Update

Kelly again.

Just spoke with Jenna. Phew. 


She sounded so much better--in her words, 150x better than yesterday. She is still on pain meds, but it seems like the worst is over. She is now out of isolation and will be able to see her family today. Thank God! She may go home as early as Thursday if all is well. She has a picc line in her arm so that she will continue to have antibiotic treatments via the IV for 2 more weeks from home.

Pray for continued pain relief and for a hedge of protection to be placed around her and each one in her family. Pray that God gives them great wisdom in parenting through this as well.

I'll keep updating as I learn more until Jenna is able.

URGENT PRAYER NEED

Everyone -- this is Kelly, Jenna's friend who posted for them while they were in China.

I just spoke to Jenna. And, she needs prayer desperately, the whole family does.

After not recovering and only feeling worse since she's gotten home from China, they went to the ER last night. Jenna has bacterial meningitis. The doctors told her she is not going to die. But, she is isolation. Her whole family also has to be treated and they can only see her through a glass window. The children are upset. Scot is struggling. Jenna is in a lot of pain despite a morphine drip and is feeling desperate.

Please pray right now--just take a few minutes and pray right now for her full recovery. Pray for the whole family. Pray for Scot. Pray for Cooper--Jenna is sad about the impact this may have on his attachment to her. Pray that her time in isolation would be short.

I will post again as I know more.

Thankful

There is so much to be thankful for every year, but this year I feel especially thankful.

I am so thankful for Scot. He's been my best friend for 19 years. I knew he was something special then, but every year God reveals a little more to me about the depth of what a treasure he really is. He's an amazing father who teaches me so much about how to be a great parent.

I'm thankful for Sawyer who is a great teacher to me on how to be a mom at every new stage. I'm thankful for his love of music, his heart for those who are hurting, and his creativity and imagination.

I'm thankful for Chloe. She shows me every day what joy and unconditional love look like. I'm thankful for her sense of self (well, most days I am :) ), and her inner confidence. I'm thankful for her daily prayers for orphans across the world. Prayers that we've been blessed to see God answer. 

I'm thankful that Cooper is no longer an orphan, but a beloved son, brother, grandson, cousin and nephew. I am aware every day already that I didn't HAVE to be his mom- there were other options. But, by God's grace, I am. I'm thankful for his birthmother (father?), who also had other options, but who left him in a place where he'd surely be found, sparing his life and giving him a chance. I'm thankful for his foster family, who nurtured him so well until we were able to get to him. This year, the thankfulness for Cooper and the many people that poured into his little life almost overwhelms me. I can't wait to see the end of the story God is writing with his life.

And, lastly, a thankful note I have been waiting to share since less than 5 days after we left New Day and I wrote this post. I got word while in China that Emelia has been MATCHED with a family. Only God would give us the amazing gift of peace for her just 3 or 4 short days after leaving her, but on top of that, would allow me through a great friend to get our information to her family that same day. We are now in contact with them (they gave their permission for me to post this), and I'm sure we will be for a long time to come- another thing to be thankful for! 

So, this year, I will sit around the table and be so profoundly thankful for so, so many things....I could type all day! But, I'm most thankful for God who is so good to us. It's quite a ride to be part of a story He is writing, and we feel honored that He'd include us at all.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Re-entry

Wish I could have posted this sooner, but re-entry is rough. Actually, I think it would have been a lot better without the sickness.

Our first "night" home went really well (I say "night" because the kids didn't get t bed till like 1:00am). But, the kids were exhausted and they had no choice but to crash and sleep. Scot too. I didn't fare so well because of the congestion in my chest and the relentless coughing. I think I slept 3 hours. Everyone woke up at 9:00, and I basically threw on non-matching clean clothes, and went to Urgent Care. No way could I have waited till Monday to see a doctor. Long story short, I have bronchitis, and the trip to the Dr was completely worth it for the cough medicine with Codine in it alone! :)

I had HIGH hopes for Saturday night, but sometime after I got back from the Dr Cooper starting holding his head and indicating that it hurt. Or tapping his forehead, looking directly at us very purposefully, and saying something in Mandarin. Clearly he had a bad headache. We were taking Sawer in anyway to make sure his cough wasn't pneumonia (he gets it so quickly), so we decided to bring Cooper in too.

Sawyer does not have pneumonia, thank God, and he looked good (if exhausted). I may have to follow back up, because his cough has continued, his peak flows are still low, and he is now complaining of ear pain again.

The dr said Cooper looked good too, besides that his nasal passages were "completely clogged". Here's where sending me to the dr with both boys was a terrible idea. The dr wasn't going to do anything for him- told me to run a humidifier and use some saline. I should have insisted on an antibiotic "just in case" considering the vehemence with which Cooper was insisting his head hurt AND the tears to go along with it. But, I was jet lagged, sick, and had taken a melatonin pill early that morning to try to help me sleep, which is SUPPOSED to be taken at the beginning of the night because it is so strong. (I really, in hindsight, probably should not have been driving).

ANYWAY.....long story short, Cooper had a horribly terrible night Saturday night. He developed a fever and was up almost all night- SOBBING. It was the most heartbreaking thing to experience. Poor kid- I think it was a mixture of sickness, home sickness (and I don't mean OUR home), grief, and frustration (at not being able to fully communicate to use his pain).  And, he wanted me. He readily accepted comfort- full on wrap-around hugs, and a death grip on my neck. I finally had to move Sawyer out to sleep with Scot, because Cooper's crying was keeping him up, and Cooper needed to be able to see me to get any sleep at all.

I was completely bleary eyed, and it felt just like my first week home with my other two kids- desperate for sleep, but no such luck! :)

When I put Cooper in Sawyer's (twin) bed with me, he finally was able to sleep for three hours or so. He awoke sluggish and not himself, until we brought the train table up form the basement. (Points to Scot again for thinking of that!) He completely rallied, and played, played, played.

Meanwhile, I went to church. It was the worst, best decision ever. I expended all the energy I had just to get ready, and felt pretty lousy on the drive there (thankfully, I went with my mom and Chloe, and my mom drove). But, being there was just what my spirit needed- worship and encouragement from friends. It was awesome.

While I was gone, Scot called the dr and basically told him, we wanted an antibiotic for Cooper. We figured, sure, we don't TOTALLY know what's going on, but his headache was so bad he sobbed all night and his nasal passages are completely clogged. Can we make an educated guess he has a sinus infection compounded by being on a plane so much over the last week, and just give him and antibiotic anyway? I would have thought of this at the initial visit had I had my wits anywhere near me at the time!

We managed to get two doses of the anitbiotic in him before bed, and thank God, he slept from 7:00 pm until 9:40AM only waking once to pee (and be given some melatonin).

WOW- what a gift. I took my codine cough meds, and slept from 7:30pm till 6:15 am only waking once for about an hour. What a gift!

I'm also asking Cooper to teach my kids a thing or two about sleeping in.  When our kids sleep till 7:00am (you know, the TWICE that has happened), we check to see if they are dead. I'm not even kidding. They are almost always up by 6:00am. I hit the lotto with Cooper, although how much does it matter when the other two are up at 6:00?!?!?!?

Anyway, Cooper only complained once today (well, Monday) of a headache. Sawyer went back to school and did well (he slep from 7PM till 6:00am, so not bad).  Scot went back to work in spite of being up by 2:00am and not being able to go back to sleep. (He's sleeping well tonight though.) And, Chloe woke at 4:00am. Not cool. We'll see how she does tonight.

WITHOUT all the sickness, I actually think we would have done quite well, because all in all, if you remove Cooper's night of sobbing, it hasn't been TOO bad.

My niece's 10th birthday was on Sunday, and I took Sawyer and Chloe. That was a huge encouragement too. And, when Cooper woke form his nap, Scot brought him over as well (my parents live 5 minutes from us. He was shy at first, but by the end was laughing, playing catch with my dad, and generally seeming like a normal cousin! :) It's important that he build a strong relationship with my parents because when I go back to work in January, he will be with my parents two days a week (with Chloe, and I may start back gradually to get him used to being away from me.....we're playing it by ear.)

Having Sawyer at school today actually was a blessing allowing Cooper and Chloe some positive interactions together without Cooper being able to ignore her (he basically does because he prefers Sawyer). I think this will be very, very good for them!

We ran some errands, I completely unpacked, and our house is starting to feel more like our home again! I am feeling MUCH, MUCH better, but the cough is still really deep. At least now, I am getting stuff up (sorry, it's gross, I know).

I have pictures of our arrival home, but I have to get them from my parents. I'll post some then.

Right now, I am going back to bed! :) I slept well until now, and I hope to sleep form now till 6:00. That will get me through the day (meaning till 7:15 pm which has been our typical bedtime of late- but we are waking at our normal wake-time, so I figure it's a jet lag thing.)

We're HOME!!!!!!!

There TRULY is no place like home.  After a bumpy flight form Hong Kong, a l-o-n-g layover in Newark, we finally arrived safely in Manchester with one of the country's newest little citizens (who was WAY tired, and playing shy). Pictures to follow at some point.

For now, kids are bathed, fed, and in bed, and I am going to follow as soon as the cough medicine kicks in.....but I'll have to wait to sleep in my own bed for another night or two. The coughing has kept Scot up for three nights, so I'm giving him a break and sleeping on the couch. No sense in us BOTH losing another night of sleep.

Tomorrow morning, Sawyer and I will head to the DR, but other than that, it is a LAZY, COMFY, (cleaning and unpacking) recovery day for us!

We can't WAIT for you all to meet Cooper over the next week! We are truly, truly blessed, and I have so much more to share about our trip over the next few days and weeks!

Thank you for your prayers and for your care and concern for Cooper and our family. It means more than we can say!

Love you all!

Jenna :)

PS- a HUGE, HUGE thank you to Kelly who posted to my blog while I was away. I e-mailed her everything, and she got it up for you all since I couldn't access blogger from China! Thanks, Kelly, a coffee mug form Guangzhou doesn't QUITE seem to cut it as a thank you, but I hope it at least copletes your collection! :)

On U.S. Soil!

Kelly here -- just got off the phone with Jenna. They are now...

here...at Newark airport!

The flight was, well, long. And, everybody did okay until the last 5 minutes when Sawyer got sick. :(

They seem to be holding it together despite poor Jenna sounding seriously sick--coughing, vertigo...the works.

They are happy to be "home" though they won't get home until nearly 11pm tonight since they are hanging out at Newark's airport (fun) until about 9:40. Nothing like People Magazine and random fast food restaurants to entertain 3 kids and two parents who have been on a plane for 13 hours. Pray the time goes quickly!

Hopefully, we'll be hearing from Jenna directly tomorrow--if she's feeling up to it. Pray that she is!

Last Full Day

Well, I feel like I’m starting to sound a bit like a broken record, but we’re sick here. Thankfully, not nearly as bad as Scot was earlier this week. Sawyer is coughing and sneezing up a storm, and because of his asthma, that’s concerning. One good thing is that the antibiotic I gave him is still active in his system, so I feel confident we can fend off pneumonia (Sawyer gets is if he gets a bad cold due to his asthma). So far, his peak flows have not dropped, so he’s not in the danger zone now. I have his nebulizer here with meds, so that’s good, but we obviously can’t use it on the plane. I am now coughing a lot more, have chills, and am having bad dizzy spells. Exactly how Scot started. I’m praying that this doesn’t hit full on tomorrow as we have a big transition to Hong Kong tomorrow. I’m hoping that 12 hours of sleep does the trick (it’s 6:00pm right now, and I’m headed to bed as soon as I’m done this).

Cooper indicated that he might have had some ear pain last night, but he slept well. Our guide asked him about it this morning, and he said that he felt like there was something in his ear, but that it was all better now. But, just an hour later, he was telling me something in Mandarin, and pointing to his ear. I put him down for a nap today, and he was not happy about that. He really did cry this time, but I sang out bedtime songs to him (we sing the same 4 songs every night at bedtime in our house), and rocked him, and he calmed down. 5 minutes later, he was asleep. I knew he needed it, in spite of his insistence that he is NOT tired!

After breakfast this morning, we did the traditional adoptive family “Red Couch” photos. We got some good pictures, but OH….I wish Sawyer would cut his stinkin’ hair!!!! He wants to grow it out, and it’s driving me CRAZY! J UGH…..having opinions of their own is over-rated! J Anyway…..the pictures came out nicely, but I need another one of just Cooper, so we may have a re-shoot tomorrow. He was too enamored with the sword we bought him to want to have his picture taken! J (Yes, we’re crazy like that….but is IS a wooden sword!)

The kids played at the park a bit afterward, but Sawyer just was feeling really lousy and he ASKED to come back – a sure sign he’s not well. So, while Cooper napped in one room, the kids watched Camp Rock with dad in the other room (points to Scot for realizing that we could hook the DVD player up to the TV). We’re just huddled up here resting because tomorrow we won’t have the chance, and the kids won’t get to bed till VERY, VERY late. We’ll be checking out of the White Swan, and starting the long trek toward home- via Hong Kong. We’ll take the train to HK tomorrow evening, and sleep there one night. We fly out first thing Friday morning, the 19th, and that’s to the time change/international date line, we will arrive in Newark on the 19th at 1:45pm.

We’ll send a quick “We’re here” post from Hong Kong, and also from Newark, but you won’t get the official “We’re home” post until very, very late Friday night (EST) or very, very early Saturday morning. Please pray for safe travels, for a burst of health for all of us, for supernatural protection from further sickness, and for ease of navigating everything in Hong Kong (we won’t have a guide with us). Please also pray the kids sleep on the plane. They really didn’t on the way here, and at times, that was painful….with three kids, that may be even more painful! Thank you for all your prayers and all your support. We CAN. NOT. Wait to come home and for you all to meet Cooper. It’s hard to imagine life without him already. God has been so good to us, and we are so, so grateful!

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows is God in His holy dwelling.

God sets the lonely in families, He leads forth the prisoners with singing.

Psalm 68:5+6

This was the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

Psalm 118:23

A Birthday To Remember

All birthdays can't be memorable, but I know this one will be a memorable one for me for sure- simply because we were in China to celebrate!

It was a pretty uneventful day. I was starting to feel sick- same chest congesiton and stuff Scot had but not to the dgreee he had it. So, it worked out perfectly that we had to stay in our rooms during the morning to be available in case the US Consulate had any questions about our paperwork. The kids watched a movie, and Scot and I just lounged around and talked. It was really nice and very normal!

After that, we finally just meandered our way around the island here to shop, look at all the parks, etc....it was very relaxing. We bought some No*rth Fa*ce jackets for a great deal....and then discussed the whole way home whether they were real or not. :) Oh well....our guide says they are because GZ is the wholesale capital of the world....who knows. We like them, real Nor*th Fa*ce or not! :) Fake works for me if the price is right. We'll see if they keep us warm or not! One NH winter should reveal the truth!

At 2:00, we headed off on a bus filled with adoptive fmailies tot he US Consulate to take our oath and do the LAST of any official business regarding Cooper- basically, this was making sure everything was in order for him to immigrate to the US. We were not allowed to bring in cameras, but I'm not sure it mattered since it looked a lot like the DMV inside. We waited for a long time in the waiting room, then stood to take the oath. I got all choked up, then started laughing because basically all the oath is is promising that everything you wrote on the paper work is true to the best of your knowledge- there isn't anything terribly menaingful there. I think I was just tired! :) Then it was a quick interview at one of the windows and we were DONE.

By this time, I was starting to feel totally exhausted, and the bus ride back almost did me in- and I do NOT get motion sickness. When we got back to the hotel, we decided to splurge for dinner at the hotel simply because it was easy and there were menu items from home- specifically pasta. We ordered everyone spaghetti (except Cooper who got Chinese noodles because he won't eat spaghetti....apparently red sauce in China is known to be spicy, and he has told us several times- through an interpreter- that he DOES NOT like spicy food!). I'm not sure if it was just because I have not had it in awhile, but the pasta was DELICIOUS and tasted just like home!!!!!

When we got back to our room, there was a birthday cake waiting for us form our travel group- so sweet. At that point thought, I was so tired I couldn't even eat. I just wanted to go to bed. So.....we quickly bathed the kids and we ALL went to bed at 7:15pm. Thankfully, our kids have started a new habit of sleeping 11.5-12 hours. And, I slept 11.5 hours myself last night. I actually still feel tired, but I don't feel like I am getting any sicker. Hopefully that means my body is fighting it off. Today is a free day with only the famous "red couch" photo to do, so I think a nap is in order. Sawyer seems to have the same cough I have (that Scot had), so we are closely monitoring that because it would be BAD if his asthma kicked up and we couldn't nebulize him for 15.5 hours on the flight home.

Last night, Cooper was rubbing the back of his head, and his ears, so I'm not sure what that is all about....we kept asking him if his ears hurt, and he would say "Uh"- his way of saying "Yes", but it was hard to tell if he understood us or not. We gave him tylenol, and this morning he seems good. We'll ask our guide to translate for us this morning. This is when the language barrier is hard- when you think something is hurting him, but he can't tell us. Other than that, he understands a LOT, and we have learned quite a bit of mandarin too (nothing romantic, mostly, "I have to pee", "I have to poop", etc....the necessary stuff). The communication really doesn't seem to be too much of an issue. There are times that he tries to say stuff and we don't understand, and that is hard, but generally, we are able to figure out what he is saying, and he us.

As far as his adjustment, attachment, he really seems to be doing very, very well. He looks to us to help him with stuff (most of the time), for comfort, and just to cuddle. He hasn't shed a tear at bedtime since we were in Urumqi, and he is generally a happy, obedient, EASY kid. Seriously, we feel very blessed, while also realizing that once taken out of his environment (well, he already has been, but he's still in China), he may have a hard time. Yesterday, he asked our guide osmething, so I asked what he said, and our guide said that he asked why he had to go to America. That's the first negative emotion he has expressed. Up until now he was excited about it. I think he is probably feeling as homesick as we are at this point....but we get to go home, and he doesn't.....at least not to the home he's homesick for. I think he'll have somme hard times once we are home, but honestly, I think he will weather them well....he seems very resiliant and strong. I imagine God made him just that way considering all he's had to endure already in his short little life. We really are amazed at his inner strength.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes....here and on Facebook. I can't access Facebook form China (it's blocked), but all the birthday wishes arrived in my e-mail box so thank you for all the wishes. It was a nice way to wake up this morning!

On the Mend

Thank you for all your prayers for Scot. His fever broke at 2:00am, and he woke up without chills or body aches. That was specifically what I had prayed for, and I was so thankful. He came to breakfast, ate, and even joined us on a trip to the local market where people here buy spices, herbs, and pets- odd combo, I know. We saw snake skin, scorpions (dead and alive), seahorse (dried), eel, lizards, it was QUITE a thing to see. It smelled awesome though with all the herbs around. I LOVED walking down the streets and soaking in the culture. That’s my favorite part. I bought a few things for home, but basically, we just enjoyed the looking.

We came back pretty wiped after that. I think I might be starting with what Scot had, because I have started to get congested, and I’m coughing. We’ll see. So, we rested for a bit, then met some friends out at one of the parks to play. It was a very relaxing day and low key. We’ve met some really, really great people here, and I have to say, I’m impressed with how the church has stepped up to help with the orphan crisis. Easily 80% of the people we have met are Christians who have felt God’s call to adopt and care for orphans. It has been an awesome encouragement, and these people are just amazing- and yet, so completely ordinary. They are simply relying on God to provide in every way for them as they reflect His heart in loving kids that so many don’t feel the need to help. Scot and I keep reminding ourselves that it isn’t these people who are amazing (us included for SURE), it’s our GOD who is amazing. We’re just privileged to be along for the ride! Truly, we are overflowing with thankfulness!

Tonight, I took Sawyer and Chloe on a dinner cruise down the Pearl River. (Scot gets sea sick- and that’s the LAST thing he needed tonight, and Cooper just can’t stay up that late-plus me and three kids on a boat wasn’t gonna work.) It was supposed to be tomorrow for my birthday, but the schedule got switched. Anyway, it was AMAZING!!! The lights were just beautiful, the weather was perfect, and the kids really enjoyed it. Because the Asian games are currently taking place here, we would pass neon lit boats representing each country participating in the games, which was so cool. But the bridges here are all beautifully lit, and so are all the buildings along the river. Normally, I would find neon obnoxious, but this really was beautifully done. We really enjoyed it. Cooper did great with Scot and went to bed with no issue. All in all- a great night! J

Tomorrow, the Consulate! WOO HOO….one step closer to home…..and while it is beautiful here, we’re longing for home, routine, normalcy, spaghetti and meatballs, and Mexican food at this point! J We’ll miss China, but I am SURE we’ll be back!

Pictures from yesterday

Short Post, No Pictures

Well, this will be short, and there weren't any pictures. Scot got very sick again.....and this time, it seems dangerously like the flu- high temp, chest congesiton, body aches, chills, sneezing, coughing, just basically as sick as a person can feel. He didn't sleep AT ALL last night, and looked terrible this morning when he woke up. I insisted he stay in bed for the day.

So, I made my first shopping excursion with three kids here in China, with the help of some great people in our travel group (we're with a group of 4 other families from our adoption agency now who are here in Guangzhou). I did some Christmas shopping, and the kids really stepped it up. Sawyer was a huge help. Chloe managed a moratorium on complaining and whining for the day, and Cooper never balked at basically being stuck in the stroller. We went to the park to play, picked up our laundry, shopped some more, and went to dinner with our gorup at a local Cantonese restaurant. It was DELICIOUS, and Sawyer tried goose (loved it) and tofu (not so much). Chloe reverted back to white rice. :) There is a little girl a couple years older than her in our group though, so that was fun for her!

Please do pray that Scot wakes up feeling better. He was so sick, he wasn't even able to sleep today- and with nothing to watch to occupy his mind it was a LONG day stuck in bed. His fever went up one degree every hour in spite of taking 3 Ad*vil. Last we checked it was 102. It appears that the Ty*lenol PM did the trick though, because when we got back from dinner, he was sound asleep. Please pray he wakes up feeling better, otherwise, we'll be visiting the clinic here in the hotel in the morning. Thankfully, I brought individual powdered Gato*rade for water bottles, so he has those, and has been keeping hydrated well. Please also pray that the kids are supernaturally protected form this. It would be B-A-D if any one of them got this at all- nevermind in time for us to fly home. And, of course, the flu could be life-threatening to Cooper. So.....I'm a little on edge at this point. I am wishing we could come home today. There is so much I'd still love to see and do (and obviously, will have time for whether I like it or not), but I am at the point now, where I just want to get home.

Cooper decided tonight that he doesn't want to sleep in the crib he was so thrilled about the last two days, so I will be sleeping in a twin-plus bed with him tonight. I hope to get some sleep- I'm figuring at this point, we all need to stay as rested as possible to keep from getting sick.

And, we missed church this morning because everyone slept 12 solid hours- 7pm to 7am last night. If you know my kids, that has NEVER, EVER happened before, so I'll take it. I was sad to miss church, but so glad we got some sleep.

Tomorrow, we shop some more, and re-check his TB test (which looks fine). Scot will most likely stay in again tomorrow regardless of how he feels. Maybe we'll let him join us for dinner if he has his appetite back.

Sorry, no pictures. I took hardly any today anyway- the only ones I really took were at the Buddhist Temple. It was very interesting to visit and provided a first-hand lesson in the Ten Commandments for my kids. We were invited to participate in a Buddhist blessing of our Chinese kids. However, it involved bowing down to Buddah. I bowed out gracefully, and I explained to the kids why we would not be participating in that. We stayed to watch, and it sparked a great conversation about the Ten Commandments and what that means to us as followers of Christ. It was actually pretty cool. Sawyer really seemed to get it.

But, other than that, pictures at the mall or picking up the laundry wouldn't be much fun anyway! :)

Thank you for your prayers for Scot, and thank you so much for all your comments here. We are reading them all, and they have been our lifeline (especially before we got to Guangzhou). We are so profoundly thankful for all the support, advice, and prayers. Without them, this would be much, much harder every step of the way!

The Promised Land

WOW....people said Guangzhou would feel like Dis*ney to us when we got here, but we didn't dare to believe it. It has, however, begun to feel like we are on vacation. The weather is just like Florida minus the humidity. The scenery almost looks fake as if engineered by Dis*ney- and it resembled pictures I've seen of New Orleans or Savannah Georgia. WOW. And, the lights on the Pearl River at night.....AWESOME.

We are here at the same time as the Asian Games. In fact, last night was the opening ceremonies not to far form here, and we were warned about the fireworks. It's a darn good thing too- otherwise, I would have thought the city was being bombed. NO JOKE.....our floor was vibrating. It was absolutely relentless for a LONG time, and woke Scot out of a dead sleep. I was SO bummed I couldn't see them from our hotel window.

Also, because of the Asian games, I managed to be down in the lobby when the president of some Asian country (I still don't know which) emerged from the elevator with lots of security and lots of pomp and circumstance (red carpet, lined with hotel staff people all clapping for him....so funny). It was pretty cool to accidentally happen upon that though!

The White Swan is just gorgeous. The kids love the waterfall in the lobby and all the fish. The breakfast buffet is to die for, and Chloe has finally started eating! She started tentatively with some bacon this morning, but then moved on to fruit and lots of other stuff! Phew! :)

I just realized today why Urumqi was so hard for us....we felt like virtual prisoners. I would have LOVED to walk around the city taking pictures and just doing our own thing. But, our guide told us expressly not ot leave the hotel without her. So, we spent long days holed up in our hotel bored out of our skulls.

Today, it felt like we got parolled. There are tons of parks here and we spent time playing in almost every one. We met another great adoptive fmaily with two 6 year old boys and a newly adopted daughter. We got to know them as our kids played at the park, and then we met for dinner. WOW- conversation. Who knew how much we missed THAT too? Americans.......missed them too! :) We basically spent the day walking around enjoying ourselves, the atmosphere, and the island (our hotel is on Shamain Island).

As for adoption business, it was a busy day too- Cooper had his medical exam (required for immigration), and I joyfully completed the LAST of our adoption paperwork. WOW- that's been 3 years coming!! :) It felt GOOD. Cooper did well at his exam- quivering lip at the exam (very routine stuff). He was very fortunate to not have to have any vaccinations, but he did need a TB test, and that's when we found out that he CAN actually cry. Poor kid. He was so sad, and he was also SO mad at me. Scot and the kids left to play at the park because the clinic was a ZOO filled with screaming adoptees. So, I did the medical rounds with Cooper. After the TB test, he allowed me to hold him and comfort him, but he then wanted IN the stroller, wouldn't make eye contact with me, and immediately started asking for Baba (Daddy). As soon as I got him back to the htoel where Scot and the kids were waiting for us, Cooper ran right in to Scot, and it was CLEAR he was telling on me (no translation needed). :) Scot gave him M-n-M's, cementing his place as best-parent-of-the-two. (I gave him a lollipop at the clinic, but he was so ticked at me, he didn't eat it for quite awhile).

Also, we met a woman today who owns a shop here on the island. She was so sweet and sells lots of soveigneers and has a laundry service. I don't know how it ended up coming up, but she showed us her bracelet that says "With G*o*d all things are possible." And she then proceeded to tell us that she was given Bible a few years ago, and she became a follower of Je*su*s 5 years ago. She said He has changed her life. She was baptized also, and you could see the joy flowing form her. We hugged her, and it was just amazing to see here what we saw so clearly in Beijing- that G*o*d is alive and well in China. I have lots more to say about this, but probably better to say in person than over the internet. Anyway, she invited us to church in the morning, and if we can get everyone up and out in time, we are planning to go!

We ended the day at dinner with new friends at Lucy's Bar and Grill (of adoptive parent fame). It was fine, but nothing to write home about (although I just did, huh?). The highlight of dinner though was wathing Chloe eat an entire PB&J, french fries, and also some of Cooper's fried spaghetti. It was food for my heart watching her eat. I was so glad to not have to watch her eat another bowl of wite rice! :)

Tomorrow, shopping, playing at the park, and dinner with our new friends at La Dolce Vita- yes, an Italian restauraunt in China. I've heard it's good- we'll see.

Anyone have any other really great restaurant suggestions for us here on the island? We're taking suggestions! :)

(just for you, Grandpa)

Chloe and a bride!

Want fish?

Up too early

White Swan lobby

Pictures from Urumqi

A new post coming soon from Guangzhou...for now, much anticipated pictures!

 alaska coat

bazaar

 Gotcha Day

The hospital

lovin' his backpack

killing time

making it official

Market

Naan at market

Our favorite place to eat

Street vendor

Three!