A few more shots of our day meeting Hope...

Big sister, Sarah, with Hope.

Hope's nanny on the left and the orphanage director on the right...

The road conditions were not good, so we had to wait 2 1/2 hours for them to arrive with Hope.  Here's a few pictures of us waiting in a freezing room.  Most places do not have heat and everyone wears their coats and scarves while they work.  My toes were aching and them numb in my little flats.

Christian carrying a Hello Kitty backpack.  :)

Here's a Chinese potty....squat and go....

Perfection

She's Perfect

The world was wrong about our baby girl....completely wrong.  The doctors who reviewed her file were wrong.  The birth parents who thought she was not valuable enough to raise were wrong.

She is a treasure from Heaven.

And we are blessed to have been chosen to be her family.

She came to us with a great big smile.  She told her nanny she was happy.  And she has been smiling since.

Today is adoption day.  We leave in a few minutes to officially make her "ours".  But she has been "ours" in our hearts for 10 months, and predestined to be our daughter from the beginning of time by the Grace of the Only One who knew how perfect we all were for each other.

Introducing Our Baby Girl--Hope

Backtracking a bit...

We have been going non-stop since we arrived in Beijing.  Because we traveled the week of CNY, we had to leave a day later than most, so our time in Beijing was crammed into a 1 1/2 days. 

Our flight out of our hometown was canceled.  The arriving plane was diverted due to fog, so they canceled the flight.  Then they said the plane would arrive by 6, then it was 7, then it was 7:30; and we would depart "as soon as possible".  We were suppose to have departed at 3:00.  :(  When the plane FINALLY arrived, and we boarded, they announced the expected arrival time.  It was the EXACT time our connection was to take off.  I was freaking out at that point.  I had held back my tears all afternoon because my children were watching me to get a feel as to how serious our situation was.  But upon that announcement, I concluded that we could not get to our gate soon enough to make it to Beijing and that because so many of us were traveling, we would not even be able to get another flght out with all of us on it.  I muffled the tears and only allowed a few to trinkle.

We arrived in Chicago.  Flight attendant informed us that our gate was in the same terminaml (thank God!!!)  and she requested that passengers who did not have a quick connection remain seated so that those that do could get off ASAP.  Do people give a hoot?  NO!  Thankfully, we were seated near the front of the plane.  We literally ran through the airport. Husband and a couple older kids were ahead of me, while I tried to keep sight of them and stay with my little 8-year-old.  My 13-year-old son stayed back with me, I think because he wanted to make sure I was safe.  How sweet!!!

Once I arrived at the gate, husband shook his head that we had made it.  THAT flight had been delayed as well.  We boarded immediately.  We learned that the pilot was ill and they were trying to locate another one to fly the plane.  No other circumstances would have made me grateful that we sat on the plane for an hour before take off. 

Only one explanation for me on the timing of all that.   God was watching over us.  Thank you!

Guess Where We Are

We arrived in Beijing on the 27th and spent two days touring the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Beijing International Jade Factory, and experience a tea ceremony at a tea house. 

We flew into our new daughter's province last night and will be united with her in 4 1/2 hours.  So many emotions are overtaking me right now.  Wondering what my sweet baby girl must be feeling this morning as she says goodbye to those who have cared for her and the little building that has been her "home" for her entire life.  We know that so much love and opportunities await her future, but she doesn't know this; and even if she did, it doesn't change that she still has to grieve her homeland and caregivers. 

Please pray that her heart will be open to receive all the love we have for her and that her fears will be relieved quickly. 

Pictures of our union with our sweet Hope Xin'e will be posted soon.