Last Days…

The last days in GZ have consisted of noodles, walking, noodles, touring, noodles, appointments, noodles, new friends, noodles….and noodles! 

We had our consulate appointment yesterday.  It was quite different from anything we have experienced in the past.  It was amusing and funny and exciting.  We took our oath and the guy in charge was great.  When we got to the window for our “interview” he said we could talk about anything but football!!!  I wondered what school he was from.  He said he went to college in TN.  Enough said.  I held in my Roll Tide since he was a fellow SEC fan!  Know for certain if he had not been in the SEC, our paperwork might have been delayed because I might have started the S-E-C chant and given a big Roll Tide!  OH…on the subject of Alabama…China even rocks the Hounds tooth!!!!  LOVE IT!!!

After our consulate appointment, we had lunch then went on a tour to an amazing museum with a wonderful family! (Please pray for the rest of their process) We have been to this museum 3 times now, but our guide this time was very knowledgeable about it and brought it to life!  Then we went to a bonsai garden!!! HOLY COW!!!  I loved it.  I have never seen anything like it!  Could have lived there (if it were in Huntsville Alabama and Rosie’s was on site! Ding How for the kids would have to be there too!)   

Next was dinner with another couple at…..The Noodle Shop!!!  Man… there are some fantastic people adopting this trip (usually are).  I love hearing stories.  One, I will share at a later date made me squall tears of joy!!!!  God is sooooo woven in adoption.  Anyway….this couple is a little older.  They have grown children and about 11 years ago the wife started talking about adoption.  The husband was like, “God’s not telling me the same thing.  We are doing great and getting ready to retire, but I’ll pray about it.”  The “I’ll pray about it” was more of a formality to be able to say, “I prayed about it and …no”.  “No” was not the answer God gave him.  His response at dinner was, “God’s not interested in my retirement plan!”  LOVE IT!!!  What are you going to do in retirement anyway! Why not love a child?!!!!!  We are never too old to love.  If we have Jesus in our life, He Is LOVE.  Why deny another life of that love?  We are born; we die.  What do we do with the in-between? 

We are all packed up and ready to check out at 2pm (it is 10:30am now), so we will eat….you guessed it noodles…for the last time in GZ for lunch.  Then we will check out, wait an hour, get on a van with someone we have never seen that can’t speak English, ride to medicals to meet our guide to get our paperwork for the girls to enter the US, then start a 3 hour ride to Hong Kong!!!!!  We will hopefully get a good nights rest then head to the airport about 9 in the morning (it is attached to the hotelJJ!  Eat breakfast at McDonald's, then wait for our 12pm flight!  We arrive in Seattle and have about an hour and a half to get through customs and immigration (please pray that goes very quickly!!!!) Then it is off to Atlanta, then HOME!!!!!!  EDEN here comes mommy!!!!!!

Thank you for being part of this stage of our journey.  Hope you continue.  Hope God will use us to bring Him glory. 

Next time we talk, we will be in Home Sweet USA!!!!

God Bless, and Happy New Year!

Olive seed carvings.

Ivory carvings

Tree planted by Queen Elizabeth

 Bonsai!!!

Medicals...YUCK!

I know I have not posted in a couple of days.  We are doing great other than learning that there are rules and boundaries and that you must listen and obey.  We have been down this road before so we are good!

We are now in Guangzhou!!!  Room???...small and getting smaller by the hour!  Weather????...rainy and chilly which is why the room is getting smaller by the hour (minute).  Food???....OH MY STARS!!!!  There is a fantastic little (little) noodle shop about 2 blocks away that is cheap and yummy.  We all love it!

Let's see? We got here late Christmas night.  First thing on Friday, we headed out to the medical appointment.  I am not going to get started on how I feel about this...I will say that I think it is absolutely absurd that our country requires my children that will enter the US as citizens to have lab work and shots before I can bring them home!!!  I may fall off that soap box and hit my head so that is all I will say.  Anyway....medicals were awful but they made it.  Lyric got mad cause I took Tilly to the bathroom so she had to get her blood drawn first!  It made her sooo mad that she told Tilly she hoped she would get 50 shots.  That hurt Tilly's feelings and she got mad!  They are like boys in the since that in 5 minutes they are laughing and talking...no grudges! :)  Tilly got 4 shots and Lyric got 3.  It was heart breaking and by the time it was over, there were more tears and I was shaking like a leaf!  B had wanted me to take pics throughout the process, but they were scared and I was back and forth, not understanding what was being said and it was all overwhelming.  I have done this twice before, but this was a little different.  Oh...the nurse and the guide were quite surprised that my girls are uneducated.  They thought it would come as a surprise.  When it did not and I told them that I knew it beforehand and that I would homeschool them to help them gain as much of an education as possible, they were left with a sense of gratitude...maybe?  I guess they don't know the wonderful folks that I know that adopt older girls with little to no education or severe special needs.  All I have done is add to my family.  Others out there are doing some amazing things.

Back to the medicals.  Instead of a skin TB test that takes 48 hours for results, the girls got blood drawn and the results were in yesterday morning.  Both girls are great!!!! No chest X-Rays for us!!!!!  We have our consulate appointment on Monday morning, then we head out to Hong Kong Tuesday night and home sweet USA on Wednesday!!!!  We leave HK at 12pm on Wednesday...travel for 20 something hours and get home 7:15pm on Wednesday!  I keep trying to explain that concept to Phoebe, but she can't wrap her mind around it!

Not many pics because we have not done much in the last few days due to the crabby weather.  We are going shopping for the girls' chinese dresses today!  Monday is the consulate appointment and city tour with another AWAA family.  Maybe we will have some more good pics over the next few days!

                                                 Peek-a-boo on the van ride to the airport

                                          Traditional pick with guide.  Her name is Sherri.

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                                         Ok...This is our Sunday.  We went for a walk in the
                                                  park and found an amusement park.
                     The girls had fun, but neither newbie is a fit for Phoebe and her thrill seeking,
                                                           roller coaster riding self!

A Christmas First!

Last night, Christmas Eve for us, we had our celebration.  We made our nativity crafts, had dinner, then opened gifts.  The girls were so excited and had a blast.  Two of the girls voiced how grateful they were! The other was happy and thankful but not ready to voice that yet.  They had watched Frozen before dinner and got Frozen dolls in their stockings.  Needless to say, there has been a lot of "letting it go" around here!  We are all packed up this Christmas morning and getting ready to head out to Guangzhou for the next 4 days, then on to Hong Kong then HOME!!!!!!!! How I love the USA!!!!!!!!

Oh...someone (Tami Rose) sent me a video of the fireworks at The Joe set to Joy to the World!  It was not the same as being there, but I know I was watching what my Church Family was doing and got to be a little part of worship!

Oh!!!!! Special Christmas gift to me.  I got to FaceTime with my wonderful, oldest godson today!  He is all grown up and I have not seen him for a while and it was such a blessing to see his face.  I also got to see my youngest godson and goddaughter and their parents.  I missed seeing my little SB since she is so big and rode home with big girls.  How I love that family!

                                     And the stockings were hung in the window with care!!!

                                                        They walked out of the bathroom
                                          (where I sent them while I put Christmas together)
                                                     and did not even notice the goodies!                                                                
                                               They were looking around then spotted them!

                                  Merry Christmas!  Hope yours' is full of love and family!

Christmas Time...In China

I am sitting in my room, alone for the moment, and thinking about Christmas in China.    As I prepared for China and packed what few gifts I could, I failed to realize the impact spending Christmas in China would have on me.

I see Christmas trees and decorations in every shop and it is a sweet reminder of home.  I see "Merry Christmas" signs and Santa Clauses everywhere.  I hear "Rudolph" and "Jingle Bells", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause".  All that has been nice, but what has gotten me, is hearing carols of the proclamation of Jesus' birth.  "What Child is This" has flooded my mind and my heart with sadness.  "This, this is Christ the King!"...Oh how I long for the people of China to know this King!  I want them to know why they are celebrating Christmas.  I want them to know the Reason for this season.  I want Him to flood their lives.  I want them to have the freedom to worship Him.  I want my girls' "Belly Mommys" and biological fathers to know the one that gave them life came to them some 2000 years ago as a baby.  I want them to experience the forgiveness He has given them for the choices they had to make.

 I feel so small.  I can't change anything.  I can't proclaim Him here.  I look at these faces and study them as I pass by or sit for a meal.  I only have one day left in Xi'an.  Am I the only chance many will have to meet their Creator this side of eternity?  I am burdened for these precious people.  Will this burden move me to action, or will I tuck it inside and continue life back home where I can communicate and have the freedom to share?  Do I love the precious lives God created enough to simply tell them of His love for them?  Will I be brave or a coward as I have my whole life?  I am a vapor in time, yet I have a purpose.  Do I love the One who gave His life for me enough to give my life for Him and live out that purpose?  To give Him my time, my love, my schedule, my talents...?  I thought I did until I experienced Christmas time in China.

By the way, this is a real gingerbread house.

Santa's expression is perfect for this little one.

                                                          and a Happy New Year!