Charlie Bin Stephen Kneller

He is officially a Kneller. Charlie is bonding, and adjusting very well. and is 100% healthy.

pics below.

Time to Travel !!!

The count down is on... we received our TA ( travel approval) on November 15 and chose the option of December 4 over November 27 for our arrival in Nanjing China.
We needed the extra week to get all the details together. It is Tuesday November 30th and this is my last night in my own bed until December 17th. I am very excited and just as anxious.

Like Celina posted last time, we are busy busy busy. They tell you to pack light but how do you do that when you are going to CHINA??? We have a large suitcase full of orphange donations from our friends. Celina has packed her and Charlie's stuff. I will be packing tonite.

The most important thing we need to make sure we do not lose is the adoption papers and each other and of course the $$$ we must take with us for various expenses.

On December 6, Monday we will meet Charlie for the first time... I keep trying to imagine how it will go, what will he be feeling? Will he know what is going on? I do not want to overwhelm him with all the love and feelings of emotion we may have for him at the moment. I know I will want to just grab him and hug him and give him kisses on his cheeks.. but I will try to stay calm and let him warm up to us... it really seems unreal just thinking about it. Is this really happening?? YES IT IS JACQUELINE, it is real, so I must hurry with this post and get moving along my to do list. We will post when we are there but not sure that it will get thru the firewalls there.
We will also keep in touch by e-mails and phone calls.

I will be missing Blaine and Jude who will be staying home with Family and Friends.

China Trip Itenerary

Dec.03: Arrive in Nanjing on Flight OZ0349/13:50, guide will meet you at airport and transfer to Holiday Inn Aqua City.
Dec.04: Rest on this day.
Dec.05: Visit the Confucius Temple and the Old City Wall.
Dec.06: Go to the Civil Affairs to meet the child and sign the adoption agreement.
Guide will go with the family to the local department store to buy some daily necessities for their child.
Dec.07: Go to the Civil Affairs for adoption registration, notarization and child’s
passport.
Dec.08: Go by van from Nanjing to Yixing to visit Yixing SWI.
Dec.09: Visit Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s Memorial and Xuanwu Lake Park.
Dec.10: Visit the Provincial Museum. Pick up passport in the afternoon. Then Nanjing to Guangzhou on flight CZ3508/19:20-21:25, transfer to Victory Hotel.
Dec.11: Take visa photo for the child first, then do medical and TB test for the child.
Dec.12: Visit the Safari Park.
Dec.13: Pick up TB test result.
Dec.14: 09:30am visa appointment and Oath-taking ceremony at the Consulate.
Dec.15: Visit the Six Banyan Temple.

BUSY BUSY BUSY

In just one week we will be wild people scrabbling to get all our ducks in a row for our trip. We will hop on the plane at 1:00 o'clock AM.Thursday morning. It will be wild. We will be stopping by Korea, well not just stopping by we will be laying around their air port for six boring hours. Tell me one thing. What do you do in an air port in a country that just bombed its self??? oh well how fun what an adventure of a life time. i can hardly wait. I have a feeling that my eyes will be filled with tears leaving and coming. AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH here we come ready or not. I think its both, ready and not it both. So in less than a week we will be posting on the blog hundreds of feet up in the air. And across the world. any good books that will keep me busy and interested? let me know:-)

- CELINA

HAPPY FALL !!! CHARLIE UPDATE

HELLO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!

WE HAVE BEEN NESTING AND GETING READY FOR CHARLIE TO COME HOME....
WE ARE BACK ON CHARLIE'S BLOG FINALLY AFTER A VERY BUSY SUMMER OF HOME REFURBISHING PROJECTS. I AM SO GLAD WE ARE ON THIS SIDE OF THE PROCESS. I LOVE SEEING AND ENJOYING THE FRUIT OF OUR LABORS .

WE ARE A VERY HANDS-ON, DO -IT-YOURSELF KIND OF FAMILY. WE ARE ABLE TO DO
ALOT OF OUR RE-MODELING OURSELVES WHICH SAVES US A TON OF $$$. I M SO THANKFUL FOR A HUSBAND WHO IS SO TALENTED AND SKILLED WITH TOOLS ETC. AND HE PATIENTLY TEACHES HIS BOYS AND CELINA HOW TO DO THESE THINGS ALSO.
WE HAVE BEEN IN OUR HOME FOR 10 YEARS AND HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SHARPEN OUR SKILLS MANY TIMES WITH MANY PROJECTS.

THE ADOPTION PROCESS HAS BEEN CONTINUING ON THROUGH THE SUMMER ALSO.
IAM REALIZING THAT IN ADOPTION YOU PREPARE DOCUMENTS, SEND THEM OFF, WAIT FOR THE NEXT DOCUMENT (IMPORTANT PAPER) SO YOU CAN SEND IT OFF FOR THE NEXT AND SO ON AND SO ON...

AS I ENTER THIS WE ARE WAITING FOR ONE MORE DOCUMENT WHICH WILL COME IN ABOUT A WEEK AND WE THEN QUICKLY FAX IT TO OUR AGENCY AND AND THEY SEND IT TO CHINA SO WE CAN GET OUR CONSULATE APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED IN
GUANGZHOU CHINA. AFTER THAT WE PROCEED TO MAKE TRAVEL PLANS.

SO, AS A LOOK AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME LINE WE COULD BE TRAVELING IN EARLY DECEMBER, WHICH PUTS BUTTERFLIES IN MY STOMACH.

CELINA MENTIONED IN HER POSTING THAT IT IS ONE YEAR TODAY THAT CHINA WAS OPENED UP TO US WHEN WE SAW CHARLIES FACE FOR THE FIRST TIME
VIA E-MAIL. THIS YEAR WENT BY SOOO FAST. WE ARE SO EXCITED TO GET HIM HOME WITH US. EVERY TIME I WALK BY HIS ROOM I TRY TO IMAGINE HIM IN THERE AND WHAT OUR WORLD WILL BE LIKE WITH HIM HERE.
I KNOW WE WILL ALL HAVE TO ADJUST BUT TRUSTING IN GOD'S GRACE TO DO SO.

I WILL BE POSTING PICS OF OUR RE-MODEL AND CHARLIES BIRTHDAY PARTY HE HAD AT THE ORPHANAGE WHEN WE SENT A BIRTHDAY CARE PACKAGE, THEY WILL WARM YOUR HEART, MINE ABOUT BURST WHEN I SAW HIM BLOWING OUT HIS CANDLES ON THE CAKE. SOME THING HE HAS NEVER DONE BEFORE, HE LOOKS SO HAPPY. I AM IN LOVE WITH MY NEW SON I FEEL LIKE I ALREADY KNOW HIM. HE BRINGS MY HEART JOY ALREADY.

iT'S BEEN A WHILE NOW, but very worth it :]

It's now officially been a year today since we started the process of adopting charlie boy. Every time i think about that boy my heart beets a little bit faster. Can you imagine what i will be like when I'm in china holding that precious baby boy. I think i will probably cry...........ALOT. All i can ask you followers is to pray the three of us stay well while we are there and when we come back. The last thing i want to happen is to get sick from raw Chinese food......YUCK. I think I'm going to stick with open market fruit i can peel:] I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH DE DE { LITTLE BROTHER } LOVE JIE JIE CELINA { BIG SISTER }

The fund raiser was a huge success thanks to all of our Charlie's Angels and Charlie Boys who helped us put it together and pull it off!!
We had 80 auction items... and they were wonderful!! The Bake Sale items were amazing.. I think there were three tables covered with so many yummy options.


The Charlie's Angels jewelry was a big hit. The pasta and pizza dinner was delicious.


We were so blessed by all who were able to come to the party and by all who contributed in so many different ways.
It was a very fun event, the music by the Peecher family, Stacey Stevens and of course, my own family; Rod, Blaine, Celina and Jude, was so good. The whole event went so smoothe and it was alot of fun visiting with everyone.
I will be posting more pictures as soon as I get them in from all who took them that night.

We raised 10,000 dollars at this event which was way beyond what we even thought we would.
I keep thinking about the fishes and loaves story in the Bible when Jesus multiplied the few fishes and few loaves to feed the multitudes and there was even baskets left over. Wow!! We serve an awesome God, he is so Faithful and he is all about Adoption, he cares for the orphan, he is a Father to the Fatherless. God multiplied the money of the efforts that was put forth at this event.
I am learning so much about how he wants us to trust him in this area. Just a couple of weeks ago a co-worker at the salon gave me an index card that she thought was mine it had 2 scriptures written on it, the first one said, "MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL MY NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES AND GLORY IN CHRIST JESUS,( phillipians) and the other one said, "CAST ALL YOUR CARES ON HIM FOR HE CARES FOR YOU!!!"

This was not my card but I received it and said, "praise the Lord!!" Within 2 days of that we got a phone call from our agency that God had provided $5,500.oo for some of our agency fees, WOW!! I just cried because God is so amazing and he really does care.

Then, at this fund raiser, God multiplied the gifts that came in and the total was $10,000.
So, we are only 2,000 dollars away from our 24,000 dollar goal. Praise The Lord!!
Now I can focus on Charlie actually coming home. Which will be at the end of the summer I am guessing. We are in what I call step #2 of this process. Our information is now in Texas at the Federal Level, so we wait to get orders for our Federal Finger Printing then get those papers back and then....Step #3, we send our Dossier off to China and then we wait again to hear about when we get to travel to get Charlie!!!

So in the mean time we live a very full life. Home educating our children, working at the salon and spending time with our families and friends and now in the spring/summer months, working outside in the yard and gardens and creating things in our Artfulife studio.

WE LOVE CHARLIE BOY PARTY!!

YOU ARE INVITED!!! TO A PARTY ON CHARLIE'S BEHALF, AN ADOPTION FUND RAISER.
SATURDAY APRIL 10, 4PM TO 7 PM

SILENT AUCTION - BAKE SALE - PIZZA AND PASTA DINNER

LIVE MUSIC BY THE KNELLER FAMILY AND FRIENDS

DINNER TICKETS ARE; 10.00 FOR 10 TO ADULT AGE
5.00 FOR 4-9YRS OLD
NO CHARGE 3 AND UNDER
PLEASE COME AND INVITE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF BRINGING CHARLIE HOME, ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE KNELLER ADOPTION FUND.


LOCATION; LAKE SPRINGFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH CAMP
5878 IRON BRIDGE ROAD
CHATHAM , ILLINOIS

CHARLIE'S ANGELS ARE BUSY!!

CHARLIE'S ANGELS!!!



SHRINKIE DINK CHINESE CHARMS.... THE SYMBOLS THEY MADE ARE; LOVE,
PEACE, FAITH AND BELIEVE..

We had such a fun time working together and spilling beads all over the floor while trying to tie thoses knots, and then we would start over...aaugh!

We are so thankful for dear girlfriends and cousins helping us with this endeavor of making 200 bracelets and 100 necklaces. We made our goal with in 12 total hours of work... way to go team!! you are definitely ANGELS!! THIS WILL BE A BLESSING FOR CHARLIE TO SEE SOME DAY THAT WE WERE ALL SO EXCITED TO GET HIM HOME AND THAT WE ALL WORKED TOGETHER TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. HE WAS CHOSEN AND LOVED BEFORE HE EVEN KNEW US. SOUNDS ALOT LIKE WE ALL WERE BEFORE GOD ADOPTED US INTO HIS FAMILY.

IAM SO THANKFUL THAT OTHERES WERE WORKING ON MY BEHALF FO PRAY FOR ME AND INVEST IN MY LIFE BEFORE I WAS IN THE FAMILY OF GOD.

THE CHARLIE'S ANGELS FUND RAISING TEAM got busy end of February and into March working diligently for 12 hours in 3 sessions to make beautiful bracelets and necklaces to sell at the fund raiser on April 10 and to sell at THE STUDIO ON 6TH downtown springfield.

The jewelry is made with hand made paper beads and custom chinese symbolsalong with assorted colorful beads. It has been a labor of love and we love to wear the jewelry, it keeps us thinking about Charlie, our little guy in China waiting to come home.

The jewelry can be purchased also by e-mailing us at knellerfam@comcast.net or calling 217-971-1975 we would be happy to mail them to you. The cost of the necklaces are; 15.00, the wire wrap bracelets; 25.00, the stretch bracelets; 20.00

How Charlie came to us

We have had adoption on our hearts for along time, at least 5 years, but had never made an action toward it until January of 2008. We went to an adoption conference held in Rochester Illinois hosted by a ministry called In His Hands Orphan Outreach.
It was the beginning of making some connections with others in this world of adoption.
Fast forward to October 2009, we received an e-mail from Michelle McGowan who leads the In His Hands Orphan Outreach ministry. Stating the need of a beautiful little chinese boy who was abandoned when he was 8 days old who needed a home. When we read this and saw his picture we realized this was the answer to our prayer that we had been praying. "Lord, we are open to adoption because we know that this is your heart but would you please bring it to us and then we would know w/o a doubt that this is your will not just our idea."




So, bingo! There it was right on our computer screen in front of our face, we just had to respond. I thought wait a minute, I need to think about this...and then the Lord spoke to me and reminded me that I have been thinking for along time and now is the time to say Yes, or No?!!
That was on a wednesday and by the next Wednesday we were pre-approved by China!!
Wow! That was a scary step of faith but God's grace has been with us every step of the way.
We have been learning so much in this process of completing a Home study, taking 10 hours of on-line international adoption classes, and praying for our son who is on the other side of the world not even aware of what is going on on his behalf to get him to his FOREVER HOME.
We keep his picture on our cabinet in the kitchen and one in the foyer as a reminder that he is our child and all the work we are doing will be so worth it.


It is a very different kind of pregnany but similar in alot of ways.
Even though he is not in our presence we know he IS there and will be with us soon.
We know he is a boy but have no idea "who" he is. I remember thinking the same of my other children, wondering what they would be like. What their giggles would sound like and how they would talk.... all of these neat things to discover about this new little person. Our anticipation is growing the closer we get. We are preparing a place for him in our home; where he will sleep, where he will keep his clothes, where he will sit around our family table, we have been given a childs booster chair he will use. His name, CHARLIE is a commmon name now in our home and among our family and friends. My heart already has a tender spot for my new son. It is neat how that happens, definitely a God Thing!