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.

Monday, September 2, 2013

End of Summer

Summer is over.
It's hard to believe. It flew past so quickly. It feels like it just started.

David's mom turned 70 this summer.
We hosted a surprise birthday party for her in July.
We had 29 of her family come - from GA, VA, MD, and CA.
I think she was surprised. (If not, she's a better actress than I think.)



Our annual China reunion got cancelled this year.
Everyone stays so busy, and unexpected things pop up.
It's hard with busy, growing families to get together.
We did get the opportunity to visit with one of our 'travel families' though.
The Kovach's were passing through on their way from NC to OH to visit family and made time to stop and see us on their way.
We got to visit with them for a few hours.
It was a LONG overdue visit and one that I very, very much enjoyed.
They're a great family, and one that I so wish we could see more.
They've added a new daughter to their family since we last saw them, and she's a very sweet girl.
Leila and Anna played together like best friends.
I hated for them to leave, but I know their OH family was anxiously awaiting their arrival as well.

Hopefully we'll get to see everyone else next year.

July ended Darrell's summer swim season, but August brought a new school year, as well as, a new sports season.

Darrell is a junior this year.
He has a brutal school schedule (with all his classes either being AP or honors) and cross country practice every night and meets on weekends.
He's already had his 1st meet of the season. (He got his best time ever!)

This was his 1st day of school this year.


Leila is in kindergarten now, and loving it! (Where has time gone?)
And she's off and running.
She's a cheer leader. (Who can believe they have kindergarten cheer leaders?!)
She'll be cheering at the flag football games this year.
She rode on a float and threw candy in the fair parade in August - sort of as a kick-off to the season.
She's even been to a school dance already. (The cheer leaders were hosting it, so she had to go.)
In spite of Austin's dire warning not to dance with any boys, because boys have 'cooties', she had a great time running around and playing with her friends.

1st day of kindergarten


Looks like it's going to be a busy fall!
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