Saturday, March 4, 2006
ONE REALLY LONG DAY

On the trip home from China you gain back the day you "lose" on the way there although it is a day spent in airports and on an airplane so not one that is really fun except for that moment when you get off the plane and you are finally home. The only thing interesting or special about our long journey home was our 6 hour layover in San Francisco. We planned it that way on purpose so that we could spend a few hours with family and friends in the area. WenYan's best friend from Chenzhou was adopted in the summer of 2004 and she was there to greet us with her mom and sister. The look on WenYan's face when she saw Shibi was very special. They were both a little shy at first but by the time we had to say good-bye they were holding each other's hand very tightly and we basically had to pry them apart. It is so good that they have remained in contact by mail and can now call each other on the phone and visit during the summer. Our families are now connected to each other. WenYan also got to meet her grandparents and see how her daddy got so tall.

We were so very tired as everyone is who comes home but the thought of seeing our girls again kept us going through our final flight home. I will never forget walking through the doors and seeing Shea and Sophie waiting for us. It was as good as anyone can imagine it would be after being away from them for so long. We spent a long time hugging each other and they got to meet their new sister. We also had friends who came from near and some a little far to greet us and some even brought us dinner which was a wonderful thing to come home to. Wen Yan got to meet Lydia who was also adopted as a teen a little over a year ago and I think they are going to be great friends. We have already called Lydia to have her explain something to WenYan and they seem to be able to understand each other. We were wondering if that would be the case as they are from different provinces and sometimes dialects and pronunciation are a little different. All of our luggage made it and we drove the final hour home and as tired as we were it was so great to just drive in the garage and close the door and be home as a family. Michael's sister is with us for a few days and she is the one who cared for Shea & Sophie and they had the best time with their cousins in Oklahoma. Wen Yan seems very comfortable with both Shea & Sophie. I was a little concerned as to how that would all go but they have been together most every minute since we got home last night and Shea said that this morning when they both woke up, they just looked at each other and had a pillow fight. I guess pillow fights are universal! I am so very proud of Shea. She has been so patient, loving and kind to WenYan and just been glued to her side. She picked out the matching outfits for them and it is amazing that I have two daughters who wear the exact same size clothes. Sophie chatters away to WenYan and doesn't seem to notice yet that WenYan doesn't understand much of what she is talking about. We went to part of our church meetings today and were very warmly received. Many people spoke to WenYan and shook her hand and she heard our name mentioned more than once in how happy people are that we are home and she is with us. While she can't understand the words yet, I think she can feel the love that is being sent her way. She is taking a nap now and we are trying to slowly unpack and get back to normal life. Tomorrow we will call the school to see when we can enroll her and begin the process of integrating her into her new life here in America.
Once again, I want to thank everyone for their prayers, kind words and good wishes. When we decided to sign up for this website, the main reason was to share our experience.. not just so that family and friends would know what was going on but to inform others about what it is like to adopt an older child. I would never presume that older child adoption is for all families, but I felt that maybe I could help someone else decide to go for it, if I was brave enough to put myself out there and talk about ours. It seems that may have happened by some of the emails I have received and that makes it all worthwhile. I also feel driven by something else now... that is to be an advocate for the remaining older children at Chenzhou. I know that these girls are being prepared to be in a family just as WenYan was. I also know that the directors of this orphanage are good people who want the children in their care to find families.

We have also decided to keep this website going for at least the next several months and will be updating 1-2 times per month as long as there is something of interest to write about WenYan's life. It is going to be an exciting and stressful time for her as she learns a new language and experiences a completely different culture but we are confident that this is the life that she wanted for herself. She had zero qualms about leaving China and becoming a U.S. citizen and was even a little excited about the prospect. I think the single most important reason that her initial adjustment has been so smooth is that she truly wanted to be adopted and have a family. We aren't so special as parents that we have done some kind of magic, all the good things have come about because she has been willing and open to them. While it has been an overwhelmingly positive experience it is still very hard but the truly worthwhile things in life don't come easily. I have had moments of stress and exhaustion as being with a new person 24 hours a day and living in a small hotel room is a lot of togetherness no matter how good a kid she is. Michael has been unbelievably patient and positive and just a great dad. We anticipate the sibling rivalry and squabbles to start up sometime soon but we hope to be ready for them. Please everyone, keep up the good thoughts and prayers for WenYan and our family. The upcoming weeks will be very full for all of us.

Love,
Susan, MIchael, WenYan, Shea, Sophie - we are finally a real family of 5!