A visit to Isaiah with the girls...

He will be home in about 9 days!! We are so ready for him!! Went crazy after the visit shopping for all his needs.........even got him a tag!!

Update on Savannah's surgery

We are excited to announce that we have made a decision on Savannah's surgeon and surgery. We were going through Shriners but got the sad call that Savannah would not have an appointment until 2012. We were thinking the worst and was thinking it would be middle or later 2012. So we found a local doctor to do the surgery. We had a schedule appointment on Savannah's birthday day to see the surgeon so she was still waiting until the last part of September. Which means surgery would probably be later October or November. We were ok with that. Well yesterday we got the letter from Shriners with her appointment date and it is the second week of January. We talked and we talked to Savannah and we decided to go with Shriners. She wants to go to the same place as her sister and I think Shriners is the best and I want that for both my daughters. I know the Doctors and specialist and one more plus........Sierra's next appointment is the same day as Savannah's!!! We talked to Savannah's dentist and she agrees with our decision....

Our newest addition to the Wanless family...

Meet Isaiah....we are bringing him home on August 7th......we are so excited to get him home. He was born on June 9, 2011 and is a Cockapoo...just as his parents as you can see in the picture below. The kids are really excited about having a new puppy in the home. He will be a medium to small dog. We also think Socks will be very excited about having another puppy in the house. He loves having paw friends..

Isaiah being held by his new adoptive mommy..

Our beautiful Isaiah.......he is mostly black with tips of brown around his face.....His front two paws have a mixed of black, brown, and white......We will have more pictures later because we are planning on visiting him tomorrow!!

2 weeks and counting...

I am so excited that in two weeks my son Corey will be marrying a wonderful woman name Anne. I have not announced it because of variety of reasons but now...I can brag and tell you all. They are such a wonderful couple and I am so blessed to have Anne join our family.

As the mother of the groom, I have to admit there are so many emotions. I mean..he is my first to get married. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone by. I wish I could turn back the time and change some of my parenting skills from back then. I actually miss those times when the boys were younger but I have to admit that I love watching them together now and how close they are together and how age has done nothing but increased their brotherly bond.

I also have to admit........looking forward to holding their first child together. Looking forward to grandparents weekends and taking the grand-kids on trips with us so Corey and Anne can have some time together....I know I am jumping way ahead but it is so exciting to have an extension of yourself grow up to be such a wonderful person that is going to start as my husband and I started.........well slightly different......but still beginning a family together.....yes...I will scream it.......I am so proud!!!

Sad times..

As we prepare for our son Corey to get married to a wonderful woman Anne, we find out on Saturday that her father passed away. Our hearts are breaking for them and for Anne's family. They had moved up their wedding day in hopes that he could walk her down the isle and God had other plans and brought him home early. I wish I knew how to respond to Anne at this time. I am praying that she remains strong and my son is able to help and guide her through this horrific loss. I just wish there was something that we could to take away their pain. I know Corey became very close to Orville. They had so much in come not just their love for Anne. They both had computer thoughts, ideas, and interest. Mike and I try but we just are not skilled in that area. We love to hear him talk about his computer adventures and work but Orville could contribute to the conversation with Corey. Please keep them all in your prayers. I know they will need the support and faith during this very difficult time and time to come. Blessings...

Savannah and the wonderful life of adoption...

Savannah.....I want to say we are blessed! A year ago is when we were introducing the idea of adopting Savannah to our family. It was very scary for each of us due to the disruption of prior adoption attempts. There was concern if Savannah would be prepared to be adopted. Concern with how are we going to fiance this? What if she is combative with Sierra.? How are we going to protect Sierra from any harm? Many of the concerns was with the unknown and fear. God has amazed me more than I can believe! I believe and have faith but I have to admit I questioned many times along the way. Not of my ability to love another child, or if I want to be her mother....no I questioned was this really what God wanted.

Watching my daughter when we first met her was amazing. She glowed and she is such a happy girl. Then the last two months have been so grace filled. I have been told that I have such high faith but the truth is I get any strength I have from God. I am not preaching that but admitting that I struggle. I am a person with anxiety and that means I run on fear. I worry way too much and adding adoption especially international adoption to that just boils up to freaking out. But with God at my side I believed his direction and his calling for our family. I believe that God brought sadness and so much pain over the last few years to have our hearts open to Savannah. She has taught us endurance, happiness and peace.

Adoption is not everyone's calling. For our family, three times it has been. My husband amazes me to show me how it is to love someone who is not biologically your own. Mike showed this to me 25 years ago when I first met him. He taught me what unconditional love meant. He taught me that someone might not be of his blood but can be of his soul. I swear that Brandon is more like Mike than his two biological sons. Some say it is because of environment but I know it is also because God had a plan for Brandon and knew his Dad would be Mike. I remember praying for Brandon that God would bring him a person who would love him as his own. Not to be a father but a male figure that would be a role model. I did not realize that through my prayers for my son that I would receive a person who would also effect my life in so many ways. When Mike and I dated we introduced Mike as Mike not Dad. We never expect Brandon to call Mike dad. Then around 4 months into dating Brandon woke up calling Mike Dad. When Mike came over that day, I said hummmmm....we need to talk. I told him how Brandon kept pointing at his picture calling him Daddy. I asked him if it was OK and Mike was thrilled. I have to admit...I was not. I was Brandon's only full time parent at the time and as my kids could testify I am very possessive.....yes even to this day. Well, I knew for Brandon it was wonderful and so we grew as a family from there. Those days taught me that family is not about blood. It is about a group of people who love, support, survive, help, pray, celebrate the good and cry together through the bad together. I remember asking Mike as we were in process to adopt Sierra....do you think you can love someone that is not biologically yours....and he looked and me and said duh...with a smile. Then I have to say while in China this time I also had another of these moments when we were out and about and the people attempt to talk to Sierra. I thought are they crazy she does not know Chinese. See I look at Sierra and see my daughter and since in our house we speak English I see her as a person not nationality. Then it hit me oh yeah she is Chinese. Don't get me wrong I don't forget that because we celebrate Chinese festivals and we have Chinese art up and around our home but it is easy to forget because we have built our family not on blood but love and it has become so strong and so tight that all we see in each other is a brother or a sister or a mom or a dad. I am so thankful for this journey God has allowed our family to be on. I am so thankful that God has trusted us as family to be built not on blood but from love.

The Wanless Salon

Today the girls set up a salon and invited me to attend. They applied their own make up. They helped each apply the polish to their finger and toe nails. Then it was my turn. Didn't they do a good job on my eye lids and my fingers............I have two amazing artistic wonderful girls!! So much fun to have daughters!

Savannah's Baptism Day....she smiled the entire time!

She is not heavy....she is my sister!!

Sister Judith Ann with the girls

Checking out the cake..

Christy talking to her nieces

FT and part of our family in the back ground coming to Avantis to celebrate

Savannah not sure of the food

FT and the girls

Billy, Brandon, Sierra, Corey, Savannah, and FT

Our family with FT

Finally a picture with all my children together!!

Brandon and the girls

They do love each other!

Makes me think...This little light of mine....I am going to let it shine......this little light of mine..

Baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...