Finally Home!

We made it! We didn't get much sleep but had a pretty smooth trip. It's good to be home to see the boys and to watch Emma in her new home. She seems to be doing well. The boys are doing a great job playing with Emma. Matthew has even already had a tea party with her. AJ just likes to make her laugh by doing silly things like running into the wall.

I can't wait to sleep!

Our Last Day

It finally warmed up! We have had a lovely day today with sun and warmth! We started the day with a walk back to "Time Square" and a stop at McDonalds. The food wasn't that great, but the Coca Cola sure was! We got a double cheeseburger value meal and a kids happy meal for only $4. What a steal!



This afternoon, we went to the Consulate to take our oath. It is the final step, this side of the ocean. There are still some things that we need to take care of when we get home, but the worst of the paper trail is finished. The gentleman said that they have over 500 pieces of paper in their files for each child. Wow! I have officially decided that it is easier to be pregnant (and for those of you who know me well, realize what that means!). Thankfully, we are just 20 hours away from the finish line of this part of our adventure. We are looking forward to the next leg!



We talked with the boys today for the last time while we are in China. They were really inquisitive about Emma, so I know that they are getting excited. We miss them so much and can't wait to see them and give them huge hugs! It will be so great to be home.



If any of you are free and near the Mpls airport on Friday, our flight arrives at 2:05 from Portland. We have mixed reviews as to where we will clear customs, so we don't have exact details. We'd love to see you at the airport. If not, then we look forward to our upcoming visits so that you can meet Emma.



This will be our last blog entry until we recover back on US soil. Thank you for your support, thoughts and prayers while we have been here. We are so thankful for each of you! Emma will soon realize how blessed she is to have so many people who care for her. We can't wait to see you!!



P.S. The attached photos are from our photo shoot yesterday on the famous "Red Couch" where all adopted kids get their photos taken at the White Swan Hotel. Emma wasn't exactly cooperating, but some of the pics are cute anyway. The girls are all wearing their traditional clothes. We bought Emma's outfit in Guizhou while we were staying there.

Ready to Come Home!

We're not sure why we are here for 5 days when we have only 2 hours of paperwork, a 15 minute medical exam and a 1 hour consulate appointment, but alas, we are here. Trying to make the best of it, but we're certainly getting tired of wasting time.



So, there's nothing much to report and not even any great pictures to share. Sorry for the boring blog entry! From my experience being on your end of a blog, boring news is still better than no news!



We have 2 more full days here. Everyone in our group is still doing quite well. The girls continue to thrive. Attached is a photo of the kids in our group. From left to right. Sha-sha (New name Amelia) is 2 and very lively and happy. She talks a ton and loves to be the center of attention. Eden is next. She is 2. Her family lives in Wisconsin, about 45 minutes from our house in Racine. She has had a tougher adjustment, but is doing well and full of smiles. Emma is next with Evelyn sitting next to her. We just met Evelyn's family here in Guangzhou. They also have their 4 year old daughter, Olivia with them. In the back of the photo are Sophia and Maren, 8 month old twins. They are very sweet! So that is our group.



We have made a couple of trips to the Starbucks down the street to have a treat and enjoy an "American" experience. Yesterday we went to the mall in Guangzhou to do some shopping. They call it "Time Square" but it is a far cry from New York City. On the weekends, I'm sure it is quite busy. We stocked up on some more noodle, cookies, and Coke, all of which have become staples on this trip. We also bought a couple of DVD's in Chinese and English along with some Chinese music for Emma.



Emma continues to become more and more fun each day. She loves to listen to music, play the tickle game, play in the tub, and to laugh. She loves her pacifier (called a "dummy" by Australians) and we try each day to get it out of her mouth for a little longer each time. It once had been her security, but is now used mostly for sleeping. She is a very happy little girl and we feel so blessed that she has joined our family. The boys are going to have a blast with their new little sister!



We have been doing some shopping and bargaining. It's quite humorous how "kind" the shop owners are. I've never received so many compliments in my life. Apparently, I am a young and beautiful mother with a gorgeous child. Over and over and over, the same "kind" words. Apparently the theory is the more flattery, the more money spent. If you're in need of a self-esteem boost, visit the shops around Guangzhou.



Thanks for continuing to send email and comments. They keep us sane! Have a great day!!



P.S. Sending through a photo of the "squatty potty" which is prevalent in China. Please note that this is an extremely clean one and a bit of a rarity! This is a bit of a challenge for a two year old and her mom! I have only appreciated a real toilet more once in my life, after an 18-day wilderness trip!!

Just 4 more days!

It's Sunday here and we are having fun in our room this afternoon. We went this morning to a Folk Art Museum. It was a drizzly and cool morning but we had a nice time. We are quick museum visitors so we enjoyed the beautiful wood and ivory carvings and then wandered around the park outside the museum for most of our time. I think we're just finished with touring!



We were able to get some fun photos of Emma as she has taken a liking to playing the tickle game. She was given an "Adoption Barbie" this morning which is just a bit bizarre. She loves the doll, we think it's creepy.



This afternoon we have about 2 hours of paperwork to do and then we are ordering Papa John's pizza for dinner with another family. I'm ready for some pizza! I hope it tastes good!



That's it for today. Keep sending those emails! It's nice to hear back from you. We'd love to know what's going on there as well.

Adoption City of the World

We have made it to Guangzhou. Our last stop before heading home. We have 5 more days until we get on that plane back to the states and we cannot wait! We are so grateful to have such wonderful Chinese cultural experiences in Guiyang because in Guangzhou, we feel like we are in a bit of an adoption bubble. Everyone has to come through here to finalize adoptions at the consulate, so the White Swan Hotel and the surrounding community is well-versed in appealing to westerners. There is American food, good bargain shopping, and plenty of English spoken. I had Chicken Quesadillas for lunch, oozing with American cheese. Yum!! A far cry from the wild rabbit that I had yesterday for lunch!



It's warm here and the air feels cleaner. Tomorrow we are going to some gardens and Monday we have a medical exam and some paperwork for Emma. I fear that our blog write-ups will be less than interesting, but we'll keep trying. Hopefully we can get some unique photos at least.



Emma continues to do well. We are all working on figuring out the routines, as much as we can here. She is learning what we expect and we are learning how she communicates. She continues to talk more and open up a bit more each day. Today, she was charming a few people with her adorable wave. She loves to play and we discovered today that she is great at pushing her own stroller. It's much slower, but still better than carrying her on my hip! She absolutely loves taking care of her "baby" and likes to color. She is still very good at playing with all of her toys in our room, which is very relaxing and fun to watch. Since we spend a lot of time in our room, it is helpful that she makes it easy to enjoy our time hanging out.



We miss our boys and can't wait to get home to see them. They seem to be doing well and my parents are still breathing and even seem cheerful, so that is a good sign. Please continue to pray for everyone in this next week. I feel like we are in the home stretch and we are all going to make it through!



Have a great day!

What an Amazing Day!

Wow! We had a great day today! If you've ever watched Survivor, you know that the teams compete in a reward challenge. If their team wins, they get a special reward and sometimes that reward is a cultural experience in the country in which they are living. Today felt like we won the best reward challenge ever. Not only did we have our daughter, which is obviously the best gift, but we were able to experience two fascinating pieces of China as well.



We went to Huangguoshu Falls which is about a 2 hour drive from Guiyang and the largest waterfall in China. It was a gloomy day, but the falls were still amazing. During the peak season, the Falls has over 10,000 visitors each day, but yesterday, we were about the only visitors. We took about an hour and a half walk from the parking lot to the falls, up and down hundreds of stairs with 33 lbs of Emma on my front. We walked through a Bonsai garden with trees and rocks that were a hundred years old. The rock formations were gorgeous. We saw the falls only about 20 minutes into the walk, but then continued to get closer and closer to them until we could literally touch the water. The falls have a long and narrow cave behind them, so were able to go behind them and look out through them from many different places. I wish I were a better writer in these instances as my words just are not describing the beauty and awe that we felt throughout this experience. These adventures always lead me back to the feelings the we have an incredible and creative God!



We continued through the cave and walked back across the river on a long and swaying rope bridge to an escalator which brought us back to the top. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see an escalator. I almost sat on the steps, I was so tired!



Following the Falls adventure, we went to another amazing lunch in a Bouyei (Chinese minorty) restaurant with a plethora of delectible dishes. We managed to get out of there without eating dog, a Bouyei favorite, but did enjoy some Wild Rabbit.



From lunch, we drove another hour and a half to a traditional Han (majority group) village. This village is over 600 years old and has about 1400 Han Chinese people living in it. It is well known for its "Ground Opera" http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&q=ground+opera . They even put on a performance for just us, similar to this performance in the youtube video listed above. They carve those masks by hand in the village. We were able to buy one of the masks from "the best carving family" in the village. We also bought a hand carved basket, but that was from a second rate carver apparently! Still beautiful!



After this village, we drove for another 2 hours back to the hotel. Are you wondering yet how the girls are doing with all of this driving and without the Minivan DVD player? Emma does great in the car! She is very easy to entertain although we did have to have her sit on a garbage can to go to the bathroom once! Ah the experience. Someday, I'll be happy to share with you my experience in the gas station bathroom! It was a puke-worthy experience although I managed to hold it together.



Now, it's 6:30 AM on Saturday and we are getting ready to fly to Guangzhou. We are so ready to get home, but still enjoying learning more about Emma's heritage. Emma's new favorite game is having daddy draw a "meow" (Cat) or a "rrr-rrr"(dog) on her magna doodle, over and over, and over. She has a very playful spirit. We are having such fun getting to know her!



Thanks for your continued prayers and emails. They keep us going!

Happy Birthday Justin!

Today is Justin's 34th birthday and it has been a fun one! We started this morning at an amusement park although we didn't go on any rides. Emma and I had an enjoyable ride in one of those rickshaw-like carriage carried by two men with us in the middle (think Ark of the Covenant). Photo included. They had music playing in the carriage and the men had a very distinctive walk which made the carriage bounce. Apparently, they are used in traditional weddings when, after the wedding, the bride is carried to the door where her new husband is waiting.

We always have many visitors when we are walking through public places. Today, the people were particularly curious and very appreciative that we were taking good care of the children. They just kept saying that the children are so lucky that they are going to live such nice lives. We tried to express that we feel like we are the ones who are blessed to have such lovely children. Many people were exercising in this park as well. It was fun to watch them dancing and doing Tai Chi. Everyone looks so graceful and healthy.

After the park, we went to a Government run souvenir shop where we were able to get some things that were unique to Guizhou. We were able to buy two traditional outfits for Emma along with some other little dolls, etc. There were many beautiful things that we had to pass up on but it was fun to shop.

For lunch we went to a restaurant run by a Chinese Minority, the Dong Minority group. The majority of the people are Han Chinese, but Guizhou has 38 different minority groups plus the Han people living in the province. Many of the minority groups live in the countryside in very traditional villages. Duyun, where Emma is from (about 3 hours from Guiyang), has mostly Bouyei and Miao people. We believe Emma is from the Miao minority group. We will never know for sure. The staff did a special musical presentation for Justin for his birthday treat. They were all dressed in their local tradititional dress. I missed it as I was out with our guide ordering a cake for Justin's birthday party. Bad timing!

Now we are back at the hotel for the evening. We are having a little party for Justin's birthday in a bit with other friends from our travel group. The cake says "Happy Birthday Justin" and has 2 mice and cheese as it is the Year of the Rat. Today is also the last day of the spring festival and fireworks have started outside our window. They will likely go well into the night. Thankfully, Emma sleeps through anything, it seems!

Tomorrow we head for a day-long adventure to Huangguoshu Falls and to a Han village which apparently has a well-known opera (the kind where the men have painted faces and lots of different masks).

We have one day left in Guiyang and then we head to Guangzhou. We have had a very nice time in the province, but look forward to a change of scenery and warmer weather.

If you'd like more info on this province, you could go to
http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/English/chinatours/guiyang.htm







Guizhou province is situated in southwest China and covers 176,000 sq. km. It has a population of about 35 million, of which 65% is Han and the rest a mixture of minorities such as Miao, Bouyei, Dong, Yi, Shui, Hui, Gelao, Zhuang, Yao, Bai, Tujia, etc. Mountains and plateaus make up some 65% of Guizhou's topography. The terrain is rugged, with karst formations, underground rivers, jagged peaks, dramatic valleys, and terraced rice fields. Guizhou, with its rich historic heritage, has spectacular waterfalls, national forests, and awesome scenery. The major cities include capital city Guiyang, Zunyi, Anshun, Duyun, Kali, and Liupenshui.
Guizhou's No.1 attraction is Huangguoshu (Yellow Fruit Tree) Falls. The falls is the largest in China, measuring 74 meters tall and 81 meters wide. In the middle part of the falls, a cave arches into the cliff side and is fancifully curtained by a sheet of water. The thunder of the falls can be heard for some distance and the falls are at their most spectacular about five days after heavy rain between May and October. In addition, there are other falls in the area such as the Luositan Waterfall and the Yinlianzhui Waterfall.
Guizhou offers a diverse environment rich in natural resources and recreational opportunities. Within the "Park Province" are a variety of special places for you to explore, from Guiyang's Lake Qianling to the karst caves of Zhijin and the Miao villages and festivals in the southeast part of the province. The unique karst attractions include the Zhijin Daji Cave, the Rhino Cave in Zhenning, the Dragon's Palace in Anshun, and the Flying Dragon Cave in Xingyi.
Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province, has an area of 2,406 square km., and a population of 1.56 million. Lying in the central part of the Miaoling mountain range, most of Guiyang is hilly except the central area. It has a subtropical monsoon climate with an annual average temperature of 15.3'C, and 271 frost-free days. Annual rainfall averages 1,197 millimeters.
Guiyang is one of China's major producers of nonferrous metals and tobacco. Its major industries also include machinery, steel making, food processing, and chemicals. The chief farm products are rice, wheat, rape, tea, and Guiyang is a hub of railways in the southwest of China. The Chuanqian, Xiangqian, Guikun, and Qiangui railway lines converge here. Road and air transportation facilities are also good. Flights connect to more than twenty other major cities throughout China.
Guiyang has many beautiful mountains and rivers. The region's premier tourist attractions are Qianlingshan mountain, Lake Qianling, the Huaxi scenic area, the Huangguoshu falls, Lake Hongfeng, and the Dragon Palace. The special locally-made produces include Guiyang Daqu liquor, cigarettes, and Zhumaojiao liquor.

http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/English/chinatours/guiyang.htm

Our sweet Emma

It's Wednesday here and it's our 3rd full day with Emma. She is definitely opening up and it seems that she is becoming more "herself", although we continue to learn who that really is. Here is what we have learned in our 3 days with Emma. We hope it will help you get to know her a little better!
Emma loves to eat!

She loves to "brush" her dolly's "hair"

She is a very good care taker of all of her dolls/animals

She loves to play peek a boo, especially with her dolls.

Emma is very observant and very smart.

She loves to take a bath but hates to wash her hair.

She enjoys looking at animals and screams with excitement when she sees them (why do girls scream?).

Emma understands both English and Chinese perfectly but speaks only a little bit. More words come with each new day.

Emma sleeps all night and is potty trained during the day!!!

Emma loves Dora the Explorer (The Chinese/English version) and a completely ridiculous show called Boobah. These have both been very soothing for her.

She loves to draw and enjoys her magna doodle.

She has a great laugh and a beautiful smile.

She does not like to go to bed, but settles quickly and wakes up happy!

Emma had her first play date today with 2 other girls in our group and was a very good sharer. She is also very good at defending her territory, a trait which will come in handy in the Jacobson household!



We look forward to continuing to learn more about our daughter and can't wait to share her with you! We are so blessed and continue to pray for God's grace as we all transition through this time together.

Monkeys!

It's 7:30 PM on Tuesday here now and we are doing well. We went to bed last night at 7 or 8 and woke up this morning around 5:15AM. It's been a long day! We spent the morning relaxing and playing in our room. We went to a large and beautiful park with the largest Buddhist temple in Guizhou. The park had a lake with people swimming in it. It was 33 degrees out this morning. Crazy! There were tons of people exercising, doing Tai chi, walking, playing badminton, and staring at us! The Buddhist temple is amazing and beautiful.



Then, we took a walk down to where the Monkeys are! What fun! They jump around on the trees and the people feed them. It was a bit crazy, but very fun. Emma loved it.



We've spent most of the afternoon and evening in our room. This afternoon is the first time Emma came back to her room without crying. We distracted her with the room key! She was pretty sullen this morning. We're pretty sure she was doing some grieving. She kept her coat on in the room all morning and wanted to make sure she wore "her shoes" rather than the ones we brought for her. She definitely gets it. She is doing remarkably well, considering the circumstances. We are learning a lot and soothing her needs is getting quicker. She went to bed quickly last night. We learned from her foster family that she often cries for a bit before bed, so that made us feel better.



We're thankful for another great day with Emma. She is a fun, creative, smart little girl. We know that she and the boys will get along great! We still have too many days left here, but trying to enjoy every experience.

We finally meet!

It's February 18th and we have our daughter! We are tired after a good but long day but wanted to send a quick update. All is going well. We have decided to keep Emma as our daughter's name as it has been her name for over 2 years and we thought it would make the transition easier. So, Katelyn is Emma. Sorry for the confusion! Emma is the sweetest little girl with a wonderful smile and a great laugh. What fun we are having taking care of her dollies, doing hair and painting fingernails. She doesn't like coming into our hotel room, but once in, she settles down with a little Dora the Explorer video which her amazing foster family sent.



So, thank you for your prayers. We are blessed in so many unexpected ways. We can't wait to tell you more in the days to come!

We're in China!

We made it! The flight was relatively uneventful, until we were 20 minutes from landing in Tokyo and I started to feel nauseous and couldn't stop crying! I guess I should come to expect a bit of an emotional roller coaster for a while. I feel bad for the sweet man sitting next to me (and my poor husband too!). We survived. Thankfully when we landed, the nausea went away and I pulled it together. The lovely couple that we were sitting next to have 3 adopted children, so that was a fun connection to make. Now it's midnight and we're headed to bed. Tomorrow we fly to Guiyang where we will meet Katelyn on Monday. Finally! Thanks for your prayers!

Tomorrow!

We get to leave in just over 12 hours and we can't wait! We are sad to leave our boys, but they are in good hands with my amazing parents. Today we celebrated Matthew's 8th birthday along with a wonderful Valentine's Day. Our luggage is packed and at it's 44 pound limit. I hope our scale isn't off by much or we will be paying the price. We have secured a friend's DVD player along with loads of magazines and books for the ride over. I assume we won't have that luxury on the ride home! Right now, I'm looking forward to sleeping!

Please pray:
- That our trip would be uneventful and all luggage would arrive in good shape
- That we all remain healthy
- That Katelyn will adjust quickly in the days to come
- That we will adjust quickly to having a toddler
- That the boys would have a great time being obedient and easy to care for!

Thanks for our prayers, thoughts and notes. We hope to keep the blog updated regularly and should be able to check e-mail as well.