Pictures!

We have Joel (from Marye)

We Have Joel!!!
Hi Everyone,
Our flight from Beijing to Xian arrived on time -amazingly as we landed to find
we were in a snow storm. While getting our luggage in Xian, flights were being
cancelled. We checked in to our hotel and rested for a few hours then went to
the Civil Affairs Office around 6:00PM. After eight months of waiting the wait
was finally over!! Joel was waiting for us at the government office.
Joel was seriously checking Anna and I out but never cried and let me hold him
without protest. He had a good evening . He is eating and drinking well and
slept most of the night. However he has a cough and ran a low grade temp last
night but today he is much better .
Today , Monday we were back at the Civil Affairs Office and completed documents
for Joel’s passport and to make the adoption official. Joel has been a really
trooper and he and Anna are playing under my feet as I am typing this note.
Joel’s orphanage is about 4 hours by car but the orphanage staff had to endure
a 10 hour train ride to bring us Joel. All the roads are presently closed due
to the snow. We just heard on the news that many trains are not in operation
due to the severe weather. Please pray for the orphanage staff as they are
traveling home tonight.
Attached are some pictures from Joel’s “Family Day” on Sunday. Anna has been
such a big help and Joel adores her.
Of course it has been wonderful to have my mom with me. She is such a great mom
and friend and she has the ability to anticipate what needs to be done
before it even crosses my mind.
Will try to post more pictures tomorrow.
Thanks for all of your prayers
Iris and Gary we love you and wish you were here.
Marye

Marye has Joel

I just wanted to let everyone know that Marye has Joel. He did not cry and he played well with Anna, but he has a bad dry cough. He had to travel 10 hours by train because all of the roads to Xian were closed due to the snow.

Hopefully she will be able to send pictures later on. She appreciates all of the prayers and just keep praying for a smooth transition.

Jennifer - Cannon Fishbowl

Beijing Fun

Today we visited a few of the famous sites in Beijing with our guide and our new friends, Andy and Eric. Andy is the dad of Gabe who will be adopted along with Joel on Sunday. Eric is Andy’s best friend from college. Eric came to help Andy with Gabe since Andy’s wife Dana is on the home front like Gary watching the children.

First we visited Tian’an Men Square the worlds largest public square and the resting place of the body of Chairman Mao Zadong. We saw many student group’s on tour with their teacher’s in 28 F weather. It was cold but we were well dressed.

Then we visited a small portion of the Forbidden City where in days pasted only the royal family, imperial court and Emperor resided. The Forbidden City has 9,999 rooms. It took 11 year to design but only 4 years to build with a labor force of 1 million workers.

After the Forbidden City we ate a great lunch at a Sichuan Restaurant and off we went to the Summer Place.

The Summer Place was were the Empress Dowager aka Dragon Lady spent her summers in extravagant living. The great Lake Kunming was completely frozen about 5 inches thick and people were out walking on the lake. (Don’t worry Gary I did not walk on the lake). Summer Place looks very different in the winter but is still a beautiful place.

After the Summer Place we went to a Tea House and learned about making and drinking of a wide variety of teas.

We are so proud of Anna as she held up very well with the 13 hour time difference and the REALLY cold weather. Andy made her “best friend list” when he gave her a small Ziploc bag of Jelly Bellies.

Saturday we will visit the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs. Then off to Xian to get Joel.

We thank you for you thoughts and prayers as we will start our real journey to Joel on Sunday morning
Marye

In Beijing

Hi Everyone ,

Good morning from Beijing!! We had an excellent 15 hour flight . Anna as always, was making friends. We met an American Family living in Iris and Anna’s home town of Chengdu.

We are staying in a nice 4 star hotel in the city center. The Hotel is near the new construction of the CCTV Building which has been name an architectural wonder of the world. It is an amazing building . It is still under construction and will be completed before the Olympics.

Our guide is a dynamic young man named Tunk. He is going to show us all the great places in his great city. He will be picking us up in an hour or so.

We have learned that we will be getting Joel Jia He Sunday around 6:00PM in the City of Xian in the Shaanxi Province of the PRC. Continue to keep Joel in your prayers. The transition can be really hard on these children . Joel will have traveled 6+ hours from his orphanage by train or bus to meet us . Then he does not really understand what will be happening to him as he leaves his loving HanZhong family at the orphanage to join our family.

We will tell you all about our day.

Love Marye , Anna and Sara Lee (Marye’s mom)

On their way!

This is Jennifer from the Cannon Fishbowl, I just wanted to let everyone know that I dropped Marye, her mom and Anna off at the airport. They are on their way. Everything went fine except for I had to go back and take Marye's passport pictures to her (I made copies and they were in my purse-good thing I'm only about 5 minutes away). Send them your prayers and when she sends me updates, I will post them here for her. (Here are some pictures while they were on their way)

A Letter to Jia He's current family and their response

We sent a Letter to Jia He's orphanage. Here is our letter and their response.

Please Keep Jia He and his foster family in your thoughts and prayers as the transition into our family may be difficult for him.

Our Letter is written black the response is written in blue ink.

Dear Director and Staff,

We are preparing to come to China to meet dear Xin Jia He. We are told we will meet him on January 28,2008. I will be traveling with my mom and my daughter Anna. As we are preparing I thought I better write you to ask a few questions that might help us help Xin Jia He transition from his Hanzhong family to our family.

These questions are not in any specific order but just what come to my head as I am writing this note.

1) What name is Xin Jia He called by his house mama, teachers and other caregivers? Xin Jia He

2) What is Jia He’s house mama’s name? Ms. P

3) What types of foods does Xin Jia He like to eat? Oily foods, but he is not really picky , he liked most things

4) Is Xin Jia He drinking from a particular type of bottle/cup? Would it be possible to send the type of cup/bottle he drinks from with him when we met him? He drinks out of just a normal bottle and yes we can send it with him

5) What types of toys does Xin Jia He like? Toys that make noise, he loves the rattle you sent him,

6) What comfort’s Xin Jia He when he is sad? Mama will hug him and give him a toy at the same time, if you just give him a toy and don’t hug him he will throw the toy on the ground

7) Can you describe Xin Jia He’s personality? Isn’t very smiley if you just let him play by himself, but if you rub his tummy and play with him he will smile.

8) Are their any foods that Xin Jia He does not tolerated well? He doesn’t like the wood ear mushrooms, you will know if he doesn’t like something because he will just spit it out every time you put it in his mouth.

9) Has he had any injuries, illnesses or infections that should be stated in his medical record? A Medical report will be sent with him and will answer questions 9,12,13,14

10) Were there any complications with Jia He’s lip repair? No

11) How was Jia He’s cleft surgery funded? A government project that pays for orphans surgeries which started in 2006

12) Has Jia He ever taken an antibiotic? If yes what type?

13) Any food allergies?

14) Any drug allergies?

15) Does Jia He have any favorite children’s songs? A number song and it say yi (one) er (two) yi (one) .

16) Any favorite stories he likes to have read to him? No

17) Can you share with me the names of his brothers and sisters in his home? G, N,L and M

18) Can you share with me the names of his close friends? Gets on well with N& M

19) Can you share with me any funny/cute stories about Jia He? Mama couldn’t remember anything particular at the moment, but she wanted to share with you this. When Xin Jia He first moved into her house, he would not really care what the Mama was doing and wouldn’t pay attention to her, but the more the Mama loved him and played with him, the more he would want to go and play with her. The Mama told me what she thinks it would be helpful to know that maybe he won’t respond a lot and smile at you at first, but if you keep on giving him attention etc he will trust you and respond to you. So be encouraged.

I would greatly appreciate any comments that might help us as we help Jia He make the transition into our family.

We are so grateful for all you are doing to care for Xin Jia He and all the children. We think of you daily. I can not imagine how the house mamas, teachers and staff must feel as they entrust us with the care of the children. Please let everyone know that we will help Jia He remember you as his first family.

Blessings,

Jia He's Family

PS Please let me know if you have any particular items that we can bring for the orphanage. We hope to be able to visit you when we come.

We always need plastic pants, if it is possible to bring.

Thanks for all your thoughts.

We are China Bound

Here is the schedule:

• We leave for China on January 23, 2008
  
• Arrive in Beijing January 24, 2008 around 3:00PM
• Beijing January 25-26, 2008 See the Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Summer Palace
  
• Fly to Xian January 27, 2008 Visit the Terracota Warriors excavation site
  
• January 28,2008 FAMILY DAY!!! Meet our son Joel Jia He at the Civil Affairs Office in Xian
• January 29-February 1, 2008 Getting to know Joel and processing documents.
• February 1, 2008 Fly to Guangzhou to complete the US Consulate requirements
• February 2, 2008 Medical Exam
• February 3, 2008 Sight-seeing in GZ
• February 4, US Consulate Appointment
• February 5, US Consulate ceremony to take the oath and obtain Joel's Visa
• February 6, Guangzhou- HongKong- Newark- Atlanta- HOME!!

We are really getting excited as we know we are only days away from bring home our son. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate the process of adoption, the culture, the time difference and most importantly the process of helping Joel transition from his Foster Family in Hanzhong into our family.

We have Travel Approval!!!

Today our adoption agency called with the exciting news!!! You are approved by the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs to Travel to China. So now we wait on the US Consulate to grant us an appointment and we will be ready to make all of our travel arrangements. We are hoping to leave by the end of January and be back home before the begining of Chinese New Year on February 7, 2008- The year of the Rat if anyone was wondering.

Joel Jia He here we come!!!