We're Home!!!!

Just a quick note to let everyone know we made it home safe and sound. It was a long grueling 24 hours, but we made it ok. Brooklyn was a trooper on the plane. She got upset 2 times on the long 12 hour flight from Hong Kong, but other than that she was wonderful.

We had over 40 people that met us at the airport. Thank you to everyone and we know a lot more people were thinking of us. We have the most amazing family and friends and we will be forever grateful. This has been the journey of a lifetime and we were so glad to share it with everyone. We could not have done it without your words and prayers.

We will update more in the next few days. And yes, there will be more pictures. Brooklyn is already adjusting amazingly well and loves her sister and brothers. Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone, we love you!!!!!

Day 11

Hello Everyone,

This is Scott writing for today. We MISS our KIDS!!!!!!! Just two more days!!!! Laurie and I cannot wait to come home. We were ready to come home after we left Changsha last Friday. Brooklyn continues to do really well. We just can't get over how good she is doing. She has not even had a cold or anything like the other toddlers. We feel VERY fortunate. She is walking around furniture all the time and improving each day walking by herself.

Today was a big day. We had paperwork and pictures this morning and then we went to the US Consulate for the swearing in ceremony. Brooklyn recieved her visa which allows her to enter the US and as soon as she steps foot in the United States she is a full citizen! We can't wait for everyone to meet Brooklyn. I know her brothers and sisters are going to treat her like an angel.

This may be our last blog. We are still arriving at the same time Thursday night in Indianapolis. However, instead of leaving Guangzho on Thursday as originally planned we are now leaving Guangzho tomorrow (Wednesday) at 6:45am. We are doing this so that we will have one full day (and one night) to spend in Hong Kong. We were able to move our flight up a day to Hong Kong without charge. Several other families have done the same thing. We are probably going to go to Disney Land in Hong Kong tomorrow (when would we ever get the chance to do this again!). The tickets are only $35.oo each. If we don't go to Disney Land we are going to at least sight see in Hong Kong for the day tomorrow.

So far we have traveled from Indianapolis to Chicago, Chicago to Bejing, Bejing to Changsha (where got Brooklyn!!!) and Changsha to Guangzho. This is what we have left: Guangzho to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to San Francisco, San Francisco to Chicago, and Chicago to Indianapolis!!!!! We will arrive in Indianapolis on Thursday (August 30) at 9:00pm.!!!!!! If we can we will try and write a blog from Hong Kong but I am not sure we will be able to.

Lastly, I want to talk about my wonderful wife Laurie. She has done ALL of the packing for this trip. We have everything from antibiotics to diapers to Q Tips. She did not forget one thing. She has done just about all of the paper needed for the adoption. And I am not exaggerating when I say there has been paperwork! I don't know what she sees in me, but I feel very LUCKY that she is my wife. I love her very much! None of this would have been possible if it was not for her. Brooklyn could not have gotten a better mom.

See you soon! Hope you enjoy the pictures most of them are in her traditional chinese outfit we bought her. They are the famous red couch pictures in the White Swan Hotel and some of our travel group.

Scott

Day 10

Only 3 more days and we get to see our family and friends!!!!! Today we had to stay in the hotel room from 9:30-11:30 while our guide went to our consulate appointmemt and turned in all our paperwork for Brooklyns visa into the US. We had to stay by the phone in case they had any questions. Everything went great. The last thing we do is tomorrow, we have the swearing in ceremony. We promise to always take care of Brooklyn in front of a judge(I think). Later this afternoon we are going shopping again as a group to Shamain Island. This has been kind of a lazy day, which in kind of nice. Last night we ordered Papa Johns pizza and ate went friends down the hall. Pizza never tasted so good. A lot of the couples here have been sick. Scott and I have been pretty fortunate, only a few minor problems. Most of the 9 babies from the other orphanage have all been sick with colds. Luckily Brooklyn is very healthy!

Have a great week! We love you Brandon, Brittany, Brady and Bryce and all our family and friends!

Day 9

Hello Everyone,


This is Scott writing today. It won't be much longer and we will be home. We sure miss our kids! We had a free day today and we decided to go to Shamian Island. This is the place that our good friend Denene Stewart recommended for us to go if we got the chance. For those of you who don't know her, she went to school with Laurie. Denene and her husband have adopted two children from China and they are wonderful. Their names are Jessica and Katie. Katie is from the Hunan Province just like Brooklyn and Ellen Vorhies are.

Shamian Island is only 5 minutes from where we are staying (we are at the China Hotel in Guanghzou, China) so we got a taxi and went there. They had lots of little shops (Laurie and Brooklyn loved this!) and we were able to get several gifts for our family at very reasonable prices. Laurie was able to bargain several items down quite a bit. We spent about 4 hours total there and we also ate a restaurant called Lucy's Cafe. It had American food so we ordered hamburgers and french fries.

We can't believe how good Brooklyn is doing. I don't mean to brag but she really is. Lots of times today Chinese women would stop and look at Brooklyn and smile. A couple of them reached for her and she would not go to them. She would just hold tight onto Laurie or I (whoever was holding her). A couple of things we have forgot to tell everyone about Brooklyn. She loves it when Laurie gives her a bath and she also loves Pringles Potato Chips. We break them up into little pieces and she really likes them. I think she likes the salty taste. She is really getting Americanized.

She is walking a lot more now but usually around furniture or when Laurie or I are holding her arms. She is eating really well. She is taking formula in the morning and evening (whole bottle) and the last several days has been eating 2 jars of baby food during the day plus eating scraps from our plates and junk food in the room. We are hoping we can put some weight on her soon. That is about all for today. We are probably going to take her swimming for the first time today. We are going to prepare her for Larry and Pam's pool!

Thanks,
Scott
P.S. A big thanks to the Vorhies and Stewart family for being our inspiration to follow through and adopt Brooklyn!!!!!!!!!!! We are very grateful.

Day 8-Medical exam

Hi everyone,

First of all I would like to congratulate my oldest daughter Brittany for being named Johnson County Special Olympics athlete of the year. We are so proud of her. She deserves everything she gets. Brittany has been involved in special olympics for 10 years. She competes all year long in basketball, volleyball, track & field and softball. Love ya Britt!!

Today was Brooklyns medical exam for immigration. She passed it with flying colors. She weighs 18 lbs. and is 75 cm.(I don't remember how to convert that, Bryce would though). They checked her ears, throat, temp., and listened to her heart. She got a little upset with them, but she did great overall. Her droopy eyelid does not look too bad. You really don't notice it too much unless she is tired. I can't believe that is a special need, but if it wasn't we wouldn't have our little Brooklyn.

This afternoon, we are just relaxing in the hotel. We have some paper work to finish in a little while. We are having a group dinner at a Japanese restaurant in the hotel this evening. I hope it is better than the chinese food. Sorry, but it is bad. We did find out today Papa Johns delivers to our hotel YES!!!!

Brooklyn is doing great and enjoying each day more and more. Daddy has her giving him five, clapping her hands, walking more and more, shakes her head yes and no, unscrew loose caps from water bottles, acts like she is talking on a cell phone, and holds her bottle(just to name a few) Her favorite foods are bananas and water melon(just like Aunt Darla). Needless to say she is getting Americanized real quick. She will be ready for Einsteins as soon as we get home.

Enjoy todays pictures! Yes, picture #6 she is doing what you think she is.

Day 7

Hello everyone,


Laurie is getting Brooklyn ready right now for a nap so I am going to give the update. First, we really miss our kids! It won't be much longer and we will be hone. Also, a big thanks again to Grandma's Alice and Doris, Darla and Josh for babysitting at home. We love you guys too.

We flew from Changsha this morning and we are now in Guangzhou. We just checked into our hotel. It is really nice. We made the trip to Brooklyn's orhanage in Yiyang, China (which is in the Hunan Province) yesterday. We were gone a total of 5 hours. It was a 90 minute drive to her orhanage. It was an unbelievable experience. We are very glad we went. We got lots of video and camera shots of not only the orphanage, but also her finding place. Her finding place is where she was abandoned. She was abandoned at the Yiyang Civil Affairs Building, which was only about 2 miles from the orhanage.

We rented a Minivan, and Laurie, Brooklyn and I, along with our guide (Mamie) and went to the Orhphange first. Mamie interpreted everything for us and was wonderful. When we first got there we visited the playroom. It was fairly large and clean. It had different toys for different aged kids. There was a total of 5 nannies (from Half the Sky-which is a charity organization-they work with kids one on one individually-and are separate from the orphanages) working with the kids. When we first walked in all of them started shouting Le,Le (meaning Yi Ru Le-Brooklyn's Chinese name)and all of them wanted to touch and hold her. They obviously loved her very much. Brooklyn's reaction was a total surprise to us, and also Mamie. As soon as we walked in and Brooklyn saw where we were, she buried her head in Laurie's chest and cried. She didn't want to go to any nannies at first. When she went to the nanny that was the most excited to see her, she did calm down after about 20 seconds. After about 5 minutes of the nanny holding Brooklyn she reached for Laurie. This obviously made us feel very good. It was apparent though, that all of the Half-The-Sky nannies loved her and worked with her daily. We think this is why she has been able to attach to Laurie like she has.

Next, we went to the small pre-school room on the 2nd floor. The teachers there also knew Brooklyn and were excited to see her. All of the kids in the pre-school came out and greeted us and one girl was taken by Brooklyn's pink shoes. She kept smiling at them and pointing at them. Laurie and I both said we would take every one of these kids home if it were possible. You could tell how excited they became when one of their "own" got adopted. The ages of the kids on this floor were all of pre-school age.

Next, we went to the actual room where Brooklyn spent her first 13 months. We were able to meet and talk with her main care-giver(this was the person that actually fed and cared for her). Her main care-giver was VERY excited to see Brooklyn. She immediately reached for Brooklyn and Brooklyn went to her and did not cry. The care-giver was so proud of Brooklyn. She told us thru Mamie (our guide) many things about Brooklyn. It was like a proud mom! She told us how Brooklyn likes to chew on her blanket (we have posted many pictures of Brooklyn chewing on her bib), likes to play with her care-givers cell phone, and liked to put on her care-givers reading glasses. She also told us that Brooklyn is very limber and very smart (we agree!). Her care-giver held Brooklyn for about 10 minutes and when it was time to go, Brooklyn went immediately to Laurie's arms and did not cry. It made us feel good in many ways. Because she went to Laurie right away, and because her main care-giver loved her so much.

We then went to the orphanage directors office and talked with him. He was very nice and told us some things about the orphanage. They currently have 70 kids, and about half of them are special needs. He said they have placed well over 1,000 kids into adoptive families homes. We got to take our pictures with him also. We were surprised at how we had access to the orphanage like we did.

Next, we went to Brooklyn's finding place. We got pictures at the exact spot where she was abandoned. It was just outside the Civil Affairs Building. Her birth mother knew she would be found at this spot and would be safe. Laurie and I are thankful her birth mother did this. We are sure it was very hard on her.

I am sorry this was so long. It was a wonderful day and Brooklyn is getting more attached to us by the minute!

Thanks,
Scott and Laurie