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!