Bye Bye Beijing, Hello Wuhan

It's Saturday morning and we're packing away for our afternoon trip to Wuhan. It's about an hour and a half flight to this city located in central China. So today is the official transition day from sightseeing days to adoption days. We're both very, very excited. Last night Keri and I kept saying to each other "We can't wait to get to Wuhan."

Friday was pretty cool overall--we saw the Summer Palace, which is where the Chinese Emperors lived when the weather was nice. It was built later, in the 1700s. At 700 acres it was pretty large, even with the man-made lake and all. We also went to a Tea House and tried out some different kinds of tea. Then we went to an acrobatic show, which in my book was as good as any Cirque Du Soliel I have ever seen. Where else are you going to see 12 women balancing on a bicycle? Oh, did I mention it was crowded?

Please be in prayer for our guide, "L", who has been very open and talkative during our time here. Keri was able to tell him a little bit yesterday about who we are, and he was interested and receptive.

Our flight leaves at 4:00 p.m. or so and we'll be in Wuhan tonight. We don't know yet if we get Eden on Sunday or Monday--most likely Monday but sometimes they bring the babies on Sunday. This is what we have been waiting on for nearly two years and it's kinda hard to believe that baby-day is just about here!

Ouch, We Have Great Wall After-Shock

We're just barely moving this morning and all our muscles hurt from climbing the Great Wall yesterday. We're taking a leisurely morning and then headed to the Summer Palace and an acrobatic show this afternoon and evening.

I didn't mention yesterday that the Hu Tong district we visited has many narrow streets and is considered the "old China" way of living and is very desirable. Here are a few shots from the back of our rickshaw.


Thanks for all the emails. We miss you guys.

The Great Wall, and Other Wonders

Today was Great Wall Day for the Mason family. Our guide told us we were going to "climb" the great wall, which I took to mean a flight or two of stairs to the top of the wall, where we would walk across it for several hundred yards. No, it was really a climb.

China is really a picture in contrasts. The Great Wall was no exception. It was absolutely marvelous to behold, a ribbon of stone stretching up the beautiful mountain peaks at impossible angles. It's about 2,800 miles long. We saw maybe half a mile of it and it was really impressive. Yet the section we saw had a four-lane highway right next to it, and one of the guard towers on the wall had been conveniently converted into a cell tower. Kinda ruined the effect at points.

We huffed it up the Wall, which was quite steep. All of us were winded and tired at the top. Though it was built in 211 B.C., conveniently the Emperor of China apparently had the foresight to locate a refreshment stand and T-shirt emporium at the peak. Did I mention it was crowded? We got plenty of great photos, although I will have to remove the power lines and transmission towers from some of them in Photoshop to being back that Ming-dynasty ambiance.

After the Wall we stopped for lunch at a combination roadside Chinese diner and shopping mall. Keri said it was like the Asian version of a Stuckey's. We also went by a jade market, which by the cost of it must be the most precious stone ever discovered by man. We determined we could go through life jade-less and be able to give our daughter the college education she deserves.

By this time we were pretty tired, and so we added insult to insomnia by touring the Hu Tong district of Beijing, where we saw how some of the locals lived about 300 years ago. Again a study in contrasts--like being driven around in a rickshaw by a driver wearing an iPod. Or walking into a million-dollar home that barely had indoor plumbing and a window unit for cooling.

One interesting thing we noticed today was the fixation on symbolism of abundance. Many of the things tourists are told to buy or you see for sale have to do with material wealth. Everything symbolizes something. For instance, fish = abundance. Peaches = long life. Color Red = wealth. Color Yellow = wealth. Four posts above your front door = wealth. Jade = wealth. Pink pearls = happiness. See a recurring theme here? Much of what we hear from our guide and others centers on the people's fixation with material things--wealth, abundance, long life, happiness. All of China seems in pursuit of these things.

Retirement age is 55, and so again you see a contrast. Young people striving to get stuff. Older folks sitting outside their homes with nothing to do at all but play chess or chat or people watch. The country seems to be moving at two different speeds. Oh, did I mention it was crowded?

Tomorrow a few more sights, then on to Wuhan on Saturday where we eagerly await little Eden coming into the Mason household. Thanks for your continued emails and prayers for us while we are away. We're having a lot of fun, but miss home and can't wait to be back in the house with our new little member of the family.

Big, Big Beijing

We had a wonderful time today touring around Beijing. Everything in Beijing is big, really, really big. Our first stop was the Temple of Heaven, where the Emperor of China would go to pray for the harvest each year. It's well over 700 acres of manicured gardens and tremendous buildings. We were struck by the many parallels to Old Testament practices and longed to tell everyone, "This is really where these religious practices come from..."



We hit the "Pearl Market" before lunch and saw how they are made. They sacrificed an oyster right before our eyes and he yielded up about 20 pearls. We bought a few things for Eden.

Tienamen Square was after lunch--essentially a very big, flat, area that holds roughly a million people. At times today we thought there were likely a million people there already--it was VERY crowded all day wherever we went. Next to the Square there was a big countdown clock to the Olympics, to be held next year in Beijing. They are renovating everything to get ready for it.

Then the Forbidden City this afternoon--home to the Emperors from about 1400 AD until the last Emperor in 1911 (FYI, go rent the Steven Spielberg movie, as it is pretty accurate). The Forbidden City was very, very, very big. It went on in all directions as far as the eye could see. We entered the first walled courtyard, then the next, then the next, then the next. There was a palace for dressing. There was another one for practicing ceremonies. There was another one for the actual ceremonies. There was another one for the Empress.

There was a giant library, and across from it a factory for making books for the library. There were gardens and storehouses and courtyards. The Emperor was always afraid of being assassinated, so there were no trees in most of the Forbidden City, and to keep people guessing, he had 27 bedrooms and shifted nightly from one to the other so no one knew exactly where he was sleeping. Creepy, huh?

At the back of the City there was a very nice garden with 300 year old trees. Everything here seems either very old, or very new. Either it was built 600 years ago, or last week. Nothing is like, 20 years old.

Oh, did I mention it was crowded? Anyway, in the ultimate ode to Fung Shui, just out the back door to the Forbidden City the Emperor had a hill constructed (because, apparently, there was supposed to be a hill there, and since there wasn't one, then of course one had to be built). It was all very interesting, very ornate and very big. And did I mention the crowds? By the end of the day, having traveled through the Ming Dynasty and back again, Keri and I were really "Ming-ed out". So we collapsed in the hotel room for a few hours, then went out to eat with friends at a nearby Chinese restaurant.

Tomorrow we're going to see the Great Wall. If today is any indication, it will likely be quite large. We're also going to see a very traditional (old) village and see how folks live in the countryside. The guide tells us we'll be able to go into some homes, meet residents and talk to them--I think we're more excited about that portion of the trip so far than anything else.

Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers. Oh, yeah, we are still adopting Eden next Monday, lest we get too caught up in the tourist stuff. There were so many cute children running around the city today and each little smile reminded us of the reason we came here. Looking forward to the next few days...

Made It To China!

Woohoo! After 27 hours of travel we're here in Beijing. Wow! Halfway around the world from home we saw the sunrise on the airplane as we made our way toward Guangzhou and then on to the Chinese capital... the very same sunrise that our friends and family experienced 10 time zones ahead of us. We slept through the landmarks that wizzed by beneath us in the wee hours of Sunday night and Monday, passing the Bering Straight and flying down through Russia, a slight detour around North Korea and then over the Chinese mainland.

We're resting this afternoon and then will do some touring the next few days before heading to Wuhan on Saturday to begin the adoption proceedings. Keri and I are very excited and covet your prayers for the four of us (Keri, me, Keri's mom and Eden) in the coming days.

All we can say of our first few hours in Asia is, Toto, we are definitely not in Kansas anymore! Really helps to put life into perspective when you see the other side of the planet. Amazingly, Paris Hilton is just not news over here. Go figure. Also, we've noticed not only Chinese being spoken but Russian and French as well. A real challenge to us to step up and begin communicating in other tongues as we become more "world aware."

FYI... The leg from Los Angeles to Guangzhou was 14 hours (!). We began to wonder if there was going to be enough fuel in the plane. The upgrade to "premium economy" seating on China Southern Airlines was definitely worth it--we felt like we were flying first-class.

Leaving Tomorrow

Well, we're off to bed to try and get a good night's rest before we leave tomorrow. We fly out of Birmingham at 2 p.m. and go to Denver, then to L.A., then to Guangzhou China and then to Beijing. It's a LONG way to our little one but worth every mile! Just wanted to let everyone know we likely will not update the blog until we're in our hotel room in Beijing, which will be early Tuesday morning USA time. So don't worry if you don't hear from us. The fees for internet access in the airports can be quite high so we'll play it by ear. Love you all and we'll miss you.

Video of Eden from China

We were excited to receive a brief video of Eden from her caregivers in China...



Just a few more days now before we depart for the Far East.

Brand New Photos of Our Baby!

We received these today. They were taken 2 weeks ago. We think she looks like us!

One Week To Go!

Several times over the past week Gene and I have stopped, looked at each other, and said, "We are about to have a child!" The other night we decided at the "last minute" to go see a movie that started at 9 p.m. Gene wanted to see "Transformers" and I didn't really care to see it but I said, "Soon we won't be able to go out at the drop of a hat like this. Let's do it just because we can!" As we've spent the last week meeting with the pediatrician, installing the safety gate at the top of the stairs, buying "baby gear" for the trip, and trying to decide what to pack for Eden, I think the reality of being parents is sinking in. I'm not sure we'll truly grasp that she is ours until we step off the plane back in Birmingham.

We're excited that we are going to have a few days in Beijing to decompress after all of the last-minute running around and late nights we are pulling to get ready to be out of town. I'm excited to have my mom traveling with us as I'm beginning to feel the "first-time mom panic" of, "What do I feed her? What if she gets choked? What if she won't stop crying? What if she gets sick?" And then on top of that, there's the "I'm going to become a first-time mom on the other side of the world panic" which includes, "She understands Chinese. I don't speak Chinese. She doesn't speak English. If I call someone for help they won't speak English. I don't know what kids eat there. I don't know where anything is. What if I need something I didn't bring?" And all of this is topped off with the "I am giving birth to a toddler anxiety" which includes, "What if she doesn't like me? She can run away from me. She weighs 24 pounds...that's heavy! Oh man, I should have gotten in shape - she's going to wear me out! How am I going to entertain her for the 2-day trip home? She is going to be into EVERYTHING!"

Thankfully, however, all of this anxiety pales in comparison to the "God is sufficient" peace which includes, "God knows Eden. God knows me. God knows Gene. God created the 3 of us. God loves the 3 of us. God planned for the 3 of us to be a family. God led us to one another. God knows the future. God lives in Eden's parents. He will show us what she needs. He will love her through us. God is all we need." And then, of course, there's the "I love her with all of my heart" peace which includes, "I have been praying for her since before she was born. God has softened my heart to her needs. I don't expect anything from her - I just want to love her. She is my daughter. I will do whatever it takes to meet her needs. She is worth whatever difficulties come with her. She is a blessing. She is precious. I want to be her mommy."

As you can see, my mind is racing as I process the weeks that are ahead. So many changes, so much blessing. My head is full, but my heart is even fuller! This child who belongs to no one on this earth is about to become a daughter, a granddaughter, a great-granddaughter, a niece, a cousin, a friend. She will have a mommy, a daddy, grandparents, great-grandmothers, aunts & uncles, cousins, friends, and 2 sweet dogs! So many people have been waiting for her, praying for her, and loving her with us. We can't wait to bring her home!

The official process of putting everything into suitcases begins this week. I have been making a packing list for about 3 weeks and it's a good thing I started then because I keep remembering little things to add. I've been to Wal-Mart (I'm sure not for the last time), borrowed the biggest suitcase I have ever seen, and have begun "piles" throughout the house. Our airline tickets arrived. I have one last meeting with our social worker at the adoption agency on Tuesday to finalize details. We are almost ready to go! Thank you all for taking this journey with us. Your prayers and support mean more than you know. We love you!

Luggage Tags

I ordered some customized luggage tags for our family. Aren't they so cute? I also got mailing labels!

Travel Dates

This has been a busy week finalizing our plans for our trip to China. Me, Gene and my mom will depart for China on July 15th and return on August 1st. We are going to spend a few days sightseeing in Beijing before we go to Eden's city to pick her up. We will be in Wuhan (Eden's city) from July 21-27, and then in Guangzhou from July 27-31. We have spent the week in meetings organizing paperwork with our social worker, talking with travel agents, wiring funds to China, etc.

We also received an updated weight for Eden. We have been told that she now weighs 11 kg, which is 24.25 pounds. She turned 18 months old on June 27th. I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with attachment/bonding specialist at UAB's International Adoption Clinic on Friday. She was so realistic and encouraging as she explained what we might can expect in terms of Eden's initial transition from her foster home to life with us. She confirmed that this will be very tough and traumatic for Eden initially - but the odds are very good that since she probably has a healthy attachment to her foster mom, she will likely grieve for several months and slowly transfer that healthy bond to us, her forever parents. We were told that she will likely regress during the first few months and probably not "act like" an 18-month-old for quite some time as she adjusts. What Gene and I need to focus on is not her age and what would be considered "appropriate" behavior, but on comforting and supporting her through her grief and meeting her needs, whatever they may be. Sleep could likely be a big struggle at first, and inconsolable crying is likely to be frequent for the first month or so.

I know this may seem overwhelming, but I have faith that God has been preparing all 3 of us for the weeks and months ahead. I have a new friend at church who adopted a little girl from Russia and she reminded me this week that no matter what comes, we must remember that God perfectly matched Eden with us, and we have exactly what she needs. What an awesome God! Gene and I are so excited! We are counting down the days until we come face-to-face with the little angel who has already stolen our hearts. What a blessing she already is!

Early Picture of Eden

Here's one of the first pictures we received from the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) of Eden. Obviously we fell in love from the first moment. She had us at hello.

Pictures of the Nursery

We finished the nursery recently, and Maggie the dog was the first one to try it out. Here are some more pictures of the finished room.

Our Travel Approval Arrived!

I think I might seriously be in some sort of shock. I'm not joking. I'm so calm, so cool, so collected. We have waited 18 months for the phone call I received today saying our TA has arrived - this is the official "yes" from China that we can adopt our baby - and I'm cool as a cucumber. I really feel sorry for my husband (or the lady who happens to be next to me in the checkout line at Wal-Mart) when the reality finally hits me that I'm about to be the mommy of an 18-month-old child who won't understand a word I say. Can you believe it?

Maybe I'm not shocked because I knew God is the only One who could carry this through to completion. Maybe for the first time in my life I'm not shocked that God answered my prayer. Have you ever done that? You pray and pray and pray and then when God answers you're shocked. I've done that so many times...but not this time. I think it's because I've always had such confidence that this was God's will for us. I've always believed in my heart that this was a prayer he WANTED to answer. To give this precious baby girl a family and a home. I'm excited, humbled, overwhelmed and bursting with joy, but I'm not shocked or surprised. Hmmm...maybe that's why it took so long. Could it be that God was building my faith, teaching me compassion and longsuffering? Maybe if the TA had come even one month ago I would have been shocked. But in His perfect timing, it came today, June 22, 2007. There is a verse that has encouraged me so much over the past month.

It's Galatians 6:9 and it says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Our "proper time" is quickly approaching when we will reap the harvest of not giving up. Our daughter's life is the harvest we will reap. And we will give all praise and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who showed us first-hand what love really looks like when He sacrificed His life for us, and for the world. We pray our lives will be an example and picture for Eden of that love. God adopted us as His children through Christ, just as we are adopting her.

What a blessing to be her parents! We wait with such eager hope to meet her soon. We will know our travel dates sometime next week. Thank you again for your love and your prayers.

Our Letter Came!

Praise the Lord! We finally received our official referral for Eden Hope on Wednesday, June 6th. We had been told the letter was mailed two weeks ago and had been on pins and needles waiting for it to arrive. The strange thing is, on Wednesday morning, our social worker called me and said she had bad news. She had received news from China that our letter had not been mailed, and had no idea when it would be mailed.

Of course, we were disappointed. But instead of caving in and giving up, we asked our friends and family to pray with us that God would sustain us as we trusted His timing, and bring our letter in His way, according to His plan. I hit my knees and poured out my heart to God, got up, and took the kids I babysit for a walk.

An hour later, when I arrived home, there was a message on my cell phone from our social worker. "That's funny," I thought, "I just talked to her. I wonder why she's calling." I called her back and she began crying as she said, "Keri, I have your letter." "WHAT???" I yelled in her ear. "How? It was in China an hour ago on someone's desk!" There are many possible solutions people could give as to how it arrived, but we're just choosing to give God the credit for the miracle we received. We signed the letter and sent it back to China that day, and now await a Travel Approval, which should come within 2-4 weeks. After we receive it, we will know our exact travel dates. I am overwhelmed as the reality of meeting my daughter grows closer each day. How is it possible to love someone so much that you haven't even met?

My heart aches for Eden as I think about what lies ahead for her. Sure, she is gaining more love than she can imagine, but I can't help but put myself in her shoes. She has no idea what is going on. She hasn't had 18 months to fall in love with us. She lives with a foster mom that I'm sure she has grown to love. I pray daily for her sweet little heart and spirit, that God will prepare her for all that lies ahead. I know He will grant this request, as He loves her even more than I do. I cannot wait to see the miracle of how God will knit our new family together, a family not born of flesh and blood, but born in our hearts.

What a beautiful picture! Gene, Keri and Eden (and Sunny and Maggie, our dogs). Soon to be Daddy, Mommy and daughter. Only Jehovah God could imagine and accomplish such a blessing! Thank you all for your prayers. We love you!