Hong Kong!!!

We rode a two hour train from Guangzhou to Hong Kong for our last night of this adoption journey.

It was really neat to see the country side as we made our way.

When we got to Hong Kong we were kinda surprised!!

It was a really beautiful city.

This was our fourth city on the trip but by far the most beautiful. We stayed in a hotel right on the water in the harbour. It was super nice.

We had not been swimming yet so we decided to take Olivia Grace swimming.

At first she wasnt too thrilled but she quickly began to trust us and would lay completely on her back with not an ounce of stress in her little body.

We couldn't get over the transformation in her.

It had been a little over a week since she was in an orphanage in Southern China.

A little over a week ago since she had a family, her family!!

A little over a week since these two tall white people came in and rocked her world.

Now she was in a nice swimming pool over looking the China Sea with two people who adore her.

And she looked back at them with love and trust.

The view from the room.

This is the view from the pool!! Really beautiful!!!

 

***One funny story.....Chris kept saying, "Olivia, look its water....it's agua."

He kept saying it.....I just looked at him and said you do know she is Chinese....and doesn't really know Spanish..... He said, "Duh....but would continue to throw Spanish at her""it was too cute.....lol

**Next post is first pics at airport and home!!!

 

Consulate Appointment, Shamian Island, & New Friends!!

We started the day with the US consulate appointment....this is the final step of the adoption process!!

We promised and took an oath that we would always love and protect Miss Olivia Grace Yong Wilson!!!!!

Her little red, white and blue outfit was kinda big!!

So it's a big deal to be an American?

Do you want to be a farmer?

Then we took a trip to Shamian Island. This is where all adoption families use to stay.

This is Christy and her daughter Emery!!

We ate a snack at the famous Lucy's and did a little retail therapy!!!

We have met a lot of wonderful families but have gotten to know Christy and Kevin the most. We have really enjoyed getting to know them.

I am pretty sure she is looking at her daddy here!!

We walked around and saw lots of interesting China sights!!!

This TV is right in the middle of the street!

I did not get a picture of the scorpions and snakes you could buy to eat.

I put this pic in so you could kinda feel how hot it is here....lol

***Thank you God for the life of Chris Cook. I am thankful to have known him. He has left a wonderful legacy behind. I can just see him shooting three's in heaven!!

Please pray for his family and give them strength!

 

Day 7 with Livy!!!

Yep....she is starting to know her name when we call her. But more often than not she answers to Livy!!

She looks toward us when we say, "where's mama?"..."where's Daddy?"

If I give her the photo album and say,"find Jack, find Ben, find Elisha, she can!!

We are still working on Mawmaw Maxine...lol

She prefers Chris...yep I said it and I don't like it one bit...lol.

However, I do want to point out he is the one who holds the Chinese crackers and will give her one every time she let's him know she wants one or two ..

We went to the jade and pearl market today....it was a zoo... But i got Olivia two jade pieces for when she is older...

This is us at the Garden Hotel's fancy shamancy garden!!

Chris is starting to go a little nuts...Hes now doing a little king fu!!!lol

Me and my girl!!

Then we went on a dragon boat ride, ate an authentic chinese supper, and saw the beautiful lights of the River.

We have had a wonderful time in Guangzhou so far. Tomorrow is the consulate appointment and a trip to the island.

The Pearl River lights!!!

The Dragon Boat we ate on!

This is the Chinese translation of "watch your head"

This is us before the boat ride...

 

This is the famous split pants...the children just squat and go..no diapers around these parts....

 

 

*****Prayer request: Please pray for the Cook family...especially Chris at this time!!!

Isaiah 1:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Day 5 and 6 Y'all !!!!!!

Goodbye Changsha!!!!! Hello Guangzhou!!!!

We are in the Garden Hotel!!! Do me a favor?? Google it!!!! I will try to take pics later but

I wouldn't do it justice...

If I am lucky, on my anniversary I might get go stay in a Hampton or Days Inn in maybe Asheville (again, if I'm lucky)....so I have never seen such!!! It's like royalty....

When we walked in the very first thing Chris said was "Exactly how much did this set us back"....lol

You can take the farmer out of New House but not New House out of the farmer....

So anyways....back to yesterday!!!

I can't think of a nice way to describe it....let's just say it was rough...

After sitting on the plane for 2 hours...after waiting 4 in the airport with a new baby who has never flown...the pilot came on and said "we may be able to take off soon, the typhoon has let up some"....what?? The what??

Did I mention I don't like to fly???? Let's just say Chris is an amazing man and God gave him to me for many reasons...one was yesterday to help me be strong!!! I begged him to let us get off and lets take the train...he just looked at me and said "if these tickets are paid for we are flying." lol

Olivia Grace is a trooper!!! She is amazing!!! As long as we had snacks and we acted (key word) calm and like everything was great....she was EXCELLENT!!!

Here are some pics from that!!!

This is in the airport!!! See the shirt, Lalisa? She loves it!!!

Here are some from the plane...see those eyes looking up at me asking "is everything cool mama??"

So we landed and survived and we made it to this piece of a heaven!!! (again google it).. We went straight to this restaurant called Oggies!!!! If your ever in Guangzhou, China you gotta go!!!!!!

After a week of KFC we almost cried...

Today we had Olivia Grace's routine medical appt...she did not like it...she actually reached for us, which is a first!! We get the report on Monday and our US Consulate appt. is Monday...

we are seeing a light at the end of this 15 day tunnel...

We have met some awesome families here and we are going to eat tonight together...

it is so wonderful to be a part of this incredible adoption community...here and at home..So much love and support!!

She did not care for the doctors at all.....

Daddy making it all better!!!

He can make her smile!!!

I love y'all so much!!!

Tomorrow we are off to the pearl and jade market (will see if the hubby lets me buy anything)...and to do some kind of Pearl River cruise....

 

 

 

 

Day 4 with Olivia Grace and last full day in Changsha!!!!

We started off today better than yesterday....When Miss Olivia Grace woke up she wasn't as shocked to see us. She let us get her ready without crying today.

The boys skyped with us and are thrilled when they see her.

Jackson is especially amazing....he said "Olivia, I know you don't understand me but I love you so much.". It will be interesting to see how Benjamin handles everything when we return. He has been the baby for so long....

There is so much down time here we are going a little ( ok...a lot) stir crazy....Chris is naming all of the places we will eat when we arrive home....we may go straight from the Depot to Mi Pueblitos.....can't pick just one...lol.

He would literally run to the farm if he could....I may not see him for days when we get back...

We are ready to go to the next city...Guangzhou...there are several other families that will be there that I have "met" online...I am excited about that...We are meeting for dinner....and its one step closer to bringing Olivia home...

Today we went to the Yuelu Academy...it is an important historical place....my mama would of got a kick out of it....its part of the oldest university in China...

We then went to Walmart....yep....you know it's bad when you cannot wait for a trip to a Chinese Wally world......It was just so neat and unusual to see....

First time in a buggy!!

She sucks her thumb when she gets nervous or anxious...Bless her heart!!!

She is just taking it all in....her life has changed so much in just a few short days....

Smoked whole chicken anyone??

I am surprised y'all didn't smell this from home.....

Please continue to pray for us...especially Olivia Grace....she is trying to figure this whole "family" thing out....she is having a hard time....she lets us take care of her...hold her....feed her....bathe her....play games with her....but you can tell she doesn't quite know how to love......yet!!

This is from Phyllis' day 8 devotional card.....

"The treasure of belonging to a family is a treasure indeed. Each person needs a place where he or she belongs. There is joy in belonging to a family. We can relax in a private place, whether it's a tent or a tower, a condominium, a cottage, or a castle, with people who love us as we are- A Family!!! -Arvella Schuller

Thank you God for Olivia Grace...She already brings such joy to our family!!!!

Day 3 with Olivia Grace

Today has been more difficult .....I am aching for my boys....I have cried several times today thinking about them and how much I wish I was with them.....then I look at Olivia Grace and I put my big girl panties on and thank God for this time with my daughter...learning each other ....loving each other !!!!

Last night we were determined to have "western food" so we walked 25 minutes along the streets of Changsha to try to find a McDonald's, KFC, or Pizza Hut....sad I know...but it may be a long long time before I am able to go to Chens (chinese place i adore at home) to eat...lol

We found a pizza hut and finally communicated our order and received the best tasting pizza we had eaten in a long time!!

Today we went to an embroidering place..Changsha and the Hunan province are known for its embroidering..it was very interesting and we saw some beautiful things...we bought Olivia Grace something to have in her room!!

I find myself in constant speech therapy mode....Olivia has yet to make a sound...she has a cleft palate and I was expecting this to some degree but I want her to babble, coo, something...I will try some techniques and attempts to get her to make sounds...then I pull back and realize we are still in the learning to trust stage..i take off my SLP hat and put on my new mommy hat!!

She does seem not as sad today...more smiles....not as nervous.....

Continue to pray for us....love to you all!!