Day Fourteen Til Now

I'm back! Sorry to leave you hanging for the last week but I have literally been in survival mode😯😴😴😴😴! Things are just wonderful, but let me pick up where I left off. On Wednesday we had to go to the US consulate to apply for Logan's visa. We were one of four families from our group left to do this. The others had their appointments on Tuesday. Th consulate was located close to the building where we had to go to for the medical exams. I don't know what I was expecting, but it definitely included more pomp and circumstance than the simplicitic steps we took. There were hundreds of people waiting in line and crowded around the building. You aren't allowed to carry anything in. No cell phones, cameras, purses, etc. Our guide told us that many of the people were trying to get paid to hold people's belongings while they went in. Talk about crazy! Anyway, we were able to take a separate line which was much shorter. We only waited about ten minutes before being allowed to enter. Once inside we were asked to take a number. Each of us was called up to present our paperwork. When all of our paperwork was submitted the one and only authentic US worker came to the window and asked to stand fur the swearing in ceremony. I honestly don't remember a thing we said. I was too busy wondering why she couldn't come out from behind the window and make this big step more personal. Oh well, the government.. Need I say more? Normally visas aren't ready until the following day. Most families depart the following day after receiving visas. Well, to our surprise our visas were processed the same. It had something to do with the Fourth of July. Now this should have been great news. What it actually meant was we were stuck in China for a day with nothing to expect or do. We had our visa, our last piece of the great paper chase. Needless to say Thursday was a hard day. By this point we were soooo homesick. Basically we spent the day in the hotel. We wondered next door to a mall for a few souvenirs and across the street to The Coffee House, an Australian restaraunt that served western type food. We intended to swim but never got around to it. We packed and napped and watched the World Cup in Chinese, Wimbleton, the BBC, and somehow made it through the day. The big news for the day was an email we received from United Air stating that our flight had been cancelled. What?? Yes, we panicked. I believe Craig would have swam home at that point if he could have. We called our guides who gallantly saved the day. I was never too worried because every little step of the journey happened within God's perfect timing. Raymond got on the phone and was able to get us a new flight which left only ten minutes later than the original one. The bad part was that it was not direct  like the original. It added several hours and two lay overs but at least we were headed home.
On Friday July Fourth I woke up at 4 am. I showered then finished packing and gad our bags waiting for the bellboys by 5:30. We went downstairs to meet Raymond and Jocelyn and say our goodbyes. They put us in a nice van bound for Hong Kong. So for a bit over two hours we headed to HK. The drive was beautiful-very enjoyable. We saw miles and miles of port areas, then beautiful mountains. We had to stop at the HK border and present our passports again. At that point it was like entering a new country, not a new city. We were amazed that they drive European style! The HK airport was enormous but very nice and very clean. We had over an hour to wait so we found a okay area for Logan Grace. She loved being able to crawl and stretch. We boarded our flight onto a very large plane. It was a double decker. I later found out it carried 600 people. After we were seated another family from our group sat down in front of us. We had no idea. It was kind of funny. Their little guy didn't name a peep while Logan cried for 5 1/2 hours straight and then some. It was stressful and miserable and exhausting. This was the equivalent of labor in a biological birth. It was definitely the very worst and most difficult part of the trip.  Twelve plus hours we traveled before hitting US soil. We landed in San Francisco. We headed for immigration which we dreaded. Many people had told us to expect long waits. Some families have even missed flights because of the wait. But like so many other parts of the trip God showed up big time. We were through the line and within ten minutes Logan a Grace became a US citizen! What a great way to celebrate the Fourth of July. She may never get how different her life could have been living in a communist country, but we will never forget all that we saw and learned from China.  After another layover we boarded a plane for Houston. I think it was around four hours. LG slept a little and fussed a lot. She was so over travel by this point. We were excited to land in Houston an hour early only to be disappointed to spend an extra hour on the Tarmac due to heavy rain. Around 8:00 pm we took off for Nashville. LG slept most of the way. This flight was much shorter- only two hours. At this point we were exhausted. Our total travel time was around thirty hours. Craig had only slept about eight hours in three days. I felt so bad for him. When the pilot announced twenty minutes until landing we were soon able to see fireworks from the plane. It was pretty neat. It was close to ten when we arrived in a Nashville. We practically ran off the plane.   We made the short trek through a very diserted airport pass the secure area to see the best sight I the world. Our little welcome home party was clapping and squealing and smiling. I will never forget they moment. Ever. Our kiddos were as excited to see us as we were them. It was that moment when we became a family of six!🙏💓😍😍. Also to greet us were our parents and Craig's sister, Kerri, my Nanny Bowman and three of the best friends a girl could ask for. This blessed my socks off! Love you, girls! After a few pics and hugs we grabbed our luggage and headed home.
The kids talked nonstop all the way home. Isaac must have kissed me and told me he missed me at least one hundred times. Craig talked nonstop to his dad, too. Funny! Logan took this dull in stride. I think she loved her siblings from the moment she saw them. I can't describe how wonderful home looked and felt. The kids whith help from some special friends decked out the yard with signs and balloons. At this point we were living off of adrenaline and didn't crash until 2:00 am!
Jet lag had been horrible! Our nights send days have been so confused! But each day gets better. Logan takes pretty much evrything in stride. She is such a pleasant little thing. The siblings already have her spoiled. I think she will walk soon if they will ever put her down. She loves for them to walk  while holding her. If they set her down she wines, then they pick her up. Rotten, I say. She got a good report from her check up. She eats anything and ecpxpects to eat whenever anyone else does. We are having a ball just watching her learn and experience new things. We are amazed at how fast she is changing and at how her little life has changed in just three weeks. She has already brought us so much joy. We are truly blessed.
Thank you for your interst in our new Story. I will continue to blog when I can. Please check back from time to time. Continue to pray for LG as she adjusts to her new life. School will be starting soon and she will be staying in a home are setting. This will be another transition for her.
Tammy

Day Thirteen

As usual I am a day behind. The internet is so spotty and you have to blog when it's working. It was a pretty good day. We toured the pearl market which was fun. Apparently it was a wholesale type place in a three story mall which consisted of only jewelry stores. Later is was back to hotel and a nap. Then our grouped walked down the street to a Cantonese restaraunt. It was delicious. Maybe one of our best meals so far. We had curry chicken, some kind of pork, rice, steamedor grilled cauliflower and green beans. On the walk back we decided to try a nearby park with another family. Despite having slight difficulties getting in it was nice once we did. It was a definite oasis from the hectic pace of the city. The only problem was the intense humidity. We found our way back and then to  seven eleven for water.  

Day Twelve

Yesterday was medical examine day. All of the families were really dreading this day. I think we were all pleasantly surprised though. It went smooth for most. We had to take visa pics for the babies then to three different stations to get a general check up. I think it was pretty much a formality. There was nothing to it. Afterwards we came back to the hotel and hailed a cab for a big grocery store across town for formula. That was an adventure! The store was three levels underground and was like a a Target....sort of. We communicated by pulling out things from the diaper bag and pointing. The workers caught on real quick and  sent us in the right direction. We had to hail a cab again, but not as easy as at the hotel. We snacked for lunch . Logan took a long nap then it was time for the Pearl River cruise. This was a highlight of the trip for me. I love being on the water anywhere. The Papa Johns and beautiful city skyline lit up was a bonus. I also had an enjoyable conversation with a young med student. She was smitten with Logan Grace and we talked and talked. You can learn so much about the culture if you can talk with locals. Logan loved the boat and behaved very well. We were beat when we got back to the hotel. She is a bundle of energy...a perpetual motion machine, bot oh so sweet. She has brought Craig and I so much joy already. I can't wait to share that joy with our family and friends. We are in love! Three more days, guys! Missing all things American🇺🇸😊.

Days Ten and Eleven

Day a Ten/Guangzhou
Our Saturday was a travel day to GZ where we will apply for Logan's Visa. Everyone in China who wishes to exit the country must travel to GZ fir their visa. Our flight was less than two hours and went very well. Logan Grace slept about thirty minutes. When she woke up she took turns between Craig and myself. She also enjoyed looking at the clouds and the wing of the plane. I wasn't prepared for the humidity in GZ. We were literally soaked in the few minutes it took us to get from the airport to our bus. We are at a Marriott called China Hotel...creative name. I personally don't like the room as well as the two before but the hotel is much larger with better amenities. The city itself is totally different than in the two previous. We are in a different province further south. The air is cleaner and you can see the sky.  We spent the afternoon and evening resting and then had dinner with a family from Greenbrier, TN.

Day Eleven/Touring
Today we toured. We started at a Buddhist temple. It was very pretty and serene, but dark at the same time. There were people that had come to burn incense and give offerings to their gods. One lady got irate with our guides for allowing us to take pictures of the Buddha god statues. Apparently this was sacrilege. I couldn't help but think how sad it was that all their efforts were in vain and how much hope they could have if they knew our God. I was glad to leave.
Next we toured the Chen House which was an arts and crafts museum type place. Had it not been two million degrees I would have really enjoyed it. Their craftsmanship is amazing. The silk embroidery was not only amazing but unbelievable. I thought of all my grandmothers. They would have so appreciated the detail and beauty.
Our next stop was some sort of arts and crafts market that was a little pricy in my mind. We didn't buy anything here. By this point we were beyond worn out from wrestling baby bear in the extreme heat and humidity. We were all ready to get back. The bus ride was wild, the noisiest by far. Babies were having one meltdown after another. Baby bear did great, just wiggly.
The best part of the day was when my wonderful hubby walked to the Golden Arches and brought us quarter pounders and fries....amazing. I will never take McDonalds for granted again😊. Even better than burgers and fries wAs the Dove Chocolate bar he surprised me with. I love that guy!
Next on the agenda was napping and getting our paperwork ready for Logan's visa. We are thinking we may try the pool later. Prayers appreciated tomorrow. We go for her medical exam....this should be interesting. Keep cool for us!
Tammy

Day Nine

The Longest Day- Today has been the toughest by far. There was nothing on our agenda and little miss wasn't feeling the greatest which made her whiny and clingy. After breakfast we had to venture out to Wal Mart again. I was very nervous but the traffic wasn't hardly as bad as it was when we went in the evening. We were told we could take a taxi for $30. We chose the lesser of two evils and walked. Man was it hot and humid. We had to change shirts when we got back because they were so wet. I could have stayed longer and just looked around. It is very interesting. It is a three story building. Electronics on the bottom, groceries in the middle, and clothes, toys, and household on top. I don't think I will forget the smell....ever. It smelled like a mixture of over ripened fruit mixed with fish and raw meat. Yuck! Anyway, we found Logan' s formula and bought her a few toys. Craig through some Snicker bars and Pepsi in the cart as well.
Logan seemed to feel a little better after a long afternoon nap. Her new thing today was to walk the halls. She kept going to the door and looking back so I took her out and held her hands while she practiced walking. She felt so big. She would look up at me and grin from ear to ear. The fist time I let her lead, and she took us all the way to the elevator. She must be as sick of this room as we are. Later we were sitting in the floor and she took three steps to Craig by herself. I have been packing up because we leave bright and early for the next destination. Please pray for safe travels for us. By the way, I gave the guides the bibs we collected at VBS. They were amazed and excited!
More tomorrow!

Day Eight

Yesterday was a great day for bonding. Logan Grace showed us a little more personality. It is funny how you see little layers of who she really is each day. It reminds me of a flower that is budding. Every day the flower opens a little more until eventually you have the beautiful creation that God intended. We played on the bed for hours. She would go from me to Craig. She giggled and rolled and tumbled.  She was so happy. Around 9:30 we went with the group to a history museum. We were so ready to be out of the hotel for a few hours. Logan slept in the Ergo most of the trip. When we came back we were a little tired so we skipped lunch and just rested. When it was time for supper we had our usual Mamma Mias. I may never want pizza again... Lol! We could venture out but we have not gotten ill like some who have been more adventurous so we are sticking with pizza and pasta for one more day. Today, our Friday, is our last day in Zhengzhou. We then fly to Gaunzhou (spelling?). We are getting closer to home each day. I am so ready to see my kiddos at home. Not sure what we will get into day. Blog it to you later.
Tammy

More cuteness

I am being fussed on for not posting enough pictures for home. Some of these are on Instagram or Facebook but I know some of you don't have either. So here ya go.....