A Night in Hong Kong and Home Bound!

Yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, we checked out of the Garden Hotel and said goodbye to our guide, Lucia.  We took a van from Guangzhou to Hong Kong.  When the van pulled up, I knew I recognized the driver.  It was the same driver Michelle and I had from Shenzhen to Hong Kong when I traveled to China in September for advocacy work.   Small world!  I've said it before, but God is in the details.  It took us about 3 hours to get from Guangzhou to Hong Kong.  We had to stop and get out at one point, but thankfully didn't have to take all our bags through that area- just us and our passports.  Evan had mentioned that he needed some fresh air at one point- I thought getting out would help him.  The van was nice and cool too.   That was apparently not enough. Literally about a minute before we are to get out of the van, Evan starts throwing up.  Thankfully he caught a lot in his hands and shirt and I caught a lot in my hands and then in a pair of pajama pants I'd later just throw out.  Glad we had a bag of baby wipes on hand too.  We had minimal clean-up in the van, but I think we shocked our driver, Joe. I felt so bad.  I never did get to say goodbye to him.    Evan felt bad too, but there's not much you can do.  He definitely didn't have the flu and he never gets car sick so I think it's just a combo of things.  This almost always happens to him when we are about to land in Chicago or when we are in the car on the way home and I attribute it to lack of sleep and jet lag.  We're hoping he got it out of his system, but we'll be prepared with a bag on the plane and in the car on the way home, just in case.

Getting ready to leave the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou. Some of these are blurry because a little person changed my camera from auto to manual focus...

Macie does smile.  She's just got a serious face about 50% of the time and she had just woke up from a nap before we headed down to the lobby.

Saying goodbye to our wonderful and kind guide, Lucia.

Van ride back to Hong Kong.

We got checked in and to our room.  It was time for quick baths/showers and a good night of rest.  It was the first night Macie didn't cry before bed- maybe because we were all in the same room together.  

There were 3 in the bed and the little one said...

In the morning (Thursday, November 19th), we woke up and got ready and then headed straight into the airport. Our hotel was connected to the airport, which was very convenient.  We had one little melt down waiting in line for immigration and a lot of stares, but other than that, it was fairly easy and uneventful.  We are currently sitting at the gate waiting to board our flight back to Chicago!   We're getting very excited to be home, see our boys back at home, and to sleep in our own beds.

Our plane.

The kids waiting.  Macie is in awe of the airplanes.

Lena has adopted the traditional Chinese pose that children here do for photos. 

We LOVE our shirts, Fannie!

She likes to try and turn her head every time I take a picture. :)  She may be precious, but she's got some stinker in her too.  She can be really stubborn and is an amazing tattle tale. ;)

Evan and I have our matching shirts on.  I originally bought two kid sized shirts like these for Lena and Macie but the smallest size they came in was child medium so they fit Evan and Reid a lot better than they fit the girls. :)

Pretty soon the US will have two pretty darn adorable new US citizens! :)

We are anxious for everyone to meet them, but we also want to work on continuing our journey to building attachment.  We have learned from past mistakes.  This article sums up what I'd want to say pretty well.   I'd love it if our local friends and family took the time to read it.

http://www.nohandsbutours.com/2015/10/13/it-takes-a-village-a-letter-from-a-newly-home-family/

We won't be in totally hiding, but we do plan to cocoon some and want our family and friends to know that at this time it is very important that Rick and I be the ones to hold the girls, feed the girls, meet their needs, etc.  We don't mind our family talking to and interacting with the girls, but we really do need to be the ones who hold them, help them, etc.  We've read enough books about this and have adopted enough children now to know why it is so very important.  Thank you for understanding and for all your support and prayers.  We cannot thank you enough!

Wisconsin, here we come!!!