Saturday, August 27, 2016

Beijing

We landed safely and arrived at our hotel around 10pm just in time to talk with our children at home, shower and climb into bed for what seemed like the longest night ever.  Finally, 5:00am arrived and we turned on the lights to begin our day!
  With a whirlwind, one-day tour of Beijing planned, we joined our guide for the day, David Wang, and another family from Georgia.
 This little one could not wait to take in the Great Wall and begged to walk all by herself.  The Great Wall is no easy task to tackle even for the sure footed persons who are paying attention....the steps are often very uneven and the crowds can be a bit much to maneuver.  Alas, she made it the entire way with a smile on her face!
 A special treat for us was riding the ski lift to the top of this section of the Great Wall.  
 The day was as clear as one can ask for in one of the most polluted cities in the world!  You could see for miles and the skies were blue!  
 The mountains surrounding the Wall were breathtaking.....our guide stated that the one below is called the "Sleeping Man."  If you look closely, you can make out his forehead, eye, nose and chin....
The original GW still stands today....
 Following our climbing of the wall, I was given a tour down via toboggan sled with Maryn as my driver!  She has one speed and one speed only - FAST!  And we had to have been the loudest ones on the ride.....her squeals echoed through the mountains as we twisted and sped our way down to the bottom!  At the end she begged the non-English speaking man who was helping her off to PLEASE let her go again!  
 Then it was off to tour a hutong.  Hotongs were developed many moons ago for families to all live together with a common courtyard - and there are hutongs after hutongs in Old Beijing though it is not the preferred living arrangement nowadays with the newer generations.  
 Our pedicab rode us along the streets of the hutongs and I am pretty sure I smelled every "China" smell possible during this time.  I am also positively positive that I am glad no one could understand Maryn's shouting out of "Dis doesn't smell good!  Why does it smell like that?  Mommy, that smell is stinky!"  I just smiled and waved as if she was singing her ABCs.
 This pic resembles so much.  A bike is the number one mode of transportation in Beijing.  And to see a child on a bike is like a child at home getting buckled up in their carseat.  We spent a lot of time in the van today and I, due to some of the "dizzy head" as my grandmother would call it, got the privilege of riding up front with our driver.  I saw whole families on one bike, children standing on bikes between their caregivers legs....and in China no one has the privilege of right-of-way....instead, it is more like, go your own way and it should work out!  I state this because as we bumped up and down the streets of Beijing, I can assure you that I tried to take in as much of the beauty of China as possible and the differences in cultures amazes me.  Something as simple as a bike parked against a wall reminded me to appreciate every moment here and soak up the differences in culture.
 A traditional family hutong....to the left is where the sisters would live in the skinny long part.....the larger part in front of it is where the parents would live, top center is where the first born son would be designated to live and the bottom center is for any other son.....the courtyard is a common area in which they all share.  
 The Forbidden City is the largest hutong!  Though we did not visit the Forbidden City directly, we did go to a park and climb to the top of a tower for an overview.
 And, with a view of the Forbidden City in the background of her daily baths, what little girl wouldn't beg for bubble bath after bubble bath?!?!
While today has been full of greatness, we do ask for prayers specifically for our health and to overcome jet lag before we get Chapman!  We struggled a bit today but trust that tomorrow we will awake to feeling nothing but refreshed!

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Chapman Mckensie 
CHOSEN, LOVED, and CHERISHED
Seven months ago, we officially began our journey to this beautiful baby girl! 
We will have her in our arms forever on Monday, August 29, 2016.
The seven months leading up to our departure have been nothing short of amazing.  The paperwork kinks, the process kinks, the fundraising, the story telling, the gifts.....we are so thankful for each of the precious friends who love this little girl from afar.  We have felt each and every prayer.  We have cried upon receiving each and every monetary donation. These gifts meant the world to us knowing that we could not bring her home without them.  
THANK YOU ALL!
We are leaving on a jet plane tomorrow at noon and will return Thursday, September 8 with our newest little Drafts!
Now, with the journey almost over, let her story begin.....


Tuesday, August 23, 2016

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2016
 Mason-Kate was just too cool for pictures this year so a group shot was the way to go for her!  Fourth grade and counting.....
 My little Maddox Ren
First grade and she was so excited!  She kept telling me the night before school that she wished it was the first day of school....she couldn't wait to enter those halls!
 Her sweet friend, Madi, lives across the street and they are in this school thing together!  They adore one another and we are thankful for their friendship.
 Maddox adores her teacher, Mrs. Robertson.  
 And the obligatory picture of her at her desk.  Thankfully, she was willing to let me take pictures!
 And then there is this guy....Junior this year! He is taking two classes at his high school and three classes at the local university - to say he is a happy camper is an understatement....he LOVES the flexibility and not being cooped up at school all.day.long.
(he always waits until he gets in the car to put his shoes on.....yes, maybe once or twice, he has gotten to school without his shoes on!)
 And then there is this little one....she has a love/hate relationship with school.  Bless. So goes the PreK3 life!