Guess What????

I was speaking with my China case worker yesterday and she informed me (much to my delight) that Chen Chen is absolutely ours!!!!  I didn't know I could claim him!  All along he should have been removed from the 'available' list of waiting children,  but somehow he wasn't!  Thank God I asked the questions that I did!  I never would have known it!  I have been busy, busy, busy trying to quickly fill out papers and make many phone calls!  She said the normal wait time is up to 12 months, but as long as my home study cooperates and moves quickly, it will be much sooner to receive him!

My kids are so excited!  Nicholas asks me everyday when I will 'get' Chen Chen.  Alex and Ava are actively practicing their finger spelling, which really warms my heart.  So far Ron can do A, B and C.  LOL!!!!  Baby steps, right??

The raffle tickets are moving too!  Many thanks to every one who is actively trying to sell them!  All of them are out there in the midst.  Hopefully, they will all be sold.  If that happens, the next fees are taken care of!

Please pray that the paperwork trail moves along swiftly without complications!  Thank you for everything!!!!  Praise God we got this far!!!!

Love to all!!!!

Sweet Boy...

Sweet Boy…

I wonder as you wake, Sweet Boy;

   How your day will go.

If your big, round eyes will see the sun

  feeling warmth from head to toe.

Will you lay and wait for someone to come

  To scoop you up with gentleness;

From the crib in which you’ve slept that night

   Into arms filled with tenderness.

Will she hold your gaze and smile at you?

   Will she calm all of your fears?

Will she kiss your face and tickle you?

   Will she wipe away your tears?

One day, my son, the day will come

   When you will be here with me.

Rocking, singing, and signing to you,

   Where the Lord intends you to be.

The silent world in which you’ve lived

  We will soon replace;

With smiles, with laughter and with love

  In a home we’ll all embrace.

Home is where we will wait for you

   Until the Lord brings us to together.

The place where you will have a voice

    And a family you will treasure.

So sleep well tonight, my little man,

   Soon you’ll be here in my arms;

I pray the Lord watches over you

   And keeps you far from harm.

Oh Lord, please hurry and bring him to me

    For every day he’s away;

My hearts beats in anticipation,

    To love him to teach him Your ways; 

But for now, Sweet Boy, I'll blow you a kiss

     That the wind will carry to you;

Bringing peace, comfort and a mothers’ love

    From your home forever and true!

"Are You Ready For Some Footballllllllll"?

Thank you, Jack Burkhead for your donation!  We really appreciate it!


 For those who don't know,  we are raffling off two club level seats with a parking pass for the RAVENS vs. STEELERS game on November 29th at 8:20 pm.  Club level means if it is cold (ladies) you can go inside!  These tickets are worth $400!  The donation is $5 per ticket.  If you'd like to buy one, we can get it to you.   If you think you want to try and sell a book (of 20), we can get those to you as well!!  If we sell enough tickets, we can begin the next step!  YAY!!!  Also, anyone purchasing them can write a check to:  CWF (Christian World Fund), with 'Pierro Fund' in the memo line at the bottom of their check and they will get a full receipt for a complete tax deduction!!  Cash is of course accepted too, but why not get a deduction??


ps.  If you win, you sit next to Ron at the game!  He said IF you are a RAVENS fan you can come to his tailgate!  LOL  Just kidding!


Email us or call us for tickets:
spierro@comcast.net
717-235-5606   


THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moving Right Along....

YAY!!  I finished the test for the book Adoptive Parenting ( got a 98%) that needed to be completed before I can continue the process, which is actually a L-O-N-G one.  This week we need to get the passports.  I am hoping that Alex can go with me to China because Ron doesn't want to leave our kids for 2 weeks.  So we need to get 3 passports even though Ron won't go.  China requires him to have a recent one regardless of whether he is traveling or not.  I have to get documents notarized AND authenticated by the Secretary of State, which is $20 per document, and something I've NEVER heard of before this.  It is SO much work to complete this paperwork.  Thank God it comes in stages!  Anyone wanting to adopt MUST have a heart for it because the process is quite grueling and takes much perseverance!  I just keep praying throughout each task!


Still gathering things for a yard sale on October 3rd. I am really excited about it.  I don't have much yet, but I have had a few people tell me that they are willing to donate so that makes me very grateful!  Gina is coming over today to help me price the things I do have.  Thank you everyone for donating!!!

October 3rd Yard Sale!!!!!!!

Ok, guys....I just signed us up for the October 3rd Lion's Club Flea Market.  We reserved a pretty big spot.  SO...if you want to get rid of unwanted items, I will take them!!!  I'll take anything that isn't broken or missing pieces.  Ron and I can come and get them, or if you prefer, you can drop them to us.  Whatever way is fine!!  And appreciated!!!


I've sold a few books on Half.com, so every little bit adds up!  I've sold some of our homeschool items and even some furniture.  We still need at least $18,000 and something....sigh...


The paperwork is completely overwhelming, but my supporters tell me to take every day slowly.  Accomplish a little bit each day...I have appointments for passports next week, and this week I will get our pictures taken for them.


Keep praying!!! Please!!!!


Guess what? my doorbell just rang....it was the UPS guy....more paperwork!!!!  LOL


Couldn't do this without you all!!

The Waiting Begins...

Things are started...We sent in the first fees for the adoption and tomorrow morning I will send in the paperwork for the home study.  We couldn't have done it without help from all of you!  And thanks to Liz and Dwayne for giving us so much stuff to sell at the yard sale!  That was a nice surprise today, Liz!  There are many ways to help.  Each is as important as the next.  I know the time that goes into cleaning out a house and delivering it to someone else.  It is a blessing, as is saying a prayer when someone comes to your mind.  Thank you all!


So now as I wait for the next step, more of the same....I continue reading everything I can about parenting an adoptive child, a deaf child, and even Chinese culture.  I am committed to educating myself in every possible way.  And you know what?  It's making me a better mom in the process, because I am applying some of it to Alex, Ava Grace and Nicholas.  


Nicholas asked me yesterday, "Mommy, when are you going to get Chen Chen?"  I replied, 'Well, mommy has to save a little more money first'.  For a moment, he had the inquisitive look on his face that toddlers give when they process data into their little brains. Then his wrinkled brow suddenly lifted into a look disbelief and he said "Nah!!!!!  You're teasing me!!!!", as if he thought I was trying to tell him I had to buy Chen chen from Wal-mart or something.  I love this age!!  Kids are so funny!


Please continue to pray for us if you feel led to.  We really could use it!!!

Let's Get it Started...

Special thanks to Ben and Julie for their donation!  Because of their generous outreach and others like them, Ron just gave me the 'go ahead' to begin the legal paperwork!  


This has calmed some anxiety I had about waking up one day and him being 'gone'~already adopted.  I know that if God ordains it, He sees it through, but I am only human.  I still have some anxiety.  But now we are closer to 'gotcha' time.  As soon as we file this paperwork, get clearances, copies of EVERYTHING, fingerprints, passports, etc...AND we start and complete a home study, we can hopefully claim him.  Ok Shannon, Be Still, Be Still...


Ben and Julie brought to my attention that my personal email on this blog was wrong.  I just made the changes.  If you tried to contact me and couldn't, THAT IS WHY!! So sorry.  My personal email is:  spierro@comcast.net




Thanks again for all your support and prayers!!  Let's get it started...


Love,
Ron and Shannon 

THANK YOU!!!

We checked with CWA today to check our balance after donations...$300 was donated!  We are so thankful to all of you, but especially to Rosa, Amy, Shelli, Barbie & Matt, Harry, Dave, Nancy, and Charlane!!!!  Because of your generosity we are closer to our goal!!


Good news!  $14, 530.00 to go.....I know, it's a lot of money (but better than the original amount)....BUT to get rolling we only need $2200 of that. The donations may have pushed us closer by months!  True, we have to figure out how to get it, BUT every little bit helps!  And, CWA keeps a running total on the donations up to the end, and even after the adoption.  They really get excited to tell you how God works through people to help you make your goal!


I finally started selling on Half.com.  I made my first sale today!  $6....lol...oh well.  We are also planning a cut-a-thon in November AND a yard sale at the end of this month.  SO, if any of you want to help but can't afford to, would you consider donating unwanted items so I may sell them?  Ron or me can come and pick up your stuff,  just let me know!  We appreciate any help at all!!  Prayers are always welcome!  Don't ever think they are discounted at all!!  To me, it is just as important!


I am copying EVERYTHING!  This blog, emails, receipts, prayers and donations to put in Chen Chen's life book.  I want him to know he is special!!  I want him to know how much he is wanted!  I want him to know who helped to bring him home!  I want him to KNOW God and ALL the special people in my life!!!  Perfect strangers who care more than family!!  Thank you!!!!!!!

Waiting...

 An old friend and I were brainstorming yesterday....thinking about having a cut-a-thon at my church to raise some money for the adoption.  I hope it works.  Maybe we'll do it closer to the holidays.  I have some great friends who happen to be stylists that have promised to help!  I think Alex, Ava and me will have fun making and delivering fliers around the neighborhood.  I'll start working on the design--that ought to keep me busy...I get so anxious for something to happen!


I ordered two more books for my library from half.com(cheap!)--I am trying to learn as much as I can about parenting a deaf child.  I am learning things such as how to make him feel completely connected as the rest of us 'hearing' family members are having conversations.  I am learning that I need to make things more visual around the house too. Eye contact and body language is extremely important.  I will keep learning as much as I can while I wait...


Waiting is so hard.  I look at his little video almost daily!  I keep checking to make sure he is still there.  The ladies at CWA tell me not to worry.  That IF God ordains it, he will see it through making everything come at the right time.  In my flesh, I still want to 'put a rush on it'.  I can't help it.  I just keep thinking about the potential that is out there waiting for him to grasp and learn!  Sigh....I  am not good at waiting!

Getting SO Excited!

I am getting SO excited.  More and more of you are bringing me encouraging words!  I love it!  It really helps us focus on bringing him home instead of all of the red tape.  Prayers are so important to us!  Thank you!!  And we LOVE your feedback!


Before I go any further, I want to thank all of you who have donated without my knowledge!  I can only check our fund every two weeks or so please know that if you did donate, I will find you and personally thank you!!  You know who you are!  It's hard for us to ask for help...as I said before, it is very humbling...but necessary nonetheless.  I just keep trying to remember that this is for a little life that needs a family to love him, to help him unlock his potential, and work with him to be the man God intended him to be.  


Sometimes I wonder what he'll be like.  I know God has a plan for him, as He does ALL of us, but I think about who this little guy will become.  He lives in a world of constant silence.  I think about him searching the eyes of his caregivers every day for assurance, for love, for acceptance.  I wonder if he holds his arms up to them to be held... or if he is used to touch at all.  Here, in my family, I still hold Ava and Nick-even CARRY them.  I'd hold Alex if I could (although she'd roll her eyes at that, I know she'd secretly enjoy it).  I wonder if the kids around him even notice him, or share their toys with him.  I was talking to Alex this morning about these very thoughts.  I said "Alex, what if he doesn't like to be held, or touched...or kissed?  What will we do?"  She said " Mom, don't worry, we'll change that!" And you know what?  She is so excited about bringing him home that she agreed to share a room with Ava so the boys could have a bedroom to share!  At 13, that's HUGE!  Even Nick (sometimes) talks about the Thomas the Train room he will share with Chen Chen...BUT, quite frankly, that's on a GOOD day...


I saw my Grandmother today.  She came to the salon where I work.  I was worried about what she'd think about all of this.  I hadn't talked to her personally about it, only through e-mail.  I didn't have time to talk to her when she saw me but she handed me a folded up amount of money and said " Put this toward your adoption."  I didn't know how much it was, and I didn't care.  What I DO know is that I was SO worried about her opinion, and after finally discussing it with her, I found out she was completely supportive!  I shouldn't be surprised because I prayed about that too!!!


Oh, I can't wait to get him!