Home sweet home

Hi everybody,

I'd like to keep posting blog updates for those of you who would like to continue to see how Gracie is doing. We've been home over two weeks, and she is responding to her new environment in fantastic form. The first few days were very difficult, mostly due to the 15 hour time difference between China and US West Coast. All three children were up in the wee hours of the night, and Gracie was particularly fussy in the evening.

What we came to discover is that she was suffering from ear infections in both ears. Ever since we started the anti-biotics and children's motrin she has been going down without a fight. She loves her bedroom and the stuffed animals and toys in there. But her biggest love is the 'outdoor sports' including tricycle, red wagon, scooter and bubbles (lots and lots of bubbles)! We are getting lots of reuse from toys that the boys have graciously handed down to her.

Gracie is VERY partial to Amy. She wants Amy to hold her a lot. She also goes off to play with Andrew from time to time. The weekends have been very fun. On her first weekend we visited the zoo. Last week we all went to the Washington County Fair, and she thoroughly enjoyed the carnival rides.


At the zoo with Mom


Washington County Fair


Gracie has also overcome her initial fear of Mario the pug. He has been docile with her, and he allows her to pat his head and pull his tail. She especially likes riding her tricycle while we walk the dog.


Walking the dog


At the zoo with Quentin, Andrew, Keaghan, Triston and Gracie


Petting zoo


Life feels much more hectic now that we're back in Portland. I have been back to the office, and we are doing our best to keep up with the house. Thankfully the boys don't have much strain with schoolwork and extracurricular sports. Each night we're pretty tired.

The trip home was exhausting. Gracie was very active, and also suffering from those ear infections. There was also a long wait as we cleared immigration in Portland. But those problems seem very small, now that we have her.

Talk to you soon!
-steve

Lights Out in China

Yippee! We finished all of the legal and paperwork processes in China. Today we received Gracie's US entry visa and government paperwork allowing Gracie to enter the USA. After we are processed by US immigration in Portland, Oregon she will have formal US citizenship.

We enjoyed one more dinner with our good friends the Sanders (it was a wonderful, authentic Italian dinner with real spaghetti!). We also went shopping with our remaining Chinese currency for some memorabilia and souveneirs. We're up at 4:30am tomorrow for our flights home. It's odd going home after being away so long. We get the pleasure of living the same day "twice" when we cross the international date line. Our departure is Wednesday at 8:20am local time, and we arrive in Portland at 8:30am local time.

Thank you again for your outpouring of love for Gracie and our travels. I very much enjoyed writing these blog entries, although I feel a bit selfish focusing so much on our activities. We can't wait to get home and speak with each of you about your lives and current events.

Here's one more picture to end the trip with. Gracie can be a bit of a "pistol" during the daytime hours, but a total sweetheart ALL the time. I am a proud father! :-)

Much love,

-steve

Having fun in Guangzhou

These passages of Scripture describes the way I've been feeling on the trip, and I'd like to share them with you. We have found tremendous comfort and security on our journey. And we especially appreciate the special words of encouragement and inspiration you all have provided us. Thank you!

Psalm 4:6-8

Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"

Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.

You have filled my heart with greater joy

than when their grain and new wine abound.

I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 12:5-7

"Beacuse of the oppression of the weak

and the groaning of the needy,

I will now arise," says the Lord.

"I will protect them from those who mailign them."

And the words of the Lord are flawless,

like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.

O Lord, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.

We arrived in Guangzhou very late on Friday night. The plane ride from Zhengzhou was lousy, as we were significantly delayed by thunderstorms in Guangzhou. We arrived to the airport very early on Friday afternoon, only to encounter a two hour delay in the terminal. We then boarded the plane and sat on the tarmac for about two more hours before liftoff. Some of the Chinese passengers started a mutiny with the airline stewards and pilots (they were screaming at one another in Chinese). It's a good thing we're not fluent in Mandarin, as I'm sure they were using some choice words. Anyway, we arrived in one piece with all of our luggage accounted for!

This is a view of Guangzhou from the top of our hotel, where the swimming pool is located. We are in a part of the city called Shamian Island, as it is surrounded by rivers on all sides. There was severe flooding in this region last month - the worst in 100 years. However, we haven't seen any ill effects or remnants from the flooding.

Our paperwork is on file with the US Consulate, in preparation for an oath and swearing in ceremony on Tuesday morning. We are enjoying the sights here in Guangzhou while waiting for Consulate appointment. There are many shops and restaurants right near the hotel. There is a local cottage industry that supports all of the foreign families that are in process of adopting. The shops cater to the families with clothing, laundry service, souveniers, artwork, etc. Gracie really seems to love shopping for dresses with Mama.

There are also many parks and statues that are friendly for kids to play on them.

Superstar in the making??!! I love how she wears her sunglasses upside down. :-)

Andrew discovered a tree that looks a lot like the 'whomping willow' in the Harry Potter books.

We also made a visit to the local Starbucks on Shamian Island. Yum!

Tonight we had a wonderful Cantonese dinner with all three families who are adopting as part of HOPE for Children. We have especially enjoyed spending time with the Sanders family (Laura, Ray, Ray's mom Joanne, Eliot, Colin, and their new little girl Zoe). Zoe is a happy, spunky little two year old girl. Eliot Sanders is quite an adventurous eater, and tonight he challenged us to eat fried eel. They keep all of the seafood fresh on the doorstep outside the restaurant. The eel looked disgusting, but I tried it anyway. The texture was light and a bit flaky, but it left an aftertaste that reminded me of mud (or whatever sediments are found at the bottom of the ocean). See a picture of Eliot's eels below!

Happily, the boys have started to use chopsticks on the journey. We were delighted to see Gracie use them too. We are learning her discerning tastes (no beef or green vegetables, lots of rice, carrots and fruits). Quentin and Andrew are also trying many new foods, although they took a pass on the eel. Here's a little video clip of their culinary skills. Gracie seems to be a messier eater than Quentin (I didn't think that was possible!).

Saturday night we enjoyed a riverfront dining experience at the Rose Garden Cafe. All three children enjoyed the waterfront spectacle which included a light and music show. Throughout the night dinner cruise ships passed by. All of them were decorated in fancy lights. We treated the kids to fresh ice cream desert. The mango ice cream was especially tasty.

Quentin and Andrew pass much of the time by swimming in the pool. They absolutely love it (it's the highlight of the day for them). I usually take them to the pool during Gracies nap time. Here are some fun pictures of them enjoying the water!

Sunday afternoon we also made a trek to the local pagoda / Buddhist temple. The current structure is about 300 years old, although there have been a series of temples on this site since ~600 A.D. See a view from the bottom and the top (about 17 flights of stairs). I carried Gracie all the way up and back -- we were soaked with sweat by the end of the journey!!

All done in Zhengzhou

Tomorrow we leave for Guangzhou ("Gwong-Joe") after completing our paperwork here in Zhengzhou. Today we received a Chinese passport for Gracie. In the eyes of the government of the People's Republic of China she is officially adopted to us. Now we go to Guangzhou to formalize the adoption with the US government (via US Consulate). At that point they will issue a US visa to allow her entry into the United States.

There is so much paperwork involved and lots of formal bureacracy. My hope is that the interests of the child are kept at the forefront. While it may be difficult at times for the adoptive parent, perhpas this will help curtail the incidence of black market child trading. I understand that this practice still happens in certain parts of the world.

First family photos in front of our hotel in Zhengzhou (these are hi-res images)...

Our stay here in Zhengzhou and Jiaozou City has been spectacular - but only because of Gracie. All of us are a bit run down on traditional Chinese cuisine, and I'm sad to say we've visited McDonald's three times and KFC twice (those are the predominant 'American style' fast food restaurants).

We haven't eaten anything too outlandish, other than a chicken stew on our second night in Zhengzhou. We found the head of the chicken in the stew (literally). Amy nearly gagged! The kids thought it was hilarious (and the only thing they ate that night was white sticky rice). :0) Well, there was another afternoon where I ordered a dish called "weiners in Mongolian sauce." I presumed it would be some sort of American style hot-dog casserole (a nod to my Dad and his various casserole concoctions). Instead, I received a stew mixture that had veggies and something that resembled the texture of mushrooms. When it dawned on me that it could literally be weiners (staring me down in the attached picture) I quickly pushed away the dish. The kids had a good laugh over that one too.

Here's some more pics from the park. Would anyone care to eat some swamp rat stew? Perhaps Opa? :-)

Also the old man who was making artistic calligraphy with a water brush. It was fascinating.

We are getting very homesick and wish we could just dash home today. We feel very complete with Gracie in our midst. Now we'd like to commence the process of integrating her into our household, daily routines, and introductions to our friends & family.

Nights are still a bit touch and go with Gracie. Almost every night she does the routine of banging her head against the pillow. My guess is that it's her way of "crying out" when upset. She typically settles right down when we rub her back, and I am confident it's one of many phases that she will grow through in a healthy fashion. During naptime today she was also a bit dramatic. At first she was excited to wear new PJ's from Grandmom, but quickly changed her tune when she realized what was happening!

The boys are still doing fantastic. I am so glad that they came with us on the trip. It is helping Gracie to understand her place in the family structure already. I expect continued contention for Mama's attention after we get home. We're doing everything possible to encourage the boys when she starts pouting or shoving them out of the way. For now she's in a bit of a 'grace' period where we are not enforcing rigid boundaries. Eventually we'll help her to see that it's natural and OK to share Mom's attention. I guess this is another behavior that is picked up in institutions where children are vying with one another to get the time, attention (and food) from the caretakers. As an aside, Gracie knows what the word "kisses" means!

Also, the two boys in the Sanders family who are traveling with us have been just fantastic to be with. They are wonderful with Quentin and Andrew and play with them in the pool and entertain them when we're standing around in government offices. Their names are Eliot (high schooler) and Colin (11 yrs). We couldn't have asked for better mates on the journey. See a picture of Andrew getting launched by Eliot.

I've attached a very short video of Gracie splashing in the pool. It's my first try at video uploads (I'm trying to keep up with Matt Kennedy's videos from the Audoban in Germany!).

Anyway, we can't wait to see and speak with you all. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Bye for now...

Jiaozou City Orphanage

Hi gang,

I am so glad that you have been able to read the updates and see the pictures of Gracie -- practically as we experience them. Amy and I read your comments and messages to the boys every day. It helps us so much to be 'connected' to you all through the Internet. I really appreciate our friends and family - it will be so wonderful to share this love and support with Gracie. And I can't wait for her to meet all of her cousins and friends -- she especially loves clothes and sunglasses - which the orphanage workers confirmed today!

Quentin and Andrew have been admirable troopers during the journey. It is amazing how resilient they have been. This morning we treated all three children with a trip to a park nearby the hotel. It included play structures, bouncy castles, merry go rounds and bumper cars. In particular, Andrew really appreciated it. He needs vigorous "play" to regulate his system and deal with the stress of international travel. Andrew insisted on staying back at the hotel this afternoon and going to the hotel swimming pool with Grammy. It served him well to get a break from the action and to go to bed early.

The park was huge and filled with a lazy river (albeit stagnant and green), senior citizens playing the harmonica and a Chinese type of violin, mothers and their toddler children, and even an old man who was "painting" calligraphy on the sidewalk with a brush and water. It is a culture that seems to be so different than ours. Bunnie found the area where seniors practice "tai chi" early in the morning, and I challenged her to join in the fun tomorrow!! grrrinnnnn

Amy, Quentin, Gracie and I paid a visit to Jiaozou City ("Jow-zow") and to Gracie's 'oversight' orphanage. Jiaozou is the city that she was abandoned in. The police discovered her in November, 2005 near one of the farms and immediately transported her to the orphanage. We are starting to piece together her life story. She spent time at the orphanage, then had her lip repaired, and then came back to a different part of the orphanage building. She was in a special care unit that is much like a "foster" home on the top floor of the six story building. It was very clean and air conditioned. The foster home is staffed by local workers and overseas volunteers. Today we met a nurse from the Phillipines, a caretaker from Australia, and another from Ireland.

Quentin was a hit with all the workers at the orphanage. One of the caretakers let him hold a two month old infant while she took a picture. I couldn't capture it on film, as I had already filled my camera up with pictures! But I know that the visit made a deep impression on Quentin. He has now witnessed some of the struggle and challenge of living amongst poverty. He claims his dream is to one day adopt 31 children of his own! Perhaps he'll readjust his plans a bit when he's older. ;-)

After Gracie's cleft palate was repaired in October 2006, she was transitioned to a foster family in the Beijing area. She spent much of her time at this location, and we have pictures of the family she was with. It looks like another child was with her. Three weeks ago she was taken back to the orphanage facility and placed in the "foster home" on the top floor. The three aforementioned caretakers gave some valuable information to us about her habits, likes and dislikes. They also shared a most treasured possession -- volunteers have kept a "memory book" for her over the years. It has pictures from her infancy, special notes and prayers from the volunteer staff, a timeline of events, and a history of all her vaccinations and medical treatments.

As near as I can tell, Gracie has an excellent disposition and attitude. She tells us when she needs to use the bathroom, she likes to keep her hands clean, Gracie allows us to bathe her and brush her teeth (she knew exactly what to do when we started a night time routine of potty/bath/brushing teeth/combing hair). It has been such a joy to start to build a relationship with her! She will certainly be my little princess, although she still prefers Amy to all others.

Unfortunately, Gracie has been traumatized by all the moves, etc.. On her first night with us she woke up in the middle of the night and started to rythmically bang her forehead against her pillow, over and over. The orphanage staff said that she did the same in the 'foster' home for the past three weeks. Although they said that there were perhaps three or four days where she didn't exhibit this behavior. They seemed to think that the behavior will fade once she settles in to the new environment. We brought her into bed with us and she settled back down. Only the Lord knows all the different traumatic situations she has experienced in her short life.

Right now all three children are sleeping and my heart is filled with peace. It's about 10pm here in Zhengzhou. Tomorrow we get a "free day" while we wait for her China passport to be processed. I'd like to leave you with a profound message from Gracie's 'memory' book (see below).

We send our love and thoughts to all of you. We can't wait to be back on home turf again (back in the USA in one week!).

All our love,

Steve, Amy, Quentin, Andrew, Gracie and Bunnie

To Fu Jin Hua:

May God bring you joy as you grow,

Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain, but by strengthening you to bear it as it comes.

Not by making your path easy, but by making you strong to travel any path.

Not by taking hardships from you, but by taking fear from your heart.

Not by granting you unbroken sunshine, but by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows.

You may not remember us, but we will always remember you as our precious child.

We will always love you, your "Baba" and "Mama" in China.

-Joyce and Robin Hill, Gracie's "mommy and daddy" at Hope Foster Home, Jiaozou Orphanage