One Step Closer to Home

We are winding down our last full day in Guangzhou. Cue the Hallelujah chorus. Actually, we have loved this beautiful city. The weather has been perfect, the locals are very friendly, and the flowers and trees are in full bloom, despite the fact that it is winter here. We are just ready.to.be.home.

After we receive Thomas's U.S. visa tomorrow, we'll take a train to Hong Kong, spend the night, and then fly home! I miss the Littlest Hall so much. And my bed. But mainly, I'm ready for all the Hall birds to be back in the Arkansas nest.

I expect the transition will be challenging at times. The two littles are both very strong-willed. They will also be roommates. I'm hoping their shared experience as little boys will bridge the language and culture gap. Because of Thomas's vision issues, I don't expect sports to be the magnet for him that they are for Everett.....so I'm eager to see what interests draw them together.

One thing I have discovered that they have in common is smarts. (It's true - Everett's no dumb jock.) Thomas gets it. This afternoon we were working on letters and words. I wrote his first and last name and asked him (in English)to copy. He did - three times. With his trademark airplane drawings. Then I wrote little brother's first and last names. My plan was to explain that he and his brothers have the same last name. Um, no explanation needed. He copied Everett's name and before I could ask, he wrote Fletcher's name - including last. We still have work to do on oral language acquisition, but I am no longer concerned that he'll be ready for Kindergarten in the fall!

View from the hotel's restaurant where we eat breakfast each morning.

Kid can put away some food.

First puzzle together

Genius

Retirees in a Guangzhou park doing Tai Chi

Fletcher joined in the hacky sack action at the park.

Highlight of the day - taking the oath at the American Consulate. No pictures allowed inside, but it's official: Jude Thomas Xiayu Hall is recognized as our son by the U.S. government.

Same Planet....Different Worlds

We are on Day 6 of our Asian Adventure, and I feel compelled to share a few things I have learned since we arrived....

...don't assume that because the wipes package says "flushable," the wipes are actually flushable in a Chinese hotel bathroom.

...when you call down to the front desk, even if the person who answers speaks no English, if you say the word "toilet," a gentleman with a plunger will arrive at your door in less than 2 minutes.

...a six year old boy is completely uninterested in seeing the Eighth Wonder of the World  - located in his hometown - when older brother's ipod is available and has fun games to play.

...Chinese markets sell cute little packages of Oreos in flavors not available in the U.S.

...everything in a Chinese market has to be weighed and labeled before you check out. Including the cute little packages of Oreos.

...a certain six year old Chinese boy will eat anything that does not eat him first.

...boys, regardless of their background, like to build forts with pillows.

Three men I love

The Terracotta Warriors...AMAZING.

Some of the 9,000 soldiers

Fletcher the archer

Donkey meat. Requested - and eaten - by the newest Hall. No kidding.

Adventures in Xi'an

While we wait for Thomas's passport to be issued, our agency arranged forus to go on several tours in and around Xi'an. Confession: when I learned that the agency does this for families, my first thought was, "no thanks, I'm here to get my kid, not be a tourist." Very short-sighted of me. We have had a great time seeing Thomas's birthplace. Today we saw the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a Buddhist temple built during the 7th century. We also walked along the Xi'an City Wall. ("It's their version of the Big Dam Bridge." - Mike). Also learned that I was born in the Year of the Pig according to the Chinese Zodiac. Nice. Thomas seemed very pleased that he and Daddy share the same sign - they were both born in the Year of the Dog. Definitely preferable to the pig. We walked through the Muslim market to the Bell Tower and Drum Tower. I'm sure we were quite a sight - three light-skinned Americans, our little Chinese son, and our Chinese tourguide - but we bought food from the merchants and soaked it all in as we walked.



I'm feeling very thankful for our wonderful bi-lingual guides. Fletcher's asthma has been a problem since we arrived in Beijing and made worse by a cold. We have had to buy medicine from pharmacies in both Beijing and Xi'an - not an easy thing for a certain very cautious American doctor to do for his son. Thankfully, big brother is on the mend. Mike and I are so incredibly proud of him. Despite not feeling well, he has been a tremendous help with Thomas, and he has taken in the experiences everywhere we have toured. He's even tried a few new foods. Seeing his new little brother eat anything set before him hasn't hurt.

Kid has serious fine motor skills

Hammin it up

Enjoying local foods with our guide Genna and her friend

Checking out Buddha

Looking at Xi'an from the hotel room





Gotcha Thomas!!

The newest Hall is on board! At the end of a very long day, we met our son at the Civil Affairs Office in Xi'an, China. I'm pretty sure that half of northern China was running us off the road sharing the road with us between the airport and our hotel and again on the way to meet Thomas. NYC has nothing on Beijing and Xi'an - trying to get around in a country of 1.3 billion people is a free for all.

We're pretty sure that Thomas is a genius. Before we had arrived back at the hotel, he had figured out how to play Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, and Air Penguin on the ipad. Fletcher took the opportunity to teach him the names of different fruits and colors as they played. Thomas definietly likes his big brother. He is also strong-willed. Just like everyone else in the Hall house.

Thank you for your prayers. God is so very good. Please continue to pray for us all as we navigate through this transition.

Looks like we have another Daddy's boy.

Taking pictures with Daddy

Love this boy!

Probably the first pizza he's ever eaten. Didn't miss a beat.

Bathroom sign at the airport. Love the girl.

T-minus 12 Hours!!

We are leaving TOMORROW!! We are leaving a family of four and returning a family of five. This is every Christmas of my life rolled into one. The anticipation. The wonder. The excitement. And the gift. Oh, the gift! Thank you God, for trusting me to be Mommy to this precious boy. Thank you for saving his life, nurturing and protecting him, and now....creating a new family.

Please pray for us, my friends. Please pray for safe travels and good health for us all. Please pray for my mother and my big sis Kelly - they will be "tag-teaming" Everett's care. Not an easy task. I owe them both BIG. Especially Kelly, because she is giving up her Spring Break to care for my precious little hoodlum.

Please pray for Thomas. I've tried to imagine what will be going through his mind when he sees us for the first time, and when he realizes he's leaving all that he has ever known to move to the other side of the world with people he has just met. Overwhelming, I'd say.  Please pray that we remember some of the Chinese we have learned (it's all running together in my mind right now). And please continue to pray - these are big steps on the journey, but we are really just beginning.

Love to you all....and, as promised....here are pictures of the Little Halls' room.

New Pictures of Thomas

We received new pictures and updated information on our precious boy. He's beautiful. And according to the report, he loves to write, draw, dance, and sing. Oh, sweet boy, maybe you can teach your mama some some of that!

We're leaving in two weeks!!

We are leaving for China in two weeks! As I turned the page on the calendar (I'm old school - I have a paper calendar on the fridge), I just smiled. We are bringing him home this month. We've been talking in terms of sometime next year, or in ___ months for so long, that I can hardly believe we are celebrating the arrival of our precious boy this month.

I packed Thomas's bag more than a month ago. Hey - I had to make sure my rolling-the-clothes-and-stuffing-them-in-plasic-bags plan worked. It did. Thank you to the travel genius who suggested that! Now I just need to unleash that plan on Mike, Fletcher, and myself. Since we don't have a month's supply of clean underwear, I guess I'll wait a little longer to pack our bags.

Coming soon: pictures of the little boys' room. Stay tuned!