Summer, Oh How We Love Summer!

Our 2nd trip to Rosemary Beach!! We had lots of great families with us. The Darnell's, The Chrisman's, The Carter's along with Kyle Cofer and Andrew Ray. It was an amazing trip, Sophie enjoyed every minute of it. She loves the pool and sand. She also, had several girls waiting on her hand and foot.

Mother's Day Weekend

"HE HAS RISEN" CELEBRATION!

"HE IS NOT HERE, HE HAS RISEN"... Matthew 18:6

Our family had an amazing day. After church we celebrated with my family. We had a wonderful meal together and just watched our Sophie enjoy the day.

Sophie's "Oh What A Day" Birthday!!

Our Precious little one turned 2. It's been amazing to see the changes in only 4 months. God has blessed us unbelievably. She so completes our family.

1st Trip to the Beach

Sohpie's Video!

Christmas

What a Christmas gift! We returned home on Christmas Eve and woke up with our Sophie to a white Christmas.

Our Sophie Girl

The day after we got our Sophie Girl, we returned back to the Adoption Center to actually sign the offical papers that "she's ours". An overwhelming day. I had prayed for this day for years and to see God's plan play out was such a blessing.

Dec. 15, 2010

Experience of a Lifetime!!

Our journey has been amazingly designed by God. I'm still processing all we've been through as a family. China was a great bonding experience for us and our kids eyes were so opened to the need in this world. I think our family will be changed forever because of that experience. We will forever pray for the orphans. And thank God we said yes to the call.

Greetings from China

Wow, it's been a few crazy days. We are finally all getting better, except Bernard may still have a touch of what we've had. Saturday was Sophie's medical exam, which was by far the most difficult experience. There were so many families with screaming babies, there were lines we had to wait in and Sophie did not like this. She ended up having some fever, but everything else was fine. She's been fussy, but she's still so good. We think she may have an earache (where's Mont Berry). After escaping that experience we walked around Shamian Island and did some sightseeing and shopping. We have met a family that has adopted a 5 year old girl named Ella. Very sweet family from Maine and they have two boys that are 8 and 12. This made Hayden very happy because he now has a buddy to hang out with. We also spent yesterday (Sunday) with this family doing some more shopping and sightseeing and last night we went on a riverboat cruise. We are having lots of fun, but are so ready to be home with our Sophie. I can't wait for her to meet everyone.

She loves crawling around our hotel floor playing with her toys. We all just sit and watch. I'm still amazed that she's ours!! She is so perfect for our family.

A Day in the Life of Sophie!

Journey in Guangzhou

It is 6:30 in the morning on Friday. We were traveling to Sophie's Orphanage today, but had to cancel because I'm sick. Thought I was better, but ended up with fever last night. Hopefully we will have a chance next week to go. It is 4 hours from our hotel and then the return trip and I knew I just couldn't make that long of a trip today. On Wednesday we traveled back to the Guangzhou Center of Adoption Affairs to officially make SOPHIA GRACE AIFANG a BEAN!! She is now one of us! PRAISE GOD!!! Yesterday we made a trip to the police dept. to do Sophie's passport paperwork. Hopefully today I can get some rest and start feeling better. The kids have been amazing. Bernard took the boys out yesterday, but Lauren and I stayed at the hotel to bond with Sophie. Please pray for good health for me and that the rest of the family stays well. We miss everyone very much and can't wait to see you.

Introducing Miss Sophie Bean!

"Sophie's Gotcha Day!"

Yesterday was Sophie's Gotcha Day!! Praise God we have her. She has been amazing. She is still on a bottle, in diapers and is very tiny. She is perfect for our family, God new exactly what He was doing when He put the Bean's on a plane and flew them all the way across the world to embrace this precious little one we now call Sophie. We arrived at the Guangzhou Adoption Affairs Office about 2:20 and she was in our arms by 2:45. We all stood amazed as we passed her back and forth, she was so good, never cried, just watched these crazy looking people love on her. She is walking, but very cautiously, probably hasn't had much practice time. Oh but my the time we get her home, I think she will be moving around much better, because her favorite thing to do is walk up and down the hall. I hear her finally waking up, Bernard and I have been peeping over her crib since about 4:30 waiting on her to wake up. My favorite thing to do so far is give her the bottle. I treasure this time, I have longed for this time.

Will update soon, now that we finally have connection!!
Love everyone and thanks for all the prayers
Cindy

Almost Here

Sophie is almost here! We will be traveling at 2:00 to an official's office and will meet her and her care taker there. We are very sorry for not posting but the Internet access would not allow us to get on our blog, but we got past that, and it still will not let us post pictures. We are working on getting that fixed though. We want to thank you for your prayers, they are about to be answered!

Update

Greetings!
This is Lori Culp. The Beans have not been able to access the blog from China. Sometimes blogs are blocked in China. Cindy asked if I would update to let their faithful followers know they have arrived in China. They are doing well except that Lauren has been sick. Please pray for her. They are in Beijing and have been sight seeing. They have visited Tienanmen Square and the Great Wall. Tomorrow they will fly south to Guangzhou and will be united with precious Sophie on Tuesday. Hopefully they will be able to post from China soon.

We Are On Our Way!

This is us about to leave for China! We have been sitting in the Seattle airport for about 5 hours and are exhausted! Hayden, Christian, and I are so excited and can't wait to meet our new sis! Dad and Mom are right there with us too. Our adventure has been so amazing this past year and it hasn't even begun yet! We have met so many people with amazing stories and that was just in the airport! Imagine all the people we will meet on our Journey to Sophia Grace. I don't think it has hit my family yet that we are getting a new sister, daughter, cousin, granddaughter, and friend for life. This is an opportunity that God has put into our lives and we took it without hesitation, without knowing what the outcome will be, without knowing how well God is going to work in our lives and through our lives to others, and without knowing that this process with change a little girl's life, Sophia Grace Bean's life, for forever.

Finally, We got the call!!! The Bean's will be traveling to China to get our baby girl. Bernard, Cindy, Lauren, Christian and Hayden will be leaving on Dec. 9-Dec. 24. We will be returning just in time for Christmas morning. What a Christmas present.

Adopting the Waiting Child from China.

Sophie Grace Bean