Unfortunate Delay

Hey Everyone, thought I'd give this blogging thing a go as well. Might be good to see this experience through two sets of eyes!
We spent the night last night in the Chongquing Forest. That's apparently what the locals call it because there are so many tall skinny skyscrapers that it looks like a giant forest! It is VERY smoggy and hot/humid.
We made it through the Guangzhou airport experience yesterday without getting lost or arrested, so I guess that was a tremendous success. The new airport there is very nice and easy to navigate. We all are happy to have our first round of flights out of the way and have an opportunity to do a little "nesting".
On a sad note, it looks like there was a miscommunication about when the other family in our travel group is arriving. That means we won't get to meet Kate until a day later :-( . Hopefully that is the worst thing that will happen on this trip. When I go through experiences like this, when so many things are out of my control, it forces me to truly trust in the Lord's plan. Only He is in control of what is going on here! Can't think of a better person to rely on, can you?
Thanks for your prayers and God bless!
Randy

Chongqing

Isabel is in rice and noodle heaven. So far all the food we've had has been terrific. Yesterday we had lunch at the airport before our flight. Noodles and beef in a big bowl of soup. Yum! The waitress was very friendly and I think enjoyed showing off her excellent English language skills.
Our flight to Chongqing was uneventful. The hotel is okay. We switched rooms three times when we got here. I'm sure they think we are crazy Americans. The hardest part so far is communicating. So far we aren't doing too well with that. Maybe it will get better.
The other family in our travel group didn't show up at the time our agency told our guide they would be here. So, I suppose they are lost. Today we will try to find them!

We're Here

It's Monday morning in Guangzhou. A little foggy and about 80 degrees outside. Not too bad!
Our flights went smoothly yesterday. Thanks for all your prayers--they really helped. When we arrived at the Spokane airport to check in our very first flight had been canceled. yikes. Luckily, Jody (Holly's neighbor) was there to save the day. She got us on an earlier flight (yay for being early!), and we got to Seattle just in time to catch our flight to Tokyo.
Tokyo--wow! We were only at the airport, but it was so tranquil there. Almost surreal. Everyone was really quiet and friendly and they just processed us through everything very calmly with great proficiency. We hung out for about an hour and then caught our flight to Guangzhou.
Still a little sleepy today, but we all got some great shut-eye last night at our hotel. It is very nice here. There is a tap in the bathroom that says "potable water"--hope we were okay to trust it. Beds very comfortable--European style.
Right now Randy is doing a little yoga to start the day, and Isabel is eating Cheerios and kool-aid. Mmmm-healthy! Our flight to Chongqing is at 3 p.m. Then we can settle down in one place for about a week to do all the adoption paperwork.
One last word about our N*W flight--Wonderful! Pleasant flight attendants, good movies, good food, ice cream bars, cookies, water, etc. They took good care of us. Our little traveler did great!!

Getting close...

Tomorrow is the day! We leave Saturday, July 19, and return home Saturday, August 2. Our agency emailed us yesterday and said we will get Kate on Tuesday the 22nd at around 2 p.m. (the day keeps changing). That's one day earlier than previously expected. We are ready! Some very excellent friends have given us fun toys and games for the airplane ride and for when we get to China. Isabel has tested all the new baby toys and she says they are loads of fun.
Kammi will be taking good care of Tucker and our house while we are gone. Hopefully Tuck stays out of trouble... we will see.
We are still undecided on bringing the laptop. I think it will depend on how the packing plays out. If we need more room, the laptop is out. Which of course will be detrimental to this blog. But how serious am I about it anyway? Not a huge priority for me. We will see!
Love to everyone!

Good News From Afar

We have our TA from China, which means that we can move forward with travel plans. Our agency is working on getting appointments for us. We might leave as soon as next week!!

In the meantime, also because we now have our TA, a wonderful woman that I met via cyber-space was just visiting Chongqing and was able to see Kate. She took a few pictures for us. The pictures we had at referral were from last January. We now have pictures from Tuesday!!! So happy! Thank you, Xiao Qin's mommy!!

A Name

it has been 4 weeks now, and still no TA (travel approval).... probably any day now. But we have a name:

Kate Xue'Er

Xue Er means "snow child." Kate means "pure."

Also, she is from Chongqing, which is an independent municipality. It is next to Sichuan province, but not in it.

More soon, I hope!

Favorite poems and stories

The man whispered, "God, speak to me" and a Chickadee sang.
But, the man did not hear.
So the man yelled "God, speak to me!" And, the thunder rolled across the sky.
But, the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said, "God let me see you." And a star shined brightly.
But the man did not notice.
And, the man shouted, "God show me a miracle!" And, a life was born.
But, the man did not know.
So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here!"
Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.
But, the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.
Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.

The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
--- Lao-Tzu


Not flesh of my flesh, Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously my own.
Never forget for a single minute,
You didn't grow under my heart - but in it
--- Fleur Conkling Heylinger


The Gift of Life

I didn't give you the gift of life,
But in my heart I know.
The love I feel is deep and real,
As if it had been so.

For us to have each other
Is like a dream come true!
No, I didn't give you
The gift of life,
Life gave me the gift of you.

--- Unknown


I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.
---1 Samuel 1:27

Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
I will say to the north, `Give them up!' and to the south, `Do not hold them back.'
Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth--
--- Isaiah 43: 5-6

Like cold water to a weary soul, is good news from a distant land.
--- Proverbs 25:25