Sight seeing in Chongqing and Moved to Nanning

 Here's a little boy who just one week ago was considered an orphan...but today he is a son, part of a family. Loved to no end and boy does he feel it.  He has grasped onto everyone of us as his family members.  He shares, loves, kisses and hugs.  He receives our love in return.  When a Chinese woman inquisitively asked how it was possible for me to be his mother, I could tell be the inflection in voice he meant what he said "These two people are my Mama and Baba!"  So thankful for his willing heart to accept us in our brokeness to be his parents.  We adopt in faith and God does the rest.

 Adoption is not just all joy and smiles.  Every child grieves and hurts as they leave one life behind and enter the next with their new family.  We know he loves us, but he still is sad and grieves for what he is losing-friends, nannies, his country, his language--everything he knows.  In a sense this is what God is asking us to do when we truly want to follow him.  Give up all the comforts of home and follow Him to whatever, wherever, whenever He Leads.  Will it hurt?  Will it cost you everything?  Possibly.  But in the end you gain everything.  Eternity with him.  And likewise, Feng Nianjie has gained a forever family---but in the meantime oh how it hurts.

I wish our adoptive children never had to experience this heart ache but praying for the patience and wisdom to walk through these tough moments, days, weeks, months, years ahead of them.

                                                          Traditional chinese stroller

                                                       A day at the Chongqing zoo

                                      The skyline in Chongqing of upper scale apartments

Spilt pants are one of my favorite things on the little babies.  They are the traditional way to potty train and the children will just "use the bathroom" where ever.  I don't care for that part!  But I think the cut little bottoms hanging out are adorable.   Ryan says they remind him of the squatty potties and doesn't care for that!   Huahua has taken a liking to Squatty potties and gets excited for them.  Go figure!

Picture taking has become a regular occurrence for our family.  Normally we would not allow our children to be so friendly with strangers but since we seem to be an anomaly here we have made an exception.    Chongqing is a very large city with a population of around 36 million people but very few different ethnicities.  So we really stand out!  Not to mention with 5 children!

Jackson took this picture...I don't think he realized what the monkeys were up to.  Let's just say they were keeping busy!

Next we headed for a formal tea ceremony.  Everyone learned the proper way to drink and brew tea.  We tested many different flavors and enjoyed some traditional fruit with it.

 

 Leftie, down on the end, was cheating because you need to drink with your right hand!

             Sweet brotherly love forming!!!

Traditional HOT POTS!  Chongqing is known for it's hot pots.  Basically is has noodles and vegetables and varies spices and usually very HOT!  SPICY!!!  We ordered these two bowls for about less than $15 and all shared.  The bowls were larger than our heads!

Here is the girl's favorite shoe shop!  Fancy little shoes for 39 yuan.  A little order $6 a pair.   The boys rode the rides outside to stay entertained!

                                         The baby was absolutely stunning!

 Leaving for Nanning!  Our trip through the CQ airport security was less than pleasurable.  Michael our guide is fabulous.  He gets us all the way to security with tickets and off we go.  Then security will not allow Huahua's meds through.  When you mess with a Mama and her baby's heart meds I flip out!  Long story short, after a short break down (yes by me!) and a a 30 minute wait and me explaining by showing them her scars, explaining she can't be without it, yes a child has a heart condition,  the child your country was going to allow to die ( okay maybe I went to far with that)  but I was pissed!)  They finally tested the medication with a lighter and kleenex and it did not explode!
So we were off!  Then after on the flight we realized we had left a few items at the security check point in all the chaos!  So in few days when we fly with six children to GZ, we will some how  stream line the process to avoid leaving things or children behind :)

I remember reading a "big family" blog once saying no matter what is going on, there is always someone doing something funny to make you laugh!  And this was right after the security incident. I guess they were right!

                    Getting ready for take off!  Boy's gaming.  Someone has figured out the I pad real quick!

 In the hotel lobby..................dinosaur action...................are you scared?????

 Pool fun in Nanning!  We made it to Nanning on Saturday.  We will pick up our little man on Monday afternoon, which will be the middle of the night for you all.   Please pray for Feng Yu and this is his last night with his foster family and pray for him as he comes to us.  Pray for foster family as they say goodbye and their hearts will ache for this young child they have poured their hearts into.  Praise God for their willingness to take on this role knowing one day they would give him to a family.  Thank you Jesus for those willing to serve you!  Thank you that another little one will be placed with these grandparents and no longer in an institutional setting.  Tomorrow will be a the best and worst day for so many people.  Pray for God's will to be done and Christ's light to shine through us.




Feng Nianjie is loving the pool and getting great practice with his balance and even learning to blow bubbles a bit.    From what we can tell he has quite a leg discrepancy so his balance is off.  It looks like it is in the lower bones ( tibia/fibia) along with his clubbed foot.  He can run and jump with the best of them and just toe walks.  ( sound familar??)    He is amazingly coordinated with his fingers and can pick up almost anything and uses utinsils and chopsticks, better than us!

Formal adoption & Orphanage Visit

 We are some what of a tourist attraction to the locals here so we have learned to just go with it and call it our celebrity status.  I don't think it's our good looks-but purely the combination of children, hair and eye colors that have people really confused and guessing!  If we stay in one place for too long we have a a group of people surrounding us and taking pictures, so we have taken to taking pictures of them now too!  It gets most people smiling and everyone having a good time.  On a serious note- it's sad that people can not even imagine how our family could all possibly go together. We feel as natural as ever- God given and created with love.  Today when we left the orphanage and the nannies told our guide our family has so much love within it, and yes we do.  Only because we live for a God that loves us so much that we can live our lives serving him in obedience.  That's why we feel so loved!

Today we went to the center of Chongqing.  This is kind of like their "Times Square".  They have the clock tower which represents when Chongqing was liberated from the wartime as their own province.   Chongqing is a city of over 36 million people, with an area as large as Austria.

 These ladies kept following us for the entire walk so I finally just took their picture when we stopped to take our picture.  Apparently they were very pleased!

  No Jordan does not normally ride in the stroller, but we have had some long days without a lot of sleep.  Feng Nianjie walks fairly well, but we have walked a lot and he does need some spoiling to make up for missed years!

How do you fit us all in a vehicle in China?  Five across the back in a minivan .  The kids love it. ( most of the time)

              FORMAL ADOPTION DAY ---MAKING SURE HE"S GOT HIS CREW WITH HIM!

 Just a glimpse of Chongqing.  This is what you see everywhere!

Feng Nianjie is a total boy throwing stones into the river!

Everyone was getting a little hot--not to thrilled with Mom's idea for a picture!

Fell asleep on the way to the formal adoption hearing.

             I had fallen in love with those eyes a long time ago....now I get to see them every day!

Thank goodness someone more official showed  up for our ceramony than this jokester!

This time Dad brought his own shirt for the ceremony!!!  Last year he had to borrow the shirt for another lifeline family!  But too bad Huahua had been sleeping on his should and drooled all over it!   Poor Dad can't catch a break!

Feng Nianjie was so happy and proud of himself through the ceremony!  He told our guide he understands what we are saying to him.  We will do things we ask of him but still walks around talking to us in Chinese.   He is very smart and is catching onto English very quickly.

Lots of giggles going around in the back seat.  Please keep Jackson is your prayers.  As he anticipated this would be his "best friend" brother and right now Feng Nianjie has gravitated towards Justin.  They each have their special spot with him, (Like Jackson and Feng Nianjie both have the deep belly giggle laughs together) but it is hard for Jackson to watch him bond with his brother more.   He has attached very quickly to Ryan.  And as an adult, I can understand that this is a good sign and appreciate the positiveness in this moving forward and will wait my turn for him to fall in love with me when he is ready.   But right now Jackson heart is hurting for his brother.

 As soon as we pulled into the orphanage today, Wan mama spotted us and came running over.  Huahua got a big smile on her face and wanted to get her special necklace out for her.  Wan Mama took care of her during her surgery and has a very special place in her heart for Huahua.  The nannies were all over her but Huahua definately made it known she was Mama's girl.  She played around with them but always wanted to be sure Mama was in sight.  The nannies played with her hair, wanted to help her with the bathroom and clothes as if she never left.  They truly loved her.

This sweet girl was just sitting while we passed out candy to the children outside  It was a beautiful day almost 80 degrees in town.  The orphanage is up in the mountain a bit so possibly 70 degress but everyone was still very bundled up.

                                  Huahua giving Jun Mama her special necklace.

                  Playing in his classroom.........showing Jackson the ropes!

                                            Jun Mama, myself, Huahua and Wan Mama

Passing out candies to his friends.  Feng Nianjie is such a sweetheart. He will pass out to others before he gives to himself.  Very selfless and caring of others.

Jordan sharing her artwork with the little girl in the orange and yellow sweater.

                        Justin and Jackson playing basketball with their new friend.

Justin did a wonderful job drawing this shy boy in and befriending.  They got a ball and started playing together.

                                                  Wan Mama doing Huahua's hair.

This little girl they said was not communicative and  cognitively impaired.  As we spent time with her  she began to  respond back to us.  She clearly is in there and needs a family to bring her out.  She smiles and  enjoyed the art work from Jordan.  These children need someone to step out in faith and believe in them.  They all have a purpose and God did not make mistakes in their perfectly created bodies.  We as Christians need to realize their potential and learn to love them as they were created in God's image. They to teach us to love unconditionally. 
This little boy has the sweetest smile!

This was Feng nianjie's Nannie for the past three years!  Lots of tears shed today!

Justin finally got his friend to smile.  Sad when you have no hope in life to smile about.

The children enjoyed hugs and kisses as much as we did giving them!  So proud of our children in this experience.  We cannot teach about this. We had to experience this with them.  So thankful we were able to do this as a family!

This little girl was so sweet and petite.  So loved to be snuggled.  Who wouldn't want to be her mama?

   And then there were the good byes....  we HATE the good byes.........    Because it

  Oh how it hurts................

for those thousands we leave behind.  As we left the building, Justin's new friend stood out on the balcony with his sad face and waved.  Justin's heart is just broken for him.  We all ache and realize we are doing God's work (no matter how hard or how much it hurts) and we will continue to advocate, because these little lives are precious in God's eyes and worthy of being loved within a family.