Home-home

Getting to Chicago felt like "home". But now we are home-home at last.

Dear Nate and Andrea met us at the airport, having been ready to go since the afternoon before. And you amazed me, Andrea, with your thoughtfulness. Thanks you two - you blessed us so much!

As soon as we got out of the car in the driveway at home, MeiLi met Nick. She was fascinated, not afraid, but didn't want him facing her. She pointed at the horses, who were grazing nearby, and walked over to them.
She's not ready to get too close to them either. Then we walked around the house to see the pool. (She had pictures of all these features in the book we had given her and recognized everything!).

Then we went into the house and forgive me, but the only thing I can compare to bringing home a 5-year-old is bringing home a puppy. You set them down, and they start exploring. With a truly glee-full smile, she wandered through every door, down every hall, picking things up, putting them down. She wanted to wear all the clothes, have a tea-party, swim in the pool, take a bubble bath, play dolls, and we pretty much indulged her. Emmi and I swam with her - having her in the pool was absolutely delightful! She discovered the slide quickly, and put Allie, Nate and I through quite a workout. Then she squirted everyone (dog and cat included) with her squirt gun.

Doug and I took a nap while the girls played some more, then we all sat up for awhile together, catching up on recorded episodes of So You Think You Can Dance (thanks Nate!). When it looked like MeiLi wasn't getting tired at 2am, we decided to all go to bed anyway. The household is asleep now, except me, probably because of that nap. All 4 girls are in the bunkbeds. Cute cute cute!

Thanks y'all for the fun welcome home banner, balloons and gifts!! You're awesome and thoughtful!

It felt presumptuous to assume we'd make it through this whole process and end up with a new little daughter, and going to China was especially hard to imagine, but here we are back home, safe and sound, by God's grace! Thank you a gazillion times over for all your thoughts and prayers.

So, in our Holt Families in Process group of 4 families, we are the second to be home with our new child. The 3rd family in our group is now in Ethiopia, meeting their new little son for the first time. They won't be able to bring him home this trip, because the process is different for Ethiopia, but they'll get to spend a little time with him, and I think, process some more paperwork. Please pray for them (Jenny and Ben) - they've had some bureaucratic difficulties.

All for now, it's 4am KC time. To bed to bed. Tomorrow we unpack and do laundry!

We're in the USA!!!

But not quite home.

Left Guangzhou on a 8 AM flight to Beijing. On time.
Left Beijing on a 4 PM flight on Thursday - 13 hour flight and `13 hour time difference means landed in Chicago at 4PM on the day - Thursday.

No glitches anywhere on the trip until we try to get from Chicago to KC.

10 flights with more than 300 people each got to customs / immgration at the same time - a delay in lines in customs means we missed our 6 pm flight to KC.

Carolyn got us re-booked on a 8:10 (her and A, J & E) and 9:54 (me and MeiLi). Their flight was delayed for no crew - then when it got close we got us moved to their flight. Found the crew about 11:30 - then lightning delayed boarding, then lighting delayed take off - at 2 AM they let us off the plane, we rebooked for today and took a room at the hilton. Our next attempt is 1:15. Allie is in the shower - everyone else is still asleep. I woke up feeling very much refreshed - went out for food and found a Mickey D's in terminal 5.

Home soon - can read the signs, drink the water, and understand what others are saying. Ah the little things.
D

That wasn't chicken

I'll add a few comments to Carolyn's - for full info on Tuesday - read her's. The pics are here.

Re the US Consulate - no cameras or cell phones allowed - so no pics of that event. We get MeiLi's passport back today at 4:30 - so then we are fully set to return home.

We did venture out to a shopping area off the island in the afternoon. It was closed to cars and bikes - walkers only - like in Beijing. But this is hundreds of small shops (about 10x10 ft square) - and each with it's own owner there. To me every shopping experience is frantic (you get a personal salesperson in your ear telling you to buy!buy!buy! - but this one was expecially dialed up. Difficult not to buy though - as most items are only $5 before you start bargaining.

Nice that our trip started with a cruise in Shanghai and is ending with a cruise in Guangzhou. As a matter of reference, Guangzhou's traditional English name is Canton - where "Cantoneze" comes from = both the food and the dialect. I like the food better than in the north - the climate is hotter here so they cook with less oil - the food is lighter - not that we've tried that much - kind of running out of gas on experimentation - and western food is available. Not so sure about the dialect - 9 tones instead of the 4 in Mandarin. I'm sure I would be lost.

Tuesday was also the day of "Red Couch Photos" - a Holt tradition as things come to a close - so our kid group photo and large group photos are included. I love the Mongolian emporer's hat.

Shopping




Getting ready for the red couchn photos

The kids in our group

And our group - wonderful families

Before the cruise

The boat we went out on - a "wooden" dragon boat -

Downtown and the peforming arts center

The Guangzhou tower - briefly held the record for tallest in the world

No - she's not tired.

Chinglish, the Consulate and the Pearl

Most of the newly adopted children are well on their way to understanding several English phrases, but they will still happily chatter away in Mandarin, especially with each other! Allie often overhears the little ones talking to each other and it can really be hilarious! This evening, MeiLi was holding a pop bottle up for her friend to drink from. The friend didn't grab hold of the bottle, so it spilled down her front. The two little girls dabbed at the spill, then MeiLi held up the bottle for her to drink again. The other little girl again didn't grab hold of the bottle, and Allie heard MeiLi say, in Mandarin, "We spilled last time. Don't you have hands!?"

In English, MeiLi has learned to say, "One, two, sree, foe, five!", "Allie, Jenna, Emmi". It's so cute - it's like when any new child says their first words and you discover the sound of their voice! We're not pushing very hard with English yet. We just say something in Mandarin, then repeat it in English.

On the other side of things, I've learned to say: ni hao, xie xie, bu ke qi, wo ai ni, lai ba, zhen gui, hao le, tai hao le, yi, er, san, si, wu . . . wu ga, hao bu hao? zai na li, zhi ga . . .It's been fun to learn on the fly!

So this morning, we were up quite early for a bus ride to the U.S. Consulate. This is the appointment all our dates revolved around. We went through security, had our passports checked, then up to the room where all our hard work in terms of paperwork was reviewed. All of the adoptive parents in the room (about 8 sets of parents) stood up and recited an oath that essentially promised that all our paperwork was true. A couple interesting stories of parents in that room: one of the dads is deaf, and he, his wife and 2 children had come to China to adopt a little boy beginning of July, and 2 weeks into the process were offered another little boy who was deaf. Very unusual, but cool! Another mom was in our hotel yesterday, tripped and broke her foot. She was at the consulate in a wheelchair. She and her husband had also brought 3 children from home, then had the little girl they'd just adopted. She carried the 2 youngest around in the wheelchair. They thought it was great fun. Anyway, one final signature, and we now have the permission of the United States to bring MeiLi home! We all high-fived and congratulated each other. Big moments in life. By the way, by simple chance of how we booked our flight home, MeiLi's "port of entry" is Chicago, meaning that is where she officially becomes a U.S. citizen.

Speaking of citizenship, we may have mentioned that she was disappointed to not be going to America last week. We drew her a picture of 5 beds and 3 airplanes and told her when she has crossed them all out, she will be home in America. (Credit for this idea goes to Michelle - it's working AWESOME!) She is so excited every morning to cross out one of the beds!

Speaking of crossing out beds, we are very sad to be on our last day in China. If it weren't for our dear friends in Kansas City, (oh, and a dose of reality) we'd love to stay on. Personally, I have really loved Guangzhou! Believe it or not, I love the heat! It feels so full of life, because the people are out in it all day. They just deal with it and move on. The vegetation is stunning too - every chance for a garden or some kind of artistic display of greenery is fully taken advantage of. The freeways are lined with POTS of flowers that hold their own sprinkler system. Flowers and vines and branches and leaves everywhere. We walked along the Pearl River (3rd longest in China) in the hottest part of the day today. There were very poor men fishing next to businessmen playing cards. Some people were practicing Tai chi, many just sitting talking. (Always stopping to stare at us, though!)  Delightful!

Speaking of the Pearl River, our final group activity was a Dragon Boat cruise at sundown. Very beautiful. The Asian Games were hosted here in Guangzhou last fall, and this boat led a parade of boats from every Asian nation (43??) down the River. Famous boat anyway. Fun time - the little ones loved it! We dressed up in some of the clothes we'd gotten recently shopping here.

Speaking of shopping, if you ever get bit by the shopping bug, come to China. The venders are very motivated to sell. As you walk away, they'll say, "Hello! How 'bout I sell you 100 yuan, take it?" Then, "Hello! 80 yuan, take it?" "Hello! 65 yuan, yes?" "Hello! I give you for 50 yuan - 50 YUAN - just for you!" And you're thinking, SERIOUSLY? You would have had me pay 100? Actually, the Christian venders we have found here, we don't ask for a lower price. Trust me, we have much much more than they do.

Speaking of Chinese Christians, they are so awesome. The Chinese treat everyone with much respect and dignity, but the Christians are so gentle and kind and happy. They love their churches and know that they are very blessed. God has done some amazing amazing things with people we have met. We are so thankful to all the missionaries who have loved and prayed and worked so hard in China. The fruit is growing by the day!!!

So now we've spent our Tuesday and it's time for bed, as you all wake up in anticipation of how you'll spend your Tuesday. Doug will be up earlier than the rest of us tomorrow morning to post more photos.

Can't believe we'll be home Thursday. Please pray that the flights will be good.

Baiyun Mountain, etc

Not sure what they're talking about - but I didn't do it:

Today started at 9 AM with reading the TB test, which came back negative, as expected. So we are still on schedule - no delays expected.

After we all got our results, Holt arranged for us to all go to Baiyun Mountain - an area on the north side of the city - glad we went there, as the zoo would have been hot and humid. (Well, lets just say that the heat and humidity extend up the side of this hill.) A remarkable number of people were walking up it for exercise. We lazy Americans rode up in golf carts. We explained we were Canadian, eh?

Baiyun means "White Cloud" - which must have something to do with how literal clouds interact with the mountain, as there's precious little of anything having to do with White Cloud in the public restrooms anywhere in China. Even so, the park itself is stunningly beautiful. No much for views of the city though - due to haze.

About 2/3rds of the way up there is a bird area (more like a zoo than a sanctuary) and a show. A very pretty area to walk through, some small valleys - and the show was cute (even if the handler appeared to be bored out of his mind.) At the end they had some parrots trained to fly for currency - and they could distinguish between denominations of RMB. We tried American dollars, and they preferred those even over 10 yuan notes - which are more valuable. Go figure.

We returned and had lunch - then went to a seven eleven on the island for ice cream. MeiLi chose frozen cherries on a stick, which she enjoyed. The ladies shopped while I napped - then we all went to the pool. Dinner, more shopping, and that was our day. A

A cornerstone on the island:

Tomorrow starts early with our consulate appointment - we leave at 7:10.

Shamian Island

No - we were not on the bullet train that wrecked. We are saddened by the news - and have no difficulty imagining the event, unfortunately. The wreck was not on the Shanghai to Beijing run - but it probably could have happened anywhere.

But we are in Guangzhou - and Shamian Island continues to charm with it's beautiful boulevards and shops.

Yesterday as usual we had breakfast in the hotel - a great view of the riverfront. We blew off the trip to the pearl and jade markets - sounded like a pressure sell - and just stayed on the island hanging out - doing some shopping and found the Starbucks. In the evening the Holt group of families went out for dinner at a Thai place (though, I don't know that we ate anything specifically Thai - I think the Holt staff were ordering based on our weak western tastes.)

We do have a prayer request. Though the days are getting easier - MeiLi is doing increasingly well - the nights are getting more difficult - she is having sessions of intense crying during the night. She doesn't seem to wake up - just cries. Last night was pretty intense.

Today we have a follow up doc visit - then a group event - the remainder of the day to ourselves.

First video!

We taught her how to take pictures with the phone camera. She completely loved it. We were laughing all evening. The quality isn't perfect, but turn up the sound - she's absolutely adorable. 

We laugh about things together every day - whether it's phone pictures, hide and seek, messy food, etc... We're so thankful that she laughs with us.

Welcome to Guangzhou

Hey,

Yesterday we packed up from Changchun and flew to Guangzhou - about 1900 mi south.  Things have changed. 

In Changchun we were in the Shangri La hotel - an over the top hotel but in a crowded/dense downtown /urban area.  The climate and environment are much like the northern USA, warm but not hot - not very humid.  But there wasn't much going outside just because of the poor air quality as soon as you did - not much breeze and a lot of diesel cars.  Changchun was a study in contrasts - there were horse drawn carts, tall apartment buildings and nuclear power plants right next to each other.  There were a lot of people (7.5 m), but no cross-town freeways - only surface streets, so getting around was very slow.  Except for the hotel itself (where service was over the top, but quite expensive), and the Holt staff (who were very well organized), it didn't feel very welcoming or relaxed.  Changchun was generous with us though, in that they shared one of their best with our family. 

Guangzhou itself is a major Chinese city - on the scale of Shanghai or Beijing - about 20 million people.  As such it is scaled up - there are cross town freeways and a huge airport.  The climate is hot and very humid - and the plants have gone from northern to more tropical - lots of palm trees, etc.     

In Guangzhou, we are on Shamian Island.  It's not so much an island, more a part of the city about 10 blocks wide and 3 blocks deep - where someone dug a moat around it about 150 years ago.  It was a British and French property for 100 years or so - returned to the Chinese I think in 1949.  Therefore much of the architecture is 1900s European.  It's like being in a big park.  We are kind of isolated from the rest of China here - a bit of a shelter.   

The setting is quite beautiful - the Chinese use it for photography.  One bride and groom looked good enough to be models, but if so, then why the "just married" car nearby - I think they were the real deal.  Regardless, there are people around getting photographed professionally with the island as a backdrop. 

We are in the White Swan hotel, where most of the families who have adopted Chinese children have stayed over the past 17 years that the process has been available - we are all here to go to our own embassies to get visas back to our countries.  So breakfast is not just the 7 Holt families reunited - it's like fifty or a hundred families for all countries and agencies in this part of the process this week.  Everybody's got a new child.  If you go out on the street everyone is pushing a stroller or carrying a newly adopted child.  All the businesses and locals know what we're doing here and why.  No explanations needed - no long stares.  After being fully immersed, it is kind of a nice break.  We still get to experience China - but it's a little less intense. 

So the entire island is pretty much dedicated to adopting families.  The business sell services such as laundry or souvenirs or clothing - and will lend you strollers for free. 

We haven't blogged because our flight got in late last night and we had an appointment early this AM - so did not take the time to do anything but sleep.

The flight here was challenging.  MeiLi did not want to come to Guangzhou (not that she knew anything about Guangzhou), she just wanted to go home to America - and she knew she wasn't going there.  She's not home and in a routine - so she doesn't know what is coming next - that throws her off some - as it does all of us.  She also didn't like the flight - crowded with people and forced to wear a seatbelt.  A few rough moments.  Nana and Beka weren't doing so hot either. 

The flight itself had an out-of-the-box moment.  It was on Shenzhen airlines (Shenzhen is a city in China).  It was about 4 hours.  As we neared Guangzhou, the flight attendants got up and lead us all in calesthenics in our seats - to get the blood flowing.  You had to be there.

Today began with a trip to the doc to get a medical exam and TB test - required for exit.  We get the test read on Monday - so pray for good results on that one.  We went out to lunch and did some shopping afterward.  Carolyn is at a paperwork meeting this afternoon.  Tomorrow we have off as most offices are closed.  Visa meetingws start up again Monday.

So that's the news for now.  Allie and Jenna as Manderin translators continue to save our butts as well as other families around us.  Our new daughter seems to be growing more comfortable and trusting of us each day - so each day we make some progress. 

   

lions and tigers and bears...

It's kind of entertaining to fire up the laptop in the AM. The VPN is set to search the 10 closest servers - which are in 10 different countries - and blogger lables come up in a default language depending where it thinks you are - so who knows what language one will be reading in in the AM? It's the little things one finds funny.

Thursday morning Carolyn and I went out shopping - the girls took MeiLi to the pool. In the afternoon we (the entire group) went to a small zoo in Changchun - not far away. I think any event should be judged based on how well my hair does - and based on the photos, I shouldn't really be liking this place - but actually it was pretty nice - not crowded at all. And you know, any opportunity to interact with your new daughter is a good one.

After the zoo we came back to the hotel - and gradually the walking caught up with us - so naps mostly around. Went to a Hong Kong place for dinner (don't know what made the food Hong Hong-eze, but it was good) - MeiLi said she wasn't hungry but she snarfed fried noodles.

This AM the Holt staff is picking up our passports, we depart in the late afternoon for Guangzhou - a 4 hour flight - so we will probably be getting in late. Pray for grace.

MeiLi is trying to get the deer to blow bubbles?

Lions

And tigers

And bears...

Oh my!

a long time ago in a world far far away

Hey,

Not a lot of pics in this post - the day was pretty much like the day before, but with modest progress. MeiLi became more open and verbal with us - we seemed to be making progress in trust. There were a couple of moments of difficulty - one in the pool, one in the lobby - you just can't know what she's thinking or why she shuts down. Overall there were more steps foward than back. We seemed to do the best just sticking to the room.

The day was punctuated by an event that left me wondering though. The design of this part of the process is that the Holt staff, Lillian and Anye, are very close and personally available to us - which is good. Since they are, we are interacting a lot. They asked us, that is, each family, if we wanted to go to the site where our daughters were abandoned and found. We each agreed. We went to ours about 11 AM. Lillian arranged a van and driver so we could all go.

For us it was not all that far - maybe 20 minutes. In this traffic, a 20 minute drive is not very far. We went to a part of the city near the train station. Now, near the hotel you get the sense that people have seen and interacted with westerners before - but not so here. We found the general area, but needed to get out and walk to find the actual building - we were walking down alleys - they were very crowded with people and rubble and cooking and areas with talbles where there might be 15 men, half shirtless, playing majong - with looonnnnggg stares at us. There might be a 10 ft long tray full of hot charcoal where someone had been cooking or a pile of bricks or trash or cardboard - people seemed to be eeking out an income in dozens of creative ways. There was also stuff and trash left everwhere - it was bleak. Maybe my western eyes couldn't see it and this is normal, but from my view, this was bleak.

I asked Lillian if it was safe to be here. Jenna told me if she were walking in this neighborhood in the states she would have found a way to run in the other direction NOW. It was definitely not the area around our hotel, nor even like the neighborhood we had stay in while in Shanghai.

We found the building and then walked around it to find the actual doorway /corridor. The building is a large, almost half a block long, 5 or 6 story high apartment building - grey cement - no external decor. In China, as we have mentioned, there is no way to put a kid up for adoption, you have to abandon them. So we have no information except where she was found found.

I found myself standing searching for meaning in a place without a lot of meaning. Was this public enough to be sure that she would be found? Private enough to be sure that the mom or dad (whomever did it) would not be discovered? Was this where they lived? Could they observe from the balconys above? Were they observing now? Did they wonder what the outcome was for their daughter? Why, why, why did they choose to do this and why here? Was their intent for their daughters good, or was she only left behind and forgotten?

Ultimately, for them, it is a separation, a death. Yet there's a death that ends in death, and a death that leads to new life. I believe there is a God who can bring forth life in the midst of suffering, loss or death. He has the power to resurrect - to take a seed, put it in the ground, and give new life where there was none. Where she had no hope, we are here now and with all the wills that C and I have for our natural daughters to support, uphold and give to them we now will do the same for MeiLi - we will not abandon her as though she were our own. She is, now, in every respect but birth, our own.

In a place that she was left and found, resolve and love were also found.

D

applying for her passport, etc.

The agenda for Tuesday was light - go to apply for passports at 1 PM (the Holt staff was working in the AM going to collect up copies of the adoption documentation in the AM).

So we had the morning to ourselves. After breakfast, we went with the Stockton's and Lamont's to a playgound the hotel as outdoors on the 5th floor. MeiLi , Nana and Beka had a blast. They are big pals. We stayed for a couple of hours - returning to the rooms at 11 for expected calls from Holt to prepare for the afternoon. Breaking away from the playground was our only difficulty of the day. MeiLi was having too much fun.

We returned to the room to find things to do as a family (or, for the girls to do as girls) - activities included doing their nails and taking a bath.

Perhaps we have another dancer?

At 1 we proceeded by bus to the office where we apply for passports, a short drive. There were a lot of people there (metro Changchun is over 7 m, so there are a lot of people everywhere) - the office was air conditioned (not assumed), much like a very large DMV in the US, but with everyone talking at the same time - very loud - just the kind of environment I really love.

We waited for about an hour - photo of adopting kid and one parent - then a bit longer for the paperwork to commence. We were called to a desk - laid everything out in front of an official - it must have already been in the system because the entire process took all of 15 seconds. We were dismissed - though I think they took a web cam shot as well. Game over for paperwork here - now we wait here for a passport for 3 days.

Aftwards we went to a mall area to some shopping. Things are pretty much like they are in the states, except - there is no space, so no parking / and things are built up not out (that is, multi-floor - e.g. the Walmart is on the 2nd and 3rd floors of a building - they don't have the ground floor).

We had lunch at a KFC (which, even with a pic of the Colonel, isn't quite the same) where MeiLi proceeded to fall asleep. We walked back to the hotel with her on my shoulder, and all took naps. In the evening was more swimming with her pals - then back to the room to play with puzzles, etc. We went out looking for a late dinnner but weren't open to much - I brought stuff back to the room while the girls did some more shopping (mostly for stuff like water and gifts for the Holt staff here - they've done a great job).

So as I write this it feels to me kind of routine - eating, playing with the kids, getting stuff done. Both Carolyn and I are gaining confidence that MeiLi really is the kind, gracious, confident, fun little girl we were hoping for. If this continues as it has started - and I pray that it does - I am so thankful, because God gave us a wonderful child.

Here is getting ready for bed (this photo and our family is also proof that one out of 4 children in this world is Chinese):

And what I found when I woke up this morning: