Finally a Posting!

It has been several months between posts and I am finally writing an update about Josie Guoling and our family. We have been moving along at a pretty quick pace; I've just barely been able to keep up! Josie is adjusting amazingly well, as is Cash. The two of them are obvious siblings from the excitement Josie has when she sees Cash in the morning to the the little scraps they get into on a regular basis. It is wonderful to experience their connection. Josie is a very enthusiastic little girl (22 months!) and highly social when we are out and about. Her comprehension of language is incredible. In just a few months she seems right on target developmentally especially in receptive language. She is very opinionated already and has a will that won't quit. She is a survivor and and is one tough, albeit, very sweet cookie. She is very affectionate and squeezes back when we hold her. A couple of weeks ago we seemed to hit a milestone of attachment and connection. She has been acting out her anger and fear and loss. I hold her lovingly and for long periods of time as she seems to struggle with truly and wholly accepting me and our family as the safest most secure place in the world. We are forever. These tantrums are good signs and as they are soooooo challenging for me as a mom, I thank our lucky stars that Josie is willing to be vulnerable and trust our family in the deepest ways. We love her intrinsically.

p.s. We have gotten some very insightful help from our social worker, Laura. She has given me invaluable support. Thanks to Laura and Adopt International for their unending commitment to children and families.

"Forever Family" Day 2 Video - in Hotel in Langhzou

We Made it Home!

Well, the trip home WAS hilacious as predicted - very long. The kiddos did well, just a long (friggin) time to be in the air and on the road. I was dileriously tired when we got home; we were pooped and happy. Thanks to our great neighbor friends and family that decked out our place with decorations. Ling Ling giggled when she first saw our overly rambunctious pups jumping all over us. They made fast friends and she is already feeding them and seeking them out from across the room - amazing.

We woke to Thanksgiving and a delicious meal from Oliver's that Cash's babysitter, Audra, put in the fridge the day before. Cash made a China adventure themed centerpiece on the table, Ling Ling fed the dogs crackers, and we enjoyed the day, as groggy as we were, together.

Goodbye China, Hello Family and Friends

Departure time is tomorrow! We arrive at SFO Wednesday night, just in time for Thanksgiving. We ARE very thankful. What a great experience we've all had. Thanks to China and our wonderful facilitators and hosts. See you soon...xoxoxox

Evening Boat Ride Down the Pearl River

Mrs. Liang took us on a ferry ride down the Pearl River where we seriously tripped the lights fantastic! What a party of lights! We all loved it and Cash was an instant celeb again. I will do a photo essay entry later of  the photos of some of the girls he has posed with, but this was a special night for him. The Canton TV tower, the tallest TV tower in the world, is spectacular.

Throughout our trip people have tried to hold Ling Ling but she'll have nothing to do with them, except for our facilitator, Mrs. Liang. She loves her!

Lions and Tigers and Panda Bears

We applied for Ling Ling's travel visa today with a group of about 12 other families with newly adopted children waiting to get their children and families back to the States. It was interesting and heartfelt to meet the other families and children. We swapped contact info with a family from Sacramento. The families were mostly from Mid-Western areas like Nebraska, Ohio, Chicago, and Kansas. There were two young boys and a few children overall with special needs or medical related issues. No cameras were allowed in the building. We had to swear an oath for something very important and official but neither Joel or I can remember for what exactly. Not to minimize the importance of the process but seems like more fanfare and regalia at this point; we are ready to get home!

After, Mrs. Liang took us to the Guangzhou Zoo and we had a fun time there. Ling Ling was asleep when we arrived at the tigers, her Chinese astrological sign. It was really cool too because an attendant was chucking huge slabs of meat from the railing to the tigers, six of them, and they were enjoying a feast right in front of us. I really wanted to see the pandas and was shocked to see how slumming it they were. Looks like some renovations are due for the panda digs.

p.s. Ling Ling's buzz cut is growing out a little...

Leaving Lanzhou and Dinos, Gansu China

Note from editor: This post should have been up yesterday, 11/18, before the two that precede it on the blog.

After five nights we depart today and fly to Guangzhao where we'll meet Mrs. Liang, our facilitator and get Ling Ling's medical exam and travel visa. Lanzhou, the capital of the Gansu Provence in North Western China, is an ancient, smoggier than you can imagine, megalopolis of 5 million or more. It is a city with a vivid history of dynasties, ancient artifacts, battles, ethnicities, and religion (birthplace of Buddhism in China) as it is a geographically strategic location with the Yellow River, a major hub of the silk road, and the oldest parts of China's Great Wall. The pollution here is almost unbearable and I have not wanted to take the kids (or myself) outdoors. We took a few jaunts about and found some serious Dinosaurs at the Lanzhou Museum. There is also an exhibit on gorgeous excavated bronze and pottery artifacts from the region and a beautiful exhibit on the Buddha. It was a great time and Cash was in heaven! He made us take tons of pictures of every exhibit.