Hot Day in the City

Today was a dense day of touring at the hottest spots in Beijing. At peak season, the crowds were thick, and at the peak of summer, the temperature and humidity were both uncommonly high. There was just too much amazing detail to absorb during our two mile hike through the Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The heat took its toll on the group, but Eliza was a trooper. She entertained all around with her questions and commentary and enjoyed photographing her own view of the often chaotic scenery. She nearly faltered just outside the Hall of Preserved Harmony, but pulled through with the help of an icy popsicle.

We also toured a silk factory and the Hutongs, or old neighborhoods. We rode on rickshaws through the Hutongs and Eliza thought that was pretty fantastic. She declared that she was Cinderella and we were riding in a coach. She also yelled at the driver to go “super fast…like zooooom!”.

Tomorrow we trek to the Great Wall for a little Chinese “mountain” climbing. Then Sunday we fly to Zhengzhou with Finnian’s adoption day on Monday. Very close now.

Hot Hot Hot

Tomorrow we trek to the Great Wall for a little Chinese “mountain” climbing. Then Sunday we fly to Zhengzhou with Finnian’s adoption day on Monday. Very close now.

Beijing

We arrived safely.  Exhausted is not quite strong enough to describe the state of disorientation Eliza was experiencing!  She was a superstar the entire trip…not a tear, not a gripe, took a couple naps on the plane.  Right after we landed poor kid got sick.  She threw up in the van on the way to the hotel too.  The gentleman driving the car did not know English and was clearly concerned about Eliza and the van (we left no sign of the event). 

We spent today walking around, getting familiar with our location and finding the subway.  Eliza got a lot of attention, those of you who know her will not be surprised that…it did not go well.  Several people stopped to touch her or talk to her, others tried to take pictures.  The result was consistent…crying!  She said “too much people”. 

We hope to see the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven tomorrow.  We will see how it goes.  After tomorrow we are not free agents.  Our travel group will be here and we will do group tours to the Great Wall, Forbidden City, and much more. 

We meet Finnian on the 19^th in Zhengzhou.  It will be here before we know it. 

Travel Time!

We learned today that we travel on July 12th.  We will be in China until July 31st.  Somewhere in there we become a family of four.  We are ready and anxious to meet Finnian.  We will do our best to keep the blog updated day to day during our travels.

We just celebrated Eliza's 4th birthday.  We are stunned at what a little lady she has become.  She received a card from her Great Grand Val and Great Grand Papa...as I read it to her she spoke to the card:  Me "We hope you have a fun birthday",  Eliza "Oh, I will!"  as she put her nose into the card to make sure the Great Grands could hear!

If you are curious about how Eliza looks traveling....

COAT

So, Finnian's Chinese name is Fu Pu Qing.  It means universal celebration!  We are certainly celebrating!!!

There is a non-profit organization involved in the care of the children in the Jiaozuo Social Welfare Institute.  It goes by the name COAT (Chinese Orphan Care Team).  I found this photo on their website: eagleswingschina.org.  What a lucky find!!  It's our sweet boy getting some love!  COAT seems to be doing some amazing work in Jiaozuo.  I will do some more research, but as great as the kids look...it seems undeniably fantastic!

Jiaozuo is 43 miles north of Zhengzhou (the provincial capital of Henan, P.R. China).  It is located in a transition area between the Taihang Mountains and Northern Henan Plain. It has only one social welfare institute that provides much needed care for the elderly and orphaned children.  We will be staying in Zhengzhou.  Hopefully we will have the opportunity to visit Jiaozuo and the social welfare institute and meet the people have loved our son.

Finnian

So, here he is.  Finnian Pu Qing Schurter.  Born 1-8-2009.  He currently resides in Jiaozuo, Henan, P.R. China.

Looks like we might travel in 6 weeks or so.

Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

We've had an active and fun holiday season this year with lots of good time with family and friends. Jane and Eliza made the long car ride from Denver to Texas to visit family. With the help of Aunt Anne and Mary Poppins. The stories from the road were smiles, for the most part. After their return, we enjoyed Christmas together as a family.

For an extra Christmas present, my parents came to visit for several days. With Jane's new sewing machine, she and Mom went to work re-purposing Eliza's old crib dressings to fit her new "big girl bed." See below for the final result. The face on the pillow is Dora. The rumple under the cover is a hiding Eliza. Bubbles on the kitchen counter were another fun treat.

I took about 10 days off from work and we all enjoyed a long stint of family time. Eliza is an absolute hoot. Her love of story telling and sense of humor seem very mature for her age. "Once I saw a whale with a turtle on it, and he had a bowl of ice cream" [loud, high-pitched laughter]. These past months have been fun, peaceful, productive, and full of new discoveries. Eliza is blossoming into a very inquisitive, fun-loving little girl who is comfortable in her own skin. I think we've hit a good groove. Must mean we're due for change.

Let it Snow!

Our first big snow! Eliza has been very excited and anxious to get outside. She begged to shovel snow and Kyle obliged. They attempted a snow man, but the snow is too powdery. Maybe next time? For now...we'll stay inside and enjoy hot chocolate and Halloween cookies.