Day 1: Beijing

Today has been a great start to my trip. To begin the day, I met some amazing families from my travel group. Two of the other moms are in a Facebook group I belong to. It is so nice to meet them in person. Another family is from Louisiana!!!! We have a great travel group, and a terrific guide.

We started our day with a ride in a rickshaw (okay, so that might be the way to spell it). Then we went to Hutong. It was a great place to experience the culture. We visited the home of a local artist, who lives in one of the historic homes.

Clare, even Chip wanted a ride!

 

Our guide, George, and the homeowner

This picture is for you, my love!

Our next stop was the silk factory......so cool!

They use 8 double silk worm cocoons to make one thread!

 

Stretching the thread for a quilt

 

After a delicious lunch, we went to Tiananmen Square, and the forbidden city. It was amazing to walk though these ancient areas. And to experience places that are so important to the Chinese people.

Tiananmen Square

 

I'm having a wonderful time, but counting down the days until our Gotcha day!!!!

Thank you so very much for your continued prayers!!!

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I am here!!!!

Yes, I am so happy to report that I have safely made it to Beijing!! I walked into my hotel room a little over 24 hours after leaving my house. I am so very happy to be here. My plane coming here was stuck on the runway for three hours, with no a/c!!! But....I could feel God's mercy and peace washing over me. Nothing could take away the joy and excitement I felt, and I am still feeling!! Thank you all so much for the prayers.

And to make the trip here even sweeter.....the AMAZING staff of New Hope still came to pick me up despite the delay..... Wow!!! That's all I have to say after meeting the Hills. I know in a previous blog post I wrote about the book that was written about them, and the amazing work they do for these precious children. I highly recommend this book to everyone. They are great examples of Jesus' sacrificial love for others! I can't remember the title right now....my brain is shutting down...but I will post it in another blog. We are so very blessed that Ellie spent the first (almost) two years of her life here.

I have to get to bed....tomorrow is sightseeing...fun! Fun!

Here are a few pics from my flight in.....Oh, and the puppy is Clare's friend "Chip", who wanted to come along for the journey....

 

 

One of the nurses that took care of Ellie signing her book.

 

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Leaving today!!!!!!!!!

Of course I could not sleep last night....so after I have checked, and doubled checked everything I AM READY!!  But everyone is still sleeping and we don't leave for the airport for another hour....hehehehe

Please pray for safe travels, with NO travel delays.

Please pray for my sweet little ones here at home.  I will miss them so much!

And of course, please pray for my little Ellie.  Little does she know, that in just 5 short days, her little world is about to change completely!

Next time I'll post with (hopefully) be in CHINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great news!!!

Yesterday was a busy day of trip planning. I had our conference call with our adoption agency, received, our travel itinerary, did some more packing and preparing, oh, and was able to meet the rest of the children's teachers. So I think the kids will be ready for school on Monday.....hopefully I'll be ready to leave them!

Then last night I received confirmation from New Hope that I will be able to visit!!!!!! I am so very excited!

Here is my itinerary:

Aug 29 leave Las Vegas

Aug 30 arrive in Beijing, and visit New Hope!!!!

Aug 31 touring of Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, and Hutong Tour

Sept 1 touring of Great Wall

Sept 2 fly from Beijing to Zhengzhou (capital of Henan)

Sep 3 GOTCHA DAY......the day Ellie will be placed in my arms!!!

Sep 4 Adoption registration and travel to Anyang (the city Ellie is from)

Sep 5-7 Rest day, receiving documents, and Ellie's passport

Sep 8 fly from Zhengzhou to Guangzhou

Sep 9 free day

Sep 10 Ellie's medical appointment

Sep 11 prepare documentation for consulate appointment

Sep 12 rest day, Ellie's TB test checked

Sep 13 Consulate appointment

Sep 14 travel to Hong Kong

Sep 15 fly home and finally become a family all together!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

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I am afraid

Yes, I am. I heard a preacher once say that God says in some form or fashion to "fear not" 365 times in the Bible....one time for every day in a year. This is leap year, so I guess I needed to hear it just one more time! One week from this very moment I will be on a plane to Ch*na.  But tonight I need to be reminded that the One who started us on this journey to our daughter will carry us through to the end.

I am afraid of something going wrong.

I'm not really sure what I think will happen.... I've packed, cleaned, organized, checked off checklists, repacked, bought insurance, purchased medications, written down phone numbers, school schedules, and the like, oh....repacked again.... But I'm still afraid "it" could happen. I'm not really sure what "it" is, but I might not have planned for it, or written it on a checklist!

God says, "For I am the Lord, your God, who grasp your right hand; It is I who say to you, "fear not, I will help you." Isaiah 41: 13

I am afraid for Ellie

By now, my baby girl was moved back to her public orphanage, away from her first home and family of New Hope. She must be so confused and frightened. This is why, in the middle of the night, I am not in my own bed. I am kept awake by the thoughts of my little girl alone, and scared. And I still have 12 days until we are together. Even then, she will still be so confused. Her precious heart will endure so many difficult challenges over the next few weeks.

The Lord says, "Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.".

Matthew 10: 30-31

Our mighty God who knows if even the tiny sparrows fall to the ground, knows and LOVES our daughter. He is caring for His child. I trust Him with her.

I am afraid to leave the secure arms of my husband and the precious arms of my other children.

What if one of them gets sick? What if Steven forgets to pack them lunch, or snacks, or anything? What if a bill goes unpaid? What if the van breaks down? What if Molly (our dog) runs away? What if Steven has a really bad day at work, and has to come home to any empty house? What if Thomas is frightened on his first day of preschool? What if Steven forgets to get a picture of it? What if Clare forgets her locker combination? What if Jon gets lonely? What if Anna looses her blanket? Two and and a half weeks is a LONG time! The longest I've ever been away from my children. I am afraid. And my dear husband grounds me, protects me, reassures me, loves me....can I do this without him by my side? I am afraid.

Jesus said to His disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?". Mark 4:40

It will be okay!!!! I have one amazing husband, who cares wonderfully for our children! We have some amazing friends who will be helping with the kids on several of the days. And to top it off, Granny and Paw-Paw are coming to lend a hand as well!!! We are blessed.

Now, I just have to "Let go and let God"!!!!!

Then He placed his right hand on me and said, "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last".

Revelation 1:17

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It's finally happening!

Yesterday we received confirmation of our Consulate appointment, of Sept 13th!  This means that Ellie and I have to go to the Ch*nese embassy in Guangzhou to finalize her visa.  This date is what the entire trip to Ch*na is based around, and it's September 13th!!!!!  Which means that I will leave here on August 29th, and have my girl in my arms on September 3rd!!  Aaaahhhhhhh!!!  I'm so excited!

Since the dates were confirmed, I could book flights and make final arrangements.  This was not an easy task, but after one long day of phone calls, and computer searching, our flights are booked!  Then to make the day feel even more "final", we received our Power of Attorney back from the Ch*nese Embassy in San Fransico!!  So now I have all the paperwork I need to take with me, I have my visa, the bags are packed (well sort of), child care arrangements are made for all of the kiddos here at home, and things are ready for her once she is her back home....I am ready!!!

It really hit me this morning when I saw this chart ----

Do you see it?  Next to "gautreaux6".... it says "SAFE TRAVELS!" Oh my! Oh my! Oh my!  So unless you are an obsessive, chart reading, blog reading, impatiently waiting adoptive parent, you have no idea what this chart means....please allow me to explain ---

Ever since I started this journey (over a year ago), I have tried to learn as much as I can about adopting from Ch*na!  And in today's world the best way you can learn is by using the internet, right?  hehehehe There is a wealth of knowledge to be gleamed from other families that have walked the rough road of adoption before me.  So I became a little obsessed with reading blogs, and joining online groups of other fellow adoptive parents.  These groups are amazing!!  Some of the parents are already home with their children, and some are on the same timeline, and some just beginning, but the important thing is all of the support we each give each other.  Most of my questions have been answered from these amazing people!  Well this chart is kept on one of the forums, by an amazing adoptive mom.  All of us who are "waiting" (and waiting, and waiting), send in the dates as we accomplish them each step along the way.  This chart, that comes out weekly, helps all of us waiting to see where we should be in the timeline.  And it's sooooo helpful to see  your name climb this chart!  I started on this chart once we sent our dossier to Ch*na on March 9 at number 550,324,998,783....hehehehe.... really it was about 157 (or something).  Every week I would watch my name climb slowly, and sometimes fall (that was hard)....but this morning, it finally came--- our name at the top of the chart with those sweet words "safe travels"!!!

Soon my sweet girl!!!!!

TA!!! (I cannot believe I can post this!)

This morning around 11:00 my phone rang with the caller ID of "CCAI", my heart sank....You see for the last week, every time my phone rang, or an email dinged from the phone, I would jump...hoping it was THIS call!  When I looked at the phone, my heart started pounding, I couldn't move.  Clare was on the floor working on some arts and crafts, she looked at me with concern, and asked "what?"  I told her "pray, please pray, this could be THE call!"  My sweet daughter, closed her eyes, and I knew she was pouring her heart out to the Lord.  I finally answered the phone....and heard the sweet words from the wonderful representative from my agency...."Congratulations. We have  your travel approval!"


Ch*na has issued the last approval/step we have been waiting on to be able to travel to get our Ellie.  This very long journey that started "officially" last August, but has been tugging on our hearts for years....is about to come to the culmination...the moment she is placed in my arms.


We still have to wait for my travel dates to be confirmed.  But I'm hoping to be leaving on the 29th, and could have Ellie in my arms on the 3rd of Sept (Labor Day).....which is kind of funny, since she is the only child of mine that I did not have to endure physical labor for, but so much of a harder "labor" of paperwork, waiting, and unknowns!  I.cannot.wait.

I will post my travel dates once everything is confirmed.  For now, please continue your prayers for our sweet girl.  I'm not sure if she is even still at New Hope, or has been moved to her public orphanage.  But I do know she is about to face a great challenge, that to her will appear confusing, and scary.  Please pray for her heart to be comforted, and for us to have the grace to show her the tremendous amount of love each of us have for her!

Wow!!!!  I'm still smiling so big!!!  And so happy to think Ellie will be with me in about 26 days!!!  Ahhhhh!!!

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Soon my sweet girl!

I'm so excited.... in just about 4-5 weeks I will be traveling to Ch*na and bringing our sweet girl home!!!!!!  I cannot wait!

We are still waiting on our travel approval....should be coming some time next week.  Then I make flight arrangements.

Please continue to pray for us, and our Ellie!

Hang on baby girl, mama is coming!!