Drew's First Christmas

Well, I think Christmas lived up to all Drew expected and more. He was a little spoiled by all the gifts. We had a Palmer family Christmas and he seemed to enjoy that. He was excited to get gifts. He then had to wait 5 more days until Christmas. It was a hard wait. He laid by the tree a couple times and just shook saying, "I want presents!" He still asked a few times whether we really bought him presents. He still was not sure. On Christmas Eve, we had the Williams family Christmas and he got many gifts. He kept counting them and couldn't believe all he got. After that we went to church. He almost fell asleep on the way which meant he was crabby in church for most the service. I had to remind him that if he wanted Christmas to happen, then we needed to be at church as Jesus is the reason we have Christmas. He was a little confused between Jesus and Santa. He did go home and fell asleep rather quickly. The next morning all three were up a little before 7 a.m. and they woke us by 7. Drew got what he wanted from Santa and more. (He asked for a Rocket Clock and Star Wars legos.) He continues to ask about school almost each day. I know he misses the routine. Overall, however, he is having a nice break.

Baptism

On Sunday, December 13th, Drew was baptized. He was excited but a little nervous. We had gone to church on Wednesday night to "practice" and show Drew what was going to happen. Pastor tried to talk with him about it but he was too wound up. On Sunday, he did fine. After Pastor poured the water on his head he started rubbing his hair. It was funny. I then had to hold his hands to keep it out of the water which had spilled onto the baptismal font. After church, and pictures, we had people over to the house for Chinese food. It was fun and exciting for all. He received some nice gifts like a cross, three bibles and a veggie tales movie...

Future Engineer

If Drew doesn't become an engineer I will be surprised. He just loves to build and has an eye for how things go together. He also loves to see how things work and can take apart and put together almost anything. I am attaching a picture of one of the K'nex carnival rides he built. He also loves legos as well.

Finally -SNOW!

Drew has been waiting for snow since he arrived here. The other night we got about 1/2 an inch. It was just enough to cover the ground. I pointed it out to him and he got so excited. He said, "I never seen snow. It is beautiful." I let him go on the porch and touch it and then he wanted to "play" in it. He got his gloves/hat...on and went out to the porch and pushed snow together to make a snowball. Then he made a snow cake for TJ. A few days later we are getting a storm. Still not a lot of snow, yet, but he wanted to go out and play. He did taste the snow too, but didn't seem too impressed. It was fun to watch.

Happy Halloween

Drew has had a very good fall so far. He seems to really like school and he is starting to make friends. Drew takes karate which he really enjoys. He is starting to settle into Sunday School and likes having a routine. He loves computers and video games as well.

We spent October preparing him for Halloween. He was very excited when it finally got here. He picked out the Darth Vader costume in mid October. Bill took him Trick or Treating even though it was rather cold. Drew did great, even though it was dark out (he doesn't like the dark), and even went through a Haunted House someone had. When he got home he asked Bill, "Can you take me again tomorrow night?"

School

Well, Drew has been in school about one month now. He loves it. He loves his teacher and he is bringing home positive weekly reports. He is starting to make friends too which is great. He seems so excited to learn to read and write. I am amazed on what he is picking up. I am posting a picture of his first day of school.

Summer Fun

HI - It has been a long time since I was able to post. The last month has been a challenge. Drew is really starting to settle in and mom is learning to adjust to a very different summer. I came across a summer program at the local elementary school which is in combination with MSU. It is a free program from 8:30 to 11:00 each day. He loves it. I am not sure how much academic help he is getting, but being with kids and working on his English is a huge help. He looks forward to school each morning and even asks to go on the weekends. He also rides the school bus home which he thinks is the best thing ever. Drew has discovered video games and Sponge Bob. This is how Mom has also gotten a break. He already plays on medium level for Rock Band. His favorite song is Eye of the Tiger. Drew also loves to swim. He started swim lessons last week and the teacher says he is a natural. He calls him the little fish.

One month home

A lot has happened since we arrived home. Drew has done pretty well considering. We managed to get TJ graduated and have an open house. Drew had many relatives come and meet him. One Aunt and Uncle and cousins stayed for a week and we did many things. We went to Meijer Garden's in Grand Rapids and to Potter's Park Zoo. He is not afraid of much as he wanted to ride any animal he could and loved feeding the birds. We have also been busy with appointments...Drew did go to field day at his new school which was fun for him. I think he really misses the normalcy of school and being with children all the time. We keep him busy, or I should say he keeps us busy. He has had a couple play dates with Eli, a new friend who was also adopted from China last November. He has talked on Skype with few times with a friend from China who now lives in Wisconsin. Technology sure is amazing. Enjoy the new pictures!

Riding a Bike

Well, we have been home almost two weeks. Drew is doing wonderful. He sleeps well, and eats pretty good too. We went to Toys R Us and purchased a bike and helmet using some money that some wonderful people at work gave us. He is enjoying his new bike. He also likes to go to the playground near our house and swinging.... We play lots of board games which are good for practicing letter, turn taking and counting. He has been asking about going to school. We are going to have to figure out something to do or this will be a long summer.

One Week Home

Drew is adjusting and doing so well. We are just amazed. He sleeps great, is eating good and enjoys exploring toys...He loves TJ and Tara and I think is a little bored when they are in school. We play lots of Candy Land, and have pulled out some other games he also can play. He likes to win, but does fine when he loses. Yesterday we went to the dentist and he did wonderful. The dentist speaks Chinese so that was great. He was not scared at all. He has a loose tooth that we expect will fall out any day. He seems to enjoy getting out so we have been doing that as well. I am posting some new pictures.

We are home

We arrived home after 24 hours of traveling. It is early in the morning and we managed to get a few hours sleep. Drew did very well on the trip and slept pretty good last night. It will take us a few days to adjust. Drew is so happy to be home and loves his new brother and sister.

Guangzhou Zoo

On Sat. morning we went with our guide to the zoo. It was a nice outing. The bears were the most active. We also went to an animal show which was quite entertaining. They had monkeys riding bikes, a bear who walked on a high rope on his back legs holding an umbrella...I am adding a picture of Drew holding a monkey. He loves monkeys and Curious George too.

Medical Exam

This morning, after a very long sleep, Drew seemed ready to go. However, we had to stay in the hotel room and do paperwork with the guide. We also convinced him to try on some more clothes we brought him. He definitely will tell you if he likes something or not. The guide was able to interpret what Drew was saying while we were finishing up our Skype conversation with Tara. He told her that he has some glasses that she doesn't have. (We bought him some sunglasses.) He asked where TJ was. We told him that Tara has been at dance class and he asked if she was still dancing now while she was talking to us. While I was doing paperwork, he said that his Mom was the best at paperwork. He also said that his Mom was perfect. That was so nice to hear. I think he knows already who he should butter up.

We went to get his passport photos and he was laughing and talking with our guide and the man in the office. Boy was he wound up. Then we did the medical exam and he cooperated nicely. He was 42.5 pounds and 45 inches tall. We also were given his immunization records from the orphanage.

Yuexiu Park

Today our guide Wensi took us to Yuexiu Park in Guangzhou. It has amusement park rides and areas where people exercise as well as a beautiful walking path. As soon as we got in and Drew saw the rides he dragged me running to a ride. We bought some tickets and let him go on four rides. He had so much fun. After that we walked around and people watched and saw beautiful scenery.

Back at the hotel, we just swam and Drew and I went back to another park area near the hotel and hung out and then shopped while Dad rested. Drew is very tired tonight and will fall a sleep early.

Drew likes to swim

This morning we wandered around the island and we saw a group of school children exercising in a big yard. It was neat to watch. It was and is very hot and humid too, but they are obviously used to it. After exercising they are given free time to jump rope and play the Chinese yoyo. Drew saw a lady with an infant and he went up and played with the baby. Then he wanted to take their picture too. It was sweet.

After that we went back to the hotel, doing a little shopping along the way, and went swimming. Drew loved the water and was so excited. He slipped and went underwater which scared him a little, but didn't keep him out. He also doesn't understand that we just don't go up to others and splash them. He would splash me and I then splashed him back. He, however, figured out he could turn around, still splash me and not get splashed in his face. He is very clever. Also, when I said we have 5 more minutes until we get out, he said 6. He has learned how to bargain.

One thing I have to watch with him is his lack of fear. He loves to climb on anything and doesn't worry about getting hurt. He is very tough. He has bruises on his legs and I am sure he earned them all on his own.

He is resting now and at 3 we head to the police station to take his passport photo.

Best Friends

On Tuesday afternoon, we met Jadon who was Drew's best friend in the orphanage. He is going to a family in Wisconsin. They were very nice and it was so fun to see the boys interacting and talking. We will keep in contact which I believe will be special for Drew.

He is officially our son

Tuesday, May 12, we went back to the Adoption Registry of Guangdong at 9:00 a.m. We woke Drew at 6:50 a.m. so we could go eat breakfast and Skype his new brother and sister. He enjoyed showing off for them and showing them toys and drawings. At the offices we had two interviews and signed a bunch of papers making him officially ours. There were to be about 30 official adoptions today. He was so good through all the waiting. He has made friends with the little girl names Lu Jiao who is being adopted by a couple from Bethany in Alabama. He seems to make many friends. We have gotten many compliments on how handsome he is.

He is used to being independent and wants to do everything on his own. He cleans up after himself, even in the restaurant for breakfast. He holds our hands with no problem and even asks to hold our hands. Today, we both got our first hugs initiated by Drew. Bill got his first belly smack too - it was quite funny.

Gotcha Day

Monday, May 11th, we left the hotel a little after 3:00 p.m. to get Drew. We were waiting where there were many families and they said we will take you upstairs so you can get your children in a quiet setting. (There is one other woman with us picking up her 8 year old girl.) I was waiting for the elevator when all of a sudden I look down the couch and there he is sitting. Bill was great with him. He went right up and gave him hi five and they hit is right off. I went over and tried not to cry. He saw the tears and looked a little frightened so I worked hard to keep them in. We then went up to the quiet room. The orphanage director, paperwork lady, his social worker and teacher were all there with him. He is even more beautiful in person. He has a sweet personality and loves to help and share with others. He was very excited and moving up and down after we got him. I had to deal with the business side while Bill got to see the folders of work he brought with him. He seemed a little more nervous of me, but went right to Bill. Then I was able to ask questions of the social worker and teacher and we exchanged email addresses. They seemed concerned to hear how he is doing. They described him as smart, clever and tricky. They said he likes to move from one thing to another not keeping a lot of concentration on one thing. We haven't seen that too much. Then we went back to the hotel together. He said he wants to go to America. In the room he began to draw and then got teary for about 10 minutes. We showed him the DVD of his home we made and that helped. We went and got some wonderful food at the deli next to the hotel and took it back to the room to eat. He loved taking a bath and smiled a lot. He slept great. Bill and I wish we slept that good.

Touring Shanghai

After a pretty good rest, at the beautiful Park Hotel, we had a wonderful breakfast and went exploring. (The Park Hotel is one of the oldest, and at one time was the tallest building in Asia.) There was a public park across the street so we wandered over and saw people doing exercises like Tai Chi and playing badminton. It was very beautiful and relaxing. (Bill is watching it on TV as I type this as it is a big sport here.) Our guide picked us up at 9:00 a.m. and we headed to Yu Garden. Yu Garden was built over 400 years ago by an emperor from the Ming Dynasty. After that we went to a tea house and sampled 7 kinds of tea. The tea ceremony was very cool even if I don't drink tea. Apparently a new tea of the year comes out every April so a new one had just come out. After tea, we went to a silk company where they told us about the silk worm and showed us how silk is made. Pam got to help stretch some silk into a quilt. We also learned that there are two kinds of silk cocoons which are used to make thread and the other makes quilts. Then we took a relaxing cruise down the Pu River. It was by the Bund. It was warm but a nice breeze. Pam loves the weather but Bill is hot. After that we went to a shopping district which had restaurants too. It was too expensive for us. Then we went to a different airport and flew to Guangzhou. It was dark when we arrived.

We are in China

After a long flight, which was 14 hours from Chicago, we sat on the plane for 30 extra in. while they took everyone's temperature. Thank goodness everyone was healthy and we got off the plane. We met our guide right after we got our luggage and she spoke very good English. She took us to our hotel which is about an hour from PuDong International Airport. Our hotel was right downtown Shanghai. I felt like I was in New York City. We were so tired that we showered and went to bed early.

Zhongfu's Friend

I met a family online who are adopting an 8 year old boy from the same orphanage. I had the volunteer check and we found out that it is York, a boy who seems to be a friend of Zhongfu's. He will be adopted by a couple from Wisconsin so we hope to keep in contact. They are actually getting their son on May 4th, and we hope to see each other before they leave for home on the 14th. That is really exciting for us.

Travel Dates

Well, it has been exciting. We told everyone we were leaving on May 11th, and then I get an email that we need to be in Guangzhou on May 11th by noon. We will be getting our son that day. So, we will be flying out of Lansing on Friday morning May 8th and arrive in Shanghai on May 9th. We will stay overnight in Shanghai and get to see some sights there. The next afternoon we will fly to Guangzhou where we will stay until we leave on Wed. May 20th. We arrive home later on May 20th to Lansing airport. We have our Visa appointment on May 18th, which means we will pick up the last of the paperwork on May 19th before we fly home. I, Pam, has been sick so please pray for my health to improve before we go. Also, keep us all in your prayers as we travel. Also remember TJ and Tara who are staying home.

We have Travel Approval

Yeah!!! I got a call yesterday afternoon that we finally received our travel approval from China. We are so relieved. It looks like we will travel May 11th through the 21st. That will get us home 2 1/2 weeks before TJ's graduation. It will be hot in China, but since our weather has not been warm here I am looking forward to that. Depending on when our plane lands, we might get Drew on my birthday. I can't think of a better present. I will post our final dates soon.

He shall be called ...Drew

We have been struggling with an American name for Zhong Fu. We know that they gave him the English name of Harrison. We thought if he likes this name we could keep it, and he does. However, we got an email from Tammy, a volunteer, and we found out that Zhong Fu is his given birth name. The orphanage only changed his surname from Gao to Sun. So, Zhong Fu is important and we will keep that as his middle name. They also told us that a teacher at the orphanage picked the name Harrison and that he doesn't know a good American name from a bad one. They both suggested we pick a name that we like and give it to him and they will start calling him that. (We were also debating about selecting 3-4 names and letting him choose.) We also learned that it is common in China for them to choose an American name and then change it when they find one they like better. They didn't think it would be hard for him to adjust to a new name. We all agree that we like Drew, and looking at his picture I think this fits. We all will have to get used to it, but I hope Zhong Fu likes it. Overall, we don't really care what he is called as long as we can bring him home into our family soon.

One Step Closer

On Monday, March 9th, we received our LOA (Letter of Acceptance) from China. This is the last document that we need to sign before we receive our travel invitation. We expect to hear within the month as to when we can travel. It was a little frustrating as we were supposed to get the letter on Friday, and we waited all day and Saturday too. We were a little worried, but all is well. Bill and I left work for lunch, met at home and signed the papers. I went and made a copy and took it directly to Fed. Ex. I also resent the package to Zhong Fu that came back to us from China. We hope he gets our package this week. I am sure he is anxious to see what his new family looks like.

Still Waiting

We called our agency pressing for any news. We were told today that our paperwork has gone through review, but it will be a "few" more weeks. We don't know what "few" means, but we know that it isn't what we wanted to hear. We are trying to be more patient. I guess I won't be anxious for the phone to ring all day long.

We did hear that Zhong Fu received our letter. His teacher read it to him and she said he jumped up and was very happy. I am glad he is excited about us too. I hope the wait doesn't seem as unbearable to him as it has been for us. He hasn't received our pictures and toys yet, but hopefully he will soon.

Happy Birthday, again

I found out on Friday, Feb. 13th, that Sun Zhong fu was given the birthday cake that we sent. He was told that it was from his new American family. He helped light the candles and cut the cake. He shared it with the children in his class at school. This is exciting for us as we know he knows that we exist out there. We don't know yet what he all knows about us, but we did send a letter with the cake. We hope to get travel dates soon.

Happy Birthday

Today we received pictures that were taken at Zhongfu's birthday party. His birthday is not until Feb. 14th, but I guess they celebrate birthdays just once during the month. Also, his birthday is on a Saturday so they would not celebrate it then since he wouldn't be in class. As you can see from the pictures, he seemed very happy. It was nice to finally see him with a smile on his face.

We also learned that the name Sun Zhong fu was given to him by the orphanage.

Enjoy the pictures as much as we have!

Shenzhen Children’s Welfare Institute

I was looking online and I found a government website with information about the orphanage. I am not sure how recent it has been updated. It said that this orphanage was established in September of 1992. It is seven stories tall and holds about 200 children of all ages. It says that each floor contains rooms for the children, an activity room for playing, and a washroom where each child has his/her own household goods. In the building their is a very large playroom on the first floor, a reading room and an exercise room. It says that the learning center is on the 3rd floor. There is a observation room, clinic with doctors and nurses on the 4th floor. I am adding a couple pictures to the left. (I was told that Zhongfu lives on the 5th floor.)

We are Getting Closer

We got permission today from our agency, and China, to send pictures of our family to Zhongfu. We are also going to send him a birthday cake as his birthday is on February 14th. They also said they are going to start preparing him for being adopted. While we don't have our travel dates yet, I feel it is going to be very soon. They also sent us his name in Chinese. 孙仲富

Hopefully I will be posting the travel dates soon.

Christmas in China

We were happily surprised to learn that Zhongfu was able to have a small Christmas celebration. His school had a party the Tuesday before. The teacher told them that it was Christmas, the day Jesus was born. (The volunteer told me that she has never heard them talk like this or has never seen any kind of Christmas party.) The children sang a song. I am not sure what the song was, but he did learn "Away in the Manger" at school. He also knows the song, "This Little Light of Mine." They then had a Santa come into class who spoke to them in both English and Chinese. The children had written letters to Santa and he read a few of them. He then gave the children a goodie bag filled with an orange, candy, a marker, pencil and little pencil sharpener. They all received a juice box and enjoyed all of their treats. We cannot wait to share Christmas with him here next year.