Wow, I don't even know where to begin! This might be a long post, so feel free to just skim over it for the parts that interest you as I try to recap the past couple of weeks!
My last update was from our visit to the orphanage. We spent the rest of the trip (in Zhengzhou, then flew to Guangzhou) hanging out at our hotel, going for walks around the city and parks, checking out the markets & shopping, and of course spending many hours filling out paperwork, riding in buses, and waiting in offices. The latter ones were not the most fun with a toddler, but she was always content if she had a snack cup full of cereal!
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| Stickers & Coloring with Daddy at the hotel |
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| Attracting a crowd during our walk after school |
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| Waiting at the Clinic |
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| Evening Stroll in Guangzhou |
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| Street markets at night in Guangzhou |
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| Interesting things at the street markets... |
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| Walking around Liuhau Lake |
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| Enjoying the warm walks in southern China! |
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| Liuhau Lake Park views |
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| Koi ponds at the park. Some were longer than my arm!! |
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| Famous Statue on Shamian Island |
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| Chinese Walmart |
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| Dinner Cruise on the Pearl River |
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| Dinner Cruise Conversations |
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| Canton Tower |
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| Our hotel's pool...which Violet had NO interest in using! |
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| Our view from our hotel in Guangzhou...not as nice at the hotel itself, but interesting... |
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| Our family photo at the hotel. |
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| Attempted photo of all our group's NEWLY ADOPTED KIDS!!! (I knew she would cry...) |
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| Our CCAI guides in Zhengzhou, who helped us with the adoption! |
By the end of our trip we were VERY ready to get back to our home and our kids, who were anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new little sister! Unfortunately, beaming technology hasn't been mastered yet...and the only way to get home was to suffer through an entire day and night of vans and airplanes. I wish I could tell you that it was a pleasant flight and that she slept most of the time...but honestly, it was the opposite. My sanity was stretched to it's most extreme limits. Let's just sum it up by saying we were "that family" with the crying kid. During the first flight, over 11 hours, she wanted me to hold her AND be standing AND bouncing or walking. If I tried to sit she screamed. If I wasn't moving enough she screamed. If I tried to give her to Curt she screamed louder. The only times my arms got a break was when she was eating snacks...but after FIVE diaper changes (FOUR BEING THE MESSY KIND, and the other one soaking her clothes) we decided to lay off the snacks. But in the end, we survived. We made it home safely and that's all that matters!!
Our flights happened to have us connecting through Seattle, which worked out perfectly to introduce Violet to her Uncle Eric & Aunt Beth (my brother & sis-in-law) and one of my long-time friends, Saskia. It was awesome to see them and share this special hour together on our way home!! Saskia is a photographer and was snapping away with her camera as usual, which I didn't think much of during my red-eyed weariness, but when I saw the photos.... MY GOODNESS, SHE'S GIFTED! What a blessing to have those moments captured! The even bigger blessing was being able to catch up with the 3 of them as they spent their Thanksgiving morning at the airport just to see us! Love you guys!
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| Hi Aunt Beth!! https://www.facebook.com/saskia.photography.seattle |
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| Happy to take a break from the plane rides!! https://www.facebook.com/saskia.photography.seattle |
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| Sizing up Uncle Eric https://www.facebook.com/saskia.photography.seattle |
The second flight was "only" 4 hours long, and by then Violet was so tired she couldn't help but fall asleep, even though it was fitful, and only after a long time of crying because I couldn't stand up with her on this smaller plane. She fell asleep on my lap, and woke up crying several times. I didn't blame her...I desperately wanted to stretch out on a bed and get some real rest too!
We arrived in Detroit at 7pm on Thanksgiving Day. The airport was empty. We had already been through US Customs & Immigration in Seattle, so Violet was officially a US Citizen! At the airport she met Grandma & Grandpa S., then Grandma & Grandpa V., Uncle Joel (my other little bro), and... EVIE and CORBIN!! It was so sweet to see our kids' excitement. They came running with huge grins, introduced themselves in Mandarin, and gave her hugs. She was a little stunned, but happily amuzed.
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| Hugs from her new siblings |
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| Welcome Home, Violet! |
Now we've been home for 2 weeks, and I can't even remember life before Violet! It seems like AGES ago that I was occupied with adoption paperwork, waiting for a match, and obsessively counting and crossing off dates on my calendar. It was all worth it. Big time. She's doing so well. She surprises me every day with something new. Her big brother and sister love her to bits, and the feelings are mutual. She fits so well into our family.
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| "Big Sister" Evie, "Big Brother" Corbin, and "Little Sister" Violet |
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| You're going to love it here! |
The hardest adjustment is turning out to be for ME- it's like having a newborn in the house again as far as sleeping (or lack of) and having my hands full because she wants me to carry her around. It's also a big adjustment having three kids in the house now...we are definitely feeling out-numbered!! As hard as it is, I'm so thankful for the 3 children the Lord has given us, and I don't go a day without counting my blessings!
One more thing...her "special need" on her medical file was a genetic skin condition. When we got her, her skin on her torso looked just as we expected: grey, peeling, flaking, dry, and a little itchy. I started putting Aquaphor on it several times a day, and within 3 days her skin looked completely new. It still gets dry daily, but we keep putting the ointment on her and it's staying smooth. Amazing answer to prayer!!
And now, as our adoption is complete and we are settling into our "normal" life (haha, right....), I want to thank you all once again for your love and support during this incredible journey. We could not have done it without your prayers and encouragement. God is good!!
