Transfer from Journey to Me (part 3)
04-10-12
Yesterday afternoon we went walking around the park close to our hotel. It's so interesting to see people dancing or exercising or playing ping pong right in the middle of the park. Karis was taking a drink from her water bottle while we were there and I was saying "aaaah" when she finished and we got a good smile out of her!! After the park we came back to the playroom here in the hotel and she was throwing balls at BaBa and he would fall over and she laughed at him!! We had so much fun watching her smile and laugh! This morning Karis was doing the same thing in our room with balloons! It is sooo nice to see her happy!!
She walks slowly so sometimes we pick her up and carry her. Now when we want to go somewhere she oftentimes just want us to carry her instead of walking. We love that she wants us to take care of her. But, she does not know how to be carried. She is just dead weight and will almost fall backwards out of our arms if we're not careful. She has obviously not been carried around. We love to carry her but when we have a long way to go, she gets heavy! We're going to try to find her a stroller this morning when we go to Shamian Island.
We're headed to the Island soon and then after lunch we have to take her to the Dr. for her medical exam and TB test. I hope she is not scared and doesn't get upset about all that. Thankfully she seems to let us comfort her now when she is upset.
She is copying us all the time now. She has learned to cover her mouth when she coughs. She has learned to do a thumbs up and fist pump too! She is starting to mimic our words also. We have said good job to her a lot and she was listening to Veggie Tales and heard them say good job and she recognized that! She seems to be a quick learner!
Well, we're off for the day.....
04-11-12
We spent a while this morning looking around Shamian Island and had lunch at Lucy's. We did find her a stroller and we just bought one instead of renting it. I want to have it for the trip on the train to Hong Kong and for the airports. We only paid 129 yuan for the stroller which is about $21. It may not be the best quality but as long as it lasts a week until we get home, I'll be happy. One thing I really miss from home is the ability to shop without someone following me around and trying to convince me to buy things! If they would leave me alone I might actually look around and buy something! And nothing has prices here, you have to strike a deal with the seller. We did make a few purchases while we were there, though.
After shopping we had to take Karis to her Dr. appointment. Oh my, she broke her MaMa's heart. She cried several times and MaMa just couldn't stand it. The first time she cried was when they were trying to see how tall she was. They had her stand on a scale and then the part that tells how tall you are electronically comes down and bonks you on the head. She would not stand there for that. Thankfully they found her height the old fashioned way we do it back in America! But then she had to have her blood pressure taken and that was torture. They had to do it twice because she would not sit still the first time. It was so sad. Then she had to have a shot for her TB test. Finally we finished up there and MaMa and BaBa were able to make her feel better.
Then we spent a while walking around in downtown Guangzhou before being picked up to go to the passport office. They basically just took a picture and looked at our passports and that was all. We also received our official adoption decree from China. So, we are completely finished with all we need to do for China. But, we still have steps to complete for the US.
We are getting more smiles and laughs from Karis today and it is so fun. She can get upset with us when she doesn't get her way but so far she hasn't thrown a fit or anything. She just kind of sulks for a while. She has pulled the hairs on Baba's arm and face a few times when she's not happy with him. She has also slapped her hand at his face a few times. I think this is all normal orphanage behavior and she doesn't know that it's wrong or what else to do if she's not happy. We have so much to teach her!
We are missing Brandon and Bekah sooooo much and can't wait to get home to see them! We are ready to have our family all together for the first time! Unfortunately Skype doesn't work very well and it gets very frustrating when trying to talk with Brandon and Bekah. The internet connection seems to come and go and we get cut off during every conversation.
Thank you all for praying for us. I think things are going well and we thank God for being so gracious to us.
04-11-12
We've found it is easier just to put photos in one place, so we've been putting them on Flickr. You can check out this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/todd_young/sets/72157629735435087/with/7067425473/
We are adding new ones each day, so keep checking back there!
04-12-12
Things we're learning about Karis....
She does not like animals at all! Today we went to the zoo and she was fine as long as we were far away from the animals, but up close she turned away and did not want to look at them. She even cried a few times when we got close to the birds. We also went to a pet market and once again she did not like any animals. Not even the fish or the cute kitty cats!
When we were riding in the car it was really hot outside so we aimed the AC vents on us and she freaked out. She was fine as long as it wasn't blowing directly on her.
She doesn't like hamburgers! We ordered her a hamburger for lunch one day. She opened up the bun and took out the meat and gave it to MaMa and then ate the bun!
She has learned to say Uh Oh when she drops something! It's so cute!
She enjoys looking at her photo album from the orphanage. There are a few photos from her birthday party that make her laugh. We don't know why she's laughing but she points to a picture of a boy with down syndrome and she angles her head down like his is in the picture and laughs.
She plays finger games all the times. We don't know what she's doing but she is constantly looking at her fingers and playing with them.
BaBa let her try his Coke Zero and she made a very funny face like she didn't like it, but she keeps asking for more. I think he's getting her hooked!
She told John she wants her hair to grow long like Mama's! Yay!
Tomorrow we are going to her orphanage for a tour. Please pray that she will handle this well and not think we are taking her back or decide she wants to stay there! John feels like she is doing well and will be fine, so we are hopeful that things will go well.
04-13-12
We had a good visit to the orphanage this morning. It was very quiet because most of the kids were gone to school. Ms. Zhong, the director, is super nice and all the nannies seemed to enjoy seeing Karis with her new family. Karis was a little hesitant at first going there. She didn't cry or get upset, but didn't seem excited either. John just explained to her that she was going to say goodbye and she was okay with that. Someone asked her if she was happy with her new MaMa and BaBa and she said she was happy!! She definitely didn't want to stay there!! :-)
John agreed that Z is one of the best orphanages around. They take the kids out to McDonalds about 2 times a year. Karis also got to go on a trip to Guangzhou and go up in the Canton Tower (one of the tallest buildings in the world!) last
July. The orphanage seemed clean but there was a definite lack of "kid" stuff. Most of the rooms were almost bare
with no toys or colorful decorations or anything. John told us that most orphanages don't let the kids play with toys because it makes a mess. It was really sad. The play room had a TV and some chairs and that was all. There was some playground equipment outside but they showed us the area where the kids usually played outside and it was just a grassy area with some trees. Karis definitley doesn't know how to play. We have tried to get her interested in toys and she'll look at them and try it for a few minutes but then she's done with it. Most of the time she just sits and plays with her fingers. Maybe some
of that is because of her delays though? I don't know.
While we were at the orphanage Ms. Zhong told us that Karis was extremely weak when she was little. They did not know if she would survive. They did not think she'd ever find a family. Everyone seemed very happy that she found a family! And, of course we are thrilled! They have been surprised by her progress both physically and mentally. They said she was doing so well in school that they promoted her to a new class!
After the orphanage visit we went to her finding spot. She was found in a bus station in Zhongshan. John said that her parents probably bought a bus ticket and then left her there and rode away on a bus. We didn't tell her anything about where we were or why we were there. But we got pictures so that someday we can share her history with her.
We also went back to the Dr. to have them look at her TB skin test. It was fine so we were in and out in just a few minutes.
Tomorrow we have a free day, and John has to take the other FTIA family to do some things, so we'll be on our own most of the day. We have some places we are going to try to go if it's not raining.
We are learning more ways to communicate with Karis but it is still very hard. She's getting good at using her own sign language and most of the time we can figure out what she wants. But we definitley have a long road ahead of us. Please continue to pray for us!
04-14-12
We are having so much fun with Karis. She is smiling and laughing all the time! She loves to be tickled and she thinks it's so funny if you say, "aaaah chooooo!" like you are sneezing. Today we took her to a park close to our hotel. It's a huge park and we didn't make it through half of it before leaving. We found the Statue of the 5 Goats and an amusement park inside the park. Karis had absolutely no interest in riding anything at the amusement park. She seemed interested in one ride so Todd bought 2 tickets but then he ended up riding it by himself! You'll have to check out Flickr for pictures of that!
Karis seems to be learning so much. She is saying some English words like good job, uh-oh, baby, and I love you! She really is a sweet girl. She is compliant most of the time but occasionally does let us know she is not happy! Even when she's not happy she doesn't throw a fit. She has to stop and go to the bathroom quite often. Sometimes if we are not at a bathroom and she has to wait she will cry but I think we've figured out how to tell her we are trying to find her a potty. The plane ride home should be interesting as there will be times when we will not be able to use a bathroom (like during take off and landing). I think we may end up just putting her in a pull-up just in case.
We tried giving her ice cream last night but she would not eat it. I think it was just too cold for her. I bet she'll be eating it soon though!
I brought her some headbands but she will not wear them. But she does insist on having a flower clip in her hair every day!
We are adjusting to life in China, but really miss the USA! We are enjoying our time here, but we really are looking forward to being home! I know that Karis will learn so much from her big brother and sister and they are just dying to meet her.
04-15-12
Yesterday we toured a Buddhist temple and the Chen Family Academy. The Buddhist temple was quite interesting. People were bringing their offerings of fruit, peanuts and water bottles and leaving them there for their "god." Of course we know they were just statues made by human hands. I am so thankful we have a Savior who is alive! We pray that Karis will come to know and worship Him as we do!
We had lunch at McDonald's and ordered Karis chicken nuggets and french fries. She loved them! The orphanage had taken her to McDonalds before, but I have no idea what she ate. Afterwards, we went to a park to walk around. There are some very beautiful parks here! The landscaping is so pretty! You see all kinds of people doing all kinds of things in the parks. People sing and dance or exercise or walk backwards or play games or clap their hands or sleep or whatever they feel like doing. And, they let their kids pee wherever they want to. (I can't wait to get back to U.S. bathrooms!!!)
Last night we had dinner with the other FTIA family and let the kids play on the playground. We have been to a playground several times and Karis has had no interest in playing. But, the other family has 2 daughters and one of them is the same age as Karis. She tried to engage Karis and get her to play with her and Karis actually played some! She went down a slide a few times and was running around and acting silly just like a kid should. We've seen her just sit so much, and it is so encouraging to see her running around and playing like a kid! We can't wait for her to meet her siblings as we know she will have so much fun with them.
This morning we had our appointment at the US Consulate. We had to take an oath and then they looked over our paperwork to make sure we have everything we need to get Karis into the US and make her a citizen. We left her passport there and will pick it up tomorrow with a Visa to enter the US. When we land in Chicago she will become a US Citizen!! We can't wait to come home!
04-16-12
Well, I just typed out a long post and then it all disappeared. Ugh. I really don't have time to type it all out again right now. So, the quick version is that tonight is our last night in China. Tomorrow we pick up Karis's passport and Visa and then take a train ride to Hong Kong. Then we leave from there on Wednesday morning to head for home.
04-17-12
Today we leave the country that Karis has known all her life. It's sad to think she may never be here again (although we'd love to bring her back when whe is older). This place is comfortable to her. The food is normal, the smells are normal, even the potties are normal to her. When we go to the US, it will all be very strange to her. Todd and I feel out of place here in China, but we only have to survive here for 2 weeks. Karis has to survive the rest of her life away from what feels normal to her right now. We are praying that she will adapt quickly to our life in the US.
I was actually not looking forward to our trip to China. Well, I was looking forward to meeting Karis but not living in China for 2 weeks. But, it really hasn't been that bad. We haven't had to eat anything disgusting! However, I have had enough sweet and sour pork (they don't eat chicken here) and fried rice to last me a while. There have been some strange smells, but nothing too bad. Most of the time we can find a Western potty to use. Our hotel is nice and the staff is great. Our AC wasn't working and they had a crew in here and had it fixed within 30 minutes. Our guide, John, is fabulous and makes it easy for us to get around here. We would have never made it without him!
Karis is still doing very well. I hope this isn't just the "honeymoon" phase. I know coming home can bring about major problems with adopted kids. We will not have John there to explain anything to her. It seems like the only times she gets upset now is when she has a need that she feels like she can't communicate to us. But, I think she's getting better and better at sign language. We still have to figure out her eating habits. Sometimes she will gobble food down. Other times she will just hold food in her mouth for a while (or a long while - sometimes when we brush her teeth at night before bed she'll pull out some food she's been hanging onto). And sometimes she will spit out everything in her mouth. And, it's not consistently the same food she is eating or spitting out. One morning at breakfast she spit out everything we gave her. She also put corn in her yogurt one morning! Every meal is an adventure!
We are really not looking forward to the long plane ride. The ride here was not fun. Now we will have Karis with us for the ride home, and I have no idea how she will handle it. I've been warned that most kids throw up. Please pray for us! I think the plane ride is kind of like going through labor. It's terrible, but eventually you forget the pain. We've seen so many families here adopting their 2nd child so it must not be too bad if they're willing to do it again. We've already been asked when we are coming back! Well, let's get Karis settled into our family and then we'll see what God has in store for us.
This morning we'll be packing and then John will take us to pick up Karis's passport and Visa and then he'll drop us off at the train station and we'll be on our own! The train ride is about 2 hours and then when we arrive in Hong Kong we'll need to exchange some money to Hong Kong dollars and then find a taxi to take us to our hotel which is about 45 minutes away. John has written down the name of our hotel in Chinese for us to give to the taxi driver and he said it's a very famous hotel, so we should hopefully not have problems getting there. John says he thinks they speak better English in Hong Kong so we should have an easier time. They also drive on the opposite side of the road there, so that will be interesting!
You know, none of us really have "control" over our lives, even if we think we do. This trip has been such a step of faith for us to just trust that God is taking care of us. He is the one in control of our lives. We had one experience when John wasn't with us and we couldn't find a taxi. An unmarked van pulled over to offer us a ride and Todd accepted it as we really needed to get back. (Later John told us we should stick to waiting for a taxi.) But, the van ride was fine and we ended up back at our hotel where we wanted to be. God was in control! We are trusting that He will continue to get us through the rest of our journey and back home safely.
We have definitely fallen in love with our dark haired girl, and we are thanking God for his blessings!
Yesterday afternoon we went walking around the park close to our hotel. It's so interesting to see people dancing or exercising or playing ping pong right in the middle of the park. Karis was taking a drink from her water bottle while we were there and I was saying "aaaah" when she finished and we got a good smile out of her!! After the park we came back to the playroom here in the hotel and she was throwing balls at BaBa and he would fall over and she laughed at him!! We had so much fun watching her smile and laugh! This morning Karis was doing the same thing in our room with balloons! It is sooo nice to see her happy!!
She walks slowly so sometimes we pick her up and carry her. Now when we want to go somewhere she oftentimes just want us to carry her instead of walking. We love that she wants us to take care of her. But, she does not know how to be carried. She is just dead weight and will almost fall backwards out of our arms if we're not careful. She has obviously not been carried around. We love to carry her but when we have a long way to go, she gets heavy! We're going to try to find her a stroller this morning when we go to Shamian Island.
We're headed to the Island soon and then after lunch we have to take her to the Dr. for her medical exam and TB test. I hope she is not scared and doesn't get upset about all that. Thankfully she seems to let us comfort her now when she is upset.
She is copying us all the time now. She has learned to cover her mouth when she coughs. She has learned to do a thumbs up and fist pump too! She is starting to mimic our words also. We have said good job to her a lot and she was listening to Veggie Tales and heard them say good job and she recognized that! She seems to be a quick learner!
Well, we're off for the day.....
04-11-12
We spent a while this morning looking around Shamian Island and had lunch at Lucy's. We did find her a stroller and we just bought one instead of renting it. I want to have it for the trip on the train to Hong Kong and for the airports. We only paid 129 yuan for the stroller which is about $21. It may not be the best quality but as long as it lasts a week until we get home, I'll be happy. One thing I really miss from home is the ability to shop without someone following me around and trying to convince me to buy things! If they would leave me alone I might actually look around and buy something! And nothing has prices here, you have to strike a deal with the seller. We did make a few purchases while we were there, though.
After shopping we had to take Karis to her Dr. appointment. Oh my, she broke her MaMa's heart. She cried several times and MaMa just couldn't stand it. The first time she cried was when they were trying to see how tall she was. They had her stand on a scale and then the part that tells how tall you are electronically comes down and bonks you on the head. She would not stand there for that. Thankfully they found her height the old fashioned way we do it back in America! But then she had to have her blood pressure taken and that was torture. They had to do it twice because she would not sit still the first time. It was so sad. Then she had to have a shot for her TB test. Finally we finished up there and MaMa and BaBa were able to make her feel better.
Then we spent a while walking around in downtown Guangzhou before being picked up to go to the passport office. They basically just took a picture and looked at our passports and that was all. We also received our official adoption decree from China. So, we are completely finished with all we need to do for China. But, we still have steps to complete for the US.
We are getting more smiles and laughs from Karis today and it is so fun. She can get upset with us when she doesn't get her way but so far she hasn't thrown a fit or anything. She just kind of sulks for a while. She has pulled the hairs on Baba's arm and face a few times when she's not happy with him. She has also slapped her hand at his face a few times. I think this is all normal orphanage behavior and she doesn't know that it's wrong or what else to do if she's not happy. We have so much to teach her!
We are missing Brandon and Bekah sooooo much and can't wait to get home to see them! We are ready to have our family all together for the first time! Unfortunately Skype doesn't work very well and it gets very frustrating when trying to talk with Brandon and Bekah. The internet connection seems to come and go and we get cut off during every conversation.
Thank you all for praying for us. I think things are going well and we thank God for being so gracious to us.
04-11-12
We've found it is easier just to put photos in one place, so we've been putting them on Flickr. You can check out this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/todd_young/sets/72157629735435087/with/7067425473/
We are adding new ones each day, so keep checking back there!
04-12-12
Things we're learning about Karis....
She does not like animals at all! Today we went to the zoo and she was fine as long as we were far away from the animals, but up close she turned away and did not want to look at them. She even cried a few times when we got close to the birds. We also went to a pet market and once again she did not like any animals. Not even the fish or the cute kitty cats!
When we were riding in the car it was really hot outside so we aimed the AC vents on us and she freaked out. She was fine as long as it wasn't blowing directly on her.
She doesn't like hamburgers! We ordered her a hamburger for lunch one day. She opened up the bun and took out the meat and gave it to MaMa and then ate the bun!
She has learned to say Uh Oh when she drops something! It's so cute!
She enjoys looking at her photo album from the orphanage. There are a few photos from her birthday party that make her laugh. We don't know why she's laughing but she points to a picture of a boy with down syndrome and she angles her head down like his is in the picture and laughs.
She plays finger games all the times. We don't know what she's doing but she is constantly looking at her fingers and playing with them.
BaBa let her try his Coke Zero and she made a very funny face like she didn't like it, but she keeps asking for more. I think he's getting her hooked!
She told John she wants her hair to grow long like Mama's! Yay!
Tomorrow we are going to her orphanage for a tour. Please pray that she will handle this well and not think we are taking her back or decide she wants to stay there! John feels like she is doing well and will be fine, so we are hopeful that things will go well.
04-13-12
We had a good visit to the orphanage this morning. It was very quiet because most of the kids were gone to school. Ms. Zhong, the director, is super nice and all the nannies seemed to enjoy seeing Karis with her new family. Karis was a little hesitant at first going there. She didn't cry or get upset, but didn't seem excited either. John just explained to her that she was going to say goodbye and she was okay with that. Someone asked her if she was happy with her new MaMa and BaBa and she said she was happy!! She definitely didn't want to stay there!! :-)
John agreed that Z is one of the best orphanages around. They take the kids out to McDonalds about 2 times a year. Karis also got to go on a trip to Guangzhou and go up in the Canton Tower (one of the tallest buildings in the world!) last
July. The orphanage seemed clean but there was a definite lack of "kid" stuff. Most of the rooms were almost bare
with no toys or colorful decorations or anything. John told us that most orphanages don't let the kids play with toys because it makes a mess. It was really sad. The play room had a TV and some chairs and that was all. There was some playground equipment outside but they showed us the area where the kids usually played outside and it was just a grassy area with some trees. Karis definitley doesn't know how to play. We have tried to get her interested in toys and she'll look at them and try it for a few minutes but then she's done with it. Most of the time she just sits and plays with her fingers. Maybe some
of that is because of her delays though? I don't know.
While we were at the orphanage Ms. Zhong told us that Karis was extremely weak when she was little. They did not know if she would survive. They did not think she'd ever find a family. Everyone seemed very happy that she found a family! And, of course we are thrilled! They have been surprised by her progress both physically and mentally. They said she was doing so well in school that they promoted her to a new class!
After the orphanage visit we went to her finding spot. She was found in a bus station in Zhongshan. John said that her parents probably bought a bus ticket and then left her there and rode away on a bus. We didn't tell her anything about where we were or why we were there. But we got pictures so that someday we can share her history with her.
We also went back to the Dr. to have them look at her TB skin test. It was fine so we were in and out in just a few minutes.
Tomorrow we have a free day, and John has to take the other FTIA family to do some things, so we'll be on our own most of the day. We have some places we are going to try to go if it's not raining.
We are learning more ways to communicate with Karis but it is still very hard. She's getting good at using her own sign language and most of the time we can figure out what she wants. But we definitley have a long road ahead of us. Please continue to pray for us!
04-14-12
We are having so much fun with Karis. She is smiling and laughing all the time! She loves to be tickled and she thinks it's so funny if you say, "aaaah chooooo!" like you are sneezing. Today we took her to a park close to our hotel. It's a huge park and we didn't make it through half of it before leaving. We found the Statue of the 5 Goats and an amusement park inside the park. Karis had absolutely no interest in riding anything at the amusement park. She seemed interested in one ride so Todd bought 2 tickets but then he ended up riding it by himself! You'll have to check out Flickr for pictures of that!
Karis seems to be learning so much. She is saying some English words like good job, uh-oh, baby, and I love you! She really is a sweet girl. She is compliant most of the time but occasionally does let us know she is not happy! Even when she's not happy she doesn't throw a fit. She has to stop and go to the bathroom quite often. Sometimes if we are not at a bathroom and she has to wait she will cry but I think we've figured out how to tell her we are trying to find her a potty. The plane ride home should be interesting as there will be times when we will not be able to use a bathroom (like during take off and landing). I think we may end up just putting her in a pull-up just in case.
We tried giving her ice cream last night but she would not eat it. I think it was just too cold for her. I bet she'll be eating it soon though!
I brought her some headbands but she will not wear them. But she does insist on having a flower clip in her hair every day!
We are adjusting to life in China, but really miss the USA! We are enjoying our time here, but we really are looking forward to being home! I know that Karis will learn so much from her big brother and sister and they are just dying to meet her.
04-15-12
Yesterday we toured a Buddhist temple and the Chen Family Academy. The Buddhist temple was quite interesting. People were bringing their offerings of fruit, peanuts and water bottles and leaving them there for their "god." Of course we know they were just statues made by human hands. I am so thankful we have a Savior who is alive! We pray that Karis will come to know and worship Him as we do!
We had lunch at McDonald's and ordered Karis chicken nuggets and french fries. She loved them! The orphanage had taken her to McDonalds before, but I have no idea what she ate. Afterwards, we went to a park to walk around. There are some very beautiful parks here! The landscaping is so pretty! You see all kinds of people doing all kinds of things in the parks. People sing and dance or exercise or walk backwards or play games or clap their hands or sleep or whatever they feel like doing. And, they let their kids pee wherever they want to. (I can't wait to get back to U.S. bathrooms!!!)
Last night we had dinner with the other FTIA family and let the kids play on the playground. We have been to a playground several times and Karis has had no interest in playing. But, the other family has 2 daughters and one of them is the same age as Karis. She tried to engage Karis and get her to play with her and Karis actually played some! She went down a slide a few times and was running around and acting silly just like a kid should. We've seen her just sit so much, and it is so encouraging to see her running around and playing like a kid! We can't wait for her to meet her siblings as we know she will have so much fun with them.
This morning we had our appointment at the US Consulate. We had to take an oath and then they looked over our paperwork to make sure we have everything we need to get Karis into the US and make her a citizen. We left her passport there and will pick it up tomorrow with a Visa to enter the US. When we land in Chicago she will become a US Citizen!! We can't wait to come home!
04-16-12
Well, I just typed out a long post and then it all disappeared. Ugh. I really don't have time to type it all out again right now. So, the quick version is that tonight is our last night in China. Tomorrow we pick up Karis's passport and Visa and then take a train ride to Hong Kong. Then we leave from there on Wednesday morning to head for home.
04-17-12
Today we leave the country that Karis has known all her life. It's sad to think she may never be here again (although we'd love to bring her back when whe is older). This place is comfortable to her. The food is normal, the smells are normal, even the potties are normal to her. When we go to the US, it will all be very strange to her. Todd and I feel out of place here in China, but we only have to survive here for 2 weeks. Karis has to survive the rest of her life away from what feels normal to her right now. We are praying that she will adapt quickly to our life in the US.
I was actually not looking forward to our trip to China. Well, I was looking forward to meeting Karis but not living in China for 2 weeks. But, it really hasn't been that bad. We haven't had to eat anything disgusting! However, I have had enough sweet and sour pork (they don't eat chicken here) and fried rice to last me a while. There have been some strange smells, but nothing too bad. Most of the time we can find a Western potty to use. Our hotel is nice and the staff is great. Our AC wasn't working and they had a crew in here and had it fixed within 30 minutes. Our guide, John, is fabulous and makes it easy for us to get around here. We would have never made it without him!
Karis is still doing very well. I hope this isn't just the "honeymoon" phase. I know coming home can bring about major problems with adopted kids. We will not have John there to explain anything to her. It seems like the only times she gets upset now is when she has a need that she feels like she can't communicate to us. But, I think she's getting better and better at sign language. We still have to figure out her eating habits. Sometimes she will gobble food down. Other times she will just hold food in her mouth for a while (or a long while - sometimes when we brush her teeth at night before bed she'll pull out some food she's been hanging onto). And sometimes she will spit out everything in her mouth. And, it's not consistently the same food she is eating or spitting out. One morning at breakfast she spit out everything we gave her. She also put corn in her yogurt one morning! Every meal is an adventure!
We are really not looking forward to the long plane ride. The ride here was not fun. Now we will have Karis with us for the ride home, and I have no idea how she will handle it. I've been warned that most kids throw up. Please pray for us! I think the plane ride is kind of like going through labor. It's terrible, but eventually you forget the pain. We've seen so many families here adopting their 2nd child so it must not be too bad if they're willing to do it again. We've already been asked when we are coming back! Well, let's get Karis settled into our family and then we'll see what God has in store for us.
This morning we'll be packing and then John will take us to pick up Karis's passport and Visa and then he'll drop us off at the train station and we'll be on our own! The train ride is about 2 hours and then when we arrive in Hong Kong we'll need to exchange some money to Hong Kong dollars and then find a taxi to take us to our hotel which is about 45 minutes away. John has written down the name of our hotel in Chinese for us to give to the taxi driver and he said it's a very famous hotel, so we should hopefully not have problems getting there. John says he thinks they speak better English in Hong Kong so we should have an easier time. They also drive on the opposite side of the road there, so that will be interesting!
You know, none of us really have "control" over our lives, even if we think we do. This trip has been such a step of faith for us to just trust that God is taking care of us. He is the one in control of our lives. We had one experience when John wasn't with us and we couldn't find a taxi. An unmarked van pulled over to offer us a ride and Todd accepted it as we really needed to get back. (Later John told us we should stick to waiting for a taxi.) But, the van ride was fine and we ended up back at our hotel where we wanted to be. God was in control! We are trusting that He will continue to get us through the rest of our journey and back home safely.
We have definitely fallen in love with our dark haired girl, and we are thanking God for his blessings!
posted by Heather @ 2:59 PM
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