An Adventure at Safari Park

Even though we are required to be in China for nearly 2 weeks to complete Tulah's adoption, there are really only a few days when we are busy with adoption related "official" business. The other days are for us to have free time or to go and sightsee. I have been looking forward to today's visit to Safari Park ever since my friend Jen visited there in February for Pearl's adoption. And even though it was HOT.... and I mean HOT.... it was still a really great time and all 3 of us really enjoyed it. All of the animals were much closer than we would ever get to see them back in the US. And, we had the opportunity to see animals that we just don't get to see back home.

Michael was on camera duty, and he took tons of pictures! But here are just a few of my favorites!!

 

 

 

 

Tulah continues to do great!! Still loving on her baba, but she really loves her mama too!

4 more days!! Look out Redah Acres, Tulah is coming home soon!!!

Life with Tulah: Day Four

Today is a traveling for us. We are packing up now and will head to the airport soon. We are flying to Guangzhou for the last part of this journey!! Halfway home!!

Here are a few pictures from the last few days...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life with Tulah: Day Three

We spent the day at People's Park in Nanning. This is a pretty park for the people of Nanning to come and visit and relax. We saw many people dancing, exercising and singing throughout the park, There is also an amusement park here for children. Our sweet girl didn't want anything to do with that part, but it was fun to walk around and look at anyway!!

It was another good day for Tulah!! She had a good breakfast and did not cry at all in the car. And today..... she was her MAMA's girl!!!! She sat with me for breakfast, and only I could carry her around the park.... I'm pretty sure Michael was OK with that on this 95 degree day:)

After we returned, we all took a really nice, long nap and Tulah had fun playing with some of her toys. When we are just all together in the hotel room- that's when her little personality really comes out and we get the playful and smiling girl!!

After we all woke up, we went to look for some dinner. That is not that easy to do when you are pretty SICK of seeing chicken feet and fish heads everywhere you go. But, one of the employees here at our hotel told us about an Italian restaurant just around the corner. We walked there, and OH MY GOODNESS....the menu looked like we could eat there!! I had a very cold Coke Zero (this is So exciting because nothing here is cold!!), and pasta with garlic, olive oil and chili peppers. It was divine!! And Tulah liked it too! Michael had a really good, handmade, thin crust Hawaiian pizza, it was delicious too! We were some happy people after that meal!!

Here are some pictures from the day!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life with Tulah: Day Two

Afters the great progress the night before, I was really very hopeful that today would be a good day. We started our day out with breakfast, just like every other morning here, but guess what?? She ate!!! Another huge milestone. She dined on oatmeal, apple juice and chicken nuggets! ( I know..... chicken nuggets for breakfast, but you know what they say about desperate times!!)

After breakfast, our guide Cindy took us to Green Mountain Park in Nanning City. She told us that Nanning is known as the "Green" city in Guangxi province, because it has many trees that are green all year long due to the very warm climate here. I am so glad that we chose this place to visit because it really was beautiful! Definitely the most beautiful thing in China we have seen so far (besides our precious Tulah!!) She did great and rode in her stroller the whole time... she loves to be strolled around! And today when we drove in the van, there was no crying or screaming!! Another breakthrough!! Here are a few pictures from the day!!

 

 

 

 

This pagoda was built in the 1980's to replace the one destroyed by the Japanese during WW2. It is nine stories tall and you can see breathtaking views of the entire city. There was also a delightful breeze! We climbed up seven stories and decided that was enough!

 

View of the Yong river and the Nanning Bridge from the Pagoda

 

The Chinese mark each year with they symbol of a certain animal. When a baby is born in a certain year, thier animal symbol is thought to reveal some of their character. Tulah was born in the year of the ox. People born in this year are thought to be alert, determined, stubborn, methodical, strong leaders, they dislike failure and they will make great parents. We have already learned that this sweet girl is always alert to her surroundings, very determined... especially to get something she wants, and yes, even a wee bit stubborn!!

This is our guide Cindy. She was born in the year of the pig.

I was born in the year of the monkey.

And Michael was born in the year of the snake.

We really did have a great day and I just know that each day with Tulah will get easier and easier for he as she gets used to her new family! Thank you all for your prayers!! We can certainly feel them. God has blessed our family above and beyond measure and we are so thankful!!!

Life with Tulah: Day One

Tulah slept wonderfully her first night with us. In fact, we had to wake her up so that we would be ready to start our busy day! When she woke, bless her heart, it was like she had to re-live all that grief she tried to cry out the night before. While she didn't scream or cry much at first, she was very serious and very sad. She would not eat or drink for us and still didn't have any interest in her mama. Thankfully, she did still let her baba comfort her.

First breakfast with mama and baba..... not going to eat though;(

After breakfast, which she still would not eat, we went out to our van and headed out for the day. We quickly learned that she did not like to ride in a car!! She cried the whole way. Our first stop took us to the civil affairs office to complete some paperwork. It was a small, dirty and very hot office and my sweet girl did not like it in there one bit. We tried desperately to distract her with toys, juice and crackers, but nada.... not a gonna happen. She was mad. And then, to make things way worse, in walks in one of her nannies. I tried to shift her from her sight, but she saw her and really wanted her. She of course, did not make eye contact with Tulah, and did all the things she was supposed to I'm sure, but it was really hard for Tulah to have to see her again.

A very hot, tired, and sad little girl

She was very worried that she had not eaten, so she wanted to hold her and try to get her to eat. I reluctantly let her and she did manage to get her to eat a few little cheeze its (already a Hatley for sure)!! After that paperwork was finished, she did present us with a gift made by the children of the orphanage along with a photo album. This was very sweet and a treasure to have. Some of the photos were from the time Tulah was with a foster mom and I had never seen any photos of her from that time in her life.

Once we arrived back to the hotel, Michael decided that he should run out to Wal-Mart and pick up a few things. Up unto this point, she still had not really wanted anything to do with me. But, I distracted her and he left, and guess what.... we very slowly started getting to know one another and she had the best time sorting M&M's and Skittles. This was the very first time that she had even attempted any kind of playing, so I considered this a MAJOR breakthough. I even got her to drink a little more juice.

That trip to Wal-Mart was a major success. Michael brought back Pepsi Max for me (the only thing close to a diet soda here in Nanning), several Cup-O-Noodles and a beautiful, pink stroller. Before the night was over, Tulah had eaten half a cup of noodles and we had taken her on a long stroll around the hotel in her new stroller.... AND SHE LOVED IT!!!! This has been a much needed break for Michael's arms!!

Later that night, she got to play with her very first baby doll! Thank you Drammy!!!

Every day, Tulah is learning to trust us more. For the first time in her life, she has a forever mama and baba..... and we are not going anywhere!!!

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you"

John 14:18

 

"Gotcha Night" Part II

I had all intentions on posting yesterday, but it was a busy and challenging day. I will blog about that in another post. However, though it started difficult, it ended beautifully.... and exhaustingly... and the blogging just had to wait. More on that to come.....

 

Back to "Gotcha Night"... like I mentioned to y'all earlier, Tulah didn't arrive until around 9 pm. I cannot describe the feelings that had "mounted up" inside of me as hour after hour passed and she still wasn't here. But, it was a mixture of pure excitement and nervousness unlike anything I had ever felt before. At long last, the moment finally came, and our guide called the room to say that they were on their way up!! AHHHHHHH!!!! Oh my goodness, when that doorbell rang, I couldn't open it fast enough! And there she was. Tiny. Tired. Timid. Confused. Absoulutely stunning. OURS. Every part of me wanted to grab her as fast as I could and kiss and hug all over her. But, I knew that she certainly did not feel that way. Her nannies spoke to her in Chinese, words I didn't understand.... except for mama and baba. I reached out for her and she came to me!! It was the moment I had been thinking and dreaming about for almost the last year.

That precious moment was soon met by the sounds of a very sad and scared little girl, who didn't fully understand what was happening. I'm telling you, it is so hard for a mama to see her baby, one she loves with all her heart, crying and yelling in Chinese that she wants to leave. The nannies from the orphanage left and Tulah and I walked the loop around our floor in the hotel for 2 hours. She kept screaming and I just kept whispering "Ya Run's mama..... wo ai ni" and singing Jesus Loves the Little Children over and over. She finally quieted down and we went back to the hotel room where Michael and our guide were filling out paperwork. Michael was so careful not to come too close to her for fear of scaring her, but she looked at him and gave him a little grin, and that was all she wrote! She went to her baba and stayed there the rest of the night. It really was a precious site to see them two together, even though I was a little jealous:)

We did video our "Gotcha Night" and I am so excited to have that precious moment on tape to have forever. The moment she joined her forever family. It is a priceless treasure!

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope that we profess, for He who promised is faithful"

He is faithful indeed!!!!!!!!!!!