We’re David and Lois McBeath. We live in Point Pleasant, WV – a small town along the Ohio River on the western side of the state. We have 2 sons. Austin is 15. He’s a sophomore at Pt. Pleasant High School. Darrell is almost 12. He’s in the 6th grade at Roosevelt Elementary.
We actually began our adoption journey more than 10 years ago. I saw an ad in the newspaper about Chinese babies. We called about it, but it just wasn’t even feasible at that time in our life. All these years, it was always there, stuck somewhere in the back of our minds. I don't know why exactly – it just was. The thought never completely went away.
We also talked off and on about having another child. Our house was only 3 bedrooms, and we know the boys could have been in a room together, but we didn't want to do that if we didn't have to. In the spring of 2006, for some reason (I don't recall exactly what) - it came up again. We started thinking and talking - why not? So we started checking into it more. We did a lot of research online. The more we found out, the more we felt a calling, a desire and even a need to do this.
We started the adoption and added onto the house all at the same time. It took about 6 months to get the paperwork together. Then about another month after we sent it to China for them to translate it and 'log us in' (11/6/06). That's when we started to officially wait.
We finally got "THE CALL" on 7/13/08. It was a Sunday afternoon! After 2 ½ years, we are finally going to get our baby!


Leila Ann McBeath, formally known as Shun Xi Yi, was born on Oct 29, 2007. She had a cleft lip and cleft palate. The lip has been repaired, but not the palate. (We'll have to do that when we get her home.) She's in the Children's Welfare Institute of Shunde District of Foshan City, which is located in the Guangdong Province, in the southern part of China.

Shunde, the hometown of flowers, is one of four cities under the jurisdiction of Foshan City. Covering an area of 806 sq meters and with a population of 1.05 million, Shunde City is situated in the middle of the fertile Pearl River Delta, between Guangzhou and Hong Kong. It was set up as a county in the 3rd year (1452 AD) of the Jintai reign of the Ming Dynasy (1368-1644), and conferred with the administrative status of a city in 1992 by the State Council.

Foshan City is also where the actor Bruce Lee was from.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Beach

Last week was our 2nd annual 'Girls' Week'.
We went to Atlantic Beach last year and had such a good time that we decided to try to make it an annual thing.
There were 6 of us last year. 5 this year. My aunt, my cousin, my mom, me and Leila.
We went to the Outer Banks - Duck, NC (such a funny name).

This year was SO much better.
Leila was not exactly what one would call a 'beach baby' last year.
She HATED the sand. She wasn't thrilled with the water (because it had sand in it). She didn't get enough sleep - something she desperately needs.
She didn't make the trip the most fun one ever.
She was good this year. She enjoyed herself. She had fun. Therefore, I enjoyed the trip immensely.

It was a lazy, relaxing week.
Early every morning (O'dark thirty), Mom and Marcia would walk on the beach.
By the time, they got back, Leila and I would be up.
We would have coffee on the balcony, and send Leila up to wake Jessica. (Sometimes she woke her - sometimes, she just crawled into bed with her.)
Then we'd go to the beach for awhile.
Come back and get cleaned up.
And then go driving around to see what we could see or do the rest of the afternoon and evening.

I had a better time, but I spent more money this year.
Last year, we ate in almost every meal.
This year, we ate out more. (Not the best arguement for why it's such a great idea that we go again next year tho.)

David and the boys enjoyed their week of 'bachelorhood'.
They played golf several days while we were gone.
We came home on Sun - Father's Day.
He was pretty understanding about us being gone all that day.
Our resort was paid for up until Sun morning, so we figured we might as well stay as long as we could.
Honestly, it was a pretty sucky day.
I knew it would be.
That's another reason I wasn't real keen on coming home early.
It's been a hard week since we've been back - too many thoughts.