Can you tell which ones are "then" and which ones are "now"?
Saturday, November 28, 2009
An Amazing Journey
As we've each remembered the events of 2007, its been amazing how we could recall the tears and the joys so easily. We talked about the places we ate, the frightening moments that happened all too often, the people that we met, the sights and sounds that were nothing short of breathtaking. We looked at pictures - shocked as to how much each of us have changed, but most of all, how Elle has blossomed into an energetic, spunky, bright young girl. Her recollection of November 2007 is very different from ours, but that's ok. We continue to share her story with her - adding more and more as she asks questions.
The most amazing part of this journey has been how quickly we've all forgotten what life was like "before Elle". None of us remember not hearing her giggles and her sweet voice as she sings Christmas songs. We cannot imagine life without her chasing the cat through the house, begging to watch "her shows" on TV, and shouting "Go Bryant" and "Go Alex" from the sidelines. The list goes on and on... Our family has grown and changed so much in these speedy two years - They've gone by in a flash!
The most amazing part of this journey has been how quickly we've all forgotten what life was like "before Elle". None of us remember not hearing her giggles and her sweet voice as she sings Christmas songs. We cannot imagine life without her chasing the cat through the house, begging to watch "her shows" on TV, and shouting "Go Bryant" and "Go Alex" from the sidelines. The list goes on and on... Our family has grown and changed so much in these speedy two years - They've gone by in a flash!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
National Adoption Day
November is National Adoption Month and today is National Adoption Day! Help however you can - your prayers, your financial support, whatever it might be. And hey, maybe even becoming an adoptive family yourself!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Yikes - You Guys are SCARY!
This is PanSuo with her nanny the day that she first met us. Doesn't look very happy to see us, does she? Pretty skeptical little face. We brought her a dolly with black hair, like hers, hoping that it would help with the transition. We thought it would be nice... The guides all laughed at us - said that ElleAnna wouldn't know what it was as the dollies they have at the orphanages/SWIs were all blonde baby dolls.... Hmmm, we tried!
Referral Photos of PanSuo
When we went to China, these were the only photos we had of PanSuo. The pix were over a year old already when we first saw them... The nanny gave us two more the day that we met her, but they were just as outdated. We have no photos of Elle as a baby, none of her before her lip/palate were repaired. These are all we have. .
Elle found these pix this week as I was going through things in her box. She has been carrying them around. She showed them to my dad the other night. Then, got a family photo taken before she came home, and brought that to him too. She showed him who was in that one, naming each person - Conlee, Chris, Ranelle (my sister and her family), Grama, Grampa, Daddy, Bryant, and Alex. Then, she said "I'm not in this picture because I was in China". She then told him that she cried and cried there until her Mommy, Daddy, her Bryant, and her Alex came to get her and bring her home for her family.
.
I distinctly remember the CRYING being just the opposite and can still hear her mournful wailing as she laid on the bed that night, unconsolable. She must have cried for hours and there was nothing we could do or say to help her. I am glad that she remembers it differently though! I am glad that she is happy as we are too!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
A Day to Remember
The year was 2007, the place .... somewhere over the beautiful mountains of China. We had left Beijing and we were on our way to Shenyang. The view out the window was not incredible in and of itself .... what made it an awesome experience was knowing where we were, and better yet, where we were headed. We were finally going to the province where our daughter - to - be lived.
It is amazing how years of talking about adoption, years of paperwork, and one picture with the words "approved" next to them, can get you really worked up for the "Big Day". Well, all of that was running through my head as we flew through the clouds over China. As the mountains thinned, the landscape turned to more of an agricultural appearance. It seemed the further we went, the more secluded we were becoming. It became even more apparent as we landed in Shenyang.
When we got off the plane, we went to the baggage claim. We could see people standing all around at the gate exit. We scanned and scanned ..... looking for our names on a piece of paper or cardboard .... anything ....... What we found ...... was nothing. We told each other we must early or they guide must be a little late. We finally decided to move out of other people's way and found a waiting area. We were asked a couple of times if we needed a taxi. At least that is what I think they were asking. :-) Shenyang is not what you would call a tourist city; therefore, the number of English speaking individuals was very limited.
Today as I sit here and reminisce, I am not sure how long we waited .... It was well over an hour and we never saw our guide. Luckily, Michelle gotten the phone number of the guide we had just left in Beijing. After some explanations of our situation, we flagged down a cab driver. Michelle handed the phone to him and our guide talked with him. From that point on, things went really fast.
We briskly walked outside into "winter". We were ushered to a cab at the far end of the parking lot. Everyone was trying to keep together plus lug our many bags with us. As it turned out, the driver had a car ....... a car was way too small for the small house we had brought with us. Shortly after, I noticed another car. Two men started loading our luggage and we suddenly realized we were being put into separate vehicles. Bryant went with Michelle, and Alex and I rode in the other car.
This may seem like a very common thing and a very natural event at an airport, but keep in mind that we were unable to speak with our drivers, we had no idea if they knew where we were to go, we had no idea if BOTH drivers knew where we were supposed to go ...... WE had no idea where we were going. Talk about putting your faith on the line. I know I was praying AND trying to memorize cab numbers on the back of the car Michelle and Bryant were in, while scanning the buildings and landscape for markers or anything I may need to find my way back from wherever we were being taken.
As it turned out, the drivers were very cordial and they did get us to the right hotel. Once there, we had problems checking in due to a discrepancy with the number of people that we had and the number on the registry for eating. Thirty minutes later, we were finally in our room. As it turned out, the guide had the wrong arrival time for us. If we had not made that phone call, we would have been sitting there for another couple of hours.
Two days later ...... the stress of our arrival in Shenyang and the many hours of preparation seemed to vanish when we FINALLY met our daughter Pan Suo. Our lives have never been the same since and it is impossible to remember what our lives were like before we met Elle.
It is amazing how years of talking about adoption, years of paperwork, and one picture with the words "approved" next to them, can get you really worked up for the "Big Day". Well, all of that was running through my head as we flew through the clouds over China. As the mountains thinned, the landscape turned to more of an agricultural appearance. It seemed the further we went, the more secluded we were becoming. It became even more apparent as we landed in Shenyang.
When we got off the plane, we went to the baggage claim. We could see people standing all around at the gate exit. We scanned and scanned ..... looking for our names on a piece of paper or cardboard .... anything ....... What we found ...... was nothing. We told each other we must early or they guide must be a little late. We finally decided to move out of other people's way and found a waiting area. We were asked a couple of times if we needed a taxi. At least that is what I think they were asking. :-) Shenyang is not what you would call a tourist city; therefore, the number of English speaking individuals was very limited.
Today as I sit here and reminisce, I am not sure how long we waited .... It was well over an hour and we never saw our guide. Luckily, Michelle gotten the phone number of the guide we had just left in Beijing. After some explanations of our situation, we flagged down a cab driver. Michelle handed the phone to him and our guide talked with him. From that point on, things went really fast.
We briskly walked outside into "winter". We were ushered to a cab at the far end of the parking lot. Everyone was trying to keep together plus lug our many bags with us. As it turned out, the driver had a car ....... a car was way too small for the small house we had brought with us. Shortly after, I noticed another car. Two men started loading our luggage and we suddenly realized we were being put into separate vehicles. Bryant went with Michelle, and Alex and I rode in the other car.
This may seem like a very common thing and a very natural event at an airport, but keep in mind that we were unable to speak with our drivers, we had no idea if they knew where we were to go, we had no idea if BOTH drivers knew where we were supposed to go ...... WE had no idea where we were going. Talk about putting your faith on the line. I know I was praying AND trying to memorize cab numbers on the back of the car Michelle and Bryant were in, while scanning the buildings and landscape for markers or anything I may need to find my way back from wherever we were being taken.
As it turned out, the drivers were very cordial and they did get us to the right hotel. Once there, we had problems checking in due to a discrepancy with the number of people that we had and the number on the registry for eating. Thirty minutes later, we were finally in our room. As it turned out, the guide had the wrong arrival time for us. If we had not made that phone call, we would have been sitting there for another couple of hours.
Two days later ...... the stress of our arrival in Shenyang and the many hours of preparation seemed to vanish when we FINALLY met our daughter Pan Suo. Our lives have never been the same since and it is impossible to remember what our lives were like before we met Elle.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Forbidden City
Working to restore the exterior - painting, repairing, etc. for all the visitors to come for the Olympics in August of 2008.
More Beijing 2007 Photos - Still in Random Order
Chinese Flag.
Toll Gate, heading to the airport to leave Beijing.
Our Beijing hotel room.
Looking out our Beijing hotel window - TianAnMen Square is off in the distance. All the small houses below were being torn down in preparation for the Olympics.
The front of our hotel.
Down below our hotel window.
Out our hotel window - You can see The Forbidden City in the distance.
Construction - See the guy up on the poles? No supports!
Outside all the tourist areas there were vendors trying to sell their goods. This person had vegetables.
Beijing streets.
The Great Wall.
Jewelry sales at the Jade Factory. Parents give their daughters jade for special occasions such as the birth of a grandchild, a wedding, etc.
Silk worm cocoons.
Scott's favorite architectural design - CCTV Complex. The final project has a section between these two towers, connecting them into one building. It is complete now.
The Bird's Nest.
All these pictures were made from silk threads. There were rooms and rooms of art!
Silk sheets and bedding. Amazing and very reasonably priced. 
A little person with split pants at TianAnMen Square.
The countdown until the Olympics on the red board. Notice the soldiers marching. This was at TianAnMen Square.
Freshly painted buildings at The Forbidden City - Preparing for the Olympics.
The Forbidden City.
Sweeping the sidewalks at The Summer Palace - Always someone cleaning where ever we were.
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