There's No Place Like Home

We arrived home safe and sound on Sunday evening right on time. The flights were long, but everyone did great. It's amazing what a little Benadryl can do (per our doctor's instructions).

We were so happy to see so many people meet us at the airport. It was sooo good to see familiar faces. Jaxon was a bit overwhelmed, and even began to tear up at one point. Drew was also a bit overwhelmed but didn't take long to warm up to everyone.

Both boys are doing great and are becoming more and more comfortable with their new home. Drew has had no problems jumping right into things. Jaxon has surprised both of us and is also getting into the swing of things.

I would love to tell you more (especially since we now have normal internet), but I have finals this week, two tests and a paper to write by Firday so I will have to wait until after that to go into further detail. I cannot wait until this week is over and I can really begin enjoying our new boys, being home, and becoming a family of 8.

Finally Some Pictures

Finally I am able to post pictures. Obviously these are not ALL the pictures we have taken. Matt and the boys took off for King Pin Market this morning with our hotel neighbors. They also adopted an older boy who is aging out so it has been nice for Jaxon to have someone else to talk to (I think). So, Jack (the dad) and Adam (the son) went with Matt and our boys. King Pin Market is just across the bridge off the island and is mostly a market of dried insects, snakes, spiders, scorpions, etc. There are some live things as well. I saw it the last time I was here so I volunteered to stay back at the hotel and do some packing.

This afternoon we have our swearing in ceremony at the US Consulate. After that we are officially done with any and all adoption paperwork. We will pick up the boys' visas tomorrow on the way to the train station. We leave for Hong Kong by train tomorrow evening. We have been toying around with the idea of taking the boys to Hong Kong Disney and have decided since we are going to be in HK all day Saturday we may as well. Saturday is also Jaxon's 14th birthday so I think he will enjoy it as well. We showed him the website for HK Disney and he spent a good amount of time on there looking around. Matt asked him if he wanted to go and he said yes. So, that is our plan for our stay in Hong Kong.

We leave Hong Kong around 8:00 a.m. and will fly from there to Tokyo. Tokyo to Detroit and then on to Ft. Wayne. We arrive in Ft. Wayne around 6:20 p.m. on Delta Airlines so if anyone wants to greet us you are more than welcome.

Enjoy the pictures, I am off to start packing.

Drew playing with his food at Lucy's. He had the french fries talking to each other. We were cracking up.



Trying to get Jaxon to smile is like pulling teeth.

I think Jaxon is trying not to smile in this one.


Blake and his new girlfriend. You can't take that kid anywhere. As soon as Drew saw Blake and Jaxon getting their picture he hopped on the dog.


Such a "ham!"


Papa John's Delivery





"Open up and say awww."





Blake at the Great Wall



Drew and Elva looking at the fist at The Forbidden City


Ceiling inside one of the Gazebos at The Forbidden City

One Post, 3 Days

Things are going really good, or at least as good as can be expected. We are in Guangzhou now which has been nice and warm. Humid, but warm. Drew did great on the flight from Hohhot to Guangzhou. He was so excited to ride on the plane. New Day did a fantastic job of preparing him for the plane ride. He was awake for the take off and was asleep within five minutes. He slept fro about an hour or son of the three hour flight. Matt and I (along with all the other parents) are SO dreading the 13+ hour flight from Tokyo to Detroit. The upside is that Drew seems to fall asleep quickly in any type of moving vehicle (car, bus, van, etc).

On Saturday morning we had to do the boys' medical exams. Drew and Jaxon were both troopers. Matt went with Jaxon and I stayed with Drew. There are three steps to the medical exam. First there is the height and weight area. Then there is the actual physical exam. And finally there is the ENT where they check the kids' hearing by playing a toy keyboard. If they turn their head in the direction of the keyboard that means they can hear. After that we had to get the boys' vaccinations. Jaxon had to get 4 shots including TB and Drew had to get 3. The dads took turn holing each others kids so they didn't associate pain with their new fathers. Matt held a 6 year old boy and a 2 year old girl. As soon as he walked out of the room you could tell he was pretty upset about it. He said they reall jab the needles in and he would probably flinch as well. Jaxon did great, the TB test was the worst. And Drew did pretty good for a 4 year old getting three shots in one day. Both boys' arms were quite sore after the shots and still are today. Drew has a dark bruise on his arm where they did the TB test.

Sunday we went to the Guangzhou City Zoo and the supermarket. The zoo was for the most part pretty much the same as ours. Most of the animals were sleeping including the one and only Panda in the whole zoo (sorry Emma). It was probably the fastest trip I have ever taken through the zoo. Our guides pretty much herded us through like a bunch of cattle.

Before the zoo we stopped at a supermarket which is equivalent to our Wal-Mart. Some of the other parents had to get baby supplies so we took the opportunity to pick up some more clothes for Jaxon. He has his own style which is nice because he is not afraid to tell us if he doesn't like something. He told me through the translator that he like the Chong Style of shirts. Obviously I had no idea what that was so I had him ask one of the employees who quickly took him over to a table with several shirts on it. All they are are short sleeved button up shirts with a collar. So, I had him pick out two shirts. Surprisingly, he picked out a pair of shorts so I had him get a couple more pair as well.

Today is Monday and this morning we had to take the boys back to the Medical Examination Office to have their TB tests read. We were a little worried about Jackson's. There were 4 families that had to get their tests read and two of the 4 tested positive. Want to take a guess at who one of those 4 was? Jaxon's was positive and at first they wanted us to wait and come back at noon to see if it looked any different. Not being a complete idiot I knew that the "bump" was not going to go down in 3 hours so I asked if we could just do the chest x-ray now along with the other family. At first I was told "no" and to just come back at noon but through our guide I was able to argue that I would just rather pay the $15 USD to get the x-ray if it meant we didn't have to go back. So, we were able to get the x-ray right then and of course he tested negative for TB so we were free to go. Thank you GOD!

Right now we are just resting in our room for a bit. Some of the group went on a city tour which included a Budhist Temple. We decided not to go and are getting ready to walk off the island to check out the herbal market (live animals, bugs, scorpions, spiders, snake skins, etc). I will take lots of pictures IF I am allowed. Tonight we our group is going on the Pearl River Cruise which is a boat that cruises down the Pearl River (right outside our hotel) and also includes a buffet dinner. Blake and Jaxon are looking forward to it. Me not so much only because I just found out it is mostly seafood and well, I am NOT a seafood person AT ALL. I know, I know.

I will try to post pictures with this post, but he connections here are the slowest ever. We are told it is because of the trade fair and all the internet traffic. So, if I can't get pictures, I am sorry, but you can definitely count on lots as soon as we get home.

Oh, Jaxon is loosening up more and more each day. Last night he, Blake and I were in a little shop. Blake and Jaxon were on the other side and all of a sudden I hear a crash. I immediately said "Blake!" and his response was "It wasn't me, it was Jaxon." So, I took off to the other side and poor Jaxon was standing there looking like he was about to cry. I told him over and over it was okay and was able to tell him that we break things ALL the time. The shop owner even told him not to worry about it. As soon as we left the shop Blake and I were teasing him about it and he just laughed. When we got back to the room we told Matt what happened and he too teased Jaxon about it and Jaxon just kept laughing. He really is a great kid and seem to be quite smart and mature for his age. I think he is going to fit right in and there is no doubt that he wasn't meant for our family. I just love the way God surprised us sometimes.

Drew on the other hand is quite a handful, in a good way. He definitely is becoming a momma's boy. He and Gabe are going to have so much fun together. They are SO much alike (which I know could also be a bad thing). He loves to run and is definitely not shy. He will talk to anyone and everyone who will talk back to him. He is your typical boy in every way. In fact, he has already fell and skinned up his knees.

One More Makes 6

First let me apologize for the lack in blogging. Between two teenage boys who like to play games on the computer, and a 4 year old who likes to watch movies on the computer I don't get much time on here. Plus, it takes forever for the pictures to upload. I will hopefully be able to post more once we get in Guangzhou.

We flew to Hohhot on Tuesday and arrived in the early evening. Just as we arrived at the airport in Beijing Elva called to let me know exactly how things were going to be handled with Drew. She was able to take him to Hohhot on the train and spend all of Tuesday with him, but because of work she had to leave at 5. Since we weren't supposed to arrive in Hohhot until seven Drew was going to be left in the care of the orphanage for a couple of hours. The thought of him having to not only say good bye to his foster family and Elva terrified me. Elva assured me that he would be fine and that she has been preparing him. She even let me talk to him on the phone. As soon as he got on the phone he said "Momma come get me, hurry."

Anyway, Elva had made sure that we would get Drew as soon as we got to our hotel. The orphanage staff were going to bring him to our hotel no matter what time it was. So, as soon as we got to our hotel (which is amazing), and were on our way up to our room I saw Drew sitting on a couch with two other women. As soon as he saw me he got up and ran straight into my arms. He was fine and just so happy to see us.

He is doing well, but is very stubborn and has been spoiled beyond imagination. It is going to take some time (lots of time) for him to understand that throwing fits will get him nothing. If he wants something, he wants it now and will stomp and whine to get his way. That is SO not going to work in our family. He is learning, but like I said earlier it is just going to take time and patience on our part.

Drew LOVES to eat, the only problem is that he is used to eating "crap." Here is an example. When we went to The Great Wall, his foster mom packed a lunch for him. I was curious to see what she had packed and was pretty surprised when I opened the bag to find nothing but crackers and cookies. So, that is something else we are going to have to work on. He also LOVES ice cream and expects is almost daily.

Drew is very happy and was definitely loved by many people. He has the most infectious laugh and is very ticklish. He is going to get along so well with Gabe. Actually, those two may be trouble. He is very loving and affectionate and is always giving hugs and kisses. He will look in the mirror and kiss himself. Ho will tell complete strangers he loves them just to get a reaction.


Before we left Nanjing we were able to do a little shopping and we came across some movies in Chinese so we bought a few to see if Drew would watch them. He LOVES them and we will definitely be looking for more in Guangzhou.


Drew slept with me the first night (and every other night) and he slept pretty hard. he woke up the next morning, sat up and said "Good morning!"


On Wednesday morning we were met in the hotel by the orphanage staff and Government Officials to finalize Drew's adoption. There is another family here from our agency so they were there too. It took about two hours because we had to wait on everyone to arrive, but once they did it didn't take long and Drew is officially a Yager now.







This has was given to Drew as a gift from the orphanage. It is part of the traditional Mongolian outfit. Today we went out and were able to get a few more hats and outfits for him to have later.


Hohhot is very different than I expected. There is literally NOTHING to do. We are SO bored. There is a few shopping malls down he street from our hotel, but they are very expensive and have pretty much the same things we can get at home. Food wise there aren't a whole lot of choices either. We have eaten at McDonlads the past few days for lunch and tonight we will eat in the hotel restaurant. We are ready to go to Guangzhou as there are alot more sights to see and places to eat.

Bravery

I don't know any other way to describe the events of Tuesday. We went to the Civil Affairs Office in Nanjing to finalize Jaxon's adoption. Not only was he nervous, but so were Matt and I. Actually I was fine until we actually got to the office. Our guide Micheal did an excellent job of making sure Jaxon knew exactly what was going on and exactly what he would need to do.

When we arrived Jaxon's nanny and other orphanage officials were already there so he immediately when to sit by them. They were teasing him about his new clothes and about being able to go to Inner Mongolia. Once it was our turn we all (Matt, Jaxon, and me) had to sit in front of one of the officials and were asked some questions. Not only did they ask us if we wanted to adopt Jaxon, but he also had a say in it. So, the whole time he was being asked questions my heart was beating. He could have said no, but lucky for us he said "yes!"

Once we were finished with the paperwork and the adoption was final, the orphanage director, and Jaxon's nanny came over to say goodbye to him and get a couple of pictures. That's when I lost it. I was so overcome with emotion at the thought of him leaving everything and everyone he has ever known. I just could not help thinking about how difficult this has to be on him. He has lived in the orphanage for over 8 years. My heart breaks for him. He looked over and saw me crying and Matt had our guide translate to him that I was upset because I was sad that he was leaving his friends and the only family he has ever known. That's when he broke down. He doubled over and began to cry. The word bravery is all I could think about. I don't think I have ever seen so much bravery in one person before. He is a child, plain and simple, and he is doing something I cannot even begin to imagine.



Jaxon signing the okay for his adoption.


Jaxon with the orphanage Director (male), his nanny (shorter lady), and orphanage administrator.


The ride back to the hotel was a very somber one. There were alot of emotions in that tiny little car. Blake was even crying a little. Once we got back to the hotel our guide took us to dinner which helped to lighten the mood. I cannot say this enough, I am SO glad we brought Blake along. There is no way we could have done this without him. He has been a rock for Jaxon. Jaxon is very comfortable around Blake and is not afraid to ask questions nor is Blake. Wherever Blake goes, Jaxon is right behind him.

Jaxon is becoming more and more relaxed around us. He is smiling more and more which is good. He truly seems like a good kid and very smart. We were having lunch the other day and were trying to figure out what the Capitol of Canada was and none of us could figure it out. Our guide asked Jaxon and sure enough, he knew it. He seems eaget to lean English and is not afraid to ask Blake what something is. He is also very tidy which is something Blake could learn from him. All in all, things are going well.

Typical teenage boy in every way.

And Then There Were 5

Well, we have officially met Jaxon and he is with us now. He is very quiet and shy (which is something he is going to have to come out of fast if he is going to survive in our family).

We met him about 2:30 at the Civil Affairs office. We arrived just a little bit before him so we were able to see some of the other families meeting their kids. It brought back memories from when I met Mylee almost 2 years ago in the same office.

Jaxon was escorted by his nanny, the orphanage director, and the orphanage secretary. They all seemed to genuinely care about him and his well being. They are very happy that he is getting a family. Like I said earlier he is very shy so it is taking him some time to get comfortable around us (which we expected).

After we left the Civil Affairs office we went to Wal-Mart to buy a couple of air mattresses for Blake and Jaxon to sleep on. The beds here are quite small and neither Matt nor I got a good nights sleep last night. So, rather than have one of the boys (I love saying that) sleep on the floor and one on the bed, they will both sleep on the floor. Plus, we can take them with us and not have to worry about the extra expense cots. From Wal-Mart we took Jaxon shopping for some clothes and shoes. He came with only the clothes he had on and the two shirts we had sent him. Luckily our guide stuck around to help us communicate so we were able to get him a few things to get him through until we get to our next destination.

Our guide Micheal who is wonderful and speaks perfect English took us to a Chinese restaurant in town. The food was not near as good as what we had in Beijing, but it was still pretty good. I had the Kung Pao chicken and it was VERY spicy. Unfortunately we had to stop for ice cream to cool off my tongue:)

Tomorrow we will go back to the Civil Affairs office and make everything official with Jaxon then we will come back to the hotel to pack before heading off to the airport for Inner Mongolia. This has been such a fast trip as far as being in Nanjing, but in order to get both boys' paperwork done in time, we needed to cut the trips short.

Right now Matt and Blake are translating back and forth with Jaxon through a program Matt downloaded to his phone. It is quite useful and has saved us money on buying a translator here.

We didn't take too many pictures, I didn't want to totally freak him out on the first day. He and Blake are getting along great and we are so glad we brought him. It is amazing that even though neither of them understands the other, they both understand video games. They have been playing games on Blake's I Pod all afternoon.

I will probably not be able to post again until we get to Hohhot so please don't worry if you don't hear anything right away. For now, enjoy the pictures. By the way, Jaxon is even more handsome in person and has insisted we call him by his American name.

Finally, an Update

I am having trouble uploading all the pictures I wanted, but will hopefully have more to share later.

So sorry about the delay in posting. While we were at New Day we had NO Internet access. We are in Nanjing now and have total access so I have been checking my e-mails (I had over 200). I am uploading pictures now and will post soon.

The good news is we are OKAY! Again, I apologize for those of you who have e-mailed and commented wondering if all is okay.

We met Drew on Friday morning at his foster families home. He is as adorable in person as he is in pictures. He is very skinny (the layers are very deceiving), but his cheeks are SO chubby and So kissable. I have already stolen many kisses and a few "pinches." Drew was so excited and was waiting for us to arrive. He was a bit shy at first, but warmed up after a bit. His foster mom had some fruit, nuts, and cookies laid out and Drew was quite the gentleman in making sure we had several of everything. He was so eager to show us where he sleeps (in a crib next to his foster mom and dad). We were there for about two hours and were able to ask his foster parents many questions about Drew and his routine.

I have waited over a year to get my hands on this little guy. And yes, his cheeks are SO kissable.




Being a good host and making sure daddy has enough to drink.

Drew's foster dad. They really love him and are going to miss him so much. Their house is going to be very quiet in a few days.

Drew with his foster mom and dad.



He is going to fit is so well with Gabe and Blake. Blake kept saying how much fun they were going to have with all the Nerf guns we have at home.


After lunch we met with the New Day staff, doctor, and pre-school teacher. They were able to go over Drew's medical history as well as his progress in school. They were able to answer question we had and gave us all of Drew's artwork that he has done while living at New Day. It was incredible. We are so blessed and thankful to have had him part of such a wonderful organization. I had no idea of the impact they have on these kids until I saw it first hand.

After that we walked into the village to exchange money and get some stuff to make a packed lunch for Saturday. The village in rural China which was so neat to see. We got many stares, but just smiled and waived. The people here are so happy and content. It is truly amazing!

He wasn't too sure about riding on Matt's shoulders at first, but it didn't take him long to figure out how fun it was.








New Day was having their Spring Fling on Friday so we were trying to hurry back so Drew could make it back in time for the egg hunt, but we missed it. Fortunately he was able to play with his friends, especially Adahlynn. I have so many pictures of those two together. The interns at New Day described Drew and Adahlynn like an "old married couple." They said they are so cute together and wherever one is, the other is not too far behind. One of the interns told Adahlynn that she liked her and Adahlynn's response was "I like Drew." They joke about the two of them getting married some day. I told them I would definitely sent them all an invitation to the wedding. Adahlynn is a beautiful little girl and has about as much energy as Drew. In fact, I think one of the main reasons those tow get along so well is because they are the only two that can keep up with each other. I was also able to visit with Adahlynn's foster dad who is a wonderful man who truly loves Adahlynn. I was taking pictures of him and her and he asked if I would send them o him. He also asked me to pass on a few things to Adahlynn's mom (which I am more than happy to do).
Drew is definitely ALL boy and is full of energy. He is very spoiled by his foster parents and does not like nor seems to hear the word "no" often. He pretty much does what he wants, and can be very stubborn. He is in for a rude awakening once we lay down the law. Seriously though, he is a super great kid and a lot of fun. He is extremely smart and very curious. He will ask questions about EVERYTHING!



Petting a chick that Karen was holding.




Drew is very close with Elva who works for New Day. He is going to have a very difficult time saying good bye to her. She is an absolute treasure and we are so glad she and Drew have such a close relationship. We were fortunate enough to have Drew and Elva go with us to The Great Wall, Forbidden City, and Tienanmen Square on Saturday. It made for a VERY long day, but was so worth it.

We went to a part of the wall that you ride the cable car up and then ride a toboggan down. I will admit I was terrified at first, but the views from the lift were priceless. Once on top we walked on the wall for awhile then went down on the toboggan. Again, I was no too sure, but once I got going it was actually alot of fun. The only hang up was the Matt was behind me "yelling" at me to go faster.

We were at the wall for a couple of hours then headed over to The Forbidden City and Tiennamen Square. I don't think I have ever seen anything so beautiful in my life. The architecture is amazing and absolutely beautiful. The Forbidden City is big, no huge. There is no way you could get through the whole thing in one day. It goes on and on and on.

On the way back to New Day we stopped at a little Chinese resturaunt for a traditional dinner. We had Beijing Peking Duck as well as many other dishes. Believe it or not, I stepped outside of the box and tried most of it and it was really good.

Once we got back to New Day we said our goodbye's to Drew. We will not see him again until we get to Hohhot. Elva will take him there by train and stay with him until we get there. My heart just breaks for all those who have loved and cared for him for so long. Elva and Drew have a very special relationship and as much as she says she is happy for Drew, it is also obvious that she is going to miss him very much.

As I am typing this I just realized that today is Drew's last day at New Day and with his foster family. Please pray that he is able to understand all the changes that are about to happen. Although he "knows" we are his mom and dad, I don't think he fully understands the changes that are about to take place.

Signing off for now, but will be back later today with more pictures and to officially introduce you all to our newest and oldest son.