It's Official!

Our official business finally concluded today with a "Swearing In" ceremony at the Chinese Consulate. After wielding passports, yielding cell phones to airport-level security, and waiting our turn in a DMV-deja vu, sitting room full of other adoptive families and their children, (all of whom apparently had the same 3PM "appointment"), we listened intently as our children's Chinese names were announced one by one. To most of us, these all sounded pretty similar, and we each feared we would miss our call. We finally heard "Tang Yang Zhi 21" and went up to window 21 to sign our DS230 form and receive an entry instruction sheet and photocopy of her Chinese passport.  Once all names had been called, a cheerful official addressed the entire room, welcoming & thanking us, giving us statistics like how 3000 of the 30,000 immigration visas granted each year are for adopted children to the US, and how these have increased from 47 to 67% special needs children in the last 3 years, then congratulating us on the completion of the long and arduous process. She made special note that none of the delay was due to any appointment back-log in their office, and wanted to be sure that we spread the word. So here it is: there is no back log of apptmts at the Chinese Consulate in Guangzhou!?!?  After acknowledging birthday children and families who have previously adopted, she asked us all to stand, raise our right hands, and repeat a string of promises, guaranteeing that all the information we have given is true and correct to the best of our knowledge and ability etc,etc. The oath was simple, but the exultation afterward was enormous. We clapped and cheered and enveloped Kaylee in a big group hug. We can now say that we are DONE... we have only to get her home, and we are most ready! At 3PM tomorrow our guide, Amy, will pick up the original passports containing US entry Visas for our group of kids, while we check out of our hotel. Once she returns, we will bid a fond farewell to Guangzhou, our home for the past 2 weeks, then board, with overstuffed valises, a 3 1/2 hour, south bound bus for the Hong Kong Airport, Regal Hotel, where we will spend our final night. It will be a short one, as our plane departs at 8AM, which makes check in about 6, alarm clock 4:45! Now that is a prayer request we would really appreciate!

 For those of you who have asked and/or would like to greet us and welcome Kaylee, our Delta flight 2284  from Salt Lake City is due to arrive in Nashville at 9:12PM this Thursday, Sept 30. All are welcome! Thank you again, so much for your love, encouragement and prayers throughout the past year and a half. We are so grateful and anxious to see you all again!

Monday, Sept 27: Final Farewell for Kaylee

Prayers were answered, doors were opened, and we were indeed granted
permission to visit Kaylee's previous and only home since birth: the
Qingyuan Social Welfare Institute, i.e. her orphanage. Our guide, Amy,
arranged for a driver and another guide, a sweet and knowledgeable
young girl named Becky from a competing agency, to escort us on the
hour and a half trip to Qingyuan City, which proved to be a very dry,
industrial setting vs. the beautiful countryside which exists in parts
of Qingyuan, that we had hoped to see. We stuffed our bountiful,
breakfast buffet into 4 to go boxes and departed early, about 8:30 AM
via mini-van. After we finished eating, I pulled Kaylee onto my lap and
sang to her for the rest of the trip, songs like "You are my sunshine",
ABC's, "Jesus Loves Me" and "Mommy loves Kaylee" hoping to soothe and
prepare her for any anxiety she may feel once we arrived. Normally a
sqirmy, 7 yr old who lately prefers Dave's back to my lap, she snuggled
in and seemed to soak up the affection I was giving her, while Dave was
snuggling Mattie, who was empathetically patting her little sister's
back and offering words of comfort. I was just praying that Kaylee
would feel secure enough with us that she would not be traumatized by
returning, then separating again from her old friends and caretakers.
After stopping for directions several times, we finally approached the
pagoda style, roofed entrance gate we recognized from pictures. When
Kaylee saw it her face lit up and she smiled and pointed like "I know
where I am now, this is familiar", but once parked inside, she seemed
apprehensive and confused. Becky explained to her in Cantonese that we
were just going to take a quick look to show Mommy & Daddy where she
grew up, get some pictures, then leave, and she reluctantly nodded her
head up and down. I asked her if she wanted to take pictures and she
nodded again and took the little green digital camera from my hand, as
she has become quite adept in its' operation, and hopped out of the
van. (I'm amazed at how well she understands us, without speaking
English. She is picking it up very quickly!) We were greeted by a
female administrator whom we recognized as Kaylee's escort on Gotcha
Day, and taken to a nice conference room where we met with a very
amiable, smiling gentleman whom we also recognized from that day. We
soon found out( to our loss of face,) that he was the Orphanage
Director, Mr. Cheung, as we had brought a feminine gift of Strawberry
Bon Bons and Floral-scented Bath and Body Works lotions on Gotcha Day,
addressed to Mrs. Cheung, thinking the director was a woman. We had
Becky explain and he laughed and shrugged it off with a hand gesture,
saying "No problem, no worries", a popular Chinese expression when
speaking to us Lai Bao (white, foreigner tourists as my nephew Andy
told me) He proceeded to show us the beautiful artist's renderings of
the new, 5 building complex currently under construction (2 are
complete!) which will be the future home to the SWI: the orphanage, a
home for indigent elderly, apartments for resident foster parents, an
office building, canteen and "playhouse" which I assume is some type of
gymnasium. Future plans included extensive landscaped grounds and a
motel as well. He then took us outside to the edge of the parking area
between the admin building and the classroom building to show us a
glimpse of the completed portion of the project. It is indeed very nice
and looks somewhat like an upscale, Florida Resort. The current
buildings are nice, but aged, and have a certain old and tired look
about them, (picture 1970-80[s Hojo or Holiday Inn with white,
mini-tiled exterior), but definitely not in any way a house of horrors.
The playground equipment is happy and colorful, but rusting and in need
of repair, and the current play yard is pretty small, though the
landscaping of the grounds is very nice. I imagine the children and
other residents will be overjoyed once they move into their new
facilities.

We asked to meet the children, and Mr. Cheung shook his head and told
us through the translator that it was OK, but not too long because
their morning class period was just about over and they would be having
lunch soon. We proceeded up an exterior staircase whose walls were
decorated with once vibrant, cartoon and animal cut-outs, and Kaylee
ran ahead of us with camera in tow and put her face right up to her old
classroom window. The teachers smiled and greeted her "Yang Zhi!" and
opened the door, and the doorway immediately became abuzz, jammed with
curious, laughing faces, Kaylee's former friends and classmates. She
was older than they by several years and there were none her age or
older present, as we were told they had all ridden a bus to school, but
this had been her classroom last year. She held my hand and said "Mama"
almost as if she were introducing me, then she took several pictures,
gave a few hugs, posed for several pictures and ran to the next
classroom, which held about a dozen younger children, maybe 2-3 years
old, but she recognized them and they her. She barged into that
classroom unbidden and took several photos, many of the kids making
their "peace" sign which to them means "V for Victory". One boy,
slightly younger than Kaylee followed us and kept grabbing the camera
and we let him take several pictures, and another little girl escaped
from the second classroom and ran up to me and lifted her arms to be
picked up. I gave her a squeeze and set her back down, then she ran to
Mr. Cheung and did the same thing. He did not look very comfortable,
but he did pick her up for a brief second then pointed her back to her
class. She was really yearning for someone to hold her and I hated
putting her down. We continued down the concrete exterior corridor,
rounded the corner and were led into a room of about a dozen identical
silver metal cribs/toddler beds and Kaylee stopped in the center of the
row and pointed to the bed which had been hers just a few short days
ago, and my heart contracted in my chest. This was where she slept,
dressed, showered, used the bathroom, went to class and ate all her
meals in the same classroom, lived all of her life in the same few
rooms in the same building, and small playground outside, with the same
teachers who were also the nannies. Riding the bus to school for 1st
grade the first few weeks of Sept must have been a real thrill for her.

At the end of that small room were 2 large glass picture windows
flanking the door into the baby room, which held about 20-30 crawling,
sitting, sleeping, playing, laughing, crying infants under age 2 at
various stages of development and activity. To my disappointment, we
were not allowed in, as it was very close to feeding time, then naps,
and the nannies had to keep them on schedule without disruption. We
leaned that there are approved workers from a charitable foundation
called "Half Sky" who come just to hold and cuddle the children and
give them some personal attention and affection to help them thrive,
while their busy nannies can not, and I was so glad to hear of that. On
our way down the steps, we ran into 2 kitchen workers pushing a cart
with a very large bowl of rice laced with a little green and meat. They
greeted and had their picture made with Kaylee, then proceeded up to
the classrooms with lunch. Mr. Cheung seemed to be growing a little
impatient with us about then, took a cell phone call and motioned us
back to the admin building across the parking lot where we began. We
took some photos in the nice outdoor park in the center of that
complex, Kaylee picked a few starfruit from a tree, then, at the
nudging of our guide, we presented Mr. Cheung with a gift, a small bag
of clothes and toys for the children, as we had passed on most of what
we brought on Gotcha Day. This signified the end of the visit and Mr.
Cheung said goodbye and quickly disappeared. He is a busy man and was
very kind to allow us to come. He could have said no. When we told
Kaylee it was time for us to go, she held our hand and skipped back to
the van and climbed aboard, like it was nothing, and we were so
relieved and thankful. She knew she had come for a visit, and she
showed no inclination to stay! She has clung to us and we are awed and
blessed. Thank you Jesus! She and Mattie played during the ride back
and we joined up with our group to finish the day with some souvenir
shopping on Shamian Island, and then a group dinner at a "scenery"
restaurant, of which you will see many interesting pictures! Mattie
tried a little of everything, including crocodile belly, but the
Chinese girls, Kaylee, Danni and Jing Jing, wolfed the stuff down: big
crab claws, round, speckled crabshells that were curried, stinky
mussels, salmon that did not look like salmon and all kinds of things
that I was not inclined to try, I did enjoy the scenery though: tanks
of slitheing, speckled eels, frogs, turtles, giant lobsters, all
varieties of fish, miniature roasted pig, intact from snout to tail,
cages of live ducks, all part of a virtual menu. You just walked around
and pointed and they whipped it up to order, but it felt like ordering
dinner from Pet Smart. Very interesting. I will be so glad to get home!
Miss everyone bunches! Lisa

PS Kelsey, would you put this in order, before the one I just posted a
little while ago? Thanks sweetie!

Views of Kaylee

Kaylee has been doing very well hanging in with all of the activities. Doctors, shots, shopping, traffic, lightning, McDonald's!!! She's a trooper, but also has shown thatshe knows how to turn up that bottom lip and say NO! So we are working through some issues. She's a sweet one! Here's a look!

Dave

Lisa's China Story

Hey everyone! This is Kelsey. I have been posting blogs and facebook for my family while they are in China. They would like to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers, and comments and to let you know that unfortunately they do not have access to facebook or their blog so they can not see your comments until they return. If you would like to contact them, however, they would gladly receive your emails at : Lisatich1817@aol.com. Thank you and here's their message:

Hello All! The last 4 days with Kaylee have been just wonderful... and so interesting. It will be difficult to condense them, but I will try. Gotcha Day, as you can imagine, was an incredible experience filled with so much emotion. First of all, the anticipation was killing us, then as we were filling out necessary paperwork, the nannies kept parading the children in and out of the waiting room, once bringing Kaylee right up to us, only to be chided by our guide and hustled back into their own waiting area, but once we'd had a glimpse of them, it was all we could do to concentrate on the task at hand. Kaylee appeared to be limping as she was tugged by the hand back and forth. Dave and I commented to each other something about that being the expected-unexpected detail left out of her record. We suspected there may be one, but it didn't matter to us. The details of our first meeting are already somewhat fuzzy (thank goodness Mattie recorded it) but we watched as the Fraziers received their 20 mo old Meili, and the next moment, we heard "Yung-zhe" and were motioned to come over for our introduction to Kaylee. I think I hugged her, not sure, but I remember bending down to her level and patting her on the back and asking the official to tell her that we think she is beautiful and are so happy to have her in our family. She looked at me and mumbled something in a soft, shy voice which I was told meant "Thank you mommy". I stayed down next to her, stroking her back as Dave and I asked questions of her nanny, about her schooling (rode a bus to school, 1st grade), schedule ( up between 6-7, nap 10-12, bed between 9-10), hobbies (likes dolls), friends ( I can't pronounce their names), everything we could think of until my knees hurt, then we moved to a nearby bench where I pulled her onto my lap. Though timid, she seemed to warm up to us right away. I remember Mattie and David talking to her, and then we pulled out pictures of Kelsey, Hannah, LIndsay, Daisy our dog, and our house to show her. The official translated for us and she seemed to understand and smiled shyly. Then we walked her over to where the other families were gathered and introduced her, as we watched them interact with their new children. (The baby Meili had stopped crying, 12 year old Dan Ni had started crying, as the realization of leaving home and friends forever swept over her.) Mattie showed her how to catch and pop the bubbles that Jing JIng was blowing and we played a little while Dave left the room to sign forms and pay tens of thousands of Yuan (RMB's), approx $5000, a gift to the orphanage who raised her, and another 450 Yuan as a reimbursement for her "Finding Ad", which they were required to run in the local paper for about 3 months after she was found. I have not been able to bring myself to look at it yet. When Dave returned and swept her up into his arms, then on his back for a piggy back ride and swung her all around the way only daddies do, she really opened up and giggled. Mattie presented her with a stuffed cat, Mommy gave her a pink purse and Daddy gave her a pink pearl & yellow gold pendant from the pearl factory in Beijing, with the Chinese character for "Happiness" on it .  When it was time to go we realized that she was no longer walking with a limp. Not sure if it was fear, reluctance, self esteem or ill fitting shoes, but it was gone! We gathered her and her suitcase: a small, white plastic bag which held a water bottle, teddy bear and disposable camera from our care package, and a small red memory album with the same photos we last received of her in the orphanage. Her little fingers clung to a small package of paper thin wafers, which she readily shared with us once we were on the bus. The ride back to the hotel was full of hugs and smiles, and when we got to our room, more giggles filled the air as Mattie taught her how to jump on the beds, and back and forth from one bed to the other. We gave her a small bead making kit and she and Mattie made bracelets and keychains to tie on their purses. She caught on so quiclkly, and then we gave her the suitcase of clothes we had brought for her and she was delighted, holding them up and wiggling back and forth. We were impressed at how neatly she folded and put back each piece, and lined up her new white tennis shoes under the side of the bed before she climbed up. She learned "thank you" very quickly and uses it often. We took her to McDonald's for dinner, then after pj's, teeth brushing and prayers (she had no concept of) collapsed early that night, as we were all emotionally and physically spent but so thankful for the incredible miracle we had just experienced and the answered prayer: attachment was not going to be an issue, Thank you Jesus.

Lisa's China Story Day 2

t has been a wondrous 5 days now since we got Kaylee and each day has revealed something new. Friday, Day 2, we were convinced that we had received the best and sweetest child in all of China. So obedient, so gentle, full of hugs, opening up to us like a flower blossoming. We had the joy of finalizing her adoption papers with 3 different officials who interviewed us and asked her questions we couldn't understand, but each time we were told that she said she loved both of us very much and wanted to be with us. Papers were stamped, money changed hands, and she became legally ours. We are astounded. The process would be over if we lived in China, however the US CDC requires that she receive a medical exam, eye exam, TB test and vaccinations, including influenza and pneumonia, which would have been optional at home. So she was given 2 shots in each arm, one in her right leg, and a TB test  just above the inside of her wrist. So difficult to hold her on my lap and hear her cry and protest for the very first time as these were administered, but she did just as she was told by the nurse, who explained to her they were necessary so she could go to the US with us. Afterward she cuddled up in Dave's arms and cried herself to sleep. When everyone was finished there, the group voted for American food, so our guide, Lee, took us to a restaurant called Lucy's. Kaylee was quiet, but much better by the time we arrived.  She opened her menu and pointed right to a picture of a very large steak w/several giant prawns(I mean with eyeballs!), "Surf & Turf" it said, and then looked up at me.I showed her several other choices, but she kept turning back to that page and emphatically pointing to the same picture. I'm thinking "Oh No", how can I tell this child "No" for the first time over food. We have received much training over food issues.  I actually considered letting her order it, but since it cost twice as much as everything else, and wasn't sure if it would be spoiling her right away or if she would really eat it, or if I could watch if she did... and there were other kids in our group to consider, we finally convinced her to go for a large platter of chicken tenders, fries and onion rings, which she devoured most of quite heartily. Back at the hotel, she and Mattie delighted in more bed jumping then spontaneously started playing hide and go seek, which turned into a 3 day ordeal. Now every time we return to the room she holds her hands in front of her face and begins counting, and Mattie groans because there are no places left to hide. Every nook and cranny was exhausted in the first 15 minutes.  But through it we really saw her personality emerge as she would put one hand on her hip and gesture for help getting in a drawer or my suitcase, and "SHHH" us with her finger, then giggle outrageously when she found Mattie or was found. And she has learned to count to ten and the words closet, potty, chair, curtain and suitcase. After several hours of bouncing off the walls, & taking bead bracelets apart and putting them back together, Dave took the girls to the hotel buffet for dinner and Mom crashed early. Sleep came easily for all and I thanked the Lord again for this incredible, miraculous journey.

Day 3 was free...no appointments, so after breakfast we went to a large city park across the street called Lia Hua, hoping to meet up with our group. It was all we had seen in movies and on TV. Elderly folks doing their routines with the grace and strength of 20 year old athletes. We watched one woman who must have been in her mid sixties slowly lunge to the ground on one side then the other in one continuous movement, then back up into her next one-legged pose, effortlessly as she whipped open her fan. (I think the secret of their thigh strength is the squatty potty!) Another group was working it to the 1980's Eddie Rabbit hit, "I love a Rainy night!"  We walked all the way around a lake full of swans and paddleboats, admiring strange foliage, parents with their child (always just one) and took lots of pictures on our way to the amusement area, where rides were about 10-15 US cents each. Normally this would have been lovely, but the humidity! I thought I knew humidity, I thought I had conquered humidity, I live in middle TN and grew up in the Southern Ohio Valley. I thought I had lived with humidity.  I was wrong. I have just encountered REAL humidity and may I say it is most unpleasant, esp with scarcely any Diet Coke to be found. Besides being a large metro city, Guangzhou is in the South, not far from the South China Sea and it is hot and very humid here! DId I say humid? Feels like the 4th of July at home. Anyway we enjoyed the rides but never found our group, and after about 4 hours of sticky fun, we made it back and dropped in the Dong Fang hotel next door for a couple Tsing Tao's (beer) and Sprite/Juice cocktails for the girls. Did a little shopping for traditional Chinese dresses, was served tiny cups of tea and bought some to bring home from a kind little lady in a tea shop, grabbed some more McDonald's then headed back to the room for more guess what? Hide and go seek! The interesting thing about Day 3 was how our sweet, compliant Kaylee gradually became both funnier and more demanding throughout the day as she grew more comfortable with us. We showed her how to take pictures and she refused to give the camera back, taking funny shots of Dave without his head, crooked shots, and extreme closeups of our faces, then bursting out with that hilarious high pitched giggle of hers. Let me tell you, she is definitely a Tichenor!  Dave entertained the kids the day before with his face melter app on his I touch, and so she wants to do that constantly or play the other games on there, which she has caught onto very quickly. After introducing her to the piggy back ride she is always begging to be on Daddy's back, and " one two three Whee " swinging her between us by the hand, when we walk anywhere. We are beginning to think we have a little pistol on our handsl! By bedtime there was definitely some attitude present... and now the real parenting begins!

Fwd: Days 4 & 5

I need to start this post by telling you how wonderful Mattie has been
throughout this whole process. She is loving being a big sister... so
sweet and patient with Kaylee. Playful, attentive, and understanding
when she doesn't get the desired response of affection or cooperation.
It has been a treasure watching them bond and they have their own way
of communicating and interacting. Being Mommy, I think I get about 5
times more hugs than everyone else, and sometimes Kaylee will give
Mattie that "Look who I've got" look when she's sitting on my lap.
Kaylee has learned quickly the power of withholding affection and being
pursued for hugs. After initially giving them to all of us readily, she
has started holding out on Dave & Mattie at times. I told Mattie I
remember Hannah grinning and snubbing Kelsey when they were little when
she tried to hug her, and told her to ignore her when she does that and
be a little more hard to get. Not to be chasing her around saying "Give
sissy a hug", and it has begun to work. Mattie quickly pointed out that
it's like when our little dog Daisy will not stop running when you
chase her no matter how loud you yell or how patient or angry you
get...it's as if you can see her smiling, "catch me if you can!" But if
you turn around and start running in the opposite direction away from
her, she will turn around and follow at break-neck speed. What is this
about human and dog nature?

Day 4 brought the first real meltdown...the shots were nothing in
comparison. Since we had some free time in the AM before our afternoon
apptmt to have her TB test read, I decided to run next door and pick up
some Chinese dresses we had found the day before, and I wanted to do it
quickly by myself. But at the last minute Mattie said she really wanted
to go, so I agreed. I looked forward to having a little alone time with
her and Dave would keep Kaylee and spend some time playing with her and
figuring out this flipside of her attitude, which really was minor all
things considered. She had still been mostly affectionate and obedient
throughout. So we said Bye Bye and headed out the door, but before we
even got on the elevator we could hear her panicky crying and whining,
and Dave in a calm voice trying to soothe her. Apparently, she would
not be consoled. The crying quickly escalated into a fullblown tantrum,
which Dave described as hyperventilation to the edge of barfing, so
after cleaning up all the tears & mucous off of the both of them and
their clothes, he brought her to meet us in the shop. He said that by
the way she behaved, she probably thought we had left her for good, and
we had probably just broken every adoption rule in the book. I embraced
her and told her "Mommy will always come back". Then I kissed her
cheek and she kissed mine, which is another story because we don't
think she had ever been kissed before or even knew what a kiss was.
After we first started kissing her cheek, she would "air kiss" with her
head down. Then I put her little face to my cheek so she could kiss me.
Then Dave, Mattie and I all kissed each other to show her and she
giggled. Now she will randomly kiss us, but also, if she sees something
she likes or wants, she will point to it and "air kiss" Once we found
the vendor with the dresses, she spied some cute, red plastic child's
sunglasses and began "air kissing" as she pointed to them. Whether it
was spoiling her or not, we just could not say no, and she has been
wearing them around ever since, mostly on top of her head like Mommy.
We bought the dresses and the sales girl gave Kaylee a second pink
purse, so now she carries both around. We picked up a few
Chinese/English children's books and returned to the group for our trip
back to the clinic. Fortunately it was brief and uneventful as our
guide explained "no more shots". We had a little time before our
passport apptmt, so our guide had the bus driver drop us off at a
grocery store. What an experience! Dozens of sales girls in uniforms
everywhere, holding and hawking products just like a live TV
commercial from the 1960's, only much louder. Madge with her Palmolive
dishwashing liquid which also softens the hands. Whatever happened to
Madge? I think she moved here to work in her retirement. We rode with
our shopping cart down multiple levels on flat escalators like in the
airport, only they moved up and down instead of horizontally, all along
the sides of which were products for sale, so one can miss no
opportunity to shop while changing floors. After filling our cart with
snacks, batteries, & other necessities, including 2 liters of Coke
Zero, we checked out. The whopping total was about $17 US dollars. Then
it was off to the Passport office to apply for Kaylee's Chinese
Passport. (Once home, we will reapply for a US passport with her new
name.) We returned to the hotel to submit our week's worth of dirty
laundry,then spent the rest of the afternoon/evening exploring Shamian
Island, The White Swan Hotel, a Thai Restaurant, and dessert at a
Starbucks. This is when Kaylee really started to open up to the group
and interact with the other kids. I would no longer characterize her as
"shy". She giggled and played, ran around the hotel, posed for pictures
with her signature peace sign, shared her gum, and held hands with the
other girls, who gave each other piggy back rides all through
Starbucks. Yes, we got a few downward looks at our boisterous American
children, but they had a blast and it was an important time of bonding
for Kaylee, so we just let them go! Day 4 seemed to bring us full
circle!

To be contd...

To be contd...I have to send this before I lose it!

Day 2: Ups and Downs

The grins subsided greatly today....for a while.

We just got back from a day back at civil affairs and then to the medical clinic for the province. At civil affairs they ask all of these questions about why you are adopting, why China, will you ever abuse or abandon the child, what your jobs are, how much you make...and then they ask the child a few questions. I think it had something to do with Chop Suey or Bruce Lee movies or something, but anyway, it was all good there. She called us Mama and Papa and Mattie, we paid another large fee and we were officially adopted and now a family of six (at least in China, she is ours...next week when we get her passport at the American Consulate, she becomes ours officially in America. 

After that we left and went to Shamian Island to the medical clinic. She was examined from head to toe. She has a mouth full of gaping hole cavities in her jaw teeth, but they are baby teeth. After that we found that she needed shots according to the US policies of the CDC. They checked her records and she needed her TB test (shot) and five other shots on top of that!!! I have to say though, she came through that ordeal like a champ. She did not flinch for the first shot and she held her arm just how the nurse told her to throughout the shots. But after the first one she started sobbing and then for the last one when they cleaned her leg and knew it would go into her thigh she begged for mercy in Cantonese to the nurse. It sounded something like "I kicka yo butt", but I am not sure. Anyway she never struggled, and afterwards she just climbed up into my arms and held on while we waited the 15 minute check period and fell asleep.

Lisa took care of her all the way through and held her hand and calmed her like she does so well. I just tried to keep her laughing, which with her is not hard. She giggles and smiles and imitates everything. She is so neat. She folds her clothes and keeps her shoes tied and places them at the foot of her bed. She also is very patient. We just got back and went straight to Starbucks. She got a big cup full of fruit. She waited with it in her hand all the way until we all got served and got up into the room. No complaints, very obedient. Right now Mattie, Lisa and she are playing hide and seek in our room. Sounds like a chinese laundry in here, screaming in several languages...sheets flying everywhere. 

Well we are going to settle in for the night. I will try to attach a video soon, so you can see her funny, bright personality. I really think the orphanages teach them not to smile for photos. We have noticed it with all of the kids. They smile when the picture is over! Check the pics though. You will notice in the pics below, she has not let her new little purse off of her arm ever since she got it. It was her first possession. She came to us with a plastic bag with a bottle of water, instant camera and bear that we sent the orphanage for her birthday party back in July. She is now happy with her pink purse and plastic Barbie "cellphone".

Blessing to you all and thanks again for your prayers! We look forward to our return on the 30th!

Gotcha day success!

SAy hello to your new niece, sister, neighbor, granddaughter! 

Well it could not have gone any better! Gotcha day is almost passed. We are heading to McDonald's for Kaylees first meal with us.  We walked into a room at the civil affairs and one by one nannies and children started waking through and we spied Kaylee quietly and fearfully looking over our way. All of the adoptees went into a room and waited. Then they called out names and Tang Yang Zhi was the second one they called and out she came! She has taken to us immediately. She holds her arms up and wants to be held. She jumps on my back to do a horsey ride as soon as I sit down and she is a smart one. I had to go sign documents and Mattie got her making bead bracelets in seconds. She can tie her shoes, fold clothes, count (in Cantonese), and knows 300 Chinese characters. She is such a wonderful child. I just hope that she doesn't think that this hotel is home! How do we explain this? We will have a translator tell her tomorrow. We have pictures of home with us, but try telling that in chinglish...anyway all is well. 

Mattie is being a fantastic big sister. She is dressing her like a doll, teaching the sounds for cats, dogs, patty cake, etc. She is so excited to have a little sister!

We love and miss you all!

Today's the day!

We just enjoyed a wonderful breakfast buffet including the tastiest items from the East and West, in our China Hotel Marriott, where we met up with the previous America World Adoption group of Sept 2. They are all flying home tomorrow with their beautiful new children! It was so encouraging to see them laughing and playing together and happy! Yes, they said there were some sad moments and tantrums, but all are adjusting just fine. We particularly enjoyed watching 5 yr old Rachel crawl around on her daddy's lap, and giggle as he threw her and another little friend up in the air, one in each arm, and hung them upside down. (She reminds us of the early referral pictures of Kaylee) You would think they'd known each other forever. We are so anxious and excited and scared at the same time!. The butterflies are churning like crazy and I'm not sure that big, beautiful breakfast was such a good thing! Sleep was fitful at best last night in anticipation of THE day, and we are all just bouncing off the walls, esp. Mattie, who woke up dancing and rapping to "I'm gettin a new sister, I'm gettin a new sister!" Both David and Mattie were conversing in their sleep in the middle of the night. Mattie: "Hope Van Ryckeghem did not have to go through security" and then laughing out loud 3 different times. David" "They have no guns in China", then tossing and turning all night long! Between the 2 of them, there was no hope for me!

 But TODAY IS THE DAY...every time I think of it I gasp...we will meet in the lobby at 2PM to board a bus headed to the office of Civil Affairs where we will finally meet our children! We have enjoyed bonding with our travel group and so have all of our kids, so it will be a thrill to see them get theirs as well. Mattie has enjoyed the company of 12 year old Leanne, 9 year old Meredith, and 61/2 year old Jing Jing who was adopting at age 10 months and is such an outgoing, cute little ball of pure energy, she captures the attention of everyone she meets. These sweet girls have grown close and will be so good at welcoming this new group of siblings and helping them adjust. The Bass Family from Decatur AL will get their 12 yr old daughter, Emma, and the Frazier Family from Portland will get their 20 month old, Meili, and WE WILL GET KAYLEE. That's all my  stomach will allow me to say for now, but we will get back to you once we have her with us, and then tell you more of the incredible time we had in Beijing. It has all been like a dream. Dave keeps asking "Are you sure we're not at Epcot?"! Love to All! Lisa, Dave & Mattie

Here we go!

It's finally happened....our big, beautiful, blessed day has arrived! In less than 8 hours we are boarding a plane for Beijing, via stops in Detroit and Tokyo, and will arrive Monday night around 10:30PM local time, (while ya'll are refilling your morning coffee!)We will be 12-13 hours ahead, depending on your time zone, and since I seriously doubt there will be any substantial sleep at the Tichenor's tonight, we will be walking zombie's. 21 hours of travel. It's a good thing some really smart person put together an itinerary which allows us to check into our hotel and go straight to bed, not to be seen nor heard until the next day, when we will begin our trip with a tour of Tiananman Square, the Forbidden City & the Summer Palace. On Wednesday, we will traverse the Great Wall and just "get down to business.. before the Huns.. arrive" (...yeah I know...but after 3 daughters and over a decade of Disney, I just can't shake the Mulan out of my head! I'm half expecting to encounter angry cartoon warriors on horseback!). After all that excitement, we'll board a late afternoon flight for Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong Province where our daughter resides, and fortunately for us, where Chinese adoptions are finalized. We'll check into The China Hotel, (a Marriot...yay for Western food!), where we will reside for the next 14 days, and despite the demands and exhaustion of the past few, we'll not be able to sleep a wink because the NEXT day, (Oh my gosh butterflies!) Thursday, September 16 ...is "Gotcha Day"! We will meet Kaylee for the very first time and I can't even begin to describe that moment without first experiencing it... but I know it will be amaziing. Every wall we've climbed and field we've ploughed and fight we've fought and river we've cried over the past year and a half just to get to that moment will all make sense, but probably no longer matter, because we'll have Kaylee. And God will begin to reveal this chapter of our story and we can not wait!  (Dave says it will NOT include me falling in love with 5 other kids while we're there and begging to bring them home, right?) No comment. The day has almost dawned, and still much to do in the next few hours.
Thank you all so much for your love & prayers! We'll keep you posted as events unfold!

This is real!

The time is drawing very near! We have travel dates. We have airline tickets. We have an intinerary. We have guides named Linekar and Amy. We have consular appointments. We have joined a group which includes 3 other adoptive familes, all traveling to various provinces to meet their children. After an eternal year of paper chasing, praying, preparing and waiting, we are departing in 10 days! God has graciously given us another daughter, this time through the miracle of adoption, and we are going to get her in just 10 days! In Qingyuan, (Ching-ywen) Guangdong Province, China, on the other side of the world, a little girl is waiting. With fear or excitement, we can't be sure. She is considered an "older child" and has no doubt seen many of her little friends come and go. She has been informed of her adoption and she has seen photos of strangers who are coming to claim her. She will eat and play and go to bed today in the same orphanage where she was placed 7 years ago, at the wee age of 3 days. It is the only life she has ever known. But God knew, before she was ever born, that one day she would be ours. Her official record says "abandoned", but we know that isn't really true, because the one who promised never to leave or forsake us has had his hand on her these seven years, and now,  miraculously, has entrusted her to our care. He has led us on a remarkable journey which began for me in January 2009, but for the rest of our family, even earlier. We have gone from an ideal to fear to being "minimally obedient" to a conviction, and somehow through the processes of the last year, God has given us a passion and desire, a longing for a little girl we don't yet know. We will love, protect and cherish her as our own, because He will enable us, and our family will be forever changed. We have a new daughter! Her name is Kaylee Yangzhi Tichenor... and we are going to get her in just 10 days! Please pray for us!

"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything , but I can do something. What I can do, I should do and with the help of God, I will do!" Everett Hale