for 9 months!) don't eat that, don't drink that. Oh, and lets talk a little about labor. I don't know how woman give birth with no meds! I salute you, because it is horrifying. Hours of pain that is unexplainable, indescribable. Oh, wait after 20 hours of labor now a csection. Great! Then there are the sleepless newborn nights, the colic, the poop, the endless loads of laundry. But in the scheme of things, deep down you know that you are going to have a baby that has been monitored for 9 months that will instantly come out and you will bond and love the child and they will love you. Its only natural right?

Adoption on the other hand is a hurry and wait tug of war. The paperwork is endless. There is the social worker appointments, the physical appointments, the fingerprint appointments. Drive here, notarize this, authenticate this, fedex this. And the $$$, lets not even go there. Then one fine day you see her!, not by mistake or chance, but God's will and you look at that one list of many out there with thousands of waiting children. You see the beautiful pictures of your child who has been living across the world for years and you fall instantly in love. But wait, don't get too excited, there are two other families that have fallen in love with her too! You must wait until a committee says yes, they have chosen you to be the parents. That wait took 6 weeks. Longest six weeks of my life, but I don't know how I would have handled it had the outcome been different. I think about those other families all the time and wonder if they had found their child. Back to the paperchase! You at this point have compiled a giant stack of personal, medical and other forms that make no sense, you have made 300 copies and one day 2 months later you finally get to send your papers to another country where they then determine if you can parent this child. That wait last 3 months. Then that call comes where you are "approved" to parent your child. But don't jump on a plane quite yet, now you need to wait until they tell you to come. That wait will last another month.

And then there are the unknowns. Will she like us. Will she hate us. Will she be so devastated by grief that she never lets us into her special place in her heart? Is there any underlying illness left undiscovered that when we get her home and become a family, it sneaks its dirty little head out and she becomes ill. What if she is nothing like her files described, the full of life, ready smiled funny little girl that we have been picturing for months. How will we communicated, she speaks Cantonese? What if she grows to hate us, to spite us? It is endless and can drive a person nuts if they sat and dwelled on it. Everyone who has adopted knows about every one of these feelings and experiences. And before you know it, a year of your life has past.

So whether or not you give birth or adopt, they each have there stressful, scary, unpredictable moments and when the moment finally arrives of holding your child, all the fears disappear and the past year of being pregnant or chasing papers seems to be a distant memory. One is physical pain through labor the other is emotional pain through the wait. So I am voting they are equal in the pains of emotions, unknowns and they both are equal in love, joy and happiness. Because in the end it all comes down to building a family and sharing your life with a child and teaching them about the Lord, life's lessons and love. What else can be better?

We have our LOA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-01-06T18:53:00.004-05:00

Most of you won't understand what this means, but those who have adopted from China are doing the Hallalujeuah Dance!!!! We got the call that we have been waiting since June 3, 2008 the day we saw Mariah on the waiting child list. LOA means that China has officially said that she is ours, they have gone through our paperwork and have sent a Letter of Approval saying we can come get her. Now we just wait for our Travel Approval which can be a week to 4 weeks and that is when we find out the date we are allowed to go to China. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!! I am in the clouds right now with joy and we are just steps from having our little girl home!!!! It just finally seems real now and I am more excited than ever if that is even possible.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they can not fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV

New Pictures of Mariah!

2008-12-13T22:29:00.002-05:00

We could not have gotten a better Christmas Present. Well, maybe a travel assignment, but pictures are the next best thing. We sent a care package to Mariah's orphanage a few weeks ago and we just received 13 pictures of our little angel. She seems so happy and loved it makes us feel so blessed that she is being taken care of so well! We sent here an outfit with tinkerbelle on it, she is wearing it in the pictures. Marissa made her a photo frame that we put Ryan, Marissa and Mya in and Marissa also made her a crown. The pictures are much better in real life, for I have to crop the other people out.

We also sent some items for the orphanage which included crafts and the caretakers sent the most heart warming pictures of the excited children doing the crafts. I of course could not post all the children, but take my word for it, it was so amazing to see how happy the simple things make a group of children. They were so grateful! I cried to see such joy!

Oh, how my heart longs for our little girl. I truly think of nothing else! I open my eyes, I see her. I close my eyes, there she is again. I fall asleep, we meet there too! I wish God's timing would hurry up and get here!!!! But until then, my heart grows more in love with a smiling, sweet, precious little girl that was destined by faith to be my little girl!

Merry Christmas to all and I will post as soon as we have a travel date which grows closer every day!

The best Christmas present ever!

2008-12-13T22:22:00.003-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

2008-11-18T21:22:00.000-05:00

Two Years Ago Today!!!!

2008-11-18T21:00:00.004-05:00

Our family is celebrating today! It has been 2 years that we saw Min-Hsuan Chen AKA Mya Min Hecky's pictures! We knew that they were coming by Fed Ex and we waited literally all day by the door on a Saturday until the Fed Ex man delivered the package. Our lives were literally changed that day. My husband lost his heart to another girl, once again and we were madly in love with a 4 month old baby that had the darkest eyes and crazy black hair that stood straight to the sky! We stared at her picture for hours and that was the day that we finally realized blood or biology has zero effect on family, children and siblings. Love is all you need. As I watched my husband hold her picture to his heart and fall asleep I knew that I was so blessed to have given birth to two amazing children, but I was triple blessed by the honor that God had chosen us, Chad and Mary to parent this little angel with the sweet smile! Wow! Thank you Lord! This was the moment that God finally made sense of our journeys and paths in life, good and bad, bliss and troubles! We are just extremely blessed!

Now as far as Mya, she is wonderful! She is hilarious, strong willed, amazingly intelligent (She just turned two and knows all her colors and shapes!) She has the most wonderful personality, is faster than a speeding bullet and can climb and I mean climb anything! She is tiring in a wonderful but tiring way! My day goes fast and by time it is night night I am exhausted, but the second I hear her say "Mom" in the morning I can't wait to get up the stairs to grab her and hug her! Chad and Mya have the most awesome bond. She makes him melt like butter and she knows how to spread it too! Ryan and Marissa love her so much and they both just opened their hearts the second they say her, two years ago today and the love is still growing!

We love you Mya!!!!!! Thank you God for your blessings and thank you for our beautiful daughter Mya Min Hecky!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIAH!!!!!

2008-10-15T06:19:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to wish our beautiful daughter Mariah a Happy 5th Birthday!!! The last Birthday she will ever have to spend without her family. I hope she knows we are thinking of her and celebrating the day she was born!!!!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear Mariah!
Happy Birthday to you!
(and many more!)

We love you!

We are having a cake tonight and I got her a gift that I will put away until we are together!

2008-09-28T17:37:00.000-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

New Pictures of Mariah!

2008-09-28T16:55:00.003-04:00

Today at church we sang the song "Whole World in His Hands" by Tim Hughes (I think)? It truly made me think that we all see the world so big, this big Earth we live on. I feel so far away from our little girl. Thousands and Thousands of miles away, but when you truly think how enormous, giant, even gargantuan (is that a word?) that God is, and how everything is in His hands, it makes the world smaller, and Mariah doesn't seem that far away! It's not miles that keep us apart, its time, and its in His time. He has the whole world in his hands. So I prayed about this during service and I am no longer going to think how far apart we are, I am going to pray for the moment that I finally get to hold her when we finally become a forever family. It truly brought peace to my heart.

Well, then when we got home I checked my email and to my surprise was 10 pictures of our beautiful girl, smiling as usual, just as in love with us, as we are her! She had gotten the package that we sent her. She is wearing the dresses we sent and holding the Build A Bear that we made. She is so precious, I don't have words to even explain! Thank you God for answering my prayers!

All in His Timing!!!

2008-09-19T22:08:00.002-04:00

All I can say is Praise God!!!!! Our Dossier (aka: Giant stack of adoption papers) is finally out of my hands and on its way to our agency. So it will be headed for China in exactly one week!!!! And I say "finally" because we had to send our paperwork to Washington DC to be authenticated and there was one paper that the Chinese Embassy was not accepting because it had the word "Taiwan" which we were adopting from the beginning. You see Taiwan is really People's Republic of China and so they were not willing to authenticate it until the Taiwan was removed. So it took 3 changes before we finally got it right which took a trip to USCIS Federal Building in Cleveland and 3 trips to Columbus in 10 days, and today we got the call from our amazing courier service (I love you Tenisha) that the document was finally authenticated and off it went!!!! It really backed our paperwork up about 3 weeks!!!! I have never felt so distracted and out of control in my whole life. But in the end God's timing proves true when I know that the delays were for a reason and now we are one giant step closer to holding our little girl.

It is amazing how you can miss and love someone so much even someone that you have never have gotten to touch her hair, wipe a tear, or steal a sweet kiss. Someone who has captured your heart with just one picture. And with each new picture you see you love her millions times more. The one who cried when she found out she had a family. Like her dreams came true. If only she knew she is our dream come true. Our little Mariah. Soon little one, soon!!!!!!

What more can a mother ask for?

2008-08-29T08:33:00.002-04:00

I don't post often about my son Ryan. Since we are so focused on the adoption process, I tend to use this blog for that reason. I had to share what my son wrote for a "Bio Poem" at school the other day. You see, this is the first year that we put Ryan into the public school. He has been at a smaller Christian School since Kindergarten and he really felt led to spread his wings this year and wanted to start Middle School in 7th grade! We were hesitant, but with a paper like this, we know where his heart is and we could not be prouder to have him as a son! He is the best big brother, watches Mya when ever needed, without complaining. Never hesitates to change a poo-poo diaper and recently learned how to make Mac N Cheese! But this Poem touched my heart and I will remember it forever. So even though he is now attending the Public School, he is not afraid to say what he believes:

RYAN
FUN, MUSICAL,FAITHFUL
SON OF CHAD AND MARY
LOVER OF GUITAR, FAMILY AND GOD
WHO FEELS LOVED, ENCOURAGED, AND LOVED BY
GOD
WHO NEEDS JESUS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS
WHO GIVES ENCOURAGEMENT, HAPPINESS AND A
SMILE
WHO FEARS GOD, SPIDERS, AND BEING ALONE
WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE GERMANY,
THE EIFFEL TOWER, AND AUSTRALIA
RESIDENT OF HARTVILLE, OHIO
HECKY

He could not understand why I was crying after I read this. They were tears of joy!

Raffle Extended!

2008-08-27T19:07:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we have extended the raffle for another month. There are a few people that I have not been able to get with to get their money for the tickets they sold to people. And quite a few people that still wanted to get tickets and they just ran out of time. So we will do it for one more month and that will be it! I am going to do another chip in and it will give the closing date!

We are also doing a Lasagna Dinner sale, so if anyone is interested in purchasing a lasagna let me know! YUMMY!!!!!!

2008-08-21T19:38:00.000-04:00

Colorful Blessings!!!!!!

2008-08-21T19:22:00.002-04:00

Well, today was the day that I had not been looking forward too since the beginning of our China Adoption. State Certification!!! I left the house at 8:00 with my lovely friend Lena (thanks for going), and we drove to Columbus to have each one of our documents State Certified so they could be sent to Washington! It was a little over 2 hours to get there. We get down town and was not sure where the State Building was located. We knew the address, so we decided to park and walk. After walking about 4 city blocks we found our destination and waited for the process to be over. We then found out where the nearest FEDEX was located, so I could just send them to our courier in Washington. So we walked about 10 city blocks. Did I mention it was 92 degrees!!!! So we found FEDEX, was in there about 45 minutes and then journeyed back to the parking garage. Well, we couldn't find it!!! After walking aimlessly for about an hour asking everyone we could find if the knew where the StateHouse Parking Deck and no one seemed to know what we were talking about! So finally we found it and away we went! We did enjoy a wonderful lunch and a little shopping, but it was a very long day!!!!!! Driving back seemed even longer!!!!

So I get home and check my email and to my surprise I get an email from Angela, the lady in China who had sent Mariah her carepackage. She writes: I am so excited to hear from your daughter. She sent you a picture! What a wonderful job she has done! You must be very proud of her! On the picture is says "To Daddy and Mommy" August 11, 2008. Wu, Miao Zhan. (her chinese name)

My heart just skipped a beat! She had colored us a picture and sent it to Angela to give to us!!!!!! I can't even believe how much we love this little girl!!!!! And it is now obvious that she loves us!!!!! She is so talented for a 4 year old!!!!! It is the most beautiful picture I have ever seen!!!!!!!

So even though this day was spent doing the "tedious" tasks of paperwork I was so blessed to see this love letter from our daughter!!! Thank you God!!!!! I needed that!

Mariah honey, thank you so much!!! We love you more than words can say!!!!

2008-08-14T20:40:00.002-04:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

We are so blessed! Updates on Mariah!

2008-08-14T19:04:00.003-04:00

We had the biggest surprise sent to us today! 11 pictures of our precious daughter and the most beautiful letter written from her orphanage. In our last post I wrote about a lady in China who sends care packages and letters to the children from their adoptive families. Well, our package that we purchased included a cake delivered to her orphanage, two cameras and a photo album! We also sent a doll and some treats for the caregivers and Mariah's foster family. I honestly thought it would be weeks before we got anything back as far as a response especially since the Olympics were happening. To my surprise, Kelly from http://www.ladybugsnlove.com/ called me today and said, "Did you get the pictures emailed to you?" I said, no!?! "Well, there are a whole bunch of pictures and a letter, but the file is so large it probably would not go through." So she mailed them one by one until I got them all! Another afternoon sitting smiling and crying. It is such a strange emotion!!! Happiness that we have the most beautiful daughter, and a tad of sadness that she is thousands of miles away!

I will share the pictures of her by herself with the cake that Angela had arranged for the orphanage. There are several pictures of her with the other children, but I won't publish those!

I do have to say that the orphanage, caregivers and the other children are just gorgeous! There is love in that place and it shines! Which I know alot of you are aware that is not always the case! The letter that was sent was also just beautifully written and you can feel the love these ladies share for our little girl!

I will tell you excerpts, but it was so touching and priceless! I just feel so overwhelmed and blessed! Mya was so lucky to be at St. Lucy's Center in Taiwan with the most caring wonderful women to care for her until we were able to get her! And that was our biggest prayer for Mariah, and there is no doubt that she is loved, hugged daily and cherished! Not to mention everything since the second we saw her until now that has been God's hand guiding every detail into its place! First off, we did not have to do the new I800 form which went into effect April 1, 2008 for the Hague rules, which are new laws put in place to protect children worldwide. Well, this form is taking families months to get approved and some have even lost their referrals. We were grandfathered in with our Taiwan form, so lots of blessings there! Then we find a wonderful homestudy agency because we had to redo our entire homestudy to reflect China's rules and not Taiwan. The ladies there were absolutely the best and we had our homestudy completed and in hand in record time! Also, not many people know, but Chad and I were married in Niagara Falls Canada, so what this meant was I had to order a new marriage certificate, then come to find out we have to have it authenticated in Ottawa, Canada! When I called the embassy in Canada they said it could take 4-6 weeks for authenticating! Then we called a friend of Ryan's who their family lives in Toronto and asked if they happened to know anyone in Ottawa? Just so happens he had a friend and I was able to overnight our certificate to Tony (thanks Tony), he walked it into the building, had it authenticated, turned around and overnighted it back to me. I had it done in 3 days! Just everything has fallen exactly where needed and we just feel so humble and blessed! We also have found the best adoption agency with Holt Intl.! They are excellent and I will recommend them to everyone!

OK, so here are parts of the precious letter: Enjoy!

Dear Miao's daddy and mommy,

We have received the care package on August 8, 2008 (It's the Olympic Opening Day). Miao was so happy that she jumped up. Her eyes were teary when she was opening the care package.........Do you know, she misses you very much. She has been waiting to hearing from you, and now she finally got a care package from you.............Today, the foster mom told me Miao has been very well behaved......and she is reading English in real earnest.........Thank you very much. Please set your heart at rest, we will do our best to educate your daughter when she is here. She will grow healthily..........We just got her cake this afternoon. We wish her future life will be as sweet as this cake. Thank you for everything! Wish you the best!

Wow!!! Can you even believe what an amazing letter that will be cherished forever??? She is reading in English??? She is missing us? People she has never even met? She loves us already!!
And we love her!!!! There caregivers seem amazing and so loving. It is truly a miracle. Everything from the second we saw her has been fate, completely meant to be, all in His Hands!

Amazing Raffle!!!!

2008-07-28T07:48:00.005-04:00

Well, since paperwork and summer with 3 children has now consumed my life and the yard sales have been put on hold indefinitely, I have decided to raffle off possessions that truly have minimal meaning to me when compared to a little girl waiting for her family 10,000 miles away! It is such an amazing feeling when put into perspective what really matters in life, and although 5 years ago, this set that was given to me by my amazing husband was such a thoughtful gift, we are in such a different place right now that material objects tend to pull at your guilt strings! And when I realize that what sits in my jewelry box could pay for our adoption, yes the memories of the day that my husband gave me the gifts will last forever, but the best memory I will have is how it then helped bring our daughter home! I guess you could call it a long term investment!!!!

So here is your chance to win a beautiful sapphire jewelry set that I sadly only wore the day he gave it to me! It was all purchased a Jared's (Yes, he went to Jared's) for over $1000!!! There is a beautiful sapphire ring with diamonds on each side, a gorgeous bracelet with blue sapphires and diamonds, dangle earrings that have diamonds going down and then a teardrop shape sapphire and the pendant is the same as the earrings! Sapphires have always been my favorite, since that is our daughter's birthstone! Finally something for the mom's!!!!!!!!!!!! Or save it for a gift!!!!!!!!! But for $5 ticket it could be the deal of the century!!! Buy as many $5 tickets to increase your chances!!!! So if you contribute $15 dollars for example that gives you 3 tickets!!!! I will be having the kids draw the lucky winner on August 28th!!! I will post pictures!!! You can email me at CHecky6504@aol.com if you have any questions! I will run the drawing for one month and then have the kids draw the name!!!! GOOD LUCK!!!! And pass on the word!!!!

2008-07-26T11:04:00.002-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Introducing Mariah Zhan Hecky!

2008-07-25T22:59:00.004-04:00

I got the approval from our agency to post pictures for our family and friends to see the little girl who has captured our hearts! We also had the most amazing update today and I want to share with you what we learned! (Grab a tissue) I read on a yahoo group about a woman who lives in China who used to be a country coordinator for an adoption agency, but no longer works for the agency. However she does stay in touch with adoption and provides a service to families who are adopting children in China. A family has options to write a letter to their child, send a toy, send a photo album. It is such a wonderful thing! So I stayed up late last night and ordered the package and the items that we wanted to send Mariah. We were also allowed to ask 10 questions for the orphanage to answer. Well, was I surprised when I opened an email 10 hours later with updated photos and a response from our questions, the most precious response! Here is what is read:

Our first question: Has she been in good health for the past 6 months? Answer: Yes, she has been in good health except she had chicken pox in March. (Poor thing, I wish I was there!)

2.) Is she happy about meeting her new mommy and daddy?

When she heard she is going to have new mommy and daddy she was so excited that she jumped up. She tells everyone about it. She comes to me and asks me when her new daddy and mommy will be able to come pick her up. I tell her just be patient and wait. Your new daddy and mommy is coming as soon as they can. You be a good girl, listen to foster daddy and mommy. Help them do some work that you can. Wu Miao Zhan is truly obedient and she can help foster daddy and mommy do some homework now, such as wash dish, take care of little sister, etc.
(Wasn't that just precious?)

3.)Does she know she is going to have a new mommy and daddy?
Yes

4.)What is her favorite color?

She likes skirts with beautiful flowers on it. She likes bright color.

5.)Is she afraid of anything?

She is afraid of flocky worms and moth (miller). (I'd be afraid of something called flocky worms too!)

6.)What is her favorite food?

Her favorite food is fruit and sweet drinks.

7.)What is her favorite fun thing to do?
Her favorite thing is helping foster mom work and feed little sister, etc. She likes to play with preschool classmates and she also likes to play house with big brother and little sister. Play games with toy dishware.

8.)Will she be excited to have a brother and two sisters?
She is very excited. She likes places have a lot of people. She likes to be busy, doesnt like to be alone.

9.)What is her favorite toy?
Dishware and musical toys.

10.)Does she have special friends?
Her closest two friends were adopted internationally this summer.

She weighs 35 lbs and is 40 inches tall!

Thank you so much Angela for such a quick response! I was completely caught by surprise and it was truly a special moment! And Kelly for organizing the service and all that you do! For those interested go to http://www.ladybugsnlove.com/

We are so excited about our little girl! She is everything that we had hoped and prayed for. She sounds exactly like a little Marissa. I just want to hug her, kiss her and tell her that we are her's forever!

We are gathering the rest of our paperwork and I am hoping to complete the dossier in record speed. Our social worker visits are this week and once that is done, we are pretty much complete. There is alot of State Verifications and Authenticating to do, but now that I am understanding the process more, I should be able to get it done rather quickly.

So my friends and family I just want to take this moment to thank you all for caring and sharing our journey thus far! God is so good to us and we thank Him daily for his gift of love in our lives! I know I have been so busy that I havent been able to keep in touch with most of you. (Carol, I am here and still so looking forward to our cup of coffee!) (Lena, you are always on my mind and I hope we can get together very soon!) I feel like I have been so preoccupied with all the document gathering, I forget sometimes to call the people on my heart. (Not to mention 3 kids home for the summer) But please rest assure that I think of you all often and thank God for you every day! So please be patient with me, until I get some of my sanity back in order!!! Let's just put it this way, Chad and my anniversary is in one week and we haven't even talked about it! 16 years! I can't believe it! I am getting the best present ever!!!!!

A Look back in time!

2008-07-23T15:09:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We have a daughter!!!!!!

2008-07-11T01:06:00.002-04:00

I am still in shock to share our news, but oh so happy!!!! I have not been able to share what has been happening in our adoption world until now! About 6 weeks ago, I came across a website of Holt International and happened to see they had a waiting child list. I had never even seen their website before and till this day am still just amazed as to what would have made me click on the site. Well of course God had his hand in my actions, and it is just another walk of faith for our family and a testimony to all to see that God does live in our lives and walking with him in control just makes every day even more amazing then the last! So I click on the waiting child list and the very first child description that I read is a 4 year old little girl. There was no picture, just her story, a story of a little girl who can count to 50, who is helpful with caregivers, and has a ready smile. I read that paragraph over and over and I could just feel my heart telling me, this is your little girl. There was only one minor detail that I was a little nervous to mention to Chad, she is in CHINA!!!!!! not Taiwan where are hearts have been leading us, where we sat patiently waiting for the call. I decided to try to get more information about her, so I filled out an application required to get her file. When Chad got home from work I read him the paragraph about the little girl and I was quite surprised that he was feeling what I was feeling. We need to find out more about this little girl who can skip and jump, and write some numbers. Did I mention she is in CHINA?? A few days later we get an email with all her medical history known and two pictures of a Chinese Pixie with the brightest smile and sparkling eyes! We were in love! But very confused. I have never prayed so hard in my 34 years of life, just praying for guidance, direction and clarity as to what we should do. We knew in our hearts that if she was meant to be our little one, God would make that happen. And today He has moved mountains and without hesitation, with happy hearts we accepted her referral.

It has been amazing to see how Ryan and Marissa both played a huge part with their faith and seeing how they both prayed for a little girl they had never met. It has been especially precious because Marissa came up to me yesterday and said "Mommy, I prayed to God that He would let her be my sister" and knowing that she can go to her Father to ask what is in her heart is priceless. I know she will remember that prayer forever and seeing how the Lord answered her hearts desire. Almost like she feels "responsible" for us being able to adopt her new sister. I know she knows the Lord, but I don't think she has ever "relied" on the Him, and now I know she has realized that He does answer our prayers. Priceless!!!!

So now with smiles on our faces we have to completely start the paper process once again. Completely new Homestudy, all new forms, everything!!!!! UUUUGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!! But in the end when we hold her hand in ours and bring her home, all that "Paper Labor" will be a distant memory and our family will be complete. (Well for now) (ONLY JOKING!!!)

Sadly we can not share pictures or her personal information with everyone until we are officially approved for her adoption. But I can tell you her birthday is October 15, 2003 and she speaks Cantonese. She is very tidy and neat and loves to perform singing and dancing. She gets along very well with younger and older children too! I will post any updates that I get!!!

We just want to say thanks to all of our family and friends who have supported and prayed for us! We feel so blessed to know so many amazing people!

SUMMER FUN!!!!!

2008-07-06T18:01:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to share some pictures of our 4th of July celebration which included a birthday cake for our almost 2 year old!!!! 12 days early, but since we were all together, it just made perfect sense! It was actually very informal and last minute planned, but just perfect for a two year old! We ended the night with going to see the ultimate firework display in downtown Akron, which Mya fell asleep half way through. We were the closest we have ever been to fireworks, so close debris was falling on us and getting in our eyes! Wow!!! Was is worth it!!! It was a great time to spend with my family!!!!!!

I am hoping to have some amazing adoption news very soon!!!! So check back often!!!!!! Can you believe we have been on this journey for 6 months!!!!! Wow, time flies!

Our faith grows stronger!

2008-06-03T07:05:00.003-04:00

Can the words Rummage Sale and God's perfect timing even go together in a sentence? Well, I am here to tell you it does! As many of you adopting parents struggle with the thought of adoption costs, we too were becoming frantic of the thought of financing our adoption. We have done fundraisers and have had great success. I had one of my friends suggest a rummage sale, with items donated and what a perfect time of year, SPRING CLEANING! I know some adopting folks that had done this and have done amazing! So Rummage Sale it was! I emailed some people, my wonderful friends emailed their friends, and their friends emailed their friends and before I knew it we were no longer able to walk through our garage! It is so amazing to see how many people want to share with us, to give to us and who love our daughter and want her home too! Your trash is our treasure! That was our motto!!!

But my real testimony comes with Praise and Glory for a relationship that was formed between strangers and only God could have crossed our paths and we will forever be thankful. I will not go into detail, because I am struggling writing this post. I actually opened my Bible to this verse:
Matthew 6 which reads: "Be careful not to do your "acts of righteousness" before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

And I know this couple firmly believes in these words and I will do my best to honor that! I just needed to share our thanks! So, I get an email from a nice lady who says that she had gotten an email about the Rummage Sale and she had some items to donate. We emailed a few times back and forth and it became clear that we had alot of similar beliefs and she shared alot of wisdom. We decided we would love to meet in person over coffee sometime and I could just feel that God had a plan for us to meet. The weekend came where I was doing "pick-up the treasures", and I get a call from my new friend about an item that her husband wanted to give my family, an item that we can sell. I call my husband and we decide that we need to go meet this couple in person. It just so "happened' that we could get a babysitter too! (God's timing) So we could go to their house without kids. I know there are lots of mom's out there that appreciate this point!!! I was really excited about finally meeting my penpal and her husband. If anyone knows my husband you will know that he is a very conservative shy kind of guy who doesn't open up to alot of people. (keep that in mind) So within minutes of our visit, it is clear that we have made a lifelong friendship! We (even Chad) felt comfortable right from the start! You could literally feel the Lord's presence. Let's just say we stayed for almost 5 hours and the wisdom that Chad and I walked away with and knowing what type of marriage and Christlike people we wanted to have and become was truly one of the biggest blessings we have ever received! Perfect strangers willing to open their home and their hearts is priceless! As far as the gift that was given, even though we were humbled and at first did not feel right accepting. It was God who had spoke to her husband's heart to share with our family and after that was discussed, we accepted with a grateful heart. Once the gift is sold, it will have paid for half of our adoption!!!!!!!!!! So my friends, pray without ceasing, for He is there and in control. He cares and will not harm. He is involved in everything, even a Rummage Sale! For if we would not have decided to have the rummage sale, we would have never had the meeting I shared and that moment will live in our hearts forever. We just can't wait till God gives us the calling to give and the means to share and change a life.

Oh, and as far as the Rummage Sale, it was a HUGE success! We had so much fun and it was so busy!! We met so many people! But it could not have been done with out the support of all who gave their items. Thank you all! We feel so blessed to know you and we could not have gotten through this journey without you all! So, God's perfect timing and Rummage Sale does fit together!

Adoption not for the weak!

2008-05-16T08:22:00.005-04:00

Well, I had hoped that I would have some amazing news this month to share, but no such luck! I have to remind myself, His timing, not mine. But its hard sometimes to be patient and know that God is in control and there are so many waiting families that have waited so much longer than we have. The adoption world has changed so much just in the past two years since we began our journey to adopt Mya. Taiwan has changed so much just in the past few months with families not qualifying any longer, and there was a moment where we thought we would not "fit" the program either. They have changed the size of family qualification and if we would have wanted a healthy baby girl, it probably would be impossible since we have 3 kids already. But since we are asking for an older child, all is good!!! But I know families through adoption yahoo groups that have been turned away after waiting, hoping and paying lots of $$$$. It is sad and very frustrating!

But we are very close to being matched and for some reason, I just have this "intuition", this feeling, about June. I think its going to be our month!!!! OK, call me crazy or wishful thinking!!!

We do have another dilemma and I need all your help on this one!!! It's our new daughter's name. You see a few months ago, we agreed on the name Delanie. Which I absolutely love! I should said me and the kids agreed on the name Delanie, but Chad wasn't thrilled with it, but he agreed. When we were talking names we each came up with our favorites and Chad's pick was "Mariah", and there is a history with this name. We have two daughters named Marissa and Mya. There is not a day that goes by that I or Chad or really anybody that is around my girls that call them by name, accidentally combined their names and say Mariah. Trust me, I do it all day long!! Not to mention that it has all parts of our names in it: It has Mar, for Mary, it has Mari, for Marissa, it sounds like Mya, it has Ri, for Ryan and it even has a little "h" on the end for C"h"ad! So my husband says to me the other day, "Mary I don't really like the name Delanie". I know he doesn't want to hurt my feelings and knows how much I like the name, but I know how excited he gets when he says the name Mariah and the little "coincidences" behind all of our names. I know it sound corny, but I don't know what to do? So I need your help. I need you to vote on it!!!! Should there be a family of six named: Chad, Mary, Ryan, Marissa, Mariah & Mya or Chad, Mary, Ryan, Marissa, Delanie & Mya????? There is a voting poll at the top of the blog that you can vote on our daughter's name! Or, if you know of an adorable name that you just love, leave it in the comments!!!

All quiet on the adoption front!

2008-04-20T07:30:00.002-04:00

Hello to all! Nothing new to report as far as a referral! We are patiently waiting, enjoying the nice weather! I do know that we are very close to being matched, but that could be tomorrow or 6 months from now! So for now, we wait, be thankful that is is finally spring and know that our daughter is across the world, just as anxious and waiting for her family!

The kids are all doing fabulous! Ryan never puts his guitar down, Marissa can't stop doing back handsprings, and Mya has officially entered the terrible two's!!! A few months early, but hey? who is counting?????

Keep checking, and I will keep posting. Maybe next time, there will be super news!!! Take care, and many Blessings!!!!!!!!!

You are so beautiful to me

2008-03-30T22:22:00.001-04:00

Mya Min, you are so beautiful and everything we could have hoped for in a daughter! We love you, forever and always!

A YEAR TO REMEMBER!

2008-03-30T21:15:00.002-04:00

Well, it is so hard to believe that exactly one year ago today, I was within hours of holding Mya for the very first time. First of all, I made the trip of a lifetime. Twenty Six hours and 10,000 miles away from everyone that I loved, and just a train ride away from one of the most unforgettable moments of my entire life! The moment that would literally change my family's life and path forever. It seems so surreal now, the moment we first made eye contact, the moment she first smiled and reached her hands out to me. Not a tear shed, (except mine), just a little angel placed in my arms and heart forever. She knew I was her mommy, instantly, and from that first glance she became our forever daughter, our little Mya Min!

Things that we have learned about Mya Min!

A YEAR IN THE LIFE...........

1.) Mya loves music, and she loves to dance! She can hear the softess little beat and her little bottom goes shaking!!!!!

2.) Mya loves animals!!! Her first word was dog, (actually she says dogdog)! We can't pass a farm without her jumping and squeal ling over the sight of a cow, or a horse!

3.) Mya loves books!!!! Every second of every day if there is a book, she is looking at it, and wanting you to read to her! She loves the pictures and never gets tired of looking at them!

4.) Mya loves her Ry Ry! Mya and Ryan have this very special bond that he feels so protective over her, and Mya trusts him with everything. They laugh and play and she has learned so much by his guidance. I am so blessed and proud to have a son that has unconditionally taken this little girl that he didn't even know a year ago, and has given her a space in his heart! A space only a sister can hold!

5.) Mya and Marissa are BFF's (Best Friends Forever)! I was so worried not knowing how Marissa, who had been the queen for 6 years of her life, would accept and build a sisterhood, a lifetime bond with a child who holds no resemblance, no biology. Well, I have witnessed a miracle of love that will forever be, and Marissa and Mya may not have the same color hair, or the same shaped eyes, but most importantly they have love, and that love is evident every second they spend. Trust me, it is not always a breeze, there are little fights, pulling hair, and everything else that comes with siblings, but that is what family is about, and Marissa and Mya are sisters, in every way!

6.) Mya loves her Daddy! When I came to Chad a few years ago, and expressed my hearts desire to adopt, he was hesitant. We had Ryan, we had Marissa. He was so scared that he would not bond with a child and would ultimately let her down. He was so afraid that he would feel differently towards her than he did Ryan and Marissa. But he was supportive and knew that there was a little baby that needed a mommy and a daddy, and we needed her too! Well, from the second Chad saw Mya it was an instant daddy's girl moment! I still remember the look on his face when I gave birth to both Ryan and Marissa. It was that look. That smile that says, Hi little baby, I am your daddy and I will love you forever! And Mya's face that said Hi daddy, I am your baby girl! There is not a day that goes by that the second Chad walks in the door they run to eachother like they have been separated for a lifetime. It is amazing to see! The way they play together, like only daddy's and daughter's play! The funny things they do, that make you tear up with happiness! I could not have known the impact that Mya would play on Chad's heart and how much it has changed him! I am so blessed and thank God everyday for such a wonderful man to call my husband!

7.) Mya loves her Mommy!!! It still amazes me that a year ago, I had never touched her, never dried her tears, never sang her a song. But how blessed I am that she calls me mommy, that she runs to me when she needs comfort, she hugs me and knows that I will always be there for her now and forever! She is my daughter! What an honor, what a gift! I am the luckiest woman on earth!!!

8.) WE LOVE MYA!!!! Mya brings us joy every single day! She is silly and goofy and smart and talented and....and.........!!! God has chosen the perfect child to be in our family and He blesses us each day that we get to know her more and more!

The only thing that aches at my heart is this is the day that her Grandmother went to the orphange to say goodbye, one year ago. Please pray for Mya's birthfamily, for I could see the love in her Grandmother's eyes with the pictures that I have with them two together, and I know she is thinking of Mya today and wondering how she is and if she is being loved!

Also, thank you all for being there for my family! We are so blessed to know such amazing people! I still can't believe that "hopefully" soon we will know who our new daughter will be and we can bring her home to live with the family that already loves her!!!

They Chose Me- an Adoption video that will make you cry.

2008-03-12T17:35:00.001-04:00

We have been approached before by people wondering why, why adoption. People we don't know, people we do know, people with no faith, and even Christians. I hope this answers their confusion! This is BEAUTIFUL and tells it like it is! IT WILL MAKE YOU CRY!

MYA IS FINALLY MYA!!!!

2008-02-25T20:58:00.003-05:00

YEAH! We went to court today and we officially can call Mya, well, Mya!!!! It was so cool to sit in court and have a judge confirm what we have known all along. Mya is our daughter! The kids got to sit in the Judge's chair and hit the hammer on the, I don't know what it is called???? But the dinger thing! (OK, so I am not up on Judge Judy!) It really was a special day! Plus tomorrow Ryan turns 12, so we went to dinner and had two big celebrations!!!!! I will remember this day forever!!!!

Also, I wanted to tell everyone about the success we had at the Chili Cook-Off over the weekend. We raised over $1300 dollars! We are able to send in our form for our fingerprinting and FBI background, and our dossier fee! YEAH! God is so good! We have the most amazing friends and family! I cried all the way home! It was alot of fun too! We got to see people we havent seen in years, and hopefully touched a person who might have adoption on their heart!

My next big "fundraiser" is going to be creating Themed Easter Baskets for people! I had so much fun creating the baskets for the Chili Day, well, I am just inspired!!!! So if you want a nice basket to give for Easter, just let me know!!!!

One Year Adoption Date and a priceless surprise!

2008-02-16T12:46:00.002-05:00

On Valentine's Day, Februrary 14th was one year since the Taiwan Courts declared Min Hsuan Chen, our gorgeous daughter. I can not believe a year has gone by since and we could not imagine a second of our lives without her! Well, we also received a priceless cd in the mail, which was great timing for our special day! The cd, which was sent by St. Lucy Center, the baby home where Mya stayed for over 7 months, contained about 200 pictures of Mya from the day she came to the orphanage at 1 month old, till the day she left at 8 1/2 months old. Also, by our surpise, there were a few videos, and one of the 38 second videos contained Mya on a couch and sitting next to her was her Birth Grandmother. We were shocked and emotional! An amazing piece of Mya's heritage to tuck away until the perfect time to share with her! You could not help but see the love they shared, and the obvious emotions she felt. We watched the video over and over again. We looked at the pictures over and over again! They were taken on March 30, 2007 two days before I got to take Mya. So her Grandmother went to say goodbye, which breaks my heart! And on the video, which I didn't notice until the 100th time I watched it, Mya's Grandmother was holding our family photo album. I just can't imagine the feeling that she must have felt. For those of you who don't know, Mya's Grandmother cared for her for her first month of life, until she went to St. Lucy's! That lady loved her! I just hope she knows how thankful we are and how much we love Mya too! What an amazing gift to recieve! I think I have more pictures of Mya her first 8 months of life than I have of Ryan and Marissa. That is so rare in the "adoption" world!

Happy Chinese New Year!

2008-02-11T10:15:00.001-05:00

Well, in keeping with our daughter Mya's heritage, we celebrated Chinese New Year over the weekend. It was also my birthday, so we just had a blast! We met some of my friends in China Town in Downtown Cleveland for a huge dinner and party! It was so much fun! I do have to say that although my husband despises Chinese Food, he tried quite a bit of Chinese Cuisine. So did Ryan and Marissa who were not shy in trying anything, Ryan ate squid! Chad sat next to a lady who was from China and the "event" of the night would have to be when she at the "fish head" from the fish platter! I hope Chad survives our week in Taiwan! It is so funny because all though we got Mya when she was only 8 months old, that girl LOVES Chinese food. She at so much noodles and rice, we couldn't get her to stop!!!! The kid's loved the dragon and putting the "lucky red envelope" in it's mouth! It was really a special night, because even though Mya and Delanie will grow up Americans, we want so much for them to remember where they came from, and their culture they left behind! We will be making this an annual event for our whole family!
It is the "Year of the Rat" and Ryan is a Rat, so this is his year!!!!!!!!!! I know it will be a good one!

And the name is.............Delanie Hecky!!!!!

2008-02-04T07:07:00.000-05:00

Well, after long debates and a few disagreements, (everyone wanted different names) the name of our daughter came to us, actually just like all of our other kids names, when we were least expecting it, and we all love it! A friend of mine told me about a little girl that started at her preschool where she works and her name is Delanie, and I instantly fell in love with that name. I had never heard of it before, but I just got that "feeling"! I had a childhood friend that died a few years back named D'lana and I thought of her! Both the kids liked it, but Chad was a little unsure. Well, the next morning I was watching Adoption Stories on Discovery Channel and a couple adopted a little baby and they named her Delanie! I could not believe it! What are the odds? I know that is suppose to be her name and we think it is just perfect. So Delanie Hecky it will be!

On another quick note, just wanted to share that the SuperBowl Sub Sale was a huge success, we sold 43 subs! Thanks to everyone. We made enough to pay for half of our homestudy! YEAH!

Hello to all!

2008-01-31T09:46:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to say hello to all that take their precious time to look at our blog! It just brings me to tears when I click on the visitor map and see how many people our interested in our journey! People from all over the world touched by adoption. What a testimony! For all of the readers, we appreciate you prayers and want to know who you are! Please leave us a comment, just saying "hi"! I always see the places people are from, and I don't know how to thank the Lord for you! We feel that is something we need to do!

Also, for those of you in the Hartville vicinity, (Akron, Canton) or even if your not afraid to travel a little, a few a my girlfriends put together a chili cook off in our benefit (Praise God!) that is going to be Saturday February 23! Bring your famous chili recipe and have it voted #1! There are trophies for the top winners and it is going to be a lot of fun! Come out if you just want to eat!!!!! If you need any information, please email me at www.heckymary@yahoo.com. Please tell your friends too!

Amazing Friends & Family!

2008-01-26T20:05:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to tell everyone just how blessed we are to have an amazing group of friends and family! Kudos to Andrea who passed out fliers for the subs for our fundraiser during SuperBowl Sunday at Malone College! Extra Kudos for Michelle who has called everyone under the sun for the blood drive we are planning. (Don't get on her bad side!) And just a special note to my two amazing children Ryan & Marissa (and Mya who sat patiently in the car)! We drove all around today in the freezing cold and they stuffed fliers in people's mailboxes throughout several developments telling people about Super Sub Sunday! I think they would do anything to get their sister home! It was actually fun, and we laughed alot! I just thank God for two amazing kids who gave up their Saturday without hesitation for a little girl they have never met! Hey, I think Ryan may have a chance at being a mailman! He was getting pretty quick! Ha Ha!

I wanted to also share a few photos of our playgroup. We had a funfilled super time on Thursday! There were 8 Asian girls 4 and under! Thank you ladies for a special time! Mya had a blast with all of her special friends!

Well, all the paperwork that can be out is out! We are waiting for our homestudy and after that, its just waiting. We have decided to go with Families For Children International Adoption Agency. It is different than the agency we used with Mya, but their fees were different and the times the fees were due fit our finances better! They are wonderful people and we actually met the owners when we were in Taiwan, which was just one of the "chance" meetings. So we are at perfect peace about them and we know they will help us find our daughter!

Somewhere over the rainbow, is our daughter!

2008-01-14T08:57:00.000-05:00

It still amazes me that a world away is a child, waiting for her family. Somewhere over the rainbow. The picture was taken the other day when we hit a record high of 65 degrees! In Ohio, that is amazing! It was a great day, and I took Mya for a walk. But today it is bitter cold and snowing. So I thought of this song and it is just a wonderful version, and it just sounds warm!

Nothing really new to report as far as the adoption. We went saturday to get our fingerprints done for our local background checks. That was painless. Unlike the time we went to Cleveland to the Federal Building to get our fingerprints done for the INS. If you haven't heard this story, it might put a grin on your face. But a frown on Chads!

It was June 30, 2006 and of course Chad was running late for our 12:30 appointment. So he had to go right from work and meet me there. He was in his painter's clothes, of course! We finally get to the Federal Building and we walk in with Marissa who was only 5 at the time, and my niece Allison. We walk up to the security and all the alarms go off! All these security giant men come running up to us and "corner" Chad and one of the giant guys says to Chad, "Sir our you working in the building"? He says no! They make him empty his pockets, he has every weapon known to man. Hook knives, razor blades, you name it, its in Chad's pockets! If any of you know how "conservative" well, shy my husband is, he was appalled!!! After minutes of explaining, we were free to go, but Chad had to leave all of his "weapons" outside!!! I think he will know better this time around!!!!

Hope all is well with everyone!!!!

The Hecky's House will be growing by 1!

2008-01-04T10:32:00.000-05:00

Yes, we have started the long paperchasing journey, with the most wonderful reward. A child already perfectly handpicked for our family! What could be better? The kids are so excited! We are going to adopt an older child between the ages of 3 & 6 years old. We have also decided that we would request a girl, so her and Marissa can share rooms!!! She is just beside herself, already has the room all planned out!!! We are just sending in our first paperwork, and the road seems long, but trust me, we are always so busy, the time will go flying by! So we will use this site to keep everyone updated on the timelines and also on Ryan, Marissa and Mya!

I am sure everyone knows of our trying year of moving to Florida and coming back, Chad's business well, going out and coming back, pretty much giving up everything that we held important (Big house, vehichles, expensive toys, horses). Adopting a child now seems well, not the best timing to us, but we trust that it was not by coincident nor chance, but a command! His timing is always perfect! Chad and I went away for a night during Christmas break (it is our 20th Christmas together as a couple) 16th married, and it really gave us a chance to reflect on our lives, and on this past year. It is so humbling to know how much you have lost, but how happy in the end it makes you. Material things mean nothing. As we were talking I said to him "What do we have to show for in life of all the things that we have bought, purchased, what ever brought us happiness or joy?" and without hesitation he said "Mya", she is the only thing that we have "paid for" that brings me joy"! And it is so true! Family is all that matters in life. Hug your kids and spouse and tell them you love them!!!

It is amazing that somewhere a world away is our daughter! Please pray for her and that she is being taken care of and pray that God opens her heart for the family who desperately wants her! In older child adoptions, they are in foster care, which is nice that they live with a family to care for her! That makes us feel so good!!

Also, we have added a "donate" symbol to our blog. Please do not feel obligated in any way, but if God has laid it on your heart to help with the process and financial obligations that adopting brings, and you want to donate any amount, we thank you deeply!