Chongqing Tour

*I got a headband and flower in Jenna's hair this AM. Ok...so she whipped it off at breakfast, but it was cute while it lasted!

*A banyan tree in city being decorated for the upcoming Chinese New Year

*We stopped to see the Opera House...famous in Chongqing

*This man was carrying plum blossoms in his basket...sometimes you see babies in them instead!

*Daddy, Charlie, Jenna, and our guide, David, looking at the coy in the pond.

*A happy girl!

*Charlie being introduced to a pet bird in the park

*Standing in front of a 300 hundred year old (or so) banyan tree

*During our tour, Jenna decided to sing "Happy New Year" in Chinese. I only know she was singing this because our guide told us. She was singing so loudly, that I couldn't hear what the guide was saying!

*We went to a tea ceremony...very interesting and the tea was delicious!

*Jenna knew how to slurp tea without a lesson. Who knew LOUD slurping was polite?

*Char liked pouring his own tea. He got right into the act of observing the tea's color, scent, slurping, and smacking his lips when he was finished!

Chongqing, Adoption Day

Charlie posing with a statue at the Civil Affairs office

Our sad little one after seeing her caregivers

Jenna's feeling better...enough to give Daddy a smile

Charlie and his new friend, Annabelle, who is also 5 years old. They will be staying at our hotel in GZ, too!

Little Jenna is not so happy about her bath...but she's so cute in her new jammies!!

Happy playing with her tag. Have I mentioned that she throws nothing away? It's all in her backpack!

Still hangin' on to that tag...

Night, night, little ones.

What a great day with Jenna! She started out a little quiet and tentative, but by the time I was out of the shower, Jamie had new clothes on her and she was playing with her Mulan doll. Awesome! I can’t believe he was able to get her dressed without tears…from Jenna, I mean. And she looked just adorable in her new clothes. We are on a mission, though, to find some new shoes. The ones I brought are too small, and she has rather wide feet. The red boots from the orphanage are nice, but just not girly enough for some of the clothes we brought. Jenna also let me comb her hair, brush her teeth, and put a little lip gloss on her little lips. She has a cough and runny nose…guessing I may be catching it by sharing my lip gloss.

And this girl can eat! At breakfast, she ate bacon, eggs, muffins, 2 yogurt drinks…forget the Chinese congee. She wanted nothing to do with it. Once again, I see our grocery bill rising. Look out, big brothers, she likes to sample food from everyone’s plate. Lunch and dinner followed suit…let’s try food from everyone’s plate, and if I don’t, I’m going to give you some pitiful looks with tears in my eyes. Yes, folks, she already has Daddy wound very tightly around her finger. A look like that, and Daddy’s scrambling to find out what she wanted from his plate so he can share with her. She prefers Daddy to feed her, hold her, and pay attention to her. She’s in his arms, on his lap to eat, and in our bed…and that is not something we’ve done with any of our kids! She even had a drinking game going with him at dinner. Jamie would take a drink (while she’s watching and grinning) and then she would take a drink. And this went on for some time. She has such a sweet smile…just melts a heart and turns Daddy into putty!

Charlie, Jenna, and I spent some time playing in the hotel lobby while Daddy took care of banking business after breakfast. We chatted with a lady who is adopting a 13 year old girl, and who just adopted a 5 year old boy last year. It’s amazing how many families we are finding who are back again. After Daddy returned, we grabbed lunch, and headed back to the Civil Affairs building to finalize the adoption in China.

Jenna was tired by this time, and the van ride was a pretty solemn one. Not sure if she remembered the ride from yesterday and all that went along with it, or if she just preferred not to be riding in the van. Nevertheless, it was solemn, and once we got into the building, it was not a good thing for her. The lady from the orphanage that brought her to us yesterday, and the young girl, were there waiting to greet us. Jenna saw them right away and started squirming to go to them. We felt bad doing this, but we said hello and kept right on walking to the other side of the room. Jenna looked frantically for them over my shoulder and then the tears started, and she sobbed once again. Darn it…I know they wanted to say goodbye and we are indeed thankful for their love, but this is not what Jenna needed. For a good ½ hour, she cried and called for them, saying that she wanted to back with them. Broke my heart…not because she wanted to be with them and not us, but because she had to go through these emotions again. How confusing it must be for her. Finally, they got up and went into another room. Jenna still searched for them, and we got our official family photo taken with a very sad little girl. She sat on my lap for a long time…just sunken in my arms with a sad face.

We waited for quite a while in this office while money transfers were confirmed, and paperwork completed. We chatted with other families and shared struggles we faced, as well as things to laugh about and celebrate. Finally, we went through the final adoption ceremony, and given permanent custody of Jenna. In China’s eyes, we are Jenna’s forever mama and baba.

Back at the hotel, Charlie got to go swimming with Daddy, while Jenna and I played with stickers and papers. Smiles and our happy girl reappeared. When the guys returned, we went to the lounge for dinner. Char fell asleep on my lap…and that means he was super tired because that usually does not happen. Jenna got her first bath and was not particularly fond of it. What a pathetic look she shared with me as we finished! The little ones are asleep now together on the cot…and I did get Jenna to wear her new jammies tonight. She looks so sweet!

Good night from Chongqing!

Gotcha Day with Jenna

Stuffing her pockets with her toys - Jamie thought this was hilarious

Giving the peace sign. Yeah for peace!

Enjoying food with Daddy

Kisses for Daddy

We hit the bed hard last night. Poor Char…I thought he was going to fall asleep in his plate at dinner. We tucked him in and he was out within minutes. As I was tucking him in, though, he was wiggling with excitement about meeting Jenna today. He will be a great big brother.

We slept well, and were able to sleep until about 5 A.M. I heard Char whisper, “Mom.” “What?” “Are we getting on the plane today to go get Jenna?” “No, we’re going to take a car today.” Pause. “Mom?” “What?” “I wanna adopt more sisters.” Be still my heart! I love hearing these words from my boys!

At 10:30, we met with our guide, David, to sign a pile of papers. He took us to a department store for an electronic purchase so we could download photos, we came back and ate some spicey Chinese food at the hotel, and then waited for what seemed forever, for 1:30 when we would meet David in the lobby to go to Jenna.

Finally, 1:30 arrived, we hopped into the van and drove to the Civil Affairs office here in Chonqing. Our little one was waiting for us on the 14^th floor, our guide told us. There was another woman meeting her 13 year old daughter also staying at our hotel, but her daughter arrived early, so she had already left to meet her.

The first thing Char said when we arrived at the building was, “I have to go potty.” Seriously, now?? But we found out that Jenna’s ride was stuck in traffic and she hadn’t arrived yet. OK, buddy…you can go potty…but hurry!

We only had to wait a few minutes…long enough to take off our coats, set down our bags, and chat with a Louisiana family waiting for their little girl. The office was very clean and shiny, and probably used so often for not only adoptions, but also, marriages.

Then I heard Jamie say, “That’s her!” We stood there staring for a moment and then realized we ought to grab the camera! She was all dressed in red…a red coat, red pants, and red boots. She looked like a little Michelen man in all her layers. She was carrying a new set of markers and a plastic ball, probably farewell gifts from her caregivers. She arrived with the orphanage office director and her “daughter” (in the yellow coat). Not really her daughter, but that’s how she referred to her. Later, we were told that she needed a home, too…joking that she could cook and clean for us. Oh, my. Don’t do that to me…I’d take her in a heart beat if we could!

So, we spent about 45 minutes at the office just playing with her, asking questions of the caregivers, and signing more papers. Jenna was so happy and smiley the whole time…calling us mama and baba, saying thank you for the lollis we gave her, giving us hugs and kisses…but then would venture right back to the side of her “sister” or caregiver. Umm…thinking this could be difficult when we leave. Char did great, too. He gave Jenna her new puppy, patted her head, tried talking to her, and ran around a bit. And, yes, he did come up for some reassuring hugs from mom and dad while we were lovin’ on Jenna.

Then it was time to leave. Jamie picked her up first, and boy did she squirm and fuss to get down. So, he handed her to me, thinking that would be better. Umm…no. She writhed and cried with me, too…all the way back to the hotel, and for 3 hours straight in our room. I even got clunked in the head with her pack of markers. This girl has a set of lungs! It started with crying for mama and baba (from the orphanage). After a while, it turned into an angry scream and cry. She wanted out! She was in so many layers, we thought maybe it would be wise to take off her coat and boots. Not wise. She was ticked! She put them right back on herself, grabbed her toys, and walked to the door and sat there and sobbed. I’ve never seen this much anguish in a child before, but understandably so…she just lost everything and everyone she’s ever known. By golly, at least she can hold on to her own coat and boots. We tried everything we could think of…holding her, putting her down, offering her treats. She would get down and was so upset, she would stagger. So Jamie decided that it was best to just hold her, let her scream, but at least she wouldn’t hurt herself.

Most of this time, Char was watching his DVD player, occasionally covering his ears telling us that she was really loud. Ya think? He asked a few times to go swimming, so Jamie decided to take him, and I stayed with Jenna. Shortly thereafter, I offered her fish crackers, and she accepted them, and no more screaming. She would glare at me out of the corner of her eyes, but at least we were making progress. Then we got down on the floor and played with her new Mulan doll and accessories. She smiled and played with me! Yes! The guys came back to quiet, happy girls! For the rest of the evening, she chatted, gave kisses, ate (this girl LOVES food), and went potty (just like my dream)! We were also in stitches because she was stuffing as much as she could into her pockets!

Progress was definitely being made with this pumpkin, but two things she insisted upon…no bath and no jammies. I did insist that she wear a pullup to bed, but once we got that on, she was OK. At least she didn’t scream at me…or clunk me in the head. She kept babbling something at me when I showed her the bath and her jammies…I think maybe she was telling me that she was leaving. Not sure…but it would make sense. We finally bribed her with fruit snacks to hop up onto the bed next to me for rest, and to take off her boots. We had wriggled her coat off her earlier, second attempt, even though it made her mad. At least now she wouldn’t be too hot in bed.

Jenna has a cold, so we gave her some Triaminic PM…for her cold, and to help her rest. I put it in her mouth…she took it out. I put it back in…she spit it out. So, me not being too proud for bribery, offered more fruit snacks. It worked. Can anyone fedex me some more fruit snacks for the next week and a half?

Jenna is also a bed hog. She slept in between Jamie and me for part of the night. But she started turning sideways, and pushing Jamie out of bed. He ended up on the cot.

It’s Tuesday morning as I type this. She is awake in bed, watching us. She has hold of her puppy, but not really wanting us too close.

Thank you for your prayers!

More Gotcha Day Photos

This was the first glimpse of our little Jenna. She was all smiles!

Charlie gave Jenna her puppy from Build-A-Bear. He was adamant that was HIS job!

Charlie and Jenna...sweet kids!

Char got his share of attention from the orphanage caretakers, too. Not sure all that they were saying, but they seemed pretty enamored wit him.

Group photo...the orphanage office director, her "daughter", and us

Group photo with David, our guide in the orange coat, and the orphanage director on the right

Jenna crying in Daddy's arms

Char trying to arrange her toys for her to make her feel better...such a good big brother

Charlie watched movies during most of Jenna's screaming. What a trooper he was!

Jenna wanted out...she sitting by the door just wanting to leave.

She's feeling better playing with her new Mulan doll.

Char and Jenna playing together.

Jenna's Gotcha Day!

Lots to come about meeting our Jenna today. I'll write more later, but in short, she is very smiley during her happy moments, and her little heart is breaking at other times. At this moment, she is peacefully playing on the floor with Charlie. Praying for a peaceful night.

Daddy tickling Jenna. I think we have another ticklish little one on our hands!

Charlie and Jenna

My two youngest sweeties

Jenna, Here We Come! - First Photos

Charlie up at 7:30 on Friday morning...ready to go!

On the plane ride to Shanghai. Mommy's doing her Bible study, and Char's playing his game. No, that's not his Heineken!

This is the look I'm sure we all had after a 14 hour plane ride, and one hour car ride to our hotel in Shanghai!
Charlie got an icecream treat before bed in Shanghai.

Jamie and Charlie had time to do some playing in the pool.

This bamboo photo is for you, Jacob. It was in the airport!

Coke...a universal symbol no matter what the language!

On our flight to Chongqing...we all felt a bit like this!

On the stairs at our hotel in Chongqing.

Signing papers with our guide, David, before going to meet Jenna.

David took us to a local department store to buy a new USB to download photos...and there are clothes here if needed!

These girls were looking and giggling at us, and saying "hi." So, I took their photo!

There are flower markets all over Chongqing. The flowers are still in full bloom here even though it was snowing a bit today.
Typical view of laundry hanging outside apartments.
Wrapping gifts to give to the nannies and orphanage director.

Chongqing

It’s dinner time in Chongqing. We’re all feeling a bit of jet lag right now. So the tv is on, Char’s watching The Chipmunks movie, we’re downing some coffee, trying to make it to a decent bedtime. Dinner tonight will probably be in the lounge at our hotel.We were up so early this AM, that Jamie and Charlie had time for a swim before we left for the airport.

Then, we had another uneventful flight from Shanghai to Chongqing. We arrived around 4:00 PM in Chongqing…very overcast, hazy, and difficult to see the area. I did see some mountains from the airplane, but not much else. When we landed, the butterflies took over again thinking about becoming a mom again…excited and nervous, knowing that the next day, Jenna would be with us.

The most eventful thing to happen on the flight was a brief conversation I had with a local woman. Her English was quite good, and she had been to North America several times. I think she wanted to practice her English. However, she may have chosen her words a bit more carefully. She was asking about Charlie, of course. And then proceeded to ask if I was his grandma. Really? Again? This is the 2^nd time in as many years that I’ve been asked about being a grandma. I really, really need to invest in some good skin products. Any suggestions, friends?

So I humbly walked off the plane, we gathered our luggage, and were met by our guide, David. We took a van ride to our hotel, and found ourselves feeling like we were now in China. The traffic is insane…automobiles everywhere, driving in no organized manner whatsoever. There are basically no bikes here, though, because it is so hilly. Our guide compared Chongqing to San Francisco with all the ups and downs. And crosswalks? Why bother? No one stops for pedestrians anyway!

Our hotel is great and we have a good size room. Our guide informed us that tomorrow morning we will meet to fill out paperwork, and then…2PM…we meet Jenna. He laughed, telling us that there will be six families meeting our children…and lots of noise…crying noise! He did tell us that one of the other children is 13 years old. I can’t wait to see this all transpire with the 6 families tomorrow! Stay tuned!

P.S. There will be photos...as soon as I can figure out how to upload them to this computer!

Shanghai

We made it! We arrived after an uneventful flight, direct to Shanghai, on Saturday evening. That would be Saturday morning back home as China is 13 hours ahead of EST. Our friends, Dave and Kelly, drove us to the airport Friday afternoon. We checked in and chatted briefly with the lady behind the counter about adoption. Part of me was hoping that she might be so moved by our story that she would bump us up to business class...guess our story wasn't "moving" enough. Bummer! Charlie marched though security with his own passport like a pro. He took off his coat, shoes, backpack, placed them all in the bucket to be screened, all the while amusing the older couple waiting behind us. It's funny to watch him try to be so independent! I was the only one to set off the security buzzer, but none of us had to go through the body scanners! Yahoo! We proceeded on to McDonalds for a chocolate milkshake, walked up and down the moving platforms at Charlie's request, and then got ready to board the plane.

Aside from our individual tv screens not being able to play movies, all went well. But for that "inconvenience," we earned some extra air miles. We were served two meals, a snack, and with the help of some sleep aids, (love Triaminic PM for kids!), we were able to get quite a bit of sleep. Note to self...next time I need to pack something for my restless legs...took me a little extra time to get comfy! Oh, yeah. The individual screens that are on the headrests...well, they have touch screens...with games. Can you imagine how hard it is to try to sleep with a lady behind you banging on the headrest, playing games? Ummm...I tried. Really, I did. But I finally had to sit up and ask her to please stop so I could try to sleep. She was Chinese...charades came in handy.

So, we landed and headed to security. This was quite a chuckle. We were in line, and an officer motioned for the three of us to come to a new line. Only us. Maybe because we were a family with a young child? Anyway, we get to the officer's check point and hand him our passports. We smile...'cause, ya know, it can't hurt. He looks at us, and then at Char. And then at us...and then at Char. And stares. (We're getting used to this again). He stamps Jamie's passport, and then mine, and then stands up and stares at Charlie. He looks again at Char's passport and says, "Taiwan?" Then he stamps his passport, too, and we move on. It was funny! But he wasn't the last one to stare...oh, no. Another man was standing near us...staring...a lot...and even tilted his head to the side as if he just couldn't figure out how this was working. Asian child...caucasian parents...hmmmm...

Pretty quickly, we piled into the car that the hotel had sent to pick us up from the airport. A Mercedes, no less! It was a smooth ride to the hotel, we checked in, Char was given a lolli, and they sent nuts and icecream to our room for a snack. We slept well...until 3AM. Then we were all awake. We tried to go back to sleep, but to no avail...so we finally got up at 4:30. We're heading to breakfast now, and will fly to Chongqing around lunch time. Thank you for your prayers...all is going great!

Dear Jenna,

Dear Jenna,

It's 6:30 A.M. on January 14th. I'm (Mommy) at the computer, drinking my coffee on the morning we leave to meet you and become a family. Family means you're our daughter...forever. And we're your mommy and daddy, brothers and sister...forever. When you cry, we'll be here to help. When you triumph, we'll be here to cheer for you. When you want to be silly, we'll be here to laugh with you! There's so much a family is and does, and we can't wait for you to be in ours. Three more days, baby girl, and you'll finally begin to understand "family."

Oh, and all of your brothers and sister have a song that is "theirs." This is your song, and when we hear it on the radio, we all say...hey...that's Jenna's song! Your daddy tears up every time he hears it. I think he pictures you growing up and "finding your wings" too quickly for his liking. I picture the short time I have to teach you about being a girl...a young lady..a wife and a mommy someday. Oh, how we'll treasure the time that you're home with us.

We love you so much, Jenna Mei. We just can't wait to hold you and love you!

An Update on Jenna

We received an update today on our Jenna Mei.

We were really hoping for a photo, but I'll take the measurements they sent!

Any info is good!

Height: 96 cm./37.8 in.

Weight: 12 kg./29.7 lbs.

Feet: 14.5 cm/5.7 in.

So, she's gained 3 pounds and is 1.5 inches taller than the update we received last July.

She's almost the same height as Charlie now. Actually, 1.5 inches shorter...

so I think that puts her right about Laura's height. And a couple pounds heavier than Laura.

Goodness...they just might look like triplets!

Good news is that the clothing we packed should fit OK...size 4 slim. I think we'll have to wait until we get there to see what shoes she will need.

The boys and I had a nice chat about Jenna and what they may experience when she gets home, as well as a reminder about her special need. Jacob thinks her special need is cool because he doesn't know of anyone else like her! My optimist!

I also know that she will have some mighty upset brothers if someone picks on her!

Amen to that!

Brothers, protect your sisters!

I know for sure that Charlie thinks he will be her "main" protector...awesome!

Unless she's very strong-willed and wants to be HIS protector. Then there could be a clash of wills!

I keep wondering what her personality will be like,

and what her voice sounds like,

and if she will eat the food I cook (or order for delivery),

and how she will react to two bigger brothers,

and a "big" sister who is smaller than she is,

and who needs so much more help than she does?

Does she eat with chopsticks, or have they taught her to use a fork?

Have they let her hair grow?

Will she smile at us or cry or scream?

How will she sleep that first night? and with whom?

Oh, so many thoughts going through my head.

I guess I'll find out Monday...by the time you all wake up...she will be ours and we'll know the answers to our million questions!

Almost ready...and prayers

We're almost ready to go.

I'm tellin' ya...I'm looking forward to being on that plane so that all is done and I can just chill...for 14 hours. OK...so that's a long time. But I'm ready.

You would think that since this is our 4th time adopting and preparing to go overseas, we'd be pros at this. Nope. Still stressing about fitting everything into suitcases, if we have the right meds, all the paperwork, kids are packed and ready to go to their own destinations...

Oh, yeah...

and the three boys are all coughing and have sore throats.

So, I thought I'd better put out the prayer requests NOW!

Please pray...

*for good health for ALL 7 of us.

*that coughs and sore throats will be gone before we leave

*timely and safe flights

*that luggage reaches our destinations timely and in one piece

*that we don't have to go through those dumb body scanners at security...how embarrassing!

*that all paperwork is accurate and accounted for in my handy-dandy accordian file.

*for Jenna's heart...that she's quickly comfortable and happy with us.

*for the kids remaining here that they are safe, comfortable, healthy, and not missing us...well, maybe missing us just a little!

*for the caregivers back here...health, patience, and fun!

*that we will be prayerful and thankful while in China for all our blessings

On Dating My Son

OK...I'm not even going to touch this subject with a ten-foot pole in regards to our boys for at least 50 more years...:) But I was reading my new Thriving Family magazine from Focus on the Family, and thought this was pretty funny. Here's an excerpt...

Seven Rules For Dating My Son

Rule One: If you would like to talk with my son, please do so in the church foyer.

Bring your Bible.

Rule Two: If you call my house to talk with my son, your conversation may be

monitored by a customer service representative.

Rule Three: The following locations and activities are acceptable for your date:

Rule Four: My son cannot use my minivan to drive you to a mall. He has a bicycle.

You may ride on the handlebars.

Rule Five: Please do not touch my son. Do not lean against him unless you are faling over and are in danger of plunging from a cliff....

Rule Six: I am aware that it is considered fashionable for girls your age to wear Fergie-style "shirts" that do not reach their low-slung pants. My wife and I want to be fair and open-minded about this, so you are free to show up in such attire.

My wife will affix it properly to your body with a glue gun.

Rule Seven: Above all else, remember that we've been praying for this boy since God gave him breath, and we will continue to. When he chooses a godly girl, we will be overwhelmed with joy. Until then, we'll pray that you'll chase Jesus first and watch everything else fall into place.

I Held Her

I held Jenna in my dream last night.

Jamie walked in with her, and she came to me when he called me Mama.

She was very shy, but smiled a little when I called her Mei Mei (baby sister).

She was wearing a little dress and someone had decorated the back

of her short hair with little clips and bows.

She was just the size I imagine her to be...just right to carry and hold, but not a baby.

She communicated that she had to use the potty, and she let me help her.

That was it.

But, oh, do I long to hold her even more now!

Gotcha Day is January 17th...soon, Jenna, soon!

She beat me

Guess who went bowling on a field trip today?

Yep.

And guess who got a higher score than mama did a few months ago?

Yep.

Next time maybe I'll do better and get a free t-shirt, too, and

forgo the humble pie.

Random Thoughts

We leave so soon to bring Miss Jenna Mei home. Part of me doesn't believe it'so soon...the other part gets a little panicky! Once the TA is issued, it's "hold on to your socks 'cause everything's going at rocket speed now!"

**I keep wondering if she knows we're coming.

**and if she ever received her package last summer with the photos of us.

**Has she grown much?

**Will her clothes fit?

**What about shoes?

**I don't think I've packed enough meds. for the all the "just in case" stuff.

**She'll turn 4 while we're there.

**Has she ever celebrated her birthday?
**How can we celebrate it there?

**How cool that our CA is on her birthday!

**I should pack some balloons...not inflated, of course!

**I'm glad she doesn't need shots!

**I've never left Jacob for 2 weeks...but I know he will have fun with this brother and friends.

**How will the kids handle a 17 hour plane ride?

**Will Charlie be singing the entire way...'cause he's always singing at home.

**Jamie downloaded his favorite Bible song CD onto the ipod...or ipie, as Char says.

**...so he can sing away on the airplane and streets of China.

**Will he be considered a street evangelist while doing this?

**I need to buy more undies for Char...along with more meds. Both are important!

**Can we really pack only 3 suitcases for this trip?

**I have to plan schoolwork for the big boys while we're gone.

**Thinking about school when we get back...ummm...maybe not right away?

**First things first...let's get dinner cooking for tonight...