Winding Down in Guangzhou

Yesterday we went to the zoo. It was a beautiful day and we had fun. We have heard some negative things about zoos in China, but we had a pretty good experience. It was cool to see the panda bear. The cutest thing was some teeny tiny piglets. Strangest thing… grasshoppers! The kids seemed to like it and it was a good way to spend the morning!

We came back to the hotel and napped and then met our group to go out for Mexican food! We had a good time and the food was amazing! Ethan and Reese both loved it! They ate nachos with beans and cheese and shared a burrito! So happy they like Mexican food! It was a good night out, it’s always fun to be with our group.

This morning was an early morning- BOO! We had to meet at 7:45 to go to the Consulate. Just like with Reagan, this part was very anti-climatic. We said an oath as a group that all of our paperwork is true and correct, blah, blah, blah. Then they called each family up one at a time to do the paperwork. Guess who as last? Yep, the Tuckers! Luckily they had a little play area for the kids and a western toilet for me! When it was our turn to go up to the window, there was a group of people standing behind the lady helping us. They explained that they were a group from the CCCWA visiting. Kind of neat to see the people who work there! Everyone acts surprised and happy that we are adopting two kids at one time. Someone made the comment today that “you saved money making one trip”. I didn’t have the heart to explain the whole thing. And it doesn’t really matter now anyway! It is what it is and we are almost at the end of this crazy and unbelievable journey.

We went back to Shamain Island to shop today to get the last of the gifts and souvenirs. Kelly only allowed an hour and twenty minutes for the group, so one of the other moms, Dana, and I decided to stay and take a taxi back. It was so much fun shopping with her! Ethan stayed with us and he did great, what a trooper he is! We took our time finding exactly what we wanted and shared our stories as we shopped. I absolutely loved hearing her story and how God led them to adopt. I think every adoptive family should write a book. Nobody’s story is the same, yet they are all so awesome. We got a taxi and loaded up our stuff, put the stroller in the trunk, and told the driver where to go. As we are driving a long chatting, we notice that the trunk popped up. Dana tried to tell the driver but he didn’t speak English and ignored her. The next thing you know we hear a terrible thud, thud, thud and we are just sure the stroller fell out and got run over. I was freaking out a little bit thinking Tim would be so mad to have to buy another stroller and that there’s no way we could make it without the stroller on the trip home. We were laughing and trying to figure out what to do. We couldn’t see enough to tell if the stroller was definitely gone, so we just had to wait until we got back to the hotel. Thank goodness it was still in the back of the trunk when we got back. It gave us a good laugh, though! Who knows what the noise we heard really was!

We are pretty much free until we leave tomorrow night. We will meet Kelly in the lobby at 5:45 so we can head to the airport to fly to Beijing (where the pollution is worse than it has ever been- yikes!). We don’t get there until really late, I think it’s 11:30. We will have to drive all that way back to the Poly Plaza hotel, where we stayed before. Then we will have to leave there early the next morning to go back to the airport to fly to Chicago. Although it will be a short stay in the hotel, it will be a bed and a shower! Grace will meet us in Beijing. I am praying that he kids will do well on these flights, that everything will be on time, and God will put patient people in our path. We know this will be a long trip, but it has to be done to get us home! We cannot wait to introduce these two to their big sisters, grandparents, relatives, and friends! I am happy with how well things have gone in China and with all the wonderful blessings that have come out of this trip. I bought myself a necklace today that has the Chinese symbol for Blessing on it. I think that sums it up nicely! I don’t know if I will blog anymore for awhile, but if you live in our area I hope I will see you at the airport. We arrive in Springfield at 6:30 on Friday night! This will be the beginning of a whole new life for Ethan and Reese and it will be the first moment that our completed family will be together… I am smiling from ear to ear and getting teary eyed just thinking about it!

  I think it is an appropriate time to give some advice… the only way to find true joy is to follow God’s plan for your life. He is speaking to each of us and will walk to path before us, all we have to do is give our lives to Him and follow His lead. An outsider looking in at our family would probably think we have every reason to doubt, be angry, be bitter… but we are blessed, especially knowing that we never gave up on God. He has been right beside us all along. He picked us up, comforted us, and blessed us. I am so thankful for our church and our small group and our dear friends who have believed in our family, who have prayed for us and supported us in so many ways. This is the story God intended and I am so glad to be a part of it! My prayer is that anyone reading this blog will find the same joy and peace in Christ that we have. It’s a gift for everyone, no matter what your circumstances, so don’t let your life pass you by without receiving it!