The Great Wall

Another long day is winding down and it's been a great one! Experiencing the Great Wall was incredible. Our time in Beijing was memorable. We met another adoptive couple, the Coopers, who joined us on Saturday. We got to spend Saturday and today with them until we parted ways at the airport. They went to one province and we flew to Taiyuan. They are a great couple and we hit it off immediately. We are excited to see them again in just a few days when we meet up in Guangzhou along with several other families! 

Our flight from Beijing to Taiyuan was quick and uneventful! Our guide is Maggie and she met us at the airport and took us to our hotel. She is amazing, knows her stuff and knows how to make you feel welcomed! She even stayed around to order a pizza for us before heading to her home for the evening! She said we are one of NINE families here in Taiyuan adopting this week! 2 families are Spanish, 4 are Italian and 2 are American. She and other guide, Grace, have a very busy week ahead of them! How exciting that so many children in this province alone are being adopted and will no longer be orphans?!! 

We got Annika's backpack ready tonight to go meet her tomorrow. TOMORROW IS GOTCHA DAY!!! We meet our guide, Grace, in the lobby bar 8:40 in the morning to go to the bank and exchange our currency. From the bank, we will go to the Civil Affairs office where we will meet and get Annika about 10 am!!!!

I have so much I want to share, but my tired brain is mush and tomorrow is THE big day, so for now, I'll share one more story before I get ready for bed....

One of the things I was most looking forward to was fulfilling what I had read from others about taking a lock with their child's name on it and 2 keys to the Great Wall. At the Great Wall, there's a certain spot where people take their lock and attach it on a gate there. Then, they take one of the keys and throw it over the Great Wall and they keep the other key. This symbolizes that their child will forever have a part of themselves in China, the land from which they were born. When the child is grown, you give them the other key to remind them they will always have a piece of them in China. Well, I was REALLY looking forward to doing this! I had my lock and keys ready and everything with Annika's Chinese name and new name on the lock. Then, I found out the part of the Great Wall where the gate is that people do this..... wasn't the part we were going to. Womp womp wommmmmp! I was bummed, but decided to take my lock and keys anyways. Jay and I decided that we were going to do our own rendition of it and decided to hide the lock on a place on the Great Wall that won't ever be removed. Our new friends, Ben and Amy Cooper were with us and with the help of Amy, we found a perfect place IN the Great Wall itself, in one of the towers where the brick had a big hole/crack in its mortar. Because the Great Wall is so old, there are several places that are cracked or mortar gave way, etc. After dropping Annika's lock into the dark crevice, we then took one of the keys and I gave it kiss, said a small prayer and I flung it over the Wall. It was a very emotional moment - way more than I expected - as we thanked the Lord for our daughter from China. Amy was kind of enough to record it for us so I will have that moment to look back on. As Jay and I held hands walking back to meet our guide, I could tell he too was moved by that moment and all it signified. Annika's lock is now tucked away in one of the strong towers of the Great Wall. Just as our Lord is our Strong Tower Who hides us in the cleft of the Rock, Annika is too.

I am so thankful for this day. Seeing the Great Wall, experiencing it with my husband and Jadyn who had a blast! And I'm thankful that Ben and Amy were there. I'm thankful for new friendships, connected with the bond of adoption. I'm thankful Amy knew I needed that momma hug after the emotion of throwing that key and thus leaving a piece of my daughter in China. I'm thankful that we only have one more sleep until we are face to face with our Annika!!

God is good.

middle of the night thoughts...

It's the middle of the night and Jadyn and i are awake. Why? Because our schedules are still wonky and we both fell asleep about 6 pm here. Womp womp wooommmp. Lol

So, let me share my middle of the night thoughts....

Thankful....

-I'm thankful the Lord has given us this opportunity to come to Beijing and experience history, cultural, food, etc. 

-I'm thankful and most excited to go see the Great Wall on Sunday. I'm excited to walk on it, touch those stones of ages old and be in wonder of it ... in person 

- I'm thankful we brought Jadyn and she's experiencing it all with us. She has been so good and a trooper and I am enjoying time with just her. It's been nearly 8 years since it was "just" her, so I'm appreciating this time while purposely trying NOT to think about my other 2 heartbeats on the other side of the world and the one heartbeat just a short plane ride away. 

- I'm thankful this time is going fast. (it's Saturday!!!) Because although this is neat being in BJ, I would like to just fast forward and get my daughter, please, so we can go home and I can have my family all complete. 

- I am so thankful that my best friend and better half is with me and we are doing together. We make a great team, he and I. I am thankful he is laying next to me on what feels like a full-sized little bed and he's snoring away while I type this. I am thankful that no matter which way we sleep, we are touching, because again, I'm pretty sure this is a full-sized bed. Being near him is calming to me. I love him and am thankful we are doing life together. 

- I'm thankful for all of you, for our family and friends who are praying for us, and just as eagerly awaiting our home coming. I miss you. 

- and a confession.... I miss my boys. I miss their voices, their hugs, their giggles and even their bickering. I miss Asher asking me to sit on the couch and cuddle and watch cartoons together. I miss Eli giving me his shy smile, ducking his head, opening his arms and coming in for a hug with momma. I miss them so much that I choke up and have to fight becoming a crying mess in the middle of the buffet breakfast or the taxi ride or middle of the night thinking. But I am thankful they are at home (another confession), because they would have been bored so many times and restless and quite vocal about it- and we aren't even to the adoption appointments part of this yet!  Jay and I know the boys staying home was definitely the right choice and we are glad it has worked out this way.  But I miss them terribly and I'm (trying not to but can't help it) counting down til we are back in DFW and I can scoop them up in my arms!

- I am thankful for Andrea Johnson Brown who has made herself fit so willingly and selflessly into our family. I am thankful for her precious kiddos who are going with the flow so cheerfully and doing life under a different roof for a couple of weeks. I love that Colt and Sadie have such big hearts. They come by it through great parents. Andrea and Jim Brown are two of the most giving and serving people I know. 

- I am thankful that wherever I go, the Lord my God is with me. ❤️

Friday in Beijing

Today (Friday), we toured the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. Our guide has been great! We went by taxi to both places and then got to take the Subway back to our hotel! It's been a beautiful day! Our guide took us to a restaurant and we had hot pot! It was very yummy! 

Jadyn's presence has evoked many smiles from the people here. A kind older lady even scooter over on the subway to allow Jadyn room to sit next to her. The lady and the people around her admired Jadyn through two stops. She is a cutie, what can we say? :-) Jadyn is having a great time and has said several times how thankful she is that she is here with us. 

Things we've learned/experienced today: 

- people smoke E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E! Taxis, hotels, van rides.... smell of cigarettes. 😷

- when touring historical said Temple of Heaven and you have to go to the bathroom, you have to grab your toilet paper BEFORE you go into the bathroom. Only 1 stall had a toilet - all others were squatty potties. My question is: what happens if you don't grab enough toilet paper when going in??? 😳

- taking the subway is a fun experience

- bringing my essential oils and Diffuser has been a great choice! Diffusing Purification in our room now!

- internet connection is slllooooowwww

Tomorrow, another adoptive couple are joining us at our hotel and our guide is taking us to Tianamen Square and Forbidden City. We are looking forward to meeting the other couple and touring!

 
 
 

we made it to China!

Hello, loved ones!!

We made it to Beijing safe and sound! Jadyn loved the plane ride and all the cool features her seat had (movies, video games and music). She stayed awake the entire 14.5 hour flight, then tried hard stay awake during the hour drive in the van to our hotel. We are now checked into our hotel and can't wait to fall into bed! Tomorrow, we start touring with our guide, Candy. She was waiting for us at the airport and will be with us every step of the way while in Beijing. 

We are in China!!!! We are in the same country and time zone as Annika!!

We love you. We feel your prayers. Keep them coming. 

God is good! Sleep is going to be great! Lol

China bound!

We are at DFW, loaded on our plane and soon will be taking off! Next stop - Beijing!!

 

Getting packed and ready to go

2 more sleeps until we go to China. So many emotions going though me all the time! One week from today is our Gotcha Day! 2 days from now, I won't see my sons for 15 days! My heart is excited to be gaining a daughter, nervous to travel and meet her,  and yes, even dreading the separation from my boys.  Tonight, I made the boys goody bags with surprises and wrote them notes for while we are away. Hopefully, they will find it fun to open a new bag every couple of days while they count down til our return! I'm pretty sure I'll never let them go once we are reunited. ❤️

My to-do list is long, but time will need to stand still for a bit this morning. Asher  loves to cuddle and watch cartoons together. This morning, I looked at him on the couch as I was moving around the house and I asked, "Want me to come cuddle with you?" His face lit up and said, "Yeah!" So, here we are. Daisy dog too. All cuddled on the couch and I'm soaking it up. This momma' heart is going to miss her boys very very much those two weeks I'm away from them.
❤️