We Finally Made It Home!!!!

The day started off uneventful. We got up early, finished packing and were out of the hotel by 5:45am. We get to the Guangzhou airport without any problems, get our tickets and boarding passes, say goodbye to Doris and head for the terminal. We went through customs and immigration and the security checkpoint. We did have to leave behind the diaper rash cream (tube too big) and a couple of Lily Mei's yogurts (too much liquid). Then just as we were boarding the plane, another security checkpoint. Now let me tell you, my patience was running thin, we were already hot and tired (no AC in the airport), Lily Mei was hungry and this little Chinese lady kept telling me "too much food for baby". I tried to explain to her that the yogurt was the only thing Lily would drink and we had a looonnngg flight. She just kept saying "too much for baby". So I'm standing there arguing over yogurt, Steve is begging me to come on before I end up in the Chinese jail, and the little Chinese lady kept taking the yogurt out and I kept putting it back in. Finally, I gave up two of the yogurts and Steve drug me onto the plane. Oh I was mad!!! Then we almost miss the Tokyo flight because the Guangzhou flight left late. They rushed us through security (I had to leave the other tube of diaper rash cream, but I got to keep the yogurt)and David's carryon got stopped because of a baby bottle, but we made the flight and settled in for a long 12 hours. We arrived in Detroit at 1:30, our flight was scheduled to leave at 3:30. We got something to eat, sat down with the Ogles and happily remarked that we were "almost home". Wrong!! We had only been there about 15 minutes when they announced our flight to Huntsville was cancelled!! Not again! I couldn't believe this was happening. Steve and Greg rushed to the Northwest counter and tried to get another flight. They had 4 seats going to Nashville and 4 to B'ham. We took Nashville, the Ogles took B'ham. Both flights were scheduled to leave around 8:00pm. Then they were pushed to 9:00pm. Then 9:30....10:00....10:45...11:05. Then the Ogles flight to B'ham was really late and they might get cancelled. Lily Mei and Paul William had done really good up to this point. Paul William slept a long time, Lily Mei entertained everyone around, and then we resorted to Cheerio bribery. I called my daddy. He and Frances borrowed a friend's Surburban and were on their way to Nashville to drive us home. We boarded at 11:05 and arrived in Nashville at midnight. We left the Ogles in Detroit waiting for the B'ham flight. (Greg and Mary Louise: check in so I'll know you made it OK). Daddy and Frances met us at the terminal with roses for Lily and a ride home. We got in around 2:30 am, unloaded the truck and tried to get Lily Mei to sleep. Well, at 4:30, the Little Miss was eating grilled cheese and mashed potatoes and I was doing laundry. I sent Steve to bed. I told him he could have second shift. I've cleaned my kitchen and almost got one suitcase unpacked. I think I've been awake now for close to 36 hours or so. And then I get on the computer and see the most wonderful group of friends who had come to the airport to greet us (my auntie was there, too, somewhere). Thank you all for coming. You can't imagine what that means to us. We are so blessed to have met you all on this amazing journey.

Last Night in China!!

Well, here we are at the end of this amazing journey and what a ride it has been. When we first started researching the idea of adoption seven years ago, I could have never imagined we would actually make it to this point. We had our consulate swearing-in ceremony today. We were in a big room with lots of other families and we swore that all the information we had provided was true to the best of our knowledge. As I looked around that room, it was a little emotional to think that all those precious children were going to experience a life that they never would have known if not for those families who were willing to provide a safe loving home. I saw my new friend Ohilda and her adorable Anna Grace and our sweet friends the Ogles and their precious Paul William and all the other beautiful children and their new families. And then I looked at our very own Lily Mei and I couldn’t remember a time when she wasn’t ours. She is the missing piece of our family and she was definitely meant to be ours. As I think back to the sad little girl we saw just six days ago, my heart hurts. Those sad little eyes and pouty little lips are forever instilled in my heart. And then I look at the little girl who is sitting on the bed playing with her daddy and I can’t believe how very far she has come. She smiles constantly, she laughs when you tickle her, she dances when you sing to her. Her little face just lights up when she sees her brothers and they can hardly keep their hands off of her. She says dada and plays pat-a-cake and loves Cheerios and French fries. She’s very independent and strong-willed and we’re definitely going to have our hands full. She is sweet and smart and the most beautiful thing we have every seen. How can you possibly love someone so much that you’ve only known for six days?

Thank you all for sharing in our jouney. Thank you for the words of encouragement during those first dark days. Thank you for sharing in our joy over her first smile. Thank you for the emails that made us feel a little closer to home. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your love and support. We felt the prayers and appreciate them more than we can say. We can’t wait for you all to see our sweet girl. She is truly our miracle from God.

We love you all!
Steve, Monica, David, Landon and Lily Mei

Good Morning from the White Swan!

Lily Mei woke up early this morning. I think she was a little disoriented being in a new place. We went down for breakfast and she ate french toast, muffins and yogurt. After breakfast, we went for her medical exam. They checked her height (77 cm) and weight (21 lbs). They also checked her hearing and ears and mouth. They said she was very healthy! We came back to the hotel and went exploring a little. We saw the beautiful waterfall in the lobby and the giant goldfish in the water under the bridge. I accidentally dropped her sippy cup in the water, so I had to climb through the plants and rocks to fish it out. While we were out, we saw Jay and Angela with their sweet Laney. Oh that baby is adorable and so happy! She's a tiny little thing and kept trying to touch Lily Mei's face. Jay and Angela are the couple we met while we were all stranded in Detroit. It was so nice to see them again. They all looked so happy! We're going to try to do breakfast in the morning.

We're going to the Buddist temple this afternoon and then to the Tai restaurant for supper. Lily Mei has spent the past hour or so playing with the boys. She has smiled and laughed and had a big time! She loves her boys and they adore her! My cup runneth over.....

We're Back In Guangzhou!!

We made is back to Guangzhou without any problems. We're now back at the White Swan, one step closer to home. Lily Mei did good on the flight over. She only cried when we were coming down to land. I couldn't get her to take her bottle, so I think her ears were hurting. After we settled in at the hotel, we went down to Lucy's for supper. Then we came back to the hotel and looked around for a while. The waterfall in the lobby is so beautifu l! There are lots of American families with adorable Chinababies everywhere. Doris came by the room and we finished up our paperwork. I won't know what to do now with no more paperwork to worry about! Greg Ogle stopped by. They are only 10 doors down from us. He said Paul William was having a better day today, but Mary Louise was feeling a little under the weather. I can't wait to see that sweet little face in person!

Tomorrow we go for Lily Mei's medical exam in the morning and we're going to see a Buddist temple in the afternoon. I think we are going to a Tai food restaurant for supper. I hope to have time to do a little more shopping. There are a few more things I want to get for Lily Mei! Thanks again for all the emails and support. It really was such a relief when we saw that little smile. She's really come out of her shell today and we are finding out each day what her little personality is really like! She's just adorable!!

And Then She Smiled......

And our hearts just melted!!

Last Day in Chongqing!!!

Well, I'm packing up and moving on to the next stop. Only 4 more days and we'll be on our way home. Lily has been so much better today. She's
played with her toys and Steve and Landon even saw a smile! I missed it, of
course. We went to a couple of museums and a silk factory today. It was kind of a low key day, which was nice! We've discovered Lily Mei loves sweets. We found some yogurt at breakfast this morning and she ate every bite. She also loves french toast dipped in sugar. She doesn’t like to take a bottle so I guess we’re going to try to find a sippy cup that she will take.

We’re leaving the hotel at 9:00 and our flight to Guangzhou leaves at 10:45.

Hot Pot and the Zoo

Well, we've had a big day. First, we went by the notary office and picked up
Lily Mei's passport. Now she can really come home with us. Then we went to the zoo. The pandas were so cute! It was a pretty nice zoo. The panda exhibit was wonderful. Some of the other animals were caged, which was sad. The weather was nice. Humid, but not too hot. After the zoo, we went to the Hot Pot restaurant. This is where they have a big pot of boiling water in the middle of the table and they bring your food and out and you cook it yourself. You can choose from the spicy or really spicy. The boys had such a good time. The food was so spicy hot all three of them were sweating, but they just kept on eating. Lily and I just watched. We were seated towards the back of the restaurant and all the kitchen workers kept coming and watching the boys eat. They thought we were so funny! All the waitresses came by to play with Lily Mei and tried to hold her, but she wanted to part of that!

I think she has been better today. She played and played with her toys, which
she hasn't done before. She even swapped the little blue cup for a rattle for a while. Still no smile, but I think we're making progess. She's sleeping in her crib right now, holding her little blue cup.

Doris is so sweet. She called the orphanage again just to make sure that Lily
had been smiling there. I told her not to worry and she'd be fine. She said
the orphanage lady told her that she smiled when she played with the other kids. I'm thinking she is missing them. They also told her she took 2 baths a day. I don't know why she was not happy this morning then. Doris said they didn't use diapers at the orphanage, so I'm thinking that's why she cries so much when she gets hers changed. She really doesn't like to lay down at all.

Tomorrow we are going to a war museum and silk factory. Oh I can’t wait to come home!!

Friday Fun

Thursday Happenings

Thursday, June 21- We met Doris at 9:00 this morning. She said the lady at the notary office had called her the night before and we needed to come by and double check all the paperwork. We loaded up the van and headed out. We finally found the notary office and went inside. They had copies of all our paperwork that we had signed the day before. We went over everything very carefully, several times. It has to be perfect or it could cost extra money and time to get it fixed. When we left there, Doris said we didn’t have time to do the zoo so she took us to the Huguang Huiguan Museum. Everything was so beautiful. The craftsmanship was just amazing. We saw an opera house, the Emperor’s palace and the Immigration museum. There was a gift shop at the end and they the most beautiful artwork and porcelain. Chongqing is famous for it’s banyan leaf paintings so I bought several of these. I also got Lily Mei a beautiful jade pendant. The museum manager gave David an antique coin because he was so interested in the museum. After we left there, we went to the harbor where the river cruise boats leave. We walked through the park there and saw many people selling fruit and vegetables. We were all very hot and tired so we came back to the hotel for the rest of the day.

Lily Mei is still so sad. She seems to be bonding well with us, though. At the notary office, the lady and Doris were talking to her in Chinese and trying to hold her. Every time they did she started crying and held on to Steve. I finally got her to take a bottle this afternoon. I guess I finally got it the way she likes it. She also ate some rice cereal and drank some apple juice. Still no smile, though. We have sang and danced and tried to play, but no luck. She’s a tough audience. She likes to hold the little blue cup that came with her stacking cups. She will not let that cup go. First, she would only hold it in one hand, but Steve showed her how to change hands and now she constantly rolls it over and over switching hands. She won’t play with anything else we brought. She doesn’t like for you to sit her down either. She’s OK if you’re walking or if she’s sitting in your lap, but she cries if you sit her down alone. She also cries if you take her shoes off. Maybe we will see a smile soon. It sure would make us all feel better.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. We are all so ready to come home. The weather here is gloomy and the pollution is almost unbearable. David and I are both sick with a sinus thing and every time we step outside we are miserable. Thank you all for the emails. Even though I can’t respond to them all, please know we are reading them every day. They make us feel a little closer to home. Our email is sc19045@charter.net

Love,
The Carters-Party of Five

Pictures From Today

Here's a few more for you viewing pleasure!

Pictures of the Princess

Gotcha Day Part 3

Gotcha Day Part 3

We spent most of the afternoon walking and rocking. She napped a couple of times, but when she would wake up you could tell she was confused and afraid. She also decided that she did not want to sit down nor did she want you to sit down, so we all took turns walking and walking. We did find one toy she liked. It’s the little bunny blanket that my mom had sent to her months ago. She has held on to bunny’s ear most of the afternoon. I know that her grieving is a good sign. It shows that she was attached to her caregiver in the orphanage and that she probably doesn’t have any attachment issues. However, it doesn’t make it any easier to see her so sad and confused. I’ve read the books and talked to friends and I realize that it usually takes 72 hours for this part to end. (Heather and Amy-if you could keep reminding me this is normal I would appreciate it!!) It’s hard not knowing how to help her and how to make it all better.

We tried a couple of times to get her to take a bottle, but she refused. We finally tried mixing up some rice cereal. I would put some on the spoon and she would lean over and open her mouth like a little bird. I tried to give her a bottle between bites, but she wouldn’t suck on it. She ate a good bit of the rice cereal and we finally figured out that if we would just let the milk drop out of the bottle into her mouth, she would drink it. We decided not to traumatize her any more with a bath, so I washed her off with a wash cloth and put on her ladybug pajamas. She held on to bunny and I rocked her to sleep. She only cried for a second when I laid her down in the little crib. I patted her on the back and she fell right back to sleep.

Wow, what a day it has been. It’s hard to put into words all the emotions we have felt today. Steve and the boys are completely in love with her. I finally feel a sense of peace that our family is now complete. It’s been a very long journey and a test of patience and faith, but she is so worth it all. For all of you who are still waiting, I know it is hard to believe when people say that you will forget the frustration, worry and aggravation associated with this process. But when you see that little face and hold your baby for the first time, all of that fades away. It’s all worth it, she is worth it, and I can’t wait to see her smile!

Good Night from The Carters
Steve, Monica, David, Landon and Lily Mei

Gotcha Day Part 2

Gotcha Day-Part 2

As we were leaving the Civil Affairs building, we passed the nanny and the other two girls in the lobby. The nanny kept waving goodbye to Lily Mei and calling her “Lon-lon”. Doris said this was her nickname in the orphanage. We also found out she has never been in foster care. It was very obvious the nanny loved her and took good care of her. Lily Mei was still holding on to that little cookie and letting me give her a bite every now and then.

We found our hotel van and driver and loaded up to head back to the hotel. As we were riding, one of her little shoes came off. There were marks on her foot where they had been too tight. Steve took the other shoe off in the van. Lily Mei did not like this at all. In fact, this was the first time that she had cried. And boy did she cry. She did not want anyone taking her shoes off. So we very quickly put both shoes back on and she immediately stopped crying. After we got back to the hotel and dropped off our things, we decided we needed to find somewhere to buy bottled water and the kids were about to die for some snacks and Cokes. So we headed out again looking for the Carrefour, which is kind of like a Walmart.

The streets here are very crowded and we attracted lots of attention. One lady came by and touched Landon on the arm. Others would stop and stare and speak Chinese. We finally made it to the Carrefour and what an experience. We found Lily Mei’s formula and bought several bags. Hopefully they will last until we get home and I can switch her over to either American formula or milk. We also found the bottled water and Coke aisle. The boys stocked up. They also stocked up on chips and other snacks. The chips here look very similar to American chips, but on closer inspection the flavors are totally different. David’s cheetos were meat flavored. The Pringles were cool cucumber. We also found a package of cookies like the one Lily Mei had been holding on to all this time. We bought several them, as well. Doris wanted Steve and the kids to go through the meat market in the Carrefour to see all the different kind of meats they sell. They made it as far as the duck who had been rolled flat by a rolling pin, according to Landon. Steve said the smell alone was enough to make you sick. They made a quick exit and we headed for the check-out.

We finally made our way back to the hotel and we told Doris we thought we would just stay in for the rest of the night. We came in and sat Lily on the bed and the kids started showing her all of the toys we had brought. She wasn’t interested in them and she just sat on the bed, stiff as a board, with the saddest eyes I have ever seen. The boys and Steve tried everything to get her to smile, but she just sat there looking so sad. She would cry every now and then and I would pick her up and rock her and hold her tight and she would stop. We did this for most of the afternoon. She dozed off once and I just sat and held her while she slept. Steve and Landon decided they needed to go find her some shoes so they ventured off on their mission. They returned about an hour later with two pair of little squeaky sandals. Steve decided she needed a pair of tennis shoes, so he left again heading in the other direction determined to find some.

He came back with another pair of sandals and a pair of tennis shoes. We put the little sandals on her and Steve sat her down. She took his finger and they walked over to the mirror beside the bathroom. She stood there for the longest time looking at her shoes. It just about broke our hearts. She would look at her shoes and then look up at Steve and look back to her shoes. She’s a little unsteady with her walking if no one is holding her hand. We noticed when she would stand still she would constantly squeeze her toes up and stretch them out. I think she was amazed that they had plenty of room to move around.

Gotcha Day Part 1

For most of you, this may be way too long and too many details, but just bear with me. I am using this blog not only to keep family and friends informed on our journey, but to also have a record so I can remember all the details to be able to share with Lily Mei when she gets older.
We were all up early. I think everybody was awake by 5:00am. The boys came in our room and we all piled up in the bed together. I think we were all very nervous and really excited. Anyway, we all got showers and went to breakfast at the buffet in the hotel. We were supposed to meet Doris, but she didn't show so we managed on our own and the food was actually pretty good. They had a lot of different breads and danishes, eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, sausage, and lots of Chinese food. After breakfast, we went back to the room. We checked on Doris and she had overslept. She said to meet her in the lobby at 8:40.

We arrived at the Civil affairs office at 9:00. We were loaded down with cameras, diaper bag, my folder of papers and gift bags. We went inside and sat down in the lobby. Doris was working her magic with the paperwork. She came back and told us to go to another room to wait because the babies weren't there yet. We moved to the other room and had just sat down when I saw her. She was wearing a little yellow outfit and looked exactly like the picture we had fallen in love with. Same pouty lips, same chubby cheeks She was holding what looked like a cookie still in the wrapper in her little hand. There was an older lady carrying her and two younger girls following. Doris came running over and said "that's her". She never cried or changed her expression. She just looked at us and at all the other things going on around her. She studied everything and was really taking it all in. We both held her while Doris finished the paperwork. Then they told us to come to another room where the three of us (Steve, Lily Mei and me) had our picture taken. Then back to the other room while Doris waited for the picture to develop. When we went back the older woman (who we found out was her nanny) kept talking to her and patting her cheeks. Then she motioned for Steve to put her down. Doris said she wanted to show us how she could walk. She walked to the nanny and back to Steve (with a little coaxing from the nanny). I can tell she hasn't been walking long because she is still very wobbly. She had on these little white shoes with pink flowers on them. They seemed to be way too small for her feet.

After our picture was developed, we went to the counter and stamped our fingerprint on our signatures on the adoption paperwork. Then they put Lily's fingerprint beside her picture. We went to another station at the counter and the man from the police station wanted to see her face. He compared it to the picture from her refferal and signed off on those papers. Then we went back to the big room to wait for Doris. There were two other families recieving their babies today so there was a lot of things happening at one time. While we were waiting for Doris, the older lady kept coming over and talking to Lily Mei in Chinese and patting her cheeks. She later told Doris that she smiled a lot in the orphanage and she didn't know why she was being so serious today.

Doris asked the nanny several questions for us because my brain was too foggy to remember what to ask. We found out that she gets up at 7am and eats breakfast, she has lunch at 11:30, naps from 1:00-2:30, snack at 3, supper at 6 and bottle at 9 when she goes to bed. She is taking formula, which they brought a bag for us and also a bag of cereal. The nanny said she also eats egg and congee. She said she was quiet and did not like to cry. She said she "holds it in like an adult". She sleeps alone in her crib and she likes to sleep on her stomach, not her back. She told Doris to thank us for loving her and giving her a good home and she asked that we send pictures from time to time. Doris told her how much we appreciated her taking good care of Lily Mei for us and that we promised to love her and keep in touch. We presented the nanny and two younger girls with gift bags and gave the other 4 bags to the civil affairs workers and the policeman.

All this time her expression stayed very serious and she was holding on to that cookie for dear life. If someone tried to touch it, she would jerk her hand away She would occasionally let me pinch off a bite and she would open her mouth like a little bird.

We've Got Her!!

"For this child I have prayed and the Lord has granted me what I ask of him." 1 Samuel 1:27

We made it to Chongqing!

Good Morning, Everyone!

We made it to Chongqing today. We are staying at the Harbour Plaza hotel in downtown. Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of Chongqing breaking away from the Sichuan province and becoming their own city, so everywhere you look there are beautiful decorations. Yesterday and today was a holiday, so there are lots and lots of people out and about. After we checked in to the hotel, we walked to McDonalds for lunch. That's the first real food we've had since Detroit and boy did it taste good!! We're all feeling a little jet-lagged so it will probably be an early night tonight. We are meeting Doris in the morning at 7:30 for breakfast and we will leave the hotel at 8:40 to go to the Civil Affairs office to get our Lily Mei!!

It was raining when we landed in Chongqing and the weather has been very overcast today. At least it wasn't too hot! There are so many people here. Landon seems to be drawing a crowd. I guess they don't see too many tall blond-haired blue-eyed boys around here. There was a maid in the lobby when we were checking in and I bet she cleaned the same spot on the table for 30 minutes while she was staring at Landon. Of course, Landon loves the attention, but he did say it was beginning to get on his nerves. The hotel is in the middle of a shopping district and we have seen lots of very interesting shops. We also saw a few people with what looked like eel or snake on a stick....yummy!

Well, that's about it for now. Steve and David have already gone to bed and Landon is watching a movie. Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers. Tomorrow is going to be an exciting and emotional day. Please pray that Lily Mei's transition will be smooth.

We love you!
The Carters

Quick Update

Good morning everyone. We're up early (still on Bama time) so I thought I would check in and let you know we are still OK. The beds here are not that bad, but very small. You should have seen Steve and I trying to sleep. They are about the size of a twin at home. Thank you all so much for the emails. We are having trouble seeing the blog, but are getting the emails through our home email address. Makes me feel like I'm not quite so far away. I probably won't be able to respond back to everybody because Steve's laptop doesn't have my contact list. But just know we are reading them and we appreciate you all.

The White Swan hotel is just beautiful. I can't wait until we get back so we can have more time to explore. Guangzhou is hot and very very humid. Even late last night when we were out, the air was stifling. So far no tummy troubles! hooray I did get a little queasy coming in from Tokyo, but I had a headache and took medicine on the plane, so I think that's what did it. The kids are doing great! They're not much on traveling anywhere, but they seem to actually be enjoying themselves. Of course, Landon has found and pushed every button in this hotel room. All the lights are controled by a panel on the nightstand. It also has a button to play classical music. Well, we had to get Landon to come in last night and turn the music and lights off before we could get to bed. I guess our brains were foggy from the trip (or maybe we're just getting old!)

Today we fly to Chongqing and start on the mountain of paperwork. Our guide, Doris, is just amazing. She is so kind and patient and knows just what to do next. We should get Lily Mei tomorrow (Wednesday) around 11:30am and spend the rest of the day doing paperwork. I promise to post pictures as soon as I can. Thank you all for your prayers and emails. We love you!

"NEE-HOW"(Hello), YA'LL

The Carter's have arrived in China! It has been a very long and tiring day. After spending the night in Dearborn, we arrived back at the Detroit airport for our 10:00am flight. We were told to get there at 8:00 am to sort out our connections, but the ticket agents didn't show up until almost 10:00. We were 2 hours late leaving because a passenger didn't show up and they had to pull their luggage off the plane. The 12 hour flight was pretty miserable, but when we finally got to Tokyo, the flight from there to Guangzhou was really good. We made it through customs and immigration without problem and Doris was waiting for us outside the gate. We loaded up the hotel van and off we went. Holy Cow!! What everyone said about the driving here was very true! They don't follow any traffic rules and we had several near misses. I finally just closed my eyes and listened to Doris. We are staying tonight at the White Swan and flying out at 10:00 am for Chongqing. It's only a 2 hour flight, so that shouldn't be a problem...I hope.

While we were stranded in Detroit we met a wonderful couple from the Atlanta area trying to get to Guangzhou to get their adorable baby, Laney. I knew they had to be adopting because when they announced the flight was cancelled and I looked over and she was crying, too. They get their daughter on Tuesday (tomorrow) and she was so worried because they missed their paperwork day. Finally, she talked with someone at their agency and they assured her everything was OK. I think we were all so relieved when that plane touched down in Guangzhou!

And one last thing, Doris said she has talked to the lady at Lily Mei's orphanage several times and everytime they talk, she keeps saying "She is so beautiful!" Oh I can't wait to see her! That's it for now. When we settle in to Chongqing, I will post some pictures. We're also going to find an international calling card so we can call home! Thanks for all the prayers and well-wishes. Keep praying!

Good night from China. Only 2 more days till we get our baby!!

We're in Tokyo!

Hey! We finally made it Tokyo. It is 5pm on Monday June18. We are waiting to board the flight to Guangzhou. I will update when we get there.

Update

Morning everyone, this is Tina Hammond. I received a call from Monica this morning and they are stuck in Detroit. There was a problem with the plane yesterday afternoon and, after sitting on a hot and stuffy plane for over an hour waiting to take off, they were told they would have to stay the night in Detroit. The delay has caused them to miss the connecting flight from Tokyo to Guangzhou. Please pray for them today and ask the Lord to bless them with peace and comfort that they will soon be able to see sweet Lily Mei and hold her in their arms.
I will post an update when I hear more.

The Day Has Finally Arrived!

Huntsville Int Airport, 9:15 a.m.

And So The Journey Begins.....

Well, here we are. I can hardly believe the day has finally come. As I sit here, too excited and nervous to sleep, I can’t help but think back on the journey we have traveled to get to this day. Who would have thought seven years ago when I did an internet search on “adoption”, we would actually be here, hours away from boarding a plane and traveling half-way around the world to bring our daughter home? Who would have thought when I accidentally stumbled on an internet group known as the “APC” and found posts by a woman named Amy who lived in my same town and was excitedly waiting to bring her own China baby home, that someday that woman would be my friend and I would be the one anxiously waiting to bring my own baby home? Who would have thought that on a December night I would randomly go to an agency website and see this little face and know immediately she was our daughter? Who would have thought?

Before we begin the next phase of this journey, I feel like there are so many people that I need to thank: First and foremost, I must thank God for blessing me with the most amazing husband and two boys anyone could ever have. I also want to thank Him for not giving up on me even when I gave up on myself and for having the perfect plan for our family even though I was too stubborn to see it.

Second, I must thank my husband Steve. You are truly the most wonderful man I have ever known. Thank you for working so hard and never giving up on our dream. Thank you for never letting me lose sight and for always, always telling me we would make it someday. You are the reason we are here and I am forever grateful. I adore you.

To my boys: You are the reason I get up every morning. You are the light of my life and I am so very proud of both of you. Thank you for making me laugh on the days I thought I couldn’t. Thank you for being patient on the days I was frustrated. Thank you for being on board with this adoption from day one. Thank you for just being you. I love you so very much.

To our families: Thank you all for your love, support, and encouragement. Lily Mei is so fortunate to be a part of a family with so much love to give. Thank you for the part each of you has played in bringing her home.

To our Friends, New and Old: Wow! We are overwhelmed. Thank you all for your kindness and generosity. Thank you for answering my “million-and-one” questions. Thank you for giving us wonderful gifts for Lily Mei and valuable travel advice. We can’t wait for each of you to meet her and for her to meet you. We are truly blessed to know you all.

Now, just one last request before we head out: Please remember not only us as we travel, but also our sweet Lily Mei in your prayers. Four total strangers are about to take her away from the only life she has ever known. These people who look different and talk funny will be her new family. She will not understand the lengths we have gone to bring her home. She will have no idea that we already love her more than words can say. We expect her to be frightened and confused and grieve for the people she has always known. Please pray that she will soon know just how blessed we are for having her in our lives and that we will do everything in our power to provide a warm loving home for her. Please pray that her transition into our family will be smooth and that her tears will soon turn into the sweet sound of laughter.

We love you all. Thank you for sharing in our journey. Next stop: CHINA!!!!!