First, we apologize for no update last night.  Our connection wouldn't let us access facebook and the blog.  We are LIVE again!  Secondly, I'm not sure how to describe in words our day yesterday.  Sunday was a tough day due to the flight delays in Beijing, but yesterday was an exhausting day both physically and emotionally.  Our toughest day of the trip.

We started the day by all 8 families going back to the registry to finish paperwork and thus making our adoptions official from China.  We then loaded up and headed to the notary where we all signed more paperwork, took official pictures, and were presented with official documentation.  After a quick lunch, us and another family loaded up in a van for an hour and half drive to Xuchang, the home city of our children to apply for passports for the kids.  How do I describe the passport office?  Ummm, imagine the Georgia DMV in a room no bigger than my living room, packed full of people, all of who are staring at the Americans with Chinese kids.  Then the kids had to go to the bathroom so our guide asked the mechanic shop next door to use there quote "bathroom."  You really should ask the kids about that experience.  Finally that process was done and we drove to the orphanage.

The orphanage was across the street from a huge nuclear power plant.  Our plan was to keep Lexi in the van and each of us take turns going in.  That did not happen.  I got out outside the gate with Lexi and the fam to take a picture and nannies showed up out of no where talking to her and then one grabbed her and starting taking her inside. We quickly followed - asking our guide if this is good and she translating that the nannies are saying, "It will be fine.  She's easy going."  We quickly arrived on the 2nd floor to Lexi's room and their had to be 5-6 nannies already there wanting to see her and bringing other kids to see her.  One nanny definitely made an impact on her cause Lexi was excited to see her.  The room wasn't bad - clean, colorful, but simple.  There was a flat screen on the wall playing Chinese cartoons and there was about 9-10 cribs in the room.  All special needs children.  Two kids were in the crib Lexi had been in.  It was a very strange experience and I could tell quickly it was going to be hard to take her from the room.  It's all she has known and yet a tough place.  A good orphanage in China terms but a tough place.  The bathroom was a awful experience.  So after I shot several pictures and we let her have the experience it was time to get her out.  I just grabbed her and never looked back.  She fought me all the way to the van and that was tough because for the most part she has taken to me.  I was removing her from all she's known and that was hard even knowing she will have a such better life.  One room had 4-6 kids in it and the nanny was sitting on a couch on her phone.  We now know why Lexi knew what to do with our iPhones.  She put them right up to her ear pretending to talk.  We are thankful for the nannies and the orphanage but we are so thankful to be providing her a forever family.  I'm sure this may not even make sense - it's just hard to put into words the experience. It was not all what we thought it would be nor even remotely like our experience at Addison's orphanage 6 yrs ago.

In fact, yesterday morning our Agency Director's sister (a Chinese woman) arrived at our hotel.  She oversees the work with the specific orphanages and when we walked into breakfast she called Lexi by her Chinese name and asked if that was her.  We said yes and she went on to tell us that she had met Lexi over a year ago and they weren't sure if Lexi was going to make it at that time.  She informed us a little more about the scar on her leg and that it had been an infection.  She was so happy to see her, to see how she was doing, and when she had seen that she had received a family she was thrilled.  She called Lexi a "survivor!" This was a great moment for us.

After all that day, Lexi slept most of the way back on Jodi's lap and we finally returned to the hotel around 7:30 PM - exhausted!  We went into the restaurant for dinner and Lexi livened back up, sat in a high chair for first time, ate well, and made us laugh.  It was really good and needed.  She is doing great and is the cutest, tiniest thing in the world.  Compared to many of the other children with us it's amazing how well she's doing but we can't forget that her world has totally changed and she's still adjusting.

Today was our first free day.  The weather was the warmest we've seen - mid 40's.  It's been really cold.  So we ventured out for the 15 minute walk to Wal-mart (three stories in a high rise building), ate at KFC (great ice cream cones) and then back. We bought some Chinese oreos, snickers and some Chinese snacks Lexi likes.  Keaton also bought the most realistic AK-47 toy gun.  You'd never find that in the states!  We then spent some time at the pool which the kids needed.  Lexi just sat and watched. She doesn't like the water yet.  We now wait for our passport papers and then Saturday we fly to Guangzhou for the final leg of the trip.  I know this was long and probably hard to really communicate in words but wanted to catch you up.  We are doing well.  Lexi's cold seems to be getting better each day and Keaton and Addison have been phenomenal travelers.  Keep the prayers coming!  Love you all!

Bart

The government of China has made our adoption official!

This is the passport office - CRAZY!

Addison and her buddy, Vivian.  Vivian & Rita are our two guides.

The nuclear power plant that was literally across the street.

Lexi's favorite nanny.

This was the crib Lexi was in.  There were two children in the crib. 

Walmart!

Regular oreos are great in China but you can't even imagine how many other flavors they have!

You are required to wear swim caps!