GOTCHA DAY!!!

It feels so good to finally type that! Well it is 3am in the morning. I am wide awake. Ricky and Justin are sleeping soundly!!! I am hoping to dose back off in a little bit. Be sure to click on my other waiting families that I will meet up with in Guangzhou. Feel free to leave them a comment. They are a great group of women that have been so supportive during these last few months!!! I can't wait to meet them.

Sweet little Joshua I miss you so much and I can't wait to talk to you on the phone tomorrow!!!!

Happy Birthday to my brother Ryan!!! You will have a new "little bit" for your birthday gift!!!!

Counting down until 10am!!!!!!!

We are in Tianjin

Hey everybody we made it. We are settled into our room here at the Golden Ocean. I will post pictures later. We are just resting and waiting for our guide to come back and pick us up. OUr room is very nice. Much bigger and nicer than our room in Beijing. Our room there was nice and clean but just small.

Our ride to the hotel was very interesting. First of all our driver picked us up in a small compact car. Thank goodness we did not have a lot of luggage because it would not have fit and I just don't know what he would have done. We held our backpacks in our laps!! The traffic in Tianjin is much worse than Beijing...more cars. We just got through talking to our guide about the traffic and how crazy it is and how everyone seems to remain very calm and patient even when they are tooting their horns and weaving in and out of each other. There are really no lanes just a lot of people merging. Our guide said that the traffic lights were just their for a suggestion. LOL!! We were sitting in traffic one time and a guy from behind us got our of his van and walked up to the car in front of us and started smacking the driver in the head and then opened his door up and smacked him some more and then he slowly walked back to his van. Talk about road rage!!! LOL!! So much for patience.

Our guide is getting us another driver for the rest of our stay here. So long for now from China!!!!

Train to Tianjin

Good morning or should I say Good Evening, We leave Beijing today and travel by train to Tianjin. We get a new guide named "Angela" again not her real name. I can't wait to meet her. I have heard she is great. Joe was good but I am looking forward to having a female. My boys are getting a little grumpy. Ricky still does not feel good. Head congestion and coughing. Dr. M if you are reading the blog, Ricky is getting on my nerves because he won't take his medicine because he says it makes his head feel funny. I am not being very patient with him. He is going to take all of our antibiotics and me and justin will be left with nothing! LOL!!!!

As you can see from the pictures I posted on Picasaweb, we went down to the food market. All I can say about that is NO justin did not try anything. He was done in from lunch and YUCK!!!!! It did not smell good at all and I just will not go in to detail about what exactly was there to eat. Enjoy the pictures...uggh!!! The Olympic statues are located inside a mall close to our Hotel. The sun is shining today..Yea!!! No more rain!

We are off to Tianjin!! Joshua I love you and miss you so much!!!!!!

Great Wall and Summer Palace

First of all I want to say thanks to all my friends who have taken the time and effort to sign up with blogger so that you can send comments. I love to read them...it makes me feel connected to home and to my friends who are already bloggers I love your comments to. You can never know how much it means to be 8000 miles away and be able to read your precious comments. I am so blessed!!!

Okay as you can tell from the pictures it is cloudy and rainy here today. Not a good hair day at all!!! Yesterday was Hot, Humid and Sticky!!!! Today is much cooler and wet!!! We went to a Jade factory and a pearl factory today as well as the Great Wall and Summer Palace. These guides really know how to pack it in. Our guides name is "Joe" not his real name...isn't that funny that they think they need American names to help us be able to remember their names better.

The Great Wall was an experience. Mighty Justin climbed all 3000 steps to the top as far as you were able to go. Ricky didn't make it all the way and I made about 200 steps...LOL!!!!!! Y'all this wall was not designed by an architect. The steps ranged in height from as little as 6 inches to over 12 inches (just an estimate) So when you step up you never step the same plus it goes straight up in most places. I marched myself right back down in the rain, met some more Americans that are adopting and enjoyed some regular English conversation. This was Justin's big event and he is so proud that he was able to make it!!!

The Summer Palace was beautiful. The water lilies that you see are huge. They are called Lotus. The SP is where the Emperors went on vacation...this was not for the public to enjoy.

We drove by the Bird's nest and Water Cube today. We wanted to get closer but our guide said no one is allowed near there because they are getting ready for the Special Olympics.

The people here are so laid back. They ride their bikes in and out of traffic like it is no big deal. I just know that we were going to run over somebody any minute. No one gets upset. The vehicles just push through the traffic, beep their horns and stop within inches of each other. If you want to change lanes around here you just do it. It is really crazy I don't know how to explain it.

We ate authentic Chinese food again today and all of our stomachs are just a little upset and confused!!!! We leave tomorrow, Sunday, by train to Tianjin. We pick Sophie up on Monday. Please pray that she won't be sad and that she will feel safe and secure with us.

Go under my favorite websites to the right and click on Picasaweb. I think it will work now>

more pictures

Okay I finally got all our pictures downloaded to Picasa web. So lets see if this works www.picasaweb.google.com/peakfamilyadventures. Bear with me if it doesn't work. I will get it figured out.

The acrobat show was awesome. It just blows my mind the way they can make their body's bend like they do. I am going to add a few more pictures and hopefully every will be able to view picasa. Thank you all so much for sharing this with me. It makes me not be so homesick to know that you all are here with me via blogger!! I have the greatest friends in the world!!!

We are off to the Great Wall and Summer Palace in a few hours.

Day 1 Beijing

We had a very busy day today. Temple of Heaven, Tianamen Square, Silk factory, Forbidden City, Peking Duck, and acrobats.
We saw babies in split pants and squatty potties today...yea! Not a very pleasant experience...smelly! Needless to say we are very tired. None of us really liked the duck but we ate what we put on our plate. It is dark meat and chewy. The Forbidden City was beautiful and the acrobats were awesome. Justin got to eat at McDonald's for lunch and he was so happy. And yes it actually taste and looks the same. They also serve kernel corn and spicy chicken wings...that was the only thing that I saw that was different. There were hardly any Americans where we went today. Enjoy the pictures!!!!

Sweet Friends

Hello everyone. Thank you so much for the words of encouragement and for taking extra-special care of Joshua. I am unable to check my emails right now so I am hoping that this post will upload. Just wanted let everyone know that I have gotten your text but have not responded to everyone. It is 50 cent a text and 1.99 a minute to talk. It only cost my phone .5 cents for me to receive a text so that is great keep texting. I may not respond especially if it is to just say okay or thanks....that would cost me 50 cents. I am going to pace myself with my phone. Just bare with me, like I said email is not letting me read or send right now but I can see that I do have some emails from some of you. I will try my hardest to respond back to everyone. I have to sit with the computer on the back of the couch touching the window to even pick up 2 bars on my router. Cynthia it is like when we were at the beach and to go all over the condo to find a spot for our computer to pick up.

Be patient with me, I am going to try my hardest to stay connected with everyone with whatever source I have available at the time. I am up about 3 hours too early. We go to Tiannamen Square, Temple at Heaven and to an acrobat show today and we are eating Peking Duck for supper. I love you guys and I miss the United States. So far everyone that we have come in contact with can speak some English....some better than others.

We have arrived!!

What a long day! we finally landed in Beijing at 5:30am Alabama time Thursday morning. It is now 8:10pm Beijing time. I just got off the phone with my sweet Joshua and he is doing great!! I am so proud of him!!! I told him about the sliced boiled egg and cucumber sandwhich we were served on the airplane and he was glad he didn't come!!! LOL

Our trip went very smoothly. We had no problems at all getting connected and our long flight was as comfortable as we could get. I sorta got a little anxious with 6 hours left into the trip and had to get up and walk and breath. We all had our own screen and could watch whatever movie or prerecorded TV show and listen to music. This really helped pass the time!

I can't believe that we are finally here!!!! We will have two very busy days of touring Beijing and then we will take the train to Tianjin on Sunday and pick up our princess on Monday!!!!

Thanks for all the prayers. They were answered in so many ways. We are so lucky to have wonderful, praying friends!!!!

Have a great Day!!!! Goodnight from Beijing!!!!

Anxiety/Peace

"Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for you" 1 Peter 5:7

I am awake and very restless tonight. I am getting so excited about having Sophie in my arms soon but getting sad and anxious about leaving Joshua. He will be well taken care of while we are gone so that is not the issue. Just that this mama's heart is going to miss him as much or more than he is going to miss me. This is such a bitter/sweet emotion for me and reminds me of when my Mom passed away while I was 8 months pregnant with Joshua. It is very hard to be happy and sad at the same time. The two emotions just fight against each other. I think because he is the baby that I carried the entire time my Mom was going through cancer, makes our bond a little different. Joshua was the strength I needed during such a uncontrollable and sad time in my life. "Be stong and courageous, do not be terrified, for the Lord you God is with you wherever you go" Joshua 1:9 This is Joshua's name as a result of this verse I clung to during those difficult days of losing my Mom.

I am going to cling to this verse once again and cast all my fears and anxiety upon Him. My prayer is that Joshua will be able to do this as well. My prayer is for immeasurable peace!!!

Thank you once again to all my wonderful friends and family that will be praying us through! My next post will be from China!!! Thanks for sharing this journey with us!!!!

Travel Plans

Hello everyone!!!! It has been a very busy week. I am so sorry that I have not posted lately. The boys started back to school and I started back to work. BTW have you heard lately that WE ARE GOING TO CHINA in 12 days!!!!!! So yes, I have been busy and will get busier as the days approach for our departure. We have enjoyed watching the Olympics and we think that it a huge blessing that God has provided a glimpse of life in China through the Olympics. He is in Control!!!!

Here is itinerary for those who interested:

8/27 Leave for China 6am

8/28 Arrive in Beijing 6:40pm (note this is 5:40am 8/28 Alabama time!!!!23 hours!!)

8/29 Tour Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple At Heaven and Acrobatic show
***I am tired...whew***

8/30 Great Wall (I'll be napping at the bottom) Summer Palace
***Very tired!***

8/31 Take train to Tianjin ***Getting excited!!!***

9/1 GOTCHA DAY!!! ***my soul is content and I am in love****

Sept 1-5 is spent in Tianjin

9/4 Visit Prince of Peace ***sad that I can't bring them all home to loving homes**

9/6 Fly to Guangzhou ***let's see how Sophie does on a plane***

9/7 Free Day ***SHOPPING!!!!***

9/8 Sophie Medical Exam

9/9 U.S. Consulate Appointment

9/10 Swearing in Ceremony U.S. Consulate

9/11 9:30am Fly from GZ to Shanghai. Leave Shanghi and arrive back in Dothan 9:30pm
Sept 11 ***Yes I realize the date...please pray for our safety**

Thank you all for your prayers, encouragement, and support for our family. We can't wait for you all to meet our "little princess". Please pray for Joshua has he stays behind and also for my heart because I will miss him just as much or more than he misses me. Please pray for Sophie to adjust well and to feel immediate security and love from us. My prayer is that the Lord will be glorified through this entire adoption because He is the author of this story. We are just thankful to be the characters that He chose to use!!

Another New Picture

More Pictures

Correction

Okay I told y'all I was no math whiz!!!!! We leave Shanghai 3:30pm Sept 11 (2:30am Dothan time 9/11) This is only 19 hours to arrive in Dothan 9/11 9:30pm. Whew!!! That was really messing with my head. Still a long flight but better than 31 hours!!! I was counting from Sept 10th. Just remember that China is 13 hours ahead of Dothan time.

We have tickets!!!

We have our ticket receipt and itinerary. We leave at 6am on August 27 from Dothan and arrive in Shanghai on August 28 at 1:45pm. We will return Sept 11 leaving Shanghai at 3:35pm and arrive in Dothan at 9:34 pm on Sept 11. Now I am no math whiz but that is 31 hours...YIKES!!!!! This will definitely be the ultimate test of my patience with a tired husband, tired 14yo and a daughter who doesn't speak any English. This will definitely be a day I will need my "prayer warrior" friends to pray!!!!!

IT'S OFFICIAL...WE ARE GOING TO CHINA!!!!

Patricia called this morning and we have our CA appointment confirmed for September 9. We will pick up our precious girl on Sept 1. I am sitting here with my friend Monica trying to make our airline reservations. Needless to say, we are having a few problems being able to understand and communicate with the not-so-good English speaking employees with Delta. We have gotten some conflicting information but we have finally found and English speaking woman that is getting the job done for us!!!

I will post more later when I get all the reservations confirmed!!! Thanks Monica and Peyton for all the help!!!!!