Amanda's Archive (past info & pics)

We officially started our adoption process when we signed the contract with our adoption agency in May 2003.  

We traveled to China in mid June '04 to get Amanda.  You can join our Yahoo Group to read our adoption journey journal and view photos, as well as the latest updates in our lives:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UpperPlainsPost/

We still post entries and photos every few weeks to the Yahoo group, sharing the latest news about Amanda's progress and other things of interest.  You can have new posts to the group automatically emailed to you, so you don't have to constantly visit the Yahoo Group to see if there's anything new. 

We returned home at the beginning of July '04.  If you don't want to join our Yahoo group, be sure to read our newsletter, The Upper Plains Post Vol. 5, No. 3, which has a summarized version of our adoption trip to receive Amanda, as well as a bunch of photos.

Amanda really liked all the Cherry Blossoms when we were in Washington D.C. (April '05)

On that big road trip that went through 19 States, this was Amanda's view of the trip... ("Where's Waldo?")

In Hawaii (June '05), Amanda got her first lei, and eventually started picking off all the flowers!

Making faces at the Dallas Zoo (almost 2 years old, Sept. '05)

It's Christmas time!  Clowning for the camera (Dec. '05)

Discovering scissors and being like Mulan (Disney's Mulan cuts her hair...  Jan. '06)

It's Lego time! (Feb. '06)

Easter Eggs, and fun with sunglasses (April '06)

Vacation at the beach!  Outer Banks, North Carolina (May '06)

Being mellow by the window (June '06)

In September '06, PoPo and AngAng came to visit!  And Amanda got to have fun in their RV!

Happy 3rd Birthday!  Amanda had a party at the local mall, making their own party hats!

Then in October, NaiNai and YeYe came to visit too!  We went to the State Fair, where Amanda goofed off with MaMa and BaBa's sunglasses, wearing both at the same time!

We enjoyed the annual local FCC Culture Day event (Amanda holding her province sign).  At the annual adoption agency picnic, Amanda got her face painted!

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If you'd like to learn more about some of the special concerns about adoption from China, there are many informative websites that cover adoption in general, and adoptions from China in particular.  Here's one:  www.attach-china.org

Two books that we've found very informative:

"Lost Daughters of China: Abandoned Girls, Their Journey to America, and the Search for a Missing Past" by Karin Evans.

"Wanting a Daughter, Needing a Son: Abandonment, Adoption, and Orphanage Care in China" by Kay Ann Johnson.