The day that we have been preparing for for so many months is finally here. And while it is a month later than I expected it to be, it's still hard to believe that tomorrow is the day.
I was feeling pretty good about everything, despite the "what if's," that we all experience when we jump out of our comfort zone. I mean really, it's kind of crazy if you think about it. We are leaving our kids our home, and our comfortable little family, to go pick up a tiny child, a stranger, that we know very little about. A child that may not be particularly happy that we whisk her away from her life. I think back to the morning in Ethiopia before we adopted Eli, we were sitting around the table eating our breakfast in a silence. I will never forget one of the adoptive mom's breaking the quiet, as she said "Does anyone else feel like they are getting ready for an arranged marriage?" Kind of sums it up.
We remember what God says about adoption, how many verses there are on adoption and great people in the Bible who were adopted. We are reminded of 2 verses:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pur and faultless is this: To look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." james 1:27
A Father to the Fatherless..God sets the lonely in families Psalm 68-5-6
On to some Prayer requests:
So I WAS doing ok..with my "what if's. I tell you I have enough "what if's" to make your head spin. I would list them, but, then you would really think I am crazy:) But, last night Matt came home and said he didn't feel well, and he rarely gets sick. He thought it might be his appendix!!! PANIC! That is one "what if" that had not occurred to me! What if I have to travel by myself? If I would have I prepared for that, I might be able to handle it. But, I am not prepared to go on my own, I'm just not, and I can't get mentally and otherwise prepared for that option by tomorrow morning. I had friends and prayer warriors praying overnight, and Matt seems to feel better so let's hope that it stays that way.
So please pray for our health and Adalynn's health on the trip. I was sick in Ethiopia when we got Eli, and it was miserable.
Pray for safe travels, even though we know that this is what God wants us to do, He has paved the way and knows the outcome, that does not mean that we will be safe, healthy and happy. I love the verse:
"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jer 29:11 But, I know that verse has an eternal meaning, and for HIS will to be done. He does not promise that this life or this trip will be without trouble, he does not promise that we will be happy, safe and healthy. But, we ask these things anyway.
Pray for the kids back home:
Alydia is struggling the most. She is the one most excited to have a sister. But, she is a worrier. I am praying once we are gone that she will be fine. But, right now it is hard. Her stomach hurts, her head hurts she even complains that her feet hurt. Pray that she will feel safe, secure and happy while we are gone.
Landon acts like this is no big deal but, I know he is worried.
Eli- If you have asked Eli if he is excited to have a sister, I am sure that you got the response, "No, I don't want a sister, we have enough people in our house." I think he is speaking his truth, and I am not expecting him to be happy about his new sister. So pray that the transition for him will be as smooth as possible.
Pray that even with all of these concerns that we can enjoy China. That we can learn about their culture, we can appreciate the sights that we see, that we can enjoy the food, that we will make great connections with the Chinese people, that we make amazing memories. That this can be a trip of a lifetime, and that we are not just viewing everyday as one less day until we are back home. That we may savor our time in China.
Finally, a great big thank you to the Army of loved ones that it is taking to care for our children back home! Whether it is a ride to school, a play date, an overnight, or caring for the kids in our home..We are so grateful to each and everyone of you!
Can't wait to share the next part of the journey with you!
Elizabeth
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
Itinerary
Next week at this time we will be touring Beijing! Which brings me to our itinerary for the week. What exactly will we be doing all of those days in China?
Thursday
We fly out of Fort Wayne at 9:00 am and then depart from Chicago to Beijing around noon. It is a 13 hour 45 min flight, which seems much more doable after flying to Africa..but, I am sure it will feel long.
China is 13 hours ahead of us, so with our flight we will arrive on Friday around 3:40pm.
Saturday
We will be touring the Great Wall, Tienanmen Square, The Forbidden City, and anything else that we can possible squeeze in!
Sunday is "Gotcha Day" We fly out of Beijing in the morning for our approximately 4 hour flight to Lanzhou in the Gansu Province. From the airport we will be taken directly to a Civil Affairs Office where we will meet and be handed our daughter. She will have made a 6 hour trip to this city as well, so we will all be tired. We don't know how she will react or how we will "feel" but, we do know that feelings aside this little girl was meant for our family. I wonder if she will cry and try to get away from me like Eli did. I wonder if she will bite me like he did..many times. I wonder if it feels the same being bit by a cleft palate child. I wonder what to expect since she has been in foster care, I wonder what the attachment process will look like, I wonder how her grief will show itself. I wonder is she will have any hair. We don't expect to see her real personality come out for at least a couple of days. We have been told to keep her in the outfit she comes in for at least a few hours possibly overnight. As this is the last thing she will have from "her world". So we go into this with a lot of wonderings, but, very few expectations.
Monday - Friday
Will be filled with Civil Affairs appointments and passport, Visa appointments. Have I mentioned how much more paperwork is involved in China adoption verses, Ethiopia? A lot! Our days will also be filled with sightseeing. Unlike Ethiopia it is considered safe and acceptable to be out and about with our daughter. So we are looking forward to seeing all that we can of the province Adalynn was born in. Oh yea, and it will be cold..really,really cold.
Friday morning we will fly out to Guangzhou where we will be until Tuesday
This is in southern China and a big city, we are told there is Starbucks, and Pizza Hut, we are staying at a Marriott..so no we won't be roughing it too much. We will be very grateful for the 70-80 degree temperatures. In Guangzhou we will have an appointment at the Chinese Consulate, we will have a US visa appointment and a medical exam for Adalynn. We will have a US appointment and we will pick up her Visa. And, yes, hopefuly lots of sightseeing and shopping.
Tuesday
We will pick up Adalynn's Visa and depart for Hong Kong
Wed morning we leave Hong Kong at 11:10 am on Dec 12th...and we arrive back to Chicago at 11:05 am on Wed Dec 12th!!! Which I am grateful for since it means I am not loosing another day before we get to unite our family!
We arrive back in Fort Wayne at 3:40, and we will be so ready to see Landon, Alydia and Eli, and our family waiting to meet our new little Adalynn Yuanke!
Not sure if these will work or not. But, here are 2 videos that we had received a couple of months ago, I have been kind of hiding them for just us to watch..but, think it is time to share them. We will see I am new to this whole posting a video thing:)
Thursday
We fly out of Fort Wayne at 9:00 am and then depart from Chicago to Beijing around noon. It is a 13 hour 45 min flight, which seems much more doable after flying to Africa..but, I am sure it will feel long.
China is 13 hours ahead of us, so with our flight we will arrive on Friday around 3:40pm.
Saturday
We will be touring the Great Wall, Tienanmen Square, The Forbidden City, and anything else that we can possible squeeze in!
Sunday is "Gotcha Day" We fly out of Beijing in the morning for our approximately 4 hour flight to Lanzhou in the Gansu Province. From the airport we will be taken directly to a Civil Affairs Office where we will meet and be handed our daughter. She will have made a 6 hour trip to this city as well, so we will all be tired. We don't know how she will react or how we will "feel" but, we do know that feelings aside this little girl was meant for our family. I wonder if she will cry and try to get away from me like Eli did. I wonder if she will bite me like he did..many times. I wonder if it feels the same being bit by a cleft palate child. I wonder what to expect since she has been in foster care, I wonder what the attachment process will look like, I wonder how her grief will show itself. I wonder is she will have any hair. We don't expect to see her real personality come out for at least a couple of days. We have been told to keep her in the outfit she comes in for at least a few hours possibly overnight. As this is the last thing she will have from "her world". So we go into this with a lot of wonderings, but, very few expectations.
Monday - Friday
Will be filled with Civil Affairs appointments and passport, Visa appointments. Have I mentioned how much more paperwork is involved in China adoption verses, Ethiopia? A lot! Our days will also be filled with sightseeing. Unlike Ethiopia it is considered safe and acceptable to be out and about with our daughter. So we are looking forward to seeing all that we can of the province Adalynn was born in. Oh yea, and it will be cold..really,really cold.
Friday morning we will fly out to Guangzhou where we will be until Tuesday
This is in southern China and a big city, we are told there is Starbucks, and Pizza Hut, we are staying at a Marriott..so no we won't be roughing it too much. We will be very grateful for the 70-80 degree temperatures. In Guangzhou we will have an appointment at the Chinese Consulate, we will have a US visa appointment and a medical exam for Adalynn. We will have a US appointment and we will pick up her Visa. And, yes, hopefuly lots of sightseeing and shopping.
Tuesday
We will pick up Adalynn's Visa and depart for Hong Kong
Wed morning we leave Hong Kong at 11:10 am on Dec 12th...and we arrive back to Chicago at 11:05 am on Wed Dec 12th!!! Which I am grateful for since it means I am not loosing another day before we get to unite our family!
We arrive back in Fort Wayne at 3:40, and we will be so ready to see Landon, Alydia and Eli, and our family waiting to meet our new little Adalynn Yuanke!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Countdown!
We are on the countdown now! We leave for China on Thursday November 29th. It's all getting very real, very fast. Though we had expected to travel over a month ago, it's still hard to believe how close we really are to holding our little Adalynn. We wonder what that day will be like. We are going in with no expectations. While we would love it if it were love at 1st sight for us and for her, we realize that very well may not be the case. Love we have found through adoption, is a CHOICE and that it takes time.
What will Gotcha Day look like..all we really know is that it will be sometime on Sunday Dec 2nd. We know that we fly out of Beijing on Sunday morning...(keep in mind China is 13 hours ahead of us.) We fly into Lanzhou China, in Gansu province. At that point we will most likely go directly to the Civil Affairs office were we will be handed our daughter. It will be a stressful day for all of us, but, especially Adalynn, as she has to make a long..6 hour trip to this city. Everything that she has known will be gone. We are strangers to her, we look different, we smell, different and most imporantly we sound different. As she has probably never heard English before, adn we speak ZERO Chinese...and anything we do learn in the 2 days we are in China before we get her..won't be worth repeating..as Matt seems to pick up on "bad words" in every country we travel to:) LOL!
While we are so excited to pick up our daughter, this situation is a little different. Though her care is through an orphanage, she is actually in a foster home. Adalynn, has not been in an orphanage,per say, which is much better for her, and us in the long run with attachment. However, I can't help but, think of her foster family, as we are counting down the days until we get our precious little girl, they are very well savoring the days they have left. She has been cared for as an only child, by, her foster mom, dad and their adult daughter. In China they could not adopt her because of many factors but, including the fact that they already have one child. We do appreciate that China is providing this type of care, and that they are really looking to the best interest of the children. But, we realize that with our GREAT JOY, we leave behind and take with us sadness and grief. As Adalynn will also grieve the loss of the only life she has ever known.
Here is a picture that I consider a true gift of Adalynn with her foster mother. I don't know if we will have the opportunity to meet her or not. But, I am forever grateful, for this family.
I am so anxious to get my hands on this little sweetie!!! Less than 2 weeks!
What will Gotcha Day look like..all we really know is that it will be sometime on Sunday Dec 2nd. We know that we fly out of Beijing on Sunday morning...(keep in mind China is 13 hours ahead of us.) We fly into Lanzhou China, in Gansu province. At that point we will most likely go directly to the Civil Affairs office were we will be handed our daughter. It will be a stressful day for all of us, but, especially Adalynn, as she has to make a long..6 hour trip to this city. Everything that she has known will be gone. We are strangers to her, we look different, we smell, different and most imporantly we sound different. As she has probably never heard English before, adn we speak ZERO Chinese...and anything we do learn in the 2 days we are in China before we get her..won't be worth repeating..as Matt seems to pick up on "bad words" in every country we travel to:) LOL!
While we are so excited to pick up our daughter, this situation is a little different. Though her care is through an orphanage, she is actually in a foster home. Adalynn, has not been in an orphanage,per say, which is much better for her, and us in the long run with attachment. However, I can't help but, think of her foster family, as we are counting down the days until we get our precious little girl, they are very well savoring the days they have left. She has been cared for as an only child, by, her foster mom, dad and their adult daughter. In China they could not adopt her because of many factors but, including the fact that they already have one child. We do appreciate that China is providing this type of care, and that they are really looking to the best interest of the children. But, we realize that with our GREAT JOY, we leave behind and take with us sadness and grief. As Adalynn will also grieve the loss of the only life she has ever known.
Alydia is just the sweetest little girl. She is so excited to have a new sister. But, she has worries about us leaving. She prays every night that Adalynn, will be able to eat, (she is concerned about her cleft palate), she prays that Adalynn likes our family, and that she comes to love all of the cousins the same as we do. And there are a lot of cousins!
Little Eli is still more concerned with having fun than anything else. He adds a whole new dimension to our family. Just this morning he decided that he would get him self up, get dressed, come downstairs, put on his coat and shoes..all with his eyes closed. Eli loves to sing and dance, he is enjoying preschool. What a blessing he is.
It will be so interesting to see how Adalynn's personality fits into our family. We remember the orphanage telling us that Eli was the loudest most demanding baby in the orphanage. That proved to be very true..which actually fit in just fine, as our house is far from calm. So far we have heard that Adalynn's personality is "optimistic" and quiet...we'll see:)
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