Hello Hong Kong

We safely made it to Hong Kong last night. I forgot how much I love Hong Kong. We were able to take in some of the laser light show, and see our familiar stomping ground. We will be boarding our plane for home in about 5 hours! The next time I post I will have my family of 6 all together! I am so excited!

Hope has been sworn in....

Last time we were in China we made a special friend. She owned a store (China Doll) on the island where we had stayed. This time while still on the bus to come to the hotel she received a call to let her know we wanted to see her. Within an hour she was at our hotel and was all smiles to see us again. Lisa sold the China Doll because she now has a little boy of her own and she wants to be with him. To make extra money she will now do laundry and various other things. She came to visit with us everyday. Yesterday she brought gifts for the whole family. I can't tell you how special she is to us. I was about to start crying when she hugged us good bye. We left her with some special gifts from us too. We attempted a group picture of all the girls before we headed to the consulate. As you can see Hope was the only one who decided that the group picture thing might be fun. After our swearing in ceremony we had to start packing up the room. I put some cartoons on for Hope to watch, and she created her own theater seating for herself and her stuffed animals. We got down to the last suitcase last night, Hope decided to curl up in it. I guess she wanted to make sure we didn't forget her. She is hilarious! She is so excited about heading home. She wants to meet her siblings!!! We head to Hong Kong today, and fly out tomorrow. We will land in Atlanta at 6:50 pm on October 1st!!! I can't wait!! Please pray for a safe journey home!!

Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!

Today we went to the Guangzhou zoo. Hope was so excited to see all of the animals. It was neat to see all her excitement as we know this is the first time she has seen a lot of them. We first rode around on what looked like an oversized golf cart, then we all spread out and attacked the areas we really wanted to see.We were so happy that the Panda was awake this time. When we were here last time, the Panda didn't budge one bit. This time he was very active. Hope loved getting to see him. At this point, the heat was rising, and we were really jealous of the pool that the Panda had. Look who got to feed the giraffes! Guess who was terrified of the giraffe's tongue? Whenever any of you see Paul, ask him about his giraffe experience, it is to funny. I just wish I had gotten it on film. It was about time to leave the zoo and we realized that George had climbed out of the backpack and was missing. I started running around trying to find him. I finally found him near the giant panda. I guess that was the closest he could find to a black bear. You can tell that Panda is trying to figure out how a black bear got so close to his cage.

An Island and a Cruise

Today we went to Shamian Island (where we stayed on our last adoption trip) to do some shopping. We only had two hours there, so we rushed around to a few of our favorite shops from last time and visited with some old friends that we had made. It was kinda like going home for us. The island is such a sweet place where everyone is friendly to adoptive parents. We bought a Chinese outfit for Hope and ran into the White Swan Hotel and borrowed their couch for a few pictures. We wanted her to have "red couch" pictures just like LeeLee did. After I finished snapping her picture in the Chinese dress, she quickly changed her clothes back for a family picture. Tonight we went on a Pearl River Dinner Cruise. I can't say much for the food, but the scenery was great. Hope enjoyed herself. She was a little unsure of being on the top of the boat outside, but she eventually relaxed and we saw her famous smile. When we got her, the orphanage sent back the photo album that I had sent to her. Tucked behind one of the pictures was a note with phone numbers. I took the note down to our guide and she translated it for me. We speculated who we thought the note writer might be, then our guide decided to call and find out. Turns out is was one of her two favorite nannies. We told her that Hope was doing great. She was so excited to know that we had found her note. When I got back to my room we let Hope call the nanny for herself. She was so excited. She kept trying to show her all of her stuff through the phone. The nanny then put her best friend on the phone and Hope's excitement level rose. She was so excited to tell them about all the things she has been doing. She wasn't upset at all after we hung up the phone. She seemed quite content. Back to the cruise......After dinner they had a clown that had a pretty impressive juggling act and ball tricks. Hope captured her attention and she let her come up and be part of the performance. She loved it. She loves being in the spotlight. I hope that Hope and LeeLee learn how to share it! They have very different personalities, so I am praying they get along!

Jam Packed Day

First I want to start out with a picture from last night. This picture is another one that breaks my heart. Hope had several "chores" in the orphanage, and one of them was to close the curtains at night. She took this job very seriously obviously because she feels like it is her job to close the curtains for us at the hotels. She has been doing this since the night we got her. As soon as we come in from dinner, she goes to both rooms and closes the curtains. We want her to know she doesn't have to do that. There is nothing she has to do to earn her keep with us.First thing this morning, we headed out to have Hope's TB test read. Praise the Lord she passed, and so did the kids in our group. Thank you for your prayers. Then we did some marathon shopping. Our guide had presented us with the opportunity to go to the circus. I love the circus, so selfishly, I accepted the invitation. So after shopping we came back to the hotel and had Hope take a nap so that she could go for a long night. Here is Hope riding in on Paul to the big top. Can't you just see the excitement? Here we are close to the entrance. She is still all smiles. I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. During the show, the performers would come up to the walkway and dance. When they would come through they would throw out stuffed animals. Paul managed to catch one, then another time a performer came by and gave Hope this one. She got a lot of attention from the performers as they went by. At one point during the performance horses, elephants, and birds of all kinds came walking right by us. She was so excited. She got to touch an elephant and some of the birds. This truly was the most amazing circus I have ever seen. I know we are so excited that we jumped at the chance to go!! We already know Hope is terrified of fireworks. This circus was full of them, so this is what we saw every time the loud booms erupted. You can also take note that she is sitting with her security blanket instead of me. He protected her well. I guess we will find out tomorrow what she thought about the whole thing when our guide is with us and can translate. I'll let you know. Please continue to pray for us here! The days are starting to drag along, and I am ready to be home. Continue to pray for LeeLee! My friend Suzanne will have her again tonight. Pray for Hunter and Noelle too! Also please pray for my mom. I know she is ready to see her own bed too.

The Botanical Gardens

Today we got up early so we could eat breakfast and be back in the room before the Auburn game came on. We are able to watch it online. While watching the Auburn game, Hope played around the room and got into Paul's clip on sunglasses. She laughs at herself a lot and was having a good time making us laugh. Paul didn't go with us because the Auburn game was only at the half, and we were losing. So, he stayed behind at the hotel to pull them through. So, I have a lot of cute pictures of Hope, as she was my only subject! Hope is such a beautiful little girl inside and out. She amazes us everyday with how brave she is. She smiles through almost everything, and seems genuinely excited to finally have a family. More things we have learned about Hope.....

• Hope is happiest when you are happy, and will do anything to make you laugh (think clown in the circus!)
• She has the most beautiful dimples when she smiles
• Hope thinks Paul is one big security blanket (she has him wrapped around her little finger!)
• She goes to the bathroom more than humanly possible! I would think she has a UTI but she always makes it through the night without getting up
• Hope loves shopping! She will bring me the communication cards I made and point to the shopping one.
• She has taken very well to the communication cards. She will use them to tell me most everything, and I can point to some and she will do what I am pointing to. They have been a lifesaver.
• She can scrunch up her nose, and make the funniest little face.
• Hope loves swimming. She would stay in the pool all day if we let her. She is starting to feel more comfortable in it everyday.
• She is very girly!! She always wants her nails done and lip gloss on.
• She loves seeing pictures of her siblings! She also comes running when we skype with them! She is so excited to be part of a family

I am so glad that God chose us to take the leap of faith to be Hope's parents. It was a huge leap for us after reading her file. I can tell you without a doubt that Paul and I both adore this little girl, and can't imagine her not being a part of our lives. God made her perfect, and we know he intended for her to be with us! I don't know and never will know why God made us wait 6 years to meet her, but I do know that his timing is perfect. I can't wait to see what great things God has in store for this precious child.

This is the picture of the day. Here in China the brides rent American style wedding dresses and they have their bridal portraits done in them. It was hot and humid today, and I saw this poor bride sitting down trying to get some relief from the heat. George even snuck into the picture. That silly George!!

Medical Exam Day

Today we had to head to the Medical Exam that is required in order to get Hope's Visa to come to the United States. There has been a big change in the process since we were here last time. The change involves Hope having to get shots before she can enter the US. We didn't tell Hope about them at all because we didn't want her to get nervous or upset. So off we went to exam office. First stop they checked her hearing, her throat, teeth, and her nose. She was all smiles, especially since they immediately told her she was beautiful. The second stop was the whole body check. They checked her heart and then we had to take her pants off so he could check her body. I warned him that she is ticklish, and she laughed through every bit of it. All the kids before us had come out of that room crying so we were tickled with her giggling. While we were waiting in line for this room and little boy from Hope's orphanage was right behind us. Hope called him by name. It was sweet to see how much she cared for all the little kids at the SWI. Here is the all important eye check. It appeared to us that she failed it miserably, but they told us she did fine. Then we sat and waited for shot time. Our guide, Rebecca, came over and explained to Hope what was getting ready to happen. Paul had them tell her that if she was a brave girl and didn't cry then he would take her to get ice cream. This is the same deal he makes with all our children when it is shot time. They looked at her shot record from Baotou and decided that he only needed to get four shots. She was so brave and didn't cry a bit. She also had a TB skin test done too. We will get the results of that in a few days. Since she was so brave, she got her reward! She LOVES Haagen-Dazs just like her daddy!

Please pray for Hope that she doesn't have any reactions to her shots and that her TB skin test is negative! Please continue to pray for my family back home. I miss them as much as they miss us! Also begin to pray that Hope will blend well with our children at home.

On to Guangzhou

We headed out this morning for the airport at 6 a.m. Hope was not real excited when I woke her up. We had bag breakfasts waiting on us, and she and our little travel mate Emma where the only ones that seemed to be happy with the limited selection. Hope was so excited when she saw the airplanes. However, she thought that we were going to go all the way to America today and she kept telling anyone who would listen that she was going to meet her siblings. We had to fly to Beijing to change planes then onto Guangzhou. She did great on the first flight, but the second plane sat on the runway for over an hour and she didn't understand why she had to stay strapped into her seat. Then it happened, the saddest little silent tears started flowing. I put my arms around her and then I cheered her up with some food from my backpack. She was great after that. When we arrived in Guangzhou, Lily (Lifeline's Facilitator) was waiting for us at the airport. It was there that she learned that she wouldn't meet the kids today. I felt so bad for her. We have had to transport Hope around in a stroller if we are going long distances because she has so much trouble with her legs tiring. When we got off the plane, they didn't hand us her stroller as usual, so we had to improvise and use a luggage cart to tote her through the airport. When she finally had to give up her luggage cart so we could go down the escalator, she fussed at the man that told her she had to get out. Not quite sure what she told him, but she had a sassy little look to her! We are staying at the Garden Hotel here in Guangzhou. It is very nice, and the rooms and 20 times better than the White Swan. I am sad not to be on the island (or my vision of the island) but we will visit over there tomorrow. This picture is for my kids! Hope can ROLL her TONGUE too! Looks like I am the only member of our family who can't!! I guess that makes me special :)

Our last day in Hohhot

For our last day here in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, we headed out with our friends to the Inner Mongolia Factory where they make all the local crafts. It was neat, but somewhat overwhelming. We bought a few gifts there, and got Hope a traditional mongolian outfit. She tried it on and thought she was a princess. They don't where the traditional Chinese outfits here that we are used too. After we got back Hope was ready to eat. She is so scheduled, that she doesn't want a meal to be more than five minutes late. We headed to the Chinese restaurant in the hotel. She loves it in there because they really cater to her. Paul and I love it too because the food is amazing. After lunch Hope was ready to go swimming. Here you have to wear a swim cap. She really loves swimming. When we get to Guangzhou and it is warmer, Paul and I will get in with her. She does not have a healthy fear of water. She thinks she can jump in the big pool without her arm rings. She can only handle the pool for about 45 minutes before she starts uncontrollably shivering. We let her warm up good and dry off before we head out of the pool area. She is all smiles after swimming. Oh, I forgot, she is all smiles all the time. Here she is in her Mongolian dress and hat. She has had another great day today. She loves shopping and we did that twice. She picked out a pair of tacky, glittery, Barbie shoes and of course we bought them for her. She loves them and has showed them to the entire hotel staff. She ate dinner in the room tonight, and while she was eating the fireworks started again. She immediately quit eating and asked to put her pajamas on. Once they were on she wanted to curl up in our bed and asked Paul to lay beside her for protection. So she fell asleep an hour early just so she wouldn't have to endure the scary fireworks. Of course they are still going off and I expect that they will for about 4-5 more hours.

Tomorrow we head to Guangzhou. We will complete the US side of this adoption when we get there. Please pray for safe travels for us! Also, please pray for Hope and her fears. This will be her first time in an airplane, and she is a little nervous and excited all at once. Please pray for my little LeeLee....she is breaking me heart when I talk to her because she wants me home now.

"A Day of Rest"

If you are looking for George's adventure, he has his own post below this one. Check it out!

Today we were completely abandoned by our guide here in Hohhot and she told us that today would just be a day of rest. Try telling a six year old that just got out of an orphanage that you are going to have a day of rest. She wouldn't have anything to do with that. She got dressed this morning and I put her skinny little self in a pair of Old Navy size 5 jeans, and I had to sinch them all the way tight. She can still pull them down to go potty without having to undo the snap. She is so tiny. She also wore an orange and blue top, and I am proud to say that she looks magnificent in my alma mater's colors!

Instead of resting, we went with a local guy here to the true Chinese market. Oh my, it was so big and there was stuff everywhere (fake stuff that is.) It was really neat to see that part of this area. We ended up buying Hope a stroller because her legs are to weak to make it long distances, and she is very awkward to carry. We also got her some socks (the one thing I didn't pack), she was so excited to get them! We also got her some movies, and they really work. We got her the famous Chinese cartoon about a goat and a wolf, and we got her some Mickey Mouse movies which are her favorites.

The picture above actually breaks my heart. We came in from dinner and the entire sky was lighting up with fireworks. In fact they have been going off for the last three hours, and we expect them to last for three to four hours more. I'm not talking little fireworks, I'm talking big fireworks, and 50 or so in the sky at one time. It is the Mid Autumn Festival here, so people are celebrating. Once she saw what was happening, she hid behind a cabinet near our door. Her little heart was beating so fast. I sat down with her, then Paul sat with her in his lap. She mustered up her famous peace sign, but she for the first time was not smiling. We ended up taking her to the lobby where someone could translate for us. We asked them to tell her that they were just fireworks, and that they would not hurt her. The sweet lady down there explained everything to her, then Hope asked the lady if she could tell everyone to stop making them go off. The lady tried to further tell her that they were special fireworks for the Holiday and that they are fun. Hope was then ready to be brave and go see them. That didn't go so well, she ended up hiding in our bathroom, so I let her go ahead and get in the bath.

She loves the bath! Hope got out of the bath, got ready for bed, and asked to sleep with us. She is asleep now snuggled up next to her daddy for protection, but her little heart is still beating so fast.

Our little hope is a charmer! She has this hotel staff wrapped around her fingers! They said they don't see many older children get adopted, and they are all so excited for her. The staff continues to tell me that Hope is one of the most beautiful children they have ever seen and that she is extremely outgoing. Around lunch time, we got a call from one of the ladies downstairs, and she asked if she could come up. She brought a bag of toys for Hope and three specialty moon cakes that are made here at the hotel. It really made Hope feel special! They also brought us a box of moon cakes to take to the kids back home. This should make LeeLee happy!

Please continue to pray for all of us here in Hohhot. Pray for sweet Hope, that she gets good rest tonight without fearing the noises from outside. Pray for the wonderful people we have encountered on our trip. Pray for my mom and my kids back home.

George's Big Adventure

I am so proud of George!! He is so brave. He told me two days ago that he planned on trying to skydive. Of course yesterday he got so scared that he hid under the bed. After praying together he knew that all he had to do was trust God and that he could do it! He decided to jump from the 14th floor of the Shangri-La hotel.

He loved it so much that he talked Hopes cat and bunny to jump with him. The bunny was also so brave, but George had to tandum jump with the cat. I think George may have some claw marks on him. See what fears can be overcome just by the power of prayer!

The Princess Tours the Museum

Today we headed to the Inner Mongolia Museum. It was full of artifacts and Mongolia's history. I will be honest and say that none of us really loved the museum, but it gave us something to do. The ride to the museum was exciting as we watched about 100 minor traffic accidents narrowly be avoided. We also saw a man skinning a live sheep on the side of the road (which by the way is an image I will never get out of my head.) Hope loves to do the peace sign when we take her pictures. Here she is in front of the example of the nomadic Mongolian farmers. She wore that tutu all day. I packed it for play in the hotel, but she wore it all day and loves it. All the locals thought she was so cute. Americans don't really come to Inner Mongolia, so we get lots of stares. Everyone wants to practice their limited English with us. We have seen people run into light poles because their heads were turned so far looking at us. It really has been amusing. This group of young ladies actually had the nerve to ask to have their pictures made with us. One by one they lined up and had their picture taken with us. Then we asked to take a picture with them. Most other people here just jump in front of us and take pictures. It is funny to have a paparazzi everywhere we go.

Here is Paul and Hope pretending to be Chinese astronauts. This is a replica of a traditional Temple. We took Hope to the grocery store so she could pick out some food for herself. She was so excited about buying things. It was cute how fast she would grab something and put it in the cart. You can see her excitement here about getting some crackers. Hope has been very silly today. She still just adores Paul. She wants him to carry her everywhere. She is starting to pick up some English too. She answered the phone three times today when it rang and said "Hello." Then she would start laughing and try to keep the people on the phone. Things are going better than we could have ever hoped for. I know it is because the Lord is answering our prayers. For those of you who were wondering, the tooth fairy comes to China too. Hope woke up to money under her pillow. She can't believe she has money of her own. Tomorrow is a free day, it is also an important holiday here in China. We have made friends with a local guy here who is from Baotou (Hope's hometown), and he is going to take us shopping tomorrow. Should be interesting. I know you have all been waiting to see George's big adventure. He told me the other day what he was planning, and I was nervous for him. When it can time for him to do it, he ran and hid. Hope and I had to take the flashlight and search for him. We finally found him hiding under the bed. Turns out he was nervous too. I talked to him and prayed with him, and now he says he is gonna do it tomorrow. We shall see!

Please continue to pray for Hope! She told our guide today that she is very happy with us and wants to go to America, but that she misses some of her friends. Please pray for LeeLee, she is taking this the hardest of all my kids. Pray for my friend Suzanne who is trying to give LeeLee some fun breaks to break up our time away.