**Lydia meets her family**

We touched down after a drowsy flight from Chicago to KC, feeling as if we hadn't slept in weeks. After a quick change of clothes and attaching a bow to her head, Lydia was ready to meet her brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins---all at the same time!

Walking into the terminal felt like slow-motion. We could see everyone through the plexi-glass waving, the boys peeking up over the sides, with signs and balloons. I tried to point them out to Lydia, who is always busy looking at other things, but when I said "wave hi", she starting smiling and waving to the room, as if she knew that she were being greeted by all of these people.

My first reaction was to grab and hug any boy that I could get to first, but they all three managed to be in my arms within seconds, smooshing Lydia with a big bear hug for mama. Needless to say, tears were flowing and they were eager to touch Lydia and talk to her. Jack's comment, "She's cuter than I thought she would be." Sam just looked at her and smiled in wonder (and 'tasted' her hair---it's a weird sensory thing he does when he kisses your hair, he's really 'tasting' you!) He declared her taste to be satisfactory. Ben just smiled like a goon and kept patting her and waving a little two-year old wave (the kind with all five fingers spread out and rotating like an automatic waving hand on the back window of a VW van!)

Lydia reacted as if she were so glad to finally see people her size and immediately began charming them with smiles, grunts, and minor head-butts. Grandmas and Grandpas each took a hug (from us and her!) and when she went to someone, she would look at Jason or me to make sure things were okay and we weren't going anywhere.

What a day! We are praising the Lord for guiding us to this child, for His provision in getting us the funds we needed to get her (down to the last dollar), and in bringing us home safely and without trial. We are so unworthy of such a precious gift and opportunity as this, and are truly humbled that He chose us to be Lydia's parents. There is nothing we can do to repay what the Lord has done for us---only to glorify His name and give Him the credit. To God be the glory great things He hath done...!

The Long Flight Home

We began the day taking a bus to the airport, with boxed breakfasts in our laps. It was still dark, but the city was starting to wake up. Our coordintors were busy giving last minute details, like "don't open the immigration packet!" for the hundredth time.

As we neared the airport, day was starting to break and I could see the details of the city. I looked out the bus windows, taking in my last sights of China. A China that we loved and wanted to learn more about, but also a China that seemed distant and unable to be grasped by us---where we were still foreigners. Lydia sat in my lap, munching bites of muffin. Around us sleepy Mommies and Daddies looked weary and uncertain of what the next 20 hours had in store for them as they peeled eggs and bananas.

Again, just like when we flew out of Chongqing, I had such mixed feelings and wishing I had more time to sit and ponder them and sort through them. I was saddened that Lydia would never know her birth-parents and that her knowledge of China would be through us---people who can't begin to understand the culture, even if we try very hard for years. It was at that moment that I wished I could freeze in time and write down everything---the feelings, the sights, the things I don't know, the things I want to know, our hopes for Lydia, and our fears about trying to provide her glimpes of her roots.

This is how I felt as we left China and also wondering about the moment when she would step foot back in her birth country. I tried to imagine what it would be like for her 10+ years down the road---would she know the language, would she feel out of place or feel like she even belonged here? Those issues are up to us---very overwhelming to think of the responsibility for that---and she sat there happily nibbling egg and banana bread.

After checking in and beginning our seemingly unlimited trip through security (we were 'secured' five times that day!!) we found some much needed coffee and relaxed a bit with our new friends, the Heidi's and waited to go to Hong Kong. After thinking in RMB for two weeks we were looking forward to tossing out our dollars without having to think how much things were "really" costing us with the exchange rate. As the last "hoorah" with the RMB and money conversions, Jason came back with our coffee. As he sipped, he realized that he paid $10 per cup!!! Needless to say, we drank every drop, and unfortunatley it was not Starbucks!

Flying into Hong Kong was so beautiful and we wished that we could stay there longer than 2 hours in the airport! Hopefully our next trip will include some touring of that great place.

Unlike the flight over to China, coming home we were able to sleep, sleep, sleep! Maybe because we were totally exhausted or maybe because we barely slept the night before. But, we had very little trouble napping on and off.

Despite our fears of being on the plane with the baby, Lydia did an amazing job! Thankfully we had a seat in between us and we could sprawl out a little more. I pulled out some of the toys that we hadn't tried out in the hotel---crayons and paper and stickers! Lydia had a mini-lesson on play and language bombardment. It was fun and she is very bright---the first attempt was banging the crayon, but after I showed her once how to scribble, her next attempt was swiping it across the paper. Then we learned how to 'pat pat' our stickers onto the paper.

As we entered US air space, joy swept my heart as I felt that much closer to my home and our boys. As we touched down and Lydia's American citizenship became official, she slept peacefully in my lap, my arms were numbing, and Jason was snoring two seats away. Rather anti-climactic; but also a special time, as I sat---a Mommy overwhelmed by a remarkable trip around the world, overwhelmed by differences and change, and also overcome with the 'joy' that was reclining in my arms.

Packing Up!

We spent today "wrapping it up" here. We went to the American Consulate for the oath ceremony. 56 families were there to take the oath and will leave China tomorrow. It is amazing there are nearly that many families there every day to take the oath and adopt children from here---the numbers are staggering, especially because we have nothing in our own country similar to the situation here to compare it to.

After a forty minute bus ride back to the hotel, we went to the Thai restaurant (again!) and then spent the rest of the evening packing our things and making sure we had everything we need for the plane ride. Jason is nervous about what we will do with Lydia for so long on the flight, but I can't think about it until I'm in the moment!

We bought an extra suitcase for our 'finds' and Jason came close to purchasing a Mao knapsack for fun--what would we do with a Mao bag?! Funny as the girl really tried to push it on us for $3 or $4 and when we said we really didn't want it she thought we were trying to bargain and had it down to $2---nice army green with a distinctive red Mao image!

To bed early, as we have a wakeup call at 4:30 am---hope we can sleep! The boys are driving back to MO from IN as I write; hope all is well there and they make it home with no problems.

A challenging day of travel lies ahead. Emotions full of excitement as Lydia will meet her new family for the first time, nervousness as to what lies ahead for her health, sadness as she will leave her homeland, but also extreme pride that we have a daughter from China, and hope for her future as an American citizen!

Our Chinese Beauty

Here are pics of our beautiful girl in her native dress. We took several shots in the hotel and then went out to a park where she felt grass for the first time!

Pic---I always liked fushia and she looks great in it!

It is tradition for the babies to have their pictures taken on the hotel's red couch. Here is Lydia with some of her friends who are being adopted and will become American citizens soon! Lydia was one of the older babies in the group and kept trying to touch her friends. The other little one wasn't so eager to be touched!