Final Days in China

We had our Consulate Appointment today, Wednesday the 22nd.  The pic above is Gotcha Day.  They would not allow cameras at the Consulate.  We are SO glad to get that portion of our trip completed. After the CA...we went to Shamain Island...which we LOVE!! It is so beautiful there.  Unfortunately...I don't have photos cause it rained! :-/ Sorry!!  Tomorrow...we get Shepard's Visa to come to America!! WHOOHOO!!! Then we will leave EARLY Friday morning to fly back toward home!!!

What an amazing time this has been!!! First...we'd like to say THANK YOU to Tonya Bohlinger and her AMAZING family for sacrificing time and money to go along on this trip with us!! It has been a tremendous help and we could never let you know enough just how much of a blessing it has been!!! (For all those behind us...it is a HUGE blessing to have someone with you to help....especially if you are taking your whole family!! Thanks Tonya, Frank, Luke, Mary & Maddie!!! We love you guys so much and thank you with ALL our hearts!!

We'd also like to thank all our friends and family for your prayers and support of us through this journey!!! We could not have done it without you all!! Thank you so much for many words of encouragement and prayers for us.  There have been several moments we have really needed those prayers here. So thank you tremendously! Please continue to pray for our flights as we have a 38 hour trip to make it home!  Whew...we are all gonna need lots of prayers to make that one!!

Here are a few special photos of our trip!! I FINALLY have a little time to load them on blogger!!

Special moment Outside of Shep's orphanage

Loved being able to see Tienanmen Square

Loved being able to share Sadies "homeland" with her!!

Loved this special moment between brothers on Gotcha Day!

Fun Gotcha Day Moment going to the bus!!


I would add a TON more photos...but for some reason...blogger will not let me!! All these have been posted on FB. There are so many more if you haven't seen them!! It has been such a wonderful week and we cannot wait to post once we get home to let everyone know what life is like in the "real world" outside of hotel living! :) What a blessing it was to have all our children with us this time!! Lots of bonding has taken place and we cannot wait for more!!

Speaking of bonding...it's obvious from photos that Shep has really bonded with Mark.  He has not bonded with me.  We believe that he had a VERY strong bond with his foster mother that is causing him to not want me (Buffi).  I'm walking a fine line...trying not to push myself on him...but also trying to still be available.  It's challenging at times...and it puts a lot on Mark. (It was the opposite with Sadie...she only wanted me and not Mark.)  Anyway...we know it will change once we get home.  It will just take time!! Thanks for continuing to pray for the merging of the new life into our family unit.  It will happen!! Lots of love and time spent together and things will fall into place.

Again...thank you all for following this journey.  I will post again once we have made it home and let you know how wonderful our trip home was!! Thanks for your prayers of safety and protection!!! Love you all!
Blessings,
Mark & Buffi

An AMAZING DAY at New Day South!!!

We had a WONDERFUL day today with Doug and Janice Bush of New Day South Foster Home. Aside from our Gotcha Day and getting Shepard...this has been the MOST SPECIAL day!!! Not only was it wonderful to see Doug and Janice (They are from our church at home - The Rock)...but we got to play with and love on these precious little ones that live at the New Day South Foster Home!!

After seeing several orphanage environments...I cannot tell you what a HUGE ministry and outreach this Foster Home is.  It is AMAZING! They provide these children with so much and give them lots of love and care!! We were SO impressed.  If you are looking for an international orphan ministry to support or to connect with to arrange mission work or internships ..  PLEASE keep Doug & Janice and New Day in mind. You can email them here: doug.janice@gmail.com or you can check out their blog here: http://newdayfosterhome.blogspot.com/  We are so grateful for the work they do to care and love on these children and to help prepare them for their new adoptive families when they are blessed with their forever family!

We all agree...this has been the best day!! I tried to load several photos here...but was unsuccessful!! Such a bummer.  It was such a precious day!!  I'm going to load several up on FB. Again...if you are friends with us on FB...please feel free to see the photos there!!!

Tomorrow we go to the Guangzhou Zoo and we will have free time after that!! Thank you all for continued prayers as we finish out this week.  We begin our trip home on Friday morning here.  It will be Thursday evening there in the US.  It will take us 38 hours total to get home! :( PRAY for us!! LOL!! We have a 10 hour layover in Seattle. Our plan is to eat at Chili's for lunch and for dinner during our wait and eat as much chips and salsa and drinks with ice as we can handle!! ;)  It's the little things that you miss...for sure!!! :) Thanks to everyone for continued prayers!!! We love and miss you all!! Can't wait to see you soon. Blessings,
Mark & Buffi

Catching Up!

Our last few days have been a little crazy trying to transition from Chongqing to Guangzhou.  So I have missed blogging and sharing details! Sorry guys!!! I've got some time now while Mark is at the pool with the kiddos! :)

While Chongqing was nice and our hotel Le Meredian was nice...we were SO READY to leave!! Not much happened after Shep had his allergic reaction in the hotel restaurant to seafood. We spent a LOT OF TIME wandering around trying to help the kiddos exert some energy.  All we could do was walk around the hotel and mall outside the hotel and look for ways to waste time as we got ready to leave.

Shepard is QUICKLY becoming a Daddy's boy...which is great!! He just wants Mark to hold him all the time and he is a chunk to hold!! But its sweet and things will get more regulated once we get home!! Here is a cute pic of the boys at lunch today!

When we left our hotel in Chongqing to head to the airport...we left so we would have about 3 hours to get checked in and wait.  WELL....our plane boarded 45 minutes late and we sat in it without being able to take off for another 45 min to 1hour.  We were all frustrated and whew...Shep was NOT wanting to sit still!

After we made it to Guangzhou (2.5 hours late) we heard there was a bomb threat at Chongqing airport and they shut the whole airport down and evacuated it.  We are SO THANKFUL that we got out in time.  We wouldn't want our appointments to get behind this week!!

COMING HOME:
WHICH...makes me think, Praise God...they got all the families from last week caught up and we will be having our Consulate appointment on time and we will be coming home on time!! YAY!!!

We should be landing in Huntsville on Saturday, May 25th at 8:09 AM.  We cannot WAIT to get home!!! We are all very ready.

THE KIDS:
Everyone is doing good...we are just ready to be home now that we have Shep! The kiddos are troopers!!! Silas has been a huge help with the luggage since Mark is carrying Shep.  So has Sadie and Sophie too!! They've jumped in and filled in the gaps where needed.  It's a little harder for Silas to understand that things have to be about Shep right now.  It will change...but so much is focused around him.  Silas struggles some with that!! But they all LOVE their little brother and he makes us all laugh SO MUCH!!

TOMORROW:
Tomorrow (Sunday) we are renting a van and going an hour and a half south of here to see Doug and Janice Bush at New Day South.  Doug and Janice are from our church The Rock and they are now the house parents at New Day South.  We can't wait to spend some time with them and with the kiddos at their foster home!!! We are excited for the opportunity but also for Tonya to spend some time with the kids there too.  We are praying her and Frank get matched with their little one soon!! Wouldn't it be SO NEAT if she could meet her little one tomorrow?!?! Sigh...you just never know what God is going to do!!

Well...that's it for now!! Gotta get the kiddos baths and ready for bed!!! We have a fun day tomorrow!!! I'll post again tomorrow night and hopefully with some sweet pics!!!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement!!! Love and miss everyone greatly and cannot wait to get home!!! Night!!
Buffi
ONE MORE THING....I have posted another album of photos on FB if you'd like to see them!!! There are a ton on there!! If someone following the blog isn't on FB and would like to see pics...let me know and I'll try and find a quicker way to get them on blogger! :)

Very Interesting Days

You know...you never think about the simple things, such as the ability to communicate, being such a blessing.  We have spent a great deal of time the last couple of days wondering around with some free time.  It has been quite hilarious and frustrating as well.  We could probably beat you in a game of charades after this trip though.  It has been HUGE in our communication.

We were looking for a gift bag a day or so ago...and wow!!! Who would think trying to ask for a gift bag would be so difficult.  I bet we spent 30 minutes talking to workers...or I should say...gesturing between us and workers to try and find one.  We got close...but didn't quite make it! :-/  It was quite frustrating in the moment...but we can laugh at it now!!

Also...regarding ordering food...who would think ordering a cheese pizza at Papa Johns would cause so much confusion!! We have gotten so many laughs out of it!! Even so...tonight...we just decided to get a ton of junk food and eat in the room.  It was easier and cheaper!! LOL!! Great memories thought!

Today was a VERY interesting day.  On Gotcha Day...we found out that Shepard is allergic to seafood. (We will probably try to find out exactly which ones when we get home).  But we have been very cautious to keep him away from it while we are here.  At lunch today, we ordered he and Sadie Wonton soup. They both really enjoy it.  After Shep had eaten two Wonton's already....Sadie mentions she thinks they have seafood in them.  The waitress said it was only pork.  But after talking with the chef...he confirmed that they had seafood in them. OH MY...we got SO NERVOUS!!! Shepard all of a sudden began to zone out and stare toward the ground...leaning forward some.  He wouldn't respond to us when we tried to see if he was ok.  Tonya ran to get Benedryl...and I ran to call Dr. Record who is also traveling with us.

After Shep took Benedryl he seemed to get a little better. Dr. Record gave us some steriods just in case.  We tried to get Shep to take those pills...but he spit it out twice. :( (Covered in ice cream and all)  We prayed over him and declared the healing of the Lord over him! It was very scary...but definitely eye opening to things we will need to keep an eye on in the future!!!

Tomorrow we leave for Guangzhou.  It will not be until 6pm China time...so at 5am Central USA time...we will be flying to GZ. It's a short flight...about an hour and a half.  Not too bad!! We just found out today that the US Consulate has opened back up...PRAISE THE LORD!!! Hoping that our CA will stay on schedule. We will keep you all posted!!

Thank you all for continued prayers.  We are SO READY to come home!! We miss everyone so much!! We are ready for some FRESH FOODS and some ICE!!! I will keep you all posted to let you know if we will expect any delays! Thanks so much for everything.  If all goes well...we will be leaving one week from today to start our trek home!!! CANNOT WAIT!!!

I'll post again soon!! If you would like to see our photos from today....please see our FB page!!! If you cannot access it...let me know! Thanks! Talk soon!
Blessings,
Buffi

Orphanage Visit and Day off!

Sorry for my delay in posting a blog.  Yesterday it was a little tough to get around to blogging.  We were able to visit Shep's orphanage.  We only got to see a small portion of it. We were able to play with some children while there but they did not allow us to take pictures while we were up there. We SO wanted to take photos.  It was a good visit...but it would have been nice to have seen more.  I posted photos on FB yesterday of our visit.

One thing that was very interesting while we were there...as we were leaving the orphanage Shep's foster dad met us outside the gate.  It was uncomfortable for everyone.  He kept motioning for Shep to let him hold him, and Shep kept shaking his head no and pushing away with his hand.  (there is supposed to be no contact between the foster parents and adoptive families...even our guide was uncomfortable).  The foster dad told Shep that the foster mom was waiting on his phone call.  That would explain his constant fight to get to the phone in the hotel room. :( Especially at night.  We finally put all the phones in the closet. It just makes it harder on Shep.

Last night was tough...but not as tough as the first night.  He cried just a little bit...then Mark got him to sit and watch some of "Daddy Day Care" on the ipod with him.  It has to be hard not knowing the language...but he sat and watched it and fell asleep.  So glad!!

One thing we do know...he LOVES technology. He know's all about an iPad and LOVES to play fruit Ninja!! LOL...He's good at it!! He also loves Thomas the Tank and Sponge Bob...and also likes the Chinese cartoon The Pleasant Goats.  He loves noodles too!!!

Today we spend most of the day wandering from the hotel to the attached mall.  It was a free day and whoa...it was a tough day.  All of us in a hotel room with not much to do but wonder around a mall...was a little boring and exhausting for all of us!!

Tomorrow we go to a Panda Zoo.  It should be fun and interesting for all of us!! :) I'll have more photos on FB for it!!

OH...before I forget...please keep the US Consulate and all the Consulate appointments in your prayers. We want God's will and HIS Divine plan and appointment ultimately...but we SO can't wait to get home!!

I'll leave the blog tonight with a short video of Shep counting to 10 in Chinese. It is SO CUTE! Our guide in Beijing showed us how to count to 10 using only one hand instead of both.  It has been a great thing...cause Shep loves to count to 10 for us!!!

Here is a little sneak of this precious little boy God has blessed us with!! Enjoy! I'll post again tomorrow! Love and appreciate you all!

Gotcha Day

What an unbelievable Day!! We woke up with much excitement and anticipation to meet our little man. We had to sign papers first and didn't go until around 1:30pm to get him.

When we walked into the room the minute he saw us he hollered "Mama, Baba!!!" And then he ran to us. He was very well prepared!! Thanks to all the wonderful caregivers here in Chongqing.

From that moment, he ran from me, to Mark to Sophie, to Silas and to Sadie calling them by their Chinese name of big sister and big brother! He was very excited.

We pulled out some toys we had brought for him and by FAR his favorite was the little Fisher Price digital camera. He play with us with that the whole time we were in there!! He ran the batteries down and filled up the camera. He took over 300 photos!!!

He did great and has such a sweet spirit and such a happy heart. He is precious. Last night at bedtime...I felt so bad for him. He began to holler for his foster mom. He was visibly uncomfortable. He wouldn't take his clothes off to out on Jammie's. we just let him keep his clothes on.

I stayed up all I could and eventually had to lay down. Mark and Silas played with him some. But it got so late. He was avoiding sleep at all costs. But when it was time, he got up in the bed with me and sat up. He stared across the room and put his little head in his hands. Then he started to bawl!! I felt so sorry for him. I know he had to be extremely uncomfortable in a strange place with strange people. We just let him cry and held him until he eventually laid down and went to sleep.

I was so glad he fell asleep. It's good that he grieved...but it's so pitiful to sit there while he is screaming and crying and all we can do is love him and pray for him. I know night times are always the hardest and it will get better thru the rest of this week and next week.

Having Sophie, Silas and Sadie was huge!!! It not only helped Shep feel comfortable and have someone to play with...it was priceless for them to experience this as well. We are so glad they are with us!!! It is such a blessing!!!

And what an incredible help Tonya has been. You can thank her for all those amazing photos she took. She captured the moment perfectly!!! Thanks to The Bohlingers for sharing her with us these couple of weeks!!!

Well...it's 2am here and I need to try and get a little sleep. Ill post again tomorrow night!! We go and see the orphanage today. After his sadness last night it makes me nervous. But I know it will be good for him and all of us!!! Ill do all I can to take good pics. Love you all!! Thanks so much for the prayers!!
Blessings,
Mark and Buffi

We Made It To Chongqing!

We had a wonderful couple of days in Beijing.  Not only was it wonderful to see all the amazing historical sites...but it did us good to try and overcome some of this jetlag.  Although...I've been awake every morning between 2am and 4am no matter what! :-/ Praying I can sleep all night tonight!

Our morning was pretty good. We were SO relieved that Mark found his iPhone! That was such a blessing!!! We left around 10:30 for the airport to head out to Chongqing. Chongqing is Shepard's home town.  It is a very beautiful town and is seems very well taken care of.  It is HUGE!! Our guide said about 32 million people!! Whew!! Cannot believe that!!

Tonight as we were shopping for a few things for the week...Sadie got a little overwhelmed.  There are SO MANY people here. I know it must seem overwhelming to her for everyone to look like her.  She said it was.  We had  a good chat and cry time tonight, just the two of us.  It was good for her I believe!!  It is an experience I believe that will leave a lasting impression on her and she will never forget it!! Continue to keep her in your prayers as we go to the orphanage to visit on Tuesday.  I know every little thing we do will stir lots of emotions for her!

We will be uniting with Shepard around Midnight on Mother's Day night (Central Time) there in the US.  So it is less than 24 hours before we meet him.  We have been praying for him and praying for all of us as well!!!

The kids are excited and Silas talks non stop about him and cannot wait to finally have a brother!! I am praying that they have a good connection and that the transition goes smooth!!

It is late...and I do need to get to bed.  Thank you all for praying over the next 24 hours.  These will be very important times.  I promise I will update with all the details of Gotcha Day and photos and all!!! Can't wait!

Love you all and appreciate you all!! Hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day!
Blessings,
Mark & Buffi