He is the one!!!

The power of a praying child

I love this image.  My niece is such a precious young lady with a golden heart.  She prayed faithfully for Ben Cheng-Yu before he joined our family.  She has experienced God's faithfulness in answering prayers.  Every time I see her she says, "You know Robin, Ben is just a blessing from God".  And she is right.  I love this picture because I can remember when she saw a picture of him for the first time and what joy she had on her face.  It is incredible to see her embracing him with that beautiful smile.  No more dreaming about what he might sound like or look like.  No more asking, "Robin, will we get him soon?" 

We have him now, Madeline, and I am glad he has you for a cousin.  Thank you so much for all your prayers!  I love you with all my heart!!!  Aunt Robin 

Do these stripes make me look big?!?

In this picture it looks like I am praying.  Possibly saying...Lord, please don't let him outgrow my lap before his first birthday!!!

I want to thank Grams for these striped PJ's.  Didn't think they would fit until the fall.

Thanks for following the blog!

Love-Robin

Rigorous Reading Routine

Hello room 107, this post was designed especially for you guys!

I know the TCAP test is approaching and I hope you are keeping 

a rigorous schedule at school.  I am curious if you are really engaged during

independent reading time.  Ben Cheng-Yu wants to remind you of some

important tips for your independent reading time.  See the pictures!!!

• Don't overdo the book browsing.  I know a few of you who actually spend too much time browsing and not reading!
• Find a book that is right for you...read the back cover, and a few pages.
• Engage in independent reading daily!
• Enjoy your books!!! (Cheng-Yu tastes his books, but I don't recommend that)

I enjoyed seeing you all last week at school.  I miss you!!!

Love,

Mrs. Coffman

April Fool's Day

Mom really should have let me wear my green jacket on St. Patrick's Day...Ben Cheng-Yu!

We did have a great day.  Ben Cheng-Yu went to Chuckie Cheese's for the first time.

Dream Come True

Bogey is sooo glad that Baby Ben is finally here!

Like a Brother

In one of my previous posts, when we were in Taiwan, I probably made reference to the Copeland family.  We shared an important part of our adoption journey with them.  We shared the same hotel in Taiwan, traveled all over Taipei together...but most importantly we shared Gotcha Day.  It is a day that I will never forget.  Our facilitator, Mei Rui, picked us up at the Golden China Hotel at around 11:30 that day.  We met her in the lobby and that was also the first time we met the Copeland's.  They had traveled to Taiwan from Oregon to pick up their baby boy.  

I remember I got a little nervous when I saw the Copeland's diaper bag.  They had packed a bit more than us and suddenly I felt unprepared, but Trisha assured me that they were notorious for overpacking (I couldn't help but still be concerned).   We loaded up our bags, cameras, etc. and headed for Taichung, Taiwan.  It was about a two hour drive, so we had a chance to get to know each other a little.  It was very comforting to be in the company of people who were probably experiencing the same emotions as us.  We did have periods of long silence on the way to Taichung.  I guess each of us was trying to envision "the moment" to come.  A moment that you can't prepare for or even describe with words.  A moment that you play over in your mind a thousand times.  I imagine each of us in that Toyota Surf had one thing on our minds...our son!

After what seemed like an endless trip, Mei Rui pulled off at an interesting rest area about half an hour shy of our destination.  I felt the mixed bag of emotions rising.  Nerves, joy, excitement all rolled into one.  After a brief stop, we continued on the last leg of the trip to Taichung.  

Our first stop was at the agency where they gave us bags full of all the items we had sent to our son's foster home.  We also dropped off gifts for the agency, foster home and birthmother.  Our sons were in different foster homes so at that point, the Copeland's left with another rep from the agency and we left with Mei Rui.  We wished each other well as we knew the moment was near and when we saw each other again, there would be two more people to put in the car...two little baby boys!  The feeling I had is indescribable. 

Well, we went to the foster home to meet our son...and that is an incredible story for another time.  And when we returned to the agency, there the Copeland family sat with David Kai.  They were siting at a small table with him and I will never forget that sight. It was amazing.  Just moments before, we were parents of children that we had never held in our arms...but now our arms were full...bouncing baby boys!

We hopped back in that Toyota Surf, but this time the silence was different.  Two Dads in the third row seat looking over the shoulders of two Moms embracing their sons.  For this car ride, the silence was full of peace.  The anticipation and waiting was over.  The moment that we had played over a thousand times in our minds had arrived and proved to be all that we had dreamed of.  Two baby boys with pink pacifiers.  A car full of joy and answered paryers.  Praise the Lord and let the good times roll!!!

Thank you God for David Kai and Benjamin Cheng-Yu.