Our Journey to Elaine Qing-Leigh

Welcome to our web site honoring our newest family member! We invite you to follow us on our journey to unite our daughter with her forever family. Please check daily for posts and pictures while we are in China. Our journey began September ’04. We had a strong desire to add a child to our family through adoption. There are so many children that need homes and we had an overwhelming sense that our child had already been born. We began to pray for her and that God would quickly unite us. Well, we found out about our little blessing on November 21st, 2004. Her name then was Qing Juan Lei. We received her complete file and photos the next day and we went head over heals in love with her at that moment! Her second birthday was on the 23rd and we threw a party for her. I knew that this was the last birthday she would have without a family! Watch out, her third birthday is going to be amazing! Now, almost a year later, we are ready to bring our daughter home. The paper chase was more challenging than we expected and the time kept flying by. All of our paper work was sent to China in June and logged in their system on July 8th. We waited – oh-not-so-patiently- for “the call” that we had our travel date to go get her. I carried my phone everywhere. On Sept. 25th, while at our home school co-op, I got that long coveted call!!! And here we are…….leaving on Oct 27th for sweet little Lani!

Elaine – Angela's (mom's) middle name

Qing – her first name given to her in China

Leigh – the feminine spelling of Mike’s (dad's) middle name

Lani – the cutest little nickname ever

 

Lani’s most recent photo in front of her orphanage

 

 

The Gift of Life

I didn’t give you the gift of life,

But in my heart I know the love I feel is deep and real,

As if it had been so.

For us to have each other

Is like a dream come true!

No, I didn’t give you the gift of life,

Life gave me the gift of you!

Author Unknown