I remember being pregnant and calling on family and friends at the end and later looking back and seeing how much less fun it would have been without my "village". Adoption is very much like that. It is so awesome to see and feel the support at the end of this "pregnancy" too. Friends to hold down the fort at the office so that we feel ok about leaving, friends to run over at the last minute with Chinese money so that you don't reach China completely without funds, friends to cry with about delays, family doing laundry and oh, the prayers. Tim and I have felt the prayers and truly do take comfort that God hears those prayers. The hard part is He doesn't always say yes when we want hiim to but then I don't always say yes to my kiddos even know that they are old enough to know the things they feel that they need. Sometimes God must feel a little like we do with Katie lately. Her new thing that is adorable, but probaby shouldn't be, is her urgent "But I NEED it!" Sometimes it makes me smile, sometimes it makes me sigh but all of the time I know that most of the things she "needs" are not really needs at all. (I mean does anyone other than Katie and Laura really believe that we NEED sweets 5 times a day?) Evertime she says that to me, I'm going to try to use it as a reminder that the times I think "But I NEED it!" toward God are probably equally non-urgent.
Ha, pregnancy brain hits paper pregnant moms too! I just realized how much I am sort of rambling. (Of course it could just be jet lag.) :)
I am going to try to blog daily. It probably won't happen, but I am going to try.
So...for today, we got up very, very early and the plan was to throw the kids into the car and let them go back to sleep for the hour trip to the airport. They were all too excited to go back to sleep (well Laura may have if the littles hadn't wanted to talk her ear off!) On the way we passed the casino and Jay said, "I can't believe God made a house of lights just so it would be beautiful!" As signs and red lights, and building lights would come it to view, he would say with awe, "just beautiful!!" Oh, to have the joy of a child. We made it to the airport, flights were all smooth and the kids slept a little on the loong flights.
Our guide David was at the airport when we got there and got us to our hotel, (I have to admit that I enjoyed watching Laura's face in the Beijing traffic, hehe), we got checked in without problem and then went with our guide for a dinner at a local restaurant. Very authentic. It was very smooth and suprising easy the entire day. No major meltdowns were to be seen (and the kids did great too). So nice boring early labor as this final part of the journey gets ramped up. Yea!
Tomorrow is supposed to be the Royal Zoo in BJ and the following day is supposed to be the Great Wall. Hopefully I will have some more exciting pics to add down the road.
Jaden is such a character; we are trying to remember some of the Jadenisms as they happen but one of my favorite for today...After eating a ton a lunch just before the landing on the long flight today, he um, gave us back, the entire meal. Even as I was wiping his chin, he said "This is the best day ever! This is my favorite part!" (I assume he meant the landing that the pilot had just announced.) Sometimes his exuberance can be exhausting but oh, he does joy well, doesn't he?
So specific prayers for today...continued health. Laura is still not over the exhaustion induced illness from her marathon ER rotation and forgot and brushed her teeth with tap water. Oops, hopefully no repercussions from that. Katie isn't thrilled with all the stares we are getting here, I'd love for her to be comfortable with or blind to the attention our big blended family is going to receive over the next 2-3 weeks. Mitch is midway through his medical missions trip in Mexico and will join us afterward. Prayers for my big kid as he navigates the long flights and the China subway system on his own to find us in a few days. As always, prayers and good thoughts on Ian's transition. I would love to be spared what I know some of the other parents of the older children's adoption have been through lately. Adoption, like pregnancy, is hard. Kids don't join our families without pain and tears and shouting. I'm old enough to really understand that the hard parts really do eventually pass and leave behind great joy; I would just hope that as God metaphorically wipes my chin that I can remember that sooner or later, I'll be able to say "This is the best day ever! This is my favorite part!"
Blessings, y'all.
Love and prayers :)
ReplyDeleteBrenda Nickels