Shanghai Part 2

Here are some random pictures of our time in Shanghai.  Andrew took most of these pictures.  It was fun going through his pictures and see China from his perspective.  I think I may have him do a post on his experience.        

Lion are everywhere.

There were sculptures and art everywhere.  They really take pride in beautifying  their  city.  I'm not sure this can be said for all of Shanghai though.  We were in a very affluent area and they may have made a huge difference.  

A little park close to our hotel.  A few grassy areas and several ponds and waterfalls.

They use bamboo for everything.  Not sure I would feel safe standing on this.  

We saw several people carrying enormous load on bike and motorcycles.    I wish we would've taken a picture of one carrying water because it was amazing.  They load 10-15 5gal water bottles on a bicycle and manage to balance it perfectly.  

This was a frequent sight.  A large group of men gathered together for some card game.

Someone asked about street signs.

Danny and Andrew were fascinated by this building.  I'm not sure why, but since they devoted so much of our time at People's Park talking about it, I figured it was worth a picture.  

Shanghai Part 1

Shanghai was a lot of fun.  Sammy really didn't like being indoors,  so it was easy for him to be on the go.  Originally we were told we would have a guide our entire time in Shanghai but that wasn't the case.  Our guide was only available for adoption related appointments. We met another family there who adopted a 2 year old little boy from Sammy's orphanage.  We spent most of our time exploring Shanghai with them.  They also had their 3 year old daughter with them. She really liked Andrew, and I think having her there helped Andrew not be so homesick.

It was definitely an adventure.  Many people speak English but few speak it well.  The language barrier seemed more of a comic relief than a frustration.  The driving in Shanghai is terrifying and there are no seatbelts available.  Those who know me well know that we always wear seatbelts, and I'm a little crazy about carseat safety.  That being said we managed to cram 8 people into a cab each time we left the hotel. Each adult had a child on their lap.  We survived and there are surprisingly few accidents in China considering how aggressive they drive.

We visited a Buddhist temple, not sure which one, right as it was closing.  It was within walking distance to our hotel.  It was funny to watch people worshipping in this beautiful place with huge billboards and skyscrapers in the background.

The temple is in the background.  

Sammy wasn't used to walking a lot yet, so he hung out in his stroller and people watched.  

The next day we went to People's Park.  It is a beautiful place.

Andrew thought these were so cool

There was a Pixar event going on while we were there.  Disney characters were everywhere.  Malachi would have loved to see it. 

When we followed the signs to the Children's Park we found an amusement park.  We followed signs to the "playground" in hopes the kids could play and found an adult exercise area.

The Zoo was probably the highlight of the Shanghai for the kids.  It was huge, full of beautiful open areas, and lots of animals we'd never heard of before.

Andrew was  tired of having his picture taken, can you tell. 

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 It amazed me how clean and beautiful the city was.  The pollution was terrible, but the the city itself was very clean.  We did stay in a very affluent area that may have made the difference, but I was very impressed.  I had prepared myself for a lot worse.  I'll have to do two posts on Shanghai because I have way too many pictures.

The view from our room

Gotcha Day Pictures

We are home and everyone is doing well.    Here are some more pictures of Gotcha.  I will try and post pictures of our trip over the next few days.

Signing the paper work.

Here he comes.

Meeting Mommy

      

Meeting Daddy

Family Picture

Gotcha Day

Sammy is doing great. He came to us with a smile and has been happy most of the afternoon. We had a few tears this evening when we went to the lobby of the hotel and he saw other people. He adores Danny and tolerates me as long as I have food. He thinks Andrew is pretty cool. He loves to eat and man can this boy eat. We are having fun navigating Shanghai on our own. Aside from almost being run over 50 times and not speaking the language, we doing fantastic:)

We're here!

After 25 hours of traveling we made to our hotel last night around 10pm. Thanks for all your prayers. Our flight from The Springs to San Fransisco was HORRIBLE, but our iternational flights were awesome with no turbulence whatsoever. I much prefer flyin over the ocean to land now:) We found out last night we are sharing a guide with another family while we're in Shanghai. We just met them and they are very nice. They sre adopting a little boy from Sammy's orphanage. I'm sure it will be nice for him to have a familiar (maybe) face to see. We leave in one hour to go get him. I'm hoping I can figure out how to post pictures from my iPhone to my blog. Does anyone know? I hope to update with pictures next time.

Leaving for Shanghai

We leave at 7:30 tomorrow morning!!! I can't believe it is finally happening. Sammy will be ours Monday, October 10th at 9:30am (China time) YAY! I am hoping to access my blog from China so I can keep everyone updated. Please pray for safe travels, Sammy's transition, our very sad children we will be leaving home, and my wonderful mother taking care of them.

A Different Perspective

As we prepare to bring home our son next month I've been rereading a wonderful book, Adoption Parenting: Creating a Toolbox, Building Connections, our social worker recommended.  As I was reading I came across an adoption analogy by Cynthia Hockman-Chupp.  I feel the need to share it with you in hopes that you will better understand why we will be keeping things low key for a bit when Sammy comes home.  Our little guy's world is about to turn upside-down.  Please keep him, and all of us, in your prayers.

Imagine for a moment....

You have met the person you've dreamed about all your life. He has every quality that you desire in a spouse. You plan for the wedding, enjoying every free moment with your fiancée. You love his touch, his smell, the way he looks into your eyes. For the first time in your life, you understand what is meant by soul mate, for this person understands you in a way that no one else does. Your heart beats in rhythm with his. Your emotions are intimately tied to his every joy, his every sorrow.

The wedding comes. It is a happy celebration, but the best part is that you are finally the wife of this wonderful man. You fall asleep that night, exhausted from the day's events, but relaxed and joyful in the knowledge that you are next to the person who loves you more than anyone in the worldthe person who will be with you for the rest of your life. The next morning you wake up, nestled in your partner's arms. You open your eyes and immediately look for his face. But it's not him! You are in the arms of another man. You recoil in horror. Who is this man?

Where is your beloved? 
You ask questions of the new man, but it quickly becomes apparent that he doesn't understand you. You search every room in the house, calling and calling for your husband. The new guy follows you around, trying to hug you, pat you on the back. . .even trying to stroke your arm, acting like everything is okay. But you know that nothing is okay. Your beloved is gone. Where is he? Will he return? When? What has happened to him? Weeks pass. You cry and cry over the loss of your beloved. Sometimes you ache silently, in shock over what has happened. The new guy tries to comfort you. You appreciate his attempts, but he doesn't speak your language-either verbally or emotionally. He doesn't seem to realize the terrible thing that has happened...that your sweetheart is gone.

You find it difficult to sleep. The new guy tries to comfort you at bedtime with soft words and gentle touches, but you avoid him, preferring to sleep alone, away from him and any intimate words or contact. Months later, you still ache for your beloved, but gradually you are learning to trust this new guy. He's finally learned that you like your coffee black, not doctored up with cream and sugar. Although you still don't understand his bedtime songs, you like the lilt of his voice and take some comfort in it. More time passes. One morning, you wake up to find a full suitcase sitting next to the front door. You try to ask him about it, but he just takes you by the hand and leads you to the car. You drive and drive and drive. Nothing is familiar. Where are you? Where is he taking you?

You pull up to a large building. He leads you to an elevator and up to a room filled with people. Many are crying. Some are ecstatic with joy. You are confused. And worried. The man leads you over to the corner. Another man opens his arms and sweeps you up in an embrace. He rubs your back and kisses your cheeks, obviously thrilled to see you. You are anything but thrilled to see him. Who in the world is he? Where is your beloved? You reach for the man who brought you, but he just smiles (although he seems to be tearing up, which concerns you), pats you on the back, and puts your hand in the hands of the new guy. The new guy picks up your suitcase and leads you to the door. The familiar face starts openly crying, waving and waving as the elevator doors close on you and the new guy. The new guy drives you to an airport and you follow him, not knowing what else to do. Sometimes you cry, but then the new guy tries to make you smile, so you grin back, wanting to get along. You board a plane. The flight is long. You sleep a lot, wanting to mentally escape from the situation.

Hours later, the plane touches down. The new guy is very excited and leads you into the airport where dozens of people are there to greet you. Light bulbs flash as your photo is taken again and again. The new guy takes you to another guy who hugs you. Who is this one? You smile at him. Then you are taken to another man who pats your back and kisses your cheek. Then yet another fellow gives you a big hug and messes your hair. Finally, someone (which guy is this?) pulls you into his arms with the biggest hug you've ever had. He kisses you all over your cheeks and croons to you in some language you've never heard before.

He leads you to a car and drives you to another location. Everything here looks different. The climate is not what you're used to. The smells are strange. Nothing tastes familiar, except for the black coffee. You wonder if someone told him that you like your coffee black. You find it nearly impossible to sleep. Sometimes you lie in bed for hours, staring into the blackness, furious with your husband for leaving you, yet aching from the loss. The new guy checks on you. He seems concerned and tries to comfort you with soft words and a mug of warm milk. You turn away, pretending to go to asleep.

People come to the house. You can feel the anxiety start to bubble over as you look into the faces of all the new people. You tightly grasp the new guy's hand. He pulls you closer. People smile and nudge one other, marveling at how quickly you've fallen in love. Strangers reach for you, wanting to be a part of the happiness. Each time a man hugs you, you wonder if he will be the one to take you away. Just in case, you keep your suitcase packed and ready. Although the man at this house is nice and you're hanging on for dear life, you've learned from experience that men come and go, so you just wait in expectation for the next one to come along.

Each morning, the new guy hands you a cup of coffee and looks at you expectantly. A couple of times the pain and anger for your husband is so great that you lash out, sending hot coffee across the room, causing the new guy to yelp in pain. He just looks at you, bewildered. But most of the time you calmly take the cup. You give him a smile. And wait. And wait. And wait.