What a month!

Well, it's been a month since we first met Emma and we
are all adjusting quite well. I (Lisa) ended up
having my appendix out a week after returning home
from China. It was a quick surgery and a short
recovery and we are all thrilled that it happened
here, rather than there. The boys have been on Spring
Break this week, so it has given us a chance to hang
out and get to know each other. Some days this was a
good thing. . . other days it was not!! The kids are
doing well playing together and Emma seems to fit in
quite well. She sleeps great, takes good naps, and is
generally a happy child.

She loves to color, play with play-doh, push the
stroller (rather than ride in it), and play with her
babies. She loves to pick out her clothes, dress
herself (including putting on her own diaper at
bedtime) and put clips in her hair (only to remove and
lose them 2 minutes later). She loves to play in her
nursery room at church and when I went to get
information on preschool for the fall, she practically
joined a class within minutes. She is quite social!

We continue to connect with Emma's foster family on a
regular basis. We are so grateful for this connection
and for their love for our daughter. It is a gift
from God and we are so blessed. They continue to have
sad days as they miss their girls, but it is getting
easier as they get back into the routine of life. I'm
sure your prayers would be appreciated as they
continue to adjust.

Our move back to MN has been pretty easy. Our only
problem is selling the house in Racine. We hope that
spring will bring some buyers, so please pray that it
sells. The townhouse is working out fine, but it is
not ideal and we look forward to finally getting
settled. The boys have adjusted well at their school
and it's great to be back at our church. We have
reconnected with friends and sometimes it feels like
we never left. If only we could move back into our
cul-du-sac which we loved so much! We continue to be
thankful for our time spent in Racine, but are
thrilled to be back "home". We have friends from
Racine coming up this week and we can't wait!

So, that's the quick update of our time at home.
Thanks for continuing to check in. It's always great
to hear from you. Have a very happy Easter.

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Fwd: Fun at home

> Photos back at home.
> 1. The kids watching a little TV together.
> 2. Emma with Auntie Suzy
> 3. The kids playing a lovely game of "shoot
> brother"
> while AJ has an envelope on his head.
>
> Emma fits right into the chaos! The kids all love
> each other. They have spent all afternoon playing
> together and making each other laugh. What fun!
>
>
>
>
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> Be a better friend, newshound, and
> know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
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>
>

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All is well!

Well, it's day 3 being home and things are going well. The boys and Emma are having a blast playing together. My parents, brother and sister-in-law have been here this weekend and Emma seems to be adjusting to visitors just fine. We are recovering from jet lag fairly well. Emma is fairly awake in the night from about 1-3 am, but in general doing well. Maybe tonight we'll all sleep through the night.

We went to church today and Emma, Suzie (Sister-in-law) and I spent the hour in Emma's new Sunday School room. She did great and loved all of the toys. There are many sweet kids in that class so Emma will have a great time once she's able to adjust.

Tomorrow will be our first "normal" day at home with the boys at school, Justin at work, and Emma and me at home. We are more than ready to figure out what "normal" looks like. We've been waiting for this for a long time.

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.