Day 4- Forever Family Day - Charlotte

This is Sam's prespective of the day we met Charlotte:


It was a very emotional day, to say the least.  But a wonderful day.

We got to Guiyang around 12:30 pm, met our guide and headed to the Hotel.  She gave us a run down about the area and the days to come.  Unfortunatly, the other two families that have been with us in Beijing would not get their girls until the next day.  We were heartbroken that they were going to have to wait another day.

Our appointment to meet Charlotte was at 3:00 PM at the Civil Affairs Office.  We were told to be in the hotel loby at 2:30 to bus over along with the 3 other families that joined us here.  We threw our stuff in the room, packded up our Charlotte Supplies and headed to meet Charlotte!!

They say that the experience of meeting a new chld is cahotic and crazy.  Today's was for sure in that category.  The bus wound its way through the streets of Guiyang.  There were a number of near misses and shouts of exclamation, but we made it.  Our group was dropped off near the building in an active construction zone.  We had to cross traffic, walk along traffic with no sidewalk, and generally play a game of human Frogger.  But we made it to the front doors of  a new, large office building that held the Civil Affairs office.

And then I saw her through the glass door.  Our Charlotte.  Our sweet girl.   Before we could get in the door good Michelle was hugged by a young woman who was so excited to see her I thought she was a long lost cousin.  My second thought was that she was the foster mother.  Later we found out she is the Foster Mother's 21 year old daughter.  Her 18 year old sister was now our interpreter.  She and the 9 year old Foster sister joined in on the excitment.  The 18 month old foster brother was along for the ride.  She told her:   "Xiao Ping, This is your Mama and Baba".  Charlotte came over to us and  we were able to talk to her and touch her pretty coat.  We spent about 2 minutes saying hello and figuring out who's who before our guide told us we could go upstairs where there was more room.

Upstairs there was more room...behind the locked door of the office.  So we stood in the hallway with the other families and their new girls and talkd and tried to make sense to each other in broken English.

Once inside we sat on couches and caught up on who everyone was, exchanged gifts, and stared at the sweetest face in the whole world.  After about 20 minutes our guide came over and we were able to ask questions.  When we found out her favorite song was "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," I reached in my bag and pulled out our gift to them:  A beveled glass star that my dad made.  It was a reminder that what we were doing that day was pre-ordanined before the world was founded.

We took some pictures, lots of pictures.  Our friends who would not meet their daughters until the next day were kind enough to come along and take pictures for us and the other familes.  We are so, so, so thankful for them!!!!  We took one last picture with us and all the foster family.  And then they left.  That's when we saw the first tears.  Tears of confusion.  Tears of loss.  The only family she could remember was leaving her.  She cried in Michelle's arms until she fell asleep from exhaustion.

I signed more paperwork and put my thumb print on as well.  Then it was Michelle's turn to do it with Charlotte still in her arms.  We then made her hand print on the documents and we were done.

I carried her out of the building, still asleep.  When we hit the cool air she woke up.  Her bad dream was not over.  We were stll there.

She has done great.  She is accepting us more and more.  But she still misses her foster family.  These are good signs that she was attached and she can attach again.

Friends, many of you have hear us talk about all that we have been through to make these adoptions possible.  The paper work, the fund raising, the books, seminars, phone calls, FedEx, passports, visas, etc.  Here are two things I know now that we have our first girl:

1.  It's all worth it.  I have a hard time remembering how furstrating it was because it doesn't matter now.

2.  We have the easy part.  This little one has been pulled away from everthing that is familure and everyone she loves and has had to live with two funny looking strangers who live in a hotel room.

Monday we made it all official and Charlotte became our daughter.  Forever our daughter.  We could not be happier.  She is making stides, sleeping well, and starting to eat and sleep well.  Love the progress we are seeing before our eyes.

Thank you all for your love and support.  Charlotte and Flora Lin have so many people that love them already!

--- Sam