A Few Pictures

People have been asking for more pictures!! I only have a few and they really aren't that great, so I will try and take some more today. I will also write an update when I get a chance. Things are going really well and Presley is starting to settle in!

We made it HOME!!!

We finally made it home! We actually had a good trip. The longest portion of the trip (9 hours) wasn't full. Morgan and I sat on two seats on the side in the back of the plane. The two seats behind us were empty. So I took Presley back there and Morgan stayed in the other two seats. It was really nice to have those two extra seats. Presley only slept about 2 hours until the last leg from Portland to Phoenix and she slept another 2 hours. We got home at about 2:00 pm and Derek and Carson met us at the airport. Carson was soooo excited to have me home. Bonnie Voges was going to meet us, but I had given her the wrong airline because we switched airlines in Portland. Sorry Bonnie!! But she came over to our house with cute little Gwen and Gracie! We took the kids to the park to keep Presley (and mommy) awake. As you can tell by the pictures, Amy and Morgan were exhausted!! We attempted to take some pictures of the kids all together.

Presley loved the baby swing. We put her in it and started pushing her. Then we looked over and she had scooted towards the front of the swing and was pumping her legs and swinging herself!! Pretty ingenious for a 13-month-old if you ask me!!

Landon did really well seeing me again. He came right up to me and didn't scream when I tried to hold him like I had anticipated. He has really accepted Presley and is fine with it. Of course, he is pretty independent anyway!! Presley, on the other hand, had a really hard time sharing me. She is starting to get used to the whole big family thing and I think in a couple of days she will be fine. She loves her big brother Carson and big sister Kendall and they are already in love with her. So far meshing as a family is going great!!

Last night was AWFUL!! Presley went to sleep at 8:00 and then woke up at 11, 1, 2, 2:15. She was sleeping in the portacrib in Kendall's room and finally Kendall gave up and came in our room. I finally just took her in Kendall's bed with me, but she kicked and cried for another 45 minutes. Finally we just came downstairs at 4am. She got tired and went back to bed around 5 am and we both slept until 10. I am hoping for a better night tonight!!

Last post and thoughts on China

We finally made it!! I can't belive it. We are actually going home! Though we are so excited, we miss our sweet Lexi. It is amazing how spending just one night with the girl we thought was going to be our daughter, has really affected us. But then we look at Presley and WOW!! what a sweetheart we have. We are so happy that Lexi is going to get the medical attention that she needs and I hope that she disproves that doctor who said she was "hopeless." But even if she spends the rest of her life disabled and in a wheelchair, her life has meaning and we love her. She has touched so many of you out there too and changed you. We will be leaving China with just one little girl, but in our hearts we will always have two Chinese daughters.

My biggest surprise about China is how incredibly safe I have felt here. My sister, Presley,and I can walk around the streets and not worry that someone will mug us or a pull a gun on us. There aren't too many countries that you feel this safe in. I certainly wouldn't want to be walking around Phoenix at night!!

Everyone has been so friendly here. I knew we would get stares, I just didn't realize how many friendly looks we would receive. Especially from the GQ guys with their gorgeous girlfriends. They would smile and be so cute with Presley!! It has been wonderful!!

Thanks so much to everyone for your love and support. We have been amazed at how much support we have received and how many people have been following our story and praying for us. We have truly felt your support here on the other side of the world. I wish I could thank you all personally, but there is no way I could. Please know how thankful we are for every email and silent prayer. This adoption has definitely been the hardest thing we have ever done, but the love we have felt from everyone has made up for it. And of course our adorable Presley just sends us over the moon!!!!

Please say one more prayer for us as we get on that airplane tomorrow morning. Presley is NOT one to sit on my lap and be still and it is going to be a very long flight!!

Until my next post from America, goodnight from Guangzhou, China!!

Friday in Guangzhou - More snags!!!

We woke up this morning to lots and lots of rain. All we had to do was take a taxi to a Marriott hotel somewhere in this huge city and go to the Northwest Airline office to buy a lap ticket for Presley since we couldn't use the one with Lexi's name on it. Sounds easy enough right?? We get there and find out that when they changed our flight they changed it to Friday instead of Saturday!!! Luckily, the guy helping us was great and after about 1 1/2 hours we got everything changed and headed back to the island. We did some shopping in the pouring down rain and ate an early dinner at Lucy's (since we hadn't been there yet and of course we had to - adoption tradion)!! Now Morgan and Presley are fast asleep and I am almost packed. We are coming home tomorrow!!!

Thursday in Guangzhou

We were up early checking on my consulate appointment. The US consulate still didn't have my appointment made, but someone from my agency made a quick call and got us in for that afternoon. We met our guide Connie and did the medical exam. I had to go to the consulate appointment with her because our vacination affidavit had Lexi's name on it instead of Presley's. So our consulate appointment was at 1:30 and then I had to wait there until 4:00 for the swearing in. Luckily I had packed some crackers for her to eat. We were able to pick up her visa that same day and we were done!!

This whole trip has been a nail biter!!!

Wednesday in Xi'an

On Wednesday we went to the Great Mosque. It was really neat and very peaceful. Our guide came to our hotel and we made our flight changes since we were staying 2 days later. We left and picked up Presley's passport and then went straight to the airport. We got into Guangzhou at about 10:00 that night.

Tuesday - Terra Cotta Warriors

Tuesday was a very fun and interesting day. We decided to go to the Terra Cotta Warriors. Since I had been there the week before, we decided against getting the guide and tour bus and just go on our own! We took a cab to the train station. The cab ride was about 10 yuan (a little more than a dollar). It took us a while of walking around to find out where the buses were. The ride to the Terra Cotta Warriors was about 45 minutes and only cost 5 yuan per person (less than a dollar)!! The buses weren't too bad. They were air conditioned and looked like old beat up Greyhounds, but it wasn't too bad. On the way home an old man and his wife got on the bus. As soon as he got on he opened a bottle of beer. Now, we haven't seen any public drunkiness in China and Morgan and I are still debating whether or not this man was drunk, but if he wasn't drunk, he was definitely a little tipsy. He kept trying to give Presley his bottle of beer!! We kept pushing it away, but he would try and tease her with it. He was a very nice man, I just wish he would have stopped offering my daughter his beer! He was trying to do little magic tricks and she would have none of it. She just clung to me and cried when he looked at her!! There was a younger girl there that knew English and I think she tried to keep him occupied and talking to him so that he would leave Presley alone. At the end of the ride he told us (through the lady that was interpreting) that Presley was very beautiful and that I was a wonderful mom. Very sweet, even his his drunken state!!!

Monday in Xian - City Wall

On Monday we finished up some adoption paperwork and applied for Presley's passport. That afternoon we went to the city wall. It is quite old, I think it was built in 275 BC or AD??? Anyway, it's REALLY old!! The wall goes all around the city center and you can walk on the top of the wall. It can get really hot up there, but luckily the afternoon we went there was some afternoon clouds. Presley did great of course!!

View from our hotel room

Did I mention Presley is VERY flexible?? She can take her leg, completely straight, and put it up to her head and scratch her head with her toes!!!On the wallSome local kids "helping" with the strollerThe very fancy mall by our hotel

First Family Pictures

This is the family picture we took right before Derek left, about an hour after we got Presley. It is a picture of a picture, so it isn't very clear and she wasn't super smiley yet!!

Aunt Morgan is here!!!

Aunt Morgan made it on Sunday afternoon. She brought new clothes for Presley! They are working hard to possibly get Presley's passport by Wednesday. If that is possible, then we might be able to leave Saturday if there is a flight available. I will let you know as soon as I find out. We are heading out in a couple of minutes for the city wall. Things are better now that Morgan is here. I have someone to help me carry the stroller up and down all the stairs!!

Presley with hair!!!

We received a few pictures when we got Presley. These pictures were taken just a couple of months ago before they fixed her lip and also before they shaved her head!! I can't wait for it to grow out again!!