Hello there, we have been home one week now which is hard to believe. We are sitting by the fire with the girls checking out our friend's blog who is in China right now. Their daughter Matti (Yuanqing) is from the same orphanage as Amelia (Huanqing). Looking at the pictures on her blog is crazy because we were just there.
The group that is in China now will meet their children on Monday, February 2. Our prayers are with them as they meet them.
Amelia is doing great! She has bonded very well with all of the kids. Yesterday I had my first trip out of the house with her to Target. Frank took her to the movie store on Tuesday. She was so excited seeing all the toys. It was fun to watch her.
We are still struggling with jetlag and Frank and I have colds. I hope that this is over soon I have to much to get done and being rundown does not help me at all.
I am so glad to be home. It was a long trip but well worth it.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
We made it home!!!!!
All I can say is thank God me made it home. Our flight home was interesting. Turbulence was so bad at one point that the pilot got on the loud speaker and said, "flight attendants down". It was a little scary especially standing up holding the baby and feeling like the plane dropped thousands of feet. Whew, it was crazy. Folks were laying all over the floor because they couldn't make it back to their seats. Frank included. He was holding onto the wall, telling me to sit down. The flight attendants assured us that we were safe just dodging potholes in the sky.
It was really a rough flight but thank God, we made it. That was my prayer; please God, let us make it home. Amelia did pretty well on the flight. She only cried a few times but slept most of the way home. Much different from when we brought Hope home in 2005. She wouldn't sleep, had double-ear infections we found out later. By the grace of God, we made it home and it wasn't to painful. Time seemed to fly by which was good. We sat at the very back of the plane which made for extra room to stretch and stand up. We managed to get two passengers to switch seats with Dom and Frank so that we could all sit together.
We made the flight from Chicago to VA by the hair on our chinny chin chins. Two hours was not enought time to make it through customs to our flight but again, God saw us through. I was getting a little nervous about missing our flight and to top it off, security asked to check the babies juice and food. They did not seem to be on the same time crunch as us. The guy in customs took his sweet little time getting 11 families through customs. I tried to remain optimistic but by the time I got to security and the guy asked to test the liquid in Amelia's cup, I had enough. I didn't have any time to even put my shoes on as I hurried to our gate which seemed miles away. I even had to take Amelia out of the stroller, take her coat and shoes off. Needlesstosay, I am not ready to go through that again.
I felt a breeze and Frank and Mike were running past me to the gate. Thankfully, they waited for us. We have the Montgomery's to thank because they were wating on them because their daughter needed oxygen on the flight home. They were the last ones on the plane behind us. I am so thankful that we were not bumped onto another flight.
Amelia became a US Citizen in Chicago once her little feet hit the ground. We did get a picture. After all was said and done, we were greeted by all the kids and a few families that we know. That was nice.
Amelia bonded really well with the kids and has made herself very comfortable. We are still jet lagged but hopefully in a few days we will be back on schedule. Thank you all for your prayers we really appreciate it. Please continue to pray for us as Amelia bonds with family and friends.
It was really a rough flight but thank God, we made it. That was my prayer; please God, let us make it home. Amelia did pretty well on the flight. She only cried a few times but slept most of the way home. Much different from when we brought Hope home in 2005. She wouldn't sleep, had double-ear infections we found out later. By the grace of God, we made it home and it wasn't to painful. Time seemed to fly by which was good. We sat at the very back of the plane which made for extra room to stretch and stand up. We managed to get two passengers to switch seats with Dom and Frank so that we could all sit together.
We made the flight from Chicago to VA by the hair on our chinny chin chins. Two hours was not enought time to make it through customs to our flight but again, God saw us through. I was getting a little nervous about missing our flight and to top it off, security asked to check the babies juice and food. They did not seem to be on the same time crunch as us. The guy in customs took his sweet little time getting 11 families through customs. I tried to remain optimistic but by the time I got to security and the guy asked to test the liquid in Amelia's cup, I had enough. I didn't have any time to even put my shoes on as I hurried to our gate which seemed miles away. I even had to take Amelia out of the stroller, take her coat and shoes off. Needlesstosay, I am not ready to go through that again.
I felt a breeze and Frank and Mike were running past me to the gate. Thankfully, they waited for us. We have the Montgomery's to thank because they were wating on them because their daughter needed oxygen on the flight home. They were the last ones on the plane behind us. I am so thankful that we were not bumped onto another flight.
Amelia became a US Citizen in Chicago once her little feet hit the ground. We did get a picture. After all was said and done, we were greeted by all the kids and a few families that we know. That was nice.
Amelia bonded really well with the kids and has made herself very comfortable. We are still jet lagged but hopefully in a few days we will be back on schedule. Thank you all for your prayers we really appreciate it. Please continue to pray for us as Amelia bonds with family and friends.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
So Long from Guangzhou China 1/22/09
Well, the end of our journey to China is upon us. It is hard to believe that we will leave the country once known to our daughter. So much has changed for both she and our family. We leave with mixed emotions but ready to be at home with our other children that we love and miss so much.
It is our desire to visit China again with our daughters Hope and Amelia and to share with them the wonderful memories that we have shared here.
Today was a fun-filled day of group photos in the lobby of the hotel, a trip to the Guanghzou Zoo which was very nice. After we returned from the zoo, it was time to visit the American Consulate. This is necessary so that we can finalize the adoption on the China side. We took an oath and after a few minutes we congratulated each other on being the parents of our children adopted from China.
There was more shopping and gathering as well as packing. We leave in the morning for the airport at 6:00 am. Bell boys just came to our room to take our luggage. It is now 9:30 pm our time. We are just about ready to go.....I guess. Long day tomorrow with a 5-6 hour layover in Shanghai :{ The only good part about this is that we will have other families with us to pass the time away.
Please pray for our flight and for Amelia she has not been feeling well the last few days and has an infection. Thankfully, we have an antibiotic that we started today. We finished up the night with dinner in the city with a few families that we have met along the way. Friendships for a lifetime, through adoption. A great time was had by all.
Dominic and a few of the youth went for their last night on the town to the local bowling alley. I think that they all had a great time here in China and experiencing life in a different way. Well, so long for now and we look forward to seeing our families and friends.
It is our desire to visit China again with our daughters Hope and Amelia and to share with them the wonderful memories that we have shared here.
Today was a fun-filled day of group photos in the lobby of the hotel, a trip to the Guanghzou Zoo which was very nice. After we returned from the zoo, it was time to visit the American Consulate. This is necessary so that we can finalize the adoption on the China side. We took an oath and after a few minutes we congratulated each other on being the parents of our children adopted from China.
There was more shopping and gathering as well as packing. We leave in the morning for the airport at 6:00 am. Bell boys just came to our room to take our luggage. It is now 9:30 pm our time. We are just about ready to go.....I guess. Long day tomorrow with a 5-6 hour layover in Shanghai :{ The only good part about this is that we will have other families with us to pass the time away.
Please pray for our flight and for Amelia she has not been feeling well the last few days and has an infection. Thankfully, we have an antibiotic that we started today. We finished up the night with dinner in the city with a few families that we have met along the way. Friendships for a lifetime, through adoption. A great time was had by all.
Dominic and a few of the youth went for their last night on the town to the local bowling alley. I think that they all had a great time here in China and experiencing life in a different way. Well, so long for now and we look forward to seeing our families and friends.
Follow up from Djuna's Heart post
We went to Shamian Island to walk around and shop yesterday. While we were there, we saw several western looking couples and we smiled and waved etc. One couple whom we have never met actually called Djuna by name and said dJuna, dJuna...Djuna looked back and said its Djuna and smiled. They were from Hawaii and recognized Djuna from her blog. It was amazing, Djuna really knows people all over the planet. We laughed and talked with them for a few minutes, Don and Brandy are here adopting a baby girl named Lily from Guangdong. They were really nice folks and they had their son with them also.
I still cannot believe it.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Djuna's Heart
This is Frank, Djuna's husband, you do not see me much in the pictures because I am taking the pictures.. :)
I want to blog about Djuna, she is at breakfast with Amelia so I have a few minutes to be alone. I will start by saying my wife is an amazing woman. I have never seen her so focused and determined about anything in our lives as I have during our two adoptions of Hope and Amelia. She did ALL of the paperwork, legwork, hardwork, prayer work (I did some too) and any other work related to this adoption. I was told where to be and what to sign. Its not that I am not as committed its that she has this under complete control. As I was saying, I watch her with the families here and she is always friendly, warm and considerate of other peoples needs. Always praying for people in distress and ALWAYS pointing them to Jesus. She has made lifelong friends with many people on this trip. I'll let her blog on those folks..
She was having church in Starbucks last night here in Guangzhou China, encouraging other women in their faith. While I am typing this blog, I just got a call from Djuna telling me she is visiting another family in the hotel and offered to watch their child if they need some downtime. They are struggling a little and Djuna is there for them. My wife is truly the hands and feet of Jesus. Did I mention that she is also beautiful? Just check out some of the pictures.... I love her and thank my God for her. She literally lights up a room wherever she goes.
Watching her with Amelia is wonderful, she is so patient and gentle. You can see the love in her eyes and Amelia can also. Amelia bonded with Mom after about an hour of being with us. The bond is strong, as mentioned in previous posts, Amelia was eager to wave bye bye to her nanny's and everything she has known to be with Djuna . She is joined at the hip with Ma Ma. She does not like to be without her Ma Ma, her first words in english, (even though its the same in Chinese). She has begun to say Da Da, Ge Ge (brother) and can say other words in Chinese and english. Djuna has begun to teach her sign language and Amelia can say please and more.
We went to the Anqing orphanage (see previous posts) and Djuna asked about about a Tonya's baby Matti. They woke her from her nap and dressed her and she played with Amelia and we took several pictures for Tonya. Djuna got to hug on her and hold her for Tonya. My wife is an amazing woman with an amazing heart.
If you have never met her, you probably know someone who does. We have a little joke about Djuna, everywhere we go she knows someone, everywhere, in Bahamas in the elevator, here in China we met a family whose daughter married someone we know. They are from Indiana. Everytime we go somewhere she meets someone she knows,...WHY?.... its because she takes time to remember people and contact them and remembers intimate details about them and their family. Bottom line, she cares about people and listens. Hard to find qualities in this day and age of rush rush rush and all about me.
I have seen her call and send cards to people for years with little or no acknowledgment and she continues on. I have seen the fruit of that love over the years also. I have seen her lead people to Jesus because they knew she cared and she was there for them in there distress. She is a woman who cares about relationships, more than money, more than comfort, and more than a hectic schedule. I have seen her clear her schedule to help someone in need. Sometimes that means the dishes might get done tommorrow rather than right after dinner...if you know what I mean. I have seen her be friendly to folks who are not friendly, love people who do not seem to love her in return, and struggle with the emotions that go along with it. I have seen her love people through tough times and then watch them move on to other friends for a season.
She truly is a special lady and I am happy to be Djuna's husband. I love her more than she could ever know and she is my friend also.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Bubbles and crocodile tails....
I forgot to mention in our previous post that Amelia and Mommy had fun with bubbles and Dominic and I went inside a restaurant in Shaiman Island and saw crocodile tail, FRESH CUT! The guy was actually in the process of butchering the croc...yikes. There were snakes and exotic fish, water beetles, silk worms....and alot more..sounds tasty right?
For Tonya, who will meet Matti February 2.....
This is a video of Matti who is from the same orphanage in Anqing and is one of Amelia's dear friends. We watched this video with Amelia tonight and she smiled and pointed..... Thanks be to God for this awesome journey!
Guangzhou
Last night we ate at a Japanese steakhouse in the hotel. This morning we had a short time of prayer with a few families in the Cafe and today was medical examination day on Shaiman Island. It was not bad and seemed to be a much more thorough examination than in 2005. Took about an hour, not bad... Next we went shopping and went to Jordon's Place, he was here in 2005 also. He moved his store and still wants to make a deal with everyone. We went to Starbucks, YES STARBUCKS! it was sweeeet.
For dinner, several families ordered pizza from Pizza Hut, its not your normal US Pizza Hut but the pizza was good. We all ate together in the hallway on the seventh floor. There were strollers, stacking cups, water bottles, pizza boxes, soda cans and babies, lots of babies. We talked about the movie Fireproof. One of the Pastors on staff from Sherwood Baptist is adopting also and is traveling with his family and he was telling us about the behind the scenes outtakes.
After an hour or so the hotel staff came and asked us to quiet down because guests were sleeping. So we cleaned up and quietly went to our rooms. The garden at the hotel is closed because they are preparing it for the Chinese New Year celebration. The entire continent is preparing for this celebration. I am not sure I understand it but i can tell you it seems alot bigger than our typical new year celebration, This is the year of the ox.
Ok well am tired. God Bless to all!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Guangzhou China
Hello from Guangzhou China!
We are on the last leg of our 15 day trip. We arrived here yesterday around 2:00 pm after 1.5 hour flight from Anhui Province. Leaving Amelia's province was sad especially saying goodbye to our wonderful guide Amy. She was amazing and took very good care of us. Her words to me at the airport were, "I will miss you". I know that this is their job but this time was different. She really bonded with both families that she assisted while in Anhui. I am thankful that we received her e-mail which allows us to stay in touch with her.
Once we were checked into the hotel, (we stayed here in 2005) we ran next door for lunch at McDonald's. The hotel had been renovated since the last time we were here. The rooms are gorgeous.
We decided to be adventurous with 2 other families and took the subway. They were jammed packed. What we went through to eat at Pizza Hut was both fun and tiring. Especially with Amelia. She had not had a nap all day besides the fact that she screamed for 30 minutes on her first airplane ride because she did not want to be put back in the seat belt. PLEASE begin praying now for the 14 hour flight home I'm going to need it LOL. She was in rare form. I don't know where she got all the energy she had. All the bright lights and people everywhere seemed to over stimulate her. We could not believe how active and defiant she had become. Today was a better day!
We have been spending alot of time with the Marrone family. We have been with them in every city and it has been a blessing.This morning was breakfast, a trip to a museum and the "paperwork party". This is where one member of each family comes together in our guides room to process paperwork for the American consulate so that we are able to obtain Amelia's visa which allows her to enter into the United States. It was grueling but well worth it. This was to be a time for Frank and baby girl to bond but guess what she slept for 3 hours. I could not believe it. Perhaps the rest of the week I can get out for a little alone time while they bond.
Dominic ventured out with Jordon and walked to a local park and sat out by the pool. Dominic had pizza for lunch, leftovers from last night that he decided to heat up with the hair dryer...
The weather is great, close to 80 degrees. Frank mentioned in an earlier post that we visited Amelia's orphanage well, we were able to get a few pictures of a friend's daughter who is in the same orphanage as Amelia was. She will meet her forever family on February 2. I am so happy that we were able to take photos of her and give them to her family (see photos).
Well, getting tired so I will catch you all later. Thanks for your prayers for our family.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Orphanage Visit - Zoo visit
Hello all, Yesterday we went to visit the Hefei orphanage and the Wild animal zoo. It was very sad to see so many children without a home. I must say that the orphanage was much better than I expected. I really didn't know what to think but it was great to see that the nannys really cared for the children. One of the families we are traveling with, their daughter was from this orphanage and they got to see the facility as well as meet the foster Mom who had been taking care of their daughter. They got to ask her questions and see where she has lived and meet their daughter's foster brother. It was so sweet to see her foster brother hug her and take care of her. He got her a seat and sat with her and just held her for at least 10 minutes. They said he was deaf and could not speak, but you would have never known and I must say he was very protective of his little sis.
After the emotional visit we went to the zoo where we saw several wild animals that you could actually touch and feed. Not like our zoos back home. Dominic my brave son got on a camel, a real hairy hump back camel, he also let the peacock feed from his hand. We saw lions, tigers wolves, bears, a giant panda and a multitude of other animals. You could walk up to deer and ostrich could reach you if you weren't careful.
On a previous post we mentioned we probably would not go to Amelia's orphange, over the last few days she has bonded with Mommy especially and since we visited the Hefei orphanage we thought we did not want to miss this opportunity while being so close.
So, today we traveled to see the orphanage in Anqing city where Amelia is from. It took about two hours to get there and we got to see the country side on the way. I really like the area where she is from. There were many mountains we passed to enter the city. Reminded me of West Virginia where my Mom is from. Lots of trees!
The orphanage was much different from the one in Hefei. It was much smaller and also housed elderly folks in part of it. There was no foster care on the premises but they used foster care in the way we would back in the US. We got to see Amelia's nanny and other caretakers. They really love her and had so much fun seeing her. She understands alot more Chinese than I ever will. They told us that Amelia (Huanqing) was the oldest and took great care of the other children. if they fell she would pick them up, she shared everything with the others and is very generous, we have experienced this with her already. She shares everything and is very helpful. She is also very attached to Mommy at this point. Although Amelia was very happy to see her friends and nanny, she was very happy to leave with her Mommy! We got to see another child whose parents will be traveling to China later this month to bring her home. We took lots of pictures.
That's it for now...off to Guangzhou where its almost 80 degrees, although we are happy to be closer to coming home and seeing our wonderful children Hunter, Gabrielle and Hope, it is sad to leave where she is from, hard to explain.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
It's OFFICIAL!!!
Yesterday, January 13, 2009, we visited the civil affairs office. This is the same office where we met Amelia yesterday. I was a little worried about her remembering leaving her nanny and her being upset but, she did just fine. After 24 hours of being her "foster parents" she is now our daughter.
Once there, we filled out some paperwork, took a family photo (see below) and were interviewed by a notary. We were able to meet a young man from the orphanage who spent time with Amelia. He was very nice. He and his wife our expecting a baby (sex unknown). We have decided that it is not a good idea to visit the orphanage because Gotcha Day was so traumatic for Amelia. But we will visit the Hefei Orphanage with Mike and Sandy where Grace is from.
After that, we will visit the Hefei Wild Animal Zoo. Look for photos tomorrow. Our day would not have been complete without walking around the city. We went to Parkson's (very expensive). Dodging the traffic was a fun part of the day. They do not stop for anyone even babies in strollers.
The weather was not so bad and the girls did fine. We had dinner at McDonald's, saw a monkey on a chain (the monkey was on the chain as opposed to "off the chain" - Franks comment) the lots of locals from Hefei City.
Frank: I was stuck in an elevator for 15 minutes today,,,it seemed like hours. All lights went out I managed to pry the doors of the elevator open but could not get the doors to floor 12 open. Then all of a sudden it was over...... if you have ever been stuck in a dark elevator, you know what I mean.
Dominic and I went to the gym yesterday and worked out with weights and treadmill and bike. I am glad he is here. He is very helpful and funny. He pushed every button on the elevator yesterday, made some folks kind of unhappy, 28 floors....He is a great kid who I am extremely proud to be his father. God has great plans for him.
Once there, we filled out some paperwork, took a family photo (see below) and were interviewed by a notary. We were able to meet a young man from the orphanage who spent time with Amelia. He was very nice. He and his wife our expecting a baby (sex unknown). We have decided that it is not a good idea to visit the orphanage because Gotcha Day was so traumatic for Amelia. But we will visit the Hefei Orphanage with Mike and Sandy where Grace is from.
After that, we will visit the Hefei Wild Animal Zoo. Look for photos tomorrow. Our day would not have been complete without walking around the city. We went to Parkson's (very expensive). Dodging the traffic was a fun part of the day. They do not stop for anyone even babies in strollers.
The weather was not so bad and the girls did fine. We had dinner at McDonald's, saw a monkey on a chain (the monkey was on the chain as opposed to "off the chain" - Franks comment) the lots of locals from Hefei City.
Frank: I was stuck in an elevator for 15 minutes today,,,it seemed like hours. All lights went out I managed to pry the doors of the elevator open but could not get the doors to floor 12 open. Then all of a sudden it was over...... if you have ever been stuck in a dark elevator, you know what I mean.
Dominic and I went to the gym yesterday and worked out with weights and treadmill and bike. I am glad he is here. He is very helpful and funny. He pushed every button on the elevator yesterday, made some folks kind of unhappy, 28 floors....He is a great kid who I am extremely proud to be his father. God has great plans for him.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
UPDATE and So AMAZING
Hello everyone,
Just wanted to let you know that Amelia had a great night last night. She played for a while after we finally got her out of her 3 layers of clothes plus a coat. She bonded with Frank at first. We changed her diaper, changed her clothes and she played for hours.
Finally at 9:45 pm I put her in her crib. For the first time after 4 children she didn't cry. She looked around a lot and then sat up drifting asleep. I layed her down and she slept until 7:00 am. She is not very happy when she wakes up but warms up after a while. Breakfast went well and she ate a lot of congee. Like Hope, she didn't like the highchair at all but we made her sit in it. She cried for a few minutes and then calmed down.
Here is the amazing part of our journey listed below from a previous post on our adoption website.
Adoption Agency Website Post - So Amazing
Well, if you have taken a look at our blog, you will notice something different about Amelia. Our referral stated that she had a unrepaired cleft lip and cleft palate.
Melissa Blauvelt our FC told us that there was a chance that she would be repaired. Well, you guessed it. Amelia's lip was repaired April 2008 almost one year ago. Our referral was from Oct. 2007. We had prayed for God's healing and did not even consider it coming about this way. So, now all we need to do is have her receive palate surgery.
Another amazing thing about this story is that Amelia was in the same orphanage with Tonya Torkelson's little girl Matti. Unfortunately, we did not get to travel together but what we discovered was that Amelia was present in a few of Matti's birthday party pictures at the orphange and we didn't even know it until just yesterday.
Amelia is standing right beside Matti. I am so happy about this because I wanted a picture of them together but would not have gotten one with Matti and her family because our families would travel at different times to China.
God allowed for them to be pictured together and I am overjoyed. Thank you God and thank you Tonya for sharing those pictures with me. Especially since the orphanage did not receive my package with a camera in it so I did not get pictures of her in the orphanage.
Thanks for listening and sharing our journey with us. Love you guys!
Djuna in China (from MD)
Just wanted to let you know that Amelia had a great night last night. She played for a while after we finally got her out of her 3 layers of clothes plus a coat. She bonded with Frank at first. We changed her diaper, changed her clothes and she played for hours.
Finally at 9:45 pm I put her in her crib. For the first time after 4 children she didn't cry. She looked around a lot and then sat up drifting asleep. I layed her down and she slept until 7:00 am. She is not very happy when she wakes up but warms up after a while. Breakfast went well and she ate a lot of congee. Like Hope, she didn't like the highchair at all but we made her sit in it. She cried for a few minutes and then calmed down.
Here is the amazing part of our journey listed below from a previous post on our adoption website.
Adoption Agency Website Post - So Amazing
Well, if you have taken a look at our blog, you will notice something different about Amelia. Our referral stated that she had a unrepaired cleft lip and cleft palate.
Melissa Blauvelt our FC told us that there was a chance that she would be repaired. Well, you guessed it. Amelia's lip was repaired April 2008 almost one year ago. Our referral was from Oct. 2007. We had prayed for God's healing and did not even consider it coming about this way. So, now all we need to do is have her receive palate surgery.
Another amazing thing about this story is that Amelia was in the same orphanage with Tonya Torkelson's little girl Matti. Unfortunately, we did not get to travel together but what we discovered was that Amelia was present in a few of Matti's birthday party pictures at the orphange and we didn't even know it until just yesterday.
Amelia is standing right beside Matti. I am so happy about this because I wanted a picture of them together but would not have gotten one with Matti and her family because our families would travel at different times to China.
God allowed for them to be pictured together and I am overjoyed. Thank you God and thank you Tonya for sharing those pictures with me. Especially since the orphanage did not receive my package with a camera in it so I did not get pictures of her in the orphanage.
Thanks for listening and sharing our journey with us. Love you guys!
Djuna in China (from MD)
Monday, January 12, 2009
GOTCHA DAY!!!
Hello everyone,
Just wanted to let you know that we have Amelia! Our day started with us arriving in Hefei City at around 9:30 am and settled in to our room at about 10:00 am. We were to meet our local guide in the lobby at 2:30 pm. All of this seemed so unreal even after such a long wait; two years and one day later since we began the process.
We settled in to our room. I took a nap and Frank loaded SKYPE on the computer so that we could show the kids and family Amelia. Dominic chilled while we waited to meet her. The hotel has a revolving restaurant on the 29th floor (Holiday Inn) so we met the Marrone Family for lunch at 12:00 pm. Count down began at 1:00. Before we knew it, it was 2:30. Frank and I got off on the wrong lobby not knowing that there were two. But, thankfully we figured it out.
The ride to the civil affairs office was only 15 minutes away. YIKES! We walked in to the building, went up to the 7th floor, down the hall and into a room. Before we got to the room, my nerves had taken over and I said, "I'm not ready". To late right.
We filled out paperwork for temporary custody, set out our gifts and waited. The nanny had not arrived yet. After a few minutes, I heard a noise in the hallway. Oh my, they were squeaky shoes. These are a type of shoe that the children wear I guess to keep track of them. Their here I said. The door opens and in comes a lady with a cute little girl all bundled up. I didn't know who she was until they said this is Huanqing. Her cheeks were really red as you will see in the photos, her hair longer than I expected and the unbelievable part is that her unrepaired lip is repaired. They did surgery on her lip April 2008 almost 1 year ago.
Our family coordinator told us yesterday that there was a chance that her lip could already be repaired. Wow, could it be. Frank and I felt like her lip had been repaired but, we would have to wait and see. So, needlesstosay, we were quite surprised.
Amelia didn't like either of us at first and cried pretty much the whole time we were there. Of course her nanny hanging around didn't help at all. Finally, Frank and I took over and took turns holding her as she cried. The nanny left and after about 20 minutes or so , we got to ask several questions before she left. Then we left also. She began to calm down and didn't cry anymore all the way to the hotel. She sat with Frank the whole time.
Once we got to the room, Frank held her for a while with all of her clothes on (3 layers). After a little bit of fussing, we took off her clothes, changed her diaper and put on pajamas. From then, on I kept my distance a bit while she clung to Frank, eased my way in and we have been inseperable since. She likes both of us now. Praise the Lord! We prayed peace over her at the civil affairs office and God has blessed us once again. She is truly amazing and smart as a whip.
Continue to pray for us during this week as she transitions. Hopefully bedtime will be a breeze.
Djuna
She is sitting in her crib watching Djuna prepare for bed. My guess is she will end up in our bed. Frank
Monday - The BIG DAY!
GOTCHA DAY!!!!
So long from Beijing -
It is 4:30 am here in Beijing and we will be leaving for the airport at 5:30. I got up at 4:00 am with the wake-up call promptly so we would not be late for the airport. Yesterday, we got ready with only 45 minutes to spare because they do not have snooze buttons here :). This day is to important to miss.
Dominic and I attended the acrobatic show last night. It was amazing. My guess is that the girls perfoming, do not have spines in their backs LOL. The strength, balance and concentration was amazing. Frank stayed back at the hotel to change the money over and to rest. When we returned from the show, we found him dead asleep. I had to wake him after a while to pack. They pick your bags up outside the room to have them ready for the airport. Thankfully, we did not have to much to do. I was very tired and just wanted to go to sleep.
Dominic met a young guy (Jordon) here on the trip and they went on to the sauna for a little bit. Very relaxing he said. Jordon's dad had gallbladder surgery 3 weeks ago and on Thursday was not feeling well but made the trip any way. Saturday, he ended up going to the hospital in Beijing. We prayed for him to feel better. The tests were inconclusive so he was discharged. I think that he was to have some other tests done or go to another doc but he felt better so he will be able to join his wife and Jordon in their province to receive little Amy Joy. Praise the Lord! They think that the elbow to the side in Tokyo (10 inch cut) could have made his body respond in someway that made him not feel well. Anyway, thank God he is doing better. Please keep him in your prayers.
So far everyone is healthy and feeling good. A little tired but we're making it.
Our trip to the Great Wall was good. A little cold. I didn't go very far this time. The air was hard to breathe and I hurt my left leg below the knee so, I decided not to make the hike. Frank and Dominic made it to the 3rd tower. A little girl named Chloe (3) went pretty high. She only started to cry when her daddy said that it was time to come down. Chloe asks why and he says "daddy is scared". It was so cute. She had waited for this day for a very long time. She is from the same orphanage as Amelia in Anhui.
Well, signing off until we get to Anhui. The next post will be of Gotcha Day. Please pray for us and our first evening with Amelia. Thanks!
So long from Beijing -
It is 4:30 am here in Beijing and we will be leaving for the airport at 5:30. I got up at 4:00 am with the wake-up call promptly so we would not be late for the airport. Yesterday, we got ready with only 45 minutes to spare because they do not have snooze buttons here :). This day is to important to miss.
Dominic and I attended the acrobatic show last night. It was amazing. My guess is that the girls perfoming, do not have spines in their backs LOL. The strength, balance and concentration was amazing. Frank stayed back at the hotel to change the money over and to rest. When we returned from the show, we found him dead asleep. I had to wake him after a while to pack. They pick your bags up outside the room to have them ready for the airport. Thankfully, we did not have to much to do. I was very tired and just wanted to go to sleep.
Dominic met a young guy (Jordon) here on the trip and they went on to the sauna for a little bit. Very relaxing he said. Jordon's dad had gallbladder surgery 3 weeks ago and on Thursday was not feeling well but made the trip any way. Saturday, he ended up going to the hospital in Beijing. We prayed for him to feel better. The tests were inconclusive so he was discharged. I think that he was to have some other tests done or go to another doc but he felt better so he will be able to join his wife and Jordon in their province to receive little Amy Joy. Praise the Lord! They think that the elbow to the side in Tokyo (10 inch cut) could have made his body respond in someway that made him not feel well. Anyway, thank God he is doing better. Please keep him in your prayers.
So far everyone is healthy and feeling good. A little tired but we're making it.
Our trip to the Great Wall was good. A little cold. I didn't go very far this time. The air was hard to breathe and I hurt my left leg below the knee so, I decided not to make the hike. Frank and Dominic made it to the 3rd tower. A little girl named Chloe (3) went pretty high. She only started to cry when her daddy said that it was time to come down. Chloe asks why and he says "daddy is scared". It was so cute. She had waited for this day for a very long time. She is from the same orphanage as Amelia in Anhui.
Well, signing off until we get to Anhui. The next post will be of Gotcha Day. Please pray for us and our first evening with Amelia. Thanks!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sunday
Hi guys,
It is Sunday evening and we have had a full week-end.
Just wanted to let you all know that we will be leaving Beijing tomorrow morning at 5:30 am to head to the airport and then on to our province (Anhui). There are 22 families (3 non-special needs and 19 special needs) going to I think 8 different provinces.
We will meet Amelia sometime tomorrow so, be sure to check out the blog for updates about Gotch Day tomorrow.
Hope all is well with everyone and thank you for your prayers.
It is Sunday evening and we have had a full week-end.
Just wanted to let you all know that we will be leaving Beijing tomorrow morning at 5:30 am to head to the airport and then on to our province (Anhui). There are 22 families (3 non-special needs and 19 special needs) going to I think 8 different provinces.
We will meet Amelia sometime tomorrow so, be sure to check out the blog for updates about Gotch Day tomorrow.
Hope all is well with everyone and thank you for your prayers.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
What An Adventure
This evenings dinner was pretty interesting. Jordan from Oregan travelling with his parents was not afraid to eat anything. Oh my I thought I would die when he ate the head of a chicken. No, I am not kidding. He even picked meat out of it that he said was the brain. Sandy is convinced that it was not chicken but pidgeon.
I was done with dinner after that. All I ate was rice, potatoes and fried pork. That was enough for me.
A few of the kids from the group, Dominic included, will head off to the pool and sauna. Frank is already asleep and I will head off to bed soon as well.
Tomorrow morning we meet at 9:15 am to attend the International Church of Beijing (foreign passport holders only). I will give you an update from Sunday when we return from the hotel.
Hunter, Hope and Gabrielle we love and miss you guys. Take care of each other and be good for Pastor Chris and Alex.
I was done with dinner after that. All I ate was rice, potatoes and fried pork. That was enough for me.
A few of the kids from the group, Dominic included, will head off to the pool and sauna. Frank is already asleep and I will head off to bed soon as well.
Tomorrow morning we meet at 9:15 am to attend the International Church of Beijing (foreign passport holders only). I will give you an update from Sunday when we return from the hotel.
Hunter, Hope and Gabrielle we love and miss you guys. Take care of each other and be good for Pastor Chris and Alex.
Baby it's cold outside!
No, not really. We managed to make it through sightseeing in Beijing today. The weather really was not that bad. All were prepared with long johns, hand warmers, hats and gloves etc. It was a beautiful sunny day too.
We ate lunch at a western restaurant that had both American and Chinese food. Last night we shopped at Carrefour; something like Walmart only with 2 floors where they sell anything that you can imagine. Pizza Hut was a hit for dinner with the kids.
Later in the day we went to both the pearl and silk factories. This is where the better quality items are sold. We didn't buy much this time around.
The Summer Palace was visited as well. Seventy-five percent of the palace is a man-made lake. Here it was a little cooler because we were near water. We will post pictures later right now, we will run out to dinner and back to the hotel for the evening. It has been a long tiring day but well worth it. Two days until we meet Amelia. We can't wait.
Tomorrow is church, visit to the Jade Factory, The Great Wall, Acrobatic show and dinner.
We ate lunch at a western restaurant that had both American and Chinese food. Last night we shopped at Carrefour; something like Walmart only with 2 floors where they sell anything that you can imagine. Pizza Hut was a hit for dinner with the kids.
Later in the day we went to both the pearl and silk factories. This is where the better quality items are sold. We didn't buy much this time around.
The Summer Palace was visited as well. Seventy-five percent of the palace is a man-made lake. Here it was a little cooler because we were near water. We will post pictures later right now, we will run out to dinner and back to the hotel for the evening. It has been a long tiring day but well worth it. Two days until we meet Amelia. We can't wait.
Tomorrow is church, visit to the Jade Factory, The Great Wall, Acrobatic show and dinner.
Friday, January 9, 2009
WE MADE IT!!!!!
Ni Hao from China!
We have made it to China! Thank you God! Our flights and steps through customs were uneventful. I thought the flight to China for us this time went a lot faster. Although I could have done without the guy who sat two seats from Dominic and I who kept getting sick throughought the 14 hour flight. Poor man, I kept praying that he would feel better.
It's about 7:15 pm China time and we are finally checked into our room for the night. Dominic and Frank may venture out to get something to eat from either Pizza Hut or KFC. Tomorrow we visit Tienenman Square, The Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. It is suppose to be 30 degrees (brrrrrrrr).
In the morning we have breakfast and then its off to see the sights in Beijing and dinner at the hotel.
Signing off for now. Will post once we get back from out outing on Saturday.
We have made it to China! Thank you God! Our flights and steps through customs were uneventful. I thought the flight to China for us this time went a lot faster. Although I could have done without the guy who sat two seats from Dominic and I who kept getting sick throughought the 14 hour flight. Poor man, I kept praying that he would feel better.
It's about 7:15 pm China time and we are finally checked into our room for the night. Dominic and Frank may venture out to get something to eat from either Pizza Hut or KFC. Tomorrow we visit Tienenman Square, The Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. It is suppose to be 30 degrees (brrrrrrrr).
In the morning we have breakfast and then its off to see the sights in Beijing and dinner at the hotel.
Signing off for now. Will post once we get back from out outing on Saturday.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
CHINA BOUND
Hi there, I am not sure that I will be able to post later but wanted to let you all know that this time tomorrow morning we will be boarding our flight from Dulles, VA to Chicago, IL and then it's on to BEIJING. I can't believe it. Today I will finish up packing for Frank and I and the kids. The kids will be dropped off tonight with friends. Please pray for us as we will be away for 2 weeks.
We will meet Amelia on January 12 so when you wake up next Monday, we will be with our little girl. Definitely pray for her and this transition. Her whole world will change in a matter of minutes.
A really cool thing is that we will be travelling with 2 families that we met while in China in 2005. They live in Virginia and New Jersey. We can't wait to spend time with them and their families.
I also have exciting news; Dominic is able to travel to China with us. God worked a miracle and has made a way for him to come on the trip with us. God worked out every detail in that Dominic is on evy flight with us. We were not sure how this would work since our flights had already been booked.
He is overjoyed beyond all that you can imagine. He woke up at 6:00 this morning saying I can't sleep. So, he began to finish washing his clothes and packing. After asking me several questions, I got up as well and began to do more packing and organizing.
I said you think you can't sleep now, wait until tonight. LOL. So, the next time you hear from us, we will be in Beijing China. I will check in once we get settled. Thank you for covering us and our trip in your prayers.
Because of Him, Djuna
We will meet Amelia on January 12 so when you wake up next Monday, we will be with our little girl. Definitely pray for her and this transition. Her whole world will change in a matter of minutes.
A really cool thing is that we will be travelling with 2 families that we met while in China in 2005. They live in Virginia and New Jersey. We can't wait to spend time with them and their families.
I also have exciting news; Dominic is able to travel to China with us. God worked a miracle and has made a way for him to come on the trip with us. God worked out every detail in that Dominic is on evy flight with us. We were not sure how this would work since our flights had already been booked.
He is overjoyed beyond all that you can imagine. He woke up at 6:00 this morning saying I can't sleep. So, he began to finish washing his clothes and packing. After asking me several questions, I got up as well and began to do more packing and organizing.
I said you think you can't sleep now, wait until tonight. LOL. So, the next time you hear from us, we will be in Beijing China. I will check in once we get settled. Thank you for covering us and our trip in your prayers.
Because of Him, Djuna
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year everyone!
Well, with 5 days left until travel, I feel pretty good. I have just a few more things to do this week-end and hope to be completely ready by Monday; done shopping that is. I have to have the kids packed and ready by Wednesday.
My heart is heavy that our kids can't go so please keep us in your prayers. I so wish that Dominic our oldest could come along. If it's possible at this stage, God can make it happen. We finalized our flights last Monday and will get our in-country travel Monday 1/5We also have our travel meeting via telephone (2.5 hrs). I am not looking forward to that.
Well, with 5 days left until travel, I feel pretty good. I have just a few more things to do this week-end and hope to be completely ready by Monday; done shopping that is. I have to have the kids packed and ready by Wednesday.
My heart is heavy that our kids can't go so please keep us in your prayers. I so wish that Dominic our oldest could come along. If it's possible at this stage, God can make it happen. We finalized our flights last Monday and will get our in-country travel Monday 1/5We also have our travel meeting via telephone (2.5 hrs). I am not looking forward to that.
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