So sweet! First night in a crib... Xi'an China May 12, 2009

This is the peaceful look we can't wait to see and are praying for ... when she is awake! Right now she has moments like this where she forgets where she is, who she is, and lets loose and plays with us and the kids and trusts her heart to open up and let us in. Please keep praying for longer moments of peace joy and love that happen more and more often for Hope!

Last day in Beijing.... Ride through the Hutong Village

Oh this will forever be etched in my mind... the sounds, sights and smells of the Hutong. The sweet faces of the children playing and coming home from school in their uniforms. All the bikes with multiple passengers driving around, and the heavy and thick hot air filled with the sents of Chinese cooking, sweat, dirt, coal, and the odors that bathrooms produce all at the same time. Amazing how many people live in these one room homes with no plumming or bathrooms. They share a public bath house and toilets(remember no throne). Can you imagine doing the potty & bath thing with little ones in the middle of winter when the temps can be below 20 below zero! Oh the things we take for granted!!! We don't have to boil water every time we want a drink. The little things.... Oh how I will know how to pray for the wonderful people of China after our trip. Thank you Lord for the privilege to go and spend time in Hope's homeland. We all loved it and did not want to come home! China & it's people are amazing!

Well here we are leaving Beijing and heading to Xi'an City in Shaanxi Province on May 10(Mothers Day) to get Hope!

So we boarded Air China flight from Beijing at 10:30 am and literally were the only americans and non Asian people on the flight... so strange when all the flight instructions come at you in Chinese first and then in English... Hope the plane never goes down or anything... who in their right mind would want to stick around and translate for the 6 white guys!!!

And then a few hours later after the 2 hour flight we went to the city government building and just walked in the hallway to find three families waiting out in the hall for the "big cheese" Chinese Government official to show up so we could go into the room we were supposed to have our children brought to us in. But because he was late we were stuck in the hall... and who should we see but little Hope standing in a back hall with the orphanage staff. Well they saw and recognized us too and brought her out to us as we all went "oooh and aaahhh... there she is!" Well the picture shows you better than I can explain...

safely home!

Hi everyone! We are so thankful to be back in the good ol USA!!! Our trip was amazing and we will post many more pics for those of you who we may not have the privilege of seeing anytime soon.

Thank you everyone for all of the prayers support you gave us. It was definately felt!!!!! Thank you!!! We had such peace, safety, good health, good times and travels and adventures!

Love you all and again thanks for posting back and we'll be in touch soon!

Hope is doing a little better every day here. She sure loves her sisters and brother! Hannah even has fed her breakfast(congee-chineses rice dish like oatmeal that a dear sweet wonderful friend made for us!-) changed her diaper and dressed Hope the past two mornings for mommy! That is such a blessing and praise God! She is attaching to the rest of us gradually-yippee!!! Mommy is really really excited about this happening--she can get a tiny little break here and there. Oh am I thankful for those moments!

Love,

Kelly and family

This is our Chinese family picture with the kids dressed in traditional Chinese dress. Will this be a Christmas photo?

The Red Couch Photo is a tradition among adoption families. Everyone who adopts a Chinese child has to spend the last week in Guangzhou because that is where the US Consolate is. And they almost always stay at the White Swan Hotel which is a beautiful 5 star hotel. Anyway- they have these red couches in the lobby and it has become a tradition to have the adopted kids dress in traditional chinese dresses for the photo. Can you see how many of the kids are suffering from seperation anxiety for the photo? Lots of crying

Can you tell that we are the only Americans on the plane? All the black hair...which one does not belong?