Pictures

There are alot of pictures from world travlers on the China Hope Blog at the following link:

http://chinahopejournal.blogspot.com

Trying Again More Pictures

She is a tiny little girl. These jeans are size 3T. Bethany bought this cute little outfit. Hope loves the red jacket. I've been using this for a coat since the size 24 months coat will not go over all the layers the Chinese people believe are necessary. Seems that tops size 2T fit really good but even the 2T bottoms we bought are a little large. Hmmmm did not take after mom there...
On our way to visit one of the three orphanages here in Hefei. Hope came from an orphanage in Huainan about two hours away...we could not visit there because of the weather. The visit was very eye opening and heartbreaking. They do the very best they can to care for these little ones and we saw many precious little children.
Love those eyes. Please just look at Hope's eyes ...mine are a bit wrinkled in this shot.
These pictures are from different days...this is her first nap with us...sleeping snug and warm under her Grandma quilt...

Jewell and Hope...she has been a wonderful help on this trip...Thank you so much for being here.


Here she is in only 2 layers and her new boots. We have to keep her really layered up here because of the temperature and also trying to not change what her body is used to. At the orphanage they keep several sets of clothes on them for warmth.

These are a few more pictures from the day we first met Hope some may be duplicates of pictures already posted...forgive me I will delete the dups when I have more time and get home where internet access is a bit easier. I can either look at the blog or be signed into it here, it is difficult to do both. After her first bath.

Just after arriving back at the hotel
First eye contact with mom. My heart melted...do not think she felt the same way!!

Yesterdays attempt at getting more pictures loaded was interrupted by a certain little girl who has decided that for now she only likes mom...

Becky

Why We Went Half Way Around the World

Halfway Around the World

We miss Wolfhill. China is amazing and interesting, but we miss home and all of the family. We still have nearly two weeks to go before we see home again. It is cold here in Hefei, about 31 degrees fahrenheit for the high with about an inch of snow on the ground. The streets have cleared of snow so traffic is moving at its usual chaotic pace. We had heard people tell about how they drive over here but you have to see it to believe it. In Beijing our van driver tailgated other cars with about a foot of space. Everyone uses their horns frequently. Amazingly during three days of touring in traffic bedlam we saw only one accident. It was a bicycle rider that collided with a bus. We didn't see the rider, only the bike laying in front of the bus, we hope the rider wasn't hurt badly.

For all of the crowded conditions here, the people get along well by American standards. Sometimes there are what appear to be heated exchanges between people, but no hard feelings. One or the other of the parties will convince the other and it's over. What we have seen makes us very thankful to be Americans. Also some of what we have seen makes us realize that in many cases Americans are not thankful enough, and are maybe way too selfish. If Americans were forced to live in the crowded deprived conditons that millions of Chinese are, I shudder to think how we would cope.

I will try to post some street scenes to give you an idea of how things are over here.

Counting Down the hours!!!!!!

As Mom and Dad stated in an earlier post "drum roll please........................"
HOPE'S GOTCHA TIME IS:
CHINA TIME 9:00AM (January 14, 2008)
TEXAS TIME 7:00pm (January 13, 2008)

More details on the China Hope Blog:

http://www.chinahopejournal.blogspot.com/

Anixously waiting on Wolfhill,
Hope's sisters and family

The Count Down is On!!!

On our Sunday evening approximately 7:00pm it will be 9:00am on Monday in China which is when Hope will meet her Mommy and Daddy and Jewel. We will have a more exact time later today or early tomorrow. Please pray that God will prepare them and Hope for this new life in which he has given them.

Please follow their journey at http://www.chinahopejournal.blogspot.com/

Patiently waiting on Wolfhill,
Misty, Wade, Caleb and Tyler
Carmen, John, Bradley, Ben and Sunnie
Bethany and Jeff
Grandma
And the whole extended family

SAFE AND SOUND IN CHINA

Dad & Mom are safely in China. Please follow their journey thru China Hope at the following link.
http://www.chinahopejournal.blogspot.com/

Also, continue to keep them in your prayers for a safe journey and that God will prepare Hope for her new family.

Misty, Carmen and Bethany

ON THEIR WAY

Dad, Mom and Jewell called around 12:00 today to say they had arrived in San Francisco and would be leaving there in about 1 hour for their flight to Beijing. The flight will take about 13 hrs. they should be there about 1:30am our time. They will tour Beijing on Friday and Saturday then on Sunday they will fly to Hefei and on Monday they will receive Hope. In Texas time they will receive Hope around 8:00pm Sunday night our time. Please keep them in your prayers.

Patiently waiting big sisters
Misty, Carmen and Bethany

China Bound

It's hard to believe, but the time is finally here. After two years and seven months of waiting we are ready to go to China and bring home our daughter. You would think that with all that time to prepare we would have been packed several months ago. Actually, there are a lot of items that can't be dealt with until after the people in China go into motion, so it has been a little hectic these last three weeks. We encourage everyone to be checking http://www.chinahopejournal.blogspot.com/ for updates. We will be travelling for the next thirty six hours or so, therefore we may be a day or two before news from China.

If you are one who prays, please join us in our most fervent prayer, that the Lord would prepare Hope Marie's (AKA Huai Dong Tan) heart to meet us. We pray that God's peace would witness to her inner being, helping her to relax during this great transition in her life. Also, please pray for Becky, Jewell, and myself, for health, strength, and wisdom.

Thanks to everyone that has helped in this process so far, with prayers, gifts, and assistance, in our Church, family, and friends.

Happy New Year and God Bless,
Ronnie