Purple couch - December 7, 2008 Caroline, Anthony, Leela and Jordan
Red couch photo in Guangzhou - November 2005As we continue to wait for any information and notice to travel (again), life has gone on extraordinarily. Living with a three year old is always fun and exciting.
Three years ago, four families met each other and we were united in our journey to Kunming, China to adopt four children – three baby girls and one baby boy. On November 28, 2005, our children were placed in our arms for the very first time. What a blessing…
We met one another in Hong Kong and had a dinner and some excursion time together as we acclimated to the new time zone. We boarded a plane for Kunming in the Yunnan Province, and checked into the Bank Hotel. Two days later on November 28, 2005, we gathered in an apartment building/office and celebrated our “Gotcha Day” – the day our families were blessed with these children.
The families in our group were from Monroe, Georgia; Denver, Colorado, and two of us from Plano, Texas. We adopted Anthony, Leela, Caroline and Jordan, who were living in the Kunming Children’s Welfare Institute. Their stories were all different- being abandoned under an overpass in a park area, at an entrance to a major tourism area/park, and one at a hospital immediately after being born. These children were crib mates at the orphanage, either with or next to each other for up to 10 months until we arrived.
After finishing the needed paperwork in Kunming, we went to Guangzhou, China. That is where the US Embassy is located and the finalization of the adoptions occurred. Then we all went to our respective homes in the US.
The first year “reunion” (2006) we met in Plano and had a glorious three days together seeing how our children had grown and blossomed. We celebrated our third year reunion this past weekend again here in Plano and had a BLAST. From Little Gym, to Chinese restaurants, to the Dallas Zoo, to riding the train, princess dress up, hot tubbing with the kids, squabbles, kids throwing up Cheetos and fevers, exhaustion, wine for the parents, coffee, presents, hiking, stories, bath time, pictures, playtime and Christmas giving – it was a fun-filled packed weekend!
Jordan will always know that even though she may never know her birth parents, she and these three other children – Anthony, Leela and Caroline – share a common origin of companionship, nourishment and the placement into families who love them with all their hearts. These are her first friends.
Next year we are meeting in the mountains of Colorado for our China travel group reunion and ski lessons for the kids. That will be awesome.
Three years ago, four families met each other and we were united in our journey to Kunming, China to adopt four children – three baby girls and one baby boy. On November 28, 2005, our children were placed in our arms for the very first time. What a blessing…
We met one another in Hong Kong and had a dinner and some excursion time together as we acclimated to the new time zone. We boarded a plane for Kunming in the Yunnan Province, and checked into the Bank Hotel. Two days later on November 28, 2005, we gathered in an apartment building/office and celebrated our “Gotcha Day” – the day our families were blessed with these children.
The families in our group were from Monroe, Georgia; Denver, Colorado, and two of us from Plano, Texas. We adopted Anthony, Leela, Caroline and Jordan, who were living in the Kunming Children’s Welfare Institute. Their stories were all different- being abandoned under an overpass in a park area, at an entrance to a major tourism area/park, and one at a hospital immediately after being born. These children were crib mates at the orphanage, either with or next to each other for up to 10 months until we arrived.
After finishing the needed paperwork in Kunming, we went to Guangzhou, China. That is where the US Embassy is located and the finalization of the adoptions occurred. Then we all went to our respective homes in the US.
The first year “reunion” (2006) we met in Plano and had a glorious three days together seeing how our children had grown and blossomed. We celebrated our third year reunion this past weekend again here in Plano and had a BLAST. From Little Gym, to Chinese restaurants, to the Dallas Zoo, to riding the train, princess dress up, hot tubbing with the kids, squabbles, kids throwing up Cheetos and fevers, exhaustion, wine for the parents, coffee, presents, hiking, stories, bath time, pictures, playtime and Christmas giving – it was a fun-filled packed weekend!
Jordan will always know that even though she may never know her birth parents, she and these three other children – Anthony, Leela and Caroline – share a common origin of companionship, nourishment and the placement into families who love them with all their hearts. These are her first friends.
Next year we are meeting in the mountains of Colorado for our China travel group reunion and ski lessons for the kids. That will be awesome.
Soon, we’ll add a baby boy to our family who will bring his own adoption heritage for us to enjoy and celebrate. I am so in love with life and this opportunity to be a mother. I am so blessed.
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2 comments:
CONGRATS on this milestone for your family. I hope you hear something about traveling to Brian soon. (((HUGS)))
That is AWESOME, Ann! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the two photos! Gosh, I wish all of us Bac Bloggers could get together. I feel like we're all one big family. :)
~ Michelle
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