June 1, 2007

This day one year ago was the busiest we had in Beijing. We crammed so much into this day it was crazy. Some of it was our doing, and some of it was Bob's (our tour guide for the day who just wanted to make us happy, but didn't know when to quit).

Since I was able to blog on this day I'll be copying most of this post from my June 1 post of a year ago with a few minor updates (***) and additional photos. The pictures make this seem like quite a marathon post, but they're the best part. And, like I said, we had a very packed day. Enjoy re-living our Great Wall, etc. experiences of this day with us.
~~~~~~~~~~
OK - Here is the list from today:

Group Breakfast
Lobby at 8:15
Jade Factory
Great Wall
Cloisonne Factory
Lunch
Ming Tombs
Silk Factory
Tea House
Hotel - 8:00 'ish

I cannot believe all that we saw in one day. Everyone is completely exhausted!

We started out with everyone meeting this morning for breakfast together. We are very happy to report that after a cancelled flight from MSP and some unhappy encounters with airport personnel, and then a lost reservation upon arrival here, the O'Donnell Family has made it, safe and tired, but here. They have quite a story to tell. *** Amy and Dave, Flossie and Ashley - we were so happy to finally have you there safe and sound. What a way to start your trip! I would have been an absolute basketcase. Who am I kidding? I was pretty much an emotional baby for our whole trip anyway. :) You handled everything so well! ***

After breakfast, we met in the lobby at 8:15 for our tour. *** We had no idea what we were in for. *** Our fist stop was at a jade factory where we purchased a small "peaceful button" necklace for Hope. Her button is both green (happiness) and white (purity) jadeite (a hard, high quality stone).



*** Expensive Jade bracelet we didn't buy. :) I had fun trying it on though. They put my hand in a plastic bag to get this thing on my wrist. Once Chinese women get their bracelets they very rarely remove them so they are intended to fit snugly. ***

*** Jade Family Ball - This is carved out of a single solid piece of jade. We were told that each sphere is to represent a family generation. The caption here reads "Dragon is a symbol of the masculine and phoenix is a symbol of feminine. The combination of the two in the shape of a ball can bring couples love and harmony."

*** Lady at Work - & Andy's head. :)***

*** Leaving the Factory - Next Stop: Great Wall ***

At 10:30 we were back in the vans and headed to the Great Wall at Badaling. Words cannot describe the wonder of this structure. We were in awe! When we first looked around, I was convinced that we were going to go our left. It seemed like there were fewer steps in that direction, but alas...NO. We went to the right and man was it a workout. People aren't fibbing when they tell you to get in shape before taking on the wall. It was simply incredible. Even through the haze we were able to experience wonderful views from the top of our climb. It is difficult to imagine the construction process involved. Absolutely a "wonder of the world."

Our first group shot in China (we are still minus 2 families)

*** To the Left ***

*** To the Right ***



Beth & Dave (1st to climb to the top - I know...heights! I'm full of surprises this trip!)



The view from above - it doesn't look so bad from this angle, but when you're at the bottom looking up, the climb seems endless.

*** I added these next photos for perspective. You can see how steep, large, and uneven the steps are. Also, the railing is often at knee height...not the most comfortable for hanging on, but you certainly don't dare let go either. :) ***



This monument says that "you're not a real man until you've walked on the wall."

Our next stop brought us to a cloisonne factory where we learned about the steps of decorating these beautiful copper crafts. It is a very intricate, detailed process. One thing that I've noticed at all of our stops thus far, is the pride of the Chinese people in their work and tradition. Our guides have been very passionate in their descriptions of everything we've seen. The hosts/hostesses have been very polite and gracious, and the craftsmen (& women) are very intent and focused during their work as we all gather around for closer views of their art. Their attitude is inspiring.
*** Another Lady Working***

Upstairs from the cloisonne factory we were treated to a very delicious lunch. We were served sweet and sour pork, beef with peppers, rice, and an assortment of other dishes (I'm not just sure of it all). I personally enjoyed the sesame seed balls. MMMMMMMMM! The fishy tasting mystery meat, not so much. :)

Next on the list for the day was a visit to the Ming Tombs. Another very interesting place with a rich history. This was the burial place for 13 emperors. How incredible that people would take such care in creating such a magnificent place for burial. I don't really have a lot to report from here. It is just so awesome to take it all in.
*** Some Info About the Chambers ***

Emily, Lexi, & Kennedie

Really Cool Cypress Tree

*** ...& Caption ***

*** Here are a couple more pretty shots from the Tombs. Notice the Dragon and Phoenix in the lower picture. ***


Ron and Bob (who just keeps going, and going, and going,...you get the picture)

By now we were all starting to lose our energy. Jet lag has hit most of us and we're ready to end the tour. But, Bob (our guide for the day) had other plans. We still stopped at a silk factory and a tea house before heading back to the Jinglun Hotel. I think most of us glanced around at everything and thought...OK - let's go. :) We made time for just one more picture though. We think Hope would be pretty darn cute in this light pink/peach color. Opinions?

*** SILK - Spinning & Our Group Stretching Silk for a Comforter ***


*** We're all still smiling, but we are WIPED OUT! ***

*** I ended my post last year talking about how much fun we'd had during those first couple of days but how far away from home we were beginning to feel. We'd been so busy before we left and we'd been having lots and lots of visitors and phone calls from friends and family wishing us well. Now all of a sudden there we were, thousands of miles away with only this blog keeping us connected. We asked for prayers and comments then as we do now. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers and to leave us notes when you visit us here. It means so much to hear from all of you, quick visitors, family, and friends alike. Though I type here for journaling purposes, it is still nice to know that I'm not alone in my ramblings. So, there we were at the end of an exhausting day, excited to know we'd be meeting Hope in 3 days but so tired and feeling the effects of the 13 hour time difference catching up with us. Stay tuned for the next installment of our Beijing adventures. ***

All our love - Beth & Ron

Quick view from the van window of the Olympic Stadium in progress. ("bird's nest")

May 31, 2007

We woke up to a foggy/hazy/rainy day for our first day in Beijing. A little moisture in the air wasn't going to stop us from experiencing this city though. :) We were up by 6:00, got ready, headed for the breakfast buffet, and then stopped by the travel agency office in the lobby of the hotel to plan our day.


We ended up at the Pizza Hut next door for lunch before we met our tour group. Ron had some funky clam chowder topped with pastry with his pizza. Funny combo, huh?











We met in the lobby of the Jinglun at 1:30 for our journey to/through the Hutong village in the center of the city. We had a young guide who escorted us and told us of the history of this precious, ancient, and endangered part of Beijing. Our first stop was at a drum tower where we climbed about 70 BIG steps to the top and were treated to an impressive show. These drums were played on the hour during the daylight and a bell was rung from the tower on the opposite side of the courtyard during the night. We took some photos and carefully made our way down the treacherous stairs.

At the base of the bell tower, we participated in a tea ceremony. We learned about the "smelling" cup and the "tasting" cup, how men and women should hold their teacups correctly, and sampled numerous delicious teas. Jasmine tea (for improved vision), and sweet black tea with rose (good for the memory) were our favorites.

Finally we walked a couple of blocks to the rickshaws waiting to take us through the village.

Hutong: 4 small houses built together around a courtyard called a quardringer (not sure about the spelling but that is how it sounded...with a hard 'g' sound). They were built during the reign of a Mongolian emperor and still, the residents of this area are rich in the heritage and traditions of their ancestors. Also interesting is that the number of beams above the doorway is telling of the family's wealth. We visited a 0 beam and a 2 beam home. Just for reference, our guide told us the the past home of the emperor had 12 beams above the doorway. The threshold of the entrance also serves a great purpose. Apparently ghosts can hop, and a deeper/higher threshold at the gate will block many ghosts from hopping inside. Features of the Hutong courtyards often included bamboo (representing long life), a pomegranate tee (has to do with fertility), and koi (symbol of wealth).
Hutong Village from Above - (taken from the drum tower)


In the Courtyard

We had a very interesting tour. I know that the Hutong area of Beijing is somewhat in jeopardy due to the clean-up and construction efforts taking place in preparation for the Olympics this summer. I also know that the Chinese people are very proud of their heritage and tradition so I pray that these people are able to continue to live there as long as they choose. Let it be up to them to stay or leave, not some sort of "push" for the sake of progress.

When we returned to the hotel, Ron and I walked to the Beijing Friendship Store (about 15 min.) My notes from that day say that I should be proud of the restraint I showed. We were trying to save our luggage space for the shopping we knew was yet to come. We stopped at a market for some drinking water and distilled water (for Ron's 'dream' machine) on our way back.

To end the night, Ron and I decided to try the famous Peking Roast Duck. We walked west again for about 2 min. (all directions were given in minutes). The 6th floor of the Pearl Market houses the Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant. It was very very good. We ordered our new favorite jasmine tea, 1/2 roast duck, and some soup for Ron. The chef wheeled out his cart, carved and served us our dinner. One of the waiters showed us how to roll the meat, onions, cucumber, minced garlic, sugar, and sauce together in a tortilla with our chopsticks. We were certainly proud when we were able to successfully 'build' our own and take a bite.

We had a great day! We were so excited and happy to be there.

Tomorrow: The Great Wall & Ming Tombs

May 30, 2007

Well, it is interesting to think about this day a year ago because with the 13 hour travel time difference, we "lost" it. :)

We were picked up at 4:00 in the morning on the 29th and were in route to China ALL day. We were in our hotel room for the night an ordering room service at 10:05 p.m. China time on the evening of the 30th (9:05 a.m. WI time).

When we checked in for our first flight that morning we were allowed to check our bags all the way through to Beijing. It was nice that we didn't have to hunt for our luggage and re-check it all with each layover. I remember being so concerned about the weight. We had spend the night packing, unpacking, re-packing, removing things, rearranging things, redistributing the weight between the bags and our carry-on backpacks, etc. We had a slightly emotional "good-bye" when we left my parents to go through security. I remember thinking that they seemed to be just as excited as we were to finally have Hope on her way home.

Good-bye Minnesota


We left gate G3 at MSP on time and had "wheels up" at about 7:40 a.m. Our flight was pretty uneventful with the exception of 1/2 a can of pop spilling in my lap. We arrived at LAX and found the international terminal where we had a wonderful man check us in through business class for our flight to Narita on All Nippon. He told us that our flight was over-booked by 40 people and was so gracious to help us out by getting us through the gate. God bless that guy! :) We had a little down time and were able to find some pizza for lunch. Ron and Gary played cards, Lexi and Holly played with dolls, and I had a little time to write. - *SO MANY EMOTIONS!* -

We survived the longest leg of the flight to Narita, Japan. When we landed there we didn't have a lot of time to get to our flight to Beijing, but we made it thanks to another angel, a teacher returning to her Chicago home who lead us through the airport. We were exhausted and slept during this flight. We were awake for the landing though. It is incredible to see the vastness of the Beijing lights when you're flying in over the city. They seem to go on forever. I think we were all in shock that we were actually finally there. It didn't take us long to find our bags and our waiting driver. He took us through the city...our first experience as passengers on the busy (did I mention BUSY!) Beijing roadways. We were so happy to make it to the Jinglun Hotel and see this:

But, we were so excited that we'd made it and wanted to visit with some of the other families and talk about our plans for the next couple of days. In spite of our exhaustion there was so much energy in the air.

Ron - set up and ready to go (this of course was pre-laptop crash)

Funny story...We blew the fuse in our room! :) We plugged in an outlet strip, flipped it on, and promptly lost power. OOPS :)

"I can't believe we're actually here! We are standing on the other side of the world! This is finally happening!"

P.S. "And I'm very happy I don't have to get on a plane for another four days!"

One year ago today...

...we had and EARLY morning! Anxious soon-to-be grandparents arrived at our house at 4:00 to drive us to the airport. May 29, 2007 was the day we boarded the plane and began our physical journey to the other side of the world to meet our daughter. Of course our actual journey began years before when the adoption seed was planted and God's plan for our family began to show itself. Looking back over the years I see things with such new clarity. I know that's what happens. While we're living our lives we rarely understand our purpose.

The first few adoption touches in my life were so subtle. If I want to get really deep here, I suppose I can go back to one of my best friends and the role she played in my life. I always knew she was adopted, but I'm pretty sure I never thought twice about it. Then I worked for two summers at a Bible camp as a counselor and one of my best friends from that part of my life is also adopted. How was I supposed to know that these blessed influences on my life would open the door for curiousity about adoption as a way to grow my family? There are so many other ways that adoption seemed to touch me as I was growing up. I've had other friends who've experienced the adoption of their siblings. I have a friend who made the very mature decision to say goodbye to his son knowing that he wasn't prepared to provide and care for a new baby. The more I reflect, the more I realize the influences that adoption has had on my life.

It is interesting now as I think about our experiences with infertility as well, that I really don't think we wrestled with many of our decisions. It is true that we were heartbroken at times. We were angry, frustrated, shed many tears, and wanted to know why this was happening to us. Life didn't seem fair...but not for long. Those defeated feelings really challenged us, but it didn't take us long at all to decide not to pursue invasive fertility treatments as avenues for conception. We just knew at the time that was not the right path for us. We were called to adoption and pretty quickly felt a Chinese connection that brought us to this moment:


We were ready to get on that plane and go meet our daughter! What a miracle!

Adoption
The Trip
China
Hope KeXuan Charlotte
This Past Year
Becomming Mama and Daddy
Our Family

This list could go on forever. Our whole experience has been an absolute miracle.

I remember:
"Hold on Lin Ke Xuan - Mama & Baba are coming!"

Tragedy

In the wake of the earthquakes in central China, we've been asked several times about what we know. Most of our information is coming from here. Please visit and support Half the Sky in their efforts to provide assistance across China to all who've been affected by these terrible events. We've read about many orphanages in need of support, children that have been moved to tents or busses because buildings are no longer safe, hundreds of newly orphaned children because of these awful events, school buildings collapsed with children inside, entire cities completely devastated, etc. Please check the website for updates and find ways to contribute if you're able.

There is much sadness in the China adoption community today also because of yesterday's loss of Maria Sue Chapman. Check here for an official release of information from the family. Here is a link to our local radio station. Listed in the center of the page under "KTIS Faith Report" they have a pop out with a little more information as well.

So, please KEEP PRAYING. There is so much hurt in this world and we need to live with hope and faith that God's loving grace will guide us through it all. We just have to believe.

Odds & Ends

4/26/08
I posted before about going out for the first time since coming home. We did it! Hope had a fabulous time with her Aunt and Uncle that night. From what I understand she was an angel...but then again, we expected that of course. :) Sounds like she played 'just a little bit' (insert sarcastic tone) of "Ring Around the Rosie," charmingly convinced her aunt and uncle to play "horsie," did some puzzles, read some books, ate like a champ, and went to bed exhausted. Perfect! Well, Hope's mama and daddy had a great night as well. Casting Crowns offered up an awesome night of worship and performance. I'm pretty sure that I only suggested calling home to check on things two times or so. OK...maybe three. :) I wasn't worried at all. It just didn't feel natural to be without our daughter. But really, we had an awesome time with dinner and the concert. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Casting Crowns is awesome. Their lyrics speak directly to the heart and as Mark Hall said that night, the listeners never have to wonder what they mean. On a side note, one of the other nice moments of the evening was when the person ahead of us paid for our parking in the ramp. God was at work in St. Paul that night.
Here we are ready to go.


Here are a couple of shots from the concert. We had great seats! We were a little further away than we were last time we saw Casting Crowns, but I'm pretty sure there isn't a bad seat in the Xcel Energy Center. It is a great place for a show.



This painting was done on stage during two songs. Notice "The Voice Of Truth" at the top. It was painted only with parts of the artist's hands, without brushes or use of other tools. It was so cool to watch. We tried to borrow the artwork after the concert so we could use it at church the next morning since we were going to be performing that song, but somebody had already purchased it. Worth a shot right? :)

4/27/08
Here are a couple of shots from Sunday morning. Hope always gets so excited to sing with the microphone and play Grandpa's "dums."




5/3/08
Saturday night we had the privilege of meeting our friends Angie, Garry, & family for dinner. We have loved getting to know these friends of ours since we all prepared for our China travel. They met their daughter Sarah about a month before we traveled to meet Hope. We share some special connections and always have a great time when we're together. You should have seen the two girls! I'm pretty sure that Hope recognized Sarah. It was so sweet to watch them side by side during dinner. Hope also has a bit of a sparkle for Angie and Garry's son Sam. He can crack her up with a glance and it is super entertaining to watch them play. It was entertaining for us anyway. Apparently the lady behind us didn't enjoy the loud laughter so much judging by the looks we received, but hey...you don't go out to the local pizza place for a quiet atmosphere right? Anyway, we are so happy that you sent the email about being in town Angie. We miss you since your move. We hope you had a safe, uneventful trip home and that we can see you again soon.
~ Friends ~


~ All three of the young ones actually facing the same direction ~ It was pretty cute to see them want to share that chair.

~ Saying Goodbye ~


5/4/08
Can you believe it has been 11 months since we first held Hope in our arms? Gotcha day was 11 months ago on this day, a day that seems like yesterday and forever ago at the same time. Is that possible? Hope in our lives is a miracle. She brings us joy beyond measure and we are blessed every moment we are her parents.

We had a fun day. After church we met our friends Mark, Melody, and Hope Brue for lunch and a trip out to the UWRF campus farm. The two Hopes ran around the buildings, giggled at the animals, oinked with the pushy piglets, baa'd with the skittish lambs, got kisses from the affectionate calves, and had a great afternoon together.







~ Mom's Favorite Picture of the Day ~

We left the farm about 3:00 and It took less than 10 minutes for Hope to zonk out in her carseat. We decided to take advantage of the time and the beautiful weather so Ron and I stopped for a couple of geocaches on our way out of town. We let Hope sleep until we got up to Grandma and Grandpa's house to see Great-Great Aunt Vi, and Great Aunt and Uncle Terry and Jim. It was so fun to visit with them and watch them play with Hope. She turned on the charm and got acquainted with Vi over a shared bunch of grapes and bowl of goldfish crackers. It wasn't long before the toys were out and she was preparing/sharing her plates of plastic food with everyone.





5/6/08
And now for Tuesday - Not much to report here other than Hope had her first sliver today. I noticed a red spot on the top of her left hand ring finger. At first, I thought maybe I could blame the teething and recent increase in chewing on those fingers, but it was pretty red. So, after further inspection, we found the sliver. Hope handled herself very well. She let me try with a tweezer, then another tweezer, and finally a clippers. I was able to just clip around it and she hardly flinched. YEA! First summer crisis survived. Hopefully they'll all be that easy.

So - Hopefully I'm all caught up now with news. Thanks for checking in. G'nite all! We're exhausted! :)

April 28th Video & News

Hello everyone...friends...family...others who stop by once in a while...

First things first: I know that I owe an update. First of all I wanted to say thank you to all who've been praying for me. I'm still not feeling great, but I have an appointment Thursday that will hopefully lead me toward some more answers. I know it is hard to read all this without many details, but I'm just not comfortable sharing it with the world. Just know that I'm thankful for the compassion and caring that I've received from many of you. I'm truly blessed.

Now for some catching up:

If you read the previous post/story and had a good chuckle, this video should prompt a belly laugh. This is the little girl who greets my parents every morning. She is happy, playful, and ready for the day. But, on Monday morning last week (4/28) she announced a special surprise. Luckily she hadn't yet had the opportunity to leave any wet surprises in the corner of her bed again. :)

This next video was also taken on 4/28. We went out for dinner with Uncle Brian and Aunt Tami and I guess Hope thought they were pretty silly that evening. Maybe it was her daddy who got her started...I'm just not sure. :) If you didn't giggle with the last video clip, you'll have to along with this one. It is completely contagious. Have fun!

Final big news for April 28, 2008: Hope's first 2 yr. molar (bottom right) showed visible signs of forced entry. We have been going through some yucky diaper stuff, excessive drool, fists in the mouth, and extreme toddler emotions for the past couple of weeks. We've suspected those pesky molars, but now we know. Our little girl is getting so big. Look at this mouth full of chompers! Doesn't Hope just have the most beautiful smile (not to mention fashion sense)?

FYI - Her onsie says "Exquisitly Fashioned by the Father" on the front. The back reads, "Then God saw everything that He had made and it was good." I would definitely agree!

More updates to come. I've started a couple of posts, but need some time to sort and choose pictures. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the rest of the week.

Beth