Journey to Julianna

ONE WHOLE YEAR

2009-12-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

Well, it is hard to believe but one year ago, on December 1st we met Julianna for the first time and she became our daughter. What a journey it has been!! As I think back on that day it almost seems surreal that we were given such a gift. She has truly been such a blessing and added so much to our lives. She is just so much fun to have around. God certainly had her picked out for us. She fits in our family as if she has always been here. We couldn't imagine life without her. So I will sign off with my blog and end with a group of pictures to tell the story of her year. For anyone who would like to continue following what we are up to, I have started a new blog about the family called http://adventuresofthehaydens.blogspot.com/

2009-09-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

Well, folks it has been far too long.

We have been in school 2 weeks already much to everyone's chagrin. It has literally been a mad house here. Football is also in full swing so that takes up almost every night because Jacob and Mitchell practice on different nights and then sometimes have games different days.

Zachary had has an interesting 2 weeks with feeling ill most mornings. At first we thought it might be nerves but finally clued in that some medication he had started taking back the end of August was doing a real job on his stomach and causing terrible nausea. After being off the meds for the last 4 days he is feeling much better.

Julianna started play school the week before last and is absolutely loving it. She enjoys going to class and taking part in the activities. I stayed most of the first day just to be sure we weren' t having any attachment problems. And have periodically since then stayed to watch through the two way glass or dropped in to have a gander. She is doing just great!Its great to see her have the opportunity to interact with other kids her age.

Stephen is still in Fort McMurray and has just gone back to a longer shift of 11 and 3. Not sure how long that will last!

We have also added another member to the family in the way of a new Golden Retriever puppy, named Buddy. Before everyone starts thinking I'm nuts, a bit of inside info needs to be shared. Our cocker spaniel Joey has a tumor in his ear which has been operated on twice now and continues to come back. The vet tells us that even if we wanted her to she couldn't get at it to remove it again. So at this point Joey is on meds to relieve the itch and swelling until it isn't humane for him to endure major discomfort.

Well, I will sign off for now and add a few pictures in the next day or so.

Happy Summer!!!

2009-07-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

Anyone who is still following the blog knows it has been awhile since I last posted. Some computer glitch has blocked me from adding to the blog from my profile so this morning I thought I would try from someone elses in the family and amazingly it worked.

So what has happened in the last month and a half. Well, quite a bit actually. Jacob and Mitchell had their heads shaved for the Short Cut to the Cure. So we had a couple of very smooth headed boys for awhile.

Three days before school ended Jacob ran into the back of a parked truck on his bicycle and was laid up for a couple of weeks with a very bruised leg and minor concussion. The truck faired worse and ended up having $1800 worth of damages. Thank heavens Jacob was wearing his helmet. The story might not have ended so favorably otherwise.

Big dent is where Jacob's head hit, smaller one where his fist hit.

Those two dents are the bike and his knees.

On a happier note, we have been in the throws of driving back and forth to Lone Praire Camp with the boys. Zachary went first for two weeks for CLT training, then Mitchell went and now Jacob is at camp. Mitchell is going again next week with some friends from school to another camp just down the road from the one our boys go to. Camp is such a great experience in so many ways.

On the home front, We have been finishing outside jobs like yard cleanup from last years project, replanting grass that died with supplies sitting on it, steps have been installed on the veranda, Stephen is now working on the railing and last week the eavetroughing was installed. When the veranda railing is finished I will post a new picture.

Julianna and I continue to work on her speech and travel back and forth to Edmonton on Tuesday mornings to meet with the speech therapist. We are making progress but it is slow going as each sound has to be learned individually and then added to other sounds. For example: First we learned and practiced the vowel sounds and now we are adding them with the h sound. ie ho, ha, hi, he. E's are especially hard as the sound tends to come out her nose and has to be relearned for the sound to come out her mouth. We continue to have lots of fun watching Julianna learn and experience new things. She will going to playschool in the fall and I know will enjoy being with the other children. She has made friends with the little boy next door and loves to go visit him.

I will say so long for now. Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!!!

New Pics

2009-05-29T08:32:00.001-07:00

Hi folks, Thought it was time to share a couple new pictures. My girl's clothes can be so much fun. The first is from a princess dress up birthday party a couple of weeks ago and the second is from last weekend. Julianna is doing just great as you can see. She enjoys life to the fullest and loves being outside. Although her speech is still unclear we are understanding more all the time and she has starting reading to me in the last week or two. Next week we have our appointment with the speech therapist and I am hoping she will give us some exercises to work on over the summer. God has so blessed us !!!

Update

2009-05-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Well it has been almost 2 weeks since Julianna's surgery. She has done amazingly well and within a couple of days of the surgery you really would never have known she had been through such a tramatic ordeal. She has really never complained or even mentioned her mouth. She is survivor!! We are so proud of her. We have our followup appointment this Friday. Here 's hoping that all is well.

Surgery Completed

2009-04-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

A few weeks have passed since my last post so thought it was time to give an update. Yesterday was Julianna's palate surgery. We left the house bright and early at 6:30am to be there for 8:00am. We arrived on time and received our paperwork and then sat in the waiting for the appointed time. 10:10am. At 9:40am they called to say they we are their way down to take her upstairs only to call back 2 minutes later to say there was a delay. Finally at 10:40am they came and we went up to another waiting room outside surgery to wait again. We talked to the surgeon and to the anesthesiologist before actually going into the OR at about 11:30am (I got to go in with her)where they proceeded to try to get in an IV, to no avail. So they used the mask to get her off to sleep. When we saw her later they had tried in both hands and it ended up in her foot. Amazingly enough not 24 hours she was released and is doing great here at home. Her mouth doesn't seem to be causing her any great discomfort and she is eating just fine. Stephen stayed the night with her and was kicked out of his bed at about midnight because they needed it for another little girl. We are so thankful she is on the mend so quickly. She is quite the little trooper.

ROCK BAND DRESS UP

2009-04-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

Well folks, it has been awhile. I thought it was time to share a few new pictures of a rock band dress up day. Julianna had a blast and was quite in character. Jacob tells me not to post any of him but they really are fun to look at. A good time was had by all!!!

Julianna also dressed up in a ladybug costume and liked it so much she wouldn't take it off for quite awhile.

And lastly a prim and proper Julianna dressed for church.

INFO ON ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE CLAN

2009-03-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

It has been an extremely busy month. In some ways too busy with lots of activities and new developments. Stephen got laid off a couple of weeks ago so has been around home working on some of the many projects to finish off after the reno. We have also been making up for lost time and have made quite a few trips to the ski hill before the season comes to end this Sunday. We are all a little disappointed to see it come to an end. Mitchell started basketball this week and that committment will continue for the next 6 weeks. Jacob is busy with guitar lessons. As I mentioned in the last post Zachary has been extremely busy this year with both theatre and music and I thought I might share a few pictures of his many antics. It all started in November when he played William Friendly III in a play called Hotel Hollywood. William was a crazy accident prone nerdy inventor.

A nerdy inventor has to have a few explosions of course.

He also has a hard time making committments and has been dating the same girl for 8 years.

Who knows why she would wait that long, I mean look at the clothes.

The next charactor was Two Gun Tommy, a gangster in a play called Lucky Lucky Hudson.

Two Gun Tommy and his wife Petty Larceny Jane.

Then in February he took part in the Alberta Junior High Honor Band which after 2 1/2 days of practice as an assemble of 120 played at the Winspear in Edmonton. They even played 2 numbers with the Edmonton Wind Symphonia. That made about 160 on the stage at one time.

If that weren't enough he is now taking part in a large Easter production called Love According to John which has been performed in Edmonton for the last 30 plus years. They have 5 performances the week of Easter. He is also one of a small group working on a spoof of Snow White here in town. As you can tell he isn't shy. Its lots of fun and he meets lots of nice people.

And people think homeschool kids don't get out.

Julianna is doing great! We had a checkup yesterday with Dr. Baxter the pediatrician and also saw the occupational therapist. Things continue to move forward and they both feel she is doing really well. Her gross motor skills have improved and we will continue to work on the fine motor. Everyone always notices how happy she is and she really is like that all the time. We are very blessed.

Hope you all have a great day!!!!

NEW PICTURES

2009-03-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Well, it is a cold windy day here! Many school buses weren't running but not Wetaskiwin. Oh no, we go regardless of the weather just like the postal service. Stephen returned to Fort McMurray last night and said it wasn't a very nice drive, lots of blowing snow causing very bad visibility. He was home for the week and got to be here for a big band event Zachary took part in which I will go into more detail in another post and Julianna's appointment with the surgeon. The surgeon said the sooner the surgery on her palate can be done the better so it could be anytime in the next month or 2. She probably won't be in the hospital for more than a day or 2, which is GREAT NEWS! Thought I would post a few of the many pictures I continue to take. My digital cameras are wonderful. Hope you enjoy!

JULIANNA HAS BEEN HOME 2 MONTHS ALREADY

2009-02-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe but Julianna has been home a little over 2 months already and has done so many new things. We have been to 2 important doctor's appointments already, one on Jan.13th and the other on the 9th of February. We have had no surprises so far and the next appointment which is March 2nd will be with the surgeon so we will have a little better idea when Julianna's palate can be repaired. Julianna has tried tobaggoning, which she really liked. We also tried skiing and boy did she look cute but she doesn't have enough leg strength to keep the skiis in the right spot so we will wait on that until next year. She did enjoy it but it was just too hard on Mommy and Daddy's backs trying to keep her up. Last weekend we went to a bird and rabbit show. She thought that was pretty cool except the turkey was a little too loud and scared her. As well she continues to thrive around her three big brothers. Her new kitchen is getting lots of use and we eat lots of pretend food.

Kitchen hockey is alive and well. The joys of an older kitchen where you don't have to worry about scarring the cupboards.

Our first attempt at pig tails. Zachary felt they were a bit lopsided but boy wasn't she cute.

Tobogganing with brother Jacob.

See I told you she looked cute.
She loves to pretend to talk on the phone. This is Stephen's old cell phone which when not in use Julianna places beside my cell phone on the counter.

And of course the traditional sitting in the laundry basket picture. She did that all on her own.

Last of the Trip Pictures

2009-02-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

Well, here they are the last pictures from the trip. Sorry it has taken me so long. Mitchell hasn't felt well the last couple of weeks and there just hasn't been guilt free time to sit at the computer. These are pictures of Tinnamen and the Forbidden City. The next pics you see will be very recent.

Chairman Mao Zedong Mausoleum

Arrow Tower in front of the Great Hall of Peoples

Museum of Revolutionary Chinese History

One of the numerous gates throughout the city.

One of the many rooms with a throne in them.

Large courtyard inside the Forbidden City. If you look really closely you can see the old bricks with the grass growing up between them off to the left of the picture.

Happy girl in the hotel in Beijing.

THE GREAT WALL

2009-01-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the pictures from our day at the Great Wall! This day was definitely a highlight! We all enjoyed being outside and appreciated both the beautiful countryside and the

structure of the Great Wall itself! It really is something to be seen in person.

Pics from the Zoo and Jade Market

2009-01-26T18:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I am working my way through all the pictures slowly. These are a few extras from the Zoo.

This black jacquar had the most menacing teeth.

This very cool sculpture was in the middle of the zoo.

These next ones are from the Jade factory. Some of the sculptures were really unreal and total works of art.

This is one of the craftsman working on a jade ball craving out the design with a small spinning disk with a constant bead of water spraying on it.

Howdy from the chilly Wild West!

2009-01-25T17:11:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

So sorry this latest update has taken awhile. Thanks to everyone who keeps checking. This last week and a half has been the time for a couple more appointments. Last week we went for the chest x-ray requested. Julianna was fine until the woman shut the door to the x ray room and then she started to wail. (After a little reminiscing, my comment in the last post about not having heard Julianna cry was not quite accurate we had heard her in China, especially when trying to use the carrier. However, that was the most vocal she had been since getting home.) Fortunately, they let me go in with her and after she realized they weren't going to hurt her she calmed down and the x-rays were completed. One down. This week was the dreaded lab appointment. They tested for everything known to man and needed about 9 vials from that tiny body. Thank heavens for emla patches. If you haven't heard of them they are amazing. They are a patch which you place on your arm about 1/2 hour to an hour beforehand and it numbs the area to be poked. Then when they stick the needle in it doesn't hurt. Julianna did cry but more because she was scared. What a relief!!! This week we hope get the TB test which Dr. Baxter requested completed. What fun!

Apart from the medical stuff Julianna is doing really well! She is such a happy child and is so easy going and not the least bit demanding. She continues to parrot everything that is being said and understands almost everything you tell her to do. It is quite amazing after such a short period of time.

Here are a few more pics from the trip.

Our guide Becky and driver Mr. Lee.

Landmark Hotel where we stayed in Guangzhou.

Guangzhou Airport

Waiting for the plane to head back to Beijing on Dec. 5th
The lobby of the State Guest Hotel in Beijing. Our littlest Canadian.

Busy, Busy!

2009-01-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

It has been busy week! Jacob and Mitchell were sick on Monday.

Julianna's appointment in the city was on Tuesday! That was a long afternoon. First we got lost finding the hospital, then we had a fun time finding the proper building. We ended up being 20 minutes late. The appointment itself went really well. No surprises! Now we just wait to hear when our appointment with the cleft lip and palate team will be. This will be the important one! Then we will know how long it will be before the palate can be repaired and how involved it will be. Julianna is doing well. She is picking up more words; they might be a little hard to understand but she is trying. We heard her cry for the first time last night which was a wonderful sound believe or not. Up until now she has cried in silence, tears and face showed she was crying but no sound. However, that being said she very seldom cries and has yet to show any signs of anger. She just goes with the flow.

Stephen arrived home late Wednesday night. Had a long drive home. Traffic was going a little slower with the weather and the fellow that travels with him held him up in Fort McMurray so they were later leaving.

Thursday, Jacob was feeling under the weather again.

Well, today is Friday. Jacob and Mitchell are at school. Zachary is at drama in Camrose. He got a drive with another family so its just Stephen, Julianna and I at home. I'm trying to catch up on housework and Stephen is working on one of the many leftover jobs from the renovation. Tomorrow we are hoping to go skiing and spend some family time together. If the weather cooperates we will even try Julianna on a pair. Amazing how small they make ski boots.

Here are a few more pics from the day we visited the orphanage.

Statue outside the orphanage.

Grounds at the orphanage.

Julianna's bed

The room where Julianna ate.

Playground equipment supplied by Half the Sky. Half the Sky is an organization from the states who funds different program at many orphanages in China. They also run the playschool program Julianna was apart of.

Garden across the street from the orphanage.
Well, I will sign off for now.

A few more pics!

2009-01-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

Well, here are a few more pics from our time in Guangzhou. The weather was beautiful there. The boys really liked the park across the street and all the unique exercise equipment.

Julianna and her first ice cream cone!

These next pictures are for those who value construction safety. The man on the ladder is leaning out over a 3 storey building and is not tied off at this point. They did come up with something a little later. We are not quite sure if the ladder is secure at the bottom. It doesn't look like it is.

Backing up a little!

2009-01-05T07:56:00.001-08:00

Thought I would back up a bit and browse through all the pictures we have and post a few each day. There are many of course not all of which you would want to see. But these were from Gotcha Day after we got back from the office and had picked up Julianna.

A WHOLE MONTH!

2009-01-03T07:54:00.001-08:00

Well, a little time has passed since my last post. Thanks to all who keep checking. It is so hard to believe but Julianna has been with us a month already. Time has a way of disappearing on you. So much has happened since the first of December. So many firsts for her and us. She is an amazing little girl who has adapted so well. There have been so few tears. Recently, she has been pushing the limits a bit more and finally starting to get into a little trouble which is a good thing. It just means she feels at home and is becoming one of us. The other children in the house can certainly push the limits. We have also seen a little of her sense of humour peeking through as she kids around and gets a twinkle in her eye. Our first medical appointment is next week on Jan. 13th with Dr. Baxter at the international adoption clinic in Edmonton. This is mainly a time of consultation. We meet with her for an hour and then with the occupational therapist for an hour. Dr. Baxter will then refer us to the cleft lip and palate team. We hope it won't take too long to get into to see them. The sooner Julianna has her palate repaired the sooner we will know how delayed her speech is. Although at this point she doesn't have too much trouble letting you know what she wants. We have used a little sign language and some hand gestures to compliment our communication repetoire. I have some Christmas pictures to post. Will try later today.

This last picture is for folks who know my Mom and Dad. Over the holidays we played a lot of games, it was really too cold to do much else and between the cold outside and colds of the sick kind inside it was good entertainment. Uno, phase 10, pay day, and crokinole were favorites. Another given to us by our wonderful neighbors called Hedbanz was fun too and offered a good laugh just watching the people wearing the game required gear. This was so out of my father's comfort zone but he was a good sport and played. Hedbanz for those who don't know is a guessing game like 20 questions but you wear the clue you are guessing on your head so everyone else can see but you.

Yes their is a kid playing too on the other side of the table.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-27T13:55:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe but Christmas is over again for another year! Of course there was added excitement in our house with our newest addition. Julianna was right in the midst and enjoyed every minute of opening her presents. She now has several dollies all her own and a very large fluffy pink bear which is a favorite. Cookie making with Nana was great fun! You only had to show her once and she knew exactly what to do. We have all enjoyed watching as she grows a little more each day and fits into the mix. She absolutely loves music! She has quite the groove! Her brothers are enjoying their role and she holds a special place in all their hearts already.

Reading to the fluffy pink bear!!

A Few Pictures From Home

2008-12-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

The little helper, she could teach her older brothers a thing or two!!!!

She enjoys driving the car, especially if older brothers push and then spin the back around.

The dog and cat waiting for a snack!

The cat and Julianna are definitely doing better.

The marker missed the paper!

Saturday Already!

2008-12-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

Time is certainly flying! It is so hard to believe we have been home a week already. It has of course been very busy with Christmas, getting back to school, van to the garage, and watching Julianna learn and interact as if she has always been here. My mother remarked a day or so ago that it just seems like she has always been here. She is the biggest toad in the puddle! The boys love to make her laugh and games of tag and tickling are quite common. We put the tree up yesterday and got the lights on and she thinks that is pretty cool. It was interesting to me to say out loud that we were doing this to celebrate the birth of Jesus and know that in all of her four years she had never heard this. By next year I'm sure it will be just amazing at how far she has come. She is such a happy child and so obedient. Very little seems to upset her and she is very easy to please. The issue with the dog and cat has become a non issue. She loves them both and pets them readily. The cat seems to be more interesting, but he is quieter. It only took her a couple of hours to warm up to Grampie and Nana and I'm sure when they leave she will wonder why. Will post some new pictures soon.

Two Weeks

2008-12-16T12:38:00.001-08:00

It is so hard to believe but Julianna has been with us 2 weeks already. Time has a way of just disappearing on you. We are settling in at home, some of us are actually on Edmonton time. What a relief to have people sleep at night. It has been a few days of recovery. Zachary arrived home sick and Mitchell followed soon after. Hopefully, tomorrow everyone will be back to good health and we can concentrate on preparing for Christmas. Oh, still so much to do. My parents arrive tonight from Nova Scotia. Jacob and Mitchell are excited that they will be here for the school concert. Always nice to have people in the audience other than parents and sometimes only one of those. Stephen headed back to Fort McMurray on Sunday and will be home again on Saturday or Sunday coming. Then he'll be home for the Christmas break until Jan. 5th.

Julianna continues to learn new things each day. The newest skill is winking, with both eyes of course, but she only had to see me do it once and she gave it a try. As I type she is sitting on my lap moving her fingers on the table copying me. She parrots everything, all a good sign of that little brain of hers on overdrive. She also loves to sing, Jingle Bells and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star seem to be favorites. You can't understand many words but she does put a syllable in for each word and holds the tune and timing pretty well. She is very lovable and asks to be picked up. She loves books and I had the privilege of reading Dr. Suess' Foot book on the way home 5 times in a row.

Here are some more pics!!

These pictures are from the Lama Temple in Beijing which we visited the second day we were there. A very quiet place given all the people there. Not sure how I overlooked them.

People come to burn incense. There are many stores just before you reach the temple selling many different kinds.

Sculpture decorating the roof of one of the buildings.

There were many statues of Buddha in different buildings at the temple.

This statue of Buddha is made out one piece of solid sandalwood. It is 18 metres high above the ground and there are 8 metres of it underground. It is according to Guiness the largest in the world.

More Pics From the Trip

2008-12-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

Here are some of pictures that didn't get posted. These first few are from the going away party they held Wednesday night. The candle you see in the second had a huge flame and then the little candles come down and it plays Happy Birthday for a very long time. Someone mentioned that they had taken one home and given it as a gift 10 hours later it was still going and the people ended up breaking it to get it to turn off.

Chinese dance of masks. The man changed masks at least 20 times. They came down out of the top of his headdress and seemed to appear as if by magic.

These next pictures are from an acrobat show we went to on Tuesday night. The boys say this was a highlight. I was actually lucky to get these ones. We were told by the guide no flash but it was no pictures period. I got in trouble twice taking these. The performers ranged anywhere from about 10 to 18. Some of the acts were amazing.

Boys and Julianna in the garden at the Forbidden City. The stone structures behind them and in the picture back a day or so ago are made out of hundreds of pieces put together. Missing Summer Palace pictures.
This is one of about 10000 different pictures painted inside the longest covered corridor in the world. 793 metres.

This is a marble boat at the lake's edge. Betcha it wouldn't float.

WE ARE HOME!!!

2008-12-12T23:00:00.001-08:00

I tried this from the Vancouver Airport but for some reason it just wouldn't post. WE ARE HOME and much relieved to be sleeping in our own beds tonight. The flight home was really uneventful and Julianna travelled like a seasoned pro. Our trip through the immigration office went very smoothly and now we just have to apply for Julianna's SIN and healthcare card in her new name and then we can apply for her Canadian citizenship. She is sleeping now after deciding she doesn't like the cat. Their relationship may take some work. We now wonder what will happen when we introduce the dog. The dog may have to make short appearances. We arrived home to frigidly cold weather -27 degrees with the windchill and its supposed to be colder tomorrow. We won't be going very far it will definitely be a recovery day. I will take some time this weekend and post a bunch of pictures taken throughout the trip but I just didn't have the time to post.

Forbidden City and Tinanamen Square

2008-12-09T23:45:00.000-08:00

It is now Wednesday and today was a bit cooler. A few flakes of snow were flying around as we finished our tour. This was the day for the Forbidden City and Tinanamen Square. The square itself is huge and soldiers still roam around as throngs of people make their way to the Forbidden City. Forbidden of course because only the royal family was allowed inside. No commoners allowed. The square is almost a kilometer long and 550 metres wide. Under Chairman Mao's picture is the first gate to the Forbidden City. There are 2 courtyards before you actually get to the city. The city itself has 9999 1/2 rooms. Supposedly if you stayed a night in each room it would take 27 years. The architecture itself is very unique and the buildings are designed to create numerous courtyards. In one of the very large courtyards the original stones have been left, dating them back 600years. One the interesting facts the guide told us was that the emperor was so afraid of someone tunneling in that the stones are actually 15 layers thick. The garden is made of very neat stone structures and some of the trees are 300 years old. It must be incredible in the spring. Walking through the Square. Pots of water left around to be used in case of fire, also older stones with grass.

300 year old trees

Full Day!

2008-12-08T02:37:00.000-08:00

Today was very busy, we had to be up by 6:30 to be able to leave the hotel by 8:00 to head for Julianna's medical. The medical itself went quite smoothly and she did a great job cooperating. Nothing too evasive but still good response to strangers touching her. Then back we came and had a little over an hour before we headed back out again for the tour of the Summer Palace and silk factory. The Summer Palace is beautiful even this time of year when the lake beside it is frozen enough to walk on. Can't imagine how beautiful the grounds must be in the spring when everything is green. The silk factory was interesting but we were all pretty tired by then and it was kinda hard to pay attention. However, we did get Julianna 2 very pretty chinese dresses. Those were a definite must on the shopping list. Tomorrow is shopping day at the market. Supposedly the market has absolutely everything. It should be interesting. My pictures downloaded into the computer and then decided to disappear on me. As soon as I find them I will post them.

The Great Wall

2008-12-07T03:26:00.000-08:00

Today was the day we headed to the Great Wall and also stopped at the jade factory. The work they do to create sculptures and jewellery is just amazing. The guide gave us lesson in the history of jade the 30 different colors and different grades. Jade is the stone of luck and brings wonderful things to your life.

The Great Wall was just that "Great!" It has been the highlight on the touristy end of things. We had a good day for it and travelled up the harder side a certain distance and then came back and went up the supposedly easier side. The boys were quite impressed and the structure itself is really unbelievable.

Tomorrow we head to the Summer Palace.

More Pictures

2008-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Well, we are back in Beijing and connected again. Julianna''s first trip on an airplane went really well. We had a little issue with the seatbelt but with a little bribery she put it on. She continues to babble away although we don't understand much. There are only a few words we can make out, ma ma, ba ba, flower believe or not and she does seem to know the word NO! This afternoon we went to the Beijing Zoo and saw the panda bears. It was a little nippy and in the middle Julianna fell asleep and needed to be carried. Our muscles will be really large by the time we get home. She doesn't really like the carrier, it was fine at first and then the next time we tried to use it she wailed. Hopefully, she try again she is a little heavy to carry around too long. The day she liked the carrier.
View from the hotel window.

Boys on the exercise equipment in the park across the street from the hotel.
The day before we left Guangzhou we went to visit the orphanage. It was a really good experience and was good to meet Julianna's caregivers and know that she had been well taken care of. She got to hand out suckers to her friends at the playschool.
Group shot with one of the Julianna's caregivers in front of the orphanage sign.
Our hotel in Guangzhou.
My favorite picture!

2008-12-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the pictures I promised. Finally something clicked!! These are from Monday, the day we met TianFeng.

Update!!

2008-12-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

It is a beautiful day here in Guangzhou, probably about 25 degrees. We are in t-shirts and passing folks on the street in jackets. Our guide tells us that in the summer it is between 35 and 40 degrees.

Julianna eats anything and will be the least picky eater in the house. It really is quite interesting to watch as she shovels it in.

We had a lovely walk this morning Julianna travelled in the carrier we brought. She wasn't sure about it at first but after the first 5 minutes she was fine. We stopped at McDonalds for her first ice-cream cone and of course she loved it. And as soon as she was finished around she went behind ba ba (Daddy) to get on his back again.

We have of course drawn a little bit of attention as we walk about. Several folks have asked if she is a "China Baby" and when the response is yes this is met with approval and a thumbs up. Lots of smiles!

Across the street from our hotel is a park with exercise equipment and a green area where people work out and also congregate to sing and play instruments. Daily exercise seems to a natural part of the day here. Each piece of equipment works a different muscle group.

As you walk along the streets there are speciality shops of every kind. No shop sells the same item, there are shops for silk, electronics, wire, batteries and believe it or not christmas decorations etc. Many decorations, huge Christmas decorations, santas included. According to our guide Becky, who has been just wonderful, the younger generation having started celebrating Christmas. We even heard English christmas carols in the market yesterday. It is called Carrefours or Walmart and is on 3 levels.

Our hotel looks out on the Pearl River and has a wonderful view. Although the smog rather overshadows some of the scenery. Many of the locals wear masks to combat enhaling too much pollution. The spitting habit that was mentioned during the olympics is alive and well here. Although it could very well caused by the pollution.

I continue to try with great frustration to upload the pictures. The internet is working at a crawl here. Hopefully it will decide to work soon or Saturday will be the day of many pictures.

WE HAVE HER!!

2008-12-02T01:24:00.000-08:00

We are now the parents and brothers of a little girl. We signed the official papers today. Yesterday was just crazy so didn't get the chance to update. The transition is going amazingly well and we thank everyone for their prayers. She hasn't cried yet only when she bumped her head. She is busy exploring her new world. I am trying to upload some more pictures. Hopefully it will be successful soon!

PICTURES

2008-11-29T01:44:00.000-08:00

Well here are the pictures I promised. This is the guys at the Vancouver Airport just before our flight on Thursday.

Here we have the frozen Russian Siberian tundra This one we took out our window. A machine had ripped up the pavement earlier in the day. After that men arrived with shovels, picks and this man was taking care of the dust with his state of the art broom. Branches ties together with twine.

Lastly, we have the recyling man taking his very large stack of cardboard and plastic bottles on his bicycle. It was quite amazing to watch!!

WE HAVE ARRIVED!!!

2008-11-28T22:32:00.000-08:00

Well folks I am now talking to you from Beijing, China. We are here safe and sound. There were four families on the flight in our group. The other 7 families arrive tonight and we all head out bright and early Monday morning to fly off to the provinces where we pick up the newest additions to our family. Then we will all meet up together again on Friday. The next 2 days we are planning to rest up and explore a bit. Everyone is in recovery mode.

A couple of interesting facts so far: Beijing is a city of 17 million people.

Beijing has 10 million bicycles.

Will try to post a few interesting pics we have taken since arriving on our next post.

VANCOUVER AIRPORT

2008-11-27T10:41:00.000-08:00

Its already 11:40 and we have been up for 7:30 hours. We have reached the Vancouver Airport and are sitting in the gate area waiting for our flight. Everyone is extremely excited and anxious to take off. The next time you hear from us we should be in China.

2 MORE SLEEPS

2008-11-25T07:12:00.000-08:00

It doesn't seem possible but 2 days from now we will be on the plane to Vancouver. The boys continue to count down the days each morning, in awe that the time is almost here and we are really going. For me it seems amazing that within 6 days we will have Julianna and she will officially be part of our family. Then all the waiting, preparing and packing will be forgotten.

Look forward to updating you all on our travels. Hopefully, the internet will work properly on the other side of the world.

Anna

Julianna's Birthday Party

2008-11-19T08:26:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,

Had a wonderful surprise this morning, we received some new pictures of Julianna at her birthday party at the orphanage. She looks so well taken care of; which is such a blessing. Don't you love the flowery hairband.

ITINERARY

2008-11-13T17:11:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are, 2 weeks away! Our itinerary has arrived and goes something like this:
Nov. 27 Leave Edmonton 7:50am
Arrive Vancouver 8:45am
Leave Vancouver for Beijing 12:30pm

Nov. 28 Arrive Beijing 4:05pm

Nov. 29 Rest and Explore surroundings

Nov. 30 Meet with group and depart for Guangzhou in afternoon

Dec. 1 Meet Tian Feng/Julianna

Dec. 2 Family Picture/Paperwork

Dec 3 More paperwork and shopping

Dec. 4 Visit Chenjiaci- Academy dating to 1883-1894
Architectural wonder- 19 single buildings build in square form Anchestral temple of the 72 Chen families

Dec 5 Travel to Beijing

Dec. 6 Children's and Group pictures at hotel
Beijing Zoo - afternoon

Dec 7 The Great Wall

Dec.8 Children's Medicals

The Summer Palace -the largest imperial garden in the world

Dec.9 Tinnamen Square / Forbidden City -world's largest palace with 9999 buildings
Dec. 10 Shopping Silk Market and Indoor Market

Dec. 11 Receive Canadian Documents/ Prepare to go home/Free time
Some of our group is leaving on the 11th

Dec.12 Leave for home 5:35 pm
Arrive Vancouver 12:30pm
Arrive in Edmonton 8:10pm

3 WEEKS AWAY

2008-11-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

Well, folks it doesn't seem possible but we leave in 21 sleeps!

We are also pleased to announce we have received the final piece of paperwork we needed, the letter of Notice of Coming to China is in our possession. We now have everything we need.

We are still busy with renovations; at the painting stage now. Will post pictures of that as soon as a couple of rooms are completed. I will post a picture of the outside though, siding complete!

Stephen returned to work a couple of weeks ago and is due home tonight for a week, so the mad rush will be on to get as much done as we can before he heads back to work for 13 days and then we head off to China. The carpet layer is coming on the 24 and 25th. Oh yes! I am crazy!!! But those were the only days he had available.

We are still waiting to hear about our Beijing itinerary. Anyday now it should come!

We are all getting quite excited! Although I must say I feel quite tired at this stage because there is just oh so much more to do. I look forward to getting on the plane and sitting down because whatever isn't done by then isn't getting done.

I ordered a birthday package and album of pictures to be sent to Julianna. They even deliver a cake to the orphanage for her to celebrate with her friends. We hope we might get some pictures of the event. Will have to see.

Will update you on the itinerary as soon as I know.

Here it is, the almost completed reno!

Anna

Playing with new Laptop

2008-10-15T21:43:00.001-07:00

Well, folks Iam trying out the new laptop. I don't like new software which equates to I don't like change. However, I'm sure with a little more tinkering I will have it so I can navigate my way around. This is a quick picture we took about a month ago to add to an album of pictures we are sending with a birthday package to Julianna at the end of the month. I am using it as a test to try out uploading the pictures to the blog. We are still waiting for our letter Notice of Coming to China and won't know our plans for in China until a few weeks before we go. Will let you know as soon as we know.

TICKETS PURCHASED

2008-10-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well, it is official we have purchased the plane tickets. We leave bright and early Nov. 27th at 7:50am and land in Vancouver at 8:43am pacific time. Then at 12:30 pm we leave Vancouver for Beijing and arrive on the 28th at 4:05 pm, which is 2:05am our time. Just a bit of jetlag to be addressed. Then we travel home on the 12th of Dec. We leave Beijing at 5:35pm and arrive in Vancouver at 12:30pm the same day. We have a 5 hour layover until we take off for Edmonton at 5:40 pm and arrive at 8:10pm. Yipee!!!!

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

2008-10-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

The exciting part has arrived, we are about to book the plane tickets to go and pick up Tianfeng/Julianna. Our tenative travel itinerary goes something like this:

Depart Nov. 27th
Arrive Beijing Nov. 28th
Group Arrives Nov. 30th
Fly to Guangzhou Dec 1st
Meet/Receive Tianfeng/Julianna Dec 1st
Complete Paperwork/Tour Guangzhou Dec. 2-4
Return to Beijing Dec 5th
Tour Beijing Dec 6 to 11th(Don't know the details yet)
Leave for Canada Dec 12th
Arrive in Canada Dec 12th( This is a joke on the mind, we leave and arrive in the same day even though the flight is around 12 hours because we gain 12 hours coming home.)

Will let you know the finalized plans as soon as we do!!

P.S. We are also still waiting for the letter Notice of Coming to China; it should arrive this week.

The Letter is in Beijing

2008-09-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

It has taken quite a bit longer than we had hoped but the letter finally made its way to Beijing and was delivered yesterday. Just to give a little history of its travels! It arrived in Edmonton Thursday Sept. 11, was sent to us Friday the 12th but of course didn't arrive until Monday afternoon the 15th, then sent back to Edmonton Tuesday the 16th and finally left Edmonton Friday the 19th. Then it touched down in Memphis, TN and Anchorage, Alaska before arriving in Beijing and was delivered our time 11:47p.m. Sunday, Beijing time 2:37pm Monday the 22th. Quite the milk route!! Also, what a relief! Now we wait again for the letter entitled Notice of Coming to China. It can take 2 to 3 weeks. Once we have that one we will make travel arrangements.

WE HAVE THE LETTER

2008-09-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is!! The letter has officially arrived!! Now all we have to do is sign and date the document and send it back to China. Then they send us one more piece of paperwork which is called the Notice of Coming to China. We will be travelling sometime in November not sure of the specific dates but we will be ready by then and hopefully have a little time to rest up and anticipate with great excitement the day we meet Tianfeng. Which in the China adoption world is called Gotcha Day! The boys are so excited about going to China to meet her!

The house also continues to progress. We now have shingles on the veranda and doors in the porch. As well Stephen is now putting styrofoam insulation on the top to match up with the bottom. The sider will be here tomorrow and then it will take on a whole new look. Can't wait to show you the finished product.

Letter of Confirmation Has Arrived

2008-09-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

Excitement in the Hayden House!!!!. The permission we have waited for has been granted! The special letter called the Letter of Confirmation for Adoptees has arrived and is on its way to us via Fed Ex. This letter gives us permission to come to China and bring Tianfeng home. The most exciting part is that we will now travel in 6 to 8 weeks, which means Julianna will be with us for Christmas! We get to call tomorrow and find out a bit more about the travel arrangements. Will fill you in on the details as soon as we hear more!

School Has Started

2008-09-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe it is September the 3rd. Today was the second day of school and so far things are going OK! Nobody went back with a big hurrah but there have been no bouts of weeping and knashing of teeth either.

Both older boys are playing football this year, so Monday, Wednesday and Friday are practice nights and Saturday is game day. I must say as their Mom they do look quite cute in their uniforms. Music lessons don't start for awhile yet.

Renovations continue, the veranda floor and roof are on and Stephen is madly wiring the upstairs hoping to be ready for an inspection later this week. There unfortunately are just not enough hours in the day.

Today is another day of silence on the adoption front! Hopefully, there will be some news later this month.

A Day Away From Home

2008-08-17T18:08:00.000-07:00

Today we made it all about family and took the boys to the Whitemud Amusement Park. Beautiful weather to be out and about! The boys have been incredibly patient for the most part through this crazy renovation and enjoyed being away from the house. We all needed the break and having a little fun is always therapeutic.

End Of Another Week

2008-08-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

Mitchell's 8th Birthday

Well folks, it is the end of another week and I have nothing new to report on the adoption front. We are now waiting to receive our Letter of Confirmation from CCAA, the Chinese office for adoption affairs. It could possibly be another couple of months and then as soon as we have it we would travel 6 to 8 weeks after that. Adoption is all about waiting!

On the reno front we now have hardened pilings for the veranda, a porch foundation, an upstairs sub-floor and the guys are putting up partitions today. Stephen's main chore yesterday was smashing out a door in the basement foundation(cinderblock) underneath the porch. This was a dusty messy affair.

Today is also the day we have chosen to celebrate Mitchell's 8th Birthday which was actually the 3rd of August. The weekend of his birthday we did the family celebration and then waited for friends to get back from vacation. Oh, the joys of summer birthdays.

Hope you all are having a great day! Ours is destined to be one of the hottest this summer, supposedly we are headed for 34 C.

Will post some new pictures this weekend.

Studded Rooms

Bay Window In The Master Bedroom Porch Foundation with Door Into Basement

Renos Continue

2008-08-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are the 7th of August already. Of course the rain has stopped because the roof has shingles again. The new porch foundation and piling holes have been dug and the concrete guy is due here today to lay the footings. Stephen has had the joy of putting new duct work and plumbing lines down the walls of this old house. Of course back when they built the house 60 years ago they didn't think that putting a 2 x 4 across between 2 studs might cause a problem for anyone. But we must be thankful this chore is almost completed and we will then have the carpenters back to partition the upstairs.

We are patiently waiting( OK so not so patiently, you have sound proper you know) to hear any news about Julianna and when we might go. I emailed our agency a couple of days ago but haven't heard anything new yet. Each morning I wake up to realize she has just gone to bed and when I go to sleep she is just starting her day. They are exactly 14 hours ahead of us.

Hopefully, we will hear something new soon.

Info about Orphanage and Guangzhou

2008-08-04T15:17:00.000-07:00

Guangzhou City Orphanage cares for about 1400 children. Half live on the premises and the other half are in foster homes. Their ages range any where from infant to 18 years. An American run organization called Half the Sky sponsors different programs at the orphanage such as the preschool class Julianna takes part in. The everyday language at the orphanage is Cantonese but Mandarin is spoken in the preschool.

The province of Guangdong is the most populous province in China with around 110 million people. Guangdong province is at the northern tip of the South China Sea.

There are over 50 orphanages in Guangdong alone.

Guangzhou city is the capital of Guangdong province. It has a population of about 12.6 million people. It is also known as Canton. The climate is subtropical. The Pearl River, the third longest in China runs through Guangzhou.

There is only one time zone in China set according to the location of Beijing.

WE HAVE A REFERRAL

2008-07-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

Four weeks ago this Tuesday we received the call. It was Faith at Children's Services calling to let us know that we had been matched with a little girl named Guang, Tian Feng. She is 3 1/2 years old and is now living at the Guangzhou City Orphanage in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province China. As you can imagine we were very excited but needed time to get a little more information before spreading the news that yes we are going to be parents to a little girl. This week we received the info we needed and can now tell everyone that we will have a daughter. We hope to be travelling later this fall probably in October or November to bring Tian Feng home. We are all so thrilled and can't wait to meet her. The boys are pretty excited about having a little sister and are having fun sharing such wonderful news. We ask for your prayers of protection and care for Tian Feng over these next few months. We will post her picture soon and look forward to taking you along on this journey.

House Renovation

2008-07-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

Before we even started the whole process of adoption we knew our home was just not big enough. We checked in our town for a different house but found nothing we liked. On to idea #2 we would take our 1 1/2 storey home and change it into a 2 storey. Taking our top level that only had 2 bedrooms due to sloping ceilings and creating space for 3 bedrooms, one of which will be Julianna's, a walk-in-closet and a bathroom. So 2 weeks ago we started the transformation and ripped the roof off and took it right down to floor level. Of course as soon as you rip your roof off you know it is going to rain and it has off and on for 2 weeks. So we come to the stress of tarps and getting them on and off in the wind and rain. NOT FUN! Then add in a roofer who quits at the last minute and you have entertainment. Fortunately, some very good friends sent over the fellow that has been doing all their reno work and he is due here tomorrow at 5 am to start. See attached pictures to understand a little of the drama in our lives over the past 3 weeks.

2008-06-21T18:49:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

Well, I am still in the discovery stage of blogging. I finally figured out today how to download pictures without them becoming very very small. Voila, the picture of the boys. Hopefully, by the time we get to China I will have it all worked out. I look forward to sharing our journey with you.

2008-06-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

The Red Thread

2008-06-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

An invisible red thread connects those destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle but never break.

A Chinese Proverb

The Beginning

2008-06-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

After watching with interest the journeys of so many others I thought it was about time we started a record of our own for folks to follow. We started this journey in October of 2006. The paper trail was long but amazingly things fell into place within a few months and by April 2, 2007 we were logged into the system in China. We have been in the wait and anticipate stage since then. Only God knows the timing and who this child who we already love will be! We all can't wait to meet her!