Bennett

Beijing at last

2010-08-26T23:25:00.000-07:00

Thousands of miles and 24 hours of travel have brought us to Beijing. We travelled in daylight the whole time since we flew up over the North pole. We are thrilled to be here and are enjoying showing our photos of Micah to other families here on our travel group.
We are working though a little jet lag. Bennett stirred this morning at 3:30 and I asked him if he was awake. He said, "Not yet."

Some creative use of technology is allowing us to post to this blog. We are going through a VPN since the site is completely blocked in China.

Nine Months!

2008-12-11T18:36:00.000-08:00

Bennett has been home 9 months! He has grown in so many ways since March 4. Daddy now lets him type on his old favorite Commadore 64. We'll have to get around to coming up with a computer game for him to play soon.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T01:28:00.000-08:00

Have a wonderful day giving thanks with your loved ones! Last year, Bennett was an exciting dream. Now he is an exciting reality!

I have to laugh at this photo. We look so peaceful! That wasn't reality when the photo was taken. I had to merge two to get one of all of us looking good! It probably didn't help that I had Ben's shirt on backward because I wanted it plain yellow with no print. PhotoShop is wonderful.

You've come a long way, baby!

2008-11-17T11:33:00.001-08:00

One year ago we saw Ben's face for the first time. We asked for more information about Su Shugu from the Child of Promise list and got to see these photos. We found out we were matched right before Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful holiday season waiting for our son! We did not get to meet him until March 4 of this year.

This is an amazing wall at the orphanage Ben was based out of. He was most likely in foster care for some of the time because of the two surgeries the first six months of life.

His paperwork was filled out in July 2007. He would have been 18 months old at that time these photos were taken.

Conversations

2008-11-14T17:46:00.001-08:00

Daddy might be surprised but between the "What?" and the "Why" and "Sing it Again" Mommy's run out of words!

The other day we stopped at a light that was red. I hear a "Why?" from the back seat of the car.

I bring him some vegetable soup. Bennett sweetly says "No, thank you!"

Or when I tell him it's time to play with boats (bath time) he'll say very nicely "I wait"

Favorite

2008-11-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

Ben loves this YouTube video. Join him in laughing at this amazing chess game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXM3wrIhcwY

Changes!

2008-11-13T12:56:00.000-08:00

It was Ben's last language development class today and we celebrated this milestone!

He drank his cup of tea and kept saying "whooo-eee" after each swig. You would have thought something much more exciting than tea was in the cup!

His teacher Miss Robin is the best and we will miss her antics!
Ben is enrolled in a preschool and will go two days a week starting in January.

The crib is now empty as Ben wants to sleep in his big boy bed. Bye bye crib!

New "word"

2008-11-02T16:34:00.001-08:00

Ben's new word is a sophisticated air brake sound. Very important in all his play with trains and the like! Yes, he is saying other new words, too. He is also saying more names. We wish progression was faster, but his vocabularry is inching along!

Fall fun

2008-10-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Ben thinks pumpkins are fun but it's more about getting there that gets him excited!

The tractor ride was great. And thanks, Natasha, Jannah and Evan for letting Ben "drive" the load of pumpkins!

Why?

2008-10-16T12:49:00.001-07:00

Time keeps moving on, doesn't it? Local fair season is over and a new season has begun at our house. It's called the "WHY" season! A few days ago Ben kicked it off by asking "why" four times. The next day the count was about 8. He usually is happy to hear what I have to say. He does not ask you to repeat what you said as many times as in the past few months but the "What " season is still here. We can chat up quite a storm walking through the mall or driving down the road. I have to laugh at times. I must sound crazy! Occasionally I will give him a complex answer just for kicks. He takes it all in stride!

Bennett's babies

2008-10-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

Bennett enjoys playing with one of the dolls we have around here.

The doll house gets a bit of attention, too.

Home

2008-09-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

I wrote this devotional for another project and decided to post it here. (Breaking out of my often shallow posting!!)

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

Our toddler son will from time to time will say, “I home.” That may not seem particularly interesting except for the fact that he has only arrived “home” a few months ago. My husband and I traveled to China and brought him home to be part of our family. Some have said “He doesn’t know how blessed he is.” But even at two years of age, he does truly seem to understand and appreciate his new forever family. When he says, “I home,” he will say it in a contented tone of voice. Of course, those words frequently bring tears to my eyes when I think of the things our son already has experienced. Not only was Bennett blessed by a home, my husband and I are also blessed by the joy that he brings.

I am so grateful for our forever family God provides for us as believers. Sometimes I watch people in the world and wonder how they do it without the security God provides for his children. I too need to express thankfulness to the Lord for caring for me!

Lord, today may we count our many blessings including our eternal home with you. Thank you for embracing us with your tender care. Amen

Six Months!!

2008-09-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

Bennett has been home 6 months already! He now speaks many words, not just understands them. He will now eat mac n cheese. Mommy is thrilled! He is beginning to pedal his toys, not just speed along with his feet. He is heavier to carry than he used to be! The Thomas the Tank Engine sheets went on the single bed this week...helping him identify it as his own bed which he naps in. His prayers sound like this: "Mumble, mumble, mumble. Amen!" Our trip to China seems like such a long time ago!

We thank God for the tremendous growth we've seen. And thank you for all of your prayers and support for our family. We are so blessed!

Beach

2008-08-28T11:44:00.001-07:00

Bennett loved our trip to Long Beach Island.

Carrying Ben up all 276 stairs at the lighthouse was Daddy's accomplishment!

Having Daddy around all day was a great start to his weekend!

Ben loved the sand but maybe next year he'll be up for swimming in the waves!

We had perfect 81 degree weather!

Ben surprised us by wanting to go by himself on this rather noisy ride.
We look forward to next year's trip to the beach! time flies so fast!

Boys will be boys

2008-08-10T19:07:00.001-07:00

Who can resist some good, sandy mud?

And water handy to splash it up?
Who needs a boat with all of those options, anyways!!

Summer fun

2008-08-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

Bennett is learning to enjoy more and more things in the pool. Of course, Grandpa and Grandma Sauder help. Cousins Maddie and Bailey teach him new tricks, too.

Smile!

2008-07-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

It's fairly easy to get Bennett to smile! So, when it came to picture taking time, I wasn't too worried about the out come. But it was fun to see how nice the photos look in his traditional Chinese outfit!

Where ever we go: grocery store, Post office, Social Security Office, through our neighborhood, it's interesting how many smiles Bennett gathers! And it's mainly because he hands out smiles and little waves so freely. Hey - it costs nothing to smile! Let's ALL learn from him.

Great day!

2008-07-09T18:19:00.001-07:00

We had a great day - Dutch Wonderland sandwiched around a visit to the Cleft Palate Clinic in Lancaster. Bennett did better than we expected with all the attention. The team of several different specialists were wonderful. We will get a final report after the team meets but we got a lot of positive feedback. His cleft lip surgery, done at 6 months of age in China, was good quality care. Different individuals commented about how beautifully done his surgery was. I have to admit, I didn't think about it before how nice his lip really does look. I keep seeing the scar on his upper lip. He will need a bit more surgery at around age 6 and 16. He passed the hearing test in flying colors and the speech therapist is pleased with his progress. We will have at least annual visits to the clinic to stay abreast with Ben's growth and needs through the years. (Ben did not have a cleft palate.) We are so blessed to have this incredible resource in our back yard!

We really did have some family fun at the park! Ben made the choice to go on the merry-go-round and loved it!

A big slide for a big boy and a little boy.

This is the first ride Ben made up his mind that he could go on by himself. He passed it up once but went on the second time around.

What's that song about the watercolor ponies riding away? Bennett really is growing up! It makes me want to hang on to his cute toddler ways!

WOW! 4 months already!

2008-07-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Four months ago, on March 4 in Nanjing, China, we met Bennett on Gotcha Day.

Four months later, we can't image life without our boy! He is so special and sweet.

Flowers, too!

2008-07-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

For all Ben's chatter about Cho Chos and trucks, he does love to water flowers. I suspect it has more to do with the water than the flowers, but we do enjoy keeping the beds looking nice.

New stuff for Mom

2008-07-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

Our little guy looks even smaller!

Having no brothers, all this stuff about tractors, motors, trains, etc, has been a learning experience for me. I did enjoy our trip into Burkholder's Quarry where we got to see some very big wheels! I get tired of it before Bennett does, though.

Play Group

2008-06-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

We are grateful to be part of a play group for families in the process of or who have adopted Chinese children. Most Fridays can find us hanging out in a local park or some one's home.

Faster, lady!

We first connected with this group around Christmas 2006 at a drop-in party. We went to some special events like Chinese New Year Parties since then. Now that Ben has come home, we are part of the Friday play group, too. As a new mom, I have so appreciated learning from this group of ladies and their special kids. Ben's the only guy for now. But he can learn a lot from these little ladies, too!

Ben's great friends

2008-06-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Neighbor friends Lance and Haley help Ben figure out what is means to live in farming country!

That's OK if you hold it, Haley!

They sure start small! Mooo!

Hershey Park Fun

2008-06-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

Real life choo choo!!

Mommy, why did they throw food on the ground?

Ben had too much fun to fall asleep!

Daddy's reaction to Ben's driving.

Mommy's reaction to Ben's driving.

Fun at the Cabin

2008-06-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

Lotsa kids!!! Host Dave is kept busy.

How many ladies does it take? Nice job, girls!

Daddy Gym

2008-05-22T19:15:00.001-07:00

Bennett takes a break, building up steam....

Daddy's home!!!

Daddy gym time begins!

A Man And His Machines

2008-05-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

Sitting out front watching traffic is a favorite past time! Ben gets so excited by the vehicles on this busy road, I have to laugh. Horse and buggies get him talking, too!

I'm not sure why I was surprised that Ben wanted to use the vacuum! It has a motor!

First Mother's Day

2008-05-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

Ben was so sweet to get me these flowers! (thanks, honey)

Say What???

2008-05-12T17:08:00.001-07:00

Yes, Ben has a smile big enough for a commercial! One of his favorite foods on his short list of things he wants to eat is Beef Jerky. Hmmm...what did he used to eat? Daddy doesn't mind sharing his snack and it sure gets Ben drinking!

Serious Conversation!

2008-05-07T12:46:00.000-07:00

The city slicker goes to the farm! Learning to enjoy animal friends.

Ben is now aggressively trying to learn words. He asks, "What's that?" in Chinese. You will say what it is and then he will often will say "huh?" Sometimes he will say, "Huh?" again! In normal conversation he will also occasionally say, "huh?" and you get to repeat yourself! I wasn't expecting such specific effort. I figured at his age of just 2 years old he would just gradually switch to English words. It is so cute watching him make a big effort!

Chillin'

2008-04-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

Bennett now sleeps with his Thomas pillow. He's growing up so fast! Ben will often relax with his hands behind his head like a little man. Sometimes he will cross his feet, too. It's hard not to laugh! Over all, he is now more relaxed and willing to snuggle. Mommy's happy about that!

Another thing Ben has begun to do is focus on books. He didn't have time to look at the pages when he first came home. Now he'll bring you a book and even listen to some of the story.

1,000 New Things

2008-04-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

I thought Ben might argue about wearing the helmet, but he didn't complain. One of the 1,000 new experiences this Spring!!

Newest addition to the back yard is a sand box. Guests invited!

Another bike ride with daddy!

Ben is adding a few words to his list - Mommy, nie nie (night, night). He now says "No" to almost everything. I have been saying, "Yes, yes!" different times which he said one time, when I offered him an orange, one his favorite foods.

Moving Ahead

2008-04-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

Ben is part of a class designed to help two-year-olds grasp language concepts. This fast moving hour is a new setting for him. He surprised daddy this week by saying doggie and bicycle.

Teacher Robin is very skilled in keeping little student's attention.

(well, they follow most of the time!)

Enjoying the spring weather with friend Olivia.

Our First Month

2008-04-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

Ben now knows what presents are and will quickly shred into them!

Thank you to so many of you generous people that have brightened his days!

We take turns sleeping in the bed next to Ben for now. Last night Daddy fell asleep before Ben. He is sleeping very well and does not reach for our very hands often like he used to.

It's great to look back over our first month. What an experience!! I really enjoyed our days together in China and hope to return when Ben is older. It's been fun to see Ben at home here in PA. The first time we drove through farm smells Ben started fussing in the back seat! Ben continues to discover new things. This week he kept finding things over his head: signs in stores, birds flying and various lights in the house. This week he said "Thank you" for the first time. (that was REALLY nice because it was a day he was whining a lot!)

Photos From Ben's Orphanage

2008-03-31T17:54:00.001-07:00

These photos came from a camera we sent with a care package for Ben over the winter months. The staff took photos and sent the camera along with Bennett. We are grateful for the good care our son received there.

Two Weeks at Home

2008-03-31T17:29:00.000-07:00

We had snow on Easter!

I can hardly believe it's two weeks already we have been home. Ben has made many friends and now waves and says bye bye to others when we leave. He has learned to play by himself a bit better so I feel like I am getting my act together.

The best way to get Ben interested in something is to model it. Ben wanted Brad's toast this morning and ate most of the slice, jelly side down. He usually shows little interest in bread. Writing thank you notes for gifts has had good side effects! Ben has let me hold his hand to write his name and showed interest in crayons again today. Brad is happy Ben will finally take a bath by himself with out Brad in the tub, too.

There continue to be lots of firsts, like first shots at the doctor's tomorrow! But it's nice to be seeing some little friends and cousins a few times now. We are settling into some nice patterns.

Dozing At 3:00 AM

2008-03-17T05:58:00.000-07:00

Ben went down for a nap at 1:30 yesterday afternoon and didn't wake up until 10:00 PM!
Brad fed him some of his favorite food, noodles, and he went back to sleep until 2:30AM or so. I took over Ben duty and peeled a small orange for him. Ben wanted more so I showed him how to peel it. So he peeled and ate three more! Of course after not too much play time, I wanted to relax on the couch. The big equipment DVD got his attention. I don't remember him asking to be picked up and put on the couch before, but he did it for this big event. He would make motor noises and look over at me smiling. I was not as excited about it as him, especially at 5:00 AM!

Back In Town

2008-03-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

cs Home at last! Bennett immediately found many things to do. We didn't get to bed until midnight or so till we got ourselves settled after arriving in PA at 8:00 PM. I slept in a single bed next to Ben. He sleeps well, but likes to know someone is there during the night. Brad and I will take turns sleeping in Ben's room for a while.

One of Ben's favorite things to do in the hours and hours of flying time. He would probably say he doesn't want to fly again for a long time!

Ben was up early ready to eat. He could finally eat with his own spoon and fork. He was excited to work at it, like he is excited about learning most new things. Ben ended up sleeping all afternoon, missing a visit from cousins. We'll see how much he wants to sleep tonight!

First impressions on coming back is that it seems so quiet and dark here at night.

We Love It Here

2008-03-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying the grand and beautiful White Swan Hotel. Blooming orchids, mums, and all sort of other plants in peak form fill corners. The indoor waterfall and pools are alot fun for Ben. We were a little surprised the see the Easter Bunny here! We saw Christmas decorations in Nanjing several places. Every time you turn around you see another American company here - Crest to Ford to CAT backhoes to Lipton tea. (I thought tea came from China!) I cannot imagine the generation gap between the grandparents who lived in a true socialistic society to today's young adults who know capitalism and Western ways.

The medical exam was a painless event, even though watching Ben you wouldn't have known it. So, we have a nice photo of him walking in!

We enjoyed the wonderful sunshine at Lucy's for lunch. Ben copied how I dipped my fries in ketchup. He would carefully get just the right amount on each fry.

We borrowed a stroller for the few days that we are here. Ben loves it.
Brad says he's valuing it like a guy's first car.

This will be our last post before home. (Home, sweet home!)

The warm days here are great - gotta get out and enjoy some more before going back to the PA jacket weather. Ben loves his strolls in the park and watching the boats on the Pearl River.

Our most challenging day with Ben was Tuesday with our four and half hour flight delay. He did fine once we got on the plane! He is a very curious little boy that loves checking new things out. Pray with us for a smooth trip home!

Intersection Action

2008-03-10T01:16:00.000-07:00

Last Day In Nanjing

2008-03-10T00:50:00.000-07:00

The view from our hotel room on the 19th floor. Ben likes to stand on a chair next to the window and watch the action outside.

Fast food on the corner. It's interesting to see the old and the new right next to each other!

Ben enjoyed this yesterday. He was happy to stand and watch and then be held and watch the other kids in the bouncy castle. I was happy to be on solid ground after all that.

We got our bags almost packed and we fly out in the morning for our last stop before home. This part of our trip should go the fastest! We're staying at the White Swan Hotel that has special things for children. We'll be with the other six families that we were with in Beijing and get to meet their children.

More China Adventures

2008-03-09T05:05:00.000-07:00

Ben loves to snack his way through the day. East meets West on his plate! Cheerios and some sort of pickled egg. Maybe soaked in Soy Sauce? The orphanage packed a little backpack full of food and sent it along with him. Ben enjoys playing with it and eating the food they sent.

Check out how tan his little hands are!

Our bright transportation for the week.

The biggest remote control car I have ever seen! Great idea that Ben loved!

Nanjing is known for duck. Take a dozen with you!

We went out this morning to a free market. It's good we went early because it gets crowded. And was really getting full by lunch time. And when you say FULL in China it means FULL.

Brad felt like we had successful bartering today!

Life in Nanjing

2008-03-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

Nanjing is famous for it's Brocade fabric. We visited a factory and museum.
Ben and I ended up going out and watching traffic before too long.

Pool at the hotel on a bit of an unusual table

Daddy loves nap time! We put the crib betwween the beds to keep Ben from tipping it over!

First tantrum!

Saturday we visited the Prince's palace that had a traditional music performance.

One Week To Go!

2008-03-08T01:26:00.000-08:00

It feels good to look back and see how well things have gone on our trip so far! Even though I am looking forward to home, we really are enjoying being here. The weather has been good - our first rainy day was today. We have been healthy - Bennett came with a small cold that is almost gone. All our paperwork has gone well. And most importantly, things are going well with Bennett. We thank God for all of these blessings! Thank you for your prayers - they made a difference.
We ate at the hotel buffet for lunch today and had interesting things like eel, pig's feet, goose, bone soup, pig ears and There is actually stuff we did not try. I loved it (well, not all of it - the eel's head wasn't so good). I am happy to eat at KFC most of the time, though. Once is enough for that kind of a buffet. It is very popular to have kids parties at KFC, Burger King and McDonalds here.

Life In Nanjing

2008-03-06T17:09:00.001-08:00

Our group enjoyed a dinner together Thursday. All of us liked the food. (no squid included)

All of the children have cleft lip/palate.

Mama's smiling because we survived our formal dinner pretty well.

Ben ate his way through the afternoon. I was surprised he ate a bowl of noodles, too.

I have not found a rice dish he want's to eat yet!

More play time in our room. Ben complains when we come back after being somewhere else.

Get ready little PA friends, Ben is ready for action!

Our Little Man

2008-03-06T04:50:00.000-08:00

I think Ben looks a little more petite than then the other three children in the group. At 25 months, he fits the 18 month clothes and then the size 2T fits nicely over top, as is the custom here of layering clothing. And it can be cold in the buildings that are not heated. Our guide tells us we came here the right time of year. In August it gets to 100 degrees and stays there for the month. It's in the 50's now and it's been pretty nice for all the outside touring and getting to places to shop and eat.
I thought kids from orphanages would eat about anything. Ben does not like bland food. It's good potatoes have recently been changed to the vegetable group because fries are about the only vegetable he'll eat. Jane says the area he comes from, Suzhou City, is know for cooking everything with a little sugar. French toast was the hit from this morning.
As you might expect from a 2 year old, he does not want a nap. It's amazing how easy a lot of the communication has been. As soon a he sees any hint of “nap” he starts complaining. We are easing him into the bath routine. We spent most of the evening last night convincing him bath time could be fun. Maybe they used cold water at the orphanage or something. He is also used to room temperature beverages. With his cold box of milk at McDonald's, he had to stop and think between sips. I got a strawberry sundae and we weren't sure we were going to give him any. He started complaining as soon as I started eating it. I scooped small spoonfuls for him. After he had it in his mouth a bit he would cry but soon stopped, and would reach for more.
Today he was a little bored with this hotel. I think if we bought some chairs and sat in front of our grand hotel watching traffic he would be happy. I'm glad he has a hood on his jacket, that way I can hang on to him as he runs in between the usual business customers who are here. We do garner stares, but I can't say I blame the locals. We do stand out!!
We did see some good signs for bonding. Yesterday when someone reached for Ben, he responded by snuggling into Brad's shoulder. Then in the afternoon, I went to go do a little shopping and Ben started crying when I walked out the door. Brad was able to successfully convince him he REALLY did not want to go shopping!

Settling In

2008-03-05T15:39:00.000-08:00

Meet Bennett

2008-03-05T04:51:00.000-08:00

At the Nanjing CCAA office, Daddy and Bennett had some fun.

Gotcha Day

2008-03-05T00:07:00.000-08:00

Gotcha day is the day you receive your child. And receive Bennett we did! The day started with flight further South in China. We were met at the Nanjing airport by our very capable guide Jane. We were quickly whisked to our hotel for a few minutes before jumping back on our bus to pick up our children. We arrived at the office to see everyone waiting. Jane mentioned this office was more relaxed than some. So, there was no offiicial presentation of our children. We walked over to the child that matched our photos and introduced ourselves. We were able to play with Ben for some time before we had to pick him up. I think that was much better for all the children. There were three boys and one little girl. The girl cried a bit but over all, things were peaceful. Ben was chatty and giggly as we played with a few toys I had picked out for our first meeting. The nannies did not need to tell us that he is very active. We figured it out fairly quickly. He is tanned from playing outside. His hands have a line where his coat sleeves end.

He surprised me by being interested in his new clothing. He was very excited to put them on!

Bennett came with a bag of things we sent in a care box in January. We were so pleased to see he had received the blanket, toys and most importantly an album of photos of his new home. The nannies were looking at the album with Ben when we came in. It's what Brad and Ben are holding in the video. We also got back a camera that was included in the box. We look forward to a view from Ben's life at the orphanage. They gave us one photo from his second birthday in January.

We had a preliminary round of paperwork on gotcha day and today we files out the last parts. It was so nice to have the rest of the day free! We got time to ease our dusty little boy into the bathtub.

Sunday Stuff

2008-03-03T07:05:00.000-08:00

Eastern section of the Great Wall near the Gobi Desert

We were glad for the sun that warmed the mountainsde

Prettiest bathroom yet.

Last day before Bennett!

2008-03-03T04:58:00.000-08:00

Beijing really is an incredible city that is 3,000 years old. Kilometer after kilometer of amazing high rises with new ones on the way. You can forget you are in a communist country.
Our hotel has 26 stories and I was surprised how easy it was to walk down.
We toured the the Tienanmen's Square and the Forbidden City. It amazed me how huge the Forbidden City was. We kept going through layer after layer of courtyards as well as hundreds of years of history. We ended the touring here with a rickshaw ride through the historic old town section. Let me tell you, there is no room for a bus to get through there.
Tomorrow we will with travel to the Nanjing with one other couple who has been with us here and meet up with two more families who did not choose to tour beforehand. We will get our children Tuesday afternoon. Yeah! Please pray for smooth transitions!

Some great links!

2008-03-03T04:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a web site from one of the families who has done a better job with photos and stuff;
http://web.mac.com/raybeltran/Beltran_Family/%22East_to_Eden%22/%22East_to_Eden%22.html
They are one of the seven families here and they can't wait to pick up thier daughter, Eden. Their daughter Olivia has a great site too:
http://web.mac.com/raybeltran/Beltran_Family/Olivias_Blog/Olivias_Blog.html
We will be in a different Province than us but we will be together again at the last part of our trip in Guangzhou (pronounced "won jo".)
We have so appreciated getting to know these other families in our group. I can't image doing this without their part in our story to bring Bennett home. It has made our time here so much richer as we have been encouraged by thier own life stories. A bunch of us decided that while the touring has been great, we are all ready to move to the next stage of picking up our children!

P.S. We can't see the blog after we post or read comments until we are home.

Weekend photos

2008-03-02T05:55:00.000-08:00

Chop sticks really do work when you don't have any other option!

Luggage by the pile. I wonder what percentage of the stuff we
brought along came from China in the first place!

Interesting street scene

Meet Joi, our Bethany guide in Beijing

Wonder of the World

2008-03-02T05:53:00.000-08:00

The sun shone and warmed our visit to the Great Wall today. We took a gondola up the mountain and walked on a section of it. I pictured in my head a more flat surface along the top that was not based on reality. It had very steep ups and downs; some parts with high steps and other sections were just a steep slope. There were some women in heels climbing!
We had dinner at McDonald's and saw many Chinese families who all had one child. The menu was somewhat different. Instead of fries, I had corn for a side and a taro pie for dessert. Corn seems to be a favorite here – it was in the spaghetti sauce yesterday! Taro comes in different things also. The fish sandwich and fries were identical to U.S. McDonalds.
The last family to join our group includes parents, four children aged 12 – 17 and two grandmothers. The parents are both doctors, which is a comforting thought.

Sorry - photos later!

Bicycles and More Bicycles

2008-03-01T06:09:00.000-08:00

Got out to the grocery store for bottled water and snacks, we got to check out the neighborhood here in this part of Beijing. LOTS of construction going on. Traffic is busy, darting everywhere with horns tooting. The most interesting part of street life was along the edge of the road: all the bicycles, mopeds, rickshaws, scooters and other contraptions.
Our group of seven families is about 30 people. We have a tour bus that shuttles us around. We went to an acrobatic show this afternoon. Incredible show of talent!
There is another group of families here at the hotel who are from Sweden who are in the adoption process. They have their children already, so we are enjoying seeing them around!

Dinner and a Movie

2008-02-29T22:35:00.000-08:00

Well, actually it was three dinners and three movies - it's called surviving a 12 hour flight from Minneapolis to Tokyo! Northwest Airlines did a great job serving us and We felt pretty good through it all. We crossed the international dateline on leap year, February 29. Is there a wrinkle in time here? We got to our Beijing Days Inn at midnight Friday, spent some time figuring out how to turn the lights on and crashed into bed! We have an Americanized breakfast buffet at each of our hotels throughout our stay. I don't feel as much like I'm in a foreign country as I thought I would by this time in our trip. We head out into the street next. That should help change things!

Are we there yet?

2008-02-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

It's finally time to go! We only have six days until we meet Bennett. We are so excited!
Our mountain of stuff succumbed with a little pressure on the top of the suitcases and we are packed. Our lists were hashed and rehashed. What ARE we going to need, anyways? We got more in than Brad thought we would! Our four suitcases and two bags hold Papa bear's, Mama bear's and Baby bear's stuff.
Our first stop in Beijing has weather similar to here so we will need warm things for those days. Our last week will be at a latitude lower than Florida and I always find it difficult to think "warm" when it's cold.
Two years of waiting is almost up!!

We got our travel dates!

2008-02-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

We were delighted by a call telling us our travel dates of February 28 to March 15. We'll be home in time for Easter! Everyone started asking if I was excited. It took awhile to get to that stage! First it was relief that we now knew how to plan. Our tickets came in at really great prices! Less than $900 for us and a little over $900 for Bennett's one way ticket. (go figure that!) The suitcases are out!

We've got our letter of acceptance!

2008-01-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

Our Letter of Acceptance came from China faster than we expected - on December 28. This sent us on another scurry to get paper work done. I'm so glad it came right after the Christmas rush was over!!

Our visas for our trip to China almost got lost inside the UPS truck! I was very thankful for our driver who took apart some shelving to get to it after he realized it slipped away!

We had our travel meeting with Jessica, our social worker from Bethany. We went over all our documents. It's finally becoming a reality! We moved more furnature around and cleaned out more clutter. It really is seeming real!