Day 1 - Beijing (Great Wall, Jade Factory, Tea Room)

Day One in China was a good day, even though it had a rough start... ; )

I didn't get much sleep last night due to the fact that the room doesn't have air conditioning and jet lag.  We got up between 4 and 5 this morning because sleep was becoming more work than rest,  I didn't realize that I was really affected by my lack of sleep until I went to brush my teeth,  It's a simple act, but after I put toothpaste on my toothbrush and started to brush I realized something wasn't right.  The toothpaste tasted odd and felt creamy rather than foamy.  It didn't take me but a second to realize that I had put a big glob of hydrocortisone cream on my brush and all in my mouth!!!  The worst part was knowing I couldn't rinse my mouth out with water because you can't drink tap water in China!  It even says so on the sink!

Sam came to my rescue with some freshly boiled water after figuring out what had happened to me!  Trust me, I will be more careful with my toothpaste in the future!

After a great breakfast in the hotel restaurant (there were plenty of "western" favorites such as scrambled eggs, croissants, etc.) we headed out to climb the Great Wall.  This was also our first chance to get a view of the city, as we flew in at night.  What you hear about the smog in Beijing is true.  It was thick and heavy and we actually never had true sunlight on us all day.  It appeared overcast because of the smog.  However, the Great Wall did not disappoint!

 This is our first family selfie...  we're not very good at them!

 This little girl was so cute!  Lots of children and even elderly people were climbing the wall, some even had high heels and skirts on!

Our travel group (we were joined by the D family this morning!)

 I have no idea what this sign said (something to the effect of, "If you come to China and don't climb the Great Wall you are not very brave."), but I knew we were supposed to take a picture in front of it!

 Our cute, sweet buddy, little H!

 A beautiful view despite the smog...

 We really enjoyed our short time at the Wall, and the exercise it offered.  No, we didn't get to go down the part of the Wall with the Alpine slide, but it was still fun.  I hope I can come back and climb much more of it one day!
Next up on our list was the Jade Factory and lunch!


We were able to see some amazing pieces of art made from jade, learn all about the stone, how to test for quality jade and make a few small purchases for our girls in the future.

 These are artist hard at work creating a piece that is called "The Family Ball."

 Our lunch - mostly foreigners ate here in the large dining area as it is a tourist attraction.  Because of this, the food seemed to be a more Americanized type of Chinese food.

 This piece was probably my favorite - I love the way they carved the horse's hair.

 This piece was created by one artist over a period of three years.  The chain was created from one solid piece of jade!!!

We were supposed to tour Olympic Park, but due to several global dignitaries being in town, they shut down the park to outsiders.  It didn't make much sense as there were already people in the park, but we couldn't go in.  We had another eerie "happening" here.  Below is a picture of the typical traffic flow and The Bird's Nest.

 Because we weren't able to tour the park (no one was terribly disappointed to tell you the truth), we were able to go to a tea house and sample the tea!  It turned out to be really fun and we learned a little bit about tea, how to taste it, hold the cup, etc.

As a group, we sat in a room together to sample and learn about the tea.

 This is where the host prepared the tea - there were different ways for different teas.

 My two favorites were a black tea and a fruit tea.  We plan to get tea sets for the girls in Guangdong as they are a little more within our price range.  Many of the special brewing cups they also sell at our local World Market store! :)

 What is it?  I first thought they were oddly decorated rocks... upon further inspection it is tightly packed tea!  It apparently never "expires" but improves with age.

 One of the tea hostesses in the tea house.  I will tell you that if you visit this particular tea house, the employees will push you to buy more and more with great pressure.  I knew what I did and didn't want, so it wasn't an issue for me.  We probably could have bartered some, but that's just not Sam's cup of tea.  ; )

Beijing has a little bit of the older, more ornate architecture mixed in with the more modern.  The driving is different than what I am used to in the south, but everyone seems to understand it and I saw no wrecks despite many seemingly close calls.

 This precious little lady stopped in traffic to check her phone - I like her choice of bike riding shoes and it looks like she's selected some fruit from the market to make something this evening.

And speaking of food, it was time for us to eat again!  When we asked our guide what we were going to eat she looked at us a little funny and said, "Chinese food..."  Oh, ok - thanks for clarifying!  :)

Our driver even parked the van right on the sidewalk by the front door of the restaurant!  What service!

I was open to trying new things, as this was an authentic Chinese restuarant.  Above was broccoli, lotus root (the white circle-tasted like a water chestnut) and a rubbery purple thing that turned out to be a fungus.  I ate it before I knew that!

There was also an item that was brought to us that we were truly unsure as to whether or not it was worms.  It turned out not to be, though we had some brave volunteers to try it!

The "worms" that turned out to be pork slivers are in the bottom left corner.  I tried and ate most everything pictured above.  I even tried the purple yams that poor little H thought was ice cream!  Boy was she surprised!!! 

More "worm" taste testing by Sam and Mark!  We had lots of good laughs taste testing and figuring out all of the food!  Our guide eventually came back to the room we were in and told us what everything was.  Can I be honest and say I'm ready for some home cooking?! 

Our fun group above! I've really enjoyed getting to know all of these sweet people and their families.  We will all journey to Guiyang together on Sunday and meet our children (joined by two other families).

It was a really fun day - hopefully I will sleep well tonight (please pray for this) and we'll enjoy more fun tomorrow!

I'm glad we went ahead and decided to spend the time in Beijing to acclimate.  It has helped to set our internal clocks to the local time and allow us to get to know each other before we all take that big, big step and grow our families again.

Please pray for:

* Sleep and rest

* Continued health

* The U family to receive their missing suitcase

* That someone is lovingly helping our children prepare for their big transition 

* For God to prepare and equip us to love and help our children through this difficult part of the journey and to support and encourage each other

Things I'm Glad I Brought Today:

* hand sanitizing gel

* sanitizing wipes

* tablet with camera

* water

* a decluttered, light, travel worthy purse

* my crocs shoes

* an open mind

* a sense of humor :)

Things I wish I'd Had:

* better bartering skills

* common mandarin phrases (thank you, you're welcome, please, excuse me) 

* more water

* still more water

* more water, please

* I'm still thirsty!

We've Arrived Safely!

We arrived here in Beijing safe and sound with no issues!  All is well - thank you for your prayers!
Our packing Tuesday night took forever and we ended up very pleased with the weight and amount of suitcases (all under in country weight and two checked bags, two carry - ons and two-ish personal items).  We got into bed close to 1:00 am and our alarm went off at 3:30.  :)  We arrived at the airport in plenty of time, stress-free.  Our flights were uneventful and I had window seats on the first two flights, which is a must for me.
 We met up with the U Family in Chicago and their sweet little girl.  We're so thankful we are on this journey with them! :)  Their little girl, H, helped me pass some of the long hours on our flight to Beijing by testing out all of the apps and games I've downloaded for Charlotte and Flora Lin.  I can't say enough how cute, smart and funny little H is!  She's a great reminder of why we are here and not to take ourselves too seriously!  She had us in stitches several times with her witty and silly remarks!  We are so, so glad to have them with us.  Would you please say a prayer for them as one of their bags containing medicine for their children and several other important items was lost.  I think we have enough medicine to share, but I know there were other necessities in the suitcase as well.
Speaking of our long flight, our plane to Beijing was only half full (YAY), meaning we could all spread out!  It was LONG, but I was able to move over to a window seat in an empty row when I finally got sleepy.  I didn't get much sleep on the plane, but that may help me in the long run with the jet lag in country.  We were served two meals on the plane (one at the beginning and one at the end), a snack, beverage service many times (including an orange juice run for those, like me, that weren't asleep!) and hot towelettes to wipe our faces off!  I was pretty pleased with the long flight.  I was glad that they had the flight tracker that we could watch and documentaries to help put me to sleep!
One enjoyable moment of the flight (other than playing with little H and talking with the U family) was when we were flying over the Arctic Circle.  It was - 68 outside (!) and the sun was beginning to rise.  Most everyone was asleep on the plane (save some of the crew and another sweet older Asian lady that was walking the isles like me).  The colors of the sky were so beautiful against the white icy ocean.  I made myself sit up a little more so I wouldn't miss the sunrise (or was it a sunset?!), but after an hour, it hadn't changed much!  The sunset/rise stayed with us for quite a while.  I've never seen a frozen ocean with cracks in between  plates of ice, but I could've studied it forever if I hadn't been so sleepy!  I also could do much better justice to this post and my description of things if I'd gotten more sleep in the past 48 hours!

For future travelers, things I'm glad I had on the plane:
* horseshoe shaped neck pillow
* makeup remover wipes (didn't put on make up, but they made me feel better)
* fresh fruit
* layered clothing
* I Pad
* hand sanitizer
* vitamin C immunity supplement
* nalgene type bottle with water - the air on the plane is SO dry
* chapstick (Thanks, Tabitha!!!!!)
* absence of clutter so I could reach what I needed easily
* sanitizing wipes
* important documents, medicines, personal items (if they hadn't have been with me, I would have worried the whole time)
* extra blanket :) (it doubled as a pillow, etc.)
* good friends
* little H, who is the best 3 year old traveler I have met
* Sam

Things I wish I'd had:
* more water
* something to do with my hands
* something to read
* more rest beforehand

Customs was much easier to get through than I thought it would be.  Much easier.  There were some eerie moments that I will talk about more maybe when we get home.  We had no issues with Sam's passport or visa, though they did make him check his carry on bag (thankfully, it didn't have important papers in it).  They let others with larger bags take them on and there was PLENTY of room for it in the overhead storage bins.  We were so glad to see it in baggage claim and I was thankful Sam had me tie a bright colored ribbon on each bag.  So much easier to spot! :)  Also thankful we tried our best to pack light and for easy transport.

Our guide was ready and waiting for us after we cleared customs - I don't know if I've ever smiled so big for a stranger before! :)

The bus ride to the hotel was uneventful, other than little H's musical performance of several songs and some silliness.  She is such a blessing in that she diffuses stress and any hint of a bad attitude by just being her.  Did I mention that she was awesome on the plane?!

The hotel room is a hotel room with an Asian twist.  Not much noteworthy there other than wear the slippers the hotel provides for you if you travel here.  We did have a beautiful Asian flower arrangement waiting in our room when we got here.  So sweet and a nice surprise!

I could ramble on and on, as it is afternoon time in my internal clock, but we have a day of sightseeing and acclimation tomorrow that I need to be rested for. :)

Thanks so much for journeying with us and especially for your continued prayers.  We definitely felt them today!

Much love,
M & S

Leaving soon!

In case you missed it....

We are a few days away from traveling to bring home our girls! 

We made the big announcement on Facebook but have been so busy scurrying around that we have not updated the blog. 

Wednesday, Oct. 29 we will depart for the next phase in this grand adventure.  We can't wait! 

There are lots of preparations left to finalize and we are so thankful for the friends and family who are pitching in to help manage things while we are away. 

Hopefully we will be able to update the blog with our progress along the way.  Stay tuned! 

Giveaway results!!

Tonight is the night!  The moment you've all been waiting for!  The announcment of the winner of the 1st ever Adams Family American Girl Doll Giveaway!!!!!

And the winner is ....
Felicia L.
Well, she said to pick someone else.

So the winner is ....
Rebecca N.
But she said instead of her getting the doll for us to use the money to bring home these two dolls from China:

Friends, we are so thankful for your support.  God has really moved mountains this past week and done the impossible.  Thank you for your prayers.  They have been felt and seen. 

God bless you all! 

American Girl Doll Giveaway!

We will be giving away one American Girl Doll of YOUR CHOICE to one blessed winner! Funds raised will go to help us cover the travel expenses for our adoption of two little girls from China!

The giveaway is open from October 3 to October 19. 20 (we extended it a few hours). The winner will be announced Monday evening, October 20 - perfect timing for a Christmas gift for your favorite little girl in your life! If you are not interested in an American Girl Doll, you can still make a donation and if you win we will donate the doll to a local child welfare advocacy agency (please ask if you have any questions)!

Here's how it works:

• Make a donation to our adoption by clicking the Donate button on the right. A $10 donation gets you 1 entry, $25 gets you 3 entries, and $50 gets you 6 entries. Important: Please indicate your contact information in the notes section so we can find you when you win.
• The winner will be selected using Random.org and announced here on this blog.
• If you are the winner, I will contact you via email to find out which doll you would like. I will order and ship her to you through the American Girl online store (dolls can only be shipped within the 50 states - see their shipping policies here). 
• You can also enter through snail mail by mailing in your donation. For the address to send it to, please email me at goteamsam@gmail.com. All snail mail donations must be received by October 18 to count.

You can see all of your doll options here.

Please blog, email, link, tweet, Facebook and Woof this giveaway! Help us spread the word! We appreciate it!

* Disclaimer:  This is NOT a raffle. This is a giveaway.  American Girl Doll is not affiliated with this giveaway. They have not made a donation. We are purchasing this with our funds that we are setting aside for fundraising and are giving away this doll. Your choice of doll will include the American Girl Doll, book and shipping costs (Total value up to $150).

If we do not raise enough funds we reserve the right to end the giveaway, choose a winner on random.org and award them with a prize of their agreement that is ½ the value of the funds raised. We HOPE this does not happen!
We reserve the right to add rules or regulations if necessary to this process.

Snail mail is accepted, but must be received by October 18 to count.

Where we are…

We got some big news on our Anniversary this past week:  The final American step in our adoption process was complete!  Yea!  The last step before buying plane tickets is getting the final thumbs up from China, which could come as early next week.  

Flora Lin!

Charlotte is rocking those shoes!

There is a slim but very real possibility we could leave at the end of October!!!!  If not, it will probably be early to mid November.  We are so excited to finally be at this stage in the long journey.

But we are a little short!

Here is the bottom line:  We need to come up with about $10,000 more to cover our travel expenses related to our adoption.  Almost a year ago we thought we were completely funded.   

What happened? 

Our process was delayed for no apparent reason, which resulted in having to have a Homestudy update and more documents getting FedEx’ed back and forth.  Prices have increased.  New Fees have crept into the guidelines.  Airfare is more expensive.  Our children are now too old for lap passes on airplanes; they need their own seats.  There have been some changes in the two years we have been in this process.  We’ve had some unexpected expenses that have come up that have drained our reserves.

Though we only have about a month, we are not deterred.  We have seen God’s hand move mountains through our adoption journey.  He has already shown us in so many ways that He will lead, support and care for our family as we continue to move forward.

How can you help?

First, please understand that we do not expect monetary gifts from you, dear family and friends.  You all have already gone above and beyond what we could have ever dreamed up or asked!!!

Second, know that we are doing what we can to help ourselves.  We are cutting back in every way possible with our own expenses.  Michelle has gone back to work as a substitute teacher.  Whatever items that we can sell, we are (not quite ready to sell the horses yet, though!) selling at yard sales and online.

Here are some ways to help (some don’t cost you anything!).

• Pray – This is number one on the list because it is most important and something we don’t take for granted.  Please pray for our daughters, first of all.  Pray that they would stay healthy and safe until we bring them home.  Pray that they are as prepared as possible for the enormous changes that are about to happen.  They are about to lose everything they have ever known.  Pray for us as we prepare to be parents for the first time.  Pray for the remaining funds to come in.
• We are both willing and eager to do odd jobs to earn some extra money.  Contact us if you know of an opportunity.
• Take part in the American Girl Doll Giveaway we are doing.  See HERE for more info.
• Only if you feel lead to, donate – You can donate online by clicking the Donate button on the right or mailing a check (email goteamsam@gmail.com for the address).  Please click HERE to see how we are recognizing those who have helped us with our adoption expenses!
• Tell others about what we are doing.  Spread the word to your friends and contacts!

Friends and family – we thank you for all that you have done for us.  It has been a long journey to get to this point, and we know there is a long road ahead for us as a family.  We desperately want to get our girls home as soon as we can so they can get the medical care they need and start the healing process.  

Thank you for helping our family.