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.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Dec 2012

Dec (and most of Jan) has already passed by.
Dec was full of all the crazy-busy that Christmas always brings.

Darrell started his swim meets.
With being the 1st swim team PP has ever had, no matter what - these kids are setting school records at almost every meet!

Leila had a Christmas program at both school and at church. She did really well. I wasn't sure if she would go up on stage in front of people, but she really turned on the 'star' quality - singing, dancing, and strutting her stuff. Yep - she's a diva.

Ready for the School Program

Church Program (What a cute Mary & Joseph)

We went to see the lights and saw Santa at the same time.
This is the 1st time Leila has ever sat on his lap - she was quite excited about it too.

Christmas eve was spent with family.
Christmas Day was actually a little relaxing, especially after all the preparation it takes to get to that point.
Dinner here at our house and then Christmas night at my mom's.

Darrell earned his varsity jacket.

Leila got the 'Doc McStuffins' doll she'd asked Santa for.

It might have been a little too early for Austin though.

She may have wanted the doll, but she has played with the make-up she got probably more than anything else.

We had a small New Year's Eve party at our house with some friends - just food and games.
My favorite way to ring in the year.

But now, Jan is here with all it's snow, slush, and cold. Bleech!








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