Isabella Part II

Isabella continues to bond with us each day. She has such a sweet personality and her smiles and laughter come so easily now. We have completed all of the requirements from the Chinese Government for our adoption and now await our appointment Wednesday at the US Consulate for the final step in our adoption process. We have received approval from our agency to visit Isabella's orphanage located about 4 hours away from Guangzhou in a town called Zhilong Town near the South China Sea in Yangxi County, Guangdong Province. We are scheduled to leave early Tuesday morning for the orphanage tour and are so excited to see where Isabella spent the first 10 months of her life and her finding spot as well. As you can see from the new pictures, Isabella is an absolute joy. Our time in Guangzhou has gone by fast and we have been fortunate enough to get to spend time with 2 other families who have been a lot of fun to hang out with during our week here. They both have other children with them on the trip and we have enjoyed our time exploring Guangzhou with them. We would like to thank those who have sent emails and words of encouragement throughout our journey and look forward to seeing everyone when we return.

Isabella!!!!

At 3:30 yesterday afternoon, we finally held Isabella in our arms for the first time! Along with two other couples adopting through our agency, we went to the local Civil Affairs Office and in an exciting, inspirational, chaotic and unforgettable scene, we entered a 3rd story room full of adoptive parents from other agencies waiting for their children. We were blessed with the opportunity to observe several other families receiving their children as part of their forever family and then heard the name "Hill" being called out. One of the prettiest, tiniest girls we have ever seen came into our room with the orphanage director and Mom had the fortune of holding her first. Isabella instantly melted all of our hearts as we took turns holding her. Her transition to us was very smooth and soon after she was comfortably in Ellen & Sophia's arms taking a nap. Isabella slept through the entire night for us and her personality is really coming out today with plenty of smiles and laughter. Sophia has been fantastic throughout the trip and is great with Isabella. It's as if they were always part of God's plan to be together. As you can see from her pictures, she is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!.


Mom getting ready to hold Isabella for the first time!

A very happy Mom & Dad moments after seeing Isabella in person for the first time

Daddy's little girl!

Seeing her big sissy for the first time

Happy and snug with Mommy & Sophia

Beijing

After a wonderful 13 hour train trip on an overnight sleeper train from Changsha to Beijing, we arrived at the Beijing Railway Station at 7:10 a.m. Thursday morning. The train trip allowed us to see the beauty of China's countryside and experience travel the way most Chinese do throughout the country. We were fortunate enough to share our 4 bed compartment with a female University student from Changsha who we enjoyed speaking to during our trip (In China each train compartment has 2 bunk beds that sleep four people per room. You are not allowed to purchase extra tickets and thus a group of 3 will usually end up sharing their compartment with a stranger). It was truly an adventure we will never forget.

Sophia & Mom in Tiananmen Square

Sophia and Mom in Forbidden City

Sophia and Dad inside the Forbidden City

Sophia and Dad in front of marble carving in Forbidden City

Mom and Sophia in Forbidden City

Karate Kid Part IV

Sophia & Dad on top of the Summer Palace

Sophia and Mom in front of the famous 17 arch bridge at the Summer Palace

The Chaoyang Acrobat Troupe

Beijing has changed so much in the 9 years since we were last here. The tens of thousands of bicycles we saw in 2003 have been replaced by thousands of vehicles as the standard of living has drastically improved under the "Great Opening Up" of the economy in China. The dour gray buildings we saw in 2003 have been replaced by some spectacular high rises that light up with striking colors at night. What hasn’t changed is the smog that permeates the city during most of the day. During our 3 days in Beijing for our orientation, we were able to see the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Olympic Park, Chaoyang Acrobatic Troupe and the wonderful Great Wall section of Mutianyu that was definitely our favorite of the sightseeing we have been on so far. While the weather has been gray and rainy for some of our trip, the day we went to the Great Wall was a beautiful day with blue sky and the sun we have been missing for the past several days. As you can see from our pictures, it was absolutely beautiful. With Beijing and our orientation now complete, we are headed to Guangzhou and Isabella!!!!!





Near the top of the Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall



Sophia and Mom outside of a guard tower on the Wall