A Magical "One Day" ... Hong Kong Disney

 A Day with Disney ... in Hong Kong. After 14 days in mainland China, we were finally headed home. Well, sort of. But we had one last stop to make. Something that Lily Grace had been planning for nearly 5 years. You see, when she first heard about Mickey and Minnie, she could still say only a few words. But she'd always tell us that she was going to see Mickey and Minnie ... "One day."

Well, sweet baby girl, your one day finally arrived. To be accurate, we didn't get that much of a view of Mickey and Minnie, but we saw just about everyone else. Even had a picture or two taken with a few of them. Lily Grace and Lia Faith (and even Austin, I think) were so excited this day. Conveniently, our hotel offered a shuttle bus to and from Disneyland, so bright and early Thursday morning, March 15, we loaded up and headed that way. Lucy Hope was still holding out a little on me and Austin, but she had begun to show signs of giving up what we later came to realize was the biggest acting job this side of Hollywood. You see, she really was happy to be around us, but she didn't think it a good idea to let us figure that out.

Here's the little princess of the trip trying her best to keep us from knowing how happy she was and what a good time she was having. Trying to hide a smile as big and impressive as hers must be hard work!

Tinker Bell suggested that I join the picture and I'm glad she did. Lily and Lia will laugh at this one years from now. And they're probably not the only ones who'll laugh. Stop it, now! Do I look a little anxious? Where's Peter Pan and that nasty crocodile?

Caught you! There's that smile you've been hiding. It's so funny to watch this little princess hold back what she has been feeling so long. I'm not sure why she did it, but it's something we'll never forget. Austin and I thought she just didn't like us. I guess it just took her a while to get used to us. But rest assured, she flashed this smile and more on this magical day in Disneyland ... all day long!

Lily Grace wanted to ride anything that seemed a the least bit dangerous. This is a parachute ride in Toyland. It's Woody's little soldier area and the thing goes way up in the air and then drops you down --- about 8 times I think. Lily and Lia screamed with delight each time. I just screamed.

I can't remember whether I took this picture or if Austin took it, but you can see that Lucy Hope is still trying her best to hide that smile. We'd already seen it several times today, so her facade was up with us at this point and it was just so funny to watch her unwittingly contribute to her own undoing with the whole "I'm not gonna let you too close" thing. Connie is laughing at the whole thing while one of us shot this picture.

A conversation with a princess, a real, live princess. Daddy, Daddy, it's Cinderella! Now that's what Lily and Lia were hoping for when we came to Disneyland this One Day. I think Lia was so infatuated that all she could do was smile while Cinderella talked. Lily Grace, who has turned into somewhat of a tomboy today, was equally smitten. Both wanted to hold her hands to see how soft the gloves were.

Aren't they cute with Cinderella. Lily and Lia wanted to stay with her all night. All they could say was "I met the real Cinderella!!" I was a little surprised at how cordial and comforting Cinderella was to the girls. She was so genuine and had a nearly 5 minute discussion with the girls, asking them what they had seen at Disney and if they'd enjoyed their day. Thank you Cinderella for making Lily Grace and Lia Faith's "One Day" special!

Well, that's all from Disneyland this Magical One Day. Tomorrow, we'll just hang out around the hotel and get packed for home. We are so looking forward to seeing our friends and family again back in the states.

See you soon!

Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, Lia Faith, and Lucy Hope
Green, Party of Six

Meetings, Shopping, Medical Exams, and Appointments

This post will probably be incoherent at best, more likely illogical! After 13 days on the run tending to meetings, accomplishing various shopping tasks, taking Lucy Hope to the hospital for medical exams, helping with homework, and appointments at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, we are quite tired. Very tired. We're had some sort of meeting just about every one of those days. Things to do, people to see, forms to complete, exams to be administered and results to be checked.

Austin usually falls fast asleep by 9:00 or 9:30 local time and the girls are so tired, they beg to go to bed! Except Lucy Hope. I think that when bed time arrives, she realizes that she's no longer in her comfortable place. She has a new bed and new bed time routines and parents who don't know her routine very well. And so, she cries, maybe even grieves, for her former environment. It's heart wrenching to see. I wish we could explain to her that everything will be OK and that she would understand. All we can do is try to comfort her in our limited abilities and hope that she will eventually accept her new environment fully.

If you have ever adopted a child or traveled internationally, or both, as is the case here, you understand the kind of tired that I'm talking about. Why then, you ask, are you up late typing about being tired? The answer to that fair question is that one of the symptoms of this kind of tired is that you can't sleep. The day's activities keep you so wound up that when you finally get the chance to rest, your body simply is not ready for it. And you're trying to remember everything that must be done the next day to make sure you get your family to the right place at the right time for the right reasons.

So, what's been up? Well, we had a very long meeting Sunday to make sure that everyone (adopting families) had their Consulate paperwork in order. There cannot be any misstep at this point in the process or you will spend extra time (minimum of two weeks) in China until things get straightened out. Now, that's not an appealing outcome! So, very meticulous steps were taken to count and recount every document, notarization, passport, medical exam, etc... Even something as small as a slight difference in the spelling of the Chinese or English names can cause catastrophe.

Yesterday, we went to the hospital to check the results of the TB tests given Saturday. After 48 hours, we returned to the International Hospital in Guangzhou for the quick test. Then, we spent a couple of hours shopping. I should have thought to get shoes, but didn't - that misstep cost me 2 hours wandering the streets of Guangzhou trying to find a pair of shoes for a 3 yr old. Turns out, there are no stores in downtown Guangzhou that cater to children! That's not a surprise to me. So, what did I come up with? Let's just say that even the Lifeline facilitator made "icky" faces when she saw what my lovely little daughter was wearing! Maybe one day, I'll be able to show you. Right now, we'll let Connie's horror at the sight fade.



After the TB test, we visited the Guangzhou Zoo. That was a blast. Really, with the wind and 58 degree temperatures of the day, it was like winter. But still, a zoo is a zoo and looking at the animals was a lot of fun. We even got to hear two lions in separate cages roar to each other. If you've never heard this, you would not believe it! Lily Grace, Lia Faith, and Lucy Hope just sat and watched. Surprisingly, none of them cried, but it was loud enough to scare anyone. The pandas were great fun, but we'd all have to say feeding the giraffes was the highlight of the day.

After a brief meeting and a little rest, we went to dinner on a boat that cruised the Pearl River. It used to be that all the buildings along the Pearl River would be lit up like Christmas trees, but now, most of them are darkened. I don't know if it's because of saving energy or out of respect for those living within a stone's throw who don't even have electricity. But we did get to see the new Guangzhou Tower, tallest building in China all lit up. And the kids were treated to a clown who could juggle just about anything -- and did!


Today (Tuesday) was our date for meeting the U.S. authorities at the Consulate to go over our request for immigrant visa for Lucy Hope, er Mao Zhonglan, to finalize the approval to travel to the U.S. We all took an oath (even Austin) that our documents were true and that everything we were reporting was, to the best of our knowledge, accurate. After that, the consulate representatives asked a few questions and congratulated us on our new little U.S. kid!

Finally, it was off to Shamian Island for more shopping and dinner at Lucy's. No, our little Lucy Hope didn't open a burger stand in Guangzhou while you weren't watching. Lucy's is very well known among adoptive families for it's American-like cuisine. It's not exactly U.S. fare, but closest you'll find here. We were certainly glad to taste some food that begins to remind us of home. And Connie was able to find Lily Grace a pair of shoes that she wasn't embarrassed for her to wear in public!

Tomorrow, we'll leave Guangzhou for Hong Kong where we'll spend a few days before finally leaving for the U.S. on Saturday. We can't wait to get back home and sleep in our own beds and eat our own food. And maybe warm up a little bit. I didn't mention it, but it has been terribly cold here the past two weeks and the sun has not shined at all!

See you soon!

God Bless You,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, Lia Faith, and Lucy Hope
Green, Party of Six

A Busy Day in China

Sometimes it's so busy here, we have to slow down to think. Even our facilitators do not give us every detail of every day until that morning, unless there's a meeting of some sort, so as not to overload us. Today, we had a fun day of shopping, followed by a group picture with all the Lifeline families, followed by dinner at a Malaysian restaurant. Tomorrow, we will visit the hospital again to get the results of Lucy Hope's TB test, then we will go to the zoo to see pandas, and later we will eat dinner aboard a small vessel cruising the Pearl river. In between, Austin and I have another meeting with the Lifeline facilitators to collect and share video/photographs taken this week at Maoming. Did I say busy?

First, the shopping. When we first came to China in 2006 to adopt Lily Grace, the facilitators at Lifeline took us to a local market to buy goods at wholesale prices. Very inexpensive pearls, jade, etc.. So, it's kind of been a tradition to go back there with each successive adoption. This time, however, Connie and Lucy Hope were both a little under the weather and the weather wasn't all that good to begin with. So, they decided to sit this one out. Now, this can only mean one of two things; 1) Connie has taken too much cough medicine and doesn't realize she's sending me out to buy little girl things, including dresses and potentially shoes; or 2) I have now been graded an A+ shopper for Lily, Lia, and now Lucy (Austin can perfectly well take care of himself). Probably a little of both. Anyway, I did come away with a dress for Lucy Hope and some pink pearls (I know, I know, all the mommas are going "what were you thinking?"). Lily Grace spotted the pink pearls and simply had to have them. At least they were very inexpensive. Austin picked up a few DVDs and I found some Chinese music and some Christian music by my favorite Chinese vocalist! We found some embroidery for Connie to top off the shopping. Not bad for a couple of rookies. OK, stop laughing now.

We sneaked away from our group for a short side trip into the heart of China's shopping mecca known as Guangzhou. We saw many things and many different ways of conducting business. Even the rain could not dampen the spirit of those who would sell their goods at the gate to the city of Guangzhou. Last time we were here, I saw a dentist practicing on the sidewalk and a line had formed for his services! Too much rain this time. But every other imaginable kind of products was being bought and sold. We found our way to a McDonalds restaurant on the second floor of a building a block or so away and ordered our lunch. When we sat down, Lily says "Let's pray." And just like that, she launched into a dialogue with our Father, thanking Him, praising Him, asking for healing for Lucy Hope and safety for our travels. Now, you have to know we were packed into an area just big enough for 40 or 50 people, except that there were probably 100 or so. Everything here seems that way. In the silent wake of Lily's prayer, we raised our heads to find many eyes fixed upon us. So, we just smiled and ate our lunch. Two young girls seated next to us were enamored by our presence and could speak enough English to strike up a conversation. I don't know if they thought we were funny or they just enjoyed meeting us so much, but they kept laughing at everything! Even Lily Grace and Lia Faith thought they were a little silly. But they were nice and wished us well.

Later in the day, we took a group photo with the other adoptive families from Lifeline. Austin was recruited as the photographer and did a fine job. Because of his work, every family (18 total) will take home a group photo to add to their memory books. We are so proud of Austin and the effort he has put forth on behalf of orphans during this trip. He has photographed each of the adoptive families during gotcha day, taken pictures of waiting children at the orphanage in Maoming, and helped Lifeline document the successes of the past two weeks. We give thanks to God for such a wonderful son.

Before we left for dinner, Connie, Lily Grace, and Lia Faith spotted a wedding finishing up and Lily and Lia crashed the photo session! The bride and groom were very gracious and so Lia and Lily popped into a couple of pictures with them! Then it was on to dinner. We were told the food was Thai, but the restaurant was Malaysian. The food was OK - Lucy Hope really liked it. Lily Grace and Lia Faith ate every noodle in the place, while Lucy Hope emptied out the rice bowls, especially the coconut flavored ones!


Did I say busy?

Love,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, Lia Faith, and Lucy Hope

Green, Party of Six

A Day at the Doctor's Office

Today, we took Lucy Hope to the doctor's office. It wasn't because of her sickness, although if we were home with her, we'd probably be sitting in her new pediatrician's office because of her cough and congestion. Funny, we were worried about our own colds and the possibility of infecting her and it turns out that she's got the same type of cough we've been struggling with for weeks. We also learned yesterday that many of the children in the orphanage are struggling with the very same cough and congestion.

This trip to the doctor was a part of the process for obtaining a Visa for Lucy Hope to travel home with us. The doctors and nurses did an ENT inspection, they checked her weight and height, they did a full examination of her body, and they did a TB test. Lucy was not too happy about all the poking and prodding - especially the TB test. However, in spite of her misgivings about the whole adventure, Lucy Hope did well.





Afterward, we came back to the Garden Hotel for lunch and to meet with our in-country facilitators regarding the remaining itinerary and our plans for flying back to America. It's been a long trip and so we are anxious to come home and to see our family and friends again. Austin got to see first hand how the process works, as he was recruited to help a family who had adopted two children to complete their paperwork and checklist. He and I also met with our facilitator to go over the photographs we (mostly Austin) had taken at the orphanage. The two meetings lasted over 3 hours and involved everything from medical reports and vaccination affidavits to transportation and travel plans. Austin got to see the paperwork and legwork required for intercountry adoption firsthand. He said he now understands why we were always so busy leading up to this step.

Tomorrow, Connie gets to go shopping. Uh, oh!

God Bless You,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, Lia Faith, and Lucy Hope
Green, Party of Six

Cultural Learning in Guangzhou

Lucy Hope continues to adjust to her new life with the Greens here in Guangzhou, but I'm not sure she quite understands it yet. It's clear that she's happy to be around Connie, Lily Grace, and Lia Faith. I've seen videos of her laughing and chasing them around the room. I just haven't seen it in person yet. It is as if Lucy's culture's indifference toward women guides her interpersonal relationships and so, she becomes quite reserved any time men are around. The other fathers in the adoption group are also experiencing the same reactions from their own daughters. A little comforting to know that we're not the only ones, but we hope that Lucy will learn how much we love her soon and will be more open to our advances.




Today, we visited the Chen Ancestral Hall just outside the west gate of Guangzhou City. This hall is also referred to as a Temple because of its architecture and it's dedication to the Chen family. It was built in 1888-1894 and served as the hall for ancestor worship, as well as temporary residence for Chen's descendants when they came to the provincial capital for meetings. Lily thought the Chen Ancestral Hall was very interesting. I gave her a little point and shoot camera and she took a lot of pictures. These she can use for her Heritage Studies grade when she gets back. In fact, the Ancestral Hall once served as an education center for the entire Chen family - that's a big family! It is now being used as the Guangdong Folk Arts Museum.

Tomorrow, we will drive 10 hours to visit Lucy Hope's orphanage in Maoming (5 hours each way). We will get to meet her nannies (again for me) and ask them questions about her earliest days when she arrived at the orphanage. We will also visit her finding spot and take a picture with her there. The things we learn tomorrow will be Lucy's only connection to her beginnings, so we hope that everything goes well. Please pray for safe travel and for God to grant us knowledge of Lucy's early childhood.

Love,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, Lia Faith, and Lucy Hope
Green, Party of Six

The Adoption is Final!

Yesterday, we visited the Civil Affairs office, where we had received Lucy Hope the day before. During our visit, we had the opportunity to ask questions of Lucy Hope's nanny (or at least one of them) about Lucy Hope. We learned from the Nanny that they called her Zhonglan, pronounced Jong Lan and meaning China orchid. We had already decided to keep it as part of her name, so knowing that her nannies called her that gave us great comfort. 

We also learned from her nannies that she's sort of quiet, reserved, but likes to be in the thick of things with her playmates, nonetheless. That's exactly what we're seeing in her interactions with me and Austin versus her interactions with Lily Grace and Lia Faith. I keep hearing from Connie, Lily, and Lia how much she's running and romping and laughing, but everytime Austin and I are around, she sits down and goes into quiet mode. I did get to see her smile a bit after breakfast, but only a little. All of the Maoming baby girls seem to have this disposition relative to men, so all of us are wondering whose daughter will break first. Of course, Austin wants so badly to hold her and it hurts when she rebuffs his advances, but hopefully before we leave China, he and I will both be crowned potential care givers by our new little princess.

We also visited the Police Station in Guangzhou to get photographic confirmation that Zhonglan is actually the child we committed to and were given permission to adopt. Of course, there wasn't any question, but this formality has to be done to satisfy U.S., Chinese, and Hague requirements. There were probably 25 other families in the station with us (not all of them were Lifeline families). Afterward, we all received the "Red Books" (for those familiar with the adoption process here in China). 

With the "Red Books" in hand, our Lifeline guide announced to us that our adoptions were legally completed as far as the Chinese were concerned. In short, she's ours! Along with her Red Book, we also received a copy of the birth note attached to Zhonglan when she was found at 1 month old. The writing is her mother's, so this note will be the only thing she has to connect her to her beginnings, should she choose to pursue that option as she grows older.

Tomorrow, we will visit some sites of local historical importance here in Guangzhou to learn about Lucy Hope's province of Guangdong. It should be interesting and we are promised that it is a good place to bring cameras. So we'll try to capture some pics that portray Lucy Hope's provincial history that she may have for the future.

Love,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, Lia Faith, and Lucy Hope


Green, Party of Six

First Day Together

Dear Lucy Hope,

Today was our first full day together and we really had fun, especially getting to see you for the first time. We were admittedly a little unprepared for what would happen at the Civil Affairs office because in our earlier adoptions of Lily Grace and Lucy Hope, we were in small provinces (if you consider 10s of millions of people small!) and so were the only family in the adoption room at the time of our adoption. In Lia Faith's adoption, there was one other family. So, things were pretty calm in both of those cases.

For this adoption, when we entered the Civil Affairs office, there were already 15 or so families who had just received their children and were in the process of completing the adoption. In one large room, all the families are spread out meeting their new children. There is lots of crying, mostly by the babies and children, but some by the mothers and fathers. It is noisy and chaotic! People yelling family names and bursts of excitement. Each time a family name would be called, their little group would hurry to the front of the 'pack' to receive their child. I was video taping some of this, not expecting our name to be called soon when we heard Rebecca yell "Green family, Jerry where are you?"

So, we rushed to the front just as the nannys from Maoming were coming out of the room where the children were kept. When I saw Lucy, tears welled up in my eyes because I knew now that God's plan was coming to fruition. After 14 months and a few weeks, our daughter was about to be placed into our hands and into our lives. Austin was manning his camera taking pictures and I was manning the camcorder trying my best to record the event. But, I did a poor job. The camera is going all over the place wildly videoing and capturing anything and everything, except Lucy. I heard them say "Jerry, Travel Approval -- where is it?" I didn't have it out yet, so I dropped the camcorder into my backpack, still recording, and fished out the TA. Then, they let us have Lucy. I imagine Connie was looking at me like "hurry up, what are you doing?"

The nanny handed Lucy to Connie and in that moment, we became a family of six! Lucy did not cry initially as some of the other babies did. She is very, very curious (Connie says nosy) and so was more interested in what everybody else was doing than crying. After a while, though, she did begin to cry. That's a good thing. It tells us that she realizes there's been a change in her circumstances and that she is not comfortable in that change. It's good because it tells us that she was attached to her nanny and to her environment, and that she'll be able to attach to us and her new family in due time. For now, we'll take every emotion she can produce and joy in it!

It was a very nosy, very chaotic, very emotionally draining day for all of the adoptive families. We all had to sit while each family spent time with the Civil Affairs office making sure the paperwork was in order for the actual adoption, which will take place tomorrow, March 6, 2012.

Please pray for Lucy and all the Maoming babies, as they all came to us with deep chest congestion, coughs, runny noses, and fevers! Every single one of them. But, that can be taken care of with a little medicine and a lot of love.

Initially, Lucy has picked Connie as her "care provider." Austin and I feel a little left out. Especially me since I met her (albeit for only a few minutes) last summer. Oh well, she'll eventually figure out that we're pretty nice guys and let us get closer to her.

Lily Grace and Lia Faith, for the most part, are bonding well with their new sister. Two things are evident though. Lia Faith is having a hard time with not being the baby anymore. We have to offer her comfort each time we say something good about Lucy Hope. Lia's cried a few times, but nothing that can't be solved with extra hugs and loving. The second thing is that Lucy Hope is so small (Connie says she's sure that Lucy is only 2 years old, not approaching 3), that Lily and Lia do not immediately reach out to her to bring her into their circle. It's as if they view her as a baby. Lily wants to hold her and carry her all the time. Lia just wants to sit beside her (close to mommy).

Lia did well when we got back to the hotel. Every now and then, she tears up. We think that's as much because of her cold and cough as it is her grieving for losing her entire environment. I can't wait to begin seeing that smile, as she figures out how much we love her and how much we will care for her.

The oddest thing asked of us in this day was "Do you promise not to abandon her?" And I thought, really. After 14 months of praying, building the Dossier, getting medical exams, fingerprints, home studies, financial reviews, traveling to the other side of the world, ... Are you kidding me?

More to come ...

Love,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, Lia Faith, and Lucy Hope

Green, Party of Six ... Finally!