We're Almost Home

This is the end! Actually, it's just the beginning when you consider the H family of 5. I (Bud) am sitting in the Atlanta terminal waiting on our flight home. We just got done with a smooth immigration and customs visit. All the paperwork with Sarah Jane was what it needed to be.

Sarah Jane is on her way to be able to collect social security and live the good life! As far as Sarah Jane and flying long distances, she did well. Thankfully, she slept for a portion of it; and we had bulk head seats. That made all the difference in the world!

We left Beijing EARLY in the morning. 

Sarah Jane had a good start on the plane. 

A tired Mommy. And a hungry Sarah Jane digging for snacks. 

We are very much ready to get on this last flight and put our arms around our two boys. Man, did we miss them! Then, it's off to Fall Fest (the Halloween party at our church). The fun never stops for the H family. 

Once again, we want to thank our family and friends for helping our boys during this time. They were always on our minds, and it was nice to know that they were surrounded by awesome folks who love them.

Thank you to everyone who kept up with the Crazy H Family Adventure via the blog these past two weeks in China (and two years waiting). We can't tell you how much we appreciate your prayers during this time. God is good and kept us safe and healthy.

Btw, a huge thanks to our niece, Claire, who took care of the blogspot and picture placement. This was the best way to keep up with everyone while in China. She was also a well-needed editor as I was writing very late at night.

Sarah Jane has been a great traveler these last few days. She loves the escalator and conveyor walkways! She is ready to meet her brothers and start life in Louisiana. We can't wait for you all to meet her.

God bless.

-Bud, June and Sarah Jane BingXia

USA Bound (almost)

Oct 30, 2013

This is it. Today we leave for Beijing for the 1st leg of our trek back home. We had to figure out what to do until 3:30 PM until our airport ride came for us. Thankfully, we were able to spend some great time with our friends from North Carolina. They have a little girl who is close to Sarah Jane's age. They don't exactly play together, but the adults can kill some time with good conversation.

She finally did it, but she didn't realize it. 

We watched the girls play on the playground, eat from the endless bag of Honey Nut Cheerios and drink bottled water. Be very thankful that you can drink from your tap at your house. Not here. 

We then introduced Sarah Jane to the nutritious benefits of McDonalds. For my friends who cringe at the thought of children eating fast food meat product, we took it to a whole new level. Remember, she is my daughter as much as she is June's. 

Sarah Jane loves her some Mickey D's.

McD's in China tastes weird. I'm sure China's version of the FDA has tight controls on the fast food industry here... Probably not.  A Happy Meal at this stage of the game is manna from heaven and Sarah Jane ate it. Btw, June's Filet O' Fish agreed with her. Although there were times today when she questioned the wisdom of that decision.

Poor June. She was a good sport.

Our van came, we said goodbye to some lifelong friends and headed to the airport with the most important documents that I've ever carried; Sarah Jane's immigration and Visa for the USA.

We will arrive tonight in Beijing, sleep for about three hours and get on another plane for Atlanta via Tokyo. I am happy to report that we will not be eating the sushi in the Tokyo airport.

So, good night from the Ghuangzhou airport.

- Bud, June and "happy meal" Sarah Jane

Just a Few More Days.

October 29, 2013

Good evening from The China Hotel in Guangzhou, China!

Our little Sarah Jane is sleeping in the big bed with her feet hanging off the side. Momma is sliding in next to her with hopes that Sarah Jane keeps her knees and feet to herself during the night. The little girl is like a helicopter in the bed at night! Did I mention that Sarah Jane worships June? All day and all night. I am totally content with the table scraps of affection that remain. 

Sarah Jane is out! And barely hanging on. 

So, today was our final appointment at the US consulate's office with our swearing in. That's it, all the paperwork is completed. We can get on the plane tomorrow and start the loooooong process of returning home!

In our red, white, and blue outside the office. 

Celebratory trip to Mickey D's for ice cream!  

Not so sure about this whole ice cream thing...

What's up with these weird Chinese happy meal toys?

Pink piggies! It has begun....Sarah Jane's first pedi. 

Bad translation sign for the day. 

Cajun food option in China.

We will head to the airport with all the paperwork in hand tomorrow at 3 PM and arrive in Beijing around 10 PM. Once we get to Beijing, we will go to a hotel and wake up for 3 AM in order to catch our flight to Tokyo. We have a lay-over in Tokyo. We will then transfer to the 13-hour flight to Atlanta. In Atlanta, we'll jump on the connecting flight home! And we're gonna do all this with a three year old that doesn't speak English. No problem for this family. We got this.

If June and I seem to have the 1,000 yard stare when you speak to us next week, we're ok. Give us a few days to get back to central time. Jet lag wore us out when we got to China, and I hear it's worse on the return.

Btw, Sarah Jane is doing great! She is letting us stroll her everywhere. She eats just about everything and even gave me a hug tonight! We are so happy with how she has been handling the transition from orphanage life to family life. June and I can only imagine what this little child must be feeling at this moment. She has experienced a great amount of turmoil that we can't begin to comprehend. But, she laughs, skips, plays, hugs, and sings all day. God is so good to us to let us experience this three year old's life.

There were some emotional moments for June and I. One was meeting a couple of adoptive families this week that were taking home children with Downs syndrome. These kids will experience a life that is filled with love and will be given an opportunity to thrive. We get so caught up in our own journey that we fail to grasp the challenges of other families. Once again, we saw God moving in China. 

Also, we will say goodbye to the remaining three families that have been on this journey with us. They have all been a tremendous encouragement to June and I. We all shared some tough times, boring days, hot hotels, excruciating cries from our kids, weird food, and crazy traffic. But, we also shared many great unforgettable moments that few will understand. One example is that only a handful of folks will truly comprehend the total chaos that is "gotcha day", the day we met Sarah Jane. This was by far the most emotional roller coaster of a day since June's difficult delivery of Sam 10 yrs ago. Can I tell you that June and I were worn out!??!

We can't wait to get on the airplane to see our boys and introduce them to their sister. Please keep our Silas in your prayers as he gets better from being sick. Thanks to Aunt DeeDee for nursing him back to health while mom and dad are 6k miles away.

God bless and safe travels for the H family.

-Bud, June and a "daddy-hugging" Sarah Jane

Sightseeing in Guangzhou!

Monday, Oct 28

Are we there yet? June and I have looked at each other many times and have wondered if "we are there yet". No, not yet. 

We have another early appointment tomorrow at the US consulate's office. Then, and only then, will we have fulfilled all the official appts/processes/paperwork/etc... that are necessary to bring this little girl home!

So, we took little miss Sarah Jane to a market for some outside time, and she decided to ride in the stroller. This made our day! She has loathed the stroller for the last 7 days, but she made a turn for stroller love today. This will help June dramatically from here on out!

We were also able to enjoy the outside hotel playground with another adoptive family for a Papa John's pizza lunch. Eugene, Tabitha and Miss Jenna have been a wonderful family to get to know these past few days. Jenna and SJ were buddies back in the orphanage. Btw, we've been told that we haven't lived til we try Cheerwine, the famous red soda from North Carolina. 

The afternoon and early evening were spent with our larger AWAA group at Shamian Island visiting some sites and shopping. We also visited and toured the Temple of Chen Family in Guangzhou. It was a great time spent with our new friends.

Tonight was bittersweet as we said goodbye (see you until a later time- Chinese language doesn't have a word for "goodbye") to our friends Tim, Tiffany and Ellie Mei who will leave for home tomorrow. What a fantastic family! Please keep them in your prayers as they are in full-time ministry. Ellie Mei and SJ were orphanage buddies as well.

Even though we miss our family terribly, our friends, and the comforts of the US, we know we are right where we need to be. Sarah Jane is coming into her own and showing us her fun personality more and more as the days go by. The best part is that she is going to blow her brothers away! It will be hilarious to behold. We can't wait to put them all together and see what happens! We're confident the boys will be awesome big brothers. 

Have a great night, a better day and keep strong in the Faith.

- Bud, June and a stroller-riding Sarah Jane

Our happy girl this morning! 

Sarah Jane rubbing the temple elephant for good luck...or something like that!

Mommy and Sarah Jane ready to go to the temple!

Sarah Jane playing with the bronzed children on Xiajiao island.

Temple artist calligraphy for the H family. 

All of the AWAA kids on the couch!

Sarah Jane finishes up the day with jammies and Ramen in the room. 

An Exciting Day in Guangzhou!

Dear all,

Today, we spent time thinking a lot of our family back home. Our oldest son, Sam, our youngest son, Silas and our extended family who are looking after our boys. We're so thankful for our family and friends for what they have done for us and continue to do for us while we are half way around the world.

Today was beautiful! The weather was nice, no rain, no medical visits, just a happy fun time seeing the sights and shopping. Our guide, Helen, took us to the pearl market, the silk market and then to a Cantonese lunch. We then headed to a huge, 8-story high shopping mall. This place was immense.

Breakfast was tasty! There were many things to choose from.

The girls love the pearls! 

Daddy feeding SJ steamed peanuts. She loved it! 

Crazy big 8 story department store. It was huge! 

After all that, we took Sarah Jane on a river boat cruise down the Zhujiang River. We had a traditional Chinese dinner buffet with a clown for entertainment. You know, normal stuff. We then went back to the hotel and on to bed. 

The lights on this building changed every 5 seconds. This was during our dinner cruise. 

The clown spun the ball on SJ's finger during the river cruise. 

Chicken balls. It's what's for dinner.

*Please note: Bud wrote this blog entry. :)

Beatles as well. Yummy. 

Mommy and SJ picked out the tastiest snake for dinner! 

Highlight for the day: We were able to push Miss Sarah Jane in a stroller today. That is a huge milestone for us. She will usually get upset when June puts her down, when June sits down, when daddy looks at SJ, when daddy touches mommy, etc... She also let daddy undress her and then put her in pj's for bedtime. Baby steps.

Once again, God has allowed us to get to know some extraordinary people on this trip. We have met people from all over the United States, and world for that matter, that are willing to adopt children with medical challenges. It is very humbling to hear their stories and meet these awesome kids.

Thank you for your prayers and know that God has a plan for all of us. 

Blessings,

Bud, June and Sarah Jane

Happy Birthday, Silas!

Good evening from our hotel in Guangzhou! 

First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our brand new seven year old, Silas! He has a big day planned with Uncle John hooking him up with breakfast, he will then have friends over, a football game, and then a sleep over. Shout out to big brother Sam for being a cool bro to his 'lil bro. It isn't easy sometimes.

Well, today was the day that all adoptive families want to get through quickly; the medical checkup. We went to the local hospital; Sarah Jane had three check ups and finished with blood work. Not exactly a happy, fun time. However, she made it and lived to tell the tale. We will find out in a couple days if any health flags appear. We are praying for good results.

"Uhh....Mommy, I'm not so sure about this!"

We then went to the local supermarket and loaded up on groceries and stuff for the week. Ramen noodles were purchased.  So, this city is very different from Xi'an. It has more people (13 million), less smog, traffic rules apply, very little honking, no motor cycles/mopeds, tropical weather, and much cleaner. Looks like a clear winner to me. Xi'an was amazingly crazy with the traffic. It was comedy/scary while in it, but we never saw a wreck! About a hundred ridiculous near misses though. My nephew, Brien, would enjoy the challenge. 

"Hey, this m&m guy is pretty funny!"

"I'm loving this shoe shopping thing!"

SJ enjoying the scenery on the bus ride in Guangzhou. 

After the clinic and shopping, we came back to the hotel and the Hall family crashed for the afternoon, only to wake, eat and go back to bed (I'm the lone Hall still awake). Miss June is toast. A bit of good news recently: SJ reluctantly went in a shopping cart and eventually realized she liked it. June was able to give her arms a much needed break.

"Taking off my new shoes for bedtime is SO last year."

Sarah Jane continues to find new ways to entertain us. She helped do laundry in the bathtub with mommy unprompted... June's adoring shadow. SJ ended the evening with a nice bowl of warm congee. Sounds tasty, huh? Nope, it's not, but she loves the stuff. June is going to have Ms. Chang (family friend) show her how to make it like a native when we get home. 

"Just helping out with the laundry, y'all!" Can you believe she says "y'all" already??? Ok, not really. But she will. 

"I love my panda! And I love congee!"

"Hey, panda. You want some congee? Here ya go!"

Thanks again for the prayers. God is good, life is great and keeps getting better. God bless and good night from China.

-Bud, June and SJ

Halfway

Dear friends and family-

God is good. He has seen us through the first half of our trip safely. We have left Xi'an, the capital city from our daughters province, Shaanxi. We arrived in the southern city of Guangzhou about two hours ago, and it is another huge city.  While we are here, we will be finalizing the US portion of the immense pile of paperwork that still lies ahead. This will include swearing in, medical visits and Visa issues. We can't wait to get the ball rolling. Btw, Sarah Jane now holds a Chinese passport.

We climbed the ancient wall of Xi'an before our flight.

Lots of steps for little legs.

Exploring the wall. 

Not an uncommon sight.

Man knows how to haul.

Our daughter is doing great and has solidified her "active" personality profile. She is hilarious and frequently leaves us laughing. She still would rather have June hold her more than anything. With Miss June hauling a 35 lb kid, she is developing quite a bit of upper body strength. She's ready for Ba-ba (Chinese word for "daddy") to lend an arm. Alas, Ba-Ba is still working on Sarah Jane's affections with mixed results. June carries on... literally.

The group of families we are traveling with are fantastic, and we couldn't have asked for better traveling companions. We have relied on each other many times during these tough days, and I count it a blessing that we are fellow believers.

Adoption group at ancient city wall and fortress.

Side note: I just want to say that air conditioning is proof that God loves us. Apparently, last week, He was teaching our family a lesson on humility. He wanted us to know that billions of people live without A/C and that we need to get over ourselves. We are now very appreciative of the comforts we have and we promise to never take it for granted again.

Take care & trust in God for He has a plan for your life.

-Bud, June & Miss Sarah Jane

Fun Pictures!

On the bus with mommy. I love my pink, sparkly shoes! 

Taking a squatty potty break. :)

Fun on the bus! 

Lotsa love! 

This was our guide while visiting Xi'an. 

10-22-13 and 10-23-13

Oct 22, 2013

Today was free day! We finished all the official appts for the Chinese govt and now we wait for Sarah Jane's passport to be processed. This will take us to Friday.

With that done, we had a day to see the sights if Xi'an. It is a large city of 9 million with a great subway system. I thought NYC subways were busy. No way. Xi'an has them beat. Personal space is merely theoretical. 

We finished the day with a cheese pizza from a shop around the corner. Tasty but different. Btw, Sarah Jane is a good eater.

Oct 23, 2013

The adoption group of four families took a trip to go see the Terra Cotta Warriors museum. It was like Disney meets archeology. Huge complex with amazing sites.

Sarah Jane has decided she likes to either walk or be carried by mommy. Strollers and backpack carriers are so last year. She liked spending time with mommy yet again. We had lunch at a Subway in the Terra Cotta village, yep Subway. It was just like eating at ... Subway. SJ snacked on a turkey w/ cheese sub, a hard boiled egg, but killed the Lays potato chips. On the way to the bus, we passed a large group of school children and were treated like rock stars. 

Once again, thanks to everyone back home who keep us (Sarah Jane, Sam and Silas) in your prayers. They are much welcomed and felt. God is good and has protected and kept us safe these last few days. We give Him the glory for this and are reminded daily that we are not in control. 

God bless and thanks for the prayers!

-Bud and June