Two years ago in December...

I am reminded it was two years ago in December that this journey began, and how fitting we have James home during this special time celebrating the birth of our Savior. It continually reminds me of God's special gift of our son and brother James that God has given our family. Mike and I began praying about whether God was calling us to adopt in December of 2006. Mike was so sure and I don't think there was much doubt in his mind that we were to do this, I on the other hand needed more of God's assurance and confirmation before I stepped forward. I thought about the huge financial cost of this and knew we couldn't come up with this money, but I did know God could and He proved He would in miraculous ways! Maybe it was also was part of my selfish desire to plan my future...I thought I would be working more now that the kids were all in school...How could I start over with a young child, and what would people think. Well God most certainly confirmed this was His plan and showed us in so many ways! Shortly after this time my unknowing sister gave me a CD that Christmas and this is what I read on the inside. "God calls after His children to care for widows and orphans in the book Of James. Perhaps for you this means helping a friend down the street or at your church who has room at their for a child in need but does not have the money to make it happen; or maybe it's the gift of your time in serving orphans in your community or on the other side of the globe. Or could you be on the same journey Marybeth and I were on? I don't know what responding to God's invitation to care for orphans looks like for you, but Marybeth and I are praying that your heart will be open to Him showing you." WOW-Well how could I ignore that...but still I needed more and God continued to give more as we prayed and day by day everything fell into place.

I still can't believe this has all happened when I look at this precious boy. Sometimes when I look into his eyes and just ponder the joy he has brought into our home, it seems like a dream! My heart nearly melted the other day when I received an unsolicited I love you. We love him and he is really loving us! He has attached so well and is really adjusting to things here. The girls don't have too much free time these days because James is so desperate to play with them. Our new game is hide and seek which he loves, and of course cars and trains. I cannot imagine if we had said no to this and missed this incredible opportunity. The joy that a small child can bring into a home. James adds so much laughter to our house. Ali and I were laughing until our sides hurt yesterday! He is such a gift from God and seems like he has been here forever.

Ali mentioned how he will probably always love Christmas songs and it marks his time coming into our family. He tries to sing along it is the cutest thing-jingle bells being his favorite! It really feels like Christmas marks the beginning of this journey, I remember the guarded excitement we held in our hearts in 2006 when we felt we really were on a wild and exciting ride with God. We look to the future with eager anticipation at what God holds in store for our lives and our new son's life. We celebrate this Christmas in so many ways and will be forever grateful for the birth of our savior Jesus and that God's plans for our lives are perfect!

1 Month Ago Yesterday

Decorating the Christmas Tree!
I love the snow.(seenoooo) kind of cold though!

Hanging out with my buddies- I suppose I'll watch Hannah if I can be with you!

What a fun party...a choo choo on a cake and I can eat the frosting off it??

My First trip to the park cool!

It's hard to believe it was a month ago when James came into our family. We have come a long way and we have a ways to go. I read yesterday that you can expect it will take as many years as they were in the orphanage to adjust and attach to your family. I am believing it will be shorter than three years! It has only been a month so when at times I feel a little discouraged, I remember that it will take some time! We are still working on anger/tantrum issues. I read yesterday that the aggression seen may have been a defense against older kids or even mimicking of behavior seen in the orphanage, so I know it will take time to develop new behaviors and ways for James to deal with being told no, or not getting something he wants. One day at a time...

Another party for James...It was so nice to spend some time with family and friends celebrating James. We continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity and love of our family and friends. A party surrounded by special people with prayers, blessings, more stuff for James, and even a choo choo on a cake-it continually overwhelms us to feel so loved.

It has been hard to say goodbye to his buddies in the morning, but he has come to realize they come back! He understands they are all at "spool". It is so neat to see his thrill and excitement when they come through the door. I wish I had the video camera when dad came home the first few days. WOW what a greeting he got-James went running toward the door "Oh Baba Baba Baba!"with such excitement! It was the absolute cutest thing!

I may need to get a lock for the pantry and refrigerator...James enjoys pulling stuff out and doing various things with the food (sometimes eating it). Mike reminds me that we had a hook on the pantry in our other house for Caroline when she was climbing the shelves! We decorated the tree and that was fun for James. I think he thought it was odd though-having a tree in the house and putting toys on it. But he joined in after he saw us putting ornaments (toys!) on the tree. Now if I can help him understand the "balls" are not balls but glass ornaments! He really is a boy in many ways...and that is new for me having three girls! I feel like I am always trying to keep him from getting hurt, as he is wild at times! I also forgot about all the spills and such of a toddler. Wow this house is kind of a mess...oh well got to let that go!

This little boy has had us laughing so hard we cry! He is such a riot and was so meant to be in our family. I love how God does that so perfectly. This is why when we filled out the paperwork for our referral we checked off boy or girl, we wanted to put this child in God's hands in every way. We were expecting to receive a girl, but we are so totally blessed by a son and brother! It has been so fun for us to experience a little boy in our house. I always loved the beautiful relationship my mom and brother had. I also cherish the close relationship I share with my brother Joe and know the same will be true for myself and our girls! Thank you God!

Thankful!

We are so thankful to be home. We are still pretty tired and jet lagged. How long does it take to get over that! Claire can be found at various times sleeping around the house and Mike fell asleep at the dinner table the other night. I suppose it is everything and it is all a big adjustment! We aren't used to "playing" as much as we do these days!

I cannot express how thankful we are that we took the kids with us to China. They could never have established the bonds they have with their brother had they not gone with us. The 15 days of one on one in small spaces really did amazing things to connect them. James is so sad when they leave and overjoyed when they return home. He loves to play with them and they love it as well.

We had our doctors appointments this week. It was so sad not to be able to explain to James why he was poked over and over. They had a real hard time drawing blood also. Our incredible news came when we went to our cardiologist appointment. Our referral stated "complex cardiopathy" a term doctors don't even use here, James has three different defects and we were really not that certain what to expect. One of our doctors here said we really won't know until we get him here what is going on with his heart. We did not see any visible scars for the supposed heart surgery James had, and our medical appointment in China provided no further information for us. Well our cardiologist said James is doing very well and the extent of his defects is not what was originally stated. He will have follow up each year and hopefully nothing more, one of his defects the hole in his heart will probably close on its own, and the other defect is very mild. His EKG was perfectly normal. We are so thankful for this incredible news. Mike and I just looked at each other in amazement as the doctor gave us the news.

Things are going well here and we are working through things that will take time. Sleep and food are some of the issues and we are trying to figure our what works. It's hard to go back to the days of an infant getting up in the night, but if it helps James bond I am all for it! When James keeps pulling out a can of corn for breakfast, I hope he will eventually come to like our great breakfast foods!

We are going to post occasionally, keeping this as a baby book for James, so stop in if you wish and again thank you for following our journey!

James loves balloons especially the choo choo one...he is a big Thomas fan!

Yes he is a true White Sox fan!

Blessed beyond measure by our friends

We are HOME!!!

After 2 very long flights, we are home!!! James did pretty well on the planes, he only had one tantrum before the plane took off. We were VERY surprised to find our dear friends waiting at the airport for us with signs and balloons for James! He was very excited to see that all the people were wanting to meet him. Uncle Joe picked us up at the airport, and James got to meet a few of his sweet cousins and his aunt. He had such a fun time playing with them!

When we got home we were very surprised to find that our whole house had been decorated with signs saying "Welcome Home!" It was so nice to see. James, again, loved all the signs. He points to them excitedly and jumps up and down. He already feels all the love of our great friends and family. He also loved our house. I think that somewhere, in the back of his mind, he already knows that this is HOME and not just another hotel. He was the happiest we have ever seen him today. He loves his room and all his books and toys.

We want to thank you all for supporting us in the journey. We are so thankful for all of you and all you have done for James and our family. We are awed by the extravagant amount of love you pour upon us everyday.

We are so glad to be home, and we love you all! We thank God for this indescribable gift He has given us...

Love, Ali

1000th McDonalds Grand Opening and leaving China!

1000th restaurant grand opening in China

Aunt Lisa in the grand parade for the new restaurant drive through

James and Dad and Ronald McDonald! (Tong Tong only looks a bit freaked out...)

James and dad with the dragons!

Lisa up on stage for the ribbon cutting ceremony

Today we had the opportunity to go to the 1000th McDonald's restaurant grand opening in Guandong (or somewhere like that, about an hour away from Guangzhou). It was quite an event! James loved most of it and was quite taken with Ronald McDonald! It was such an incredible chance for Mike to meet his China colleagues. It was also so moving to see my sister Lisa on her home turf. I am so incredibly proud of her and was even emotional that I was able to have this chance to see her! I mean really what are the chances! The restaurant was very nice and there were many people there, as well as the media. Lisa was pretty busy with all of that so we didn't have much of a chance to talk, but again I was just so thrilled to be there!

Today was also our swearing in ceremony. It was at the US Consulate in China with about 40 other adoptive parents. The actual swearing in was about 3 minutes. I can't quite remember it as we are getting a little delirious. It is time to go home...We had some beautiful and tender moments today with James and also some very hard moments with the temper tantrums. He is definitely attaching though. When I think of the first nights when he laid in his crib and put himself to sleep without wanting any mom or dad interaction, to these nights when he needs me to help him fall asleep and talk to him. It is such a beautiful change. I remember how odd it was when I tried to get him to lay down with us in the beginning and he just wanted to be alone. Now he wakes up in the wee hours and calls out mama...which in some ways may not be such a good thing and make for a tired mom!

We are hoping for a nice travel time. I sure hope no one on the plane has to experience poor James temper tantrum-oh the looks we have gotten in China! Please pray for us- I don't want one of our fellow passengers parachuting out the emergency door!

Ali:
My mom and I are listening to Christmas carols right now, in Starbucks (while drinking Iced Hot Chocolate, which is an oxymoron, and I LOVE oxymorons). We are looking forward to seeing you all again. We miss you all so much. If you meet James in the next few weeks, just know that he is temper prone. I just wanted to give everyone a fair warning.

We now interrupt this blog entry with a brief message from the Beach Boys:

So hoist up the John B's sail

See how the mainsail sets

Call for the captain ashore

Let me go home, let me go home

I wanna go home, let me go home

Why don't you let me go home?

-"Sloop John B"

Much love, Ali and Jenn

PS Not all of us want to go home, to the daily grind of suburbia and school and being crushed by the system, et. cetera. But we must go, because it is our HOME, after all. This has truly been the trip of a lifetime and I am so glad we all had the chance to go together.

PPS Fun fact of the day: If you would like to speak to James, this is the current extent of his vocabulary. We've also included pronunciations, for your convenience.

Ay-ay-ay-lee-Ali

Carlien-Caroline

Clay-ay-ire-Claire

Mama-Mom

Baba-Dad

BOOO-NANA-Banana

Bu Yao!!- (This is a Chinese expression meaning, "I don't want/need it." It is the most common thing out of James' mouth. Usually precedes a temper tantrum.)

Engen Engen Numba NINE!-From the book "Engine Engine Number Nine, one of James' favorite phrases.)

MER!-More

Godda go PEE PEE! Godda go PEE, A-PEE!- Sometimes he just randomly says this. He has no idea what it means.

God is good!

Our family
The kids

Tong Tong karate man in his Chinese outfit

As we get ready to leave to go home, I reflect on all that has happened on our journey in China. I feel I have been stretched in my faith and we have all grown in our relationships with God in many ways. He has met us in every moment of this journey. I am so thankful we stepped out of the boat and walked His calling for our family. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but sometimes I felt weaker than I thought I would. But then in our weakness He is strong. As we know, without the difficulties in life, we don't always depend on Him. I am so thankful for God's closeness in a place that at times has seemed so far from home.

Caroline got a new ipod before we left and gave me her old one. I asked her to put some songs from my cds on it. I am always amazed by how these songs seem to "speak" to me, each at the perfect moment. I also asked my friend Peggy to xerox devotionals from a devotional I didn't own but had given to my friends last year for Christmas. I cannot tell you how perfect each days entry was to speak to me when I really needed it. Examples of God walking right along side of us.

Every good and perfect gift is from above. We are so thankful for the gift God has given us in our son James. As he sat today looking through one of my favorite books, The pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer, I felt so filled with joy reflecting on God having a special and unique plan for our son's life. One day James will learn of God's great love for him. I look at this little boy and continue to be amazed by the fact that God chose him for our family long ago. Ali and I were saying he also seems like he has been in our family forever. It doesn't feel like a different kind of love for him because he is adopted, because God has knit our hearts together. God has answered so many prayers to prepare James' heart for our family and we can see that as we look into his eyes.

From today's devotional: The Lord can be depended upon and He desires for us to be just as reliable, determined and stable. This is simply the meaning of faith. I am so thankful for the faith that has brought us here today.

Warning: Please do not read if you have a weak stomach

Goats, skinned and ready for purchase (notice the blood underneath...)
Exotic foods street

Dried snake

Our dead fish friend

Antlers, horns, dried caterpillar... (is it even legal to sell this sort of stuff?)

Today we went went to an exotic foods market with our friends in our adoption group. We saw live scorpions (fried for your convenience!), turtles, dried snakes, entire goats, dried fish, dried frogs, roasted pigs (the entire body, because who wants to miss out on the innards?), bags of small insects, dried seahorses, and some spices. It was quite the experience...and we didn't even see it in all its glory-apparently the government shut a large part of it down a few years ago because it was just too disgusting. It still is rather unsanitary. Imagine streets, stained not with tire marks, but with the blood of animals. Lovely. We were all very glad we got to see this, however. It was really something you have to see to believe...which is why we've included photos. Does it make you sick just to look at them? Yeah. Well, imagine how we felt.

After that, we went shopping in a bunch of little stores. They have some really cool stuff around here. We got Tong Tong some Aoteman squeaky shoes, which he absolutely loved. Everyone is getting better at bargaining, even Claire. As for me, I find it somewhat intimidating and unnecessary. A shopkeeper and I were haggling over the price of a [item will not be disclosed here, as it is a gift for someone reading this blog], I wanted 40 yuan and she wanted 45 yuan. We argued for like 10 minutes, when finally I realized that 5 yuan is less than a dollar, so I just gave up and paid the 45 yuan. Everything is so cheap here, I don't really see the purpose in bargaining, when you can have a peaceful transaction for just a few yuan (cents!) more.

Jenn:

Tong Tong is still having some major temper tantrums. I don't think I have seen a tantrum like this in my life. I think there is so much we have to remember about all our dear son has been through when all of these things are going on. We are in another hotel room with new routines and all the things James ever knew in his life are gone. His friends are gone, his nannies are gone, and all of his routines and comforts are gone. As we were arranging the luggage, he came over and started folding laundry. He does this so happily, like he enjoys anything that reminds him of his old life. There is so much of his old routine that we know nothing about. As much as we try to establish new routine it is hard, because of the things we need to do for the adoption and just all that is going on here. I wish I knew what his routine was, including what he likes to eat and all the other basic things. I think transitioning is very hard for him. This morning when he was changing from pajamas to clothes to go to breakfast he had a major meltdown. It takes him quite a while to calm down also. His tantrums ignite in a moment, and when he starts, there's no stopping him. He throws himself on the floor and begins screaming. Then when we try to pick him up he fights with everything he has. Tonight we went to dinner and he just screamed and I had to leave with him because I couldn't even get him to sit. I think getting home to some consistency and routine will be a great help. It will take a while we know, but there is sunshine ahead and we see beautiful glimmers of it already. We love this little boy. Later, after dinner (which Mike brought to the hotel room for me and Tong Tong) he was playing with all of us, laughing hysterically... He loves life so much. He brings such happiness to others (That's what they told us in his referral, and we know now that it's true!).

Much love to all you slackers who don't comment,

Ali and Jenn

Second day in the city of the angry taxi drivers

Tong Tong doing his thing where he touches our face.

Tong Tong pushing his wheelchair at the pool

Tong Tong and dad playing at the museum/shop

The kids in our awesome travel group

Here we are, in Starbucks, again-this time with mediocre tea. Whoopee. But, lest I forget, we do get FREE wifi with our tea. Pretty cool.

Today we started off by going to a museum with lots of Chinese art and carvings. They were very beautiful. After that, we went back to the hotel and went swimming-or at least, most of us did. Tong Tong didn't go in the water, instead he pushed his wheelchair like a madman around the pool. At least this time, he didn't freak out when we put it away.

After that, we went to an underground mall. It was rather overwhelming. The shops are all about the size of a closet, each stuffed with a disorganized array of clothing. The prices were good, though. Everything is so much cheaper here than it is in the US. I think that's because everything is made here, and they don't have to pay for shipping, and stuff.

We got to see Aunt Lisa again after that, which was really nice. For dinner, we decided to go to a pizza place recommended by one of her friends. This, however, was much more of an ordeal than we had originally thought it would be.

The poor bellboy outside of the hotel had to find two cabs for us, since we have too many people for just one. But NO ONE wanted to drive us. Apparently, this restaurant was very close to the hotel (low fare for the cabbies), and not very well known. Finally, the bellboy ran up to this cab driver and started yelling at him. We thought everything was okay, so we went into the cab. That was a slight mistake. The cabbie jumped out of the car in his rage, at which point he and the poor bellboy got into a shouting match! Well, I'm not sure exactly what the bellboy said (threatened) to the cabbie to get him to take us, but finally we were on the go.

And, believe it or not, things went downhill from there. In the first 30 seconds or so of our ride, one of the cabbies took a completely different direction than the other cabbie. Then, we started getting in this, like, ghetto area of the town, and we were afraid that the cabbie was going to dump us off in the middle of the ghetto, because he was so mad, and then he drove right past a pizza place, so I was like, Hello! Cabbie! Stop!, at which point we did, and went to the restaurant.

Me, Lisa, Caroline, and Claire arrived before (0r so we thought) my Mom, Dad, and James, so we decided to eat outside. We ordered our food, then waited for like 20 minutes for my parents to show up. After about 15 minutes, we all started to panic, like maybe their cabbie dropped THEM off in the ghetto, or he was taking a really long route to make them pay more...we were about to hail ANOTHER cab to get back to the hotel, when the waiter came up to us, saying, "There's 2.5 people inside who are waiting for 4 people, and you're waiting for two people and a toddler, so maybe you're looking for each other?"

We were. We had spent all that time freaking out, when we were really just a few yard away from one another.

I love it when things work out like that. And the food was delicious.

Love, Ali and Jenn

Welcome to Guangzhou/aka the Ritz

Playing with a Chinese hackeysack after dinner
Tong Tong before the medical exam with Mama and Baba

Medical exam area-very crowded!

As we are writing this, we are sitting in the Starbucks of our absurdly luxurious hotel. (What?!, You say, Starbucks?!?! In CHINA!?!?! You are enjoying assorted beverages at an AMERICAN CHAIN RESTAURANT?! Yes, we say, We are. This is the only place we currently know of with free wifi. Also, the music is in English, and it smells like home.) We are thankful to have arrived here safely after a relatively uneventful flight, during which Tong Tong did nothing but sleep.

Today we went to the "medical exam" if you want to call it that... Tong Tong was very well behaved and didn't cry at all, though that's not saying much, as they didn't actually do much. We are looking forward to getting home to our doctors to see what surgery, if any, Tong Tong had.

We got to meet up with the other families in our adoption group during the "medical exams". It was so nice to see them and meet the newest members of their families! After the "exams", we got to go shopping with them on Shaimen (sp?) Island. The stores here are really cool, a bit reminiscent of New Orleans.

After shopping, we all went to dinner together at an American (sort of) restaurant, Lucy's. The food was good and we enjoyed spending time with one another. We got to dine al fresco, and the beautiful weather and glowing atmosphere made for a great night. After dinner, all the kids started playing a sort of Chinese hacky sack game, which was awesome (blossom extra awesome). Later, we went to a nearby river, which was breathtaking (in a corporately toxic, neon lights sort of way).

Things are going pretty well with Tong Tong. It is really a process and I am thinking of many things as I look at this sweet little boy. He is fighting himself as he wants me and Baba more, but also wants to rely on himself and remain independent. When he has been sick he has called out for mama and then can't seem to allow himself to easily come to me and accept my love. He is learning one day at a time. He is definitely strong willed and we have seen some T time (temper tantrums! with a capitol T!) He is understandably tired and trying to understand all that is going on with his life. I look at him as he sleeps and it makes me sad to think of the three years without a mom and dad to love him.

I just want to thank you all for your prayers. I truly feel them and know that God is giving us strength and hope and all I need to meet every challenge. I cannot imagine walking this journey without God right by our sides. We are so thankful for this journey and all God will do in it.

Love from Starbucks,

Ali and Jenn

Our last day in Beijing

Tong Tong playing with his three sisters

We started out the day by going to the Beijing International Christian Fellowship church again. Tong Tong, Mom, and Claire all stayed at the hotel because Tong Tong still isn't feeling well. The church service was amazing, again. I figured out why I like the church so much here. There's an extreme sense of gratitude and fellowship among the congregation, something there isn't as much of at home... Here, people don't take this opportunity to worship for granted. It's not like home, where there's a church on every other street corner. Here, being at a church is not another badge of mediocrity, but, rather, an escape from it.

Other than that, we didn't do much today. Tong Tong started opening up to us even more, as evidenced by the above photo. At the same time, however, he is very conflicted; unsure of whether he can trust us. He'll reach for a hug one second, only to push away the next, then cry for a hug again.

We're unsure of how our internet setup will be in Guangzhou, so don't be suprised if we aren't posting right away.

Love, Ali

Chairman Mao's tomb, more fun with Tong Tong

Material Boy (And that's silly putty on Aoteman...uh...)

Tong Tong in his Aoteman pose

After posing, he would run toward Mama and jump into her arms!

Aoteman!

This morning, my Dad, Caroline, and myself all went to Chairman Mao's tomb to get out of the hotel. It was QUITE the experience... More on that when we get home! We waited in a very long line to see Mao's remains (though we, and our new Irish tourist friends, all agreed that it looked suspiciously like wax). After going through the tomb room, the line went right into a gift shop-just like the rides at Six Flags!

Tong Tong had another fun day, with more new games. We bought him an Aoteman action figure at Carrefour, which he loved playing with. He loves getting out of the hotel room.

Yesterday he would not get out of his stroller the entire day. We started calling it his wheelchair, because he wouldn't get out even to retrieve his fallen toys. As soon as he got out for his bath, we hid it in the closet. Today he didn't use it at all...

Scratch that. He just found the wheelchair and is now sitting in it. Lovely.

Tomorrow is our last day in Beijing before we depart for Guangzhou. We are going to church in the morning, and I'm not sure what else we'll be doing after that.

Love from China,

Ali

Another free day

Tong Tong and his new favorite game

We had a relatively quiet day today. We walked around the neighborhood for awhile, which was fun. We almost died crossing the street-people don't really stop for pedestrians here! But we are all alive, at least for the now. No roadkill de'human today!

We played a lot of games with Tong Tong today. When all his sisters lie face down on the bed, feet hanging off, he likes to tickle their feet and pull them off, then point back up to the bed and say "Up!". We played that for a really long time today-we laid on the bed, he pulled us off. Mom joined in too, and he loved that. It's so nice to have him willingly touch us, even if it's only just our feet.

He also loves to play a miniature form of baseball-he'll hit a crumpled up ball of paper with a long marker and then run to random areas of the room. He loves that game, too, and is a very good hitter!

In other news, Tong Tong is catching a pretty bad cold with a fever. We've given him some tylenol but it doesn't seem to help much. Please pray that he gets well soon!

Later...

Ali

Dad's take on things

Tong Tong after swimming
Tong Tong loves swimming with Baba!

Already, Tong Tong is a huge Thomas fan-watching a Thomas video while

wearing Thomas swim trunks & t shirt!

Tong Tong with one of his towers

Wednesday, November 5th

His Dad’s View:

No tours, appointments or car rides. We hung out in the hotel room. It was homework day for the girls. I held a napping James in my arms as we watched the election results on CNN. This is a historic day for our nation and our family. My only regret is that my dad and I did not have our election night phone call.
I want to share some things about James from his dad’s perspective. He is full of energy and has a zest for life. He is a southpaw with a rifle of an arm and a decent hitter from both sides. Something tells me he is a White Sox fan. His soccer tryout will take place in the States. He is enamored by the Chinese super hero: Aoteman and his new found love is Thomas the Train. He has a talent for architecture and construction as he enjoys building towers from books, pencils and toys. I can’t wait to see what he’ll do with Legos and blocks once we get home. He constantly looks is at an album of family photos while reciting our individual names. He is beginning to mimic English. Two of his more popular expressions complete with a Midwestern accent are: “Come on in!” and “Gotta go pee-pee”, though we don't think he knows what the latter means. All this while, I still can’t even remember Mandarin phase for thank you.

He must be a fan of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn because he tried to go skinny dipping during our afternoon swim. He's only been in a bathtub, so he thought that the pool meant it was bathtime! Fortunately, Jenn was right on the spot to prevent this from happening. He loved the water.
God has truly blessed us with this little guy. He seems to have completely recovered from his heart surgery. He already eats like a horse and loves teasing his sisters. His future is limitless and full of opportunity. As for me, I look forward to watch him grow up as we play catch, fish and have our election night calls.

Yesterday-Day Three of Touring (Old Beijing, Pearl Market, Temple of Heaven) and Today (paperwork)

Temple of Heaven
Tong Tong with his "Aoteman" t-shirt

Old Beijing Quarter house

Entrance to Beijing Quarter house

Well, things have kind of changed and James is trying to find out whether he can trust me, or whether I will leave him like others have. He is no longer going to me and pushes me away. I did know this was possible, but after the first days of doing so well, I was kind of floored by it. I need to keep my emotions in check and remember that God is here, he brought us to this place and will not leave us. One day at a time depending on God. I think what makes it so hard is being so far from home and of course the language barrier. It would be easier if I could understand James better and he could understand us. I am thankful James is attaching to Mike and will now go to him, I can't imagine if it were both of us he was rejecting. James is also doing some testing to see how far he can go with things. The kids are trying to make sense of it all. I am trusting it will get better each day. James has not known the kind of love that we experience when as a baby every need you have is met and the love we receive in a family. In fact he has no idea what a family is. He may think I am just the next nanny and will be here only a short while. He may have pulled away from me because this love I have been pouring into him feels good and he is protecting himself from getting hurt. Thank you in advance for your prayers, we know God hears and answers!

Here are Ali's touring thoughts:

Yesterday was another day of touring. The other famlies had gone to their own provinces to get their children, so so we were on our own with Sherry, our guide. We started out taking rickshaws (which I assure you all is very humane, quite possibly even more humane than those horse drawn carriage rides downtown). It was a really nice way to see the city, very calm and relaxing.

After riding around in the rickshaws for a little while, we got to visit a quarter house (a sort of old fashioned house with a courtyard in the middle) and drink tea and talk to the guy who owned it. He said that during the olympics some friends of the athletes stayed with him, which was cool.

After that we went to a famous resturant in Old Beijing, which was excellent, then to a kindergarten to visit some of the little kids. This was to show us what the orphanage was like.

We also went to the Temple of Heaven, which was very cool. It was less crowded than some of the other tourist sites which was nice. We saw some people dancing and singing in the park...just relaxing and having a good time. I think group dancing in the parks is more of a typical culture thing here, compared to the US.

Then we went to the markets. It was an experience, I'll tell you that! Tong Tong saw a t-shirt that had a picture of "Aoteman", a chinese superhero on it. He LOVED that shirt and pretty much went crazy over it. We bought it for him, and when we got back to the hotel he put it on right away. After that...things got a bit out of control... He ran around, saying, "Aoteman! Aoteman!" for maybe an hour or so. Wow.

--Ali

Church Service and touring day 2-Great wall and acrobatics show

Dad and Tong Tong at Great Wall
With friends in travel group at Great Wall

Acrobatics show

Wow. Another long day of touring. We started out going to the Beijing International Fellowship Church (at least I think that's what it was called). The service was AMAZING. You had to have a foregin ID to get in but most of the people there do live in China, they just are citizens of another country like the US.

This morning Tong Tong set out clothes for himself-the stuff he was wearing from the orphanage. He misses it there even though he and my mom are becomming very close. He is "trained" very well, like a little soldier; he is very used to doing everything for humself.

After that we went to the jade factory which was okay. All the people here love Tong Tong. Our guide bought him this little Chinese hat and he loved wearing it. He is very popular with everyone he meets but he is very shy, so sometimes he just sort of hides and wants to be by mommy. He is very close to her already. Today he even gave her a kiss which Lee Lee got a photo of.

Then we went to lunch which was very good. And after lunch we headed to the Great Wall. It was very cool. And very big. The pictures you see of it are don't give you a good picture of how it actually is, I think. It is very steep and has lots of stairsteps everywhere. It is hard work to climb up it and only me, my dad, our friends in our travel group, and, guess who, TONG TONG made it very far. Of course Tong Tong was carried when the steps were too high for him but he kept on just wanting to keep on going and going and going. Even when we wanted to stop for water he kept on climbing like, "Come on, guys, I want to see more!" He loves being outside.

We went to dinner after that, and then to an acrobatics show, which was very cool. Also weird. We were all struggling to stay awake. Tong Tong stayed awake through the first act which is more than I can say for Caroline. :-)

We are all very tired now. We barely have a spare second the entire day. I don't know how Tong Tong handles it so well. He is so sweet.

We are all off to bed...

Love, Ali

Touring- Tian'anniman Square, Forbidden City, Imperial Gardens, Summer Palace

At the Imperial Garden (Forbidden City)
Summer Palace with Aunt Lisa!

James is such a happy boy!

Today was a packed day of touring! James did so well-he was such a little trooper! He didn't really like the stroller, though, so he was either being carried by my mom or walking himself the entire time. He has been smiling and laughing (we got our first couple laughs out loud today!) nearly constantly the entire day. He even ran up to my mom and hugged her.

Everywhere we went it was incredibly crowded. I don't think James had any idea how big the world actually is-the mass of humanity shocked him. People everywhere were staring at us, and a bunch of people wanted pictures with us. James was very popular everywhere we went, everyone wanted to talk to him. We also saw a little baby with the split-pants poop in the middle of Summer Palace which was pretty funny!

For dinner and lunch James ate a TON of food. He wasn't as thrilled as he was at McDonald's but he sure is a big eater!

We have met up with my Aunt Lisa, as well! It was so nice to see her! She met us at the Summer Palace and will be with us for the next couple of days.

James just got out of the bath, which he took without complaining at all. He has the funniest expressions! Now he's lying in his crib, happy as a little clam.

Tomorrow is another day of touring!

Love, Ali

James' First McDonald's meal

For dinner tonight, we decided to go to McDonald's-it was either that or the same place we had gone last night, so we decided to branch out :-). James absolutely LOVED it! I swear, that kid ate about 4 packets of fries, 6 chicken nuggets, and a whole ice cream cone-more than any one of the rest of us! He was laughing and smiling the whole time-he crunches up his nose in this really cute way when he eats (see above!)

He's beginning to show more of his personality, too. He's a very happy camper, at least for now. He was sad when we walked back to the hotel, but he went to bed with only moderate whimpering. He's doing so well. He is very, very brave.

Well, we're all really tired...so we'll be going to bed soon...

Love,

Ali