Because we launched the "100 Wishes Quilt" on Take-Off day, Grandma Hoppins didn't get a chance to write anything for Gabriella. So, mommy took the liberty of choosing a square of fabric in Grandma's house.
Ironically, it was the only square of fabric in her home... little angels. At her life celebration June 26, 2010, daddy discovered a special song while we were waiting for Grandma to see Jesus. The song was "Singing Over Me" by Building 429.
You You’re singing over me
You’re singing over me tonight
With every star that’s in this midnight sky
You, You’re singing over me
You’re singing over me tonight
And my heart is overcome with Your song
with Your song
During the time that Grandma Hoppins was preparing to enter Heaven, it was comforting to imagine the angels singing over her.
For this, I am adding this 8x8 square of fabric for Grandma Hoppins. She joins the angels as they now sing and watch over our growing family.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Quilt Instructions!
Dear family and friends,
As you know, Jason and I are in the process of adopting our first little Chinese princess... Gabriella Grace Xu Zhi Ming Fouts. She will joining our family Monday, July 19, 2010 on her Gotcha Day.
While we wait, Grandma Pirate (Jason's mom) would like to continue the tradition in her family to make a quilt for each of her grandchildren.
She has asked me to gather contributions to make this a special memory for Gabriella.
To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or "100 Good Wishes Quilt." It is a custom to invite family and friends to contribute a square patch of cloth. The patches are sewn together into a quilt that contains the luck, energy, and good wishes from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.
If you would like to contribute to this project, we would love it! Here is what we would like you to do:
1. Choose ANY 100% cotton fabric that you like. It can be from clothing or from a fabric store. It can be a design and color that you like or that represents who you are… (for example, it might be a pirate scrap of fabric for Grandma and Grandpa Pirate, for Grandpa Fouts, it might be a Bob the Builder scrap of fabric because he is a builder, for Uncle Todd it might be an airplane scrap of fabric because he is an airplane pilot). It could also be a bit of fabric that you've used to create something else wonderful for your family.
2. Cut one 8x8 square from the fabric. I will scan that piece of fabric to place in her "100 Good Wishes Quilt” scrapbook.
3. Each member of your family can contribute a different square of fabric and well wish.
4. Also, could you please include your "good wish note" via e-mail to plfouts@mns.com. It also would help me if you could print your “good wish note” and send it with your piece of fabric as well.
5. Finally, I would love to add a digital photo of the contributor… and/or your family. Can you send this also to my email at plfouts@msn.com.
6. The fabric and note can be folded up and put into a regular envelope. Please send it to me:
Patty Fouts
PO BOX 1634
Bothell, WA 98041
Ideas for a your good wishes note: What would you wish for Gabriella's life?
This wish can be your own words or thoughts, a favorite poem or quote, a blessing for our little princess, a prayer for her, a favorite Bible verse or promise, etc.
Grandma Pirate wants to get this started... would you join our family and be part of this special memory for Gabriella?
Thanks! Jason, Patty, Kai, Tyanna, and Gabriella (Take-off Day, July 16, 2010)
As you know, Jason and I are in the process of adopting our first little Chinese princess... Gabriella Grace Xu Zhi Ming Fouts. She will joining our family Monday, July 19, 2010 on her Gotcha Day.
While we wait, Grandma Pirate (Jason's mom) would like to continue the tradition in her family to make a quilt for each of her grandchildren.
She has asked me to gather contributions to make this a special memory for Gabriella.
To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or "100 Good Wishes Quilt." It is a custom to invite family and friends to contribute a square patch of cloth. The patches are sewn together into a quilt that contains the luck, energy, and good wishes from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.
If you would like to contribute to this project, we would love it! Here is what we would like you to do:
1. Choose ANY 100% cotton fabric that you like. It can be from clothing or from a fabric store. It can be a design and color that you like or that represents who you are… (for example, it might be a pirate scrap of fabric for Grandma and Grandpa Pirate, for Grandpa Fouts, it might be a Bob the Builder scrap of fabric because he is a builder, for Uncle Todd it might be an airplane scrap of fabric because he is an airplane pilot). It could also be a bit of fabric that you've used to create something else wonderful for your family.
2. Cut one 8x8 square from the fabric. I will scan that piece of fabric to place in her "100 Good Wishes Quilt” scrapbook.
3. Each member of your family can contribute a different square of fabric and well wish.
4. Also, could you please include your "good wish note" via e-mail to plfouts@mns.com. It also would help me if you could print your “good wish note” and send it with your piece of fabric as well.
5. Finally, I would love to add a digital photo of the contributor… and/or your family. Can you send this also to my email at plfouts@msn.com.
6. The fabric and note can be folded up and put into a regular envelope. Please send it to me:
Patty Fouts
PO BOX 1634
Bothell, WA 98041
Ideas for a your good wishes note: What would you wish for Gabriella's life?
This wish can be your own words or thoughts, a favorite poem or quote, a blessing for our little princess, a prayer for her, a favorite Bible verse or promise, etc.
Grandma Pirate wants to get this started... would you join our family and be part of this special memory for Gabriella?
Thanks! Jason, Patty, Kai, Tyanna, and Gabriella (Take-off Day, July 16, 2010)
100 Wishes Quilt Take-off Day
To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or "100 Good Wishes Quilt."
It is a custom to invite family and friends to contribute a square patch of cloth. The patches are sewn together into a quilt that contains the luck, energy, and good wishes from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric.
We want to add your thoughts and prayers not only to the quilt but to a "100 Wishes Scrapbook."
This quilt is for all our family, friends, preschool families, and adoption friends to be part of.
The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.
It is a custom to invite family and friends to contribute a square patch of cloth. The patches are sewn together into a quilt that contains the luck, energy, and good wishes from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric.
We want to add your thoughts and prayers not only to the quilt but to a "100 Wishes Scrapbook."
This quilt is for all our family, friends, preschool families, and adoption friends to be part of.
The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The Amazing Race for the Visa!
Landed in San Francisco with my passport and EVERY document I thought we might possibly need to show in the event that they questioned whether I needed the visa immediately or in a day or two.
Ate breakfast (and got lunch) at Starbucks at 3am in the Seattle airport. $15
Alaska Air safely delivered me to SF. $210
Took my first cab trip (by myself) to the consulate. $40
Ordered my visa with rush status. $170
Took my first bus ride on the BART system. $2
Took BART to the airport. $8
Ate dinner in the airport. $12
Flew Virgin Air (with my own personal tv) back to Seattle. $206
Paid for Seattle parking. $28
Learned many lessons... including that people are VERY kind when you need help... including the bus driver. I always seemed to have some college student or 20-something helping me get where I needed to go.
In the end, this mistake cost us about $700. Would I do it again? If I knew that it meant the difference of holding our little princess in our arms or not.
MORAL: Get your passport stamped for the country you are traveling to at minimum a couple weeks before you go. You can Fed-Ex your passport and info. to a carrier and they walk it in to the consulate. There were several carriers, and they all seemed to be well known.
The Chinese consulate in San Francisco can give you your rushed visa the same day if you have your paperwork processed between 9am and 11:15am. You will get it back in your hands by 2:30pm whether you go in at 9am or 11am. Don't go on Mondays.
It was an amazing race! I felt like I had won the price!
Thank you Jesus for watching over me and getting me back to Seattle in time to fly with my husband to China.
Ate breakfast (and got lunch) at Starbucks at 3am in the Seattle airport. $15
Alaska Air safely delivered me to SF. $210
Took my first cab trip (by myself) to the consulate. $40
Ordered my visa with rush status. $170
Took my first bus ride on the BART system. $2
Took BART to the airport. $8
Ate dinner in the airport. $12
Flew Virgin Air (with my own personal tv) back to Seattle. $206
Paid for Seattle parking. $28
Learned many lessons... including that people are VERY kind when you need help... including the bus driver. I always seemed to have some college student or 20-something helping me get where I needed to go.
In the end, this mistake cost us about $700. Would I do it again? If I knew that it meant the difference of holding our little princess in our arms or not.
MORAL: Get your passport stamped for the country you are traveling to at minimum a couple weeks before you go. You can Fed-Ex your passport and info. to a carrier and they walk it in to the consulate. There were several carriers, and they all seemed to be well known.
The Chinese consulate in San Francisco can give you your rushed visa the same day if you have your paperwork processed between 9am and 11:15am. You will get it back in your hands by 2:30pm whether you go in at 9am or 11am. Don't go on Mondays.
It was an amazing race! I felt like I had won the price!
Thank you Jesus for watching over me and getting me back to Seattle in time to fly with my husband to China.
>24 HRS to Take-off and NO VISA!
With less than 24 hours before we are taking off, Jason realized that we hadn't got my passport stamped for China. No stamp; no trip. No trip; no kid.
While I knew God had everything under control, Jason was FREAKING out!
With the help of many praying friends and adopting friends, I think we all put our heads together and realized I needed to get the next flight to San Francisco to the Chinese Consulate.
Rather than going to bed, I took one of the 5 pre-packed suitcases... dumped it out, and re-packed it for SF and the possibility of going straight to China.
With little info. on the web, it appeared that our best bet was to fly it down and wait. Maybe I would have to wait hours, maybe a day. Maybe I would have to leave without the passport and come home.
I bought my ticket and waited at the airport from 3am until the flight left at 6am.
I didn't know where the Chinese Consulate was, but I had an address. Many prayed for favor for me.
Here is the website if you ever need it:
http://www.chinaconsulatesf.org/eng/qianzhen/t42285.htm
While I knew God had everything under control, Jason was FREAKING out!
With the help of many praying friends and adopting friends, I think we all put our heads together and realized I needed to get the next flight to San Francisco to the Chinese Consulate.
Rather than going to bed, I took one of the 5 pre-packed suitcases... dumped it out, and re-packed it for SF and the possibility of going straight to China.
With little info. on the web, it appeared that our best bet was to fly it down and wait. Maybe I would have to wait hours, maybe a day. Maybe I would have to leave without the passport and come home.
I bought my ticket and waited at the airport from 3am until the flight left at 6am.
I didn't know where the Chinese Consulate was, but I had an address. Many prayed for favor for me.
Here is the website if you ever need it:
http://www.chinaconsulatesf.org/eng/qianzhen/t42285.htm
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