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, January 3, 2024

Girls Trip 2023

 I worried about leaving David so soon after his accident, but our annual Girls Trip was scheduled and paid for.  

Austin and Darrell both promised to check on him while we were gone, and to take him wherever he needed to be (as he still had not been released to drive).

 

We were going on a cruise.  

All of us had cruised before, with the exception of Jessica.

We booked a 5 day one - since she was still iffy on the idea.  

We sailed to the Bahamas out of Norfolk, as that was the cheapest we could find.



Our 1st port was Nassau.  It wasn't overly eventful.  

We did a short 'bus tour' (that part was worthless) and went to a beach (worth it).

Our 2nd port was Freeport.  It poured the rain during part of our excursion, but we loved it anyway.

We went to some caves at the Lucayan National Park.  

We didn't get to go to the Gold Rock Beach though, which was extremely disappointing because some of us had been practicing our 'Johnny Depp run'. 

 
 
We went to another beach instead, which was just as beautiful.

The bad part of a cruise, is that you don't get as much 'beach time' as we normally like.  BUT, the good part is that everyone can do their own thing, and yet - still be together.

Leila ran with other teens.  Mom and Lynne went to more shows.  The rest of us - well, let's just say, we always find something.


Upon returning to port - Mandy and Lynne had to head home, but the rest of us elected to stay for a couple more days so we'd have our full week.

We stayed in Virginia Beach right on the boardwalk.

We did some sight-seeing, some shopping and happened to have front row seats from our balcony on a Sand Soccer Championship.


And that's another trip in the books. 




 


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