Wow! We Did It!

I can’t believe our time in China is finally nearing the end! After all the paperwork, the waiting, the fundraising, the traveling, it’s almost over! Tonight was very emotional saying good bye to our travel group and our beloved tour guides Catherine and Helen. We all took pictures on the famous red couch this morning, and I was choking back tears the whole time, because for all these months, after reading blog after blog of other families here in China at the red couch, today was our turn! All the babies were dressed up in their traditional Chinese clothing, and they all looked so beautiful/handsome. I kept thinking about how special it is that 12 orphans now have families of their own.

This afternoon we went to the American Consulate to take our group oath, and pick up the babies travel visas. That was emotional too….. we were in a big room with all these families and their new children, all holding up our hands, and the head honcho guy declaring that we were finished, and congratulating us all.

Tonight was the whammy… we all went to Lucy’s for dinner as a travel group. I was choked up the whole time. We sat by our guide Helen, and she told Hope in Chinese, that her family likes her. We tell her in Chinese that we love her all the time, but there was something so powerful about this moment, when Helen did that. Hope got very still and her eyes started darting back and forth really fast and she reached out and hugged Helen so tenderly and nodded. It was like the realization hit her that her family LIKES her. I feel like she really needed to hear that and the rest of the night she just held me and kept giving me kisses.

She is such a precious girl. I can’t wait for you all to meet her. She has her struggles, and because she doesn’t talk yet she screams very loudly when she is upset. She has a hard time transitioning from one activity to another and throws big fits. Yes, she is definitely a two year old! But she has the most tender heart and she loves fiercely, and puts her whole heart into those wonderful little kisses of hers. She loves to laugh, and she loves to be tickled. She has a funny thing she does every night while I’m getting her ready for bed… She makes a funny sound with her mouth, then pauses….. then I do it back, and she thinks that’s hysterical.

She is a true joy, and she is loved by her brother and sisters. I think about what her life might have been like if she had never been adopted and I’m sooo glad she is coming home with us, where she belongs. Thank you so much for following our journey. It has been fun to have you along. We will keep this site going, and post updates of Hope, and lots more pictures of our trip.

We have a super long travel day ahead of us tomorrow and could use some prayer if you think of us! We will be leaving here at 10am, driving 1 hour to the Guangzhou airport… taking off at 1pm, and arriving in Beijing at 4pm… Then we will have a 5 hour layover, and then leave at 9pm from Beijing to LAX for a 13 hour flight! All that with 4 kids in tow! But I know His grace is sufficient, and we will make it! We love you!!! 😉