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.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

August 2016

Summer is almost over.
It's flown by way too fast.

Just as the 'kids' cooked lunch for me on Mother's Day, they also cooked for David on Father's Day.


We went on our annual 'Girls Trip' in June.
It was a little different this year.
Instead of a Beach Trip, we went to Colonial Williamsburg.
We had fun and learned some things, and although the most important part was being together - I think we all missed the beach a little.





In July, we went on our 'Family Trip'.
We went to the St. Louis area.
We ended up there due to the process of elimination in finding a place to stay in Mom's timeshare that met all of our requirements.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by all we found to do in the area.

Our resort was super nice.
We played putt-putt golf, went swimming, went fishing, and played 'real' golf.
Of course we went up in the famous Arch.
We went to the caverns that Jesse James used as a hide-out.
We went zip lining.
Grants Farm is the ancestral home of the Busch family. We spent a pleasant (and hot) day there. We saw animals, animal shows, rode a camel, sampled the wares, and saw the famous Clydesdale horses.
We went to Purina Farms and saw some amazing dogs.
The 'big kids' stopped at the Corvette Museum on the way, and then spent a day a Six Flags and toured the AB Brewery.
We went to Union Station - saw the light show on the ceiling, tested the 'Whispering Arches' and completed a scavenger hunt.
We spent some time at a park - played on the playground and strolled thru a museum there.
We had a great week, but we missed Ryan and Shondale.









However - I think the biggest surprise of all and one of the best days we had, was at the City Museum!
Now, the name 'museum' is VERY misleading in this instance.
It is NOT a museum in the way most people (myself included) normally imagine a museum.
It's in an old shoe factory and is a city block big and 10 stories high.
The best description I can give is - a huge, jungle gym / playground for all ages.
I've never seen (or imagined) anything like it.
If ever in the area - I highly recommend it.






We came home from vacation and went straight into Bible School.


We ended that week with a church trip to the Creation Museum.
It wasn't quite what I expected, but it was still a nice day with family and friends.
And Leila got to do a 'free fall' while we were there.


Summer is winding down.
The kids (Darrell and Leila) will soon be back in school.
I'm not ready for summer to be over.
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