Update on Girls

Sophie and Sage are doing wonderful! I'm not surprised, with everyone's prayers and best wishes, Thank you!!

I want to thank all for your support and great welcome home. We also appreciate everyone for giving us this "cocooning" time, right after we got home, and letting the girls acclimate and adjust to their new home and surroundings, as they still get used to their new family. This is such a critical time for them to form an exclusive attachment to us and have that emotional bond between parent and child that seem to come naturally with biological children. We are meeting their needs in loving and consistent ways as we feed, hold, and nurture them while keeping routines and teaching boundaries. They are now starting to act more comfortable around others and we have enjoyed a few short visits with some friends and family.

It's hard to believe they were living in an orphanage just a few weeks ago, now they are such a big part of our family and are such happy, playful girls.

They have their first doctors appointment in less then a week, so continue to pray for them. They look and act very healthy, although they are very small and dainty.

We have also enjoyed reading everyone's encouraging comments, it's been nice to share this journey and I will continue to share because I'm not into scrapbooking and I can print this out and WaLa- journal and baby book complete. So thank you and continue to follow as they grow so fast.

Fun Day at the Park

Pre-Drivers Ed

They love these cars!!
Thanks Laura for bringing them over and letting us borrow them! :)

A day in the pool

It's great to be home with our girls!!

China was great, but it is so nice to be home! The girls did so well on the plane, not crying at all on the 14 hour flight, they are such happy girls!! They did feel some sorrow as we went from one place to another with our layover in LA, hauling all of our luggage and staying in yet another hotel. Now that we are home, they are settling in very well. I can't believe how much they eat, and they are sleeping great in their own beds. They love their bedroom!

Their first Jamba Juice

Xin Yi Orphanage

  

  

  

Although an orphanage isn't a place you would want your child to be raised, we have been extremely pleased and impressed at the care our girls received. We can see that they were happy and felt loved their. The caretakers are more then just nannies, they truly seem to love and care for the children. As we view the pictures they took for us (we sent them a disposable camera and got the pictures developed today), we can see why they were sad to leave. These girls have been taught very well. Of course we are helping and teaching them many things, they amaze us at the things they do. They fold their own clothes so neatly, they clean up after themselves, and they go to bed so well- when lights go out. These girls are very independant.
They are learning boundaries quickly and playing so much gentler and sweeter with each other. There are many unknowns, adopting an older child, but we are so thankful for these amazing nannies that took care of our girls, and for orphanages that do all they can to care for these children. Even the director stayed an extra night in Guangzhou to check on the girls as we had to come back with them the next day. He genuinely cares and loves these children.

Our girls seem so happy as they settle into their new home and family. We love their laughs, their great sense of humor, and a smile to melt your heart. They are delightful! Paul stated today that this was a good idea :), he is the cutest dad!!

The famous "Red Sofa" at the White Swan

We love our Girls!

These girls are so much fun!!
I knew girls would be fun, but these sweet sisters fit perfectly in our family and are loved dearly! They are adapting very well and we are seeing more and more smiles from them everyday. They truly do melt your heart.

We enjoyed the zoo today with some other adoptive families (funny though, we felt like we were on exibit, people watched us more then the animals)- Marcia w/ Anne, Wanda & Mike w/ Jolie Blu, Wendy & Greg with their adorable girl. Such neat families and their new daughters all seem to be doing great!

Sophie and Sage slept through the first half of the zoo (nap time) but enjoyed seeing the monkeys, tigers, and panda bear. Their big brothers had to take turns (to keep from hogging them) pushing them in the stroller and made sure they could see all the animals. What great big brothers they are. It is so nice seeing the girls interact with their new brothers, and of course the boys love it! They are also quickly getting used to their Grandma and Grandpa. In fact, Grandpa got the first kiss good night by Sophie. So sweet!

We loved seeing White Cloud Mtn. yesterday- it is so green and beautiful, and we are going to the Guangzhou Children's Amusement Park today, can't wait to see the girls on their first merry-go-round.

We love these girls immensly. They are so sweet and adorable! They can also be a bit naughty at times. We have to keep from laughing, or almost crying, as we watch them play with each other. They play so rough with each other at times, and think it's funny. They laugh as they are getting their hair pulled, pushing, pinching, & hitting each other. I know it is innocent, their whole life has been changed drastically in the last few days, and this must be a way to deal with it all. And I wonder if this is how they played in the orphanage, but we will turn them into little ladies. This may explain all the scrapes and scratches they came with. Three years is a long time to be in an orphanage, but they are doing very well!!! We love our tickle parties each night and they love chasing daddys lazer beam. They have the greatest laugh!

Day 2 with girls

The girls are really starting to relax and getting used to us- slowly but surely. We feel it's pretty healthy to see them grieve (at least a bit) at this difficult time for them, it shows they have bonded well at the orphanage. Of course we are doing all we can to comfort them while giving them their space and not being overbearing.
They will only go to mom and dad, which is good at least. Sophie is showing a preference for dad, "daddies little girl", while Sage prefers mom, but will go to both of us well.
They have been very serious and aware of everything around them. They are eating and sleeping great and opened up after dinner and started talking and playing with each other. We love seeing them relax and show their personalities.
Sophie seems to be the leader and Sage the protector, it's pretty early to determine this though. They are definately tough girls and although we feel they were cared for well at the orphanage, these girls have been through so much.
They gave Grandpa a kiss goodnight tonight. They are delightful girls and we are so pleased at how well they are doing!
We love China! This hotel has been great- wonderful service and great food! Our guides have been fabulous- Mary in Beijing and Connie here in Guangzhou.
I better go, we are paying 1 RMB per minute, plus the girls are waking up soon- they are up napping with grandma and grandpa.

Gotcha Day!!!

The pictures say it all. It was heartwrenching at first... Here are our thoughts that evening...

Wow! We are in love with our little girls. The long wait has finally ended and I couldn't be happier! They have already melted my heart.
We arrived at Civil Affairs and was expecting to do some paperwork first. Then Connie (our awesome guide) walked back in and said "Are you ready? They are here and they are very beautiful."
They walked in with their nannies and they looked just like the pictures I have of them. They were so precious, beautiful, and petrified! We came to them slowly and shared our cheerios. I held Sage and Paul held Sophie. Sophie had the hardest time at first, she cried and pulled away, so I brought her sister near, which made them both cry. They were so scared but trying so hard, then they both calmed down pretty quick and Sage fell asleep in Paul's arms. This gave me time to ask the director some questions (Sophie kept looking up at me with her beautiful eyes) and Paul did the paperwork, while holding Sage. Trevor was right there with us, showing them their toys and helped feed them cheerios, Josh was our shutter bug, he took about 300 pictures (great shots Josh). Nick & Grandpa enjoyed watching while Grandma video taped. The girls didn't seem to mind all the people and pictures, trying so hard to be tough.
I held both girls so Paul could finish the paperwork. They both fit great on my lap! When Sage woke up she was still scared and started crying some more, which made them both cry again, but on the way home, they were calm and cuddled to each one of us. Thinking of all that they are going through brought tears to my eyes, my heart went out to them and also tears of joy for their wonderful future and to finally have a family. I'm so thankful for my Heavenly Father for blessing us with these girls and being able to provide a home for them. I love being a mother and will be the best mom I can!!!
Although they were very scared, they did well at the hotel. We ordered room service, they ate very well, hungry girls. After dinner, we heard them say their first words to each other and they became more relaxed and playful with each other. They were still very scared and didn't want us to hold them at first, but they were easily comforted as we scooped them up and cuddle and comforted them.
What precious little girls. They have gone through so much and we are amazed at their strength.
This is the best birthday ever!