Our Hamilton

Four Months with Hamilton

2010-02-17T16:08:00.001-08:00

February 22 marks 4 months that Hamilton has been in Birmingham. He has learned English, begun preschool, met a new babysitter, attended football, basketball, and soccer games, played with new friends, and attended church.-- also he has had many doctor visits. He had tubes put in, visited the International Adoption Clinic, the Cleft clinic, the pediatrician (numerous times), and our asthma specialist. Yes, he is wheezing like his brother and sister. What a whirlwind the little fellow has been through. I also forgot to mention 4 American holidays. We can not imagine life with out him. He is such a blessing. We have much more laughter in our house and a lot more energy. Bill and I had forgotten how active 3 year olds are. We are questioning whether we are too old, but love it also. Right now he is asking Bill not to give him medicine. However, he is very easy to bribe-- a little chocolate does the trick every time. He drinks gallons of chocolate milk a week. In the last two weeks, he has begun playing with other children, not just beside them. His speech comes in phrases or sentences rather than words, which has been fun for me to watch. Anything he does not like, he calls you "grumpy". Also, if he does not want to do something, he tells us he will do it "tomorrow". He is going to be a negotiator someday. He is struggling to learn his colors; he is stuck on yellow and purple. He is very social!!!! I took him to his first birthday party, Saturday, and he spoke to everyone. He also told me that he was supposed to wear a birthday hat and that the girl was supposed to blow out candles. We still have not figured out how he knew that information. However, he still does not like to be spoken to by strangers. He turns his head and pouts. We are telling him to say "hi" which is helping. For the most part, it has been a wonderful, yet surreal 4 months. We appreciate your continued prayers as we continue to adjust.

Chinese New Year

2010-02-17T16:00:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Chinese New Year on Valentine's Day last Sunday with two other families. Fisher, the other little boy, is from Hamilton's orphanage and just came home Feb. 11. Lia Kate also goes to church with us. Our church has had five international adoptions this fall and winter! The kids loved the chinese food and celebration. Hamilton also loved the chopsticks. I need to purchase some. The other picture is of Bill holding Lia Kate's brother, Britton, and Hamilton is not happy about it!!

He had a ball in the snow last Friday! We rode a sled of our neighbors down small hills, which he thought was fantastic. He also had snowball fights with Will. He is used to cold weather. He is a pro at putting on mittens, hats, etc.

January

2010-01-06T16:58:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry we are just now updating. Christmas was wonderful. Hamilton loved it. He took all of the activities a little too literally though. He made reindeer food at school. When Bill took him outside to "feed" the reindeer, he stood there waiting for the reindeer to come eat! Then he asked me until 10:00 Christmas eve for the BIG ho ho! He was waiting for him to come see him. Elizabeth was a little sad that Hamilton then slept until 8:30 Christmas morning. The big kids had a difficult time waiting to open presents. We had lots of family in town. It was wonderful. Hamilton has now officially met all of his aunts and uncles, one still by skype only. He also met his last cousin, Abby, from Boston. He loved her, because she is a baby.

Hamilton was sick a second time over Christmas. His colds seem to end up as sinus infections and wheezing. I went ahead and took him to Will and Elizabeth's asthma doctor. He said we would wait a year to call it asthma, hopefully it is just transition to new germs. But he is now on preventive asthma medicine. That made Christmas a little more tiring. But he is well right now!

We are in constant email with Hamilton's foster mother in China. She was so sweet to send us a "Merry Christmas" wish. She also knows Fisher Freeman's foster family. I gave her the Freeman's email address and possible travel dates. How fun will it be if the two boys recognize each other. Hamilton's latest interest is in China. He is asking to see "NeNe", his foster mom. We have an email in to the adoption counselor to inquire the best way to handle his inquisitive mind. He wore a sweater today and upon putting it on told us it was from China. My friend made it, so he must have had one similar in China. He also was able to tell me more about his sleeping arrangements in China last night. It is both great and difficult as he acquires more language skills. We have to remind ourselves that he is grieving his old home; it is very difficult to hear him verbalize it. I keep quoting his bible verse to him: " I have great plans for you, plans to prosper, not to harm..." Bill and I have to trust that God is faithful and will hold our precious son tight during his grieving and that He does have GREAT plans for him and for all of us!!

Okay, back to lighter topics. Hamilton loves his schools. He has two. One is at our church for 2 days each week, and the other is in a class for children with special needs. He needs the boost in language, and the teachers are working so hard. He has several other children adopted internationally in the class, so we feel quite blessed that they accepted Hamilton. He is a little sponge. He learns knew words every day, and is now speaking in phrases. He expresses his wants quite well, sometimes too well. The only problem is he expects to get what he wants when he asks. Although, when he cries, now, it is very short. He just started staying with our new friend Haley in the afternoons. She is a Samford student. She picks him up each day at school and brings him home until 3:00 or so. She is our friend Olivia's good friend. (Olivia lived with us last summer and is back for 3 weeks). Hamilton enjoys college age girls I think because he has taken to both Olivia and Haley quite well.

Elizabeth is no longer going to school with a new scratch on her face each day. So for the most part our baby has calmed considerably. We are having a blast with him and exhausted at the same time. However, there are no words to describe what a tremendous blessing he has been to all of us!

Update

2009-12-08T15:38:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry that I am not updating more often for our out of town friends. Life has been very hectic. Hamilton has started preschool. His language is improving tremendously. He likes school but does not like to separate from us. I am back teaching and Bill is taking half days of vacation. He takes Hamilton to school and picks him up. Then I trade off at 3:00 and he goes back to work. What a crazy life, but it works. In January we will begin having a babysitter for the afternoons. Yes, he still sleeps with us. We have been advised to continue the family bed through the holidays, most likely until February or March. It is getting better, although last night I woke up with a soccer ball on my chest. He has a hard time separating from toys also! We are just thankful that he sleeps! We were told that many adopted children have significant sleep disorders. So we feel blessed.

I am including random photos from play, Thanksgiving, Al/Auburn game, etc.

The hardest adjustment has been time. Our family is used to teenager activities, and we are having to slow down. I have no idea when I will complete Christmas shopping! The weekends are filled with playing, carpooling big kids, or going to games. Will and Elizabeth are also finding it much more difficult to study with a 3 year old brother. However, I see each week things getting easier. The best news is that Hamilton has not hit or scratched in the last week or two! He also is not throwing food! These are huge blessings.

Thank you for your continued prayers,

The Bennetts

tubes tomorrow

2009-11-05T18:15:00.000-08:00

Our ENT called this morning and had a cancellation for tomorrow. So Hamilton is getting tubes at 5:45 in the morning. He has mild hearing loss and fluid in his ears. Apparently, this is common for children with a cleft. Please pray it goes smoothly and safely.

The pictures are of his first trip to the zoo. We went with our neighbors. Alice, Amelia, and Eli. Eli is getting a brother from Hamilton's orphanage in China soon. Hamilton loved the zoo and has been talking about monkeys all evening. He saw more animals than monkeys, but zeroed in on the monkeys. He loves to be in open spaces where he can run.

First Day at Church

2009-11-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

Here are pictures from Hamilton's first day at church. We took him to the service with us and then I went with him to a 3 year old sunday school class. He did really well. He sits as long as there is music. But of course is not interested in listening to a story, because he does not understand. He sat better in church in China. But it was fun for him to meet more people who have been praying for him.

Tomorrow, we go to the ENT to schedule his surgery for tubes. He already has an ear infection, so we are anxious to get the tubes soon. Then next week we go to the cleft clinic and general surgeon. Too many doctor visits for the little guy!!

We have had a great day today! I think we are all feeling less tired and grumpy. Bill and I are also getting a little more used to life with teenagers and a 3 year old. It is action packed for sure!

Halloween

2009-11-02T11:25:00.000-08:00

Hamilton loved Halloween. We dressed him up in his traditional chinese attire. Our neighbors, Lydia, Alice, and Amelia, also dressed in chinese costumes. They were so cute! We ate pizza with our neighbors and then went to around 10 houses for candy. He figured it out pretty quick, but would stop every time he saw a ball. He got a little mad at trick-or-treaters who came to our door, because he thought I was giving away his candy.

update

2009-10-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

We are settling in. The time change and sleeping with a three year old have really been tough this past week. We went to the International Adoption clinic Monday. We were there 4 hours! I think we will now know for sure that Hamilton is completely well. We met with a counselor, speech pathologist, doctor, and had an ultrasound and 5 vials of blood taken. Needless to say, he was not too happy about the blood. He had obviously had that done before. He recognized the band that goes around the arm and began screaming. The appointment went well, though. They said he is attaching very well. They are more worried about trauma and stress from being put in a new home. They said the busyness and hitting are from trauma or stress. The busyness helps keep his mind off of it. Typically kids are either withdrawn or busy. We are glad to have busy. We also are stuck with the family bed for a little while longer. We are hoping he bonds quick and can move to his own bed sooner versus later. Last night we slept with his head on one of us and his feet on the other- very nerve racking, but he has to be touching someone! I especially enjoyed the couple of nights that he chose Bill over me.

Bill asked that I make a disclaimer over the dryer photos. We were in the room with him when we took the pictures. He has not gone back to the dryer since, but uses the den curtains to hide behind when he wants a quiet spot which isn't very often. He loves to be in the room with us. Will and Elizabeth are huge helps when they do not have too much homework.

Life has been so busy, we have not had time to update. I hope to add pictures this weekend.

First Day Home

2009-10-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hamilton had a great day today. He played outside a lot and took a very long nap. After dinner Elizabeth went looking for him. She could not find him, and then saw him sitting in the dryer in the laundry room. So we had to send pictures.

pictures from homecoming at airport

2009-10-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

Our US Citizen

2009-10-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

We are finally home! We had a very long day yesterday. We left our hotel at 4:00 pm October 21 Us time and landed in Birmingham at 6:15 October 22. 26 hours flying with a 3 year old went very well. He slept a good bit. The main fits were during take off and landing because he did not like the seat belts. China does not require them for cars, so he is not used to being strapped in. We flew 4 hours from Guanzhou to Tokyo, had a 1 hour lay over, then 12- 13 hours to Atlanta. We talked our way into bulk head seating!!! It was great. However, our flight from Tokyo was late, so we missed our connection to Birmingham by 5 minutes. I was so tired and frustrated, I got little angry with the receptionist. In Atlanta, we went through visa check, immigration, customs, re-check baggage, and security. Then had to wait stand by for 2 flights, but we boarded the second one at 6:30 which was only 2 hours later than our original flight. The man at customs was so kind! He said I am not sending you through the baggage check line because of the baby.

When we landed in Birmingham, Bill, Will, Elizabeth, Jim, Jami, Brooks, Linden, Laurel, Dear, Sophie, and Dionne were waiting!! Elizabeth had been at a football game, so she had on her cheer uniform and pom poms. Guang Guang started waving at everyone when he heard them cheering. When we got to our house, there were probably 50 or so people waiting for us in the street cheering!! Guang Guang started clapping. He loved the attention! He did great. He stayed in my arms for a little while, and then got down and started playing with all of the kids. He played basketball, soccer, and football in the front yard with tons of children. I will send pictures of this out later today. I need to download them.

We ate dinner around 8:30 and put him to bed around 9:30. He slept with Bill and me because he is used to the family bed. I guess we will work on that next week. I realized that he has not seen a house before. People in China live in apartments for the most part. They are typically one or two bedroom apartments. Our house is not big, but we thought he might be scared. He woke up at 11:00 and 3:00 crying and officially woke up at 5:45-- not too bad. He woke up happy and talking to BABA, dad, for the first time. He has been playing outside with BaBa and Jie Jie (Bill and Elizabeth) this morning. He spent an hour playing in a puddle!! We will try to give another update tonight.

The last day before travel!

2009-10-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

We are so tired packing has been tough. Guang Guang has settled down, though, just in time for a new big transition!! We are figuring each other out. We are learning more mandarin which helps a ton. I also concluded today that he likes Asian men but not Asian women. He will give strange men five, but hit Asian waitresses and shopkeepers. I do not know what is up with that, but it is nice to have figured it out.

Today we swam and finished last minute shopping. We also took pictures on the famous red couch at the White Swan. From what I understand you usually take the pictures with your group, but we were a single family- wish Fischer was here to take it with us!! His hat was a gift from his orphanage. It is traditional for Mongolians.

After dinner we wanted to have our picture made with our favorite shopkeeper, Jordan. Thomas said he needed one also with 3 women. Beth also got a cute picture of YeYe and LaLa in traditional fishermen's hats.

Now we are headed to bed. We will wake up at 5:00am and fly to Tokyo at 9:20. I think we leave Tokyo one hour after we arrive, tight change over. Then we fly 10- 14 hours to Atlanta. It was 14 hours coming over, but Tyler said it was more like 10 going back. We are hoping for the shorter flight! In Atlanta we go through Immigration and customs and then head to Birmingham. I have to go through the non-citizen immigration with Hamilton. However, the paper says that when he lands in Atlanta, he is officially a US citizen. How cool is that??? We loose 13 hours or so tomorrow. We leave at 9:20 our time and land at 4:30 your time, but it is 24 hours of traveling.

See your tomorrow!!!

Thank you for all your prayers!!

Kem

From The Home Front

2009-10-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share briefly a little perspective from the home front. They have now been gone for 16 days, and return in 2, not that anyone is keeping track. They are 13 hours ahead of us here, so we've been able to skype with them usually twice per day. Once in the morning, and once in the evenings.

Will and Elizabeth have been real troopers. They have been adaptable, willing to jump in and help more, put things up without being asked multiple times (usually), have worked hard on their school work, and they have maintained great attitudes. They are really excited to officially welcome the newest Bennett into his new home.

2 major accomplishments:

1. Even though Kem left in the peak of the rush for the last week of Will and Elizabeth's grading period, neither saw their grades suffer, and Will even moved one of his classes up a letter grade.
2. I managed to make 2 critical phone calls today: first, I believe I've found where I can get some lamb for Hamilton's dinner on Thursday night. Secondly, I was able to locate someone to clean our house on Thursday before their arrival.

I believe we are now down to only one more "skype", which will be Wednesday morning for us and evening for them. Wednesday evening for us they will begin their journey home.

We appreciate everyone's interest in following their progress, and appreciate your prayers and encouragement along the way. Especially be praying for their trip home.

Sincerely, Bill

It's Official!

2009-10-20T05:45:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Today Guang Guang became a Bennett!

It rained all day so we slept until 10:00 this morning and then we played in the Swan Play room. At 2:45 we met many other families and rode a bus to the American Consulate. Guang Guang was so excited he fell asleep on the bus ride. Isn't he precious!! There I stood in a line and showed passport pictures to prove our identity. Then everyone in the room stood and took an oath saying that all information provided on the adopted child was true to the best of our knowledge. Now when he lands in Atlanta, he will be an American citizen. Isn’t that amazing!

They took our cameras, so there are no pictures. But we did take a couple on the front steps of the building. There is one of Thomas and Guang Guang.

Then we ate at Lucy’s again. It is by far the least expensive restaurant on the island. Guang Guang ate 6 lamb kabobs again!

We do not have many pictures or much to report today. We have on more day here and can not wait to be home. I am dreading the flight, though. Please pray we get bulkhead seats. That has still not been accomplished.

Thanks for your prayers,

Kem

Note: We are so excited to have Kem, Hamilton, and Beth return to us on Thursday! I feel sure the flight will take care of itself in regard to seating. I am going to focus my prayers on a safe flight for all and happy return to the USA! I also pray God will be with Hamilton as he begins his new life in this foreign country which will, of course, be his home. I pray Hamilton will feel God's love and the love of his family and numerous friends as he begins his new journey! Let' just rejoice in the fact God led this child and this family to be united and they are almost home:-) Counting down the hours now! Dear

Our last Monday in China!

2009-10-19T05:04:00.000-07:00

Monday, October 19, 2009

The embassy appointment went great. Everything was approved without a hitch. Thomas just handed our paper work to a person behind a window. She looked through it, and said okay!! So, tomorrow we take the oath, and Guang Guang will officially be Jacob Hamilton Zhou Bennett!

After our nap we took a taxi to Pedestrian Street. It was a very busy street lined with stores and jewelry malls. Will, we took a picture of McDonald's and KFC for you. We did not eat there though because it was extremely crowded and overwhelming. We were going to go to the zoo, but another family told us it was not that great. They have one panda that is a lazy panda.

Guang Guang had lamb kabobs for dinner. He ate 6 kabobs!! Bill, I think you will have to learn to grill lamb chops and kabobs.

The store owner who told us about church is Jordan. We have been in his store almost every day. He ordered something for Laurie and told Beth to tell her a couple of days ago. After leaving the restaurant we were talking about when to go get the chess sets, we heard him behind us. He had spotted us on a different street from his store and chased us down to get Laurie to purchase her items. We got quite a laugh.

I am attaching pics of the fish in the buckets. I think I told you all about them. The seafood restaurants have either tanks of fish or buckets of fish. You choose your fish and they cook it for you. The buckets had eel, turtles, crabs, and various fish. It was interesting. We chose not to eat in one of those restaurants.

Tomorrow we leave for our oath ceremony at 2:45. I sign something, and then he is officially a Bennett! We will do this with many other families we have met here.

Language Barrier ....

2009-10-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Last night we ate at Lucy’s and Guang Guang ate lamb. He also had a fit - see the picture of him squatting. We are now leaving him when he starts fussing. We just walk away a little bit, and then give him a hug afterwards. He is an adorable mess!

This morning when he woke up he put on his swim trunks. I tried to get him to change but did not push although I knew that I should because he would think he was going swimming. I was right. As soon as we entered the restaurant, he began screaming and hitting and kicking. Everyone watched us and it was the worst fit yet. Even other adoptive parents were asking us if this was normal. He truly thought he was getting to swim. He eventually calmed and ate a good breakfast. Then Beth and I took him to his first church service. It was in mandarin. We were told it would be in English also, but were given the wrong time. But we enjoyed it. Hallelujah and Amen are spoken the same, so we got a little bit out of it. The hymns were pretty. The church was full and we were put in an over flow room with video. Guang Guang did great. He sat when the pastor asked everyone to sit down- in mandarin of course. I was able to buy him a bible in mandarin and English and a praise CD in mandarin for 60 yuan or $10.00 total.

We then came back to feed him lunch and I tried to get bulkhead seats on our flights home. I have to try again later. That would be a prayer request. The last flight was a disaster, so I am very nervous about our 24 hours of traveling home. The bulkhead would be great because he kicks the seat in front of him. He seems to like to have pressure in the bottom of his foot when he is tired. He pushes them into me at night-very comfortable!! Ha!

Later, Beth and I took him on a walk while Dad and Laurie went to the Canton Trade Fair. Beth and I saw the poorer side of the island. The people who live here appear to be wealthy. However, on our walk along the river we saw men bathing in the river. They took off the clothing they were wearing, washed the clothing, and then washed themselves. They stood on steps that went into the Pearl River which is very brown and dirty. Needless to say we weren’t planning on seeing naked men as we went for a little exercise! Beth says we got a Chinese Chip and Dales show for free. We also saw a young boy smoking a cigarette. They must start early here.

On a serious note, tomorrow is my appointment with the embassy. I leave at 8:00 and the appointment is at 9:00. Remember, Thomas likes to be early. Beth and Laurie will keep Hamilton for me since he does not have to go. This will be the first morning that I will not be with him when he wakes up but he will have a fun morning though. Please pray the appointment goes smoothly. This is the final step of the adoption. We have a swearing in ceremony on Tuesday- but that is just a formality I believe.

I need to go, Hamilton just threw the camera and we need to try to fix it. Frustrating!!! (:-))

(When I just spoke with the girls and Hamilton, he had also just burned his hand on a hot light bulb! He was definitely hurting and beginning to get very unhappy. I am sure the language barrier is one of the things leading to his "disruptive behavior" and he will be very obedient once this is no longer an issue. Dear :-))

Saturday Memories.....

2009-10-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 16, 2009

The TB test was negative!!! Yeah! That saved us a little money and hassle. If it comes back positive we have to pay for a chest x-ray and wait for those results. The clinic was packed today with people were waiting outside to go in. But we were able to walk right in and have a nurse look at Guang Guang’s arm. That was great!

He woke up not feeling great, just fussy and clingy. But after a little motrin, he was back to normal. We are guessing that he feels achy from the vaccines. After the clinic visit, we played at the pool. There were other children, and Hamilton loved playing with and beside them. He has great play skills, is very social and copies what the big kids are doing. There is a wall that some of the kids were swimming through. I sent a picture of him going through it. It took two of us to help him because he cannot swim yet.

He takes a nap every day, so after the pool we napped. Beth worked and I attempted to exercise. I did fine yesterday, but today felt dehydrated. Beth felt funny yesterday when working out. We are not sure if it is altitude, climate or what. Hohhot was in the mountains, so we knew we all felt funny because of the altitude.

We have met a lot of families today ad it is so much fun talking with them. Many are on their second or third adoption. One man is adopting his fourth child from China and has four biological children. The eight are between 2 and 13. He was here last November adopting their third. (So I guess one a year.) Another family has two from China and four biological. The families are from all over the country and traveled to various provinces. One family was able to visit their child’s orphanage and take photos and video of children being adopted by friends. The orphanage also had a dinner for them. I wish we were able to do that. But I am thankful to have met the foster mom. I have emailed her while here. Her daughter in law speaks English and she replied that her mom has cried for days. So, please keep her in your prayers. That was difficult to hear. However, a mom at the pool said that the children are not able to remain with the foster family forever, eventually they go back to the orphanage or boarding school. It has been nice to talk with other moms who have similar fears, excitement, etc feelings as I do. So far, I think I am the only mom with out a husband here. But I have met one dad with out a mom. Beth is a great substitute!!! And Laurie and Dad are huge helpers. One mother said she has had her closest bout of post-partem depression after adopting. She said she did not struggle after pregnancies, but she has older children also, and her daughter is non responsive. The fear is what have I done to my family and my other children? Will everyone adapt, bond, and become a family? Her children are on the trip. It is scary; however, it is all in God’s plan.

I keep reminding myself that. My fear is that Hamilton will turn our home topsy turvy, which I know he will, so it is legitimate. I just have to remind myself that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us and take it one day at a time. I have forewarned that everything needs to be put up high, but I am not sure Bill and the kids fully understand. Beth and I find things missing every day. We look and typically find them in a “normal” spot. Hamilton likes to clean and play pretend. Today I lost my book. He had put it under the bedside table on top of a stack of magazines and books from the hotel. Beth found it finally and I never would have looked there. His hitting is better. I am learning to give him a few minutes to show me what he wants and to pick my battles. We also borrowed a stroller from one of the shops. He loves it, and there are less battles on the streets when he is contained and happy being pushed.

Several people have asked when I will start calling him Hamilton. Here we call him Hamilton occasionally. There are so many words he needs to learn. And the transition is so difficult, that I am hesitant to take his name away. He refers to himself as Guang Guang, which makes it more difficult. I have talked with several other families with older children. They all say that they will begin calling them by Chinese name plus American name once back home, for example we will call him Guang Hamilton and eventually drop the Guang or use it as a nick name. He says Guang Guang all of the time, so right now I am stuck using it also.

It has been much harder to blog here, because he wants attention. Right now he is taking a late nap. I feel like I am rambling because I have the time to fill you in on our days. Sorry if too much information. He is waking up now!

I miss you all! Myra, it was good to see your face this morning on Skype.

Love,

Kem

Late post for Friday -- Sorry! Just received :-)

2009-10-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 16, 2009

We ate pizza last night- what a fantastic treat. Guang Guang ate three bowls of olive dip with crackers -- that was his dinner. I ordered him noodles, but that was not what he wanted!

Today was an easy day. We went to breakfast, the White Swan playroom and the pool. It was so relaxing.

After meeting, observing, and speaking to other adopting families here, I realize how blessed we are that Hamilton was with a loving foster family. The children from the orphanages are withdrawn and distant. They are also very little. Many have a distant stare in their eyes. I spoke with one mom from Wisconsin at the pool. She has two sons ages 9 and 11. Her daughter is so withdrawn. She is 18 months and is not sitting up. She is very clingy. I think the slapping, kicking, and throwing may be easier to deal with in the long run.

It seems to be mostly a language barrier problem more than anything else. Also he is 3!! But we are so fortunate, that he is responsive, happy, and giggly. He really is fun to watch. He is very neat and he cleans our room each day! Hamilton also observes everything and he knows where we keep everything in the room and will go through cleaning spells. It is very cute.

Beth and I heard about a church service here on Sunday. They have a mandarin service and an English service. One of the shop keepers told us about it and we are going to try to find it on Sunday morning.

Dad and Thomas went to a huge trade show today called the Canton Fair. Dad has many new ideas for his businesses! They had a great time while we swam.

Keep the prayers, emails, and we miss you all!

Friday Night Fun....

2009-10-16T06:01:00.000-07:00

Beth, Hamilton, and I had fun tonight. Here are some pics of him wearing his new tshirt that says Made in China. He is attempting to take pictures of us and we are holding up the peace sign. Most Chinese hold up this sign when posing.
Isn't he cute. We also got a shirt for Elizabeth that says "Jie Jie" which is big sister and Beth that says "A Yi" which is aunt. They are cute.

What a time getting to Guanzhou!

2009-10-15T06:16:00.000-07:00

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Well, last night was rough. We left for the airport at 3:00. Our flight was delayed 3 and one half hours. So we landed in Guanzhou at 2:00am and arrived at the hotel at 3:00. Guang Guang really wanted to fly, so he fussed and tried to get on other airplanes. Also, by the time we finally boarded he was exhausted. He was very excited for the first part, then began crying. We flew for 15 minutes then touched down in Batou. They asked everyone to get off the plane and reboard in 10 minutes. Thankfully Thomas was able to get permission for us to stay on the plane because Hamilton had already begun crying. I ended up moving to 3 vacant seats at the front of the plane and rocking him like an infant, while he slapped at my face until he fell asleep. He was so tired and angry. I pray the flights to the US are much more peaceful, although, I am quite nervous because we will not have Thomas to translate for us.

When we arrived at the airport at 3:00, we were circled by “black taxi” drivers. Thomas says they are not real taxis and charge more. Our hotel bus was not there yet, so they circled us until it arrived. It was a bit scary! Dad went to Nimbo on Monday. He was supposed to meet us at the Guanzhou airport at 10:30. Our flight was late, and he did not know what hotel we were staying in. So after our driver arrived, we drove to the other terminal to find him. Thomas found him asleep on a bench! He said he thought we missed or caught an earlier flight, so he just settled in for the night! Needles to say, it was a tiring and comical night!

Today we woke up around 8:30 and went to breakfast. We are staying at the White Swan. It is a hotel famous for adoption. After breakfast we went for Hamilton’s medical exam. It was in a clinic. It was much quicker and easier than I expected. They measured his head, weight, and height. Then he got 4 vaccinations and a TB test. We will get the results of the TB test on Saturday. He began crying once he saw the shot area—poor kid.

We passed a park on the way to the clinic and played on the way home. He loved that. Then we went shopping at Jordans. They sell the squeaky shoes. Hamilton got a pair for $5.00. They squeak when he walks! He also got a new ball and a toy airplane.

The White Swan is located on Shamian Island. It is beautiful. It is wonderful to see green again! It is warm and tropical. There are a lot of adopting families. It has been fun to meet and talk with a few. We met two families traveling together in the clinic this morning. There is a picture of Hamilton talking to Julia. She is moving to California. We met a family from Virginia and Alaska. I love hearing English!! Also, we had a huge American breakfast buffet this morning. I finally felt completely full. I had an omelet with cheese (there has not been cheese at other hotels), two bananas, bacon, and a chocolate croissant. I did venture out to eat meat and other suspicious foods earlier in the trip. But mostly I ate noodles with Hamilton. The hotel also has 2 swimming pools, a playroom, and a fish pond with a waterfall. It is beautiful! We just got back from the pool. It was cold, but Hamilton loves to swim. I think we are going to walk around the island tonight and find somewhere to eat dinner. Thomas is not with us now, but he told us about several restaurants- Mexican, thai, german, American, and French.

Hamilton is back in good spirits after his nap. He is beginning to have small tantrums, but always goes right back to his jovial self. He is enthralled with everything and probably a bit over stimulated at this hotel. But it is so worth it. If I have to stay in China another week, this island is the place to be!!

Sorry to worry some of you last night! We were in the airport with out internet service and slept late this morning. Also, we had to pay and hook up to the Internet service at the hotel.

Leaving Hohhot today!

2009-10-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

I have no pictures to add today. As you all are waking up, we will be flying to Guanzhou. We are tired and weary today so we stayed at the hotel to pack and rest. Hamilton has not slept great the last two nights. We think he had a few nightmares last night. Also, every few nights he decides to sleep horizontally on the bed. This puts his feet on me and I get kicked all night. Last night was one of those nights! I move him, but he moves right back. Oh well, I cannot wait to get him accustomed to his own bed. It may take awhile, but I hope to start immediately. But here, sleeping with him has really helped with the bonding. He loves to snuggle, so we bond a lot during the night!!

He is settling down some, is not hitting as much and is overall a little more calm. However, he did throw a glass spoon on the ground at breakfast. They charged me 10 yuan because it broke. I think the hotel may be glad to see us leaving. I have referred to him as Eloise from the book and movie Eloise at the Plaza. He walks around like he owns the hotel. He greets people, runs, and prances. It is very cute. He may be a little upset once he realizes his new home does not have elevators. Those are quite fun for him.

Please pray for our flight. We would like a safe and peaceful flight.

Oh, he just woke up form his nap. We need to start getting ready to fly!
I miss you all and thank you for the emails!
Love,
Kem

Tuesday in Hohhot

2009-10-13T05:42:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Today was a lazy day. Thomas completed all of the paperwork. We now have a passport for Hamilton!!!!! The China side is complete.

We had a rough night last night. Hamilton has been dry every morning, so I decided he would sleep in underwear instead of a pull-up. Big Mistake!!! He wet the bed at 10:30 and cried for about 30 minutes. Beth had to call housekeeping, who speak only mandarin. While I was consoling Hamilton, housekeeping came with only one sheet. It was difficult to explain that we needed a complete bed change. Finally, I just threw the comforter on the floor and 2 pillows and Beth patted the wet spot to show him. Hamilton is screaming during all of this. The man called for back up. Another man in a suite came in and looked quite uncomfortable. I guess two American women in their pajamas, a crying baby, and a wet bed was a little too much for him. He just stood in the doorway staring at us. After the bed change we all went back to sleep. Hamilton woke up screaming again at 12:30. He acted as if he was in pain. So, being the good mother that I am, I decided to call Dr. Chambers, the international doctor on call in Bham. We gave him motrin. She called back at 3:30 am. She thought the crying was probably due to extreme scolding in the past for bed wetting. According to her, this is typical in China. He woke up happy and fine this morning. I was nervous that he was getting an ear infection or something. That would cause us not to be able to fly to Ganzhou tomorrow. So I wanted to ask before it got too bad. But all is well. Beth and I napped for 2 hours and Hamilton for 3 today.

We went back to the park and ventured out to our first restaurant outside of the hotel. We thought we were ordering plain noodles. The menu was in mandarin. Beth and I got some funny looking meat and rice. Hamilton got what looked like noodles, but Thomas told me later was tofu. And Laurie got beef soup. We took the menu so that we could ask Thomas what we had eaten. I had to send pictures of the food and restaurant, just because it was an adventure for us. I took Hamilton to the drink machine and let him get a drink. He went running to show Laurie, LaLa, and Beth. He loved his big drink. I included pictures of the restaurant because Will asked me what kind of fast food is here. This is it. There is no McDonalds or KFC in Hohhot.

After he was finished eating dinner tonight, he began to wash his 3 spoons in his bowl of noodles. He did this over and over making a huge mess. I had to include a picture. It is the one with his hands in the bowl.

We fly out tomorrow night at 6:00. I probably will not be able to send a new post tomorrow. Thomas likes to have us at the airport two hours before the flight. He really likes to be on time places. He is very conscientious with his job, which is beneficial with the paper work.

We did realize that we are missing two dates on our I800 form. You can pray that Michelle is able to find these or that they are no big deal. They are the expiration dates for our fingerprints. They were not listed on the I800 as they were supposed to be which concerns Thomas. This will matter in Guanzhou.

As you all are waking up we will be going to bed. Hopefully we will sleep through the night tonight, because tomorrow will be a tough day for Hamilton.

The picture of Hamilton with the ball is typical Hamilton. He prefers to have no clothes on and loves my shoes and balls.

Monday -- The Grasslands!

2009-10-12T05:21:00.000-07:00

Monday, October 11, 2009

Today we drove 2 hours to tour the grasslands. They are green in the summer, but had already turned yellow. I am including pictures of the homes. The rectangular concrete homes were homes we passed on the way. The round homes are homes that Mongolians live in. I have one picture of the inside of one home. We rode horses to tour a family home. The lady met us and invited us inside. She served us warm milk tea, cheese (that tasted like candy), and fried bread sticks. She lives in the round home. She had a single bed, two card tables with some stools, and some shelving. She did not have running water or electricity. She had pots to boil. She did have a car. We asked for a restroom and she pointed to outside in the grass areas. Oh well!

Hamilton loved the horse ride. Thomas told him on the way that we were going to ride horses or “maw” in mandarin. So when we got there he was very anxious and began crying when the price negotiation took too long. He had to ride with a guide. They did not trust us to hold him. He giggled and laughed. We decided that he loves transportation as much as balls. He thought the car ride was quite fun also. He giggles and gets excited at the simplest of things, such as mountains on the way today. He loved looking at the tall mountains and kept pointing and telling us to look, in mandarin of course.

Right now Hamilton is behind me unpacking Beth’s suitcase. He is “washing” her clothes and hanging them on the windows to dry. Most of the apartments in the cities have clothes hung up in the windows to dry. So I guess he is copying his foster mom’s method. Boy is he going to be in for a treat when he sees his first washer and dryer!

He has been much better behaved today. I think the language barrier may be a large part of the problem. He wanted to take his socks off in the car and was fussing with me (it was really cold). Thomas looked back and explained in mandarin that it was too cold to take off socks. He told Thomas, “I will take them off later when I get home”. How nice it will be when we can talk to each other. It was so simple and ended the struggle.

It is 5:00 here and we are headed to dinner shortly. We opted not to eat lunch in the grasslands. They had some interesting food on the menu, such as internals and lots of lamb. It was also expensive.

Tomorrow, Thomas picks up all of Hamilton’s paper work, which I believe completes the China side of the adoption. Wednesday we get his passport and fly to Ghanzhou!

I miss home tremendously,

Sunday in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia --Day 3 with Hamilton!

2009-10-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

Sunday, October 10, 2009

Today we were able to sleep in as long as we wanted for the first day since arriving in China. I enjoyed being lazy and Skyping this morning before and after breakfast. Thomas found a city park for us to visit and it was fun as well as very pretty. They had exercise equipment in two areas for adults and children. Some of the pictures are from those areas. There were men fishing. Also there were paddle-boats to rent. Hamilton made it very clear that he wanted to ride a boat. So we rented one for 50 Yuan or about $8 for an hour. He loved it! He carried on conversations with Thomas, who asked him if he could swim, roller blade, etc. Each answer was, “yes, I can”. Thomas said he could do everything – very brave! He fell and hit his head while playing on some of the equipment. He cried pretty hard, but let me comfort him. I think that was another step toward bonding. Thomas was very protective after that, staying very close to Hamilton’s side to prevent injury. He now has a small black eye and a scrape and bump across his forehead! We may have to cover up the injuries to be allowed out of Inner Mongolia-just kidding!

We worked on not throwing food at lunch today by removing his plate every time he threw. It seemed to work at the time because he did not like loosing his plate. It is tough to discipline while trying to bond and having a language barrier. Dad and Thomas say I am not firm enough. I think Will and Elizabeth would disagree! But he is so cute and laughs so hard when he is being naughty that it is very difficult not to laugh back. You can pray for gentleness. I began praying that he would develop a gentle spirit this afternoon after he head butted me in the eye. He can be quite rough in addition to mischievous.

Tonight we are going to dinner with the hotel manager who came by our table last night and introduced himself. He is from a diplomatic family and grew up in the US. He asked to host us for dinner. We are the only Americans staying here. So we are somewhat celebrities. We receive stares everywhere we go!

Tomorrow we are driving two hours to the grasslands. I believe we will be able to ride horses and watch a performance of some kind.

Thank you for your continued prayers. We have now survived one week away from home. I am missing my family and bed very much! But Skype has been wonderful. I can not imagine doing this trip with out it.

Love,

Kem

Saturday with Hamilton

2009-10-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today was another day of paper work. We went to the notary public’s office to get the final okay for Hamilton to be adopted. Then we went to the police station to complete the application for Hamilton’s passport.

We were allowed to take the blankets to the orphanage but I was told not to put orphanage pictures on the internet. The government would not be happy. So the pictures from today are from the hotel, notary office, or passport office.

The orphanage was new, built last October and it was very large and pretty. It has 300 children with 98% of them having special needs. I took pictures of the playroom. They had a wonderful sensory room that I loved - it had no grass, all dirt. The orphanage is located off a dirt road and appeared that they just knocked down old buildings and built new on top. Freeman's - we saw a little girl in foster care, but not Fischer. He is in Batou City.

When we came back to the hotel Hamilton met Aunt Beth. He loves her already. Now he has 3 women and a granddad to entertain and spoil him.

Tomorrow we may go sight seeing either to grasslands or the Inner Mongolia museum.

Note: Tyler flew back early Saturday (Beijing) and has arrived safely back in Atlanta as this blog went to post. We are happy to have Tyler back in the USA safely! Beth flew on to join the group and meet Hamilton in Hohhot. I apologize for the late posting today -- being Saturday I failed to check the correct email address. Hamilton seems to be adjusting very quickly and quite happy. Please continue your prayers! October 22nd can't get here soon enough. "Dear"

Our First FULL Day as Mom and Son!

2009-10-09T05:19:00.000-07:00

Friday, Oct. 9

Reflections on Day 1 with Hamilton (or Guang Guang)

1. He is hilarious. He has infectious laughter from deep in his belly.

2. He is very active!

3. He throws everything from balls, clothes, shoes, to food!! (we are working on that)

4. He talks nonstop in mandarin- I really wish I could understand him.

5. He eats a ton! More than Will and Betsy combined I bet. But mostly just watermelon and noodles so far. Thomas asked me if I cooked noodles at home. I think he was a little concerned that I would not feed him correctly.

6. He loves balls.

7. He hits and kicks everything, even faces. ( we will have to work on that too)

8. As a teacher, I am looking for any delays in development. We were told he would seem like a 2 year old. I think he acts like a typical 3 year old. I can tell he has been well loved. From pictures it is obvious that he was taken places and has lots of memories. I guess not the typical orphan baby. For Anna-- he makes most sounds. He does seem to eliminate the beginning and changes the endings, but this is English. I know I hear m, b, d, y, c, k,. His two top front teeth are misplaced, so I am not sure he is capable yet. He cannot suck from a straw. Also, I think there is likely still a hole in his pallet. Everything comes out of his nose at times, even watermelon juice.

9. Amy, he loves his Ni Hao Kai-lan book. It has been a big hit. Thank you!!

Well, to sum it up, he is adorable. He is happy and full of laughter. He seems to obey Thomas, but not me—hopefully just a language barrier. I really wish I could understand him.

Note from Hamilton's "Dear": Late yesterday afternoon I received an email from Kem to log in! So, I did and was so excited to Skype with Kem and Hamilton. He is just absolutely adorable. He was loving his picture on the computer (seeing it reflected in Skype) and loving me talking to him. I asked if he understood what I was saying and Kem immediately said, "not a single word" but is very fluent in mandarin. Oh well, he loved the sounds. He was laughing, squirming like any three year old, smiling, and just so happy. He is so full of love! Then, he gets off her lap and begins dancing to music from I guess the TV, don't know where the music came from. Kem said he had cuddled with her all night and had done so well. No crying, just so happy. Will and Betsy, he is going to adore you! Your family was special made to receive this precious brother and son:-) God's timing is always perfect!

You can so feel HIS plan in all of this. I get "goose bumps" and tears when I think about it too long. Please continue your prayers for all the family. There is still a long way to go before we have our family members in China back across the ocean here in the good old USA!!

Pictures of Hamilton

2009-10-08T06:41:00.001-07:00

Here are Gotcha Day pictures. I am not sending many because Hamilton (a.k.a Guangguang) will not go to sleep without me. Lucky for us he is use to sleeping in the family bed! He has done great. I met his foster mother, which is very unusual. She seems wonderful. And it was especially neat to be able to thank her and meet her. She made a special photo book for Guang Guang. He loves looking at his pictures and telling Thomas what was happening. He does not seem too delayed. He loves balls, especially soccer. Also, he eats way more than Will or Elizabeth—noodles and watermelon tonight. He knows exactly what to do with a bowl of noodles- see the picture!

I will try to post more tomorrow. He is very, very, very active. So I will do my best.`

Thanks for the continued prayers!

HE IS A DOLL!!!!!!!!

2009-10-08T04:30:00.000-07:00

He is a doll! He is a soccer player, playing in the hall right now. No tears yet. He looks the same but bigger. I will send pictures once he is asleep. I also got to meet his foster mother. She has been with him for 3 years!! She gave me a photo book that she made for him and also the album that I sent of us last summer. It is quite worn, so she has been preparing him. He is very smart also. Talks all of the time- already calling me mama and Laurie Lala. He is very energetic. All 4
of us are going to sleep well. Thanks for your prayers!

Note: This is a huge day for the Bennett family and for all of us! We have all been awake since at least 4:00 a.m. waiting on any glimpse of an email and especially a picture or two. The pictures will come soon I am sure. Please keep praying for Hamilton and all of his new family! It seems he is one lucky little fellow to have had a wonderful foster family and to be joining a wonderful family. This has definitely been engineered by our Heavenly Father! Posted by Hamilton's "Dear"

Day 4 in Beijing! The Big Day

2009-10-08T04:29:00.001-07:00

Gotcha Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Today I meet Hamilton. Actually in about 45 minutes. I am so nervous. I have not slept in 2 nights. Our family and friends have been praying for him for a year and a half. It feels odd, awesome, amazing, miraculous, unbelievable, and scary all at the same time. Please pray for his attachment! Thomas, our guide says the babies generally cry for 3 or more days. That is so sad to me. I am reflecting on God’s love for us and our adoption by him. He offers us unconditional unfathomable love. I pray that Hamilton will feel that love from me while in China and Bill and me back in the states. I am also praying that God’s peace will surround Hamilton as he has left the only home he has ever known. That just seems so traumatic, but I know that God has called the Bennett family to this specific boy He will equip me to help Hamilton through the transition.

By the way, Laurie, Dad, and I just arrived in Huehhot, Inner Mongolia. Beth will be joining us on Saturday. I was nervous leaving her in Beijing. She and Tyler are adventuresome, so he better make sure she makes it to Inner Mongolia. They have several sites planned to see which include navigating the subway in Mandarin. Our hotel is beautiful, much nicer than in Beijing. So that is a plus. The smoke is still bad, though. I am praying continuously over my allergies. (I hope I am not offending anyone- just allergic.)

I will send another update tonight with pictures of our new baby.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Day 3 in Beijing!

2009-10-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Summer Palace and the Silk Market. Summer Palace is where the emperors lived in the summer. They spent winter in The Forbidden City. Summer Palace was beautiful and extremely crowded. It opened 2 hours late because some officials were touring it. So there were many people waiting in line. And unfortunately I have discovered that when Chinese people wait there is smoking involved. So, health wise, it was a tough morning. There is a picture of the dragon boats at the Summer Palace and another of a marble boat. Also, outside the palace I took a picture of a man on a bike with a wagon. We have seen these all over the city, even completely loaded with soft drinks for a delivery. The next picture is of some homes or apartments near the Silk Factory. It shows some poverty. The Silk Market was tons of fun. It was hard to shop because whenever we touched something we had to bargain over prices. I mean big bargaining. They would suggest 560 yuan and I would say 100 yuan. Crazy!! There is one picture of us bargaining with the owners. I bought a lot of Christmas presents. The Bennett family will have a Christmas filled with things bought from China.

Tomorrow, I meet Hamilton. I am nervous and excited. I do have a peace, though. I pray he likes me! But mostly that he bonds and has a smooth adjustment. Thomas, our guide says that he has been told about us, but what can a 3 year old really comprehend? I am also praying that we will be able to visit the orphanage. I would really like to visit and thank the nannies. I have blankets the Covenant girls made for the children. Hopefully, these will help get me a visit. It is 5:00 pm here and this time tomorrow I should have a 3 year old. Sounds amazing and unfathomable.

Day two in Beijing

2009-10-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Today our guide took us to the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City.

The first group of pictures are from the Temple of Heaven. Chinese people predominantly believe in Daoism. The Temple of Heaven has one building where the emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties worshiped the god of harvest and another the god of heaven. They believe in many superstitions- colors, animals, and numbers all have different meanings. Outside of the Temple of Heaven is a public park. I sent some pictures of various people. One is a street party or dance. One is of people playing different Chinese games or dancing. The older gentleman is 80 years old. He chants in the park every day according to our guide, Thomas.

more on day 2

2009-10-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

Here are more pictures. Will, the first picture is for you. It is of a Chinese apartment building. That is the closest thing I could find to the inner city! My guide did tell us that behind small shops are courtyards with small homes surrounding. Many of the homes do not have water access. He said that the people living in these homes are typically from different provinces-- everyone wants to live in Beijing.

The next group are from Tiananmen Square. It is the moon festival here, so there were tons of people out today. I tried to capture the crowd. There is a photo of a float used in a parade on October 1. They celebrated the 60th year of New China, China after communism. There is a picture of some soldiers and a row of buses used to bring police and soldiers to work that morning. Apparently crime is very low here. It could be because there are policemen and soldiers everywhere. Also, they kill murders according to the guide. Yesterday, we watched a suicide intervention outside my dad and Laurie's hotel room. A young girl was attempting to jump off the lower roof of our hotel. There were policemen and firemen. After about 45 minutes two policemen were able to sneak behind her and remover her from the roof. It was so sad. The girl was crying and screaming in Mandarin to what I guess was a negotiator. But thankfully, she was saved.

Day 2 in Beijing

2009-10-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

Last we went to the Forbidden City. I did not do my research. I assumed it was just another building. I was quite wrong!! Apparently, it was built during the Ming dynasty. The emperor believed the god of heaven had 10,000 rooms in heaven. So, to not compete with the god, he built his "city" to have 9,999.5 rooms. It was huge, truly a small city. It was all stone with one small garden area- I mean no grass in sight!! There were many buildings and entrances between them surrounded by a large brick wall. It was also very crowded. It is fun to watch the Chinese people. They also seemed to enjoy watching us.

At the end of the day, Beth, Tyler, and I walked around the streets of our hotel. We wandered into a mall. We had many people staring at us and I assume talking about us. A man came and spoke to us. He said one of the ladies asked him to tell us that she had fitting rooms. He was an artist and showed us the gallery. I believe we were the only Caucasians in the mall.

Tonight I opted out of dinner. I am very tired. I slept 13 hours last night trying to adjust to the time change. Also, it seems that more people smoke at dinner. I felt sick last night after sitting through dinner. I could use prayer for my allergies. Asians like their cigarettes! My guide finally asked today why I wore a mask occasionally. I tried to explain and hope I did not offend. I really do not want to be sick when I meet Hamilton.

The more obvious prayers would be for Hamilton's adjustment. God has given me a peace about it. I know he is in control no matter what happens.

I miss you all and would love some American food already,

Kem

Beijing- Day 1

2009-10-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

I really did not know that I could ever be so tired. The time change is tough to get used to. But we just finished our first day in Beijing. It is Monday evening here. Saturday and Sunday were spent on the plane. I had about a 45 minute flight to Atlanta, then a 14 hour and 15 minute flight to Tokyo. Followed by 3 and a half hour flight to Beijing arriving at 10:30 Sunday night.
I met a doctor from a PCA church in Augusta on my long flight. He was headed to Indonesia for a medical missions trip in the town of the tsunami. Bill, you would have enjoyed him. He was reading and listening to a sermon of John Piper.!

This morning we went to the Great Wall. I had difficulty breathing the air as we climbed. So my hike was shortened. I was praising God at the end. They brought someone down on a stretcher to an ambulance. I was so thankful it was not me!!

We then went to lunch at a tourist restaurant above the Cloissonet Factory—this is probably misspelled. After lunch, we toured the Olympic Village areas.

China is much different than I expected. I found out on the plane that there are legal protestant churches here. I was surprised. A man from Nashville comes twice a year to teach in seminaries. The churches carry bibles printed in English and Mandarin. One of the churches is supposed to be close to our hotel in Guangzhou. So I am going to try to purchase a bible for Hamilton. The hotel is clean an nice. It has a little mildew in the tub, but no big deal. The people are pleasant. We did get the chance to pose in pictures for a couple of Chinese people. Beth was a bit surprised when a college student asked for her picture!! I forgot to warn her.

I can not reach our blog from here. So Bill or my mom will be posting for me. I can check emails though. So, please post comments or send emails. We need lots of prayer.
Melissa, Thomas is checking to see if I can visit the orphanage. He said that most children are taken from their foster parents a week or two before adoption and returned to the orphanage. So I do not know if we will get to see Fischer. But I will get a picture for you if I do.

Thank you for your prayers. I feel covered, which we really need.
Kem

Leaving Birmingham

2009-10-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

Dropped Kem off at the airport. They should be arriving in Bejing in around 24-25 hours- around 10:00 AM Central-Sunday Morning. Please pray for safety and traveling mercies.

Will has just left to go to Mobile for a soccer game, so Elizabeth and I will be hanging out today, doing homework and watching football. Tomorrow, Will and I will have the great opportunity to study together. The timing of this trip coincides with the end of the 1st 9 week grading period at school, so Will and Elizabeth are both covered up with tests, etc.

We appreciate everyone's prayers and support!

Bill

Blanket Making

2009-09-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth's youth group got together this afternoon and made blankets for Hamilton's orphanage.

Six more days until we leave!!!

Our Itenerary

2009-09-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

Oct 3 Leave Birmingham at 9:00 am
Oct 4 Arrive in Beijing at 7:30pm
Oct 8 Fly to Huehot, Inner Mongolia
Oct. 9 Receive Hamilton
Oct. 10 Registration and notarization
Oct. 11-13- Play
Oct 14 Get Hamilton's passport and fly to Guangzhou
Oct. 15 Hamilton's medical exam
Oct. 16 play
Oct. 17 Review the medical report
Oct. 18 play
Oct. 19 Appointment with the AmericanConsulate
Oct. 20 Oath ceremony
Oct. 21 Receive Hamilton's visa at 3:30pm
Oct. 22 Leave Guangzhou at 9:15am/ arrive Birmingham at 4:30pm

Our Itenerary

2009-09-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Oct. 3 Leave Birmingham at 9:00am
Oct 4 Land in Beijing at 7:30pm
Oct 8 Fly to Huehot, Inner Mongolia
Oct 9 Receive Hamilton

TA

2009-09-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

We fianlly received our Travel Approval on Monday. Life has been a whirlwind since Monday trying to decide when to leave for China. Unfortunately, China has two festivals in October for whick the government shuts down. So we are requesting our Embassy Appointment for Oct 19. If we get this date, we will begin our travel on October 3, Bill's birthday. Now, is the fun, exciting part of the journey. It all seems more real this week. God has thrown us some obstacles, however is always providing. I know his time is perfect. Please pray for travel plans, attachment, and for our family's transition. I will update tomorrow if I hear a definite date.
Kem

Happy Birthday

2009-08-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

Today is Hamilton's 3rd birthday. I think we will celebrate it this weekend even though he is not here yet. We recieved an update today. Our file has left the US Embassy in Ghanzhou. It will go to the CCAA in Beijing on Monday morning. The CCAA will give us travel approval. My agency thinks that will take about 2 weeks. Then we can set our travel date. Yeah!!!!

Immigration Approval

2009-07-20T12:36:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone. Our packet that was sent to immigration is supposed to be wired to China in the morning! This was very fast, so we are excited. The packet will go to the US embassy in Ghanzhou. Once there, my agency takes Hamilton's passport and one more form from us. Those get approved and sent to the Chinese Central Adoptions Affairs, who then issue travel approval. From what I hear, we could be traveling in 4-6 weeks!!!! Please continue to pray for speed and no bumps as the file moves into the final steps. I of course am praying that we travel sooner, but 4-6 weeeks is not too long at this point. Also, please pray that he shows up negative for TB. This is a new requirement for him to leave China, started in July. Apparently it can be a long hold up if he tests positive.
Thanks again for all of your prayers!
Love, Kem

Birth certificate

2009-07-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

WE got it!!! We received Hamilton's birth certificate during the night, it is Monday night in China now. So we can send the last bit of paper work to Immigration in Washington today. It will then be sent to Ghanzou, China. Then, the embassy in Ghazou will give us travel approval. Finally, we will get to travel to meet our third child. Please pray for speed and no bumps. This is a new process, so we are praying that we send everything they need the first time. We do not want delays to resend missing information. I will continue to keep you updated as we move ahead! Thanks for your prayers,
Kem

Letter Seeking Confirmation

2009-07-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

We received our Letter Seeking Confirmation today!!!!!! Once we receive a copy of his birth certificate we can mail our next round of information to China. Please pray this comes during the night via email. Then we will file for Travel Approval. Hopefully, this will be a short wait.
Thanks for your prayers!

Waiting for Letter of Confirmation

2009-06-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

We are waiting anxiously for our Letter of Confirmation from China. Please be praying that it comes in the next couple of weeks.

2009-03-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

We received new pictures yesterday. He is so big now! It is hard to get used to the new Hamilton each time we receive a picture, which is every 6- 7 months. Bill's birth certificate should arrive on Friday, then everything will finally head to China. Then we wait 3-6 months. We are praying for 3 months. Hopefully, God will provide another miracle for us. WE are so ready to meet him in person and get him home!

2009-01-21T16:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our blogspot. It was created to keep friends and family informed during Hamilton's journey from Huehot, Inner Mongolia in China to Birmingham, Alabama to meet our family. We are anxiously awaiting our trip to meet him this spring.