We're Here!

It was with great joy and total exhaustion that I laid down to go to sleep last night. Our whole family is finally in the same city! Yun Xi is just a short car ride away.

We left our house about 10:30 Friday morning. We had a non-stop to Beijing and then an additional three-hour flight to Kunming. I was so proud of our kids. Except for a brief whining episode from Cholita at about the 9 hour mark on the way to Beijing, they were perfectly behaved. Walking through the airport, I was reminded once again how unusual it is to see American children in China. Rose and Lucy are total rock stars here--lots of smiles and good-natured finger pointing and lots and lots of photo-taking. About 20 female groupies each posed for pictures with the big girls, some more than once. Cholita was literally squeezed out of the shots and she looked completely shocked. Not that we garner much attention in the U.S., but if anyone in our family was going to get an extra look at home, it's Cholita. She didn't know what to think about people fawning over her sisters and hardly giving her a second glance.

Lucy saw that Cholita, standing off to the side with pushed-out hip and crossed arms, was not pleased and grabbed her to be in the pictures too. This morning, Cholita had completely changed her perspective on the whole episode. "They wanted pictures of us, but I know I was their favorite."

Everyone but Bruder slept for all or some of the flight to Kunming. It was early-morning Seattle time. I should have taken a photo of Lucy and Rose sleeping on the plane to use as blackmail at some point in their lives. Rose was conked out with her head thrown back and her mouth so wide open you could see her palatal expander. Lucy was flattened out on the tray table in front her, arms hanging down and face smushed, looking like a she'd expired mid-dinner.


Our guide, Helen met us at the airport and we drove the 20 minutes to our hotel. The city looks very modern with lots of lights and tree-lined streets. It's COLD here! What happened to the City of Eternal Spring? Our guide said it's unseasonably chilly, so apparently Kunming's nickname should be changed to, City of Most-of-the-time Spring.

We have a free day today and will meet our guide and another adopting family in the lobby tomorrow morning at 8:30. We'll make the short trip to the Civil Affairs Office, meet Yun Xi, sign papers, and then we're a family of seven! Yesterday, walking through the airport, people were literally counting our kids. "Ee, Ar, San Tsuh." And then they'd say, "Tsuh guh hidezuh!" (Four children!) I told one woman that we were "tsuh guh hidezuh" today, but will be "woo guh hidezuh" tomorrow. She looked completely shocked and said something that sent everyone in her group into fits of laughter. I'm guessing that it was along the lines of, "This woman is nuts!"

We've unpacked our things and gotten our room put together. There was already a crib next to our bed. I don't know if he'll fit in it! The big kids slept like logs. I woke up at about 4 in the morning China time and there was Cholita, sitting up in bed too, awake and ready for the day. We lounged for a couple more hours and then got ready for the breakfast buffet. Lyle, king of the potlucks, is in heaven. He had: Yunnan noodles, black rice congee with fresh ginger and walnuts, fried tomatoes, sticky buns, cooked vegetables, various fruits (including yellow watermelon), a salad with tangy vinaigrette, cabbage, and bacon. I'd say he's set until lunch.

The kids are ready to go explore Kunming, so I'll sign off until tonight!

Made With Love: Yun Xi's Bed

When Lyle was a little boy, he had a bedroom under the stairs.  No, he did not live with the Dursleys or anywhere else on Privet Drive.  He did live with seven siblings and he was thrilled when his grandfather built him his own room under the stairs, complete with a raised custom bed with drawers underneath.  Lyle said he learned to recognize everyone in the family just by their footsteps.

Fast forward many years and Lyle remembered that little room as he designed a bed for our boy.  After lots of thought, we decided to put Yun Xi in with the little girls.  Both teenagers each have their own rooms, but with their early wake-up times and later bedtimes, we thought it would be easier to keep the 8 PM'ers together for night time stories and prayers.  It's admittedly a girlie room, full of light blue and pink, so Lyle wanted the bed to be all boy.

Since it's a toddler-sized bed and we know Yun Xi won't be in it for long, Lyle wanted it to be dual purpose.   When the middle shelf is removed and a pine top added, it will convert into a desk.  

I helped carry it up the stairs and it's seriously solid and very well-made.

We had a very old toddler bed in our attic that each of our children have slept in.  Lyle took off its legs and cut through the back to add a ladder.  It was a dark-colored wood laminate that clashed with the pine, so Lyle headed to Home Depot to pick out paint.  For color inspiration he brought the blanket we'd tied for Yun Xi.

I so appreciate the fact that I married a man who has no qualms about carrying a baby blanket into Home Depot.  I dearly love him.

  

And I think a three year-old boy will dearly love this bed.  I know a five year-old girl who certainly does.

With the ladder at the end, it's a fire truck or a pirate ship or a tree house or any number of things.

But tonight it's just a bed and Cholita was thrilled to give it a test run for her brother.

Words you do not want to hear from your husband one week before you go to China

On the answering machine...

Hey hun.  I was just talking to one of my patients and they're moving to Cuba for a couple of years and they're trying to find a home for three Nigerian Dwarf Goats........

The man has seriously got some nerve.

Our son's forever sister

A few weeks ago I received a card in the mail for our little Yun Xi. It was from Lianne, a young lady who was adopted from Yun Xi's orphanage back in July, back at the very same time that we were reading over Yun Xi's file and praying to know if he was our son.

The first several months after we submitted our Letter of Intent to adopt him, I thought that Yun Xi was in foster care. When I learned he wasn't, I was literally sick with worry. Finding Lianne was truly a God-given gift. She said that in the orphanage they were placed in family groups. She'd known "Xi Xi" since he was a baby and even taught him to walk. She called him her "Di Di"(little brother) and he called her "Jie Jie" (big sister).

This orphanage does not prepare the children for adoption. Yun Xi will learn about us either the night before or on the morning of Gotcha' Day. Lianne sent this letter to her Di Di to be read by our guide on the day we meet him.  If anyone would know the mix of emotions he might be feeling, it would be this young lady.

Yesterday I needed to wire our money to China, but before I went to the bank, I had a feeling that I should turn the car around and go get Lianne's card and have it translated. I took it to a local Chinese restaurant and after some confusion that I did not need a table for one, the owner said he'd be happy to translate the letter. He and his mother sat with me at a table at the back of the restaurant and when they looked at the card, they both oohed and aahhed over Lianne's gorgeous penmanship. The owner asked more than once, while pointing to her picture, "This girl wrote this?" He was amazed.

He told me that the top part of the card, on either side of her picture, it said, "Do you remember me?" and "This is a current picture of me." Then the owner began reading the main body of the letter. First, he'd read a sentence out loud in Mandarin and then translate it into English.

Dear XiXi,

How are you? Did you have a good Chinese New Year?

Then he read aloud the next few sentences in Mandarin, but didn't say anything for several seconds. I thought that he was maybe unable to translate it, but when he spoke, I realized that he had paused because he was struggling to stay composed. Her letter was so sweet and beautiful.

XiXi, I am telling you good news. Your family is coming--a loving father, loving mother, loving brother, and loving sisters. You are going to have a good life and happiness forever. You are going to have a nice home and then you will grow healthy, breathing fresh air. There will be a brother and sisters to play with you and you will not be lonely because they will love you and you will be part of their family. Congratulations, XiXi. Be a healthy and happy little boy, full of promise. Now you are still little and I don't know if you still remember me, but I am always your sister.

I was crying. The owner of the restaurant was crying. The owner's mother was crying.  All of us dabbing our eyes with napkins.  I went to the bank and it was with total joy that I wired that money to China. This little boy, a boy full of promise, is getting a family! We're getting a new son! It's a gift beyond price and we are so thankful.

An Almost Perfect Saturday

Rose was a nervous wreck this morning on her way out the door to her first cello recital. She's been playing for 2 months, barely enough time to figure out how to rosin your bow if you ask me, but Rose adores the cello and seems to have an affinity for it. Despite her beginner status, she needed to look the part, so we did her hair in a sophisticated up-do and found an appropriate cello-playing skirt, which isn't as easy as one might think.

She looks goofy and care-free, but she was nervous. Really, really nervous. Which made me nervous.

The recital was at an assisted living facility and the room was comfy and cozy with a TV set, fireplace, and squishy couches. Rose was essentially playing in "Grandma's family room", to an audience with compromised hearing. It was the perfect environment for her cello debut. She played 4 songs, three of which were accompanied by her big sister on the piano. Unfortunately, I had recording issues that weren't resolved until her final number--the duet with her teacher. Here's a sampling:

I could not be more proud of that girl. When she walked back to her seat, she beamed. She was so glad to be done.

And then her dad came in late, missing her performance. The recital was nearly over and Rose's teacher, sad that her dad missed her songs, called Rose up again for a repeat. I thought for sure she'd object, but up she went for round number 2.

Lyle was late for good reason. He was at Bruder's track meet, waiting in the rain for the mile run. It was worth the wait. Bruder got second place with an impressive kick at the end. The final time hasn't been posted, but Lyle guesses it was in the 4:50- 5 minute range. Not bad for his first meet of the season.

Then we went home and watched the BYU basketball game. We'd already had a wonderful cello recital and fantastic track meet and couldn't expect three for three. BYU got slaughtered.

It was an almost perfect Saturday.

For the truly dedicated (Grandparents, this means you), this is the "French Folk Song". I'm not sure why it's sideways. I do love how how she quickly scratches her nose midway through the song. She cracks me up. This song was added only two days before the recital, but I thought she did great.

Anyone want to record something for me?

Normally, I'm quite happy that we don't have T.V.

However, I've heard that Sunday night's episode of The Amazing Race will be in Yun Xi's city of Kunming and I simply must see it.

Can anyone help me out?

On a much more serious note, I was so upset to hear this morning of the earthquake in the Yunnan province. One report said that it was in "the countryside outside of Kunming," which had me so worried. Another report put me at ease that the epicenter was 120 miles away from Kunming. Still, we're just so ready to have our boy home.

Ten Day Forecast

THINGS TO DO BEFORE CHINA (a sampling)

1. Weed courtyard
2. Move boxwoods
3. Prune clematis vines
4. Spread mulch on entry beds
5. Organize bedrooms
6. Paint trim

THE LOCAL TEN DAY FORECAST

			High / Low (°F)	Precip. %
Today Mar 09		Rain / Wind	52°/44°	90 %
Thu Mar 10		Rain / Wind	49°/37°	100 %
Fri Mar 11		Few Showers	49°/40°	30 %
Sat Mar 12		Showers	47°/41°	40 %
Sun Mar 13		Showers	50°/44°	40 %
Mon Mar 14		Rain	51°/41°	70 %
Tue Mar 15		Showers	49°/38°	40 %
Wed Mar 16		Showers	50°/40°	60 %
Thu Mar 17		Showers	49°/40°	60 %
Fri Mar 18		Showers	50°/38°	60 %
Last Updated Mar 9 03:13 a.m. PT It looks like I'll be organizing bedrooms and painting trim. Anyone else ready for Spring?

Consulate Date? Check. Plane Tickets? Check.

I feel like a Mastercard Commercial:

Four new passports- $$$
Chinese visas- $$$$
Six plane tickets to the Yunnan Province- $$$$$
A family photo on Gotcha' Day with all five of our children- PRICELESS.

At least that's what I keep telling myself. Otherwise I'd hyperventilate.

On July 1st I saw our little boy's sweet face for the first time. I gasped, just as I did when I first laid eyes on Cholita. The difference was, with Cholita we were actually planning an adoption. With Yun Xi, there was no plan at all. I saw his picture by chance, on a website visited by hundreds of people every day. Through an amazing series of events, we were able to lock his file. And then, naturally, I panicked.

Excluding the time when I went to the store to buy dog food and came home with a miniature dachshund puppy, we are not impulsive people. Cholita's adoption was literally years in the making. We had planned. We had saved. We had already finished our paperwork. None of that had happened when we said YES to adopting Yun Xi. And yet, in those early days, we were blessed with so many signs affirming that we had made the right choice. When I worried about adopting a boy who would be nearly 4 years old, I met a man at my kid's swim lessons who introduced me to his delightful six-year-old son who had been adopted from Yun Xi's province only two years before. When I worried about money, somehow every time we needed it, the funds were there. When I worried that I didn't really know him, I got an e-mail from someone who had met him in China. "He's such a good boy," they said. When I found out he hadn't been in foster care as I'd assumed and worried that he'd have no concept of family, I met his "big sister", who had loved him in the orphanage from the time he was a baby.

Nearly eight months ago we submitted our letter of intent to adopt Yun Xi, looked at our calendar, and thought, "Wouldn't it be perfect if we could travel over Spring Break and bring the whole family?" I even wrote down our ideal travel dates and circled March 28th as our Gotcha' Day. Looking at averages, we knew that was unlikely. Looking at the averages, it would most likely be summer. But when I planted daffodil bulbs in September, I did it to welcome our boy home in the spring.

Well guess what? We'll be meeting our little boy on March 28th. The whole entire family will be all together in our baby's birthplace--Kunming--otherwise known as The City of Eternal Spring. I'd say it was meant to be.

Presidents, First Ladies, and Lemon Chicken

Teddy Roosevelt arrived at our home this evening looking every bit the Rough Rider that he was.   He told of his adventures hunting big game, his grief upon losing his wife and his mother on the same day, and reminded us frequently that we should speak softly and carry a big stick.

Jackie Kennedy's invitation was sent by Cholita, based solely on fashion sense and wardrobe.   Jackie carefully chose this lovely outfit herself, even attempting a 1960's hairstyle.

I'm sorry to say that there was an awkward moment for poor Jackie at dinner.  Abigail Adams (who you'll meet later) mentioned that she wrote in a letter to the constitutional convention that they should "remember the ladies."  Another dinner guest, Rutherford B. Hayes (Lyle) then made a joke about Jackie's husband remembering the ladies as well and then much to our horror, President Lincoln (Bruder) brought up the name Marilyn Monroe.  Jackie just focused on her lemon chicken, which she was eating with her hands, but we were quite sure she heard.  Franklin Pierce told Lincoln and Hayes that their remarks were in poor taste.

This lovely dinner guest was none other than Abigail Adams.  Her manners were impeccable and she was every bit the lady.  Jackie, much to our dismay, wiped her hands on the table and snorted loudly at all of the jokes. 

Abigail never snorted.  She nodded politely.  She made witty conversation.  She even consoled Rutherford B. Hayes when he shamefully admitted that he's often considered the worst president  to ever inhabit the White House.  "It's a hard job."

Franklin Pierce told the moving story of his son Bennie's death in a train accident on the way to Washington for the inauguration.  His subsequent grief rather crippled his presidency.  After a polite silence, Rutherford said that he had no excuse for his own poor job performance.  He just had no interest in the presidency and wanted to play croquet.

Lincoln shared witty quotes, Pierce told how he put the first Christmas tree in the White House, Jackie informed us that she knows her ABC's (she went into publishing you know), Roosevelt was charismatic and charming, Abigail told us of her letter-writing prowess, and all of us just wondered how in the world Rutherford ever managed to be elected.

It was a President's Day to remember.

And our TA arriving?  That was the cherry on top.  Next year I see Yun Xi making a great Millard Fillmore.

Guess what's winging its way from China right NOW.....

Our Travel Approval!!!!!  In record time!

I nearly hyperventilated last night when I read the e-mail.  "Can you be ready to leave next week?" they asked.

Breathe in.  Breathe out.  Breathe in.  Breathe out.

I almost scrapped our whole plan of taking all the kids during Spring Break. Yun Xi could be leaving the orphanage forever NEXT WEEK!  But, common sense prevailed and our kid's pleading eyes convinced us that waiting until Spring Break would be the better route.

But it's killing me.  Seriously.