Bonus Post...

Meritt got the girls to sleep a little while ago, caught up on a few emails, skyped with a few friends and then went in to check on the girls...while it is not the photo I promised to you all several days ago...I think it works just fine.  Hope you enjoy!

Day 1 in GZ...and a visit to the clinic!

 After a relatively good nights sleep (Mary Henley woke up threw-up and has the runs...and me having been relegated to a roll-away so the girls can swim in a king size bed) we met the rest of our "adoption group" for a visit to the clinic.  Somewhat humorously, the fabulously tasting apple/pear fruit that me and the girls enjoyed during our daddy-time last night may have turned out to the culprit in Mary Henley's tough night and the unbelievably stinky movements (yes two) that Maggie enjoyed this morning.  We believe this to be true because others in our "adoption group" experienced the same thing!  It hasn't hit me yet...so there's still hope.

 We loaded the bus and unfortunately Mary Henley slipped into to her "bus sick" mode, which shortly thereafter resulted in her filling up the little pink bag Meritt is holding in front of her!  She is such a trooper though...she knows its coming, tears up a bit, and then let's it go.  Maggie on the other hand, who we were told is also prone to "bus sickness" now really enjoys the rides!

First stop on the clinic visit itinerary was height and weight check.  The girls are exactly the same height and Mary Henley weighs 17 kilos and Maggie 15.5 kilos (about 38 and 34 pounds, respectively).  They wanted Meritt to join them on the scales...but she declined! 

 Next stop was the general physical...the girls checked out fine, except the physician in the picture suggested he still hears a slight murmur in each of their hearts.  This was later confirmed by another attending physician.  Neither of them felt it was anything significant...but, we will obviously have them examined once we get back to the states.

 Last stop TB Test!!!  All day long we had been told this would be the worst as the girls would get stuck with the needle and everyone would be crying, and flopping on the floor, and gnashing of teeth, and maybe even locusts...well one of guides, Lily, had something stronger than any and all of these biblical like plagues...a candy offer!  She promised both our girls that if they didn't cry they could have a piece of candy...not one tear, not one sound...nothing!  It was awesome...and afterwards the girls would puff up and show us their scab like a badge of honor...they did really, really well.

 Back in the room after a late lunch...we had our tea party set up and our magnidoodles a blazing.  The picture Maggie is showing you is Meritt's offering of Marshall...Maggie asked her to draw him!  They LOVE to look through the photo album Meritt sent them in their care packages so many months ago.  They know every inch of it and have already picked out which bed is theirs in the picture of their room.  When they get to the pictures of Mable, they hug and pet the photo album...not sure they fully comprehend what Mable will be bringing to our household circus...but, Meritt has done a wonderful job of preparing them as best one can.

A picture of the lobby of The Garden Hotel...it is WAY nice, and the room is spacious and feels comfortable (notwithstanding the fact that dad is on the roll-away).  The best part of the room is the bathroom...in particular the shower / bathtub combo.  It is not what you are thinking...picture a full-size shower (tile floors and walls and all) PLUS a full-size bathtub all in one enclosure.  Meritt is able to take a shower...while the girls are in the bathtub right next to her.  Throw water from the tub?  No problem goes down the shower drain!  Sorry to go on and on...but it is a really smart set-up that is very practical.

We had a very nice dinner with the other three couples in our "adoption group"...one from Decatur, AL (Tide fans!), one from Douglasville, GA (a bedroom community of Atlanta), and one from Pennsylvania who adopted a little girls from Outer-Mongolia!  Very nice folks...not so nice dinner.  It was a lukewarm attempt at Thai food...and was okay but we will not be returning.

Today was a good day...we had two throw-up episodes, two sets of runs, a really large and smelly poop (again we think due to the apple/pear fruit thing), spent two hours in the clinic being shuttled from room to room while various doctors poked and prodded on the girls...all while not understanding a word that was being said.

But...then there were the smiles...and the giggles...and the play-time in the room (mostly with Meritt today as I was in charge of finalizing our paperwork)...and best of all the calls for mama and baba to come see this or to help with that or to have them share their gum with you or watch and smile at photos while you update the blog.  It was a very good day!

Tomorrow we visit the shops (oh boy)...as we have no official duties until Monday when we go back to the clinic to read our TB tests!

We are so looking forward to seeing you all very soon!

It's Moving Day!!! GZ here we come!

 Our last day in Xian (yes!) was spent playing in the room, running the halls playing hide and seek, and on Skype with Marshall, Macey, Matt, Rachel and Grandmother and with Mandy, Wes, Madison and Sam (Meritt's sister's family in Birmingham).  It was really fun to catch up with them...and the girls (Maggie and Mary Henley) wowed everyone with their Chinese version of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.  Above Mary Henley's squinty face that she puts on when I pull out the camera and ask her to smile...typical three year old response!

 Maggie decide she needed one of my hats to complete her ensemble today...and below the girls have their Dora dolls tucked in for the night and are feeding them a disgusting mixture of water and strawberry flavored curls.  Again with the Mary Henley please pose for a picture face...this is her barking face.  Meritt and I are learning them all...it's fabulous!  Maggie loves to smile!

 It is a hoot to sit there and watch them play together...they carry on complete conversations of what we have no idea...but, they really seem to be having a good time together.  Mary Henley is more of the mother...she makes sure we all have gum, or gold fish, or water...she's very nurturing.  Maggie is the thinker and brings the imagination...she is very quick to figure things out and then likes to fully explore the adventure.

 Below are two pictures we snapped of the location that Maggie was found.  We were unable to get out of the car as it was quite a congested area, and we were on the way to the airport to catch our flight to GZ.  Maggie as found on January 14th, 2008 by an individual at this mall and was given over to the police that day and ultimately to the orphanage.  She was approximately 3 months old at the time.  As we were riding by this mall area, it hit Meritt and I that it was almost 4 years to the day that she was found...while the pictures give you a little sense for how crowded an area it is...they do not give it full justice.  We imagined this 3 month old baby left in a crowd of people on a very cold day in January...much like today.

 Couldn't help but sneak in this..."aaaahhhhhhh" picture of Mary Henley sleeping in Meritt's lap as we made our way to the airport.  Maggie is on the other side also catching a few Z's!

Well we are in GZ and checked into the Garden Hotel (very nice)...a wonderful welcomed change of scenery!  The girls did great on the plane, although they are still very overwhelmed by the process of traveling it is amazing to see how far they have come since those first days together.

Two quick stories - when we arrived in GZ both Lily and Rebecca met us at the airport but only Lily rode to the hotel with us.  Along the way, she got into a lengthy conversation with Maggie...after quite some time Meritt asked Lily what she was saying.  Lily laughed and said that Maggie had explained to Lily that her Mama was American, spoke English and had a suitcase full of very pretty clothes that she had bought just for her.  It's all about the basics!

After we got settled into our hotel room, Meritt got the girls ready for bed and I found the couch, an apple/pear type of fruit that was really good, and put my feet up on a makeshift coffee table.  Within a minute, both girls were at my side, staring at an ESPN rerun with me...Mary Henley imitating me with her feet up on the coffee table and Maggie looking to bogart a piece of my apple/pear fruit thing.  It was awesome!  Ever warm smiles...and, I even got some kisses too!

Good night to all!

Sisters!?!...a Picnic in the hotel room...and a visit to Maggie's orphanage!

We got the chance to sleep in (at least a little...7am!) as we had no morning plans.  We (really the girls) took a bath, got all lotioned-up (they REALLY like the lotion!), and set up shop in the room to play!  Meritt jump on Skype and we talked with Grandmom and Pop-Pop; Macey, Matt and Grandmother; Marshall; and the Florida Sims (Kristen, Anna and Elle)...it was awesome to catch up with everyone!  And, the girls were full of themselves as they played in the background...and every once in a while they would pop into the conversation and practice calling everyone by name...we even got to see Mabel (our dog) on the screen.  Big adjustment coming for the girls as they get used to Mabel!  Above is Mary Henley's typical 3 year old facial response when you ask her to smile, look at the camera, say hello to someone or practically anything else!  Maggie thinks she's a hoot!

The next several pictures were taken as I was hiding behind a chair...they were so content playing with each other...giggling...laughing...sometimes fussing...just like sisters do!  Their personalities, as you would expect are so different, but they are at the core very happy little girls.  It is so cool to see how they are bonding with each other...sincerely taking care of each other...and most importantly, helping Meritt and I understand them by playing "communication charades"!  Our non-verbal skills have increased exponentially...Matt and Macey will need to learn a new language when we get home!

Not much more you can say about the picture above then how about those faces!?!  Yes, they are as cute in person as they appear on your screen!

This is my favorite picture of the day...Maggie quickly figured out her Leapad (and has the patience to wait for the screens to advance...Mary Henley not so much!)...anyway, Maggie is driving the interactive video and Mary Henley is WAY content to laugh along...I think this one was Dora the Explorer does Pop-goes-the-weasel!

Lunch picnic in the room...you may be asking...WHY IN THE WORLD don't you mean parents take these poor little girls outside for some fun!?!  Answer:  see previous Xian post of cold, smoggy, cold, no parks, can't cross the street photos and comments.  Can you say "cabin fever"!  Anyway, back to the Picnic in the room...please notice the stylish pink tutu's, fashionably sophisticated red shoes, our casual, laid-back pose...to include the ever popular leg-cross.  We had chicken and chips and a hamburger-like mixture on a buttered bun (labeled "American Burger" on the menu)...that the girls did not dig it, but daddy managed to get it down!

In the afternoon, I visited Maggie's orphanage (entrance picture above)...as you will recall, we made the decision that Meritt and the girls would stay back at the hotel as we were very afraid of how Maggie might react to seeing her "foster mom", caregivers and friends.  It was a really good decision...more on that in a minute.

A very nice picture of two wonderful caregivers that served Maggie when she was between the ages of 1 and 2.  They were so nice...and very warm!

A picture of Maggie's sleeping room until around August of last year which is when she moved across the courtyard to live with her foster-mom who also cared for 3 other children.  One of which was also adopted the same day we got Maggie.  Very, very hard on her foster-mom.

Kids from Maggie's class who sang a song for me...very sweet.  Her teacher is in the white and black jacket to the right...she told me how happy she was for Maggie!  As with the orphanage in Hefei...not a lot of heat...notice the heavy coats...this classroom is for the older children and is in the newest building on campus...built in 1999.  Rooms were bright and cherry...but very cold!

Ok...so here it goes.  In addition to getting a tour of the orphanage, sleeping rooms and classrooms, I also went to the foster mom's apartment which is located on the 4th floor of the newer building right there on the orphanage campus.  There are a number of caring, giving moms and dads who provide foster care homes to selected children from within the orphanage.  Maggie was in a home with a single mom, who also cared for three other children.  The kids would go to the orphanage class rooms from 8am to 11:30am and then would return to the foster family room for lunch and a nap from 11:30am to 2:30pm.  They would then return to the orphanage class room until 5:30pm or so, when they would then "go home" for the evening.  The kids who were under this structure, including Maggie, were very, very fortunate to have a home-like environment (see the sleeping room picture above as unfortunate evidence).  And her foster mom really loves her.

Meritt and I would provide the most loving home possible for Maggie and that I would send her photos via email.  We cried a lot during this conversation.  She followed us out into the hall, constantly grabbing my hands and challenging me to ensure Maggie is fully provided for.  I hugged her one last time at the elevator (I thought)...she was intent on getting into the elevator with me, but the orphanage Director managed to pull her back.  As we rode down the elevator and made our way to the car, our guide (Celine) commented that she had never experienced anything quite as difficult.

It was an incredibly hard visit...one that I am now fully convinced Maggie did not need to experience.  It brings tears even as I type.  Matt asked me to turn in my "man card" today because of some of my blog comments.  Sorry dude...this one stays in!

By the way, Meritt asked me to please let everyone know how much we love to read your comments each and every day.  It is the first thing we do in the morning...and, it helps us keep connected!  Sincere thanks!

Tomorrow is as they say in golf "moving day"...we head to Guangzhou on a 7pm flight...seven days and counting!

Terracotta Soldiers, lots of bonding time...and a Pallace Show!

 We had an early morning wake up call (7am China Standard Time...whatever that means) to get dressed, eat breakfast and meet Celine and Mr. Leo (our driver, who by the way is awesome and the girls love him because he helps them into the van each day...lots of giggles!) to travel about 1 hour outside the city to see the mausoleum of China's first emperor and the Terracotta Soldier army he ordered crafted around his tomb (I think?!?!).  See above a picture of the girls standing in front two soldiers and General Meritt.

It was incredible to see the number of soldiers and horses (over 6,000) that had been handcrafted out of the red clay.  Unbelievable detail...down to the fingernails and treads on their shoes.  Really cool...the girls where mildly entertained...it was cold!  See below a crafty picture I took in front of one of the exhibits...its a reflection of us...but you probably already figured that out

After returning to our room around 2pm, we had about 4 hours to play prior to going to a Pallace Show that Celine recommended.  We colored, got stickered and bowed up (always a good look), and just hung out.  It was awesome...the girls really enjoy playing with each other...absolutely love Meritt...and seem to find some humor in messing around with me.  They find a great deal of joy in loading me up with bows in the few hairs on my head, placing stickers all over my face and then parading me to the mirror to begin the giggle process...I love it because they grab my hand (which makes my day...more on that in a minute)...the getting pulled to the mirror for exhibition time is just icing on the cake!

After play time...and a little bit of dad time (I got a trip to the gym!)...Meritt is awesome to give me this time each day...we got all dolled up in our best wares and headed to the show.  Above Maggie enjoyed sampling the wonderful dumplings stuffed with shrimp, vegetables, meats and scallops...I think she has at least three in her mouth for this picture.

 Check Mary Henley out on the left...I'm pretty sure she has the REST of them in her mouth at this point.  They really enjoyed the eats tonight.

 The show was awesome, very pretty dresses, music and dances.  The girls eyes were glued to these very pretty young ladies in these awesome gowns dancing across the stage.  It was a wonderful treat.

Back in the room and ready for bed in our matching footy pajamas...at least I think that is what you call them.  No trap doors...just zippers up the front in case you are wondering.  I did...hence the comment.  Can't help but point out the wonderful smile on Maggie's face...that's the face Meritt and I fell in love with when we started this journey 18 months ago.  Mary Henley is the extra-blessing He knew we had to have to make this journey complete.  It's like with Marshall, Macey and Matt...despite being the bonehead (His description would be "stiff-necked") that I am, He chose to bless us (to be clear...Meritt is not a bonehead) with a glimpse of His glory.

As if all of the above wasn't enough with regard to what a wonderful day we had today...here's the best part...at least from my perspective.  While sitting in the chairs facing the stage at the show, we were all holding hands...not the kind of hand holding that is just palm to palm...but the real kind, where everyone of your fingers are interlocked with everyone of their little fingers...the kind where you know they don't want you to let go...and you don't want them to let go either!

Tomorrow is our orphanage visit.  As it stands tonight, I will go by myself to take pictures, thank Maggie's caregivers and deliver gifts.  We are making such good progress in our bonding with her, that I just can't bear the thought of putting her through the emotional turmoil that may come from seeing her friends and caregivers again.  Meritt is good either way (she has the ability to see the big picture...this is a marathon not a spring kind of thing)...I just sense there is more downside risk...it may be selfish...I pray that it isn't.

Friday will be a day of packing and preparation for our evening flight to Guangzhou...despite the difficulties in packing up and toting three women and four bags to the airport...it is a welcomed chore as it means we are that much closer to COMING HOME!!!

Teeth to brush, Rolling with the Tide!...and a sightseeing trip to Xian City

 Today we paid homage to the 60's with our Flower Power and Heart-O-Plenty sweaters and stylish jeans.  But before we hit the streets of the city it was time for some proper hygiene.  What the pictures don't reflect is both Meritt and me having our teeth brushed over, and over, and over and over again...absolutely nothing better!

After breakfast we Skyped with Matt, Macey and Grandmother...we got to hear about Matt's awesome basketball game and talk with Macey about preparing a paper for a scholarship opportunity at Samford University...what joy it brings us to be able to catch up with them each day!!!

We watched the Tide Roll over LSU...well, I kept one eye on the game while making bead bracelets (which I was asked to wear by the girls...warmed my heart), coloring, playing with stickers and A LOT of drawing on the magnidoodle...they love to draw!  Matt and Marshall kept me up to speed on the game  by texting about key plays.  At half-time we took a stroll, run, jump and scream trip down the halls of the hotel to get some exercise.  The girls love it...they hold hands, jump out from behind corners to scare each other, and generally giggle the whole time (although the giggling may more be related to how Meritt runs down the hall with us).

Two quick stories before I finish with the pictures below.  Last night, after bath time (another story in itself), Meritt and the girls laid down on the bed for book time and all three quickly fell asleep.  It was the most picture perfect moment...all three tucked into bed (Meritt in the middle) with only their faces showing from under the covers...beautiful girls!  And, yes I missed the perfect picture moment...and it is all I have thought about all day.  I told Meritt she had to recreate the moment again tonight so I could share it with you all.  We'll see!?!

Second story - while we were drawing and playing stickers and beads Maggie and Mary Henley began a deep conversation in which Meritt and I could make out the words Mama and Baba (daddy).  They would go on and on and on mentioning Mama this and Mama that...yada yada yada...and then every once in while we would hear the word Baba followed by giggles and laughs!  We have no idea what they were saying...but I am quite certain it has something to do with my hair...both the lack of it on my head, and the over-abundance everywhere else.  I get it...it's not pretty. 

We visited a very old Bagota (first built in 500AD) today and learned some very fascinating history of Xian City.  And although I really like the historically aspect of our sightseeing...it was very cold, the traffic was really bad, and the girls could not touch anything...and it was really cold!

 We climbed about a billion steps to reach the top of the wall that surrounds inner Xian city...it is an amazing structure and really cool.

 The girls, Meritt and Celine looking over the wall into central Xian City...

We had a lot of fun today just hanging out with each other...Maggie seems to be hitting her stride and Mary Henley keeps holding us together.  Perfect example...as we normally do, Meritt and I have been praying before each meal...well the last two meals (including tonight's dinner) after scrambling to find something  on the buffet that girls would eat, getting Meritt situated with something that agreed with her while she entertained two four-year olds with food, and then getting myself a plate we have forgotten to pray...so, halfway through each meal Mary Henley has reminded us that we forgot to pray...she did this by folding her little hands together and bowing her head!  To quote Forrest Gump..."that's all I gonna say about that"...unless you want me to start crying.

We visit the Terracotta dudes tomorrow...still praying for guidance on the visit to Maggie's orphanage which would be Thursday, pick up Maggie's Passport Friday and fly to the Guangzhou Friday evening.  Can you tell we are counting the days!?!?

We look so forward to being home with all you very soon!

Stickers, bows, some drawing...and a trip to the Civil Affairs Office

While the memory of yesterday's emotional roller-coaster is still very fresh in all our minds, we had a really good evening with everyone getting a good nights rest (all four in row on pushed together beds!).  Thank you all for your continued prayers for Maggie's transition and for Mary Henley's incredible support.  We still have a long-way to go but we are making good progress...just look at the pictures!

Maggie drawing with her magnidoodle...she REALLY liked that she could point to pictures in the room and I could draw them for her on the magnidoodle...finally, I add value!

 You can never have too many bows...according to Mary Henley they are a girl s first accessory need...stickers are a close second.  Awesome smiles...lots of fun!

 A trip to the Civil Affairs Office to work on Maggie's Passport and finalize adoption papers.  No smiles and not a lot of fun!

It is 4pm on Monday afternoon and Maggie is adjusting to her new family and Mary Henley continues to be a big help.  At breakfast this morning we were all eating well and then Maggie kept repeating something to both Meritt and me.  Meritt and I stared at each other for a few minutes and then finally looked at Mary Henley as if to say "can you help us out here?"  She quickly reached for a napkin, flipped it across the table to Maggie, and looked at us as if to say "and you two are the parents!?!"  Satisfied with Mary Henley's handling of the situation, Maggie wiped her hands and mouth and kept on eating...we have SO much to learn!

The trip to the Civil Affairs Office was uneventful and a trip to Walmart netted a pair of shoes for Maggie, juice boxes for all and some treats.

We had great Skype chats with Macey, Matt, Grandmother and Marshall this morning too.  It was AWESOME to talk to them and Maggie very much enjoyed getting to meet them for the first time.  Meritt and I love them and miss them very, very much.

We have a slow day tomorrow with only a sight-seeing trip in the afternoon to the Great Pagoda.

Thank you again for your prayers!

Maggie joins the family...and Mary Henley comes to the rescue!

And then there were Seven Sims (that is until Rachel joins the clan in March, then Eight will surely be Enough!).  We met Maggie (Margaret Virginia Mei in pink) this afternoon around 4pm - Mike, Mary Henley, Maggie and Meritt.

 A fabulous picture of the girls playing while Meritt and I completed a whole lot of paper work.

Back in the hotel room with bows-a-plenty...thank goodness they did not look to decorate me!  They giggled and danced for hours...

It was a very emotional day for all of us...Maggie did wonderful while at the Adoption Center that is until she realized her caregivers had left.  Then the fear hit, and the crying began...and unfortunately it lasted from the Adoption Center, to the van, to the Photo Place where we took a family photo (yikes!) and her passport photo (she will NOT want copies of it for sure), to the van, and all the way to the hotel room.  Very heartbreaking, very stressful...a lot of fear that I cannot even begin to (and really don't want to) imagine.

And then...Mary Henley came to the rescue...literally...she got out every toy, every snack, every drink, every picture...you name it, she brought it to Maggie to help calm her down. She was absolutely amazing!  No way Meritt and I make it happen without her...it was absolutely the reason God put her in our lives and why we were supposed to meet her first.  She was truly a blessing to us all in a GREAT time of need!

It is about 10pm, and we are finally trying to settle the room down after a lot of tears...and a lot more laughs.  Please pray for Maggie's transition as Meritt and I both believe there will be more tears of fear, uncertainty, and anxiety (Mom and Dad included) over the next few days.

We have two Province visits tomorrow back at the same building we visited today, which will likely bring back bad memories for Maggie.  We have an interview session on Tuesday and then some free days for sightseeing...which means traveling around Xian City's unbelievable traffic and pollution with two little girls who both are prone to car-sickness...pass!  We also have a big decision to make around visiting Maggie's orphanage...given her very hard day today, it is likely I will go take pictures and thank her caregivers and let Meritt get bowed-up again in the room.

We fly to Guangzhou either late Friday or late Saturday (I forget), and then it will be a count-down to our flight home Thursday, January 19th!!!  Now that we have the girls...we are so ready to come home!

See you all soon!

Flight to Xian...meeting Maggie today at 4pm!!

For those of you who were looking for their daily dose from The Seven Sims blog (o.m.goodness...you need a life!)...Just kidding!  We love that we have so many friends and family along for the ride and especially lifting us up in prayer!  We need it, and very much appreciate it!  Very emotional.  We were temporarily blocked from accessing our blog, until our good friend and computer technician Jody McNatt helped us "jump the wall" using our personal VPN.

Last evening (Saturday here) we took a flight from Hefei to Xian that was for the most part uneventful...except for the part when Mary Henley started to cry, which we thought was due to her motion sickness...but then came to find out that she just needed to potty and for some reason thought their was no place for her to go.  Which, given her circumstances, is completely rational.  Well by the time we figured out she needed to potty it was time to land and we were all supposed to be in our seats!  Since we were sitting way in the back next to the bathroom, I decided to stand up and take her to bathroom only to find out it had been locked for landing.  We went back to our seat, where McGyver Meritt whipped out a pull-up, stripped Mary Henley down and somehow communicated in a manner that she understood to "go ahead"...which she did!  No mess, no fuss and two trash bags later we were all happy and just about to touch down!  (Sorry...no pictures!)

It is 2:40pm on Sunday afternoon and we will drive to the Adoption Affairs Center around 3:30pm to meet Maggie!  Will definitely have some pictures to share then!

Dressed for success...and a visit to the park!

After being dressed by Mommy in a pretty red sweater and blue jeans...Mary Henley felt the need to accessorize by adding the pink tutu-skirt. Pow Pow!  She is also an expert at face-making...the McNatt's got to experience it first hand this morning during a wonderful Skype-chat.

We took a walk around the corner from the hotel and found this park...lots of elderly folks out exercising, flying kites and beating on trees.  Not sure what the purpose is, but it was quite entertaining.  We liked the big red structure in the middle of the park so we took a picture.  Again, not sure the purpose...but it is very large and very colorful.

Below is a picture of Meritt and Mary Henley posing in front of the big, red structure.  Mary Henley is still a little timid during our excursions outside, although after a visit to McDonalds, the mall, and Walmart we started to see more of her personality that she tends to hide while we are in crowds and busy areas.  Good thing for her our daily lives back in Johns Creek and Perimeter School are very calm!?!?!