Happy Forever Family Day! 6 years! (Our Gotcha Day) July 8th
Our story is a story of waiting and
trusting in God's timing for our lives.
I invite you into our story today.
trusting in God's timing for our lives.
I invite you into our story today.
I remember the day we decided we will adopt.
I remember the details of interviews, paperwork and selling things.
Making choices that we needed to make.
It all seemed a bit too much at the time.
We were so inexperienced in all of this.
Making choices that we needed to make.
It all seemed a bit too much at the time.
We were so inexperienced in all of this.
I remember giving up and looking into other options.
I remember heartache and disappointment.
Then almost 8 years later...
We got the call.
I can still remember every detail of getting ready and heading to the airport at 5am.
We arrived in Beijing exhausted only to board
another plane two days later heading to another province, Nanchang Jiangxi.
We stayed a week in Nanchang and a week in Beijing.
14 days in total
Our hotel in Beijing was huge.
We found out Face book and all other
means of social media were banned.
We cannot communicate that way.
Emails were scanned before sent.
Our phones did not work.
Even though we changed them to work there.
We have never felt more alone.
With the 14 hour time change - communicating with family and friends was hard.
We realized our need to rely on and trust
God more than ever before.
Our first day there we slept for 12 hours.
Our hotel in Beijing was huge.
We found out Face book and all other
means of social media were banned.
We cannot communicate that way.
Emails were scanned before sent.
Our phones did not work.
Even though we changed them to work there.
We have never felt more alone.
With the 14 hour time change - communicating with family and friends was hard.
We realized our need to rely on and trust
God more than ever before.
Our first day there we slept for 12 hours.
There were 64 of us on this trip.
Parents and children from all over Canada.
We were a very large group.
We were a very large group.
That day
17 children were being introduced to
their forever families.
How cool is that!
17 children were being introduced to
their forever families.
How cool is that!
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| The orphanage |
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| The Great Wall of China |
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| Jade Factory |
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| Home |
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| 30 some hours travelling and finally home and asleep |
We arrived mid morning and
drove through a really small city, our facilitator tells us.
There are only around 5 million people here - it is small.
ok - feels big to me.
5 million is small. 
It is an agriculture province.
Beautiful and green and not so much smog.
I didn't see many wear masks here.
We arrived to our hotel.
It is lovely.
We headed out for a walk and bought a coke.
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| Seriously coke is the best when far from home |
Back to our hotel and
there was a knock at our hotel door
She was not to arrive till tomorrow
It was a 2 hour drive from the orphanage
to our hotel...
but I just knew she was here.
July 8 2012.
July 8 2012.
We opened the door and there she was with our facilitator and the two nanny's.
They asked us - Is this your daughter?
I said
Yes
We said Yes
We closed the door.
Held her and cried.
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| She fell asleep right away. |
  |
Our first meeting
|
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| Our precious little princess from the East |
It was a God moment indeed.
We climbed the Great Wall , which was so steep and the stairs were not even and so scary...it was so cool.
Went to the zoo and saw pandas...
Jade factory, temples and experienced amazing food.
The courts ceremony and visas and all the legal stuff
were all done on time and we had no issues...
were all done on time and we had no issues...
(except when our hotel room caught on fire and we almost lost all our paper work and other important things but that story is for another day)
It was an experience we will never forget.
I journaled every day to remember ever detail.
Here are some bits and pieces of a few days...
July 5th the day we left for China
" We have been so supported and so many are calling us on the way to China today - leaving messages.
Happy for us.
We have waited almost 8 years
and I cling to what my mentor Gerry shared with us just before we left
'we are embarking on a new journey, a journey of faith , a journey that most don't understand, a journey that would make Frodo and Sam very jealous.'
July 8
"We woke up at 4 am. Finish packing for our week in Nanchang. We had a briefing on our way to the airport with Yulin about adoption and what to expect now.
Got our tickets went through
security fairly easy.
SO MANY PEOPLE.
Had coffee - it was ok.
Got on a bus and heading to our very small plane.
SO MANY PEOPLE on this tiny plane.
Everyone was pushing and toppling over us.
It was insane. We held on for dear life.
Landed - its so green and lush.
AND NOT SMOGGY. Thank God.
I am sure I lost 5 years of my life
in the Beijing smog.
Found Mary our facilitator in this province.
We like her right away.
She told us our daughter will be in the lobby today at 2.
What?? Today - ok...I am ready ... she is a day early.
Its a good thing.
Hotel was beautiful and friendly.
Not at all like the one in Beijing.
We really like it here.
We barely get into our room at 10 am and there was knock on the door...
It is her.
I know it.
And yes it was.
4 hours early.
She was with Mary and 2 nanny's from the orphanage.
My first impression...
She is beautiful. Stunning.
She had a pink head piece on her head.
They walked into the room.
Hand her to me.
They ask us if this is our daughter.
We say yes.
Yes.
Yes.
She touched my shoulder with the tattoo on it, outlining it with her little fingers.
The nanny's give us her formula
a silver bracelet with her name on it and
a bit of write up of her schedule.
She has a shirt on and some sort of pants with a whole in it.
They do not do diapers in China.
Then they all leave.
Everyone.
We are alone the 3 of us.
We decide to go for a walk.
I carry her in my zebra print carrier
Watching her
and she watching me.
We buy a coke.
It is extremely hot today and humid.
We go back to our room.
We make up her formula.
She drinks it.
She falls asleep.
She is very quite and non responsive.
No smile, no emotion.
Not yet.
We all fall asleep.
I am in shock and excitement and full of emotions.
What a day. "
Thursday July 12
Today is Ferris Wheel Day!
I am so excited!
It is the second largest Ferris Wheel
in the world.
She woke up at 530 again.
We brought her to our bed.
She fell asleep for a bit again.
Paper work is done to leave this province we just need to pick up her passport so we can leave the country tomorrow.
Went for a walk to the square again.
It is so nice but it was SO hot.
I am sure I lost 10 lbs sweating.
We ate at McDonalds.
Truth be told I don't do McDonalds
but salty familiar fries was a
welcome treat today.
Met up with everyone for our Ferris Wheel ride.
It was amazing.
We saw the whole province.
It was so high.
We met up with Mary and the rest and ended up at a crazy busy restaurant.
I have no idea what I ate.
I think there was a feather in it.
Nevertheless I am I am still alive.
Ended the night at the water show.
It was stunning.
So colourful.
SO Many People.
It was such a wonderful hot night.
Loved this day.
Hana was so great.
She is even starting to relax and smile a bit.
Ended back at the hotel and we all crashed
by 9pm.
What a fantastic day.
I seriously shake my head...are we really here?
Is she really in my arms?
Is this really happening?"
I journaled every day to remember ever detail.
Here are some bits and pieces of a few days...
July 5th the day we left for China
" We have been so supported and so many are calling us on the way to China today - leaving messages.
Happy for us.
We have waited almost 8 years
and I cling to what my mentor Gerry shared with us just before we left
'we are embarking on a new journey, a journey of faith , a journey that most don't understand, a journey that would make Frodo and Sam very jealous.'
July 8
"We woke up at 4 am. Finish packing for our week in Nanchang. We had a briefing on our way to the airport with Yulin about adoption and what to expect now.
Got our tickets went through
security fairly easy.
SO MANY PEOPLE.
Had coffee - it was ok.
Got on a bus and heading to our very small plane.
SO MANY PEOPLE on this tiny plane.
Everyone was pushing and toppling over us.
It was insane. We held on for dear life.
Landed - its so green and lush.
AND NOT SMOGGY. Thank God.
I am sure I lost 5 years of my life
in the Beijing smog.
Found Mary our facilitator in this province.
We like her right away.
She told us our daughter will be in the lobby today at 2.
What?? Today - ok...I am ready ... she is a day early.
Its a good thing.
Hotel was beautiful and friendly.
Not at all like the one in Beijing.
We really like it here.
We barely get into our room at 10 am and there was knock on the door...
It is her.
I know it.
And yes it was.
4 hours early.
She was with Mary and 2 nanny's from the orphanage.
My first impression...
She is beautiful. Stunning.
She had a pink head piece on her head.
They walked into the room.
Hand her to me.
They ask us if this is our daughter.
We say yes.
Yes.
Yes.
She touched my shoulder with the tattoo on it, outlining it with her little fingers.
The nanny's give us her formula
a silver bracelet with her name on it and
a bit of write up of her schedule.
She has a shirt on and some sort of pants with a whole in it.
They do not do diapers in China.
Then they all leave.
Everyone.
We are alone the 3 of us.
We decide to go for a walk.
I carry her in my zebra print carrier
Watching her
and she watching me.
We buy a coke.
It is extremely hot today and humid.
We go back to our room.
We make up her formula.
She drinks it.
She falls asleep.
She is very quite and non responsive.
No smile, no emotion.
Not yet.
We all fall asleep.
I am in shock and excitement and full of emotions.
What a day. "
Thursday July 12
Today is Ferris Wheel Day!
I am so excited!
It is the second largest Ferris Wheel
in the world.
She woke up at 530 again.
We brought her to our bed.
She fell asleep for a bit again.
Paper work is done to leave this province we just need to pick up her passport so we can leave the country tomorrow.
Went for a walk to the square again.
It is so nice but it was SO hot.
I am sure I lost 10 lbs sweating.
We ate at McDonalds.
Truth be told I don't do McDonalds
but salty familiar fries was a
welcome treat today.
Met up with everyone for our Ferris Wheel ride.
It was amazing.
We saw the whole province.
It was so high.
We met up with Mary and the rest and ended up at a crazy busy restaurant.
I have no idea what I ate.
I think there was a feather in it.
Nevertheless I am I am still alive.
Ended the night at the water show.
It was stunning.
So colourful.
SO Many People.
It was such a wonderful hot night.
Loved this day.
Hana was so great.
She is even starting to relax and smile a bit.
Ended back at the hotel and we all crashed
by 9pm.
What a fantastic day.
I seriously shake my head...are we really here?
Is she really in my arms?
Is this really happening?"
Six years later and here we are today.
We celebrate our forever family day.
I am so grateful for you my girl.
You changed my world for the better.
I love you so.
So we celebrate ...
We look at the photo albums and the videos.
We remember the excitement and the wonder of it all.
She loves seeing her story unfold.
Even more now that she has a brother and knows his story.
We look at the photo albums and the videos.
We remember the excitement and the wonder of it all.
She loves seeing her story unfold.
Even more now that she has a brother and knows his story.
This weekend we will head out to a local art gallery that is showing Leggo creations - large life size leggo designs.
Her favorite thing.
Her favorite thing.
We will have ice cream and she will also receive a gift from China.
When we were there 6 years ago we bought 18 gifts to give her on the day we became a family.
She looks forward to this special day.
We all look forward to this day.
The long wait was over.
We celebrate with such joy and gladness.
I never want to forget the moment I met my daughter.
Our Story of Love, Trust and saying Yes.
Our Story of Love, Trust and saying Yes.
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| Chinese New Years 2018 |
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