They're HOME!

Just a quick update to let everyone know Mike, Brooke, and Emery made it home safely last night after a long, long trip home. They left Hong Kong on time, landing in Chicago on time, but their originally scheduled flight from Chicago to Charlotte canceled. They were rebooked on a different flight that kept getting delayed.

Below: Mike and Emmy sleeping in the Chicago airport, waiting for their flight.

 

Praise the Lord, they finally left Chicago on that flight, and they landed in Charlotte at 9:20pm. Chuck and I picked them up at the airport, and they arrived at their home in Winston at about 11:30pm. Emmy cried a little in the car seat, but she soon fell asleep and slept the whole car trip home. (PRAISE!)

Below: Emmy after getting on her jacket and hat in the Charlotte airport, ready for the ride HOME!

 
Once in Winston, there were lots of hugs between Mike, Brooke, Landon, Ella, and Eli. Such a sweet reunion! Pops and Nannie were there, and Gammy, Jay, and Jennifer popped over for a quick visit to meet Emmy. She was very sweet yet very tired. When we left their house last night, she was laying on her daddy's chest looking very sleepy.

Brooke developed a cold over the past several days, and air travel (of course) did not help, so she is still resting this morning, and Emmy is also still sleeping as I type. While I'm sure everyone is anxious to meet Emmy and welcome Mike and Brooke home, I'm sure today will be a day of recuperating and adjustment for all three of our world travelers. Once Brooke is feeling better, I'm sure she'll blog and have much more to share from their trip.

Please continue to pray for their family during this time of transition and feel free to text or email them your good wishes until they feel ready for visitors. Caroline

Wednesday morning

Hello from Guangzhou! This is our last morning here. We leave late this afternoon for Hong Kong where we will fly out tomorrow to head home!  Yippee!

Yesterday we had to wake early to be out of the hotel at 7:45am for our consulate appointment. This is definitely the earliest we have had to be up and out with Emmy. She was sleeping well so we didn't try to get up in time to eat before we left. The consulate appointment was fine, and we got back for a late breakfast.  

At the consulate Emmy decided she wanted to sit In her own seat and also wanted to on the bus ride back to the hotel. This was great, so we decided to try the high chair...not so great. That is going to be a very slow process. Emmy had already eaten a granola bar, two snack bars, and a couple of little oranges but still managed to eat a whole bowl of noodles and some more oranges.  

We then went to a few shops near the hotel. It's a bit different than home as most of the stores in this little area have the same items, but they are certainly trying to sell them to you. Lots of showing off their products and giving you offers to lower prices. Mike pulled some bargaining skills by grouping items together to see what they would do. Emmy just took it all in but is reaching out to explore a little more.

The afternoon was a nap. Emmy cried both at Monday night's bedtime and Tuesday's nap time. She seems to have a little more nose congestion. Luckily the crying was only a minute or two. Later we took a walk to a nearby park. It was a nice change of scenery for us all. It took Emmy a while after nap time to perk up. She ended up walking a lot in the afternoon and then also as we went to dinner with friends at the Cantonese restaurant.

It has been such a blessing to have met sweet and dear friends on this trip.  We have shared stories, laughs, frustrations, and more. Their daughter has a motherly affection for Emmy that is incredible. This morning at breakfast, she cut up fruit to feed to Emmy as well as spoon feeding her congee. It will certainly be hard to say goodbye to them tomorrow.

After a bath and some sweet snuggle time with daddy, it was time for bed.  I had a screaming headache again so Mike put Emmy to bed. She didn't make a peep as he laid her down!!! Yay!!!

We are ready to make the ride to Hong Kong! Please pray for safe travels today and tomorrow. We are hoping Emmy does well with such a long flight, but we know that  since it is hard for us to sit for so long, that it will be hard for her as well. Please also pray that they are able to seat us together. Right now we don't have seats together by we would prefer we all 3 sit together if at all possible. We also know that having to be in a car seat is going to be hugely difficult on the ride home from Charlotte. Please pray that she will do ok with it as it will be a long drive for her after two plane rides, and we would love for her to be happy for her homecoming!!! 

Thank you for your prayers, and we hope we will get to post another time before we leave, but if not, we will post sometime after we get home!  Enjoy the snow NC!!!

Monday night

We have to leave at 7:45am for our consulate appointment, so I am sending a nighttime post instead. Today has been a good day. We had a leisurely morning with breakfast and a little bit of shopping time near the hotel. Emmy just let me carry her around and seemed to just take in all of the sights around her.  

Around lunchtime, we went with our group to lunch at a Cantonese restaurant and then sightseeing. Our guide ordered items for us that she though we would enjoy such as spring rolls, noodles, sweet pork, sugar snap peas, and some kind of bread. The food was very tasty. Right at the front door they were selling your pick of live eels, turtles, and fish. I was thankful that turtle soup wasn't on the menu.

The area we were in had a lot of French architecture. We had a great walk but missed nap time. Emmy was very relaxed, and I have been very thankful for the wrap my friend let me borrow. Emmy gets in the wrap and just completely relaxes. It sure is easier on my arms than carrying her without it. We haven't seen any of the strollers that we thought would be plentiful in the stores, but we aren't sure that Emmy would ride in one if we had it. 

With no nap, she did really well the rest of the day without fussing. We made a trip to a playground where she ran around and even tried out the swing. Emmy continues to open up a bit more each day and played with Andrea, who is another mommy who adopted a little boy from Emmy's class at the same orphanage. I am hoping that the video works to see Emmy running around the playground chasing me. We took turns chasing each other, but she found it more amusing to chase me than the other way around.

We are so thankful for how well Emmy is doing so far. In my devotion today ,I was reminded of how our Father knows everything we need and knows when we need it. Do not worry and do not be anxious. So as I start thinking ahead to the transition that Emmy will have coming home, I am trying to remember this. Mike and I are so ready to come home, but we know that it isn't just going to be our getting back into our routine but will include so many changes for everyone in our home.

Good night to you all, or I guess good morning to you in your time zone.

Monday morning

(Sorry this post is a little late. I received it last night after I had already gone to bed. Caroline)

Hello everyone!

Well it is Monday morning here. Sunday was a hard day, but the Lord is good always and sustained us through the day. After breakfast, we had to leave for Emmy's medical checkup. We asked for prayers as we worried about the blood draw, but the worst part of it all was when they had to take her picture. It was the first thing they did, but we had to wait for 30 minutes before we started. Most of the kids went in and sat on the chair and either smiled or looked on with interest as their picture was taken.  

Once we saw that she had to sit by herself, we knew it may be difficult. As soon as we sat her in the chair, she screamed and arched her back, sliding out of the chair. Our guide tried to explain to her hat they just needed a picture. She wouldn't calm down so we had to go out in he hall while others took their picture.

When she calmed back down we made our way back to the room, and as soon as we stepped inside, she completely melted down. My heart was breaking as I couldn't communicate with her and at least get her to open her eyes. They said it would be fine if she was crying but that they had to see her eyes. So out to the hall we went again. This was probably 25 minutes into the process, and I was working to comfort her, and poor Mike was having to work to comfort me. I was praying for her to just open her eyes.  

After a while, we went back in with an idea on how to manage. We covered her eyes until we were about to set her I the chair, and we had he photographer ready. It didn't work. The photographer was saying "not now, calm her down," and Mike had Emmy, and she thought we were leaving, but he said "one more" and quickly set her down, and the photographer snapped a photo. She was crying really hard but you could see her eye!!! Praises were lifted! I was a wreck! We were all so weary after that but the Lord carried us through.  

Luckily the next stops  - for height, weight, then ears and mouth, then another check and lastly the blood draw - she did really well with all of those!!! It was really crowded with lots of adoptive families because it was the last day they were open before closing for the New Year.

On the bus ride back to the hotel Emmy fell asleep. She was physically and emotionally drained, and so were we. She stayed asleep until we opened the door to our room!  I went ahead and laid her down, but she was too hungry to sleep. She ate a huge lunch, and then we all took a nap!!! We all felt so much better after a nap!

In the evening, all of the families went on a river cruise. Emmy seemed to like the boat. It was interesting to see the buffet on the boat and to experience what it was like. When we usually have a buffet-type dinner, the people line up at the plates and go down and serve themselves. Here, it was a free for all where you just run and grab! It was quite interesting to see, and luckily Emmy and I were not in the middle of it. Mike was trying to get plates for us all, and it was definitely a different experience for him.

Emmy was adamant on feeding herself which was great, but I ended up wearing a lot of rice and noodles in the process. After we ate, we ventured out on the deck to see all the sights of the city. It was really pretty as all of the bridges were lit with different colors. Emmy really was lively, walking around a lot and talking and laughing. By the time we made it back to the hotel, she was running through the halls. She went to sleep right away, but Mike and I were not as lucky. Our nap earlier in the day made it harder to go to sleep but gave us time to talk about the day. So thankful for God's grace and mercy!!!

Today is a free day in the morning with some sightseeing in the afternoon. We are excited that we are closer to coming home. Love to all!!!

Sunday morning

It's Sunday morning here. Today we have medical appointments for our kids. It will probably take a while since we have 5 families going together. Please pray for Emmy and the other children as I am sure they won't understand what is going on, and since she is over 2, they have to do some type of blood test so that may be difficult.

Yesterday we had a good day. After a good night's sleep (Emmy slept in until 9am), we had breakfast at the hotel. It is quite a buffet with lots of choices both Chinese and American. Emmy's favorites were the cereal and the noodles.

We played a bit and went outside for a while. The weather here is great. Mid 70s with the low at night around 55. It was great to not be bundled up. However, this is their winter weather so we did see many people with coats and jackets on. After nap time we went with our group on a little sightseeing trip and also did a little shopping. Emmy wasn't into the sightseeing very much but really enjoyed walking up and down the stairs and ramps.

After that excursion, we had to do some paperwork. Thankfully it went quickly, and then we all went to dinner with our guide. We went to a Cantonese restaurant where they quickly made a large table for us. Dinner was really yummy with our favorites being the green beans. It was all good including the lamb which I have never eaten much of. Emmy ate a bit of the lamb but more of the fried rice. We have figured out today that she thinks it is rather funny when we tell her "no." She laughs and then does it again. At dinner this caused a little meltdown. We will have to try to help her understand what it means over time. She is associating some English with pictures now such as quack when she sees a duck.

She continues to talk more and laugh more. She even will explore around the lobby some without us holding her. After such a big change over the last 24 hours with the plane ride, new hotel, and some new faces around, she was exhausted tonight. As I gave her a bottle tonight, she pointed at the crib. We prayed, laid her down, and she was asleep within minutes.

It's a praise that Mike is feeling better today! His ears and head have cleared up for the most part. It is also a praise to have a lot less smog here and warmer weather.

We hope you are all staying warm and well! We thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Saturday morning

Thank you all for your prayers!

Yesterday was a full day. We spent most of the morning packing as everything we packed Emmy liked to unpack and bring to us. So it became a game of some sort. We also played jumping games and were able to face time with our kids who were staying with the Garretts. Technology is certainly amazing!

After a short nap for Emmy, we checked out of our hotel. Emmy could tell there was something up but was fine. We stopped to pick up our little one's passports - yeah! We also stopped by for a short visit to the city wall. Then on to the airport.

Emmy was really active and was actually taking papers to lots of different people. She was playful in the airport among all of the crowds as well. Once on the airplane, she would have nothing to do with sitting in her own seat, but luckily they didn't seem to think anything of her being in my lap for takeoff and landing. She did amazingly well except for the time I had to go to the bathroom. She cried for awhile but later perked up to eat some dinner. I was so very thankful that the flight went so well for her!!!

By the time we made it to the hotel and checked into our room, it was after 11:00pm. The room here is nice but definitely smaller than the last. Emmy was wide open, so putting her to bed led to a bit of fussing. Then for the first time, she woke up at 2am in the morning upset. We couldn't figure out exactly what was wrong. She didn't want to lay with us so Mike held her and walked her around the room until she was calm and happy, and she went right back to sleep in her crib. I am sure this last day was overwhelming with so much change and different surroundings and an airplane. Right now (9am Saturday morning), she is still asleep, but I pray she wakes up happy and feeling safe with us.

We thought we had our medical checkup today, but they said not until tomorrow. So we don't have anything until 2pm this afternoon. There is a Starbucks at our hotel so Mike is very happy, and there is a McDonalds right beside the hotel. I don't eat McDonalds at home so I don't think we will try it here.

I feel like this is the last big part of our journey in China, so we are closer to coming home. Thank you all for taking such care of my family through prayers, play dates, calls, and even the ice cream - Santa Claus paid a visit, I hear!

Friday morning

Good morning to all, or I guess it is evening there.

We all had a pretty good day yesterday. We were able to FaceTime with our kids for quite a bit which was great! Emmy woke up pretty happy. She had a good breakfast and enjoys playing with her dad when she eats. We didn't have anything scheduled most of the day so we just played in our room. We took a walk before lunch down the street and into a type of mall. Emmy didn't know what to think of that at all and just looked around without much expression. Mike isn't feeling well with a cold or sinus infection so we headed back to the hotel.

During lunch they brought us a high chair for the first time, and we sat Emmy in there, but she would have nothing to do with it. She wants to be held or to sit in our lap. I am sure over time that may change. Several times today she has raised her arms for us to pick her up anytime she feels unsure. She is trusting us more and more. There are so many times that I get into an unknown situation and try to figure it out or try to "do" something to make it better, and all I really should do is raise my arms up to my Father. He loves me and will carry me. I know I find comfort there so make that my first reaction!!!

During the afternoon we were supposed to meet our guide for some paperwork so by the time Emmy took a nap, we didn't have time to go to the park or anything else. So playing in our room was the best option. Emmy had a time when she was just wide open. She was climbing up on the chair and jumping down and then wanted to stand in the window sill and walk back and forth. We are on the 23rd floor so it is quite a sight for her I am sure. She was jumping and laughing so much she even started sweating. It was so fun to see as I can imagine her acting like that with her siblings when we get home.

After our paperwork, we had dinner with our friends. Emmy and I ate stir fried rice noodles with peppers, onions, carrots, shrimp, chicken, and pork. She really liked the noodles and little pieces of chicken and pork. I tried to give her a shrimp, but she quickly pushed it away. She would eat all of the small vegetables though. By the end of the meal she was finally comfortable enough with our friends to wave bye bye to them. They were excited to see that and so were we.

So today the words she tried to say were jump, Ella, gu gu which means big brother, and mama. At lunch she was playing with her spoon imitating the way daddy does at breakfast and loudly would yell ah-ya as she pulled the spoon out of her mouth. It was great to see some very animated moments from her today!

Today we have to check out of our hotel and will visit the city wall on our way to the airport. We have a flight tonight at 7:00. If you can pray specifically for this as we have no idea how Emmy will react to the airplane, and it will be very hard for her to sit in a seat by herself. I am assuming she will just have to sit there for take off and landing. Please pray that Mike's head clears up before our flight as well. I am a bit anxious about the day as a whole and am praying for His peace to surround us throughout the day and night. It will be a late night for all of us. We will check into another hotel room, and I am hoping Emmy will sleep as well there as she does here. Please also pray for our sweet ones at home. I know they are having fun, but it is hard on them and us to be away from each other for so long. It is less than a week now before we are back home, and we can't wait!

Thank you all for praying for us during our trip!

Thursday morning

It's Thursday morning here. Just one week before we can come home! I am anxiously counting down the days.

Yesterday we went to see the Terracotta Warriors. It was colder than we thought it would be, and the bus didn't have heat. We bundled Emmy up with clothes and coats but ended up wrapping my scarf around her little legs. It was amazing to see the warriors and to think about how old it all was. Our guide gave us lots of information about the history of it all. The number of warriors itself is impressive but to think of all of the work that went into something that was just going to be buried under the ground and then the 700,000 workers were killed to keep it all secret.

Emmy didn't sleep any on the bus either way. She didn't seem quite herself most of the day. She didn't eat as much as usual and wasn't quite as playful. She still has a little congestion but not enough that I would even call it a cold. I am praying that today she will seem a bit more perky.

We missed lunch due to our outing, but upon our return to the hotel, Mike went to the store and bought lots of snacks. Emmy really likes the rice chex we brought with us, but we haven't found anything she seems to like as much. Mike bought something called "Bugles" but they don't taste like the ones I remember putting on my fingers as a kid. She wasn't a fan of those. He did find lays potato chips though, but she hasn't tried them yet. We are trying to find some more fruit that we feel is safe but haven't found any yet other than on the breakfast buffet.

Emmy took a short nap with no fussing. She did whine a little today as I was trying to get us off of the bus and had set her in the seat while I was getting the stuff together. I don't know if she thought I wasn't taking her but she held up her little arms and whimpered until I could pick her up. She also cried tonight when we were visiting our friends. We aren't sure if it was something she saw when their little girl was flipping channels or what ,but it just breaks my heart to not know what's wrong. I can only begin to imagine all that is going through their little minds during this time. Strange people all around you who can't understand a word you are saying but also you can't understand anything they are saying.

In all the craziness There was a sweet moment today while we were out where she grabbed the hand of the little boy "John" that was also in her class at the orphanage. It was very short but very sweet. I am hoping it is comforting that they still see a familiar face.

After a bath we had dinner with friends and a little play time before bed. She didn't cry at bedtime but did whine a little. She sleeps great, and we are so thankful for that as we know the adjustment to east coast time will be quite a transition.

Today is another free day. We are just waiting for them to process our children's passports so that we can head to Guangzhou. Evidently we will get them right before we leave for the airport on Friday. I am trying to appreciate this time here when we are waiting and spending two-on-one time with Emmy, however, I find my heart just wanting to be home with her and our whole family. This is part of the process and the journey so I am leaning into our Father to keep me going. There are so many blessings we have seen during this trip that we are continuously reminded how His hand is over us. He continues to carry us and never leaves us. How grateful we are!

We hope you all are all doing well as it looked like there was some cold weather coming in.

Below is a sweet video of Emmy playing with her daddy.

Terracotta Warriors

Mike, Brooke, and Emmy went to see the terracotta warriors on Wednesday. Mike's reaction: "This was my favorite tour... Just awesome..." His comment piqued my curiosity, so I decided to google "terracotta warriors." Amazingly, I found these articles published just yesterday from the NY Daily News - China Terracotta Warriors Subject of Super Hero Film, and from the South China Morning Post - China's Terracotta Warriors Star in Superhero Film. If you choose to do your own Google search, there are plenty of cool pictures of the terracotta warriors, but I didn't find a single picture on Google that I thought was even close to being as wonderful as the picture below. Caroline

Wednesday morning

Hello all! Thank you for your prayers! It is Wednesday morning, and Emmy is still sleeping. She had a great day yesterday. She woke up a little shy but quickly opened up to BOTH of us!!! It was delightful to see her playing so tenderly with Mike! After breakfast where she ate a ton of watermelon along with some congee and fried rice, we were able to video chat with Landon, Ella, and Eli for the first time for Emmy to see them live!!!She was a little shy but would look at them and point and smile a bit. And even more so it was good for Mike and me as we are missing them SOOOOO much!

After the call, we played for a while and then took a walk to the local store that has a lot of everything. It was a bit over stimulating to try to take I all in -- their food, not being able to read any of it, finding our way around the store, and even trying to buy anything. We bought a little book for Emmy and a few hair bows, but it was very confusing to try to understand what to pay and where to pay. On the way back, we stopped by this little booth that our guide told us sold Chinese hamburgers. They were really cheap and not anything like ours. It was almost like pita bread but not exactly, and they put a mixture of chopped meat and onions in there. Emmy enjoyed it, and it was enough for Mike and me. Thankfully it was easy. I think it was $2.50 for 3 of them.

I woke up with another headache but had taken children's ibuprofen and was doing ok until after lunch. I laid down beside Emmy's crib but couldn't sleep because my head was hurting so bad. I took more ibuprofen, but it didn't help. Once Emmy was up from her nap, she was immediately playful again. Mike did most of the playing as I was struggling to function. A friend brought us an Aleve but it didn't help any. I took another medicine thinking it may be my sinuses, but that didn't help.

For dinner we made it down to the hotel's restaurant. Emmy shared a meal with our friend's daughter -- dumplings that were filled with pork and vegetables in a big bowl of broth. She ate 8 whole dumplings and then a bit of my bread. This little one can put some food away! It was also sweet because she even smiled at our friends and seemed to look around more. She also has been pointing to lots of things today. When she talks she whispers mostly, but she did say "Uh-oh" and "Juice" today. When she was on the phone with everyone at home, she said something that sounded like "Ella."

I couldn't really eat as my headache was turning into a migraine. I made it upstairs to take some Tylenol pm and got into bed. It has been a long time since I have had a migraine, and I hope it will be a long time before I have another one. However, I am so very thankful for Mike and Emmy's playtime together. She enjoyed unpacking my suitcase and taking it all to Mike. They played puzzles and iPad and so much more. When he put her to bed, she cried a bit but only because she wanted to keep playing! Sweet time!

Today we have a trip to see the terra cotta warriors. That should make for a busy day! Please pray for Emmy to have a good day with the bus ride and traveling around, for my head to not hurt, for Mike as he seems like he is a little more congested than usual, and for both of us as we miss Landon, Ella, Eli, and all of our family and friends so very much!

Love to you all!

Tuesday morning

Tuesday morning almost 7am. Thank you for your prayers yesterday. Our trip back to the same place we met Emmy went well. She didn't fuss and didn't get car sick. She saw the orphanage director and didn't make a single peep. It seemed to be a lot busier than we expected, so by the time we made it back to the hotel, we only had 45 minutes or so until we turned right back around to go to another appointment. Emmy slept on the bus on the way to the hotel so that was a little nap. 

 

During that little stretch, Mike went to get food for lunch. We were told that the Chinese restaurant next door spoke English so that was the best choice with KFC's line out the door. The manager came to help Mike order, but it took forever for the order to come out, so we met him on the bus. It was very frustrating since he only wanted white rice and some chicken and vegetables. What he got was a "bucket" of fried rice and a huge order of chicken that was small pieces, but they all had bones in them. The vegetables were green beans, onions, and whole garlic cloves. I bet there were 100 garlic cloves in that one order. Emmy loved the rice, and another little girl, Grace, loved it too. You should have seen me feeding her fried rice on a moving bus with chopsticks. Luckily none of us were hurt. : )

 

 

 

At our first stop in the afternoon, we picked up our certificates which made us the legal parents to Emery Ya ya! What an amazing gift!

 

On the way back to the hotel she fell asleep again. It would be great if everyone could fall asleep because this traffic is so overwhelming. There are so many different things going on between buses, cars, motor bikes, bikes with flatbeds, bikes carrying huge loads of boxes, pedestrians, scooters with 2 adults and babies on them; unbelievable. There are even people on scooters carrying things that look like curtain rods while driving through a crowd!!! The lines on the road don't mean anything, and each side of the road can have traffic going both ways a lot of the time. Amazingly, we have only seen 2 small fender benders!

Once back at the hotel, Emmy woke up. She hasn't cried since the moment we left the building that first day!!! Yesterday morning I had to wake her up at 8:30am so we could make it to our first appointment. She sucks her thumb in her sleep but never during the day. When we lay her down in the crib, she just lays there quietly until she falls asleep. It's amazing to me, and I am waiting for a big meltdown, but just maybe it won't happen.

Thankfully she has let both of us hold her without protest and will smile at both of us when we play with her. Last night is the first time where she is starting to show attachment more to one. We knew this would most likely happen, but it's hard to experience.

She had a bath last night ,and it was so sweet to see her enjoying the water in a very shy way. I would pour water from a bottle, and she would put her finger or toe under it gently to feel it pouring out. She would also make very gentle splashes with her hands. I was happy that the splashes were not that big because I am still super nervous about any of us getting tap water in our mouths. We have antibiotics in case we do, but I would prefer none of us having to take them. It is such a strange way for us as we are so used to the water in our houses being safe! I am sure I will appreciate that more when we get home!

After bath time, we had ordered room service. It never showed up so after a bit Mike was asleep and then Emmy and I fell asleep. I think it was our best nights sleep thus far!

Our prayer requests for today: This is a "free" day, so we don't have any meetings but also no guide. Pray that we safely navigate the city if we choose to go out. Please pray for Emmy to open up to Mike while we are hanging out in the room as well as praying for her adjustment once we get home. I know it will be overwhelming to her in the beginning, so please pray for her to quickly open up to her brothers and sister.   Due to her sleeping late yesterday and the time difference, Landon, Ella, and Eli have yet to Skype with Emmy. We are anxiously waiting to do that when she wakes up this morning.

Thank you all!