Farewell Guangzhou

This will probably be the last post we make from China.  Tomorrow is our last day in mainland China; we check out of our hotel at 6pm and fly to Hong Kong; after a quick overnight in HK we're back at the airport for the big hop across the Pacific to America.  Sixteen hours from Hong Kong to Detroit, then a 9-hour layover in Motown and a 2-hour hop to Norfolk.  We are supposed to be landing at home at 1130PM on Friday night.   I hope after all that time in Detroit the flight would be on time – the best thing about the Detroit layover is going to be that sweet SkyClub.  Here's hoping it works out as well for us on the way back as on the way over because we are going to need it.

 

Lucy Update

Today we had our consulate appointment and went through the oath ceremony for Lucy's US visa.  This was not a naturalization ceremony but it's the closest thing she will ever have to it. As with Tyson, Lucy will become a US citizen (and by default forfeit her China citizenship) the moment our airplane touches down on US soil.  We can even take her through the US Citizen side of the Immigration booths in the Detroit Airport.  She is fully ours in the sight of both the US and the Chinese governments.  Although the oath was a shade anti-climactic, us and the other 50 families who took part in it all cheered when it was concluded.  It represented the last major legal hurdle for all of us in bringing our kids home from China – a journey that has taken each of us years to realize.  In that regard it was really neat.

 

Lucy is cleaving more and more to her Mama everyday; it is a slow, painful process but all the sweeter for how hard it has been.  She actually allowed Melissa to hold her on two occasions today for about 20 minutes each.  This is a huge milestone for both of them.  For her part, Melissa just keeps chipping away at Lucy's resistance.  She has been such a trooper through this rejection period.  I know in just a little while we will look back and have a tough time remembering how hard this was.  But right now it's a struggle every day.  Lucy has been in my arms every waking moment for 10 days – and everything I have is covered in Lucy slobber and food castoffs.  I, for one, welcome any time she is willing to jump into her Mama's arms; Lucy and I are good and bonded together.

 

Tyson is learning everyday day how to be a better big brother and his love for Lucy is showing more and more in a hundred little ways every day.  From holding her on the bus to greeting her each morning with a kiss, he is fabulous big bro.

 

And Mom and Dad have been a Godsend – helping out in a ton of ways every day.  They've taken care of Tyson when Melissa and I needed to be doing paperwork or attending to Lucy; they've held the breakfast table for us every morning and taken Tyson up to get his morning ration of freshly cooked noodles.  They've adventured out on the town with us as we sought to escape the cloying confines of our hotel room – even into the most God-awful heat imaginable.  They've been perpetual good sports through all the legalities of the adoption process and sat with us through all the boring proceedings.  Melissa and I simply can't thank them enough for all that they have done.

 

Well, Melissa has been packing up our stuff the whole night and it's getting late.  The kids are finally asleep and all is quiet.  Tomorrow we start our adventure home.  Pray for travel mercies and on-time flights.  I will try posting from the Detroit airport when we finally get there.

TJ