Blessings Beyond

Our last full day in China! Woohoo! No disrespect to my little Lukie Lu’s homeland but I need to get home!!!! Hopefully we can come back one day for a heritage trip and he (and me!) can fully appreciate where he is from, but for right now I need to get the heck outta here. Today on the way back to our room, all the kids ran to the room as usual and they each want to take the key and open the room door. Well, this time, it was Ashley’s turn and Luke lost it when he did not get to open the door himself. Well, we weren’t the only ones who knew it because after quickly sweeping him into the room and trying to pacify him with the iPad and suckers and such, there was a ring at the door. A housekeeper was there just simply saying “baby?” So I invited her in. Well, she proceeded to talk to Luke in Chinese, pick him up, take him to the window, wipe his nose, and then tell me that we needed to change his shirt. She went to his suitcase looking for a shirt. She goggle translated for us the question, “he wants?” so I proceeded to write in what happened. She wanted to take him out and do the doorbell again but by this time he had stopped crying and I told her thank you and goodbye. While she stood there we finished packing up our things and taking our suitcases to the door. Once again, ugly looks and foreign comments. Another housekeeper rang the bell and the both stood there with the ugly stares. I mean have these people never seen a child cry? I feel like the worst parent. Yesterday in a little pizza place (named Oggi’s and by the way was awesome!) Luke was talking loudly….just happy, and the ladies at the table next to us seemed so annoyed. One was pregnant and all I could think was “you just wait., little mama.”

Yesterday was a good day. We had our appointment at the US Consulate. There I took the oath for Luke to become a US citizen. We fulfilled our last official bit of paperwork!!!! WOOHOO!!! Today we will get Luke’s passport with the visa in it and be on our way. We have to wait til 5:30 to receive and we’ll officially be on our way home. We fly to Beijing at 8:30 tonight (Wednesday) and arrive around 11pm. We spend the night at a hotel and fly out bright and early for Chicago. Our final destination in Charlotte will be Thursday night, our time.

Ashley is struggling as much as Luke I think. She wanted me to blog that she got her arm stuck in the elevator. She was holding Luke’s shoes for us and went in first. The doors started closing before we could get in so she stuck her arm out that was holding his shoes to hold open for us. The doors completely closed on her arm and Ellen and I screamed. The doors then opened and a terrified look was on Ashley’s face. They then started to close again…this time with her arm pulled in and Ellen yelled “Go to one!” We met her downstairs and of course she was full of tears. Poor thing! Was very traumatic for us all. Ellen was sick to her stomach and I had a headache. Just another incident that I was cussing Steve under my breath. An adoption dad asked me the other day…”Does your husband feel bad that he’s not here?” I just said, “He better!” LOL!

I really thought I would have handled this trip better by myself, but I have to say….I did I pretty crappy job by myself! Well actually, I wasn’t by myself and having Ellen and Ashley here has been priceless!!!!! I REALLY could not have done it without them! I’m soooooo very proud of them! Especially, Ellen! She has been the ROCK of us all!!!!! Very special girl I have there!!!!!