We are alive........barely:)

If I ever said i was busy before......I lied!  Wow!  Talk about two little tornados.  They want our attention constantly, to show us something or for reassurance.  I KNOW you all want more pictures.but they take about 5 min. each to load, and it's just hardly possible:(  SORRY.  Wren is very mild and gentle for the most part, and Iley is a little stinker!  She's adorable, don't get me wrong, but she will do things just to be ornery!  Wren wants to please and is very unsure of everything, and looks for our approval.  Iley is always BUSY and LOUD:)  Everyone knows when the Deatons are coming down the hall!  The communication barrier is HUGE!  Think of it like babysitting some one else's kids who are very active.....and a handful......and you have no idea what they want or are saying, and they don't know what you are saying! Then put all that in a hotel room in a strange country! this is HARD!  We are not sorry! but we are exhausted:)  They sleep all night....but it is fitful, and we are always aware of them.   They are absolutely adorable:)  Each day gets a little easier.  We are thankful that they are not screaming and crying, but seem to just roll with things.  There have been a few minutes of tears, but no fits yet.  Please continue to pray for all of our health, the girls seem to have a cold, and We REALLY don't need that to deal with on top of everything:(   Please pray that we will have the wisdom to know how to best bond and make them feel our love, and care.........and that we keep our sanity!!:)   We went back to the civil affairs office yesterday, and they seemed VERY nervous!  Wren does a little teeth chatter thing when she is nervous, and gets a fixed eye look.......sort of like she of checks out.  She also got her pictures of her nanny out while there and pointed at her and out the window.  They wanted to move our orphanage visit up to today, instead of tomorrow, but we said NO.  She isn't ready yet.  So they left it at Friday.  Please pray that they will be bonded with us at least some before that day!  Last night Iley wanted to sleep with Dad, so Wren and I slept in the other bed.  Iley always ends up cross wise, and Wren was up 4 times last night to go to the bathroom.  After the 4th time....20 minutes later, she wanted to go again.  I said no, and pulled her back up into bed.  She settled down for a while after that. I think we got a little sleep.
They are coloring at the moment, and Iley just broke two crayons:(  She's a mess.  An adorable one, but a stinker.  Her foster grandparents were in their 60's, and she is slightly spoiled! 
More later!  We are surviving:)  But boy do we love America!  Can't wait to get home.  China has it's charm, and we are being treated very well, but it's just not home.

Ash, Thatch, Harrison, Sherm, Kyndahl, Suzy, and all our family.....xoxoxoxo

 This hotel has a beautiful garden with a fountains, a stream and bridges.  Judy and the girls went off walking in that and allowed me a few more pics.  The one above is the first HUG!! Next is the first SMOOCH!! and then all of us together with Miss Zhong and the nanny that came along with the girls.  Gotta go the girls are getting tired and hungry. 

Got 'Em

First of all, I need to let everyone know that this is my first post, so we will see how this goes.  We are back to the hotel with the girls, and what a delight they have been so far.  I am sure there are many tough days ahead, but it went really well.  It is hard to get the pictures uploaded here, so I will post one or two that I think really tells the story. Wow!! We have two very different, but very lively 5 year olds.  I was a lot younger the last time we had that age, and only one at a time.  So far, a little nervousness coming out of the Civil Affairs Office, but they have really taken to Judy and I so far.  I thank God for your continued prayers.  It is only by His Grace has it went so well. 

We had hardly walked into the Civil Affairs Office and were starting the paperwork when these two very familiar faces were walking towards us.  I wasn't even ready, but luckily they were headed to the bathroom.  Needless to say, Momma wasn't very attentive to getting the paperwork done. They then went back to their little room off of the main room, but the curtain was open and Iley was waving at us already.  They came right over and have done splendidly so far. 

We are down at the playground right now, keeping them occupied while I do this post.  As soon as I start to type, their both in my lap ready to play on the computer. It is obvious that Wren has worked with a computer before.  I had the card reader tethered into the laptop to take pictures off, and she immediately grabbed it like it was a mouse and started to move it around.  We will see what programs she is used to working with and get that loaded into the laptop.

I will post more pics after they go to bed.  :) :)

Slow moving Clock!

The time is sloooooowly ticking by......17 minutes till we leave our room with 2 people, and re-enter with 4!!!  Our emotions are on a roller coaster:) But we are taking comfort in the much appreciated scripture cards from a friend:) THANKS Vicki:) As we wait we read:

Be on your guard; Stand firm in the Faith;
Be men of courage; Be strong.
Do Everything in Love.
1 Corinthians 16: 13-14

Thank you all for your continued prayers! 

Guangzhou Day 1

We are here!!!  Tomorrow is THE DAY!!!  We met our guide this afternoon and got our cell phone, and asked her a dozen questions.  Then she took us all around the hotel block to show us where to buy bottled water, and noodles, and snacks that the kids always like.  We walked through narrow alleyways lined with little family run shops where most of the owners live behind the shop.  The buildings were close enough that you could easily throw a ball across to your neighbor.  There were lots of laundry hanging on lines above us, and a few right along the sidewalk.......they didn't seem to mind hanging their undies for all to see. There was a group of elderly couples sitting in chairs chatting, just like we would on our front porches, except their front porch is an alley, where lots of people walk by close enough to touch.  We walked by a butcher shop where meat was lying in slabs on a table......it didn't look like a very sanitary place...FDA would not have approved!, but it didn't phase at all, the little boy(about 18 mos?) squatted on the floor playing in the dirt with a spoon...he didn't look too sanitary either....but he was darling!   There is a park across the street with a play ground that we can get to by going under the highway by a tunnel walkway, and an outdoor pool at the hotel.  It was 80 degrees here today.......and HUMID!  It feels like Florida.  One thing our guide in Beijing told us that was kind of surprising to us was that Chinese families are starting to want girls more and more because with a boy the parents have to provide him with an education, and he has to be able to provide for a wife, and buy and furnish an apartment.  3 generations of families share the cost of an apartment building, it takes that long to pay it off......and normally 2 generations (mom, dad, son, daughter-in-law, and child) live in a 250-300 square ft., 2 bedroom apartment..... that cost about 500 to 600 dollars a square ft. or 150,000.  We are enjoying our experience so far, but I have to say.......I'm glad I was born in the good ol U S of A!  Our guide was 32, and was waiting to get enough money to provide for a wife and child. Sorry this is rather random:) Have I mentioned all ready that there are SO many people???  WOW!  But they are a gentle beautiful race!  There is no road rage, or fights.........at least we haven't seen any:) and little crime.

We will meet the guide in the morning to go to the bank to exchange our US dollars for Chinese currency called Yuan.  It takes 6.25 Yuan to equal a dollar.  The guide warned us not to exchange it anywhere but at the bank, or hotel, as otherwise it could be counterfeit.  Also not to ask the price of anything from the street vendors, or they will follow you and bug you to death..

  The guide will pick us up at 2:15 to go to the Civil Affairs office where we join the other adoptive parents in the grand CHAOS, and JOY, and TEARS, that is adoption.  Please pray hard for our little girls!!  and for us:)  Thank you all of our prayer warriors!  We are so thankful for each one of you.  May God be with each of you, and with us tomorrow.  Love you all.

 

These aren't great pictures:( it was really cloudy while we were there.  We are trying to get a flicker account set up where we can upload all our photos and you can go there and see them.  This is SO slow!  I will post the link soon.

 

Harrison & Sherman

Just to let you know all is well on the home front! On Tuesday the Little boys and I took our walk, tossed the baseball around then ended up playing a game of ball with Kyn & Thatcher....We all got a work out that day!
Wednesday:
Another walk after school...Grandpa called and it was time to plant some garden....set out 3 rows of Onions! After dinner the boys went on their scavenger hunt to find their gift of the day! I think they had fun! Loved their new clothes!
Thursday:
No walk today....Grandpa was here waiting to plant corn....also to round up a few head of cattle to take down to his place....Oh my we will never get our gift today! Boys were very happy when they did! Peeps! Sugar Oh wonderful Sugar!
Friday:
Went to Hays with Kyn this morning....Did some grocery shopping then home....Pizza nite...All were very happy with this....Gift of the day went well...Did not make them work for it today....Once again very happy with their new outfits! I just Love these boys! I Love the time I have with them!
We all miss you! We are so excited that you are finally there and Gotcha Day is almost here!
Love & Prayers
Suz

Forbidden City and Great Wall tour

• We started our day at 6:30 this morning ate breakfast at about 7:30, which we are NOT allowed to photograph??? I was scolded when I tried 0-:   I guess they think we might run off to America and copy their room design, and options?? We then met the group at 8:30 in the Lobby and took a bus across town to the Forbidden City, and Tienanmen Square.  The crowds there were INSANE!!  Our guide estimated around 60,000 people were touring there today.  Many were there to go inside the memorial place where Chairman Mao's body was kept to worship:(  We skipped!  This place is HUGE!  We walked about 3-1/2 miles inside of it!  then ate lunch and toured a Jade factory.  Jade is expensive!  We didn't buy any.  There was a ship carved out of it that cost about60,000 dollars! The cheapest thing was a small animal, or a pendant for a necklace......no chain...... for 28.00.  Then we drove an hour to the Great Wall........at risk to life and limb!  We were on a 16 passenger, small bus......we got in a traffic jam, and the driver did a 3 point turn........well maybe a 9 point turn, in the middle of a narrow...PACKED street!  CRAZY!!  But he made it, and we lived to tell.  The Great Wall was amazing, and we hiked up STEEP, steps that were all different heights.  Approximately 75 stories total that were hiked. Our legs were like jelly when we got down.  We drove by where the Beijing Olympics were held and saw the birds nest. Then  we went back to the motel.......and our guide service was done for the day.........so we and and another couple from our group attempted to find a place to eat.  Crossing the streets here reminds you of playing the game frogger!!  Jumping from log to lily pad, and avoiding getting hit.   After walking in to 2 different nicer restaurants and being ignored.....no one wanted to make eye contact......we went back to the little hole in the wall, back street joint we ate at last night.  It was GOOD:)  We were first escorted to an upstairs dining area that was THICK with smoke....we were trying to ask if there was a non smoking area.......it was hilarious, the poor girl couldn't figure out what we wanted so she called over another boy, who assured us through much head nodding and gestures that it was OK for us to smoke.....ummmm not what we wanted!  We finally got him to understand that we DIDN'T want to smoke! Whew!  Then we proceeded to attempt to order.  I don't think one person in the place spoke English!  And none of us spoke Chinese.  We would point to something.........asking each other if that's what we wanted....meanwhile the Waitress would write it down.  We would have to point again and tell her NO we don't want it.......we were VERY thankful that the menu had pictures of the food, otherwise we would have been in SERIOUS trouble with the ordering!  We probably would have ended up with chicken feet or ducks head.......and YES they were both on the menu!  

There are 4 couples in our GWCA group.  1 from Spokane Washington, 1 from Ashville, NC, 1 from Detroit area, and the other I can't remember??  She's originally from Australia, and has a delicious accent!  The lady from Detroit area is originally from  New Zealand, we love listening to her too!  So far we've really enjoyed all the people and group.   We also saw a LOT more kids today as it was a Saturday.  They must have all been in school or daycare yesterday.  I had fun looking at all the 5 year olds:)   I will try to get some pictures posted tomorrow eve.  They take forever to load, and I have to get up at 5:00 to get ready to head to the airport.  So Goodnight all!  Thanks for your encouraging words and prayers, we love hearing from you all!  Love you!