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I have been wanting to write an update for awhile, but haven't been able to. I'm not sure if life with 6 is that much busier or different except for all of Bethany's tantrums. But then 6 also seems like wow, oh my goodness! It is busy with trying to potty train Joshua and Bethany and put out lots of "fires". The language barrier is hard, but she is understanding some things. She still rattles off quite a bit in Mandarin. It took me a good week to get over the jet lag. We are so thankful that meals were brought to us that first week home, it was SO helpful! It took Bethany a couple of weeks to not scream at bedtime and she is sleeping all night which is wonderful. She has learned to tell people NO and throws a fit anytime she can't have or do what she wants. All the kids usually get along ok. Its hard for all of them to understand and why Bethany doesn't understand what they are saying. Rod is off for one more week. It will be busier for me when he goes back to work. We have made it to church the last two Sundays and Bethany has done pretty well. The first Sunday she seemed very overwhelmed. We have been sticking close to home for the most part so that is helping her to attach to us. I had been seeing that she was willing to go to people she didn't know. We will still have to watch that. Bethany has an appt. with the cardiologist on the 7th, so we are anxious to make sure everything is ok with her heart. We are also waiting for an appt. with an orthopedic dr. because she isn't walking normally. Its hard to imagine all Bethany is thinking and feeling. And all that she has been through in her short life. We are so thankful for a nice photo album and DVD from her orphanage and a letter from her birth parents, which is extremely rare for China. We thank you for your prayers and support, keep them coming!!!

Adoption paperwork DONE!

We had our US consulate appt this morning and will get our immigration paperwork in the morning. Feels SO good to be done with the adoption process, especially since we have been in it for 5 years!!! We have added 4 kids to our family in the last 4 years! NOW I'm going to Hawaii! (HA, I wish!) We are thankful to be done and ready to come home! We miss everyone back home. Although it is sad that we are taking Bethany out of her birth country. We hope to bring the kids back someday... Yesterday we were able to visit a beautiful park and museum near our hotel. Austin loved it because the the canons from the 1800s and the bunkers/tunnels from WW 2. He wants to go back today! Last night we went to another Chinese restaurant, also different from the others. It was good. Tonight we are going back to the first restaurant we went to, which is our favorite. Today we need to start packing up because we leave to go to Hong Kong in a van tomorrow afternoon. WE then spend the night in Hong Kong and fly out 4 min. later than the time we will arrive to Fresno. Yeah, figure that out!!! It is 15 hours ahead here. Needless to say the jet lag coming back is MUCH worse! We are thankful that Rod doesn't have to go back to work until May 3rd. We will be sticking close to home. Bethany is doing pretty good. She prefers me over Rod. She can pitch a fit when she is told to do something or doesn't get what she wants. She is also friendly with everyone and anyone who will pay attention to her. So even though most people think that is a good thing, its really not as she needs to learn to attach to us first. So please understand that if we pull her away and need to have her constantly with us for awhile. Please pray for our travels and LONG flight home! Pray that we can get through immigration quickly in SF as we only have two hours before our flight to Fresno leaves. Pray for everyone's transition at home as EVERYONE will need and want lots of attention!

Easter

Last night we went as a group to a restaurant we had never been to. The food was very different, it was Manchurian. Austin didn't really like it at all, so had to get him Mcdonalds and we also got ice cream. Doesn't quite feel like Easter here without going to church and celebrating with family and being so far away. But God did minister to me! We went shopping on Shamian island as a group today. One of my favorite stores was closed. So glad I got a few things from it the other day! So I was done shopping and had sent Rod and Austin across the street to the pet market where they could see some cool things. You will have to check out Austin's blog austinchinatrip.blogspot.com to see a video and hear about it. We also had many college students stop us and want to practice their English for a class project, that was fun! So I walked over to a Christian church on the island that we had visited when we were here with Caleb 4 years ago. The island was very busy today with it being a Sunday and also all weekend has been a Chinese holiday. There were many people walking by and just standing outside the church and they had speakers out side. I went closer to take a picture of the stained glass cross and then saw there were also set up for communion. I just posted a pic on FB. How cool is that?! Totally blessed my heart. Then I started hearing the speaker in English! So I got a few minutes of Easter! :)They were also passing out gospel tracts! I was surprised at that and asked out guide about it. But like I already knew, there is much more religous freedom in China today, but as long as you are registered with the government and follow their rules. There are still thousands of people without Bibles and still so many in the outskirts of big cities who have not heard the gospel. But today if they were in or near that church they heard the name of Jesus! Praise God for that!!! We then met for lunch, had American food. We miss our other kids tons!!! it is getting harder with each day and I know it is hard on them! Please pray for us, them and those caring for them!! Bethany is doing pretty good. She is still generally happy, but certainly knows how to throw a fit and always laughs when we tell her no, even after our guide talked to her about it. She will learn... It is very, very humid here, more than the other times we have been here and we are here about a week earlier. Tomorrow is now a holiday for the US consulate so our appt. is Tues morning. We then ride a bus to Hong Kong, spend the night and fly out in the morning. Begin praying for our travel and our adjustment at home! We appreciate your thoughts and prayers!

Update

Having internet trouble here so I havent been able to post or be on FB the last couple of days. We are enjoying being with the families from our group. One family went to Wuhan where Caleb is from and they named their son Caleb! SO cool! Reminds us of our first journey here 4 years ago. Yesterday two other ladies and I and our kids were wanting an adventure and headed to Shamian island in a taxi. It took us forever to find the two stores we wanted to and took us over an hour to hail a cab to get back to the hotel. Rods texts weren't getting through to me! It was crazy! But we finally made it back. This morning we went to the zoo. It is a very nice zoo. There was a panda there. Bethany really enjoyed seeing the animals. But we all tired out quickly as it is VERY humid here. This afternoon we are resting and going over paperwork for our visa appt which will happen on Tues. Bethany is doing really well overall. She prefers me more the last couple of days and wouldn't let Rod give her a bath. She cries at times but it seems like its just when she doesn't want to do something. We are really missing our kids back home. So thankful for those caring for them. Its going to be a long few more days. But trying to enjoy our time here. Thank you for your prayers!

We made it to Guangzhou...barely

Yesterday before we left Shanghai we went to the Bund again and then to the Temple of the gods market. It was a HUGE marketplace! I don't know if its because this is my third time in China, but most of the stores seemed to have the same things and I wasn't that impressed, except with the size of the market and the traditional Chinese architecture. The dumpling place we ate at in Shanghai was great! Then we went back to the hotel quickly to check out, then off to the airport. We started boarding a bit late. Then we sat in the plane for TWO hours because a thick fog/clouds/smog rolled in and all planes were grounded. I was afraid we would be spending the night in the airport and that we would miss our medical clinic appt. this morning and have to stay in China longer! We prayed and after it got dark we were able to fly out. But it was a rough ride! We got in late but still ran next door to our hotel and got some Mcdonalds. (The ONLY time I ever eat or step foot inside a Mcdonalds is in China1!!) We slept good then got up to a huge breakfast buffet. Austin was very impressed. It is 5 times as big as any buffet you have ever seen! Austin is going to post a video of it on his blog. After breakfast we went to the medical clinic. It was so good to see Shiayn again. She is our adoption agency's facilitator here in China. She has been with us with each of our adoptions. She said "I thought you guys were done with the last one!" :) The medical exam went ok except when they had to draw blood for the tb test and wouldn't let us go in the room with Bethany. Praying those results are negative of course! She does seem to be getting a cold. Please pray for health for all of us!!! This afternoon we rested and then Austin and I went to a nearby shop and walked around. Later we met as a group to go to dinner. There are 12 families in our group. It is so fun to meet everyone and here about their children. 12 children no longer orphans!!! We went to a Chinese restaurant that we had been to last time we were here. SO good! This evening we are going to bed early since last night we were up til midnight. Tomorrow we are going to a supermarket to buy water and anything else we need. The group is going to a folk art museum but a new friend and I are going to take a taxi with our two little ones to Shamian island to go shopping. She has also adopted from China before so we have both been to that museum. Missing our kids at home! So thankful for those caring for them!!! Thank you for your prayers!

Its official, we have 6 kids!

Hard to believe we have 6 kids now!! So today we made the adoption official as far as China is concerned. We spent the morning signing papers, then went to a notary office. At the notary office we were handed a letter written by one of her birth parents. I could barely write through my tears as it was being translated. I hope and pray this will be precious to Bethany one day and help give her some understanding. We also got her twin sister's birth name which is precious to know. I haven't fully processed or grieved all of this yet. So our daughter's full name is Bethany Grace Jiang Lan. Jiang Lan was her birth name, but in the orphanage they called her Lufen. So you may hear us still calling her that for a bit after we get home. I don't think I have shared publicly that she had a twin sister who died in Jan. 2013. They were both born with TOF, a serious but correctable heart condition. By the time their birth parents left them in the hospital at 9 mos. old, they were weak and sick. So the orphanage was waiting for them to get stronger before they had surgery. Bethany had surgery one year ago. We did know most of this story when we were matched with Bethany, but had no idea her birth parents had written a letter. After we were done with paperwork around noon, my new friend Carolyn ( a fellow Bethany adoptive family) and I decided the guys could take the kids back to the hotel for naps and she and I were dropped of at a HUGE shopping area. We also enjoyed wontons in broth and spring rolls for lunch. We spent some time in a pearl market which was amazing. It took us 20 min or more to hail a taxi but we did make it back to our hotel. This evening our family walked a few miles back to the Bund to have Subway and ice cream for dinner. It is neat to be out and about and experiencing the culture. Bethany did not care for the sandwich but enjoyed the ice cream. She is still very happy with lots of giggles. Today at one of the offices it was neat to see her sing and do hand motions to a couple of songs she had learned in preschool, with one of the workers from the orphanage. And to have our translator ask her questions about does she know she is going home with us, and that she talked to her brothers and sisters back home this morning. Tomorrow morning we get to do a city bus tour, do some shopping and then have a traditional dumpling lunch. Shanghai is famous for dumplings. Looking forward to that! Then in the afternoon we go to the airport to fly to Guangzhou. While there Bethany will have to do a medical exam and TB test. She has to pass these before she can come to the US. We will get to do some sightseeing and shopping. The last step will be the US consulate appoint on April 7th, where they check all adoption paperwork and grant a US visa, so that when we touch down see will be a US citizen. The next day we drive to Hong Kong then fly out the next morning. So we still have a ways to go! It will get harder each day to be away from our other children. So thankful for those that are caring for them!!!

First day in Shanghai

We had a good, relaxing day yesterday. We got to video chat with our kids at home. Hard to be so far away from them. So thankful they are doing ok so far. We had a good breakfast in the hotel, yummy fried rice and steamed buns, along with American food. We then ventured out about three miles to the Bund, a beautiful walkway next to the river. Saw cruise ships, barges, yachts. I loved the beautiful European buildings. Shanghai is much different than any other city we have been in in China. We enjoyed a frappachino at Starbucks. Rod and Austin were even asked to have their picture taken with some people. This city is very touristy as we have seen/heard different nationalities and languages. We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon then went to dinner at a restaurant next to the hotel. There are not really any other restaurants close by, but hoping to venture out tonight if Bethany is doing ok. We met our fellow Bethany family yesterday afternoon. They have their 6 year old son with them and are adopting a 23 month old little boy. Makes me think of Caleb who is almost 6 and who was 23 mos old when we brought him home from China 4 years ago! So today is Bethany's Gotcha Day! Its hard to believe we will have six children! Never would have thought or planed for that, and that we would be here in China for the third time. We are getting ready to go down and eat breakfast then be on our way. So prayers the next few hours would be wonderful!

On our way!

Ok, SO it has been almost two years since I have been on here! I would like blog more but not sure if its worth my time if no one reads it. And life with toddlers to teenagers is just busy!!! So yes, Noelle has been home almost two years now. We took last year "off" from going to China :) Hard to believe we are on this journey again! We have a few hour layover in LA, preparing for our 14 hour flight to Shanghai. Rod went to Shanghai in 1988, (yes he is old!) to run with his school. That began his love affair with China. He has always wanted to go back. The last two times we have been to China we just didn't have the time or money to go to Shanghai. So during the paperwork journey I just thought I would pray that our new daughter could just "happen" to be from Shanghai. And she is! We are very excited to spend a few days in this great city! Sunday have have free so we are hoping to explore a bit. We will be staying on the Bund, so you can look that up and see the area we will be staying. This time Austin, our almost 15 year old son is joining us. He has a blog also which is austinchinatrip.blogspot.com Naomi really wanted to go again, hopefully someday! It is hard to leave 4 kids behind! Especially pray for our little ones as we are away for two weeks, and for those caring for them! Our new daughter is 4, she will be 5 the end of August. She had heart surgery almost a year ago for TOF. They have told us she is no longer on any medication and this condition doesn't usually require more surgeries, sometimes a repair as a young adult. Her name is Bethany Grace Jiang Lan. I don't think I have totally wrapped my mind around that I will have 4 kids age 6 and under! Please pray for health and rest, I only slept about two hours last night, for us and for our kids and caregivers at home. Pray that God continues to prepare Bethany's heart for us when we pick her up Monday morning. We are looking forward to meeting new friends, a few who I already have connected with on FB. We are still in touch with people we met when we brought Caleb home almost 4 years ago. This journey really binds you together like no other! This journey so far has been about trusting and obeying God even when its hard! We really appreciate your prayers!