We are home!

It's Wednesday (10/28) we got home Sunday morning (25th) after a horrible experience/14 hour delay leaving Newark. It was a disappointing ending, but we were so glad to get home. I had started getting a throat thing... Caleb has been a little sick, too, since being home.
Sorry about the lack of updates. I'll back-track a little.

10/20 was the Consulate Appointment - which our adoption guide went to with all the paperwork. We just had to wait at the hotel for her to call if anything was needed, which wasn't - so all went well there. We walked to the park that afternoon but it was rainy so didn't stay long. We went on the Pearl River boat cruise that evening.

10/21 Wednesday was the "swearing-in" ceremony at the embassy with about 60 other families. It was fun seeing and talking with some of the other families. We went back to Shamien Island after that for a little shopping and dinner at Lucy's. It was also my birthday!

10/22 Thursday - our check-out time was expended for which we were very grateful. Our guide brought the packets of paperwork and visa/passport at 5:00 for us and the 0ther 2 families with our agency. After that we left for the airport for Beijing. The flight was delayed an hour - getting us into Beijing around midnight. Rachel Heffield met us at the airport and we stayed with her at her apartment. Rachel's family lives in Orlando - she was in our homeschooling group - now works in Beijing as a youth pastor and counselor.

10/23 Friday - Beijing! Rachel had our day planned - we met up with Cindy (our Shenyang adoption guide who lives in Beijing) Caleb loved being able to TALK with Cindy. Saw the Forbidden City, Tianemmen Square, rode in the bicycle rickshaw, Terry & Rachel got their Starbuck's coffee, looked at lots of stuff on "sticks" and ate lots of different things. My risk was eating silk worms on a stick. Walked around the Olympic "Bird's Nest" - and then went home to sleep. It was an exciting and full day.

10/24 Saturday - had to get up early to ride to the Great Wall, about 1 1/2 hours - walked around the Great Wall - rode up on a gondola (ski lift) and tobogganed down! It was really awesome being there. I left my card in the ATM machine (HA!) not on purpose. And thankfully the card was captured by the machine - we called and it was to be destoyed. At least no one got it. I think leaving an ATM card at the Great Wall is a good story. The last time I used my ATM was in Kenya... I'm just not an ATM user. After the Great Wall we had to get to the airport. We got there fine - checked in fine - and then waited for a delayed flight. It was about 2 hours late - the flight was okay, but due to the delay there, and the inefficiency in Newark - we missed our connection home. We were suppose to be home 10:45 pm Saturday - instead got home 9:30 am Sunday. At least we're home.

10/25 - now... Terry is back at work, Andrew is getting into his school work, Cassi came over for 2 days, Tanya came by Monday afternoon/evening, I am getting over this cold, Caleb is adjusting and getting over his sickness (cold/tummy) - he is loving our piano and his room. He enjoyed meeting his jie-jie Cassi and jie-jie Tanya (older sisters) and is looking forward to ge ge ("guh guh") (older brother) Matthew being home this week-end. We are getting over the jet lag, but it has hit us hard at times.

It was so exciting when the Manubens family and Claire and her son John met us at the airport. Asher (FuPeng) grew up in the same orphanage as our FuJie - we were exhausted - and Asher was near tears he wanted to play with Caleb. They had a couple hours at the airport (waiting for our luggage - uh, 2 went to San Francisco, so we got them Monday afternoon) We'll get the boys together to play as soon as we are over our colds.

My sister posted from our emails while we were gone - and she posted the photos... guess I'll have to learn how to do that!