The Kelliher Chronicles

Xinjiang , China adoption

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 22:29:00 +0000

You can follow the adoption journey of a child from Xinjiang at

http://www.journeytorory.com/

The family will be leaving August 29th

For 4 years old, Jude makes brilliant Lego sculptures and plays Star Wars video games

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 21:39:00 +0000

Urumqi Xinjiang Adoption Blog Link

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 20:45:00 +0000

Follow a family traveling to Urumqi Xinjiang China to adopt their son. They will be leaving in a week and will be in China for about 2 weeks.

http://www.crickethome.blogspot.com/

~Anita

Rachel graduated from pre-school

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 00:10:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

I know it has been a long time since I last posted.

Well... Rachel graduated from pre-school and she was so proud of herself. Her pre-school, All Kids' Academy, had the graduation ceremony taped professionally and we were able to purchase a DVD; now she is able to watch herself on T.V. Just this morning she put it on so she could see herself. She is so cute!! She is looking forward to Kindergarten on August 20th. Jude will also be in pre-K4 at the same school Rachel went to. Jude will be attending full- time and Rachel will be in after-school care. Amber will be attending a brand new high school. Bill will be going back to work full-time and I will be going to work 24- 35 hours a week; so we will be a very busy family.

We plan on spending alot of time at the beach this summer and taking a trip back to Orlando to camp at Fort Wilderness and see Epcot.

Will post soon!!

Love, Anita

Mission Network News update from Xinjiang, China- Jude's birthplace

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Tue, 01 May 2007 22:23:00 +0000

Chinese and American Christian Leaders in Xinjiang - China Aid AssociationOn April 19, 2007, more than 30 house-church leaders and four American Christians were arrested in Xinjiang province. China Aid Association (CAA) reports the four Americans are still in an undisclosed hotel for questioning and the PSB confiscated their luggage. Eight Chinese pastors received criminal detention papers for 30 days detention and were accused of being "suspects involved in evil cult activities." Eye witnesses told CAA that at least two of the arrested were seen with bleeding noses and bruises on their faces because of torture during interrogations. Pray for the pastors in prison and for their families. Ask God to protect them as they face pending charges.

II Timothy 4: 16-18

Cinderella's Castle Royal Suite

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 00:23:00 +0000

Check out these photos of the suite in the actual Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom. The rooms are absolutely gorgeous.

~Anita

Camping

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 19:00:00 +0000

Bill and I took the kids to Hillsborough River State Park to go camping from April 1st - 3rd. We had a great time. It was so nice to be able to be with the kids without any distractions. Of course, we brought the mini-DVD player so the kids could watch a quick video at night. We were able to go on a few hikes, saw a big alligator sun bathing on the river bank, and also had some armadillo nosing around our camp at night probably looking for food. We saw osprey and lots of squirrels and insects and even had to pry a caterpillar cacoon off of the tent before taking it down. We hope to go camping again in the fall and make it a tradition at least twice a year. -Anita

Disney!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 21:23:00 +0000

We had a wonderful time on Saturday visiting the Magic Kingdom. The kids had been excited for weeks to go there and celebrate their birthdays. We were able to stay the night on Friday just about 2 miles outside of the park and went out to eat to Olive Garden and then to Downtown Disney for a few hours.

On Saturday, we got to Magic Kingdom at about 9am ; we hit Fantasyland first and got to see Philharmagic before the crowds, then Dumbo, the Carrousel, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan's Flight, and It's a Small World. Then went over to Tomorrowland and went on the Indy Speedway, and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin ( check out the picture of Jude with Buzz Lightyear- he was so excited to meet him )

We had lunch at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe and then we headed over to Mickey's Toontown Fair. Jude and Bill rode the Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm while Rachel and I walked next door to Donald's Boat where Rachel was able to play in the fountains. They also had really cute Minnie and Mickey's Country Houses for the kids to walk through.

Then we took the Walt Disney World Railroad to Frontierland and walked through it to Adventureland and rode the Pirates of the Carribean. Bill and I had to carry Rachel and Jude through the line while they slept. We were able to check out a skit with a Captain Jack look-a-like from the Pirates of Carribean movies. The last ride we took was the Jungle Cruise before heading over to Main Street to have a snack at Casey's Corner while we listened to a piano player outside while we ate. At 7:00 we were able to find a great spot to watch the Spectromagic light parade, which was awesome. We finally left the park at 9:00 and took the Ferry across the lagoon to catch the tram back to Pluto 17 ( that's where the car was parked).

You can check out more photos at:http://kelli-smith-gallery.smugmug.com/gallery/2567578

I dropped my camera and it hasn't been working as good so some photos don't seem very clear, but I hope you enjoy them.

Love, Anita

Stricter adoption options in China won't change ministry outlook

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:05:00 +0000

China (MNN)-- Next, future adoptive parents will face tougher restrictions from China beginning in May. China's new rules require prospective parents to have more education, better physical health, and a stable home and marriage. Bethany Christian Services China coordinator, Jaclyn Skalnik says the changes point to one thing: "I believe that they are moving towards domestic adoption. So, when we hear these new guidelines, I think we have a tendency to, of course, wonder what's happening with the children. I think the movement in China is that, their goal, and everyone's goal is to keep as many children in China, with Chinese families, as possible." Skalnik says through a continued a positive relationship with the government, they'll keep the door open for ministry. "I believe, as a Christian agency, it's still our priority of course to care for the fatherless, and pray for those that we cannot care for. I think that we have somewhat of a trusting relationship and understanding with all of our countries, whether they are Christian countries or not, that, where we can help, we will."

Full story: http://www.MNNonline.org/article/9609

Story of mission trip to Jude's Orphanage

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 00:53:00 +0000

Check this link to a website that discusses a mission trip to the orphanage where Jude was brought following his abandonment. He lived here from May 1, 2003 through approximately November of 2003 before transferring to a foster home under the orphanages care.

http://myadoptionwebsite.com/ajourneyoflove/

Urumqi, Xinjiang adoption blog links

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 23:52:00 +0000

http://www.tobyann.com/

http://tobyann2006.blogspot.com/

http://www.thestoryofyou.net/AnnaMei3.html

Another Xinjiang baby to be adopted!

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 03:29:00 +0000

Heavenly Lake in Xinjiang

Follow along on a families journey to adopt their child in Xinjiang. They just received " Travel Approval" so it may be 2-4 weeks before they leave.

I love following these wonderful stories of children adopted from Jude's birthplace; and with only approximately 50 adoptions annually out of Xinjiang- it is special to follow along- and it is a boy!

www.caringbridge.org/visit/waiting4daniel

or

www.journeytome.com
user name: shelton and password :Daniel

Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Xinjiang, China

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:13:00 +0000

I just got this update from Voice of the Martyrs. Fours Christian brothers were imprisoned in the Xinjiang Province of China ( Jude's birthplace); they are recovering in a hospital following torture from fellow prisoners. Please pray for their swift recovery and strength to go back on the mission field and proclaim the gospel of Christ.

" CHINA House Church Closed in Anhui - China Aid Association

On November 26, a house church in Laodong Xincui, Tongling City, Anhui Province was closed by the government. The leaders were told to join the local Three-Self Church. The house church was founded 53 years ago by renowned Brother Wang Xingquan who was imprisoned for his faith during the Cultural Revolution. The nearly 200 members are under supervision from the local Religious Affair Bureau which is intimidating and exerting pressure on them. The employers of Brother Wang Xingquan's daughter have stopped paying her salary and threatened to fire her if she does not set an example and join the local Three-Self Church.

Four Christian brothers from Xinjiang province, who were imprisoned for 32 days between October and November this year, were admitted to the hospital after being tortured by other prisoners.

Pray God will keep all His faithful servants strong in their faith. 2 Corinthians 4:8-11."

http://www.blogger.com/
© Copyright 2006 The Voice of the Martyrs, All Rights Reserved.

Valle Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 19:34:00 +0000

Valle Girls

This is a Blog about family who adopted from Kazakhstan and who will be adopting a child from Xinjiang, where Jude was born. Xinjiang, China and Kazakhstan share a border.

-Anita

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 13:53:00 +0000

Merry CHRISTmas!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 13:48:00 +0000

Hi all,

Merry CHRISTmas,

Dear Family and Friends,

Well...it's that time again, when we take some time to reflect on the events of the past year.
In February, we had a combined birthday party for Jude and Rachel, their birthdays being only two months apart; Rachel is now 4 , and Jude is 3.

Anita and I took a small trip up to Boston at the end of April to visit family. It would be the last time I would see my grandmother; we would return again in October to attend her funeral.
In June, we flew up to Seattle/Olympia for a week to visit Anita's grandmother and other family members in Washington state. We had a nice time visiting local area sights ,including Seattle Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and Mt. Rainier National Park.

On August 8th, Rachel started pre-K4 and Amber began her first year of high school : 9th grade. Before long, Amber will be driving (scary thought).

Upon returning from our second trip to Boston in October, I decided to leave the trucking industry and pursue other interests ( i.e., a degree in Theology).

Jude is doing very well and he will continue to wear his foot abduction brace at night for another 1 1/2 years. Anita was able to contact the orphanage in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China and let them know of his progress ; they are very pleased to hear about him. We will continue to keep them informed, including his former foster parents.
Happy Holidays to you all and we hope to see each of you at some point real soon or some time this coming year.

Love,
Bill, Anita, Amber, Rachel, and Jude

www.kelli-smith-gallery.smugmug.com

I am working full-time now!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 00:17:00 +0000

Hi all,

Boy! It's been a long time since I last posted. I started a prn (as needed ) position over at University Community Hospital (UCH) (on October 16th) located about 14 miles or less from the house. I have a short-cut I take that gets me to the hospital in 15-20 mintues and sometimes more -especially on the weekdays, it's taken me as long as 45 minutes. I work about 25- 32 hours a week now , but will be converting to 40 hours , maybe in January. I don't know yet....I am really enjoying the prn position , with its flexible schedule.

Bill is staying with the kids during the day and he plans on taking classes (hopefully) in January ; he wants to get his degree in theology.

Rachel is doing really well in pre-K4 ; Bill went to her parent/teacher conference the other day and they said Rachel needs to work on letter recognition.

Jude loves having his daddy all to himself during the week. Bill has been getting alot of stuff accomplished at the house and Jude likes being helpful when Bill lets him.

Amber's doing alright in school , she just needs some redirection and encouragement to finish her homework and projects on time. She'd much rather go on the computer, out with friends , or talk on the phone. She is a social butterfly and it is hard for Bill and I to keep track of all her friends; I never had so many friends. The trick is finding more about each of them and making sure we guide her towards the ones who are the best influence for her. Amber is going to be 15 in April and she is impressionable. I remember what it was to be 15 and I recall feeling quite misunderstood by my parents.

Well...Christmas is only about a month away; I can't believe it!! I hope to get all my shopping and cards finished early. Bill and I want Jude and Rachel to do some craft projects to give away as gifts. That will be fun!

Take care, Love, Anita

Amber and Rachel started school August 8th

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 22:11:00 +0000

Hey everyone!!

Well another school year is upon us...the summer has flown by.

Rachel started Pre-K4 at a preschool about 3 miles from the house ; it's perfect and she loves it.
I have to admit that I was nervous the night before she started - I got up about 3 am and couldn't stop thinking about it. I was concerned that she would be cling to me and cry. But with lots of prayer and preparation, the transition from staying at home fulltime with mom to pre-school went off without a hitch. She is doing so well and Bill and I are so proud of her. Rachel has about 11 - 12 kids in her class including her.

Amber started the 9th grade at a very large high school here in Lutz/ Land O Lakes area. She seems to be doing well and she has had no problems adjusting to her new school. She did miss the bus once and I had to take her , but that's it. Oh and she says the lines at school at lunch- time are very long.

Well ... I wish that I could post some photos but for some reason can't. I'll try it again.

~Anita

For I know the plans I have for you...

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 15:48:00 +0000

For I know the plans I have for you...

Thomas Christopher is being adopted !!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 20:32:00 +0000

We just received an email from New Day Foster Home in Beijing that Thomas Christopher, the little boy that we sponsor, will be adopted soon. We have been praying for this little boy for about 6 months. Jude and Rachel say prayers for him at bedtime and our prayers have been answered ( and I am sure the staff of New Day FH as well) .

He is such a beautiful and special boy as well as so many of the wonderful children that live there are.

We will continue to pray for his medical and emotional needs for the coming months to follow.

The email we received is stated below:

Dear Friends,

During the past month, Thomas has had a lot of excitement in his life. We recently received word that he has an adoptive family in the United States that is waiting to come and take him home! When we told him, he became very excited and immediately wanted to see pictures of his family. A couple weeks after receiving the pictures, he received a phone call from his new family. He was overjoyed at the chance to talk to his mom and dad on the telephone. As soon as he got off the telephone, he quickly went to tell the other children. Recently, the children have been on a couple of field trips. The first field trip was to watch the winter wheat being harvested, which Thomas really enjoyed. He liked being able to walk in the wheat that hadn’t been harvested yet and eat some of the raw wheat kernels. He was also very fascinated by all of the big machinery that was being used to harvest the wheat. The second field trip that Thomas went on was to the Beijing Zoo. Thomas loved looking at all of the many animals that lived there. His favorite animals were the monkeys, zebras, and bears. Thomas is a cooperative young man. He loves going to preschool each morning and to his English class in the afternoon. Whenever he sees his teachers, he will ask them whether or not it’s time to go to class. Thomas has a very good appetite, especially if there are large pieces of meat for him to eat! Thomas is a charming young man. It is so wonderful to know that he now has an adoptive family waiting to adopt him!

Blessings,

Doug Bush
Sponsor Coordinator

Olympia and Seattle vacation: June 2006 - visiting family

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 16:06:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

We're back from our trip to see family in the Pacific Northwest - my mom's home state of Washington. I love it there and always feel sad to leave ; it is so beautiful.

Well we arrived on June 6th ( Tuesday) at about 1:15pm (PST) and picked up our rental car - a brand new 2006 Grand Caravan. We arrived in Olympia at my grandmother's house at about 3:30 pm. After settling into our rooms , Bill and I took Rachel and Jude over to one of the playgrounds in my grandmother's subdivision. We ate pizza and went to bed.

Wednesday (6/7) morning we went to see my step-grandfather in the nursing home and left about noon back to my grandmothers . My uncle Bill and cousin Brian came over for a quick visit and we then tried to get Jude and Rachel down for a nap ,in which we were unsuccessful ,then left to "Lattin's Market " and petting zoo to let the kids run around. I bought some apples and honey sticks. Bill and I went to safeway to buy the ingredients for our dinner ( yellow rice and chicken ) and a 12 pack of Rainier beer for Bill ( he drank over the next 7 days- he wanted to try some locally brewed beer).

Thurday (6/8) we picked up my aunt Bonnie in the late morning and went to Olympia's Farmer's Market, walked around alittle bit and ate some German food ; the kids' had chicken nuggets. I wish I got curried Indian instead. Took Bonnie back home, tried to get the little one's down for a nap , but couldn't - went to my uncle Bill's house instead. We had nice visit with my uncle for an hour or so and then left and went to KFC and brought a bucket of chicken home to grandma's and then stayed up and watched T.V. ( which is hard to do because my grandmother watches "Texas Ranger " with Chuck Norris every weeknight from 7- 9 pm) . When she went to bed we watched alittle T.V., went to bed which was usually 9-10 at night, every night .

Friday (6/9) we went to Mt. Rainier without my grandmother. We got turned around and headed to downtown Olympia. After realizing that we were headed in the wrong direction, we headed back down Capital Way to Yelm Highway and got turned around again, which set us back a total of 60 minutes plus. We took a wrong turn in Tenino somewhere and headed toward the mountain around noon and stopped off at a restaurant called "Copper Creek Inn" which was very nice ; I had Oyster stew and a club sandwich that I split with Bill. We got to the mountain at around 1:00 (?) , which cost $15 a car load to get in. As we were driving the twisty- turney road that let to the top , we soon realized that we were driving in a cloud. We stopped along the way to look at Narada Falls , which was beautiful. The falls were full and loud and Bill, Amber and I went down to get a better view while my mom stayed back in the van with Jude and Rachel. On the way down to see it Bill fell about 3 or 4X because the snow was everywhere and Bill had on his tennis shoes. We got back in the car and headed up the mountain to Paradise - visitors center and we couldn't see a thing. I was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo disappointed !!!
We spent the time looking in the gift shop and museum. The whole mountain was engulfed in a cloud and it was about 40 - 50 degrees. We left to go home and arrived at my grandmother's at about 7:00pm, went to bed early; I don't think we ate anything for dinner. I vaguely remember wanting to go to Mc Donald's around 9:00 to get an Asian salad.

Saturday (6/10): Bill and I took Jude and Rachel to the park and I can't remember what else we did. Went to my cousin Natalie's baby shower sometime in the afternoon . I remember Rachel got a fever in the middle of the night 101.5F

Sunday (6/11) : Went to church at 10:30 and then back to my grandmother's for a light lunch. Went to the cemetary to see my aunt Tonya and aunt Paulette's grave sites , then over to uncle Bill's for a get together. My uncle and aunt Gloria bar-b-qued some hamburgers and hot dogs and my cousins' Brian and Jason ( and his wife Reese ) were there and my aunt Bonnie and cousin Kimberly and her daughter , Ana, came over as well. It was a full house . We had a nice visit.

When we left I had a sad feeling inside , I realized how much everyone has grown and how much we've missed over the years. All the birthdays and holidays without seeing eachother.

Bill got sick that night ;I think he caught what Rachel had.

Monday (6/12)- Bill didn't feel well and we cancelled the trip to Mt. St. Helen's , we went to downtown Olympia at noon with Jude. My mom took Rachel with her and took her to the mall with Amber, cousin Natalie , Kimberly, Ryan , Ana, and aunt Bonnie. Bill and I picked up some hamburgers from Burger King and had a picnic lunch in front of the capital building and the water park. Also went to Percival (sp?)Landing and walked along the boardwalk and took Jude to the playground. We walked up Capital Way about a total of 18- 20 blocks toward the children's museum and decided not to go because we were running out of time because we were due back at the house at 5:00 to go out to eat with my grandmother to "Falls Terrace." Packed our bags because we were due to leave in the morning.

Jude had a fever of 104 degrees that night.

Tuesday (6/13)- Left for Seattle at 10:00 , went to breakfast at 11:00 at Sheri's restaurant. Kids' fell asleep in the car on the way to Seattle , checked into the hotel by 2pm. We finally arrived at the Space Needle at around 3pm , the monerail to the market was closed due to repair so we got back in the car and drove closer to the market , parked, and walked up a few blocks to "Pike Place Market" which I love. But going with two sick pre- schoolers leaves much to be desired. We left the market around 6pm and headed to the hotel and had dinner at McDonald's ( I had another Asian salad). Went to sleep around 10?

Wednesday ( 6/14) - Flew back home and finally got in around midnight. Shew!!!!

All in all It was nice visiting family; that is really what the ultimate objective was anyway. But it was exhausting!! The sleeping arrangements were difficult with the kids. Jude fell out of the bed with his brace on once. It gets dark outside , finally, at 10:30pm or so and the windows in my grandmother's house have sheer window treatments. Bill and I have vowed to not take Jude and Rachel out on a major vacation involving air travel and long over night stays until they are much older.

I miss you all in Olympia already and I can't wait to see you again . Please visit us anytime.

Love, Anita

Please view photos of the trip ( that I am still in the process of uploading ) at http://kelli-smith-gallery.smugmug.com/gallery/1566815

Adoption- speaking at our church Mother/daughter banquet

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Sat, 20 May 2006 22:26:00 +0000

I was one of three speakers on Thursday the 18th at our church to talk about Jude's adoption. It was nice to speak on a subject that I hold near and dear to my heart.
One of the other speakers is the mother of 9 children and is expecting her 10th; she is an amazing woman. And the other speaker was a missionary to Mexico along with her husband and she is amazing woman as well.
I pray that what I spoke on will lead others to consider adoption.
I love adoption!!! I want to do it again! Lord willing - I will do it, possibly when Amber's older. What am I saying "I" for , Bill needs to be in agreement with it? So I will pray that the Lord opens his heart to the possibility of bringing another child into our family. He/she would most likely be older with a special need.
We'll see - stay tuned! You never know.
<><, Anita

Boston : April 28- 30, 2006 - going to see Bill's grandmother and family

noreply@blogger.com (Anita) — Mon, 01 May 2006 12:16:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

Bill and I left the kids' with my mom to go fly up to Boston and visit Bill's family. We had a very nice time , were able to stay with Bill's aunt and uncle for a few days. I felt bad staying for such a short amount of time. We planned both the Seattle and Boston trip at the same time in February to get the best price on tickets. Bill's 95 year old grandmother hasn't been in the best of health and we were not sure if she would be up to alot of activity. Both Bill and my grandmother have their medical issues and we are trying to make it up to see both of them this year.

Bill hasn't been to Boston for 5 years and I haven't been up to Seattle for 8 years. These past 4 years have been real busy for us due to Rachel's birth and then soon after planning for Jude's adoption and last year dealing with Jude's medical issues.

We hope next year to make it back up to Boston and take all the kids; that will be fun.
Boston was such a beautiful city on Saturday with all the flowers in bloom and the bright, blue, sunny sky ; it was about 55 degrees. The weather was a nice change from Tampa's warm weather.

We were able to visit Bill's grandmother on both Friday and Saturday and spent about a total of 10 hours with her and Bill's aunt.

You can visit our smugmug.com site to see the photos from the trip at the link below:

http://www.kelli-smith-gallery.smugmug.com/gallery/1414755

Love, Anita <><

The Kelliher Chronicles

Xinjiang , China adoption

For 4 years old, Jude makes brilliant Lego sculptures and plays Star Wars video games

Urumqi Xinjiang Adoption Blog Link

Rachel graduated from pre-school

Mission Network News update from Xinjiang, China- Jude's birthplace

Cinderella's Castle Royal Suite

Camping

Disney!!!

Stricter adoption options in China won't change ministry outlook

Story of mission trip to Jude's Orphanage

Urumqi, Xinjiang adoption blog links

Another Xinjiang baby to be adopted!

Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Xinjiang, China

More Xinjiang Adoption website links

Valle Girls

Merry CHRISTmas!!!!

I am working full-time now!!

Amber and Rachel started school August 8th

For I know the plans I have for you...

Thomas Christopher is being adopted !!!!

Olympia and Seattle vacation: June 2006 - visiting family

Adoption- speaking at our church Mother/daughter banquet

Boston : April 28- 30, 2006 - going to see Bill's grandmother and family