Journey To Deacon

Surgery Day!

2010-02-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

We are in Little Rock for Deacon's Surgery. We had a bit of a rushed morning because Mommy set the alarm for 5:30am instead of 5:00am. We were supposed to be leaving at 5:30am not getting up. Oops!! We hustled and made it just fine. :) Deacon is having his cleft palate repaired, tubes in his ears, and a circumcision. Bless him! We will update as he comes out of surgery.
Deacon checking out the fish in the waiting room.
Deacon checking out what she is putting on his toe. This measures his oxygen levels. He had it off before he went back. :) The nurse let him.
Elmo is his new favorite friend. Deacon thought he needed a little oxygen too. :)
Getting some blood drawn. He did really good, and didn't fuss at all.
Hurry up lady.
Playing with stickers and Daddy.

What we've been up to....

2009-10-29T19:21:00.001-07:00

Our October has been VERY busy!! Deacon is doing very well, and is adjusting like a pro! I have been posting most of our stuff on our family blog. If you would like to keep up with Deacon you can go HERE. He is such a joy, and we are so excited he is apart of our family!

Deacon making his way through the maze.
CT, KG, and Deacon. He is loving this!

Some Firsts

2009-10-05T21:26:00.001-07:00

We have been back for a littele over a week now and have been getting settled in, and exploring the world. We have done many "first" things, and are loving having a brother and sister. CT and KG love having Deacon around. They all have a great time together.

First trip to the state fair. LOVED the food.
CT's soccer game was interesting, but this dog was more fun. This was actually CT's second game. When we drove up to the soccer fields Deacon started clapping his hands.
Mommy, Deacon, and CT on the carousel. He wanted nothing of this. I tried to put him on a horse, but he held on tight to me. So I just held him. He did get brave enough to touch the horse before we got off.
First trip to the library.
First time on the gator. Had to drag him off of it.
First family photo with Mommy's side of the family.
First soccer game.
Hey I think I'll be a great soccer player.
First trip to church.

We've also had our first post home study visit, first peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and our first trip to Walmart.

We made it home!!

2009-09-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

After leaving Kunming, we headed to Beijing. We had to pick up our luggage there and recheck it for our international flight. That whole process took about 2 hours. We then boarded for the long flight home. This flight was about 12 1/2 hours. We were dreading it a little, but the Lord sooo took care of us. EVERY time we got on a plane we had an extra seat for Deacon. We did not pay for an extra seat, but there was ALWAYS one open. On the long flight home we had 4 seats for the three of us. Deacon did so good on the long flight. He was wired the first few hours, but we got him some milk and he settled down and went to sleep.

We arrived in Chicago at about 4pm. Once we got there we had to go through customs. Deacon because an American Citizen at this point. :) This also took about 2 hours. We had to pick up our luggage again, and then recheck it again. I was so glad this was the last time we had to do this. Then we got to our gate only to find out our flight had been delayed. We ended up getting home about 11:30 pm. It was so fun to get back and see everyone.

Here is part of the crew waiting, and waiting, and waiting.........
KG, CT, and cousins. They made the cutest signs.
YEAH!! We finally made it.
Deacon meeting everyone.
He enjoyed all the fanfare. :)
The kids didn't waste any time playing. There was a little play place that they went straight to.
Cheerios!!

Day 16-Heading Home

2009-09-26T15:43:00.001-07:00

The next morning we got up and headed to the airport. Forever Friend picked us up. :) He gave them a card when they used him before and it said your forever friend, except it was spelled forver friend. :) He was a really nice guy, and he had a brand new van. We had a GREAT time guys! Thanks for letting us come.

Nikki and Deacon riding in the van.
Me, Deacon, and Nikki
Todd, Deacon, and Chris

Day 15

2009-09-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

Our last meal in Kunming we headed to a noodle shop across the street from the apartment. It was good, and you could watch the guys frying the noodles.

Matthew holding Deacon's hand. So cute.
Our noodles. VERY filling. We ordered fried rice too. I don't think we ate even half of it.
The men frying up the homemade noodles. You could order them regular or wide. We got wide.
Before dinner we went and picked up Ellie at her school. Her school runs from 7:45am (I think) to 5:40pm. It is a very long day.
Since they are at school so long they eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner there. This is a picture of the meals.
Here is where they make western toilets for the kids. :) There is a hose to wash it all out.

Day 14- Koppo

2009-09-24T02:19:00.000-07:00

This one is for you Melinda. This is the knock off of Kappa. Kappa is a big brand here in China, but they also like the knockoff Koppa. :)

We head out tomorrow morning for the states. We will leave at 8pm on Thursday your time. We will get home Friday 10:30pm. So we will have been traveling over 26 hours by the time we get home. FUN FUN!!

Lee Ann- The picture of the FAB pearl necklace will have to wait until I get home. :) You may need to remind me, but I will post it.

Day 14- more interesting advertising

2009-09-24T02:12:00.001-07:00

Or how about these responsible dad's watching their babies while enjoying a beer. Classic.

Or you could also pick up one of these Kine hoodies for your precious little one. :) At least they got the swoosh right.

Day 14- Interesting Advertising

2009-09-24T02:08:00.001-07:00

Today we went out on the town, and there was lots of fun advertising. :) This first picture was a restaurant close by to where we ate. We maybe should have eaten there. We ate at a western restaurant. I had nachos and Todd had pizza. It was pretty good.

This second picture cracked us up. They were advertising a beer, and they used nuns to show it's coolness. ha ha!

Day 13- Ready for bed.

2009-09-24T02:01:00.001-07:00

Picture 1- Matthew and Olivia playing with Deacon.

Picture 2- Olivia, Deacon, Ellie, and Matthew in their pj's.

Day 13- Just Chillin

2009-09-24T01:56:00.001-07:00

1st pic- They gave Deacon a play cell phone, and he is hilarious talking on it. He just talks and talks. When he puts it up to his ear he says, "Way" which means hello in Chinese.

2nd pic- Ellie enjoying her cookie dough snack

Day 13- Traveling and Friends

2009-09-24T01:49:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday we said goodbye to Guangzhou and headed to Kunming to see some dear friends. They picked us up from the airport and we headed to lunch. They took us to a Japanese style restaurant where they have the hibache (sp?) grill. We ordered way more than we could eat and it cost us all of 80 yuan. That is equal to about $12. It was yummy!! We were so excited to get to come here on our way home.

1st pic- That is our zuchinni frying. It was yummy. The best dish we got were the fried potatoes.

2nd pic- Chris playing with Deacon.

Day 12- US Consulate Visit

2009-09-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

After our shopping spree I had to head back to the hotel so we could go to the US Consulate. We loaded a bus and took a 45 minute ride into town. This could have been much faster, but the traffic here is awful! I do not have pictures of the Consulate b/c they would not let us take cameras or anything electronic in. We went into this big building, where they herded us all into this big room. We had to go up to a window and show our passports and our child to make sure we were who we said we were. After everyone had done that we all stood and took an oath that said we would love and take care of our child. We also picked up Deacon's visa at this point. He is officially allowed to go to the USA!! Once we hit American soil in Chicago, he will become a US Citizen automatically!

One crazy thing was there was a girl there with her family adopting their second child. She went to OBU with Todd. SMALL WORLD!!

Once we got home from the Consulate we headed to dinner.

Here is a picture of Daddy feeding Deacon with the chopsticks. We opted for Thai food tonight. It was just okay and a little pricey. The best restaurant here is the Italian one. It is run by an Italian, and the food is wonderful!

2nd picture- This is a picture off the back of our hotel overlooking the river. It was so pretty tonight. It wasn't hot at all, and there was a cool breeze.

We leave out of here tomorrow morning at 9am. We are headed to see some friends, and then we head back to the states on Friday. We will be home Friday night around 10:30. I'm am not looking forward to the long flight, or the jet lag, but this too shall pass. :) I don't know if we will have internet at our next destination. If not then I will post the rest of our trip when we get home. I'm sure I will be up at all hours of the night for the first few nights. Thanks for following along with us. It has been great to hear from you guys back home. We can't wait to get home and introduce our new little guy to everyone! See you soon!

Day 12- The good stuff.

2009-09-22T08:02:00.001-07:00

Once we got through all the dried stuff we headed for the good stuff. The pearl and jade market. If there was 1 pearl or jade vendor, there were 100+ everywhere. We had a lady helping us, and she works with certain people to get us the best price. Of course everyone here tells you they are giving you the best price, and that everything is very good quailty. :) We spent most of our time at the pearl market. You picked out the pearls you wanted, and then they made what you wanted. You had to buy them by the strands. It was a lot of fun. I will have to post a picture of the necklace I got for a FABULOUS price!!

After that we hit the jade market and a few other shops. There was a turquoise store that I would have loved to go into, but they told me it was all fake. Let's hope the pearls are real. They have promised me they are.

1st picture- pearl market

2nd picture- My friend Erin deciding on another pair of earrings. :) I just met here on this trip. She is so much fun! We have had a great time getting to know them, and hanging out with them. She adopted a little 5 year old boy named Hudson. He is catching on to english very quickly. Last night he told her "I love you", and "You're so crazy!" of which she is. ha ha!!

Day 12- Dried Market Cont.

2009-09-22T07:56:00.001-07:00

1st picture- Dried fungus.

2nd picture- How about a dried iguana on a stick for your munching enjoyment? :) YUM!

Day 12- Dried Market

2009-09-22T07:54:00.001-07:00

1st picture- These are dried sea horses and other ocean life. They put these dried things in soups. They all have different purposes of what they are supposed to do for you.

2nd picture- dried fish stomach. I do not know the purpose or the flavor. ha!

Day 12- Market Shopping

2009-09-22T07:51:00.001-07:00

After the pictures I met up with my friend Erin and her crew to go to the markets across the canal. We saw some interesting sites on the way. Hope you enjoy!!

1st picture- Ummmm Not real sure. :) Some things for you to buy. Yes that is a monkey skeleton. Why? I do not know.

2nd picture- a picture of the dried market. There were all kinds of dried things. Hang in there and I will show you. You will not be disappointed. ha! :)

Day 12- Group Pics

2009-09-22T07:48:00.001-07:00

1st pic- one more family picture in front of the waterfall that is in the lobby.

2nd pic- This is of our whole Dillon group. The family on the left is the Lentz's. Joy's parents also traveled with them. They have had a great time. Next to them are the Drake's, and then us. We have enjoyed traveling with these families.

Day 12- More Red Couch

2009-09-22T07:45:00.001-07:00

I thought this first picture was cute of Deacon and Chloe. They are both from the same orphanage in Hangzhou.

2nd pic- Family pic on the famous red couch.

Day 12- Red Couch

2009-09-22T07:43:00.001-07:00

I thought today was going to be a slow picture day, but we've got some good stuff. :) We met as a group this morning to take the famous red couch pictures. There are red couches here at the White Swan Hotel that everyone takes a picture with their baby on them. So we dressed the kids up in their traditional Chinese outfits and got us some pics. :) They aren't perfect, but this is life with these three. :)

1st pic- Deacon dressed and ready to go. I realize that his outfit is a little big, but it's all I could find and he can grow into it. :)

2nd pic- Rachel, Deacon, and Chloe

Day 11- Cheerios and Shopping

2009-09-21T07:18:00.001-07:00

One of Deacon's favorite things to eat is Cheerios. I'm going to have to stock up when we get back home. I have gone through a gallon container of them since we have been there. I think I have just enough to get us home. :) I realize that eating them off the floor is disgusting, but I have a hard time getting him to keep them either on the bed or in a container. At this point we just let him do it. It keeps him from opening and closing the drawers and playing with the phone. ha!

The second picture is when we were out shopping tonight, one of the shop owners gave Deacon these flags. He had a ball playing with them.

Day 11- Our boys

2009-09-21T07:13:00.001-07:00

Right before Sandra and her family had to leave we got some pictures of our boys together. Of course it was hard to get both of them to look at the camera at the same time, but we managed to get a couple that were cute.

Day 11- Starbucks!

2009-09-21T07:09:00.001-07:00

Sandra and I ended our little shopping spree with a cookie at Starbucks! I like to go in there just because it smells so good! :) Sandra and I went to OBU together. Thanks for coming guys! It was great to see you!!

Day 11- Shopping

2009-09-21T07:06:00.001-07:00

Once we ate lunch we took the kids back to the room to take a nap. Sandra's little boy went down quick, but Deacon had other ideas. So Todd took him down to the playroom and then for a long stroll before he finally decided to take a nap. Sandra and I took off to do some little shopping. I found some really neat stuff that I will blog once I get home. I don't want to spoil the kids' surprises. :)

We went in one store where the guy was doing your child's name in calligraphy for FREE!! Of course this was his fantastic marketing scheme to get you in his store. He had some neat stuff, and we got the kids names done.

Day 11- Lunch

2009-09-21T07:01:00.001-07:00

After we were free to go we met up with one of my friends from college. We headed back to the Italian restaurant for some delicious food! I ordered the green gnocche (I can't remember how to spell it) BUT it was fabulous!! Had a four cheese sauce on top. Excellent and very rich. I think everyone at the table had a bite, and Deacon ate half of it. The others had lasagna and brick oven pizza. All of it was soooo good!

1st pic- Deacon patiently waiting on his lunch.

2nd pic- the favorite dish of the day!

Day 11- Waiting on the Consulate

2009-09-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

Today we got up had breakfast and headed back to the room. We had to stay there from 9:30- whenever they called us from the consulate. We got our call about 11:00 saying all our paperwork was good to go. They needed us to stay in the room in case they had a question about anything. All of us in our group got a call that all was good. So to pass the time we hung out in the room and hallway and played.

We found Deacon a Made in China shirt. :)

Day 10- Palate picture

2009-09-20T08:36:00.001-07:00

We wanted to get a picture of his palate. This will also help those of you to understand what it is that he has. Basically the roof of his mouth is split in two so there is a hole up to his nasal cavity. Sometimes when he is eating and he sneezes, which has happened several times, we get food out the nose. :)

Second pic- After swimming we went and changed clothes and went to eat at a German restaurant. The main restaurant was not available because a wedding reception was being held inside. So they also had an old train that you could eat in. The atmosphere was neat, the food was so so. Mine was good, Todd's meat was still frozen in the middle. :)

Day 10- Deacon Boy!

2009-09-20T08:31:00.001-07:00

Day 10- family pics

2009-09-20T08:28:00.001-07:00

Day 10- More pool pics.

2009-09-20T08:24:00.001-07:00

Day 10- The pool

2009-09-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to the pool with some friends. Deacon did alright for just a little bit, and then he was DONE! He wanted out. So he had a good time just running around on the grass next to the pool. We got some great shots of him and us that our friend took for us. The pool area is very lush! We may have to try again before we leave.

Day 10- Chinglish

2009-09-20T08:07:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorite things to find. Funny english sayings. These were at the safari.

1st pic- Oh! The weather is too heat, and visit our indoor please!

2nd pic- Please don't flap glass.

Day 10- Pandas

2009-09-20T08:04:00.001-07:00

They pandas were probably the coolest part. They were so active. I have video of two of them wrestling around. They were really neat to watch. Deacon really like them too.

Day 10- Safari Cont.

2009-09-20T08:01:00.001-07:00

1st pic- this one is for KG. She wanted us to get a picture of the elephants. :)

2nd pic- this is of the black bears. They had brown bears, black bears, and sun bears. They weren't too far from us, but they stayed in their area. No matter what animal you were looking at, they had a ton of them for you to see.

Day 10- Safari

2009-09-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

Today has been another VERY hot day, but lots of fun. We got up this morning and headed to the Safari park. There was a walking safari- aka zoo, and a riding safari. Both of them were excellent! There were tons of animals, and they were all extremely active. I enjoyed the monkeys who were jumping everywhere and diving in the water, and the pandas were really cool. Deacon loved it, and was great the whole time. I have tons of pictures of animals, but will just post a few.

1st pic- Flamingos everywhere.

2nd pic- This sign is for CT. Apparently even the animals go to kindergarten in China. :)

Day 9- Lucy's!!

2009-09-19T05:56:00.001-07:00

Anyone who has been to Guangzhou knows about Lucy's. :) It is a western style restaurant with lots of comfort foods. Deacon had mashed potatoes tonight and LOVED them. He ate the whole bowl. It is still very hot here at night. We sat outside and were sweating our food off. ha ha! Afterwards we visited some shops. We have done a little bit of shopping today, and plan on doing some more tomorrow. There are little shops everywhere.

The second picture is the outside of our hotel. There are 20 something floors.

Tomorrow we are headed to the safari park. So we should have some fun pictures!

Day 9- The Swan Room

2009-09-19T05:52:00.001-07:00

This hotel has a place called the swan room. It is a big playroom full of Mattel toys. It is a great place to go and visit with other adopting families and let your kid run wild!! :) Deacon has a great time in there, and we don't have to worry about him falling or running off. We have spent several hours there already.

Day 9- White Swan Hotel Inside

2009-09-19T05:50:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures I snapped of the inside of our hotel. It is such a nice place. I don't even feel like I am in a foreign country. These are kind of in the middle of the hotel. The breakfast area is to the back overlooking the river. The waterfall is beautiful. Deacon likes to go and look at the fish.

Day 9- Barbie Surprise!

2009-09-19T02:00:00.000-07:00

When we got back to our room today this was sitting on the table. On the front it says going home. On the back it says: This souvenir is presented by Mattel (HK) Ltd. to adopting parents of Chinese orphan children staying at the White Swan Hotel, Guangzhou, China. Pretty cool, and am thankful that she is fully clothed. :) ha ha!

Day 9- flashlight

2009-09-19T01:56:00.001-07:00

These pictures are for Jui Jui (Big Sister) KG. Deacon also likes the flashlight just as much as you do. :)

Day 9- Medical Exam Cont.

2009-09-19T01:53:00.000-07:00

Deacon's turn. He did great! Didn't even cry. He did manage to unscrew the lid on his sippy cup and dump apple juice all over himself. It was fabulous!! He dried. :) Apparently his hearing is superb because he looked both times she squeaked the toy. :)

Day 9- Medical Examination Day

2009-09-19T01:50:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up and headed to breakfast. Can you say HEAVEN!! Yeah for french toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Deacon also put away the bananas. After that we met up with our group and walked to the medical examination. Can you say HEAT and HUMIDITY. It is very hot here. We first had to go and get another set of passport type pictures of Deacon to go on his medical report, then on over to the medical examination. OH MY!! That is all I can say. There were people EVERYWHERE. We first went in a room where they checked his hearing by squeaking a toy to one side and then the other. They checked to see if he looked when they squeaked. :) Then they looked in his ears and mouth. He did great. Then from there we waited to go into another room where they stripped him down and did a physical examination and listened to his heart. After that we went to another room that they checked his weight, height, and temperature. This all took about 2 1/2- 3 hours. Thank goodness that was all we had to do. Some families who fall under the new Hague Treaty have to have their child up to date on vaccinations. So that means some children are getting 4 and 5 shots at once. Luckily we did not have to do that. Next time we will unless something is changed. Also if your child is over 2 they have to be tested for TB. If they test positive then there is all kinds of drama that ensues. They then have to have a chest x-ray. If that is not clear then they will not be returning home. This happened to a little girl just recently. She had to be left with a family and be treated for another 30 days. This is not China's regulations, but the CDC in America. We are thankful Deacon is under 2 and healthy.

1st pic- walking into the medical examination room. This room was air conditioned thank goodness.

2nd pic- waiting to go into the first room.

Day 8- Deacon's first flight

2009-09-18T10:10:00.001-07:00

After touring downtown we hopped in the van and headed to the airport. I was a little leary about this flight, but Deacon did GREAT!! He sat in my lap during take off, took a bottle, and then fussed for just a bit until Daddy gave him the look. Then he settled down and slept the rest of the flight. We are so thankful that his ears did not seem to bother him at all. :)

Also for your entertainment some of the Chinglish that we found. :) You see misspelled words and phrases everywhere. This one says: Sonluck battery flise with you. :)

Day 8- Downtown Hangzhou Pharmacy

2009-09-18T10:06:00.001-07:00

These are some pictures of an old pharmacy that they still use. The architecture was really cool. Looked very asian. They sold a lot of herbal medicines also. Ginseng was very expensive.

--
Aimee Fannin
www.jacknjillsale.com

Day 8- Downtown Hangzhou cont.

2009-09-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

This first picture is of a man making some sort of cotton blanket. He had some big round wooden thing he was using to press it down as he folded it.

Seocnd picture is of a lady playing a mandolin type instrument while also playing a rhythm type stick. I also got a video of her, but will have to upload that once we get home.

Day 8- Downtown Hangzhou

2009-09-18T10:00:00.001-07:00

These are some pictures of the streets. It was a neat atmosphere. Little shops everywhere selling all kinds of things.

Day 8- Squatty

2009-09-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

What would a trip to China be without a trip to the squatty potty. This is the normal toilet that the Chinese people use. It takes quite the skill to be able to use it. :) I have managed to not have to use one yet. Our hotel has a western toilet, and there are many restaurants and places that do as well. I have used one though, just prefer the western over the squatty. :)

Second picture is another view of the tea place.

Day 8- tea testing

2009-09-18T09:51:00.001-07:00

They took us into a room so that you could test the tea. At first you had to just smell it. Then you were supposed to put your eyes close to it as it was steaming hot! It is supposed to eliminate the bags under your eyes. :) Then once it cooled a bit we could taste it. It was ok. They just dump the tea leaves right in, so you have to drink around them. They she had us add some orange peels and cranberry type dried fruits. It smelled really good, but would have tasted a lot better had there been a spoonful of sugar added. ha!

Day 8- more tea

2009-09-18T09:47:00.001-07:00

Of course I can't remember who or what this guy did. :) He had something to do with tea. ha!

The second picture is also inside the area that we toured. A pond with coy fish and teapot fountain.

Day 8- Tea Farm

2009-09-18T09:44:00.001-07:00

This is Rebecca showing us what they used to dry the tea with. It is a precise art. It has to be dried several times. The women are in charge of picking the tea leaves, b/c their hands are smaller, and they work quicker. Sounds a little shady to me. :)

The second picture is of the tea bushes. It was very pretty.

Day 8- hotel

2009-09-18T09:08:00.001-07:00

Outside you could find a Lacoste and Esprit store. There was also a Bentley dealership down the road a bit. This is the richest province in China. :)

Day 8- Goodbye Hangzhou!

2009-09-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

Today was our last day in Hangzhou. We have had a wonderful time here. This is a BEAUTIFUL place to visit. We are excited to get to come back someday. We had quite a bit of time to kill in the morning. We did not meet our guide and check out of our hotel until 2 pm. So we slept in and had a late breakfast. Came back, packed our bags, and then headed to lunch. At 2 our guide Rebecca picked us up and took us to the local tea farms. This area is known for their green tea. Some of it is exported, but they keep the good stuff in town. :) We took a tour of a place that showed how it was made, and had a tasting.

After the tea farm we went to pick up Deacon's passport!! Then headed to the downtown area that looked very historic. It had a lot of old buildings, and was very charming. We bought a really pretty fan that had West Lake printed on it to display in our home. We are having to be very careful about what we buy b/c we are over the weight limit with our bags. They charge quite a fee for that. :)

Once we finished up in the downtown area we headed to the airport.

We got into Guangzhou at around 10:30pm. We have made ourselves at home in the hotel room. It is VERY nice here! We are excited to be here. We have heard there are many shops and restaurants that cater to Westerners.

Pictures- These are some pictures of our hotel Lakeview in Hangzhou. The inside of the lobby was very pretty. Parasols were hanging from the ceiling. Big screen embroideries were hanging on the wall. They also had two big cages that had birds in them. Deacon liked to try and open the doors on the bottom. We had to watch him. :)

Day 7- Sweet Tomatoes Anyone?

2009-09-17T15:54:00.001-07:00

Last night we went back to a restaurant that we knew had a picture menu. Very important when ordering food and you don't speak the language. Only drawback is that there are no substitutions. :) You either eat it or pick it out. Anyway Todd went and ordered for us again. We were trying to find something that the kids liked. They love the rice and they also like an egg custard, which is like a bread pudding type dish. They did not have the egg custard, so Todd remembered that Chloe liked sweet potatoes. She has been eating them for breakfast here at the hotel. They eat ALL kinds of non breakfast foods for breakfast here. So Todd ordered what the guy (a waiter that spoke some english) said was sweet potatoes. They bring them out and we got sweet tomatoes. :) They were sliced tomatoes covered in granulated sugar. ha ha!! I tried them, and they were quite tasty! :) KG would have LOVED them!!

Day 7- Laundry

2009-09-17T00:31:00.001-07:00

Todd wanted to have some laundry done, so we took our clothes to a local launderer here. You do not do your own laundry, they do it for you. He has had this done before, and it was cheap! Not here!! It cost about $35 to do about 25 pieces. We have heard it is much cheaper in Guangzhou. When you get it back it is neatly packaged in these plastic bags. So even though it cost a small fortune, we felt like we were getting brand new clothes. ha ha!! :) I think from now on we may just stink until we get home. :)

Tonight we are going out to eat at a local Chinese restaurant. Tomorrow we will pick up the kids passports and then do a little more sightseeing before leaving. We have to leave the hotel at 2pm and our flight is not until 7:55pm to Guangzhou. So it may be an extra day before I can post. I know so many of you are waiting on pins and needles to see what we are doing. ha ha!! It has been wonderful to hear from so many of you back home. We can't wait to get home and introduce you to our little guy!! He is so much fun, and makes us smile! Thanks for thinking of us and praying for us and little Deacon. We will let you know how his first flight goes. :) This could be quite interesting, but I am armed with toys and Cheerios. He LOVES the Cheerios.

Day 7- Deacon's take on Dairy Queen

2009-09-17T00:22:00.001-07:00

Deacon wanted some ice cream so we gave him a bite. Everytime he took a bite he made this face as if it was horrible. Then right afterwards he would look at us and do the sign for more! He liked it!

I can't remember if I told you or not, but the bracelet on his arm was given by his foster family. The dangle on it is made from a peach pit. It is supposed to ward off evil spirits. A kind of superstition. Of course we do not believe in this, but will keep it for him to have as something from his country that his foster family gave him.

Day 7- Lunch

2009-09-17T00:18:00.001-07:00

Today we were real adventurous and thought we would head to Dairy Queen for lunch. When we got there to our surprise they only served ice cream. So we headed down the street and found a Little Ceasar's. We were tired of pizza, but saw that they had some other options. Don't worry we will be eating Chinese tonight. We all got some pasta. Deacon love the spaghetti, and even worked at using a fork. He did pretty good.

The second picture is of Dairy Queen. We did go back for dessert. :) It was YUMMY!! The funny thing was when we walked in they were playing Walking in a Winter Wonderland, followed by Silent Night-Holy Night. We didn't know if it was because ice cream is cold that they felt the need to play Christmas music. It was quite ironic that they were playing- Christ the Savior is born, but pretty cool at the same time.

Day 7- Weddings and Mercedes.

2009-09-17T00:13:00.001-07:00

As we walked a little further we saw this future bride and groom getting their picture taken. It was a gorgeous place to have this done. This is also done before the wedding.

Here is a picture of our ride. How funny is this. We are cruising in a Mercedes Mini Van. Our driver is Woo. He is very nice, but smokes like a chimney. Not in the van- thank goodness!

Day 7- More Coy

2009-09-17T00:10:00.001-07:00

First Picture- This is what it looks like when the people are feeding the Coy. There are 100's of them!

Second Picture- Mommy and Deacon. The rock says something to the fact that this is the coy pond. :)

Day 7- Coy Pond

2009-09-17T00:07:00.000-07:00

Our main purpose in heading to the park was to find the coy pond. There were people and fish everywhere! Ha!

First Picture- A look at some of the Coy Fish

Second Picture- People feeding the fish popcorn.

Day 7- Gardens around the lake

2009-09-17T00:04:00.001-07:00

Once we got off the boat we strolled through what looked like a park. Most of it was roped or fenced off so that you could not run in the grass. There were pigeons everywhere. Yesterday at lunch they were having some specials. Pigeon was one of the things you could order. We passed. :)

Day 7-Pictures of the lake.

2009-09-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures of the lake. It is so foggy most of the time, so it is kind of hard to see. It was still very pretty. The second picture with the little white pagodas floating in the water is the picture that you would see on the back of the 1 yuan- Chinese money. During the Autumn Moon Festival (Which is coming soon) The put candles in these and then rice papers over the holes at night. Then the light reflecting on the water looks like the moon. This is only done once a year.

Day 7- Inside the Boat.

2009-09-16T23:55:00.001-07:00

Deacon was making his rounds on the boat. He wanted to go all over, but we had to confine him to our area. We are ready to get somewhere so that he can run free!! Our hotel room is WAY too small for his curiosity.

First Picture- Rebecca- our guide, Deacon, and me.

Second Picture- Daddy and Big Stuff!! We also like to call him Bull and Tank. He is like a bull in a china cabinet. He was better today because he was able to be out and about. Also when you put him in a car or stroller he is a different kid. Loves to ride. Let's hope he likes it just as much when he has to be in his car seat. :)

Day 7- Boat Ride

2009-09-16T23:51:00.001-07:00

After the Notary we headed to the lake to take a boat ride. I tried to get our guide to hook us up in the yacht, but it didn't work out. ha ha!! We took the boat across the lake. This was Deacon's first boat ride with us. Maybe first all together. He enjoyed looking out the window. I kept a tight grip on him because goodness knows that boy might try to climb out the window. :)

Day 7- Notary and Sightseeing.

2009-09-16T23:48:00.000-07:00

Today we got up and headed to the Chinese Notary Office. We had to go there to get several documents, and have them notarized. We got Deacon's Chinese Birth Certificate, Adoption Registration Certificate, and Abandonment Certificate. We have to take these documents with us to Guangzhou. This did not take very long, so we also planned a morning of sightseeing.

Picture- Good Morning!! I'm ready to go!

Day 6- Out on the town.

2009-09-16T23:33:00.001-07:00

Last night we all loaded up in taxi's and headed to an outside performance. It is called Impression West Lake. It was done by the same guy who did the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics. It was incredible!! I have given a link at the bottom that shows a little about it. Also I think you can YouTube Hangzhou Impression West Lake and see something about it. YouTube is blocked here, but Google brought up something. It is a show that is on the lake. They have built a stage that is about 6 inches underwater. So it looks like the people are dancing on the water. The story is a famous folktale here in China. Our guide tried to explain it, but I was lost. :) It was really neat to watch, but was a little hard wrestling a 20 month old. He did pretty good, and we were glad it was outside. He did have the crowd entertained before the show. All the women were wanting to hold him. We had a fortune teller tell us that he was going to be a smart boy. He said he could tell by the shape of his face. ha!! I think he could tell just by watching him. :) Just FYI-we did not solicit the fortune teller. He was sitting right in front of us. :) He freely gave us his "secret" info.

http://www.hzyxxh.com/en/index.htm

I have attached two pictures but they are a little hard to see. It is hard to explain just how fascinating this was. Also the tickets were cheap. Only in China can you put on a show of this magnitude and pay so little.

I stand corrected.....

2009-09-16T16:39:00.001-07:00

As I was walking out the door last night I realized that I wrote Deacon's Chinese nickname wrong.It is not Ayi pronounced- I-eeee. That would be aunt in Chinese. :) It is Ah-Yu. Pronounced I-Yu. Yu is part of his Chinese name. :) I'm such a bad mother. ha ha!!

Becca- yes someone "found" him. He is thought to be born on December 26th. He was found on the 29th. So we are assuming he was with his birthmother a few days. We do not know if she left him out in the neighborhood or with a neighbor. Whoever found him took him to the local police station who then took him to the orphanage. The orphanage is about 30-40 minutes from his finding place. There is nothing else that we know is wrong with him besides his cleft lip and palate. He is a smart little booger. He is already signing the word "more" to us. He also knows what we are saying to him. We know some Chinese phrases and he responds.

The other little girl in our group was left in some bushes by a very busy market. We went to visit that place also and there were people everywhere. We have heard that when people see someone leaving a baby they are weeping. I can only imagine having to leave a child b/c you were not able to take care of them.

Day 6-cont.

2009-09-16T01:25:00.001-07:00

Second picture- Normally at the end of the meal they will bring our complimentary watermelon to cleanse your palate. :) Today this was brought out. At first I was a little leary, but I tried it and really liked it. It is believe it or not.....ice cream. :) Our guide told us it was sesame ice cream, but when I tasted it, it tasted just like peanut butter. She agreed that this was probably the peanut butter one. I don't know if I would have liked the sesame one or not.

Tonight we are going to a show out on the lake. The stage is on the water, and it looks like the people are dancing on the water. The same guy who did the opening ceremonies for the Olympics also directed this. So we are hoping it is good. Now to just keep Deacon occupied. :) More pictures to come...........

Day 6- cont.

2009-09-16T01:21:00.001-07:00

Day 6-cont.

2009-09-16T01:19:00.000-07:00

These next few pictures are the district that Deacon was found in. We do not know the exact location. It is located outside of town about 30-40 minutes from the orphanage. It is situated right across from a Steel Factory. Most of the people in that area work in the factory.

Day 6-cont.

2009-09-16T01:16:00.001-07:00

Daddy and Deacon hanging out in front of the Administration Center. We were waiting on directions to get to their finding place.

Second picture- One final picture with the Nanny and Orphanage Director. They also gave us a beautiful picture book of Hangzhou with well wishes from the director for Deacon.

Day 6- cont.

2009-09-16T01:12:00.000-07:00

First Picture- Outside the administration building.

Second Picture- another building on the grounds. We did not get to go inside any of them. I am not sure what they are all used for. The building by the playground is the education center. There are also a rehabilitation and medical center, nursing center, communication center, and gymnasium.

Day 6-cont.

2009-09-16T01:07:00.000-07:00

Walking around the grounds. We started out from the playground and a group of kids walked by. They started yelling "I-EE". This is Deacon's Chinese nickname. The kid is a rock star on this campus. :) We were told he was a favorite around there. :)

We asked how many kids were in the orphanage. Our guide said between 250-300. 90% of them are in foster care. So there were very few who stayed on the grounds. While we were there a woman came in wanting to adopt. She was a single lady who was about 36. Domestic adoption here is much easier than international. Our guide also told us there were 400 families in this province alone who are waiting to adopt. Most of them wanting healthy babies. That's why our little guy was available.

We also asked about his surgery and were told that it was done at the hospital here. One of the best they said.

Second picture- running to his nanny.

Day 6-cont.

2009-09-16T01:01:00.001-07:00

Playing!!

Day 6- cont.

2009-09-16T00:59:00.001-07:00

First picture- Heading out to take a look at the grounds.

Second picture- first stop- PLAYGROUND!!

Day 6- cont.

2009-09-16T00:54:00.000-07:00

His nanny spoiled him rotten!! She was taking him out to get a treat!

What does he come back with? A ring pop. Luckily he threw it down and it broke so we had to throw it away. He got to have a little of it.

Day 6- cont.

2009-09-16T00:53:00.001-07:00

This first picture is a huge silk embroidery of Panda's that was on the wall. This was the room we met in to finish up our official proceedings and get a book full of pictures of Deacon. Such a treasure. There is a picture in there of when he was found. :) I will probably have to scan it in, but will try to take a picture of the picture.

Second picture- Little Stinker!

Day 6- Cont.

2009-09-16T00:49:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Daddy and Deacon inside the administration building of the orphanage. It is a VERY NICE place! We were glad to see that.

The second is of Deacon and one of his favorite Nannies.

Day - cont.

2009-09-16T00:47:00.001-07:00

This first picture is for CT's class. :) Most of the people here do not have their own car. So there is a lot of public transportation, and even more bikes. Some of the bikes are electric, and some are foot power. :)

The second picture is of Deacon loving his yogurt. He is still a bottomless pit.

Day 6- Visit to the Orphanage

2009-09-16T00:45:00.001-07:00

Today we got up and had breakfast at the hotel, and then headed to the orphanage. Then after that we went to the place where we believe Deacon was found. As I post pictures I will tell about them.

The first one is of the fish you see on your way into breakfast. This restaurant is on the 7th floor of our restaurant and overlooks the lake. Very pretty.

The second is of our view. It was a very overcast day so the picture is not that great.

Day 5- Dinner

2009-09-15T05:19:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of the shrimp. Todd said it was excellent. I don't do sea food, much less when it is still looking at you. :) ha!

The second picture is of the whole table. They always bring out watermelon at the end. I do think this was Deacon's favorite part. He ate four pieces. :)

Day 5-Dinner

2009-09-15T05:15:00.001-07:00

Tonight we headed out to a restaurant we heard was a local favorite. We did find a guy who spoke english, and a picture menu, so we were good to go. :) Todd did all of the ordering. We had fried rice, fried dumplings, two different types of greens, sweet and sour pork, some kind of beef and chilis, fish, and shrimp. What I had was very good. Deacon LOVED the dumplings and friend rice. What he did not like he would spit out on the side of his chair. Oh, we are going to have to learn some manners. :) This is family style and the lazy susan rotates around for you to just get what you want. We had three families eating with us. We all ate for about $12 per family. Not too bad. :)

The first picture is the dumplings. I'm not sure what was in them, but it was pretty good.

The second is the beef. Normally the beef here is pretty tough, but this was very tender and had a great flavor. Still not sure what kind of beef, but it was good. :)

Day 5- Afternoon

2009-09-15T05:10:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of some flowers we thought were pretty along our walk.

The bottom picture is of Deacon wiping his tongue after his Starbucks drink. :)

Day 5-Afternoon

2009-09-15T05:08:00.000-07:00

This afternoon after Deacon's nap we took a stroll around the lake. It is BEAUTIFUL!! Hangzhou is known for Westlake. It is huge and very pretty. We walked for probably a mile and a half and didn't make it very far around. We also found a STARBUCKS!!! Yipeeeee!! When we walked in it smelled JUST LIKE HOME! We ordered the Chocolate Smoothie. They do not eat things cold here very often, so Deacon was hilarious eating this. He would eat it and then wipe his tongue, but then he would quickly ask for more. :)

Day 5- cont.

2009-09-15T02:39:00.000-07:00

Official Paperwork and pictures.

Day 5- cont.

2009-09-15T02:34:00.001-07:00

Sleeping on the way to get the passport photo.

Passed out in the hotel room. He's a great little napper.

Day 5- cont.

2009-09-15T02:29:00.000-07:00

Deacon got ahold of another little boy's sunglasses. He was chillin' waiting on us to become a family!!

Day 5- We're Official!

2009-09-15T02:23:00.000-07:00

This morning we got up to head back to the Civil Office Affairs to receive our official Adoption Certificate. We left here around 9:30 and finished up there at about 11. At that time we had to run to the passport agency for Deacon to get his passport. This would have been ok, but they closed at 12, and we had a lot to do. Add to the fact that Deacon fell asleep on the way there. He wasn't a happy camper when we woke him up to get his photo, but we got it done.

These two pictures are of us receiving our adoption certificate. We are officially Deacon's parents. :) Once we get to Guangzhou we will have more paperwork to be done with the US Consulate, so that he will become a US Citizen as soon as he hits American soil.

Day 4- More pics.

2009-09-14T17:10:00.001-07:00

--
Aimee Fannin
www.jacknjillsale.com

Day 4 More Pics.

2009-09-14T17:09:00.001-07:00

--
Aimee Fannin
www.jacknjillsale.com

Day 4-More pics.

2009-09-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

--
Aimee Fannin
www.jacknjillsale.com

Day 4-More pics.

2009-09-14T17:06:00.001-07:00

I am posting some more pictures from yesterday. We came back to the room and Deacon played for awhile. Then we all took a nap. He was not so excited about that at first. So we put him in his crib. He was crying....more of a drama cry than anything. It didn't last long and he laid down for a good nap. We got up and took a stroll around the lake. It is so pretty! Right across from our hotel. There were people everywhere. After that we hit up Pizza Hut. The boy likes his pizza. ;) He just like to eat period. He fits right in our family. ha ha! After dinner we went back to the lake to watch a water/light show that was showing. We watched part of it, and then headed back to the hotel. Deacon took his bath and LOVED it. He loved to splash in the water. Afterwards we got our PJ's on and played for a bit. He took a bottle and went right to bed. Not bad for the first night. We will see if today is as easy. Little Chloe is doing good also. She is just so sweet. They like to be together. Enjoy the pics.

--
Aimee Fannin
www.jacknjillsale.com

Day 4- Cont.

2009-09-13T22:39:00.001-07:00

Day 4 Cont.

2009-09-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

Cheerios were a HIT!! The boy can eat. :) He is a chunk-a-monk, and as strong as an ox. His 2T clothes fit him just fine. :)

Day 4- Cont.

2009-09-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

Here he is playing with his little friend Chloe. We've already arranged a marriage. :)

Another picture of Chloe and her Mommy.

Day 4- Cont.

2009-09-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

--
Aimee Fannin
www.jacknjillsale.com

Day 4- Gotcha Day!!

2009-09-13T22:30:00.001-07:00

It's FINALLY here!! We LOVE him!!! Today was one of the most thrilling days of our lives. It truly felt like Christmas morning. There were all kinds of emotions involved, but things could not have gone better. We left our hotel at 9:45 and were there by 9:50 am. So we sat around for the longest 10 minutes of our lives waiting on them to bring in the babies. They brought Chloe in first. She is ADORABLE!! So sweet and laid back. Then a few minutes later here came Deacon. OH MY GOODNESS!!! He went straight to Todd. Did not want a thing to do with me at first. Which was totally fine. It was so sweet to see how he held onto Todd for dear life. Then after awhile I took him and we had our little bonding time. He is HILARIOUS!!! He cracks us up constantly. We have got a mess on our hands. Full of personality! He also has the sweetest little raspy voice. We are so excited that the time is finally here. Ok now I will get to the good stuff. The pictures! :) I don't know if we will be able to get any video out until we get back, but we will try. We get to go and visit the Orphanage on Wednesday. :) Right now Deacon is sitting on the bed playing with his toys, and hanging out with Daddy. :) So fun!! We went down to the restaurant in the hotel and he ate and ate. Then he fell asleep in the highchair. As soon as I went to take him upstairs he perked right up and smiled at me. He is a doll. :)

The first picture is of the Nanny bringing him in.

The second one is checking out Daddy.

--
Aimee Fannin
www.jacknjillsale.com

Day 3- Arrival in Hangzhou

2009-09-13T06:36:00.001-07:00

I only have one picture for today. This is Amber and me. Amber was our sweet guide in Beijing. She took us everywhere and translated for us. We have a guide that meets us at every location. It is very nice not to stress about trying to get places without knowing the language. We have been traveling all day today, and are finally situated in our rooms. The reality of it all sank in when we checked into our room and there was a crib in there. :) We will be going to the Civil Affairs office at 9 am tomorrow morning to meet and get our little Deacon. Which will be 8 pm Sunday your time. I will definitely have pictures for you tomorrow. :) Now to try and sleep. I feel like a child on Christmas Eve waiting on Santa to come. Thank you to all of you who are praying for us. We have had a very uneventful and wonderful time so far. The real fun begins tomorrow!

Day 2- Cube and Bird's Nest

2009-09-12T05:05:00.001-07:00

Day 2- The Bird's Nest and The Cube

2009-09-12T04:57:00.000-07:00

The last stop we made was to the Bird's Nest and The Cube. There are many symbols to these two structures. They are made out of the five elements which are water, fire, metal, wood, and earth. The nest is red at night representing fire, and the cube is blue at night representing water. There were some other meanings, but I can't keep them all straight. :) We were not able to go inside, but the atmosphere was pretty cool. There were people everywhere as if there was an event going on.

--
Aimee Fannin
www.jacknjillsale.com

Day 2- A little Piece of Home.

2009-09-12T04:51:00.000-07:00

After the silk factory we were all fading fast, so we headed across the street to where else but McDonald's. We got some caffeine and ice cream. :) The first picture is of Todd leading the way. The structure to the right is part of the Olympic Village.