Monday 1/25 Gotcha Day

The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived!! This afternoon, our guide took us to the Cival Affairs office where we would meet Tia. She wasn't too sure about us at first, and sort of backed away as we began to talk and reach out her. We distracted her with a ball and fruit snacks and Craig picked her up. She looked scared but was so brave!! Never cried at all!! We finished up some paperwork, got an adoption photo taken and were soon on our way back to our hotel. She clung to Craig the whole time. She finally decided that Mama was ok, but likes Baba best. Kian is doing a great job interacting with her. He is a wonderful big brother!!

Introducing Tia QingQiao Oyler

Kian's Reactions

A question several of you had before we left for China was how Kian would react to returning after being home a year. So while we are anxiously waiting these final couple hours before meeting Tia, I will share a little of his reactions.

While we were waiting in Newark to board our flight to Beijing, we were mostly surrounded by Asian people. Kian commented how everyone was speaking Chinese. I ask him if he could understand any of it. He said he could not. It was interesting that he recognized the language but could not understand any of it.

When we finally got to Nanning and were leaving the airport, he made the comment that this was not his China. I told him that we were at Tia's China and we would go to his China the second week! I am not sure what he was sensing as different than the area he was from.

Yesterday while we were out he exclaimed about all the big buildings! Yes, it is all city here but he was used to city when he lived in Dongguan.  I guess a year in Carroll County surrounded by corn and bean fields has its effects! I am sure not a city girl!!

Most of all, he is loving the food!!!! He is not a picky eater and likes what we feed him at home, but he is REALLY enjoying the authentic food here!! Eventually we have to tell him he has had enough!!

Kian is taking it all in and asking tons of questions. So far he seems to not be bothered by anything. He is enjoying having his mama and babe to himself but that is soon to come to an end! He misses his big brothers and sisters but is not sad about it. Just talks about them often. Now we excitedly await his reaction to his new little sister!!

Sunday 1/24 Acclimating to China

The breakfast buffet at our hotel is good but to Kian it is beyond wonderful. All of his old favorites...

Chicken feet.....

...watermelon with chopsticks. He doesn't understand why we don't eat it year around at home...

...and noodles...three helpings!! He finally got enough....for today!!

The rest of our day was spent resting and then later in the day our guide took us to a yummy Chinese restaurant. Fortunately he ordered for us.....no English or pictures on menu!! Matthew, our guide is a believer!! He has been doing adoptions for 25 years and has lots of stories.  He had fun interacting with Kian, trying to reteach him Chinese words such as "chopsticks" and "spoon". 

We are coming, Tia, only a few more hours!!!!!

Nanning, China

Our flight to China was fairly uneventful....which is how we like it! After arriving in Beijing, we took a flight to Nanning, the capital city of the province where Tia is from. On Monday, Tia will travel from the city where her orphanage is to Nanning to meet us in the afternoon.   She has been in foster care for the last year and a half but usually they go back to their orphanage just prior to adoption. We can hardly wait to meet our little girl! Sunday we will have a chance to get rested before Gotcha Day on Monday!!

His siblings covered Kian with goodbye kisses before we left home!

Our children and Will went with us to Indy airport to see us off. 

Goodbye Ashlyn!

On the plane at last

Kian's excitement about getting on an airplane and going to get Tia was very contagious. However, he was not prepared for how long the trip actually took! He did exceptionally well! We are so thankful to be here. 1 1/2 days until Tia!!!!!

The Countdown...

Kian excitedly slashed through another day on the calendar! Only one more day of doing school and being at home...and then he gets to get on the airplane...and go to China...and meet his new little sister!! He can hardly wait! His mama, as excited as she is about meeting her new daughter in China, is a little more reserved about it all. Going half way around the world to meet Tia also means leaving my four older children at home. And as capable as they are, along with our wonderful support group of family and friends, a part of my heart stays here with them. For me, this is the hardest part of the adoption process....leaving some behind for two weeks. But the Lord gave me a calm heart and peace the first time and I am confident He will do it again!!! We want to thank each of you who have journeyed with us so far. Whether you have given of your time, money, prayer or encouragement in some other way, each of you have made this possible. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your support means more than you will ever know! And we are especially grateful to our four troopers at home, Ashlyn, Chantel, Jadrian, and Preston, for all they have done and sacrificed to prepare to bring their little sister home from China. We are blessed by how our children have come along side us every step of the way!

Here at last....

Yesterday we received Travel Approval!!!!!! This means that we have the green light to make our travel plans for China!! Our Gotcha date (the day we get Tia) is set for Monday, January 25. We will be in her province for most of the first week . Then we will fly to Guangzhou for our U.S. Consulate appointment the second week. Tentatively we are planning to leave for China on Friday, January 22 and return home on Thursday, Febuary 4. We would appreciate prayers for her little heart. In less than two weeks, her world will be changed forever. Tia, here we come!!

A heart for the orphan...

IThis morning was a normal morning. We were eating breakfast as usual....Preston and Kian were arguing over some trivial matter in their usual way. As a mild reprimand I sang the phrase, "Love one another." The next moment I looked over at Kian and tears were welling up in his eyes for no apparent reason. I asked him what he was thinking about....."China " was his reply. We talk about China freely so that was a common response. So I ask what he was sad about. "Orphans". The tears began falling followed by sobs. As I held him and tried to console his grief, he said, "They don't have a daddy and mommy!"

Kian has been home with us for just over a year. This is not a common occurrence and I am not sure what triggered it, but working through grief is good. We prayed together for the orphans....that they would get families....specifically for Tia and that we can go to China quickly to get her. Kian finished his breakfast and was soon off playing and singing a merry little tune. But it left me thinking....   

This is such a busy time of the year and I can get so consumed and caught up in the hurry scurry of the holiday season. I can forget about the magnitude of needs out there as I live life in my own little world. But God paused me this morning and used a little boy to remind me of the orphans.....the many orphans without mamas and babas.