HOME....SWEET HOME!!!

Difficult to believe we have been home for over 10 days now.....time has gone by so quickly with our new family of 7!  We were thrilled to be greeted at the airport after our long flight with wonderful signs, smiling faces, and loving family members complete with yummy meals for us to bring home.   We are blessed! 
Lucy Kate continues to blossom daily...her language is improving rapidly and she is beginning to use complete sentences in English.  There is rarely a moment when a smile is not on her darling face.....she is simply pure sunshine!  Our time together so far has included a family Thanksgiving gathering with lots of crazy cousins....what fun!!

Silly sisters jumping on the bed!!!!

And ignoring THIS sign in their room!!!

So much sweetness!  Emme has embraced her role as big sister!

Now that we are settling in as a family of seven, I plan to continue this blog whenever possible.  We feel so blessed to have so many wonderful people praying for our family & for our sweet Lucy Kate......more to come, I promise!!!!

In Hong Kong.....HOME SOON!

 We went by van to Hong Kong today, the guides talked us out of the bullet train, said we had too much luggage & too many kids! Go figure!  and are staying at the Novatel (thanks Kim for the recommendation)...we love it and wish we could stay longer!  Below is Madeline, Lucy Kate and Elijah snuggled up before bedtime...she is a snuggler and and we all adore it!

to everyone who took the time to comment, email, and especially to pray for our family and for our the transition into our family for Lucy Kate. We can never express how much we have appreciated your support & love. We are especially thankful for my sister, Sarah, and for Mom who didn't just ask HOW they could help....they knew our heart & that we  desired to give back to New Day....they made it happen and we are so thankful! There are no words to express our gratitude to those who donated to the fund for New Day Foster Home....we cannot wait to share with everyone about how God is working in that incredible place. Passing along the much needed nutritional formula to New Day was so wonderful! And the truly incredible news?  We have more money to donate thanks to the generosity of our dear family and friends.....we will let you all know as soon as we decide what surgery will be funded!!! No words can explain my delight in helping another orphan in the same manner our sweet Lucy Kate was helped by beloved Kate who raised the money needed for her foot surgery. Below was written by Hannah, a beautiful soul who volunteers at New Day, on the day of Lucy Kate's surgery in July of 2010...(Lucy Kate was referred to by the English name "Willa" as all of the kids are given English name for privacy reasons) Wasn't she just so adorable?

Monday, July 19, 2010

"Everybody Loves Me!"

Have you met Willa yet? She's a sweet little girl who did something today that most children her age will never do. She just had surgery! You hardly would have guessed it - she walks so well, but Willa was born with a clubbed foot. She walks with a limp, but that doesn't stop her from taking the stairs, and when asked to hop on one foot... she uses the foot least expected.

Today, as we arrived at her hospital where she was waiting for surgery, we asked her, "Willa, what's happening today?" "I'm going to have surgery on my foot!" she responded. With a beautiful smile on her face, and nodding as she understood, Willa listened as Grace told her what was going to happen so that she would be prepared. "Okay, okay" she said with a courageous gleam in her eye, and when the time came for us to say "goodbye" as she was wheeled into the operating room, that spark was still there.

Before the surgery Willa said something precious, something that encourages and confirms all that we do.

"Mama loves me. Aunties love me. Everybody loves me!"

That's so true, Willa, and we're so happy that you came here to receive that love!

Thank you New Day, from the bottom of our hearts, for providing such wonderful care to Lucy Kate....but most of all for showing her how to give and recieve love in the "place where love grows".  We love you all!

Consulate appointment and Pearl River Cruise

This morning was our  appointment at the American Consulate, where we receive the documents necessary to apply for American citizenship for Lucy Kate and for her Visa. Our group also had a take an oath to promise to love and care for our children. Thankfully, Matt was feeling well at the time, but as the day went on, he and Jacob both had tummy issues. Matt had the worst of it. Not sure if it's something they ate or perhaps a viral issue...but they both had to miss the Pearl River Cruise tonight.....Madeline, Elijah , Emme and Lucy Kate and I had a great time....missed Baba and Jacob though!

silly girls!

Ready to start the cruise...and bring on the buffet!

Entertainment....kids loved it!

Beautiful view from River cruise

Holding hands....sweetness!

One of the best parts of the evening was watching Lucy Kate and Keith...They were in preschool and English class at New Day together...Keith's family is currently adopting two children from New Day, and just arrived to join our group here in Guangzhou.  As you can see, Lucy Kate and Keith were SO excited to see each other!  Listening to them just talk on and on in excited mandarin was just adorable! What a joy to see these two together again! And what a lovely family!

Lots to talk about...how about those new American families?

Shamian Island, lunch at "Lucy's"

After hitting the amazing breakfast buffet here (have I mentioned how much this little girl can eat?  Elijah says "we have that in common!"  it was time to head back to the Medical office for the TB test check.  

Not too excited about being back at the medical building 

Everything was fine, and that was over quickly!  Yea!

Happy Girl!!!! 

Hey Guys....wait for me!!!

We then had some time to walk around, shop, and enjoy Shamian Island, which is where we stayed during Emery's adoption in 2005.  

Ready to shop!

                                                        

Adventures in Guangzhou!

Mama is going to have some super strong arms!

The weather here in Guangzhou is absolutely beautiful...about 75-80 degrees and sunny, and our hotel is fantastic.  There are 6 families in our group....some really great families and a joy for us to have the opportunity to spend time with them.  Today our guides took us all to Liwan Plaza here in Guangzhou...wow, it felt like New York City! 

Yep, that's KFC and McD's you see....crazy!

One of the most exciting things was that we were able to find a pair of shoes that will fit over Lucy Kate's brace.....they are pink and sweet and she is over the moon excited to no longer wear the "big white shoe" she has worn for so long.   

We took the kids swimming at the hotel pool...Lucy Kate has never been swimming before & she wasn't too sure so kept her dress on........

But didn't take long to decide swimming is lots of fun!

We then joined our guides and some of the families at a local restaurant....the kids enjoyed sampling the local cuisine!!

These are noodles....really, they are!  The kids were certain at first that the waitress had brought us a plate of worms!

Yumm!

Not much Eli won't eat...but this surprised us!



Arriving in Guangzhou and Medical appointment

Last night we flew into Guangzhou, where the American Consulate is located, for the final chapter of our journey.   Today was a  very eventful day to say the least.   Lucy Kate had her medical appointment required of all adoptions........long story short, her medical report did not "match up" as she has had club foot surgery at New Day in addition to her spinal surgery upon her abandonment at one year of age......after requiring her to walk across the room to assess her "gait", asking her to remove her brace and manipulating her foot, sweet Lucy Kate was quite hysterical.  This was difficult, to say the least, as Matt has to stay behind with Emme who had tummy troubles (never eat the fruit with skin....ooops....pooor girl!)  and all 3 kiddos were outside the room listening to their sisters terrified tears.  After 5 different doctors, including the 'supervising" doctor came into the room, we finally had the medical approval required.  Ever been in a room where 5 stern doctors speaking another language assess the value of the child you have come to adore?   The verse that came to my mind, over and over was  "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well".  Does our sweet Lucy Kate walk perfectly?  No, but she is the bravest, most determined little girl any of us have ever met.  We choose you, Lucy Kate.....and you are WONDERFULLY made my beautiful girl!

HAPPY,HAPPY!

I just had to add a second post tonight to tell the sweetest story.   While Matt and I and the kids walked up many flights of stairs to the temple today, our guide kept an eye on Lucy Kate in her stroller.  While we were gone, Celine  said that she askedLucy Kate  in Mandarin how things were going with her new family.  According to Celine, her answer was "Every day when I open my eyes,  I am happy, happy!!"  Be still my heart!!