This is before the blowout!!!!

Walmart

Our Hotel

Inside our hotel

We are doing good.   The smog has left and the sun is shining bright and wow it is hot.   Really havent gotten out much just spending alot of time with Brinlee in the room.  Really cant do much because you dont know where to go and if we did no one speaks English so you cant really do much.    We went to Walmart to get some pull ups and water.  We are starving and need some American food badly.   We are going to attempt to go to McDonalds (Chinese style) pictures to follow later.  

She is pretty happy !

Playing with Jason

Well just got back from the registry office and Brinlee is officially ours now we will wait to get some documents back then move on to Guangzhou for a while then home.   Yeah!!!!!

Our first evening with Brinlee!

Gotcha Day!!!

We got Brinlee this morning.  She wasnt very happy at first.  She kept asking me and Jason for her Mama.  It broke our hearts.  She was handed to us outside and she really wasnt happy about it.  We are so thankful for this little girl that God has given us.  What made it so special is that after we had a chance to look her over she had a jade necklace on so I asked one of our guides and she said that it ment Christian which we knew that because of it being a cross.   God is sooooo amazing.  She is finally warming up to me and laughing at me when I say uh oh.  What a special day this has been. 

our group

Our group minus me and Jason and another couple.

We made it to Henan (Zhengzhou)

We had a quick flight over to here.  We got an update on Brinlee.  The two things that stick out to me right now is the foster mom says that she sleeps only with adults.  So I guess we are going to be in for it for a while until I can get her in her own bed.  The other thing it says is that she is potty trained.  Woohoo!!!!  Me and Jason are really excited to meet her but are also very nervous.  We will be going in the morning at 9:30 to get her.  We will be gone for several hours.  For those of you who want to skype we probably wont be able to skype until your time 1:00 in the morning or just wait until 7 or 8 your time Monday morning.  Wow the smog here is really bad you cant even see the sky.  I thought I would post a pic of our guide we had to leave behind in Beijing.  He was sooooo nice and funny.  Next post we will have Brinlee.

Our first day in China

The Great Wall

stadium

a woman during the acrobat show

Lock your heart on the wall

Jade factory

We have meet all the couples I think there are 14 couples.  Most of them have already adopted from here but a few that this is their first time too.  Everyone is sooo nice.   It is quit nerve racking when no one speaks english when you are very hungry or thirsty.  LOL    We got up and went to the Great Wall, Jade factory, stadium then an acrobat show.   It was really hot today but there was a breeze.  People drive crazy here.  I dont think I can say that enough it really has you on the edge of your seats.  We are doing well.  Just very very tired.  We will fly out in the morning to Henan.  I will show you all some pics now.

We made it to Beijing

We made it here after that looooooong flight.  We are so exhausted that all we can do is sleep.  It is very hard for us to even stay awake to go eat dinner.  I am really glad that I was sooo tired on the van ride here because they drive like maniacs and I just closed my eyes and fell asleep.  If I had been awake I probably would of been a backseat driver and yelling and screaming.  We were weaving in a out of major traffic in that big van.  We had a really sweet chinese lady who set with us on the plane and she helped us all through the Beijing Airport (which is huge).  It took us about an hour to find our guide to get us to the hotel.   We had this very young American guy who was so nice and used his cell phone and kept calling our guide.  It is already really hard not having my cell phone.  UGH!!!!  Jason didnt sleep at all at the Chicago airport or on the plane ride so he layed down in the bed and is knocked out.   I doubt he will get up until morning.  Our guide told us to meet him in the lobby tomorrow 8:30 to go to the Great Wall.   I will be posting pics when we get back.   Thank you all for your prayers.  I have felt Gods peace throught this trip so far.

Leaving for China!!!!

All packed and ready to go.   Leaving in the morning around 3:30 to get on the plane to fly 30 minutes and sit at Chicago airport for about 6 hours.  LOL   Well whatever it takes to get to Brinlee its going to be all worth it.   Please pray for us as we travel.   I will post again soon. People have been asking when we will get in China and we will be there your time 3 a.m.   We will be in Beijing for two days before traveling to where we will meet Brinlee.  I will keep you informed.   

TA!!!!!!!!

Wow we are really going to China very soon.   All last week I was refreshing the email waiting for TA.   I couldnt really do anything but get on the computer every 5 minutes.  What did I get "notta thing" then the day I am gone all day (shopping at that)  I come home to a phone call from CCAI.  Wooohooo!  I finally get to see this beautiful little girl that I have never got to see face to face but I love her soooo much.  I have had so many dreams about her.  God has really blessed us.  We will be leaving around May 25th so I will be in touch.