HOME...for real this time!

Nothing like last minute clearance for a flight! I can't even tell you how many times that's happened to me over the years, but Thursday it seemed like an eternity. The flight was delayed, and they had boarded a good portion of the flight.  David had signed up for the jump seat because we knew we'd be cutting it close.  The gate agent kept calling for family of four (they must have not ever showed), and I have to admit I was praying they wouldn't show because that would free up the seats we needed. I know...horrible of me! Have I mentioned how ready I was to be home?!?  

Thursday night in Detroit ended being great.  David booked a room at the crew hotel he has stayed before, and we all were able to get a little bit if rest...kinda had a par-tay about 3am for those who were wide awake (all but our newest citizen!). I think 1/2 dose of Benadryl did.the.trick.for.him. Ok, yep, don't judge! 

My parents and sis made it in Thursday last night.  Poor things, they had the pleasure of getting bumped from their original flight from Texas all day. They got the last three seats.

Today, I woke up to three happy kids playing up a storm in my house! Chan did great in his new room. He woke up once fairly early on, a little bewildered-about-where-he-was-look I think. Snuggled him back into bed then he slept until 7:30!

Here is what I read about 30 minutes prior to landing yesterday. I thought I was going to throw up becausey my own nerves and nerves for him. God calmed me down. We got off the airplane and praise God for translation apps:

            

He grinned and was ready to head to the concourse!

He looooves his new room and toys- just more starry eyes continue!

Painting an airplane with his Papa D 

Loving the iPad with Nana! Aunt Debs was busy conquering our mounds of filthy laundry!!!

Enjoying gifts! He will sit for loooong Lego sessions and study the directions! He discovered the trampoline and thought it was super funny to see me jump and bounce him up to the sky. Love this boy!

Thankful to be home. Off to referee anothersword fight!

Back Home...Sort of!!!

Ok, probably by far the coolest photo of Chan happened today, and I didn't have my camera ready! He signed his own Departure Card from his home country...in Chinese. Bitter/Sweet site - he used his suitcase as his desk, David motioned to sign, I pointed to the line and said, "Write An Dongbin."  He looked up at both of us and smiled, shook his head then cranked out some cool looking Chinese characters- His name! It will always be his name even though he has a new American name. We call both of our youngest their Chinese names often, and I love that!

Thursday, March 27-5:45pm China time (Thursday, 5:45 am EST)

6:15 pm update: Ok, wow...so how does one explain to your not-so-fluent-English-speaking-pretty stinkin' cute-getting to sit up front- son there's been a maintenance delay and we are taxiing back to the gate in Beijing??? Give him the iPad!!! I so don't normally let the kids stay on electronics too much but it has seems to bridge the language barrier for short term (and taught him "please and share"!).  How does one tired mama try to relax when I know our case workers are probably wondering if we made it onto our flight and my parents and sis are trying to make it to our city to welcome us home, but their flights are pretty much shot, too?  Hmmmm... Haven't figured that out yet-lol. Guess I should take some deep breaths and let it go, huh?!?  Oh, dear Lord... Give us some rest, make a connecting flight, oh, give us all some rest. 

As I type (not when this posts), we are sitting waiting for our plane to get a look over again. Just a tad irritated bc we are so tired and want to get home, but I need to get over that, too!  Better safe than sorry when about to embark on another 12 hour flight (or even a 12 minute flight!) in a metal tube across the pond with all my loved ones! I'm ready to take my ambien, put my face mask on/earplugs in and...zzzzzzzzzzz. OH! and wake up at my doorstep. No, actually... in my own bed ;-)

7:15 pm: Now, one of the flight attendants who speaks Chinese is explaining to him what's happening-YAY!!!!!!! He is just grinning from ear to ear now! Why did the languages have to be mixed so many years ago :-)

The flight attendant is bragging on him for being so polite- another yay!  He really has done so well when it's our family, on the bus, on the subway, or on the airplane, but get him in our travel group, and he's just way overstimulated.  I do have to admit in getting pretty good at charades, and I'm sure the hidden camera are laughing often! Last night I scored a winner: pizza-shower-sleep-eat rice-bus-feiji (airplane)- woohoo!!!! He totally understood the chain of events and jumped up and down. About 30 minutes later, on his own initiative signed "airplane" and said, "Mei-gwa" (not sure how you spell the pinyin but he was saying, "We fly on the airplane to America."- success. He understands.

7:35 pm: captain has explained what the maintenance issue is. Shame on me for being impatient when I pray constantly for our safety and David's safety when he's in charge. I guess my lack of sleep is slightly effecting my brain!! Kids are happy as clams- all three of them. Ok, wow...did I just say that? THREE of them? (Never in my wildest dreams!). My two youngins think it's cool they just turned on the tv screens (only t-mobile and magazine adds-ha!). 

7:45 pm: someone en route to airport to fix the part- I'm thinking we will be here awhile. Praise God we have a pillow, and we are not sitting on the concrete bench in the airport. (Fair assumption we are not making our connecting flight.) Bigger, better, safer plan!  I'm good with that. 

When we first got on this plane, Chan went straight to the back. Skipped the front seats- totally oblivious of how nice it was/is. I motioned to him where to sit, and he fretted (seriously. He has no clue that a silver platter is about to be handed over to him!). He frowned at the fluffy blanket and pillow. What imagery that is for me! Isn't that we as Believers do so many times? We grump at God's direction and don't have a clue what kind of blessings He has in store! (Ok, oops...guilty of that about two hours ago. Ahem...). It's now 8:09 pm, and I'm loving seeing how's he's responding to everything once he trusted me where to sit! Pushing all the buttons, laughing, smiling, reclining the seat, telling the flight attendant about his mei mei (little sis Audrey An) and jie jie (big sis Abigail)...aaaaand fluffing his pillow.  Mind exploding!

Bit of a contrast: small farming village to....

Baba explaining take off. I adore Chan's intent look on his face. Taking it all in for sure!

All snuggled up and no place to go... Yet!

Mei mei's loving it...

And so is jie jie!!!

9:30 pm getting ready to take off (4 hours later)

10:45pm... Dinner and trying to interpret "soup" for Chan. I can say rice in Chinese...so he knows THAT'S coming- yay, new mommy!! Kim and family... I need you to translate!

6:00am somewhere! (I guess it's technically 6PM EST in the States right now!) I think we all got some sleep I hope my family made it our house, but I hope they realize we will not be at our final destination as hoped! This will post once I have wifi and promise it will be after our hoped arrival. At this point, I don't know when we will arrive!

10pm EST... Just landed in Detoit. Now to figure out to get home!

11:15pm, Thursday night (again) everyone is "benadryled"...in Detroit! ONE MORE LEG on Friday and we will be home! Praying all goes well, and we land Friday at noon!

Alllllmost official!

Heading to the Consulate on Tuesday...

Consulate appointment complete, medical tests cleared, Visa pick up today...US citizen when his feet hit American soil soooooon (hopefully Thursday night!). 

Lifeline families we've been with this week in Guangzhou!

Chan loves UNO... Thank you, Zion and Eden, for teaching him a few weeks ago!!

Chan's experienced A LOT in the last month- planes, trains (subway), automobiles...and a boat!

Sisters enjoying our dinner cruise with other Lifeline families on the Pearl River!

A little shopping...

Nothing like getting a great bargain!

Five years ago, Audrey An threw a rippin' hissy fit in front of these statues... Slightly happier today!!

Precious!

Shamian Island is a favorite place of ours... Always see many brides getting photographed!

These two newly adopted girls in our travel group our so sweet! Playing rock, paper scissors with my girls!

Leaving the island

We will be leaving our "home" for this week in the morning (Wednesday night for our stateside friends).  Plz pray for our flights home. We've had to change up our original plan getting home (used to that!), but the last leg is oversold. That would mean we've cleared Customs but stuck one more night from home because of not enough seats for five. Ugh. I'm ready to be home and start our new normal. I'm exhausted and need a hot bath, my washing machine and some fresh fruit and veggies that I'm not scared to eat :-)

God is so good. I'm amazed how well Chan is adjusting. These kiddoes are brave. Strong. Changed. Yes, there's a learning curve- for us all. Breaking some habits that have been engrained into a nine year old will take some time. I hope our travel group doesn't think of us as "that family"- if you know what I mean!

Marriage changes you. Parenting changes you. Adoption changes you. International adoption changes you. 

Psalm 68:6 "God sets the lonely into families..."

Psalm 127:3-5 "Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth^.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court."

See you in the States!

Our monkey boy!!!

 

Today, we went to the Gaungzhou Zoo, and he loved it! I got my exercise trying to keep our monkey boy from THE monkeys! He's such a sweetie and really good natured...just all boy. He and Abigail were horsin' around back in the hotel, and somehow Ab's finger ended up in Chan's eye. At first, we thought he was being a bit dramatic because he does have a very distinct little whine, but a considerable amount if time we realized his eye must have been really hurting. He kept covering it and didn't even want to go and eat (that's huuuuge!). I'm glad he felt comfortable enough already to come to me for comfort (THAT'S even more huuuuuge!). He let me hold him and hang out with him while David and Abigail went t bring back dinner. He was kinda mad at Abby for the incident, but got over it fairly quick ...by after dinner they were holding hands walking down the street. He really is a cut up and is fitting right in with his new crazy family. He thinks his baba is pretty funny (now I have to reign in two little boyzzzzz- lol!).

Tonight after we prayed, he kept saying something I couldn't quite make out what it was- his English phrases are coming along, and he thinks the "Elf" movie is hysterical (yay!). I figured put he was quoting the "I love you, I love you, I LOVE YOU!" Part of the movie, and we all just were rolling on the floor laughing!

I'm assuming his TB test came back all clear this afternoon because we didn't get "the call"- praise The Lord! As far as I know, nobody in our travel group did either.

Please continue to pray for our flights home. Had to kinda hav a total change in plans with our flights, but I'm trusting HE will get us home! God brought us this far...

Chen Family Temple

Sightseeing today- Chen Family today and the pearl/jade market. Also, got some laundry returned today-ahhhhh, to have clean clothes! (Just had out pants cleaned). They do come returned nicely pressed/folded in a nifty little plastic bag. I miss my washer/dryer. Tub laundry is getting old and I'd like to burn my shoes and clothes bc they're so filthy!

S-T-R-E-S-S (isn't that an Aretha Franklin song?)

Honestly, I think today was one of the most stressful days of the entire trip for me, personally- medical exam and paperwork day. It started off with a fabulous breakfast buffet at our fancy smancy hotel, but it was super crowded with everyone trying to meet their medical appointment deadline along with the just the "regular" hotel guests. Obviously, we are over a week into out trip and we are tired, but I just teared up at breakfast and getting onto our bus with the seven other Lifeline families. The need to bring these orphans home is so great, it just overwhelmed me. To look around at all the beautiful children with new families and knowing they're lives ate changed forever- not because something we did, but because all the families in our travel group are Believers in the One and Only True God and had a calling to be sitting in there this morning. It was hard for me fathom the enormity of the orphan crises as we were herded over to another part of the city t get our children's medical exam for part of the requirements for their visa. I sat behind Chan who was sitting with Abigail, and he just stared out the window. What was he thinking? I really had only met two couples in our group at this point so I was trying to hold back my tears. I kept nudging David to ask our guide... "Can you explain to him what is about to happen (he had no idea he was about to get blood drawn, poked and prodded). Ugh. Again, such a brave boy! He nodded and smiled at the guide after her explanation (which included a bit of "be braver than all these girls"). He DID GREAT. No tears. Brave. Strong.

We won't find out the TB results until Tuesday. Continue to pray for not only Chan but all these sweet children who need negative results and home!

I can't take credit for the nice diagram of the china adoption process, but it gives you some (slight) idea what is involved. Don't let it scare you- worth every piece if paper, tear, email, fed-ex and waiting.

If you happen to NOT read Chinese (heehee), the note stating "I want to be adopted." Was signed by my brave son. His signature. Wow. Notice the date. Just "happens" to be his daddy's birthday (just different year!)- actually just noticed that.

Another prayer request: 5 open seats for our return flight (and I'm just going to be super bold and ask that we all would get to sit up front! How neat for Chan!). As most know, David's with the airline and that was our "ride" over here. Loads are looking kinda dicey for the day/route we'd like.

Off to nite nite world...