Day 4 - Chinese Paperwork

Today was day #2 of being with Joshua. He continues to show himself to be very fun loving, free spirited, and yet very sensitive. The morning was spent completing adoption paperwork with the Chinese government. By Thursday the adoption will be complete in the eyes of China officials.

We also got to speak with the Nannies concerning Joshua. They shared that Joshua was actually abandoned at 5 weeks old and left on the doorstep of the orphanage. We had thought he was abandoned in the hospital at age one, but the Nannies stated his hospitalization was after 1 year at the Orphanage. They also gave us a copy of the newspaper add that was run in an attempt to find his parents when he was first abandoned

Joshua is very intelligent and is learning things very quicky. Today he has spent alot of one-on-one time with Laurie and is bonding very well. We wanted to make sure her relationship was a priority as she will be the primary care giver when we return home and Randy goes back to work. Joshua wouldn't let Laurie out of his sights all day,

Day 3 - Gotcha Day

Gotta love the smiles & laughter. God is very very good!!

We flew into Chongqing at about 7PM and were taken by our guide directly to our hotel. As we walked into the lobby, Joshua was sitting on the sofa with two Nanny's. He readily came into Laurie's arms and was full of giggles and energy. He insisted on playing with Randy too and everyone was surprised at how smooth he handled things. He loves to smile, giggle, play and be "on the move". Everyone in the lobby was taken in by his fun loving spirit.

After we signed some preliminary papers, Joshua waved goodbye to the Nanny's and the Bell Boy escorted us to our room. The rest of the evening was spent playing, laughing, and Mom & Dad wondering if Joshua would ever run out of energy :). So far no tears and just a sweet playful spirit. We understand most newly adopted children go through a grieving period during their initial adjustment. So we stand ready for that too, but day 1 was an awesome gift in every way.

Tomorrow we begin the China adoption paperwork process. We are told we must move quickly as Friday is a national holiday. By the end of the week China will have finalized the adoption and next week we will head to the US Consulate for the VISA process. Our guide has said he also wants to take us to the Fuling Orphanage (2-3 hours away) this week and we are waiting to hear when that might be. It will be great to visit the orphanage that cared for Joshua, learn more of his history, and see some of his friends.

Having some camera issues (bad download cable). Hope to resolve tomorrow at one of the local stores. Have a couple still photos we downloaded from our video camera. A little grainy but will do for tonight.

Thanks again for your prayers and support.

Randy & Laurie

Day 2 - In China - The Great Wall & More

Today was a day of touring and getting to know the history and culture of China a little bit more. We toured the massive Forbidden City and the Great China Wall. Beijing was overcast and chilly, and the Great Wall was cold and snow covered. We could only climb part of the wall due to ice and snow, but it was a lot of fun and a spectacular sight. The kids in our group were also able to get in a snowball fight.

The Chinese are a proud yet humble and gracious people. Everyone has been extremely friendly, and go out of their way to help us. We had a lesson on the "one child" law and the implications of the same. China has about 3 times the population of the U.S. and has used the law as a means to gain control of the situation. Allowing adoptions is one part of caring for the Chinese people. It has been reiterated many times, that the children we adopt will always be sons and daughters of China. We are taking precious treasure of China home with us, and to please care for the little ones as such. Of course, our attitude is the same.

Sunday morning willl be another several hours of touring. In the afternoon we fly to Chongqing. By 9PM we should be connected with Joshua. The excitement builds :)

Day 1 in China

Thanks to Angela Upton who took us to the airport at 4am (what an excellent heart). Thanks also to all those who have been praying for us and assisting us over the past many months. You are all warriors and we are forever grateful to you.

We had a wonderful flight to China today. It took 13 hours, routed us over the north pole (see the polar bear), and was daylight all the way. This was the longest flight Laurie had been on and reminded Randy of some of his earlier jaunts in his naval career. It was exciting to get an aerial view of many of the places we would love to explore.

We were the only members of our adoption group on the plane. We met many wonderful people and were welcomed warmly by the Chinese staff at the airport and hotel. Our AWAA adoption guides in Beijing are Maggie and Rosa. They are both awesome and are taking great care of us. We had an authentic Chinese dinner and are headed to bed. Tomorrow is a full day of touring Beijing and the Great Wall. We do another tour Sunday morning and then fly to Joshua's providence in the afternoon.

Thanks again for your prayers & support!

China Itinerary

We will arrive in Beijing on March 27

Travel to Chongquing March 30

Pick-up Joshua (Gotcha Day) on March 30

Fly to Guangzhou on April 4
Finalize the Adoption on April 9

Fly to Chicago April 11

Arrive home April 12

We are excited and ready to go !!

Joshua at Fuling (Summer 2007)

Joshua at Fuling in August 2007.

This was within a month of his release from the hospital.

Looking energetic and ready for action.

Joshua's Birthday

Joshua was born on July 21st, 2006.

In July 2007 he suffered severe pneumonia and was hospitalized for several weeks. It appears that he was abandoned while in the hospital and later placed into the Fuling childcare system.

Hearts For Adoption

We have had a heart for adoption even before our wedding.

Our official journey to adoption began in December 2005.

We assumed we would be adopting a precious little girl.

However, God gave us a wonderful surprise in the gift of a precious little boy.