The Orphanage Visit

The day after Violet was placed in our arms we had a busy day of driving around 2 cities, visiting 3 offices and 2 orphanages, over about a 10-hour span.  

First, we had to finalize the adoption and receive our official Adoption Certificate.  They require you to be her guardian for 24-hours before you make the final decision.  After that, no returns, exchanges, or refunds. :-)  Now she is OURS FOREVER!  

After the certificate was complete we went to the capital's notary office, then back to the hotel for lunch.  Then came the 2.5 hour van ride to Luoyang, her birth city.  It's required that you return to the city of their abandonment to apply for a Chinese Passport.  Finally, our last stop was at her orphanages.  This tall brown building is government-run and houses 700 orphans.  The smaller blue building behind it on the left is Maria's Big House of Hope, run by the Show Hope organization, and takes in the orphans who need special care and more one-on-one medical attention.  Violet spent her first year at Maria's, then was moved to the Institute for her second year.  

We weren't sure what the best plan would be during the orphanage visits, so we decided to just watch Violet's reactions and see what she could handle.  She was SO excited to see her nannies.  And the ladies were so happy to see her, they took her right from our arms before we could protest.  She was all smiles, even when they put her in her old crib to show us where she slept.  

It was very nice for us to see that she was happy and well-cared for during her time at the orphanage.  In fact, we are pretty sure she was spoiled by her nannies, because we have seen that she can throw a tantrum and whine like a pro if you don't carry her around with you everywhere!  We were told that a typical orphanage-reared child will not have learned to whine or cry because it will not get them a response from the nannies...not the case with our daughter!

They keep the kids bundled up like marshmallows for the winter (and it was only in the 50's outside!).  This is one of the ways they transport the infants to and from the play room and eating room, by wagon.  It was quite a sight to see how many puffy-clothed children they can fit in one ride!

I am not sure if they actually sleep 3 to a crib.  I was told Violet had her own crib, and I've heard that they often will sleep 2 babies to a crib, so maybe this was just easier to set them together when it's not sleep time.

When it was time to leave the institute and walk across to Maria's House, Violet had to be torn away from her nannies.  This was the most heart wrenching moment of our entire trip.  She obviously loved them and was comfortable with them, and when it was time to go back to her new parents she was NOT happy.  She cried hard for at least 20 minutes.  So did I.  So...we cut our visit to Maria's short and only looked at one room, where she had slept and played during her first year.  You can see she is still crying about leaving her nannies...but she soon got over it and thankfully didn't regress in her bonding with us.  We actually saw a lot of improvement over the next day as she warmed up to us even more and showed us her silly side.  :-)

We were able to meet several of the staff at Maria's, including the American directors and doctor.  They were AMAZING people- so compassionate and friendly and helpful.  We are so blessed that they were able to take care of Violet from birth until she healed enough to move on.

The next pic is of Violet's "orphan clothes" as I called them.  She had some layers on... and a well-worn pink dress that might have been chosen just for her special day.

With the donations that were given to us by friends and family before we left, we were able to go on a shopping-spree and buy clothes and supplies for the kids at the orphanage.  We filled a duffle bag, and stuck things in every spare inch of our suitcases.  I can't believe we managed to fly with ALL of these donations!!  

We also had a little bit of money left to buy several warm, puffy sweaters once we arrive in China, which we also donated.

I can't tell you how much this was appreciated!  What a blessing these items will be to Violet's friends, who are still waiting for a family.  Thank you so much for your compassion and generosity!!

After a long, 10-hour day, we were all exhausted and happy to get back to the hotel.  :-)  Although it was painful, I am glad we had the chance to see what Violet's life had looked like before she met us.  I know some day she will be curious to see the photos and hear the stories, and know that we are so grateful that her nannies could take such good care of her until we could bring her home.

Adoption Day!

We went to bed with some nervous excitement.  The next morning it was intensified by 1000%.  It seriously felt like the mornings I went into labor (emotionally...not physically...thank goodness!)  Curt was scared to death just like the previous two times, worried that his new child wouldn't like him and wondering how it would go.  I was so excited that I could not sit still and had to pace around our room for an hour until it was time to board the bus.  

At 9:30 am we met our group in the lobby, boarded our bus, and anxiously rode the 20 minutes to the capital's registration office.  On the way our guide was telling us the possible scenarios we might encounter regarding our child's initial reactions, and helping us to understand this day from the child's perspective.  Of course we had already considered this and had braced ourselves for whatever may come.

When we arrived, two of the families were called in first because their children were already inside.  The rest of us followed, and over the next hour and a half we watched as one by one, 7 new children joined their adoptive families.  Violet and her orphanage-mate were the 5th & 6th to arrive.  Thankfully that gave me time to regain my composure after witnessing all the heartbreaking, beautiful, challenging, and joyful moments that were taking place around the room.  

We were pacing and keeping an eye on the parking lot from the glass doors.  Then someone announced, "There's a van...a little boy...and a little girl!"  I ran to the door and jumped for joy when I saw HER!!

Our first glimpse of her.

The Moment We Met
They carried her up the stairs and through the doors then set her down.  She started to cry so we gave her a round cracker-type thing then I picked her up and carried her to a chair, sat down, and started singing softly.  She calmed right down.  Then Curt held her and entertained her while I signed some paperwork.  She was mostly just quiet and observant for the remainder of our time at the office.  Praise the Lord the first and biggest transition went smoothly!

Sure, we can be friends if you have snacks!

Not too sure about these people...

Our new family member!

Back at the hotel we've enjoyed getting to know her.  She LIGHTS UP when we go down for meals.  Like, literally laughing and giggling with each thing we put on her plate.  She must have been fed noodles before because the moment we lifted some up with chopsticks she opened her mouth wide and tipped her head back to catch the long strings!  She also likes a bottle of milk before bed.  We were told to cut 2 tiny slits like an "x" at the top of the bottle to make it work better for a big kid.  She CHUGS it, the entire thing, in one breath, in under 30 seconds.  I'm pretty sure this is something she trained herself to do while living in the orphanage and probably having limited time to finish a bottle before the nannies came to collect it again.  

Lots of smiles at breakfast!

She is enjoying the small toys we brought with us.  Especially the stacking cups, and a fabric balloon-ball.  She is starting to smile and laugh more and more, which is the cutest thing in the world!!  Today we both got a ton of smiles, and mommy is even getting HUGS!

Having fun with Daddy!

As far as naps and sleeping goes...she is the easiest child I've had.  You lay her down, she looks around for a few minutes then closes her eyes and falls asleep.  She hardly moves.  She is sleeping about 10 hours at night and takes a 2 hour nap.  Awesome.  Not awesome that she had to learn this from self-sufficiency at an orphanage, but awesome that we will all be well-rested as she adjusts to her new life with us! :-)

Time to go play some more... I will have to write another post in the next day or two to tell you about our trip to visit her orphanage.  I'm still processing the emotions from that.  It was the most heartbreaking day, but not in ways that I expected.

Thank you for your continued prayers!  They are being answered!  We are so thankful that the Lord has blessed us with this beautiful little girl!!

Touring Beijing

We have spent the past 2 days sight-seeing in Beijing.  It has been beautiful, an experience of a lifetime, and it's nice to be able to see the country and culture that holds our child's roots.  On Day One we visited Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, then our group all rode in rickshaws to Hutong, which is the "Old City" and translates "alley", to have dinner at a local home.  ALL of the food has been wonderful!

Tiananmen Square

Love seeing adorable children with their parents...can't WAIT!!

The Forbidden City (the Imperial Palace for the Ming and Qing dynasties, so... the Emperor's Palace)

A room in one of the 980 buildings at the Forbidden City. (No, we didn't visit them all!)

Rickshaw Ride...a nice way to experience Old Town Beijing!

On Day Two we walked/climbed the Great Wall of China, visited a jade-carving factory, took our bus through Olympic Park where we saw the Water Cube, Bird's Nest, Diamond Stadium, etc from the 2008 Olympics.  Then we went to an amazing Acrobatics Show.

The Great Wall

The view...and to think there is 5,000 more miles of WALL! 

Olympic Water Cube and Bird's Nest

Curt & I took a walk from our hotel and explored the night market.  This is where we saw a huge line of street vendors who are offering a variety of foods to deep-fry for you.  This included scorpions, spiders, snakes, small sharks, silkworm chrysalis, grasshoppers, huge 8-10" centipede-looking things, squid or octopus, and all sorts of fruits and meats, all conveniently skewered on a stick.  It was a great place to take photos, but none of us were brave enough to take a bite!

We have a ton more photos from our sight-seeing, but I will wait until we arrive home to share more.

Each day I have been enjoying the sights but longing to meet my daughter.  In the morning we will take a 2-hr flight to the capital city of her province, and we will finally be able to open her suitcase, set up her crib, and prepare for Adoption Day!  We will meet her on Monday!  That means while you are all sleeping on Sunday night, our new daughter will be placed in our arms!  Please pray for her transition and that bonding will happen easily!  WE have already bonded with HER over the past 3 months of waiting, but she will have no idea what is happening and why her whole world is turning upside down!

We will post a photo with her at the first wifi we get!  (Probably back at the hotel that night...)  Now I must try to sleep and work on getting over this jetlag...it's 3 am here... good night!

We Have Arrived!

After a long day (24 hours of travel, with no night after gaining 13 hours) we made it to our hotel in Beijing!  There were FOUR other adoptive families on our flight!  We met two of them before departure, which was fun, and we met the other two after arrival when we found they are with our agency and part of our travel group!  It's neat to share this experience with others, and talk about our timeline stats and pictures. Everyone's story is unique!

Flying over the arctic!

On the way to our hotel our guide told us that we picked a GREAT week to come to Beijing!  Because of the recent APEC summit the city wanted to clean up the air for the delegates arriving (maybe you heard about it on the news...Pres. Obama was in attendance) so they had many factories take a break for a week. It lifted the smog, and the sky is blue, which is rare for this city. He said the locals are calling it "APEC blue" and they are so excited about it that they joke they also want to host "BPEC" and "CPEC" and "DPEC".  😄

Our hotel is nice and we managed to get enough hours of sleep to hopefully get over jetlag and into the right time zone. Today and tomorrow we are touring Bejing.  I'm sure we will have photos to share!  We meet our daughter on Monday!  Can't wait for that moment!!!

God is answering prayers!  Thank you so much. I was a little sad to say goodbye to our kids, and worried they might cry when we left, but instead there was nothing but excitement in our house!  They are so happy that we are bringing their sister home!  (And they were excited about Grandma & Grandpa being there!)

Here We Go, in 3...2...

Only 3 more days!

Our travel arrangements have been made, and we are ready to go!  We are so excited! (huge understatement.)

This is a brief glimpse of our 15-day trip:

• Wed-Thurs: fly to China
• Fri-Sat: adjust to time zone, tour Beijing
• Sun: fly to Henan province
• MON: MEET VIOLET!! (and she stays with us from here on out!)
• Tues-Thurs: visit the orphanage, do some paperwork
• Fri: Fly to Guangzhou
• Sat-Wed: get her medicals/passport/etc; Consulate Appt.
• Thurs: FLY HOME!! Happy Thanksgiving!

Then our family of 5 will be TOGETHER, under one roof!  JOY!!!

As we have been preparing to leave and counting down the days, I have also been counting my blessings.  WOW- has God been so faithful!  I can look back on all the fears and worries that crossed my mind, which I had to continually surrender to Him in prayer, and can see now that He has guided everything right down to this moment.  Not everything went exactly as I had in mind, but His thoughts are WAY higher than my own! 

As we enter this adventure and next chapter in our adoption process, we need your prayers more than ever, especially in these two areas:

• Travel- Obviously we are praying for safe travels and smooth flights & connections to and from and around China.  Pray against illnesses or stomach bugs.  Pray for our kids' health, safety, and emotions while we are away, and for our parents who will be looking after them.

• Transitions-  This is a huge one.  Violet's whole world as she knows it will be changing.  New environment, new language, new caretakers, new food, new bed...I'm sure it will be quite overwhelming for her.  We understand that this might be a rough process and we are prepared to help her through it, by the grace & patience God provides.  Our other two children at home will also be going through a transition, as they adjust to sharing their lives, and their mommy, with a new little sister who will be needing a lot of attention for the first year.  Pray for wisdom and understanding for us and our family!

We hope to be able to share photos and keep you updated during our trip through my Facebook page!  SO SOOOON! 

Orphanage Donation Opportunity!

We have recently been made aware that the orphanages in our daughter's province are in need of some supplies for the kids, especially with winter approaching.  Our agency has asked if any of the traveling families would be willing to help gather donations to bring to China with us.  We are thrilled at the opportunity to help out, and wanted to share this opportunity with our friends!

We have limited space in our luggage, but will have room for some donations of the following items: bibs, small hand towels, onesies, warm tops (sweaters or sweatshirts, up to size 18 mo), and rattles/toys that make noise (but are small and battery-free). These items must be new, and can be dropped off at our home or church by Sun, Nov 9th.

Or if you'd like to donate $5-$10 for us to purchase these items, just contact me for our address or PayPal info.  We have already received over $200 in donations for these orphanages!  THANK YOU SO MUCH!!  Once our luggage is full, we will shop for the remaining items when we arrive.

This will be a HUGE blessing to Violet's friends in China this winter!  We look forward to delivering these much-needed supplies!

p.s. Counting down... 8 DAYS!!!

 

Flights are BOOKED!!!

We FINALLY have travel dates!!  

This past week has been THE MOST emotionally exhausting week of the entire process.  After hearing that our Travel Approval was probably coming with the next batch, I rode the emotional roller coaster to the top of the hill with excitement.  We waited on edge all day for that e-mail, only to find that our TA had not made it into that batch and that we would have to wait an unknown number of days until the next batch was sent.  The roller coaster came crashing down.  Curt brought a box of chocolates home for me the next day.

It took me a couple of days to accept the fact that we would not be in China in time for our daughter's 2nd birthday.  As much as I wanted this to work out, I learned that God had other plans and His ways are not my ways.  HE knows best, and I trust His plan.  But it still wasn't easy.  I had to go back to waiting and wondering when our TA would come...it could be a few days or a few weeks.  It was agonizing, but not for long!  Because...

Just 3 days after we missed the Travel Approval, another batch came and we got the e-mail that our TA had arrived!!  I was so surprised!!  And excited!!  Thrilled!!  Ecstatic!!  Screaming, jumping, and spinning around the house with my 6-yr old girl, who was equally as excited!

My Adoptive friends appreciated my "TA" announcement.  Get it?  ;-)

Unfortunately, this news was received on a Friday, and of course the offices closed before they could arrange our Consulate Appointment.  This appointment must be confirmed BEFORE we can book tickets, because our entire adoption trip is based on this date.  So I spent another (and hopefully my last!) weekend waiting for Monday to arrive.

That brings us to TODAY!  A day filled with emails between our adoption agency, our adoption travel agent, and our family, as we arrange the details.  And now, WE HAVE FLIGHTS!!  We leave for China a week from Wednesday, and return on Thanksgiving Day!!  This is a huge answer to prayer, because the Consulate is closed for Thanksgiving and we had "heard" that the appointments were fully booked for the week.  I was bracing myself for the news that our travel would be delayed yet another week...but God saw fit to make it happen!  

Another praise: we are very happy with the flights our agent booked for us!  They cost less than we expected, especially for a holiday weekend AND such short notice!  We WILL be able to sit together (at least on the ones we were able to select seats for now, and hopefully the other later), AND they aren't too incredibly long, compared to some of the itineraries we saw.  

I will leave you with our travel countdown for now, and soon will post some more info about our trip, including some important prayer requests as we prepare to depart, and an opportunity to help provide needs for the orphanage this winter!!  Thank you for sharing in our excitement- we love & appreciate you all!!

 

While We Were Sleeping: Article 5 Pick-Up!

Woke up to an exciting email this morning!  While we were sleeping, and China was going about it's business day, our "Article 5" document was picked up from the US Embassy in Guangzhou and Express Mailed to the FINAL STOP in our adoption process!  This is our LAST official PAPERWORK WAIT before we fly to China!  Still not the last of the paperwork...but the rest will happen once she's in our arms, so those waits will be MUCH easier to handle!!

We are simply awaiting "Travel Approval" (TA) from China.  This doesn't have a set time frame, but happens in batches, about every 2 weeks on average...sometimes more or less...slightly unpredictable.  We were told that if we receive TA by Mon, 10/27 we should still be able to jump in with the travel group leaving the first week of November!  I KNOW God can do this, and while I'm praying for His Will and His perfect timing, I'm also praying that this will be part of His plan.  :-)  The last batch was received Mon 10/13...so Mon 10/27 is exactly 2 weeks.  I will be glued to my phone that day.  No prank calls, please!  ;-)

This week has been very relaxed as it finally feels like our travel is getting close.  I know that sounds backwards and I would usually be getting more stressed the closer we get, but as I look at the big picture of this entire journey, at God's faithfulness in orchestrating each step, and the fact that the WAIT is almost over, I have so much peace and joy!  I packed Violet's suitcase and I get so excited every time I pass by it.  I found her a dresser and am working on painting it- can't wait to show you all when it's done.  I've been planning and preparing for so long that I know could be ready to leave tomorrow if I had to.  It's been great to sit back and enjoy my kids; getting some good quality time in before our family makes this big transition.

We're coming soon, little peach!

My next post will be to announce our TA...pray with me that it will happen on Monday!!  That way we would be able travel the first week of November.  (That would mean we'd be able to spend her birthday with her in China AND be home in time for Thanksgiving with our kids!)  THANK YOU for your support!!

This will be our most-thankful Thanksgiving ever!

Are we there yet?

With all the excitement of being matched with our daughter in August, and the rush of paperwork in September, it's taking ALL the patience I can muster to make it through this next month of doing nothing but waiting!!  Here is a quick update for those of you who are wondering WHEN we will be able to travel!  (I WISH I could give you a solid date!!)

Today the US Embassy in China is opening back up after taking a few days off for the National Holiday.  Our "Article 5" paperwork is at the embassy and will take 2 weeks to be completed.  Then we reach the BIG step...waiting for TRAVEL APPROVAL!  The shortest I've heard for this approval is 5 days, and the longest is about 3 weeks.  The average is 10-14 days, so I am expecting to have TA (Travel Approval) by the end of October.  At that point we will be able to set our travel dates, between 1-3 weeks out, and buy our tickets!  

It still looks like we will be able to travel sometime in November.  I look at my calendar 100x's a day, and my thoughts go something like this... "Ok, if we get TA by Fri, Oct 24th, and travel groups usually leave on Wednesdays, we could fly on Nov 5th.  Adoption Days typically happen on Mondays, so we would get our daughter on Nov 10th, and get to be with her on her birthday the next day!  Our date to fly home would be 2 days after our Consulate Appt, so probably Fri, Nov 21st, getting us all home in time for Thanksgiving.  Please Lord, let this be the case!!  
"BUT, if we don't get TA until Oct 31, we probably couldn't travel until Nov 12th, missing her birthday, and flying home on the 28th which is Black Friday...when holiday flights cost a few hundred more and the airports are packed....or maybe we couldn't travel until the next week and get home Dec 5th....but that sounds so far away!!  At least she WILL be home in time for Christmas!  Lord, let YOUR WILL be done!!   YOU know the perfect timing for her transition and our travels!"

That is what is running through my head, in circles, most of the time right now.  :-)  I have to keep reminding myself that it's in God's hands and there is absolutely nothing I can do right now but pray.  I'm doing fine, feeling quite calm despite the unknown dates, and definitely appreciate your prayers and encouragement!

I feel so grateful for the opportunity we had to travel to California for our 10-year anniversary.  Curt's parents were able to come stay with the kids for 5 days, a great "trial run" for our upcoming 16-day trip to China.  As I mentioned in my last post, I was invited to be in my best friend's wedding, at the top of a mountain!  Driving up to Mt. Lassen was quite intimidating...it looked like a huge cold snowy ROCK.  But when we started climbing we were amazed by the gorgeous landscape and majestic views.  I couldn't help but worship God, the creator of it all!  It was EPIC.  We were plenty warm enough, even in the snow, and ended up taking our coats off.  The skies were blue and sunny, with an occasional cloud enveloping us.  The first few minutes were the only physically challenging ones as our bodies adjusted to the high-altitude and our legs got the hang of the climb.  We both enjoyed it immensely and would totally do it again.  At 10,000 feet we held the wedding ceremony, with our adventurous bride & groom and a dozen or so close friends and family who had braved the climb.  The hike down was relatively quick and easy, and the whole thing took just a few hours.

But the wedding fun didn't stop there!  We headed to a beautiful family ranch in the mountains, got dressed up, and held a second wedding ceremony and reception for a larger number of guests.  There was an amazing sunset!!  It was all very beautiful!  We were thrilled to be a part of this special day!

The "Guest Book" globe, which  I signed on China.

Wedding sunset at the ranch.

The remainder of our trip was spent cruising around California in a convertible, enjoying the views of vineyards and orchards, touring San Francisco (the Golden Gate Bridge and Chinatown of course!), and checking out "Old Town" Sacramento which we learned was the last stop on the Pony Express. 

Walking the vineyard.

Chinatown- San Francisco.

The Golden Gate Bridge

Enjoying the view from the beach.

"Old Town" Sacramento

What a wonderful time for us to celebrate 10 years of marriage and spend some time together before we enter this next exciting season of life!