May 7, 2010

Title: We made it/ Sightseeing in Beijing


We made it to China safely! The whole process went smoother then I thought it would be but the flight from Newark to Beijing was long!!! Jared did the best of the three of us on the flight, we were proud of him for that. Once we landed and got to our hotel (King Wing Hot Spring Hotel). we went to dinner with another family that is adopting and our guide Lisa. There wasn't any forks so we all had to use chop sticks. and for Jared and I that was a challenge. This was Jared's first time using chop sticks (see picture) and he did a great job. We then went back to the hotel and crashed. Today was a day packed with sightseeing in Beijing. We went to the Tianan Men square, the Forbidden City,Temple of Heaven, shopping at the Pearl Market. and the Chaoyang Acrobat show. It was a very fun day experiencing another country's culture. It was amusing to see how the Chinese people responded to Jared; they usually stopped and pointed at his buzz cut and some even rubbed his head. One very old gentleman stopped,pointed at his hair, and stood there and chuckled. It really was sweet; they seemed to be taken by him. The pictures are of the Forbidden City and Jared with his new buddy, John, climbing a tree at the Temple of Heaven. Jared's and my favorite part was the Forbidden City, and while Karen enjoyed the sightseeing, her favorite was the company and conversation with Angie and Amy on the bus. That brings me to another point, the driving. There is no way I would last more than a day driving in Beijing. There are no rules and driving in a lane is an option. We really couldn't watch what was going on around us as it would stress us out. Well, that is about it for today. Tomorrow, we go to visit the Fangshan orphanage and the Great Wall.

Getting Things Ready

We have been busy over the past couple of weeks getting stuff ready for our trip. We can't believe that after 4 years we are finally bringing our daughter home. Jared's Swim Team threw us a shower last Sunday. We had a great time and the weather was wonderful. Also on Sunday, our pastor called us up front and explained that we were going to China to adopt our daughter. He explained that as Christians we are all adopted by God and adoption should hold a special place in our hearts. Jared has only 2 days left of school this year. He will be going into the 5th grade next year. We can't believe that it will be his last year of elementary school!! Jared is getting excited about the trip and he even asked an older boy what is it like to be a "big brother". Finally, we have posted some pictures of Shae that we have received over the past month. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel to get our Shae Rose.

Award Winning Day for Jared

Jared came home from school on Friday, April 16th, and surprised his mother with the announcement that he had a certificate in his book bag that he received from school that day. Unbeknownst to Jared, he had been selected as Christian Citizen of the Month for March 2010 by his teacher and classmates. He found this out during the morning announcements on "Lion T.V." There is one student per class per month who is selected for this award and these students have lunch with the principal in the Ministry Center at St. Luke School, receive a certificate, and are featured on the school website.

Later that evening we, as a family, attended the Hurricanes Swimming Annual Awards Banquet. Jared received the "Jump Start" Award for the 9-10 year old boys age group for the '09/10 swim season. Coach Mike stated that approximately half way through the season Jared "just took off," and the last 3 swimmeets that he attended were his best ever.

Way to go, Jared!!!

A Successful Swim Meet

We had a wonderful weekend in Carrollton, GA for Jared's Divisional swim meet. It was great just to getaway for some family time as our lives have been a little hectic with the travel/adoption plans. We enjoyed a nice dinner on Saturday with some swim parents and other swimmers at Longhorn Steakhouse. Jared swam in 10 events (including 2 relays) over the 2 days and set personal bests in 6 of his 8 individual events. Jared knocked 39 seconds off his best time in the 100 yard backstroke and another 13 seconds off his best time in the 100 yard butterfly. Overall, he shaved off approximately 65 seconds during this meet. The pictures are of Jared swimming the freestyle in the 200 freestyle relay and of Jared and his best friend, Jacob "The Cob" Patrick, at DQ. We went to DQ to celebrate the boy's swim accomplishments. We all had a great time!!

Travel Approval!!!!

We received our travel approval on March 11th. We now know when we are finally going to get Shae. We leave on May 5th and come back on May 21st (Karen's Birthday). We will fly to Shae's province on Mother's Day and will be able to receive her the very next day (May 10th) -- what a great belated Mother's Day present!! See our tenative timeline below:

May 5 - Leave for China

May 6-8 Beijing (Sightseeing - Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City)

May 9-13 Xi'an City (Gotcha Day May 10, Sightseeing - Terracotta Warriors, Ancient Wall of Xi'an)

May 14-20 Guangzhou (Medical exams, Shae's Visa and Consulate Appointment)

May 21 Fly back to Georgia


It is so hard to believe that after 4 years of waiting and praying that it is finally going to happen. Please keep our family in your prayers as we go about getting ready to travel and thru the whole travel process. All prayers are appreciated.

Great Job Jared!!!

Jared received his 3rd quarter report card today and received all A's. This is the second straight quarter in which Jared is on the Principal's List (All A's). Jared has worked real hard over the past quarter and never lost focus even with all the excitement of the adoption. Jared also excelled at swimming over the past months as the coach told Karen that of all the boys in his swim group he had knocked the most seconds off his swim times since the beginning of the swim season (ie: 103 seconds total!). Mom and Dad are so proud of him!!

Our Little Helper

We have found out recently that Shae Rose is quite the helper. Amanda has told us that Shae Rose will sweep the floors, including using a dust pan, and has straightened up Amanda's room, including taking her dirty clothes to the laundry. She also helps pick-out the birthday cakes for the other children at Starfish. Above are pictures that Amanda sent of Shae Rose making bread. We had the pleasure of Skyping last night with Shae Rose and Amanda and it was such a great experience, but it does make us miss her even more. We were told that Shae Rose is telling everyone that she has a family and that she is coming to America. She is really excited about having a big brother, a dog, and a "Big Bath" (Swimming Pool). I laugh everytime I think of the "Big Bath". Hoping to find out the exact timeline soon as we are still waiting on our Travel Approval.