The Time is Flying By....

Sorry guys but this is the first time I have had a chance to sit down and actually post some pics. Nat is doing well at school. Her English is getting so much better everyday. It is such a blessing to see her flourish and come alive so much in such a short period of time. Last week we had a 3-day break from school. With all of that rain from TS Nicole...we loaded the girls up and headed west. What a wonderful break from day to day life and to get to share some of our family traditions with Nat. Enjoy the pics!

Home At Last!!!!

Hello!

Just wanted to chime in for a bit..we are Day 1 into our lives with Natalie. Got in to Raleigh last night around 730. Stopped and had some dinner with Grandma/Grandpa & Aunt Kelly! What a nice surprise to turn that corner at the airport and see so many loved ones there waiting! Flight home from Hong Kong was awesome! Not a bump in the whole ride. Our plane was 2 levels, had 16 flight attendants, 4 engines on each side and 12 escape doors! Talk about a monster! Regardless of how large the plane was, we were packed in like sardines and not an empty seat in the whole house! How weird was it that we went from daylight to night and back to sunrise/daylight all in one flight! Such a huge experience for the girls!

It is Saturday night and after a day of trying to convince myself that I could stay awake, I finally collapsed this afternoon at 3 pm and took a 5 hr nap. And the really sad part is I am quite certain that I won't have any issues giving in to a lofty slumber here shortly!

Took Natalie to Sweet n' Sassy for a new hairdo & some new earbobs! First thing she said to the stylist, who need I mention had platinum blonde hair, she says "I like black hair!" How funny, she just new she was gonna be the next Asian Barbie! Bless her heart! So, she is dolled up and ready for her Welcome Home party tomorrow!

Here are a few more pics!

Hope all is well!

T

Last Post From China

Good Morning/Evening !

The day has finally come! We are headed downstairs for our final breakfast here at White Swan. Wow! Have we been spoiled! We went to the US Consulate yesterday afternoon for our oath ceremony. Such an emotional packed event. A milestone of one journey coming to an end and the start of a new and more exciting one. We leave Guangzhou today at 4 pm headed to Hong Kong. Taking a train ride which should be about 3.5 hours. Another chance to get to experience all the aspects of China.

I caught Natalie staring out the hotel window yesterday and at that moment I came to realize that she really understands what is going on now. Such a brave little girl. Cannot wait to get her home to meet her family and friends. Please be in prayer with us during this leg of our journey. Not only for our safety, but for the smooth transition of our daughter into her new family.

See you guys soon!!

Teresa

P.S.  Here are our last photos.  You can view all photos here.

September 12, 2010

Good Morning Everyone! I know I've not been the best blogger since being in China, however the last little "world-turning upside down paperwork catastrophe" has kinda got me a little gun shy in regards to posting. With everyone's prayers and the Lord's blessing not to mention poor Todd's above and beyond call of duty dedication we worked thru it. The package should be arriving here at the White Swan on Monday. The time has flown by! It is already Sunday! We are headed out to the Safari Park today with the kids. Is it wrong that I've already started packing my luggage to come home? :) Christy J and her crew met us for dinner last night at Lucy's. It is soo nice to hear someone else with a Southern twang in their voice. We introduced Natalie to saying her blessing before meals. With all of the ups and downs we have had this week, I admit adding another facet to our already huge pile of frustration was something I had decided to do once we got home. We have our days. She is 11 yrs old, however her stature suggests around 8 or 9. She is definitely tiny. However, our guide says it's because she is Cantonese. They are always small structured people. I was wondering about the squatting thing of Chinese people. So, what does every curious American do? They GOOGLE it! And I discovered that the Chinese believe that squatting vs. standing helps alleviate the stress standing places on the spine. Wow! Who would've thought. So enjoy our pics from our outing last night! The live animals in the tanks are choices for dinner if you are interested! Yes, flounder was normal, however the water beetles, eels and snakes kinda pushed me over the edge. The once thought deep-fried  pigeons that we saw suspended from their necks have later been identified as some sort of duckling. Yummy! Where is Olive Garden when you need it! Countdown has begun! See ya'll soon! T

September 7, 2010

Good Morning!  Finally! All of the nerve wrecking paperwork at the Civil Affairs Office is complete as of yesterday. Our little Nat has definitely come out of her shell so much! We went swimming at the pool yesterday for the first time and went out for hot wings last night! Let me tell you, that girl can put a serious hurtin' on some wings!  She decided that she wanted some sunglasses like Ashton's. So we got her some LV's (I'm sure they are genuine) :) and she is a self-proclaimed movie start. Hilarious! As you can see in the pics she is awesome and is doing well. We have some moments but considering only one day into the process, we are going to be just fine.

Headed to the security office here in Guangzhou today to apply for her passport to come home. She calls Ashton, "sista" and me "Mather"...still working on the mommy thing. For some reason "mother" makes me feel like I should be about 60 years old and in a wooden wheelchair.  :)    All is well...all of our buddies will be here on Sunday. Cannot wait!

See ya then!

T

China Trip/Gotcha Day Photos

You can check out all of the photos at Photobucket.

Day 2 – September 5, 2010 and the Adventures of Peng

Sunday September 5, 2010

Early this morning we left Beijing headed to Guangzhou. After flying with China S*outhern Airlines and realizing that the Chinese people do not like anything cold i.e. air conditioner, cold beverages etc. needless to say that 3 hr. plane ride ended with a class on Chinese acupuncture coming across the TV monitors in the plane.

All of my preconceived notions about how Guangzhou was this tiny secluded place where I thought there would be a lot of rural areas were totally shot out the window when we arrived. Wow! Never will I let my predetermination's set the tone for what's to come. Our guide Lucy meets us at the Guangzhou airport. We head out talking about what our day will consist of tomorrow. Go exchange money at bank early in the morning. Make more copies of your passports and the list goes on! Meet us in the lobby at 2 pm to go to the Civil Affairs Office..here you will meet your daughter! Why is this so hard to believe? After all this time..less than 24 hrs. we will have our Nat!!! Amazing it has finally hit! The tears start flowing as we leave the airport. Just thinking I am in the city of my child's birth parents. Somewhere out there in this crowded place walks a woman who has no idea that in less than two weeks her daughter will be gone from here. Gone to be with her new family. I sit here and think about the huge sacrifice this woman has made. I pray for her conscious, I pray for her ability to know that somehow her child is loved already. I pray for Natalie to be able to see our actions in a positive light. Not just another couple who comes and take these children away from all they know. I can only imagine how Natalie is going to feel. After being in country for only 3 days now, the smells are different, the language is different, the people are different...I get it! I totally understand how hard this is going to be for our child. Please pray for her to jump back into life and understand that we love her even though we've never touched her soft hands. Only admired her photos from afar...

Peng takes and elevator. Peng missing his cell phone.

Hanging out in Beijing. Peng at the Forbidden City

Making one last call. Waiting for a bus.

Obeying traffic rules. Peng checking out.

Saying goodbye to Water. Checking out the White Swan.

View of Guangzhou from room.