China Day 13: Consulate Appointment and Typhoon Vicente

Sometime overnight Typhoon Vicente rolled in to the Guangzhou.  This is our second trip to China and our second time to experience a typhoon.  Maybe we bring them with us when we come?  I don't know...

The weather was yucky outside.  Very windy with lots of rain but we had to get out anyway.  There is NO WAY we were missing our Consulate Appointment.  That is our ticket home.  No Consulate Appointment = No VISA = No plane ride home.  Can you see why a little typhoon wasn't going to keep us from that appointment?

Elvin picked us up at 7:50 am for our 8:30 am appointment.  On our way we passed blown down trees, guardrails and debris along with a ton of standing water.

 

We arrived as scheduled and waited in line for a bit before the Consulate opened.  Once we made it through security we moved into a small room for adoptive families.  It was not the same room we took our oath last time but we could see it next door.

The Consulate Officer came to the window which looked much like a bank teller window behind glass.  We discussed a few important immigration reminders and then it was time to take our oath.  We all raised our right hands and promised that all the information we had provided was true and accurate.  The words we repeat aren't anything prophetic but it stirs something in most adoptive parents, myself included.  You can see it in their faces.  We all have our own journey's to these precious little people we now call our own.  This oath signifies the end of the meticulous and sometimes frustrating road to our children.  We are so thankful to be on this side of the process.

We came back to the hotel and spent most of our day staring out the window.
 

Thankfully Jian Jian found a way to pass the time while I packed up our hotel.

We ventured out in the weather with our friends Steve and Heather for one last meal at Cow and Bridge.
 

I know at some point we are going to dream about our three Cow and Bridge meals from our time in Guangzhou.  I think I should talk to the City Council about approving a new international franchise.  Both Jian Jian and I think that's a GREAT idea!  Mmmmmmmm...

We have really enjoyed getting to know Heather and Steve here in Hong Kong and Guangzhou along with so many other wonderful families over the past two weeks.  I couldn't even begin to name them all but it's safe to say we have a new group of lifelong friends.  How awesome it is to be surrounded by families who look like ours and truly understand our hearts.   My friend Kristi and I went through our last adoptions together but missed each other in China by about two weeks.  I'm so glad it worked out this time for us to meet.  Wild Man and her son C have really enjoyed hanging out. 

After all the babies went to bed, the Mom's at our hotel met up for a late night chatty fest since many of us are leaving tomorrow.  We all love China but are so anxious to get home...especially those of us with little one's waiting at home.

We check out of our amazing hotel, The Garden, tomorrow at 3 pm.  Our guide will arrive at 4:30 pm with Little Buddy's passport and VISA.  We will then say our goodbyes and load the van for our 3.5 hour drive to Hong Kong.  We are spending Wednesday night at the Sky City Marriott to prepare for our Thursday morning flight HOME!!!!  WE CAN NOT WAIT!!

There have been several who have asked if they can come to the airport to greet Little Buddy home.  Of course you can!  You can blow him kisses, admire him, talk to him and even hug him (though he may or may not be happy about it).  Our only request is to refrain from taking him from our arms (even if he reaches for you).  Attachment and bonding is a long process and we know it's going to take a while for him to know there is only one Mama and one Baba in his world.  Thank you for respecting our wishes.

We land Thursday at 6:10 pm via Delta Airlines from Detroit.  We CAN NOT WAIT to see our girls, familiar faces who have prayed us around the world and our little brown dog, Kobe.