august 11, 2011

and yesterday, on her 6th anniversary, hayden FINALLY pulled out a tooth!!!  YAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!  now, if she can get the other very loose bottom baby tooth out before her appt with the dentist to pull it out in three weeks, she could save me a bunch of money!  :)  she doesn't like to wiggle them because "it hurts!"  i told her she would have to have them pulled then, because the two adult teeth that would like to move in there are already fully erupted behind the baby teeth, just waiting.  she said, "fine.  will they use that happy gas?  i like the happy gas."  can't win for losing.  just wiggle your damned teeth, kid!

and some gratuitous photos of ben, because i said i would.

august 10, 2011

wow, i haven't updated in such a long time!  things are crazy busy.  probably to be expected with five kids.  :)  today is hayden's 6th anniversary of her forever family day.  she will be 7 in october!!  wow.  time just MOVES.  grant just celebrated 4 years on august 6th!

ben is adjusting and becoming so vocal.  he is really doing incredibly well.  the other kids are also working things out, but olivia is having the hardest time, as we expected she would.  she has become sort of a pariah, unfortunately.  trying to figure out how to overcome that one for her and the kids. 

anyway, i will try to update tomorrow while they are all napping/resting and maybe even get some photos posted!

july 26, 2011

tried to post yesterday, but blogger was having none of it.  seems better today, so far.

while at hong kong airport on the way home, ben made a new friend, olivia! - look at her little hand!!  what a coincidence!!  they were thrilled to have found each other.  well, she was glad to have found him...  :)

finally discovering solid food!  what a great soup.  made right there before our eyes in the airport.  cost was 58 yuan for two bowls of soup - about $9 USD, probably the cheapest thing in the airport!!  and very very good, too.

on the plane for the long ride home from hong kong...

 an example of "old, fat and tired."

they look remarkably peaceful!

 captain says, shut that thing off...

a small part of hong kong airport and the wing of our plane (it stayed attached the entire flight!)

look at the mountains in the background...  hong kong is so beautiful, despite the huge plane in the foreground...

first meal as an american citizen!!  and he's eating off the table like the rest of us do!  hahahaha!!

july 23, 2011

HOME!!!  so tired.  more later. all is good.

july 20, 2011

in hong kong, again!  getting a lot closer to home.  :)  lovely soft bed here in marriot sky city, but i couldn't sleep last night.  :(  an excellent breakfast - costly: $425.00!!  well, HK$$...  about 60 bucks US for the three of us, so still quite expensive, but unbelievable!!  anything you want to eat, almost anything.  even making fresh noodle soup right before your eyes.  lovely stuff.  beautiful room, too.  still ready to come home, though!!!!  :)

late check out at 2 pm, then off to the airport to wait around for 4 hours before flying home.  had our last skype with the children today and the next time we see or speak to them, it will be IN PERSON!!  :)  they are very excited to have us coming home and can't wait to meet ben.  they all want to touch him.  so funny!!  i guess they want to be sure he is real.  :)

last trip to the white swan playroom

red couch photos

not a happy boy...

sound asleep!!

present guides: kathy and jocelyn

past guide (multiple times!): maggie!  she chose a middle name for olivia.

our plane, in guangzhou

out the window of our hotel in hong kong.

july 19, 2011

all packed back up and ready to go!  we leave for hong kong tonight and will try to update at least once while we are at the hotel in HK.  really looking forward to being home and seeing the children...

july 18, 2011

consulate appointment is finished!  visa is on it's way and we are going to hong kong tomorrow (tues)!!!

and yuan yuan is trying to eat cheerios!!!!  first solid food!!!  photos to follow!!!!

july 17, 2011, part II

photos from cow and bridge thai restaurant...

it was pretty good food.  ccai's groups filled the whole restaurant that night.  we've been here four times and have never done the cow and bridge group dinner before...  not sure we missed anything, though...

july 17, 2011

we leave for hong kong in two days.  this trip has been so bittersweet.  we've seen a large number of adoptive families, both traditional and waiting child programs.  we've seen a large number of families on heritage tours, too.  so many western families with asian children, it's been amazing.  we see their faces and hear their perfect english and just ache for our children back home.  it's been work this time, to keep our minds on the trip and do the things we need to do while we are here.  keep having to remind ourselves to enjoy this trip, this very special trip to benjamin yuan yuan while it lasts.  to be here, in our children's country of birth, and to have returned so many times, makes us very fortunate people.  we are trying to remember that while we look for the 19th to hurry up and arrive...

some photos from around shamian island and from our dinner last night at the cow and bridge thai restaurant here on the island.  after dinner, we ran back to the hotel in a massive thunderstorm.  most amazing was the sheer number of people who were out casually strolling with umbrellas (read: lighting rods) while the storm pounded around them.  crazy people. 

no wonder there is a store on the island that sells both children's dolls and alcohol.  :)  photo below:

photos from around shamian island...

and of course, at lucy's, naturally.  :)  home away from home...

photos from around the island...

this is a fountain in someone's "front yard" and i put that in quotes for a reason, see next photo...

this photo below, is the "front yard" in which the fountain resides...  if you can see through the bamboo, there is a front door in there and the fountain is to right behind the bamboo...  good luck.