In Wuhan...and my feet feel GOOD!

Today was a busy day of travel...

Up at 4 am, off to the Beijing airport...then arriving in our beloved Wuhan to see our "Chinese Family." These dear people love us, treat us like their blood relation and make our time here so very, very special. The picture is of us with them in their home where they served us a marvelous Chinese meal, we enjoyed some music together and some very profound discussion.

Arriving in Wuhan was very emotional for Daddy and I. It felt so familiar. Certainly because we were just here a little over a year ago receiving our precious Potato...but it is more than that...this place is foundational for our family....like the old birthing suite at the hospital...our family expanded here through the incredible, indescribable experience of adoption and its going to again.

Pulling into the hotel, being greeted by the staff and then walking into our suite after following the familiar royal blue carpet in the hallway...we saw it...the crib that has been placed in the room for our son. Moments like this...steal your breath. When something you've been working toward, trusting God to do...when they get really near like this...it's powerful.

Still today, my arms do not know his little body. I am not familiar with the weight of him on my lap or the sound of his voice or the appearance of his big toes...but he is CLOSER. Even tonight...I am sort of out of breath and how close he is...and how all our lives with change forever in just a few short days, inside this familiar hotel.

I am missing our oldest daughter, Butterfly. She is the most superb traveler. No squatty potty ever phased her. I missing my mom, who's been present at every "birth" of her grandchildren...but finally I'm feeling the ache of missing my boy...my son.

When we were in Beijing at the Foster home, one child really took an interest in me. He kept coming up to me, taking my hand and asking me to play with him. Of course he was darling. A heart baby who stole my heart. And a boy who left a little whole in my heart...where my son will soon take up space.

Are we ready? Daddy was so happy to be in Wuhan today...we were both so emotional...but ready??? Can a family ever truly be ready for a completely unique, utterly fantastic blessing to walk through the door?

The night ended with one of my favorite things in China...a foot massage. All though, foot massage is such a misnomer. The massage is for your back, neck, head, arms, feet, calves, thighs...90 minutes worth...for only 36 Yuan...about $5...Had to post a few of the pictures...

Off to Yichang tomorrow...to see the 3 Gorges Dam on the Yangtze river...it is also the birthplace and residence of our Isaiah...wonder if he'll be able to feel how close his family finally is?

Pray for a 5 hour bus ride, important conversations during the 2 day excursion and rest for the travelers...

Not much longer Isaiah...and you see us for yourself...

The Great Wall & Great People

Today started a little late as we all enjoyed sleeping in until 8 am! We're starting to get over jet lag and our days and nights sorted out.

The food, literally everywhere we've eaten has been fantastic! The kids have been really adventurous once again with their eating.

We hired a private car and went to the Great Wall today. We weren't planning on seeing te wall again, but our teacher friend who is travelling with us has never seen it and so we thought...."while in Rome...."

This section of the wall is closer to the Shunyi area and it was by FAR more beautiful than the section of the wall we climbed last year. Mountains all around, beauty everywhere you could see and some fun riding on cable cars, too.

Potato kept saying..."this is my great wall in my China"...

Then our evening was spent visiting another work benefiting older orphans here in Beijing. The work focuses on helping older kids who will never be adopted...though I could have taken any number of them home with us...they were amazing. Such good kids, full of laughter and so outgoing. The girls were the rage and they spent 2+ hours dancing and playing in the courtyard with several of the girls aged 7-13. We enjoyed dinner with them then started back for our last night at the other foster home.

We had hired drivers as I said and they were really nice fellows..but a few times they got lost and turned around...I wasn't nervous at all, neither was the rest of the family...and it made the trip all the more real and enjoyable to be so far off the "adoption tourist" track.

Hope you enjoy some of today's pictures...mostly they are a snippet of what we experienced today. The first is some famous wall...the second, Magpie with a precious resident of our host foster home...the third, Potato and Busy Bee were "helping" snap beans for our supper at the training institute for older orphans where we were this morning...the forth, The Bug taking a moment to smile for the camera after being mauled by the older kids at the center, she was in heaven! The fifth picture, was one of the adults who work at the training center that Busy Bee took quite a liking to...it appeared to be quite mutual!

We leave for Wuhan EARLY tomorrow morning then we'll be met at the airport by our Chinese family...we're all excited for that.

Only 6 DAYS until we have Isaiah with us...hardly seems real at this moment...

But one more note...we are AMAZED at the change in Beijing this year from last. Of course with the Olympics less than a year away everything is in high gear...but in general...we found our stay here to be most enjoyable. We saw the sun each day, had no trouble breathing the air and met so many more wonderful friends!

From our beloved Wuhan next...

Two More Pictures...how the girls are sleeping tonight

Just had to show these two shots of Busy Bee and Potato safely tucked into bed...underneath their mosquito nets...hope they don't try to get up in the night for a bathroom break...

More Pictures....

The first two: Busy Bee on the plane & Daddy and Potato on the plane too

#3: Dinner tonight...in typical Chinese Fashion

#4: Magpie and our Friend traveling with us who will teach English this year outside the Beijing airport

#5: Asleep at the wheel...I mean table...the face of jet lag

Now, some Day 1 Pictures...

Finally decipherd the Chinese and you can see pictures of our day!

I'll post a few more for your viewing pleasure...

China...Day One

Jet Lag...it's bitten all the kids as you'll see with the concluding pictures of our day...

We spent today playing with the gorgeous kids at the foster home where we're staying...

Dinner was at a common Chinese restaurant...fabulous food...typical "real" Chinese appearance of the building...we ate lots of adventurous food and the kids devoured all of it.

Hopefully, from this post there will be some pictures of our traveling group in Beijing, some of our new little friends, our accommodations and the face of jet lag at dinner.

Please, someone post a comment and let me know if you can see pictures.

Everything on my end is in Chinese...

Tomorrow...a big day...our last full day in Beijing...

I'll post more tomorrow!

Though delayed...not denied...

I'm delighted to report that we've finally arrived in Beijing!

Yes...delayed on our initial outbound...then arriving in Tokyo after a 10 hour flight...we received the news....flight is cancelled to Beijing!

Northwest was very accommodating with a stay at the Hilton in Narita, dinner and a 3 minute international call...but we were weary...

This morning, after finally getting to our beds at 10 PM Tokyo time, we had a 4 AM wake-up call for a 6:30 am departure...

Beijing was humid and welcoming to us...we're staying at a private foster home that cares for Special Needs children and it is AWESOME!

All the girls were delighted to be in China again, they were all chanting...."CHI-NA, CHI-NA" our family just loves it here...

I'll try to post more later this evening as our schedule permits and send a few pictures of the journey...

It's funny when you travel with 4 children under the age of 7 - EVERYWHERE people stare at us...we're like Ringling Brothers on the road.

The girls did very well. Magpie, our 7 year old, is feeling a little under the weather today, but I think its due to dehydration. Once again I was amazed at how well they traveled. In fact, Daddy and I were far grumpier than they were!

First "Funny Daddy" comment in Beijing: we passed by a woman riding a pink bicycle on our way out to the foster home today and as many of you know...not too funny to see a bicycle by any means...but a pink one? Daddy cleverly observed..."Must be doing well with Mary Kay..."

It is always good to travel with the funniest guy I've ever known...

Please pray for jetlag, our big trip tomorrow to another work in Beijing and that we will be open to every opportunity to experience China...we're going to be VERY far off the beaten path this time...

Pictures soon...I promise...