Videos

Here's the video where we met Joanna for the first time.

A video of the night cruise we took on the Pearl River in Guangzhou, China. It was magical!

Joanna meets her Grandparents - Photos

Back Home, Safe and Sound!

So, some things Joanna has enjoyed since being home- a room full of toys all her own, blowing bubbles in the backyard, splashing in the tub. After a few days of her having major meltdowns at bathtime, Dad discovered the trick- almonds!!!! Once she's in the tub, Dad gives her a few almonds until the tears are gone. I think she would live on almonds alone if we let her- she's definitely got some Arnold in her already. She also loves her new shape sorter. She's getting it down pretty quick and of course her car garage toy- she loves to send ping pong balls down the circular ramp. She also loves putting her doll, puppets, rabbit, and legos to bed. She whispers to them and covers them all with blankets and tells me (using baby signs) that they're going to sleep.I look at her and wonder how we got so lucky. She is so smart and cute and gives us hugs and kisses all day long.

--Written by Mom

Returning to the U.S.

We're finally home- after about 26 hours travel time and a few meltdowns along the way. Joanna did pretty well considering she had 3 flights totaling about 16 hours and several layovers and bus/car rides. The most notable incident was during our trans-pacific flight (13 hours). She spilled like half a bottle of water on her and Mom. Dad quickly lifted her up, Mom put a blanket under her and got her soaked pants off. She then spilled like 3 drops more on her shirt and didn't want to wear that anymore either. She also refused to put on any dry clothes. So we had a mostly naked 2 year-old in the seat with us for about 10 hours. (At first we just laughed- in fact we couldn't stop laughing- then she had a meltdown and we stopped laughing.)

--Written by Mom

Guangzhou: Adoption Finalization & Site Seeing

We are getting to know Joanna better and better and she is getting to know us as well. She insists on doing things herself, which we have decided is to our advantage if we can harness that desire. This morning she carried Mom's towel down to the pool for her. (Maybe this isn't so bad after all.) She loves to play in the water. I'm going to try to upload a few pics. She is also showing us that she is definitely a 2 year old- this morning at breakfast she decided that she didn't want to wear her bib anymore. Then Mom did the most horrendous thing- she wouldn't let her finish her runny scrambled eggs without putting it back on. Joanna chose not to wear it, so no more eggs. She screamed for a little bit, then she got down and was OK. Yes, Jim and I are glad that we've had lots of experience with Jr Highers before starting parenting for the first time with a 2 year old. (There were some really applicable skills that we learned!) Well I need to go. My life of doing things like internet and errands has been reduced to naptime and right after bedtime, if I can muster the energy. We are looking forward to getting back to the states and starting a consistent schedule with her- probably including time-outs! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!

--Written by Mom

Hefei: Visiting Joanna's Orphanage & Spending Time in Her Hometown

Today we went to Joanna's orphanage. We met the staff and the foster parents who took care of her. She was also reunited with her best friend. We took lots of pictures with them together. It was an emotional time, and the entire family felt sad once we got back to the hotel.

Thankfully Joanna's grieving period was short, and she is coming to a greater understanding that we are now her parents. She enjoys walking up and down the stairs with Mom, and likes feeding me Cheerios. She loves us, and we love her.

Right now she is eating Won Ton Soup with mommy. It has been an unforgettable day.

Hefei: Meeting Joanna for the First Time

We are officially parents! We're thinking- how on earth do they trust us with this precious little girl? She is everything we hoped for- and more. She is beautiful, smart, energetic, spunky, humorous, and a handful! We are learning a lot from her.

When we met her at the civil affairs office, she had her hair done up in curls and was wearing lady bug socks. (We had mentioned in the photo album that we sent that her room at home is decorated with ladybugs.) Obviously, she was well-loved by her foster parents. Joanna is a very strong girl- she didn't cry much when we first met her or when we took her in the van to go to the hotel. She has been having fun with cheerios and the toys we brought as we work on getting to know each other.

Beginning in Beijing

Yeah, this day has finally arrived! We woke up at 5:45 AM., showered, had breakfast, and did some last minute packing. Hopefully, we have everything we need—our digital camera, toys, and a stroller for Joanna. Mom was extremely excited to pack Joanna’s outfits into her new Dora suitcase. I have my music and books (a Joe Montana biography, and a modern history of Oxford, England). Life is good.

Around 7:00 AM, our friend, Libby, drove us to the San Francisco International airport. Our flight left SFO to Beijing, China, at 11:30 AM. Thirteen hours of flight time, bring it on!

So as they say in China, “Zai Jian” ("goodbye" for now). I will write more once we get to Middle Kingdom!

Our Itinerary

Thursday, May 29th (11:30 AM): Fly from SFO to China (12-13 hour flight)

Friday, May 30th (2:30 PM): Arrive in Beijing, China

Saturday, May 31st: Sightseeing and relaxing (hopefully!) in Beijing.

Sunday, June 1st: Meet up with the rest of our group from Holt (our adoption agency).

Monday, June 2nd: Fly to Hefei (2 hour flight- we get in at 12:45 PM).
PICK UP JOANNA at 3:30 PM!!!!!!!

Tuesday, June 3rd to Wednesday, June 4th: Do adoption paperwork and play with Joanna. Hopefully we'll do some shopping in Hefei and buy cool souvenirs to give her when she gets older.

Friday, June 5th: Fly to Guangzhou, China

Saturday, June 6th-11th: Adoption Finalization and Joanna gets her American visa. (Yeah!!) We swim in the pool at the White Swan Hotel and meet other adoptive families.

Thursday, June 12th (8:25 AM): We fly to Hong Kong and begin a 23.5 hour journey to get home. (3 flights, 2 lay-overs, & a 2 hour trip by car)

Thursday, June 12th (Approx. 5 PM): Arrive home! Then the REAL adventure begins. :)

All About Joanna

Joanna (her name means “God’s gracious gift”) was born in December 2005. After an agonizing two-year wait, this past Christmas (2007) we were formally matched with Joanna. Upon seeing her picture, Mom and I shed tears of joy; our hopes and prayers were finally answered. In fact, Joanna’s middle and Chinese name, Runcai, loosely translated into English means “hope for a colorful life”. It is not surprising that the image I most associate with her is the butterfly.

Currently Joanna is living with a foster family in Hefei, China. (This is where we will meet her for the first time.)

We've been told by our adoption agency that Joanna is extroverted, has a ready smile, and loves to play. She is also quite active and energetic. We have a feeling she is going to keep us very busy, and we love the idea of this!