When There Is Room in Your Heart, There Is Always Room in Your Home!: First Full Day in Guangzhou

Hello again everyone!!!!

We arrived in Guangzhou last night and yesterday was basically a very long travel day!!!

Honestly, I am not sure how parents who travel with their little ones to adopt more little ones do it!!!! This traveling in Country is exhausting!!!!

So many lines and so much waiting.... Waiting for buses, waiting in lines at the airports, waiting for flights, waiting to check in, waiting to check out, waiting for food, waiting for appointments!!!! I am Not complaining.... Just lots of waiting!!!! It is very tiring for really little babies and kids.... Which makes for really frustrated mommies and daddies!!! This morning at breakfast at our Hotel.... I saw lots of really frustrated moms and dads trying to care for their Brand New Adopted little ones, and all of their little ones that they brought with them too..... :(

I know that many families don't want to be away from their little children for 2 weeks, and that they want to experience their adoptions Together as a family..... However..... Many of the new little ones being adopted from China these days have special needs.... These precious little ones could really use some one on one attention from their new parents.... It may be the only time in their whole

little lives that they get to have one on one with mommy and daddy!!!!

Just something to think about and consider if you are preparing to travel here to adopt:):):)

I did not set out to write about this tonight ( but really felt led to express my sadness over what I saw today:( ...... and obviously we do have our girls with us on this trip:):):)

But they are older and helping and have been a huge Blessing to us and to Benjamin:):):)

So, I guess it is an individual decision each family has to make.... But just so you know.... The trip is difficult and many times your new child needs all of your attention.... Especially the little itty-bitty ones coming from orphanages that have given little or minimum care to the child:(

Ok.... I wrote about it Lord!!!

Maybe someone will read it and it will help them to decide whether to bring or not bring their little ones along on their Adoption Journey to China... Or any Country for that matter:):):)

Just as info.... It was just Mark and I who traveled for each one of our girls.... Precious individual time with each one of them that we will cherish always and forever:):):)

We took Abbie with us for Sam's adoption and she was so excited to go and was an Amazing Help to us:):):) She was 11 1/2 yrs old when we traveled for Sam and Definately mature enough for the trip:):):)

This time ( traveling for Ben's adoption, age 6 ) we have Abbie and Becca with us and we have loved having them both here to help and to bond with their new little brother:):):) Abbie is 13yrs. old and Becca is almost 11yrs. old:)

So you see.... We have done it both ways, I just think a lot depends on the age of your children that you are thinking about taking with you ( also are your kids little and high maintenance ) and the age and special need of the child that you are adopting:):):)

One thing that I do believe more than anything is that when we ask God what we should do and who we should take.... He will show us, and be Faithful to provide for us and protect us along the way.....wherever your journey might take you:):):)

Now...... what a long Post and you still don't know how our day was!!!!

Basically we waited a lot, traveled safely ( thank You Lord ) to Guangzhou and settled into our new Hotel

( The China Hotel ( Marriott:):):):)

It is a Beautiful Hotel and we will be here for 5 nights before we head to Hong Kong next Wednesday:):):)

We still have quite a bit of paperwork that needs to be completed here in Guangzhou first though... Please be praying that the rest of the adoption paperwork goes smoothly and comes together perfectly in God's timing:):):)

There are many many adoptive families staying here from all over the USA and from other countries:):):)

It is So Wonderful to see so many of Gods little Lambs being adopted!!!!

Every time we come, I am amazed and astounded to hear so many Miraculous Adoption Stories and SEE with our own eyes HIS orchestration of so many details to bring together these little ones with their New Forever Families!!!!!

Our Benjamin is a GEM and he is warming up to us more and more every day:):):) ❤❤❤

Thank You for continuing to Pray!!!!!

We are grateful Lord God that we get to be his New Mommy and Daddy:):):)

Thank You for choosing us, strengthening us and HELPING US!!!!

Thanks Again Everyone for praying and hanging in there with us.... We love you all:):):)

Goodnight:)

We woke up yesterday and had most of the morning to get all of our things packed and ready to go to the airport by 2:00 pm.

Since we don't travel anywhere light, and we have done some shopping.... It was quite the task trying to move everything from suitcase to suitcase to meet the weight requirements for In Country travel in China!

In the USA you are allowed 50lbs. Per suitcase, but in China the weight limit is 44lbs. :(

Our Advice is Pack Light if you can!!!!

I seem to struggle with packing light... So hopefully if you are planning an Adoption Journey..... Do as I say.... Not as I DO!!!!! :)

I have tried and tried and tried to pack light.... It is just NOT in my DNA because I need to be prepared for anything and everything while out of the country!!!!