Maryn loves the squatty potties.  She calls them the "little potties" and actually looks for them to use instead of western potties.

We arrived in Shanxi, got to our room and Maryn exclaimed, "Oh NO!  They took our room.  We don't have our room anymore!"  She missed Beijing.

Back at home, the children are doing amazing!  And my parents are happily surviving thus far.  Sleepovers, birthday parties, playdates, church, lake days....they are staying entertained!  So thankful!

Shanxi

We arrived safely in Shanxi China, the province our daughter resides in, yesterday afternoon via train.  To say Maryn was a first-class-world-toddler traveler is an understatement.....she was AMAZING.  She walked and held tightly onto the stroller as we whisked through the crowds of people to make our way onto our train.  There were no tears until we got off of the train and she realized Chapman was not meeting us at the train station.  Poor girl has been anticipating the arrival of her baby sister  with each and every outing we have been on since first stepping onto the plane in Atlanta.  

It is Monday, August 29, 2016, and right now I can only imagine what our little one is experiencing.  Chapman is two now, her birthday was yesterday though I am positive it was just another day for her.  I picture a lot of hustling around to get Chapman and her friend, Harper, dressed and ready for their big day, a day when their whole lives will undoubtedly change forever.  I do wonder what they are being told, if anything, about their drive in a car for the first time; are the nannies transporting them familiar faces or just two officials whom they see periodically around their room?  

I pray she feels safe with us.

I pray she knows love and will allow us to love her too.

Beijing

We landed safely and arrived at our hotel around 10pm just in time to talk with our children at home, shower and climb into bed for what seemed like the longest night ever.  Finally, 5:00am arrived and we turned on the lights to begin our day!

  With a whirlwind, one-day tour of Beijing planned, we joined our guide for the day, David Wang, and another family from Georgia.

 This little one could not wait to take in the Great Wall and begged to walk all by herself.  The Great Wall is no easy task to tackle even for the sure footed persons who are paying attention....the steps are often very uneven and the crowds can be a bit much to maneuver.  Alas, she made it the entire way with a smile on her face!

 A special treat for us was riding the ski lift to the top of this section of the Great Wall.  

 The day was as clear as one can ask for in one of the most polluted cities in the world!  You could see for miles and the skies were blue!  

 The mountains surrounding the Wall were breathtaking.....our guide stated that the one below is called the "Sleeping Man."  If you look closely, you can make out his forehead, eye, nose and chin....

The original GW still stands today....

 Following our climbing of the wall, I was given a tour down via toboggan sled with Maryn as my driver!  She has one speed and one speed only - FAST!  And we had to have been the loudest ones on the ride.....her squeals echoed through the mountains as we twisted and sped our way down to the bottom!  At the end she begged the non-English speaking man who was helping her off to PLEASE let her go again!  

 Then it was off to tour a hutong.  Hotongs were developed many moons ago for families to all live together with a common courtyard - and there are hutongs after hutongs in Old Beijing though it is not the preferred living arrangement nowadays with the newer generations.  

 Our pedicab rode us along the streets of the hutongs and I am pretty sure I smelled every "China" smell possible during this time.  I am also positively positive that I am glad no one could understand Maryn's shouting out of "Dis doesn't smell good!  Why does it smell like that?  Mommy, that smell is stinky!"  I just smiled and waved as if she was singing her ABCs.

 This pic resembles so much.  A bike is the number one mode of transportation in Beijing.  And to see a child on a bike is like a child at home getting buckled up in their carseat.  We spent a lot of time in the van today and I, due to some of the "dizzy head" as my grandmother would call it, got the privilege of riding up front with our driver.  I saw whole families on one bike, children standing on bikes between their caregivers legs....and in China no one has the privilege of right-of-way....instead, it is more like, go your own way and it should work out!  I state this because as we bumped up and down the streets of Beijing, I can assure you that I tried to take in as much of the beauty of China as possible and the differences in cultures amazes me.  Something as simple as a bike parked against a wall reminded me to appreciate every moment here and soak up the differences in culture.

 A traditional family hutong....to the left is where the sisters would live in the skinny long part.....the larger part in front of it is where the parents would live, top center is where the first born son would be designated to live and the bottom center is for any other son.....the courtyard is a common area in which they all share.  

 The Forbidden City is the largest hutong!  Though we did not visit the Forbidden City directly, we did go to a park and climb to the top of a tower for an overview.

 And, with a view of the Forbidden City in the background of her daily baths, what little girl wouldn't beg for bubble bath after bubble bath?!?!

While today has been full of greatness, we do ask for prayers specifically for our health and to overcome jet lag before we get Chapman!  We struggled a bit today but trust that tomorrow we will awake to feeling nothing but refreshed!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Chapman Mckensie 

CHOSEN, LOVED, and CHERISHED

Seven months ago, we officially began our journey to this beautiful baby girl! 

We will have her in our arms forever on Monday, August 29, 2016.

The seven months leading up to our departure have been nothing short of amazing.  The paperwork kinks, the process kinks, the fundraising, the story telling, the gifts.....we are so thankful for each of the precious friends who love this little girl from afar.  We have felt each and every prayer.  We have cried upon receiving each and every monetary donation. These gifts meant the world to us knowing that we could not bring her home without them.  

THANK YOU ALL!

We are leaving on a jet plane tomorrow at noon and will return Thursday, September 8 with our newest little Drafts!

Now, with the journey almost over, let her story begin.....

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2016

 Mason-Kate was just too cool for pictures this year so a group shot was the way to go for her!  Fourth grade and counting.....

 My little Maddox Ren

First grade and she was so excited!  She kept telling me the night before school that she wished it was the first day of school....she couldn't wait to enter those halls!

 Her sweet friend, Madi, lives across the street and they are in this school thing together!  They adore one another and we are thankful for their friendship.

 Maddox adores her teacher, Mrs. Robertson.  

 And the obligatory picture of her at her desk.  Thankfully, she was willing to let me take pictures!

 And then there is this guy....Junior this year! He is taking two classes at his high school and three classes at the local university - to say he is a happy camper is an understatement....he LOVES the flexibility and not being cooped up at school all.day.long.

(he always waits until he gets in the car to put his shoes on.....yes, maybe once or twice, he has gotten to school without his shoes on!)

 And then there is this little one....she has a love/hate relationship with school.  Bless. So goes the PreK3 life! 

Summer 2016 Round Up

I literally blinked my eyes, and summer is ending before me!  

So many great things occurred this summer.  While we did enjoy our beach vacations and our trip to the mountains to visit Gran and Pop, our day to day life at home was a blessing too.  

First up, Veronica.  We LOVE Veronica and we were so excited to have the opportunity to have her in our home for two weeks.  

We first met Veronica in 2011 during our trip to bring Maddox home.  Veronica was the best guide ever!  There were tears on all sides when we left China that year.  Since then, Veronica has taken some time off of work to have a baby boy and is now working with the agency we used to bring our three girls home.  She is the facilitator between the agency and the orphanages and the adoption affairs office in China.  And she is amazing!  She taught us how to cook Chinese, she put us in contact with Maddox's foster family, she was just a joy to have and we were all sad to see her go!

We continue to have our adoption group gatherings and the little ones are now right in the middle of it all!  When the girls are overruling, some must just choose to go with the flow....pretty sure this pic will be ver valuable in David's later years:)

These sweet girls....they did a fashion show and a singing show....they were all about the shows on this particular evening!

Colin and Pryce had the opportunity to do a mission trip in Conyers, Georgia with our church.  For one week, the boys spent time sharing the love of Christ by doing vacation Bible school.  The loved every moment of their time there and the stories they shared with us once they were home were amazing!  So thankful for this time for them and for their hearts that willingly went to serve others!

MK and Chloe visited our local pottery store and painted their very own mugs.  The Mohrs have been with us for a year now and we are so very thankful that they are here!

We have spent many evenings at the pool....it is by far our favorite time to visit....low crowds, no sunscreen needed, relaxing....

MK and Chloe spent one week doing horse camp at a local stable.  They had a blast though they were a bit warm during their stay:)

Another surprise!  LiPing, a chaperone for the host children who were visiting in July, needed a home to stay in for the first few nights of her stay in America.  We were more than willing to accommodate her and we are so thankful for this experience.  Veronica spoke very good English.  LiPing spoke no English.  None.  It was hilarious trying to speak with her through Google translate which, by the way, is not always the most reliable source....pretty sure Maddox told her through Google that she was going to eat her!  Oye!  She was super sweet and we were able to do some sight seeing and shopping with her during her stay!

These boys.  It was 80s day at youth group.  And they took it to heart, high socks and all.  

Ryan and I were loving this!  

Weekend at Bernies???

Lake Day

We were able to spend the day on the lake boating and swimming and just relaxing!

This sweet girl wasn't sure what to make of the lake water at first.  However, after a few minutes to warm up, she was sold and was the last one to get out at the end of the day!

Our sweet Noah was in town and we were so glad to have a moment to visit with him! 

In fact, the Gilliams and the Beaudreaus were in town too and we enjoyed our time with them!  They are a fabulous family and we are honored to know them and share the love for orphan care with them!

This little one has had some ongoing tummy issues that we are trying to get to the bottom of.  It was no fun trying to get her to drink the "milkshake" for her test....her thoughts are written all over her face on this matter!

Six Flags Over Georgia

We were gifted with free tickets to visit this theme park for the day.  Upon entry, Maryn spied the characters and immediately asked for a picture but she wasn't about to do it without mommy!  Pretty sure she talked about them all day!

The boys went off on their own adventure to do big boy things, aka roller coasters, while we girls stuck with the small town rides.  We did manage a trip on the smaller edition of a roller coaster and Maryn got off screaming she wanted to do it again and again and again!  

These two had a blast....it was so fun to see the reactions and the smiles!

Lazy Days of Summer

MK and all of her bests!  Chloe and the twins.....

This little love has learned to swim this summer.  She is pictured here with her floatie but most of the time she is full speed ahead in the pool without the floatie addition.  She jumps in without fear and swims to the steps.  Repeat.  

Our China Adoption Friends Picnic

So thankful for these friendships.  Each of them has an amazing story!

And on this day, August 1, 2016, we received our Travel Approval from China to go get Miss Chapman McKensie!!!  We were thrilled and surprised and overwhelmed all in one ball of happiness!  Our girl is coming home soon!  We will have her in our arms Monday, August 29 and we can't wait to start life with her!  So thankful for these friends who helped me celebrate at the pool!

Summer is coming to a quick close.  Our daily life in the Drafts household is going to change immensely.  Our oldest will be dual enrolling - part time at high school, part time in college; our second born will be wrapping up his homeschooling days as an 8th grader; our big girls will be going to "real" school; our Maryn will become a big sister for the first time; and our baby will be adjusting to the biggest, saddest, happiest moments of her life.  We are so thankful for this ride!

Happy 4th Birthday Maryn!

Happy Birthday to this sweet girl!  

Four years old has to just about be one of my favorite ages ever!  She is just too sweet, always says thank you and I love you and laughs at the silliest things.  She is full of imagination and ready for every adventure that comes about her way!  To know this little one is to love her!  So very thankful we were chosen to be her family and I love celebrating her life each year!  You are LOVED, Maryn!