Adoption Journey to Jinbao

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Home sweet home

After a bus ride to Hong Kong, over night stay at the airport hotel, 15 hour flight from Hong Kong to Detroit, an hour getting through immigration, 6 hour layover, 3 hour flight to Ft. Lauderdale with lots of turbulence, and an 1 hour drive, we finally arrived home late Thursday night. Jinbao was a trooper and did not complain a bit. The kids woke up and wanted to get to know Jinbao so they did puzzles in the middle of the night.
I had to bring Matthew to the doctor first thing Friday morning because he stepped on a red ant pile Wednesday which caused his legs to swell where he was bitten. Otherwise we are just chilling out letting the kids get to know each other and getting over jet lag and colds. Jinbao is doing great considering the big change in his life!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

More pictures from the Garden Hotel

Here are some more pictures of our hotel in Guangzhou. I really should be packing now but feeling lazy....

Thanks for following! Donna

Consulate Appointment

Tuesday morning was Jinbao's consulate appointment. It is the final step in the adoption process when we go to the American Consulate here in Guangzhou and swear that all the information we gave thus far is accurate and correct. On Wednesday they will give us all his paperwork for his citizenship to hand in when we land in Detroit and he will officially become a citizen. He was a little quiet and very moody when we got back because he will be leaving the only life he has ever known to start over again in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people and an unfamiliar language. Jinbao is very brave....I do not think I could do it! I am so ready to go home after just two weeks!
We also enjoyed a great lunch with our awesome guide Richard. He works for Madison Adoption Associates and handled all our arrangements for this entire trip. He did a great job (and he drives well too in all this traffic here). I should have a picture but I forgot:( Jinbao really enjoys talking to him so we were able to find out a bit more about Jinbao:
1. Before his father left him at the temple his parents left him with his grandmother. Apparently they lived in the countryside and were very poor. His grandmother died so his father took him to the park first to play and then to the temple. Apparently he stayed with the monks for a short time and he said they taught him kung fu.
2. When he was in foster care he would go down to the police station and hang out with the police officers.
3. He loves to eat crabs so now Andrew has a crab eating partner.
4. He knows every single type of car on the road.
5. He used to go back to the orphanage to play basketball.

After we get Jinbao's visa today we will start our trip back home. We will take a bus from The Garden hotel to the airport in Hong Kong, stay overnight in a hotel then start our flight back in the morning. See you soon USA!

Thanks for following! Donna

The Garden Hotel

I just want to show some pictures of The Garden Hotel. I would definitely recommend staying here if you are in Guangzhou. It is a bit more expensive but it is worth it to be comfortable especially if you are here for adoption. I plan to get pictures later of the garden area.