I can't believe this day is finally here! WE ARE GOING TO CHINA!!!! Bags are packed, kids are dressed, and now just waiting to leave :) What a trip this is shaping up to be.... Mike, Ciara, Hunter, Ruby, Kai, Millie, Sophie, Holly, Jonah, Mahlia, and I are being joined on this special trip by dear friends Miss Mary and Janet, so cool!!
We begin our journey in Beijing for two days where we are planning to visit The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Great Wall. We will also meet up with my God son Dylan for dinner as he is working in Beijing, can't wait to see him! Next we head to Lanfang to visit the foster village Kai lived in, the wonderful Lanfang Children's Village. We are so grateful to them for the care they gave our Kai! We then head to Tianjin to visit the orphanage Kai lived in after his foster village, and also to see Kai's "finding spot". Kai is really excited about visiting where he began his journey, and we think it will answer many questions for him that he has wondered about for a long time...
On Nov 22 we return to Nanjing to meet and spend the weekend with Ruby's foster family. Ruby lived with this family for 7 years and they raised her as their own daughter, loved her deeply, and helped shape the incredible young woman she is today. We are very grateful to them, and super excited to meet them in person! We are also going visit the orphanage Ruby spent her last 6 months in China at, and her little school there run by the incredible Half The Sky foundation. When the teachers heard Ruby is coming to visit, they all said they wanted to come in on Saturday (their day off) to see her again :) I remember the tears shed by these teachers when they said goodbye to Ruby when we adopted her, such loving and giving people, we can't wait to see them again! Ruby is beyond excited.... I hope this will be a wonderful weekend for her, I know parts will be deeply emotional and tough, but I think and hope it will be a weekend that will answer questions and heal some heart ache, and give all of us a chance to connect with and truly thank the wonderful people in Nanjing who gave so much to our Ruby and our family...
November 24th we head to Guiyang and November 25th is Jade's GOTCHA DAY!!!! Since I laid eyes on this beautiful child on my 40th birthday (yup, that was the day I saw her on the CHI list and knew she was ours..) I have longed to hold her in my arms and tell her how much I love her... We are so close now! I wonder what she is thinking and feeling, at age 6, knowing she is being adopted and going to America... We have sent pictures and letters to help with familiarity. She is in a wonderful foster home who really take the time to prepare the kids for adoption, but how can one really be prepared for such a thing? Especially a wee 6 year old girl. What I do know is that she has two parents who are counting the minutes until we can hold her, and brothers and sisters who are so excited to love her.... Jade will be a Crooks 10 days from now :))
After Guiyang we all head to Guangzhou for 6 days for the consulate appointment week, where we have several fun day trips planned. We will visit the 6 Banyan Temple (built in 537AD) where they do a lovely and moving buddhist blessing for children being adopted and leaving China in front of a magnificant statue of Kuan Yin. We will be joined for the weekend there by a dear old friend (who was actually my nanny when we were living in Hong Kong when I was a toddler!) King Lan, and plan to visit the Safari Park together. We are also going to hit the Pearl River Dinner cruise (it's been about 10 years, so I think we are ready again :) and do some serious Christmas shopping! Jade gets her US visa on Dec 4th and we head home the next day, arriving back home in wonderful Sandpoint on December 6th!
1 comment:
Woohoo!!!!!
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